TRAITOR - woosan

26. love is embarrassing

Wooyoung

"Where have you been?" I hear my cousin screaming through the phone as soon as I answer his call. 

I breathe out and try to calm down since I am already a little bothered by the start of this conversation. What happened to "Hi Wooyoung" and "How are you"? I guess Seonghwa must be in a really bad mood to act like this. 

Did he hear the news about the swim ranking then? Is this why he sounds so upset? Is he mad because his team lost the relay race?

"Wait Hwa, I..." I start up while pushing the door of the restroom so we can have some privacy but Seonghwa cuts me off rapidly. "I kept calling you! Why didn't you answer my calls?" He continues angrily while I lower the volume of my phone. "No need to be so loud," I say a bit irritated by his powerful tone. 

When my cousin is like that, I know the discussion will be long. Seonghwa has been trying to call me nonstop since the competition was over. I thought it was about the party or some other swim stuff, but his reactions made me worry. They finish in third place, it is not the end of the world. I do not quite understand his problem. And how am I supposed to calm him down now? He is the one who did not show up at the meeting and he is supposed to be the captain. 

"Wooyoung, answer me." He adds firmly which makes me swallow with difficulty. Why is he so paranoid suddenly? 

Normally I would end the call right there as a way to tell him that we should talk some other time when he is more willing to listen to me. I also need to go to my room so I can get ready for Jisung's party tonight. 

But something in his voice tells otherwise, there must be a bigger issue here, I feel it. I need to know what it is and what he wants from me.

"I was watching the swim competition," I start up smoothly to answer his question while I exit the restroom. I then turn left to take the stairs leading to my room. "You know, the one you didn't show up for," I add in return almost imagining him rolling his eyes in annoyance. If you are searching for me, you will find me. 

"We're not here to talk about me," he says with impatience. 

"Oh really? Because you are the one spamming me and yet, you did not explain anything..." I start saying while I reach the right level leading to my room but he interrupts me again. "Will you ever shut up?!" He screams at me through the phone with so much anger that I freeze on the spot. I hear my cousin breathing fast like he is about to explode in any second. 

It was the first time that Seonghwa had ever talked to me like this.

"What is wrong with you?" I shut out completely caught off guard by his rudeness. 

What did I do to him? Why is he talking to me like that? Something must have happened to him. 

"I don't know. Maybe you tell me?" He teases me with a sarcastic laugh at the end giving me goosebumps, like I am supposed to read his mind or something.

Things are not normal.

"Seonghwa, what is it? You're scaring me..." I asked him feeling nervous even though I had no idea what I had done wrong. 

"I'll tell you what it is," he says more calmly than before. "You slept with Joong and you didn't even tell me about it!" He finally admits while I am too stunned to speak. I try to think of something to say but he does not give me the time. I felt my whole world collapsing when Seonghwa hung up the phone without letting me explain. 

"No, no no... Seonghwa wait! I'm sorry... I... sorry... so sorry..." I stutter trying to call him back but he does not answer me. I start panicking, feeling my heartbeat accelerating. This can't be happening. How did he know about it?