Watching Jung Ho’s reactions carefully, Hyunsoo nudged Yoon Jooho’s side with his elbow, and though the feeling was somewhat uncomfortable, it somehow tickled him in a pleasant way.
With a smile still lingering on his face, Yoon Jooho, who had walked ahead, opened the rear door for Jung Ho.
“Sorry for putting you in such an awkward situation. You know how couples behave when they’ve only been dating for a short time, right? Please understand,” he said.
Though the act was deliberately meant to be seen by Jung Ho, Yoon Jooho continued his playfulness with a casual ease.
“Jung Ho…”
Still unable to believe that the actor Yoon Jooho was calling him by his first name so familiarly, Jung Ho repeated the name quietly to himself with a dazed expression and climbed into the sedan’s back seat.
Yoon Jooho glanced back at Song Hyunsoo behind him, raising an eyebrow, and Hyunsoo shook his head with a laugh at Jooho’s natural charm.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, Yoon Jooho asked for Jung Ho’s home address and input it into the navigation system before starting the car. His tone and choice of words remained polite and gentle throughout.
Wondering who this man really was, Hyunsoo couldn’t take his eyes off Jooho’s profile.
This wasn’t the brash, arrogant, sharp-tongued Yoon Jooho who often set people’s tempers ablaze, but rather the flawlessly sophisticated actor Yoon Jooho from dramas, right there in front of him.
“Jung Ho, your long hair looks great.”
“Getting a compliment like that from someone truly stylish… It feels like a caterpillar trying to boss a butterfly around. I’m honored, thank you.”
“I heard you’re pretty close with Hyunsoo.”
As they exited the alley and merged onto the road, Yoon Jooho glanced at Jung Ho through the rearview mirror.
“Hyunsoo…”
There was no resistance at all in the way Jooho said his name, just as if he always called him that.
“Huh? Me? Yeah, of course. I’m close with him. Sorry about that…”
Jung Ho’s sudden apology made Yoon Jooho burst into laughter— a light and cheerful laugh.
The kind of laugh that would make men feel fondness and women feel attraction. Sometimes… even men could find it attractive. For example, someone like me…
“Why are you apologizing? Jung Ho, you’re not only handsome but funny too. I’m the one who should be thankful you’re getting along well with Hyunsoo.”
Yoon Jooho’s gaze flicked briefly toward Song Hyunsoo in the front passenger seat. Then, in a slightly slower tone, he added,
“As long as you two aren’t getting up to mischief behind my back.”
Most people would have taken that as a joke, but to Hyunsoo, the barb hidden beneath the playful words was clear. And apparently, Jung Ho saw it too.
“Mischief? Me, with Hyunsoo? No, there’s literally a 0.000001% chance of that happening, so don’t worry! It’s nonsense.”
“Hmm, we’ll see… They say a strong denial is actually an affirmation.”
Ignoring Jung Ho’s expression, which looked like just imagining it was giving him hives, Yoon Jooho continued.
“Hyunsoo isn’t just handsome; if you watch closely, he has a cute side too. Maybe I’m a doting fool, but sometimes I get worried.”
“No… you really don’t have to worry about that,” Jung Ho said firmly. No matter how amazing it was to be sitting here talking with Yoon Jooho in his car, some things were simply impossible.
“I’m absolutely, positively incapable of seeing a man as a romantic partner. Even if I had to make a hundred concessions and he was someone like Yoon Hyean, maybe. But with you? No way. Absolutely not.”
“This guy’s hilarious. Hey, I’m definitely not interested in you either, no matter what.”
Until then, Hyunsoo had been quietly listening, but now he twisted his body around and looked back at Jung Ho. Then, pointing at Yoon Jooho driving the car, he narrowed his eyes.
“See? That’s my boyfriend. Can’t you tell I have high standards? You’re the one who’s totally out.”
“Oh, good to hear that. So, you and Yoon Jooho… you’re dating well.”
“We’re planning on dating really well, actually.”
The conversation between the two, as absurd as something that would make even lower elementary kids cry, made Yoon Jooho unable to hold back his laughter any longer.
Leaning on the window frame with his elbow, he covered his mouth and chuckled softly, while the two glared at each other, marking an awkward truce.
Clearing the laughter with a cough, Yoon Jooho turned the steering wheel to make a right turn.
“Well, rejecting my boyfriend that much is kind of irritating… it pisses me off. But hearing you say that does put me somewhat at ease.”
Hearing Yoon Jooho switch from his usual polite speech to using a slang term like ‘pissed off’ was surprising enough that Jung Ho glanced at his side profile, clutching his seatbelt.
“I heard Hyunsoo was surprised after hearing our conversation.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Was it uncomfortable?”
“Uncomfortable…?”
“I wondered if you’d feel uneasy since it’s two men dating.”
“Oh, no! Not at all! Not unpleasant! I think it’s a very handsome and charming couple, the couple of the century!”
“Jung Ho, you’re really funny.”
Lightening the mood with his cheerful laughter, Yoon Jooho waited for it to settle before speaking seriously.
“Hyunsoo wanted to talk to you. He said you were a friend he could trust.”
“To me…?”
Jung Ho’s eyes shone with gratitude as he glanced at the back of Hyunsoo’s head. Yoon Jooho nodded slowly.
“This kind of thing isn’t something you can share with just anyone. It can be a weakness. Normally, you wouldn’t open up unless it was to someone you really trust.”
“I heard that my acquaintance wanted to tell you, but the senior said it can’t be you. Instead, he told me to talk to you.”
“That’s right. I suppose so. It was such a shock I didn’t even think that far.”
“The first shock tends to be the biggest. Jung Ho, there’s a shopping bag under the left front seat. Could you grab it for me?”
Feeling around in the dim backseat legroom, Jung Ho found the shopping bag and placed it on his lap. Hyunsoo had no idea what it was either.
Curious, he looked back and saw it was an orange Louis Vuitton shopping bag. Jung Ho and Hyunsoo exchanged looks.
“What is this?”
“Open it.”
Jung Ho’s expression darkened as he pulled a box out of the bag. He looked as if he expected it to contain a dead mouse or a kitchen knife.
Carefully, he untied the blue ribbon, opened the lid, and took out a large dust bag. Inside the dust bag was a backpack.
“I prepared it as a way of saying I look forward to working well together.”
Despite Yoon Jooho’s explanation, Jung Ho remained speechless, and so did Hyunsoo.
“I’m not sure if you’ll like it. Since I’m an ambassador, I try not to use products from other brands.”
It seemed Yoon Jooho’s voice no longer reached Jung Ho. The backpack was of a steady annual design, not flashy in color, and looked versatile enough to match any outfit.
Hyunsoo hadn’t known Jooho had prepared something like this.
“Living with a secret is uncomfortable. Think of this as a small apology for causing you discomfort.”
“Senior, that’s basically a bribe to shut Jung Ho up… um, uh.”
From the backseat, a sudden hand reached out and covered Hyunsoo’s mouth. Of course, it was Jung Ho’s hand.
“A bribe? Why would you disparage Yoon Jooho’s sincerity like that? I absolutely don’t think that way. This is a sign that from now on, we’re all in the same boat.”
Yoon Jooho laughed loudly and nodded.
“That’s right, Jung Ho. You really understand.”
Still smiling brightly, Yoon Jooho reached out and removed Jung Ho’s hand from Hyunsoo’s mouth.
“But don’t go touching lips like that freely.”
Though joking with the most cheerful expression imaginable, there was somehow a chill, like a cold draft sneaking in through a crack in the door.
Jung Ho seemed to take it completely as a joke, but Hyunsoo eyed him suspiciously.
Could it be that all the times he’d been picking on Jung Ho were because he was self-conscious? Even though he’s Yoon Jooho, jealous of Jung Ho? No way. Especially coming from that arrogant demon king.
“Since you get along so well, I heard you even help pick out Hyunsoo’s clothes?”
“He trusts my face, but he’s the type to just wear whatever’s at hand.”
“I also heard you often take pictures of him for his SNS.”
“I know it sounds like bragging, but most of the photos with the most likes on his account are my work.”
“Do you drive, Jung Ho?”
“I have a license. No car yet, though.”
“That’s good.”
Jung Ho looked puzzled, shifting his gaze between the two up front while still clutching the backpack tightly.
“How about working as Hyunsoo’s manager?”
“Huh?”
“If you ever spill our relationship anywhere, it’d be a disaster. We need to keep an eye on you close by.”
“……”
“I’ll follow you wherever you go and make you regret spilling the beans so badly. It’d be a big problem for you.”
“……”
“Haha, just kidding.”
“Ahaha, hahaha.”
As Yoon Jooho laughed first, Jung Ho followed awkwardly.
Hyunsoo stared intently at Yoon Jooho’s profile. The polite and kind image was all canceled out. Of course, without a script, Jooho couldn’t hide his true colors.
“Me asking you to be Hyunsoo’s manager is serious. I wouldn’t say this if it wasn’t my lifelong profession, but the entertainment world isn’t such a beautiful place.”
Stopping behind a red light, Yoon Jooho suddenly turned to look at Hyunsoo in the front seat.
Then he reached out, resting his hand on Hyunsoo’s shoulder and lightly brushed his cheek with the back of his hand. His eyes held endless worry and tenderness.
“If there’s someone trustworthy by Hyunsoo’s side, I think I’ll feel more at ease too.”
Where acting ended and sincerity began, no one could tell.
The boyfriend act, doting and overprotective to an almost absurd degree, couldn’t have been more perfect.
Locking eyes with Yoon Jooho, Hyunsoo silently hoped this wasn’t just an act in front of Jung Ho. And he believed it wasn’t. You can tell from the eyes. He knew Yoon Jooho that well.
“Um… the car in front has started moving.”
No matter how much, Jung Ho in the backseat couldn’t stand their lovey-dovey display and cut in with a pained voice, clutching his stomach as if in agony.
As Yoon Jooho withdrew his hand and restarted the car, he added casually,
“I’d also appreciate it if you keep an eye out for any bugs that might swarm.”
Where the joke ended and the truth began, even Jung Ho was now wearing a confused expression.