Chapter 32

PARK Ji-hoon's heart twitched repeatedly. He had never imagined that Tae-yeon would speak to him with such a low attitude. It wasn't self-satisfaction or pleasure, but a throbbing pain in his heart!

It was easy for him to picture her tearful eyes in his mind.

"Alright! I'll call you after work." He finally agreed.

"Thank you, thank you, OPPA!" Tae-yeon actually thanked him, which made his heart ache even more.

"I won't bother you anymore." She quickly added.

Before hanging up, he couldn't help but pause, bringing the phone back to his ear. He could still hear her voice from his side—having gotten used to hanging up first, he always remembered to let her hang up first.

"Take care of yourself." After a weak reminder, Tae-yeon hung up and then collapsed on the sofa, sobbing. She felt regret, happiness, confusion, and anticipation...

She didn't know if he would forgive her.

In the car.

After hearing the phone hang up, PARK Ji-hoon silently put away his phone. He didn't return to his seat but sat in the empty, somewhat cold back seat.

The two women had lost interest in talking to him. A man who made his girlfriend cry and remained so cold wasn't worth getting to know.

PARK Ji-hoon silently rode, changed cars, and got out... arriving at the filming location, he threw himself into work.

For the whole day, he spoke very little.

For the whole day, Tae-yeon clutched her phone whenever she had a moment. She wanted to send PARK Ji-hoon a text to make sure he hadn't forgotten, but she was afraid of disturbing his work and didn't dare to send a message.

Her anxious and uncertain demeanor made Tiffanny and others feel heartache.

All the way until the end of the day and returning to the dorm, Tae-yeon didn't receive a call from PARK Ji-hoon, making her increasingly anxious and restless.

Tiffanny rarely comforted her, not knowing how to do so.

Finally, around 2 a.m., only Tiffanny was left in the living room with Tae-yeon when the phone rang.

Tae-yeon pressed the answer button at the fastest speed of her life, holding the phone in her hand, which had already become warm.

Tiffanny immediately looked over.

"OPPA! Where are you? I'll come find you!" Tae-yeon said hurriedly.

Tiffanny had already stood up to gather her things. It was late, and she was worried about Tae-yeon going out alone, and she had been a "third wheel" before.

"I'm downstairs at your place." PARK Ji-hoon's voice came through.

"Okay, I'll be right down!" Tae-yeon said, her eyes moistening slightly—how considerate he still was.

Tiffanny paused, then silently sat down.

"Pani, go to sleep. Thank you for your trouble." Tae-yeon quickly said to Tiffanny, then ran out with her phone.

Downstairs, PARK Ji-hoon sat quietly in the car.

After the filming, it was already late, and he had specially borrowed a car from the staff.

Not long after the call, a small figure ran out of the door, looked around, and rushed straight to the car.

How could he not recognize that figure, which had once been etched in his heart?

PARK Ji-hoon opened the car door.

"OPPA!" Tae-yeon got in the car and immediately threw herself into his arms, hugging his neck and repeatedly saying, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." ignoring the pain in her knee from hitting the seat.

PARK Ji-hoon's face showed a mix of surprise and pain. He didn't understand why she had changed so much and what it had to do with PARK Min-ya. He let her hug his neck, moved his arm, but ultimately didn't help her rub her knee, seeing that it had hit the seat.

Tae-yeon didn't notice his unusual behavior and poured out her regret: "I'm sorry, OPPA, it's all my fault!"

"Alright! Don't cry anymore." PARK Ji-hoon habitually squinted his eyes, waiting for her emotions to calm down before speaking. Hearing her apology, he felt no joy, only a throbbing pain.

"Okay!" Tae-yeon obediently responded, sitting up straight and wiping her tears, not wanting him to see her ugly face.

"What's the connection with Min-ya?" PARK Ji-hoon didn't ask why she was apologizing.

"The night after the Golden Disc Awards, Pani and I went for coffee and saw OPPA and a girl on the street..." Tae-yeon sobbed as she recounted that day. She deeply regretted it! If she had trusted him more and called to ask, none of this would have happened.

"I see." Everything made sense now.

But... PARK Ji-hoon sighed deeply.

Tae-yeon finally noticed that he didn't show any surprise or joy, and his expression was unusually calm. Her heart tightened, and a sense of fear crept in. She grabbed his clothes, her eyes filled with a deer-like panic.

PARK Ji-hoon avoided her gaze.

"I'm sorry, saying those things that day was all my fault. I'll make it up to you in the future!" Tae-yeon was startled and quickly said. During these painful days, every time she closed her eyes, she thought of his kindness to her! When she realized it was all a misunderstanding, her regret was indescribable. If it was just because of a misunderstanding that their relationship ended, she would hate herself!

"No need." PARK Ji-hoon slowly shook his head and said softly. After that night, the heart-wrenching pain made him afraid to expose his feelings again. His reaction, though not as intense as Tae-yeon's, was deeply etched in his heart. Without PARK Min-ya, he didn't know if he could have worked normally.

Her premonition came true. Tae-yeon's grip on his clothes tightened, her body filled with fear, wanting to say something but feeling her mind stuck, only able to repeatedly apologize: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"There's no need to apologize." PARK Ji-hoon said softly, "You don't owe me anything."

"No, no..." Tae-yeon wanted to say something but couldn't. She was truly regretful, truly regretful! Just thinking about how she had initiated the breakup made her heart ache.

"Understanding the reason, I feel better. At least, I'm not a complete failure as a former boyfriend." PARK Ji-hoon said lightly.

"It's because I didn't understand you enough, because I didn't care for you enough in the past... In the future, I'll spend more time with you." Tae-yeon said. Perhaps because she had always been pampered, she hadn't realized the value of this relationship. Only now did she realize that in their nearly two-year relationship, it was always PARK Ji-hoon who took the initiative to find her, take care of her, and spend time with her, while she rarely did so, often canceling dates due to fatigue or making casual excuses...

PARK Ji-hoon tightly pressed his lips, remaining silent. After she finished speaking, he finally made up his mind and said softly, "Distance doesn't destroy a relationship, but suspicion does."

If it had been before the breakup, he might have been happy to learn the truth. But after days of reflection, he realized he was truly tired! Love is a two-way street, and if one person carries the burden, the relationship will eventually end.

Moreover, this series of events from the beginning to now had left a thorn in his heart. He couldn't guarantee that he could treat Tae-yeon as he did before, and breaking up was better than staying together. Knowing he wasn't a complete failure like the previous times, he was already satisfied.

It wasn't an excuse, but his true feelings.

Tae-yeon, hearing his words, finally understood that their relationship had come to an end.

But she really didn't want to give up! Among the millions of people who criticized and condemned her, only one person supported and protected her, giving her encouragement and a place to lean on... That kind of happiness was unimaginable to those who hadn't experienced it!

Over the two years, she had become accustomed to having him by her side, even taking it for granted, never thinking about the day she might lose him!

Suddenly, a sense of confusion arose. Without him, what would she do in the future?

PARK Ji-hoon looked at Tae-yeon's dazed expression, feeling pain in his heart but showing no reaction. A forced relationship had no meaning, and it was better to leave a good impression.

However, Tae-yeon was more resilient than he imagined.

The past two years had taught her a lot and made her more mature—though she was still naive in matters of the heart, she knew her own heart and understood her choices.

"Since that's the case, let's start over!" After a moment of confusion, Tae-yeon sniffed, wiped away her tears, and forced the sadness and regret deep inside. She lifted her face, showing a faint smile, and said expectantly, "Let's start over, okay?"

PARK Ji-hoon's lips moved, but he said nothing.

A shadow of disappointment flashed in Tae-yeon's eyes, but she quickly said cheerfully, "Let's be friends first? Definitely! We'll start as friends, and this time, I'll pursue you..." At least he didn't directly refuse.

"You don't need to do this!" PARK Ji-hoon finally couldn't help but say, "You don't need to be so humble, and you don't need to see yourself as so low! You are Tae-yeon, the leader of Girls' Generation, and you should have high standards for men! Your feelings belong to you, not to anyone else, not to me."

Hearing his words, Tae-yeon's joy gradually grew, and she whispered, "You still care about me!"

"Yes, I do care about you, but it's different from how I loved you before. And I'm not the same person I was before." PARK Ji-hoon gently wiped the tears from her face and said, "Let the past be the past. The me now can't take care of you like before. So, don't like the current me because of the past me."

It was a bit confusing, but his meaning was clear.

But Tae-yeon couldn't hear it. After he finished speaking, she asked, "Are we friends now?"

"Yes." PARK Ji-hoon paused, then finally nodded. Looking into her clear, sincere eyes, he couldn't deny it.

Her eyes sparkled with joy, and she continued, "Since we're friends, you can't ignore my calls or texts! You said my feelings belong to me, so pursuing you is my freedom! You won't hate me, right?"

PARK Ji-hoon remained silent.

"Your silence means yes!" Tae-yeon said with a smile, then grabbed his hand and brought it to her face.

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