Though trendy cafés, restaurants, and wine bars lined the streets of Hannamdong and Itaewon just a stone’s throw away, the neighborhood where Song Hyunsoo lived felt far removed from any such “hot place.”
Once the sun went down, the alleys grew eerily dark and quiet, so much so that even someone as healthy and young as Hyunsoo found himself constantly looking over his shoulder.
Public transportation was inconvenient, too.
Still, once you made it out to Hannam Five-way Intersection, you could catch a bus to pretty much anywhere in Seoul.
He also liked that the area still retained the feel of a multi-family housing neighborhood.
It reminded him of the old place they’d all lived in together, back near Gyeongridangil.
The landlord had insisted on a one-year lease, so that’s what he signed.
But moving every year wasn’t something he could afford.
He had already made up his mind— he’d be renewing the lease without a second thought.
“No matter how I look at it, I’m pretty sure you cut this crooked, Hyung. Even the scissor marks are all jagged.”
Jeongho let out a sigh.
The sheet of bubble wrap Hyunsoo had cut was unmistakably rhombus-shaped.
“Let’s just slap it on, Jeongho. We’re doing this to stay warm, not to make it look nice.”
“And what if you end up bringing someone over? I told you we should’ve done it my way. You’ll regret this later, mark my words.”
“There’s zero chance of that happening anytime soon.”
Dragging the cut sheet of bubble wrap toward the window, Hyunsoo spoke with conviction.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because now’s not the time to be dating. Success comes first.”
“You say that like it’s supposed to sound cool or something, Hyung.”
Jeongho snorted and shot back, equally firm.
“That’s the classic excuse people use when they don’t have a girlfriend.”
Whether Jeongho believed it or not, Hyunsoo really wasn’t thinking about dating.
Since moving to Seoul, he’d had a few flings, but none had developed into anything serious.
Honestly, he wasn’t in a place where serious dating was even possible.
“You’re putting it on from the middle? Are you kidding me, Hyung!”
Jeongho sprang into action in alarm as Hyunsoo tried to stick the bubble wrap starting from the center of the window.
“Just move. I’ll do it.”
Even without Hyunsoo’s help, Jeongho got the job done neatly.
To Hyunsoo’s clumsy eyes, he looked practically like a professional contractor.
“All you’re going to do is cook ramen, but I’m doing all the work. Doesn’t that seem a little unfair?”
Hyunsoo smirked at Jeongho’s indignant protest.
“Didn’t you say this was something you could do all by yourself?”
“Yeah, because I thought we were just covering one window. But you want to do the whole place!”
“Fine, I’ll order us some jajangmyeon. The premium kind.”
Hyunsoo started looking around for his phone to place an order through a delivery app.
But just as he made the offer, Jeongho shook his head.
“Forget it. I was just saying. I know your situation, Hyung.”
“I can at least buy you noodles, man.”
“You already bought me and Chaeyoung meat last week after getting that movie contract. Twice a month is pushing it.”
Having finished covering two large windows in no time, Jeongho pointed at a shopping bag propped up next to the clothing rack in the corner.
“Just take the stuff in that bag and give it a quick iron. It’s probably all wrinkled by now.”
“What is it?”
“You’ve got a script reading today, remember? I brought over a few outfits.”
Jeongho had a good sense for a lot of things.
Interior design, for one, and even photography.
He had a knack for trends and aesthetics— what people these days called vibes.
He even helped curate Hyunsoo’s social media presence.
Sometimes he’d direct the whole shoot— “Wear this,” “Stand over there,” “Strike this pose,” “Look this way.”
The photos they uploaded according to his directions always got good reactions.
Jeongho also had a great fashion sense.
Whenever Hyunsoo wasn’t sure what to buy, Jeongho would recommend solid online shops and say, “Just shop here.”
Before checking out, Hyunsoo always ran his picks past him for confirmation.
But Hyunsoo couldn’t really afford to splurge on clothes or shoes.
Thankfully, since their builds were similar, Jeongho often let him borrow things.
Hyunsoo peeked into the shopping bag.
Inside were neatly folded pants, tops, and even a coat— several winter pieces that looked fairly hefty.
It must have been a pain to carry all this on the bus.
“You’re really becoming an actor now, you know.”
“……”
“They’re not fancy clothes, but it’s still nice to show up looking like you’ve put some thought into it.”
Setting the bag down, Hyunsoo walked over and threw himself onto Jeongho’s back as he crouched in front of the bubble wrap.
“Thank you, Mr. Jeongho! Your favorite sesame ramen is ready and waiting!”
“Touched, aren’t you?”
“Of course I’m touched.”
“When you go on variety shows later, you better name-drop me.”
“Of course I will.”
Becoming a famous actor and appearing on variety shows still felt like a far-off, impossible dream.
But talking excitedly about that dream— spinning wild stories and laughing about it— that was their favorite way to spend time.
Without that, how were countless twenty-somethings with no money and no experience supposed to survive?
All they had were dreams.
Dreams that someday, things would be different.
■
The two of them, having cooked four packs of ramen in the biggest pot they had, sat across from each other at the table.
“Nothing beats sesame ramen. Smells amazing.”
“Thanks, Jeongho. I didn’t mean to, but you basically did all the work.”
Song Hyunsoo ladled a large serving of ramen into a bowl for Jeongho first.
“It’s no big deal… You’ve always treated me well, hyung. Wow, chonggak kimchi! This is from your grandma, right?”
“Yeah, eat as much as you want.”
Jeongho opened the kimchi container and smelled it, his expression as if he were inhaling the scent of flowers.
“By the way, hyung, you’ve got a movie coming up. Is it okay to eat two packs of ramen? Aren’t you dieting?”
“I usually eat about this much.”
“Well, yeah. You don’t really gain weight anyway.”
“Hmph… That’s true, but it’s also that I don’t have time to gain weight.”
“And you’ll have even less time once you get more popular.”
They exchanged smiles and began eating.
“But seriously, why have you been drinking so much water lately?”
Jeongho didn’t miss how Hyunsoo kept taking a sip of water after every few bites of ramen.
Hyunsoo touched his throat with a proud expression, as if he’d been waiting for the question.
“Actors, you know, have to protect their voices.”
“If you want to protect your voice, shouldn’t you start by quitting smoking?”
“……”
This kid… Sharper than he looks.
Feeling awkward, Hyunsoo cleared his throat a few times, set down his water cup, and picked up his chopsticks again.
“You shouldn’t overdo things. What matters is doing what you can.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It’s better to at least drink water while smoking, than to smoke without drinking water at all.”
“That… doesn’t make sense, but somehow it kinda does.”
“Jeongho, your ramen’s getting soggy.”
Jeongho tucked his hair behind his ear and dove into the bowl, slurping it up with gusto.
In just a few noisy slurps, half the bowl was already gone.
No matter how stylishly he dressed or how artsy he made his photos look, when he ate, Jeongho was just a typical young guy with a huge appetite.
But even his beloved sesame ramen couldn’t keep his mouth busy for more than a minute.
“By the way… do you think the Crown Prince will be okay?”
“…Yoon Jooho? Why?”
The sudden mention of Yoon Jooho’s name made Song Hyunsoo flinch.
It’s not like they were secretly dating or anything.
Why am I reacting like this?
He found his own reaction puzzling, but didn’t have the energy to dwell on it.
“There were always rumors about him not getting along with his parents, right? But apparently, he finally sent them a certified letter.”
“……”
Hyunsoo paused for a moment, then resumed eating, pushing noodles into his mouth.
“That was in the news yesterday or the day before, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, but now his parents gave an interview to the press.”
“An interview?”
Hyunsoo lifted his head and looked up at Jeongho. This was news to him.
“They said Jooho must have misunderstood something. That they only spoiled him too much while raising him.”
“‘Spoiled him,’ my ass.”
“You don’t buy it, right? I mean, Jooho has been working like a dog— no, like an ox— ever since he was a kid, without a proper break. But… do you think the rumors are true?”
“What rumors?”
“That his parents basically abused him growing up. That they’re the reason he’s never done a movie. He wanted to, but they wouldn’t let him.”
Thank you for the translation <3333