It is Easiest to be Obsessed by Everyone

I told her to go somewhere else.  

She must not have seen the message because she came in such a hurry.  

Anyway…  

“Why do you think there wouldn’t be anything else I’m curious about besides your age? That’s kind of funny.”  

“Are you curious about how, when, and why I know oppa? Or are you curious about my relationship with him? None of that matters.”  

“Haha, you’re right; it doesn’t matter.”  

“Actually, there’s nothing I want to know about you. There’s nothing else I need to know.”  

Does she mean that just knowing you’re older is enough and there’s no need to ask your age specifically?  

I didn’t realize Hyena had this side to her…  

“Lee Chang-woo. You decide.”  

Choi Jisoo crossed her arms and looked at me.  

I was caught off guard.  

She didn’t say ‘explain’ but ‘decide.’

What did she want me to decide?  

“Me or her?”  

My brain was spinning.  

Two women arguing over me in a public place—this isn’t the kind of fantasy I used to have while I was sick.  

Usually, it was about multiple women playing around with my junk, all getting along.  

I reached out to drink my coffee.  

What? It’s empty?  

I hadn’t even drunk half, but Choi Jisoo had downed it all.  

Suddenly, I felt eyes on me from the counter.  

It wasn’t the server but the young owner. He stared at us intently, and it made me uneasy.  

A sudden realization struck me, and I felt embarrassed.  

How could I be acting like such an inconsiderate jerk?  

“Let’s order something first.”  

“… What?”  

“Sorry?”  

“This place requires a minimum order of one drink per person. We’re at a four-person table and only ordered one drink, which is causing a loss for the cafe.”  

“Heh. Since when did you start caring about things like that?”  

Choi Jisoo smirked and took out a card from her wallet, placing it in front of me.  

“I’ll have a large caramel macchiato. It’s my first time trying it today, but it’s good.”  

“… I’ll have a caramel macchiato too.”  

Hyena spoke slightly later. She also handed her card to me.  

“And four pieces of any cake.”  

“So you’re sending me to get drinks while you two stay here?”  

It was not that I disliked running errands.  

I just didn’t think I should leave these two alone.  

Choi Jisoo shrugged and glanced at Hyena, who gave a slight nod in response.  

What is this? That’s strange.  

It felt like the two of them just communicated with each other through their eyes.  

“If I go to order, it leaves the two of you here without me. I can’t stand that.”  

“Me neither. And I don’t feel like going with her to order side by side, just in case our shoulders might brush.”  

“Same here. Hey, we’re on the same page?”  

“Looks like it. Not that I like it.”  

“Yeah, me neither.”  

Given their reasons, it was probably better if I go.  

I pushed both their cards back toward them.  

“Put those away. I’ll pay.”  

——-

At some point, the cafe owner had become an audience member, quietly observing Table 6.  

The servers were still working, but their eyes and ears were all on Table 6.  

“Hey, doesn’t that girl in the baseball cap look familiar?”  

“Yeah, she does. Wow, she’s really pretty. No doubt she’s a celebrity.”  

“The woman with the Chanel bag may lose out a bit in terms of looks, but her physique is definitely Western.”  

“I thought they’d be throwing water and pulling hair as soon as they sat down. I’m surprised by how calm they are.”  

“When a guy looks like that, even if he’s caught cheating, women are so desperate to act classy and have a ‘catfight’ like that.”  

“I think I understand that feeling. If you scream, cry, and pull the other person’s hair, it’ll turn him off, and he’ll never see you again.”  

“That’s right. Thinking about that, you can’t afford to do anything rash. You have to smile even more.”  

“They say the one who smiles more during tough times is the winner.”  

At that moment, the man at Table 6 approached the counter.  

His casual walk suggested that he was somewhat annoyed by the situation itself.  

The owner and staff silently admired him.  

It seemed like he had been through this kind of thing more than once.  

That calm and composed attitude.  

“Two caramel macchiatos. And please pack all the cakes you have here, split in half between two boxes.”  

“Excuse me? Are you ordering to take out?”  

“Yes.”  

“…”  

“…”  

Is it really ending so abruptly like this?  

The cafe owner, the servers, and the customers at tables close to the counter all let out silent sighs.  

“Let me help you with the payment.”  

———

I deliberately stood by the counter and waited.  

Choi Jisoo and Jung Hyena were staring at me, but I pretended to look at my phone.  

“Your drinks are ready.”  

“Thank you.”  

As I walked back to the table, my heart was pounding.  

I tried my best to keep a straight face to hide my nervousness.  

“Here, take one each.”  

“What? You want us to move?”  

“No. Let’s all just stand up and go our separate ways.”  

“Oh, so this is how you want to end things? Got it.”  

Surprisingly, Choi Jisoo stood up without a fuss.  

She picked up her to-go bag, gave it a little swing as if to show off, and smiled.  

“The coffee and cake chosen personally by Lee Chang-woo. Must be precious. I’ll enjoy it.”  

“Thank you, oppa.”  

Choi Jisoo gave Hyena a quick glance before clicking her heels and leaving the cafe.  

She got into a car parked in front of the cafe… A Volvo?  

She’s just as tough as she looks.  

After her car disappeared, we also left the cafe.  

“Sorry about that. I sent you a text.”  

“Oh, let me check now. Ah! You told me to wait in another cafe. I’m sorry, I didn’t see it because I was rushing.”  

“No worries, it happens. You’re working overnight until tomorrow?”  

“Yes.”  

I always thought she was just a kind and gentle girl.  

But seeing her standing up to a strong-willed person like Choi Jisoo without flinching and saying everything she needed to, I realized she wasn’t as fragile as I thought.  

She was an idol after all, so maybe starting a social life early made her tougher.  

“Oppa, were you disappointed in me…? Because I acted like the other girls in front of her…?”  

“I don’t have my memories, so how would I know how other girls behaved?”  

Her eyes shone like black pearls under the brim of her deeply lowered cap. They were beautiful.  

“I just thought it was cute. Don’t you think? It’s better than being flustered and at a loss for words. I liked how you said everything clearly and knew how to stand your ground.”  

“Really?”  

Her brightened expression made me feel good too.  

I didn’t know where I got the courage from, but I pulled Jung Hyena into a tight hug.  

We were in the middle of the street, but who cares? There were couples everywhere, hugging and holding hands.  

“The day after tomorrow…”  

“Huh?”  

“That’s when it ends, right?”  

I wanted to see what kind of expression she was making.  

But I felt even more embarrassed, so I just kept hugging her without showing my face.  

But weren’t we at the point where I could say things like this now?  

She was the one who hinted about having sex once it was over by the day after tomorrow.  

“Y-yes, it ends the day after tomorrow… No, I’ll definitely finish by then.”  

“Finish what? It’s not like it’s a job.”  

I couldn’t bring myself to kiss her right there in the middle of the street.  

I just patted Hyena’s head a few times and walked her to the front of the studio building.  

***  

After Lee Chang-woo and Jung Hyena left, the customers at the other tables all let out the breaths they had been holding.  

It was like an orchestra’s audience taking the chance to cough during a brief pause in the performance.  

One ridiculously handsome guy and two stunningly beautiful women.  

The live impromptu drama they put on.  

It was far more thrilling than any blockbuster movie.  

It was far more exhilarating than any political news that could outdo all comedy shows. 

The ending was quite abrupt, though. 

Live performances are often prone to unexpected mishaps.

The audience at each table shared knowing glances and smiles, silently communicating with each other.

“It was fun, wasn’t it?”  

“Yes, it was really fun.”  

“It was so thrilling. What am I supposed to do with all this dopamine?”  

“I don’t think I’ll ever see a more stimulating romantic comedy in my life.”  

“Reality is so much more entertaining than drama.”  

The afterglow lingered.  

Sadly, it ended just as things were getting interesting.  

Even though they would never see the next episode, the stellar performance of the main actors would live on in their hearts.  

Returning to their realities, the patrons finally let loose, speaking freely after holding back for a few minutes.  

“That guy was really handsome. But he didn’t seem like a celebrity.”  

“I once saw Choi Sung-min in person up close, but that guy would totally overshadow Choi Sung-min.”  

“Really?”  

“Yeah, really. It was insane, totally insane.”  

“So it wasn’t just my eyes playing tricks on me. I was thinking, if an unknown celebrity looks like that, how amazing must top stars be?”  

“Even the absolute top-tier celebrities don’t look like that. That guy absolutely needs to become a celebrity.”  

“But seriously, his skin and proportions, wow.”  

***  

I thought I should visit Lee Chang-woo’s house.  

Looking through his personal belongings might give me a better idea of what kind of person he was.  

So far, all I knew was that a lot of women were attracted to him.  

When I checked the call history, dozens of missed calls had been added in the meantime.  

Without Do Not Disturb mode, it was impossible to use this phone at all.  

I felt sorry for Lee Chang-woo; he must have found it hard to even watch YouTube peacefully.  

[Me] I think I should check out your place. Can you give me the address?  

[Jung Hyena] It’s Road Attraction, 101 Building, Apt. 1901 in Samseong-dong! You can get in with your fingerprint, oppa!  

Why was her response so instant?  

Was she just watching her phone all the time, waiting for me to text instead of working?  

If so, that’s so adorable I could die.  

According to the map app, it was about four stops from here.  

I decided to take my time and walk there, to see some people along the way.  

Having spent the last four months confined to a hospital bed, I missed being around people.  

More specifically, I missed being around healthy people who were far from death and illness.  

That’s why I liked this noisy street.  

I liked these nighttime streets filled with health and youth.  

“Excuse me.”  

“You’re totally my type.”  

“Would you like to exchange numbers?”  

“Do you have a girlfriend? Actually, it doesn’t matter. Won’t you go out with me just once?”  

While walking four stops, I was asked for my number four times.  

Once per stop, I guess.  

It must have been hard for Lee Chang-woo to even step outside.  

When I arrived at the apartment complex, I couldn’t help but exclaim.  

“Wow, Lee Chang-woo. You really lived in a nice place.”