Chapter 3: Dissolve: His Last Choice

“Oppa, what did he say? What did he talk about?”

“Talk? What do you mean? He just placed an order.”

Though his legs were practically trembling, Song Hyunsoo answered Chaeyoung’s question with feigned nonchalance.

“What did he order?”

“Johnnie Walker.”

“Blue Label?”

“No, Double Black.”

Jeongho, who had been listening with curious eyes, chimed in.

“Double Black? That’s unexpected. For someone with so much money…”

Hyunsoo somewhat agreed with that sentiment.

For a star like Yoon Jooho, he’d expected him to order something top-shelf like Blue Label.

Double Black was the whiskey with the strongest smoky aroma in the Johnnie Walker lineup.

Jooho had initially tried to order Valenthin but changed his mind midway.

Though he usually enjoyed Valenthin, today he must have been in the mood for Johnnie Walker Double Black.

That likely meant he wasn’t in a great mood.

It would be better to lower the alcohol content rather than serve it straight. 

Drinking strong liquor when feeling down never did any good.

As he cracked open a fresh bottle of Double Black, Hyunsoo stole occasional glances at Jooho.

The handful of other customers had also noticed his arrival and began murmuring.

But no one dared to approach him.

He radiated an aura that screamed, “Don’t talk to me”.

With his head bowed, Jooho looked deeply engrossed in some serious problem— one that shouldn’t be interrupted.

Even if someone mustered the courage to say, I’m a fan…, the atmosphere made it clear they wouldn’t get a polite ‘Thank you’, want to take a photo together? in return.

“Even Jung Jin or Yoon Hyean shine, but someone who’s been a star since they were three years old is just different,” Jeongho whispered, sidling up to Hyunsoo.

“Guess being a celebrity isn’t something just anyone can do.”

“Oppa, you’re practically a celebrity too,” Chaeyoung chimed in.

Hyunsoo scoffed.

“Me? A celebrity?”

“Why not? You’ve already appeared in three movies this year.”

“All as extras or minor roles.”

“Every actor starts that way.”

“What about Yoon Jooho?”

“……”

At that question, Chaeyoung hesitated before firmly pressing her lips together.

Hyunsoo, placing the glass on the tray, shot her a playful grin.

“Just kidding. Yoon Jooho’s a special case.”

“Right! Cases as lucky as his are super rare.”

Chaeyoung nodded vigorously, smiling back.

Hyunsoo picked up the tray and headed to B-12.

The closer he got, the more details he noticed— things he hadn’t seen before.

Like the white flower bouquet placed on the seat beside Jooho.

Had he received it from a fan on the way here?

Or was he meeting a woman here, deliberately choosing this shabby, unpopular bar to avoid prying eyes?

Questions and curiosity buzzed in his mind, but they were all things he could never ask.

“Your whiskey, sir.”

“……”

Jooho stared at the glass— neither served on the rocks nor as a straight shot.

“I added a bit of lukewarm water.”

“Lukewarm water?”

“Today seemed like a day when the smoky aroma of Double Black called to you. Whiskey’s flavor becomes richer when mixed with lukewarm water. It slightly lowers the alcohol content while letting you enjoy the aroma more.”

After hearing the explanation, Jooho lifted the glass to his nose.

Hyunsoo should’ve left after serving the drink, but he wanted to exchange just one more word with him.

Yet, he couldn’t think of a single good topic to broach with this aloof man.

In the end, he could only resort to the obvious.

“Actually, I’m a huge fan of actor Yoon Jooho.”

No one around me knows, though.

“You don’t have to give me lip service. I know male fans are rare.”

“It’s not lip service. I’m serious.”

Why are you denying it so sternly?

Yoon Jooho looked up at him with a puzzled gaze.

Then he said,

“I heard my male fans are rarer than wild ginseng.”

“Then I must be wild ginseng.”

Yoon Jooho’s brow furrowed slightly, and Song Hyunsoo grew impatient.

“Well, I’m also an… aspiring actor. I practice by mimicking your acting sometimes.”

Hyunsoo, who had been about to introduce himself as an actor, changed his words to “aspiring actor.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say, “I’m an actor too,” in front of a popular star like Yoon Jooho.

“My acting?”

“Your fundamentals are solid. Your voice projection and diction are textbook-perfect. In your new commercial, I could tell it was you just by your voice.”

“……”

“Your new hairstyle is getting a huge reaction from people around me, too.”

Yoon Jooho’s expression remained unchanged the entire time. 

He looked like he had no idea what Hyunsoo was talking about. 

Wait, what? 

Does he not even recognize his own commercial?

Left with no choice, Hyunsoo mimicked him from the ad.

“Forget that coffee. From now on, only drink NUBO.”

Pfft. 

Yoon Jooho, who had been as cold and expressionless as a finely carved marble statue, laughed. 

It was a faint, breathy chuckle, but it was still a laugh.

“……”

It felt like a small miracle.

Like a lily blooming in a wasteland, like a single star breaking through storm clouds in an ink-black night sky.

A beauty who seemed three degrees colder than the average person— the impact of that beauty’s smile was overwhelming.

Hyunsoo’s heart clenched violently, swelling as if about to burst.

It felt like Yoon Jooho had driven an arrow straight into it and popped it open.

Wrapping his long fingers around his glass, Yoon Jooho smiled again.

“You’re an interesting one. I’ll enjoy my drink.”

Without realizing it, Hyunsoo clutched his chest tightly, as if he needed to confirm his heart was still beating properly.

By the time he returned to the bar counter, a giddy smile had crept onto his lips.

“What were you two talking about for so long, Hyunsoo?”

The manager, who had been waiting, grabbed Hyunsoo’s arm and asked.

Jeongho chimed in too.

“Did Yoon Jooho complain or something?”

“No, we just talked about drinks.”

“But for someone so rich, ordering just a Johnny Walker Double Black is so cheap. Not even a bottle, just a glass. I thought he’d at least boost our sales a little.”

The manager clicked his tongue and glanced toward Yoon Jooho with a sour look.

“I heard he’s ridiculously extravagant and only likes high-end stuff. On YouTube, they said he only drinks some kind of deep-sea water from Hawaii or whatever.”

Jeongho, parroting something he’d heard, made Chaeyoung nod along.

“Huh? I saw that too! They said one bottle of water costs over 400,000 won. I almost choked on my chicken when I heard.”

“What?? 400,000 won for water?? He’s out of his mind.”

The manager tsked, glaring at Yoon Jooho as if he were a criminal. 

His gaze was downright hostile.

As Hyunsoo placed the tray back in its spot, he asked Jeongho,

“You saw it on YouTube? That YouTuber who spread rumors about Han Sejin and Goo Youngjae dating and got sued?”

“W-well, yeah, but…”

Jeongho muttered uncertainly, and Hyunsoo shook his head firmly.

“Manager, you can’t trust that YouTuber.”

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Even if it’s just cigarette smoke.”

“But if he’s so high-class, why would he even come to a place like this?”

Just as Chaeyoung voiced her doubt—

Ding- dong.

The bell above the entrance jingled.

A new customer had arrived.

Everyone’s gaze shifted from Yoon Jooho to the door.

It was Jung Jin.

■

“Huh? Hyung!”

In an instant, a flush of excitement spread across Song Hyunsoo’s face.

Jung Jin, who had been scanning the room as if searching for someone, also spotted Hyunsoo and greeted him with a brief smile and a small wave.

“Hyunsoo, get me a coffee, will you?”

“Okay.”

Yoon Jooho— what was he doing all the way out here in this shabby corner of Daehakro?

The answer turned out to be surprisingly simple.

An acquaintance had come to see his hyung.

Jung Jin and Yoon Jooho were actors of the same age and known to be close— at least, that’s how it was publicly perceived.

And as for Song Hyunsoo and Jung Jin, they had come from the same agency and had even lived together in a dorm for several years.