New Normal - Chapter 81

With a low, cutting tone, Jisoo silenced Juwon before he could add another word, striding ahead of him. She could feel his gaze piercing her back, but she had no courage left to face it. Forcing herself to ignore him, she turned her steps toward where the rest of the team was gathered.

Her teammates were chatting and laughing together, and Jisoo’s eyes wavered with hesitation. She bit her lip, struggling for a moment, then finally spoke carefully.

“Director Chae and I need to discuss something privately. You all go on ahead without me.”

Though her voice was gentle, her face was pale and stiff. The team exchanged curious looks, glancing between the two of them. Unable to endure their stares, Jisoo quickly turned away, avoiding their eyes, and headed for the car.

***

The door shut with a heavy thud, and silence filled the enclosed space. But before that suffocating quiet could even begin, Jisoo broke it herself. If she let it drag on, she felt she might crumble first.

“What is it you even want from me? It’s already over.”

Her sharp words froze Juwon’s hand just as he was about to start the engine. Slowly, he turned his head toward her. Something in her reaction seemed to strike him, and his face hardened into an unfamiliar mask. Jisoo’s heart sank violently in her chest. She sensed it instinctively, danger, a red flag she couldn’t ignore.

He stared at her silently for a long moment, then bit down on his lip, eyes forward. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. After several false starts, he finally dragged a hand down his face, exhaling hard. Jisoo couldn’t tell if it was anger at himself or regret.

“I was stupid. That stupid bet… approaching you like that, it was childish and inexcusable. I know there’s no excuse. I’m sorry. But my feelings now, they aren’t like that. They never were.”

“Juwon.”

Her voice cut him off, cold and steady. Her eyes fixed on him with suppressed disappointment and hurt.

“Hearing you say ‘that wasn’t your real intention’—I’m tired of it. Whether you meant it or not, whether you feel differently now, it doesn’t erase what happened. The disappointment, the betrayal… that doesn’t just vanish.”

Though she tried to speak calmly, her fingertips trembled. She let out a sharp sigh and turned her head, struggling to hold back tears pressing at the corners of her eyes.

“Honestly, it’s laughable at this point. What’s next, what else am I going to find out that’ll knock me off my feet? First, you were going abroad, and now I find out about a bet? There are limits to playing with someone’s feelings. Don’t you think this has gone way too far? How could you? Did you ever have any sincerity or respect for me at all?”

Her words rose like waves, each one pulled up from a deep well of pain. Her voice cracked, her breathing unsteady.

Juwon shut his eyes tight, then opened them again. Her trembling words cut into him like shards of glass. He tried to choose his words carefully, but emotion sharpened his voice despite himself.

“Then what am I supposed to do now?”

The sudden edge made Jisoo flinch, her shoulders jerking. Though it had slipped out unconsciously, she took it as a threat, and reacted like she’d been cornered. Watching her, Juwon bit his lip, overcome by despair… or maybe helplessness.

He could hardly breathe. Closing his eyes for a moment, he steadied himself, then whispered hoarsely.

“No matter how many times I apologize, deny it, call you, beg you… nothing gets through to you. What do I have to say? What can I possibly do for you to believe me? I don’t want to end this with you, Shin Jisoo. I can’t.”

Jisoo turned to face him directly. Her eyes brimmed with sorrow, heavy with suppressed resentment and hurt.

“You’re selfish, Juwon. Even now, to the very end.”

Her words made his gaze falter.

“If you don’t want to end things, then I’m trapped forever? But if you decide you want to end it, you can walk away anytime. That’s the kind of relationship this is?”

Her bitter retort left him exhaling deeply. He tried to explain, but she wouldn’t let him.

“Jisoo, that’s not what I meant—”

“‘You can’t let me go’? Why? You were never sincere about this relationship to begin with. So what’s the point of saying things like that now?”

Her voice shook. She looked away from him, as if tearing down walls she’d already built once was too terrifying.

“All I ever wanted was honesty. Not perfection, not some flawless man. Just someone real. Someone who came to me with truth. But you lied. And even now, you’re cornering me.”

Her cold voice sent a chill through him. Juwon’s face went pale. His lips opened soundlessly before he finally forced out words.

“That’s not pressure, I—”

“Then what is it, if not pressure?” she snapped.

“This isn’t even my choice, is it? You forced me into this. And I’m just supposed to accept whatever you demand? Don’t I get a say? Do you have any idea how much more miserable you’re making me?”

Her words left him staring down, realization sinking in. His trembling hand dragged down his face. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, heavy.

“If that’s how you felt… I’m sorry. For every way I failed to consider you, no matter the reason. But the truth is—I was scared.”

His voice shrank, but the weight of sincerity carried in it. The confession threw Jisoo off balance.

“…Scared? Of what?”

“That this really is the end.”

Her breath caught.

“That once you saw how cowardly, how selfish I am… you’d leave me.”

Jisoo squeezed her eyes shut, then exhaled slowly.

“So what are you trying to say now?”

“Give me a chance. A chance to start over.”

The desperate plea in his low voice stabbed at her heart. Tears spilled down her cheeks before she wiped them away firmly. Her voice was resolute.

“No.”

He reached out instinctively to wipe her tears, but froze midair.

“Let’s end it here. I don’t want to hurt anymore, and I don’t want to hurt you either. This is as far as we go.”

Her firm declaration left Juwon staring at her, stunned. Before he could reply, she opened the door and stepped out.

“Shin Jisoo!”

His voice rang behind her, but she kept walking. Her legs felt weak, every step sinking like the ground beneath her might collapse, but she didn’t look back.

***

As a teenager, Jisoo had once watched a foreign drama where a character said, ‘Some love stories aren’t novels, they’re short stories. But that doesn’t mean the love was lacking.’ And now, ending a relationship that hadn’t even lasted six months, Shin Jisoo felt utterly wretched. This wasn’t her first breakup, but the sting of it never got easier.

“You always come to my studio when you need counseling.”

Haeyoon’s teasing earned no response. Clicking her tongue, she turned back to her work. The studio buzzed with a quiet tension, filled with the steady flow of deep house music. A soft bass line repeated in the air, calming yet restless, wrapping around the space.

The large wooden panel spread across the floor was covered in rough sketch lines as Haeyoon bent low, dragging her charcoal with bold strokes.

Curled up on the sofa in the corner, a warm coffee cup cradled in her hands, Jisoo stared blankly at her friend’s back. Focused, absorbed, Haeyoon’s body moved with deliberate intensity, shaping forms against the wood.

“Why are you so quiet? Sitting there like that, you look like a divorcée.”

The joke made Jisoo frown.

“Not divorced… just freshly dumped.”

Haeyoon put the charcoal down and lifted her head, looking straight at her.