Ignoring Chae-yeon's annoyed voice, Si-hyun left the park.

Just in case she followed him.

He worried that she might chase after him and see how weakened he had become, so he quickened his pace.

Wiping his tears as if scratching his eyes, he kept his head down to avoid being seen by others.

...

Looking down, his shabby attire stood out. A plain white T-shirt and ripped jeans. Bare feet in black Three-Stripe Slippers.

Even the injury from his fall had stained his shin red.

'No wonder it stings so much...'

Si-hyun let out a hollow laugh at his miserable state.

The futility and self-doubt overwhelmed him as he realized that no matter how desperately he clung, he couldn't sustain the relationship.

'Why did I even bother? Nothing was going to change even if I tried.'

It became clear with this incident that their relationship wouldn't improve.

If she really loved him, could she go over a year without once saying she liked him?

Si-hyun thought that Chae-yeon never considered him more than an easy-to-handle slave.

Already branded at the lowest rank of a hierarchical society, she would never grant any of his demands.

Tap... Tap...

Raindrops began to dot his white T-shirt.

They say in dramas that raindrops hide your tears, but as Si-hyun experienced it himself, it was just unpleasant.

“Such terrible luck…”

He muttered as he came to a stop and looked around.

“You're silly. It’s not like that.”

A couple, arm in arm, bantered back and forth.

“I love you…”

Another couple whispered sweet words while leaning on each other’s chests.

The kind of relationship Si-hyun couldn’t have no matter how hard he tried was everywhere around him.

All he ever wanted was for Chae-yeon to say she liked him once. Or even just a small gesture of affection from her first.

If that had happened, he could have felt confident in his love. But having never received any sign of affection, he couldn’t help but doubt their relationship.

All those doubts piled up, leading to today's breakup.

“Damn it…”

Si-hyun laughed at himself bitterly and continued his limping steps.

The night wind, soaked by the rain, was unbearably cold and heavy.

On his way home, a street food stall caught his eye.

Even though he wasn’t much of a drinker and would usually switch to soda after a few drinks with friends, tonight he craved alcohol more than ever.

He wanted to wash away the dark clouds in his heart with booze.

“Welcome.”

Pushing aside the red tent, he entered and saw an older woman in a red apron.

The savory smell of fish cake broth and the sweet scent of chicken skewers filled the air.

Swallowing his saliva, Si-hyun pulled up a chair and ordered.

“One fish cake soup and a bottle of soju, please.”

His insides were already burning to their limit, so adding alcohol wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Si-hyun, feeling an unjustified confidence that he could drink excessively tonight and remain unaffected, muttered to himself.

"Ah..."

He downed the soju straight from the bottle. After gulping down the equivalent of three cups, he let out a refreshed sigh.

Normally, he would have winced at the burning sensation in his throat, but this time, the pain oddly felt good. It was as if he could attribute his suffering to the alcohol rather than the breakup.

"You wretched woman, how good was I to you..."

With his mind clouded by alcohol, the emotions he had suppressed began to surface.

Tears he thought had dried up began to flow again, and sobs involuntarily rose from his throat.

"What pride is so important that you couldn't even apologize once?"

Which man in the world would simply accept a girlfriend who went on a blind date without expecting an apology?

"Sob..."

He emptied the remaining soju and pounded his heated chest.

Then, he ordered another bottle of soju.

Click.

He accessed his frequently used dating community on his smartphone.

[Relationship Advice] [Dating Stories] [Breaking Up] [19+] etc.

As it was his first time dating a woman, Si-hyun visited the relationship advice section of the community daily.

He wondered if her reactions and responses held any hidden meanings.

He sought advice on what actions to avoid during dates and how to treat her with good manners, and so on.

Si-hyun's tendency to fuss over even minor issues was seen as cute by the users, who earnestly engaged with his consultations.

'They were such genuinely good people...'

However, since they had broken up, he could no longer post in the relationship advice section.

As a single man, his new destination wasn't the relationship advice corner anymore...

[Breakup]

That’s where he belonged now.

[My Ex-Boyfriend's Hair Loss Wish, Day 24 - Love Voodooist]

[Met a Girl Better Matched than My Ex. What Should I Do? - Dating Bronze]

[It's Been 3 Weeks Since the Breakup, and She Asked How I Am. Is This the Backlash? - Sudden Separation]

This section was a gathering place for those who couldn't forget their ex-partners, where they collectively vented their frustrations.

'I always had a feeling I might end up writing here one day, but I never thought it would actually come true.'

With a bitter heart, Si-hyun posted a greeting in the breakup channel.

[Broke Up with My Girlfriend... - Chaehyun Devotee

My girlfriend, who said she was going out with friends, was actually at a wine bar on a blind date.

When I found out by chance, I confronted her at the place, but she said she was just filling a seat for a friend. She claimed she did nothing wrong and even had the audacity to be indignant towards me.

Though she usually never admitted her faults, I didn't expect her to react this way even in this situation. Hence, I was deeply disappointed.

Maybe that’s why I easily agreed when she suggested we break up…]

After finishing the post, Si-hyun put a piece of the now-cold fish cake into his mouth.

Taking a clean sip of the broth, he refreshed the page and saw there were already quite a few comments.

[Yankee House Doctor: LOL She just filled a seat for a friend? That's 100% a lie.

-Probably caught cheating and threw her friend under the bus.]

[Sympathizing Unicorn: It's amazing it ended with a verbal fight. If it were me, whether girlfriend or not, I would've punched her right in the jaw.]

[Breakup Prophet: Consider it as stepping in dog shit and move on. A woman who looks at other guys will never break that habit, no matter how long you stay together.]

It didn’t take long for Si-hyun's post to become popular.

Users expressed surprise at how such a woman could exist and agreed that he made the right decision to break up with her, sharing in his anger.

Among them were those who had given him relationship advice before. Knowing the nature of Si-hyun's relationship, they didn't hold back on using harsh words that made him want to shut his eyes.

'Maybe breaking up was the right decision after all.'

The anger from the readers validated his breakup.

If he groveled to Chae-yeon in the park, their power dynamic would just repeat itself.

Instead, as the comments suggested, it might be better to find someone who could love him properly.

"Sss... Hoo..."

He downed about half of his second bottle of soju.

Then, after replying to the comments one by one, Si-hyun browsed through other people's posts.

[Ugh.. My ex-boyfriend started dating someone else only a week after we broke up.]

[Ji-hoon, I hope you enjoy dating someone uglier than me ^^]

[Is it too late to apologize? I really miss my ex-girlfriend..]

The various stories and worries posted by people.

Seeing others lamenting their breakups made Si-hyun fear he might become like that in the future. Exhaling a long breath as he continued scrolling.

“Huh?”

Si-hyun spotted a post that instantly caught his attention.

[What should I do about my ex-girlfriend who keeps obsessing over me?

We dated for around 2 years. She coolly said we should break up, but now that I'm seeing someone else, she's constantly calling me.

She keeps calling, and when I answer, she sounds drunk and keeps begging for us to get back together, saying she made a mistake.

I have no idea what to do…]

For Si-hyun, who had always been the one to cling, this was an unfathomable post.

To him, the author’s dilemma seemed like the troubles of someone who had it too good.

‘I wonder what it feels like to have an ex-girlfriend cling to you.’

As he read and reread the post, Si-hyun began to imagine himself and Chae-yeon in the same situation.

What if the haughty Chae-yeon clung to him? How would he react?

Would he bask in the pleasure of revenge, or would he be angry, saying it was too late? Even he couldn’t predict his own reaction.

But if, even belatedly, Chae-yeon realized his worth, sincerely apologized, and said she loved him...

At least he would feel compensated for all the hardship he endured.

‘Not that it’s likely to happen.’

Si-hyun scoffed and downed the rest of his soju. The hot sensation flowed down his esophagus.

“Phew...”

He exhaled a sigh filled with mingled heat and alcohol.

As he tapped his fingers on a leftover fish cake skewer and started to dive back into his thoughts, once again…

Ding!

A notification sounded from his phone.

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: Did you really break up with your girlfriend, Chae-bar?]

Aloe Flavored Tea Bag.

Back when Si-hyun was deep into relationship counseling. This was the person who had invited him to a one-on-one counseling session through an open chat link.

This person, who nicknamed Si-hyun ‘Chae-bar’ by shortening his nickname, Chae-hyun Baragi, was nothing short of a guide in his romantic life.

[Me: Yes, it happened somehow...]

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: Ugh... I knew it. I told you before to break up, didn’t I?]

Aloe Flavored Tea Bag never had a positive view of Si-hyun and Chae-yeon's relationship.

While they took the counseling seriously, they constantly told him to break up.

[Me: I thought if I kept being good to her, things would change. But it seems that was my misconception...]

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: It’s a relief you realized that even now. By the way, what are you doing now?]

[Me: I’m drinking at a street food cart near my house.]

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: With whom?]

[Me: Alone]

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: Oh no. Don’t do that, call a friend and drink together. Oh, in case you don’t have a friend…]

[Me: I have friends, okay? It's just that I don't want to bother anyone, so I'm not calling them.]

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: Huh? Why would that be a bother? It's normal to meet friends, get comfort, and talk about your ex after a breakup.]

[Me: No, thanks. I'll just drink by myself and go home.]

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: Okay... Then drink moderately and head back. Stay strong!]

[Me: Thank you. Have a good night.]

[Aloe Flavored Tea Bag: You too, Chae-bar!]

After finishing the chat, Si-hyun was about to turn off the screen but instead hit the back button.

Just in case, he checked the chat with Chae-yeon. However, except for the notification number disappearing, indicating she had read the messages, there was no reply.

'I thought she would have sent a string of curses, but surprisingly, nothing.'

Since Si-hyun had nothing more to say either, he turned off the screen.

He then looked at the half-finished soju bottle and ordered some chicken skewers to go along with it.

When the food arrived, he took a bite of the well-marinated skewer.

"Auntie, can I have a bowl of fish cake soup, please?"

A familiar voice reached Si-hyun's ears.

When he looked up, he saw a woman with wavy brown hair entering through the tent flap.

It looked as if she was just out for a walk, wearing clothes one would wear at home. Yet, her striking appearance reaffirmed the idea that the real completion of fashion is the face, drawing the eyes of both men and women alike.

However, she seemed unaware of this as she scanned the area for a seat, causing the men's gazes to gradually wane.

'Everyone's staring, but she doesn't seem to notice?'

The woman sat down at the table next to Si-hyun.

Just as Si-hyun was about to drain his glass while glancing at the woman whose face was half-hidden by her hair, he heard his name.

"Hey? Si-hyun, what are you doing here?"

The voice came from the woman next to him.