I’m Too Lazy To Run away - Side Chapter 26

The fact that Yang Tae-Yang’s connection to Director Jo Hoon-Seok, which people had only heard about through rumors, had turned out to be real. But if that was the case, then all the more reason not to get on Yang Tae-Yang’s bad side.

Choi Won-Jun skillfully hid his true feelings and smiled.

“I think it might be good to try it once for experience… you never know how things will turn out. If it’s just unfamiliar because it’s new, I can go with you when you meet the assistant director.”

“I’m too busy with assignments to have time for that.”

As if he had been waiting for those words, Choi Won-Jun immediately said,

“Sunbae, we have another general education class together too, right? Do it with me.”

“No, it’s fine. We already decided to split things up among the group.”

“I’m done with everything, so I’ve got time.”

“It’s really okay. We’ll finish it among ourselves and send it over.”

When Yang Tae-Yang didn’t take the bait as easily as expected, Choi Won-Jun tried a different tactic. This time, he targeted the partner Tae-Yang had been paired with for the group assignment.

“Ah… you mean him?”

At Won-Jun’s sour tone, the other students nearby reacted with curiosity.

“What, why? Who is he?”

“The one from Western painting… ah, I probably shouldn’t say this here… no, actually, you should know, sunbae.”

Yang Tae-Yang’s face twisted.

“What are you trying to tell me?”

“There’s a rumor that he’s stalking you.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you notice? He kept showing up wherever you went. Clinging to you in this creepy way too.”

“…Hah.”

Yang Tae-Yang was dumbfounded.

That was because he had been the one desperately running over every time Kim Do-Yoon passed by to say hello. And the one doing the clinging had been Yang Tae-Yang himself.

“Even among the Western painting students, people talk. They say even during all-nighters he’d just stare blankly at an empty canvas. For hours. Like he was possessed or something. That’s not normal.”

The students who heard that were shocked. Among them, one who vaguely knew what Kim Do-Yoon looked like chimed in.

“Ah, you mean that first-year? I knew something about him felt off. His vibe’s weird and kind of gloomy.”

“Right. I could tell from the way he couldn’t even take the hint when people were trying to make him leave the studio.”

Pretending to be surprised, Choi Won-Jun glanced at Yang Tae-Yang’s face.

He didn’t seem to be reacting much.

‘What, not enough?’

Won-Jun thought it was just a calm expression without any disturbance, but in reality it was the exact opposite. Tae-Yang had already gone past disturbance and into anger. Park Dae-Seop, who was watching from the side, was startled enough to think he needed to stop this right away. But unaware of that, Won-Jun decided to drive in the final nail.

“Oh, and… a lot of people have seen him going in and out of motels late at night or at dawn. I’m worried about you getting involved with someone like that, sunbae… because rumors like that can spread badly, you know?”

“…….”

Yang Tae-Yang, who had been silently listening to Won-Jun ramble, paused for a moment. Before Won-Jun could notice the strange shift in the atmosphere, Tae-Yang let out a smile through his teeth. Won-Jun smiled along with him.

Now I’ve got—!

Just as Won-Jun was about to celebrate inwardly—

“…Is this fun for you?”

“Huh?”

Yang Tae-Yang’s expression as he looked at Won-Jun had gone cold. The usual cheerful smile was nowhere to be found, and instead he was glaring at him with open hostility.

“Because I’ve been keeping my mouth shut, do I look like a fucking joke to you?”

Everyone listening nearby froze in shock. The people around them held their breath. It was a side of him they had never seen before, enough to make them uneasy. Won-Jun, face reddening, said,

“What the hell are you—!”

Rising from his seat, Yang Tae-Yang looked down at Won-Jun and asked,

“How exactly do you know he went into a motel?”

“That’s—! I told you, lots of people saw him!”

“Sure they did. Like people don’t swap partners going in there all the time.”

“……!”

Won-Jun panicked.

Lowering his head slightly, Yang Tae-Yang spoke in a low voice only Won-Jun could hear, thinking back to that day he had pretended not to notice because he had no interest in other people’s messy private business.

“Do you still go in and out of motels with your dad these days?”

“…….”

“Don’t let me catch sight of you again. Before things get fucking ugly for both of us.”

Yang Tae-Yang walked right past Won-Jun and left the lecture hall.

***

Yang Tae-Yang was furious. He had never imagined filthy rumors like that were going around about Kim Do-Yoon.

‘First, I need to get him out of that damn place.’

A basement room underneath a motel.

The neighborhood wasn’t safe, and even the door looked like it was falling apart, so he’d been worried about it all along. At this point, it would be better if Do-Yoon just stayed with him. He had more than enough spare rooms, enough space for both of them and then some.

He could just use something like needing a live-in helper as an excuse.

The moment he stepped out of the classroom, Yang Tae-Yang called Kim Do-Yoon. Since class should be ending around now, he thought he’d try bringing up the idea of living together over lunch.

But for some reason, Do-Yoon didn’t answer.

Just as he started feeling that something was strange, a text came from Do-Yoon apologizing, saying he wouldn’t be able to have lunch with him this time. Tae-Yang was disappointed, but let it go, thinking they’d just meet next time.

***

One day, two days…

It had already been over two weeks, and Tae-Yang hadn’t even run into Kim Do-Yoon, let alone had a proper conversation with him. Even when he suggested meeting for the group assignment, Do-Yoon only said he didn’t have time and that they should just exchange things by email. Whenever he asked about lunch, the replies were always that Do-Yoon had already eaten or didn’t have time.

‘Is he… avoiding me?’

At this point, even a passing dog would know Kim Do-Yoon was avoiding him. Yang Tae-Yang felt miserable. No matter how much he looked back over things, he couldn’t think of anything he had done wrong.

He could have gone to Do-Yoon’s place or workplace and seen him. But with Do-Yoon clearly avoiding him, he held back because he was afraid he’d scare him if he just showed up.

As Tae-Yang was venting that stress through an all-nighter in the studio, Park Dae-Seop stopped him.

“Hey, hey. You’re gonna hurt yourself like that.”

“…….”

“Now tell me. What’s got you so pissed off?”

“I miss him.”

“What?”

“I said I miss him! But he doesn’t want to see me, so he’s avoiding me, fuck!”

Tae-Yang fumed in frustration. Seeing his friend suddenly explode like that, Dae-Seop barely held back a laugh.

“Pff—if you miss him that much, then go to him.”

“……What if I scare him?”

“Idiot. Do you think just staring from a distance is gonna help?”

“He seems to be doing fine without me….”

For the sake of his still clueless friend, Dae-Seop fired off one last piece of advice.

“What if someone else gets to him first?”

“!!”

The moment he heard that, Yang Tae-Yang threw down the tool he was holding and bolted outside.

He knew he’d see Do-Yoon no later than next week for the general education group presentation, but for some reason, his heart felt unbearably urgent.

As if, if he didn’t see him right now, he would never see him again.

When he stepped outside the building, it was raining.

Heavy rain hammered the gray asphalt, and the early dawn air felt heavy like soaked cotton. He had brought the umbrella he normally carried, but the rain was lashing sideways and backward anyway.

Pushing through the raging rain, Yang Tae-Yang ran with his phone in hand.

Every time the ringing stretched on, his chest tightened painfully.

“Pick up… please pick up, Do-Yoon.”

His heart pounded, and his breath rose all the way to his throat.

He was anxious.

So anxious he felt like he might lose his mind.

He nearly slipped and fell several times while running, but he didn’t stop. A strange, chilling sensation kept stabbing at the back of his neck.

Then—

‘……!!’

Far off in the rain, he saw a familiar silhouette.

Under the dim streetlights in the late dawn, someone stood quietly with their head tilted up toward the sky.

It was Kim Do-Yoon.

For a moment, Yang Tae-Yang faltered.

Because something about him felt… unfamiliar.

But soon he approached him slowly, standing there soaked through in the rain. The closer he got, the clearer the vibration sound became. Yang Tae-Yang lifted his phone and pressed the end-call button.

At once, the vibrating stopped too.

Kim Do-Yoon was standing there without an umbrella.

Soaked through by the rain, he looked so fragile it felt as if he might disappear somewhere at any second.

Yang Tae-Yang held the umbrella over Do-Yoon’s head. Then, in the gentlest voice he could manage so as not to startle him, he said,

“…This isn’t the kind of rain you stand in just because it feels cool.”

With a faint smile, he added,

“Did you want to hold the rain today?”

“…….”

Kim Do-Yoon slowly turned to look at him.

“Do-Yoon?”

Something was wrong.

His face was deathly pale, his eyes empty. Along with a sharp scent Yang Tae-Yang had never once smelled from him before, Kim Do-Yoon suddenly collapsed.

Yang Tae-Yang dropped the umbrella in his hand and caught him in his arms.

The hands holding him trembled violently.

Why was it…

Even with Kim Do-Yoon in his arms, Yang Tae-Yang couldn’t feel relieved.

Far from relieved, a crushing despair and terror came over him, as if he was already too late.

He had no way of knowing why.

<I’m Too Lazy to Run Away> Side Story END.

Omg now I want to know Tae-Yang and Eun-Seong’s story. That’s the og Eun-Seong!!