An Actor Who Has Lived For 10,000 Years [EN]: Chapter 253

253. #46 – Choice (2)

Blinking, blinking—

The sign of a closed restaurant across the street flickered, irritating her eyes.

“Ugh, my eyes hurt.”

Song Yoona frowned and turned away, leaning against the building with her arms crossed.

She had been standing there for several minutes, watching the hotel where Jin Heesung was staying.

“Ugh… I didn’t even plan to confess, though…”

She shrugged, pouting. The confession and kiss in Jin Heesung’s hotel room hadn’t been planned at all.

She had only come here out of anger and frustration at Jin Heesung, who had stopped contacting her.

Of course, beneath that anger and frustration was ‘love’.

She shuddered, recalling the confession she had blurted out.

“It’s ridiculous the more I think about it. Me confessing first, instead of Jin Heesung? Does that even make sense?”

Song Yoona scoffed and turned away.

“I’ve received countless confessions, but to be the one saying something like that…”

She glanced around at the empty surroundings and murmured, “It’s a first…”

Then, as if surprised by her own actions, she vigorously shook her head.

“I must be crazy.”

Song Yoona tapped her lips with her right hand and exclaimed, “I kissed Jin Heesung… Ugh, never mind.”

Unable to continue, she plopped down on the spot.

Squatting with her back against the wall, she caressed her lips, seemingly reminiscing about the kiss.

“Crazy, crazy…”

But contrary to her words, her cheeks were gradually turning redder. Before she knew it, a smile spread across her face.

She bit her lip, then suddenly erased the smile and tilted her head.

“Wait, but did Jin Heesung really not know even a little bit about my feelings?”

The moment Song Yoona confessed and kissed him, his eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected it at all.

And he froze, unable to move.

At Jin Heesung’s reaction, Song Yoona clicked her tongue and scratched her head.

“Of course, it might be surprising that I, Song Yoona, confessed. But is that a reason to be so still?”

Song Yoona frowned and waved her hand in the air as if scolding him.

“Like… he could have said thank you for confessing, or even just that he was surprised. What am I supposed to do when he just freezes like that?”

At Jin Heesung’s reaction, Song Yoona pulled away and fled the scene. But she hadn’t gone anywhere, guarding the front of this hotel for several minutes, as if waiting for him.

“Should I go back up?”

She jumped up and turned towards the hotel, but then waved her hand and squatted back down.

“No. Now it’s Jin Heesung’s turn to answer.”

Song Yoona rested her crossed arms on her squatting legs and sighed.

“I don’t know. I’ve said everything I need to say.”

Despite her resolute words, her feet didn’t leave the vicinity of the hotel.

Then.

Whee—

A whistling sound was heard. Song Yoona peeked her head out at the sound.

Whee—

The whistling sound came again, clearly directed at her. A tall man, over 180 cm [approximately 5’11”], a sturdy man raised his eyebrows, drawing Song Yoona’s attention.

“Hey, are you alone?”

He opened his mouth, approaching her step by step from afar.

“Did you lose your way or something?”

It was nearing midnight in the dark night. Only a few signs around the hotel were lit.

Song Yoona stood up, dusted herself off, and looked around. Then, she pointed to her face and replied.

“Me?”

The man smirked and nodded.

“Yeah, cute you. If you’re lost…”

Even as the large man approached, Song Yoona didn’t flinch but frowned.

“No. I know the way, so go your own way.”

The man smirked at her lack of surprise as he approached. He moved closer to Song Yoona, as if she were even cuter.

“Come on. Don’t be like that, let’s spend this dark night together.”

He was already standing in front of Song Yoona. He spoke to her with a greasy look and tone.

“My bed is very comfortable.”

Song Yoona’s expression, which had been calm until now, immediately twisted. She slowly closed and opened her eyes, then looked up at the man, who was much taller than her, and made eye contact.

Then, in a clear voice, she shouted in Korean, not English.

“You crazy son of a bitch, who do you think you are to hit on me like that? You son of a bitch, talking about beds?”

The man seemed surprised by the Korean curse words he had never heard before, and pulled his chin in.

She tilted her head and continued.

“I came all the way to America to confess and I’m waiting for an answer, what gives you the right to interrupt!”

The man, seeing Song Yoona’s glaring eyes, stepped back.

“Oh… what are you saying…”

As he murmured, Song Yoona took a step towards him and shouted.

“I’m not in the mood to waste time chatting with you in English, so get lost right now.”

Song Yoona took a long sigh and spoke to him in a low voice with a deeply furrowed face.

“Get lost.”

Even though it was in Korean, not English, the man seemed to understand the meaning, scratching his head and hesitating.

Song Yoona raised her chin and shouted.

“You wanna die!”

She glanced at the hotel lobby. The man, seeing Song Yoona’s gaze, seemed to try to calm her down by holding out both hands.

Then, he smiled as if nothing had happened and quickly left the scene.

As the large man left, Song Yoona finally took a breath she had been holding in.

“Haa… that was a surprise…”

Even though the man was threatening enough in terms of size, Song Yoona was able to shout because of the hotel lobby staff right next to her.

If the man had touched her even a little, she would have screamed and run towards them.

After bravely confronting him like that, Song Yoona seemed to lose strength in her legs and sat back down.

“Should I just go back to my hotel…”

She looked at her phone screen and murmured as if complaining.

“It’s already 11:30, I should go now…”

Suddenly.

The phone in Song Yoona’s hand vibrated. As soon as she checked the caller ID, her eyes widened and she jumped up.

Then, she looked up at the hotel.

“What is it? Did he see me trying to leave? How did he call at the perfect time?”

Song Yoona covered her mouth with her fist to clear her throat.

“Ahem.”

She immediately pressed the answer button.

“Hello?”

-Yoona.

“Yes, speak.”

-Where are you?

At Jin Heesung’s low voice, she swallowed hard and replied.

“Why?”

-Can we talk for a moment?

“Ah… okay, then.”

-How far did you go?

At Jin Heesung’s question, she paused for a moment. She couldn’t say that she was still on the first floor of the hotel, staying in the same spot for 30 minutes.

“I don’t know. Anyway, I’ll go back there.”

Song Yoona quickly hung up. She hurriedly moved as if pulling her body against the building wall, afraid of being caught where she was.

Then, she clutched the disconnected phone and took a deep breath, stroking her cheeks. Her cheeks were already flushed.

“What… why is my face so hot.”

Song Yoona rummaged through her bag, took out a mirror, and looked at her face. She quickly checked if her hair was messed up, if her mascara was smudged, and if the color of her lipstick was still there.

Only then did she head to the hotel lobby.

She was walking confidently, but her steps felt somehow fluttery.

“Hoo…”

Her footsteps headed towards the elevator.

Song Yoona calmly took a deep breath to calm her constantly bursting breaths. She closed her eyes tightly, noticing the irregular heartbeat, and calmed her mind.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about. I’m just going to listen to what he has to say.”

She was alone in the elevator. She kept talking to herself as if comforting herself.

Ding-dong—

As the elevator stopped on the floor where Jin Heesung was staying, her heart, which had been trying to calm down, began to race again.

One step, one step. The closer she got to Jin Heesung, the faster Song Yoona’s breathing became.

“…I’m here.”

Stopping in front of the door, she placed both hands on her chest and took a deep breath. She exhaled slowly, and then put on a relaxed expression as if she had never been nervous, and pressed the doorbell.

Bang—

The door opened violently before the doorbell even rang. Song Yoona’s eyes widened as she looked at the door suddenly opening in front of her.

Before she could even grasp the situation, Jin Heesung quickly approached her.

“If you open the door so suddenly…”

Before Song Yoona could finish her words, Jin Heesung hugged her tightly.

“……”

Unlike Song Yoona, who was standing stiffly with her hands at her sides as if surprised, Jin Heesung hugged her tightly in his arms as if he had been waiting for it.

Song Yoona, who was blinking in Jin Heesung’s arms, finally came to her senses and barely opened her mouth.

“What are you doing all of a sudden?”

It was a questioning tone, but her tone was extremely gentle. There was no sign of her trying to push away the hugging Jin Heesung.

“Just a moment.”

Jin Heesung whispered softly in Song Yoona’s ear. He hugged her even tighter with both arms and slowly closed his eyes.

“Yoona, just stay like this for a moment.”

Song Yoona entrusted her body to Jin Heesung’s words without any answer or movement.

Jin Heesung’s expression looked as peaceful as someone without any worries in the world.

How long had they been relying on each other’s bodies and minds like that….

Jin Heesung, who had been closing his eyes with a happy expression, slowly opened his eyes. Only after checking the blurry clock in the distance did he break away from Song Yoona’s arms.

Looking at Jin Heesung moving away from her, Song Yoona asked.

“Heesung.”

Jin Heesung looked at Song Yoona’s eyes and bit his lip.

“I’m sorry. I think I have to go in first.”

He avoided eye contact with her in the end.

“Sorry… what does that…”

Jin Heesung took a step back and went into his hotel room. Song Yoona stood in her place and tilted her head as if dumbfounded.

“What, is he telling me to go back now?”

She frowned and continued. “Why did you tell me to come back up?”

Jin Heesung seemed to be holding back a lot of things he wanted to say, biting his teeth tightly. He raised his head, which had been lowered, and pointed to the next room, opening his mouth.

“Then, would you like to rest over there for a moment?”

“No, I’m good? Do you think I’m an easy woman? I’m not that type.”

Song Yoona pursed her lips, glared, and left the hotel.

Song Yoona, who came out to the hotel lobby, cooled the heat on her face with a hand fan.

“What the heck.”

She quickly took a taxi to the hotel she had booked, leaning back in her seat. Looking at the running window, instead of her face being reflected, she recalled the scene of hugging Jin Heesung earlier.

Song Yoona waved her hand in the air and shouted.

“Why does it keep popping up!”

She pressed down on her burning cheeks with her hands to cool them down from Jin Heesung’s image that filled her head.

***

11:55 PM.

Song Yoona quickly moved to the elevator.

I couldn’t stop Song Yoona even while watching her.

Just 5 minutes.

In 5 minutes, I will disappear from this world.

I didn’t want to show her my ugly side, the way I disappear, how much pain I feel at once.

I couldn’t know anything. I didn’t want to show any pain to the woman I love.

I closed the door, came into the room, and leaned back in the chair.

11:56 PM.

Her warm embrace I felt a little while ago. Song Yoona’s gentle face, her clear eyes and the gaze that looked at me.

As I recalled and felt each and every one of them, a smile spread across my face without me knowing, because it’s a memory I don’t want to forget.

The moment I recalled the feelings for Song Yoona once again and engraved them in my heart.

11:57 PM.

11:58 PM.

11:59 PM.

Time passed quickly without stopping. I tried to hold onto time by shaking my head, but the flowing time couldn’t be caught even for a second.

Tick, tock. The sound of the clock ticking was clearly heard in my ears.

12:00 AM.

The moment the clock hand pointed to 12 o’clock, the whole world in front of my eyes began to turn black in an instant.

Slowly, my body was stiffening as if it was paralyzed from the tips of my fingers. A sharp sound echoed loudly in my head.

“Jin Heesung, it’s time for you to choose.”