Chapter 5

In retrospect Kim Dokja decided that he should have checked what Han Sooyoung was thinking before agreeing to have lunch with her that day. But in his defense he figured she just wanted to complain away from the office about the meeting she'd had earlier or maybe discuss some idea for a new story, since they were teenagers she sometimes did that, with him serving as a beta reader for her stories before they were even written.

But instead when they were sitting at the restaurant table Han Sooyoung asked:

"Are you blackmailing Yoo Joonghyuk?"

"Uh, what?"

"We had this meeting with the marketing and the finance department to discuss the campaign for the new game expansion. But this was almost not discussed at all during the meeting because as soon as the meeting started Yoo Joonghyuk decided to start talking about how the company is not paying the game testers properly and how this is going to negatively affect the quality of games eventually and how unfair it was. Honestly I've never seen the man talk that much in a meeting, he only stopped complaining after the finance people said they were going investigate the situation."

"Well, that sounds kind of weird, but why would that make you think I'm blackmailing him?"

"Because I heard the two of you arrived together super late after lunch a few days ago, and because like you said it doesn't sound like something he would do, it made me think you found some dirt on him and decided to use it to try to see if he could get more money for you and your team."

"You have a very fertile imagination."

"Thanks."

"It wasn't a compliment."

"It sounded like one."

"Whatever. That day I wasn't with him all the time, he just saw me on the street after I got out of the doctor and offered me a ride back to the office, and on the way I mentioned that the game testers didn't make a lot of money, but I didn't ask for him to do anything like that."

"Still it feels weird."

"Maybe he just thought it was unfair and decided to use his influence to improve the situation."

"Look I've been working almost every day with that asshole for over two years and I've never seen him show any signs of caring if the people he works with are being treated well, all he cares about is the end product. Except apparently when it comes to the testers? It looks suspicious."

"..."

"You have a theory as to why, I can see you do, tell me."

"It's stupid."

"Tell me anyway."

"I think there's a small possibility that maybe he likes me, romantically."

Kim Dokja was waiting for Han Sooyoung to burst out laughing and say something like "Wow, someone thinks highly of himself, huh?"

But instead she just stared at him for a few seconds in silence.

Kim Dokja moved his foot a little so that his shoe touched hers.

Yes, I could see that happening. Han Sooyoung thought.

He moved his foot away from hers.

"You should say I'm being ridiculous for thinking that a man like that could be into me." he said.

"Why? He's not that great, yeah he's kinda handsome when you first see him but his personality sucks, I pity the nutcase who would actually want to date him."

"..."

Han Sooyoung smiled from ear to ear and asked:

"Are you that nutcase?"

"I don't, uh-"

The truth is that he had been thinking about the possibility of them as a couple for the last few days, it would be kind of impossible not to do that considering the things he'd heard. Physically Yoo Joonghyuk was quite attractive, and although his romantic experiences were quite limited when Kim Dokja was attracted to a male character in a book or tv show they usually had a similar personality to Yoo Joonghyuk's and he was a little curious about the softer side he'd seen in his thoughts. 

But still the idea of them together seemed kind of ridiculous, and even if Yoo Joonghyuk had a crush on him at the moment (and he still wasn't completely convinced this was the case, since there was still a reasonable chance he was simply hallucinating the whole thing) it seemed very unrealistic to believe that he would still like him after getting to know him better.

"It wouldn't work, so it's not worth wasting my time thinking about it."

"Can I say something you won't like to hear?"

"If I say no, that would stop you from saying it?"

"No, but it will make me feel worse about saying it."

"Just say what you want to say."

"Okay. If you have no desire to be in a romantic relationship, there is nothing wrong with that and I support you, but if you would like to have something like that, and you are avoiding even trying because you are afraid of getting hurt in the end, well, that seems like a pretty sad way to live your life."

Han Sooyoung then placed her hand on his arm.

I really wish you were happier, she thought .

"You were right, I didn't like hearing that."

"Duh. I know you."

You do , Kim Dokja thought.

"Anyway, we've talked too much already, let's eat before the food gets cold."

"Let's eat."