Kang Hyeon let out a quiet chuckle and patted Ji-gyeong’s shoulder. Ji-gyeong pulled him into a tight hug and whispered in his ear.
“Hyung… what I just confessed—keep it a secret. My orientation too.”
“There’s nothing to keep secret if I didn’t hear anything.”
Brushing it off like it was nothing, Kang Hyeon ruffled Ji-gyeong’s bangs with a smile.
“Call me when you’ve sorted your feelings.”
“Hey… if you do end up liking guys, you’ve gotta give me the first shot.”
“Sorry. That shot’s not coming.”
The words were blunt, but he patted Ji-gyeong’s back again out of pity, thinking about how much he must’ve struggled with all this. As they stepped out through the glass doors, Yoon Do-yeong’s car came into view directly across from them. Just as Kang Hyeon began walking toward it, the driver’s side door opened and Do-yeong stepped out mid-call. Though Do-yeong greeted him with a smile, something about it gave Kang Hyeon an odd chill. He ignored the feeling and kept walking.
***
Do-yeong’s eyes glinted sharply—almost chillingly—as he stared at the clock inside his car. It had been exactly nine minutes since Ji-gyeong abruptly ended the call—the same time Do-yeong had arrived in the parking lot.
Ten seconds… twenty… thirty…
He checked his phone’s clock again.
Fifty seconds… fifty-two… fifty-four…
He kept darting glances between the dashboard clock and his phone until the moment it hit 59 seconds. At precisely 60 seconds, he opened the door and stepped out.
With long strides, Do-yeong marched toward the MiraeCom2 building, which was connected to the parking lot. He got into the elevator and pressed the button for the 5th floor. While ascending, he tapped the back of his phone lightly with his fingers. The moment the doors opened, he stepped out swiftly and scanned his surroundings. Glass-walled offices lined both sides of the hallway. Signs on the doors read “Meeting Room,” “Training Room”—very familiar office terms.
Do-yeong stared at a closed door. Through the glass, his eyes met those of a startled trainee. As the others inside turned to see what was going on, he quickly stepped back into the elevator. But instead of heading down, the elevator started descending—someone must’ve pressed a button on a lower floor—so he hurriedly hit the button for the 4th floor. When the doors opened again, he leaned his head out to look around.
The area was bustling—an open workspace divided by partitions. As he took in the scene, his gaze instinctively shifted to the right—where he noticed a particularly large, open space. It felt unusually expansive.
Just then, someone called out.
“Oh! Yoon Do-yeong!”
Finally, Do-yeong curved his eyes into a friendly smile.
“Hello.”
“Hi there. What brings you here? Are you here to see the CEO?”
“I’m here to see Lee Ji-gyeong.”
“Ah… Ji-gyeong?”
“He told me to stop by, but I left my phone, so I haven’t been able to call. He said it was Unit 501—could you call him to check?”
“He… gave you the unit number?”
Do-yeong calmly stared at the hesitant staff member, then offered another polite smile.
“Just let him know I’m waiting in the parking lot.”
He turned away with a courteous nod, but his gaze sharpened instantly.
As he made his way back to the car, he tried to piece things together. Something about the spatial layout on the 4th floor had felt… off. The 5th floor seemed oddly disconnected. He estimated the size of the parking lot to try to get a clearer picture. Nothing jumped out at him as obviously wrong, but the way the fifth floor felt isolated bothered him.
As he approached his car, he glanced toward the right and spotted a narrow space in the wall. He slowly approached it. Just around a corner shaped like an “L,” there was a glass door.
He parked in the empty space across from it and picked up his phone. Ji-gyeong’s earlier threat echoed in his mind.
—No matter how long it takes, don’t rush me. And if you so much as contact Hyeon-hyung once, be ready to be outed.
“…Haah.”
He tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, lost in thought. Then, as if brushing off the thought, he sighed and turned his head.
And saw movement.
Through the glass door, a figure appeared—Ji-gyeong, looking straight at his car. He said something to Kang Hyeon, then suddenly opened his arms for a hug. That was when Do-yeong opened his phone and tapped on Chief Choi’s number.
“Please recommend Lee Ji-gyeong strongly to the ad agency that handles the Sungjin Group affiliates. It’d be great if you could move through Grandfather’s secretary’s office.”
He listened briefly before continuing.
“If something goes wrong with him as a model, I’ll step in myself. Let’s aim for the summer drama season.”
Though his words were calm, his eyes were trained solely on Ji-gyeong and Kang Hyeon. Ji-gyeong pulled Kang Hyeon into a hug, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Watching that, Do-yeong offered a gentle smile into the phone.
“It’s just helping out a junior. Looks like he’s got some sponsor backing him already, so once the drama airs, his visibility should shoot up. Advertising results will be great. Though… I’m worried the agency might drag him down.”
When the glass door opened and the two of them stepped out, he could no longer restrain himself. He opened his car door and got out.
He wore a pleasant smile, but a cold gleam flickered behind his eyes.
“Just like I said—it’s my junior, and I’m backing him. Even if neither of us actually thinks of each other as just a senior and junior.”
Ending the call, Do-yeong raised a hand slightly in greeting toward Kang Hyeon. Behind him, Ji-gyeong followed with a faint, sheepish smile. His confident gait made Do-yeong narrow his eyes.
“Looks like you two are close.”
“We’ve always been close.”
Ji-gyeong beamed, pulled something from his pocket, and fastened it around Kang Hyeon’s wrist.
“Ji-gyeong.”
“It’s Valentine’s Day.”
When Kang Hyeon tried to resist, Ji-gyeong quickly stepped back and raised his voice.
“Fashionable!”
He threw up a finger heart, waved, and darted back inside through the agency doors. Kang Hyeon moved to follow him, but Do-yeong grabbed his arm.
“If you don’t like it, throw it away.”
“How could I?”
“You think it’d feel good to return something someone gave you from the heart?”
“……”
“Gifts are a reflection of someone’s feelings. You can’t pick and choose which to accept.”
Do-yeong spoke in a calm, almost parental tone as he opened the passenger door and reached for the paper bag in Kang Hyeon’s hands.
“I’ll put it in the trunk.”
Kang Hyeon handed him the bag and got into the car. While loading it in, Do-yeong peeked inside. Some of the outfits he recognized from a previous shoot, others were unfamiliar. He photographed all of them.
Then messaged Chief Choi:
[I liked these outfits—say I’d be willing to do an extra shoot with them.]
Once he got behind the wheel, he smiled and asked:
“How was Ji-gyeong’s place?”
“Nice. Clean.”
“Why’d he invite you over?”
“To show me around.”
“On the day we were supposed to hang out?”
“…We didn’t set a specific time.”
“I said I’d come after lunch with my parents. I could’ve been almost there—you couldn’t wait?”
“That’s why I messaged you.”
Kang Hyeon toyed with the bracelet as he spoke. Do-yeong stared at it, clearly annoyed.
“Why don’t you ever wear the watch I gave you?”
“It’s too expensive.”
“Then the bracelet should be perfect.”
“This one’s still a bit much.”
“It suits you.”
At Do-yeong’s words, Kang Hyeon glanced down at the bracelet again.
“He only showed you the place?”
The repeated questioning made something inside Kang Hyeon stir. He hesitated a beat before replying.
“…Yeah. That’s it.”
“He didn’t say anything else?”
“No.”
“You sure? You must’ve talked about something while looking around. You only talked about the place?”
“…Yeah.”
Kang Hyeon pressed his lips together, then said in a flat voice:
“He said one room was empty and asked if I wanted to move in.”
“I’m moving too.”
Kang Hyeon shot him a puzzled look.
“Hyeon-ah, there are tons of rooms in my new place. Use any one you want.”
“…Why are you moving?”
“I’m getting older. Time to live on my own.”
At a loss for words, Kang Hyeon gave a quiet nod. Do-yeong grinned brightly.
“I’ll have a dressing room, a study, a movie room, even a meeting room. So just come live with me. I’ll make sure it’s in a super secure, safe neighborhood.”
Kang Hyeon gave him a suspicious look.
“You haven’t even picked the house yet?”
“We’ll pick it together. Our house.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I said no.”
“But you’ll live with Ji-gyeong?!”
“Why would I live with him? I just… I’m more comfortable on my own. I get self-conscious if someone’s around.”
“Then let’s get a split-level place.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“…No need to get so serious.”
“If I lived with anyone, it’d be my grandfather.”
With that, Kang Hyeon closed his eyes. A wave of complex emotions crashed over him. Realizing that Ji-gyeong liked him made all his previous behavior feel different. The playful tone, the casual touches—when he thought back, Ji-gyeong may have been a little pushy, but he’d always come through when asked for help.
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through their chat history. Somewhere along the way, Ji-gyeong had started using heart emojis and slipping in “I love you” now and then. Worried he might’ve done the same to Do-yeong, he checked their messages too—short, curt replies for the most part. That brought him a small sense of relief.
He fiddled with the bracelet, then ran his fingers over the small box still tucked in his coat pocket.
Ji-gyeong had laid his heart bare. Meanwhile, he’d hidden his own and ended up offering nothing but a lousy, insignificant token to Do-yeong. It made him feel small.
“I…”
“You what?”
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am kind of oblivious.”
“What brought that on?”
Kang Hyeon looked over at Do-yeong. Just then, sunlight poured through the window, casting a glow on his face. With a faint, bitter smile, Kang Hyeon spoke softly.
“Ji-gyeong’s… really honest. Full of energy.”
He turned his gaze back forward.
“…I kind of envy that.”
“So?”
“……”
“You into him?”
Do-yeong turned his head, locking eyes with him. His soft hair brushed lightly against his brow, but beneath his warm smile, his eyes gleamed with a chill.
“Is that why you hugged him?”
