He muttered to himself like a quiet whisper, lips moving soundlessly, his eyes shadowed in gloom.
“Of course… it’s because of the role.”
Emerging from the pool after a dive, he picked up his smartphone and made a call.
“Chief Choi. Please try to build some rapport with CEO Goo Seong-do from Mpia. And look into his network as well. I need you to convince him to invest in the low-budget film he sent me. Naturally, Hyeon will have to be cast in one of the roles.”
Yoon Do-yeong’s expression faded into a hollow smile as he listened to the voice on the other end.
“I knew it. He got cast.”
With a faint, unreadable smile, Yoon Do-yeong glanced toward the room Kang Hyeon had gone into.
“A murderer…”
Ever since childhood, Hyeon had always gotten the part whenever he auditioned. He had a different air about him than Do-yeong, and that contrast stirred something deep inside his chest.
“Just get close to CEO Goo for now. I need to keep watching.”
After ending the call, Yoon Do-yeong reminisced about Hyeon’s childhood performances—the emptiness in his eyes during war scenes, the sorrowful expression as he cried, the way he’d laugh with his eyes nearly vanishing in pure mischief. He remembered Hyeon’s recent role as a younger brother in a drama, where he’d coo playfully, “Noona~” in an adorable tone. The characters were always different, but Hyeon had a knack for pinpointing the heart of every role. The agency had never hesitated to send him to auditions.
“I always get the pretty doll roles. But you… you get cast in everything.”
Although he often looked nervous and unsure, as if stuck in a slump after a long hiatus, Kang Hyeon effortlessly blended into every character. Unlike Do-yeong, whose looks often got in the way of his roles, Hyeon never had that problem. Do-yeong let out a quiet smile.
“Just like you said, I won’t mess with the casting.”
Throwing on a bathrobe, Yoon Do-yeong slowly walked over to the fridge, pulled out a cold bottle of water, and took a drink. Then, spotting a bag of groceries stuffed into the corner, he pulled out his phone and began searching. He tried looking up photos or videos from the supermarket.
“Why isn’t there anything?”
He mouthed the words silently, brows furrowing—until his eyes suddenly lit up. There it was, on social media: a post showing him shopping at the market. Not only him, but Hyeon was clearly captured beside him in a two-shot. The comments below were filled with compliments about his looks, some saying he looked even better in person, others calling him “really pretty.” When it was a clip of him with Lee Ji-gyeong, there were always pointless comments about how well they matched. But with Hyeon, there were barely any reactions.
Disappointment flickered in his gaze until he reached the bottom.
—Manager’s got mad charisma ♡
A single reply followed underneath.
—He’s hot ♡
“Someone’s got taste.”
Without realizing it, he murmured his approval of the comment, pleased, and resumed his search. Even though they’d made a show of shopping for quite a while, there were fewer clips from the supermarket than from the beach. After digging for a bit, he found a photo of Hyeon picking out a cake.
It was a side profile shot. The line running from his smooth forehead down to his nose was flawless. His sharp gaze as he evaluated the cakes looked like it might deliver a guilty verdict if the taste disappointed. Behind him, Do-yeong was visible loading items into the cart.
—Yoon Do-yeong’s manager is SO hot ♡
Do-yeong’s finger hovered for a moment before he logged in. He clicked the comment box and quickly typed on the keypad.
—This is Kang Hyeon, an actor. He’s got such a tiny face in real life, model proportions, and his smile is adorable.
Before hitting submit, he reread it. It felt too stiff—so he revised.
—This guy’s name is Kang Hyeon, he’s an actor. In person, his face is literally the size of a fist and he’s got model vibes, but the photo doesn’t do him justice. And he’s so cute when he smiles. Brightens the whole mood. ♡
Satisfied, Do-yeong carefully tapped the period at the end and hit submit, wearing a smug smile. As he looked for more footage from the market, he found a clip of them standing side by side at the checkout. Hyeon was pulling items from the cart, and a bracelet on his wrist gleamed under the light.
In an instant, the lively spark in Do-yeong’s eyes dimmed into a bitter glare. He set the phone down and walked toward the bathroom door. Listening closely to the sound of the running shower, he waited until the water stopped, then knocked.
“Hyeon-ah, I really need to go.”
“Huh?”
“The bathroom…”
His voice sounded urgent, but his expression remained blank as he repeated himself.
“Ah, Hyeon-ah. I really need to go… Can you hurry?”
“Just a sec.”
Inside, there was the sound of hurried movement. Then Do-yeong let out a strained, exaggerated moan.
“Ah… Hyeon-ah…”
“I’m done.”
“Hurry… ngh…”
Groaning for emphasis, Do-yeong waited. When Hyeon finally emerged, he had a towel wrapped around his waist. Do-yeong’s eyes locked onto his bare torso. He’d expected a bony frame, but what he saw was taut, fair skin layered with firm, lean muscle and a faint trace of abs that revealed themselves teasingly as he moved. His nipples—slightly darker than the rest of his skin—stood out in small, cute peaks.
Hyeon looked at him, puzzled.
“Didn’t you say it was urgent?”
“Yeah.”
Contrary to his earlier desperation, Do-yeong strolled slowly into the bathroom. As soon as the door shut, his cheeks turned bright red. He’d seen Hyeon in a tank top before, but this was the first time he’d seen him shirtless—and it made his heart race. The sight of his pelvis, barely concealed above the white towel, stirred up chaos in his mind. Clamping a hand between his legs to suppress the growing bulge, he muttered,
“No… No…”
He took a deep breath to stay composed, scanning the steamy bathroom. But his arousal wouldn’t subside. With a sharp glare at his groin, he slapped it.
“Ah!”
The smack hurt, and he let out a pained whimper. Gritting his teeth, he clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to endure it. Slowly, he exhaled and shifted his gaze.
As expected, the bracelet was sitting on the shelf. With just his thumb and forefinger, as if the item were contaminated, Do-yeong picked it up. Then he dropped it straight into the toilet and flushed. The bracelet swirled and vanished down the drain. Just to be sure, he flushed again. Then he called out.
“Hyeon-ah, there’s a problem!”
“What?”
“The bracelet fell into the toilet!”
“What?!”
Hyeon’s panicked voice echoed as his footsteps grew louder. Do-yeong glanced down with satisfaction at the now-empty toilet and opened the door. Hyeon rushed in, visibly shaken. He stared into the toilet, then scanned the shelf.
“How… I put it way in the back.”
At the word “back,” Do-yeong’s gaze shifted to the shelf. He pointed to a disposable razor nearby.
“I was grabbing the razor.”
“…You flushed while grabbing a razor?”
“I was flushing while grabbing the razor.”
“You shave at night?”
“…Don’t you?”
“You barely have facial hair.”
“No, I shave morning and night.”
“Why, though? You were sleeping.”
“…Habit.”
Hyeon eyed him with suspicion at the delayed response, but Do-yeong abruptly changed the subject with a flustered tone.
“It was a gift… I’m sorry I lost it. I’ll order another one right away.”
“You threw it out?”
“No, it was an accident. It just fell in. Accidentally.”
“…”
“Why would I throw it away? It was a thoughtful gift.”
“Haa…”
Unsure what to do, Hyeon sighed in frustration.
“I was going to return it… This is bad. Everything’s getting messy.”
He seemed genuinely flustered, even stomping his foot.
“Should I tell Ji-gyeong I lost it? How much was it?”
Chewing his lip in frustration, Hyeon asked, and Do-yeong quickly cut in, trying to defuse the situation.
“Don’t tell him. I’ll just buy another one. It’s my fault. Why make it a big deal? He gave it to you for Valentine’s—he’ll be crushed if he finds out. I’ll track it down and buy it again. Just give it back to him.”
The moment he said “I’ll buy it and return it,” Hyeon focused solely on that part. He let out a breath.
“Do you remember the design?”
“Roughly.”
Do-yeong quickly pulled up a picture on his phone.
“This one?”
“He said he ordered it overseas.”
“Overseas, huh…”
Standing side-by-side in the bathroom, they stared at the screen, scrolling through a popular international shopping site until they found the bracelet.
“That’s it!”
“Yeah, that looks right.”
“I’ll check if we can order it immediately. You go dry your hair. This is my mess—don’t worry about it, okay?”
Do-yeong shoved a hairdryer into Hyeon’s hands and left the bathroom, making a call.
“Hello, sir? I urgently need an accessory. Could you find it for me right away? I’ll send you the photo now.”
He sent the photo and repeatedly emphasized his request. Watching silently, Hyeon’s face showed unease. Do-yeong stayed focused on the call, then signaled that he could get it. Hyeon finally nodded and stepped back into the bathroom to dry his hair.
Once he was gone, Do-yeong moved far from the bathroom and whispered into the receiver.
“Please engrave ‘K’ and ‘Y’ on the back of the bracelet. Ah—no, wait. Put the ‘K’ inside the ‘Y,’ like a brand logo. Small. Very small. So it’s barely noticeable.”
