Unrequited Love Thresher-Chapter 20: Why Did He Suddenly Change?

“Ugh...”

Ha Giyeon jerked awake at the buzzing in his hand and quickly shut off the alarm on his phone.

It was 5:30 in the morning.

The sun hadn’t even risen yet—it was still pitch dark outside. Normally, he’d get up at six and start getting ready, but that was only if he was at Ha Dohoon’s house.

But right now, he was...

“...!”

Staring blankly up at the ceiling, his eyes snapped open and he sat up straight. He looked around the room in a panic and grabbed his phone to check the date.

It wasn’t December—pre-regression—but March.

“...Ah.”

It was the right timeline. Post-regression.

It just threw me off because... the house is the same.

For a split second, he thought he’d been flung back to his life before the regression. After all, this was the exact house he’d lived in back then. It wasn’t strange for his heart to nearly drop out of his chest.

Every time he woke up, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° he thought it.

What if all of this was just a dream? What if I open my eyes and I’m back in that hell?

“...Whew.”

He wiped the sweat from his hands and forehead and stood up. Careful not to wake the sleeping Son Suhyeon beside him, he quietly began changing into his school uniform, which he had folded neatly beside his pillow. He folded the clothes Suhyeon had lent him and left them by the bedding.

I’ll wash up at the park bathroom.

If he went into the bathroom now, it would definitely wake Suhyeon. This old house had no soundproofing—once you turned on the tap, it was over. He’d definitely wake up.

Wearing his bag, Giyeon tiptoed toward the front door.

“Eat before you go.”

“...!”

The sudden voice that rang out from the darkness made his legs buckle. He turned and saw Suhyeon sitting up from under the covers. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

“Did I... wake you up?”

“I sometimes get up around this time anyway.”

His voice was groggy, rough with sleep. He sat up fully and turned on the light. Giyeon shielded his eyes at the sudden brightness. Suhyeon frowned when he saw him crouching awkwardly by the door.

“What’re you sneaking out for like that?”

“Haha... I just figured you’d be tired, so I wanted to leave quietly...”

Giyeon scratched his head, eyes avoiding Suhyeon’s. He hadn’t expected to be caught—so much for slipping out unnoticed.

Suhyeon let out a sigh.

“Go wash up.”

“I can just wash at school!”

“The school’s not even open yet. Just go already.”

He waved him off, and Giyeon hesitated before reluctantly heading toward the bathroom. Since he’d been caught, he figured he might as well hurry and wash up properly. He didn’t want to overstay his welcome, but something about Suhyeon’s tone made it hard to refuse or run away.

Giyeon turned on the faucet to wash his face. Warm water came out immediately. Suhyeon must have turned up the boiler for him. This house was so old, hot water didn’t come easy—you had to crank the boiler to max and even then, it was hit or miss. And that usually came with a massive utility bill.

Not really my place to say, but... he’s gonna get slammed with a gas bill.

He couldn’t intervene, so he just decided to finish up quickly. Still, it felt amazing to wash up with warm water instead of freezing cold from a public park tap.

“Start eating.”

By the time Giyeon came out, Suhyeon had already laid out breakfast and gone into the bathroom. In the middle of the room, there were two cupbap bowls and a side of kimchi.

A warm bed and now warm food?

It was so unexpectedly kind, Giyeon felt like he might cry.

He sat at the table and breathed in the steam rising from the cupbap. The spread was simple, but it made his eyes widen.

...Why didn’t I think of this before?

Staring at the bean sprout hangover soup-flavored cupbap, a brilliant idea struck him. A way to replace the awkward breakfasts at home.

Lately, whenever he ate in the morning, he’d end up running into his adoptive mother or Ha Dohoon. Especially Dohoon, who normally didn’t even get up at that hour, but had started giving him thinly veiled looks of disapproval—like he resented him for eating.

"You can eat this early in the morning?"

He tried not to care, but it was impossible to ignore. His mother would sip tea and silently watch him eat, or pace around the table just close enough to keep him on edge. Eventually, he’d started skipping breakfast entirely, and when hunger kicked in, he bought bread at school. But even that was starting to strain his wallet.

Might as well just buy a stock of cupbap to eat in my room.

If he ate and cleaned up quietly, it wouldn’t inconvenience the housekeeper, and he wouldn’t have to see anyone in the mornings.

Excited by his perfect plan, he reached for his phone to place an order—

“What, not eating?”

“...!”

Suhyeon emerged from the bathroom, towel-drying his wet hair.

Giyeon instinctively stared. The thin shirt clinging to his skin, the defined body, the sharp jawline—he looked like a model or idol. With a face that could easily outshine a celebrity, of course Giyeon couldn’t help but gape. That had been the original reason he’d started chasing after his brothers, too.

“...You’re drooling.”

“Ah...”

“If you’re that hungry, you should’ve started eating.”

It wasn’t hunger that made him drool, but Giyeon wiped his mouth quickly and gave an awkward smile.

“It’s just... it’s nicer eating together, you know?”

It wasn’t that he disliked eating alone at school or home, but if the person was someone he felt okay around, like Suhyeon—someone he’d even shared the occasional lunch with—then it was better to eat together.

As Suhyeon picked up his spoon, Giyeon followed.

“Where’d you buy this cupbap, sunbae?”

“KuX. It’s the cheapest if you order in bulk.”

“Ohh.”

“Want me to send you the link?”

“Yes! Please!”

Giyeon beamed, and Suhyeon gave a quiet laugh, nodding. Compared to how stiff they’d been talking at the convenience store, the atmosphere now was much more relaxed. Suhyeon had started speaking casually, and Giyeon, who used to approach him nervously, was now speaking more naturally.

Even made a dumb joke before bed last night.

Suhyeon smiled faintly. Giyeon stared at him, completely forgetting to eat.

“What?”

“Ah, nothing...”

Giyeon quickly looked away, head bowed.

***

Why did that kid suddenly change?

Lee Mihyun, Ha Dohoon’s mother, couldn’t sleep.

Because of Ha Giyeon.

Normally, that would be ridiculous. She was the type of person who couldn’t let anything that bothered her sit for long—she had to deal with it quickly. It helped her keep her stress levels down.

But the one keeping her up tonight wasn’t her husband or her eldest son—it was Ha Giyeon. The boy she had always treated with cold indifference.

She didn’t want to admit it, but if she was losing sleep over him, then clearly she had no choice but to admit it.

That night, when she saw him leaving the house, she’d stopped him on impulse. If it had been Dohoon, sure. But Giyeon? She normally didn’t care where he went.

So why? Why did she suddenly tell him not to go out because it was late?

It was something any parent could say. And as long as he lived under their roof, he was expected to obey.

“It’s not something pointless.”

Instead of backing down, he talked back. To her. She raised her voice.

“Come back inside this instant!”

“...I’ll be back later.”

Without a second of hesitation, he walked out the door.

And her first reaction wasn’t worry or fear—it was irritation. That he dared to defy her, his “mother,” and leave the house like that.

That act, that fact, dug under her skin and festered like a splinter.

“Ajumma, make sure the doors are locked. Don’t open for anyone.”

“Sorry? But Giyeon is still—”

“Ajumma.”

“...Yes, ma’am.”

With that, she returned to her bedroom.

The sour mood clung to her like a second skin. She slammed her book shut and lay down on her massive bed—spacious enough for two more people, but completely hers. Her husband traveled abroad often, and she’d long since grown used to it.

The only thing bothering her now was—

Is he hanging out with bad kids?

Ha Giyeon.

Even her husband had been shocked by his sudden change after entering high school. The boy who used to quietly wander the house had completely disappeared.

Lee Mihyun couldn’t understand it.

If he’d gone astray, why? They hadn’t deprived him of anything. A luxurious house, good clothes, anything he wanted to buy. Money to spend, high social standing.

Even if he didn’t study, they didn’t pressure him.

Maybe we spoiled him too much.

Hopefully, this little rebellion would teach him a lesson. What happens when you ignore your parents and act out.

Surely, he’d be texting any minute now, asking to be let back in. Apologizing. And if he did, she would let him in. Leaving him outside too long would cause rumors.

“....”

So why did she feel so uneasy?

She shook the thought away and closed her eyes. She placed her phone on the bedside table, waiting for the inevitable message, and tried to force herself to sleep.

***

Her vision was blurry, but slowly came into focus.

Her ears felt muffled, like they were underwater, and her body felt like it was floating.

She didn’t know where she was—but she was drawn to the scene in front of her.

A woman stepped out of a black car and walked forward. Her coat fluttered in the breeze, heels clicking sharply as she approached a door. A metal gate.

She stood there for a moment, then opened it and stepped inside.

The scene faded and shifted.

This place...

A wide space like a library, filled with countless boxes wrapped in white cloth.

The woman walked between them, then stopped. She stared at one box, slowly reaching out with trembling hands, gently pulling it to her chest.

Then she collapsed to the ground, shaking.

Her face couldn’t be seen.

Only her slumped back.

And yet—Lee Mihyun’s chest clenched so tightly it hurt.

What is that...? Why is she crying like that...?

She reached out a hand toward the woman.