Chapter 98: Dissolve: His Last Choice

A quiet space with just the two of them, with no one else around.

A pleasant and friendly atmosphere, exchanging relaxed conversation.

A little bit of alcohol to ease the tension.

Good. All the ‘conditions for a successful confession’ mentioned on the internet are here.

As he measured out Cranberry Juice and Pineapple Juice in turn, Song Hyunsoo spoke as if it was nothing special.

“I practiced an acting scene. Would you like to watch?”

“?”

“No. It’s called . Have you seen it, by any chance?”

“Is there anyone who hasn’t?”

“It’s an old movie, though.”

“That kind of film is basic movie knowledge.”

Superstar Yoon Jooho took a sip of the scandalously red ‘Sex on the Beach’, then stirred his drink with a straw and asked,

“But why did you suddenly practice that?”

I read a post where someone confessed to their crush using a movie line and succeeded.

“You said it yourself, sunbae. That it’s important to practice turning lines into your own words. Foreign movie subtitles in Korean are usually awkward, so it’s good practice to make them sound natural.”

“Hm.”

“It’s a monologue, so please keep that in mind.”

Even though he was acting cool on the outside, as a so-called actor, Song Hyunsoo’s throat felt parched.

As he poured the drink from the shaker, the cup shook. He spilled a bit of cocktail. It was a mistake he rarely made.

He had never stayed up at night agonizing over how to make a confession to someone.

If he liked someone, he just said so right away, and, luckily, almost every time Song Hyunsoo’s feelings had been accepted.

Honestly, he’d never been nervous about being rejected.

This was the first time in his life.

As he wiped up the spilled drink, Song Hyunsoo brought out the line he’d practiced dozens of times last night, lying next to Yoon Jooho.

“The last time you were in England. You took a photo with some guy, right? What was that about?”

Across from him, Yoon Jooho let out a snort and nodded. He seemed to recognize the scene right away.

Julia Roberts, the top star from the United States.

Hugh Grant, an ordinary bookstore owner from England.

When he read about the movie in the post about a successful confession, he liked the premise from the start.

Standing in front of a Superstar like her, feeling so small, as if their worlds were too different to ever really work out.

But still, someone who truly cherished her, someone who could be her place of rest. Not because he was similar to her, but because he had things she’d lost.

Hugh Grant, visiting Julia Roberts’ press conference before she had to leave for the United States, blends in among the crowd of reporters and gets the chance to ask her a question in front of everyone.

One last chance to confess his feelings.

“Uh.”

“We’re just friends. Still friends now.”

“……”

Yoon Jooho intercepted Julia Roberts’ line.

It was unexpected, but maybe that was even better. Maybe that kind of connection, like what happened in Myeonghaeri, would happen again.

So that Song Hyunsoo could focus on playing Hugh Grant, Yoon Jooho also played Julia Roberts’ Manager.

“Okay, next. The one in the pink shirt…well, not pink, the one in pajamas. Please ask your question.”

Yoon Jooho looked over Song Hyunsoo’s outfit and improvised a new line.

Song Hyunsoo wiped the sweat from his palm onto his pants and cleared his throat a couple of times, his fist to his mouth.

“Ah… Yes. Hm. Yoon Jooho-ssi.”

Inevitably, Song Hyunsoo’s voice trembled, and Yoon Jooho struggled to suppress his laughter. He didn’t realize the gravity of this moment.

“Um, is there any chance… that you and that man could be more than friends?”

“I hoped so too, but it doesn’t seem like that’ll happen.”

With a calm expression, sadness refined away, Yoon Jooho continued Julia Roberts’ line.

Song Hyunsoo gripped the edge of the counter tightly. This next part was the real thing.

“But, still, if… I mean, if that man… realizes his feelings and gets down on his knees and begs, would you accept him?”

Yes, of course I would.

That was the original line.

A tense silence fills the press conference, and Julia Roberts answers with a slight smile.

Then Hugh Grant says, ‘That’s great news,’ and another reporter asks Julia Roberts how long she’ll stay in England.

Looking at Hugh Grant, she answers, ‘indefinitely,’ and with her bright smile, the confession ends in success.

But my Julia Roberts took a long pause before the next line.

The hint of a smile that had hovered on Yoon Jooho’s face slowly faded. He licked the inside of his cheek, looking troubled.

Song Hyunsoo sensed it.

He realized that this wasn’t just acting practice, but a confession disguised as one.

Yoon Jooho’s thin lips parted slightly. It felt like his life depended on those lips.

That’s when it happened. The doorbell rang throughout the house, signaling someone’s arrival. Ignoring the sound, Yoon Jooho continued the scene, kept acting, and answered.

“No. I don’t think I could.”

A line not in the script.

“…Why, why not?”

Yoon Jooho, fiddling with his half-empty cocktail glass, looked up and met Song Hyunsoo’s gaze.

“As I told him clearly, I don’t date men.”

Getting up from the stool, he pushed the glass toward Song Hyunsoo.

“I don’t need a second drink.”

It was a clear rejection.

Staring down at the half-empty glass, Song Hyunsoo snapped his head away.

He shouted desperately at Yoon Jooho’s back as he walked out the door.

“You messed up all the lines?? No ad-libbing without prior agreement!”

Then he crouched on the floor, clutching and pulling at his hair.

Ah… It didn’t go like this in the stories.

Did I pick the wrong scene? Or the wrong movie?

A confession with a movie line, of all things. That was the problem from the start. It was my fault for trusting the internet.

But, strangely, he didn’t regret it. Instead, he felt oddly refreshed, and a stubborn energy began to burn inside him.

From the hallway, he could hear Yoon Jooho chatting with Bang Manager.

Song Hyunsoo jumped up and downed his cocktail in one go. It was so cold it made his head spin. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and set the glass down.

‘Sex on the Beach’ was the bitter taste of a failed confession.

■

When he stepped out into the hallway, he heard Yoon Jooho and Bang Manager talking in the living room. Standing near the kitchen, the two looked more serious than usual.

“Director Bang, hello.”

Bang Manager turned and, seeing Song Hyunsoo, greeted him with a friendly expression.

Even though it was Sunday and there were no part-timers, and Song Hyunsoo was wandering around the house in pajamas, Bang Manager didn’t look the least bit surprised.

He probably already heard from Yoon Jooho.

“Ah, Hyunsoo-ssi. I heard you’re signing with Jooho. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. But… is something wrong?”

Normally, Song Hyunsoo would have joked around more in front of Bang Manager, but from the look on their faces, it wasn’t the time to celebrate the contract.

Neither Song Hyunsoo nor, probably, Yoon Jooho, were in the mood.

“Is it okay to talk about this in front of Hyunsoo-ssi?”

Bang Manager glanced at Yoon Jooho, who was leaning against the kitchen sink with a beer, his face stiff. He didn’t say whether they should talk or not.

Standing across the island counter from Bang Manager, Song Hyunsoo met Yoon Jooho’s eyes. Of course it was awkward.

He couldn’t tell if the sharp look in Yoon Jooho’s eyes was because of some news Bang Manager brought, or because of the confession earlier.

All he knew was that something was boiling inside him— whether it was sadness, anger, or disappointment, he couldn’t tell.

Yoon Jooho, who had been staring at Song Hyunsoo as if stabbing him with his gaze, was the first to look away.

Maybe it was a meaningless gesture, but to Song Hyunsoo, who had just been rejected, it stung.

“Well. Hyunsoo-ssi is family now anyway.”

Bang Manager scratched the back of his neck and nodded. Song Hyunsoo’s gaze shifted from Yoon Jooho to Bang Manager.

“You’ve met Manager Cha Kyumin a few times, right?”

“Yes.”

“He caused trouble and disappeared.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Recently, some of Jooho’s watches, jewelry, designer coats, shoes… things like that have gone missing. It’s almost certain Manager Cha did it. We checked the CCTV. Looks like he also used Jooho’s company car for his own purposes.”

Bang Manager let out a hollow laugh and shook his head in disbelief.

“He even took the Escalade and went car camping with his girlfriend.”

Song Hyunsoo’s mouth dropped open as he looked at Yoon Jooho.

Early that morning, when they tangled together in the car at the Myung Haeri Vacant Lot, Yoon Jooho had complained about his bag being a mess.

The towel that should have been there was missing, so he’d used his expensive cashmere sweater to wipe Song Hyunsoo’s backside. Could it have been Manager Cha Kyumin…

No, not Manager. That guy, Cha Kyumin, took Yoon Jooho’s car, went camping with his girlfriend, and used Jooho’s towel?

“That’s not just trouble, that’s a crime.”

“He joined our company right after high school and worked here for eight years. He was someone we trusted, so we put him with Jooho. Really… you just can’t know people.”