The Probability of Meeting My Ex in a Heterosexual Dating Program

Chapter 8

“How to deal with couple items matched with an ex-lover” was a suitable topic for the cast members to discuss together. Especially since they had all opened X packages together just 30 minutes ago.

Oh, it seems this person has finally come to his senses. Although Cha Yoon had no intention other than provoking Ki Seo-jung, the cast members smiled with relief. They were reading too much into it.

The cast members made thoughtful sounds as they organized their thoughts. Among them, only Ki Seo-jung couldn’t manage his expression.

So you’re finally bringing that up. Ki Seo-jung pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek as he stared at Cha Yoon. Their eyes met. Seeing Cha Yoon’s smiling face, Seo-jung’s jaw muscles tensed. His mental state was already in shambles and difficult to manage, and now Cha Yoon was adding fuel to the fire. It was maddening.

“I… I don’t think we should do that,” Jung Soo-ho said suddenly, his voice wet with emotion. Cha Yoon grinned at Soo-ho’s teary eyes. It was a good start.

“Hmm, me too. It’s strange enough to keep them, but to use them? I don’t understand. If you’ve broken up, you should clean things up neatly,” Gong Min-wook added, slightly furrowing his brow. Of course, there was some contradiction in his statement, as he himself was on “Please Take Care of My X” because he couldn’t do exactly that.

“That’s right. It’s not just any item, it’s a couple item… I think it’s disrespectful to the new person you might meet,” Min-ha nodded vigorously. Cha Yoon gave Min-ha a generous smile for the first time.

It’s not like we’re taking sides. Ki Seo-jung was dumbfounded by the situation.

Yeo Ji-yoon, who had been lost in thought, also sided with the “throw it away” camp. Now, only Ki Seo-jung and Song Joo-ah hadn’t shared their opinions.

Seo-jung blinked slowly. As he turned his head, he saw Cha Yoon holding the knife. Naturally, the blade was pointed towards him. Seo-jung knew this was all a setup designed by Cha Yoon to pass judgment on him. That’s why he couldn’t just ignore it maturely and avoid it.

Composing his expression, Seo-jung finally opened his mouth.

“I think the items themselves are innocent,” he said in a smooth voice. 

Cha Yoon’s expression quickly crumpled. His face said, “I knew you’d say that.” Regardless, Ki Seo-jung continued to express his opinion.

“Just because a relationship has ended, is there a need to throw away innocent items?”

Ki Seo-jung shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant. He tried to make it seem as if what he had said at the sink was really true, as if there was no lie mixed in.

Huh. Cha Yoon felt the unpleasant feeling that had been following him all evening resurface. It was such an explosive emotion that the back of his neck felt stiff.

He didn’t think about where this unpleasant feeling originated from. For Cha Yoon, the result was more important than the cause. Unable to hold back any longer, he smiled a twisted smile.

“Aren’t you just trying to rationalize it?”

“…”

“Why keep using something you matched with an ex if you have no feelings left? Unless you still have lingering feelings for your ex.”

How pathetic and clingy. At Cha Yoon’s sarcastic tone, something twitched sharply somewhere on Ki Seo-jung’s forehead.

“Isn’t the one who thinks that way the one with lingering feelings? It seems like you want to attach meaning to even the smallest actions of an ex.”

The atmosphere was becoming increasingly heated. If he just laughed it off now with a “Is that so?” the issue would be resolved. But Ki Seo-jung didn’t want to back down here. If he didn’t make things clear now, he’d be tormented endlessly. Knowing Cha Yoon’s persistent nature better than anyone, he had to wrap up this conversation here.

The thought of Cha Yoon constantly trying to check if he had moved on was terrifying.

“Well… there are different types of people!” Min-ha interjected with a deliberately bright voice, trying to read the room. It was her effort to lighten the mood. But despite her efforts, sparks flew between Cha Yoon and Ki Seo-jung. Of course, it was mostly one-sided from Cha Yoon.

Really, he’s the one doing all the childish things. Song Joo-ah, who had been observing the situation, shook her head. It seemed like it was time for her to step in.

“Seo-jung’s thoughts are similar to mine,” Song Joo-ah said, setting down her empty glass and looking towards Seo-jung. Seo-jung looked a bit surprised. He didn’t seem to have expected her to take his side.

“I agree with Seo-jung. An item is just an item.”

Her tone could be interpreted as cynical. Jung Soo-ho beside her unconsciously let out an “Oh” in admiration. Cha Yoon’s head turned askew towards Song Joo-ah.

He was already annoyed by Ki Seo-jung’s answer, but with Song Joo-ah siding with Ki Seo-jung, his mood worsened twice over.

Looks like he’s upset that his ex-girlfriend is taking my side. Ki Seo-jung ran his hand through his hair as he watched Cha Yoon’s face change moment by moment. Realizing this fact, his already troubled mind reached its limit of patience.

“That’s right. It seems more pathetic to dwell on meanings and add comments about being clingy.”

Everyone looked surprised at Ki Seo-jung’s words. But they understood him. It was Buddha-level patience that he had only exploded now. Continuously stirring up people’s emotions, it was more impressive that he had endured it.

Ki Seo-jung recalled seven years ago. It was a memory of Cha Yoon. The two were similar to now.

Ki Seo-jung tried to be kind to everyone and considered his own sacrifices as natural. It was an attitude stemming from a deficiency he had held since realizing his situation – not wanting to be hated, and thus not wanting to be abandoned by anyone anymore.

Cha Yoon disliked Seo-jung for this.

‘Stop pretending to be nice.’

‘…What?’

‘Why are you smiling when you’re actually really pissed off?’

Cha Yoon was always like this. He would push Ki Seo-jung off a cliff without giving him a parachute. Forcing Ki Seo-jung to his limits until he had to reveal his true nature. And then Ki Seo-jung would lose his reason.

‘Instead of criticizing others, fix that weird personality of yours.’

That day was like that. Cha Yoon, with a deeply furrowed brow, got on Seo-jung’s nerves. Seo-jung, who always responded with indifference, couldn’t hold back anymore and for the first time said something unpleasant to someone else. Only after spilling out everything he had bottled up inside did his head start working properly again.

As reason returned, worry flooded in. He was afraid bad rumors would spread. That he had ruined everything because he couldn’t endure that little bit. His mind was turning blank with the thought that now all that was left was for everyone to leave his side.

‘Now you finally seem like a person.’

Contrary to his worries, Cha Yoon smiled. And very brightly at that. He didn’t look like someone who had just been cursed out.

‘From now on, get angry when you’re angry, and say you don’t like something when you don’t like it, just like you did to me now. Don’t be a pushover and just take everything.’

So, Ki Seo-jung didn’t have to be just a nice person to Cha Yoon. He couldn’t be just a nice person. Because Cha Yoon continuously drew out the real Ki Seo-jung. Because he loved the not-so-nice Ki Seo-jung more than anyone else.

Cha Yoon’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“So, you’re saying I’m pathetic?”

“When did I say Cha Yoon was pathetic? You didn’t say I was clingy either, right?”

It was a battle of nerves without an inch of compromise. The air was freezing over. Ki Seo-jung was the first to feel the change in temperature around them. Hoo. After letting out a short sigh, Seo-jung composed his expression and smiled.

“I was just sharing my thoughts. Don’t misunderstand.”

Cha Yoon, looking at the kindly half-closed eyes, let out a scoffing laugh. Wow, pretending to be nice again. That’s what he thought, but somehow it didn’t feel as unpleasant as before. At least it was better than being completely ignored.

“It’s interesting and nice to have these conversations with new people,” Song Joo-ah said, wrapping up the situation.

“Definitely!”

“It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve had such a heated discussion.”

Other cast members chimed in.

Anyone want more beer? Yeo Ji-yoon asked, shaking an empty can. Riding the slightly unsettled atmosphere, Seo-jung, leaning deeply into the sofa, looked down at his phone as it buzzed.

“Whoa…”

Jung Soo-ho covered his mouth. The notification hadn’t come only to Seo-jung. The phones of everyone sitting in a circle vibrated simultaneously. Ki Seo-jung unlocked his phone while holding back a sigh.

When he pressed the glowing “Please Take Care of My X” application, a pink notification window appeared on the screen with a vibration.

! The previously locked message and mailbox features are now activated.