S#4

Forum | ♨Who’s watching My MaeSo live tonight♨

Anonymous https:https://www.todayspring.com/jihyeon/2394367102

Let’s gooo

2,252 Comments

1 Let’s gooo

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2 I’ve been waiting for this day

└ I’ve lived for this day

3 Ughhhhhhhh I can’t watch because of a company dinner ughhhhhhhhhhh

└ A company dinner on a Saturday???!?

└ Yeah ughhhhhh we’re in a specialized field so we get weekdays off,,,

└ Oh no… there there…

└ there there 22….

└ Ugh why does my company have to tear us apart like this

4 The commercials are so damn long

5 lolololol is it for real that Ji Hyeon is in the commercial?

└ At this point it’s targeted advertising lol

6 That coffee is pretty good

└ IKR it’s the most aromatic of those kinds of coffees

7 It’s starting

└ It’s starting!

└ Anons my heart is pounding right now

└ Your heart is supposed to pound

└ Why you gotta say it like that ㅜ?

8 Omg it’s starting

9 Ba-dump ba-dump

10 JI HYEON!!!!!!!!!!

└ Nope, not him~

└ I just shouted it but the panelists are coming out lol;

11 Why is the opening so long ㅠ?

└ I know right, they’re talking so much today

└ Aren’t the guests supposed to be sitting there?

└ ㅠㅠI know, why isn’t Actor Ji there ㅜ

12 It’s starting

13 It’s really starting this time

14 Hah hah holy shit hah hah

15 isit starrting??/ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠcomapny ddinneer fukcing bastrad ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ What…?

└ Yeah it started

└ Isn’t this anon 3 ㅠㅠ?

└ Looks like they’ve had quite a bit to drink in that time

16 Is the person driving the manager?

└ It’s obviously not Ji Hyeon

└ Yeah from the preview it looks like the manager

17 ㅠㅠㅠI can’t watch either, is Ji Hyeon on now??

└ Nah it just started and the manager is driving the van somewhere

18 Ugh why won’t they show the driver’s seat properly ㅡㅡ

└ I know right ㅡㅡ

└ Plus his face is all covered so you can’t even see him well

19 Where are they going?

20 Ji Hyeon’s house?

21 It’s Ji Hyeon’s house

22 Wow the manager is super tall

└ Is that considered tall??

└ Yeah it isㅇㅇ he’s as tall as the doorway right now

23 Ugh finally wrestled the TV from my bro, that piece of shit sibling is so unhelpful

└ congrats it just started

24 Look at him holding the elevator door as he gets off…

└ Is he waiting for the camera director?? So damn sweet for real

25 It’s Ji Hyeon’s house, right? He’s punching in the code and going in

└ Looks like Ji Hyeon’s house

└ I guess he shares the code with his manager

└ A lot of celebs do that

26 What’s the homeowner doing that they’re not showing him

└ Ah, he’s sleeping…

└ He’s sleeping

└ Ji Hyeon in a blanket

27 Ah lolol

28 Ah fuck lolololololol

29 (A man in black clothes entering the house.jpg) FUCK why did they film it like he’s a thief lolololololol

└ 2222 And of all things his clothes are all black lolololololol

└ The caption is hilarious too ‘A silhouette that’s suspicious no matter who sees it’

30 He looks like a petty thief ㅠㅠㅠlolol

└ Actor-nim, come out ㅠㅠ there’s a thief in your house ㅠㅠlolol

31 But now he’s a thief wearing light pink teddy bear slippers

└ Ah shit lol the slippers are so distracting

└ Is that Actor Ji’s taste??

└ lolololololol is this what they call? gap? moe?ㅠ?

32 Omg I have the same slippers (Light pink indoor slippers with a teddy bear on them.jpg)

└ Where’d you buy them?

└ Just online!! They’re super soft

33 This is all great but can he take off the mask and hat ㅜㅜ

└ IKR I’m curious about his face

└ The preview showed he’s super handsomeㅠ

34 Oh he’s taking it off

35 ??

36 ?..

37 ???

38 Holy shit

39 ??;;

40 Wow holy fuck

41 So fucking handsome ㅅㅂ

42 So this was the preview

43 What is it???? I can’t watch ㅠㅠㅠ

└ The manager just took off his mask

└ ??And???

└ That’s it

└ Huh??

└ Dude you have to tell them he’s ridiculously handsome (Manager taking off his mask.gif)

└ lolololololol you made a gif that fast lolololol

└ LMAO I got it from this post [You guys see Ji Hyeon’s manager? | https:https://www.todayspring.com/jihyeon/2394366401] lol

└ ????

└ ?…

└ Holy shit

└ He’s so fucking handsome

└ What?????

44 The mask-off scene has been shown three times now, right?

└ Yeah and the panelists screamed three times too lol

└ Three times? They should’ve shown it thirty times, those clueless fuckersㅡㅡ

└ 22 ㅡㅡ

45 I guess today wasn’t Ji Hyeon’s episode…. Kwak? Eun-ho? Is that person a rookie actor?ㅎㅎ

└ Anon, Ji Hyeon’s manager’s name is Kwak Eun-ho (Interview screenshot.jpg)

└ Be quiet, he must be playing the role of a manager

46 Did you all not see the preview? lolol I saw it so I’m not that surprised (picks up fallen heart)

└ lol I know right, why are people making such a fuss over this (makes all the fuss in the world)

47 Ah the MC is hilarious “It’s a national loss for that face to be a civilian” but he’s right ㅡㅡ

└ I second that he’s right

└ I second that he’s right 22

48 With that face why is he a manager? Why? Why is he a manager? Why is he behind the camera? Why?? Just why??

└ Okay calm down

└ Do I look like I can calm down right now?????

49 With a face like that… I can understand why he covers it up… It would probably interfere with his work…

└ Right, everyone would just ask for his autograph…

50 Hmm lol you guys are being a bit dramatic. It’s just because his eyebrows are thick and his nose bridge is high, a face like that is common.

└ We’ve agreed to call that handsome

└ Sh~it I wish it was common

51 (This comment has been blinded.

└ Sir, please leave

└ They always come here to stir things up

└ Report him

└ (This comment has been deleted.)

└ lolololololol that curse was so on point lololololol

└ Ah^^ I couldn’t help myself heh; I’ll delete the curse~^^

52 Omg Ji Hyeon

53 Ji Hyeon

54 Ji Hyeon!!!!!

55 Actor Ji is up ㅜㅜ

56 ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠSO FUCKING HANDSOMEㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

57 Wow how can his face look like that right after waking up?

└ It’s CG

58 He looks tired ㅠㅠ

└ ㅠㅠㅠㅠMaybe he didn’t sleep wellㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ The dark circles under his eyes are breaking my heart ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ ㅜㅜㅜBut he’s still handsome…

└ IKR… the decadent vibe is insane

59 He’s washing his face as soon as he gets up

└ Even his eye gunk is handsome

└ He had eye gunk???

└ Nah you couldn’t even see it

└ Even if he did it would be jewels not eye gunk

60 Actor Ji’s hair has grown a lot. He said he’d keep growing it during his break, looks like he’s still growing it.

└ I personally have a wish for him to try long hair just once…

└ 22…

61 The panelists can’t take their eyes off Ji Hyeon washing his face lolololololol

└ If it were me…

└ Actually that’s me right now…

└ Someone just let out a real-life ‘Wow…’ sigh lolololol

└ How can his skin be like that…

└ For real how is that a bare face

62 Ah why show the house at this timing…

└ I know, right… He was so handsome just now.

└ And on top of that, his house is amazing.

A duplex in the 63 Building, my dream ㅠㅠ

64 Look at all the stuff his fans gave him ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ I’m crying ㅠㅠㅠ

└ Actor Ji is God ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

65 What’s Jizel?? I saw it on a banner (I’m a late fan so I don’t know ㅠㅠ)

└ Ji Hyeon+Angel, it was his nickname in his early 20s, but Actor Ji felt burdened by it so we don’t call him that anymore.

└ Wow, it’s been so long since I heard Jizel

└ Jizelㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋmemories

└ Honestly, his face is still an angel itself…

└ True, even his birthday is 1004 (October 4th).

66 Actor Ji has everything… but he doesn’t have me, Lee XX, the 20th generation descendant of Prince Heeryeong.

└ Actor Ji: I’m not buying it.

└ ㅠㅠ

67 Oh? My husband is cooking haha

└ lol?

└ ;;

└ ??

└ .

└ ㅋㅋ; Manager is cooking..~^^

└ He should have done that sooner

└ oO(He’s really nagging)

68 Just looking at the ingredients, it’s tomato and egg stir-fry.

69 Manager is so capable haha He’s good at cutting too haha

└ ..?? Isn’t he just cutting cherry tomatoes?

└ His face is doing a good job.

└ Ah~

70 Is cooking part of a manager’s job?

└ No

└ Of course not

└ If they’re close, they might do it

71 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWait, did Ji Hyeon just wake up and see the Manager for the first time???

└ He doesn’t even ask how often he comes overㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Suddenly he’s cooking in his house and the first thing he says is “What are you making?”

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋUsually you ask when they arrived, right? Hahaha

└ You’d think they woke up in the same house T_T

72 I want to be the bottled water Ji Hyeon is drinking

└ The moment I say that, it gets crushed in his hand damn it

73 Do they talk to each other informally?

└ They said they’re friends

└ Yes, same age

74 Being in the same frame as the Manager is heaven………

└ Handsome+Handsome

└ But their vibes are so different

└ One is a romance manga, the other is a shonen manga

75 I thought they’d cook together but Actor Ji is really useless ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋNot being able to find a dish in his own houseㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ At this point, is he deliberately opening other cabinets?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ I knew it when he said, “Did we have cherry tomatoes in our house?”Hahaha

76 Interview Haha, damn it

Q.” Do you usually help with cooking?

A. No haha I just tried it because we’re filming

└ Hahahahahaha Is he being too honest? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋHe’s like a son pretending to be polite because there’s a guest ㅠㅠ

└ More like a husband pretending to help with housework ㅋㅋ ㅠㅠ

77 ?

78 ??

79 ?

80 Huh?

81 ???

82 What is it? Why am I the only one who doesn’t know T_T

└ Ji Hyeon called the Manager Darling;

└ …??

83 Darling?

84 Darling??

85 Darling???

86 He said Darling????

87 Did he just say Darling?

88 Damn, Ji Hyeon says ‘Darling’ and he doesn’t even look at him and just says ‘Why’?.???????? Actor Ji? Said Darling? What????

89 Shit ㅋㅋㅋ We’re the only ones surprised again

90 ‘Like a couple married for 30 years’ vibe

91 I was watching with my parents and I suddenly became aware of them; I wondered if Korea was this open-minded;

92 No, butㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ How often does he call him that to not even think about it?

└ I thought it was a concept, but after seeing the interview, it seems like he really calls him that…

└ ‘Don’t friends often call each other that?’ No, they don’t…

└ 222 Who calls each other that…

└ Am I the only one without friends again

93 I can’t wrap my head around these men’s friendship

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94 Someone make a clip of that please.. please..

└ (Ji Hyeon calling him ‘Darling’ while resting his chin on his hand.gif)

└ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠThank you

└ I’m taking it~♡

95 No, it’s too… too…(choosing my words)

└ (Foul language)

96 ?…

97 …?

98 Did he just feed the Manager a cherry tomato?

└ Right??? It was so natural I thought I saw it wrong

└ Yes, I saw it. The Manager told him to stop eating, but Ji Hyeon shamelessly put it in his mouth;

└ I’m so shocked this time I can’t even comment;

└ -Wow… The thread just froze

99 No ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Ha… I have a lot to say but I won’t

└ The person feeding him and the person eating it

100 Damn, he fed him a cherry tomato???? A cherry tomato?? He fed him?? With his hand? A cherry tomato?? Into his mouth???? Ji Hyeon himself???

└ Calm down

└ Weren’t you 48 earlier?

└ You caught me, shit, but listen

101 ㅠ This is My MaeSo, right? It’s not We Got Married? Or something like that?

└ Introducing my newlyweds

└ No RPF with non-celebrities, no way

└ No, Ji Hyeon is doing the RPF, sigh

└ Isn’t that blatant fan service at this point?

└ Actor Ji isn’t an idol, why would he do fan service?

└ It’s weirder that it’s real.

102 I’m going crazy, guys…

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└ ^_ㅠ I’m focusing my brain and reading the board rules

103 Hypocrites ㅠ

104 Aren’t you all using too much of a filter? Friends can call each other nicknames and feed each other food… Even bad laws are laws, and boyfriends are friends so……………

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

105 Everyone stop, or the thread will get banned

└ Isn’t this much okay?? They openly call each other a couple on the show…ㅠ

└ No saying boyfriend or anything like that no…

└ Right… the Manager is a non-celebrity

└ okay…

106 Tomato and egg stir-fry looks delicious

└ Is that good?

└ Yeah, it’s easy to eat

107 They’re just eating the whole time during filming, I’ve never seen anything like it

└ Really ㅋㅋ Usually they fill up the time with something, right?

└ But this is more fun than any My MaeSo I’ve ever seen

108 I… I guess I’m someone who laughs a lot

109 Just eating is so fun…

└ His face is fun

└ If you’re handsome, everything is fun…

└ The MC just said the same thingㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Even if he did nothing and just breathed, it would be fun for an hour straight

110 I always think this, but Actor Ji eats so quietly? Calmly? He doesn’t make any noise at all ㅠㅠ That’s why I like him so much…

It feels like he was well-raised

?…ㅋㅋㅋ;; Why are you talking about upbringing?

└ ???? What???

└ Why are you talking about upbringing;

└ Is it like a parental insult…? Don’t people usually say that?

└ No, it’s not a parental insult, but; the other person is Ji Hyeon

└ Huh?

└ It just seems like a common saying… The reply seems to be overreacting

└ 22.. Seems like an overreaction

└ J-GD lol But isn’t it a bit much to say that to Actor Ji of all people? If they’re active enough to be in this thread, they must be a fan, right?

└ That’s what I’m saying… If they don’t know, they’re not interested enough

└ No, what is it??? Why? What did I say wrong?

└ (Deleted comment.)

└ That topic is forbidden

└ Ah, sorry

└ Don’t be a leech and look it up yourself;

└ What did I say to be called a leech?

└ Look it up yourself;; You’d know if you just read one line on Sea Wiki;

111 Does anyone know what coffee he’s drinking now?

└ The one Ji Hyeon advertised

└ The one that came on before it started ㅇㅇ

└ It must be good, he has a lot at home

└ He might have received it because he’s the ad model ㅎㅎ But it’s good, fragrant~

112 His dressing room is more modest than I thought

└ Oh, the knit he’s wearing right now is five million won ㅋㅋ

└ ㅋㅋ The price wasn’t modest…

113 Actor Ji must really be a model, the clothes fit him differently

└ I wish he’d walk the runway one more time ㅠ

└ He said he can’t lose too much weight to walk the runway, so he won’t do it while he’s actingㅠㅠ

└ ㅠㅠ

114 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWhy is he stealing the Manager’s hat?

└ Hahaha, I know, right? Hahaha. He put on the hat and said, “Let’s go.”

└ The Manager looking dumbfounded is so funny, hahaha.

└ Manager: What the hell, give it back!

└ Aww, he ended up getting his hat stolen, hahaha, aww.

115 Everyone looks good…(An Ik who can’t see) Is it that funny…? Actor Ji isn’t a gag character, is he?

└ Well, actually… There’s not much that’s funny, but his face might be funny

└ 22 What’s funny, he doesn’t even say much right now

└ But I’m laughing so much my cheeks hurt

└ Have I ever smiled this brightly in my 2n years of life…

└ What are they doing now??

└ Going to the salon in the car ㅋㅋㅋ

116 Omg, is there going to be a hint about his next project

└ RomanceRomanceRomanceRomanceRomanceRomanceRomanceRomanceRomance

└ Ji Hyeon already filmed a romance once, so he said he’ll film something action-packed… Reply “Shock”

└ Something action-packed?( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I’m all for it haha

117 I’m jealous of the Manager, I want to know how good Ji Hyeon’s body is too

└ Share your eyes ㅜㅜ

└ But usually… they say his body is good even now… Do they just talk like they saw it yesterday…? No, it’s not that I’m weird…You can’t see it well when he’s wearing clothes…

└ Shhh

└ Okay…

118 Legal drama? That’s awesome

119 The Manager, who knows Ji Hyeon so well, would look insane in a prosecutor’s robe

└ Personally, I hope he wears a priest’s robe

└ I want a police uniform

└ I second that with a navy uniform

└ I like chef’s clothes too

└ Please wear a loose knit…

└ What about an apron?

└ At that point, aren’t you just making him wear anything

120 The Manager always helps him choose his projects, they seem to have a really good relationship ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ I know, when he told him to try being a prosecutor, he immediately said, “Should I?”Our precious one has friends. They’re so natural with each other.”..

└ If they’ve been friends since high school, it’s been over ten years, so they must be like familyㅋㅋㅋ

└ I’ve never seen Actor Ji talk this much in private

└ Me too… And laughing like -that………..

└ He seems so comfortable, it makes me emotional ㅠ

121 Seeing him go to get his hair done, he must be filming his next project soonㅇㅇ Ji Hyeon doesn’t cut his hair during his break

└ Finally ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ Really finally…….

122 ㅋㅋㅋㅋJi Hyeon is getting his hair done, but the Manager and General manager are the ones consultingㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Ji Hyeon doesn’t even seem interested, he’s just saying “Just do whatever” ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ The Manager is telling him to just wait ㅠㅠ

123 But why does the Manager call Actor Ji Ji Hyeon-ah?

└ Right?? I thought I misheard

└ I’m curious about that too

└ Oh, I’ll tell you the reason

└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋOh my god, he didn’t know his name?

124 Hahaha He thought Ji Hyeon was his name Hahaha

└ Ah, that’s why Ji Hyeon-ah Hahaha

└ Then what did he think his last name was T_T Hahaha

└ Look at the Manager being embarrassed

└ Even that is handsome T_T

125 Wait, so the Manager didn’t know Actor Ji?

└ Oh, that’s right

└ That must be it

└ Wow….

└ How can you not know Ji Hyeon?

└ Isn’t that spy level?

126 Oh, an ad

127 Ah

128 Ah ㅡㅡ

129 Who rudely puts an ad in the middle of the broadcast

└ Dramas do that these days too

└ Where did they learn such bad manners ㅡㅡ

130 Move aside, I need to see Actor Ji getting his hair done

131 Calm down everyone and go to the bathroom

132 Huh… He’s handsome before and after getting his hair done, so I don’t see the difference…

└ For real, they put a sparkly effect on the after, but he’s just as handsome before.

133 Am I the only one who’s fluttered by the Manager saying “You’re pretty” to Actor Ji? ㅠㅠ???? It’s even more fluttery because he says it so bluntly ㅠㅠㅠ

└ Omg, I’m fluttered here too…

└ 22

└ 333 My lips are going up like crazy

134 I’m the one who said variety shows weren’t good, but I regret it, it’s so good, I’m capturing every moment

└ Upload them later…

└ Every scene is a renewal of his prime ㅠㅠ

135 He went to ㄱㅂ Bookstoreㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ So that’s the story

136 Ji Hyeon really reads a lot of books

└ Looking at it briefly, there were a lot of books at his house earlier

137 Isn’t the part-time worker next to him the employee from that story?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Seems like itㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ What story?? Am I the only one who doesn’t know??

└ Here’s the link >> [I saw Ji Hyeon while working part-time today (Warning: Profanity) | https:https://www.todayspring.com/jihyeon/2394305532]

└ Omg, I’m seeing it now Thank you

138 Huh????

139 Huh?

140 ??

141 Omg…

142 Why why why what is it??? My dad changed the channel so I couldn’t see it ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

└ They’re doing an interview and they’re saying different times for when they first met, Ji Hyeon says it was in the first year of high school and the Manager says it was in the second year

└ How is that possible?

└ I know;

143 ‘I think he’s misremembering’ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

144 Omg, Actor Ji is telling the story

└ Thump

└ Thump thump

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700 ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠIs it already time to end???ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

701 ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠDon’t end…

└ Don’t end, do it forever…

└ Don’t end, do it forever 222

702 You don’t have to edit it, please release the full version please

└ I believe in God Hye-seon

└ Please upload it as a mistake

└ Someone hack it

703 I’m going to pray from today so My MaeSo becomes a regular show, recruiting party members (1/99999)

└ (2/99999)

└ (3/99999)

└ (4/99999)

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└ (128/99999)

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Every Saturday night at 11 PM. It was the time when aired on MBS. Because Ji Hyeon finally appeared in last week’s preview, fans had been looking forward to today’s ‘My MaeSo’ for a long time. The atmosphere was so heated that even Eun-ho, who only appeared briefly, was being circulated in all sorts of screenshots.

So on the day of the broadcast, Eun-ho left Ji Hyeon, who was sending him pitiful glances as always, and returned home. Usually, they would monitor it together, but there was a lot of content that would be difficult to watch together, so he couldn’t help it. Besides, the fact that he was watching himself on TV with Ji Hyeon felt strangely embarrassing.

-An indispensable presence for stars, a presence that always stays by their side like a reliable support, Introducing My Manager!

After finishing his shower and sitting in front of the TV, the opening started with amazing timing. Starting with the regular comment of ‘My MaeSo’s representative MC, the regular panelists and guests were shown on the screen one by one. Ji Hyeon’s face wasn’t among them, but the reactions he checked on his phone were already full of talk about Ji Hyeon.

Eun-ho watched the opening half-heartedly and first looked around the Ji Hyeon board. It was a place with good firepower that occasionally sent food trucks or coffee, so he would monitor it first if there was something important. Without knowing for sure, the Birthday Advertisement from ten years ago must have been posted here as well.

-Now, shall we meet the first manager?

While he was skimming through it, the actual broadcast began. When he took his eyes off his phone, a car driving on the road from early dawn came on. It was the van that Eun-ho was driving at the time of filming. Eun-ho, sitting in the driver’s seat, flashed by almost invisibly, and then the scene continued to show him entering the underground parking lot of an apartment.

‘……This is really embarrassing.’

He had to monitor it, but he couldn’t focus on the first part without Ji Hyeon at all. It wasn’t for any other reason, it was because his face on the screen was too awkward. After moving his Adam’s apple and averting his gaze several times, Eun-ho finally let out a sigh of relief and straightened his posture after the scene changed and Ji Hyeon came on.

-A true actor is an actor…….

One of the panelists muttered, and everyone watching ‘My MaeSo’ would have agreed. Despite having just woken up, Ji Hyeon came out of the blanket with a flawless face. He probably didn’t get a wink of sleep, but even his disheveled hair looked like a scene from a movie.

“He’s washing his face like that again.”

He even bought him a hairband to pull back his bangs, but Ji Hyeon didn’t care if his hair got wet and just did a cat wash. No wonder his hair was wet that morning. He was disgustingly sensitive, but he didn’t have an ounce of delicacy.

Soon the screen changed and Ji Hyeon in the TV spoke. Hello, this is actor Ji Hyeon. He gently curved his eyes and softly curled up the corners of his lips, and his unique low and rich voice rang in his ears.

“……”

Well, I guess it’s okay since he’s handsome after all. It’ll be enough if it doesn’t look weird to the public.

Thankfully, after Ji Hyeon came on, the focus of the broadcast was mostly on the actor. The manager was only an assistant, so it seemed like they were mainly showing him taking care of him from the side. That was exactly what Eun-ho wanted.

“The editing is good……”

As expected of PD Yoo, the overall screen was neat and tidy without any unnecessary elements. Although only one question asked to both of them was aired, and the order was mixed up, the flow was quite natural. There were even scenes where Eun-ho wondered if he had ever done such a thing, like watching Ji Hyeon reading a book in a bookstore and smiling to himself.

‘I need to be careful.’

Unconsciousness is scary. He thought he was hiding it well, but it seemed like he was giving it away. To others, he might just seem like a slightly close Manager, but he couldn’t help but worry because he felt guilty himself.

-I thought he was a weirdo.

When Ji Hyeon answered the question about his first impression, Eun-ho muttered, “He’s the weirder one,” like someone watching a trashy drama. It was something he often heard from him, but his impression hadn’t changed, then or now. Objectively and subjectively, Ji Hyeon was the weird one, not him.

「Q. When did you first meet?」

“…….”

Eun-ho frowned. On TV, his interview reminiscing about his second year was playing. But in the next scene, Ji Hyeon gave a different answer with a smile, as if telling a fun story.

-I first met him in my first year.

‘Ji Hyeon said he first met you in his first year.’

Really… he said it was in his first year. And it wasn’t edited out and was broadcast as is. The comments he checked on his phone, the panelists on TV, everyone was whispering about how this could have happened.

-……I think he remembers it wrong.

Scratch that about the editing being good. They could have at least cut out that line. The panelists laughed at his awkward answer, and Ji Hyeon, who reappeared, started speaking softly with a smile on his face.

-Was it a few months after I entered high school…? I was sick and came to school late once.

The story that followed was, of course, one that Eun-ho was hearing for the first time. He said he didn’t adapt well to the new high school, that he didn’t have any friends because it was during the time he was filming a project (Eun-ho thought he wouldn’t have had any friends even if he wasn’t filming), and that he suffered a lot because he wasn’t feeling well around that time.

-I wasn’t feeling well, so I was squatting behind the building, and someone came close to me.

What could have been the reason he wasn’t feeling well? It was probably a mental issue. Except for his picky nature, he was otherwise very healthy, so saying he wasn’t feeling well was probably just a euphemism for the broadcast.

-I told him not to come closer because I felt like I was going to throw up. It’s embarrassing to show that kind of appearance.

He didn’t remember, but he could imagine it. He probably covered his face with one hand and waved the other hand like he was chasing away flies. The viewers probably wouldn’t know, but Eun-ho could guess that the reason wasn’t ’embarrassment’.

-Fortunately, this friend pretended not to notice and left…

His face, with a faint smile, was lost in reverie as if he were having a pleasant dream. Even the elongated end of his sentence was mixed with laughter. He always smiled a lot on TV, but he seemed particularly playful than usual.

-He came back later and gave me medicine and water. He said he got it from the nurse’s office.

“……Me?”

This time, even Eun-ho couldn’t help but ask back. If Ji Hyeon were next to him, he would have scoffed as if to say, “See?” Unlike the flustered Eun-ho, the panelists sighed, and at the same time, someone muttered, “How sweet.”

-I only saw his back then…

Well, yeah. He understood. When Ji Hyeon’s condition deteriorated rapidly, he would look so precarious that anyone could tell he was sick. So much so that even a stranger wouldn’t be able to pretend not to notice. Maybe the 12-year-old Eun-ho thought the same thing.

It was just when Eun-ho was about to accept it and move on.

-And once, I went to school in my own clothes after filming, you know?

“…….”

No way, it couldn’t be.

-That same friend took me to the nurse’s office then, too.

“No…….”

A second, even more incomprehensible thing came out. This time, Eun-ho let out a hollow laugh and looked bewildered. The panelists were also surprised, while Ji Hyeon added with a smile that he was wearing a mask and hat then.

-I ran into him like that about five times…

“…….”

He kept losing his words. He was glad he decided to monitor it separately, Eun-ho thought to himself and murmured lowly.

-As you all know, that friend is my current Manager. Then, as the school year changed, we ended up in the same class, but he didn’t act like he knew me.

‘He doesn’t know me?’

Now he seemed to understand. Why Ji Hyeon looked so annoyed back then. He was probably more dumbfounded that Eun-ho didn’t recognize him, whom he had run into five times, than the fact that he didn’t know ‘Actor Ji Hyeon’.

-I found out later. That he didn’t know I was an actor. Ah, so maybe he thought I was a different person every time we ran into each other.

“…….”

-He won’t remember. If you ask him when we first met, he’ll definitely say it was in the second year.

The screen changed, and Eun-ho’s answer that had been shown earlier came out again. Second year, second year… They repeated that part three times. The panelists laughed again at the black and white screen.

-I’m not disappointed. That friend always helps people around him…

He was terribly disappointed, but he spoke well. Thanks to Ji Hyeon’s smooth packaging, viewers would remember Eun-ho as a very altruistic person. Even though he had never acted that kindly. Eun-ho, who habitually touched the back of his neck, lowered his gaze.

-I wonder how he’ll react when he sees the broadcast later.

Why didn’t he say it sooner? Ji Hyeon probably fully expected what kind of reaction Eun-ho would have. He often grumbled that Eun-ho was too blunt and not fun, so he might have been expecting to see him surprised. Or maybe he wanted him to recognize him and say, “Oh, was that you back then?”

“……Will I even remember?”

But it was something that happened 12 years ago. No matter how good Eun-ho’s memory was, he couldn’t remember every single story from that long ago. Unless he recognized that the other person was ‘Ji Hyeon’, he probably just thought of him as ‘passing stranger 1’ and forgot about it.

So, no matter how much he tried to recall, there was no way he would remember anything.

In the end, Eun-ho decided to check the community’s reaction to clear his complicated thoughts. Among comments like 「Ji Hyeon’s expression is crazy ㅠㅠㅠ」 「So he’s telling his first love story now?」 「Telling the story of how his first love became his Manager ㅋㅋ」 「Manager is guilty… go to jail…」, there were fortunately no negative reactions. He didn’t mind them pairing him with Ji Hyeon, since everyone was half-joking anyway.

The screen had already moved on to the scene of the two of them sitting by the Han River. When Eun-ho spread out flyers for Ji Hyeon to sit on, that scene was zoomed in and shown again twice. It was an extension of ‘Did I ever do that?’

“……Hmm.”

Should he contact him? Eun-ho hesitated for a moment. Ji Hyeon would also be watching ‘My MaeSo’ in real time. He felt like he needed to let him know that he had seen what he said. Or, since they were going to see each other tomorrow anyway, maybe he didn’t need to. Besides, honestly… he didn’t know what to say either.

While he was hesitating, ‘My MaeSo’ was coming to an end. Eun-ho pretended not to see the parts he was in and only carefully watched the parts Ji Hyeon was in.

After all the daily routines were over, the question that was considered the representative closing comment of ‘My MaeSo’ was asked.

「Q. If you could describe each other in one word?」

If he could describe each other in one word. Eun-ho answered that Ji Hyeon was a ‘benefactor’. Because his life had changed because of him, and he had been able to walk an easier path. If it hadn’t been for Ji Hyeon, he might have ended up struggling with loan sharks and living at the bottom.

-If I could describe Kwak Eun-ho in one word…

Of course, he also knew Ji Hyeon’s answer. When he received the interview sheet in advance, he had promised to say that Eun-ho was a ‘friend’. It was a common and cliché answer, but it would be fine since Ji Hyeon was known for not having any close people.

-A unique existence.

“…….”

Thud, the phone he was holding fell. Eun-ho stared blankly at Ji Hyeon on TV. What did I just hear? That thought was fleeting. A voice as sweet as melted chocolate continued.

-He’s a unique person in many ways. To me.

Ji Hyeon had once said that he had never had a person he could call a friend in his life. Hearing that, Eun-ho vaguely realized two things. One was ‘Even celebrities must have it hard’, and the other was ‘We were friends’. He didn’t know why he said that, he just nodded.

It couldn’t be helped. He had been vaguely guessing anyway. Not in a negative way, but Ji Hyeon, whom he had watched from the side, always habitually put up walls around him.

Why doesn’t he make friends? He remembered thinking that several times. Was it because he was afraid of being caught having a bad personality? That was a plausible guess. Of course, those questions eventually led to the thought that he was no different.

Eun-ho didn’t have any friends either. It wasn’t that he couldn’t fit in, but rather that his life was too hard for him to afford the time. He couldn’t even dream of going to the convenience store during breaks, stopping by a snack bar on the way home from school, or going to the same academy. Since they only met at school at best, the gap in their relationship widened as much as the time they couldn’t spend together.

Well, if Eun-ho’s personality had been a little more outgoing, it might have been different. But he preferred being alone to hanging out with a group. He didn’t particularly dislike eating alone, going home from school alone, or just studying at home on weekends.

In that sense, Ji Hyeon was also a unique existence to Eun-ho. He was his only friend, the only actor he knew, the first person he liked, and the first person he showed his bottom to. At first, he was just a annoying guy who picked fights with him, but at some point, he became his closest friend.

‘If I could describe Kwak Eun-ho in one word…’

Yeah, he knew the hidden meaning behind those words. His only friend, his only Manager, the person who saw the bottom that even CEO Byun hadn’t seen, and one of the few people who could help him when he panicked. That was probably how he evaluated himself.

‘A unique existence.’

But words have nuances. Even if you say the same words, the meaning changes depending on your expression, voice, and eyes. As someone who had known him for a long time, as a friend who usually knew what he was thinking just by looking at his eyes, it was hard to just brush off the one word he heard on the broadcast.

‘He’s a unique person in many ways. To me.’

So, what are those many ways? Why are you talking with that expression, with that voice?

The next day, after tossing and turning all night, Eun-ho visited Ji Hyeon’s house with a little more tension than usual. It was because he thought his expression would crumble without him realizing it if Ji Hyeon asked him if he had seen the broadcast. He might even scold Ji Hyeon for saying such things, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

But when he arrived at the house, he surprisingly didn’t say anything. He just lay sprawled on the sofa as usual, glaring at Eun-ho with hollow eyes. The only difference was that he seemed particularly grumpy that day.

‘Aren’t you really going to come into my house?’

That one word, which was unusually irritable, particularly stuck in his mind. He had told him several times that he wasn’t going to go in, but Ji Hyeon never gave up. That was the same with the rows of medicine bottles on the table.

For Eun-ho, who was already troubled, this was the only thing he could say to him.

‘How old are you that you still can’t sleep alone?’

The emotions that had been buried for four years were like a sea that no longer had waves. He no longer felt excited just by touching him, and he was confident that he could pretend not to care even if he had someone new in his life. He couldn’t let him stir up the sleep that he had barely managed to lull to sleep. The days he had spent were too long to be swept away by just this much of a ripple.

“So we need to catch that bastard quickly!”

“…….”

Suddenly, Eun-ho, who had been lost in thought, raised his head. It was because the voice that had uttered the words “a unique existence” was now neurotically muttering. The low, curse-filled words were much more rough than what Ji Hyeon usually used.

“Damn it, I’m an idiot for trusting this incompetent group.”

“Hey, it’s not like we don’t want to catch him, we just can’t. What are we supposed to do when we don’t have any evidence or Witnesses right now?”

The woman sitting on the opposite side retorted aggressively, with good timing. In the atmosphere that was as precarious as if it would break at any moment, the man who spoke this time had a slightly younger appearance.

“Please, you two, don’t fight and have a countermeasures meeting…”

Ding! A cheerful notification rang. The man who was speaking, the woman sitting next to him, and Ji Hyeon sitting across from him all glanced in that direction. Even Eun-ho, who was standing by the wall, turned his head, while the middle-aged man waved his hand and said.

“Please turn off your phones during the reading.It was the script reading site of . The schedule planned by the production company was held a week before the start of the full-scale drama filming. The actors sat at a long table, and the writers, staff, and several cameras were placed on chairs on the outskirts. Managers, including Eun-ho, were standing near the entrance, looking after their respective actors.

“…….”

I’m sorry, the man who had been interrupted by the staff’s apology looked around. A nameplate that read ‘Shin Yi-chan as Lee Seung-gyu’ was placed in front of him. While no one could easily open their mouths, it was Ji Hyeon who broke the silence.

“Let’s continue.”

His soft voice landed on the table. Although it wasn’t a loud voice, it was enough to draw attention. He glanced at the staff once, then at Yi-chan once, and then gestured at the script.

“Please continue with Seung-gyu’s lines.”

“Ah, yes!”

In these kinds of situations, the more senior you are, the more influence you tend to have. There were several veteran actors who were older than Ji Hyeon, but Ji Hyeon’s influence was the greatest. You could tell just by the way he was sitting in the seat closest to the drama PD and speaking with a relaxed attitude.

“Please, you two, don’t fight…”

Yi-chan, who had answered loudly, started his lines again. Eun-ho watched Ji Hyeon looking at the script and secretly swallowed a sigh of relief. He was relieved that the guy who hated rudeness more than anyone else didn’t seem too upset by the staff’s mistake.

“We’re all one team, right?”

While Yi-chan was saying his lines, Ji Hyeon took a sip of coffee. The appearance of him lowering his eyes and biting the end of the straw was similar to a commercial he had seen somewhere. Unlike the sharp and disciplined rookie actors, Ji Hyeon alone had a completely carefree expression.

‘It would be nice if he was always this well-behaved.’

Who would even imagine that the actor who was drinking coffee so elegantly was actually a time bomb? That he had to be constantly on edge these days, wondering what words would come out of his mouth if he opened it.

The things Ji Hyeon said on ‘My MaeSo’ became quite a hot topic among fans. Most of them were touched by the fact that Actor Ji had a good Manager, and some people jokingly added words like first love.

And the most memorable reaction among them was this.

“Manager should be Actor Ji’s Manager for life ㄷㄷ”

He agreed. It was just as Ji Hyeon had said, ‘Are you going to run away again?’ He wondered if he was trying to make sure he couldn’t really escape. Thinking that, his turbulent heart calmed down.

Being unique means that responsibility and duty follow. It was an irreplaceable area and an expression that felt overwhelmingly heavy. If he was trying to give Eun-ho a sense of responsibility, he had succeeded, but if that was all it was, wasn’t it cruel?

“Doesn’t Prosecutor Kwon seem strange these days?”

“I know, he wasn’t like that before…”

Eun-ho secretly sympathized while listening to the supporting actors’ lines. I know, he wasn’t like that before. He seemed to be acting more like he had separation anxiety these days.

Whether Eun-ho thought so or not, Ji Hyeon paused for a moment and began his lines in a completely different tone than before.

“At this moment, I am called by the nation and its people to take on the glorious position of a prosecutor of the Republic of Korea. As a representative of the public interest, I am entrusted with the weighty mission of upholding justice and human rights and protecting my neighbors and community from crime.”

His uniquely sweet voice recited the prosecutor’s oath clearly. It was hard to believe he was the same man who had been cursing and swearing just moments ago. His enunciation was good, his pronunciation perfect, and his expression while speaking even hinted at pride.

‘He’s good.’

Eun-ho had been worried because it was a difficult role, but it was an unnecessary concern. Well, it was Ji Hyeon, after all. What was the point of worrying about a guy who had been acting for 25 years?

begins with a man named Kwon Min-hyuk witnessing the death of his loved one. Enraged by the brutally murdered corpse, he searches for the culprit, only to be suddenly struck on the back of the head and collapse. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the face of the perpetrator looking down at him.

When Min-hyuk regains consciousness, he finds himself in the body of his estranged twin brother, Jun-hyuk. Unlike Min-hyuk, who had lived a life at the bottom, Jun-hyuk was the youngest prosecutor who had taken the elite course and passed the bar exam. Shocked by the sudden change of body, he decides to catch the culprit to avenge his lover.

The role Ji Hyeon played was these twins. Kwon Jun-hyuk and Kwon Min-hyuk. An unfortunate man who is the only witness but cannot stand as a Witness. A wronged Witness who knows who the culprit is but cannot catch him due to lack of evidence.

It was a perfect male lead one-top drama. Or, to be precise, it should be called a Ji Hyeon one-top drama. Romance was limited to a past lover who was already dead, which coincided with Ji Hyeon’s desire to film action scenes.

‘And Shin Yi-chan is…….’

Eun-ho thought of him as the actor who would follow in Ji Hyeon’s footsteps. Eun-ho looked at Shin Yi-chan’s profile. Yi-chan, whom he saw in person, looked much younger than he did on screen. Come to think of it, he had just turned twenty, so he was actually young.

‘He probably appeared to gain popularity.’

Contrary to CEO Byun’s worries, Yi-chan was not a very noticeable character. He was just a Hubae of Prosecutor Kwon, and although he was sure to be a scene-stealer, he was by no means comparable to Ji Hyeon. He probably wouldn’t have filmed this drama if Ji Hyeon hadn’t been in the lead role.

‘His mask is okay.’

Eun-ho scrutinized Yi-chan a little more carefully. It was one of the habits he had developed while working as a Manager: if there was an actor mentioned alongside Ji Hyeon, he would first observe them closely. Since the market was crazy about fame and even created fake scandals, there were many rookies who tried to become famous by riding on the back of established actors.

‘As expected, it’ll take about five years…….’

“……”

Their eyes met. It was the moment Yi-chan finished all his lines and raised his head. Eun-ho missed the timing to turn his eyes away, so he nodded his head in greeting without realizing it. As expected of an idol, Yi-chan just smiled shyly and didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.

The problem was another person whose eyes met his after he took his eyes off Yi-chan.

“……”

“……”

An unpleasant gaze was directed at Eun-ho. Not Yi-chan, but Actor Ji, who had been fine until now. The gaze that stared silently was full of dissatisfaction that others wouldn’t notice.

Why.

He asked with his lips, but no answer came back. He just curled up the corners of his lips and lowered his eyes. ‘Why is he like that again?’ Eun-ho frowned, thinking only to himself.

The script reading took about two hours. After reading through the script he had received earlier, the actors gathered for a photo time. Eun-ho waited for the whole process to finish, greeted the Managers who were with him, and approached Ji Hyeon.

“You worked hard.”

“You know it.”

The answer that came back immediately was enough for Eun-ho to let out a hollow laugh. They didn’t usually have friendly conversations, but today he felt particularly unpleasant. The corners of his lips were raised at an angle, and his gaze was staring silently. There was something he was unhappy about, but he wasn’t sure what it was.

‘What could be bothering our precious Actor Ji from earlier?’ Thinking so, Eun-ho decided to take him to the parking lot first. There were too many eyes watching here to ask what was wrong. It would be enough to ask him subtly when they were alone in the car.

“Ji Hyeon-ssi, are you leaving?”

“Aren’t you going to the after-party?”

But the moment they tried to leave, greetings poured in from everywhere. Not only the actors who played the lead roles together, but also some Hubae and staff members. Ji Hyeon smiled with a kind face as if it were a habit, but Eun-ho, on the other hand, became increasingly anxious.

‘He must be in a very bad mood…….’

Why wouldn’t he be? He originally hated unnecessary socializing and small talk. Judging from the fact that he was standing there silently without saying a word, it was clear that he was keeping quiet because he didn’t think good words would come out even if he opened his mouth.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go because of my next schedule.”

So Eun-ho subtly stood in front of Ji Hyeon. It would be better to be a slightly overzealous Manager than for Ji Hyeon to refuse directly. The problem was the people who recognized Eun-ho without any tact.

“Oh my, Manager-nim. I enjoyed ‘My MaeSo’.”

“Wow, you’re handsome in person too.”

If they were rookies, they would have been careful, but the actors who had accumulated an awkward amount of experience were a pain in the ass. They added a word or two, no matter where they heard the word schedule. They obviously didn’t want to miss the opportunity to become close to Ji Hyeon.

“Yes, thank you. But we’re really late. Ji Hyeon-ah, let’s go to the after-party next time. Okay?”

But as persistent as they were, Eun-ho was also a professional. Eun-ho, who had been momentarily embarrassed, soon calmly sorted out the situation. He politely greeted the actors and cleared the way for Ji Hyeon to leave, and even checked the time on his cell phone to make it clear that he was late.

Perhaps thanks to Eun-ho’s efforts, Ji Hyeon fortunately did not lose his poker face until the end. In the end, he even gave a relaxed greeting, saying, “See you on the day of filming,” as if his mood had improved a little.

Then, after getting on the elevator, he said such a hateful compliment.

“Kwak Eun-ho, you could be an actor.”

“……”

Who was this for? His smiling face, saying, “Did you have another schedule?” was so brazen. Still, Eun-ho sighed secretly, relieved that he seemed to be in a better mood than before, judging from the fact that he was saying nonsense.

Since the office was on a high floor, it took quite a while to get to the basement. It was around the time Eun-ho adjusted his hat once and Ji Hyeon yawned and showed his boredom. Just in time, the elevator that arrived in the basement opened its doors with a ‘ding’ sound.

But what unfolded before their eyes was not a parking lot, but someone’s figure.

“……”

“……”

A slightly lower eye level, neatly arranged hair, and a familiar face.

It was Shin Yi-chan. He must have come out to make a phone call after filming, as he hadn’t been seen. Yi-chan, who had his phone to his ear, widened his eyes in surprise.

“Oh, hello!”

He hurriedly hung up the phone and bowed his waist a beat late. Eun-ho, who was standing in front of the door, awkwardly came out of the elevator because of the idol’s unique, disciplined voice.

Yi-chan continued, speaking clearly without straightening his back.

“I didn’t get a chance to greet you earlier. Please take care of me in this project!”

Come to think of it, he was a little late for the script reading. He seemed to have asked for understanding in advance because he was late due to a previous schedule. By the time he arrived, all the preparations were already finished, so there was no opportunity to introduce each other.

“……”

Ji Hyeon glanced at Yi-chan and got out of the elevator, following Eun-ho. Eun-ho clicked his tongue and nudged Ji Hyeon with his elbow, expecting him to accept the greeting right away, but instead, he was about to pass by.

‘What’s with his personality?’

It was one of his bad habits. If he wasn’t in the mood, he would ignore whatever anyone said. He would sign a payment signature instead of signing an autograph, or he would turn his body away as if he hadn’t heard a request to shake hands. Well, he had never ignored a fellow actor’s greeting, though.

Still, he should answer. As if he knew Eun-ho’s mind, Ji Hyeon, who had stopped quickly, moved his lips.

“Ah…… yes.”

“……”

It was such a perfunctory reply that it made the listener embarrassed. It would have been much better to pretend not to hear it.

Just as Eun-ho was bewildered, Yi-chan waved his hands in embarrassment.

“You can speak comfortably, Sunbae-nim.”

Is this guy…… clueless?

“I’m really honored to be in the same drama. I wanted to say it earlier, but the timing wasn’t right…….”

Yi-chan’s face was slightly flushed, and he couldn’t even make eye contact as he rambled. He had a relaxed atmosphere when he was on TV, but in reality, he was a bit clumsy.

Is it because he’s young, or is twenty not a young age in this industry? Ji Hyeon had already realized all the physiology of the entertainment industry around that time.

Contrary to Eun-ho’s thoughts, Yi-chan soon spoke with a respectful gaze.

“I’m a fan of Sunbae-nim.”

It happened occasionally. Rookies who said they had grown their dreams of becoming actors by watching Ji Hyeon. Since Ji Hyeon had been active in broadcasting since he was young, it was not strange to say that he was a fan of his. However, the problem was that most of them adopted a similar concept to Ji Hyeon and tried to become famous by mentioning Ji Hyeon in every article.

“So, Sunbae-nim, would you mind shaking my hand……?”

“……”

Even then, Ji Hyeon was looking at Yi-chan with a blank face. At this point, he should have reacted out of courtesy, but today his gaze was particularly cold. Only Eun-ho, who had been watching the whole situation next to him, awkwardly swept the back of his neck.

‘Was he not in a better mood?’

Anyway, his mood was as fickle as boiling porridge. He should have just let him ignore it and leave. It was too obvious to ignore him now.

It was a problem whether he shook hands or not. In the former case, Ji Hyeon’s reputation was the problem, and in the latter case, his condition was the problem. Well, nothing big would happen if he ignored it and left, but Eun-ho didn’t want Ji Hyeon to be disliked by his fan.

‘And I don’t want to see that.’

If he shook hands now, he would wash his hands until his skin cracked again. Applying hand cream was nothing, but Eun-ho didn’t want to see Ji Hyeon become discouraged after showing such a sight. No, to be exact, it was anxiety. It was like a tantrum, asking if he would accept him even if he was in so much pain.

“Um, Actor-nim.”

So Eun-ho took Shin Yi-chan’s outstretched hand instead of Ji Hyeon. Yi-chan widened his eyes in surprise, but he tried to ease the atmosphere by putting on a business smile.

“I’m sorry for suddenly interrupting. I’m Manager Kwak Eun-ho.”

“Yes? Yes…….”

“I’m a fan of that…… Actor-nim.”

He was going to say the group name, but he decided to just call him an actor. Of course, he knew it was an awkward excuse. Even if he was a fan, the Manager shouldn’t interfere when the actors are greeting each other. But Eun-ho decided to gamble on the innocent reactions that Yi-chan had shown.

“I also watched the drama you recently appeared in. I know it’s rude, but I wanted to say it, so I interrupted. I was so excited to hear that you were appearing together this time that I wanted to say hello.”

“Oh, really?”

Fortunately, he didn’t feel bad about Eun-ho’s sudden intrusion. He just smiled shyly, loosening his expression at the title ‘Actor-nim’ and the word ‘fan’. He didn’t know whether to be happy that he was so simple or worried that he was too naive. He was relieved, but his heart was complicated.

“Yes, so I’m looking forward to this time too.”

“Ah…… thank you so much. Ah, that’s right. I also watched ‘My MaeSo’!”

The hands that had been shaken a couple of times fell naturally. Yi-chan cleared his throat with an excited face. He liked being called an actor, but as an actor, he was trying to maintain his dignity.

“You’ve been Sunbae-nim’s Manager for 7 years…….”

“Kwak Eun-ho.”

It was then that Ji Hyeon opened his mouth in a low voice. Yi-chan, who was continuing his words, and Eun-ho, who was slowly trying to cut off the conversation, turned to him. Ji Hyeon rolled up his sleeves to check the time and spoke slowly to himself.

“Didn’t we say we were late for our schedule?”

It was a gentle voice. Yes, that’s what others would have heard. So Yi-chan wouldn’t have been watching him, but just startled.

“Did you have a schedule? Oh my gosh, I’m sorry. I thought you were going to the after-party…….”

“Knowing is enough.”

Ji Hyeon neatly cut off his words and moved on first. By this point, Yi-chan must have noticed something, and a look of embarrassment flashed across his face. Eun-ho bowed to Yi-chan and hurriedly made up an excuse.

“We’re in a hurry. I’ll be going now.”

“Yes, yes. See you next time, Sunbae-nim!”

As expected, Ji Hyeon did not answer that greeting either. Eun-ho quickly followed him, walking only forward. Even while walking side by side toward the car, Ji Hyeon had no intention of opening his mouth.

After getting into the car, this was what Ji Hyeon said to Eun-ho, who was fastening his seat belt.

“He’s so happy he could die.”

“……”

The subject was omitted, but he knew who the target was. It was probably Yi-chan, with whom he had been talking until just now.

“Why are you picking a fight again? Are you feeling a little better?”

He couldn’t remember being so happy he could die no matter how he thought about it. It was true that he was interested, but that interest was by no means in a positive direction. Besides, just now, he had intervened at the risk of embarrassment because he didn’t seem to want to shake hands.

So he tried to change the subject naturally, but Ji Hyeon added a word without caring.

“Why didn’t you get an autograph, why.”

“……”

It was a familiar reaction. When was it, yes, that day when there was an interview for ‘My MaeSo’. Like when Ji Hyeon, who had finished the interview after talking to Yeonju, expressed his dissatisfaction in a blunt manner.

“You were just looking at him during the script reading, were you a fan?”

Eun-ho couldn’t say anything for a moment and closed his mouth. He felt momentarily suffocated by the one word that contained deep emotion. It was clearly a tantrum he always threw, but today that word sounded particularly subtle.

“It must be a shame. You only shook hands because of your schedule.”

There were many things he wanted to say. He should have been doing the reading, but he was just looking at him, and he was only looking at him because he was an actor mentioned with him, and he wouldn’t have looked at him otherwise. As always, he had so many excuses to ease his mood calmly.

“I’m asking just in case.”

But Eun-ho chose one word from among those many words that he wouldn’t have chosen normally. The only existence. The voice that uttered those words still lingered in his ears. Because he thought that the reactions he was showing were too persistent to show to a friend.

“Are you jealous right now?”

Once is one thing, but twice is a bit much. No, Ji Hyeon was always like this, so there was an error in saying twice. The actions he was showing, these ridiculous tantrums, felt a little strange to be directed at just a friend.

“What?”

“Are you jealous?”

The two eyes visible through the rearview mirror were slightly furrowed. There was a way to turn his head and face him, but Eun-ho only made eye contact through the mirror. He just hoped that the gaze filtered once through the mirror would filter out the hidden intentions well.

“That’s what you’re doing. What does it matter to you if I’m a fan of that actor or not, why do you keep doing this?”

The fundamental question was this. Before Eun-ho explained his actions, Ji Hyeon had no reason to demand that explanation. No matter what the purpose was for intervening between them, he meant that he didn’t need to show that he was in a bad mood.

“Isn’t it a little strange for you to do that?”

Yes, unless he was really jealous.

“……”

Ji Hyeon didn’t answer for a long time. He didn’t blink once and kept his mouth shut, just staring at Eun-ho with a face that didn’t know what he was thinking. Even though it wasn’t a long silence, it was enough for Eun-ho, who was waiting, to feel anxious.

He opened his mouth a little later. He seemed to move his lips, then slowly lowered his eyes, and soon a scoff escaped as if he was dumbfounded.

“Jealousy, my ass…….”

He sounded like it was absurd. He wasn’t flustered at all, nor did he seem to be hit in the bullseye. He just spoke calmly as if he was saying something obvious, with a serene face.

“Why would I do something like that to you?”

“…….”

Ah…… what was I expecting from him?

“He’s just trying to ride my image and use noise marketing to get famous. I’m ignoring him, so you don’t need to go out of your way to take care of him.”

The answer, delivered in a soft voice, didn’t match anything Eun-ho had imagined. Since he had no expectations, he wasn’t disappointed, but he couldn’t stop the feeling of emptiness, like, ‘Well, what did I expect?’

“Whether you’re a real fan or not, was it okay to flirt with him when you knew I was waiting for you?”

“I did it because I was worried about your image.”

“If my image was going to be ruined by something like that, I would have retired a long time ago.”

Ji Hyeon, who retorted confidently, leaned his head against the backrest. He curled up the corners of his lips and squinted his eyes almost imperceptibly. He seemed to be smiling, but in fact, he was more annoyed than ever.

“If you were worried about my condition, you should have checked on me first, not him. And then you ask me…… what, if I’m jealous?”

The sigh that followed sounded like mockery. While Eun-ho couldn’t say anything, Ji Hyeon asked in a low, subdued voice.

“Eun-ho, is it only today or yesterday that I’ve been acting like a psycho?”

In short, he was asking why he was making a fuss about it now. He would have brushed it off as nothing usually. No matter how easygoing Eun-ho was, he still felt embarrassed. In other words, he was saying that he felt bad when he spoke like that.

“So you do know that you’re acting like a psycho.”

“…….”

The smile disappeared from Ji Hyeon’s lips at the blunt words. Eun-ho took his eyes off the rearview mirror and stared at the parking lot beyond the car window.

“You’re an actor. You’ve built up a lot over the years, so you won’t be ruined by some personality controversy, but there’s no need to stir up trouble.”

He thought he was already used to it, but it seemed he was getting hurt without even realizing it. Maybe he hadn’t become numb, but had just adapted to the pain. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel so downcast by his usual attitude.

“If you act mean to Shin Yi-chan there, all that will spread is rumors that you’re feeling threatened and being wary. The more you do that, the more they’ll like it.”

Fortunately, his voice came out calmly as always. His chest felt cold, but that made it possible to think more rationally. Whatever he was thinking when he took Yi-chan’s hand earlier, it wasn’t difficult to give a valid reason as a Manager.

“It’s my job as a Manager to manage things so that doesn’t happen. I don’t know why I have to hear that from you when I’m doing what I have to do.”

After finishing speaking, Eun-ho finally looked back at Ji Hyeon. He was looking at Eun-ho with the same expression as before. Without blinking an eye, with his lips tightly shut. He didn’t take his eyes off the rearview mirror.

“……And if you know that what you’re doing is psycho behavior, then fix it. I’m your Manager, so it’s okay, but who knows how long people will put up with it.”

The last words might have been a little cold. But in a way, they were words of concern. It wasn’t his place to say, but he knew that Ji Hyeon really didn’t have any other relationships.

But this was the answer he got back.

“At least you have to keep putting up with it.”

“…….”

“That’s your job as a Manager.”

He realized his mistake. The moment their eyes met, he could feel the emotions Ji Hyeon was feeling. The two eyes visible beyond the mirror were sunken heavily, beyond comparison to when he was being petulant.

“You must only see me as an actor.”

He moved his lips slightly. He tried to say something, but then turned his body to look at the back seat, thinking it wouldn’t work. But Ji Hyeon had already crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s why you’re sticking around even though I’m being such a fucking asshole.”

“Hey.”

The sneering voice pierced his ears. He knew the disappointment he must be feeling, but he couldn’t tolerate the behavior of denigrating even his well-intentioned actions.

“Ji Hyeon.”

“Don’t call me that way.”

However, Eun-ho couldn’t even utter a word and closed his mouth. It was because Ji Hyeon, who immediately cut him off, spoke in a chillingly cold voice, as if chewing on the words.

“If you’re going to be like that, just shut up and drive.”

It wasn’t his usual gentle tone. It was a warning so strong that even Eun-ho, who had been watching him for a long time, flinched for a moment, if only briefly. Of course, the emotion he felt at that time was closer to dismay than fear.

“…….”

“…….”

Eun-ho, who swallowed a sigh, straightened his body. While he turned on the engine and changed gears, Ji Hyeon turned his head towards the window and pretended to sleep.

Until they arrived home, not a single word was exchanged between the two.

How long had it been since they had fought like this? Maybe in high school, but since they had met again, they had rarely fought. But recently, it was already the second time, and their feelings had been hurt by a trivial argument.

In fact, he was aware that he had made a mistake. He also knew that he had unnecessarily complicated a problem that could have been easily resolved. If he had just left it alone as usual, he wouldn’t have wasted his energy on being uncharacteristically capricious.

Well, strictly speaking, the fault wasn’t entirely Eun-ho’s.

‘He’s just trying to ride my image and use noise marketing to get famous.’

He understood the gist of what Ji Hyeon had said. What actor in the world would look kindly on a rookie promoting himself as having a similar image to them? Of course, it would be annoying, and of course, his first impression wouldn’t be good.

But this was work, and in reality, Shin Yi-chan posed no threat to Ji Hyeon. He also knew that Ji Hyeon wouldn’t feel threatened by a mere idol, given his personality. There had been many similar incidents before, but he had never reacted so sensitively.

‘If you were worried about my condition, you should have checked on me first, not him.’

So, he was sure that the part he was really upset about was, as he said, that Eun-ho had checked on Shin Yi-chan first, not Ji Hyeon. Yes, just like when he had shown his displeasure at him chatting with the youngest coordinator.

‘He’s a unique person in many ways. To me.’

Eun-ho sometimes felt suffocated by the blind devotion he showed. Not because he couldn’t meet his demands, but because of himself, who was looking for expectations in that kind of relationship. He had a premonition that if he nurtured his feelings using a glimmer of hope as an excuse, he would one day plummet into an endless abyss.

He shouldn’t have liked him from the beginning. He didn’t know how many times he had regretted it. If he could have watched him purely, he wouldn’t have had to package his actions as merely professional. Even when Ji Hyeon acted unreasonably childish, he wouldn’t have had to build walls to gauge his intentions.

Not being able to distinguish between public and private matters was a problem that required due responsibility. Just because it was a job he had gotten through nepotism didn’t mean he could be sloppy with his work.

Even if that was an action that made Ji Hyeon feel hurt.

‘You must only see me as an actor.’

Problems that occurred in everyday life always had clear answers when considered without emotion. If Eun-ho had only seen Ji Hyeon as an actor he had to take care of, they wouldn’t have had to argue like this. So in the end, all of this had happened because Eun-ho had feelings he shouldn’t have had.

“Wow, even glasses suit him so well…….”

Someone’s muttering cut off the train of thought. Eun-ho belatedly let out a shallow sigh and turned his gaze in that direction. Where his gaze reached, Ji Hyeon, wearing a suit and glasses, was adjusting the watch on his wrist.

“You have to admit that Ji Hyeon Sunbae is handsome, no matter what.”

It was the first day of full-fledged filming for . Since all the episodes were pre-produced, they would start with set filming first. As the most anticipated work on Newflix, the set for was of exceptional quality. The newly built building on a large vacant lot had recreated the courtroom and offices, as well as the homes of some of the characters. It was probably thanks to the large amount of investment that had poured in from various sources after Ji Hyeon was cast.

And the scene they were filming today was a trivial one where Jun-hyuk, the prosecutor, was doing his work.

“Manager must be happy. You get to see Sunbae up close every day. I saw ‘My MaeSo’ and you two seem really close.”

“Yes, well…….”

Eun-ho gave an awkward smile and looked down at the woman next to him. The person who spoke to him in a friendly manner was an actress who was one of the main characters in . Her name was Yubo Young, wasn’t it? She played the role of a violent crimes detective who was a friend of the woman who died at the hands of the criminal and couldn’t stand injustice.

“I’m thinking of going on ‘My MaeSo’ too. But our Manager is too shy…….”

Eun-ho let Bo-young’s words flow in one ear and watched Ji Hyeon getting his makeup fixed. It wasn’t the first time he had worn a suit or glasses, but his strangely calm face felt unfamiliar today. Even the way he flinched when Yeonju’s hand touched him, and then quickly relaxed his expression, was the same.

After their fight, Ji Hyeon had once again shown a docile attitude. It was something he did from time to time when he was dissatisfied, but this time, even Eun-ho didn’t ask Ji Hyeon why he was doing it. It was a precarious peace that seemed like it could break at any moment, but he was so mentally exhausted that he wanted even that peace.

‘……This kind of relationship is a bit strange.’

Originally, their relationship was structured in such a way that one side unilaterally endured. When Ji Hyeon got annoyed, Eun-ho would put up with it once, and when he seemed to cross the line, Ji Hyeon would be mindful of it once. This time, both sides had crossed the line and the balance had been broken, so it would take time to recover.

‘I can’t be his Manager forever…….’

Eun-ho finally thought that he shouldn’t be the only person for Ji Hyeon. Along with that, he also thought that he should keep a proper distance. That would be a beneficial relationship for both Ji Hyeon and himself. All he could do was erase all the remaining lingering feelings.

It was a meaningless assumption, but let’s think about it. Even friends fight like this, so what would it be like if they became lovers? They would gradually go awry and break up before long. This was one of the reasons why Eun-ho didn’t demand affection from him and tried to give up his feelings.

“Suits look good on men after all…….”

“Men definitely look good in suits.”

Someone suddenly cut in while Bo-young was speaking. When he glanced to the side, it was the actor who played the criminal in . His name was Park Tae-soo, and he was a little over thirty years old, wasn’t he? He had been in the industry for a long time, but he hadn’t been able to make a name for himself, so his recognition was minimal.

“You have to wear a suit to complete the masculine look. But Ji Hyeon is too pretty…….”

The words that followed, like a soliloquy, were clearly not positive in nuance. Bo-young also felt this and squinted her eyes, subtly looking at Eun-ho’s expression. A beat late, Eun-ho stared at Tae-soo, who smiled and added.

“Ah, it’s a compliment. A compliment. That kind of thing is popular these days.”

“I guess so.”

Eun-ho, who replied casually, turned his eyes back to Ji Hyeon. Ji Hyeon had finished getting his makeup touched up in the meantime and was matching simple movements. Since it was time to play the role of the cold-blooded prosecutor, Kwon Junhyuk, he mostly just had to sit at his desk.

“But he definitely lacks a masculine image, doesn’t he?”

“Hey, he doesn’t lack anything. Not at all.”

Unlike Eun-ho, who was expressionless, Bo-young subtly took Ji Hyeon’s side. She jokingly stopped Tae-soo, saying, “Do you know how many female fans Sunbae has? Don’t say things like that.” But if he was the kind of person who could be stopped by such words, he wouldn’t have brought up the story in the first place.

“Men should have a rough edge.”

“Haha……. Why are you saying that when Manager is listening?”

“Why? I’m not cursing him. Right, Manager?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Why are these actors doing this here? Eun-ho thought so, but nodded without complaint. In fact, it was true that he didn’t really have any thoughts. Not everyone in the world was friendly to Ji Hyeon, and there was no point in arguing about every little thing. Of course, even if he was really upset, he wouldn’t have been able to create a commotion.

“See? Manager understands.”

Tae-soo chuckled as if he knew it would be like this. He felt it from time to time, but Ji Hyeon was particularly unpopular with men. To be exact, he should say that he aroused an unusual amount of antipathy. There were many people who couldn’t say anything in front of him but tried to put him down behind his back with all sorts of useless reasons. So, he was already used to this kind of situation.

“I guess it’s because he didn’t go to the military. Ji Hyeon is exempt, right?”

He was wondering why this hadn’t come up yet. It was a familiar pattern as well. They cursed him for not being able to act, cursed him for not being handsome, cursed him for being too pretty, and sometimes cursed him for being too skinny. The one thing that always came up at the end was the issue of military service.

“Bo-young, you’re a woman, so you don’t know, but if you’re born a man, you have to go to the military.”

Tae-soo shrugged his shoulders with a confident face. Come to think of it, he had heard a story that he had voluntarily joined the Marines in his early 20s and had earned what men call ‘Exemption from Criticism’ from them. Whether Bo-young made a bitter expression or not, he asked Eun-ho this time.

“Manager, you served in the military, right?”

Eun-ho glanced back at Tae-soo. Tae-soo was scanning Eun-ho up and down, stretching his lips long. He carefully examined things like his slightly higher eye level or his hands full of calluses, and nodded as if he had come to a conclusion.

“I can tell you went on active duty. Army? Or maybe you’re a Marine? Ah, I’m a Marine too.”

Even if he wrapped it up with questions, the last word was the point after all. He was talking as if it wasn’t a big deal, but he couldn’t hide the smug smile on his lips. Tae-soo, who interpreted Eun-ho’s silence as affirmation, asked with a slightly pleased expression.

“Are you really a Marine? What class?”

He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at Ji Hyeon for a moment. He usually felt that their eyes met often, but today it felt like he was completely ignoring him.

That hateful bastard, I’ll take the blame. Eun-ho, who thought so, moved his lips.

“I was exempted from military service.”

“Ah, I knew it…… what?”

The surroundings became quiet in an instant. Those who had been eavesdropping on their conversation without realizing it looked at Eun-ho with surprised eyes. In the moment when even Tae-soo stopped talking, Eun-ho added in an indifferent tone.

“My family was poor.”

It wasn’t exactly a secret, and he wasn’t ashamed of it either. Someone might curse him if they heard it, but at the time, Eun-ho wasn’t in a situation where he could go to the military. Well, he didn’t know what it would look like to Tae-soo.

“So I lack a masculine image.”

“…….”

Tae-soo’s mouth snapped shut. Eun-ho adjusted his hat and turned his gaze back to Ji Hyeon. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Tae-soo didn’t say anything more either this time.

Around the time Ji Hyeon’s filming was over, the lunch boxes sent by Yi-chan’s fan club arrived. It was after Tae-soo disappeared somewhere with an awkward face, and after Bo-young held back her laughter and finally left the scene. Eun-ho took two lunch boxes and bottled water and approached Ji Hyeon, who had finished monitoring.

“You worked hard.”

“…….”

Ji Hyeon, who glanced at him, took the bottled water that Eun-ho handed him. His throat must have been very dry, as he emptied about half of the water as soon as he started drinking it. He handed the bottled water back to Eun-ho and took one of the lunch boxes, approaching a chair set up on one side of the set.

“……Are you going to eat that?”

“What else?”

A low question came back to the question he asked, hoping it wasn’t true. Ji Hyeon sat down in the chair and opened the lid with an indifferent face. On the lid of the lunch box was a picture of Yi-chan with a blush photoshopped on, along with the words ‘Please look kindly on rookie actor Shin Yi-chan!’

“Should I throw it away when there are so many eyes watching?”

“…….”

It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t something Ji Hyeon should say. Unless he was in a very good mood, he couldn’t let him eat a mysterious lunchbox, especially during such a precarious time. He meant that he could take it to the waiting room, or Eun-ho could keep it safe and throw it away later.

“Don’t force yourself to eat it…”

“I’m sorry I’m late!”

Just as he was about to stop him, Yi-chan arrived with amazing timing. He must have come straight from the music show, because he bowed deeply and apologized for being late three more times. It wasn’t even that late to begin with, and there was still a long way to go before it was his turn.

“Ah, Sunbae!”

Yi-chan, who belatedly discovered Ji Hyeon, rushed over. Even after the way they parted last time, he came running over like a puppy finding its owner. As soon as Yi-chan stood in front of Ji Hyeon, he bowed deeply once more.

“Please take good care of me today!”

Ji Hyeon’s gaze landed on Yi-chan. Eun-ho secretly glanced around, feeling nervous. He was worried that he might ignore him again.

But contrary to his worries, Ji Hyeon replied in an extremely gentle tone.

“I should be the one saying that. I’ll enjoy the lunchbox.”

His gaze may have been indifferent, but he seemed kind on the surface. Or perhaps even the indifference was just Eun-ho’s imagination. Yi-chan, the person in question, simply nodded with a somewhat overwhelmed expression.

“I’ll learn a lot today! Enjoy your meal!”

“You too, Shin Yi-chan.”

What’s gotten into him? Eun-ho thought, forcing himself to maintain a blank expression. He was very unfamiliar with Ji Hyeon’s friendly response, but he couldn’t show any signs of surprise. He also felt a sense of absurdity, wondering why he hadn’t done this before if he could.

“Ah, Manager, please eat too. The fans sometimes send them when we’re broadcasting, and they’re delicious.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

Yi-chan gave Eun-ho a friendly word and went back. He thought about telling him that he was looking forward to today’s shoot, but he didn’t because he was worried about Ji Hyeon next to him. Instead, he stared down at Ji Hyeon, who frowned as if asking what was wrong.

“I accepted his greeting.”

He sounded quite aggrieved. He must have thought Eun-ho was going to find fault with something. Eun-ho, who thought it would have been better if he had done this sooner, replied calmly.

“Who said anything?”

“You were staring.”

“You used to complain when I didn’t look at you.”

“…”

Ji Hyeon closed his mouth as if he had nothing to say. He had definitely become much more docile lately. Or rather, he had become subdued. That, in turn, made Eun-ho feel sorry for him, so he sighed and softened his voice.

“I’ll make you dinner when we get home, so don’t eat it.”

Being obedient was one thing, and not being able to do something was another. Telling him not to be a pain in the ass didn’t mean he had to endure even the pain. It would be great if he could be treated this way, but his chronic illness wasn’t something that would get better by enduring it.

“If you eat it and get sick…”

“…”

“Why?”

Eun-ho stopped talking and asked back when he felt a gaze on him. Ji Hyeon was staring up at Eun-ho with his mouth tightly shut. His calmly lowered eyes looked strangely aggrieved.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Why do you…”

“What?”

Eun-ho frowned slightly. It was because a nonsensical answer popped out. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Ji Hyeon, who was choosing his words with a choked-up face, asked in a voice that was barely audible.

“Why do you go so far, is it because you’re the Manager?”

“…”

Was he being sarcastic, or was he asking out of curiosity? Either way, it wasn’t something he should be asking now. Eun-ho had been taking care of Ji Hyeon like this for so long that he couldn’t even remember when it started.

“Why are you suddenly asking that?”

“Just answer me. Why do you go so far?”

“…Do I need a reason to take care of you?”

Ji Hyeon replied, “Yes,” to Eun-ho’s question, which was asked out of disbelief. He looked like he needed to know the reason no matter what. Eun-ho glanced around and lowered his voice.

“It’s obvious you’re not feeling well, so why would you eat that? We have filming all day today, what if you get sick?”

“That’s not what I was asking. Why do you even cook for me at my house?”

Ji Hyeon frowned irritably, as if that wasn’t the answer he wanted. In fact, Eun-ho vaguely knew what kind of answer he should give. He could say something similar to that he was taking care of him because he was a friend.

“Just eat it if I make it for you.”

But he didn’t really want to. If he had only seen him as a friend, he wouldn’t have been so good to him. He was annoyed that he had been accepting it all this time and was now trying to confirm it with words.

“You’d starve if I didn’t make it for you, how could I watch that happen?”

“Because you’re the Manager?”

“…”

He was acting like a whiny four-year-old. Eun-ho was about to answer that he was, but Ji Hyeon was faster.

“Just mind your own business. It’s not the Manager’s job.”

The words, which sounded like he was worried about him, were actually no different from drawing a line. And to top it off, he even raised the corners of his lips sarcastically.

“Or what, will you give me a bonus or something?”

“…”

Ah, this bastard is always a pain in the ass even when you’re good to him.

He was a master at making people angry. He almost looked good for a moment, but that admirable feeling disappeared in an instant. Eun-ho, who regretted taking his side, spoke coldly.

“Then just eat it.”

Eat it and get sick. He’d be the one suffering if he stopped caring as he wished.

Eun-ho suppressed his anger and walked away from Ji Hyeon. He thought he’d go to the bathroom for a while because he didn’t think he could control his expression if he stayed there. Even in the midst of all this, he was most annoyed at himself for thinking about the digestive medicine he had packed in his bag.

In the end, Ji Hyeon finished the entire lunchbox. He thought he would say he couldn’t eat it halfway through, but he forced even the foods he didn’t usually eat down his throat. Since he was eating it on set and not in the waiting room, Eun-ho could only give him a disapproving look without stopping him.

After that, when filming resumed, he acted as if nothing had happened. His expression was fine, his pronunciation was good, and even the few ad-libs he made were natural. At first glance, he looked no different from usual, and only Eun-ho noticed the difference.

Yeah, it would be strange if he didn’t get sick. Why did he have to be so stubborn when he had a weak stomach?

It was a change that would have gone unnoticed if you weren’t paying close attention. He would sigh when the camera was off, or he would keep wetting his lips, which would lead to frequent makeup touch-ups, or his eyelids would twitch every time he turned his gaze.

As expected of an actor, he was incredibly good at pretending to be okay. He was still a prideful guy, so he never showed any signs of weakness in front of others. He could stop the filming with just one word, and what would it matter if the schedule changed a little since it was a set shoot anyway? Well, of course, it would be better if he didn’t, but still.

As a result, Ji Hyeon was now lying on the sofa in the waiting room prepared for him, his face pale. As soon as the filming was roughly finished, he had vomited in the bathroom inside. He was going to pat him on the back, but he locked the door tightly, so he couldn’t. He must have washed and brushed his teeth thoroughly, because his face was all wet when he came out of the bathroom.

“Drink some water at least.”

“…”

Ji Hyeon weakly turned his gaze to the water Eun-ho offered him. Judging by the fact that he wasn’t answering, he probably wasn’t in a state to do so. Was it because his bangs were wet, or because his eyes were red? Even his slightly parted lips looked so pitiful.

“Or do you want to go to the hospital?”

Ji Hyeon didn’t answer that question either, and just raised his arm to cover his eyes as if he didn’t want to answer. It wasn’t a protest, it was as if he really didn’t have the energy to do so. If you asked what the difference was, he couldn’t give you a definite answer, but that’s how it looked to Eun-ho anyway.

‘He should take off his jacket at least.’

That suit must be sponsored. The suit, which must cost millions of won, was crumpled and ruined. He could already imagine the stylists’ reactions when they saw the wrinkled clothes later. Well, he could just buy it if necessary, so it wasn’t a big deal.

‘I should have brought the medicine earlier.’

He had a lot to say, but he didn’t. Like, why did you have to force yourself to eat it, why did you have to be so stubborn? He could scold him before he got sick, but it would only make him feel worse if he scolded him after he was already sick. He wondered if he should loosen his tie, but he decided not to because he thought he would hate it if he touched him.

Instead, he was about to turn around, taking the car keys out of his pocket, when…

“…Where are you going?”

A hand grabbed his wrist. It was so strong that he staggered momentarily because he wasn’t expecting it. Eun-ho, who had paused for a moment, soon turned to Ji Hyeon and replied in a calm tone.

“I’m going to get the medicine from the car.”

The filming was roughly over, but they had to wait for a while. If he had to stand in front of the camera again, he had to at least give him some medicine to soothe his stomach. The best thing to do would be to tell them about his condition and go home, but Ji Hyeon would never do that.

“Just stay here. I’ll be right back.”

“…”

Fortunately, Ji Hyeon released his hand as soon as he heard those words. His hand, which had slipped down, hung limply below the sofa as before. Where did he get such strength when he was half-dead? A red handprint was left on his wrist where he had been grabbed.

Eun-ho massaged the tingling area and walked out of the waiting room. He didn’t like leaving him alone, but he couldn’t just leave a sick guy unattended. It was a terrible thing to just watch and do nothing.

He had become so used to his job as a Manager that he didn’t panic in most unexpected situations, but he still got stressed when situations arose that he couldn’t handle. These were mostly problems directly related to Ji Hyeon’s health, and among them were physical illnesses that Eun-ho couldn’t solve.

It would have been better if he had a panic attack. He knew exactly how to respond, and he could see that he was getting better as soon as he dealt with it calmly. However, the problem was that in cases like this, he could only watch helplessly and worry. Even if it was pain derived from mental issues, it didn’t mean that his body would get better even if his mind was at ease.

The parking lot was located in the basement of the set. The indoor set, which had been created with a lot of money, had parking spaces as comfortable as the facilities. The other actors were still filming, so Eun-ho took out his car keys and walked across the empty parking lot.

But as he was hurrying, he felt a presence somewhere.

“…”

The space between the vans. Two shadows could be seen in that narrow gap. Eun-ho forgot that he was walking and stopped in his tracks. It wasn’t that strange that there were people there, but the atmosphere they were giving off was a little strange.

‘…What is it?’

It was a couple. A woman standing with her back to Eun-ho and a man leaning towards her. Aside from the fact that they were close together, the hand supporting her face and their overall posture didn’t look good at all.

They’re kissing. Eun-ho, who quickly came to that conclusion, frowned. It was common for people who worked together to fall in love, but it was a bit much to do that on the first day of filming.

Eun-ho tried to ignore it and continued walking. Or rather, he was about to. If he hadn’t been about to take his eyes off them, and the man hadn’t happened to look up and make eye contact with him.

“…”

“…”

Why is that person here?

It was a familiar face. Soft eyes, a slightly youthful impression, and a naive expression and innocent temperament unlike what he saw on TV. The decisive cause of the recent fight with Ji Hyeon, and a fellow actor he would continue to see in the future.

“…Um.”

Eun-ho, who made a low humming sound, awkwardly turned his gaze away. He thought it would be one of the staff members at best, but the other person was none other than Shin Yi-chan. The idol, who had been running around nervously, was kissing a woman in the underground parking lot.

‘This is troublesome.’

He could have pretended not to see him if he hadn’t seen his face, but now that they had made eye contact, it was obvious that an uncomfortable situation would arise. Eun-ho was confident that he could pretend not to know, but it was clear that the other person would make a fuss and bother him.

As expected, Yi-chan was silent for a long time before stuttering and screaming.

“Ma, Ma, Manager!”

Was he planning to call everyone on set? Or maybe he was planning to brag that he had been caught in a scene that shouldn’t be revealed to everyone. That’s how loud and boisterous his shout was.

“Wait a minute, Manager!”

“…”

Ah, so it’s going to be like this after all. Eun-ho awkwardly scratched the back of his head without moving. He wanted to just leave, but he couldn’t because it looked like he would really cry if he did.

In the meantime, Yi-chan came closer and began to make excuses in a rambling manner.

“Th, that’s a misunderstanding, no, that, that person is our stylist?”

Should he call this polite? He couldn’t hide the other person, but he was even explaining who she was. Eun-ho, who involuntarily looked in the direction Yi-chan was pointing, even gave a reflexive nod to the woman he made eye contact with.

“My Manager Hyung is busy… No, there are a lot of members… No… That’s right, luggage! She said she had a lot of luggage, so she asked me to help her move it! But she said she got something in her eye, so I was just looking at it. It’s true!”

“…”

Aside from the fact that he was talking fast, he was talking so desperately that it was hard to understand him. What did the fact that the Manager was busy and there were a lot of members have to do with anything? All he understood was the excuse that he was just looking at her eye because she got something in it.

“Please believe me. It’s really not what it looks like!”

“…Ah, yes.”

Eun-ho replied with a sullen expression and looked at the stylist who was still standing there. Unlike Yi-chan, who was very flustered, the stylist was relatively calm and waving her hands. In fact, he didn’t really care whether it was true or not. It was just a little strange that he was so flustered.

“I know it’s a situation that could be misunderstood, but it’s really… It’s really not what it looks like. I would never cause a scandal.”

Yi-chan didn’t seem to be lying. Roughly summarizing what he had just heard, it seemed that the stylist had helped him move the luggage because the Manager was busy because there were a lot of members. Then she got something in her eye, and the situation that had just happened occurred when he was trying to take it out.

“If I get into a scandal, my Hyungs will kill me… Hyung, please. It’s really a misunderstanding.”

He must have been so desperate that Yi-chan’s title changed from “Manager” to “Hyung.” And to top it off, he even grabbed Eun-ho’s hands with both of his hands. Eun-ho calmly opened his mouth to calm him down.

“Yes, I understand, so…”

“I don’t like women, Hyung!”

“…”

Ah, this sounds like he’s saying he likes men.

“I really…”

“Actor.”

Eun-ho hurriedly cut off Yi-chan’s words. Yi-chan widened his eyes and closed his mouth at the firm tone. Eun-ho nodded to the stylist standing behind him and fixed his gaze on Yi-chan again.

“I’m also a Manager, so I don’t intend to talk about other actors easily.”

Everything he saw and heard on set had to be kept secret. He shouldn’t open his mouth easily unless he wanted to be sued for spreading rumors. Even if it was an unwanted kiss scene he encountered in the underground parking lot.

“I understand what you’re saying, and I didn’t misunderstand. Don’t worry.”

In fact, anyone with at least a minimum of sense would know. In the first place, Yi-chan wasn’t the type of person to have a secret rendezvous. How could he hide anything when he was so flustered and panicking? He knew that idols were sensitive to scandals, but reacting like this would only be like throwing them bait.

“And you don’t have to panic so much unless you’ve been photographed. If you react like that, the reporters will think they’re right and become more suspicious.”

The added words were close to being nosy. He was just worried about what he was going to do because he was so clumsy. If a real scandal broke out, it would harm not only Yi-chan but the entire drama.

“If you make excuses like that, you’ll get a gay rumor instead of a scandal.”

I don’t like women, he said. Kwak Eun-ho recalled what Shin Yi-chan had said, lowered his voice, and gave him sincere advice. It might have been a meaningless remark, but it could lead to misunderstandings if he wasn’t careful.

But Yi-chan’s face turned pale in an instant, as if he had taken that secret word in a completely different way.

“…….”

“…….”

A subtle silence flowed. Neither Eun-ho, who was speaking, nor Yi-chan, who was staring blankly, opened their mouths. Why is he reacting like this all of a sudden…? As Eun-ho thought this, he realized his mistake the moment he made eye contact with him.

“……Ah.”

He really is gay.

Was it the downside of the intuition he had built up over years in the entertainment industry? Or was it a disaster caused by Yi-chan’s overly innocent reaction?

It was a completely different reaction from when he was pleading injustice. His complexion was pale, almost blue, and his eyes were shaking wildly as if there had been an earthquake. His lips, which only twitched without even making an excuse, seemed as if they would ask how he knew if he made a mistake.

“Ho, how…….”

“No.”

For the second time, Eun-ho cut off Yi-chan’s words. His voice was much firmer than when he had called him “Actor” a moment ago. Eun-ho shook his head with a serious, expressionless face.

“I don’t know anything. I didn’t hear it, and I won’t listen to it.”

He felt it instinctively. This time, no matter what, he shouldn’t acknowledge it.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to know.”

Just in case, he looked behind him, but fortunately, it didn’t seem to be within earshot of the stylist. Relieved by this fact, Eun-ho slipped his hand out of his grasp.

“So…….”

“…….”

“…….”

Ah, why can’t this guy hide his expressions when he’s an actor?

Even Kwak Eun-ho couldn’t help but be embarrassed. His face, much younger than his own, was filled with dismay, as if he was about to cry. He thought he would be relieved if he pretended not to know, but instead, he seemed to be running all sorts of doom circuit in his head. Or maybe it was a problem that he had pulled his hand away.

“……I’ll keep it a secret.”

In the end, Eun-ho decided to admit it honestly. He had noticed that he was gay, and in return, he wouldn’t tell anyone. He even softened his voice, placing his right hand on his shoulder, intending to swear on it if he wanted.

“I don’t have anyone to tell anyway…….”

“Kwak Eun-ho.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut in at that moment. Not only Yi-chan, but even Eun-ho was startled and turned around. Someone was slowly walking from behind Eun-ho, between the parked cars.

“Why are you so late?”

“…….”

It was Ji Hyeon. The guy who should have been in the waiting room was approaching with a frown. He had his jacket off and slung over one arm, and his tie was loosened. He looked at Eun-ho’s face once, then at Yi-chan’s shoulder where his hand was touching, and opened his mouth in a gentle tone.

“Shin Yi-chan.”

“……Yes, yes!”

Yi-chan, who had been rolling his eyes, was startled and answered. His face, which had been pale with fear, was now completely filled with embarrassment. Whether he knew it or not, Ji Hyeon simply checked the watch on his wrist.

“They’re looking for you upstairs. Shouldn’t you go up?”

“Yes? Oh, ah, yes!”

Come to think of it, the filming hadn’t finished yet. Yi-chan belatedly realized this and hurriedly checked the time in embarrassment. No wonder the stylist had been giving him the eye since a while ago. He had wasted too much time unnecessarily.

“Then… then I’ll go upstairs, Sunbae!”

Yi-chan bowed politely and quickly turned around and walked away. He sent several lingering glances, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything and closed his mouth. The uncomfortable feeling was uncomfortable, but the filming would take precedence.

After that storm had passed, Eun-ho finally asked Ji Hyeon.

“Why did you come down when you’re not feeling well?”

He should have waited quietly, why did he come all the way here? Judging from the fact that the elevator hadn’t moved, he must have come down the emergency stairs on the other side. He couldn’t even move because he was sick, why was he wasting his energy?

“You were late.”

But Ji Hyeon answered in a confident tone and walked towards the car. He thought he was feeling a little better, but judging from the way his hand trembled slightly as he swept back his bangs, he didn’t seem to be at all. How late was he? It wasn’t like he couldn’t stand it and had to come looking for him.

“Then take your medicine and go up since you came down.”

Eun-ho took the jacket from him and pressed the button on the car key. With a beep, the lock was released, and Eun-ho, who had gotten into the driver’s seat, opened the back door. Ji Hyeon got into the car through the open door and said.

“Go home. Filming’s over today.”

“No additional scenes?”

“No. Even if there are, there aren’t.”

If there aren’t, there aren’t, but what does it mean to say there are even if there aren’t? Eun-ho didn’t bother to argue and instead brought the backpack he had placed on the passenger seat. While he was rummaging through the inside to find medicine and water, Ji Hyeon suddenly blurted out without any warning.

“Does he like men?”

“…….”

He heard it.

It didn’t matter where he heard it from, the important thing was that he had finally noticed. Eun-ho decided to play dumb first.

“It’s not like that.”

“What do you mean it’s not?”

Fortunately, Ji Hyeon didn’t seem to want to pry any further. He could tell from the fact that he didn’t say anything more after that one word. Well, it wasn’t like he believed him when he said it wasn’t.

“I misunderstood for a moment when I saw him with the stylist. That person came and explained that it wasn’t true because he was worried about a scandal.”

Eun-ho offered a suitable explanation based on the facts to keep his promise (though it was one-sided) with Yi-chan. It was an excuse based on the facts, and he thought that Ji Hyeon would roughly accept it. Honestly, Ji Hyeon wouldn’t be interested in Yi-chan’s sexual orientation.

“Hey, take one of these.”

But when Eun-ho found the medicine and held it out, he was somehow looking down with a grumpy face. At first, he thought it was because he was sick, but when he looked closely, he was just deep in thought. Just as he was about to urge him one more time, a low curse escaped from Ji Hyeon’s mouth.

“Ah……. Shit.”

“…….”

It was a small voice, but he heard it clearly. That curse, which contained a slight sense of disgust, including displeasure. In the moment that Eun-ho was rarely embarrassed, Ji Hyeon took off his tie completely and spat out coldly.

“Put it away, I’m not going to take it.”

He couldn’t even ask why. That’s because Ji Hyeon immediately closed his eyes and leaned his head against the backrest. Eun-ho withdrew his outstretched right hand and silently closed his mouth. For a very brief moment, he thought that he had been glaring at his hand.

When they arrived home, Ji Hyeon had fallen into a deep sleep. He must have been really sick, because his neatly closed eyes looked tired today. Even after Eun-ho finished parking and turned off the engine, he didn’t open his eyes, so it seemed that he hadn’t slept for several days.

“…….”

Instead of waking him up, Eun-ho stared at his peaceful face for a moment. He wanted to touch him to see if he had a fever, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. If he was rejected, it wasn’t just that he would feel bad, but if he touched him wrong now, he might have to throw up again.

‘He did that once before.’

When was it? Was it when he was filming a melodrama a few years ago? There was a pretty deep kiss scene, and the director was greedy, so they filmed the same scene dozens of times. After the tenth time, he gave up counting, and in the end, both actors’ lips were chapped, and they frowned as if it hurt just to touch them.

‘Cut! Let’s go again one more time!’

It was a frustrating situation in many ways. The filming time kept getting delayed, and it was all too obvious that Ji Hyeon’s condition was getting worse. To make matters worse, the other actor, who had also lost focus, started making mistakes that he hadn’t made before.

‘Okay! Everyone worked hard.’

When all the scenes were finally over, Eun-ho’s shoulders were aching from how nervous he had been. Eun-ho immediately grabbed a bottle of mineral water and approached Ji Hyeon, but he was quicker to leave. All Eun-ho could do was tell the other actor that he had worked hard and mention that Ji Hyeon didn’t seem to be feeling well today.

Of course, the place Ji Hyeon headed to was the bathroom inside the waiting room. The guy who was extremely reluctant to touch others ended up washing his hands and throwing up. By the time Eun-ho had sorted things out and returned, he was sitting in a chair with a pale face.

He managed to hold it in, what kind of answer did he get to that? He seemed to have spoken calmly, as if stating an objective fact, in an extremely cynical tone. If he didn’t hold it in, would he have to spread the rumor that he was an idiot?

It was the least he could do for the other actor. There was no point in showing that he wasn’t feeling well there, as it wouldn’t benefit either of them. In the first place, it wasn’t the other person’s fault, so it was better to hold it in as much as possible if he could.

And sorry to say, Eun-ho felt that he was very lucky that Ji Hyeon and he weren’t lovers. It was fine as long as they were friends and he didn’t touch him, but wouldn’t it be a little difficult to have a lover who threw up after kissing him? Ji Hyeon must have known that, so he didn’t date anyone.

“Ji Hyeon, wake up. We’re here.”

He thought he was fast asleep, but Ji Hyeon opened his eyes as soon as Eun-ho called him. He had definitely seen his face enough to be sick of it, but the scene of him slowly lifting his eyelids was quite mysterious. He closed and opened his eyes, which were drowsy with sleep, and muttered in a low voice.

“We’re here already.”

“You must have slept for a long time.”

What do you mean we’re here already, the traffic was bad and it took longer than usual. He must have just fallen asleep quickly and didn’t know how much time had passed.

“Get out, let’s go up.”

Eun-ho unfastened his seatbelt and took the luggage he had placed next to him. It was already past dinner time, but he was planning to go up with him first and then go home. He wanted to pack some simple food for him, and if necessary, he wanted to make sure he fell asleep before he could rest assured. He wouldn’t be so heartless as to act coldly on a day like today when he was sick.

But instead of getting out of the car, Ji Hyeon said nonchalantly.

“Just go straight home.”

“What?”

Eun-ho frowned and turned to look at him. Ji Hyeon nodded with a face that had become perfectly fine in that short amount of time, as if he had never fallen asleep.

“I said go straight home. All the schedules are over.”

He usually holds on to me and tells me not to go. He was so nonchalant today. Eun-ho, who had narrowed his brows wondering what he was up to, asked in a low voice.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not okay.”

“…….”

He didn’t know what he wanted him to do. In the moment that Eun-ho frowned, Ji Hyeon tilted his head and said gently.

“But what are you going to do if I’m not okay?”

He was confused for a moment. Was he picking a fight right now?

“It’s not like you’ve been going home because I’ve been feeling okay so far. You’re always so eager to go home, why are you asking today?”

Ji Hyeon continued to speak in a soft and calm tone as usual. If you listened without thinking about the content, it was a drowsy tone that would make you fall asleep. But the content was so infuriating.

“Don’t pretend to care and just go.”

“Why are you talking like that?”

Pretending to care. He was so good at saying things that made him feel bad, he wondered where he learned it from. So he calmly retorted, but Ji Hyeon didn’t listen.

“If you have nothing to do, go meet the person you like.”

“…….”

Eun-ho held back for a moment, afraid that he would swear if he opened his mouth. He had felt sorry for him until just 5 minutes ago, but he was suddenly furious. He also wondered why this guy had been scratching at him for the past few days.

“What are you doing, aren’t you going?”

As if he was going to get out himself if he didn’t go, Ji Hyeon grabbed the back door. In the end, Eun-ho couldn’t hold back and warned him in a lowered voice.

I told you to fix that nonsense of yours.”

He didn’t know where he was angry, what he didn’t like, or what he was thinking. He kept nibbling at his nerves so precariously that he thought his personality would really get worse.

“Don’t say things you’ll regret later.”

Ji Hyeon chuckled at Eun-ho’s words. He raised the corners of his lips slightly and frowned annoyedly.

“What’s the problem, I’m just going to treat you like my Manager.”

“…….”

He had nothing to say. Not because Ji Hyeon was right, but because he wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t mix emotions into any answer. Because it was difficult to express in words exactly what kind of emotion he was feeling now.

“Pick me up on time tomorrow.”

With those words, Ji Hyeon immediately got out of the car. Eun-ho nervously closed and opened his eyes at the sight of him walking away without looking back.

He felt like shit.

Thinking about it calmly, maybe he wasn’t wrong. Whatever Eun-ho’s intentions were, Ji Hyeon had always expressed his disappointment that he only treated him as an actor. If Eun-ho didn’t change his attitude, he might have thought that he should also treat him as a professional relationship. So he might have eaten food that he didn’t need to eat with stubbornness, and he might have made Eun-ho leave work as soon as his schedule was over.

But this was also just a protest in the end. It wasn’t that he had reformed his dirty temper and become a better person, but it was a warning that he had such a dirty temper, so he should know how to please him.

See, you’re upset too, right? So don’t do that to me. He was expressing this ridiculous perspective-taking in a childish way.

Eun-ho didn’t have a good personality. At least, that’s how he evaluated himself. But he had been putting up with Ji Hyeon’s temper until now, so he couldn’t help but get angry when he said he was ‘pretending to care’.

The next day, Eun-ho went to Ji Hyeon’s house to pick him up at the filming time. Instead of going up to the house, he called from the underground parking lot and hung up after only saying that he should come down when he was ready. He knew it was petty, but it was his way of saying that if he was going to act like that, he would too.

Surprisingly, Ji Hyeon didn’t show any particular reaction and didn’t say anything even after arriving at the filming site. His eyes were sunken because he hadn’t slept well, but it was actually good for playing Kwon Junhyuk, who was a workaholic. Eun-ho silently took care of the necessary things and, as always, stepped back and watched him act.

‘Just ignore it. That’s not what a Manager should do.’

Yeah, he had done too many things that he didn’t need to do until now. He didn’t even know that the line he should stay within as a Manager was only up to this point.

Anyway, the filming went smoothly, and surprisingly, the conversation with Ji Hyeon wasn’t too awkward. There were subtle silences from time to time, but the filming site was too busy to pay attention to them.

After returning to the waiting room, while the stylist was removing Ji Hyeon’s makeup and waiting for a while. Knock, knock, someone came to Ji Hyeon’s waiting room with a knock.

Eun-ho, who happened to be next to the door, opened it, and the person who appeared was Yi-chan, holding a drink carrier.

“Hello, Sunbae!”

“…….”

Was it a characteristic of idols to greet so loudly? Ji Hyeon frowned at the loud greeting. No, to be exact, that was his expression as soon as he saw Yi-chan. Fortunately, Yi-chan straightened his posture and returned to a expressionless face.

“Thank you for your hard work today! I bought this from a cafe because I didn’t want to come empty-handed!”

It was a common occurrence. In the early stages of filming, many Hubae came to greet him. It would be better if they didn’t come at all, but they wouldn’t know that.

But why are there four coffees…? Ji Hyeon seemed to have had a similar thought, as he glanced this way and said.

“There are only two of us.”

“Ah, I didn’t know what you liked…….”

He didn’t know whether to call this inflexible or to say that he had good coping skills. It was better to have more than less, but unfortunately, Ji Hyeon wouldn’t drink all four of them.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Eun-ho took the carrier he was handing out first. He was planning to drink one himself and give the rest to the stylists. But Yi-chan, who he thought would leave right away, was carefully speaking while looking at Ji Hyeon’s expression.

“Hyung, I’m sorry…….”

Once I called him Hyung, the title stuck. I didn’t really care, but I did find it surprisingly brazen. No, rather, this seemed more familiar to him than being called Manager.

“Could I get your number?”

“……Excuse me?”

Eun-ho repeated in a dazed voice, a beat late. I wondered what he was going to say, but then this absurd request came out. Yi-chan waved his hands in a fluster at Eun-ho’s reaction.

“Ah! I’m sorry. That’s not polite. I’ll give you my number.”

“No……”

That’s not the important part. Wouldn’t this be a situation that others would misunderstand too easily?

“Why do you need my number?”

I didn’t misunderstand his intentions. It was a suspicious approach to anyone, but the emotion in his eyes wasn’t exactly affection. More like anxiety…… or a sense of crisis.

“Well, I have something to tell you.”

The words that came out in a barely audible voice were enough for Eun-ho to understand his thoughts. We’ve only had a few encounters, so the only thing he could be talking about was what happened yesterday. I said I would keep the secret, but he still seemed uneasy.

“I’ll treat you to a meal next time……”

Crash! A loud noise echoed. It was when Yi-chan was once again glancing at Ji Hyeon. When I turned around, a stainless steel tumbler was lying on the floor in front of Ji Hyeon, who was sitting with his legs crossed.

“Ah, my hand slipped.”

Ji Hyeon made a rough excuse in a stiff tone, as if he were reading a book. If he stood in front of the camera like that, his acting skills would not only result in NGs, but his casting would be canceled immediately.

Is he really crazy? Eun-ho thought to himself and took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Yi-chan.

“I don’t really want to take your number, so I’ll give you my business card. Please contact me here.”

I wanted to tell him not to worry about it, but I wasn’t confident that I could convince him in front of Ji Hyeon. I was planning to say that I didn’t need a meal and refuse him when he contacted me later.

“Yes! Thank you.”

Innocently, Yi-chan immediately took the business card with a brightened face. He even let out a sigh of relief, so it must have been bothering him quite a bit. How is he going to be a celebrity with such a timid personality? As I was thinking that, he bowed to Ji Hyeon.

“Then I’ll be going now, Sunbae!”

Of course, Ji Hyeon didn’t answer. No, to be exact, he didn’t even look at Yi-chan. He was just staring at the tumbler on the floor with his mouth shut.

Only after the door closed with a click did Eun-ho scold Ji Hyeon.

“Is staring at it going to pick it up?”

Eun-ho ended up picking up the tumbler that had fallen on the floor. It was a good thing there was no water in it, or I would have had to wipe up the water too.

“You’re not going to drink this, are you? I’m just going to throw it away.”

I said that assuming that he wouldn’t. I don’t even know if he would drink a bottled drink, let alone a cafe drink that someone else bought. But a prickly voice flowed from the guy who should have just said okay.

“Fucking, disgusting, really……”

“……”

Wait, I didn’t understand what he was saying. It wasn’t because I was embarrassed by the sudden swearing, but because the expression that came to mind at that moment felt so unfamiliar. The way he looked at the door Yi-chan had left through with contemptuous eyes, as if he sincerely found it disgusting.

“It’s not something to be proud of, liking guys……”

“……”

I realized belatedly. The emotion he showed yesterday was also directed at Shin Yi-chan. Maybe even the reason he didn’t take the medicine I offered was because it was the hand he had held with Yi-chan. Not just because of mysophobia, but because of a more fundamental aversion.

“……You’ll get cursed at if you say that kind of thing anywhere else.”

Did this guy take the wrong medicine today? As far as Eun-ho knew, Ji Hyeon was a guy who didn’t have prejudices in strange places. I wouldn’t know if he just hated the person himself, but he never belittled someone based on their characteristics. But why is he suddenly showing this attitude?

“Why are you suddenly like this? What did he do wrong?”

“Kwak Eun-ho, your meddling is showing again.”

Ji Hyeon retorted without any sign of remorse. When Eun-ho stared at him silently, he even smiled thinly and warned him kindly.

“Be careful, Eun-ho. Don’t be nice to everyone without any backbone.”

The seemingly kind words were ultimately a criticism of Eun-ho. Ji Hyeon gestured with his chin towards the door Yi-chan had left through and curled up the corners of his lips in a sneer. It was a gentle smile as usual, but inside it was full of annoyance.

“That bastard’s gay, right? What if he clings to you because he likes you?”

“What nonsense are you talking about now……”

It was no longer any use denying that Yi-chan was gay. More than that, the assumption that he would show affection just because I was a little nice to him was strange in the first place. Putting aside the fact that I had never been nice to him in the first place, if that’s why he would like me, then Ji Hyeon, who is right in front of me, should like me right away.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Why isn’t it going to happen? How long has it been since you met him, and he’s already asking for your number.”

It’s only been less than 5 minutes. Anyone who heard it would think he came to flirt with Eun-ho. Whether Eun-ho was dumbfounded or not, Ji Hyeon just raised his eyes and looked at Eun-ho as he spoke.

“Or are you interested in him too? Is that why you even gave him your business card?”

“……Are you really crazy?”

“Why, you’ve put up with all my bullshit, so you might as well just date him too.”

When was it? Back in high school, when I grabbed Ji Hyeon by the collar and fought with him. I don’t remember exactly, but I felt shame and humiliation at the same time at one word he said. The anger I felt back then seemed similar to what I was feeling now.

“If that’s not the case, then make your attitude clear. Don’t get involved with a fucking gay bastard.”

No matter how I thought about it, I didn’t do anything wrong this time. No, not just this time, but all the times up until now. This bastard is constantly being a pain in the ass, and I’ve just been putting up with it. If I had to point out what was wrong, it might have been my actions of not making my attitude clear and giving up my seat, as Ji Hyeon said.

“Ah, just thinking about it makes me sick……”

I don’t think I’ve ever been this angry at a word that was said like a monologue. Even though I knew he wasn’t talking to me, Eun-ho wasn’t insensitive enough to laugh it off. No, if it had just been that, I would have just put up with it, but I couldn’t pretend not to know the next words.

“I don’t want the words ‘Ji Hyeon’s Manager is a gay bastard’ to spread around.”

“……”

Ah, fuck. Why do I have to hear this kind of thing?

“Hey.”

Eun-ho, who lowered his voice with a surge of emotion, took out his car keys from his pocket and threw them. The car keys that fell on the floor made a clattering noise. Ji Hyeon looked at Eun-ho as if asking what he was doing, but Eun-ho didn’t care and added one more word.

“I’m too disgusted to do this anymore.”

“……What?”

I should have done this a long time ago. When Grandmother (Paternal) passed away. No, at the moment I realized the truth about the excessively high salary I was receiving. At the timing when I realized my feelings for Ji Hyeon and gave up at the same time. To fix the wrong relationship before it’s too late.

“I’m going to quit being your Manager.”

At the moment I said those words, I couldn’t even see Ji Hyeon’s expression properly. An emotion that I didn’t know whether it was anger, resentment, or something else, dyed my eyes black. That’s why I spat out the one word that I would never have said otherwise, the one word that I would never have said for the rest of my life, as if I were chewing on it.

“Because I’m the gay bastard you fucking hate.”

< To be continued in Volume 2 >