Lee Ji-gyeong reached out to stop Kang Hyeon as he passed, but the car was already in motion, and Hyeon simply fell back into the seat beside Yoon Do-yeong.
He touched Do-yeong’s forehead, then gently draped a coat over his shoulders. Noticing that Do-yeong’s neck was awkwardly tilted, he tapped his own shoulder.
“Lean on me.”
Without a second’s hesitation, Do-yeong shifted from the window and laid his head on Hyeon’s lap. Hyeon froze briefly in surprise, then adjusted the coat to cover him more snugly and asked,
“Do you want to go to the hospital?”
“No. I just want to rest a bit.”
“…If you change your mind, tell me.”
“Mmh…”
With Do-yeong’s faint reply, the car fell into silence. None of the three spoke, each lost in their own thoughts. But since they weren’t facing each other, their emotions were laid bare across their expressions.
Hyeon’s face had paled with worry. Do-yeong’s eyes were sharp with tension. Ji-gyeong’s lips twisted in visible irritation.
The car rolled quietly toward the hotel. Upon arrival, they stepped out and were immediately led to a suite by a waiting staff member.
As soon as they entered, Do-yeong went straight into the bathroom. Hyeon received his soaked clothes through the door and passed them to the staff for laundering. Ji-gyeong stood off to the side, silently observing how naturally Hyeon handled everything, like a real manager, before letting out a long, deep sigh and heading inside.
True to its name, the suite had a spacious bedroom separated from the living room by sliding doors and angled pillar decorations. The living area had a panoramic ocean view through its full-length windows, a massive sofa you could sprawl out on, a table, and even a wine bar.
Ji-gyeong wandered into the bedroom and glanced at the two beds. Hyeon walked past him, looking exhausted, and dropped onto one. Ji-gyeong followed and sat on the edge of the same bed, speaking gently.
“Tired?”
“A little…”
“Why? Didn’t sleep well?”
He was fishing for a reaction, clearly thinking about Do-yeong being in the house that morning. Hyeon replied in a slow voice,
“I’ve been going to bed late lately.”
“Why?”
“Just turned out that way.”
Ji-gyeong reached out to fix Hyeon’s messy hair, his voice lowering.
“Why are you like this?”
“Like what?”
“It’s your birthday, and yet you’re babysitting Do-yeong-hyung.”
“…When did I ever?”
“You always do. To anyone else, it’d look like you’re his manager.”
“Do-yeong’s going through a lot right now.”
Ji-gyeong grabbed a pillow, tucked it under Hyeon’s head, and lay down next to him, propping his head on one hand.
“What’s so hard for him?”
“……”
“What?”
“I don’t know. He won’t tell me.”
Ji-gyeong forced his lips into a straight line but couldn’t hide the annoyance in his voice.
“Maybe he doesn’t talk because there’s nothing to say.”
“He said he didn’t even tell his parents. So it’s probably not something easy to share with me either.”
“Okay, maybe not with his parents. But he could at least talk to his friend. If he can’t even do that…”
Ji-gyeong trailed off. Hyeon, visibly tired, slowly blinked.
“You know Do-yeong-hyung’s acting weird?”
“How?”
“He’s always eyeing me, suspicious and cold. That’s one thing.”
Ji-gyeong muttered, we weren’t close to begin with, then lowered his voice even further.
“But earlier… at the beach. He walked into the water and fell on purpose.”
“……”
“I’m telling you, it was deliberate. I saw it with my own eyes.”
Ji-gyeong’s eyes narrowed, voice firm with certainty.
“What are you thinking?”
“I thought it might be a panic attack.”
“Ah…”
That hadn’t occurred to Ji-gyeong. But it made sense—panic disorders were common in the entertainment world. He gave a small nod, now understanding.
“If it’s that bad, he should go to a hospital. Depression, panic attacks… he should be getting treatment, not doing this here.”
“Ji-gyeong. Do-yeong seemed really overwhelmed. I think he just wanted to look at the sea and calm himself down.”
“The sea… So he was the one who suggested coming?”
“Yeah.”
“On your birthday?”
“It just worked out that way. I think he came to me right after he got back to Korea.”
“…What time?”
“Right after midnight.”
At that, Ji-gyeong’s brow twitched.
“So he waited outside your place past midnight?”
“…Guess so.”
Hyeon downplayed it with a shrug, but Ji-gyeong remembered the state of the house that morning and clenched his jaw.
“Since he’s not well, fine, let’s stay here and rest. But do we really need to watch the sunset?”
“We can watch it from the car. Besides, Do-yeong said he wanted to see it.”
Ji-gyeong looked away, clearly displeased.
“If he’s in that bad a state, tell him to watch it another time.”
“I’ll ask him.”
Hyeon’s calm tone made Ji-gyeong snap.
“Why do you always do whatever he wants?”
“…When have I ever?”
“You were like this even in college. Every lunch, we had whatever Do-yeong wanted. Even when filming short projects in class, you never objected to him—not once. You just let him take over everything.”
Hyeon was about to deny it but closed his mouth. She wasn’t wrong. If anything, he’d gone out of his way to give Do-yeong more. Never less.
“Today’s your birthday. Not his. Shouldn’t today be about you? And yet even today, you’re catering to him?”
“I wanted to come to the sea too.”
That silenced Ji-gyeong. He nodded, albeit begrudgingly. Hyeon gently patted his back.
“Thanks. It means a lot that you’re here.”
With that, Hyeon’s eyes began to close. Still, he tried to stay awake, forcing them open again. Ji-gyeong silently watched, then softly stroked his hair and whispered,
“Get some sleep… I’ll look after Do-yeong.”
At those words, Hyeon finally relaxed and let sleep take him. After barely resting the night before, constantly on edge about Do-yeong, then freezing at the beach, the warm room melted his tension like a blown fuse.
Ji-gyeong stared down at Hyeon’s sleeping face. His features relaxed, lips slightly parted. His cheeks and nose, red from the cold earlier, now glowed faintly pink in the cozy room. His pale lips regained color, looking lush.
“You really are… something else.”
He mouthed the words and brushed Hyeon’s cheek with the back of his hand. Then his finger gently pressed against Hyeon’s plump lower lip.
Ji-gyeong swallowed hard. His throat bobbed. He licked his lips, shut his mouth tightly, then couldn’t help himself. He leaned down. Their lips met—just a soft brush, then pulled apart.
Hyeon didn’t stir. Ji-gyeong leaned in again—but froze at a sudden instinct.
Yoon Do-yeong was standing there, wearing only a bathrobe, staring at them.
No telling how long he’d been there, but he clearly had no intention of leaving.
Ji-gyeong slowly rose, visibly displeased, and stepped off the bed. As soon as he stood, Do-yeong jerked his chin toward the living room. Left with no choice, Ji-gyeong followed.
At the wine bar, Do-yeong poured himself a full glass of cold water from the purifier and downed it. Then, pouring another, he handed it to Ji-gyeong, who shook his head.
“You like Hyeon?”
“Didn’t you see?”
“Hyeon has a partner.”
“So what? I’m not allowed to like him?”
Do-yeong’s brow twitched. He clenched his teeth, then took another gulp of water to calm himself before speaking.
“That was out of line.”
“I know.”
“Then you shouldn’t do it.”
His tone was mild, almost scolding. Ji-gyeong’s response was laced with resentment.
“Who are you to tell me what to do?”
“I can’t just sit back while my friend is sexually harassed.”
“You can’t pity a junior’s one-sided crush?”
“Maybe you’re his junior, but you’re not mine.”
“….”
His tone was soft, but the words were sharp. Ji-gyeong’s gaze turned icy. Matching it, Do-yeong’s eyes were now clearly hostile.
“You’re out of line.”
“What do you want me to do about it?”
Ji-gyeong’s voice rose defiantly.
“You want me to change my sexual orientation to make you feel better? I could’ve ignored it and walked away, but instead, you call me out and moralize? Who do you think you are?”
“I already told you—Hyeon is my friend.”
“You and I are strangers. And you think that gives you the right to insult me like that?”
“….”
“Even if you’re his friend, you don’t get to trample all over my feelings. Who do you think you are, telling me I’m out of line? You said it yourself—I’m not your junior. So show some damn respect.”
Do-yeong’s eyes wavered under Ji-gyeong’s unflinching stare.
“You like Hyeon too, don’t you?”
“……”
“Then back off.”
“Back off?”
Do-yeong scoffed in disbelief. Ji-gyeong stepped closer.
“Why does it look like you’re always hovering around Hyeon?”
Ji-gyeong paused, then locked eyes with him—sharp, accusing.
“If you wanted to deny it, you should’ve acted better. But you hide behind the word ‘friend’ while clinging to him. How much longer are you going to pretend?”
“……”
“Every time I’m near Hyeon, you can’t control your face. You cover up every time I touch him—does that make you feel better? Well, this time it was his lips. That’s why you’re upset, right? Because that’s not something a friend does. And now, you can’t hide behind that mask of friendship anymore.”
