By Zephyria 
That night. While lying on the mattress preparing for script reading, Song Hyun-soo glanced at his phone every three minutes. He took out Yoon Joo-ho’s recovered watch, placed it next to his script, and fiddled with it.
It was only Wednesday.
He felt like he hadn’t seen him in weeks.
He had so many things to chatter about: the real estate agent’s attitude changing favorably upon hearing Yoon Joo-ho’s name, Director Bang grabbing Cha Gyu-min by the collar while calling him names, the manager of the used luxury goods store saying he was a fan of Yoon Joo-ho and asked him to pass on his regards… And he would pretend to be uninterested, but chuckle intermittently.
Or would he stop even chuckling like that?
On the TV, which was left on out of habit, Yoon Joo-ho was acting. It was his most recent drama,
《Is Paris fun?》
《Did you see the Eiffel Tower too?》
《Are there really that many pickpockets in Paris?》
Resting his chin on the pillow, he lay on his stomach and stared at the persistent number 1. After glaring at the blinking cursor, he typed the fourth sentence. After repeatedly writing and deleting a short sentence, he was finally able to send it.
《When are you coming back?》
He already knew from Director Bang that Yoon Joo-ho was scheduled to return the following Monday. After the fashion show, he had photo shoots and interviews scheduled with two magazines. Asking when he was coming back meant he wanted to see him.
《I dreamed that I went to your house, and you pretended not to know me. Everything we experienced, and me being cast in
《What we experienced, it wasn’t a dream, was it?》
Song Hyun-soo finally fell asleep around 7 o’clock. It was common.
When he woke up to the alarm, the fluorescent lights were still on,
《What kind of nightmare is that? Did you forget? The 10-year slave contract.》
The message, which arrived at 8 AM Korean time, around 1 AM Paris time. It came with a photo of the Eiffel Tower, seemingly taken directly from across the river.
Even with the growling and snapping messages, a smile crept onto his lips.
Because now nothing else mattered. Even if they bit and fought, he just wanted to see him quickly.
■■■
Yoon Joo-ho remained under the stream of water even after all the shower gel foam had washed away.
The muscles of his entire body, having completed an intense workout, were still tense. Perhaps due to the strenuous exercise or his heightened nerves, his penis became slightly erect during the shower.
Lowering the water temperature to suppress his erection, Yoon Joo-ho swept the water flowing over his face with both hands and tilted his head back.
The business trip to Paris was a success.
More local fans than expected shouted ‘Jooho’ in front of the show venue, and local media eagerly reported on the surprising popularity of the Korean star. The outfits worn during the show and at the after-party received rave reviews. Two photo shoots and interviews proceeded smoothly. Work went well.
However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t achieve deep sleep.
He would sleep for an hour or two, then jolt awake as if he had fallen off a cliff. He was almost driven mad on the flight back. He regretted not bringing the triple set of sleeping aids. He regretted it several times.
It seemed to be getting a little better recently. But this chronic condition, which had become like an old friend, showed no signs of leaving him.
Upon returning to Korea, he briefly stopped by home to check on Monroe, then immediately rushed to the Pilates studio.
After tackling high-level movements for over two hours hanging from the Cadillac, his entire body was drenched in sweat. Yet, his mind was sharp as if honed. He wanted to be reduced to pulp and fall asleep without thinking, but it seemed unlikely again today.
To quell his persistently unyielding erection, Yoon Joo-ho resorted to recalling his childhood as a last resort. His cheeks twitched, and soon his erection subsided. It always worked instantly. A twisted, bitter smile escaped his lips.
Emerging from the shower booth, Yoon Joo-ho wrapped a large towel, which he had roughly dried himself with, around his waist. In front of the mirror in the changing room, he towel-dried his hair.
His hands gradually slowed, and soon he was standing with his hands hanging down, the towel draped over his head. Leaning his hands on the edge of the wide sink, Yoon Joo-ho’s gaze turned to his phone.
He knew the surest way to fall asleep in such extreme circumstances.
There had been opportunities in Paris as well. But each time, he didn’t feel like it.
『‘It’s real. It really happened, to that person.’』
The face that always giggled while saying nonsensical things had crumpled like a cake dropped on the floor in an instant. The thought that he was the one who ruined the beautiful, sweet cake followed Yoon Joo-ho everywhere.
Taking his eyes off his phone, Yoon Joo-ho turned his back and sat down on the edge of the sink. He pulled the towel from over his head and clutched it in his hands.
He sat there blankly until Seohae, worried that he had been in the bathroom for too long, came to call him.
After receiving Seohae’s loud scolding, he slowly changed his clothes and left the changing room. He crossed the Pilates studio, where the Han River stretched out beyond the curved floor-to-ceiling windows, and headed for the kitchen.
Snacks were prepared on the island counter as usual. However, instead of freshly squeezed juice and a small bowl of salad, cake was served today.
Recalling the cake that had crumpled a moment ago, Yoon Joo-ho chuckled at the memory and took a seat on a stool.
“What were you thinking so hard about sitting there? You were scary. I thought something had happened.”
“What’s scary?”
“If actor Yoon Joo-ho were to have an accident at our studio, I couldn’t handle the aftermath.”
Seohae shivered, as if the thought itself was chilling, and shook his broad, Pilates-honed shoulders. Then, he placed a cup of freshly brewed warm coffee next to the cake. The aroma was pleasant.
“Why cake and coffee today?”
“You looked really unwell. Eat something sweet to gain some energy, and drink coffee to clear your head.”
Seohae sat on the stool opposite Yoon Joo-ho, who was drinking his warm coffee, and asked.
“Is the cat doing well?”
“Yes. He’s gained a little weight too.”
“Haven’t seen you in a few days, are you going to forget my face?”
“……”
Yoon Joo-ho’s hand, reaching for his coffee, paused.
“What, your reaction suggests it’s true.”
Seohae bent over backward with laughter.
“What’s so funny about that?”
“Isn’t it funny? The great Yoon Joo-ho looking dejected because he’s being ignored by such a tiny creature.”
“Who’s dejected? Even so, he can’t do without me.”
“You’re hilarious. That’s what you think. The term ‘cat butler’ wasn’t coined for nothing, was it?”
Seohae, who already lived with two cats, asserted confidently. Then, taking a sip of his own coffee and placing the cup on the saucer, he asked.
“You threw away all your perfume and scented candles, didn’t you?”
“Sang-ho Hyung told you that?”
“It’s the talk of the bar. Yoon Joo-ho is completely smitten with a stray cat and has quit using his beloved scented candles and perfumes. These days, Yoon Joo-ho is scentless and odorless.”
“Everyone’s so damn idle. If it’s bad for my health, what am I supposed to do? Do I have a choice?”
“Ah, yes. Mr. Yoon Joo-ho. We’ll accept that. Now, show me pictures and videos of the baby. New ones.”
Yoon Joo-ho showed Seohae his phone’s photo album as Seohae leaned his upper body over the table.
“This little guy’s appearance has really changed. He looked so scruffy when you first brought him home, but now his beauty is shining!”
“He was underweight, he was always beautiful.”
“Ah, yes.”
Seohae secretly rolled his eyes at Yoon Joo-ho, who had even created a separate folder for the cat’s photos, pretending he had ended up raising it by chance.
“Well, I’ve lived long enough to see this. Yoon Joo-ho bringing such a baby into his home.”
Yoon Joo-ho mumbled as he brought the coffee cup to his lips.
“He became two.”
“Two? Ah, Hyun-soo?”
“……”
Instead of replying, Yoon Joo-ho just gulped down his coffee. As if the liquid in the cup were whiskey.
“Why? Weren’t you two getting along well?”
“Getting along?”
“Yoon Joo-ho brought someone to the bar. That means you’re in a significant relationship.”
“I just took him because there wasn’t anywhere else to drink.”
“Even though you were clinging to each other like that when Hyun-soo was drunk?”
“What was I supposed to do with someone who couldn’t even stand on their own?”
“Just supporting him would have been enough. There was no need to stand face-to-face, embrace, rub your lips against his ear, was there?”
“……”
Seohae avoided Yoon Joo-ho’s cold gaze, which was fixed on him, and changed the subject.