LS Ch 60
by soapa“He does look happy. I thought he wouldn’t date until he quit being a celebrity.”
“True. He never showed any interest when we talked about who was attractive.”
“Maybe it’s because he’s… you know…”
Since Yiwon was dating Jewoo, the others suspected he might be gay. Another member stepped in and waved his hand.
“But he never showed interest in men either. Yiwon just wasn’t interested in people in general.”
Raun and Haewoo nodded in agreement.
“Well, it’s not that he wasn’t interested in people. He was a fan of Jewoo back then.”
“So, he just likes Jewoo.”
“Exactly.”
While the members discussed Yiwon, he was focused on his call with Jewoo.
“Can’t we switch to video? I want to see your face.”
Just hang in there. We’ll see each other in two days anyway.
“You’re so mean. Do you know it’s been a month since we last saw each other?”
It hasn’t been a month. It’s not even been three weeks.
It had been a little less than three weeks, but to Yiwon, it felt much longer. He had finally started dating Jewoo, but between concert preparations and delayed ad shoots, he couldn’t find the time. Practice usually ended after 10 PM, and although Yiwon wanted to see Jewoo even for a moment, Jewoo always declined.
Jewoo was preparing for an action movie and attending action school. He also got home late and was tired from physical training all day. But the real reason he declined was that he didn’t want Yiwon to go out of his way, knowing how busy he was. Instead, Jewoo promised to attend Yiwon’s group concert.
“Really, you won’t show me your face?”
Yiwon pleaded again, and Jewoo finally switched to video call. Even on the small screen, seeing Jewoo’s face made Yiwon smile.
“Look at that,” Raun said, nudging Haewoo and pointing at Yiwon.
“I’m already watching,” Haewoo replied, amazed. The other members were also watching Yiwon.
“He’s over the moon.”
“Must be really happy.”
Seeing Yiwon’s bright face, the members got playful. They exchanged glances and approached Yiwon from behind.
“Hello!”
“Jewoo, come visit us!”
“Please come to the concert!”
The members rushed over and greeted Jewoo on the screen. Surprised, Yiwon tried to push them away, but Haewoo snatched the phone. Jewoo was startled but soon smiled and waved at them. Although Raun was the only one who had met Jewoo in person, they often greeted him like this during Yiwon’s calls, so it had become familiar.
“Please join us for the after-party following the concert,” Raun insisted, but Jewoo seemed hesitant.
“If you don’t come, Yiwon will definitely try to run away. So please, join us. Okay?”
The other members joined in, urging Jewoo. Finally, Jewoo agreed. Raun handed the phone back to Yiwon and mouthed, “Did I do good?” Yiwon scolded him but couldn’t stop smiling.
“Will you come early to the concert?”
When Yiwon asked Jewoo to come early to see him before the concert started, Jewoo hesitated and furrowed his brow.
“I want to, but I have morning practice, so I’m not sure if I can make it. I’ll definitely be there before it starts.”
“I wish the day after tomorrow would come sooner.”
Yiwon’s wish made Jewoo ask if he was excited about the concert after such a long time.
“No. I just want to see you sooner.”
Yiwon’s gentle voice made Jewoo pause, then he smiled softly.
I want to see you too.
Yiwon’s face lit up with a smile at Jewoo’s response. The members watching them stuck out their tongues, amazed by Yiwon’s captivating smile.
🎞️✮⋆˙
With less than an hour until the concert started, everyone was busy. It wasn’t just Yiwon’s group performing; all the idol groups from their agency were participating. Yiwon’s group was one of the last to perform. Everyone was in full makeup and costumes, waiting backstage.
“Kim Ah-rin is here,” Haewoo announced as he returned to the waiting room.
“Kim Ah-rin?”
Kim Ah-rin was the center of the most popular girl group in their agency. During a drama shoot, Yiwon and Kim Ah-rin were photographed together, nearly sparking rumors.
“Isn’t she looking for Yiwon?” Haewoo asked, glancing at Yiwon. Although the company quickly handled the situation and no articles were published, it was clear that Kim Ah-rin had shown interest in Yiwon. The day the photo was taken, Kim Ah-rin’s schedule had ended earlier, but she happened to run into Yiwon as he was leaving much later. Staff members who knew each other suggested they grab a meal together, but Haewoo suspected Kim Ah-rin had waited for Yiwon.
“She’s being pretty obvious. Is that okay?” Raun worried about potential rumors.
“Our company prefers in-house dating if you must date. It’s easier to manage,” Haewoo explained, glancing at Yiwon. Until recently, the members joked about Yiwon and Kim Ah-rin possibly dating. But now, with Yiwon deeply involved with Jewoo, they couldn’t joke about it anymore.
The issue was that while the members knew about Yiwon and Jewoo, the company did not. If the higher-ups found out, they might intervene, possibly preferring Yiwon to date Kim Ah-rin instead.
“Just ignore her,” Yiwon said, showing no interest in Kim Ah-rin. He was focused on calling Jewoo, trying to reach him again.
“Still no answer?” Raun asked, seeing Jewoo’s name on Yiwon’s phone. Yiwon shook his head.
“I hope nothing’s wrong,” Raun said, trying to reassure him, but Yiwon looked anxious. He seemed too worried to focus on the upcoming performance.
“He’s probably just busy. He promised to come before the concert starts. Just relax and wait,” Haewoo tried to calm Yiwon, but he couldn’t put down his phone.
“Ten minutes until start,” a staff member announced. The concert was about to begin, but Jewoo still hadn’t arrived. Yiwon paced around the waiting room, trying to call Jewoo again.
Suddenly, Yiwon’s phone rang. He quickly checked the caller ID and saw Jewoo’s name. He let out a long sigh of relief.
“What happened? Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Yiwon asked urgently. But the voice on the other end wasn’t Jewoo’s.
Kang Yiwon? This is Han Jiho, Jewoo’s manager.
Yiwon was confused about why the manager was calling from Jewoo’s phone.
Jewoo is in the hospital.
Yiwon’s heart sank at the news.
“Oh, it’s nothing serious. He just got a bit injured. He didn’t break anything; he just got scratched during wire practice. He emphasized that it’s not serious.”
Jiho sighed as he spoke, seemingly exasperated.
“Anyway, he said he’s sorry he can’t make it before the concert starts. He’s getting treatment right now, and he asked me to let you know because he kept receiving calls. He said if he didn’t, you wouldn’t be able to focus on your concert. He plans to come straight to the concert venue as soon as his treatment is done, so no need to worry.”
Finally, Yiwon felt a wave of relief. For a moment, hearing that Jewoo was hurt made his heart stop.
“Thank you for letting me know. Please tell him to come to our waiting room when he arrives. I’ll let the staff know to allow him in.”
After ending the call, Yiwon felt drained.
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Haewoo asked, noticing Yiwon’s troubled expression during the call.
“Jewoo is injured and at the hospital.”
“What?”
“Is it serious?”
The members looked concerned, but Yiwon shook his head, saying it didn’t seem too bad. Still, since he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he couldn’t be completely sure.
Haewoo, Raun, and the other members exchanged worried glances. They hoped, as Yiwon said, that Jewoo wasn’t seriously hurt and would arrive before their performance. That way, Yiwon could focus and perform well.