MDQ Ch 5

‘But why is he vomiting for so long? Anyway, hyung is really slow.’

Park Saebit thought of Lee Hyunseok’s pale face as he danced during the chorus.

Of course, he felt a little—just a tiny bit—sorry, but the sympathy was brief.

‘He’s getting paid to be a manager anyway, right? Then he should do his job properly.’

As far as Park Saebit knew, Lee Hyunseok earned far more than other managers.

He had been managing Given for a long time, despite how often their managers changed.

The CEO seemed to worry that even Lee Hyunseok might quit, which was why he paid him generously.

Since the CEO was so attentive, it wasn’t unreasonable to ask Lee Hyunseok to do a challenge.

Moreover, Lee Hyunseok didn’t seem like the type to quit easily. Seeing him still working despite all the members’ harassment…

Sometimes it even made Park Saebit wonder if he enjoyed being mistreated.

Thinking that way, he realized once again how long Lee Hyunseok had been their manager.

‘Hyung really holds up well.’

Of course, Park Saebit and the other members hadn’t started by intentionally harassing managers from the beginning.

It was all because they had experienced ‘a certain incident’ with a previous manager.

After that incident, they grew distrustful of managers and harassed them until they couldn’t endure it.

Anyway, they were top idols. Finding another manager for them wouldn’t be difficult. The money they brought in for the company was substantial…

At that moment, Jung Yohan, who had been passively observing the situation until then, rose from the sofa.

“I’ll go ahead.”

Park Saebit grabbed his arm.

“Hyung, where are you going? We have no more schedule today, don’t we?”

“Personal business,” Jung Yohan answered briefly, roughly brushing off Park Saebit’s hand. Then he left the waiting room without looking back.

“Leader hyung doesn’t have any friends, yet he disappears quietly once a month. Does anyone know where he goes?”

Kang Junhyuk and Seo Seoho, who had been fighting earlier, answered.

“Why would I know that?”

“Well, probably just hanging out.”

Do they really need to be this indifferent to each other?

Park Saebit thought that perhaps this promotion could be the last time they all worked together.

After all, they had released three full-length albums. From now on, focusing on solo activities wouldn’t be strange.

Park Saebit wanted to transition into being a variety show MC and producer.

Lately, he had been fully absorbed in writing and composing music.

‘Wait, then should I also share Manager hyung with them? I don’t want that… I’ll ask the CEO to make him my exclusive manager.’

He didn’t feel any compassion for Lee Hyunseok, but he was the most convenient manager. Manager hyung could do anything, catered to his whims, and, above all, he smiled a lot.

Every time the manager laughed like a fool, Park Saebit found himself staring at that smile without realizing it. He was the first person whose foolish laugh never looked stupid.

He even thought Lee Hyunseok was better-looking than the rising rookie actors these days.

He recalled hearing the CEO long ago considering debuting Lee Hyunseok as an actor rather than a manager.

The members had ruthlessly cut that idea down.

“That hyung should be our manager.”

No matter how harshly they treated him, they didn’t want to lose Lee Hyunseok. Not just Park Saebit, but all the members seemed to feel the same.

Lee Hyunseok still didn’t know he had had the chance to debut as an actor. Perhaps he didn’t even realize he had let such an opportunity slip away.

“Why isn’t Manager hyung back yet? Did he really step out to throw up, or is he just ditching us? Should I go get him?” Kang Junhyuk said, staring at the doorway as if he had completely forgotten he was the reason Lee Hyunseok had gone out to vomit in the first place.

“Ah, damn. He needs to bring my clothes so I can change. Why isn’t he coming?”

As expected, Seo Seoho didn’t seem to care about Lee Hyunseok’s well-being at all.

Park Saebit shook his head and left the waiting room.

‘I should at least pretend to worry about hyung. That way, he will be my personal manager for my solo activities later.’

He headed lightly toward the bathroom.

* * *

“Take good care of the members, ” I spoke as if requesting Chulmin, the youngest manager who occasionally handled Given in my place.

A voice trembled on the other end of the phone.

— “Chief… Since it’s you asking, of course I’ll do it, but I’m a little scared of the Given members.”

It was understandable. No manager in the company liked Given—they were the top in our blacklist.

“It’ll be fine today. They have no other schedules. Just take them back to the dorm.”

— “Last time, it was like that too… They started by telling me to drive properly, complaining about the car smell, demanding good music… You have no idea how much trouble they caused in such a short time.”

“Really? Sorry for asking. I’ll buy you meat next time. I’m really sorry. You’re the only one I can ask.”

— “You must buy me beef.”

“Okay, got it.”

— “Alright then!”

Hearing the promise of beef, Chulmin’s voice brightened a little. After getting his agreement, I hung up.

These Given members are really… They really can’t stop themselves from harassing managers. I sighed deeply, only hoping Chulmin would be okay.

Of course, it wasn’t as if I didn’t know the reason for the Given members’ hostility toward the managers.

Because of their past experiences, I couldn’t completely think badly of them.

‘The sasaeng manager incident.’

Anyone in the entertainment industry would know about it. That incident involved the Given members.

“Hyung, what are you doing? If you’re done talking, you should be driving.”

A blunt voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked at the person who was the reason I had to entrust Given to Chulmin—Jung Yohan, sitting in the passenger seat.

That evening, I had a meeting with my father scheduled. Because of that, I had to drive him to my house myself.

Jung Yohan, having changed from stage costume to casual clothes, wore his cap pulled down low. Still, his fair skin couldn’t be hidden.

Beneath the brim of his cap, his pale skin and sharp jawline extended down to a long neck that disappeared into his hoodie. His eyes gazing out the window carried an inexplicable melancholy.

It was a sight that, once you looked at it, you could hardly turn your eyes away from.

I quickly withdrew my gaze before he noticed.

“We’ll go now.”

My hand on the wheel trembled slightly. No, the real trembling wasn’t in my hands—it was my heart.

I didn’t know when it started. But I unconsciously got out of breath when looking closely at his enchanting face.

Once again, I thought it was a change that I truly didn’t welcome.

If I stopped kissing him, would this unknown trembling subside?

I thought of my father, anxiously waiting for us.

I suddenly wondered which would arrive sooner—the day I could fully admit I liked Jung Yohan, or the day my father no longer needed him.

* * *

As soon as we opened the front door, my father, who I had contacted in advance, jumped out to greet Jung Yohan.

“Oh, Yohan, my dear. Was the trip hard on you?”

Jung Yohan removed his hat and smiled gently at my father.

“Hyung drove well, so it was fine. sir, have you been doing well in the meantime?”

I wondered if he was really the same person who hadn’t spoken a word and had a stiff expression the whole way here.

Still, he smiled well at my father, which was fortunate.

“I’ve been well! Come on in. Wash your hands and eat dinner.”

Ignoring me, my father hurried to the kitchen.

Even though it was rather late for dinner, he seemed to have been waiting anxiously for us without eating himself.

As soon as Jung Yohan and I sat at the table, my father placed some meat on Jung Yohan’s plate.

“I bought the best one and grilled it myself. Eat a lot.”

“What about me, Father?”

“Hyunseok, do you have no hands? Help yourself!”

At times like this, I couldn’t tell whose father he was.

“Thank you, sir.”

Jung Yohan politely responded and took a big bite of rice with the meat on top.

I just watched silently. Perhaps that’s part of why I liked Jung Yohan.

He was meticulous to the point of avoiding anything touched by others. Kang Junhyuk sometimes teased him for being obsessive.

Yet, he didn’t show discomfort even when my father’s chopsticks touched the food.

That was the tenderness he showed only on rare, almost unbelievable occasions—the unexpected kindness that appeared even when he seemed not to care about anyone at all.

I liked that side of Jung Yohan, and I found it even more appealing that he offered that scarce kindness to my father.

The trembling that started while driving returned. I lightly clenched and unclenched my hands under the table.

Then Jung Yohan placed a piece of meat on my rice while looking at me.

“Hyung, is there something on my face? You’ve been staring since you’re driving.”

In that instant, Jung Yohan’s eyes held a chill.

It was a silent warning: he knew I had been secretly watching him, so stop.