Irony of Revenge

Chapter 19

In a room of a restaurant, Mark, Jinyoung, Jieun and Hyebin were all seated at the table. There were only wine bottles and glasses on the table and the room was in utter silence.

They all were aware that it was the atmosphere of confrontation and yet no one had taken the initiative yet. At last, Jinyoung stirred in his chair and said, "We've already said this. But let me say it again. I'm sorry, Jieun and Hyebin. We both are sorry. I know it won't change anything. But I feel like we should apologise to you again."

"For cheating on us?" Hyebin said, "Your apologies are not what we want. But what we really want, you can't give us. It's a happy ending for you. When we are left broken-hearted. You took us here to apologise to us?"

"You know that we know your plans, don't you? Last night was too obvious. Are you gonna tell us that it was all just a coincidence?" Mark said.

Jieun nudged Hyebin and muttered, "Let's tell them the truth, Hyebin. I don't want to go on like this anymore."

Hyebin let out an audible sigh and Jinyoung felt he had never seen her look that disheartened before.

"Are you going to mock us if we reveal everything? Well, I won't deny that whatever happened last night had been planned by us."

"Even those three guys?" Jinyoung asked.

"Including them," Jieun said, quietly. She did not dare look at Jinyoung for long nor meet his eyes.

"If you were in our place, you'd have done the same," Hyebin said, with her eyes still challenging Mark and Jinyoung.

"Trying to break apart a couple like that?" Mark said, with an eyebrow raised. "If we had fallen apart, what would you have done? Think we'd have come running back to you?"

"No. We only wanted to take revenge," Hyebin said, "You left us and is it fair on us if we have to just watch you two being together?"

"You might already know some of our plans, but not the full story. When you were still with us, we tried every way we could think of to keep you with us and not to leave us," Jieun said, "Tried to make you jealous. Tried to convince you that we were the ones for you. But nothing worked out. In the end, you still broke up with us. What we did afterwards, you already know. Jaewon and last night incident. Well, we're sorry. They were not nice moves. And congratulations on your relationship. I'm saying it sincerely."

"If that means you can understand us, I'll be really glad," Jinyoung said, "You know you both deserve some men better than us."

"I'm sorry too," Hyebin said, her expression softening, "It was wrong but what should I say? I don't regret what we did. But still I know it's pointless to hold onto this grudge."

For the first time since they had been in this room, the tension was released and the atmosphere became quite more bearable.

"Remember the very first time we four were together? It was in a restaurant, wasn't it?" Jinyoung recalled.

"And we were introduced to each other for the first time," Mark said, reaching for Jinyoung's hand and placing it on his lap.

"It was supposed to be a friendly meet-up but turned out to be a life-changing encounter, didn't it? Considering this whole situation," Hyebin said, sipping her wine. "Next time I date a man, I should check if he is gay, first. I've learned my lesson."

"And no gathering to let our future boyfriends meet," Jieun said.

Jieun and Hyebin had said with the bitter-sweet feelings but yet they all ended up laughing at those words instead.

"But will you introduce us to your new men when you have got them? I want to see whether they really are aware of the value of what they are having," Jinyoung said, with a smile.

"And risk them falling for you? Not a chance," Hyebin said.

"Oh, come on, not every man is gay. And if they make any move towards Jinyoung or me, they'll just end up like Jaewon and those men in the bar," Mark said.

"That was just what I was thinking," Jieun said, "You protecting Jinyoung like that, looks somehow strange to me. Before, it was Jinyoung who was in charge of that role. I mean when he was with me."

"I have to because he's my baby," Mark said, with a wink at Jinyoung.

"It sounds like I'm something you need to protect."

"It's just that I want to, babe."

"Okay, that's enough," Hyebin said, "Why haven't we ordered anything yet? But drinking the wine, I'm not that hungry anymore. Anyway, let's just call the waiter."

She pressed the bell on the table for the restaurant service and then they waited for the waiter. The rest of the dinner went just as typically.

They had champagne for the celebration and already feeling dizzy, dug into their meal. There were the sessions of telling jokes and recalling the old memories.

"This is to us to remain friends," Hyebin raised her champagne glass to have a toast and everyone followed.

"And this is to your future boyfriends," Mark announced.

"Cheers!"

Their glasses clinked and they all gulped down the drink down. Afterwards, they burst out laughing and much spent, lounged back in their own chairs.

Still it was a beautiful night when the air was cleared between them.