LMO 46

“Sir.”

Do Yun-hyeok let out a deep sigh.

“Do you think I haven’t seen one or two people like you?”

He really had no sense of common decency or manners. I marveled anew. But what he said seemed to be true, so I had nothing to say.

The man in sunglasses was undeterred by Do Yun-hyeok’s excellent personality. If anything, he seemed more fired up. He took out a pen and notebook from his jacket pocket and adjusted his sunglasses again.

“We’re different from those small and medium-sized agencies. You won’t regret it if you hear us out. Truly.”

“Everyone says that.”

“Just listen once, as if you’re being fooled. It will be a really great opportunity for you, student.”

“Sir.”

Do Yun-hyeok shook his head. His eyes were narrowed, his expression weary.

“I’m not doing it.”

“I’m really not a strange person. You can leave midway if anything feels even a little off, so please, won’t you?”

Do Yun-hyeok, who stubbornly refused, and the casting manager, who wouldn’t give up. It was truly a battle of spear and shield. I stood there like a wooden doll, unable to escape from between them, as Do Yun-hyeok held my wrist.

This is embarrassing!

“We were having fun, but you ruined it, sir. It’s annoying.”

“Sigh…”

Was it Do Yun-hyeok’s victory, then, since he was blind to everything? After a long argument with Do Yun-hyeok, the casting manager ran a hand through his hair and then changed direction, approaching me.

“Then, perhaps your friend here is interested…?”

“Sir.”

Do Yun-hyeok straightened his expression and stepped forward, blocking the casting manager. He spoke through clenched teeth.

“Stop being interested and get lost. I’m busy trying to charm him.”

“Hey, hey. No matter what, you shouldn’t talk to people like that. I’ll apologize on his behalf. I’m sorry.”

“……”

Seeing that I couldn’t stand it and intervened, Do Yun-hyeok’s face turned as cold as a rose flower doused in liquid nitrogen, freezing rapidly. My heart shrank to the size of a bean. Why did I have to butt in with Do Yun-hyeok?

“Are you…”

“……”

“Taking this gentleman’s side in front of me?”

“No…”

Is that what’s important right now?

Do Yun-hyeok drooped his eyes, looking crestfallen. The tension suddenly dissipated. It was absurd. I swallowed a sigh and replied.

“You should at least show basic courtesy to others.”

“Is this kind of guy your type?”

What kind of nonsense is that!

I almost shouted in protest. But I managed to calm myself. Yes, let me remind myself again. He’s a mad dog, a mad dog.

With a mad dog? You can’t communicate!

Talking to Do Yun-hyeok, who could turn even a physically healthy and sound person into a chronically hypertensive hothead, was not a good choice. I gave up on Do Yun-hyeok and turned to the casting manager. After all, conversation is meant to be had with someone who understands common sense and logic.

“Um, I’m sorry. As you’ve heard from our conversation, he’s like this.”

“Student, as a celebrity…”

“I plan to focus on my studies, so I have no interest in becoming a celebrity. As you heard, he doesn’t either.”

“You can pursue a career in entertainment while continuing your studies! It won’t interfere with your studies. The company will actively support you. Student, are you good at studying?”

“Ah, yes.”

“We were looking for someone exactly like you.”

“But I’m not interested in the entertainment industry.”

“Take a look, and if you become interested, please contact me anytime… I’ll give you my phone number…”

“Sir.”

Against such a persistent person, it was easier to pretend to listen, nod, and then walk away than to confront him directly. My plan was to end the situation by politely accepting the phone number from him and then tearing it to shreds later, but Do Yun-hyeok grabbed the casting manager’s arm as he was about to write down his number for me.

Tok, roll. The dropped ballpoint pen rolled uselessly on the Myeongdong street.

“If you don’t want to go to the police station right now because of him, and if you have any sense, you should leave.”

His long, narrow eyes were narrowed. The casting manager, whose wrist was held by Do Yun-hyeok, looked at me as if asking for help, but I bowed my head apologetically. I’m also being dragged around by a mad dog, so there’s no way I can stop him.

In the end, the sunglasses-wearing manager, intimidated by Do Yun-hyeok, turned his back on us with immense regret. He didn’t even forget to pick up the dropped pen.

Watching his retreating back, I muttered.

“It doesn’t seem like a scam.”

“You’re so naive.”

He’s spouting nonsense again.

I looked up at Do Yun-hyeok, who was still holding my arm. Do Yun-hyeok was busy watching with his eyes to make sure the casting manager had really left. His long eyes darted back and forth.

I often think this when I see the Four Heavenly Kings, but Do Yun-hyeok is also incredibly handsome. It suddenly made me curious.

“But do you hate being a celebrity that much?”

“…Do you want me to?”

“It’s not that.”

I shrugged.

“If you get scouted on the street that often, it means you have talent. Whether it’s your looks, your physique, your aura, or anything else. Isn’t it a waste of that talent? I’m just curious about your thoughts on it.”

Hearing my words, Do Yun-hyeok seemed to ponder for a moment before blurting out.

“I think I’m tired of it.”

“Tired of what?”

“People looking only at my face without knowing who I am. In the end… they say it’s not what they expected.”

“……”

He’s so proud, so proud.

But he was so proud that I had nothing to say. Like the Four Heavenly Kings, Do Yun-hyeok was not inferior to celebrities in terms of visuals. I quietly closed my mouth. It seemed that handsome guys had their own reasons. It wasn’t my business.

Do Yun-hyeok led me onward to a new place. I was dragged along like a piece of luggage. Do Yun-hyeok stopped where restoration work was still underway near Cheonggyecheon.

“A river is going to be made here.”

I looked down at Cheonggyecheon, where landscaping was in progress. The outline of Cheonggyecheon I remembered seemed faintly visible, yet it was a different, unfamiliar sight.

“It’s fascinating that they’re making a river.”

“They’re not making it; they’re restoring what was originally there.”

“It’s the same thing. You’re just a bit…”

A bit what!

“Stupid, but it’s cute.”

I wanted to ask what was stupid, but what conversation could I have with him? Reminding myself that the words of a mad dog were not worth refuting, I suppressed my rising indignation.

“Pretty one.”

Suddenly, the endearment regressed again. I pretended not to hear and turned my head.

“Pretty one.”

“……”

Then Do Yun-hyeok gently tugged my arm to make me look at him. When our eyes met, Do Yun-hyeok winked and stuck out his tongue slightly.

…What is this?

Seeing his seemingly affectionate expression made me break out in a cold sweat.

Wasn’t this kind of awkward aegyo supposed to be Min Si-hu’s role? Shouldn’t character positions overlap?

“Our pretty one.”

This was the third time he’d called me “pretty one.” I deliberately didn’t answer. Do Yun-hyeok didn’t seem to mind.

“I even got my tongue pierced to look good for you. I did well, right?”

“…What?”

“A piercing.”

……?

“What?”

I thought I misheard. When I asked again in disbelief, Do Yun-hyeok stuck out his tongue again. A silver sphere-shaped piercing was embedded in the center of his tongue. My vision swam for a moment.

What on earth is that? My tongue felt numb, as if I were experiencing sympathetic pain. I unnecessarily touched my tongue to the roof of my mouth, checking if it was okay.

“…To look good?”

“Yeah.”

“…You did that to look good?”

“Yeah.”

“For me?”

“Yeah.”

“How does that connect?”

“What?”

“Getting a tongue piercing, and looking good for me.”

“See!”

“……”

“Hae-jun, you’re an idiot.”

You little brat!

“Why do you think? It feels good when we kiss.”

Having said that, Do Yun-hyeok shyly stuck out his tongue again and grinned. The tongue piercing glinted in the light. My head spun.

…….

What the…

I was speechless.

All I could think was that the mad dog had just acted like a mad dog.

‘By the way, isn’t this sexual harassment?’

I realized it belatedly, but considering it was Do Yun-hyeok who said it, it felt less insulting and more, frankly, absurd. I wanted to smack him on the back of the head and lecture him, “Snap out of it! Huh!”

I was simply dumbfounded. He was just a lunatic.

“Come over here.”

Regardless of what I was thinking about him, Do Yun-hyeok dragged me along again. I followed, thinking for the third time that it’s best not to associate with a mad dog. Believing the saying that three instances of patience can avert disaster.

Do Yun-hyeok, who had dragged me back into a crowded area, suddenly knelt on one knee. He didn’t let go of my arm. The strange performance in the middle of the street made passersby stop and glance this way.

What is this? Is this a new form of bullying?

“I, Do Yun-hyeok—!”

After looking up at me for a moment, Do Yun-hyeok shouted forcefully. It wasn’t enough to silence the noisy Myeongdong street, but it was enough to make passersby glance back. A chilling premonition swept down my neck.

I’m…

‘I’m screwed!’

And my damn premonition was not wrong. Do Yun-hyeok grinned and, in a low voice, dropped a bombshell in the middle of Myeongdong, where pedestrians were paying attention.

“I vow to look only at Seong Hae-jun.”

Thump.

The balloon stick I was holding fell uselessly.

Today must be my funeral.