By Zephyria The interior of ‘Jessica,’ after closing, was dim.
Song Hyun-soo and Jung-ho sat side-by-side on stools in front of the bar, with only one or two lights on near the counter. The manager had left them to finish closing up and had gone home before midnight.
Manager.
He had looked troubled when Song Hyun-soo asked if he could reduce his working days. He hadn’t acted like he had nothing to lose, so Song Hyun-soo had to add an explanation.
‘Jung-ho can now make most cocktails on his own, and honestly, our bar doesn’t need three staff members on weekends.’
‘Still, ever since that YouTube video about the movie, the number of customers coming to see you, Hyun-soo-ssi, has increased significantly. We were finally starting to benefit… And Yoon Hye-an and her gang come here and ask for you first.’
Yoon Hye-an, a former idol turned actor, had started visiting the bar occasionally since last year. Even before Choi Hong-seo had left like that, Choi Hong-soo and Yoon Hye-an were often mentioned in the entertainment industry as being similar.
Although their facial features were alike, their images were vastly different.
Unlike Choi Hong-soo, who had a diligent and bright image, carrying the group, Yoon Hye-an was always described as aloof at best, and arrogant at worst. Despite working in the entertainment industry together, they had almost no contact.
Yet, after Choi Hong-soo left, Yoon Hye-an had been excessively imitating him. Some of Choi Hong-soo’s fans fiercely criticized Yoon Hye-an online. But when Song Hyun-soo actually met her, he somehow didn’t dislike Yoon Hye-an.
Perhaps she had changed after surviving a near-death experience?
Rumors of her impossibly bad personality had even reached Song Hyun-soo, on the fringes of the entertainment world. But he felt none of that. Instead, she had a certain familiarity and a warmth that drew him in. He couldn’t help but feel fond of her. Song Hyun-soo liked Yoon Hye-an.
In any case, it seemed some customers visited ‘Jessica’ hoping to see Yoon Hye-an because of that. The manager believed Yoon Hye-an came to see Song Hyun-soo.
‘Instead, I’ll come as much as I can while filming the movie.’
‘Really? Even just one day a week is fine?’
After making that promise, they agreed on a flexible schedule of working one or two days a week.
‘Oppa, you’re really starting filming now. The day I quit Jessica completely must be coming soon too, right?’
Wanting to comfort Chae-young, who spoke with a hint of sadness, Song Hyun-soo forced a playful smile and playfully nudged her shoulder.
After Chae-young left, Song Hyun-soo asked Jung-ho to spare some time, saying he had something to tell him. He briefly recounted what had happened with Yoon Joo-ho.
Even after he finished speaking, Jung-ho remained silent.
With a serious expression, his brows furrowed, he just stared at the ‘Black Russian’ cocktail Song Hyun-soo had simply made.
What’s wrong? Is he upset that I’m dating a man? Or is he shocked that Yoon Joo-ho, of all people, is dating a man?
Just as he was considering waving his hand in front of Jung-ho’s eyes. Jung-ho looked at him with a determined expression. He then firmly grasped Song Hyun-soo’s hand, which was resting on the bar.
“Hyung, are you going through something lately? It’s okay, tell me anything.”
“Going through something…?”
“Even if you’re a bit boastful and clumsy, Hyung isn’t the type to go around telling lies like this.”
“What? Lies?”
“Why would Yoon Joo-ho be dating a man… No, even if he were dating a man, why would Yoon Joo-ho be dating you… Ah! Why are you hitting me?”
This brat, I’ve tolerated him enough. Song Hyun-soo, who had been listening seriously, couldn’t hold back any longer and gave Jung-ho a solid whack on the back.
“Kang Jung-ho, watch your mouth. What’s wrong with me?”
“Ah, of course, you’re fine too, Hyung. You’re good-looking, you’ve become diligent and focused, you’re appearing in a famous director’s movie, you’re a young man with a bright future. But even so, Yoon Joo-ho is a bit… too much.”
“Too much what?”
“Don’t be offended, Hyung. It’s not about you, but honestly, most men in Korea can’t compare to Yoon Joo-ho. Height, looks, wealth, fame. He has it all, and even a great voice, he’s like a cheat character. Unless it’s a third-generation chaebol… Ah, even third-generation chaebols who are ugly wouldn’t make it… You know, the son of Hanseo Group, someone like that…”
Song Hyun-soo placed his hand on Jung-ho’s shoulder.
“So. Even if Yoon Joo-ho is dating a man, it’s absolutely not going to be me? That I’ve gone crazy and am telling you a ridiculous lie??”
“It’s not that you’ve gone crazy, it’s that I’m worried something might be wrong… Ahh! Ah, Hyung, let go, let go!”
As he applied more force to Jung-ho’s shoulder, squeezing his bones, Jung-ho writhed and whined.
He had imagined Jung-ho might be disgusted or avoid him if he were gay, but he hadn’t expected him to outright disbelieve him.
Rumble, rumble.
What should I do about this? As he chugged his cocktail, his phone, placed on the bar, suddenly vibrated.
It was a message from GYJHSB.
《Why aren’t you coming out?》
Why aren’t I coming out? Where is he? Song Hyun-soo instinctively looked around. Even though he knew he couldn’t be in the store.
《What is it? Where are you now?》
《In front of the store.》
He’s… here… to pick me up? Send.
“Who are you grinning at like that? Hyung, you haven’t fallen for some cult, have you?”
“You little brat.”
Just as Song Hyun-soo was about to lunge at Jung-ho again, his phone rang once more.
《I came out for a drive because I was bored.》
Yes, yes. It was only a few hours ago that he took me to a costume fitting and then drove me home from my part-time job, and now he’s already missing me, or worried about how my talk with Jung-ho went, and came to pick me up, absolutely not. Let’s just say he came for a drive from Cheongdam-dong to Daehangno because he was incredibly bored at home. Fine. I’ll protect that much of your pride.
《But it might take a while. This kid Jung-ho doesn’t believe me at all.》
《I knew it would be like this.》
It was a sentence that seemed to convey Yoon Joo-ho’s characteristic sweet sigh. Before Song Hyun-soo could type a new reply, the next message arrived immediately.
《Just bring him out.》
Bring him out. He hesitated for a moment, but since he was already in front of the store, it seemed faster to show him directly.
Song Hyun-soo stood up from his stool and pulled Jung-ho’s arm.
“Get up.”
“Why, why? Are you taking me to the cult’s headquarters?”
“Get up, I’ll show you the proof.”
He put his cocktail glass in the sink, turned on the security system, put on the orange padding Yoon Joo-ho had given him, and stepped out of ‘Jessica’ with Jung-ho.
“…”
Yoon Joo-ho’s sedan, parked diagonally across the street, immediately caught his eye. More precisely, the silhouette standing in front of it drew his gaze.
Wiping his nose, Song Hyun-soo looked around to see if there were any passersby.
Why is he standing out here like this, what if someone recognizes him and attacks him… he chided himself inwardly, but his lips kept twitching. Even though they had been together just a few hours ago, seeing him in person made him smile again. It’s not just Yoon Joo-ho who’s to blame. I’m also severely afflicted.
“Hyung, why are you playing such a serious prank? If you have worries, I’ll listen, so let’s go grab some soju and…”
Jung-ho’s voice, which had just noticed Yoon Joo-ho approaching, stretched out strangely. As if he had seen his sworn enemy, whom he had personally killed and confirmed was dead, reappear as a ghost, he jumped back and retreated.
“You worked hard. You must be tired, right?”
Wh-who are you?
Not only Jung-ho, but Song Hyun-soo also stepped back.
Yoon Joo-ho, who had approached, unnecessarily tidied Song Hyun-soo’s hair and asked in a gentle voice. He sounded like a perfectly normal ‘boyfriend.’
“I-I’m fine. You should be resting at home, Senior…”
“I was worried about how the conversation went.”
The hand that had been touching his hair moved down and lightly wrapped around Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder. Jung-ho’s gaze followed his hand, and his eyes widened with horror in the darkness.
Yoon Joo-ho was wasting his acting skills on something unnecessary again. Song Hyun-soo, running a hand down his face and sighing as if it were unavoidable, placed his palm under Yoon Joo-ho’s face.
“Here, proof.”
“Uh… uh…”
Jung-ho pointed at Yoon Joo-ho with his bent index finger, his jaw dropped, unable to speak. Yoon Joo-ho was the one who stepped forward to offer a handshake.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Yoon Joo-ho.”
“Yes… right. You’re Yoon Joo-ho.”
Muttering nonsense, Jung-ho hesitantly shook Yoon Joo-ho’s hand. Then, as if he couldn’t believe he had shaken hands with Yoon Joo-ho, he raised his hand to eye level and turned it around.
“It’s late, I’ll drive you home. We can talk on the way.”
After shaking hands with Jung-ho and turning around, Yoon Joo-ho immediately put his arm around Song Hyun-soo’s shoulder again. As they walked towards the car, he stayed close to Song Hyun-soo, lowered his head deeply, and whispered.
“Aren’t you hungry? I bought some cookies for the car.”
Yoon Joo-ho was acting differently, making it feel like they were filming rather than reality, which confused Song Hyun-soo. Moreover, the distance between them was unusually close. It was a distance that could exist between two men, but at the same time, it could seem exceptionally intimate to someone who had just heard them confess they were lovers.
“What is this, really.”
“What is what?”
“You’re talking like a completely normal person!”
Yoon Joo-ho pressed his nose against Song Hyun-soo’s temple and chuckled.
Jung-ho, who had arrived first and was standing in front of the back seat, looked at them with the expression of a teenage son witnessing his parents’ public display of affection.