TMB Vol 6 Part 6
by CherryThe filming ended late in the evening. Everyone exchanged goodbyes as they got into their vehicles, and Lee Il-seo also said his farewells to the staff and actors before boarding the van. Choi Kyung-hyun, who had already been informed about the dinner plans, started driving toward the restaurant.
Just then, Lee Il-seo’s phone rang. Seeing Sa Seung-yeon’s name, the tired look on his face disappeared and was quickly replaced with a bright expression.
“Sunbae.”
[Did the filming go well?]
“Yes, how about you?”
[I just finished too.]
Sa Seung-yeon’s schedule had been quite full today, so it seemed he’d finished late as well. Lee Il-seo asked in a concerned voice,
“Have you had dinner?”
[Not yet. I’m going to eat with the director and staff before heading home.]
“What are you going to eat?”
[Gamjatang.]
“Oh, I’m also heading to a gamjatang restaurant for a team dinner. That’s a coincidence.”
Lee Il-seo whispered with wide eyes, amazed that their dinner menus were identical. Hearing the excited voice through the phone, Sa Seung-yeon lifted the corners of his mouth.
“I’m on my way to Gangnam now.”
[Wasn’t your filming in Ilsan?]
“Yes, but we’re having the after-party in Gangnam since everyone lives around there. It’s at Nakwon Gamjatang.”
[Oh, that’s where I’m going too.]
Sa Seung-yeon calmly replied while checking Lee Il-seo’s destination that Kim Jae-won had texted him.
“Many celebrities go there.”
[That’s amazing. Hope we run into each other.]
“Yeah. If we see each other and have time, let’s go home together.”
[Okay.]
After ending the call, Sa Seung-yeon re-read the texts exchanged with Kim Jae-won.
「After filming, they’re going to Nakwon Gamjatang for company dinner. Should I escort him until he gets home?」
「No, I plan to go. Thank you for your hard work.」
As soon as he read the word “company dinner,” Sa Seung-yeon thought of Lee Soo-heon and immediately approached the director to suggest dinner. He convinced the director, who had initially wanted to eat nearby in Ilsan rather than travel all the way to Apgujeong, to arrange their meal at the same restaurant as Lee Il-seo’s dinner.
“Traffic seems a bit heavy, hyung.”
“Step on it.”
Since they needed to make good time to reach Gangnam, Sa Seung-yeon quietly urged Hwan as he gazed at the night view through the window with a curious expression. The song that Lee Il-seo had given him as a gift played softly in the car.
***
The 24-hour gamjatang restaurant was bustling with dinner guests all evening and only became less crowded after 1 AM. Both Sa Seung-yeon’s group with the director and Lee Il-seo’s drama filming team were guided to inner rooms, which happened to be close to each other, separated only by a partition. As the two tables exchanged greetings and realized many people knew each other, they decided to remove the partition and join the tables.
After filling their stomachs, the pace of drinking surpassed the pace of eating gamjatang. Empty green bottles lined up under the table. Sa Seung-yeon was leading the toasts.
“Well then, shall we all drink together?”
“Sa Seung-yeon is drinking quickly today.”
As Sa Seung-yeon extended his glass to the center, some leaned back and shook their heads, indicating they couldn’t drink anymore.
“Whew, I’m drunk.”
“Me too. If I drink more, I’ll be a mess tomorrow.”
“Should we end the first round here?”
“Sure, only those who want to drink more should continue. I’ll take care of the bill.”
“Ah, I already paid. I left my card with them.”
The PD frowned at Sa Seung-yeon’s response.
“What, is Sa Seung-yeon treating again?”
“Yes.”
“I was really planning to pay since you also sent the coffee truck.”
“I’m buying it to feed Lee Il-seo, so let me pay.”
Lee Il-seo dropped his spoon with a clatter the moment Sa Seung-yeon mentioned his name, and several actors awkwardly handed him tissues. While frantically wiping up the spilled broth, Lee Il-seo repeatedly jabbed Sa Seung-yeon’s thigh under the table. Seeing Lee Il-seo’s bright red face, the film director laughed as he looked at Sa Seung-yeon.
“You really have no intention of hiding it, do you?”
Instead of answering, Sa Seung-yeon simply smiled with crinkled eyes as the PD and actors thanked him, saying they had eaten well thanks to Lee Il-seo.
Even the few staff members and supporting actors who had insisted on drinking more soon rose from their seats with flushed faces after a few more rounds. The last ones remaining were Sa Seung-yeon, Lee Il-seo, and Lee Soo-heon. Since Lee Soo-heon also looked quite drunk, Lee Il-seo watched him uneasily, expecting him to stop drinking and leave. With Sa Seung-yeon already viewing him unfavorably, it seemed like staying longer would do no good.
“Can I get a small order of gamjatang and two more bottles of soju!”
But Lee Soo-heon cheerfully waved his hand to order more food and alcohol, and Sa Seung-yeon’s dark eyes briefly took him in.
Lee Il-seo ladled the bubbling gamjatang broth and poured it over various parts of the pot. Sa Seung-yeon took the ladle from Lee Il-seo’s hand, which Lee Soo-heon then took from him, ultimately resulting in Lee Soo-heon basting the meat with broth. As Sa Seung-yeon opened a soju bottle, he asked,
“Soo-heon-ssi, don’t you need to go home?”
“No, I intend to drink until the end.”
“You must hold your liquor well.”
Rather than using the soju glass at Lee Soo-heon’s seat, Sa Seung-yeon took out a new beer glass and handed it to him. Lee Soo-heon accepted it reflexively, and Sa Seung-yeon positioned the soju bottle’s neck on the rim.
Lee Il-seo squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them. He knew this practice from experience. It was Sa Seung-yeon’s method when he wanted to kill someone with alcohol. Sa Seung-yeon poured the clear soju into Lee Soo-heon’s glass with a mesmerizing smile.
“Let’s relax and eat comfortably among ourselves now.”
“Yes, sounds good.”
“Lee Il-seo, don’t drink.”
Sa Seung-yeon gestured to the fidgeting Lee Il-seo. Lee Il-seo nodded appropriately and poured water instead, drinking it at the same pace the other two were consuming alcohol.
Empty soju bottles lined up under the table again after a server had cleared them once. As the time passed 3 AM, Lee Il-seo began to feel drowsy. Although Lee Soo-heon kept offering his glass whenever Sa Seung-yeon extended the bottle, he was already completely drunk, his eyes becoming unfocused and his pronunciation slurring. Just as Lee Il-seo was about to grab Sa Seung-yeon’s wrist, genuinely worried that Soo-heon might miss tomorrow’s filming, Sa Seung-yeon suddenly leaned his head heavily on Lee Il-seo’s shoulder.
“Ah, I’m drunk.”
Contrary to the expectation that Soo-heon would collapse first, it was Sa Seung-yeon who showed weakness first. He exhaled a hot breath and put down his empty glass on the table. Lee Il-seo examined Sa Seung-yeon with surprise and found him genuinely frowning with his head tilted.
“Sunbae, are you okay?”
“Yes, Il-seo.”
His gentle voice was thoroughly imbued with drunkenness. When Lee Il-seo looked at Lee Soo-heon with troubled eyes, he too had raised his eyebrows in surprise at Sa Seung-yeon’s intoxicated state.
“I think we should stop drinking now. Soo-heon sunbae-nim, how will you get home?”
“I was planning to call a driver. How about you, Lee Il-seo-ssi?”
“I think I’ll have to do the same.”
At that moment, Sa Seung-yeon, who had buried his head on Lee Il-seo’s shoulder, slowly turned his head and pressed his lips against Lee Il-seo’s nape.
“Hah…”
Seemingly very drunk, Sa Seung-yeon exhaled heavily and pressed his lips firmly against Lee Il-seo’s neck. Feeling ticklish, Lee Il-seo hunched his shoulders and gently pushed Sa Seung-yeon’s face away. No matter what, showing skinship in front of Lee Soo-heon was risky.
“Don’t push me away, Il-seo.”
But Sa Seung-yeon looked coldly at Lee Il-seo, rolling his eyes. It was a petulant tone from Sa Seung-yeon that both Lee Il-seo and Lee Soo-heon had never heard before.
Then suddenly, Sa Seung-yeon’s hand reached out and cupped Lee Il-seo’s cheek. Their lips met in an instant. Sa Seung-yeon crashed his lips against Lee Il-seo’s and even inserted his soft tongue between Lee Il-seo’s lips, sucking loudly. The sounds of wet kissing and lips rubbing against each other resonated clearly in the small, enclosed room.
Since Lee Il-seo had never seen Sa Seung-yeon this completely intoxicated before, he struggled and pushed against Sa Seung-yeon’s shoulders, but ultimately Sa Seung-yeon only released him after greedily entwining their tongues. Looking at Lee Il-seo with half-lidded eyes, Sa Seung-yeon then smiled with crinkled eyes.
“Ah, such a soft kid.”
“S-sunbae…!”
“You pushed me away. Is it because of that guy?”
“Soo-heon sunbae can hear us…”
When Lee Il-seo expressed discomfort at how Sa Seung-yeon referred to Lee Soo-heon, Sa Seung-yeon rested his chin on his hand and slightly pushed out his lower lip.
“That guy is a ‘sunbae’ too, huh.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“You call everyone and their dog ‘sunbae.'”
“Well, they all are my seniors…”
“Fine, then call me ‘jagi’ (Honey) instead.”
“What?!”
When Lee Il-seo frowned and became serious, Sa Seung-yeon lowered his eyebrows and dropped his head. His gesture of tilting the glass seemed melancholic. But with no more alcohol to pour, Sa Seung-yeon finally lowered his hand in resignation and muttered,
“Forget it. What am I expecting from Lee Il-seo?”
Sa Seung-yeon’s voice had become so small that it seemed about to fade away, and Lee Il-seo was also taken aback. Finally, while apologizing to Lee Soo-heon with his eyes, Lee Il-seo whispered softly into Sa Seung-yeon’s ear,
“H-honey. Let’s stop drinking and go home.”
Sa Seung-yeon swiftly turned his head, smiled with crinkled eyes, and replied brightly,
“Whose home? I like Il-seo’s home because it smells like you—”
“Hey, yes, we can go to my place…!”
Lee Il-seo pressed his palm against Sa Seung-yeon’s mouth and laughed in embarrassment, while Lee Soo-heon scratched the back of his head with an expression suggesting he had seen something he shouldn’t have.
“Soo-heon sunbae. Let’s go now.”
“Ah, y-yes. I should leave quickly.”
Only the remaining gamjatang was still bubbling in the hastily ended gathering. Lee Il-seo supported Sa Seung-yeon outside, while Soo-heon paid for what they had additionally consumed and retrieved Sa Seung-yeon’s card from the counter. Then he called to Lee Il-seo, pointing toward the restroom in the back.
“Il-seo-ssi, I’ll just quickly use the restroom.”
“Me too.”
But Sa Seung-yeon, saying he also needed to go, released Lee Il-seo’s shoulder he had been leaning on and began following Lee Soo-heon. When Lee Il-seo tried to follow the staggering Sa Seung-yeon, Lee Soo-heon supported Sa Seung-yeon and asked Lee Il-seo to call a designated driver instead, saying he would accompany Sa Seung-yeon.
“Okay, please be careful.”
Lee Il-seo watched the two disappear into the restroom with anxious eyes. He considered following them, but it would have been awkward to stand there watching them without using the restroom himself. Just then, the employees began asking for autographs, so Lee Il-seo found himself stuck at the counter signing autographs.
***
“Be careful, Sunbae.”
The bathroom door closed as Lee Soo-heon, who was also drunk, helped Sa Seung-yeon with all his might. Once the bathroom door shut, Sa Seung-yeon, who had been leaning on Soo-heon’s body, removed Soo-heon’s hand from his arm and held out his hand.
“Card.”
“Ah, yes.”
After receiving his card from Soo-heon, Sa Seung-yeon put it in his wallet and walked straight to the sink. Soo-heon, who had been staring blankly at Sa Seung-yeon walking perfectly fine, hurriedly stood in front of the urinal. He must have needed to use the bathroom quite badly, as refreshing sounds echoed around the urinal.
Sa Seung-yeon washed his hands and fixed his bangs while looking in the mirror. Soo-heon glanced at Sa Seung-yeon, who was just standing in front of the sink, and wondered if Sa Seung-yeon was too drunk to use the bathroom, so he carefully asked.
“Do you need help?”
“No.”
Sa Seung-yeon looked at Lee Soo-heon through the mirror and smiled slightly. Soo-heon zipped up and stood next to Sa Seung-yeon to wash his hands.
“Aren’t you going to use the bathroom?”
“I came to look at the mirror.”
Sa Seung-yeon arranged his disheveled hair to reveal the ends of his eyebrows, which Lee Il-seo liked. Soo-heon, watching him, carefully asked.
“Ah, you seemed drunk. Are you okay?”
“How much did I drink to be drunk?”
Sa Seung-yeon chuckled and dried his hands with the hand dryer. Though Sa Seung-yeon was smiling and responding, there was an unmistakable coolness in his tone and expression. After being lost in thought for a moment, Soo-heon urgently explained with a “could it be?” expression.
“Sunbae, I think you might be misunderstanding something… I’m not interested in Lee Il-seo.”
“You shouldn’t be. Obviously.”
Sa Seung-yeon let out a scoff while furrowing his brow and made eye contact with Soo-heon. No, it was closer to staring intently.
“Stop contacting him so much.”
His lips were still smoothly curved upward, but Soo-heon, feeling Sa Seung-yeon’s pheromones momentarily fluctuate aggressively, quickly waved his hands in denial.
“Ah, I’m sorry. I really didn’t have any personal intentions. During drinks earlier, you were constantly talking with Lee Il-seo, so I couldn’t say anything. Actually…”
Throughout his hurried explanation, his pronunciation was slightly slurred from the alcohol. After hesitating a few times, Soo-heon, to prevent Sa Seung-yeon’s misunderstanding from deepening, confessed the reason why he had been constantly contacting Lee Il-seo.
“That movie… ‘Night and Day,’ you received an offer, right? I wanted to tell you that I really want to work on it with you.”
Sa Seung-yeon sighed languidly and leaned against the wall diagonally, crossing one foot in front of the other. Still, being 5cm taller than Soo-heon, he looked down at him askew.
“It seemed like you and Lee Il-seo meet often, so I kept contacting him to somehow arrange a meeting with you. Today, when I heard you were coming here, I made the effort to stay.”
Due to exceeding his alcohol limit, Soo-heon felt nauseous and kept pressing near his stomach as he spoke with difficulty. Sa Seung-yeon stared at Soo-heon for a long time before slowly parting his lips.
“Don’t think about using an innocent kid.”
His tone was cold and scathing. The crooked smile that had been on Sa Seung-yeon’s lips had also disappeared.
“And no matter what crap you pull, I won’t do that next project. Not because of you, of course.”
“…”
“I heard Yeon Ji-hee is the co-star. I personally dislike that actress. Her acting is excessive. I’d rather have someone who can’t act than someone who overacts.”
“Ah, yes…”
“Anyway, whatever your thoughts were, Lee Il-seo told me you’ve been taking good care of him. So I’d like to meet you under better circumstances next time.”
The last part was insincere. The drama was still being filmed, and he didn’t want to be too cold to Soo-heon because then he might bully Lee Il-seo behind his back, so he added words to lighten the mood a bit. As expected, as soon as Sa Seung-yeon mentioned “better circumstances next time,” Soo-heon’s lips curled up in a smile as he bowed his head.
“Yes, Sunbae. Thank you.”
“Come out later. I’ll go first.”
“Yes. I understand.”
Sa Seung-yeon checked his face in the mirror one last time before opening the bathroom door and leaving. Although he had been walking steadily inside the bathroom, as soon as the bathroom door opened, his gait changed to an unsteady stagger. Soo-heon, with a blank expression, watched Sa Seung-yeon’s back until the bathroom door closed completely. The last scene Soo-heon witnessed before the door closed was Lee Il-seo’s profile as he rushed over with a worried look, seeing Sa Seung-yeon walking out alone.
“Wow… That’s incredible…”
Soo-heon muttered to himself in astonishment, rubbing his cheek with his palm. Sa Seung-yeon and Lee Il-seo’s relationship was well-known, but he never thought Sa Seung-yeon would be so intimidating when it came to matters related to Lee Il-seo.
Be kinder to Lee Il-seo, but if you contact him, you’re screwed. Even in his drunken state, Soo-heon made multiple resolutions about how to behave in the future, as Sa Seung-yeon’s expression, tone, and gaze when dealing with him were truly shocking.
Upon receiving a message from the substitute driver that they had arrived, Lee Il-seo and Sa Seung-yeon walked side by side to the parking lot.
The substitute driver, who had been smoking while waiting for the customers, recognized Lee Il-seo and Sa Seung-yeon approaching the car and jumped up startled, quickly throwing his cigarette on the ground and rushing over.
“Oh? You’re the people from TV, right? It’s an honor! My daughter is a huge fan of both of you.”
“Is that so? Thank you.”
The substitute driver helped Lee Il-seo, who was struggling to support Sa Seung-yeon, and quickly got Sa Seung-yeon into the back seat.
“Sa Seung-yeon-ssi seems very drunk.”
“Yes, he seems a bit tired.”
Fearing the driver might think poorly of Sa Seung-yeon’s drunken state, Lee Il-seo made up an excuse about his condition. Sa Seung-yeon had always been able to drink an unknown amount, so even Lee Il-seo was seeing him this drunk for the first time.
The substitute driver, considerate of Sa Seung-yeon who had his eyes closed, focused on driving without saying anything, and Lee Il-seo also quietly looked out the window, listening to Sa Seung-yeon’s steady breathing.
Since it was dawn, there weren’t many cars on the road, so they arrived at Lee Il-seo’s officetel faster than expected. Although it was drunk talk, Sa Seung-yeon had said he wanted to go to his home, so that’s where they headed. After the substitute driver left and even the engine was turned off, the car sank into deep silence.
Lee Il-seo placed his hand on Sa Seung-yeon’s shoulder, who was sleeping with the back of his head against the seat.
“Sunbae, we’ve arrived…”
Lee Il-seo’s voice, meant to wake him, gradually faded. His auburn eyes were fixed on Sa Seung-yeon’s face as if his feet were tied. The shadow of his long eyelashes fell on his cheeks in the basement parking lot’s lighting, and his gaze was captivated for a long time by his deep eye sockets contrasting with his high nose bridge, full lips, and sharp jawline. Since he usually fell asleep first and woke up later, opportunities to see Sa Seung-yeon sleeping soundly were rare.
When he was pregnant, Seung-yeon often looked at his sleeping face when he woke up from dozing off. A faint smile formed on Lee Il-seo’s lips as he looked at Sa Seung-yeon. Perhaps that was why he looked at his face without realizing how much time had passed.
Sa Seung-yeon’s hand rested limply on the seat. Lee Il-seo placed his hand on top of his large, handsome hand. Perhaps due to the alcohol, his palm was warm with heat. After glancing to check if Sa Seung-yeon was awake, Lee Il-seo grew a bit more daring and intertwined his fingers with his long ones. When he didn’t wake even after he held his hand, Lee Il-seo spoke softly in the silence.
“The dedicated bodyguard thing was a bit much… but I like that sunbae worry about me.”
Listening to Sa Seung-yeon’s quiet breathing, Lee Il-seo continued his soliloquy in a small voice.
“But I like Sunbae more.”
“…”
“Much more than Sunbae like me.”
Sa Seung-yeon’s breathing hitched once, but Il-seo was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the sign and murmured in a small voice.
“I understand your concern for my body, but I don’t understand why you worry so much about my heart.”
“…”
“Worrying is my job. I wonder if your love for me is just a dream. Is there perhaps pity mixed in your love…”
Lee Il-seo shrugged his shoulders.
“Of course I believe there isn’t. But sometimes in life, vague worries appear. I tend to worry a lot.”
His auburn eyes, lost in thought, darkened as they absorbed the darkness. He knew Sa Seung-yeon loved him. But it was also true that there was a time when he didn’t love him.
“And if I hadn’t been Tangerine, would you have loved me?”
Then a smile blossomed on his face.
“Ah, of course I know that I am Tangerine, and that memory makes our love more special… but sometimes I wonder.”
Lee Il-seo gently stroked Sa Seung-yeon’s palm with his fingers as he continued.
“It’s just that since I’m also the Lee Il-seo who had a long one-sided love for you and was rejected, sometimes I worry from his perspective too. Anyway, what I want to say is… you don’t need to worry about my heart.”
Lee Il-seo took in Sa Seung-yeon’s face again. Then he slowly leaned down and overlapped their lips. When Sa Seung-yeon didn’t wake after the first kiss, Lee Il-seo tried a few more times, and then slipped his tongue between his relaxed lips.
After playfully sucking on Sa Seung-yeon’s plump tongue and lightly licking his lower lip, Lee Il-seo slowly pulled away.
“I like you so much, Sunbae Sa Seung-yeon.”
Ridiculously, his voice was breathless from a one-sided kiss.
“Really, I like you mo-“
Before he could finish his sentence, his head was suddenly pulled back. Sa Seung-yeon, who had reached out and pulled Lee Il-seo toward him, explored his lips without hesitation. It was a kiss of such intensity that it couldn’t even be compared to Lee Il-seo’s kiss just moments ago.
The narrow back seat quickly filled with the moist breaths of the two, and only when Lee Il-seo’s lungs began to ache did Sa Seung-yeon pull his face away. Surprised, Lee Il-seo looked at Sa Seung-yeon with wide eyes. His voice cracked at the end from shock.
“You, you’re awake?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Who knows.”
Yet his clear gaze and distinct pronunciation showed no signs of intoxication. Lee Il-seo asked, breathing heavily.
“No way. You weren’t pretending to be drunk from the beginning, were you?”
“If I acted sober while being clingy, our Il-seo would get serious.”
He meant that he wanted to show affection in front of Soo-heon, but acted drunk because he thought he would be uncomfortable if he did it while sober. Frowning at being deceived, Lee Il-seo pushed against Sa Seung-yeon’s chest.
“Why use your acting skills to deceive me?”
“My baby has been thinking a lot by himself?”
Sa Seung-yeon smiled mischievously, as if trying to lighten the mood by playfully changing his term of endearment. Despite not wanting to, Lee Il-seo’s heart fluttered softly at seeing his playful smile. But Sa Seung-yeon’s voice, as he quietly took in Lee Il-seo, dropped much lower than before.
“Have you ever been confused about my love?”
“I’m sorr-“
Sa Seung-yeon pulled Lee Il-seo into his arms before he could apologize out of habit. Holding his so tightly that he was speechless, he pressed his lips to his earlobe and spoke in a calm, low voice.
“I’m the one who’s wrong. I guess I’m clumsy because it’s my first time liking someone.”
“Sun-bae…”
“I’m sorry for making you worry like that.”
The final “I’ll do better” was said quietly, almost like a promise to himself. Sa Seung-yeon held Lee Il-seo like that for a long while. The sound of Lee Il-seo’s heart, which had been racing from surprise, began to find its rhythm again. Only then did Sa Seung-yeon hold Lee Il-seo’s shoulders and slowly meet his eyes.
“I liked you even before I knew you were Tangerine.”
“…”
“Of course, there were times when you reminded me of Tangerine, but it was clearly different from my feelings of liking you. What I liked was the existence of Lee Il-seo himself. Lee Il-seo, who cannot be replaced by anything.”
He had intended to pretend to be asleep until the end because he found it cute how Lee Il-seo was muttering confessions to himself, but the sudden mention of Tangerine was too difficult to listen to quietly.
“The past is just one of many reasons why we can’t help but love each other, so don’t worry needlessly.”
“Yes. Thank you… for saying that.”
Lee Il-seo nodded, stumbling over his words. Sa Seung-yeon stroked Lee Il-seo’s hair with a faint smile.
“Shall we go in, honey?”
Sa Seung-yeon, returning to his playful demeanor, asked while touching Lee Il-seo’s nose. Lee Il-seo wrinkled his nose as if the gesture tickled, then burst out laughing as if it was absurd, playing along with Sa Seung-yeon’s joke.
“Yes. Let’s go in, honey.”
Sa Seung-yeon, who suddenly frowned due to a sharp pain in his heart, buried his lips in Lee Il-seo’s soft cheek. After getting out of the car, the two walked side by side through the darkened parking lot. Lee Il-seo looked at Sa Seung-yeon and asked.
“Sunbae, do you really dislike being called ‘Sunbae’?”
“No, I was just being contrary. Does it bother you?”
“Ah, not really… I just wondered if you preferred another term of address.”
“Like what?”
“Well, there are many.”
“Tell me, then.”
By the time they reached home, Sa Seung-yeon had heard baby, honey, my love, brother, husband, and darling from Lee Il-seo’s embarrassed but determined voice. Although he was embarrassed, his steadfast attempt to call him by all these terms was so lovely that it made his lower abdomen tighten, but the term that made Sa Seung-yeon’s heart beat fastest was still just one.
“Still, I prefer ‘Sunbae.'”
“Me too…”
Because calling him by the same title, as both a school senior and an entertainment industry senior, held the most precious memories, Lee Il-seo also liked calling Sa Seung-yeon “Sunbae” the most. Sa Seung-yeon turned his head toward Lee Il-seo and asked.
“Is there any term you’d like me to call you?”
After narrowing his eyes in thought for a moment at Sa Seung-yeon’s question, Lee Il-seo answered in a clear voice.
“Just Il-seo.”
“Your name?”
“Yes. I love the fact that your lips pronounce my name so affectionately that it’s almost unbelievable.”
“Is that so, Il-seo?”
Immediately at his coaxing voice, Lee Il-seo’s earlobes turned red as he smiled with crinkled eyes and nodded. Sa Seung-yeon, fingers intertwined with Lee Il-seo’s, swung their joined hands and whispered softly.
“I love you, Lee Il-seo.”
“I love you too, Sunbae.”
Their confessions echoed quietly in the parking lot filled with the warmth of midsummer.
***
Two people wearing hats ran side by side under trees stained crimson. Lee Il-seo, who had been following behind, stopped first, placing both palms on his knees and taking deep breaths after running fast enough for their footsteps to be heard clearly. Sa Seung-yeon immediately stopped running and checked Lee Il-seo’s complexion.
“Haah…”
“Are you okay?”
“Haah haah… ye-s.”
Lee Il-seo staggered to a nearby bench. He unzipped his white hoodie and, exhaling breaths that felt like his lungs would burst, accepted the water bottle Sa Seung-yeon handed him and gulped it down. Sa Seung-yeon removed his hat and brushed his bangs back with his hand.
“Let’s stop running for today. We’ve increased by 1km compared to last week.”
“Ah. I used to run better before.”
When moments like this arose, his significantly decreased stamina following the surgery became glaringly apparent. The smile on Sa Seung-yeon’s face instantly faded at Lee Il-seo’s self-directed comment, which sounded like childish complaining about not completing the planned distance.
Objectively, it was rare for the current Lee Il-seo to recover enough strength to run like this. It hadn’t even been a year since he underwent surgery that had been difficult to guarantee success, and during regular check-ups at Dr. Lee Joo-seung’s hospital, Dr. Lee said Lee Il-seo’s recovery rate was faster than average.
But Lee Il-seo had become weaker. He often caught colds, and there were frequent days when his temperature rose without reason. Though Il-seo diligently consumed ginseng, wild ginseng, and various supplements, he couldn’t return to his previous level of stamina.
An irreversible wound that he had inflicted. Sa Seung-yeon’s eyes darkened as he watched Lee Il-seo continuously catching his breath.
“Oh, we have the same schedule today, right?”
Sa Seung-yeon nodded with a slightly delayed smile at his bright question as he looked up at him.
“Yes. This evening. I’ll see you again.”
It was an event related to a luxury brand’s pop-up opening. They planned to rent a gallery in Seoul, invite reporters, editors, and celebrities for a brand reception, and then continue with a private party in the late evening. Sa Seung-yeon had been attending annually as an ambassador for the luxury brand, while Lee Il-seo had been invited for the first time this year.
It’s been a long time since they’ve had a schedule together since the end of <Temperature of Overflow>. Lee Il-seo’s cheekbones rose slightly with excitement. Sa Seung-yeon asked Lee Il-seo, who was quietly smiling.
“You said you had a schedule before that, right?”
“Yes, I’m shooting an advertisement. I plan to stop by a shop after it ends before going.”
“Wow, our Il-seo is super busy.”
Lee Il-seo hunched his shoulders and laughed embarrassedly at Sa Seung-yeon’s teasing. But he didn’t deny it. Just when he thought he might finally have some free time after the drama filming ended, he was spending days without a moment to breathe due to more incoming schedules.
It was unfair to compare, but he was busier than when he first made a name for himself while filming “The Temperature of Overflow.” The drama he appeared in with Lee Soo-heon had a significant impact as it ended on a high note. Lee Il-seo asked, watching Sa Seung-yeon finish the water he had left.
“Shall we go home now?”
“Yes.”
It was a perfect autumn day for walking. The two pulled down their hats and walked slowly along the Tancheon stream. The cool autumn breeze pleasantly cooled the sweat that had risen on their napes. The leaves of the street trees that had changed color and the wildflowers around Tancheon shook finely with the wind.
Walking along an alley that was a shortcut from Tancheon to Lee Il-seo’s officetel, Lee Il-seo stopped in front of a store. He had seen construction ongoing in this area recently, but a new store had opened while he wasn’t paying attention. It was an instant photo booth. Though other stores were closed in the early dawn, this booth was unmanned and had its lights on inside.
On the clean glass window of the newly decorated store, instant photos of previous visitors were plastered in layers. Sa Seung-yeon asked Lee Il-seo, who was gazing at the photos.
“Shall we take some?”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
Lee Il-seo, who hadn’t readily suggested taking photos for fear that Sa Seung-yeon might dislike such things, quickly went inside. He had heard that four-cut photos were trendy these days, but he never had the opportunity with Sa Seung-yeon. Being an unmanned store meant it wouldn’t be crowded, and with no customers due to the hour, now was the perfect chance.
Lee Il-seo entered without hesitation, pulled back the curtain of the innermost booth, and beckoned to Sa Seung-yeon. Perhaps due to excitement, his face was more flushed than usual, and Sa Seung-yeon suppressed a spreading smile as he ducked his head to enter. He felt a bit sorry for him, wanting to take photos but hesitating to suggest it first. Lee Il-seo asked Sa Seung-yeon as he entered the booth.
“Have you taken these before?”
“No.”
“I tried it once before. You stand there.”
Lee Il-seo skillfully pointed to the spot marked for photography. Last month, when he participated in a charity event, they had rented a photo booth for free photo sessions. All the celebrities who attended took photos holding promotional balloons, and that experience proved helpful now.
Lee Il-seo and Sa Seung-yeon removed their hats and ruffled their hair with their fingers. Though they were in workout clothes with slightly sweaty faces, it didn’t matter since they were taking photos for fun.
“We don’t get many chances, so we should think of poses beforehand.”
“What practice does an actor need in front of a camera? Let’s just take them. Is this the button?”
Sa Seung-yeon immediately pressed the start button on the screen and grabbed the remote. As the available time started quickly decreasing with his unhesitating touch, Lee Il-seo couldn’t hide his panic.
“The time is counting down…”
“Oh, it’s like a game.”
The nonchalant Sa Seung-yeon placed his hand on Lee Il-seo’s shoulder, and Lee Il-seo quickly wrapped his hand around Sa Seung-yeon’s waist as they faced the screen. Several shots passed in an instant. Just as their initially awkward smiles were becoming more natural, Sa Seung-yeon looked around and grinned.
There was a headband that someone had left on the shelf. Sa Seung-yeon quickly picked it up and put it on Lee Il-seo’s head. It had gray rabbit ears. Lee Il-seo shook his head as he saw his silly-looking self on the screen.
“Ah! I don’t like this…”
Before he could finish speaking, his face expressing displeasure was captured on screen.
“Pfft.”
Sa Seung-yeon laughed, finding Lee Il-seo’s reaction cute, and pressed the button several more times. Lee Il-seo quickly composed his expression, concerned about both the decreasing time and remaining shots. The two continued striking poses until they rapidly used up all the available shots.
Looking at the screen full of photos, Lee Il-seo explained, “We get to choose four shots.”
“They’re all cute,” Sa Seung-yeon murmured, not taking his eyes off Lee Il-seo’s face. Lee Il-seo glanced at his concentrated expression and clicked his tongue in disappointment. Sa Seung-yeon also found all the shots so good that none seemed dispensable.
“Oh. That one’s not acceptable.”
But Sa Seung-yeon first chose the shot where Lee Il-seo wore the headband and pouted in annoyance. Then, he selected one where Lee Il-seo’s face was in the center while he appeared to be biting his cheek. Lee Il-seo disliked the first one, but the second was worse because Sa Seung-yeon’s face was blurry. He blocked Lee Il-seo’s hand as he tried to cancel his selections.
“Why? Let’s each choose two fairly.”
“Oh, seriously… you have unusual taste.”
*
All the shooting preparations were complete, but they hadn’t even started the rehearsal shooting yet. Lee Il-seo looked at Choi Kyung-hyun with a troubled expression. Choi Kyung-hyun was speaking to the director who had explained the storyboard, with a half-pleading face.
“Is there any other storyboard option? Like Lee Il-seo coming out from behind the box?”
“This custom production took us a really long time. We’re also confused that you didn’t mention this in advance. Is there some special reason?”
The problem started with the gift box placed in the middle of the set. Lee Il-seo had gone to the location only knowing he was becoming the new model for a tennis apparel brand, but there was a part of the storyboard he hadn’t been informed about beforehand.
Specifically, that Lee Il-seo needed to emerge from a small gift box that could barely fit one person.
Choi Kyung-hyun, worried about Lee Il-seo’s claustrophobia, was trying to get the director’s understanding first, while the director maintained that the gift box was a key point of this advertisement and absolutely couldn’t be modified.
As Lee Il-seo tried to stop Choi Kyung-hyun before it turned into an argument, Choi Kyung-hyun showed an unusually firm attitude today. He was clearly worried that he would endure the shooting and end up seriously ill.
Just before the shooting was delayed, Lee Il-seo finally exhaled briefly and stepped in front of Kyung-hyun.
“I’m sorry, Director.”
“Lee Il-seo.”
“I get hyperventilation symptoms when I’m in narrow, dark places.”
Seeing the director’s expression of incomprehension, Lee Il-seo quickly explained the reason. Choi Kyung-hyun looked at Lee Il-seo with surprise as he stepped forward to explain.
“Hyperventilation?”
The somewhat surprised director raised his eyebrows, and Lee Il-seo, with an awkward smile, conveyed why Choi Kyung-hyun had become sensitive.
“My symptoms used to be severe, so I think my manager is worried. I should have told you in advance. I’m really sorry.”
“What should we do then? You being our gift is the concept of this advertisement.”
“I’ve gotten a bit better lately. Let’s try shooting first, and if it’s too difficult for me, I’ll let you know, and then we can look for alternatives. Would that be okay?”
“Ah, yes. If dark and narrow places are difficult for you… does having light make it somewhat better even if it’s still narrow?”
After hearing Lee Il-seo’s situation, the director modified the storyboard on the spot. He couldn’t change his emerging from the box, but as a quick solution, he had light bulbs attached to the invisible inside of the box to provide light.
“Shall we try shooting then?”
At the director’s suggestion, the staff brought over the box lid and covered it. Lee Il-seo crouched down and exhaled deeply. When the box lid closed, it was tense due to the confined space, but with the nearby light from the bulbs, it was bearable at least for a short while.
The advertisement they were shooting featured child models opening a large box’s ribbon and lid, revealing Lee Il-seo inside. The main shot was Lee Il-seo emerging from the box with colorful helium balloons rising around his. Lee Il-seo waited for the box lid to open and shot the scene of him emerging from the box at the right timing multiple times. Even for the same scene, they needed to shoot from various angles for comparison, and later, with the director’s idea, they drilled a hole in a corner of the box that wouldn’t be visible to the camera so Lee Il-seo could shoot more comfortably.
“Okay! This looks great.”
“Thank you.”
Although the addition of lighting and the hole slightly changed the color tone from what the director initially wanted, the results were quite satisfactory thanks to Lee Il-seo’s refreshing smile and natural poses. With the final approval, Lee Il-seo also smiled broadly as if relieved. As soon as they called cut, Choi Kyung-hyun rushed over and checked Lee Il-seo’s complexion.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Lee Il-seo smiled. It was difficult to say his condition was good, but it was better than he had worried. Even when filming this recent drama, there were times when he had to shoot in such narrow, dark spaces, and his symptoms were definitely better than before when he felt like he might faint. It seemed that as his fear of Kang Hyung-won, the cause of his trauma, decreased, his psychological anxiety reduced, and naturally, his physical symptoms gradually improved too.
“Alright. We’re pressed for time, so we need to go straight to the shop. Let’s rest in the car on the way.”
“Okay.”
Lee Il-seo tilted his head to the side as he walked. Bodyguard Kim Jae-won also walked closely behind him. Il-seo drank the fruit juice that Kyung-hyun handed him and shifted his gaze to Kim Jae-won, who was empty-handed.
“Jae-won-ssi, did you have anything to eat?”
“Yes, I had coffee with the manager.”
It had been awkward at first to constantly have a security guard with him in places other than the streets or locations where he met citizens, but now he was gradually becoming accustomed to his presence. He was also grateful to Kim Jae-won for being able to convey his well-being to Sa Seung-yeon during times when he couldn’t contact him due to circumstances.
Lee Il-seo took out his mobile phone and touched the message window with Sa Seung-yeon. Although their conversations couldn’t be lengthy because they were both always busy, they still left occasional messages checking on each other.
Sa Seung-yeon had also contacted him while he was shooting. It was a selfie taken at the gym. It was both amazing and enviable that he had the energy to work out again even after running together that morning. Lee Il-seo sent Sa Seung-yeon a set photo that Choi Kyung-hyun had taken.
“Today I successfully shot inside a narrow, dark box.”
Lee Il-seo’s cheeks flushed with pride as he pressed the send button on this achievement that could be called both a boast and growth.
***
Lee Il-seo entered the venue after having his photo taken at the photo wall. Since it was a fairly large event in Seoul, there were many familiar celebrities. In the bustling space filled with reporters and spectators, Lee Il-seo continuously took photos and struck poses.
Everyone invited to today’s event had coordinated their outfits using the brand’s clothing and accessories. Lee Il-seo also wore a gray knit from the autumn collection layered over a crisp white shirt, paired with well-fitted slacks and flat shoes.
While taking photos whenever requested and exchanging greetings with people, Lee Il-seo’s gaze busily scanned around the venue.
Would he be able to exchange even a word with Sa Seung-yeon in such a large and crowded place? He had been simply happy about sharing a schedule with him, but now that he was at the venue, the gallery interior was too chaotic to see his face.
Then, a small exclamation was heard from a distance. When he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure from behind. As soon as he recognized it was Sa Seung-yeon, his heart immediately began racing. Contrary to his worry that he might not find him, he stood out even from a distance, likely due to his height being much taller than others. Lee Il-seo paused his steps and looked in that direction.
Sa Seung-yeon, emerging from the crowd, stood in front of the panel at the entrance of the venue. Unlike usual, he had styled his hair completely up without a single stray strand and wore a perfectly tailored light gray suit. White flashes continuously burst around him. The unceasing sound of shutters following his steps clearly demonstrated his presence.
Even the celebrities were all turning their heads toward Sa Seung-yeon. The saying that he was “the celebrity among celebrities” wasn’t wrong. Lee Il-seo also watched him among those people. Secretly observing Sa Seung-yeon, who was an object of admiration, felt just like his high school days, and a smile unconsciously escaped his lips.
“This way, please.”
As he moved according to the staff’s guidance, his smile hardened and disappeared when his gaze caught a group at the edge of his vision. He encountered two members of Free-Able who were heading to the same place as Lee Il-seo. After Lee Il-seo spotted them first, they also saw him and the moment to shift his gaze away was lost.
“…”
“…”
Coincidentally, Free-Able had sung the OST for the drama Lee Il-seo recently appeared in with Lee Soo-heon. Naturally, Gu Dong-young couldn’t participate in the recording. There had been occasional talk about this OST. With the revelation that Lee Il-seo had been a trainee at that agency, there was some public speculation about why he didn’t debut with Free-Able. Although it was a minor issue that both Lee Il-seo and Free-Able consistently avoided responding to, in truth, Lee Il-seo wasn’t very pleased to encounter Free-Able members.
Particularly these two, who had been in Free-Able’s training group in the past, despite Lee Il-seo taking good care of them as their senior, they ultimately sided with Gu Dong-young and gave false testimonies against him. Of course, they could be seen as victims of gaslighting by Dong-young or the company who threatened them with their debut, but the betrayal by the juniors he had trusted was quite hurtful to Lee Il-seo at that time.
“Oh, hyung.”
“Hello.”
However, Lee Il-seo and the Free-Able members exchanged greetings with delayed smiles. This was a place with many reporters and spectators. Even if they were personally uncomfortable with each other, they couldn’t show it. Lee Il-seo first mentioned the drama soundtrack.
“Thanks for the song.”
“The drama was really entertaining too.”
They exchanged awkwardly formal greetings that would’ve been criticized if written in a script, and just as they were about to part ways, a reporter turned his lens toward them and shouted loudly.
“Wow, you three! Look here just once!”
The three of them smiled brilliantly as if by agreement and stared at the camera. Even after the photo was taken, they completed the charade by waving goodbye to each other as if they were genuinely pleased to meet. Afterwards, Lee Il-seo felt his fingertips tingling and cold sweat on his back. He could now understand a little why Sa Seung-yeon had developed a two-faced personality after a long career in entertainment.
After the promotional event, this gallery would transform into a brand’s pop-up venue for citizens to participate in for about two weeks. Having filmed SNS promotional videos at various photo zones, Lee Il-seo got into the car with a somewhat tired face.
“You worked hard. Eat something.”
While eating warm tangerine tea and bagels that Choi Kyung-hyun had prepared in advance, Lee Il-seo listened to information about the next schedule.
“The second part will be at a nearby restaurant. This time, Jae-won and I can’t go in.”
The second part of the event was a private after-party where the people invited today gathered at a large restaurant to watch a prepared performance, have a meal, and socialize. Before heading to the second venue, Choi Kyung-hyun looked at Lee Il-seo with pitying eyes as he hastily ate his meal during this brief break.
“Eat slowly. Aren’t you tired from schedules since morning?”
“I’m planning to just make an appearance at the party and leave.”
Though it would be a place where he could eat and drink comfortably as photography was strictly prohibited, Lee Il-seo was somewhat tired from the schedule that had continued since morning. As his stomach filled after being hungry all day, drowsiness belatedly set in. Choi Kyung-hyun, noticing sleepiness in his slowly blinking eyes, handed his a blanket, and Lee Il-seo reclined his seat as he took it. After briefly dozing off, Lee Il-seo groggily opened his eyes to Choi Kyung-hyun’s awakening touch.
“Let’s go in now.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Call me when you’re ready to leave. I’ll come pick you up.”
“It’s hard to guarantee when it will end. I’ll leave with Seung-yeon Sunbae.”
“Okay. If you need a driver, don’t hesitate to call.”
Lee Il-seo nodded with a smile. After getting out of the car, he chased away his drowsiness with light stretching and walked into the restaurant following the staff’s guidance. The staff guided Lee Il-seo to his seat marked with a card bearing his name.
The interior was so dark and noisy it was hard to believe it was a restaurant. It was originally a high-end restaurant famous for its hotel-like interior, but with a stage installed to commemorate this party, it felt like a miniature concert hall.
Looking around, Lee Il-seo slightly furrowed his brow and unbuttoned one button of his shirt. He didn’t match well with such an excited atmosphere from the start. Along with the performance of a famous DJ announcing the beginning of the party, loud music filled the surroundings, resonating enough to make his chest vibrate. With many people getting up from their seats and dancing, finding Sa Seung-yeon was impossible. Finally, with a sense of giving up, he took out his mobile phone. But there was already a message from Sa Seung-yeon.
「Where are you sitting? I can’t see you ㅠㅠ」
Perhaps equally frustrated at not seeing each other throughout the schedule, he had sent a cute message with an emoticon unlike his usual style. Lee Il-seo suppressed his laughter and quickly moved his fingers.
「At the table under the feather sculpture on the far left. Where are you?」
While hurriedly replying, an actor sitting at the same table approached Lee Il-seo.
“Sunbae, hello. I’m rookie actor Kim Yoon-ha.”
“Hello.”
“I really enjoyed your drama. It had a different feel from your character Haru from before, didn’t it?”
As soon as he finished expressing his gratitude, the eight celebrities seated at the table began introducing themselves. Since the tables were arranged by agency and Lee Il-seo had come alone, everyone was new to him. Most were rookie actors or rising stars like Lee Il-seo, and the two senior actors at the table seemed to be sitting together to look after juniors from their agency.
They were told that the seating was only arranged this way initially, and after the performance ended, they could move around freely. Lee Il-seo just hoped he could meet up with Sa Seung-yeon then. While watching the performance in full swing and drinking champagne, Lee Il-seo turned his head first at a familiar scent. Sure enough, Sa Seung-yeon was approaching closer. Being more sensitive to his pheromones than anyone else was one of the advantages of having presented as an Omega.
“Let’s drink together.”
Everyone at the table looked with interest at Sa Seung-yeon as he placed his hand on Lee Il-seo’s shoulder. Among them, actress Moon Sojin, who was already acquainted with Sa Seung-yeon, waved brightly.
“Hey, Sa Seung-yeon. Long time no see.”
“Hello.”
When Lee Il-seo made a surprised expression, knowing that Sa Seung-yeon rarely spoke casually with other actors, Sojin quickly explained.
“Oh, Sa Seung-yeon and I worked on a movie together before. We became friends quickly since we were both rookies and the same age.”
“Ah, yes. ‘The Girl Who Swallowed the Pearl,’ right? I really enjoyed it.”
“Oh my. Really?”
“Yes. The monologue scene in the rain was amazing.”
Of course, he had watched it multiple times because Sa Seung-yeon was in it, which is why he also remembered the famous scene of Moon Sojin, who was the lead. Fortunately, she smiled brightly and liked it, and Seung-yeon also looked at Il-seo and gave him a faint smile as if he was doing well.
“I heard you can’t change seats during the performance. Did you come because of Lee Il-seo?”
Listen to me. At Moon So-jin’s teasing, Seung-yeon drank the champagne without denying it.
“Don’t you all see how tense everyone got as soon as you arrived?”
“Really? Relax.”
Sa Seung-yeon smiled with crinkled eyes while asking for understanding from those seated at the table. Sojin’s joke wasn’t wrong. After reading Lee Il-seo’s message saying he was under the feather sculpture, Sa Seung-yeon found him not long after. He had been quietly watching him, finding his profile cute as he focused on the performance, but his composure disappeared the moment he witnessed those sitting near Lee Il-seo desperate to engage him in conversation. Sa Seung-yeon immediately asked the staff for permission to move seats. And he didn’t look kindly upon one particular Alpha actor who couldn’t take his eyes off Lee Il-seo.
“Not at all, Sunbae.”
“Yes, it’s truly an honor.”
After smiling with crinkled eyes at the actors who rushed to assure him they weren’t uncomfortable, Sa Seung-yeon completely erased even the pretense of a smile when it came to that Alpha actor’s turn and immediately moistened his throat with Lee Il-seo’s champagne. Seeing him drink someone else’s alcohol while placing bread from the appetizer onto Lee Il-seo’s plate, Moon Sojin rested his chin on his hand and smiled.
“It’s hard to believe even though I’m seeing it with my own eyes. Sa Seung-yeon dating.”
When Sa Seung-yeon didn’t deny it and just smiled with crinkled eyes, Sojin teased him while drinking his champagne.
“I really thought you were dating Yeon-ju last year.”
“Nonsense.”
As soon as he mentioned the previous scandal, his prettily curved eyes instantly took on an irritated look. Lee Il-seo lightly tapped Sa Seung-yeon’s thigh under the table and laughed.
“Ah, I believed it too back then.”
“That’s why I confessed right away. It was Lee Il-seo who rejected me.”
“Really?”
“Stop, please stop.”
What was he planning to reveal? At Lee Il-seo’s surprised intervention, Sa Seung-yeon pretended to hold back as he poured champagne into his glass and took a sip. The eyes of the rookie actors, unsure how to react to the conversation that verged on crossing the line, trembled slightly.
Just then, the main dishes were served, and the atmosphere naturally warmed up as everyone began eating with drinks and food. After having eaten enough, Lee Il-seo stood up to go to the bathroom and whispered to Sa Seung-yeon.
“Sunbae, I’m going to the bathroom.”
Sa Seung-yeon, who was about to say something but missed the timing, stood up with him. He was immediately caught by a senior actor from another table, and while hurriedly finishing his greeting, his eyes remained fixed on Lee Il-seo’s receding back.
As Lee Il-seo was washing his hands, he sensed an unpleasant pheromone that seemed familiar and checked behind his through the mirror. Just then, Gu Dong-young emerged from a toilet stall. He knew all Free-Able members were ambassadors for this brand, but he thought only the two he had met at the first event would attend the party. However, it seemed Dong-young had also decided to attend the private second party.
Lee Il-seo lowered his gaze again and rinsed off the soap on his hands. Gu Dong-young, who was about to leave the bathroom, noticed Lee Il-seo washing his hands and abruptly stopped. He deliberately walked to the sink next to Lee Il-seo and stared at his through the mirror while wetting his hands with cold water, even though he still wouldn’t look at him.
After continually ignoring his piercing gaze, Lee Il-seo turned the lever to stop the water and dried his hands with a paper towel. As he was about to place the towel in the basket and leave, a strong grip caught his forearm. Lee Il-seo furrowed his brow and said,
“Let go.”
“Your rudeness in not greeting people hasn’t changed.”
Finally, Lee Il-seo exhaled a short sigh.
“How many times do I have to say we’re not on greeting terms?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Dong-young pushed out his lower lip, shrugged his shoulders, and snickered.
“I thought you running away without greeting was because you felt guilty.”
“Guilty about what?”
“You’re asking as if you don’t know?”
Feeling disgusted by his presumptuous tone, Lee Il-seo closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and removed Dong-young’s grip. Though he knew it wouldn’t work with physical strength, for some reason, Dong-young willingly let go.
“Well. A newbie like you doesn’t have what it takes to report me anyway. It looks like it’s that bastard Sa Seung-yeon, but there’s no damn evidence.”
Seeing Lee Il-seo’s expression change as soon as Sa Seung-yeon’s name was mentioned, Dong-young curled his lips upward and rambled on.
“Whatever turmoil the world throws, it probably won’t be much impact. I’ll either get probation or serve about a year.”
Dong-young was currently awaiting trial, having been indicted without detention. Lee Il-seo had seen articles about him assembling an impressive team of lawyers. He had just accepted it at the time. Dong-young’s sentence would be determined by the court, and honestly, he was too busy with drama filming to have the energy to get heated about it.
“I have enough money to live without being a celebrity anyway.”
As Dong-young’s nonsense continued unabated, the strength that had filled Lee Il-seo’s body gradually drained away. There was a time when he hated him so much that he checked his every move, but now it seemed there was no reason left to be curious.
“Good for you. Take care.”
Rather than feeling angry, perhaps it was because he could see through his pretense of trying to act fine at this party in front of his. He even felt sorry for Dong-young’s miserable state of mind. Who exactly had the past Lee Il-seo been victimized by? A weak smile broke out before he could stop it. That smile seemed to wound Dong-young instead. He frowned and approached Lee Il-seo.
“What are you smirking at?”
And Lee Il-seo stood his ground, not avoiding his eyes.
“Why? Should I be angry?”
“What?”
“I really don’t care how you live. I don’t have time to worry about it either.”
Lee Il-seo tried to choose more words but found he truly had nothing to say, and just looked at Dong-young flatly.
“Well… take care of yourself, wherever you are.”
Dong-young’s lip corner twitched as he blankly watched Lee Il-seo walk past him.
“This punk, are you trying to provoke me?”
The Alpha’s unpleasant pheromones intensified sharply. Dong-young grabbed Lee Il-seo’s shoulder and, losing his composure, raised his hand. Gritting his teeth, Lee Il-seo didn’t dodge but looked up at Dong-young coldly. His mindset was: if he could hit him, let him try. He wasn’t unafraid of an Alpha’s violent tendencies. But he was no longer afraid of Dong-young as a person. His consistent behavior of resorting to violence when overcome by his emotions was pathetic, and Lee Il-seo himself believed he would no longer be swayed by his bluster. Just as he clenched his fist, ready to hit back if struck first, the bathroom door opened. Lee Il-seo and Dong-young’s gazes simultaneously turned toward it.
“…”
“…”
Sa Seung-yeon walked steadily into the bathroom with a smile so deep it carved dimples.
“There you are, our Il-seo.”
At the same time, Dong-young lowered his raised hand. This was because while Sa Seung-yeon’s voice suggested he had been looking for Lee Il-seo, his frost-laden gaze was fixed solely on Dong-young. Sa Seung-yeon’s pheromones began pressuring Dong-young, and only after Dong-young stepped back from Lee Il-seo did Sa Seung-yeon withdraw his knife-like gaze and give Lee Il-seo an affectionate smile.
“You were gone so long.”
“I was just about to leave.”
“Fuck.”
Asserting his presence by spitting on the floor with a “ptui,” Dong-young left the bathroom first, as the two treated him as if he were a urinal. Sa Seung-yeon glanced down at Dong-young as he left, then caressed Lee Il-seo’s cheek with his thumb.
“Nothing happened, right?”
“Of course not.”
Sa Seung-yeon smiled mildly at Lee Il-seo’s spirited response. Ever since hearing from Choi Kyung-hyun that Dong-young had come to the party, he had been constantly worried about them crossing paths. However, due to the venue being too large and chaotic, he ended up joining Lee Il-seo without confirming Dong-young’s location.
That’s why he was concerned when Lee Il-seo said he was going to the bathroom alone. When he followed his just in case, he faintly heard Dong-young and Lee Il-seo’s voices through the bathroom door, but couldn’t make out their exact conversation.
Just before opening the door to bring Lee Il-seo out immediately, Sa Seung-yeon sensed that his pheromones were very stable. Lee Il-seo’s tone in responding to Dong-young’s sarcastic voice was also calm and collected. So Sa Seung-yeon waited a moment without opening the door.
She was much tougher than he expected. Perhaps he even had a healthier mindset than him. If he had something to say to Dong-young, it might be better for his to confront him directly rather than Sa Seung-yeon stepping in to resolve it for his. Not long after, Dong-young’s pheromones began to rage as he struggled alone, and Sa Seung-yeon entered the bathroom at that moment.
“How long will you be staying, Sunbae?”
Lee Il-seo asked with a smile on his face. Sa Seung-yeon, holding Lee Il-seo’s hand, pulled his into a toilet stall instead of answering. After moving next to Lee Il-seo, Sa Seung-yeon continuously focused on his rather than watching the performance. Unlike Sa Seung-yeon, Lee Il-seo was absorbed in the performance, mumbling along with songs and tapping his fingers on his thigh to the rhythm. Then he suddenly whispered in Sa Seung-yeon’s ear that the song selection was good, and from that ticklish breath, a tight heat began pooling below.
“Sunbae…!”
Lee Il-seo, who had maintained his composure despite Dong-young’s provocation, was startled by the simple skinship of intertwined fingers and looked at him with tense eyes. Sa Seung-yeon overlapped his lips with Lee Il-seo’s slightly parted, plump ones and reached behind to lock the bathroom stall door.
“Mmph, mm…!”
“I’ve been holding back this whole time, damn…”
In the middle of their prolonged kiss, Sa Seung-yeon murmured softly without even removing his lips. Although he didn’t want to do this with people outside, when he felt Sa Seung-yeon’s heated pheromones escaping through his husky, low voice, his lower abdomen and thighs instantly tingled.
“Mmm, ah, Sunbae…”
A warm sensation spread from his extremities, as if being soaked in water. Eventually, Lee Il-seo also wrapped his arms around Sa Seung-yeon’s waist and tilted his head back. Sa Seung-yeon leaned his head slightly and parted Lee Il-seo’s lips with his own, smoothly sliding his tongue between them.
The groovy bass sound of the music playing throughout the pub rippled into the bathroom. Lee Il-seo hid in that sound and more greedily savored Sa Seung-yeon’s lips. Both their body temperatures rose above normal as they caressed each other’s bodies.
***
Lee Il-seo, who had been running along Tancheon, gradually reduced his pace while breathing heavily. His lungs felt like they would burst, and his heartbeat was much faster than usual. He took out and drank the water that Sa Seung-yeon would normally have handed him. then took a photo of Tancheon just before sunrise and sent it to him.
Sa Seung-yeon was currently staying in Gangwon-do for filming. It was a private schedule that couldn’t be disclosed to outsiders as it was a special appearance in a movie, and he had said that contact might be sparse due to the filming schedule. Sitting on a bench, Lee Il-seo scrolled through his message window with Sa Seung-yeon with his finger and murmured.
“He must be very busy.”
The responses that had been coming regularly until three days ago started slowing down yesterday. Even during filming, replies usually came within an hour or two, but there had been no response to the message he sent yesterday evening. Lee Il-seo was staring at his accumulating check-in messages when a ringing phone finally awakened his from his daze.
“Hello?”
[Ah, Lee Il-seo. About the schedule change. We’re trying to move tomorrow’s filming to next Thursday, is that okay?]
“Yes, I don’t have anything that day, right? It’s fine.”
[Yeah. Right. One of the actors we were supposed to film with was hospitalized today because of a ligament issue.]
Lee Il-seo nodded as he recalled his schedule in his mind. If tomorrow’s filming was postponed to next week, he would have no schedule for a while. Whenever a short break came, he had always seen Sa Seung-yeon, so his absence was strongly felt now.
‘Should I go to Gangwon-do?’
She thought about seeing Sa Seung-yeon even briefly. Even if it was just for one minute, without disturbing his filming, it would be fine. Recalling how Sa Seung-yeon would come to the vicinity of his filming location to see his face briefly no matter how far the distance when he was busy with filming, Lee Il-seo contacted Choi Kyung-hyun. After messaging to ask if a phone call would work, Choi Kyung-hyun called his right away.
[Ah, hello, actor. What brings this call?]
“Ah. Do you know where Sunbae Sa Seung-yeon is filming now? I want to see him briefly nearby.”
[Filming?]
But the voice on the other end of the line was full of undisguised puzzlement.
“Yes, didn’t he go to Gangwon-do for filming?”
[Huh? Um… did he?]
Far from being angry, did he actually feel sorry for Dong-young’s miserable state as he tried so hard to pretend he was fine at this party in front of her? The past Lee Il-seo had been victimized by such a person. A weak smile involuntarily broke across his face. That smile seemed to wound Dong-young instead, who frowned and approached her.
“What are you smirking at?”
Lee Il-seo stood his ground, not avoiding his eyes.
“Why? Should I be angry?”
“What?”
“I really don’t care how you live. I don’t have time to worry about it either.”
Lee Il-seo tried to find more words but realized he truly had nothing to say, so he just looked at Dong-young flatly.
“Well… take care of yourself, wherever you are.”
Dong-young’s lip corner twitched as he blankly watched Lee Il-seo walk past him.
“This punk, are you trying to provoke me?”
The alpha’s unpleasant pheromones intensified sharply. Dong-young grabbed Lee Il-seo’s shoulder and, losing his composure, raised his hand. Gritting his teeth, Lee Il-seo didn’t dodge but looked up at Dong-young coldly. His mindset was: if he could hit him. let him try. He wasn’t unafraid of an alpha’s violent tendencies. But he was no longer afraid of Dong-young as a person. His consistent behavior of resorting to violence when overcome by his emotions was pathetic, and Lee Il-seo himself believed he would no longer be swayed by his bluster. Just as he clenched his fist, ready to hit back if struck first, the bathroom door opened. Lee Il-seo and Dong-young’s gazes simultaneously turned toward it.
“…”
“…”
Sa Seung-yeon walked steadily into the bathroom with a smile so deep it carved dimples.
“There you are, our Lee Il-seo.”
At the same time, Dong-young lowered his raised hand. This was because while Sa Seung-yeon’s voice suggested he had been looking for Lee Il-seo, his frost-laden gaze was fixed solely on Dong-young. Sa Seung-yeon’s pheromones began pressuring Dong-young, and only after Dong-young stepped back from Lee Il-seo did Sa Seung-yeon withdraw his knife-like gaze and give Lee Il-seo an affectionate smile.
“You were gone so long.”
“I was just about to leave.”
“Fuck.”
Asserting his presence by spitting on the floor with a “ptui,” Dong-young left the bathroom first, as the two treated him as if he were a urinal. Sa Seung-yeon glanced down at Dong-young as he left, then caressed Lee Il-seo’s cheek with his thumb.
“Nothing happened, right?”
“Of course not.”
Sa Seung-yeon smiled mildly at Lee Il-seo’s spirited response. Ever since hearing from Choi Kyung-hyun that Dong-young had come to the party, he had been constantly worried about them crossing paths. However, due to the venue being too large and chaotic, he ended up joining Lee Il-seo without confirming Dong-young’s location.
That’s why he was concerned when Lee Il-seo said he was going to the bathroom alone. When he followed his just in case, he faintly heard Dong-young and Lee Il-seo’s voices through the bathroom door, but couldn’t make out their exact conversation.
Just before opening the door to bring Lee Il-seo out immediately, Sa Seung-yeon sensed that his pheromones were very stable. Lee Il-seo’s tone in responding to Dong-young’s sarcastic voice was also calm and collected. So Sa Seung-yeon waited a moment without opening the door.
Lee Il-seo was much tougher than he expected. Perhaps he even had a healthier mindset than him. If he had something to say to Dong-young, it might be better for his to confront him directly rather than Sa Seung-yeon stepping in to resolve it for his. Not long after, Dong-young’s pheromones began to rage as he struggled alone, and Sa Seung-yeon entered the bathroom at that moment.
“How long will you be staying, Sunbae?”
Lee Il-seo asked with a smile on his face. Sa Seung-yeon, holding Lee Il-seo’s hand, pulled him into a toilet stall instead of answering. After moving next to Lee Il-seo, Sa Seung-yeon continuously focused on his rather than watching the performance. Unlike Sa Seung-yeon, Lee Il-seo was absorbed in the performance, mumbling along with songs and tapping his fingers on his thigh to the rhythm. Then he suddenly whispered in Sa Seung-yeon’s ear that the song selection was good, and from that ticklish breath, a tight heat began pooling below.
“Sunbae…!”
Lee Il-seo, who had maintained his composure despite Dong-young’s provocation, was startled by the simple skinship of intertwined fingers and looked at him with tense eyes. Sa Seung-yeon overlapped his lips with Lee Il-seo’s slightly parted, plump ones and reached behind to lock the bathroom stall door.
“Mmph, mm…!”
“I’ve been holding back this whole time, damn…”
In the middle of their prolonged kiss, Sa Seung-yeon murmured softly without even removing his lips. Although he didn’t want to do this with people outside, when he felt Sa Seung-yeon’s heated pheromones escaping through his husky, low voice, his lower abdomen and thighs instantly tingled.
“Mmm, ah, Sunbae…”
A fever spread from the ends of his body as if he were getting wet. Eventually, Lee Il-seo also wrapped his arms around Sa Seung-yeon’s waist and tilted his head back. Sa Seung-yeon leaned his head slightly and parted Lee Il-seo’s lips with his own, smoothly sliding his tongue between them.
The groovy bass sound of the music playing throughout the pub rippled into the bathroom. Lee Il-seo hid in that sound and more greedily savored Sa Seung-yeon’s lips. Both their body temperatures rose above normal as they caressed each other’s bodies.