Kang Hyeon swiftly grabbed Yoon Do-yeong’s arm to steady him, snatching the IV stand as if claiming it.
“Why are you out here?”
“I saw you through the window.”
“Are you even supposed to be walking around?”
“They said I’m allowed to go about my daily routine.”
“Then get discharged.”
At Kang Hyeon’s blunt response, Yoon Do-yeong gave a sheepish smile.
“After causing that mess? I can’t just leave like nothing happened… They told me to stay for a full check-up until things settle.”
“The CEO told you that?”
“No, my grandfather and father did.”
As they walked back to the hospital room, Yoon Do-yeong added,
“They’re sending someone to handle things, but I figured I should personally apologize to the hotel staff first. Apparently, even past midnight, there were still two people working the front desk. The CEO said he’d take care of it, but I was the one who acted out—I should own up to it.”
“Yeah.”
Kang Hyeon gave a flat, matter-of-fact reply and carefully helped him into the room. His chest tightened at the sound of Yoon Do-yeong groaning as he climbed back into bed, clutching his side.
“You should get a helper.”
“…I think I’ll be fine, as long as I move carefully.”
Hearing the calm reply, Kang Hyeon gave a slight nod. Then he raised the bed table and began unpacking the snacks he’d brought. Yoon Do-yeong’s eyes lit up, but seeing how crowded the table was, he swung his legs off the bed.
“Let’s eat on the couch.”
“Just eat here. No need to wear yourself out getting back up.”
Kang Hyeon sat down at the edge of the bed opposite him, handed him a pair of wooden chopsticks, and took off his coat, hanging it neatly in the closet. Watching him, Yoon Do-yeong couldn’t hide his curiosity.
“Didn’t you go home?”
“I went straight to the café.”
Knowing he kept spare clothes at the café, a small smile tugged at Yoon Do-yeong’s lips.
“It was freezing today, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“When does filming start for the new drama?”
“In ten days.”
“I heard from the CEO you’re doing a script reading shoot on Friday?”
“Yeah.”
Kang Hyeon replied with his usual short answers as he skillfully unwrapped the snack packaging, then pushed the tteokbokki toward Yoon Do-yeong. As the spicy sauce came into view, Do-yeong grabbed a piece of soondae and popped it into his mouth.
“Want me to run lines with you?”
“It’s only a few lines.”
“Still better than rehearsing alone.”
“I’ll ask Ji-gyeong to go over it with me later.”
At that name, Yoon Do-yeong’s expression subtly tensed. His chewing slowed.
“Ji-gyeong… That’s a nice name. What’s his last name?”
He asked as casually as possible, but Kang Hyeon gave him a puzzled look, like he had no idea why he was even asking. That odd reaction triggered a memory in Yoon Do-yeong’s mind.
“Ji-gyeong? You mean Lee Ji-gyeong? That junior?”
“Yeah.”
They hadn’t been close in college, but they’d occasionally crossed paths. Honestly, “hung out” was too strong—outside of acting practice, they barely interacted. They ran in different circles, only exchanged greetings now and then, and the most he remembered was seeing him in the cafeteria during mealtimes.
“You two close?”
“Yeah.”
“Since when?”
“Last spring. We auditioned together, both didn’t make it.”
Kang Hyeon picked at the rice cakes, revealing more sauce as he continued.
“He’s polite. He comes by the café a lot to help Ga-yeong noona.”
“Really? Huh… I always thought he was more into networking than acting.”
He remembered how Ji-gyeong had spent more time cozying up to seniors and professors than practicing his craft.
“He had a pretty weak foundation, if I recall. How’s he now?”
“Still needs a lot of work on his pronunciation.”
Kang Hyeon cut a sweet potato fritter into four pieces and set them in front of Yoon Do-yeong. Picking one up and dipping it in the tteokbokki sauce, Do-yeong asked,
“So why are you meeting him later?”
“Seems like he needs someone to drink with.”
“So, why?”
“He’ll probably talk once we’ve had a drink.”
“You must have some idea. You don’t have time to check on me when I’m in the hospital, but you’ve got time to go drinking with Ji-gyeong?”
The edge of complaint in his voice made Kang Hyeon’s reply quieter, more measured.
“You’ve got people to take care of you.”
“I don’t.”
“……”
“Grandfather’s busy with board meetings. Dad’s buried in his party nomination campaign. Mom left after flipping through some court documents—she’s got a trial tomorrow. The CEO’s running around trying to block bad press. And here I am, stuck alone because letting outsiders in would just spark rumors…”
“But you’ve got staff.”
“They’re not my people. I can’t even talk freely because I don’t know what they might report to the elders.”
“Ask Ji-cheol hyung to help out.”
“He’s my manager, not my caretaker. It’s the holidays—he’s finally spending time with his family. I shouldn’t drag him into this. There’s a line between work and personal life.”
Kang Hyeon stared at him, unblinking, clearly not buying the excuses.
“So you need me, your friend?”
“Would it kill you to say yes?”
“Yes.”
The blunt rejection wiped the pleading look off Yoon Do-yeong’s face. Just then, Kang Hyeon’s phone started to ring. Yoon Do-yeong immediately perked up, his eyes sharp with curiosity. He leaned forward, trying to peek at the caller ID, but quickly straightened, realizing how rude that was. Still, he couldn’t stop the question that slipped out.
“Is it your girlfriend?”
“It’s Ji-gyeong.”
As soon as he answered and exchanged greetings, Yoon Do-yeong raised his voice without hesitation.
“Hey, Ji-gyeong!”
Kang Hyeon glanced at him, flustered, then put the call on speaker.
—“Hello, Do-yeong hyung!”
“Long time no see.”
—“I saw you won the Grand Prize! But I heard about the accident too. Are you okay? Nothing serious, right?”
“I’m fine. It was just bad driving—ended up causing a lot of trouble for people. Want to stop by? I wouldn’t mind seeing a familiar face.”
—“Oh, can I?”
“Yeah. I’m all alone and kind of bored.”
The warm way Do-yeong spoke made Kang Hyeon hesitate before he finally gave him the room number and ended the call.
“Didn’t you say no outsiders?”
“He’s a junior. I could lend him an ear.”
“……”
“He’s close to you, right? So he must be a decent guy.”
Do-yeong smiled sweetly, while Kang Hyeon just lifted one corner of his mouth and went back to eating. Yoon Do-yeong was always cautious, always professional—he had to be. One careless word could throw his grandfather’s conglomerate, his father’s political career, or his mother’s legal reputation into chaos.
When he said, I trust you blindly, it had felt like a burden today more than anything. He didn’t say another word, just tilted the food container to help the sauce pool neatly.
They were nearly finished eating when a knock came at the door.
“Do-yeong hyung, it’s Ji-gyeong.”
“Come in.”
Do-yeong’s voice lit up, and the door swung open smoothly. As soon as he spotted the ash-blue hair, a grin spread across his face.
“Ji-gyeong, that hair color is awesome. You look like an idol.”
“Wow! See, hyung? I knew you had taste. Want to hear what Hyeon-hyung said?”
“What did he say?”
“He said I was trying too hard to be trendy.”
Do-yeong glanced at Kang Hyeon and chuckled.
“Hyeon’s way too blunt.”
“Right?”
Ji-gyeong pulled a small vitamin drink from his pocket and held it out.
“Sorry, hyung. I’m kind of broke right now, so this was the best I could grab on the way.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m the one who put you on the spot. Hyeon mentioned you guys were grabbing a drink, and I got curious about how you were doing.”
With a smooth, practiced smile, Do-yeong kept the tone light as he took the bottle from him. Kang Hyeon quietly watched the two of them chat, then started gathering the empty food containers. If he left them in the room, the smell would linger, so he scooped everything into a bag.
“I’m going to toss the trash.”
“Hey, while you’re out, could you grab some shampoo from the convenience store? I wiped off my makeup with soap, but I couldn’t wash my hair.”
Glancing at his still perfectly styled hair, Kang Hyeon sighed softly.
“Anything else?”
“Underwear too.”
Kang Hyeon gave a small nod and stepped out of the hospital room. As the door shut behind him, Yoon Do-yeong quietly watched his retreating back before turning his gaze to Lee Ji-gyeong, who was still wandering around the room in awe.
It was clearly his first time in a VIP suite. “Whoa,” “Dang,” and other impressed mutters slipped from his lips as he looked around wide-eyed. He even paused to admire the night view outside the window, then glanced over at Yoon Do-yeong.
“How much does a room like this cost per night?”
“Not sure. I’ve never paid for one myself.”
“So you’ve been hospitalized before?”
“A few days as a kid. Pneumonia.”
Ji-gyeong nodded, seemingly satisfied with his little tour, and finally made his way closer. That’s when Do-yeong, as if in passing, dropped a question.
“I heard you help out Ga-yeong noona a lot?”
“Yeah, kind of. I usually stop by for a free cup of coffee and help out while I’m there.”
“Do you go when Hyeon’s working too?”
“That’s actually when I go most often.”
“Is there a woman working there with him?”
He tried to sound casual, but it was obvious he was specifically asking about a female coworker.
“Yeah, there’s one woman on staff.”
“How is she? About our age?”
“I think she’s twenty-seven? Looks pretty average. A bit on the chubby side. Why?”
“Just wondering how the café’s doing. If they’ve got a staff member, it means they’re paying her.”
“Business is great. Today was packed—no time to even eat. If I hadn’t dropped by, they probably would’ve skipped lunch. You know how Hyeon-hyung is. Anyone watching would think he owns the place. I don’t get it—who works a part-time job that hard? He takes out the trash, probably even scrubs the bathroom. Ga-yeong noona totally runs him ragged.”
His tone was part complaint, part teasing, but something in Do-yeong’s expression tensed ever so slightly. Still, he kept his smile as he replied.
“Maybe he’s just being thoughtful?”
“He’s the only guy there, so they dump all the tough stuff on him. Like hauling fruit crates. The girls just handle the easy stuff—cutting fruit, washing cups, that kind of thing.”
Do-yeong, who had been silently listening, met Ji-gyeong’s eyes and spoke with quiet clarity.
“I’m close with Ga-yeong noona.”
“Huh?”
“And I trust her.”
The air shifted in an instant. Ji-gyeong’s expression froze as the subtle chill set in. Feeling the tension, he asked carefully,
“Did I… say something wrong?”
“No. You just told me how hard Hyeon’s working.”
