The car, having driven straight along Hangang-daero, was now crossing over Hangang Bridge.
If you made a left turn at the northern end of Hangang Bridge toward Ichon-ro, you’d be on the road to Bogwang-dong, where Song Hyunsoo had lived until a few days ago.
But going straight along this road would lead to Sangdo-dong, where Jung Ho lived.
The navigation indicated about ten minutes remaining to their destination.
Confirming this, Yoon Jooho wiped away the light mood that had lingered and opened his mouth again in a serious tone.
“I guess you already saw in the news that I’ve been committing the unfilial act of suing my parents lately, right, Jung Ho?”
Jung Ho seemed momentarily taken aback by the direct and harsh words from the person involved in the incident, but he soon replied calmly.
“It’s not a lawsuit yet, as far as I know, it’s just a certified letter.”
Yoon Jooho looked surprised.
“People usually don’t bother to get the details exactly right.”
“Hyunsoo hyung said… he hasn’t filed a lawsuit yet. It’s just a certified letter. He makes such a fuss about it all the time, so I can’t miss it.”
Yoon Jooho’s eyes glanced toward the passenger seat where Song Hyunsoo sat.
Feeling that look, Hyunsoo rolled his eyes and tried to look elsewhere.
He felt awkward, as if he’d been caught defending Jooho behind his back. No, actually, it was more embarrassing because that was true.
“That’s right, the certified letter case. He’s fighting to make Look Planning entirely his own, even if it means being hated by the whole country right now. Do you know Look Planning?”
“Of course. They have a bunch of major actors signed under them. Even Jung Sungwon, who’s doing really well these days.”
“Jung Sungwon… well, yeah. Anyway, once this is all settled, Hyunsoo and even you, Jung Ho, will officially be under Look Planning. The treatment will be top-notch in the industry.”
“Even if that’s true for hyung, I have no experience as a manager…”
“Hyunsoo trusts you. That’s a more attractive qualification than any experience. To me.”
“……”
This time, there was no teasing in Yoon Jooho’s words.
Even though it was a slightly cheesy way of showing affection for his partner, Jung Ho neither frowned nor jeered.
When they turned left toward Soongsil University at the Sangdo Station Intersection, the surroundings suddenly darkened.
As they slowly climbed the gentle uphill road, Yoon Jooho looked around carefully.
“If you’re interested, Jung Ho, I’ll prepare a concrete proposal and the contract.”
“Hyunsoo hyung said today he plans to reduce his days at work. If I quit too, the store might have trouble…”
“Take care of yourself before thinking about the store.”
Yoon Jooho’s words were as cold as ice.
“Manager work seems to suit you. It’s not often you get a job offer where you can match your aptitude and get good treatment at the same time. Especially nowadays.”
“……”
Was Yoon Jooho always this persuasive?
Song Hyunsoo looked at him anew.
He’d assumed Jooho would just stubbornly insist on his own way since things always went easily for him.
But Jooho knew how to squeeze his opponent without showing desperation.
The proof was the back seat’s Jung Ho, who already seemed more than halfway convinced.
He looked like someone staring at a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he must not miss.
The sedan turned into an alley of the one-room village commonly found near universities and stopped diagonally in front of the destination, crouched in the darkness where the streetlights didn’t reach.
“Give me a few days to think it over.”
“Of course. And from now on, just call me Jooho hyung.”
Yoon Jooho, having stopped the car, twisted his whole body to face Jung Ho in the back seat, wearing a warm, dazzling smile.
So this is what it feels like when a top actor sets out to charm someone.
Song Hyunsoo was genuinely impressed.
Had Jooho ever tried so hard to seduce him? It always felt like he was the one chasing.
“Jooho… hyung?”
For some reason, Jung Ho seemed more attracted to being able to call Yoon Jooho “hyung” than to the offer to become a manager.
“Jung Ho, you’re Hyunsoo’s close junior. Whether you do manager work or not, we’ll see each other again. Yoon Jooho is a bit…”
Yoon Jooho leaned on the passenger seat’s shoulder, turned his body around, scrunched his nose, and shrugged.
“Then next time, I’ll call you Jooho hyung.”
“Alright, Jung Ho.”
“Thank you for the ride. Oh, and for the gift, too. I’ll truly, truly accept it gratefully. The secrets of hyungs will go to my grave along with this bag, so don’t worry.”
“Reliable. I expect a positive answer about the manager job.”
Jung Ho bowed his head toward Yoon Jooho in his seated position and opened the back door.
Song Hyunsoo unbuckled his seatbelt and said to Yoon Jooho,
“I’ll talk for a bit.”
Yoon Jooho nodded as he searched for his pack of cigarettes, but the radiant smile had already vanished from his face.
He looked like an actor who’d just received the director’s okay and no longer had to act.
Hearing the door close behind him, Jung Ho turned toward them.
Song Hyunsoo rubbed the back of his neck and approached him.
The two stood side by side in the pilotis parking lot on the first floor of Jung Ho’s one-room, staring at Yoon Jooho’s luxury sedan that looked utterly out of place in this neighborhood.
“It’s real, hyung.”
“Uh… working together and stuff, it just kind of happened…”
“Good thing it’s not some cult or shady multi-level marketing.”
Bang.
Song Hyunsoo elbowed Jung Ho in the side.
They tangled and quickly burst out laughing.
“You were a fan of Yoon Jooho all along. That’s some serious good fortune.”
“Did it really show that much that I was a fan?”
“I didn’t even know you were trying to hide it.”
Jung Ho, looking at the embarrassed Hyunsoo, spoke with a surprisingly serious expression.
“Be careful not to get caught.”
“Of course. For both of us, but especially for you, hyung. Your whole acting career is on the line.”
“That’s true. Also, Yoon Jooho—Jooho hyung—is one of the rare actors with a ton of fervent fans. There are even sasaeng fans. If they find out you two are dating, they might try to assassinate you.”
Jung Ho looked down at the shopping bag in his hand and glanced again toward the sedan, saying,
“Yoon Jooho, or Jooho hyung, really likes you.”
“That’s at least half an act…”
Hyunsoo, who had been about to deny that most of what Jooho showed was acting, shut his mouth.
Though the tender, exemplary boyfriend image might have been an act, looking at everything Jooho had done for him so far, his feelings couldn’t be called fake.
He loved his work and acting so much, wasn’t exclusively attracted to men, yet he’d taken a huge risk and decided to date him.
That alone made it possible to guess the sincerity behind Jooho’s feelings.
Song Hyunsoo nodded.
“Treat him well, really well.”
Jung Ho also nodded with a serious face and then said, somewhat puzzled,
“But Jooho has some pretty unusual tastes.”
“Kang Jung Ho, are you trying to start something again?”
“No, honestly, think about it with your hand on your chest. Yoon Jooho—Yoon, Joo, Ho. Under the sky of Korea, he could date anyone he wanted, male or female. So why hyung?”
“……”
“What? Why aren’t you mad this time?”
“To be honest, I kind of wonder about that too.”
Hyunsoo’s honest admission made Jung Ho look apologetic as he licked his lips.
“But he definitely gives off a somewhat dangerous vibe. Different from a normal person.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s my first time seeing someone like that, so I can’t explain well. But you get that feeling when you see gangsters, right? They’re just different from ordinary people.”
“You think hyung’s a gangster? Hey, have you ever seen gangsters like that?”
“No, I didn’t say he was a gangster. I’m just giving an example. I mean, he’s not someone who lives in the same world or shares the same common sense as us. That’s the feeling.”
“Of course. He’s been a star from such a young age.”
“Can you handle someone like that? He’s different from us.”
Like a deflated kid, Hyunsoo dropped his gaze and clenched his fists in the dark, muttering,
“I’ll handle it. Somehow.”
Because this is the first time he’s liked someone this much.
Because he wants to be by his side, no matter what.
A light sigh came from the side—Jung Ho.
“If you two end up crying and screaming later, I won’t care. And even if you break up, I won’t give up the bag.”
Watching Jung Ho clutch the shopping bag tight, Song Hyunsoo couldn’t help but laugh.
After sending Jung Ho off and turning around, he saw Yoon Jooho leaning against the driver’s door, looking at him.
Without meaning to, Hyunsoo’s pace quickened, and a smile naturally spread across his lips.
It was as if he was seeing him again after several days—smiling, glad.
At that sight, Yoon Jooho gave a faint chuckle.
It was far better than the flashy smile he’d put on as a fake in front of Jung Ho.
Stopping in front of him, Yoon Jooho tousled Song Hyunsoo’s hair roughly.
Instead of scolding him to stop, Hyunsoo bowed his head and smiled a little.
“Thank you. For today.”
“For what?”
“For being good to Jung Ho.”
“I wasn’t especially good. I just baited him because I needed him.”
Why does he always say things like that after being nice to people and lose points?
Maybe his tsundere attitude was part of Yoon Jooho’s defense mechanism.
That Yoon Jooho brushed his arms, bare without a padding jacket, made Hyunsoo’s heart melt.
“Get in. Let’s go home.”
More than any act he’d performed in front of Jung Ho, this kind of affection from Yoon Jooho was better.
Though it was late winter and the cold was still fierce,
at Jooho’s words to go home, Hyunsoo felt warmth spreading from deep inside.
Warmth. Happiness.
The happiness of being able to introduce Yoon Jooho as his boyfriend to someone precious.