Love for love's sake [ENG TRANS]

Chapter 48

[Tae Myeongha's POV]

"Did you eat breakfast this morning?"

Cha Yeowoon's sharply trimmed jaw muscles stood out. Was he gritting his teeth just from being asked if he had eaten breakfast? I knew why.

"Since you exercise in the morning, you should eat well."

"I can take care of it myself." Cha Yeowoon continued to hold a face as if enduring something.

Deliberately looking straight ahead, he was clenching his teeth so tightly that it seemed like his jaw might be hurting. He was enduring.

"Don't look at me like a child."

Whatever he was enduring must have been intense because his pronunciation at the end was almost muffled. I decided not to tease him and say that only children would say they weren't children.

"Ahn Sia says we're like uncle and nephew when she sees us." He randomly said.

"...Pfft."

"Don't laugh."

"S-Sorry." I desperately suppressed the urge to burst into laughter. Originally, there was an 11-year age difference, so it might be roughly similar.

"I can take care of myself. When I did in know you, sunbae, I always took care of myself." Cha Yeowoon emphasized stubbornly.

He really did everything alone. I knew. I had watched him stand up on his own in much worse situations. But thinking of that as a sign of maturity was difficult. Doing everything alone was more sad than commendable. People who were alone had no choice but to handle things on their own, whether they were children or adults. I knew because I had been alone before.

"Okay. I understand. Still, if you need anything, you can call me anytime."

"I don't want to." Cha Yeowoon finally turned his head. "Don't make me like you more."

I anticipated a somewhat irritated look when glancing at his profile, but when I saw his face, his expression was surprisingly damp. His eyes were moist and his lips were trembling. It was like the cloudy sky just before a heavy rain.

As soon as he saw me, he quickly averted his gaze. His gaze wavered beneath the long eyelashes. He pressed the stop button as if escaping. I couldn't catch him, who got off one station before the original destination. Standing in front of the bus stop, he didn't move even after the bus began to depart. It seemed like our eyes met briefly.

His figure became smaller and smaller. My palm slipped on the glass window. My forehead was pressed against the window until I could no longer see him.

[ Calculating Cha Yeowoon's fondness. ]

[ Fondness: 37 ]

The message appeared without any hesitation. Cha Yeowoon's feelings were revealed. After suppressing and suppressing, he had come to like me slightly more. My breath dyed the bus window white. The cloudy stain faded, spread again, and disappeared again. I was also enduring it. However, I questioned if I could endure it better than Cha Yeowoon.

***

[Cha Yeowoon's POV]

[ Fondness: 37 ]

Cha Yeowoon was enduring. He had always managed to do everything alone. When he was with Tae Myeongha, the surroundings shone and his heart strengthened as if they were in a different world altogether. He would forget the original hardships.

Lowering his body, he took off his sneakers. Worn-out shoes were placed at the entrance. Picking up a green bottle near his feet, an unpleasant smell of alcohol wafted.