Runner-up's Revenge

“Do you like drinking, Dahye? I know a great Japanese bar.”

“Sorry, I’m a total lightweight.”

“Oh… Then…”

“Why don’t we wrap this up?”

Without hesitation, Dahye gathered her things and stood. She smiled as the man promised to take her to a better place next time, but when she left, she deleted his number. She considered deleting the number of the person who set up on this blind date too, but he was a coworker, so she had no choice but to keep it.

“So annoying.”

She called for a taxi using an app, then instinctively went to her contacts.

She scrolled through her call history and saw a never-ending list comprised solely of the name “Dowon Lee.” Up until a few days ago, her call history had been dominated by him.

A notification popped up, informing her that a driver was coming to pick her up. The little icon of a car wove its way through narrow alleyways on the screen, heading her way.

The streetlights in the alley where she waited flickered as if they were on their last legs, reminding her of Dowon’s tired, fading eyes that always accompanied his apologies. Staring at her phone, Dahye fixated on the name “Dowon Lee.”

Dowon Lee…

She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Not in the bittersweet way of a rom-com, but in a way felt like he was stuck to her thoughts like old gum or sticker residue.

“Excuse me,” a taxi driver called from his open window. “Did you order a cab?”

“Yes, I did.”

She climbed into the taxi and leaned her head against the seat. She wondered what Dowon thought of her.

He probably thinks I’m a crazy bitch…

Dahye had tormented Dowon, not just on typical days, but even when he was at his lowest. So, he probably didn’t just think of her as crazy—he probably saw her as a demon.

As if you’re any better.

She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, thinking back to her high school days as the volume of the radio gradually increased. She couldn’t remember which grade she was in, but what she did remember was how miserable she had been that day.

I’d never been that sick in my life.

She had felt awful, but, disregarding her body’s warning, she had stayed up all night studying, pushing herself too hard. She had been so exhausted. Her eyes had felt gritty as if sand had been poured into them, and it had been painful to keep them open.

Despite the cold sweat slicking her skin, she’d forced herself to take the exam. With trembling hands, she had gripped her pencil and worked through the questions in a haze. She’d had no idea if she had marked her answers correctly or even looked at the questions properly.

“What should we do?”

“Dahye, are you okay?”

During the break, she’d become anxious. Usually, she would spend every break reviewing for the next subject, knowing that fretting over a past test wouldn’t change the outcome.

“Dahye, you don’t look so good. Maybe you should go to the hospital.”

“I’m fine, really…”

But that time, she had desperately wanted to check her answers. Her mind was foggy, and the need to compare answers was driving her crazy, convinced she had gotten them all wrong.

“Dowon,” she wheezed. “What did you put for that last question?”

As she walked toward Dowon, her legs gave out, and she collapsed, grabbing onto a desk for support.

“Dahye!”

“Someone get the teacher! Dahye collapsed!”

Dripping with sweat, Dahye shifted her shaky grip onto Dowon’s desk. In the back of her mind, she had been curious to see his reaction. Maybe she had even been waiting for something. Despite her body rapidly shutting down on her, Dahye glanced up at Dowon’s face.

“…Is this really the time to compare answers?” he asked. With a displeased expression, Dowon gently pried her hand from his desk and turned his attention back to his textbook.

Even a stray dog would’ve shown me more concern.

When they brought her to the nurse’s office, her temperature was 39°C. The fact that she had even managed to sit through the test was a miracle. She remembered being taken to the ER in her teacher’s car immediately afterward.

You’re crazy, too. You think I’m the only one?

Dowon had ignored her when she was suffering. He had only asked if it was really the time to compare answers while completely disregarding her cold sweat and collapse, focused solely on his textbook. He might have even felt a little satisfaction, seeing his only competitor in such bad shape.

Before the blind date, Dahye had regretted tormenting Dowon, thinking that if she had known how difficult things were for him, she wouldn’t have pushed him so hard.

But now, that regret felt stupid. Why should she care about someone who had ignored her pain? Why should she feel sympathy for the person who had ruined her high school years? Dowon Lee deserved to suffer.

Grinding her teeth in frustration, Dahye leaned her head against the car window. The vibrations from the road rattled her skull.

“Remember, you always have someone good by your side.”

A public service announcement was playing on the radio. That too, pissed her off. Even someone as awful as Dowon had a good person like Hana by his side. Meanwhile, Dahye had always been alone.

Why does a piece of shit like him have someone like Hana in his life?

It infuriated her that Dowon, who never cared about others’ suffering, had someone as kind as Hana supporting him.

Dahye had always been alone. She had never needed friendship or love when chasing success. She had studied fanatically, prepared for tests ravenously, and fought like mad to get into Hanban Bank, all by herself. No family, no friends, no love—none of it.

Dahye had gone through many hardships while preparing for Hanban Bank. But not once had anyone comforted her. There was no one to talk to. She had endured it all with one singular motivation: to become better than Dowon.

And yet, there he was, lying at rock bottom.

After finally succeeding, Dahye realized that her once-unreachable target, Dowon, was now nothing more than a bottom feeder. In a way, it felt satisfying, like her success had borne fruit. But even now, Dowon had something that Dahye couldn’t have.

I was always alone. I endured so much loneliness, but you, you always had someone by your side to comfort you, to support you. That’s why you were able to be so carefree, hopping from one convenience store to the next.

Anger surged within her. The world was unfair. She was tempted to call Dowon right now and vent her frustration. After that awful blind date, she could call him, complain about how terrible it had been, and take out her irritation on him.

“Drop me off at the entrance, please.”

It would be easy. Once she got home, she could call Dowon and torment him. As she waited for the elevator, Dahye glanced at her reflection in the mirror.

She wasn’t smiling at all. She used her fingers to force the corners of her mouth into a smile. It looked like the same kind of smile Dowon would probably have when answering her call.

“This is such bullshit.”

The moment Dowon repaid his debt, this relationship would end. Dahye would truly be alone. How would she feel when she had to face the fact that the first real empathy and comfort she had received was all just a lie?

But, was it really all a lie? Wasn’t there a chance that, at least for one moment, Dowon’s words of comfort and empathy had been sincere? Then again, what if not even 1% had been true? The thought made Dahye want to shatter the mirror in the elevator.

She felt disgusted.

“Hello?”

Dahye had instinctively dialed Dowon and he’d picked up immediately.

“Oh, Dahye? What’s up? You haven’t called lately.”

He sounded like an AI customer service agent, ready to respond the moment the button was pressed. It was to be expected—Dowon was essentially working for her, after all.

The thought soured her mood, and she no longer felt like venting to him. But if she didn’t release this frustration somehow, she felt like she would explode. She didn’t want to end up on the morning news tomorrow.

She needed to say something.

“…Does Hana drink? I think she mentioned she couldn’t handle alcohol.”

“What? Where is this coming from—”

“How about we grab a beer together? The three of us. Beer should be fine, right?”

Dahye didn’t know why these words were coming out of her mouth but they were already out, flowing as if bound by invisible strings, and it was too late to take them back.

“My treat.”

***

“…Hana, what should I do?”

Hana stared down at Dowon’s phone. Then she looked up at his anxious face.

“Do what you want. It’s your call,” she said.

A cold sweat broke out down Dowon’s back. He didn’t want to upset Hana and risk driving her away.

“If you don’t want me to go, I won’t. It’s completely up to you…”

“It’s part of the debt interest, isn’t it? Can you really say no to her?”

Hana looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, genuinely puzzled. The moment she mentioned the word “interest,” Dowon wanted to bite his tongue.

“…But you’re more important to me…”

Hana watched Dowon’s face, then shifted her gaze to his fingers, fidgeting nervously, waiting for her answer. Dowon wasn’t sure if he wanted her to tell him not to go or to give him permission.

But the fact that he was leaving the decision entirely up to Hana gave Dowon a sense of satisfaction, one he didn’t want her to notice. In fact, he hoped she would never find out that he wanted to be under her control. He would keep this secret until the day he died.

“Hmm…”

***

Hana turned her back, pretending to think. If she looked at Dowon’s face any longer, she would tell him to stay with her forever, to never leave. She didn’t want Dowon tied down to someone like her. The thought of him anxiously waiting for her decision, hanging on her every word, pleased her.

She didn’t want Dowon to see this selfish side of her. She knew she should let him go. She wanted to remain a good person in his eyes, forever.

“…I…”

But maybe it would be okay to be a little selfish, just this once. Maybe it would be okay to tell him she didn’t want him to go, that he should stay with her. She wanted to guilt him, then have him apologize and lie down next to her. Was it too selfish to want Dowon to care only about her, forever? Wasn’t that a natural feeling?

“…Hana, really, it’s fine. It’s okay, so…” Dowon’s voice trembled with anxiety as he prompted her again. Hana bit the inside of her lip before answering.

“Of course, it’s fine.”

It had to be fine. For Dowon, the person who cared so much for her, she had to let go of all her selfish thoughts. She had to be selfless, at least for him.

***

“Order whatever you want. Oh, I’ll have the pineapple sorbet.”

“That works for me, too.”

“No, no. I want something light because I already had dinner. You two should order proper food.”

“I’m good… Hana, what about you?”

“Yeah, Hana, what do you want? I invited you, so I’ll pay. Order whatever you like.”

Hana took the menu that Dahye handed her and pretended to browse. At the same time, she carefully watched Dahye’s face. Something about Dahye seemed different.

Dahye usually had a particular expression when she looked down on Dowon—a slight smirk she couldn’t suppress. But tonight, something had changed. Dahye seemed to treat Dowon like a friend, with no signs of mocking or condescension.

“Hana, what are you drinking? Beer? Oh, wait, didn’t you say you don’t handle alcohol well?”

“Beer is fine.”

“Alright, draft beer for everyone… Unless, Dowon, you want something else?”

“…No, I can have beer too.”

Dahye narrowed her eyes at Dowon and opened the menu. She leaned in so close that their heads were almost touching as she pointed to the menu.

“Hurry up and pick. If you order something you don’t like and waste it, I’ll kill you.”

“…Uh, then…” Dowon looked flustered, both by her proximity and feigned threat.

They were about to bump heads. Hana felt anxiety gripping her tightly, as though something was crushing her. The atmosphere between the two of them was different from usual, too. Though she hadn’t seen them together that often, Dahye’s demeanor had shifted.

Now would be…

Hana suddenly thought back to the times she had wished for Dowon to meet someone better, and thought of Dahye. Watching Dahye playfully help Dowon choose a drink made her look like a real friend.

If Hana stepped back now, maybe things would work out between Dowon and Dahye. If she left the table, perhaps Dowon and Dahye would grow closer. Hana imagined the scene—this drinking session ending, and instead of going to her house, Dowon naturally heading to Dahye’s.

“Hana?”

No. No. She hated it. She hated it so much it hurt. The discomfort rose in her chest so violently that she felt like she could scream. She wanted Dowon to herself. Even if it was the right thing to do for Dowon, even if it would benefit him, she couldn’t let go.

“Dowon, how about a highball? You like sweet drinks, right?”

“Oh, uh, yeah…”

“You only drink soju when you’re trying to get drunk, right?”

Hana reached out and took Dowon’s hand, guiding it over the menu to point at the highball. When Dowon agreed, she pulled his hand closer and interlocked their fingers. Hana gently rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand.

“Dahye, Dowon says he’ll have a highball. I’ll switch to a highball, too, instead of beer. What about you?”

“…Hmm.”

Dahye stared at Hana’s thumb moving across Dowon’s hand before pointing at the menu.

“Of course, I’m sticking with beer. What kind of person comes to a beer place and doesn’t drink beer? You guys are seriously…”

Dahye’s gaze stayed fixed on Dowon and Hana’s twined hands as she spoke.

“You two really have the same taste, don’t you?”

Dahye laughed loudly, as if she found the situation absurd, her eyes alternating between Dowon and Hana. Then she raised her hand and started rattling off their orders. Hana, who had been staring intently at Dahye’s smiling face, blinked as if Dahye’s laughter had triggered something.

“Dowon, can you get me a hangover cure?” Hana murmured.

“Are you feeling okay to drink?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just been a while, and I’m worried. You should get one for Dahye too.”

“Uh…”

“Please? I really want to drink, but with a hangover cure to be safe.”

Dowon looked at Hana, hesitating. He was nervous about leaving her behind, but just like at the hotel and the espresso bar, Hana seemed to handle Dahye better than he expected.

“Alright, I’ll be right back.”

With a slightly anxious expression, Dowon stepped out of the bar. Hana watched his retreating figure, then finally spoke again.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, Dahye.”

“What is it?”

Hana propped her chin on one hand and asked Dahye bluntly, “Using his debt as leverage to treat him like this, don’t you think you’ve taken this too far?”