“……”
Kang Hyeon’s gaze clouded with confusion. His brows creased slightly. Ji-gyeong rushed to explain.
“My place is all the way out in Gyeonggi-do, right? It’s too far from the agency. So it’d just be for two years on a jeonse lease. That’s it.”
His tone sounded defensive, like he was making excuses. Kang Hyeon stared at him quietly, sensing something off. Ji-gyeong hurriedly asked,
“How much time is left on your one-room lease?”
“…About a year.”
He answered flatly and took a sip of soju. Ji-gyeong, clearly growing anxious, kept talking.
“I, uh, also got picked as an exclusive model for a clothing brand. I think the agency wants to start really pushing me now.”
“Exclusive model?”
“Yeah! Someone saw the catalog shoot and reached out. Even the company was surprised.”
Ji-gyeong tilted his chin up with a cocky smirk. Kang Hyeon raised his glass toward him.
“Congrats.”
They clinked glasses and downed their drinks in one go.
“Feels like things are finally starting to turn around for me.”
Grinning wide, Ji-gyeong stuffed a piece of braised monkfish into his mouth.
“So come live with me, Hyung. Help me run lines too. I feel more grounded with someone around. And it’s good for you too—not having to pay rent.”
“It’s jeonse, remember?”
“Exactly! Even better.”
Ji-gyeong’s face lit up with hope and he spoke quickly.
“One of my friends lives in a goshiwon. He rents a room with a window, and the monthly rent’s not cheap. If I tell him he can live in your one-room for about the same price, he’ll take it right away. You get to pocket the money, do fewer part-time jobs.”
His practical proposal made Kang Hyeon’s expression turn more serious. He stared absently at the table where Ji-gyeong’s phone buzzed again. Fixating on the vibration, he slipped into thought. Sensing the shift, Ji-gyeong took the chance to press his case.
“My agency only covers two years of housing. If I don’t make it during that time, I’ll probably get kicked out. You said yourself you’re giving it one more year. But if we’re together, at least we’ve got a stable place for two years.”
“……”
“I’ll cover the living expenses, so don’t worry. Just… help with stuff I can’t handle on my own. I can’t even cook.”
“There’s instant rice these days.”
“God, your sense of timing is garbage.”
Ji-gyeong, who’d been on a roll a moment ago, suddenly fell silent and pensive. He started watching Kang Hyeon’s reaction carefully, wondering if he’d been too forward. Kang Hyeon’s face didn’t change much as he quietly ate, but the look in his eyes clearly showed he was thinking it over. Ji-gyeong took another drink and, this time with a calmer tone, added:
“I’m not saying decide right now. It’ll take some time to find a place anyway. I’m gonna ask for at least three rooms—one of them will stay empty. You can move in when your officetel lease is up.”
Kang Hyeon listened in silence, then drank again.
“…I’ll think about it.”
“Think positively!”
“……”
“Ugh, why won’t you just say yes? What’s better than living together and helping each other out? You’re always on my case about my crappy diction. Wouldn’t it be great if you could coach me while we live together? You wouldn’t even have to stress about bills. And it’s three rooms—we’ll have our own space. Come on?”
With Ji-gyeong’s coaxing tone, Kang Hyeon finally nodded.
“I said I’ll think about it.”
“Why do you keep leaving out the ‘positive’ part?!”
“You’ve got a call.”
Kang Hyeon pointed to Ji-gyeong’s phone, which had been buzzing with messages and was now vibrating from an incoming call. Ji-gyeong glanced at the caller ID and scowled, setting down his chopsticks.
“I’ll be back. Gotta take this.”
Despite the annoyed look on his face, his voice turned cheerful as he answered,
“Hello, boss!”
He quickly stepped outside. Kang Hyeon watched him go, then picked up a sea squirt from the stew. Lost in thought, he let out a deep sigh. His desperation for acting success mirrored Ji-gyeong’s, and a faint worry crept in.
Is he really at a level where they’d hand out a lead-supporting role, make him an exclusive clothing model, and provide company housing… all at once?
He couldn’t shake the words Ji-gyeong had once said:
“They keep inviting me out for drinks.”
Kang Hyeon exhaled quietly and downed another shot of soju.
They’re just investing in someone with potential.
He pushed the uneasy thoughts aside. Just as he set his glass down, Ji-gyeong returned.
“Hyung, sorry, but I’ve gotta go.”
“Something wrong?”
“Ah… they’re calling me to the office. Probably want to discuss some stuff.”
Seeing Ji-gyeong’s stiff expression, Kang Hyeon’s eyes narrowed in concern. Something felt off. Could it be a change in casting? The thought rattled him, and he voiced his worry.
“Is it… about the role?”
“No! No, it’s not that. It’s confirmed!”
Ji-gyeong’s firm answer didn’t match his tense face, prompting another cautious question from Kang Hyeon.
“…So it’s not something you need to mentally brace yourself for?”
“Nope. I was just annoyed that they called while I was having drinks with you.”
He smiled, but his voice trembled slightly. It was obvious he was hiding something.
“…Alright. Then go.”
They packed up the half-eaten monkfish and left the restaurant. It was only six, but the sky was already dark. The temperature had dropped further, the cold biting at their skin.
Ji-gyeong hurried into a taxi and left. Kang Hyeon watched him go, then started walking. He glanced at a window display of rental listings at a real estate office before heading home.
His hand hovered over the keypad before unlocking the door. The thought that Do-yeong knew his passcode made his chest feel heavy. He told himself he’d change it soon and stepped inside.
He tidied up the mess he’d left that morning and changed into something comfortable. Now that he was back in the warm apartment, the alcohol started hitting him hard. Exhaustion washed over him. Planning to turn in early, he sat down to eat the still-warm monkfish stew with rice. Just then, a message came from CEO Goo Seong-do.
[Bring jeans and both the white and black shirts tomorrow morning.]
[I’ll take your profile photos.]
Kang Hyeon hesitated, unsure if he should trust him with the photos. But recalling how the CEO had pitched him so enthusiastically to Director Yoo Ji-ha today, he decided to go say thank you again and responded readily.
[Sure. Would it be okay if I come around 9?]
[Okay]
[See you tomorrow.]
He sent the polite message and was about to eat when his phone rang again with a refined classical ringtone. He picked it up quickly, and as soon as he answered, Yoon Do-yeong’s voice came through.
—What are you doing?
“Eating dinner.”
—Is it good?
“Yeah.”
Kang Hyeon’s answer was relaxed. The lingering buzz of alcohol made his voice a little slower, softer.
“You eat yet?”
—I can’t. Nothing’s going down.
“Why?”
—I saw something I shouldn’t have…
“What did you see?”
Startled, Kang Hyeon’s tone sharpened. On the other end, Yoon Do-yeong’s eyes narrowed. He was at a hotel gym, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Frustrated and seething, he pushed through more reps than usual. His biceps and chest swelled with exertion, veins bulging from wrist to forearm. Sweat clung to his flushed skin, giving it a dewy sheen. His face had gained some color, and his lips were tinged a vivid red.
He bit his lower lip, stewing in emotions that hadn’t cooled. The photos of Kang Hyeon that had started arriving around lunchtime had put him in a good mood at first. He liked that Hyeon was wearing the coat he had gifted him. There were no more pictures from inside the studio, as expected. But later ones showed him dropping off the stylist and heading into an unfamiliar, old officetel.
Do-yeong’s eyes grew sharp. He had asked Chief Choi to find out what kind of companies were in that building, then carried on with his schedule. After wrapping up, he returned to the hotel, passed out from exhaustion—until the chime of a message woke him. Still half-asleep, he grabbed his phone with one eye barely open.
The image showed a tall, all-black clad man meeting someone outside. It was taken from a distance, so the details were blurry, but he immediately recognized the car as the one he had given Hyeon. Then, another photo: the man getting into the driver’s seat next to Hyeon.
And then—Hyeon reaching over to ruffle the man’s hair.
Do-yeong’s eyes flew open. Ignoring the knot in his chest, he immediately called Chief Choi.
“Do you have a clear shot of that guy’s face?”
—I’ll take one and send it over.
“Send me video too. And forward every photo you’ve taken of him so far. It’s fine if the face isn’t clear.”
The pictures came flooding in. The man in black was tall, broad-shouldered—definitely not just some average passerby. People walking by kept glancing at him.
Do-yeong’s eyelid twitched. His insides were burning, and he couldn’t sit still. Sleep was gone. His head was sharp, but his chest was tight and suffocating. He tried to reassure himself that it might be just a friend Hyeon knew. But his mood was shot, and his brow furrowed deeper.
Unable to wait any longer for more photos, he got up and headed to the gym with his bodyguard. Working out to calm his nerves, he ran the conversation over and over in his head.
All black… Hyeon never said his lover was a “she.”
A guy, then?
A strange glint of hope appeared on his face as he prepped for another lift. He pumped out extra reps until another message arrived. Dropping the weights, he opened it immediately.
In the car, Hyeon was smiling brightly at the man in black. The man leaned in, as if to kiss his cheek.
Before he could even think, his finger tapped Hyeon’s number. Gritting his teeth, Do-yeong didn’t answer the question—what did you see?—and instead blurted out what he felt.
“I’m so upset I can’t sleep or eat. I don’t know what to do with myself.”
