Into The Thrill

The performance ended successfully. The orchestra played well, and Henry Chang, who was collaborating for the first time, was truly a genius. His straightforward and clear expressiveness, along with precise phrasing, didn’t delve deeply into Brahms’ complexity, but his technique alone was enough to express Brahms' depth.
Aside from Isaac Stern, there were no violinists that particularly attracted Haewon, but he was personally excited to see how Henry Chang’s performances would evolve in the next ten and twenty years. Thanks to that, Haewon had no idea what had happened in the first half, but he was quite focused during the second half, and during that time, he didn’t think of Hyun Woojin or Lee Jinyoung.

In addition to the three encores prepared, Henry Chang played the familiar "Spring in My Hometown" as the last piece. It was a piece that always made Haewon’s nose tingle with emotion. The audience joined in, singing along with Henry Chang’s violin as the finale, and the performance came to an end.
Haewon didn’t listen to the moving performance; instead, he mechanically clapped his hands while staring at Lee Jinyoung, who was looking directly at him.
After the performance, Haewon returned to the waiting room. He took pictures with the orchestra and shook hands with Henry Chang. A post-performance party was being held at a nearby hotel banquet hall. The cellist, who had finished organizing his instrument, waited for Haewon and the violist to catch up before they went together in his car. The cellist glanced at the flower basket Haewon had received.

“Haewon, aren’t you going to take that?”
“I’m allergic to flowers.”
“Can I take it then?”

“Do whatever you want.”
“I’ll put it in the car. Just call me when you’re ready.”
“Go ahead, you two. I’ll follow in a bit.”

The violist and cellist left the waiting room. The cellist couldn’t carry both the cello case and the flower basket, so the violist took the cello case on his shoulder. The flower basket was huge, so heavy that it would be difficult for one person to carry.
Once they left, the area became quiet. The noise of footsteps and chatter that had been heard outside gradually faded. Haewon checked his phone again, but as expected, it was still quiet.
“......”

Feelings beyond disappointment swelled inside him. He had been holding his own hand while looking at the night view. He had called late at night to say good night, and they kissed throughout the night. When Haewon asked him not to touch him, Hyun Woojin held his upper body in place with his arms, avoiding contact as he kissed him. He had become tired of resisting, so he suddenly started doing push-ups to relieve the tension in his muscles, but without any sign of exhaustion, he gently kissed Haewon again.
He had taken Haewon to a hotel, fed him, and then laid him down on the bed to share soft kisses, creating an atmosphere that was far from healthy.
It wasn’t the body that mattered, it was the heart—he had said, and when Haewon wanted to undress only in front of him, it was a feeling he had to express. No matter what happened to him, he had endured last night.

There is only this life, no next life—he spoke sweetly.
Haewon, staring at his depressed face in the mirror, glanced at him without regret before standing up. Waiting now seemed meaningless.
He put on his coat and grabbed the shopping bag with his clothes inside. The dry-cleaning plastic and hanger peeked out. Haewon slung his violin over his shoulder and left the waiting room. No one would notice if someone was missing from the after-party with over a hundred people attending.

The concert hall, where all the audience and members had already left, was eerily silent. A few staff members were moving high-end speakers, adjusting their positions while raising their voices.
As Haewon descended the stairs, he ran into the bassoon player.
“Are you heading to the after-party now? Everyone else left a while ago. I forgot my wallet in the waiting room.”
Without being asked, she showed Haewon her black wallet, smiling.

“I’m feeling unwell, so I’m going to head in.”
“You’re not feeling well?”
“I think I was too nervous.”

“I was really nervous too. I went to the bathroom twice. During the second half, I was sweating cold while desperately needing to go. Henry Chang played so well, didn’t he? For a regular concert, the performance and the pieces were top-notch.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll head out now.”
Haewon gave a quick nod to the woman, who was sharing unnecessary information, and walked in the opposite direction. He stopped by the taxi stand.

Beyond the glass door, he saw Lee Jinyoung standing, exhaling a long breath. Trying to avoid him, Haewon turned but got caught in his gaze. As Haewon hesitated, Lee Jinyoung pushed open the glass door and walked in. His footsteps echoed in the silence.
“I’m sorry.”
“......”

“I didn’t know what your hand meant back then. That’s the thing I’m most sorry for. I can’t believe I even tried to do that to you.”
He started by apologizing without hesitation. Haewon looked at him, his mouth tightly shut. Lee Jinyoung looked thinner, but his body still looked strong, not frail. He appeared mature, showing signs of emotional suffering, and his sincere apologies softened Haewon’s rejection.
“Haewon.”

“Alright, enough. Stop.”
“...I guess I really wanted to hear that. It feels like my heart is shrinking.”
Lee Jinyoung grabbed his left chest, as if showing that this was the moment he was talking about. Haewon, who had once rubbed his chest, looked up.

“Everyone seems to be heading to the after-party, aren’t you going?”
“I’m tired, I’m going home.”
Haewon walked past him. He pushed open the glass door and walked down the wide stairs. Lee Jinyoung followed him.

“Not having dinner? You must be hungry.”
“I had a snack.”
“I’ll buy you something delicious. Let’s have dinner, as a way of accepting my apology.”

“We’re not really on those terms, are we?”
Haewon stopped and looked back at him. They had once argued about reporting each other to the police, and he had almost gone blind because of Haewon. Lee Jinyoung also stopped walking.
“I’m not trying to make something happen between us. I just want to buy you dinner. You played so well today. It was really touching.”

He said it earnestly. He deliberately stayed two steps away, cautious not to close the gap. Haewon didn’t respond, just turned around and quickened his pace toward the main road.
“Did you get the flowers?”
“I threw them away.”

“I’m sorry. I should have gotten you something else.”
“I don’t need it.”
“My thoughts were short-sighted. I’m sorry.”

Lee Jinyoung repeated his apologies like a parrot, and Haewon turned sharply.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“What?”

“Why are you making this awkward for me?”
“I’m sorry.”
“......”

His clumsiness frustrated Haewon. Lee Jinyoung, looking dejected, sighed, and his white breath spread around his chest.
“I’m not in the mood to have dinner with anyone right now. It’s not because of you, so don’t worry about it.”
“Okay. I was too... hasty, wasn’t I? I’ll take you home. Wait a moment, I’ll get the car.”

“It’s fine. I can take a taxi.”
There were no taxis around the concert hall, and the few passing taxis were already picking up passengers. Lee Jinyoung didn’t leave and stood by Haewon, waiting for a taxi with him.
He awkwardly stretched his neck and waved at every passing car, even though none had a taxi sign on. Finally, one empty taxi passed by, and Lee Jinyoung reached out desperately.

“It’s going to be hard to catch a taxi.”
He said with concern, rubbing his cold hands together, staring at the cars stuck at the red light.
“You’re not cold?”

Haewon, who hadn’t worn a thick winter coat even though it was freezing, didn’t have a scarf or gloves. He just had a trench coat over a black turtleneck.
Lee Jinyoung’s ears turned red as he looked at Haewon, standing without any winter accessories. His hands, ungloved, were also red.
“Just go.”

“Wait. I’ll call a taxi for you.”
“I said it’s fine.”
“Call it, and it’ll be here soon.”

“......”
He took out his phone and dialed someone, sniffling as he did. When the call didn’t go through to the taxi company, Lee Jinyoung tightened his lips and his face hardened with seriousness. Haewon sighed.
“Bring the car.”

“Huh?”
“Bring the car.”
“Okay. Wait a bit, I’ll be right back.”

He turned around with a bright smile and hurried toward the parking lot.
Haewon thought to himself: someone who could be devoted to him, love him, and soothe his own emptiness—that was all he wanted. It was hard to ignore the resentment toward Hyun Woojin, who hadn’t contacted him or shown up today. Haewon didn’t want to attach any action words to his feelings for Hyun Woojin, but in the end, that was what happened.
Haewon hated him, was angry with him, and yet he also missed him, wanted to hold him, and kiss him.

Because of his rising resistance toward Hyun Woojin, Haewon found himself using Lee Jinyoung to distract himself, fully realizing that he kept thinking about Hyun Woojin with action words.
Lee Jinyoung’s car emerged from the parking lot and made a right turn, pulling up in front of Haewon. The car stopped, and he rolled down the window.
“Hurry up and get in.”

Just as Haewon was about to put his luggage and violin down in the back seat, a car approached with its headlights flashing. As Haewon turned his head in surprise, a gray car suddenly slammed into the back of a white SUV.
BANG—!
Haewon staggered back in shock. His whole body tensed up.

The sound of thunder echoed, and the back of the SUV crumpled while the bonnet of the gray car was completely dented. White smoke began rising from the bonnet. The rear window of the SUV shattered. Lee Jinyoung, whose face had been slammed into the steering wheel, groaned and struggled to lift his upper body. He hadn’t been wearing his seatbelt, so he slammed straight into the wheel, and his nose was bleeding. He grabbed the back of his neck, stumbled out of the car, and staggered.
A person stepped out of the gray car. With no injuries, the impeccably dressed Hyun Woojin got out from the driver’s seat. He looked nothing like someone who had just been in an accident, and he approached Lee Jinyoung, who was trembling with his forehead pressed against the SUV, and as if showing some kind of politeness, unbuttoned his jacket.
“Are you alright?”

“F... fuck... Who the hell... oh, you crazy bastard…”
“Ah, you’re hurt badly.”
Lee Jinyoung held his bleeding nose and turned his head. When his eyes met Hyun Woojin’s, he flinched.

“Should I call the insurance company, or an ambulance?”
“......”
Lee Jinyoung shook his head a couple of times in disbelief. No matter how much he shook his head and looked around, he couldn’t believe his eyes—Hyun Woojin was standing right in front of him. The corners of his eyes twitched as he continued to stare at Hyun Woojin.

“Or you can just leave.”
“......”
Lee Jinyoung coughed roughly as blood filled his nose. The droplets splashed onto Hyun Woojin’s shirt. He glanced down, noticing the bloodstains on his shirt. Lee Jinyoung took a few steps back, wobbling as he did.

Hyun Woojin took out his phone and dialed twice. A few minutes later, an insurance company representative arrived. After leaving Lee Jinyoung with the insurance staff, Hyun Woojin approached Haewon, who stood frozen in shock.
“Did you wait long?”
“......”

“I had a lot of meetings today.”
“......”
Haewon couldn’t hide the explosion of emotions on his face. While the insurance representative took care of Lee Jinyoung, a car approached. A black sedan stopped behind the gray car. A man got out, saw Hyun Woojin, and walked toward him.

“Sir.”
“Give it here.”
“Here you go. This is the right size, right?”

The man handed over a department store shopping bag. Haewon didn’t know what was inside, but Hyun Woojin took it. The man then handed Hyun Woojin the car keys.
“Good job.”
“Please go ahead.”

The man bowed deeply, and without saying a word, Hyun Woojin grabbed Haewon’s wrist and almost dragged him along. Lee Jinyoung, who glanced back, leaned against the car, holding his nose with a handkerchief.
Hyun Woojin placed Haewon’s luggage and violin in the back seat of the black sedan.
Without getting in, Haewon stood still, and Hyun Woojin opened the passenger side door, forcefully pushing Haewon inside, pressing his head down. After circling around the front of the car, he climbed into the driver’s seat. The man who brought the car didn’t look at Hyun Woojin as he bowed again and walked away.

Hyun Woojin pressed the gas pedal, and the scene of the accident slowly faded away in the rearview mirror. Once Lee Jinyoung was out of sight, Hyun Woojin turned to Haewon.
“What’s wrong?”
“......”

When Haewon looked at him, Hyun Woojin asked without turning to look back.
This was the first time Haewon had seen a car crash so closely, and more than that, Hyun Woojin’s car had been the one to charge toward them. Haewon had been about to open the rear door when the car was coming, and if Hyun Woojin had been just a second later, Haewon’s right hand might have been injured. Haewon clenched his fist, barely stopping himself from punching Hyun Woojin in the face.
Without saying anything more, Hyun Woojin drove until they reached a quiet intersection. He turned on the hazard lights and got out of the car. He opened the shopping bag the man had brought and found an unopened white shirt inside. After checking the size, he took off his bloodstained shirt and hung it on the car door. This was the first time Haewon had seen him without his shirt since the hotel pool. His waist was slim, and his chest and shoulders were broad. Even in the cold, his abs moved, clearly defined. It was a balanced figure that could easily captivate anyone’s sense of aesthetics.

Hyun Woojin casually looked around, making sure no one was watching, and then put on the new shirt. He tucked the shirt neatly into his pants, adjusted his tie, and put on the jacket that had been hanging on the car door. He climbed back into the car.
“What happened?”
“......”

“Are you crazy? Do you think you have two lives?”
“......”
“Hyun Woojin...!”

“Shut up.”
With a voice so cold, it was unlike anything Haewon had ever heard, Hyun Woojin spoke sharply. Haewon was taken aback by his tone.
“Stop talking and keep your mouth shut. Just because I’m not angry doesn’t mean I’m not upset.”

It was the first time Haewon had heard such a frightening tone. Even Haewon, who wasn’t easily scared, felt a cold chill in his heart at the sound of his voice. Hyun Woojin’s deep, even-toned voice felt like a sharp knife rushing at his throat. Haewon’s emotions swirled within him.
“...Why are you angry?”
“Shut your mouth.”

“Why should you be angry? Who should be angry?”
“......”
Hyun Woojin didn’t say anything else about shutting Haewon up or being loud. With a stiff expression, he only looked ahead. Haewon’s fists, tightly clenched in his lap, were trembling with frustration.

It was the day of the performance, and not a single message or call came through to wish him well. Whether or not Hyun Woojin had watched the performance, it didn’t matter, because Haewon felt like Hyun Woojin hadn’t come, hadn’t seen it, and had ignored him.
His behavior hurt Haewon. It was cold, and there were no taxis around, so Haewon couldn’t help but stand out in the freezing weather, upset and frustrated, not wanting to hope anymore. Haewon had hoped that Hyun Woojin would show up, that his car would appear, but now he knew that hoping only led to disappointment. If he didn’t hope, there would be nothing to be disappointed about.
While some part of him felt angry toward Hyun Woojin, he had only gotten into Lee Jinyoung’s car because he wanted to get away, not because he wanted anything else. Hyun Woojin hadn’t come to the concert, hadn’t even contacted him, and left him in the cold, yet here he was, acting as if Haewon had done something wrong. He had driven recklessly, almost killing himself, and crashed both his own and someone else’s car.

Hyun Woojin’s car arrived at the hotel, where they had had room service the previous ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) day. Haewon’s gaze froze as he looked at the ornate hotel building outside the window.
Hyun Woojin got out of the car first. Haewon didn’t get out. Hyun Woojin, waiting for Haewon to move, leaned over the car and put his hand on it.
“What are you doing? Get out.”

“I’m not getting out.”
“Get out.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”

With a sigh, Hyun Woojin’s breath fogged in the cold air.
“Get out now. It’s late.”
“I’m not getting out. Why should I?”

“Just get out, it’s better for you.”
“Then what if I don’t? Are you going to crash into something again? I almost hurt my hand earlier!”