DP Side Story 2, Episode 4
by BrieDeep Pivot Side Story 2, Episode 4
Cha Yeon-woo was flustered, waving his hands in polite refusal and trying to explain something. The man across from him smiled the entire time, trying to hand him something—a business card.
Narrowing his eyes, Seo-joon stared at the two of them. It was a scene he recognized all too well… more accurately, it was something he’d imagined dozens of times before.
‘Is my baby about to get hit on by some random guy?’
But why is that conversation dragging on so long? From the looks of it, Baby kept turning him down, but the man persisted, trying again and again to force the card into his hand. That bastard… If someone says no once, you back off like a man. What the hell does this old guy think he’s doing…
Seo-joon stood up.
With every step he took toward them, his suspicions grew stronger—and his sense of social restraint peeled off layer by layer.
“Baby.”
It was nearly a lion’s roar. So loud and clear that everyone in the café turned to look. Yeon-woo whipped his head around, eyes wide as he spotted Seo-joon.
“Baby, what’s going on?”
“Lieutenant, this man is—”
Seo-joon marched right up and laced his fingers with Yeon-woo’s, locking their hands tightly, then turned a hard stare on the other man.
“What exactly do you think you’re doing with my baby?”
Yeon-woo clenched his teeth and shut his eyes, mortified by this public disaster. The man, still holding out the business card, looked between Seo-joon and Yeon-woo with bewildered eyes.
“Uh, I… I was just…”
Seo-joon frowned sharply.
“Baby said no. Why do you keep bothering him?”
“Lieutenant, wait, this isn’t—”
“Ah, terribly sorry.”
The man, recovering quickly, offered the card politely with a smile.
“I’m a casting manager with the M.D. team at SOP Studio.”
Seo-joon instinctively snatched the card and took a look. ‘Studio SOP.’ Even someone with zero interest in entertainment would recognize that logo—a major entertainment company.
“This gentleman just has such a striking look… I was hoping if he had even the slightest interest, we might reconnect at one of our label auditions. Ha ha…”
His salesman smile remained, but there was now a hint of confusion in his eyes as they flicked between “Lieutenant” and “Baby” and the hands they held so intimately.
Finally grasping what was really happening, Seo-joon let out a small, awkward “Ah…” and cleared his throat. Changing his expression entirely, he replied calmly,
“…We’ll talk it over and get back to you.”
“Ah, wait—if you’re even slightly interested…”
The man quickly stopped Seo-joon and pulled a pamphlet and printed flyer from the folder tucked under his arm. It included the company’s second-half audition schedule and a QR code for profile submission.
“I really hope we can meet again.”
“…”
Seo-joon, who took the flyer almost by reflex, was so overcome with embarrassment that he couldn’t even manage a proper goodbye before turning away. The same went for Yeon-woo, who had become such a flustered mess he might as well have forgotten how to speak. As they walked away quickly, a shout echoed from behind them: “Please discuss and get back to us!”
Neither Master nor Baby had the nerve to sit back down at the café table. They swiftly gathered their things, taking the to-go cups and the whole cake box, and stepped out onto the street.
“…Because of you, Master, I’m honestly too embarrassed to live.”
Hearing Yeon-woo grumble quietly beside him, Seo-joon clamped a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle his laughter. But it was no use—he still chuckled. Yeon-woo gave him a look of disbelief.
“What kind of gay guy hits on someone openly in public? I’ve never seen that in my life, okay? Master, your imagination is just too much sometimes.”
“…Getting scouted by an entertainment agency at a café isn’t exactly common either, Yeon-woo.”
“Anyone could tell he was a salesman or a scammer.”
Now not only Center staff and team members, but even their café neighbors had seen Yeon-woo fully exposed as “Baby.” He answered gloomily.
“Next time someone like that approaches, just take the card and say you’ll think about it. If you turn them down directly, the conversation drags on.”
Seo-joon knew well how persistent industry people could be. Are you a student? What will you do after graduation? Not looking for a part-time job? Oh… you’re an Esper? Well, Espers can model too, right? It’s not that time-consuming… The simplest way to make them back off was always: “I’ll talk it over with my parents and get back to you.”
After listening to Seo-joon, Yeon-woo sighed.
“I wish I knew that sooner. One time, someone even followed me to my neighborhood. But I don’t have parents, so I never thought of using that excuse.”
Seo-joon quietly looked at him. Though now so full of love and affection he seemed like a pampered puppy, the scars from Yeon-woo’s lonely past would still surface without warning.
“That guy earlier was really persistent, too. I kept saying no…”
Every time he glimpsed that shadow of Yeon-woo’s past, Seo-joon felt a quiet pang in his chest. He laced his fingers with Yeon-woo’s and asked with a smile,
“So, are you really not interested? In that stuff. Judging by the card, it looked like a modeling department.”
“Huh? Nah… I mean, come on. Me?”
“Don’t just assume you can’t. You’ve got someone to talk it over with now. Yeon-woo, you’re someone who can do anything.”
“Still, not modeling. I’ve got no talent for that kind of thing.”
Your face is talent enough… Seo-joon looked fondly at his babbling partner. If Cha Yeon-woo ever did a commercial, just staring into the camera for thirty seconds would sell out the product. Yeon-woo turned and smiled brightly like a sports drink ad.
“What about you, Master? Ever thought about acting or modeling?”
“I’m too old for that now.”
“Wow, if Director Kang heard you say that, she’d flip. Thirty is baby age—barely off baby food.”
“This newborn’s got a mouth on him.”
Seo-joon swung their joined hands back and forth, changing the subject. Talking age with Yeon-woo always turned into a losing battle.
“By the way, we really might have to move, Yeon-woo. If people keep saying things like ‘Master’ and ‘Baby’ around town, we’re gonna be the talk of the neighborhood. I won’t be able to show my face anymore.”
“Aw, come on. There are tons of similar words out there. If that’s embarrassing, how do you think all the workplace supervisors named Juim get through the day?”
Yeon-woo pressed his point, saying people wouldn’t take it literally, that there wasn’t much difference between “Lieutenant” and “Master” anyway.
Yeah, right. Seo-joon let out a defeated laugh. Ever-optimistic Yeon-woo seriously underestimated people’s hearing.
The past three days of standoff had only caused mutual damage—neither side had come out on top. Seo-joon sighed shortly, feeling weary.
“Okay. I won’t push anymore. Just call me whatever you want. What matters is the feeling, not the title.”
“No, Master.”
Yeon-woo squeezed his hand tighter and said, after a beat, with dramatic seriousness:
“…I’m really going to try now.”
He literally just called him Master again. What was he planning to “try,” exactly?
Seo-joon gave a benevolent smile and simply nodded.
Day 2 of Cha Yeon-woo’s three-day resolution.
Seo-joon woke to the sound of clinking dishes coming from the kitchen. Normally, his routine would be to get out of bed and greet Yeon-woo first thing, but today he stayed perfectly still, staring blankly up at the ceiling.
Then he heard footsteps. Seo-joon quickly shut his eyes.
“Lieut—…”
Yeon-woo’s voice cut off mid-syllable the moment he entered the bedroom, as if someone had hit the mute button. The sheets dipped beside him, casting a shadow over Seo-joon’s face. Yeon-woo crept up silently, then leaned over him.
“Wake up.” A faint whisper tickled his ear.
Chup, chup. Gentle kisses landed softly on his forehead, the bridge of his nose, and then his lips. Apparently, the shock therapy had some effect—though it had clearly shaken both Cha Yeon-woo and himself in the process.
So this is what happens when you ban the use of “Lieutenant”? You get sweet morning kisses like this? Seo-joon seriously regretted not doing it sooner.
“Did you sleep well?”
He cupped Yeon-woo’s cheek, pulled him in for another kiss, and fondly smoothed his face.
“You look even prettier than usual today.”
“You look… even more handsome than usual today.”