Spark Chapter 2.6 - Spark

He had good eyesight to notice it right away. Cha Hongjo unconsciously raised his hand to his mouth again, then lowered it and turned his head away from Go Baekwoo.

“I bit it.”

“Bit it?”

“Yeah.”

He replied briefly but not clearly, tapping on the car. Go Baekwoo was about to ask something more, but instead opened the car door. There were too many eyes and ears outside.

Only when the filming set was completely out of sight in the rearview mirror did Go Baekwoo speak.

“Did you have a habit of biting your lip?”

The car stopped at a red light. Go Baekwoo immediately turned his shoulders towards the passenger seat and rubbed Cha Hongjo’s lips with his thumb. The dried bloodstain didn’t come off easily.

“It’s not coming off……”

Go Baekwoo muttered to himself, brought his thumb to his own mouth, and licked it. Then he rubbed Cha Hongjo’s chin and lips again. Even the areas where there hadn’t been any bloodstains to begin with.

“…….”

Cha Hongjo watched Go Baekwoo, who was staring intently at his chin with lowered eyelashes. He watched, and as Go Baekwoo leaned in, he parted his lips in response. The tips of their tongues touched and then intertwined, his tongue tracing Go Baekwoo’s palate before pulling back. It was an excessively short kiss, but they couldn’t help it because the red light had turned green, urging them on. Even if it was a shame.

“What do you want to eat?”

Go Baekwoo asked even though Cha Hongjo had already declared he had no appetite. It was because Cha Hongjo must have said he had no appetite out of irritation, pretending to be annoyed by the sight of him talking to Yang Seohee. He must be hungry since he hadn’t eaten breakfast either.

“Let’s go home.”

But Cha Hongjo brushed aside the talk of food again and gave an unexpected answer.

……Does he really have no appetite? Go Baekwoo glanced at Cha Hongjo with worried eyes.

“You’re not going to eat anything?”

“At home.”

Hmm. Go Baekwoo made a thoughtful sound and tapped the steering wheel, pretending to be contemplating. Cha Hongjo’s home was also Tae Pyunghyun’s home, and Tae Pyunghyun never let Go Baekwoo inside.

He had previously obtained Tae Pyunghyun’s home address from Secretary Kim Yongmin and had visited several times, suddenly missing Cha Hongjo, but he had never made it past the front door. Tae Pyunghyun would shut the door in his face, saying, “Hongjo is sleeping!”, and if Cha Hongjo came out on his own, he would follow them to the bar or restaurant like a hawk. He would also go on and on about how it was his duty as a manager.

“Do you want to go home?”

Besides, today, filming had ended early, so he wanted to eat, drink, and…… well, do various things leisurely. He didn’t want to send him home early. However.

“Yeah.”

Cha Hongjo simply affirmed, looking out the window indifferently. He was slumped in the car seat, looking listless. At first glance, he seemed no different than usual, but Go Baekwoo thought that Cha Hongjo wasn’t just relaxed like usual, but rather exhausted.

“Are you tired?”

“Yeah.”

“…….”

Indeed, whether the filming was long or short today, he must have exerted himself considerably.

Judging by his usual demeanor, it seemed like Cha Hongjo would approach his acting career casually, and Tae Pyunghyun seemed to think the same, as he had poured out his worries about Cha Hongjo one drunken night. But Cha Hongjo, as if mocking the concerns of those around him, took his acting seriously. He hadn’t been like that from the beginning, but about a third of the way through filming “Spring’s Wish”, he suddenly became passionate, as if a fire had been lit within him.

No one knew what had triggered Cha Hongjo’s immersion in the movie. He might have developed an ambition for it, or he might have discovered an unknown joy. Anyway, it was a positive thing. The whispers that had initially circulated about him getting the role of Yeo Jitae by seducing Director Kim with his looks had gradually subsided. Cha Hongjo had successfully separated his private life from his work with his own skills.

Was it because of his immersion? Cha Hongjo increasingly seemed to be merging with his character. In the movie, ‘Yeo Jitae’ was a character at the center of a turbulent storm, and as Cha Hongjo spent more time living as ‘Yeo Jitae’, he became more sensitive and unusually showed signs of fatigue. He had heard that Cha Hongjo often skipped meals and didn’t sleep well. It wasn’t normal that he hadn’t eaten breakfast today and had no appetite even in the afternoon.

Come to think of it, he had lost a noticeable amount of weight. It was even more apparent when he was naked. His shoulders had become sharper, and his already slender waist had become even thinner. He wasn’t unattractive, as he had a good, solid frame, but he needed to gain some weight back.

Go Baekwoo took his eyes off the sharp jawline that looked like it would cut him if he touched it, looked ahead, and murmured,

“I’ll take you. But let’s stop by and buy something to eat. I’ll just watch you eat and then go……”

“Your house.”

Cha Hongjo said, turning his body with a slight sway.

Go Baekwoo’s eyes widened slightly, and he looked back and forth between the road and Cha Hongjo, asking,

“My house?”

“Yeah.”

What’s this all of a sudden……. Go Baekwoo was taken aback by the sudden suggestion and thought for a moment. Even if he called it ‘my house’, the house he lived in with his father, Go Daeil, was still an unfamiliar place to him. Even though he had grown accustomed to it, he hadn’t formed an attachment to it.

But then again, ‘my house’ was a hundred times better than the house where Tae Pyunghyun lived. There was his father, Secretary Moon, and the live-in housekeeper, but the house was so large that it didn’t matter.

“Okay.”

Since there was no need to overthink it, Go Baekwoo simply nodded in agreement. His father wouldn’t have any objections to his son’s ‘friend’ staying over for a night.

“Let’s go, to my house.”

Go Baekwoo turned the car, which had been heading towards Tanjeon-dong, towards Seoji-dong.

After seeing the car change direction, Cha Hongjo leaned his temple against the window and closed his eyes. He had a splitting headache. On days like this, he always experienced sleep paralysis. No. These days, even on days that weren’t like this, he reunited with his father three or four times a week. He would be crushed by him, scream, curse, and then beg for forgiveness. As he spun around in a whirlwind of anger and sadness, his eyes would fly open. It was always in the dark hours before dawn.

When he was extremely tired, he could sleep deeply, so these days he had been deliberately keeping himself busy. He met Director Kim and Yang Seohee, and he also met Go Baekwoo. He poured alcohol down his throat as if to melt his soul away. He burned the candle at both ends, practicing his lines and filming. Director Kim, Tae Pyunghyun, and his senior actors praised him, saying, “He’s gotten a taste for acting quickly,” but they were speaking without knowing the truth. What drove Cha Hongjo wasn’t passion, but anxiety, and the product of it wasn’t effort, but self-abuse and self-harm.

The reason he suggested going to Go Baekwoo’s house was to escape from his father, even if only for a little while. The house he lived in with Tae Pyunghyun was in Tanjeon-dong, and Tanjeon-dong was also the neighborhood where he had lived with his father. It was also the residence of his despicable dead aunt, and his aunt’s husband, who was still unfortunately breathing. He had scoffed, saying, “What does it matter who lives where?”, but today, he didn’t want to go back there. Because dead people didn’t leave; they lived there every day.

He felt like he was rotting away from constantly smelling the scent of corpses. He had been wanting to die lately because he kept encountering the dead.

I want to die.

Cha Hongjo unconsciously repeated the sentence in his mind, then opened his eyes wide.

I won’t die. Never, like you…….

He had never wanted to live, but he tried so desperately. He had never been happy in his life, but these days he felt a strange sense of melancholy. Cha Hongjo barely managed to push away the silhouette of his father hanging from the ceiling, which had suddenly popped into his mind. He pulled out another thought before his father could visit him again. Acting. There was nothing else. To shake off his own melancholy, he grasped Yeo Jitae’s loneliness. He silently mouthed a line. He swallowed it. The bitter taste that kept rising in his throat.

🔥

“Pretty Boy, you really are a young master.”

Looking at the house that came into view as they drove around the garden and parked, Cha Hongjo muttered playfully. Go Baekwoo just smiled awkwardly.

The housekeeper rushed out, wiping her hands on her apron, as Go Baekwoo, who usually only returned home in the evening, arrived early.

“Young Master, you’re home?”

“Ah…… yes.”

Go Baekwoo lowered his voice, feeling somewhat embarrassed to be called “Young Master” in front of Cha Hongjo.

“Where’s Father?”

“The Chairman is still out. He said he’ll be late today and told me to prepare dinner only for you.”

The housekeeper replied cheerfully, then glanced at Cha Hongjo standing next to Go Baekwoo. Cha Hongjo bowed his head, and Go Baekwoo introduced him on his behalf.

“He’s my friend.”

“Oh my, hello.”

She knew that Cha Hongjo was the rookie actor from “Spring’s Wish,” but she treated him as a complete stranger.

“Have you eaten? Shall I prepare something?”

“Yes.”

Go Baekwoo quickly spoke before Cha Hongjo could say no.

“Something easy to digest, please. And please bring it to the room…… no, I’ll come and get it. When will it be ready?”

“Then please come in thirty minutes.”

“Thank you.”

The housekeeper turned and went back to the kitchen. Go Baekwoo, now out of sight, put his arm around Cha Hongjo’s waist and started walking. To his room on the second floor.

Cha Hongjo, who had silently followed Go Baekwoo, arrived at the room and, as if he had been there many times before, walked over to the bed and lay down. The soft sheets smelled of Go Baekwoo. He rubbed his face against the sheets, burying himself in the lingering scent, then stopped abruptly. He raised his eyes to the figure quietly looking down at him.

“Shall we have sex?”

Asked out of the blue, Go Baekwoo simply raised an eyebrow with an indifferent expression.

“After we eat.”

“We have time, thirty minutes.”

“Thirty minutes isn’t enough.”

“Right…… thirty minutes isn’t enough……”

Cha Hongjo sat up, as if he had just been joking. The white ceiling, as white as Go Baekwoo, was reflected in his dark eyes.

“Pretty Boy has so much stamina.”

“…….”

Go Baekwoo looked down at Cha Hongjo, whose eyes were slowly moving as if searching for something in the air, with an affectionate gaze.

“……What do you want to drink?”

“Bring me some good alcohol if you have any.”

“Not alcohol.”

“Liquor.”

“Not alcohol.”

“Wine?”

“You……”

Go Baekwoo, letting out a sigh with the short word, sat down near Cha Hongjo’s legs.

“You drink too much.”

Go Baekwoo’s hand naturally grasped Cha Hongjo’s ankle and gently caressed it. Cha Hongjo wiggled his foot and replied.

“Is that wrong?”

“Cut down.”

“Well…… can I?”

He spoke smoothly, as if he had no intention of cutting down. Go Baekwoo lightly pinched the thin skin of Cha Hongjo’s ankle, as if scolding him.

“Ow!”

Cha Hongjo jerked his leg as if he had been kicked hard.

“An actor’s body is his livelihood, and you’re pinching me……”

“Because your body is your livelihood, take care of it.”

Go Baekwoo, not giving up on his nagging, scolded him in a stern voice, then stood up again. His hand on Cha Hongjo’s ankle was the last to leave.

“I’ll bring the food.”

“And alcohol.”

Cha Hongjo waved his hand dangling off the edge of the bed. His eyes, still fixed on the ceiling, hadn’t moved. Go Baekwoo, as if worried that he might disappear if he took his eyes off him even for a moment, stared intently at him before leaving the room.

Click.

As the door closed and silence filled the room.

“Ha……”

Cha Hongjo let out a long sigh, placed his forearm on his forehead, and closed his eyes.

🔥

When Go Baekwoo returned to the room with a tray holding a bowl of white rice, clear bean sprout soup, and a few side dishes, Cha Hongjo was fast asleep. Go Baekwoo carefully placed the tray on the coffee table, trying not to make any unnecessary noise, and drew the curtains over the large window leading to the terrace to block out the sunlight.

A ray of light, filtering through the gap in the unclosed curtains, fell across Cha Hongjo, sprawled on the bed. Go Baekwoo stood in front of him, casting a shadow. The light that had fallen on his peacefully closed eyelids and cheek disappeared. Go Baekwoo pulled the blanket over Cha Hongjo, then sat down beside him.

“…….”

His already sharp features looked even colder because of his weight loss. Go Baekwoo stroked Cha Hongjo’s cheek with the side of his hand. His skin felt warm to the touch, but his complexion was pale, like a dead person’s.

His fingers, trailing from his cheek to his chin, reached the area under Cha Hongjo’s nose. Go Baekwoo, feeling the faint breath against his finger, bent down, still doubtful. He placed his ear against Cha Hongjo’s gently closed lips. He could hear soft, regular breathing, and then.

“Did you bring it?”

Startled by the gentle voice, Go Baekwoo straightened up. Cha Hongjo was looking up at him with his eyes slightly open.

“Alcohol……”

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

He pulled the blanket higher, as if telling him to go back to sleep, but Cha Hongjo pushed it away.

“Alcohol.”

“There’s no alcohol.”

“…….”

Go Baekwoo said firmly, stood up, and returned with the tray. In the meantime, Cha Hongjo, rubbing his tired face, sat up against the headboard. Go Baekwoo sat down next to him and placed the tray on Cha Hongjo’s lap. Cha Hongjo instinctively grabbed the tray, as if to prevent it from spilling.

“Try it.”

Surprisingly, Cha Hongjo obediently picked up his chopsticks and stopped asking for alcohol.

“How is it?”

“It’s good.”

Go Baekwoo watched as Cha Hongjo took bite after bite.

“Is filming difficult?”

Go Baekwoo asked when Cha Hongjo had eaten about half of his rice. Cha Hongjo swallowed his food before answering.

“Just.”

“Just? Is it difficult?”

His gaze, which had been on the tray, briefly met Go Baekwoo’s before dropping down again.

“It’s not like I’m doing it for free, of course it’s fucking difficult.”

Filming did take a lot of physical energy, but it wasn’t so difficult as to be called ‘hard’. However, Cha Hongjo, who had spoken as if confessing, continued,

“How about our young master?”

Clang. The spoon, hitting the rice bowl, was placed on the tray. Cha Hongjo straightened his neck and looked at Go Baekwoo.

“Is it difficult?”

“……No.”

Go Baekwoo paused for a moment before speaking.

“What’s there for me to find difficult?”

“There is.”

Cha Hongjo’s words slipped out. He immediately regretted what he had blurted out, thinking he was crossing a line. The line he had drawn between himself and others, the line he had never crossed. In order not to cross that line, he had never probed or asked about Go Baekwoo’s complicated family situation, even though he had vaguely sensed it.

“Or……”

Cha Hongjo cleared his throat and pretended to look around the room, which was as big as Go Baekwoo’s old house in Wonseong-dong.

“Do all the difficult things disappear when you have money?”

Even to his own ears, his tone sounded sarcastic. But Go Baekwoo didn’t seem offended at all.

“A little.”

His politely closed lips opened.

“A little disappears. Even if not all of it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“I’m envious……”

Cha Hongjo muttered, placing the tray on the bedside table. He shifted his lower body and reached behind him, pulling a crumpled cigarette pack from his back pocket. He offered one to Go Baekwoo, who accepted it. Then, putting another one in his own mouth, Go Baekwoo quickly took out his lighter and lit it for him. He inhaled, drawing in the smoke through the filter. The flame flickering in front of him disappeared. Almost simultaneously, Go Baekwoo stood up, pulled back the curtains, and opened the large window. The blocked sunlight invaded the room as if in anger. Cold wind rushed in along with it. Go Baekwoo, his back to the outside, covered his chin with his hand and lit his own cigarette, then returned to Cha Hongjo’s side.

“You envy me?”

He asked immediately.

“Of course I envy you.”

Cha Hongjo, who had been about to light his cigarette, muttered and chuckled, as if amused by something, and lay down, resting his head on Go Baekwoo’s thigh.

“Even if I make a hundred movies, I’ll still be poorer than Pretty Boy.”

The smoke Cha Hongjo exhaled curled like heat haze, drifting over Go Baekwoo. Go Baekwoo, frowning slightly, said,

“You’re ‘not as rich as me’, not ‘poorer than me’.”

“Fucking hell, I’ve lost my touch……”

“…….”

“But it’s okay to be like that if you’re pretty.”

Go Baekwoo chuckled silently and stroked Cha Hongjo’s forehead.

“Do you want to continue acting?”

“I’ll do it if I do it…… and if not, I won’t.”

“If you don’t like it, you can quit.”

“…….”

“I’ll take care of you.”

“Don’t make promises so easily, you’ll get your ankle caught.”

“It’s okay to get my ankle caught by you.”

“You say that because you’ve never had it happen…… Pretty Boy, cigarette.”

Cha Hongjo, drawing out the end of his sentence like smoke, held out his hand with the cigarette butt to Go Baekwoo. Go Baekwoo plucked the butt from between Cha Hongjo’s long fingers and patted his shoulder. As Cha Hongjo slid off his thigh, Go Baekwoo stood up, threw away the cigarette butt, and left the room with the tray. He added, “I’ll be right back,” even though it was unnecessary.

As he went downstairs, the housekeeper rushed out as if she had been waiting. She took the tray from him almost forcefully, saying, “Young Master, you have a phone call,” and disappeared into the kitchen. Go Baekwoo turned and headed to the living room, where the phone was.

“Hello.”

He picked up the receiver and asked, and a loud voice immediately pierced his eardrum. It was Tae Pyunghyun. He angrily demanded to know why he had taken Cha Hongjo without saying anything, and then, as if suddenly realizing that he shouldn’t treat Go Baekwoo like he used to, he abruptly lowered his voice.

— Baekwoo, no, Young Master. You can’t do this. You should at least tell me, shouldn’t you? Do you know how worried I was when Hongjo disappeared!

However, as he spoke, his voice grew louder again as if he was getting angry again. Towards the end, it was almost a roar.

— I searched the entire set, I, even Director Kim asked where Hongjo was……!

“Big brother.”

Go Baekwoo, on the other hand, calmly called Tae Pyunghyun by his usual title. The panting breaths coming through the receiver stopped abruptly.

— ……Yes.

“I believe there’s no filming tomorrow, correct?”

— Why are you asking me something you already know? Yes, it’s a rare day off, so I’ll send Hongjo home early so he can rest…….

“Then don’t look for Cha Hongjo until tomorrow.”

Whether it’s you or Director Kim, anyone.

Go Baekwoo unilaterally hung up the phone. He sighed and rubbed his face, a sigh directed at the empty air. His head was pounding. There were too many, excessively many people who wanted Cha Hongjo. And there would be even more in the future…….

It was natural for a crowd to gather around a charming man. It was nothing new. He knew. He was also one of the crowd surrounding Cha Hongjo, wasn’t he? He knew. He knew, but. He didn’t want to admit it. It was because his greed had grown. Now, his nerves were on edge whenever someone just mentioned Cha Hongjo’s name.

“Ha……”

Go Baekwoo, sighing at the spotless floor, so clean it looked desolate, rubbed his face with his dry palms.

As the days went by, his love, and the greed stemming from it, grew to an unbearable extent. His heart, overgrown with Cha Hongjo, became increasingly barren.

He felt like he was turning into a monster the more he loved him. He was disgusted with himself.

Go Baekwoo stood in front of the mirror near the staircase before going up to his room on the second floor. His reflection in the mirror was no different from yesterday or any other day, but he needlessly ran his fingers through his hair as if checking. He straightened his already neat clothes. He wiped his cheeks. He erased the face of a monster smeared with lust.

🔥

A heavy snow warning was issued nationwide. The snow, which had started falling since dawn, quickly buried the world. Everything was white.

Go Baekwoo, having just finished showering, went out to the terrace wearing only pajama bottoms and a wet towel draped around his neck. The air was biting, and the garden below was a monochrome white. White smoke puffed from between his teeth even though he wasn’t smoking. His bare chest, suddenly exposed to the cold air, tingled and numbed. He stretched, trying to shake off the cold, then put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. He couldn’t even feel the heat of the flame that flickered before his eyes. It was the end of December, and he was finally feeling the winter.

He thought of Cha Hongjo, exhaling grey smoke into the thick snowflakes. I miss you, I hope you’re doing well. Worries were interspersed with his longing.

The last time he had seen him was ten days ago, and at the time, Cha Hongjo had a cold. It wasn’t serious, but he coughed frequently and had a slight fever. He was already worried because Cha Hongjo had lost weight and looked weak, and now he was even sick. He had immediately contacted Secretary Kim and suggested adjusting Cha Hongjo’s schedule, but he was told that it was difficult because the filming of “Spring’s Wish” was nearing its end. He deliberately avoided visiting Cha Hongjo, both at the set and at home, so that he could at least save the time he would have spent meeting him and rest. If he saw him, he wanted to touch him, and if he touched him, he couldn’t stop. It was better for Cha Hongjo if they didn’t meet at all. Instead, he called him every day.

Go Baekwoo always called first, but yesterday, Cha Hongjo had unexpectedly contacted him first.

— Our…… pretty and rich…… Baekwoo.

Cha Hongjo’s voice was hoarse, perhaps because of his cold, and thick with alcohol.

— I called…… to check if you were…… jerking off thinking of me…… or not.

He could hear the sounds of men and women laughing and chatting, and music playing in the background.

‘Cha Hongjo.’

His initial joy at the thought that Cha Hongjo had thought of him and called him first didn’t last long. Go Baekwoo asked, his voice laced with displeasure,

‘Where are you?’

He had endured the increasingly heavy longing, so that Cha Hongjo could rest, even for a minute or a second. But Cha Hongjo was out drinking. It wasn’t the first or second time, but he was especially angry yesterday. Perhaps it was because Cha Hongjo had responded with a cough instead of an answer.

‘I asked where you are.’

— Baekwoo…… ah…… because I…… to…… you.

Cha Hongjo’s voice was drowned out by the surrounding noise. Moreover, he was so drunk that his pronunciation was slurred, making it difficult to understand what he was saying from the few words he could make out.

‘Hongjo.’

— Don’t…… me.

‘Where…….’

The call was cut off without warning before Go Baekwoo could hear Cha Hongjo’s location. He immediately contacted Secretary Kim Yongmin and asked him where Cha Hongjo was. Secretary Kim said that Cha Hongjo, along with the other actors of “Spring’s Wish” and Director Kim, was in a meeting with investors. That wasn’t what he wanted to know. He asked for Cha Hongjo’s location again, and Secretary Kim, changing the subject and rambling nonsense, hung up, saying he was busy. He felt a sense of helplessness he hadn’t felt in a long time.

He shouldn’t have bothered with pointless considerations like rest.

“Ha……”

Go Baekwoo stamped out his cigarette butt, returned to his room, and got dressed.

He had been incredibly busy lately as he was about to officially ‘join’ High Entertainment. But he felt he couldn’t take it anymore, so last night, he had grabbed his father, who had returned home late, and abruptly asked for a vacation.

Go Baekwoo usually obeyed his father’s orders without question, so Chairman Go readily granted his obedient son’s request.

It was the weekend, and according to what Secretary Kim had said, Cha Hongjo had no filming today. Go Baekwoo planned to go to Tae Pyunghyun’s house, and if Tae Pyunghyun tried to shut him out like before, talking about Cha Hongjo’s condition, he intended to force his way in.

Go Baekwoo grabbed his wallet and car keys, and lastly, picked up the shopping bag placed in the corner of his room. A week ago, thinking of Cha Hongjo, he had bought a muffler. He had thought he wouldn’t be able to give it to him for a while longer…….

“Going out?”

His father asked, folding the newspaper he had been reading, as he came downstairs.

“Yes.”

Go Baekwoo looked at his father, neatly dressed and his hair combed back neatly even on a weekend morning.

“Come here for a moment.”

Chairman Go beckoned him. Go Baekwoo glanced at the clock on the living room wall, then went over to his father.

“Take a look at this.”

As he stood before his father’s slippered feet, Chairman Go held out the newspaper he had been reading. Go Baekwoo took the newspaper, lowering his gaze from his father’s face, and.

“…….”

“Did you know?”

“……No, I mean, yes.”

His voice trembled as he answered. So did the hand clutching the newspaper.

“I…… knew.”

“If you knew, why are you so surprised?”

“I didn’t think it would be in the newspaper.”

Go Baekwoo, managing to compose himself, placed the newspaper on the table. His heart sank. Ah, what should he call this feeling? It definitely wasn’t a sense of loss.

Go Baekwoo raised his head and said,

“If you have nothing else to say, I’ll be going.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

His eyes remained glued to the front page of the newspaper even as he turned away. To the words that stirred his suppressed anger.

[Yang Seohee in love! Partner is rookie actor Cha Hongjo]

🔥

It was two days before the news of Yang Seohee and Cha Hongjo’s relationship broke. The first to hear about the scandal weren’t the parties involved. Nor were they their managers. It wasn’t the agency or the film officials either. It was the reporter who wrote the article, and the president and his wife of the newspaper that exclusively reported the scandal.

The day before the scandal went public. Mrs. Jo Hyekyung, the wife of the president of the ‘Daehan Ilbo’, summoned the members of the ‘Spring’s Wish Investors’ group, Director Kim, and the main actors. It was a sudden summons, but no one protested and showed up at the appointed place. Mrs. Jo must have had a reason for calling them together. Along with a very, very interesting piece of gossip.

After filming wrapped up, Director Kim relayed the message, and a few key staff members, lead actors Yang Seohee and Kim Hyunwoo, and Cha Hongjo headed to Seoji-dong. Kim Hyunwoo, who was particularly ambitious, instructed his manager to buy him new clothes, wanting to make a good impression on the investors he was meeting after a long time.

There was something unique about Director Kim’s films: most of the investors were women. This was related to the network of connections Director Kim Doyoung had built up even before her debut as a director.

From Director Kim’s debut film to “Spring’s Wish”, the investor list hadn’t changed much, and three out of the five people with the largest investment shares were women. They were all called ‘madams’.

Among them, Mrs. Jo Hyekyung was the so-called ‘big hand’ behind Director Kim.

“Welcome.”

A private room, suitable for private gatherings. Mrs. Jo, who had arrived the earliest, greeted the people entering one by one with an elegant smile. As befitting a former Miss Korea winner, she possessed beauty and grace that hadn’t faded with time. Though no one knew what kind of person she really was.

“Actor Cha, it’s been a while.”

Cha Hongjo simply nodded in response to Mrs. Jo, who had greeted him after Yang Seohee and Kim Hyunwoo. Tae Pyunghyun glared at him disapprovingly. What to do with this ill-mannered brat.

“Filming must have been tough on everyone? Your faces don’t look the same as before.”

Mrs. Jo, seated at the head of the table, said, looking around at the gathered people. Her gaze, which had slowly moved past Director Kim, stopped at Cha Hongjo.

“Especially Hongjo, you’ve lost a lot of weight.”

“Yes.”

“Haha, he’s a bit thin, isn’t he? This kid immerses himself in his acting so much……”

Tae Pyunghyun chattered with a hearty laugh, as if trying to smooth over Cha Hongjo’s indifferent reply. Mrs. Jo looked at him briefly before exchanging greetings with the others. The person she talked to the longest was, of course, Director Kim. Since she and the other investors had regular meetings among themselves, there was nothing to ask.

Delicious appetizers and colorful drinks filled the table, and the conversation shifted from formal greetings to light jokes and updates on the filming.

However, everyone was waiting for the ‘real story’ to come out, watching Mrs. Jo, who had organized this gathering. Mrs. Jo herself, as if she had nothing hidden, only spoke about trivial matters and asked the director and actors obvious questions.

Even those trivial and obvious conversations turned into enjoyable chats with alcohol. The people, their faces flushed with alcohol, burst into laughter at unfunny jokes and became heated over trivial topics. After a while.

Kim Hyunwoo, who shared the lead role in “Spring’s Wish” with Yang Seohee, stood up, picked up a bottle of alcohol, and went over to Mrs. Jo.

“Madam, please accept this.”

A well-dressed appearance, a gentlemanly smile, and handsome looks befitting a lead role in Director Kim’s film, who was known for her high standards. Most people wouldn’t refuse a drink offered by Kim Hyunwoo, but.

“No, not Hyunwoo.”

Mrs. Jo waved her hand dismissively without even looking at Kim Hyunwoo. The direction she leaned towards was where Cha Hongjo was sitting.

“Today, Hongjo will sit next to me.”

“……Ah, haha.”

Kim Hyunwoo laughed awkwardly and returned to his seat. No, he sat next to Mrs. Park, who was the second most influential person after Mrs. Jo. Cha Hongjo stood up to go to Mrs. Jo’s side. Director Kim, watching him, frowned slightly.

“This is, okay, right?”

Mrs. Jo asked as Cha Hongjo sat beside her. The question wasn’t directed at Director Kim, whose displeasure was evident on her face, but at Yang Seohee, “Seohee?”

The atmosphere froze for a moment. Yang Seohee raised her eyebrows, smiling awkwardly as if she didn’t understand what she meant. Mrs. Jo placed her hand on Cha Hongjo’s thigh, swirling her drink with the other hand, and said,

“I heard something funny. That you and Actor Yang are close, very…… close friends.”

Tae Pyunghyun’s face paled, and Go Minki, Yang Seohee’s manager, shifted in his seat. Everyone present had vaguely sensed something between Yang Seohee and Cha Hongjo, and their managers knew for sure.

Mrs. Jo, smiling coolly, took a sip of her drink and continued,

“I thought the photos of you two were stills. A handsome man and, a beautiful woman.”

Mrs. Jo’s gaze swept past Cha Hongjo, Yang Seohee, and then Kim Hyunwoo.

“Hyunwoo is the lead, it’s troublesome if he’s overshadowed by a supporting actor. Isn’t it?”

“…….”

Kim Hyunwoo pursed his lips.

“Actors are captured by cameras even when they’re not in front of them. That’s why I pity actors.”

Mrs. Jo said, subtly stroking Cha Hongjo’s thigh. Cha Hongjo, as if nothing was happening under the table, simply filled and emptied his glass with an indifferent expression.

“The article will be published tomorrow.”

It was the ‘real story’ everyone had been waiting for.

“Hongjo is a rookie, so it’s a given, and this is Seohee’s first dating scandal, right?”

“Madam.”

As Tae Pyunghyun was about to speak, Go Minki reached out to Mrs. Jo first. He bowed his head deeply, almost as if prostrating himself on the table.

“Would it be possible…… to stop it?”

“Hmm?”

Mrs. Jo tilted her head. Go Minki abruptly raised his head.

“I beg you, Madam! At least until the movie is released……. As you know, Seohee’s image……!”

“Minki?”

Thud. Mrs. Jo placed her glass heavily on the table, and Go Minki closed his mouth.

“Everyone here is a professional, why are you acting like this?”

Mrs. Jo added, “Except for our Actor Cha,” and smiled at Cha Hongjo before continuing,

“Is there any publicity as effective as a scandal? When a scandal breaks, only old people get angry and act all dignified, young people love it. They go crazy. And it’s young people who spend money on movies. Do you understand what I mean? You understand, too, Doyoung, right?”

Mrs. Jo called Director Kim Doyoung familiarly. Director Kim bit her lower lip.

Director Kim and Mrs. Jo were family before they were director and investor. Jo Hyekyung was Kim Doyoung’s youngest aunt, and she was also her benefactor, who had used her and her husband’s connections and funds to pave the way for Kim Doyoung, from the time she went abroad to study film to when she became a top director. Now, she was the biggest investor in her films.

Kim Doyoung had known since the first investors’ meeting for “Spring’s Wish” that her aunt had her eye on Cha Hongjo. But she had let her guard down because her aunt didn’t touch actors who were currently working on a project, at least not until the movie was released. Moreover, a scandal?

If it had been any other time, no, if the person involved in the scandal wasn’t Cha Hongjo, Kim Doyoung would have agreed with Jo Hyekyung’s question. Indeed, there was no more effective way to generate buzz than a love affair. But Cha Hongjo, Hongjo…….

“……That’s…… yes, I understand, Aunt.”

Director Kim, releasing her lip, which she had been biting until it turned white, couldn’t answer any other way. Mrs. Jo, seemingly satisfied, curled her lips upwards, rested her elbow on the table, and turned to Cha Hongjo, who was sitting next to her with her chin resting on her hand.

“Hongjo, how do you feel? Are you worried?”

Cha Hongjo, sinking deeper into the sofa, shifted his gaze from the air to Mrs. Jo. There was no sign of disturbance in his eyes or expression. Tae Pyunghyun, Go Minki, Yang Seohee, and Director Kim, watching him, desperately hoped that Cha Hongjo would beg Mrs. Jo to stop the scandal. However.

“That’s strange…… when were we photographed?”

Cha Hongjo muttered calmly, glancing at Yang Seohee.

“Did you know?”

“……No.”

Yang Seohee, answering a beat late, felt like running away from this place.

“When, where was the photo taken?”

Cha Hongjo, returning his gaze from Yang Seohee to Mrs. Jo, asked, swirling his drink.

“In the car, I don’t know when.”

“Ah, it must have been in Minki Hyung’s car.”

Cha Hongjo muttered indifferently and took a sip of his drink. Mrs. Jo was deflated by Cha Hongjo’s nonchalant attitude. She had actually wanted to see Cha Hongjo flustered, and she also wanted to see him begging her to stop the article. If he begged, she could tease him a little and then stop it.

“Aren’t you worried?”

“What’s there to worry about?”

Cha Hongjo said, one cheek bulging as he put an ice cube in his mouth.

“It’s true.”

Those who had hoped that he would deny it groaned inwardly. That crazy bastard…….

“Madam, Hongjo is drunk……”

At that moment, Tae Pyunghyun stepped forward.

“He doesn’t seem to grasp the situation right now. He’s still a rookie, so he doesn’t know much about this industry……. Please! Madam, can’t you stop the article!”

Tae Pyunghyun’s voice became excessively loud when he was excited or flustered. Cha Hongjo frowned at the booming voice and crunched the ice in his mouth. The finely crushed ice fragments melted and disappeared on his tongue. He filled his empty mouth with alcohol.

Mrs. Jo didn’t promise to withdraw the scandal until the very end. People couldn’t protest any further about the ‘inevitable’ and just kept drinking. The smell of alcohol filled the enclosed room.

When everyone had lost their minds, the room became noisy again. Kim Hyunwoo, showing off his singing skills, held Mrs. Park’s waist and danced. Yang Seohee and Go Minki, their faces as pale as if they were attending a funeral, quietly drank. They forced a smile and responded whenever the investors spoke to them.

“Hey, where are you going?”

It was when Kim Hyunwoo, who had been singing a dance song, switched to a slow tempo song. Tae Pyunghyun asked Cha Hongjo, who had suddenly stood up. Cha Hongjo smiled faintly, a cigarette between his lips.

“Bathroom……”

He had been pouring alcohol down his throat like a bottomless pit, and now he could barely stand. Cha Hongjo took a step, then stumbled. Yang Seohee glared at him. Unfazed, Cha Hongjo staggered out of the room.

He had been here a few times before, so Cha Hongjo knew that the bathroom was on the left, but he walked straight ahead to the right. The seemingly endless corridor swayed. Loud music blared in the hallway, meant to block out the sounds leaking from the rooms. The back of his head felt dizzy.

It wasn’t a long walk when he was sober, but it felt like a thousand miles when he was drunk. Cha Hongjo leaned against the wall and rested for a moment. He exhaled deeply, as if trying to expel the alcohol fumes. His breathing sounded like a sigh.

“…….”

Cha Hongjo blinked, then opened his eyes and started walking towards his destination again.

When he reached the counter, an employee came out and asked if he needed anything. He said he wanted to use the phone.

His hands wouldn’t move as he intended, so he kept dialing the wrong number. He had to try four times before he finally heard the dial tone.

— Hello.

And Go Baekwoo’s voice.

“Our…… pretty and rich…… Baekwoo.”

Cha Hongjo murmured, slurring his words with a weak smile.

“I called…… to check if you were…… jerking off thinking of me…… or not.”

— Cha Hongjo.

Go Baekwoo called his name, and a loud noise, louder than the noise echoing in the hallway, erupted around him. It was because people were pouring out of another room.

— Where are you?

Cha Hongjo leaned against the counter, about to collapse, and ruffled his hair.

“Ah……”

The people who had come to the counter were clamoring to pay, and suddenly burst into laughter at something not even funny. His ears hurt, and his head throbbed. The world spun.

— I asked where you are.

He wanted to collapse right there and then. He wanted to lie down and close his eyes, even on the bare floor.

But he had something to say to Go Baekwoo. Cha Hongjo forced his numb tongue and lips to move.

“Baekwoo…… you know……”

The alcohol churning in his stomach rose to the top of his head, pulling at his scalp and controlling him.

“Because I…… haven’t told you…… that I…… like you……”

Tell him, even if it’s a mess, be honest.

— Hongjo.

“Don’t resent me.”

So he confessed, messily and honestly. Don’t resent me, no matter what I do. I don’t want your resentment, he declared.

— Where…….

And then he ran away.

He hung up the phone. He pushed his way through the noisy crowd and walked down the long corridor again. He walked, then collapsed. He sat down, wrapped his arms around his knees, and buried his face in them. He blinked in the darkness he had created…… for a long time.

“I thought you fell into a shithole, but you’re here doing this……! Oh my…… you little shit.”

He had been counting how many times he had blinked. He had counted to eight, but for some reason, it felt wrong, so he was repeating the count from one, when someone grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up.

Cha Hongjo glanced at Tae Pyunghyun’s profile, who was supporting him, then looked at the person standing in front of him. It was Mrs. Jo.

Tae Pyunghyun, adjusting his grip on Cha Hongjo, said,

“Madam, he’s like this…… I apologize. Please go home and rest today, and let Hongjo rest too……”

“Are you taking him home?”

Mrs. Jo asked, switching her handbag to her other arm. Tae Pyunghyun, clenching his teeth, swayed as Cha Hongjo, much taller than him, fidgeted.

“I think, yes.”

“What was our manager’s name again?”

“It’s Tae Pyunghyun.”

“Right, Pyunghyun. You said this is your first time as a manager since taking charge of Actor Cha, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then you must be inexperienced in dealing with reporters, will it be okay if you go home today?”

“Yes…… pardon?”

Tae Pyunghyun, unable to immediately understand what Mrs. Jo meant, asked back. Mrs. Jo smiled secretively.

“Reporters will be swarming in front of your house tomorrow when the article is published.”

“……Yes, I suppose so.”

“Actor Cha is having a hard time filming these days, isn’t he? Am I worrying for nothing?”

“No, you’re right. Hongjo has been a bit…… lately.”

“So you shouldn’t go home. You know full well that the reporters will harass him.”

Mrs. Jo cut off Tae Pyunghyun’s rambling and said what she wanted to say.

“Go to the address I give you. I’ll have Hongjo stay there for a few days.”

“……Yes, I understand.”

As a mere manager, he couldn’t defy Mrs. Jo. Tae Pyunghyun, struggling to support Cha Hongjo, followed Mrs. Jo, who walked ahead with elegant steps.

The place they arrived at, as instructed by Mrs. Jo, was a hotel in Seoji-dong.

Mrs. Jo’s escort received the room key, returned, and helped support Cha Hongjo. Tae Pyunghyun, exhausted despite his large build, was finally relieved.

Mrs. Jo, Cha Hongjo, Tae Pyunghyun, and the escort went up to the 22nd floor of the hotel and entered one of the only two rooms prepared on that floor.

As soon as they laid Cha Hongjo down in the bedroom at the innermost part of the room, the escort bowed his head to Mrs. Jo and left. Tae Pyunghyun, not lacking in sense, greeted her as if he was about to leave immediately.

“Pyunghyun.”

“Yes, yes.”

Mrs. Jo, sitting on the couch, took out a cigarette from her handbag. Tae Pyunghyun quickly went over to her and lit it.

While Mrs. Jo leisurely enjoyed a few puffs of her cigarette, Tae Pyunghyun looked around the suite room, which he had never been in before.

“Pyunghyun?”

“……Yes, Madam.”

“Inform your agency that I have Actor Cha with me, and have him commute from here for the time being.”

“Uh, th…… yes, I understand.”

“Is there filming tomorrow?”

“No, not tomorrow, but there is from the morning after tomorrow.”

“I have something to do tomorrow. Don’t leave Hongjo alone, come and feed him. I don’t like the room service here. Ah, and bring anything Hongjo needs.”

Should he consider it fortunate that Cha Hongjo had caught the eye of Mrs. Jo?

“Yes…… around what time should I come?”

“Hmm, after nine in the morning.”

“I understand, Madam. Then…… please rest.”

Tae Pyunghyun, inwardly confused, replied obediently and left the room. Cha Hongjo, whom he glimpsed one last time, was lying face down on the bed. He was the only one who seemed completely at ease.

The next day, as Mrs. Jo had predicted, the news of Yang Seohee and Cha Hongjo’s relationship was first reported in the ‘Daehan Ilbo’ daily newspaper, published by the ‘Daehan Ilbo’, where Mrs. Jo’s husband was the CEO.

Tae Pyunghyun was exhausted, having barely slept due to the reporters who had flocked to his house since dawn, and his mood was further soured by a disagreement with Secretary Kim Yongmin. Anyway, given the situation, Yang Seohee would have suffered some damage because of her established image, but it wasn’t necessarily the same for Cha Hongjo. Tae Pyunghyun tried to lift his spirits by repeating to himself that this wasn’t a big deal.

He was packing clothes and belongings to bring to Cha Hongjo, as instructed by Mrs. Jo last night. Even then, the reporters camped outside persistently rang the doorbell and shouted, making his ears ring and irritating him. He eventually called the police, which brought a temporary peace.

Whether there were any omissions or not, Mrs. Jo, with her abundant wealth, would provide anything else that was needed. Tae Pyunghyun finished packing, zipped up the bag, and pulled the zipper all the way to the end. Ziiiip. Just then, a ringing sound filled the house. Someone was ringing the doorbell again.

“Damn it, fuck!”

It was like this even after he called the police. For those who didn’t respect the law, fists were the only solution. Tae Pyunghyun flung open the door in anger. But.

“Oh? You, I mean, Young Master. What brings you……”

An unexpected face stood there. It was Go Baekwoo.

Before he could even ask what brought him here, he was pushed aside. Go Baekwoo made his way inside without even taking off his shoes.

Slam! The door, flung open by Go Baekwoo, slammed against the wall. After confirming that the first room was empty, Go Baekwoo opened the door to the other room without hesitation. Slam!

A band of robbers would be just as reckless if they were ransacking a house. Tae Pyunghyun, his face crumpled in annoyance, rushed towards Go Baekwoo, who had stepped into the main room with his boots on.

“You have to tell me what’s going on!”

He snapped, grabbing Go Baekwoo’s shoulder, but Go Baekwoo shook him off and went to the living room. There were only two rooms in this house. The only places left to search were the living room/kitchen and the balcony.

Finally, unable to find Cha Hongjo anywhere, Go Baekwoo turned to Tae Pyunghyun, whom he had been ignoring, and shouted,

“Where’s Cha Hongjo!”

He looked as if he would attack him if he didn’t hand over Cha Hongjo. His eyes were fierce. Tae Pyunghyun gulped and then spoke.

“Hongjo, well, where he is…….”

He was intimidated by Go Baekwoo’s aura, whom he had always treated like a child. His voice was uncharacteristically small.

🔥

“Damn my fucking luck……”

Tae Pyunghyun, with Go Baekwoo in the passenger seat, grumbled as they arrived at the hotel. He cursed continuously, but only in a low voice.

“We’re here……. That, really.”

As soon as they parked, Go Baekwoo got out of the car without even listening to him. Tae Pyunghyun gritted his teeth, glaring at his back. The guy, who used to call him ‘big brother’ and be somewhat respectful even after going under Chairman Go, was suddenly acting recklessly and disrespectfully, which hurt his pride.

“What room is it?”

Go Baekwoo, unable to stand still in the hotel lobby, paced back and forth, then asked impatiently as Tae Pyunghyun leisurely entered.

“Ha, really. Stop nagging me.”

Tae Pyunghyun, who had always used polite language with Go Baekwoo ever since he became the ‘young master’, now subtly used informal language, rebelling in a small way. But whether he used informal language or cursed, it didn’t bother Go Baekwoo.

He looked as if he was about to take the stairs, but just then, the elevator doors opened. Go Baekwoo immediately stepped inside, and Tae Pyunghyun, seeing someone come out of the elevator, bowed.

“Madam.”

Mrs. Jo smiled faintly as Tae Pyunghyun greeted her.

“Pyunghyun.”

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes, you came at the right time. Actor Cha just woke up.”

Hongjo. At the mention of his name, Go Baekwoo pressed the elevator’s open button and watched Tae Pyunghyun and the woman. He couldn’t see the woman’s face as her back was turned. He was too preoccupied to look at her even as she stepped into the elevator.

Mrs. Jo gestured slightly upwards with her chin.

“Go on up.”

“Yes, ah, are you…… coming back here, Madam?”

Tae Pyunghyun mumbled hesitantly, unsure if he was allowed to ask. Mrs. Jo smiled faintly and tucked her hair behind her ear instead of answering. Her hair was neatly combed and tied back, so it was practically a gesture in the air. The action meant she wouldn’t answer.

“Ahem, ah, I apologize. You must be busy……”

Tae Pyunghyun cleared his throat and apologized.

Go Baekwoo, watching the woman’s back, furrowed his brow. As if trying to see something more clearly. His gaze was fixed on her right ear, where her finger had brushed past. The ear with an earring……. The earring had a gold chain dangling down with a pearl at the end. But her left ear was empty.

Go Baekwoo, staring at the tiny hole in her earlobe where the earring was missing, then glanced at Tae Pyunghyun and kicked the elevator with his foot. Thud. Tae Pyunghyun flinched slightly at the sound.

“Madam, then I’ll be going up.”

“Alright.”

Mrs. Jo, adjusting her handbag, immediately brushed past Tae Pyunghyun as if she had been waiting for this moment. Tae Pyunghyun, feeling as if he had made a mistake, scratched the back of his head and entered the elevator. He pressed the button for the 22nd floor, ignoring the guy who looked like a tiger watching its prey from a cave. The doors closed.

“…….”

“Room key.”

Just as they passed the 3rd floor, Go Baekwoo held out his hand and demanded abruptly. Feeling that he would be in trouble if he did anything foolish, at least for now, Tae Pyunghyun obediently placed the room key on his outstretched palm.

“I don’t know why you’re so pissed off, Young Master……”

Ding—

As Tae Pyunghyun was sneering, the elevator stopped on the 22nd floor and opened its doors. Go Baekwoo immediately stepped out, pressed the button for the 1st floor, and.

“Big brother, you go.”

“Huh?”

He kicked Tae Pyunghyun, who was about to step out, violently. A loud thud echoed, and the elevator shook.

“Ugh……”

Tae Pyunghyun, who had collapsed in an instant, groaned, clutching his stomach where he had been kicked and the back of his head that had hit the wall. The elevator doors were closing.

“Don’t look for him until I contact you.”

Go Baekwoo, looking down at Tae Pyunghyun through the narrowing gap, said.

“Listen to me.”

“Y-yes……”

“If you want to continue making a living as a manager.”

“You little……”

When Tae Pyunghyun, regaining his senses, looked up, the space he saw through the gap just before the doors closed was empty. He quickly scrambled to his feet and pressed the open button repeatedly. But the doors had already closed.

There were two rooms on the 22nd floor. The suite where Cha Hongjo was staying was at the far left.

Go Baekwoo opened the door with the room key and stepped inside. Click. As the sound of the closing door faded, silence filled the room. Even his footsteps were muffled by the carpet. He couldn’t sense any presence. But Cha Hongjo was definitely here.

He walked through the living room and dining room without hesitation, and just as he reached the entrance to the bedroom, where a faint vermilion light emanated.

“…….”

Cha Hongjo was lying on the bed upside down, wearing only an unbuttoned robe and underwear, smoking a cigarette.

“Pretty Boy……”

“…….”

And as if he had been expecting Go Baekwoo all along, he asked naturally, as if welcoming him.

“You’re here?”

“Fuck……”

Go Baekwoo went straight to the bed and grabbed Cha Hongjo’s wet hair roughly.

His scalp felt like it was being ripped off, but Cha Hongjo closed his eyes and swallowed, as if enduring a deserved punishment. Go Baekwoo’s anger flared at the resigned expression on Cha Hongjo’s face. He felt like he was being unfairly angry.

“Cha Hongjo.”

“…….”

Cha Hongjo opened his eyelids.

“Make an excuse.”

“…….”

Cha Hongjo brought his arm, which had been dangling off the bed, to his mouth and put the cigarette between his lips. He inhaled deeply, then tilted his head and exhaled the smoke away from Go Baekwoo. Then he said,

“What excuse?”

Cha Hongjo’s voice was still hoarse, perhaps because of his lingering cold.

“What you saw is true.”

“Ha, true……”

Go Baekwoo let out a hollow laugh and bent down, releasing Cha Hongjo’s hair. His hair, which had grown quite long, tickled Cha Hongjo’s left cheek. Cha Hongjo, frowning with his left eye, tapped the ash from his cigarette onto the floor beside the bed. Just then.

“Lie to me, even if it’s a lie!”

Go Baekwoo shouted, pulling Cha Hongjo into his arms.

Cha Hongjo stared at Go Baekwoo, both eyebrows furrowed. Resentment could be read in his eyes, which were bloodshot and flushed around the edges. It wouldn’t be strange if he shed tears of blood.

“What kind of lie do you want me to tell you?”

Cha Hongjo sneered.

“That the article is fake?”

Go Baekwoo clenched his fists. So tightly that his nails dug into his palms, and his arms trembled.

“That I only slept with Yang Seohee, but we’re not dating?”

“…….”

“I’ll tell you anything. I can tell you anything you want, but.”

Cha Hongjo put the half-smoked cigarette between Go Baekwoo’s lips. Go Baekwoo hesitated for a moment, then took a drag. He took the cigarette back from Go Baekwoo’s lips and smoked it again. Grey smoke filled the space between them and swirled.

Cha Hongjo, close but still indistinct, asked,

“Will that ease your mind?”

No. It won’t. Go Baekwoo didn’t voice the miserable answer. His insides were burning. He had realized long ago that Cha Hongjo and Yang Seohee weren’t just colleagues. But he hadn’t shown it.

‘Just be like that, not involved with each other, no matter who you meet. Then it’s okay.’

Because he had thought that Yang Seohee, just like Director Kim and the countless women Cha Hongjo had been with, was ‘not involved’ with him.

But now that the dating scandal had spread nationwide, it was useless to convince himself that they weren’t involved. The relationship he had maintained with a flimsy self-deception had crumbled today. It was time to ask Cha Hongjo for confirmation.

“Cha Hongjo……”

Even if it was a false confirmation obtained through begging.

“Do you, like me?”

Go Baekwoo asked and held his breath. To clearly hear Cha Hongjo’s answer. To avoid any misunderstanding.

However, Cha Hongjo, who had said he would tell him anything he wanted.

“……I……”