By Zephyria 
From the main road of Wangsimni, winding into the residential area.
In the alleys where compact cars passed by, old red brick buildings and newly built studio and two-room apartments were mixed together.
It was the opposite side of the neighborhood he had seen on Monday when he argued with Yoon Joo-ho and parted ways. He had looked at several houses in this neighborhood the day before yesterday and yesterday, but with no success. The real estate agent kept showing him places that far exceeded Song Hyun-soo’s budget, trying to persuade him. Because of that, he had made appointments with different real estate agencies today.
“Here, this building.”
The building the agent parked right against the wall looked about 20 years old, a four-story multi-family dwelling. It was old but seemed well-maintained.
The agent, Song Hyun-soo, and Jung-ho. The three of them got out of the car and started climbing the stairs.
“There’s no elevator. But still… huff, the rooms are clean, and it’s only a 10-minute walk to the station. Huff, for your budget, sir… there’s no better place than this.”
The agent, who was well-built, paused to catch his breath intermittently, looking back.
“This is the last place. Please come in.”
They arrived on the third floor.
Following the agent who led the way, Song Hyun-soo and Jung-ho also stepped inside the entrance. As soon as they entered, the two looked at each other wordlessly. The entrance was so narrow that it was difficult for the three of them to take off their shoes.
“What do you think? It’s narrow, but it’s clean, right? It was remodeled just a year ago. It’s like a new house, a new house.”
“It is clean, but still…”
Jung-ho mumbled his reply as he looked around the interior. It wasn’t just the entrance that was narrow. With a slight exaggeration, the size was reminiscent of a dormitory-style room. It was closer to a room than a house, and the kitchen was barely more than a formality.
“As you’ve seen today, it’s hard to find a better place within your budget. Do you have a lot of belongings?”
Song Hyun-soo, who had been looking at the cramped sink, barely big enough to boil ramen, and the single-burner induction stove, took out his phone from his jumper pocket and looked at it. As expected, there were no missed calls.
He knew well that he wasn’t the one to contact first, but he didn’t know what he was expecting. He didn’t want to compromise his pride, and he didn’t have the courage either…
“Hyung, what are you doing?”
“Huh? Huh? Why?”
Startled by Jung-ho tapping his shoulder from behind, Song Hyun-soo hastily shoved his phone into his pocket.
“Why have you been looking at your phone so often? Are you waiting for a call?”
“No, it’s just…”
“He’s asking if you have a lot of luggage, Hyung.”
The agent, who still seemed hot, was waiting for Song Hyun-soo’s answer.
“I don’t have a lot of luggage, but…”
He definitely didn’t have a lot of luggage, but even just bringing in the current hanger would fill this rectangular room.
“You can put one closet here, and use a futon when you sleep, and the size will be fine. It takes up space, but do you really need a bed?”
The agent, who had opened the window wide, turned back to the two men. Well, what do you think? he asked with a triumphant expression.
Even though he was wearing only a padded vest in the middle of winter, sweat beaded on the agent’s temples. Wiping his sweat with a handkerchief, he asked,
“What is your profession? The landlords are curious about the tenant’s profession. They’re worried about the rent, you see.”
“I’m an actor… and I work at a bar.”
As expected, the agent didn’t look pleased. An unknown actor was often treated as no different from being unemployed. Song Hyun-soo was used to this reaction. It was a relief if they didn’t mock him with a look that said, ‘Look at him, calling himself an actor.’
Jung-ho, standing next to him, nudged Song Hyun-soo with his elbow and gave the agent a smile.
“Hyung is still a rookie, but he’s also going to be in a movie with Yoon Joo-ho.”
“Yoon Joo-ho??”
At the mention of the name of a nationally recognized actor known by everyone, the agent’s expression changed instantly. His face, which had been close to pale just moments before, seemed to brighten.
“That’s right. Did you know this is Yoon Joo-ho’s first movie in his 30-year career?”
“I know! They say it’s a movie by a very famous director.”
The agent, who looked at most two or three years older than Song Hyun-soo, showed interest with sparkling eyes.
“That’s right,
“Oh, really? If he’s the protagonist’s younger sibling, the role must have significant weight, right?”
“Of course. If you look on YouTube, there’s even a video of him filming with Yoon Joo-ho and Shin Hyo-jin.”
“No wonder… When you first came into the office, you were so handsome.”
The atmosphere quickly became friendly.
“So, you must have met Yoon Joo-ho and Shin Hyo-jin in person too?”
“Yes.”
“What’s Yoon Joo-ho like? I hear he’s quite arrogant.”
He’s not exactly humble. He always says he’s the best. He’s always growling and snapping. He rejected a junior who confessed to him, only to try and kiss them again. He’s a scoundrel, that Yoon Joo-ho. — I could just say that.
“I thought so too, but when I met him in person, he was nothing like that. He was incredibly nice to an unknown like me.”
“Really?? That’s completely unexpected??”
The agent tilted his head, as if he couldn’t believe it. Then, he lowered his voice, almost whispering, as if Yoon Joo-ho might be nearby and could hear.
“But why is he like that with his parents? There are rumors that Yoon Joo-ho has debts and they’re trying to get money from him.”
When did such rumors start again…
“I don’t know the exact reason myself. But what’s certain is.”
“……”
“He doesn’t seem like someone who’s desperate for money due to debt. Not at all.”
“Not at all?”
“Not at all. He seems like he’s drowning in money!”
“I suppose so. He’s Yoon Joo-ho, after all.”
The agent licked his lips with disappointment, perhaps expecting an answer like Yoon Joo-ho was ruined.
“Yoon Joo-ho is in France right now, isn’t he? There was an article about him being photographed at the airport, all dressed up.”
“Yes, well… it seemed like it was for a fashion show.”
He knew that if he called Yoon Joo-ho ‘Joo-ho Sunbae’ at times like this, and said ‘he went’ instead of ‘he seemed to have gone’ for the fashion show, then ten out of ten people would inwardly mock him.
After being ignored several times and even called a liar for saying he was close to Jung Ji-in, Song Hyun-soo had learned his lesson.
“Did you see the photos? He was so dressed up to go to the airport, it was funny. Who dresses like that to go to the airport?”
“Oh, really? I didn’t see the article.”
He had scoured the articles from every media outlet, liking them, and found every fan cam of Yoon Joo-ho departing from Incheon Airport and arriving at Paris Airport. Yet, Song Hyun-soo feigned ignorance with a straight face. And at the end, he even added a subtly supportive remark.
“But I heard that the clothes he wears to the airport are all contracted. Because it’s advertising. So, he can’t wear whatever he wants, I guess.”
“Hmm… I didn’t know that.”
The agent, who had been scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, seemed to realize the conversation had gone on too long and began to close the window, signaling the end of their visit.
“By the way, once the movie is released, you’ll become a star soon. Could you take a picture with me? I want to brag later. When else will I get to introduce an actor to a room?”
After taking a photo together in front of the car parked in the alley, the agent drove off in his compact car, which seemed somewhat mismatched with his physique.
Perhaps it was because he hadn’t found a suitable place despite searching the area for three days, the cold felt particularly biting.
“It’s cold, Jung-ho. Let’s buy some warm coffee and walk.”
Song Hyun-soo led Jung-ho to a nearby convenience store.
In the heated display case at the counter, NUBO coffee cans featuring Yoon Joo-ho’s face were lined up. He considered buying a different coffee as a sign of rebellion and resistance, but Song Hyun-soo ended up paying for two cans of NUBO coffee.
It wasn’t because he absolutely couldn’t betray Yoon Joo-ho. I’m a formidable person who could buy Jeong Seong-won’s advertised diet tea instead of NUBO coffee if I wanted to. He’s just buying NUBO coffee because it’s delicious. The coffee is innocent.
Warming their hands with the hot cans, Song Hyun-soo and Jung-ho slowly started walking towards Wangsimni Station.
“Did you find any houses you liked today?”
Jung-ho asked.
“They all fit the budget… but none of them felt right.”
Song Hyun-soo clicked his tongue with a frown and took a sip of coffee.
“The house we saw the day before yesterday was really nice. I can’t forget it.”
“I forgot it. How can you live paying a million won in rent?”
“These days, many people working part-time live paying a million won for rent. Homebodies don’t spend money elsewhere and invest it in housing. You said your new company will provide a car and plenty of support, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then you won’t have many personal expenses, will you?”
“That’s enough. For now, I’ll just save more for the deposit. I can move to a better place later.”
“Then will you go with that last house?”
“Except for the size, it seemed like the most suitable one…”
Song Hyun-soo, who was turning the can in his hand, paused at the spot with Yoon Joo-ho’s face printed on it. Yoon Joo-ho’s face, with his wavy hair, holding a coffee can, and a gentle smile.
Yoon Joo-ho departing surrounded by a crowd he saw in videos, Yoon Joo-ho waving to fans gathered at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and getting into a car under escort, and Yoon Joo-ho with his face on a coffee can.
They had clearly acted together, laughed and chatted, kissed, and done even more. Yet, the face in his hand felt like a distant, unfamiliar person with no connection to him.
He remembered last night’s dream.
When Monday came next week, he rushed to Yoon Joo-ho’s house to work his part-time job and rang the bell, but Yoon Joo-ho treated him like a stranger and tried to chase him away. At first, he thought it was a joke, but the Song Hyun-soo in the dream soon realized. The Yoon Joo-ho standing before him had forgotten all their shared memories.
Yoon Joo-ho’s expression and eyes, contorted with contempt as if dealing with an obsessive sasaeng fan who had followed him home, were terrifying.
Even after waking up from his agonizing dream and realizing it was just a dream, he hadn’t felt reassured at all. It felt like something that could happen at any moment.
He shouldn’t have let them part on such bad terms…
As he traced the face on the coffee can with his thumb, his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was ‘Tae-yoon hyung.’ Song Hyun-soo almost dropped his coffee in his haste.
“Yes, hyung!”
[Hyun-soo, I think I found out which store it is.]
“Really?? Where is it?”
[Maybe because he was afraid of being caught, he left it in Gwanak-gu instead of Gangnam. So it took a bit longer than expected.]
“He left it there?”
[Yes, he consigned it. A Rolex Day-Date Ice Blue dial. Short hair, well-built, neat impression.]
“That’s him!”
[They said the watch hasn’t been sold yet.]
“Hyung, thank you so much! I’ll come find you at your restaurant soon!”
The person who had been dejected moments ago finished the call in great excitement, leaving Jung-ho with a face full of questions.
“What kind of call is it that makes you so happy?”
“A call saying we found the thief.”
“Thief?? Did you get robbed, hyung?”
“Do we have anything worth stealing at our place?”
Jung-ho, who had been surprised, nodded and immediately understood.
“That’s true. If a thief came, it would be a house that would fill them up more.”
Song Hyun-soo stopped walking in front of a small hair salon and looked up ‘Director Bang’ in his phone contacts.
“Director, it’s Hyun-soo!”
[Ah, Hyun-soo-ssi. I was just about to contact you. You heard from Joo-ho that a vehicle will be provided starting tomorrow, right?]
“Yes, but Director, that’s not the problem right now. I’m calling about something more urgent.”
[More urgent?]
“I think we can catch Cha Gyu-min.”
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