Lee Ji-gyeong’s body swayed unsteadily. He blinked rapidly and breathed in short, ragged bursts.
“What are you doing? You need to find the CEO’s Achilles’ heel—or some kind of weakness—and grab hold of it. You should be gathering every bit of material and information you’ve got to minimize the damage.”
Yoon Do-yeong pulled a business card from the car’s compartment and held it out.
“This is Reporter Kim Dal-gu from the social affairs desk. He asked me before about that attempted suicide incident involving an artist under MiraeCom2.”
“W-why would he ask you about that?”
“He saw a photo of us at the beach. Thought we looked close. Said he wanted to dig into it. Seemed like he was fishing for information, but I never followed up, so I don’t know what came of it.”
Lee Ji-gyeong took the card and looked at it, his eyes full of suspicion.
“I only met him that one time. If you don’t need it, toss it.”
Yoon Do-yeong stared at Ji-gyeong’s anxious, trembling eyes and spoke with firm seriousness.
“I did help you. It’s better for you to be seen as a victim—forced into entertaining the elite under agency pressure, not as some reckless celebrity acting out.”
Ji-gyeong pressed his lips together while clutching the card. Then, with shaky hands, he powered on his phone. Dozens of missed calls popped up on the screen.
Just then, the phone rang again. His eyes darted to the screen. It was Kang Hyeon. Yoon Do-yeong’s previously calm gaze flashed cold and sharp with a glint of blue, while a tear fell silently from Ji-gyeong’s eye.
“Kang Hyeon still really looks out for you, huh.”
Ji-gyeong froze at the sharp edge in Do-yeong’s voice. When the phone rang again, he declined the call with a trembling finger. Do-yeong rolled up the window and started the car. In the side mirror, Ji-gyeong was hunched over, shivering, inputting the number from the business card into his phone.
Yoon Do-yeong immediately called Kang Hyeon. The call barely rang once before Kang Hyeon picked up, and Do-yeong spoke quickly. His piercing eyes stayed on the road, but his voice was oddly soft.
“Hyeon-ah, what are you doing?”
– Working a shift.
“Shift? What kind?”
– Delivery.
“Delivery?”
– It’s almost lunchtime.
“Food delivery?”
– Yeah.
“I gave you my card, didn’t I?”
– ……
“Just use it. That’s why I gave it to you—why are you being so weird about it?”
There was a soft sigh in his voice. On the other end, Kang Hyeon stayed silent for a long time.
– I’m busy, I gotta go.
“When are you going to Mpia today?”
– Around three.
“Come in within the hour. I’ll bring lunch.”
– ……Are you at Mpia?
“I’ve got a prior engagement—I’ll meet someone and then head back. Want anything in particular?”
– ……
“Hyeon-ah, don’t worry about the money. Every time it comes up, I feel so small I can’t even function. Friends help each other out when things are rough. Do we really need to look at the price tag when it’s just food?”
– Bring whatever.
“Oh Writer Oh is there too, so get there quickly. It’s scary for a woman to be there alone.”
– …I just need to finish up what I’m doing.
“Alright. See you soon.”
Yoon Do-yeong ended the call and pulled into a general hospital—one of the largest in the country, renowned for its elite medical staff, all hailed as top experts.
Figures the hospital director’s granddaughter would set up a blind date here. With all the eyes bound to be on them, he remembered Chief Choi’s suggestion: use the moment to leave evidence that reinforces his sexual identity.
He headed straight for the hospital café, crowded with people. Thankfully, while some recognized him, the hospital’s unique atmosphere made them do little more than glance before moving on.
“Do-yeong oppa!”
Just as he was preparing to put on his public face, a round-faced, adorably cute girl sat across from him. She had brought a guy with her.
“Sorry, but—”
“It’s me, Yoo Joo-yeon. Your blind date for today.”
When she chirped her name with that cheerful voice, Yoon Do-yeong finally plastered on his signature business smile and gave a slight nod.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoon Do-yeong.”
“I know~ I’m a fan, oppa!”
“Uh… thanks.”
Her reaction was so bubbly that he couldn’t manage his expression. She said she was twenty-one, but with that casual outfit and a student backpack, she looked like a high schooler. It definitely didn’t seem like appropriate attire for a blind date. Just as he was starting to wonder, she flashed a radiant smile and gestured to the guy beside her.
“This is my boyfriend. He’s also a fan.”
“…Boyfriend? You mean a guy friend?”
“No, my actual boyfriend.”
“…….”
“Sorry. My grandfather insisted on the blind date and I was going to turn it down, but when I heard it was with Do-yeong oppa, I couldn’t resist. You don’t do fan meetings or anything, so I wanted to see you just once. I’m really sorry.”
Watching her fidget and squirm, he accepted the apology. It didn’t really bother him, honestly. In fact, it gave him a good excuse to tell his mother that the date had failed.
“No worries. I’ve never done a fan meeting, so maybe this is my first.”
“Oppa, let me buy you a coffee. Pick whatever you like.”
“Alright. I’ll take an Americano.”
“Any cake? Do you like macarons?”
“Just the coffee. I’d like to keep this short.”
“Oh, okay…”
Still, rather than walking out right away, giving her at least ten minutes of conversation would be the polite thing to do. He decided to wrap this up as a fan meeting instead and looked toward the so-called fan boyfriend. The guy’s eyes lit up.
“Hyung, I loved Little Science Explorers when I was a kid.”
“Right… That show was ages ago.”
Contrary to what the girl said, the guy didn’t seem all that interested in him—more like he was just fascinated to see a celebrity up close. Still, Do-yeong told himself to manage his image and asked warmly:
“Have you done your military service yet?”
“I’m going in a few months.”
Hearing the weak response, Do-yeong looked at the girl and gave his voice a boost.
“Don’t break up while he’s serving. Stay by his side, especially during hard times.”
“Oh my gosh! I love Hyung-yoon! I’ll wait for him, for sure!”
Her bold declaration seemed to boost the boyfriend’s ego. Just then, Do-yeong’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and immediately picked up, mouthing a silent apology to the pair.
“Hey, Hyeon.”
– Are you busy?
“No, not at all.”
– I think Ji-gyeong’s in trouble. Can’t you help him somehow?
The abrupt question widened Do-yeong’s eyes. His brows started to knit, and a thick vein pulsed on his forehead.
– He blacked out at a club. Someone who was there apparently took photos and is spreading them around. He cried so much.
The moment he heard cried, Do-yeong’s brows twisted in anguish.
“I’m at the hospital right now.”
– Huh?
“I’m so tired. I’m trying not to show it… but can’t you think about how I feel too?”
He tried to keep his voice gentle while suppressing his rising fury, but the emotion bled through. The two students across from him stared wide-eyed. The girl, clearly feeling guilty about using a fake date just to meet him, covered her mouth and glanced around nervously. But Do-yeong didn’t even notice.
There was no point in staying any longer, so he wrapped things up.
“I’ll be heading out.”
“Oppa, I’m so sorry… I just really wanted to see you…”
He raised a hand to cut her off and quickly left the café. Practically running to the parking lot, he tried to explain calmly.
“I’m in a serious mess because of Ji-gyeong.”
– Why?
“I really pushed for him. Those TV ads you saw? They’re all from Sungjin Group affiliates or subcontractors. I recommended him as the model, so I have to take responsibility.”
– ……
“Now I’ll have to shoot all those ads for free. I can’t damage the company’s image. I’ve turned down all the other ads coming through my agency—I feel bad toward my boss, and I can’t even face my grandfather. But…”
He paused, then got into the car and spoke with a firmer tone.
“Everyone in the media thinks we’re close. That beach video of us? It’s got over a million views. If this blows up, there’ll be articles tying me and Ji-gyeong together. I’m losing it. My head feels like it’s going to explode.”
His eyes stayed sharp, but he deliberately shook his voice, letting it tremble with emotion.
“Why does everyone think I’m just… fine? Why does my kindness always come back to cut me like a blade? Do I have to bleed for anyone to believe I’m hurting? I… I’m so tired. Please, stay with me.”
He sped through the parking lot, tires screeching around the corner, and headed straight for Kang Hyeon’s house.
***
After delivering a lunch box, Kang Hyeon stared at his phone. He wasn’t trying to line up his next gig—he was worried sick about not hearing from Lee Ji-gyeong.
The phone must’ve been off; it rang a few times before cutting off. Messages asking to call back weren’t even read. The trending entertainment news was plastered with gossip about a gay celebrity’s sordid private life, and in the comments, Ji-gyeong’s real name was being thrown around based on the article’s hints.
Seeing Ji-gyeong spiral into ruin over a single mistake left a lump in Kang Hyeon’s chest. He couldn’t even bring himself to read all the comments. They were filled with filth, hate, and every disgusting insult imaginable. People were making up new theories in the replies just to amplify the hate.
“Haah…”
It’s not like Ji-gyeong did the right thing—but the rabid demonization of gay celebrities made Kang Hyeon feel uneasy. The more he thought about it, the more the fear crept in, tightening around his chest until it was hard to breathe. Once the “gay” label was attached to a celebrity, the public swarmed like piranhas, biting, tearing, shredding them alive. It sent a chill through his whole body—realizing that he could be next if he ever slipped up.
He should’ve ended things after the drama. Ji-gyeong had said he was struggling so badly…
Cutting it off, trying to be clear—that had been a mistake. Now, guilt and worry blended into something darker. He searched for Ji-gyeong’s name and found a video of him drunkenly cursing. The comments below it were nothing but venom.
“…Haah. Ji-gyeong-ah.”
