She clicked her tongue and grumbled with a pout.
“Should’ve figured it out when he brought me dried seafood. Never thought he’d be the one to ditch me.”
“I told you, that was Do-yeong’s idea.”
“Does he even have the sense to pick out something that specific? You definitely chose it.”
Kang Hyeon forced a crooked smile. The dried snacks, meant for munching with beer at the seafood market, had all ended up with her. Do-yeong had shoved the entire large bag into her hands when he dropped her off—throwing in a lame excuse about needing to diet.
Just thinking about Yoon Do-yeong left Hyeon with a tight, heavy feeling in his chest. He sipped at his lukewarm coffee to ease it.
“You should hire someone by next week. I’m gonna start skipping more often—won’t be much help around here.”
“Then what are you gonna do instead?”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“Selfish little bastard. If you were gonna quit, you should’ve done it in mid-January. Took time off at the end of the month, today, tomorrow—skipping shifts for auditions here and there. After all the time and money I invested in you, now you’re bailing? Have you no shame? If anything, you should be working harder out of guilt.”
“If I make it big, I’ll shoot all my coffee ads with your café, noona.”
“As you damn well should.”
Baek Ga-yeong gave him a glare, just as the café door opened and a stylish man in a black turtleneck and burgundy coat stepped inside.
“Welcome—oh, Ji-gyeong! Hyeon betrayed me.”
Ga-yeong whined dramatically, making a face like she’d been wronged. Ji-gyeong laughed brightly.
“Wow~! Hyung, you finally got free of her clutches.”
“Look at this lanky brat with nothing but his height going for him.”
“Happy birthday, noona. I don’t love you at all, but I thought of you, so I stretched my allowance and got you something.”
Ji-gyeong pulled a small gift box from his coat pocket. Hyeon’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait, today’s your birthday too?”
At his question, Ga-yeong gave him a look of utter disbelief as she opened the gift box.
“So you knew Do-yeong’s birthday, but not mine? Even he knows when I was born.”
“…When is it?”
Ga-yeong huffed and clamped her mouth shut. Ji-gyeong answered for her.
“It’s just after Valentine’s Day. Close enough.”
Ga-yeong looked touched and pinched Ji-gyeong’s cheek.
“It’s February 19th, you punk.”
She pulled a delicate bracelet from the box and fluttered her eyelids as if showing it off.
“Stop pretending to be cute.”
“I love you, Ji-gyeong. From today, you’re the only one I love.”
“No thanks.”
“Why not~? Girls like me, with money and skills, don’t come around often~. But of course, if my sweet little Ji-gyeong wants to bring home more cash, I’d be even happier.”
As she cooed with rhythmic flair, Ji-gyeong handed her a card.
“How much, noona?!”
“Oh, honey, all I want is… a second location.”
“Ugh, shut up. How much for these twenty chocolate boxes? Wholesale. Wholesale only~!”
“Oh, you little shit. You think I make money digging holes in the ground? Asking for wholesale prices without even giving me that second location! Think of all the coffee you’ve mooched off me!”
“Then show me what love looks like—make me a heartfelt cup.”
Their back-and-forth banter continued while Ji-gyeong winked at Hyeon, who was making coffee nearby. In the meantime, Ga-yeong headed to the storage room to grab the chocolates.
“What do you need twenty for?”
“Tomorrow’s Valentine’s. I’ve gotta go to my parents’ place, so I’m handing these out to the staff ahead of time.”
“You moved out?”
When Hyeon handed him his favorite café mocha, Ji-gyeong grinned proudly.
“The company said they’d get me a place. I moved in recently.”
“Really?”
His curiosity piqued, and Ji-gyeong gave him a soft, smoldering smile.
“Wanna come see it?”
“When?”
“Today~.”
“Can’t. It’s Do-yeong’s birthday.”
“…”
His expression stiffened slightly. He gave a faint smile and stared into the distance.
“When are you meeting him?”
“Soon.”
“How soon?”
“He said he’d come pick me up.”
“Where are you going?”
“…The villa.”
“The villa…”
He echoed the word with a smile—but his eyes were cold, gleaming with something sharp.
“What do you do at the villa?”
“Barbecue, I guess? It has a pool, so probably swim a bit.”
“Sleeping over?”
“Yeah.”
“Why bother sleeping over? Noona’s busy tomorrow, you should be helping her.”
“She said I could go.”
“That’s not how work should be handled. No wonder she’s upset.”
Ji-gyeong’s voice dripped with sarcasm, just as Baek Ga-yeong came back with the chocolates and started boxing them up, muttering disapprovingly.
“That’s why I fired his ass. Did good, right?”
“Damn right you did.”
“I’m the one who dumped him.”
“Noona, you’re the best.”
“I’ll still take care of you~.”
“Low-key love you.”
“Oh~ this popularity is unstoppable.”
Ga-yeong swept her hair back with a smug look.
“Noona, since hyung’s unemployed now, I’m taking him.”
“Wait, what?”
“We’re gonna live together. Gotta check out our newlywed place.”
Without waiting for a reply, Ji-gyeong marched into the staff room, grabbed Hyeon’s coat, and came back out.
“I’ll drop him off at Do-yeong’s later after the house tour.”
“Wait, I still—”
“It’s not far. Thirty minutes, tops. And you said he’s coming soon anyway. Just tell him to meet us at my place.”
Dragging Hyeon away from the counter, he called out to Ga-yeong over his shoulder.
“Noona, sorry! I’ll show him the place and come back to cover his shift.”
“Uh… alright.”
Though a little hesitant, Ga-yeong smiled and agreed. Hyeon tried to stop Ji-gyeong, but when he promised to fill the gap he’d leave, he couldn’t bring himself to push harder.
“Ji-gyeong…”
“Hyung, the place is seriously nice. Just look before you judge.”
With surprising strength, he shoved him out the door. Ga-yeong, wearing an awkward expression, hurried after them with the box of chocolates and handed it over. Ji-gyeong shoved Hyeon into the passenger seat, started the engine, and peeled out.
“Ji-gyeong, this is seriously rude.”
“I know.”
“…”
“But I really need to talk to you today. Please let me do this. I’ll make it up to Ga-yeong noona.”
His voice was low and earnest. Hyeon said nothing. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“Gonna text Do-yeong?”
“Yeah. I can’t exactly wait at the café.”
He typed out a quick message: Going to Ji-gyeong’s for a bit. Then looked up.
“Address?”
“I’m not sure exactly. I’ll tell you when we get there. Just tell him to pick you up there.”
“Alright.”
Ji-gyeong’s gaze landed on the credit card peeking out from behind Hyeon’s phone. The sleek black card caught his eye—very much not ordinary.
“That’s not your card, is it?”
“Nope.”
“Do-yeong’s?”
“Yeah.”
His smile stayed fixed, but his face went rigid. One corner of his mouth twitched, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Hyeon, oblivious, glanced around the car.
“Is this a company car?”
“No… uh, it’s my dad’s. Gotta pay it back through good daughter duty. When I earn enough, I’ll get my own nice one.”
He smiled. Hyeon nodded and checked his phone again. Do-yeong had said he’d be having lunch with family since it was his birthday, but he hadn’t responded yet. As the engine revved harder, Hyeon looked up.
“Slow down a bit.”
“He said he’s coming?”
Even without a subject, Ji-gyeong knew exactly who he meant.
“…He hasn’t read it yet.”
“Always off on a trip for his birthday. For mine, how about we do a one-night, two-day camping trip?”
“Wasn’t your birthday in late autumn?”
“June 20th. It’s on my profile.”
“That’s peak filming season, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, probably. But after the drama wraps, it’ll be hard to get time off. Should we just do it early? Pick a good day and go camping?”
“Sure.”
Ji-gyeong’s smile stretched all the way up to his cheekbones.
“But hyung, now that you quit the café, what are you gonna do?”
“First, I’m going to talk to CEO Goo Seong-do. See if he’ll let me work with him.”
“Huh? Goo Seong-do? That… M… what was it again?”
“Mpia.”
“Seriously? You’re going with that tiny company? Want me to help instead?”
Hyeon chuckled.
“How would you help?”
“I’ll get you auditions! Score you roles! Feed you! House you!”
He was full of mischief, voice practically singing.
“Hyung, trust your little bro~!”
“Should I?”
“What’s with the question mark?! Exclamation! Trust me! I trust you! That’s the energy I need! God, you’re so dull sometimes.”
He reached over and ruffled Ji-gyeong’s air. His cheeks flushed, but Hyeon didn’t notice—too focused on his phone screen still showing “unread.”
As the car pulled into a commercial building, he didn’t catch the name. Since Ji-gyeong said the company gave him a place, he figured it was an officetel.
“This way, hyung.”
Ji-gyeong led him after they got out.
“This elevator leads to the officetels.”
He entered a code into a glass door in the back of the garage and stepped into the elevator. The panel only allowed access from floors 5 to 7. He pressed 5, and Hyeon quietly asked,
“Is it an office-type officetel?”
“Yeah. Offices go up to 4th floor. Residential starts on 5.”
He smiled sweetly. Hyeon nodded. When they reached the 5th floor, there were two doors side by side at the end of the hallway. Across from them, a door marked “Emergency Exit.”
Suddenly, he remembered: there were no stairs near the first-floor elevator.
