My Ex-Boyfriend is Sold Out

Chapter 24: The Ex-Boyfriend Reflects on the Past

* * *

“Yes, that’s right. Since she didn’t get any love from her own parents, she was raised with the love of the village. I’m so thankful for that.”

“What…?”

Si-hyun was stunned. He’d suspected there was something complicated about Yerin’s family, but hearing it directly was overwhelming.

Seeing his wide eyes, Grandma looked at him with a gentle sadness.

“From that reaction, I suppose Yerin hasn’t told you about her parents?”

“No… When I asked, she’d always just say they were busy with work.”

Grandma clicked her tongue and shook her head.

“Saying they’re busy with work isn’t exactly wrong. But her mother’s been locked up in the company ever since her husband passed away.”

Si-hyun fell silent, shocked to learn that Yerin’s father had passed. He had always assumed they were simply a busy, dual-income household.

I had no idea…

Suddenly, Si-hyun felt ashamed of his younger self. Even though he had been innocent, he’d often asked Yerin about her parents without knowing her circumstances.

Every time I brought up her family, how much must it have hurt her?

He clenched his fists tightly, feeling a sting of regret.

“Grandma, could you tell me about Yerin’s childhood?”

“I’d like to… but it would be best if you asked Yerin directly.”

“I’m worried about hurting her by asking…”

“It would hurt her more to learn that you heard it from someone else.”

Could he really ask Yerin about her family?

Would it be right to force her to share something she wanted to keep hidden? Or would it be kinder to pretend he didn’t know, to respect her privacy?

His mind filled with conflicting choices, and heat prickled at his temples. Sensing his confusion, Grandma gave him a compassionate smile.

“If you truly love someone, you should be able to embrace their wounds too. Do you want Yerin to keep hiding everything from you and always feel uneasy?”

“Of course not! If she went through something painful, I want to be there to comfort her…”

Grandma nodded, her smile warm.

“Hiding things doesn’t make everything okay. Since it’s bound to come out someday, it’s better to address it now.”

“Yes…”

Grandma reached out and stroked Si-hyun’s cheek, her hand moving to pat his shoulder. She spoke with all her heart.

“Take good care of my poor granddaughter, will you?”

Si-hyun met her gaze with resolve.

“Yes, Grandma. I’ll make sure she’s happy.”

***

After the walk with Grandma, Si-hyun retreated to his room, his mind troubled.

So Yerin grew up without a father…

And her mother had been constantly absorbed in work. That meant young Yerin had spent most days alone from morning until late at night.

Is that why her fridge was always covered with take-out menus?

Imagining Yerin, who loved eating more than anything, relying solely on take-out food without ever having a home-cooked meal, his heart ached.

All those times she came to our family’s restaurant alone…

Yerin had started coming to his family’s Chinese restaurant on her own when she was just seven.

Back then, she’d ordered as if it were routine, and when they’d walked her home, her house had been dark.

The puzzle pieces were finally fitting together.

Learning about Yerin’s difficult past filled Si-hyun with sorrow, his eyes growing hot. He rubbed them dry, his voice cracking slightly as he muttered.

“Why didn’t she tell me…”

He knew how foolish his words were. Even he would have kept his family troubles hidden.

But if she’d only told me…

What could he have done, even if she had? The more he thought about it, the more Si-hyun felt his own powerlessness.

Yerin had always been the one to comfort him and cheer him up when he was struggling. But she had been the one who truly needed support.

“Haah…”

Si-hyun raked a hand through his hair. He’d never felt as disappointed in himself as he did now.

***

During dinner.

“So, you know, Grandma Bok-soon…”

Yerin chattered on about her day, but when she noticed both Si-hyun and Grandma were quiet, she looked at them uncertainly.

“Did something happen with you two? Why are you both so silent…?”

She glanced back and forth between them, feeling uneasy. Si-hyun continued eating in silence, and Grandma answered calmly.

“Nothing happened. And stop talking with your mouth full while you’re eating.”

“Hey, I learned that from you, Grandma! You’re always gossiping about this or that—like when you go on about Mr. Kim next door or some bachelor marrying a city girl!”

“Enough of that. Just eat.”

“Tsk.”

Yerin muttered and chewed on her chopsticks, sneaking glances at Si-hyun. Something about his silent, serious demeanor struck her as different.

Taptap.

She lightly nudged his thigh with her foot and whispered into his ear.

“Si-hyun, what’s with you? Did Grandma scold you for slacking off or something?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie. You look like…”

Yerin trailed off as Si-hyun, having stopped eating, turned to look at her with a complicated expression.

Then what’s going on…

His mood seemed so drastically different from that morning, and a strange sense of unease spread through her.

She was about to look away when—

Clack.

Si-hyun set his chopsticks down on the table and grabbed her wrist.

“Let’s go talk.”

“What? All of a sudden?”

Without answering, Si-hyun led her outside. Grandma watched the young couple’s retreating backs with a soft gaze.

As someone who had raised Yerin almost like her own daughter, Grandma hoped that this conversation would be a turning point for her granddaughter’s life.

***

In the countryside, under a sky filled with stars.

Si-hyun had brought Yerin to a beach nearby.

“Si-hyun, just how far are we going?”

He held her wrist firmly but gently, careful not to hurt her. Yet, even with his care, she couldn’t shake her unease.

Something about him now, with this unusual firmness, was unsettling. Trying to dispel the tension, she ventured a light-hearted comment.

“Oh, I get it. You’re going to confess to me here on the beach, aren’t you? How romantic, bringing me all the way here—”

Stop.

Si-hyun halted in his tracks, and Yerin’s breath caught. She couldn’t imagine what else he might want to talk about if not a confession. But from the atmosphere, she feared it might be something much worse.

I don’t want that…

She instinctively took a step back, but her retreat was cut short by his grip on her wrist. Feeling trapped, her voice wavered as she spoke.

“W-What’s going on? You’re acting really strange… You’re not yourself.”

Si-hyun looked at her with sad eyes before releasing her wrist. His voice was calm but heavy.

“Yerin.”

“…Yes?”

“Tell me everything you know about me. Anything, just… everything.”

“What? What do you mean by that?”

“Please.”

Of all the things he could ask for… She looked at him, tension easing just a bit, and laughed softly.

He’s asking about the one thing I’m most confident about…

With a small smile, she cleared her throat and began.

“Kim Si-hyun. Height: 182 cm. Weight: recently up by three kilos, so 75 kg. Favorite color: sky blue. Favorite soccer team: Barcelona. Consider taking over your family business since you’re still undecided about your future. Hobbies: working out and computer games, though recently you looked up PlayStation, so you might be interested in console games too. When you lie, you blink a lot, and you bounce your leg while eating, even though your parents scold you for it. And then…”

“Enough… that’s good.”

“Already? I was just getting started.”

Unfazed, Yerin continued listing off every bit of information she knew about Si-hyun, from family details to clothing preferences and even quirks like a mole he hadn’t noticed himself.

The more she shared, the more exposed he felt, as if he were standing outside with nothing on.

And soon, a wave of self-loathing washed over him.

What have I been doing all this time…?

He’d always thought he knew Yerin well, assuming he understood her based on fifteen years of familiarity. But outside of basic knowledge, he realized he hardly knew her at all.

“…”

“Si-hyun?”

In Yerin’s view, Si-hyun’s eyes had started to well up with tears.

Despite everything she had done for him and all the kindness she had shown, he realized he didn’t truly know her at all.

That thought filled him with shame, and an overwhelming sense of guilt.