La Douleur Exquise Chapter 3

SoHyun~

“Did you ever love me? What was I to you? A fling? A rebound?” KyungSoo’s indignant questions were futile in penetrating my indifferent composure. However my eyes didn’t stray away from his for even a single second. Without parting my lips, I sat there motionlessly, watching him respond to my words with such rage and disbelief.

Several minutes prior, it was him that proclaimed he wanted to break up. And all I did was agree, which induced the young man before me into a shock. He took off his glasses, that I always thought created a softer vibe to his appearance, in confusion after I agreed for us to stop meeting. And as of now his elevated voice was gaining the attention of the people within the restaurant. In order to cease his outraged monologue, I finally spoke up and answered one of his questions.

“Before I met you I already had a rebound. It was a one night stand, so no you were not a rebound.” I deadpanned with my arms crossed like a shield to my heart as if his words would have any effect on my emotions. He was quiet during the time he was processing the information, but shortly afterwards he became upset yet again.

“You wouldn’t even hold my hand in public, but you sleep with a stranger? That makes no sense to me.”

“I told you before that I’m not big on PDA. Who I sleep with is a private matter, while PDA is public. I prefer my privacy.”

“Were you sleeping with other guys when you were with me?”

“Wow.” I scoffed, unfolding my arms and placing my hands on the table. “Defaming my character by implying that I’m a , such a guy tactic isn’t it? I wanted to think that you would be respectful.”

“How can I? I’m appalled right now. I thought that you would care enough to hold onto me!”

“What’s the point in holding on when you want to be let go of? I see no point in that.”

“I wanted you to fight for me!” He exclaimed, catching the attention of all the diners in the restaurant once again after I had lowered the volume of his remarks.

“I don’t fight for anyone.” My reply came instantly once I heard his answer. KyungSoo shi was startled by my firm tone briefly before looking away in a poor attempt to quell his disappointment and anger.

I remember the day I met him. He took a seat next to me at a lecture I signed up for while I was contemplating enrolling at a university or not, since I wanted to simply break out into society’s workforce. I continued to attend the guest lectures that were taught by an esteemed author when I noticed that he would always sit next to me. Then one day at a coffee shop, he offered to pay for my coffee and asked me out. I agreed and now it’s been I think three months since we started dating.

However he was never the one I wrote about. He was never the one to calm the earthquakes that rippled under my ribcage. He was never the one that ignited passion. He was never the one that I shed tears about. He was never the one I was willing to let down my guard for. He simply wasn’t the one.

“Then why did you even accept my date offer that day?” He asked as his fingers wrapped around the curves of the table with his knuckles turning white.

“I wanted to see where it would go. And now it went nowhere. So let’s break up, Do KyungSoo.” I grabbed my purse from the armrest and left, realizing that hurt people really do end up hurting others. Because the truth was that he was nothing but a dalliance fueled by own senseless desires for human intimacy.

The night winds cooled the rising temperature of my body, calming my current temperament. I stood in front of the restaurant, waiting for a taxi when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“You need a ride?” My lips parted in surprise but then immediately shifted upward into a delighted grin at the man in front of me.

DeokHwa~

“You know I never got your name.” Ever since the last time I seen her I was utterly intrigued by this girl I had no name for. She was utterly gorgeous and she didn’t cling to me after our one nightstand like the countless other girls I spent my time with. Therefore in hopes of getting to know her, I was eager to bring it up as we sat on the patio of a café.

“Well that’s the point isn’t it? We are just two strangers. I won’t tell you my name, so don’t tell me yours.”

“Agreed. I never liked my name in the first place.” I quipped, taking a sip of my steaming espresso. Her rings were cold against my warm skin as she accidently grazed her hand against mine in passing.

“Oops sorry about that.” A comfortable silence loomed over us, which was very peculiar for that to happen with a practically a stranger.

“I have something I wanted to ask you.” She turned around to face me, indicating that I had her full attention. “Why didn’t you stay?” There was no emotional attachment, but only pure curiosity. She had gone without leaving a single trace. Usually girls left their number or something small in order to create a natural second encounter with me.

“Because I only allowed myself one night to do something crazy and that was sleeping with a complete stranger. I was acting reckless and that could have led to something dangerous if it wasn’t you.”

“Oh okay. But what prompted your recklessness that night?”
 

“My parents passed away and I’ve been feeling lost and conflicted, so I needed a distraction. And so you were my perfect distraction.” She looked at me hazily with a slight smile and all I could think about was my own grandfather and how it felt hearing the news that he passed away.

Flashback~

After taking a shower and gulping down several water bottles to relieve my hangover, I picked up my phone to see