Chapter 20: The Question That Paused Time

“……”

Wooju, holding a glass of water, hesitated slightly.

The ending credits were still rolling on the screen.

“Well… it’s always busy during the season.

Shall we start cleaning up now?”

Wooju busily moved his hands.

But unexpectedly, there was still a lot of leftover food.

Won Jitae hadn’t touched much, and Wooju had been so absorbed in the movie that he had forgotten to eat.

“It’s a waste to throw it away.”

“Then let’s finish it.”

“You said you were full.

And you want to just eat it like this?”

At that moment, Jitae got off the sofa and suddenly disappeared into his room.

What was that about?

But he came out just a few seconds later, holding a long black box in his hands.

“What’s that?”

“Wine.”

Jitae answered casually and opened the box.

Just by looking, it was clear the wine was quite expensive.

“This was a gift from the magazine during the last interview.

If we eat it with alcohol, we can finish it all, right?”

Hearing that, Wooju understood.

Eating it casually and having it as a side with alcohol felt different.

Still, drinking with Won Jitae… it wasn’t exactly pleasant, but there was no choice.

He had already carefully brought two wine glasses from the kitchen shelf.

The transparent glasses held red wine with a subtle, mysterious hue.

The screen had gone dark, and the lighting was adjusted from full ceiling lights to partial lights, creating a cozy atmosphere.

“Looks expensive… is it okay if I drink with you?”

“No problem.”

Jitae picked up a nugget and ate it.

Maybe it was the soft lighting.

Or maybe the sip of wine relaxed the tension in his body.

The sudden drinking session, which Wooju thought would be awkward, was surprisingly comfortable.

“This feels kind of strange.”

Wooju swirled the wine glass and said.

“Strange how?”

“Just being here with you like this.”

He had met Won Jitae back in middle school.

They shared only one thing in common: volleyball.

And back then, they fought as if competition was natural, both on and off the court.

During their school years, when volleyball and the beginnings of his professional life were everything, Won Jitae had been there too.

Even if they couldn’t stick together like magnets’ poles, they were still part of the same magnetic field.

But now, standing in such different places, the feeling was strange.

Seeing themselves, who had sweated and fought like crazy on the court together, now meeting on a broadcast and clinking glasses, was awkward.

“Being here with me… feels strange?”

“No, it’s just funny.

We’re adults now, drinking alcohol together.”

Wooju snickered.

Whether Jitae agreed or not, he quietly took a sip of the red liquid.

“Kang Wooju.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s play a truth game.”

“Suddenly?”

Wooju’s expression twisted.

The remark carried a small jab, questioning why they were suddenly doing such an outdated game.

“Just drinking alone isn’t fun.”

Maybe so.

Wooju slowly nodded.

Perhaps it was the slightly strong wine, or maybe he hadn’t even taken many sips, but his face felt slightly warm.

Truth game: ask each other anything you want and answer truthfully.

If someone doesn’t want to answer or finds it awkward, the rule is to take a drink instead.

“Won Jitae, you ask first.”

“How did you feel when you found out the person you were appearing with on the first day was me?”

Wooju lowered his voice, scratching his forehead.

His honest feelings upon seeing Jitae on the first day.

Previously, during interviews, both the writer and Park Hyunjin had asked similar questions.

“Just… it was amazing.

I thought, so this is how people are connected?”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah.”

Jitae slowly nodded.

Next, it was Wooju’s turn to ask.

“You’re making an image for the public, right?”

Wooju asked playfully.

Through meeting team members and Park Hyunjin, he roughly understood the image Jitae had in the public eye.

A diligent, passionate actor, polite especially to senior actors, earning a reputation as friendly and well-mannered.

“Well, entertainers sell their image.”

And Wooju immediately realized that wasn’t necessarily Jitae’s true personality.

From there, trivial questions followed.

After a few rounds of back-and-forth, Jitae spoke.

“Do… you have someone you’re seeing?”

“Seeing someone?”

“A lover.”

Wooju scratched his face and shook his head.

“No. I’m not really interested in dating anyway.”

“Right, okay.”

The turn was back to Wooju.

“What should I ask… I can’t think of anything……”

With alcohol affecting his thought process, no question immediately came to mind.

“Don’t you have anything you’re really curious about?

Something you’ve wanted to ask? Nothing at all?”

Jitae smiled slightly at Wooju’s flushed face.

“Something I wanted to ask?”

Wooju stroked his chin.

Then, as if remembering something, he froze.

“Won Jitae.”

Wooju wet his drying lips with wine.

He had thought of a question, but the tension made it hard to speak.

“…Why… did you quit volleyball?”

Jitae’s hand, reaching for a snack, froze.

The smile on his face slowly faded.

Their eyes met in the empty space between them.

Close to midnight.

The time that had flowed smoothly, albeit awkwardly, came to a halt with a single question.

• But why did Won Jitae quit volleyball? Does anyone know?

└ If he was that good in high school, he’d have dominated the league by now.

└└ I’m curious too, anyone know? Please comment~

No further replies were added to that comment.

As if mocking Wooju, who had refreshed the match video comments dozens of times.

After that, Wooju’s hands got busy.

It only took one moment.

The question he had tried so hard not to think about surfaced.

Like a cracked dam unable to hold back the water, the curiosity he had hidden overwhelmed his mind.

He searched everything about Won Jitae and volleyball.

But no meaningful information could be found.

Few people even knew that Jitae had been a famous high school volleyball player.

Time had passed, and his entry into the entertainment industry had only recently made him known to the public.

Most reactions were just, “He’s tall and built; he must be good at sports.”

After much deliberation, Wooju entered the chatroom where he talked with Park Hyunjin.

[Hey]

Even after a minute, the ‘1’ notification didn’t disappear.

The same guy who bombards you with messages when teasing never helps in times like this.

But in moments like this, there was a way to use it.

[You’ve received a gift and message from Kang Wooju. Check it now!]

Then the notification disappeared quickly.

[? ㅋㅋ This rich guy trolling like this?]

[It’s because you didn’t reply promptly. Whatever, I’ll just ask one thing.]

[What.]

[Do you know why Won Jitae quit volleyball?]

Sending this message took a lot of deliberation.

[?]

[Suddenly?]

Park Hyunjin, taken aback, sent messages rapidly.

[No, don’t you know?]

[What kind of personality is this? Of course I don’t know. How would I know what you don’t even know?]

I see.

He had contacted the wrong person.

Still, Hyunjin was the only person he knew who could remember that part of the past.

But even he didn’t know.

[Also, why are you asking me? You’re right there. If you’re curious, ask him yourself. Are you stupid?]

His hand froze on the screen.

Wooju exited the chatroom and turned off the screen.

His friend was right.

The closest person to Won Jitae now was himself, so if he was curious, he could just ask.

Closing his eyes, he saw the image of Jitae in his sportswear from earlier on the screen.

“……”

Could he ask?

Wooju vaguely realized that ever since arriving here, ever since reuniting with Won Jitae, he had subconsciously tried to erase and avoid memories of the past Jitae whenever they surfaced.

Even when listening to radio stories of Jitae’s achievements as an actor, or seeing him interact with fans at the mart, those past images came back, making him feel strange and uneasy.

He didn’t know the source of the emotions.

Perhaps instinctively, he was trying to avoid uncomfortable feelings.

Wooju tried hard not to think about it.

Humans are creatures that change.

There’s no one in the world who is exactly the same as yesterday.

So even if Won Jitae had changed from the past, even if much had changed, it wasn’t strange.

“…I can’t possibly ask.”

Still, what exactly was he chasing, and why did it feel so uncomfortable inside?