Chapter 142
*
Do-heon, who was entering the officetel entrance, stopped when he saw his reflection in the glass door.
Having rushed out forgetting to change his clothes, he was wearing the casual shirt and pants he had on at home. His hair wasn’t properly groomed either, giving him an overall disheveled appearance. He found his unkempt appearance unfamiliar.
But the unfamiliar sentiment was brief; Do-heon quickly stood in front of Cheong-yeon’s door.
“Yoo Cheong-yeon.”
Despite the hour when everyone was asleep, he called Cheong-yeon’s name as he rang the bell.
“Are you in there?”
Do-heon’s low voice echoed eerily through the officetel corridor.
There was no answer from Cheong-yeon. Do-heon ran his hand through his hair as he glared at the firmly closed door.
It was frustrating not knowing if he was home, what he was doing, or even who he was with.
When there was no response despite ringing the bell and calling his name, he began pounding on the door with his fist.
“If you’re there, come out for a moment. I’ll just check your face and leave. No, even if you don’t come out, just answer me.”
Even after calling for Cheong-yeon several times in front of the closed door, the only response was still silence.
Cheong-yeon’s car, which Do-heon had gifted him, was still in the parking garage. This meant that if Cheong-yeon truly wasn’t home, he was wandering outside alone without his car or manager.
Realizing that a public figure whose face was known was out of contact without any guardian, Do-heon’s mouth went dry.
What if Cheong-yeon wasn’t deliberately ignoring calls but was in a situation where he couldn’t answer?
The worst-case scenario that came to mind made his anger flare. Do-heon had to grip the doorknob tightly to avoid staggering disgracefully.
It would almost be better if he had developed feelings for that Omega guy.
“…If you don’t open it, I’m coming in.”
Do-heon spoke as if making an announcement, ignoring his unpleasantly racing pulse.
His patience worn thin in a matter of seconds, Do-heon finally couldn’t suppress his worry and curiosity, and entered the door code to unlock it. No other option came to mind.
Opening the door and stepping inside, he was met with darkness. Except for the sensor lights that had turned on detecting his movement, everything was pitch black.
After confirming that Cheong-yeon’s shoes weren’t at the entrance, he took another step into the house.
“Yoo Cheong-yeon.”
Do-heon began thoroughly checking the interior in order: the bed, bathroom, and balcony. But he couldn’t find Cheong-yeon anywhere.
Finally, he opened the closet and cabinets to check inside. Though he knew it was impolite to search someone’s personal belongings without permission, he couldn’t stop himself.
Seeing that his possessions were in place without any signs of disturbance, it didn’t seem like he had packed up and left completely.
“Huh.”
A long sigh escaped involuntarily in relief.
But soon his nerves were on edge again. If he wasn’t at home either, where on earth had he gone?
Do-heon thought that instead of waiting quietly like this, he should properly track him down by assigning someone as soon as day broke.
At that moment, the entrance sensor light that had gone out flickered on again.
“W-who’s there?”
At the same time, a familiar voice came from behind him.
Do-heon turned around urgently. His eyes met with Cheong-yeon, who had just entered the entrance and was standing in an awkward posture.
“You.”
Do-heon’s body stiffened.
Now faced with the face he had been desperately searching for, he couldn’t easily speak. His throat constricted as if someone was gripping it tightly.
Do-heon frowned at the unfamiliar feeling and glared at Cheong-yeon.
Where had he been until this hour, who had he been with, what had he been doing, who was that guy anyway, had he been sick again, why hadn’t he contacted him even once, had he been eating meals properly…
Countless questions surged all at once without order. But unlike usual, they didn’t come out coherently in the form of language, just swirling in his head before dissipating.
Do-heon realized for the first time that if there were too many things he wanted to say, he might not be able to say anything at all.
He quickly looked Cheong-yeon up and down. Fortunately, there appeared to be no visible injuries.
“Director…?”
Cheong-yeon asked in an unsteady voice. Each time he spoke, a strong smell of alcohol spread around him.
“Ah. You startled me. Is today… Friday? When did you return to Korea?”
Despite not answering calls and making everyone worried sick, Cheong-yeon was slowly blinking with an incredibly harmless expression.
“Where have you been and what have you been doing all this time?”
Do-heon finally managed to select the question he most wanted to ask from the many he had.
At his unusually cold voice, Cheong-yeon seemed to gauge the situation for a moment before pouting his lips. Then he staggered past Do-heon into the house.
“I had some drinks.”
Cheong-yeon answered proudly with slurred pronunciation.
“Why did you turn off your phone?”
“If I keep it on, the calls keep coming in. What am I supposed to do? It’s not like you’re the only one calling me…”
“Where have you been all this time?”
Do-heon closely followed behind Cheong-yeon, pressing him.
“Would you know the place if I told you?”
“Were you alone?”
“…How could I meet anyone else right now? That would be embarrassing.”
Cheong-yeon answered obediently and turned on the living room light. As the dark interior brightened, Cheong-yeon began haphazardly searching through the bag he had brought.
Do-heon anxiously watched him as he wobbled, looking like he might fall over at any moment.
“Just a moment. I need to… take my medicine first.”
Do-heon’s lips tightened at the words he mumbled like talking to himself.
“Stop it. I’m not going to do anything.”
Cheong-yeon, as if he hadn’t heard those words, opened the bag’s zipper and thoroughly examined inside.
“I think I put it here. Haah… Just wait a moment.”
“Yoo Cheong-yeon. Didn’t you hear me? Do you think I would do something to you in this situation?”
“Then why did you come all the way here? You only have one reason to come here, Director…”
When Do-heon snapped coldly, Cheong-yeon mumbled with a voice slurred from alcohol.
“Why. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
Cheong-yeon looked up at Do-heon, tilting his head as if he didn’t understand what he was talking about.
“…”
He had thought that face to face, he would at least lament about how the situation had gotten this way. But in the eyes clouded by intoxication, there was no expectation toward Do-heon whatsoever. Cheong-yeon genuinely believed that Do-heon had come here solely for sex.
Do-heon could not gather himself from the feeling of crashing to the ground.
“Everything that’s happening now.”
“Ah, that.”
“You should have told me when the article first came out, even if I was overseas. If you had, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point. It could have been easily fixed.”
Do-heon lashed out at Cheong-yeon, who had not taken any action, out of frustration.
“Easily fixed… I’m not so sure.”
Cheong-yeon said meaningfully while clutching his bag. Do-heon raised his eyebrows as he looked back at him.
“It didn’t seem like an easy problem to me.”
“So you just left it like this, drinking alcohol?”
“What does it matter if it’s this state or that state? We’re strangers now. I told you I’d handle it myself, so don’t worry about it.”
“You’re telling me to just watch? While ignorant people out there are talking carelessly about you?”
At Do-heon’s reaction, which seemed beyond displeased and actually angry, Cheong-yeon stopped searching his bag and nodded as if he had realized something.
“Ah, right. Your name was mentioned too, so you must be upset. I’m sorry about that. But everyone seems to be considerate enough not to mention your name much…”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m worried about you.”
“Ah, found my medication.”
Cheong-yeon showed the emergency birth control pills he carried in his bag, shaking them.
“You’re going to do it, right?”
At his extremely casual tone, Do-heon momentarily felt overwhelmed with emotion and clenched his fist tightly.
“You think I…”
Again. His chest ached inside. At the same time, Do-heon’s Adam’s apple moved noticeably.
Do-heon felt utterly frustrated and irritated that the essence of his words didn’t seem to reach Cheong-yeon at all.
How could he think he had come all this way at dawn just for sex?
He was angry at Cheong-yeon’s attitude, which interpreted all his actions—waiting for contact, worrying, coming all the way here—as being solely for the purpose of intercourse.
He had thought that just seeing Cheong-yeon’s face would calm his burning insides, but instead, they boiled even more violently. And his solar plexus throbbed just as intensely.
But Do-heon soon remembered that Cheong-yeon was intoxicated. Proper conversation was impossible right now. It wasn’t too late to ask about what had happened after letting him sleep and wake up.
“Put that away right now. I didn’t come here for that.”
Do-heon, barely suppressing his emotions, pulled Cheong-yeon’s arm to take him to bed and make him lie down.
“And I won’t do anything, so just sleep for now.”
“Whoa.”
As his body tilted from being pulled by Do-heon’s hand, the contents of the bag Cheong-yeon was holding fell out.
What spilled onto the floor were script books. The drama scripts Cheong-yeon had been reviewing were scattered everywhere.
“No, my scripts…”
Among them were scripts for dramas where casting had been put on hold.
Cheong-yeon shook off Do-heon and plopped down on the floor, starting to pick up the scripts. But because he was drunk, he had no strength in his hands and kept dropping them as soon as he picked them up.
“I’ll do it.”
Do-heon bent down alongside Cheong-yeon. When their hands touched briefly as they reached for the same script, Cheong-yeon flinched and withdrew his hand.
“…That’s right. Today isn’t Friday.”
Cheong-yeon muttered as if he had just realized something.
“If you’re not going to do it with me, just leave.”
“…”
“I don’t want to be with you right now, Director.”
Cheong-yeon pushed him away sharply, as if looking at an intruder. At a glance, he even seemed afraid.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
