By Zephyria “PD Bae? Tae-kyung, go quickly!”
After giving an eye greeting to Doo-hyun Hyung, who was waving his hands and urging me on, I followed the staff member. I thought we would take the elevator, but unexpectedly, the staff member walked to a nearby waiting room and opened the door for me.
“Go in and wait.”
“Yes. Thank you!”
I bowed and entered the waiting room. I looked around the space, which was much larger than the waiting room we used before, and sat on the long sofa in the center.
Why did PD Bae Dong-yeon call for me?
Only one thing came to mind. Maybe it was to keep Sung Se-han’s words during the shoot from leaking out.
But was there really a need to do this? Because of the contract terms, no one would recklessly talk about what happened during the recording….
Bang. I stood up abruptly as soon as I heard the door open. Just as I was about to politely put my hands together and bow, I froze.
The person striding in with long legs was not PD Bae Dong-yeon. It was a tall man with a dazzling appearance that instantly brightened the drab waiting room.
“Sung Se-han.”
Before I knew it, the words slipped out.
Sung Se-han strode across the wide waiting room and arrived in front of me in just five steps.
“I like the sound of that.”
I couldn’t move at all as his slanted brown eyes looked down at me.
“Keep calling me that in the future. My name.”
What…? My lips moved, but no sound came out.
I couldn’t even guess how long it had been since I’d heard his sweet voice directly, or how long it had been since his clear eyes had reflected me, so my mind went blank.
“Sit down first.”
The force pushing my shoulder wasn’t strong, but I collapsed onto the sofa as if my legs had given out. As I blinked slowly, Sung Se-han placed the box he had been carrying under his arm in front of me and knelt on one knee.
“I don’t know if the size will fit.”
Inside the box were white sneakers with a red logo. I blankly watched Sung Se-han take out the sneakers, and then I jumped when his large hand grabbed my ankle.
“Wh-what are you doing!”
“Stay still.”
My body was dragged along, and my shoulder hit the back of the sofa because of the firm force pulling my ankle.
“Hey! What the hell are you doing….”
“Say my name. Like you did earlier.”
Perhaps because he was kneeling, Sung Se-han’s line of sight was lower than mine. I felt uneasy and my heart beat erratically because Sung Se-han, looking up at me with sharp eyes, was so unfamiliar.
“This should be okay.”
Sung Se-han, who had forced the sneakers on me, pressed down on the toe and then looked up.
“Stand up and walk around.”
I straightened my shoulders, which had been leaning against the backrest. I clenched my teeth, putting strength into the hand that was holding onto the sofa.
“I asked you what the hell you’re doing.”
“You.”
Sung Se-han swept his hair back with one hand. The unset bangs fell down again. Although his right eye was trapped between the strands of hair, his gleaming gaze was not hidden.
“Do you perhaps know me?”
My vision turned white as Sung Se-han stared at me and asked slowly. I felt sweat filling the palm of my hand that was holding onto the sofa.
This can’t happen.
Absolutely not.
The moment I remembered what I had given up for Sung Se-han, a cold wind swept through my mind. When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw the precious person I had been trying to protect kneeling.
“Sung Se-han-ssi, I don’t know what you want to hear from me. I don’t get out much, so I had never even heard of Sung Se-han-ssi before your debut.”
Hmm. Sung Se-han let out a short breath and stood up. I tilted my head back to look up at the tall Sung Se-han.
“Okay, confirmed.”
Sung Se-han took two steps back and put his hands on his waist.
“I was wondering because you kept staring at my face.”
My shoulders flinched at his cold voice. I must have been staring too blankly. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath because of the continuous stream of bewildering events.
“Sung Se-han-ssi stared first, so I….”
“Don’t deny it. You’ve been staring only at me since our team entered.”
Sung Se-han tilted his head and raised one corner of his mouth. His cold smile, as if mocking me, made me unable to bear it.
“Sung Se-han-ssi’s appearance is too dazzling, so I couldn’t help but look. Honestly, how can you not look? Everyone there was only looking at Sung Se-han-ssi, so why are you picking on me?”
“You couldn’t help but look.”
I don’t know how much I wanted to hear this voice. My heart felt so constricted that it was hard to breathe. No, if I kept being with Sung Se-han, I might really collapse from shortness of breath.
“Was it Sung Se-han-ssi who called me, not the PD…?”
Sung Se-han tilted his shoulder as I clenched my teeth and glared at him. His beautiful face became even closer because of that.
“I’m so handsome that you couldn’t help but look?”
I couldn’t help but scan his shaded eyes, the bridge of his nose, and his alluring lips in turn. Because they were all things I wanted to protect. Because they were my pride.
“Yes, of course. You’re the most handsome in the world. Sung Se-han-ssi is.”
“Then.”
My body jumped when one arm suddenly reached out. Thud, Sung Se-han’s face, which was resting on the back of the sofa, was so close that it almost touched me.
“So you’re saying I’m more handsome than your boyfriend?”
Huh…? Wh-what…?
“Boyfriend?”
My head rapidly cooled at the word that popped out of my mouth.
“Ha.”
Did he just call me his boyfriend? You bastard.
Even if you don’t know anything, even if you don’t know me, how can you say such a thing?
I wanted to grab him by the collar and shout at him right away. My anger rose and began to boil over.
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
I felt like I had to swear as much as I could, so I could suppress myself.
I had to do that if I didn’t want to hug his broad shoulders in front of me, if I didn’t want to say that I was dying to see him.
“Are you the PD? Did you call a busy person here just to talk nonsense? Do you think people have to come running when you call? Me? You must not know your place these days, thinking that everyone will bow down to you just because you’re a little popular?”
Actually, I wanted to brag. That Sung Se-han was my boyfriend.
That the thing sparkling on my wrist wasn’t a friendship bracelet, but a couple bracelet that Sung Se-han had given me. I wanted to brag to the world like that.
I wanted to shout that Sung Se-han was mine, so no one could covet him.
“I knew it. I thought you were annoying since the recording.”
I can still feel the weight of the silver bracelet on my wrist.
But it’s just a dream of the past. It’s just a dream I exchanged for something precious, so why did you appear in front of me and confuse me?
“Hey, take care of your image? If you don’t want to get exposed soon.”
I thought it was too much happiness for me to be able to see Sung Se-han again. But now I know. This is just another pain for me.
Look at me, spewing curses in front of Sung Se-han, who is staring at me. Could there be anything more terrible and cruel than this?
“If you understand… get out of my way.”
Sung Se-han was still looking at me without moving, even though I was snapping at him like a crazy person. I raised my voice because I wanted to get out of this situation as soon as possible.
“Aren’t you going to move?”
“So, you’re saying.”
Sung Se-han lowered his shoulders and came closer. Light swirled in his slanted brown eyes.
“You don’t have a boyfriend and you don’t have anyone you like?”
“Is this guy really crazy?”
I was so dumbfounded that I burst out laughing. The moment I turned my gaze away because I didn’t want to deal with him anymore, I heard a low voice.
“You don’t have anyone you like? Really?”
Sung Se-han finally made my breath catch in my throat. I bit my lip tightly and met his gaze.
He was blocking me with his broad shoulders, and his eyes were gleaming. As if he would never move unless he heard an answer.
“Why do I have to answer that? Who are you?”
I couldn’t take it anymore, so I jumped up to avoid Sung Se-han. I ran to the door without looking back, only wanting to get out of here quickly.
“Ah!”
The moment I grabbed the doorknob, a sturdy figure blocked my way. I was momentarily startled and took a step back.
“Wh-what!”
Sung Se-han leaned against the door, leisurely crossed his arms, and looked down at me.
“Break up with whoever you’re seeing right now.”
Huh…? Who am I supposed to break up with? I was so dumbfounded that I was stunned for a moment, and then he frowned slightly.