Chapter 93
His voice was so deep that it was difficult to distinguish whether it was a joke or serious.
“That’s just the image shown to the outside world. Where in this world can someone always smile like a doll?”
“So you’re saying it’s okay to hear rude comments like earlier?”
“It’s not okay, but it’s unavoidable if I want to do what I want to do.”
Do-heon stared intently at Cheong-yeon, who spoke as if it didn’t bother him at all. Cheong-yeon also looked back at him for a moment.
Having him here made Cheong-yeon uncomfortable. With Do-heon nearby, it was difficult to focus on work, and he felt that his inadequacies were only emphasized.
Why had he told him to come to the shoot? While he couldn’t understand why Do-heon actually came when invited, the biggest problem was his own mouth for thoughtlessly blurting out such nonsense.
“I don’t like that look in your eyes, Director.”
As always, unable to bear the silence, Cheong-yeon spoke first.
“What’s wrong with my eyes?”
“That look that says, ‘So after divorcing me and leaving home, this is all you could do?'”
“You caught me.”
Do-heon didn’t even bother to deny it, which was irritating.
“I’ve wanted to say that every time I see you.”
“…”
“Though I’ve restrained myself, of course.”
Cheong-yeon’s brow furrowed. Although he had known this, hearing it directly from Do-heon’s mouth inevitably made his blood boil.
“Should I be grateful?”
“I’m just letting you know since it came up.”
“Anyway, as I’ve said before, no matter how much you pity me or how much I’m disrespected by people in this industry, I’m happier than when I lived with you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Really.”
This time, clear displeasure appeared on Do-heon’s face.
“That’s unfair. I never yelled at you or verbally abused you like that guy.”
But you never passionately loved me or showed interest either. A person can’t be happy just because they haven’t been verbally abused.
Do-heon seemed unaware of that difference, which was so clear to Cheong-yeon. At this point, Cheong-yeon didn’t feel the need to explain his feelings to Do-heon. He wouldn’t understand anyway.
“In any case, I’d appreciate it if you’d stop looking at me with those pitying eyes.”
After firing back these words, Cheong-yeon suddenly realized he had been standing the whole time and plopped down on the nearby sofa.
“Ouch.”
A pained sound escaped his lips involuntarily. As soon as his buttocks touched the sofa cushion, he felt a dull pain from below his waist.
Other areas had improved a lot, but his lower body still ached whenever he sat down.
“Didn’t you just say not to pity you? Why are you acting pitiful?”
“My back suddenly hurts… And whose fault is that?”
Cheong-yeon glared at Do-heon while patting his lower back.
When Do-heon tried to approach to check his condition, Cheong-yeon stretched out his hand to stop him.
“What? Don’t come closer.”
“I won’t touch you. Do you think I would do something inappropriate here?”
Do-heon asked incredulously, scanning the dusty waiting room.
“I used to think that, but… all my trust in you disappeared over the past week.”
“Oh my. I thought I gave you plenty of opportunities to return home then.”
“What… plenty?”
A derisive snort escaped him involuntarily. Unless Do-heon had traded his conscience for his rut, how could he say such things?
“Anyway, now that you’ve seen how a commoner works, has your curiosity been satisfied?”
Cheong-yeon, still seated on the sofa, took off his shoes and checked the insides. Though there seemed to be nothing visible from the outside, there was indeed an insole as the photographer had said.
Upon removing it, he saw it was only about three centimeters thick. Recalling how he had been humiliated in front of more than a dozen staff members because of this made his blood boil.
Moreover, he hadn’t inserted it because he wanted to – he had just worn what was given to him.
And isn’t this thickness acceptable? It’s not even that noticeable. He still couldn’t understand why he had to endure such abuse.
“Good grief!”
As he dwelled on it, Cheong-yeon became freshly irritated and threw the insole he was holding onto the floor.
“Honestly, what celebrity doesn’t use insoles these days? Everyone does this much. Don’t you think?”
Cheong-yeon looked at Do-heon as if seeking agreement, his lips jutting out. But then he thought that being naturally tall, Do-heon might not understand his feelings.
“Is that so? Then you should put it back in.”
Contrary to Cheong-yeon’s expectation that he would ignore it, Do-heon picked up the insole that had fallen on the opposite side and put it back into the shoe that Cheong-yeon had also thrown.
“It’s fine. I’ll just get scolded again if I wear it, so why bother… Oh, Director. I can do it myself.”
Surprised that Do-heon was not only picking up the shoe he had thrown but also bending down to put it on his foot, Cheong-yeon pulled his foot away.
Do-heon, as if he hadn’t heard anything, lightly gripped Cheong-yeon’s ankle and put the shoe on for him.
“No, I said I can… wear it… myself.”
Flustered, he stumbled over his words several times. At the same time, he felt embarrassed for having acted like someone with a broken personality in front of him. Cheong-yeon cleared his throat and avoided Do-heon’s gaze.
Do-heon, for his part, didn’t seem to mind.
“Shall I punish him?”
“Who?”
“That photographer.”
“…How would you punish him?”
“Well. Like Yang Jung-hak?”
Cheong-yeon flinched at the name he hadn’t heard in a long time.
From what he had heard, Yang Jung-hak had been unable to start any other work since being removed from the drama he was preparing.
“No need. Today was my fault, so it can’t be helped. I need to change my clothes now, so please leave.”
Cheong-yeon, having put his shoes back on, stood up awkwardly. As he fumbled with the outfit he had left on the sofa before going to the bathroom and glanced at Do-heon, the latter shrugged his shoulders as he also stood up.
“I never said you couldn’t change.”
“I need you to leave so I can change.”
“We were rolling around in the same bed until the day before yesterday, and now you need privacy?”
“Why are you bringing that up here?”
Although he knew no one else was in the waiting room, Cheong-yeon looked around anxiously, checking repeatedly if there were any eyes watching them.
“You probably can’t put it on by yourself anyway. Judging by the buttons on the back.”
Do-heon murmured, taking the outfit from Cheong-yeon’s hands to examine it. Seeing that he had no intention of leaving the waiting room, Cheong-yeon bit his lower lip.
He couldn’t chase him out either. He was already pressed for time with hardly any break, and he wondered where his manager and Min Hye-rin had gone.
Grumbling internally, Cheong-yeon reluctantly began unbuttoning his current top. Only then did Do-heon sit on the sofa with a satisfied face, watching Cheong-yeon undress.
“…”
His piercing gaze was so explicit that heat gradually rose to Cheong-yeon’s face. He was just changing clothes for work, but his stomach churned, perhaps due to the gaze that wouldn’t leave him.
Do-heon’s claim that he came to see what kind of work Cheong-yeon did seemed like a lie. He clearly just came to interfere.
When Cheong-yeon removed his top, his upper body, which had been bitten and sucked by Do-heon for about a week, was revealed. His pale skin was covered with red marks.
Unlike the bare-bodied Cheong-yeon, Do-heon, perfectly dressed in a suit, held out the new outfit. Cheong-yeon carefully took it and removed the cover.
Though he wasn’t doing anything wrong, he kept glancing at the door. Anxious that someone might suddenly enter, Cheong-yeon hurriedly put on the clothes.
“Button me up, please.”
In a resigned voice, Cheong-yeon stood with his back to Do-heon. Do-heon, who had been leisurely observing, got up and meticulously fastened the buttons on his back.
“It’s all gone already.”
“What is?”
“My pheromones.”
He pointed out that the Alpha pheromones he had layered on Cheong-yeon’s body all week had almost completely disappeared.
Cheong-yeon hunched his shoulders as Do-heon’s breath touched the back of his neck, making his fine hairs stand on end.
After fastening all the buttons, Do-heon kissed Cheong-yeon’s fair nape.
“Ah, wait. Director.”
“Hmm.”
Cheong-yeon tried to avoid him by turning his head to the side, but Do-heon’s lips persistently followed. Cheong-yeon was alarmed when he saw Do-heon standing closely behind him in the waiting room mirror.
“What if ru-rumors spread…”
“If rumors spread?”
“What are you going to do… if they do?”
“Would that be a problem?”
“…Being associated with an actor… wouldn’t do you any good… mmph.”
Before he could finish speaking, Do-heon turned Cheong-yeon’s body and kissed him on the mouth.
“Mmm, Director, please…”
“There’s no pheromone in your mouth either.”
“Haa.”
“How did actor Yoo manage to remove the pheromones of an Alpha in heat so completely?”
Do-heon murmured in a low voice, as if puzzled. Cheong-yeon anxiously glanced at the closed door and tried to push him away.
“I really need to go back to the shoot… If I’m late, ah, the photographer will… scold me.”
“Who would dare scold you when I’m here?”
Do-heon whispered in Cheong-yeon’s ear, pressing him with an absurd tone.
“I couldn’t even scold you once and raised you gently.”
As Cheong-yeon backed away, feeling cornered, his buttocks touched the vanity table. Do-heon pushed his leg between Cheong-yeon’s thighs, who had inadvertently perched on the table, and pressed firmly.
“Ah, Director, please… Really, we can’t.”
Knock, knock.
At that moment, someone knocked on the waiting room door. Simultaneously, Cheong-yeon’s body froze completely.
“Director, I’m coming in for a moment.”
The voice from outside the door belonged to Secretary Shim.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
