By Zephyria Just as Song Hyun-soo was about to retort, asking if he was being compared to Monroe, Seohae, who had followed him out, joined the conversation.
“What, are you talking about MBTI? I’m an MBTI expert, Hyun-soo-ssi.”
“I didn’t really believe it before. But it does have some credibility.”
As he spoke, glancing up and down at Yoon Joo-ho standing beside him, Yoon Joo-ho met his gaze with a displeased look.
“Why are you looking at me while talking about that?”
“Just because. You were in front of me, so I looked.”
Seohae, sighing at their childish bickering, handed each of them a coffee from his carrier.
“Iced Americano. You guys need to cool down.”
“Iced Americano in this weather. Your sense is something else.”
“You told me to get something cold. You actor.”
Seohae, pretending not to notice and sipping his coffee through a straw, changed his expression and asked Song Hyun-soo with a gentle smile.
“Hyun-soo-ssi, what’s your MBTI?”
“I’m ESFP. And you, Hyung?”
“Wow, Hyun-soo-ssi is an FP? Ah, I can’t control my expression.”
Seohae rubbed his cheek as if trying to suppress a laugh that was about to escape.
“Why? What is it?”
“I’m an INFJ.”
“What? Hyung is an I? Introverted?”
“Everyone is surprised like that.”
“I don’t know about anything else, but I never thought you’d be an I.”
“Hyun-soo-ssi, I’m a secretive man, believe it or not. A man who can even enjoy the fundamental solitude of spending time alone. Unlike someone who’s always lonely.”
Seohae deliberately raised his eyebrows towards Yoon Joo-ho, who responded with a condescending snort.
“But Hyung, why is it good that I’m an FP? Is it a good thing?”
“FP and IFJ have the best romantic compatibility. Soulmates.”
“Are we going to stand here and keep chatting in this freezing cold?”
Yoon Joo-ho, who had been drinking his coffee, interjected with a complaint. He shoved one hand into his pocket and pulled the collar of his padding down deep.
Dressed in a padding jumper and sweatpants, he looked like a delinquent, rebellious teenage boy. A teenage boy whose personality had become twice as twisted due to his excellent looks, having been a popular star since he was very young, making him arrogant and self-willed.
Imagining him was easy, knowing he had played that role as a teenager. I liked that role. I even imitated him a lot…
Song Hyun-soo, lost in his imagination while looking at Yoon Joo-ho before him, returned to reality with a heavy feeling settling on his shoulder.
Seohae put his arm around Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder and tilted his head to whisper.
“Look how jealous he is that you and I have good compatibility.”
Although he whispered, the volume was such that Yoon Joo-ho, standing right in front of them, couldn’t help but hear.
Yoon Joo-ho grabbed Seohae’s hand on Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder and roughly pulled it off, then pushed Song Hyun-soo’s back towards the building entrance.
“Jealous? What are you talking about? I don’t even know what that looks like.”
“Ha, is that so?”
“It’s freezing, let’s go inside.”
Even as he was being pushed, Seohae kept giggling, finding something so amusing.
Following them into the building, whose grandeur alone was intimidating, Song Hyun-soo glanced at Yoon Joo-ho beside him. Did Yoon Joo-ho really feel jealous? But his expressionless profile revealed nothing.
The lobby of the building had a similar atmosphere to Yoon Joo-ho’s mansion. The desk staff, confirming their reservation, called the elevator with a card key. Accompanied by the greeting, “Yoon Joo-ho-ssi, I’m such a big fan.” The ‘fan’ might have been lip service, but judging by her gaze and expression towards Yoon Joo-ho, she would definitely become a fan starting today.
“Thank you. This is the rookie actor I’m working with on a movie.”
Song Hyun-soo was surprised by the sudden introduction, but he was doubly surprised by Yoon Joo-ho’s hand that landed on his head. The desk staff also looked surprised by Yoon Joo-ho’s casual, playful demeanor. Of course, it was a positive surprise.
“Oh, really? I’m looking forward to the movie. I’ll be cheering for both of you.”
“You should greet her, Hyun-soo-ssi.”
Yoon Joo-ho lightly pressed Song Hyun-soo’s head with the hand that had been on his head.
“I’m Song Hyun-soo. Please take care of me.”
He bowed awkwardly, and Yoon Joo-ho lightly ruffled Song Hyun-soo’s hair.
She would surely spread the word around that Yoon Joo-ho was actually easygoing and playful. And when the movie was released, she would definitely buy tickets. To see Yoon Joo-ho and the rookie actor, who seemed quite close, on screen.
After she left the elevator hall, Seohae took a sip of his coffee through the straw and shook his head.
“Another muggle reborn as Yoon Gyeol-ho.”
Seohae, speaking as if accustomed to it, looked Yoon Joo-ho up and down and gestured with his chin.
“Hey, why are you dressed like that?”
“Like what?”
“That’s not going-out attire. You don’t even come down to the mansion lobby dressed like that, except when you go to work out.”
“Forget it. I’m tired of that now.”
“Wait a minute. That’s not the issue, but you…”
Seohae suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Yoon Joo-ho intently.
“You’re wearing the same clothes you wore to work out yesterday?!”
“…”
“Yoon Joo-ho, did you stay out all night?”
“Am I your son? What I do, whether I stay out or set up house, is my business.”
The elevator arrived, and Yoon Joo-ho, frowning, got in first.
Seohae’s gaze, flicking between Yoon Joo-ho and Song Hyun-soo, was meaningful.
Song Hyun-soo found it hard to bear the awkwardness, as if Seohae was saying he could guess where Yoon Joo-ho had stayed out last night with a faint smile.
Yoon Joo-ho stood leaning against the back wall in the farthest corner, and Seohae pressed the close button in front of the board. Song Hyun-soo, standing a few steps away from Yoon Joo-ho, opposite Seohae, deliberately raised his voice to lighten the mood.
“So, Hyung Seohae, are you showing us the rooms today?”
“The contract will be with the real estate agent, but I’ll show you the house. I put in some extra effort as a favor to Joo-ho.”
He then immediately turned to Yoon Joo-ho and shouted.
“Yoon Joo-ho, you have to come to our bar today and make a big contribution to sales.”
“I got it.”
“The houses we’re looking at today were all sourced separately from different agencies. I’ve narrowed them down to ones I think you’ll like.”
“I’ll drink Armand de Brignac. Blanc. Is that good?”
“Gold is fine too, you brat. Hyun-soo-ssi, you can’t be left out either. You worked hard to find a house for Hyun-soo-ssi.”
Song Hyun-soo nodded for now. He didn’t know what conversation had passed between them, but at least the person had gone to the trouble of looking for a house for him.
“The house we’re looking at now is on the 12th floor of this building. It’s a corner unit with windows on two sides, so it’s bright all day, and the sense of openness is fantastic. There’s only one bedroom, but the walk-in closet is spacious and there’s plenty of storage, so it should be fine for living alone.”
“Wait, just a moment, Hyung.”
“Hm? Why?”
“Are we going to see a house in this building?”
“Why? Don’t you like the building? Young and rich people in Gangnam all want to live here these days.”
“No, that’s not it. I think there’s some misunderstanding. My budget is a deposit of ten million won and a maximum monthly rent of 50…”
“Hm? What do you mean by that?”
Seohae, tilting his head askew, turned to Yoon Joo-ho with a strained smile, clenching his teeth.
“Yoon Joo-ho, did you two not talk?”
The elevator doors opened on the 12th floor. Yoon Joo-ho, with one hand in the pocket of his padding jumper and sipping through a straw, stepped out first, pretending not to notice, and said.
“Just look for now. We’ll talk after.”
Whether it was for now or later, Song Hyun-soo knew it was a house he absolutely could not afford, even if someone who knew nothing about the world looked at it.
“There are about four or five houses on the list, but this is the one I highly recommend, Hyun-soo.”
Seohae’s face was confident as he opened the front door. He had an expression that said there was no way I wouldn’t like this house. But liking it or not wasn’t the issue. With my budget, I don’t think I could even afford the management fees for this place, hyung.
Yoon Joo-ho was the first to enter the entrance hall as if it were his own home, changing into the slippers that were ready.
“It’s called a one-bedroom, but the private area is about 92 square meters. It’s a palace for one person. The living room faces the road, and the bedroom faces the opposite side, so it’s quiet. It’s perfect for actors with irregular schedules. It has two bathrooms, a walk-in closet, a laundry room, a pantry, and a separate service kitchen.”
Seohae showed me the spacious shoe cabinet in the entrance hall and walked down the long hallway leading to the living room and kitchen, explaining about the house.
Yoon Joo-ho was already wandering around independently, checking things out.
“Look at the view from the living room.”
“……”
It was a view that Seohae could proudly boast about.
Beyond the double floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the hallway, the Cheongdam area spread out before me. Song Hyun-soo walked towards the window as if mesmerized.
The main window, facing southwest, looked directly towards Cheongdam-dong. Turning my head to the right, Yoon Joo-ho’s mansion seemed close enough to be visible. About a 15-minute walk? It didn’t seem to take much longer than that.
The building’s exterior was undeniably stylish, but more appealing than the sophisticated interior, which looked like something out of a drama, was that aspect.
“The main bathroom is also incredibly sexy.”
I turned my head at the voice that came from right beside me. Seohae, leaning against the floor-to-ceiling window, took a sip of coffee and continued.
“There’s a large bathtub in front of the full-length window. If you take a bubble bath with a glass of champagne, the mood is bound to be set. Even someone with a knife in their mouth would soften.”
‘Someone with a knife in their mouth’ clearly referred to Yoon Joo-ho. Seohae seemed to have a certain confidence about his relationship with Yoon Joo-ho.
“Hyung, you know I don’t have the means to live in a place like this.”
Seohae gestured with his chin towards the hallway, in the direction Yoon Joo-ho had disappeared.
“The one with the means is over there. He must have asked me to look into it because he wants to do it for you.”
His tone was as if it were no big deal.
Just then, a low vibration sound came from somewhere. It seemed to be Seohae’s phone. He took out his phone from his coat pocket, checked the caller ID, and patted Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder, asking for his understanding.
“I’ll be right back for a quick call. Please look around at your leisure.”
Song Hyun-soo watched Seohae’s retreating back as he stepped out onto the balcony, where the temperature was minus 5 degrees Celsius, then crossed the living room and walked back up the hallway.
92 square meters: Approximately 28 pyeong.