LS Ch 64

Emerging from the bathroom, toweling his wet hair, Yiwon chuckled softly. Jewoo was fast asleep on the bed, lying on his side. Yiwon hadn’t taken long to shower, only about five minutes, but Jewoo had fallen asleep in that short time.

“Are you really asleep?”

He sat on the edge of the bed and asked softly, wondering if Jewoo was pretending. He gently stroked Jewoo’s thigh, but there was no reaction. He seemed to be deeply asleep.

Yiwon was both exasperated and concerned. He knew Jewoo had been working non-stop recently. But Jewoo had seemed energetic during their phone calls, so he had assumed he was okay.

Seeing him now, the dark circles under his eyes were alarming. He had tried to hide it, but his face was pale, and his complexion was poor. He also seemed to have lost weight, Yiwon noticed when they hugged earlier.

It was only two weeks, but it felt like much longer. The fact that they could only see each other every few weeks was frustrating. Perhaps the infrequency of their meetings made him even more eager to see Jewoo.

“I’ll let you off the hook today.”

Yiwon lay down next to Jewoo, slipping his arm under his neck to act as a pillow. He had checked with Jiho and learned that Jewoo didn’t have any morning filming scheduled, which was why he had flown to Japan. He had figured that since Jewoo could sleep in late tomorrow, he could try to convince him to spend the night together.

But seeing how exhausted Jewoo looked, he now just wanted him to rest. If time allowed, he also wanted to feed him delicious food. Just being able to see him and hold him in his arms was enough to suppress any other desires.

“I really like you a lot, Han Jewoo.”

He murmured to himself with a faint smile, wrapping his other arm around Jewoo’s shoulder. Jewoo didn’t stir. He wondered if he was asleep or unconscious.

Suddenly curious about the injury, Yiwon checked Jewoo’s arm. The wound had thankfully faded considerably. The scar specialist seemed to have been effective.

“You should take it easy.”

He murmured, pressing his lips to Jewoo’s forehead. He never actually said those words when Jewoo was awake, knowing it would be pointless. Besides, he admired Jewoo’s dedication and commitment to everything he did. It was one of the things that had drawn him to Jewoo in the first place.

He felt happy to be able to feel Jewoo’s warmth after so long, but the thought of returning to their respective work in a few days already filled him with longing. The time they could spend together was too short, and the time they had to spend apart was too long. He was starved for Han Jewoo’s presence. What could he do?

As he pondered, the clock ticked past 1 am. Unable to find a solution, Yiwon gradually drifted off to sleep.

🎞️✮⋆˙

Ugh…

Waking up, Jewoo froze, realizing he was nestled against Yiwon. Then the realization that he had fallen asleep before Yiwon hit him, and he felt a pang of guilt. It was their first time seeing each other in a while, and Yiwon had come all the way to Japan to see him, only for him to fall asleep.

He had only intended to lie down and rest for a moment, but he hadn’t meant to fall asleep. While he had been exhausted, he still felt terrible for neglecting Yiwon.

“You’re awake?”

Yiwon asked without opening his eyes. He must have woken up because Jewoo was stirring in his arms.

“Uh…”

“Did you sleep well?”

His gentle voice made Jewoo’s heart ache.

“…You should have woken me up.”

He mumbled apologetically, and Yiwon’s lips curved into a smile. He tightened his hold on Jewoo.

“I liked just watching you sleep. I got to see plenty, so it’s okay.”

Jewoo wondered how intently Yiwon had stared at him while he slept. As he nestled in Yiwon’s arms, trying to figure out how to make amends, he felt a distinct poke near his thigh. He didn’t need to check to know what it was. He reached down and lightly grazed it, causing Yiwon to flinch and pull back.

“Want me to take care of that for you?”

He asked, looking up at Yiwon. Yiwon’s eyes darted around before he chuckled and shook his head.

“Later.”

“But…”

Feeling bad about neglecting him last night, Jewoo persisted. Yiwon grinned and kissed his cheek.

“I want to do something else with you right now, so later.”

“What do you want to do?”

Jewoo asked, meeting his gaze, and Yiwon’s eyes crinkled at the corners.

“How about breakfast?”

It was a surprisingly ordinary answer. Jewoo stared at Yiwon for a moment, then nodded with a faint smile. He understood. Something as simple and mundane as having a meal together wasn’t easy for them, so it was natural that it would be Yiwon’s priority.

🎞️✮⋆˙

Yiwon wanted to take him somewhere nice for breakfast, but they didn’t have much time. Jewoo had to be on set by 10 am, even though it was later than usual. They decided to have breakfast at the hotel restaurant.

They ordered their food and were chatting about everyday things when a woman approached Yiwon.

“あの……. (Excuse me……)”

She addressed him in Japanese, asking if he was Kang Yiwon. Yiwon hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Jewoo. He wasn’t wearing a hat or sunglasses, and his face wasn’t common enough to deny it. Jewoo shrugged, giving him the go-ahead.

When Yiwon nodded in confirmation, the woman gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Then she took out her phone and asked if she could take a picture. Yiwon shook his head apologetically. He explained that he was on vacation and would appreciate it if she refrained from taking pictures. The woman nodded understandingly, then asked for an autograph instead. Yiwon signed the notebook she offered and handed it back.

Looking pleased with her autograph, she turned to Jewoo and asked if he was Han Jewoo. Wondering how she knew him too, he smiled and confirmed, eliciting another squeal.

“ドラマを楽しみにしています。” (I’m looking forward to the drama.)

She gave him a thumbs-up. Unable to understand anything beyond basic Japanese, Jewoo looked at Yiwon.

“She said she’s looking forward to the drama.”

Yiwon translated. She must have been Yiwon’s fan and learned about the drama through articles about him. Jewoo thanked her, and she looked back and forth between him and Yiwon.

“二人、よく似合っています！” (You two look good together!)

She said with a bright smile, then bowed her head and returned to her table.

“What did she say?”

He asked again, unable to understand. Yiwon chuckled and shook his head.

“Why? What did she say?”

Jewoo was even more curious now that Yiwon wasn’t telling him.

“She said we look good together.”

Jewoo froze for a moment at Yiwon’s answer, wondering what she meant, then assumed she was referring to them as co-stars in the drama. He had felt a momentary pang of guilt for no reason.

“Thanks to you, even Japanese people recognize me now. No one approached me during the entire shoot here.”

Yiwon, listening to Jewoo, replied seriously that he hoped it stayed that way. Jewoo laughed it off, but he also had a selfish desire for Yiwon not to become too famous. While many people still didn’t know him, Han Jewoo was a charismatic person. Once he gained more attention, more people would notice him, and he’d become even busier. Then, even simple things like sharing a meal might become difficult.

So, they had to cherish the time they had together now.

Hiding his concerns and inner thoughts, he simply smiled brightly. Jewoo narrowed his eyes at him.

“Why are you smiling like that? It’s unsettling.”

“Unsettling? What am I going to do to you?”

“You won’t do anything bad, but sometimes I wonder what you’re up to.”

Jewoo was the only one who described Yiwon that way, despite the fact that he had always been a diligent and sincere person. But it was true that Yiwon acted differently around him.

Jewoo checked his watch, having finished most of his meal.

“Why isn’t Jiho-hyung down here yet? We should get going soon.”

He took out his phone to call Jiho, but Yiwon snatched it away. Jewoo looked at him questioningly, and Yiwon simply smiled and put the phone in his jacket pocket.

“You don’t need to call your manager. I’m your manager for the day.”

Jewoo blinked slowly, then let out a delayed, “Huh?”

“Why would you be my manager?”

He sounded incredulous.

“Your manager needs a day off too.”

Jewoo’s eyes narrowed further at the ridiculous explanation.

“Give me my phone. I need to call Jiho-hyung.”

“You’ll get the same answer even if you call him.”

Yiwon had already spoken to Jiho while Jewoo was showering. Jiho had initially hesitated, but eventually agreed after Yiwon assured him he would take Jewoo to the set and make sure he ate on time. Yiwon had been prepared to pester him until he agreed.

“Do you not want to be with me?”

He asked, deliberately softening his gaze and smiling sweetly. Jewoo stared at him for a moment, then sighed in exasperation. However, he still didn’t outright refuse.