Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 439: Open To The Idea

Jae-Hyun keenly observed In-Ha as he sipped from the can of beer he had been nursing since their arrival. The man was unusually calm and quiet, which he found very odd.

Of them being friends, In-Ha had always been the reckless and chatty one who kept everyone going and forgetting about their decisions not to drink more than a glass or two until they were drunk or tipsy.

“I’m sure it tastes like piss,” Jae-Hyun said, cutting through In-Ha’s thought.

In-Ha tossed him a quizzical brow, and Jae-Hyun gestured his chin towards the can in his hand. “You’ve been drinking that for an hour now. Don’t tell me you’ve developed a weird hunger for warm piss.” Jae-Hyun amusedly arched a brow while In-Ha managed a smile.

“I didn’t know you were familiar with the taste of piss? Wanna try it and tell me if it tastes, right?” In-Ha teased as he held the can to him.

Jae-Hyun chuckled amusedly as he sipped the last of his beer before placing the can at his feet. He turned to In-Ha, whose face had reverted to the bland look it had been holding since his return from City-A.

“I heard you met Dan-Han in city A. I guess your little trip to avoid her came to naught, and that’s why you’re here?” He lolled back in his seat as he observed In-Ha.

.....

In-Ha hissed. “Not really.” He brushed his hand down his face before combing it through his hair, slightly dishevelling it in a few places that only made him look more appealing to the eyes of girls that had been ogling him and Jae-Hyun.

“That’s not why I came back,” He sighed as he sank back on the chair. His gaze coursed around the place before staring at Jae-Hyun, who gave him a weird look.

“You don’t think you can get over her, right?” Jae-Hyun inquired, even though he believed he already had the answer for that. He didn’t know if he should feel bad for In-Ha, or if he should cuss him. He cocked a brow to inform In-Ha he was waiting for his answer when he silently gazed at him.

In-Ha uneasily sighed. He focused his gaze on the lighting bulb hanging from the ceiling a few feet away. When Jae-Hyun thought he wasn’t going to answer, he spoke up. “I won’t say I can’t get over my feelings for her.”

“Then what would you say?” Jae-Hyun pressed.

In-Ha shrugged, “I don’t know when?” He raised a brow as he turned to Jae-Hyun. He let out another sigh when Jae-Hyun gave him a listening look he believed he gave his patients to encourage them to confide in him.

“Eun-sun is a nice girl,” he started. “She has a fire about her that attracts your attention and makes you want to see if she’s going to cause a disaster by consuming everything on her path, or she’s going to burn out before she does anything harmful.” He paused and sighed again.

“She has spunk, and she challenges you in her own way without making any intentional effort, and she’s lovable; you can’t hate her. And I guess all these were things I didn’t see in the other girls I’ve been with till I met her.”

Jae-Hyun cocked a brow at him. “Didn’t see? Or you were too in a hurry to leave their company that you never had time to check if any of these women ever had these qualities?” Jae-Hyun picked up another can of beer from the table and passed another one to In-Ha, which he received.

In-Ha blankly stared at the beer in his hand and shrugged. He didn’t know.

Maybe Jae-Hyun was right. He had never had the time to look back at any of the girls he slept with because he had never been interested in being in their company more than once. He was always fleeing before they woke up the next morning, fearing them asking for what he couldn’t give.

He shrugged and opened the beer, “I guess you’re right.” He raised the can to his mouth and took a sip.

They both sat in silence for a while before In-Ha spoke up again. “I think I’m willing to let go.” He suddenly said. He glanced at Jae-Hyun, who had an inscrutable look on his face.

“Why?”

‘Why?’ In-Ha knew that question was a tricky one. The man always knew how to ask questions that required self-assessment. In-Ha pondered in silence for a while.

“Being around Dan-Han and Eun-sun has shown me that there’s something more to the chase. More to life. That giving up isn’t an option and definitely not on one’s self. They support and blindly trust each other, and they make the whole love thing seem beautiful, even more than what I thought I had with Ji-A. And....and I think I want to experience it too. I want to see and feel what’s there.”

He turned to see Jae-Hyun staring at him with mild surprise before his lips curved into a smug smile.

“And by the way, Dan-Han has made it known he isn’t giving up the treasure he had found. And I’m sure if I push him any further, he’d kill me and bury my corpse where I’ll never be found or be available for reincarnation.” His lips lit up in a smile while Jae-Hyun chuckled.

“Glad I didn’t have to tell you that.” He smiled, and In-Ha nodded.

“You can’t blame him, and I can’t hate him. Because strangely, despite how I’ve felt, I keep shipping them together even though I didn’t want.”

“They look good together,” Jae-Hyun said, matter of factly.

In-Ha smiled with a nod, “That they do.” He agreed.

Jae-Hyun must say he was pleased to hear all In-Ha had said because this only meant he was right when he told In-Ha all this had an endpoint. Well, he was glad to know things were finally panning out.

At a point, he was beginning to fear for their friendship because he knew there would be a limit to Dan-Han’s endurance and understanding. He was glad there was no longer a foreboding feeling for bloodshed.

Feeling relieved, he sat upright as he peered at In-Ha. “So what are you going to do now? Date someone?” He curiously inquired, wondering if that was what he had in mind.

In-Ha shrugged. “I don’t know. But I guess that’s how people find the spark, right?” He innocently inquired. He wasn’t new to the relationship thing as he had almost walked down the aisle with a woman who turned out to be a vixen. But it’s been so long.

“I guess so.” Jae-Hyun shrugged as he lolled back on the chair. “I haven’t been a romantic myself.”

In-Ha bellowed out a short round of laughter. “You’re a reluctant romantic.” He told him amid laughter.

“I don’t know what you mean, but I know I have a different love language, and it has nothing to do with any of the things you guys do or feel.”

In-Ha scoffed. “Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that. Anyway, I’m not going to outrightly start dating yet.” He said, and Jae-Hyun cocked a brow at him.

“Why?” He asked curiously.

“Because firstly, I have to channel whatever I still for Eun-sun somewhere safe. So for now, I’ll keep my mind open to the idea.” And he also has to fix the bigger mess he was currently in.

He furtively glanced at Jae-Hyun as he wondered if he should tell him about it, but he quickly discarded the thought from his mind. He couldn’t do that, not to Ni-Na.

He couldn’t find the courage to tell anyone that he had slept with his best friend’s younger sister, who he doted upon like his own child. He couldn’t even imagine Dan-Han finding out about it. It was worse than nursing feelings for his woman. Dan-Han would soil him with bullets if he ever found out.

Noticing the change in In-Ha’s look and hearing him deeply sigh, Jae-Hyun frowned.

“Are you okay?” He asked with concern.

In-Ha nodded and dismissively waved him off. “I’m okay. I just thought about something.” He said. He glimpsed at his phone again as he wondered if he should call her one more time.

They had to talk and sort this all out. He couldn’t leave things the way they were. Though she had made it clear, she had no desire to talk about it and would love to leave things the way they were. He had nothing of that thought in mind.

He knew he had hurt her, and he hated himself for that.

“How did you even pull to me this party again?” Jae-Hyun asked in wonder as he gazed around the place with a bland look.

In-Ha shrugged. “I got pulled to it by some client who thinks it’s wise to invite working adults to his teenage daughter’s birthday party in a club. And not wanting to endure the torture alone, I pulled you in because why not?”

“You bastard.” Jae-Hyun glared at him, making In-Ha snort.

Despite his attempt to smile and liven up, he just kept thinking about Ni-Na and what she was doing right now. Was she crying?

“Excuse me, for a moment. I’ll be back.” Jae-Hyun excused himself, while In-Ha gave him a half-minded nod.

He watched as Jae-Hyun walked away, and his eyes took a free course around the place. He had barely looked around when his eyes caught sight of a slender body looking sinful in an emerald green dress, with wavy locks of hair flowing at her back with ocean waves.

When his eyes caught hers, he felt his breath get caught in his chest.

“Ni-Na?” He muttered under his breath.