Between A and B C30

Chapter 30

It almost felt like he had answered my question, and that only left me even more bewildered. Woojin slowly turned his head toward me then, the black strands of his hair falling away from his forehead to reveal his face.

“……”
“……”

Goddamn it. He was crying.

Really crying.

His pale face was already streaked with tears, and as if that weren’t enough, they continued to spill from his eyes in a relentless stream, like a broken faucet.

“Why… why are you crying?”

Startled, I asked, and Woojin squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again. His voice, thick with congestion, reached me.

“That call just now… wasn’t it your manager?”

“……”

That nasal tone…

“Right?”

“Uh? Oh… yeah. It was.”

I nodded as I spoke, and at once another tear slipped from his eyes.

“Why does he talk to you like that?”

“What?”

“Why does your manager talk to you that way?”

“……”

What was he even saying? Maybe it was just that I was too rattled, but I couldn’t make sense of his words. What did he mean by that way? Was he referring to the whole “don’t say anything” business from before? But why?

Seeing the confusion on my face, Woojin’s tone sharpened in irritation.

“Why does he talk to you so harshly?”

“……”

Even when he rephrased it more clearly, I found myself more at a loss than ever. Harsh? Was it really harsh?

“Uh… he just… talks like that. That’s his usual way.”

I wasn’t defending my manager—I was simply stating a fact. Yet Woojin’s expression only darkened. He frowned hard, his eyes fixed on me so intently that I couldn’t help but avert my gaze first.

“It’s like it’s going to give me indigestion,” he said, still sniffling.
“Feels like I could spit lava right now.”

His voice was heavy with frustration, and the tears kept falling from his reddened eyes.

“You really shouldn’t spit lava…”

“And you’re not angry? Doesn’t it upset you?”

But then he cut himself off, looked at me, and pulled another tearful face before dissolving into sobs again.

“I’m sorry. I’m not angry at you, Sunbae.”

“I know. You don’t look like you’re angry at me.”

“I’m really sorry. You must be hurting the most.”

“I told you, it’s fine. But seriously—why are you crying again? Stop it already. Your whole face is soaked.”

I glanced around the car, hoping to find something—anything—to wipe his face with, but there was nothing. His crying only grew louder, and in my panic I ended up pressing the cuff of my sleeve to his eyes, dabbing at the wetness.

“Quit crying, will you?”

“…It’s my fault.”

“What do you mean, your fault? None of this is your fault. This is between me and the company. You’re just… stuck in the middle. Like a shrimp between whales.”

I wiped at his eyes, his damp cheeks, even the tears clinging to his chin. Woojin didn’t so much as blink, only stared at me silently. I’d only wiped his face, but already my sleeve was soaked through.

“Does your manager talk to you like that often?”

I faltered. His question stirred too many thoughts.

It was kind of him to worry, but it also made me wonder: were BB’s managers not like this? In truth, this was what was normal.

But what good was it realizing that now? Nothing would change. Pointing out unfairness would only mean penalties for all of us, not just me.

Still, Woojin’s tears—his worry as though this were his own burden—stirred a warmth of gratitude in me. It was unfortunate that things had turned out this way, but at least I’d found someone genuinely good. That, I thought, was something gained.

The thought brought a smile to my face, and Woojin’s eyes rounded in disbelief.

“How can you laugh? In this situation?”

“No reason… it’s just funny.”

When I laughed again, Woojin stared at me like I was insane.

“People already say you make me cry every time we meet. There were even pictures when we had tteokbokki. Now, if someone saw this too, it’d be chaos—they’d say you made me cry again.”

It was meant as a joke, but Woojin’s face went ashen.

“I was going to deny it right away, but I realized the more I tried to explain, the stranger it looked. So I stayed quiet. But if you want me to, I’ll go live today and explain everything. Or I’ll post an official statement on Insta—”

His serious tone and pallid face showed he wasn’t joking. It was too much, too extreme, and I couldn’t even decide if I should laugh or sigh. My expression must have been caught somewhere in between as I finally said:

“Forget it. Just leave it.”

“Yes. But if you change your mind, please tell me. I’ll find a way.”

He looked at me with a solemn face, and I gave a vague nod, steering the subject away.

“But hey, didn’t you sneak out without telling anyone? Shouldn’t you head back? My manager sounded like he was looking for you earlier.”

“It’s fine.”

“…It doesn’t look fine. Anyway, your face is way too red right now. I’ll grab some wet wipes and something cool to drink. Just wait here a minute.”

As I started to get out, Woojin tugged at my collar.

“Sunbae, I’ll come with you.”

“I’ll be right back. You stay here.”

“No, I’ll come too. I have a mask.”

He pulled one out of the side pocket. But what was the point? A mask couldn’t hide his face or his build—everyone would recognize him the second he stepped outside.

I sighed, straightening up to face him.

“Your eyes are so red right now anyone could see from a mile away that you’ve been bawling.”

“Then I’ll walk with my eyes closed.”

“Don’t say nonsense. Just stay put. The convenience store’s right next door—I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“….”

My firm tone shut him up at last. I braced for him to argue further, but instead he nodded slightly, seeming to accept it.

“You’ll come right back?”

“Yeah. I’ll just get drinks and wipes. Need anything else?”

“No, nothing. But if you’re not back in five minutes… can I come find you at the store?”

Was he serious? Or joking? I couldn’t tell. I only stared at him blankly before nodding.

“Sure.”

Only then did his face relax a little, but it gave me a strange feeling—like he half-expected me not to come back. My hand on the door, I hesitated, then turned to ask:

“Wait. Do you really think I’d just not come back? That I’d run away or something?”

I genuinely wanted to know. But Woojin gave no answer. And still, I could tell his silence was as good as confirmation.

What the hell. Did he really think that?

It almost felt like he thought I’d skipped out on paying for dinner or something…

“….”

My face twisted as a memory struck me like lightning.

“…Hm.”

Right. That one time…

I hadn’t skipped out on the bill, but I had left Woojin behind when Kang Sumin called. Sure, that had been a special circumstance, but…

Still, even if Kang Sumin called right this second, I wouldn’t abandon Woojin like this—not after making him cry. Of course, Woojin couldn’t know that. Maybe that’s why he was anxious. Still, wasn’t this taking it too far?

Flustered, I cleared my throat and muttered awkwardly:

“Why would I run off and leave you? I haven’t done anything wrong to you.”

Woojin looked at me silently. He seemed to want to say something, but long moments passed without a word. The silence stretched until I thought I’d better just go to the store already, when suddenly he spoke.

“…What if you had done something wrong?”

“…What?”

“If you really had done something wrong… then would you run away?”

His reddened eyes were shimmering wet again.