chapter 15: shamefully exposed
The next day, Jihoon walked inside, greeting his usual hellos to his workers before heading to his office. But his radiant smile wasn't as noticeable as before, and Hana watched with confusion as he busily typed on his computer.
She walked in, holding the broom in her hand. "Where's Hyun Joo?"
"I don't know." He replied, shrugging but she could see the hurt in his eyes.
Hana glanced back at the customer that walked in. "Welcome!" She greeted the woman, stepping back as the woman sashayed past her to get into the office.
Jihoon looked up at Yunseo, confused as she sweetly smiled at him.
"Hi there. We meet again, don't we?" She sassily said, tilting her head.
After bringing her stuff back home, Hyun Joo ate a quick dinner before walking back out.
She looked up, her positive energy immediately crumbling to the ground as she made eye contact with the person she least expected to see. "God, no. I'm not dealing with this."
"Hyun Joo, listen, we need to talk." Ha Joon begged, placing his hand against the door.
Hyun Joo gave him a dirty look, attempting to slam the door shut. "Let go of the damn door!"
But he was simply too strong. Damn, curse you, arms, was her first thought as Ha Joon managed to slam the door all the way open.
She boldly crossed her arms in front of him. "You have ten seconds to say what you have to say."
"Can we talk inside?"
"You're not allowed in my house ever again. So hurry up."
Ha Joon pursed his lips, opening his mouth to speak before she cut him off.
"Actually, nevermind. I don't want to hear it. Just leave." She shoved him back, locking her front door as he stared at her with a desperate look in his eyes.
"Hyun Joo, I swear I wasn't doing anything with her. It's you who I really like now."
Hyun Joo rolled her eyes, turning around to face him. "You were sleeping around with so many women before you even met me. Just go ahead and keep doing what you've always done, and leave me out of it."
Ha Joon looked hurt by her words, but she remained silent, refusing to even bring out an apology.
"Everytime we argue, it always ends up turning into sex." She blurted out. "Don't you think that's what's wrong here? The fact that we can't talk it out like normal adults and have to practically shove our tongues against each other to solve things out? I'm sick of this. I just want to live a normal life, dating Jihoon and doing normal things like a human being. Being with you only prevents me from finding that true happiness I desire." Hyun Joo choked out, blinking tears back.
"We won't do any of that again. I truly do want things between us to work. I promise I'll make you the happiest, just please take me back. I can't bear the thought of being without you."
Hyun Joo was stunned as she watched the cocky, overconfident man break down in front of her. It was something she never saw in him. Why? Why was he doing this?
She almost felt bad, almost to the point that she regretted making him cry. But Hyun Joo has suffered too much to keep quiet at this point.
Footsteps slowly crept up next to them, and Hyun Joo turned around, facing Jihoon. He looked stressed, and his eyes were bloodshot red as if he had been crying.
But his face hardened as they made eye contact. Jihoon glanced at Ha Joon, who remained silent, before finally walking away.
Hyun Joo kicked on her heels, running behind him. "Jihoon, we were just-"
"Save it. I don't need to hear anything anymore. I already saw it with my own eyes." He spat out, and she stepped back, speechless. Jihoon was really mad.
"Hyun Joo, why did you do it?" He suddenly asked, facing her.
"What do you mean?"
Ha Joon watched as Jihoon met his eyes. He looked ready to turn against someone and explode.
"Jihoon?" Hyun Joo slowly asked. Her face fell when she saw the tears in his cheeks.
"Why did you cheat on me?"
She stared at him, her face burning with humiliation.
"Why did you do it?" Jihoon kept asking, growing annoyed by her lack of response. "Tell me, Hyun Joo, please!"
"I'm sorry..."
But Ha Joon stepped forward in her defense. "I was the one who coaxed her into it. If there's anyone you should let your anger on, it's me."
Hyun Joo looked up at him, wide-eyed. Jihoon could only watch as the two stood next to each other, and he could feel his heart break in two at the soft expression Hyun Joo gave him. It was nothing of what he ever saw when she looked at him. He felt himself boiling by the second. No matter how much he worked for this relationship to succeed, in the end, it all seemed useless to Hyun Joo.
But as Jihoon shot glares at Ha Joon, the more the puzzles suddenly clicked right before his eyes.
"God, how could I have been so stupid?" Jihoon angrily pointed at Ha Joon, all while Hyun Joo cried. "You. You were the reason this whole thing started, right? From the mall. It makes so much sense now that I think about it. When Hyun Joo left without an explanation." He took in a sharp breath before continuing. "Both of you disgust me. Did you even bother thinking about how I would feel? I would've never thought in a million years that you'd be capable of doing such a thing, Hyun Joo. I thought of you as the sweetest, gentlest person ever but I guess I was wrong."
She weakly nodded, accepting his harsh words. Hyun Joo knew their relationship was over, and for good.
"We're done. Don't come back to the shop. I don't want to see you there ever again." He sharply said. When she didn't respond, Jihoon walked away.
Ha Joon faced Hyun Joo, who kept her head down.
"You should leave too." She mumbled, wiping her tears to head back inside her room as he watched, silent.
This time, he didn't stop her.
As Ha Joon dragged himself back to his apartment, his eyes landed on Yunseo.
"Oh, hey. You got back pretty quick." She smirked.
Instead of responding, he walked past her. Yunseo frowned. The usual ignoring. She followed him to the bathroom, biting her lip as she watched him undress in front of her.
But Ha Joon must've known she was behind him, because he spoke. "Get out of here, Yunseo. You're not allowed in my house anymore."
"What?" She asked, appalled.
He faced her. "Yeah, you heard me. From now on, we're just friends and nothing more. I'm very serious about seeing Hyun Joo, so don't get involved with me anymore."
Yunseo burst out laughing. "Woah, you really are slow, aren't you? Hyun Joo wants nothing to do with you, yet you want to run into her arms and expect what, crumbs? How bothersome. Who even are you? You're no longer the Ha Joon I know."
"I'm a changed man." He frowned as she mocked him. "I'm being serious."
"Well, if you really were a 'changed man', you wouldn't have gone as far as having sex with a taken woman in this bathroom."
Ha Joon cocked his eyebrow up. "Excuse me?"
Yunseo giggled, waving her phone around. "Wanna see? I already had Hyun Joo's boyfriend see it. It was so funny to see his reaction!"
"You recorded us?" Ha Joon glared at Yunseo, who casually picked on her nails. "Why would you do that?"
"Because I hate her. Did you seriously think you could get away from me, now that you found a new 'relationship' with her?" Yunseo gritted her teeth. "This may be over, but I'm not letting you two get away with it."
"You're sick!" Ha Joon exploded, startling her. "I thought I could trust you! We've known each other since highschool, yet this is how I get treated?! Like a fucking sex toy to pleasure your needs?! Stop bothering me and go fuck some other men already! I'm not the only man around who has a dick that can please you-"
Yunseo cut him off as she slapped him. When he faced her in shock, she broke down, her breaths becoming uneven with gasps.
"It isn't just because of sex!" She screamed. "I loved you for so long, Ha Joon, yet you fall for a whore that you barely met!"
At that point, something snapped inside Ha Joon. "Don't you dare talk to her that way!" He yelled in her face.
Yunseo's eyes widened. To say she didn't feel surprise as he watched him defend Hyun Joo like that would be a lie.
"Why," She bawled out, weakly hitting his chest. "Why couldn't you fall for me?! I stayed for so long, I was there when no one else was! Why the fuck is it her?!"
"Because you're not her." Ha Joon sighed. "You wouldn't understand, because you will never be her."
Yunseo sobbed, collapsing on his chest. He could only stay silent as she cried, and his heart felt so torn for her.
"Yunseo, this isn't you." He murmured, catching her attention. "You were never like this. Why would you do this to her? To me?"
She stared at him.
"I am really thankful for you, for everything that you've done for me, but I can't look away with arms crossed as you hurt someone I really care about." Ha Joon sucked in a short breath, his eyes boring through her skull. It had been the same stare he had given her as she sexually pleasured him with everything she got.
Sympathy. Numbness. Emptiness. Yunseo gritted her teeth in anger, hating the look he was giving her. He gave her anything but love.
Hyun Joo looked at her intercom, pausing as she found Ha Joon waiting by her doorstep.
"Why is he still here?" She mumbled in annoyance.
It had been well over two days since her breakup with Jihoon. Since then, Ha Joon consistently tried to meet up with her with no such luck.
Realizing that he wasn't going to leave without talking to her, she gave up, opening the door to stare at him dead in the eye. "Ha Joon, you have to leave. Or I'll call the police."
As he saw her, he stood up, exhausted. "Hyun Joo, I'm so sorry. Yunseo caught us together that day, and she filmed everything and showed it to Jihoon."
Her eyes widened. "What? Why... would she do that?"
"Because she's obsessed with me." Ha Joon gloomily replied. "I didn't think she'd ever go to that level. I'm sorry, Hyun Joo. You don't deserve this."
She remained silent, before finally sighing. "Where is she?"
"Yunseo, open the door." Ha Joon feverishly knocked as Hyun Joo stayed behind, quiet.
As if one cue, Yunseo suddenly opened her front door, grinning sweetly at him. "How come you're here? Didn't think I'd see you again, Ha Joon."
"We're here to talk with you about important matters." Ha Joon seriously said.
She paused as Hyun Joo stepped forward. "Oh, my! Sorry, didn't see you there."
Hyun Joo frowned.
"Why so mad?" Yunseo laughed. "Is it because of what your lovely ex-boyfriend knows now?"
"Were you behind it?" She hissed.
"Hm, maybe."
Hyun Joo reached over and smacked her. She watched as Yunseo grabbed ahold of her cheek, glancing at her with a scary glare before lunging forward, pulling her hair.
"You bitch!" She yelled as Hyun Joo struggled to get out of her hold. "Because of you, Ha Joon will never look at me now! I fucking hate you!"
Ha Joon quickly intervened, grabbing Yunseo and pulling her away from her. Hyun Joo staggered back as Yunseo struggled to get out of his grasp.
"Let go of me!"
Hyun Joo shot daggers at Yunseo.
"Let go!"
Ha Joon finally released her. Yunseo pointed at her, glaring. "It doesn't feel good, does it? Now even Jihoon knows that you're a slut."
"Yunseo." Ha Joon hissed behind her. "Stop."
"Let him know. I could care less." Hyun Joo snarled back. "At least, unlike you, I got Ha Joon to love this slut. Something your pussy struggled to get."
Ha Joon and Yunseo gawked at her, different reactions displayed on their faces.
Anger suddenly struck Yunseo. "You fucking bitch... have some goddamn shame!"
Hyun Joo scoffed. "I won't. I know that'll only make you grin in victory. But I'm done, Kang Yunseo. Get the fuck out of our lives already and leaves us alone!"
Yunseo scoffed. "Bitch! Keep telling that to yourself, but we all know that you're humiliated and embarrassed by what happened!"
"That's enough!" Ha Joon snapped, making the two women fall silent. "Yunseo," He frowned at her. "Don't bother contacting me again. I don't want to see your face anymore, do you understand?"
"Fine!" She furiously blurted out. "It's not like I needed you anyways!"
Hyun Joo scowled at her, before Ha Joon softly grabbed her hand.
"Let's go."
Yunseo eyed the gesture, irritated. Refusing to watch them leave together hand-in-hand, she slammed the door shut behind her and screamed in anger as tears of her own crawled down her cheeks.