By Zephyria 
“Are you definitely joining the after-party today?””
“Of course, Team Leader. I’m looking forward to it.”
Yoon Joo-ho appeared in Song Hyun-soo’s view as he drank bottled water with a straw instead of coffee. Yoon Joo-ho, who had finished his hair and makeup before Song Hyun-soo, was wearing a gown and carefully observing Song Hyun-soo from behind the mirror.
“Team Leader, please don’t make Hyun-soo’s makeup too heavy.”
“Of course. His skin is so good that there’s no need to go heavy.”
“He naturally has red lips, so he might look like an idol if you’re not careful. Please don’t make the lip color too strong.”
“I know, right? I’d love to do idol makeup on Hyun-soo.”
“Team Leader.”
At Yoon Joo-ho’s forceful voice, the team leader, who was patting a puff on Song Hyun-soo’s cheek, clicked her tongue and shook her head.
“He’s been so over the top since yesterday.”
“Me?”
Yoon Joo-ho looked like he had no idea what the problem was.
“I’m not going to eat Hyun-soo, so please stop being so overprotective, CEO.”
CEO…
Come to think of it, that was right.
Yoon Joo-ho, who was preparing for the shoot together in this place, was his lover, his senior, and the CEO of his agency.
To other people, he might look like a CEO meticulously taking care of a rookie actor… but to me, he’s just a lovesick boyfriend.
Thinking that it was fortunate that they had the positions of agency CEO and actor, Song Hyun-soo glanced at Yoon Joo-ho in the mirror. Even after hearing the team leader’s complaints, he stood behind Song Hyun-soo with his hands in his gown pockets, looking worried. Then, at the stylist’s call, he reluctantly walked away.
“I noticed it yesterday too, but you two are really close, aren’t you?”
The team leader glanced at Yoon Joo-ho’s back as she prepared to lightly add shading to the face she had patted with the puff.
“Senior and I?”
“Joo-ho is so fond of you, calling you Hyun-soo, Hyun-soo.”
“Haha…”
“I’ve known him for ten years, but honestly, he’s not usually such an affable senior to his juniors.”
“He’s just taking extra care of me because we’re in the same agency.”
“Are you the only Look Planning junior? Jeong Seong-won is also a Look Planning junior, but he doesn’t get any nice words from Joo-ho.”
“R-really?”
Song Hyun-soo smiled awkwardly and put the straw in his mouth. That straw felt like the only lifeline he could rely on.
“We were so surprised yesterday when we saw you two smoking together in the middle of the shoot.”
“Why…?”
“Yoon Joo-ho sharing a cigarette with a rookie? That’s unheard of. It’s okay after you’ve built up some experience and become close, but he’s strict with rookies. He grew up in the entertainment industry since he was young, so Joo-ho is secretly a bit of a know-it-all. They say that’s called a ‘young old man’ these days, right?”Song Hyun-soo knew very well that Yoon Joo-ho was a strict senior and had old-fashioned tendencies.” He wasn’t the type of senior who kindly taught him everything and said everything was okay.
But he would never smoke with a rookie actor.
I was smoking with him from the beginning in the Honey’s place’s vacant lot?
“Oh, and I heard Seong-won is leaving Look Planning?”
While checking Song Hyun-soo’s face through the mirror, the team leader brought up Jeong Seong-won’s name again. Song Hyun-soo brought the bottled water’s straw to his lips once more, pretending not to know.
“Really?”
“Didn’t you hear anything?”
“No, I…”
“Rumor has it that his contract renewal didn’t go through.”
During the investigation of the incident, it was revealed that Jeong Seong-won had been threatened by Yoon Joo-ho’s parents. Even though he was involved in the incident, all he did was give Song Hyun-soo his business card, and fortunately, it was taken into consideration that even that was done under the duress of the two CEOs’ threats, so he was able to avoid having his name appear in the media.
However, he could not renew his contract with Look Planning, which had the best influence in the industry.
Although the case had not yet been closed, Yoon Joo-ho had already regained his rights as the sole effective owner of Look Planning.
And that owner did not want to extend the contract with Jeong Seong-won.
One day, Yoon Joo-ho, after returning from the Look Planning office, washed his hands in the master room’s bathroom and said.
‘Jeong Seong-won is leaving the company.’
‘Leaving the company?’
‘His contract was until this year. I’m not going to renew it.’
Turning around, Yoon Joo-ho leaned against the sink, looking at Song Hyun-soo, who was standing at the bathroom entrance.
‘Are you feeling uneasy?’
‘Uneasy? Why?’
‘Are you thinking that Yoon Joo-ho, blinded by jealousy, is kicking Jeong Seong-won out of the company?’
Stroking Monroe, who he was holding, Song Hyun-soo chuckled.
‘What nonsense… Senior wouldn’t do that…’
Song Hyun-soo’s words slowed as he examined Yoon Joo-ho’s expression. Looking at the stubborn set of his tightly closed, thin lips, it was a face that ‘would do that.’
‘Wait, is it true?’
Yoon Joo-ho, with a somewhat tired gesture, pushed himself off the sink and walked towards him.
‘Whether he was threatened and had no choice but to hand over his business card or not, that bastard was serious about trying to seduce you.’
Stopping in front of Song Hyun-soo, he stroked Monroe’s head and cupped one of Song Hyun-soo’s cheeks. His freshly washed palm was cool.
‘I guess I’m not that magnanimous.’
Yoon Joo-ho kissed Song Hyun-soo’s other cheek and walked across the dressing room, throwing his top over his head.
Because he hit on Song Hyun-soo. That’s what he said, but Song Hyun-soo had known for a while that Yoon Joo-ho considered Jeong Seong-won a star, not a ‘real actor.’
And Song Hyun-soo didn’t feel uneasy at all.
Whether he was threatened or not, the fact that Jeong Seong-won contributed to putting Yoon Joo-ho in danger did not change.
The team, having finished their preparations, moved to the 5th arrondissement, where today’s shoot would begin.
They were scheduled to start in the 5th arrondissement and continue the outdoor shoot as they moved to the 6th arrondissement.
It was an area densely packed with the Sorbonne University, the Latin Quarter, old streets, and historic cafes, with an artistic and intellectual atmosphere, yet full of life. It had a different charm from the 7th arrondissement, where they had shot yesterday.
The two changed their clothes in the parked sprinter. It was a vehicle that served as a temporary waiting room and fitting room during the shoot.
Song Hyun-soo, who was only wearing briefs, put on his pants first and complained as he looked down at his upper body.
“I think I gained at least two kilograms on the plane.”
“You were eating so diligently, everything they gave you.”
“I usually don’t gain weight no matter how much I eat.”
Song Hyun-soo playfully nudged Yoon Joo-ho’s upper arm with his fist. He laughed and pulled Song Hyun-soo’s arm.
“Come here, let me see.”
Yoon Joo-ho looked up at the ceiling of the sprinter, narrowed his eyes, and felt around Song Hyun-soo’s sides, back, and arms with his hands.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s the body I hold every night. My hands remember.”
“Oh, come on, really.”
“It’s fine, you haven’t gained weight. You’re the same.”
“Are you a perverted old man?”
Song Hyun-soo pushed his chest and raised his arm to cover his reddened face.
“You attack me, calling me an old man, whenever I try to touch you?”
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m hurt.”
“Really? That hurt?”
Song Hyun-soo widened his eyes and approached Yoon Joo-ho from behind as he buttoned his shirt. Yoon Joo-ho looked at Song Hyun-soo, who was standing behind him, through the mirror. It was a look of resentment.
As he buttoned up with his large but delicately groomed, beautiful hands, he complained.
“It’s like my boyfriend doesn’t like me touching him.”
“It’s not that…! Hey, you know that’s not true.”
Song Hyun-soo rested his chin on Yoon Joo-ho’s shoulder. It was his way of trying to cheer him up.
“I just said it out of embarrassment.”
“You hug me naked every day, and you’re embarrassed by this?”
“It’s a different issue…”
“You’re a beast in bed, though?”
“I mean, that’s, it’s okay when we’re seriously doing it…”
Yoon Joo-ho, having buttoned up his shirt completely, turned around to face Song Hyun-soo.
“You’re okay with sex, but you’re embarrassed by casual skinship?”
He was using overly direct words, but it was true.
Song Hyun-soo, who was stroking the back of his neck, nodded.
Hmm. Yoon Joo-ho, letting out a breath as if lost in thought, wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist and stepped closer. And he kissed his lips, which had a slight touch of burgundy color.
“Then I guess we’ll just have to do it more often so you get used to it.”
Song Hyun-soo giggled.
“You’ll smudge your lip color.”
Yoon Joo-ho looked up at the ceiling with a scowling face, as if he had been punched in the gut, and muttered.
“Ah, I’m turned on by those words right now.”