By Zephyria Bulletin Board | ♨The Long-Awaited 2nd Fixed Episode of My MaeSo♨
Anonymous https:https://www.todayspring.com/jihyeon/2394403356
GG
Comments 3,012
1 GG
2 It was long…
└ It was long 22….
└ 333…
3 Why do you do it every 3 weeks
└ It’s practically not even 3 weeks because of that Park bastard
└ It’s almost a month now
└ Park Tae-soon or whatever is crazy
4 I’m going to break my neck
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22 It’s starting 23 It’s starting!!
24 Oh shit, I almost missed it, attendance complete~
└ Welcome~~
└ Me too ㅊㅅ ㅇ
└ ㅊㅅ ㅇ.
25 Kyaaaa Manager!!!!!!!
26 Huff huff huff huff huff
27 ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠHe’s so handsome today tooㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
28 Ha, fuck… I’m so upset that his face is bruised…
└ T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T
29 What happened to the culprit??
└ They caught the culprit and the agency sued him, saying there would be no leniency.
└ Good, he deserves it.
└ Ah, they sued him????? Really relieved ㅠ
30 Why is Manager hurt? Am I the only one who doesn’t know…?
└ ☞[Ji Hyeon Manager Egg Terror Summary (Attention/Fact Check O) | https:https://www.todayspring.com/jihyeon/2394401280]
└ Thank you
└ Crazy; I went to see it and that bastard dared toㅡㅡ
└ “I was jealous”
└ Loser
└ Smells like a beta male
31 Is it because he’s bruised ㅠㅠㅠ Manager looks like he’s in a bad mood
└ He actually seems to be in a bad mood…ㅠ
32 Why is the atmosphere like that?
33 It’s a mess because it’s raining
34 He’s sighing ㅠㅠ
└ Me too…
└ For real, I’d sigh too
35 Is it the lighting again?
└ Wasn’t Actor Ji hurt by the lighting before?
└ Yes, that’s right
36 How are they managing the set?
37 Shouldn’t the lighting director write a report?
└ I’m a field worker ㅠ These kinds of accidents happen a lot… The director can’t do anything either
38 But the atmosphere between Actor Ji and him isn’t very good…?
└ 22 Something seems strange
└ It’s a bit different than usual
39 They’re not even looking at each other?? He’s passing the water bottle with no look
└ Should we call that good chemistry
40 Huh… Is the day ending like that???
41 Ah
42 Ah,,
43 They fought ㅠㅠ
44 The fact that they’re both saying it’s their fault ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Cute ㅋㅋㅋ They’re taking each other’s side
45 I’m so interested in how Manager treated Actor Ji badly
46 They’re both embarrassed ㅋㅋ
47 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋThey fought but why am I laughing….
└ ㅋㅋㅋIt’s rather human
48 Manager said it was his fault, look at Ji Hyeon smiling…
└ He looks like an ex-boyfriend
└ Ah, am I the only one who thinks that?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why is he smiling so wistfully when he’s not even going to date him ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
49 But I’m a bit worried,, I hope there’s no rumors of discord..?
└ They would have edited it out if it was a serious situation
└ They wouldn’t have done an interview like that
50 (Deleted comment.)
└ ? There was no damage to the filming?
└ (Deleted comment.)
└ That’s because it was raining;; Did you watch the beginning properly?
└ ㅋㅋㅋActor Ji didn’t make a single NG but you’re saying he’s not professional
51 Didn’t they have a lovers’ quarrel? How else would the atmosphere be like that?
└ This is right
└ Even if I fight with my boyfriend, the atmosphere wouldn’t be like thatㅋ
52 They must have made up??
└ Wouldn’t they have come out if they had made up
└ They must have
└ They must have 22
53 ㅋㅋActor Ji is talking first
54 It doesn’t seem like they’ve made up completely… Actor Ji is natural but Manager is so awkward haha
└ I’m the one who’s awkward
└ But that’s so funny hahahahahahahahaha
55 Manager: (He’s sitting down because he told him to, but he’s suspicious of why this guy is doing this)
56 Huh,,, he’s applying medicine?
57 ㅋㅋㅠㅠPlease, what friends apply medicine to each other…
58 Isn’t the script too much ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ But it’s not like the script, Manager’s expression is too shitty
59 He’s telling him to close his eyes…(whisper whisper)
└ What is he going to do with his eyes closed…(whisper whisper)
└ (Comment blocked.)
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋWhat’s with the sudden outburst
└ Ah, it’s blocked ㅠ
60 ‘You told me to close them back then’?
└ Back then… Manager applied medicine to Ji Hyeon before?
└ While telling him to close his eyes??
└ My hard day…
61 Hahaha the manager closed his eyes and the panelists are freaking out hahaha
└
└ I told you not to do RPF
└ No, it’s the official broadcast subtitles hahaㅠ
62 But… Is it right to apply bruise medicine so thickly like that?
└ Even if it’s wrong, it’s right
└ Just let them do it..,,
63 Actor Ji is too focused
└ Who kisses no ㅋ He’s applying the medicine so resolutely
└ (ㅋㅋ)
64 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Why did they do it ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
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123 Actor Ji is giving everything… He’s applying medicine, giving water, playing the opposite role…
└ Manager is playing the opposite role though
└ Playing the opposite role too (give me)
124 Huh, Manager looks like he’d be good at acting too
└ …?
└ ?
125 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ?
126 Hahaha
127 Hahaha
128 Ah fuck hahaha
129 He’s so bad at acting T_T hahaha
130 His bad acting is too much T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T
131 The interview hahaha He knows he’s bad at acting too hahaha
└ Why why?? What did he say?? My mom called me for a second so I couldn’t seeㅠ
└ He just said that he’s not burdened by playing the opposite role because he’s really bad at acting and Actor Ji doesn’t care ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ The next interview with Actor Ji is so funny too, he said he makes him do it on purpose because it’s fun because he’s bad at acting ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Aren’t they going to fight again when this airs ㅠㅠ?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
132 Q. (To Actor Ji) What’s the secret to acting?
A. (Answers roughly that it’s practice) I think he’ll be good at it if he formally learns it too. …Or not?
└ > Or not? <
└ Or not?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
133 Is there a reason why he’s not an actor with that face Hoxy…?
└ Hahaha, there’s a reason for that.
└ But… Acting can be done with practice but faces can’t be done with practice
└ The facts you carelessly throw! Can be violence to some catfish~
134 He’s stealing his hat again
135 ?? Was that Manager’s hat??
└ Yes, yes. Why??
└ No, Actor Ji wore it all the time. Didn’t he wear it even at company dinners?
└ Isn’t that a different hat?
└ Maybe? It’s the same black color, so I don’t know.
136 Seeing the interview, it seems he always stole the hat.
137 He just likes that friend’s hat for no reason. Cute…
└ Favorite hat.
138 At this point, just give it to him.
└ I agree, just give it to Actor Ji!
139 Seriously, it’s so funny… Did they make up?
140 A married couple’s fight is like cutting water with a knife.
└ Is it real that this is coming out officially?
141 ?
142 ?
143 ?ㅋ
144 Darling.
145 Darling…
146 Yes, yes, your requested GIF is here.
(Ji Hyeon saying, ‘Darling, I was sorry then.’gif)
└ Thank you, thank you.
└ What is this??????????????????? Is it real?????????????
└ Look at this again… (Ji Hyeon calling ‘Darling’ while resting his chin.gif)
└ Crazy, when is this from?
└ First episode when he wasn’t a regular yet ㅠㅠㅠㅠ At this time, Ji Hyeon even fed Manager Bang-to…
└ Sigh… The blessings of “Darling” are endless.
147 They’re just pushing them as a couple ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Rolling up his sleeves, the caption is ‘Never-ending support’ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
148 Ji Hyeon’s suit fit is insane.
149 I want to see Manager wear a suit too…
150 Randomly, I’m so glad Actor Ji washes his hands well, unlike ‘them’ (subject omitted).
└ 22
└ 333 Unlike them^^
151 Actor Ji gives a handkerchief, but he wipes with a paper towel.
└ Paper towels are here.
152 Applying hand cream on the back of the hand is the rule.
153 Huh…
154 ??
155 To apply it for him??
156 Didn’t Ji Hyeon have a germ phobia?
└ It’s a rumor.
└ It’s not a rumor; fans would all know.
└ He might have fixed it.
└ No, he still has a little.
└ What kind of germaphobe asks someone to apply hand cream for them…
└ ㅋㅋ; I’ll correct it. He seems to be completely cured?
157 Friends? Applying? Hand cream? For each other?? Is that the world we’re in right now??
158 ㅋㅋ Ah, honestly, this is too obvious of a BL performance.
159 Actor Ji is disgustingly playing the game. Even with that face, he’s doing BL? oO(Try harder, you son of a bitch)
160 If Ji Hyeon is doing BL, I should live diligently too…
└ I got hit in the back of the head after seeing this.
└ Shit, me too… I need to go to work diligently.
└ Come out, you bastard who said he wasn’t professional earlier.
161 BL or whatever, shit..,,, Ah…(violent swearing)
└ Haha, Ikmam = My MaeSo
└ Ah!!~!~ I don’t know if this is right now~!~~!!!
162 Do you know what’s the most outrageous thing here…? It’s not Ji Hyeon asking to have it applied, it’s not Manager applying it because he was asked, it’s not the cameraman watching this alone, it’s Manager’s saying, “Do you ask me to apply hand cream ‘every day’…” Every day? Why is ‘every day’ coming out?
└ Every day…?
└ Do you guys play like that when I’m not around…?
└ Why do you guys play like that when I’m not around…?
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ No, why is the cameraman in the middle ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ I don’t know ㅠ The cameraman is the worst.
163 It’s so funny, why is the 15+ mark popping up at this timing?
└ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
164 Ugh,,, but it got a bit embarrassing watching with my family.
└ Me too… I quickly covered my puppy’s eyes.
└ How old is your puppy?
└ Ten years old ㅠㅠ
└ Ten years old is not okay, they can’t watch 15+.
165 Huh??
166 Didn’t the editing just now… feel weird?
└ Yeah… I was watching well, but it suddenly cut off.
└ What’s going on?
└ I thought my TV at home was broken.
167 PD Yoo, please don’t do this. We like you. You have to keep showing us…
168 I want the unedited version (1/999)
└ (2/999)
└ (3/999)
└ (4/999)
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└ (78/999)
└ They say it’s not possible because it’s unbroadcastable.
└ PD, I’m old. Please…
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322 Actor Ji has started acting again, but I still can’t escape the afterglow of the hand cream…
└ Me too…
└ Just kidding ㅋ Actor Ji is so good at acting.
323 Shin I-chan is good at acting too.
└ Yeah, he’s improved a lot.
└ I agree, you can tell he’s improved a lot just by looking at his expressions.
└ You can’t mention other idols ㅠㅠ
└ Ah, is this not okay either??
└ This much should be okay?
└ As long as it’s not swearing or bandwagoning, it’s okay.
324 I’m even more curious because they’re not showing the content ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ I guess they cut out all the lines because it might be a spoiler ㅜ
└ The moment I say that, the lines come out right away.
325 Wow, he’s pronouncing that???
└ Gwon Geong-geong-sa, how do you even pronounce that?
326 Gwon Geong-geong-sa Kim Hyeong-hyeong-sa Yi Geong-geong-sa Gwon Geong-geong-sa
└ The factory manager of the soy sauce factory is Manager Kang, and the factory manager of the soybean paste factory is Manager Gong.
└ The red bean porridge from the house next door is red bean young bean porridge, the bean porridge from the house behind is new bean sweet bean bean porridge, and the sesame porridge from our house is black sesame sesame porridge.
└ I bit my tongue after trying to follow all three lines just now.
327 Is that the script??? Isn’t the writer an anti-fan of Ji Hyeon?
└ Ah, it’s an NG ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ I knew they would show it ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
328 Wow, it’s an ad-lib? Crazy…
329 ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ Sigh,,, I’m falling for how good he is at acting, really.
330 I think Yi Geong-geong-sa is also falling for Ji Hyeon? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Look how he likes it because it’s okay, so cute ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ He’s more likable than I thought.
└ (Deleted comment.
└ Ik-ah, I’m sorry, but even if the atmosphere is good, you can’t promote other celebrities…….
└ Sorry, I’ll delete it… ㅠ
331 He must have been very grateful, he’s even giving wine.
└ He was originally going to give the wine ㅋㅋ
332 Ji Hyeon talking nicely with a Hubae…? It’s been 15 years since I only shipped Jizel… History is being made.
└ Our outcast celebrity Jizel ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ Our Ji-jjok is finally ㅜㅜ~!!!
333 Does Actor Ji like wine? He looks like he doesn’t know… When is that interview from?
└ When I looked it up, only blog posts came up. I think it’s an interview from a magazine when he was twenty-one.
└ Tastes change.
└ Then did he dig up an interview from 8 years ago? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Passionate.
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701 Yay, I’m leaving work.
702 ♥Good job today too, Actor Ji♥
703 I wasn’t going to say this, but… they’re even dating on their way home from work…
└ ㅋㅋ.
└ ㅋㅋ… I feel like I’m wearing a homo filter right now…
704 Who is the most at fault among the following? 1. Ji Hyeon who tried to get in the passenger seat and got rejected 2. Ji Hyeon who drank wine together and told him to sleep in my room 3. Manager who went even further and declared he would wear your pajamas
└ 4. The cameraman who watched this alone.
└ Even though it’s a self-cam installed in the car.
└ 5. Then Yoo Hye-sun who didn’t release the unedited version.
705 In the end, did he sleep over? Ji Hyeon says there are many rooms in his house.
└ Why are you saying there are suspiciously many rooms.
└ We also know that Actor Ji has many rooms in his house ㅋㅋ ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
└ No one suspected that they slept in the same room, so why are you making excuses?? It’s even more suspicious because you’re really making excuses;;;
706 Is non-alcoholic wine worth drinking?
└ Yeah, I tried it because I was taking herbal medicine, and it was okay.
└ Good for getting in the mood ㅋㅋ
707 The wine must have been delicious…
└ What did they do while drinking wine…
└ It was delicious. (subject omitted)
└ Stop it you guys ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└ Okay.. ㅠ
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―……Yes. I drank wine and borrowed pajamas and stayed over.
Only a low voice echoed in the quiet office. ‘My MaeSo,’ which aired last Saturday, was playing on the tablet PC set up on the table. The broadcast was almost over, and the man in the screen added with a slight pause.
―Ji Hyeon has many rooms in his house.
It sounded like a calm tone at first glance, but it didn’t seem that way to CEO Byun, who was watching the broadcast. The awkwardly avoided gaze, the hand that sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, all of those were reactions that came out when ‘he’ was embarrassed.
The screen then changed, and this time, a familiar face appeared. The man with a particularly happy smile was Ji Hyeon, his nephew and affiliated actor. Ji Hyeon, who was crossing his legs and tilting his head, soon smiled with his eyes and said.
―Yes, well……. It was delicious.
“…….”
His dreamlike, excited face looked the happiest CEO Byun had ever seen. It was an expression he often imitated when acting, but he had never felt such sincere joy.
‘How does it look to President?’
Who would have imagined it? That moment when Ji Hyeon was in the hospital after an accident, when he cautiously opened his mouth with scratches all over his face. That guy who spoke with a tired face as if he was about to collapse, was the same person as the actor doing the interview now.
‘I can’t sleep without him, I’m anxious that he’ll go into hiding again, and I can’t even breathe because I’m having panic attacks…….’
‘…….’
‘Is this normal?’
To be sure, he never thought it would be to that extent. To be exact, he didn’t know that the cause was solely due to Kwak Eun-ho. That kind of thing was definitely not normal, and it wasn’t a problem that could be solved even if he went to the hospital.
‘He can’t be the only one for me.’
‘…….’
‘But there’s no one like Kwak Eun-ho.’
‘Hyeon-ah, don’t tell me…….’
He couldn’t bring himself to say the rest. That word that he couldn’t even dare to ask, whether he liked Eun-ho. CEO Byun simply swallowed the rest of the words and concluded on his own that it shouldn’t be.
Just to be clear, whether Eun-ho was a man or Ji Hyeon was an actor was not that important. No, it was important, but it wasn’t the top priority anyway. He had no intention of controlling the dating life of his affiliated actor, and if the other person was Kwak Eun-ho, the probability of a scandal was even lower.
Nevertheless, the reason he thought ‘it shouldn’t be’ was because he judged that the end of these emotions would never lead to a good result. First, Eun-ho didn’t like Ji Hyeon, second, he didn’t know how long Ji Hyeon’s feelings would last, and third, he didn’t want him to miss out on good relationships by being swayed by mere love.
Love has an expiration date. The people CEO Byun had met, the people he had seen, everyone who had passed him by was like that. Just looking at Ji Hyeon’s parents, they had reached that kind of ending, so it couldn’t be easy to like a friend…… especially another man.
If he was going to like him, he should either never know for life, or hide it for life. Even if it was a bit cruel, he judged that it was better to remain friends without knowing anything.
However, even if he was as insensitive to emotions as Ji Hyeon, there was no way that a guy like Eun-ho wouldn’t notice the ‘affection’ towards him. He must have received countless confessions in his life, so there was bound to be a sense of touch learned from experience. Even though he seemed indifferent at first glance, he was more capable than anyone else at looking after others, so he must have quickly realized Ji Hyeon’s feelings.
But quitting as a Manager was an implicit rejection that he couldn’t accept your feelings. Perhaps Eun-ho also didn’t want to lose the person Ji Hyeon, so he widened the safety distance. So he endured and endured and declared the end, and so he didn’t put up with Ji Hyeon’s words and actions anymore.
‘But I will do it.’
“…….”
Well, it seemed that even that prediction was wrong.
“Aish…….”
CEO Byun, who let out a deep sigh, turned the tablet PC upside down on the table. He thought he was good at seeing people, but when he looked at those two guys, he was always in a situation where he knew but didn’t know. Those little heads had so many thoughts, and their relationship was more complicated than anyone he had ever seen.
Knock knock.
While he was lost in thought for a while, someone knocked on the door of the President’s office. Startled, he turned his head, and a familiar voice was heard from the entrance.
“President, this is Kwak Eun-ho.”
“Oh, come in.”
Only then did CEO Byun remember that he had called Eun-ho in relation to Ji Hyeon’s schedule. He was going to monitor while waiting, but he was completely immersed because the atmosphere between the two was unusual. These immature guys were blatantly showing that they had fought, even though there was a camera.
Click, the door opened, and Eun-ho came inside. As soon as he entered, he bowed deeply to CEO Byun. Unlike usual, he wasn’t wearing a hat, but he was wearing all black clothes as always.
“Sit there. Do you want something to drink?”
“No, I’m okay.”
Eun-ho politely declined and sat on the sofa diagonally across from CEO Byun. CEO Byun, who had pushed the tablet PC that had been turned upside down to one side, brought the documents he had prepared earlier and handed them to him. It was the reason he had called him today.
“Actor Ji has a shoot today, right? I’ll get to the point quickly since you’ll be busy.”
He hadn’t seen the schedule, but he should have a shoot for today as well. Judging from the fact that Eun-ho didn’t answer, it seemed that he was busy.
“Let’s see……. First, this is an exclusive advertisement that is expiring this time, and the advertiser wants to actively renew it. It seems like we can raise the conditions a bit, so Manager Kwak should persuade him to do it if possible.”
“Ah, Actor Ji said that he wants to renew the coffee advertisement if there are no other issues.”
“Really? It’s rare for him to say something commendable. Then let’s proceed with this, and this is what I picked out from the newly received CFs. Looking at it, it seems like one of them contacted us after seeing you drinking beer on ‘My MaeSo.’”
There was still time until the broadcast, but it was already known that they were filming the drama. The variety show’s viewership was also good, and it was obvious that the drama would do well anyway, so quick-witted companies were already sending love calls.
And among them, there was also a proposal eyeing another protagonist of ‘My MaeSo.’
“Looking here, there are also a few proposals that came in under Manager Kwak’s name…… The pay isn’t bad.”
CEO Byun subtly handed over a few more documents to Eun-ho. It was a proposal that came to Eun-ho, or rather, to both Eun-ho and Ji Hyeon. The chemistry shown in ‘My MaeSo’ created a considerable synergy, so it wasn’t strange that there was interest in Eun-ho.
“The conditions are good, and the filming won’t be that difficult either. Looking at it, there are a few that I’m tempted by, but since the person involved’s opinion is the most important…….”
He continued to talk on and on, but Eun-ho’s expression didn’t change. Seeing him looking at the documents with indifferent eyes (which was clearly different from when he was reviewing Ji Hyeon’s), CEO Byun asked with a deflated face.
“……You’re not going to do it, are you?”
“Yes, I have no intention of doing it.”
A sharp answer came back. As expected of a Manager, even the added words were truly professional.
“I would consider it if it was a good opportunity for Actor Ji, but it seems like the only good one among these is the beer advertisement. Since the solo proposal is also for a beer advertisement, it will be difficult to proceed with both at the same time. The concept and product quality are also better in the solo proposal.”
He wanted to ask if he couldn’t ask Ji Hyeon too, but if Eun-ho said so, then it was so. Ji Hyeon trusted Eun-ho’s judgment more than anyone else, so even if he reviewed it again, nothing would change.
“Is this a partnership proposal?”
“Oh, you wore that brand’s cardigan once in an interview back then. It seems like the image matched, so they sent a proposal for a global ambassador. They even sent an invitation to the show as the first male muse in Asia.”
“Ah, here…….”
Eun-ho, who took the documents, scanned the contents with his eyes. It was a proposal from D company, but unfortunately, Ji Hyeon liked H company a little more than D company. Eun-ho seemed to have the same thought, as he lowered his eyes and lightly cleared his throat.
“It matches the brand image, but…….”
Ji Hyeon doesn’t wear clothes from here often, and he only wore that cardigan once by chance. Seeing Eun-ho seriously discussing, CEO Byun narrowed his eyes with a suspicious expression. He suddenly had this thought in his mind.
“I’ll talk to Actor Ji first.”
“…….”
I should have raised him as an actor after all.
He doesn’t have the pretty face that’s popular these days, but his overall impression is refreshing and unique. His features are big and bold, and his eyebrow bones and nose bridge are prominent, giving him a strong masculine image. He has what is called a ‘sculptural beauty’ appearance, with a large height and broad shoulders.
In the eyes of CEO Byun, the head of the agency, he could only see him as someone who would become an actor. Especially a noir actor specializing in low saturation and extreme contrast. If he wore a suit and held a gun, his eyes alone would already overwhelm the screen.
“Take the advertisement and…….”
Even while Eun-ho was speaking calmly, CEO Byun was lost in the imagination of him becoming an actor. He has a good voice, good vocalization, and even his pronunciation isn’t bad. If he set his hair and trimmed his eyebrows a little, he could be put in front of the camera right away without any sense of incongruity. Acting…… I saw earlier that he needs to be taught a little. But that’s a problem that time will solve.
“Anyway, let’s decide on this then…….”
“…….”
“……Why are you looking at me like that?”
Suddenly, Eun-ho, who had stopped talking, looked at CEO Byun. CEO Byun’s gaze was so intense that he couldn’t ignore it. CEO Byun abruptly said to Eun-ho, who was touching his cheek as if wondering if something was on his face.
“Are you really not going to be an actor?”
“Huh?”
Eun-ho blinked, dumbly asking again. He quickly softened his expression. As if saying something absurd, he replied in a calm tone.
“Didn’t you see the latest ‘My MaeSo’?”
It meant, how could he say that after seeing his acting? It was a perfectly understandable reason for CEO Byun, who had actually seen his performance.
“And what kind of actor would I be at thirty, just around the corner?”
“Manager Kwak, acting isn’t like being an idol; age doesn’t matter. There are actors who start even after forty.”
“That’s called talent.”
“You have a face that’s a talent.”
He said it jokingly, but it was the honest truth. If the person himself liked the idea, he would have tried to push it, but Eun-ho dismissed it as a joke, leaving him speechless. If he were to steel himself to persuade him, he immediately gave up, remembering Ji Hyeon, who would vehemently oppose it.
“Thank you for the offer, but I can’t do it. That’s something people like Ji Hyeon do.”
Tch, CEO Byun clicked his tongue and leaned back on the sofa. Seeing him say it with a face that showed no gratitude, it seemed nothing would change no matter how many times he tried to persuade him. Why was the kid so lacking in ambition? He should be sorry to his parents for being born so handsome.
“If you ever change your mind, let me know. I’m confident I can make you a star by the time you’re thirty-five.”
“Yes, I’ll think about it.”
Eun-ho replied lightly out of courtesy to the heartfelt words. He really meant it, but Eun-ho still looked like he didn’t believe him.
Eun-ho probably didn’t know, but in the early days when he had just started as a Manager, his photo had circulated on the internet. The casually taken photo attracted attention, causing a stir in a community with people wondering if he was a trainee.
‘Who do you think you are, uploading a photo of a civilian and causing a fuss?’
As soon as he found out, Ji Hyeon literally threw a fit and left the cleanup to CEO Byun. Saying there was no business ethics, that he would sue them all. Usually indifferent to any malicious comments, he couldn’t contain his anger and lost his composure at that time.
‘Hyeon-ah, even if we take it down now, it’ll spread again.’
CEO Byun said it couldn’t be helped, but Ji Hyeon wouldn’t listen. He said to make it happen if it wasn’t possible, and how could he protect a civilian’s privacy if he couldn’t even do that? He relentlessly spouted only the right things, annoyingly so.
Strictly speaking, he wasn’t wrong, so CEO Byun moved quickly and succeeded in taking down Eun-ho’s photo. He was already a pro in this field, and fortunately, it was possible because it hadn’t spread everywhere yet. Similar incidents happened about twice after that, and CEO Byun took care of all the aftermath as well.
“Is there anything else you’d like to say?”
To that extent, the man in front of him had enough qualities to become a star. After all, buzz wasn’t something you could have just because you wanted it. Of course, even that was useless if he didn’t want it himself.
“Um… I’m asking this as Hyeon-ah’s uncle.”
After a moment of hesitation, CEO Byun carefully opened his mouth. He wanted to pretend he didn’t know and move on, but there were things he needed to confirm first. Whether as an uncle or as a President.
“Eun-ho, you and Hyeon-ah…”
Even after opening his mouth, he couldn’t immediately ask the question. Did you decide to date Hyeon-ah? Does Hyeon-ah like you? No, Eun-ho, do you like him? Is that romantic feeling right? The two eyes looking at him seemed too pure to rattle off such words.
So, CEO Byun asked the most innocuous question instead.
“…Did you make up?”
The question he carefully chose to ask was just this confirmation. It was actually the most important part. From the beginning, Eun-ho had set a deadline for working as a Manager, saying it would only be until the end of the ‘My MaeSo’ filming. CEO Byun didn’t know what happened to their relationship after that.
“Ah…”
Eun-ho awkwardly avoided his gaze as soon as he heard the question. He rubbed the back of his neck and replied in his unique, blunt voice.
“Yes, we made up. I’m sorry for worrying you.”
It was an answer he had already expected, and CEO Byun guessed the reason for the embarrassment hidden within. It wasn’t just because they had fought and made up, but because he was watching to see if their changed relationship would be discovered. That’s why he couldn’t even make eye contact and had a guilty expression.
“Good. Don’t fight in the future and get along well.”
It was like something you would say to elementary school kids. Don’t fight with your friends and get along well. It was a nagging he had never done even when Ji Hyeon was young.
“He’s surprisingly mentally… no, he has a tender heart.”
He quickly changed his words, about to say he was mentally weak. He wanted to try to sugarcoat it somehow, and Eun-ho probably understood the meaning well enough. That’s why he chuckled as if he knew.
“It’s not just because he’s my nephew, but he went through a lot of hardship when he was young. Eun-ho, you know the story roughly, right?”
Even though he knew it was meddling, CEO Byun deliberately added a word. Eun-ho nodded obediently to that. It was something that came up even if you just looked at Sea Wiki, so there was no way his Manager wouldn’t know. Others would think half of it was a rumor, but the reality was much more serious.
“His parents… I mean, my Noona and Hyung-in-law, raised him almost neglectfully.”
Thinking about it again, they were really people who didn’t deserve to raise children. Noona and Hyung-in-law, he didn’t know what they were like in their respective positions, but they were the worst kind of people in the family. Capable businessperson, excellent actor, yet an incompatible couple and the worst parents.
“Even if he speaks harshly, his nature isn’t bad. I can’t ask you to understand him, but don’t hate him too much.”
It was something he had said once before. He always thought of him as a rude guy, but he didn’t want anyone else to see Ji Hyeon in a bad light. Especially if it was Eun-ho, whom Ji Hyeon uniquely followed. If even Eun-ho left Ji Hyeon, it was obvious how he would collapse.
“…I don’t hate him. I can’t.”
The quiet reply was a word filled with more sincerity than anything else. Eun-ho was silent for a moment before carefully broaching the subject.
“I have one question.”
“Huh? Uh-huh, feel free to ask.”
CEO Byun nodded readily, meaning he could ask anything. He reflexively leaned his upper body towards Eun-ho. It was very rare for him to be curious about something first.
However, even though permission had been granted, Eun-ho asked the question with a hesitant look.
“Why… are your surnames different?”
“Me and Noona?”
The subject was omitted, but it was obvious who he was talking about. He wondered why he was being so careful, but it seemed he thought it was a sensitive issue. It wasn’t something to be embarrassed about at this age, and even if it was a sensitive issue, he could tell Eun-ho.
“Well, it’s not a story to be so careful about… I’m an illegitimate child. We have the same father, but different mothers. I follow my mother’s surname, Byun, and Noona follows our father’s surname, Shim.”
That was the reason why the fact that Ji Hyeon and CEO Byun were related by blood hadn’t been revealed yet. There were often rumors circulating, but even those were close to unfounded rumors.
“Actually, we only share blood and are almost like strangers. I didn’t even know I had a father and only found out about Noona and Ji Hyeon’s existence after Ji Hyeon was born. I only became Ji Hyeon’s guardian after Hyung-in-law died.”
After Noona died, that selfish Hyung-in-law had Ji Hyeon locked up in a mental hospital. Because they had never interacted from the beginning, CEO Byun couldn’t even attempt to take Ji Hyeon out. He thought it shouldn’t be like that, but he could only stand by and remain silent because there was nothing he could do.
“How much did you hear from Ji Hyeon about family matters?”
“I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t ask.”
How much should he say? Eun-ho shook his head obediently to the question asked with that thought in mind. Before CEO Byun could say anything, he added this.
“I don’t plan to ask if he’s uncomfortable.”
So, it was okay not to tell him the deeper story. Knowing that it was Eun-ho’s own consideration, CEO Byun just smiled and said nothing.
“Okay, then. You’ll have to hear the details from Ji Hyeon.”
It was a clichéd story. A man who couldn’t forget his dead wife and even denied his own child. It was a material that wouldn’t even be used in morning dramas these days. Ji Hyeon seemed to think he sent him to the hospital because he was afraid he would say nonsense, but CEO Byun thought there were more complex emotions involved. From the perspective of the perfectionist Ji Dong-woo, he couldn’t accept his wife’s suicide and his son, who looked just like his mother.
“As you know, Eun-ho… Ji Hyeon sees me as the President of his agency rather than his uncle.”
He wasn’t upset about that fact, but he just felt bitter from time to time. He was also someone who didn’t know much about family affection, so he felt like he had made his innocent nephew too lonely. Still, he could confidently say he wasn’t a bad President anywhere, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t a bad uncle. In the end, he was no different from his parents.
“So, I’m always grateful to you, Eun-ho.”
It was a word spoken as an uncle, not as the President of the agency. Not to the Manager of the agency’s actor, but to his nephew’s only friend.
“I’m not saying this to put pressure on you, so just take it with a grain of salt. I guess I’m getting menopause as I get older…”
Feeling like he was being unnecessarily meddlesome, CEO Byun tried to lighten the mood. Fortunately, Eun-ho didn’t seem too burdened. He just lowered his eyes slowly as if he was sorry.
“I haven’t done anything, though.”
“You haven’t done anything? The class of accidents he causes has changed since you came.”
Certainly, he had become incredibly mild-mannered to this extent. In the past, his personality was so bad that he wondered if it was really okay. At least now, when a fellow actor provokes him, he fights back… but even that was only against guys like Park Tae-soo, wasn’t it?
“You know his personality controversy was no joke in the past, right? I almost got alopecia trying to clean it up.”
There was such an incident once. When Ji Hyeon was in high school, in a work he was cast in without an audition, one of the supporting actors kept picking on him. He would grumble whenever Ji Hyeon was in front of him, and the main content was something like this.
‘If you were picked because of connections, you should behave yourself properly.’
Ji Hyeon was already an accomplished actor to be picked because of connections, but that wasn’t very important to those blinded by jealousy. They were looking for flaws with their eyes wide open, so if Ji Hyeon made even one NG, they would openly laugh at him. He could have been intimidated by the whispering voices, but Ji Hyeon didn’t bat an eye.
‘If I was really picked because of connections, you’re the one who should behave yourself properly.’
His unique, gentle voice shone even more in such situations. The part that made the listener feel humiliated because it sounded too relaxed was like that. Of course, he was deliberately speaking mockingly at the time.
‘Just because you were picked through an audition, you think you can’t be replaced? Do you think I can’t put someone in your role with my connections?’
In reality, it was a role that could be replaced immediately with just one word from Ji Hyeon. The other person knew that fact, so their face probably turned bright red as soon as they heard Ji Hyeon’s words. It would have been good if it had ended there, but Ji Hyeon insisted on adding one more word.
‘If you don’t want to be replaced, work hard. If you have nothing, you have to protect even that tiny role.’
The other person was the one who started the fight first, but at that point, it looked like Ji Hyeon was threatening him instead. The fact that Ji Hyeon was the main character that even the director was wary of, and the other person was a supporting actor with no power, was like that. Since one side was too powerful, it was obvious which side looked worse in the eyes of the staff.
Anyway, because he fought back whenever he was provoked, noise naturally followed him wherever he went. There was a limit to cleaning up, and even when it wasn’t Ji Hyeon’s fault, he ended up getting angry at him. Ji Hyeon didn’t listen, but that situation was definitely stressful for him.
“I’m saying this again, I’m not trying to put pressure on you… just date for a long time. Don’t fight for no reason.”
“…”
Perhaps because the nuance of the word ‘date’ was quite strange, Eun-ho’s expression changed for a moment. Like a quick-witted guy, he seemed to have vaguely understood the hidden meaning of what CEO Byun was saying. Of course, he still had a questioning look.
“And I’ve found a new hospital this time, so tell Ji Hyeon to go for a consultation sometime next week. I’ll make a reservation to match his schedule. I’ll go instead of Manager Kwak, so take the day off and rest at home that day.”
“Ah, no. I can go with him.”
“No, an adult should go for things like this.”
It wouldn’t be fixed by doing this, but it was CEO Byun’s own sense of responsibility. It was also an apology to his nephew, whom he had neglected until a few years ago and had allowed his illness to grow. Still, he was the only family he had, so he didn’t want to leave even this to Eun-ho.
“He probably won’t want to go with you either.”
In fact, Ji Hyeon had never gone with Eun-ho when going to this hospital. It was CEO Byun’s role to get the medicine, and he would sometimes go for consultations without Eun-ho knowing. If he didn’t know, it wouldn’t be a matter of pride for Ji Hyeon.
“That’s all I have to say. I’ve kept a busy person for too long. You have a ‘My MaeSo’ shoot today, right?”
Maybe the consultation results won’t be too bad this time. From the beginning, the fact that his condition had deteriorated rapidly was just a temporary fluctuation. It was partly because of his age, but he had improved a lot emotionally and mentally in that short period.
“It’s okay. You can take your time.”
CEO Byun knew that all of that was thanks to the man in front of him. Kwak Eun-ho was much better for him than any tranquilizer. It was troublesome if he was too dependent, but it was now Ji Hyeon’s role to cure that dependence.
‘So, I have to wish them well.’
What right did he have? He had no intention of interfering in their relationship. He just desperately wanted a future where neither of them would be hurt. Because his arm bends inward, it was inevitable that he would wish for Ji Hyeon’s happiness a little more. Of course, Eun-ho’s happiness was also necessary for that to happen.
He probably wouldn’t quit being a Manager for the time being. CEO Byun thought so and secretly let out a sigh of relief. He hoped this peace would last for a long time.
If only that could happen, the fact that Ji Hyeon was dating a man wouldn’t matter much.
“…The President found out.”
Those words came out as soon as Eun-ho, who had entered the living room, found Ji Hyeon. Ji Hyeon, who had gotten up when he heard the sound of the door lock opening, moved his lips silently at the sudden notification. He was going to ask why he was so late, but Eun-ho had taken the lead.
“Found out what?”
“That we’re dating.”
Eun-ho said that and slowly approached Ji Hyeon. Ji Hyeon, who had been frowning until then, relaxed his expression as soon as he heard the words ‘dating’. But when Eun-ho stopped in the middle, he frowned again.
“He didn’t say it directly, but I think he noticed.”
“…Really?”
He was going to reach out his hand if he got closer, but the distance was ambiguously far. He didn’t like that he had gone home last night, but the first thing he said when he came was about CEO Byun.
“So what? Whatever.”
Ji Hyeon replied insincerely and gestured towards Eun-ho. It meant he didn’t need anything else and should come here first. Eun-ho took a step closer without much hesitation, so he naturally wrapped his arms around his waist.
“But why suddenly, President?”
Ji Hyeon asked back cautiously and buried his face in Eun-ho’s arms. As he took a deep breath, Kwak Eun-ho’s unique scent filled his senses. The scent of the soap he used, the fabric softener scent left on his clothes, and just Kwak Eun-ho’s scent.
“He told me to date you for a long time.”
“Ah, that old man’s meddling…”
He knew it. CEO Byun, who had an unnecessarily good sense, didn’t miss even the smallest details, especially when it came to matters related to Ji Hyeon. Even if there were parts he had forgotten because he was caught up in prejudice, he would have noticed Ji Hyeon’s feelings enough if there was a decisive hint.
“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t a secret in the first place.”
I can’t force him to break up with me anyway. Seeing as he even told me to date him for a long time, he must want Eun-ho to stick by my side like this. If that guy quits, then CEO Byun will have to deal with the aftermath entirely.
“It’s not a secret, but… I am curious how you knew.”
“You just get more perceptive as you get older.”
“President, you’re not that old.”
Eun-ho chuckled softly and stroked the back of Ji Hyeon’s head. His long fingers rummaged through the silky hair. Ji Hyeon felt good at the touch, letting out a languid sigh and hugging him tighter.
“I couldn’t sleep a wink last night without you.”
“…Again?”
His voice was calm, but there was a hint of worry. It was just one word, but he seemed a little upset. He probably wouldn’t think it was because of him, but he’d be upset that I couldn’t sleep.
“So, stay over tonight.”
It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t sleep, but I just didn’t want to send Eun-ho home. The anxiety that he wouldn’t come back had lessened a lot, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t waiting for him. He wasn’t a very talkative guy, but when he left, the emptiness was so great.
“We’ll see. If it ends too late, I’ll have to go home.”
“……”
Isn’t it usually the opposite? If it ends late, it’s easier to sleep here and go the next day.
Looking back, Eun-ho’s idea of comfort was often different from Ji Hyeon’s. Like when I asked him why he never stayed over, and he gave me an obvious answer.
‘Home is comfortable. You’re comfortable at home, too.’
I’ve never been comfortable at home. Now or then, the space of ‘home’ didn’t mean much to Ji Hyeon. When I was a kid, it was a place I wanted to escape from, and when I got a little older, it was a place where I had nightmares, and now it’s just a place without Kwak Eun-ho.
The only advantage of a home was that outsiders couldn’t enter it without permission. I couldn’t sleep at the studio or at home, and sometimes the studio, where I didn’t have random thoughts, was much better. So, I can’t 100% understand what he meant by ‘comfortable.’
“You don’t sleep when I’m around.”
Eun-ho brought up the opposite story, as if he’d heard the words that I couldn’t sleep without him. Of course, this wasn’t wrong either. When Eun-ho was by my side, I didn’t want to go to bed early for other reasons.
“Still, I’m more comfortable with you around.”
Then, is Kwak Eun-ho my home? Ji Hyeon swallowed the words he couldn’t bring himself to say and raised his head. As he pulled on Eun-ho’s arm, he willingly bent down and kissed Ji Hyeon.
Chup, their lips parted and met again after a short pause. It was thanks to Ji Hyeon pulling Eun-ho, who was trying to get away, back. Ji Hyeon wrapped his arm around the back of Eun-ho’s neck and secured him tightly, tilting his head and pushing his tongue through the gap in his lips.
‘Wanna do it? That thing.’
After that day’s sex, Eun-ho no longer avoided contact with Ji Hyeon. The reason he kept his distance in the first place was probably because he was wondering if Ji Hyeon would be uncomfortable. So, now he would willingly open his lips and accept Ji Hyeon.
Eun-ho, who was holding the back of the sofa with one hand, bent down even further. With the other hand, he gently supported Ji Hyeon’s cheek. The sensation of tongues mixing, the flushed breath, was so good that it sent shivers down his spine.
‘Ah… I think I’m getting hard.’
I’d never thought of myself as having a strong sex drive, but when I touched Kwak Eun-ho, those thoughts were completely shaken. The moment I felt his body temperature, a hot heat soared from my stomach. The desires that had gradually built up didn’t seem to disappear until they were properly resolved.
Ji Hyeon subtly caressed Eun-ho’s neck and lowered his hand. He tickled the neatly trimmed back of his head with his thumb, then moved his little finger to dig under the collar of his shirt. Just as his slowly moving fingers caressed the side of his neck, Eun-ho flinched and pulled his lips away.
“…You have a schedule to go to.”
A schedule, do I really have to go?
, as well as the ‘My MaeSo’ shoot, but I had such a childish thought. I’ve rarely thought about not wanting to work, but at times like this, I always lost my reason. I wanted to drop everything and spend time alone with him. Since we were together, it would be even better if we finished what we were doing.
But Kwak Eun-ho, who was unnecessarily diligent, would never grant Ji Hyeon’s wish. I could tell just by looking at him trying to regain his composure, breathing heavily. He also had sunken eyes, frowning and covering Ji Hyeon’s face.
“Don’t use your face.”
“……”
Ji Hyeon, who had been staring intently, clicked his tongue inwardly. He’s just too quick-witted. I thought he was about to give in if I waited a little longer.
“It’s not late yet.”
He had refined his tone, but he couldn’t stop his voice from lowering. It was an excited voice that anyone could hear, so Eun-ho swallowed hard.
Of course, despite that, the answer didn’t change.
“It’s late, you idiot.”
As soon as Ji Hyeon finished getting ready, the two went down to the underground parking lot together. Ji Hyeon, who got into the car following Eun-ho, took out the script he had brought down from the house and opened it to the scene he would be filming today. It was a script he had memorized so well that he could recite it with a tap, but it was necessary to review it repeatedly until the actual filming began.
“Oh, President Byun said he’d book a hospital appointment for you next week on a day when you don’t have a schedule. He’ll come pick you up himself.”
There was no need to ask what kind of hospital it was. If President Byun was taking me to the hospital himself, the purpose was probably counseling. I had no objection to that, but the problem was where Kwak Eun-ho would be that day.
“What are you going to do?”
“He told me to rest.”
“……Is that so?”
Then I won’t see him that day. Eun-ho came to Ji Hyeon’s house every day because Ji Hyeon had a schedule every day. At one time, he always clocked in even during his break, but that was because Ji Hyeon demanded it so badly. Now that I said I wouldn’t be so stubborn, there was no excuse to call Eun-ho out to rest unless we were together all night.
“Eun-ho.”
Ji Hyeon called Eun-ho in the gentlest voice possible. Instead of answering, Eun-ho looked at Ji Hyeon through the rearview mirror. His gaze quickly returned to the front because he was driving, but Ji Hyeon was still staring at Eun-ho in the mirror as he spoke.
“Don’t you really want to move into my house and live with me?”
It would be nice if we could live together. If that were the case, Eun-ho wouldn’t leave even if I didn’t hold him back and tell him not to go. Besides, even if he didn’t have a schedule, he would stay at my house as if it were natural.
However, he also attached his own official reason, fearing that it would seem like he was being stubborn again.
“It’s good for your Manager work, too.”
“……Hmm.”
Eun-ho frowned and made a short sound, wondering what he was thinking. He seemed to be contemplating, but unfortunately, it didn’t seem like a positive sign. As expected, Eun-ho said in a calm tone.
“I’m going to quit when ‘My MaeSo’ is over anyway, so what.”
“……”
I felt like I’d been hit in the back of the head. Ji Hyeon widened his eyes, unable to say anything for a moment. Was I hearing things right? For a moment, I didn’t understand what he was saying.
“…You’re going to quit being a Manager?”
Is this something to say while we’re on our way to film ‘My MaeSo’? An indifferent answer came back to the question asked in a daze.
“Yeah, I have to quit.”
There was no hesitation in the short answer. At this point, it was impossible to think I had misheard.
“Why are you quitting?”
“Why? That’s what we decided from the beginning.”
After hearing those words, a scene came to mind. The conversation I had with Kwak Eun-ho on the rooftop after I went to the company with a cast on my arm, after a long time.
‘I’m not making a full comeback. I’m going to quit again when the show is over.’
Eun-ho was right. He had set a time limit and returned from the beginning. However, unlike then, the relationship between the two was now closer.
“…Did I do something wrong?”
“What? What did you do wrong?”
I asked just in case, but Eun-ho laughed as if I was saying nonsense. Since he was a guy who didn’t make empty promises, it seemed like I hadn’t done anything wrong. But, if so, why would he quit being a Manager?
“I’m not quitting because of you.”
Eun-ho immediately recognized what Ji Hyeon was worried about. Ji Hyeon felt relieved and relaxed his expression because it was such a reliable voice. Of course, apart from that, it was necessary to hear the real reason.
“Then why are you quitting?”
“Just……”
Eun-ho, who had been dragging out the end of his sentence, tapped the steering wheel. Judging from his slightly narrowed brow, there must have been something he was worried about. I was going to urge him if he hesitated any longer, but fortunately, Eun-ho opened his mouth without dragging it out for too long.
“Because I’m not confident in separating work from personal life.”
It was a simple answer. Eun-ho awkwardly added an explanation.
“I’m not confident that I won’t mix personal feelings when I work. I’m not confident that I won’t show that I’m dating you.”
“……Ah.”
Ji Hyeon, who had been silent, sighed briefly. He quickly frowned with a deflated face.
“What are you talking about? I’ve never seen anyone who separates work from personal life as well as you do.”
I wondered what he was talking about. He wouldn’t even let me sit in the passenger seat, and he said he wasn’t confident in separating work from personal life. I’d understand if he said, ‘I’m anxious because you’re showing off that you’re dating too much.’
“What else? There are a lot of things you’re not confident in. Don’t talk nonsense and just stay still.”
If the workload was difficult, I was going to come up with a solution. Or, if he had something new he wanted to do, I didn’t have the authority to hold him back. But it was just for that reason. Then the story changes.
“What personal feelings are you mixing when you work……”
I wish you’d mix them a little bit. If you had, you wouldn’t have pushed me away so firmly when I kissed you earlier, saying it was too late. ‘Kwak Eun-ho, who shows off that he’s dating.’ This was also a claim that was not even half true.
“You told me to quit at one point.”
However, the words Eun-ho spat out were enough to make Ji Hyeon lose his words for a moment. It wasn’t a reproachful tone, but as soon as I heard those words, a certain day in the past came to mind.
‘You quit being a Manager.’
The day Eun-ho had a big bruise on his face. At that time, he couldn’t go to the hospital because of filming, and he said he wouldn’t sue because the matter would get bigger.
‘I……’
‘……’
‘I like you.’
Is it okay to make someone I like uncomfortable? I had already heard the answer from Lee Soo-ah. Even Lee Soo-ah, who had nothing to do with Eun-ho, sacrificed herself for him, and I felt guilty that I couldn’t help him at all.
‘So, I don’t want to make it difficult for you.’
To be sure, it wasn’t an empty promise. However, I couldn’t deny that it was an extreme choice made because I couldn’t overcome the sense of defeat that rushed in for a moment. I didn’t want to admit that the way to care for him, the way to like him, could be so different.
“…That’s because I couldn’t separate work from personal life back then.”
I was just prepared to let you go because I didn’t want to make you suffer anymore. If you stayed by my side, you would continue to have a hard time. But now that the relationship has changed, hasn’t the situation changed as well?
“What are you going to do after you quit being my Manager?”
“Well… I might switch to being the Manager of another actor.”
Anyone could tell it was a joke. His uncharacteristic voice mixed with laughter told me. The problem was that Ji Hyeon was upset even by a word that was clearly an empty promise.
“What bastard would like you and be a Manager for another actor?”
“……”
Bewilderment flashed across Eun-ho’s eyes. The moment our eyes met through the rearview mirror, I could hear the words he didn’t bother to say. ‘What the hell are you talking about.’ Eun-ho, who swallowed those words, said calmly.
“I can be a Manager for a male celebrity.”
“Do I look like a woman to you?”
It wasn’t the gender that was important, but the fact that the other person was Kwak Eun-ho. Even Lee Soo-ah, who had only worked with him on one project, had fallen for him, so someone who had to be with him every day would have no choice. That bastard in my imagination, who doesn’t even exist yet, would definitely be interested in Eun-ho.
“It’s not like I’m going to take less care of you because you’re a man, and I’m going to take so much care of you while I’m a Manager, who wouldn’t fall for you.”
It wasn’t like I liked men so much that I liked Eun-ho. Even I, who wasn’t very interested in people, had fallen for his kindness, so even if the other person was a man, they would at least flutter once. Kwak Eun-ho probably wouldn’t even notice, but I was sure that I would be dying on the sidelines watching.
“What are you saying…… You’re the one talking nonsense now.”
“Anyway.”
Ji Hyeon retorted sharply and put the script down on his lap.
“Go ahead and try it.”
Then he spread out two fingers.
“You’ll be back to me in two weeks.”
Even if it was a brazen statement, I was confident. I needed Eun-ho, and Eun-ho was the person who knew that fact better than anyone else. Unless we had a big fight like before, he wouldn’t quit being a Manager with a half-baked resolution.
“We’ll have to see about that.”
Eun-ho chuckled and lightly accepted. He probably thought Ji Hyeon’s story was half a joke. Maybe he didn’t think this matter was that serious.
However, the opportunity to show that it was genuine came sooner than expected.
It was a holiday, and I was on my way back from counseling with President Byun. The hospital wasn’t as bad as I thought, and the doctor who gave me counseling was the best so far. She was a woman with a blunt impression, but I liked her moderately businesslike attitude and her not excessive questioning method.
The doctor said that the goal was to gradually reduce the amount of medication I was taking, but not to change the type of medication I was taking. In the first place, most of the drugs except for sleeping pills were no longer necessary for Ji Hyeon. I couldn’t completely cure everything, but it was true that my symptoms were much better than before.
‘Be good to Eun-ho. Don’t cause any more trouble.’
President Byun seemed to think that all of those achievements were thanks to Eun-ho. To be exact, it was the result of Ji Hyeon’s constant efforts, but since Eun-ho was the reason he had the will, I couldn’t say that he had no stake in it.
‘I was so surprised when Eun-ho said he was going to quit……’
He was glad that he came back, and that there would never be another kid who worked as well as him. Listening to the words that continued like a lament, Ji Hyeon opened his mouth as if it were someone else’s business.
‘I guess you didn’t hear, President.’
‘What?’
‘He said he’s going to quit being a Manager when ‘My MaeSo’ is over.’
Screech!* The car, which had been running well, suddenly stopped. Ji Hyeon, who had reflexively grabbed the handle, frowned irritably. President Byun didn’t even think about starting the car again and turned around to look at the back seat.
‘He’s going to quit being a Manager?’
‘……’
I wanted to ask him what he was doing, but I couldn’t because President Byun was so pale. Anyone who saw him would think that President Byun was the one dating Eun-ho, not me. What was he going to quit for in this situation? Ji Hyeon, who still hadn’t relaxed his expression, waved his hand.
‘Let’s start first. We almost went to the afterlife together.’
‘Oh, oh……’
President Byun slowly started the car as if he were possessed. I almost decorated the entertainment news with a bad incident. It hadn’t been long since I was hospitalized, but I couldn’t even report the news of a car accident.
‘Why is he quitting being a Manager? Did you give him a hard time again?’
It was the most likely guess. It was the reason Ji Hyeon thought of first, but he didn’t feel good when it came out of President Byun’s mouth.
‘Do you think I’m always giving people a hard time…… He said he’s not confident in separating work from personal life. He said it looks like I’m dating him.’
‘……’
President Byun gave me a dumbfounded look at the naturally continued words. As if asking, ‘Is that something you can say to your uncle?’ Since he had already noticed, what was the point of hiding it? Well, even if he hadn’t noticed, I wouldn’t have said it differently.
‘Manager Kwak is so worried. Isn’t that something Hyeon-ah, you should be worried about, not him?’
In the first place, the reason he was trying to quit his job because he couldn’t separate work from personal life was responsibility. If he was a person who really couldn’t separate them, he would find an excuse to be together somehow, using work as an excuse. Just like me, who is still wondering if I should schedule an afternoon schedule.
‘Is that the only reason?’
‘I guess so.’
‘……Is that so?’
President Byun confirmed one more time and then quietly closed his mouth. His two eyes, which had quickly turned serious, seemed to be worrying about something. I don’t know, but it must have been a very complicated story for him, who had to hire a new Manager.
‘Let’s give Eun-ho a vacation.’
After a long while, CEO Byun declared in a resolute tone. Ji Hyeon wondered what he was talking about and looked at him, and he swallowed hard before adding.
“Give him a vacation…”
“……”
“And tell him to think it over.”
In short, he meant to postpone the matter for a while. It was like a prescription that superiors usually give when a hardworking subordinate declares their resignation.
“He’s just tired from work right now. He’ll think rationally after he clears his head for a bit.”
“He’ll rationally say he’s quitting. You know Kwak Eun-ho’s personality.”
“……Do you think so too?”
CEO Byun, who had been so confident when he first brought it up, quickly backed down with a look of uncertainty. If it was the Kwak Eun-ho they knew, he would organize his thoughts coherently after clearing his head and submit his resignation. Once he made up his mind, he was the type who never looked back.
“Since it’s come to this, let’s just film ‘My MaeSo’ for life. Yeah, that’s better. The viewership ratings are good anyway…”
“……”
Ji Hyeon couldn’t answer CEO Byun because the flow of his thoughts was surprisingly similar to his own. Even without that, Ji Hyeon had already resolved to film ‘My MaeSo’ for life once before. Of course, it was uncertain whether Eun-ho would agree.
“Don’t do that, just give him a vacation.”
“What? What if he comes back after clearing his head and thinks rationally!”
CEO Byun vehemently opposed, even saying things like an evil CEO who would rather make him work without giving him time to think. But Ji Hyeon had his own reasons. It would be safer to completely change Eun-ho’s mind than to temporarily hold him back. To do that, he needed time to decide that he shouldn’t quit.
“I’ll take care of it, so tell him to rest for about two weeks. Give him some vacation pay too.”
Fortunately, there were no ‘My MaeSo’ shoots for the time being. Thanks to finishing all the main filming and interviews before the holidays. Moreover, a Chuseok special was scheduled for about a week, so Ji Hyeon, who wasn’t appearing in the special, had a much more relaxed schedule than usual.
The problem was whether he could stand not seeing Eun-ho for two weeks, but in order to gain a great advantage, it was necessary to endure a little patience. Like enduring one marshmallow for the sake of two marshmallows.
“Instead, give me a temporary Manager during that time. Someone other than my uncle.”
“That’s not difficult, but…”
CEO Byun showed a dubious reaction but agreed for now. He always felt sorry for Eun-ho, so he would definitely give him a generous vacation bonus. It was probably half a bribe, but Eun-ho, the person in question, wouldn’t even dream of it.
“You’ve worked hard, Actor!”
So now, one of the employees of NB Entertainment was with Ji Hyeon. The man with a slightly clumsy impression was originally scheduled to be assigned as another actor’s Manager. He was by no means qualified to assist Ji Hyeon, but this man was chosen because Ji Hyeon requested to be assigned a newbie.
“Actor, would you like a cup of coffee?”
The man approached Ji Hyeon, who had just finished filming , and fussed over him, trying to be of service. If it were Eun-ho, he would have offered water first, but it was obvious that he didn’t know what to do and was just watching Ji Hyeon’s face.
“No, I’m fine, just give me some water first.”
“Yes!”
The man answered loudly and quickly ran to get ice water. Ji Hyeon didn’t take the bottled water he offered, but instead gave a faint smile that was barely visible.
“Not that, something lukewarm. I used my voice a lot.”
“Ah… yes, just a moment!”
Was it a difference in sense? He was definitely different from Eun-ho. Usually, he would have been annoyed by his clumsiness, but now he could easily overlook it. After all, Kwak Eun-ho would be back in two weeks.
‘…I’m going on vacation?’
A few days ago, Eun-ho couldn’t hide his bewildered expression at the sudden vacation he was given. It wasn’t the timing after finishing a project, and he was filming a drama and variety show, so it seemed strange to him that the Manager was being told to rest. It was a very valid question, but Ji Hyeon had already finished talking with CEO Byun.
‘Rest for about two weeks and come back before filming ‘My MaeSo’. I’ll be with a temporary Manager during that time. The President will give you a vacation bonus too.’
‘No, why…’
He had an expression as if he couldn’t understand at all, and the emotion contained within was clearly ‘suspicion’. What kind of trick is this? It was written all over his face. So Ji Hyeon told him directly, as if declaring war.
‘If you’re going to quit later, you should try resting too.’
‘Hey…’
The call that came out reflexively contained a bit of absurdity. You’re going this far just because of that? There was also that bewilderment. Eun-ho probably thought that Ji Hyeon had made this choice simply out of competitiveness.
‘Okay, go ahead and try.’
Those were the words Ji Hyeon had said to him. Eun-ho curled up the corners of his lips and repeated the words that followed.
‘I’m going to fill up those two weeks.’
Should he be glad that he went on vacation so willingly, or should he be sad that he didn’t seem to miss the two weeks of absence?
Anyway, Eun-ho left Ji Hyeon for a short time. He didn’t know what he would do during the vacation, and he only knew that CEO Byun had provided him with an amount that would allow him to travel abroad. Of course, given his personality, he wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to travel.
Kwak Eun-ho
[Are you awake?]
[Make sure to eat breakfast. Don’t skip it.] 07:02 AM
A short break during filming. Ji Hyeon, who had come up to the rooftop of the set, put a cigarette in his mouth and looked at the message from Eun-ho one more time. As always, he had stayed up all night with his eyes open, and the message had arrived at the time he always came to pick him up. Ji Hyeon only replied ‘You too’, but even though the ‘1’ disappeared, there was no other contact.
“……Is he busy?”
Would he hate it if he called? He didn’t really have anything to say, but he was curious about what he was doing. He should let him rest freely since he had given him a vacation. He couldn’t stand being curious about a day without him.
Come to think of it, Ji Hyeon didn’t know how he usually spent his time. When he was by his side, he was always busy doing Manager work, and on the rare days off, he would watch the movies Ji Hyeon appeared in. He couldn’t imagine how a guy who only studied when he was a student would spend his days now that he was all grown up.
‘……He quit his job and studied for the bar exam.’
No, if he said that, maybe he’s still doing something similar to studying now.
“He’s diligent, as always…”
Ji Hyeon tapped the cigarette in his mouth and scrolled up and down the chat screen. Since they were together every day, there weren’t many traces of messages exchanged. There were a few memos left by Eun-ho, a few urgings from Ji Hyeon asking when he was coming, and one contact from Eun-ho on the day he went to the hospital.
Kwak Eun-ho
[Did you go to the hospital?] 12:11 PM
That day, Ji Hyeon didn’t get to see Eun-ho’s face after all. He thought about telling him to come home if he had nothing to do, but he didn’t want to bother him too much, so he couldn’t. They exchanged trivial messages all day, but that alone didn’t fill his longing.
Kwak Eun-ho
[Go to sleep soon. I’ll go early tomorrow.] 12:11 AM
“……He contacted me for twelve hours.”
Now that he looked at it, they had spent the whole day with trivial content. Even though neither of them were the type to live with their phones attached to them, they really didn’t put them down that day. Eun-ho even called him once in the middle, and when Ji Hyeon asked him what he had done in the morning, he told him that he had done housework and eaten.
“Oh? Sunbae?”
How many times had he reread his conversation with him? The rooftop door opened and someone came outside. The other person was Shin Yi-chan, and he widened his eyes as soon as he saw Ji Hyeon with a cigarette in his mouth.
“Do you smoke?”
“……”
Usually, he would have gone into the waiting room, but he didn’t want to be with the new Manager, so he had found a space of his own. If he had known that an uninvited guest would come, he would have just gone to the waiting room and had the Manager run errands. Of course, it was too late to regret it now.
“No, I’m just holding it.”
Ji Hyeon answered briefly and took the cigarette out of his lips. He didn’t need to make excuses, but he was worried that Yi-chan would light it for him if he said he would smoke together.
“I quit.”
“Ah… me too. I quit after being scolded by my leader Hyung.”
Yi-chan smiled sheepishly with a gloomy face. It wasn’t exactly that he quit because he was scolded. He just thought he should fix everything that Kwak Eun-ho told him not to do, so he quit without thinking. Right now, his emptiness was so great that he was just holding something in his mouth.
“But I still think about it sometimes. Did Sunbae come up here because you were thinking about cigarettes?”
“Just, well…”
It was true that he came up because he was thinking about something, but the subject wasn’t cigarettes. Of course, he didn’t intend to explain that far, so Ji Hyeon vaguely glossed over his answer. As he casually looked at Yi-chan, Yi-chan gave a kind smile.
“I come up here sometimes. Maybe it’s because it’s in the mountains, but the view is so open that it makes me feel good. Actually, I always thought I was the only one who came because there was never anyone here…”
It seemed that the uninvited guest was himself, not Yi-chan. He wouldn’t have come if he had known it was a place he frequented. Ji Hyeon was finding out about this place for the first time today.
“Don’t worry about me and rest. I’ll go down first.”
Quick-wittedly, Yi-chan quickly bowed and greeted him. He probably realized that Ji Hyeon didn’t like him. On the outside, he looked like a simpleton, but he didn’t seem as stupid as he thought.
“Just stay. It doesn’t really matter.”
Ji Hyeon stopped Yi-chan in a low voice. Yi-chan, who was about to go out the door, blinked and looked back at him. He wasn’t going to come up here again anyway, so he didn’t want to take away his favorite place.
“Go down if you’re uncomfortable being with me.”
“No, no! It’s not. I’m not uncomfortable at all.”
If he wasn’t uncomfortable at all, that would be a problem in its own way. Yi-chan was a rookie, and Ji Hyeon was a much more senior actor than him, even including his idol career. It wasn’t that he was upset, but he found his flustered appearance funny.
“Then… excuse me.”
Yi-chan hesitated and carefully approached Ji Hyeon. Since Ji Hyeon was standing near the railing, he also stood next to Ji Hyeon and looked out over the railing.
Looking at his awkward movements, he wondered where he had gotten the courage to ask Eun-ho for his number. He must have had a very urgent matter, but he must have been very upset that he had lost the business card.
‘What did you do with my business card?’
The business card he had given to Yi-chan. The business card was neatly kept in a corner of Ji Hyeon’s room. He had just picked it up off the floor, so it was ambiguous to say he had stolen it, and it was also ambiguous to say it wasn’t intentional since he knew who the owner was but didn’t return it. Later, when Yi-chan confessed to him at the company dinner that he had lost the business card, he had drawn a line, saying not to contact him because it was a vacation, which was also very intentional.
“The weather is really nice today. But they say it’s going to get chilly soon after it rains next week.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, but I hope autumn comes soon. The sky is high in autumn…”
Yi-chan chattered in an excited tone, but Ji Hyeon indifferently responded and reflected on various past events. The events of the past few months felt as distant as if they were a long time ago. Fighting with Kwak Eun-ho for saying bad things, attending the company dinner in his absence, and even kissing him after drinking the wine Yi-chan gave him.
“Um… Sunbae.”
“Talk.”
He really did a big thing. Even if he excluded all other personal feelings, he was grateful for the wine that day. If it hadn’t been for that wine, he still wouldn’t have known Eun-ho’s feelings.
“If you’re okay with it, speak comfortably. Bo-young Noona also speaks informally to me.”
Ji Hyeon tilted his head and looked at Yi-chan’s face, which was a little lower than his. He had already known well enough that he wasn’t a bad guy, even though he had been blinded by jealousy and acted like a crazy person. And he also knew that he wasn’t a big enough guy to covet someone who already had a partner.
“O-of course, I’ll call you Sunbae, but…”
“Yi-chan-ah.”
If you know yourself and your enemy, you will win every battle. Was there a need to be wary and keep a distance? The only reason he kept getting on his nerves was because he was upset that he was acting without any sense of distance without knowing anything.
“You know my Manager’s number, right?”
“……Yes?”
Yi-chan blinked blankly at the question asked with a gentle smile. Ji Hyeon put away his phone, which still wasn’t ringing, and smiled even more deeply. Now that it had come to this, he was going to use everything he could.
“Can you do me a favor?”
After that day, Ji Hyeon worked really, really hard. He didn’t refuse the existing filming, as well as the minor interviews and other offers that came in between. He even tried to fill in for a late-night radio show, but CEO Byun stopped him, saying he was crazy, so he couldn’t go that far.
It wasn’t that he was deliberately overdoing it. He just told them to schedule it because he thought he could do it. He wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway, so he thought it would be better to work during that time. If it were Eun-ho, he would have cut it off appropriately, but the inexperienced new Manager had no choice but to do as Ji Hyeon told him.
Like that, one day, two days, three days. As the days changed, it wasn’t just Ji Hyeon who was getting tired. It was also visible that the Manager, who was with him every move, was getting more and more haggard. He told him that he could sleep during filming if he was tired, but whether it was the passion of a rookie, he never seemed to fall asleep.
‘If you fall asleep while driving, you’ll have an accident. If there’s an accident, the Manager will have to deal with it, are you okay?’
Only after Ji Hyeon said that did the Manager start taking short naps during breaks. Ji Hyeon also wanted to do that while moving, but he couldn’t help it because he couldn’t fall asleep. Instead, he worked even harder, and that seemed precarious even to Yi-chan.
‘……Shouldn’t Sunbae rest a bit?’
When Yi-chan asked that, Ji Hyeon thought it was a good thing. He thought that if he was asking this, he must be doing what he had asked him to do well. Kwak Eun-ho, who found out the whole story, would say he was being petty, but wasn’t it said that all roads lead to Rome?
To get to the conclusion first, Eun-ho returned as Ji Hyeon’s Manager in just ten days. It was around the time that Ji Hyeon was about to collapse during filming, and the Manager was tearfully calling CEO Byun. When he went to the office at CEO Byun’s call, there was Eun-ho, wearing a hat pulled down low.
“Eun-ho Manager…!”
The first to greet Eun-ho wasn’t Ji Hyeon or CEO Byun, but Ji Hyeon’s temporary Manager. He, who had been getting thinner day by day, recognized Eun-ho as soon as he saw him sitting on the sofa and greeted him with a delighted expression. They had only met briefly while handing over the work, but anyone who saw them would have thought they were a family reuniting after being separated.
“Is your vacation over? Are you coming back?”
It was only a question on the surface, but it was no different from begging him to please come back. He wondered if it had been that hard, and while he was chuckling, Eun-ho quietly looked at Ji Hyeon without saying anything. Ji Hyeon, who was still standing at the door, narrowed his eyes with a languid face and greeted him casually.
“You came early.”
“……”
He seemed to have a lot to say, but he was going to hold back for now. He could tell from the way he was tightly closing his mouth, without even a common greeting. There was a bit of anger and worry in his sunken eyes, and Ji Hyeon knew the meaning of that expression well.
“……Is today’s schedule over?”
Kwak Eun-ho is really pissed. With a light feeling, Ji Hyeon slowly blinked his eyes. He wanted to go and sit on the sofa, but he was so tired that he couldn’t take a step from this spot. After seeing Eun-ho in front of him, he even felt sleepy belatedly.
“Yes, yes, today’s schedule is over, and now tomorrow…”
Eun-ho calmly listened to the schedule that the Manager was explaining. What time the filming started, how much had been done so far, and even where and how they had to move. After checking everything, he covered his eyes with one hand and let out a deep sigh.
“If you make people work with this kind of schedule, they’ll die.”
“Ah……”
The Manager sighed lowly and rolled his eyes. CEO Byun also couldn’t say anything, probably because he also realized that Eun-ho’s atmosphere was unusual. The only person who could open his mouth was Ji Hyeon.
“I said I’d do it.”
“I know.”
However, the casually brought-up topic was dismissed with Eun-ho’s one word. While Eun-ho checked the schedule on the table, CEO Byun cleared his throat, trying to ease the atmosphere.
“Hey, hey, Min-sung-ah. Even if the actor says he’ll do it, you should have cut it off if you thought it was too much. Managing the actor’s condition is important, but the Manager’s condition is also important. You probably didn’t sleep while Actor Ji couldn’t sleep.”
“No, I did get some sleep in between…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You probably slept while Actor Ji was filming. But do you think you can relieve your fatigue with those naps? Our company isn’t a place that overworks people like that, you know?”
CEO Byun, who had risen from his seat, put his arm around the shoulder of the man called Min-sung. So his name was Min-sung. Only then did Ji Hyeon learn the name of the Manager he had spent the last ten days with.
“You’ve worked hard, so go home and rest first. Don’t drive, take a taxi with the Corporate card. Let’s talk about the details later, just the two of us. Okay?”
“…President, I’m not getting fired, am I?”
“Why would you get fired? I’ll give you a bonus, a bonus. The other actors won’t be this busy, so don’t worry too much…”
CEO Byun chattered on and naturally went outside with Min-sung. He must have run away from between Ji Hyeon and Eun-ho because the atmosphere was unusual. The open door clicked shut, and a heavy silence fell inside the office.
“……”
“……”
No one opened their mouth. Ji Hyeon blinked his eyes vaguely, and Eun-ho was still looking at the ridiculous schedule. Would he get angry if I asked him to come closer? While Ji Hyeon was thinking that, Eun-ho finally spoke first.
“First…”
The voice that slowly came out didn’t sound as angry as he had expected. However, a deep sigh was mixed in, only letting him know that he was holding back a lot. Whether it was anger, worry, or upset, he didn’t know.
“Let’s go home.”
Eun-ho, who got into the driver’s seat, didn’t say anything on the way home. He didn’t tell him to rest like usual, nor did he grill him about why he did such a foolish thing. The only question that came out of his mouth was to confirm how many meals he had eaten today.
After arriving home like that. Ji Hyeon took a shower as usual. He wanted to hug him and rub his lips against his, but he wasn’t so clueless as to do such a thing out of the blue. So, with a dizzy mind, he washed his body and came out, and Eun-ho, who was waiting in the living room, led Ji Hyeon.
“Come here. I’ll dry your hair.”
The place he took Ji Hyeon to was the bedroom on the second floor. Eun-ho sat Ji Hyeon on the bed and brought a hairdryer from who knows where, carefully drying his hair. The moderately warm breeze felt good, but the touch that caressed his hair made his whole body languid.
“Now sleep, quickly.”
Eun-ho swept back his completely dried hair and laid Ji Hyeon on the bed. Ji Hyeon, who had fallen helplessly, reached out and pulled on Eun-ho’s collar. Eun-ho, who was tidying up the hairdryer cord, paused and looked down at him.
“Give me a pillow arm.”
“……”
It was an openly dumbfounded look. Of course, Ji Hyeon was still sure that he would lie down next to him. Kwak Eun-ho seemed angry at first glance, but the touch of his hand stroking his hair was as affectionate as could be. So he would surely indulge in this much childishness.
“……Aish.”
As expected, Eun-ho put the hairdryer aside and obediently came up to the bed. He gave his arm to Ji Hyeon, who was lying limply, and pulled the blanket over him, covering him carefully. As Ji Hyeon wriggled into his arms, Eun-ho, who had placed his chin on the crown of Ji Hyeon’s head, slowly opened his mouth.
“Did you tell Shin Yi-chan to do it?”
“Do what?”
There was an obvious part he could guess, but he asked back like that first. He didn’t forget to hug Eun-ho’s waist tightly, just in case he widened the distance. Eun-ho, who was fully taking in Kwak Eun-ho’s unique scent, spoke in his usual low voice.
“He was talking about you a lot to me.”
‘Please talk about me to Kwak Eun-ho.’
It was what Ji Hyeon had asked him on the rooftop where he had run into Yi-chan. Since he had Kwak Eun-ho’s number anyway, he wanted the contact they exchanged to be only about him. And he thought that the naive Shin Yi-chan would convey it well as it was.
‘In as much detail as possible. That I’m working busily without even time to sleep. Got it?’
It was a cheap method, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t whine with his own mouth, and he needed a way to let him know that he was working hard nonetheless. He had nothing to lose, and he hoped that he would be swayed by this kind of thing since he was weak to affection.
“Looks like you’ve gotten close while I wasn’t around.”
“Well… a little?”
Eun-ho let out a low laugh at the nonchalant answer. It seemed he wasn’t seriously angry after all. Eun-ho, who adjusted his position and hugged Ji Hyeon, rubbed his chin against his hair and let out a thin sigh.
“I give up.”
It was a sudden surrender. Before he could ask what that meant, Eun-ho added briefly.
“I won’t quit being your Manager.”
“……”
It was a word he should have been happy about, but at that moment, Ji Hyeon felt a sense of guilt for some reason. He had done that to hear this one word, but now that the result was out, it felt like he had taken away his choice. He must be too full of himself. He didn’t like the situation where he was reluctantly staying by his side.
“…Is it because you can’t live without me?”
He regretted asking that question as soon as he asked it. He would feel very complicated if a positive answer came out. He should have nailed it down so he couldn’t take it back, but it was a whim that even he couldn’t understand.
“More than that…”
However, Eun-ho didn’t immediately affirm it, but dragged out the end of his words. He rustled and turned his body, then buried his lips on the crown of Ji Hyeon’s head. He wanted to lift his head and see his face, but Eun-ho stroked the back of Ji Hyeon’s head before that.
“I couldn’t stand missing you.”
“……”
Long fingers rummaged through his hair. The hand that went down from the back of his head to the back of his neck wrapped around the exposed bare skin and stayed there for a while. Eun-ho, who had been silent for a short time as if trying to choose his words, opened his mouth again.
“I can’t contact you because it might interfere with filming, I can’t call you because you might be tired, and if I suddenly go to see you, I don’t know when it will end…”
They were similar thoughts to what Ji Hyeon had had. They were also parts that he hadn’t even thought that Eun-ho would worry about. Eun-ho chuckled and muttered softly.
“It’s better to be your Manager.”
Was he already dreaming? It was such a sweet confession that he couldn’t help but think that. He wanted him to be a little less strict about separating work and personal life. It seemed that his earnest wish had reached him. Unable to contain his overwhelming heart, Ji Hyeon took a long breath with his face buried in his arms.
“…I said I’d be back in two weeks.”
I came four days early. Eun-ho also laughed lightly at the mumbled words. He kissed the top of his head and whispered softly.
“Just sleep.”
As if those words were a signal, the sleepiness he had been holding back rushed in instantly. His eyelids drooped heavily, and his mind began to fade away.
“You absolutely… can’t go anywhere.”
He didn’t know if those words had reached Eun-ho. He thought he heard the sound of him answering something along with the touch of his hand patting his back.
But without understanding those words, Ji Hyeon fell into a deep sleep.