LS Ch 62

After the concert, Jewoo was dragged along to the after-party with Yiwon. Yiwon had wanted to skip it because of Jewoo’s injury, but his fellow members wouldn’t let him. They’d cornered Jewoo first, and Yiwon reluctantly joined them.

Since it was the agency’s family concert, the after-party was packed. Jewoo had worried about standing out as an outsider, but that was a needless concern. With not only idols but also managers and staff present, there were many unfamiliar faces. Thanks to this, hardly anyone paid attention to him.

Instead of sticking to their respective groups, everyone mingled freely. However, Yiwon’s members were all huddled together in one spot. They were all eager to talk to Jewoo.

“Go on, go mingle. Find someone else to bother.”

Yiwon’s attempts to shoo them away from Jewoo were futile. They were all friendly and enthusiastic, claiming they had been looking forward to meeting him. This helped ease Jewoo’s awkwardness in the unfamiliar setting.

“You can speak comfortably. We’re all younger than you. Well, except Haewoo-hyung. He’s the same age as you.”

Rawoon, having met Jewoo once before, took the lead in introducing the other members. Jewoo wasn’t particularly shy, so he quickly warmed up to everyone. When he mentioned that since he and Haewoo were the same age, he’d appreciate it if they treated him with the same casualness they treated Haewoo, the members readily agreed. They were all easygoing, which made it easy to become friendly. Yiwon seemed to be the most reserved of the bunch.

After about an hour, Yiwon nudged Jewoo and gestured towards the exit with his eyes.

“I’m going to get some fresh air.”

Yiwon stood up, inviting Jewoo to join him.

“‘Fresh air’? Are you sure you’re not just ditching us?”

Rawoon asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Just drink.”

Instead of answering, Yiwon refilled Rawoon’s glass. Rawoon seemed slightly tipsy already, apparently having a lower alcohol tolerance than he appeared.

As soon as they stepped outside, Yiwon took Jewoo’s arm and strode forward.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re leaving.”

“Now?”

The party was still in full swing. Jewoo thought they should at least say goodbye to the members and others before leaving.

“No one cares if a couple of people disappear.”

Yiwon headed towards the parking lot without hesitation, clearly intending to leave.

“Kang Yiwon?”

They ran into Doyoon on their way. He said he was just going to his car to get something.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

Doyoon didn’t try to stop them. He seemed accustomed to Yiwon’s behavior.

“Need a ride? You must have been drinking. You shouldn’t drive.”

He even offered to drive them.

“I didn’t drink. I can drive.”

Jewoo felt bad about leaving early, and having their manager drive them home felt even worse, so he quickly declined the offer.

“Is your arm okay?”

However, when Doyoon pointed at his bandaged arm, Jewoo was speechless. The anesthetic was wearing off, and the pain was starting to throb. Driving probably wasn’t a good idea.

“I can drive. I didn’t drink either.”

Yiwon stepped in.

“Weren’t you drinking earlier?”

Jewoo had seen Yiwon exchanging drinks with the members.

“It was non-alcoholic,” Yiwon replied. “I was planning to drive from the beginning.”

Yiwon’s gaze also fell on Jewoo’s bandaged arm. His unspoken implication that he wouldn’t let Jewoo drive in that condition made Jewoo chuckle awkwardly.

“You’re going home, right?”

Doyoon confirmed their destination with Yiwon.

“Yes.”

“Alright. Don’t wander off anywhere else.”

Jewoo felt embarrassed by Doyoon’s parting words. He knew exactly why he was saying that.

🎞️✮⋆˙

Jewoo had expected Yiwon to pounce on him as soon as they arrived at his apartment, but he was surprisingly subdued. After settling Jewoo on the living room sofa, Yiwon examined his bandaged arm.

“Is it really just a scrape?”

He questioned why it was so heavily bandaged if it was just a scrape, leaving Jewoo speechless and avoiding eye contact.

“Can I take a look?”

Clearly not believing Jewoo, he seemed determined to see the injury for himself.

“It… needed a few stitches.”

Seeing Yiwon’s resolve, Jewoo finally confessed. Yiwon’s expression immediately hardened.

“How many?”

“A few.”

Jewoo used his thumb and index finger to indicate a small gap, and Yiwon sighed.

“It’s not a deep wound. I went to a scar specialist so it wouldn’t leave a mark.”

Even though Yiwon hadn’t said anything, Jewoo found himself explaining further. As he spoke, he wondered why he was being so apologetic when he was the one who was injured.

“Does it hurt?”

Instead of scolding him, Yiwon took a deep breath and asked with concern. Jewoo pulled out his medication from his small bag in response.

“I’m actually a bit overdue for my medication.”

He avoided mentioning the pain directly. Yiwon frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed his words and brought Jewoo a bottle of water from the refrigerator instead.

“Do you want to rest early?”

Yiwon asked after watching him take his medication.

“Go to sleep?”

Jewoo asked, unsure if he had heard correctly. Yiwon nodded.

“Uh…”

Aren’t we going to do anything?

He felt too embarrassed to voice the rest of his thought. It sounded like he was expecting something. They hadn’t seen each other in almost three weeks, and Yiwon was telling him to rest. He couldn’t decipher Yiwon’s intentions. Was he genuinely concerned, or was this a subtle suggestion to go to the bedroom?

“You should wash up first. Actually, is it hard to shower with your arm? Do you want to just wash your face?”

Yiwon seemed to be genuinely intent on letting him rest. While Jewoo appreciated his concern for his injury, he also felt a pang of disappointment at the prospect of doing nothing.

“I’m going to Japan next week.”

Filming for his movie was starting next week. It was an action film involving Japanese yakuza, so there would be location shoots in Japan for a while. Even when they were both in Korea, it was difficult to find time to see each other. Once filming started, it would be even harder. He wasn’t sure when they would be able to meet again after today.

“You told me that when we talked on the phone.”

Yiwon already knew. Jewoo tilted his head, looking at him. Yiwon tilted his head slightly in response. Jewoo gestured again with his eyes, but Yiwon still looked clueless.

Finally, Jewoo reached out with his uninjured hand and gently cupped Yiwon’s chin. He gazed intently into his eyes, and saw Yiwon blink.

Why was he so handsome? He had looked even more dazzling on stage today. The fact that this incredible person was his boyfriend felt surreal. He needed reassurance.

“Are you really okay with just resting? Are you sure?”

He asked with a slight smile, and saw Yiwon’s Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. Jewoo moved his hand from Yiwon’s chin to his neck, tracing its length. He then moved his hand to his shoulder, gently squeezing it before moving down to his chest and unbuttoning a couple of buttons on his shirt.

“No regrets?”

He asked softly, and Yiwon’s chest heaved as he took a deep breath.

“I’ll regret it, but no.”

Yiwon caught Jewoo’s wrist, stopping him from unbuttoning any further. Jewoo was taken aback by his firmness. Yiwon was usually the one who initiated intimacy.

“You’re injured. Not until you’re healed.”

Yiwon’s gaze returned to his bandaged arm. He frowned, as if he were the one in pain, and sighed deeply.

“I’m really fine.”

It throbbed a bit, but the painkillers would take care of that soon.

“I’m not fine.”

Yiwon kept his eyes fixed on the injury with a serious expression. Feeling Jewoo’s gaze, he looked up. Jewoo simply stared back, unsure what to say. After a long moment, Yiwon sighed again.

“I think I know what you’re thinking, but I care about you, Han Jewoo, not just your body.”

Jewoo blinked at the unexpected words.

“I want to hold you and touch you because I care about you. But that’s not all there is. You’re precious to me, and you came here injured. I should be pampering you, not…”

He trailed off, glancing at the injury with a frustrated frown.

“That’s…”

As Jewoo started to speak, Yiwon’s eyes returned to his face.

“Touching.”

A chuckle escaped Jewoo’s lips. Yiwon’s reaction made him feel shallow for having only focused on the fact that they wouldn’t see each other for a while.

“Actually, I cleared my schedule for rehearsals tomorrow too.”

He added with a smile, and Yiwon groaned.

“Don’t tempt me. I’m already holding back as much as I can.”

He might be trying to be considerate, but he clearly wanted to do something.

“Come here.”

Jewoo opened his arms in invitation. At his request for a hug, Yiwon readily complied, wrapping his arms around Jewoo’s back. Jewoo smiled, feeling the warmth of Yiwon’s embrace.

“I don’t know if this is enough to recharge me.”

He expressed his lingering disappointment, and Yiwon chuckled softly.

“I’ll come see you.”

“In Japan?”

Jewoo released his embrace and looked at Yiwon’s face. Yiwon nodded.

“The concert’s over, so I have some time off.”

It seemed Yiwon would have free time just as Jewoo was getting busy.

“So I’ll come see you.”

Yiwon pulled Jewoo back into a hug, repeating the same words. Jewoo relaxed against him. Yiwon was younger, but today… he felt like the older one.