Eun-jo had never played the role of a newlywed before—he was still a minor—but he had seen movie sets dressed as newlywed homes many times. The first thing they always put up when decorating a set for a newlywed couple was the wedding photo. That awkward, white-background wedding photo, propped up haphazardly to fill the space.
Eun-jo rolled over onto his back and stared at his left hand. Every finger except his thumb was adorned with a ring.
…Three marriages?
Then shouldn’t he have taken off the rings from the divorces?
The more he thought about it, the more his head spun. After spinning through one hypothesis after another, Eun-jo flopped back down. The mattress was so soft it wrapped around his entire body like a warm embrace. His eyelids grew heavy. Soon, the sound of his breathing filled the Guiding Room.
The blanket was cozy.
***
Eun-jo groaned and burrowed deeper into the blanket, the plush warmth enveloping him. As he greedily pulled the blanket into his arms with both hands, a low chuckle reached his ears.
“Would a kiss wake you up?”
It was Jin Mu-seong, who had rushed to the Guiding Room the moment he spotted Jung Tae-seok in the Training Center. With a carefree smirk, he pressed his lips to Eun-jo’s forehead.
“I don’t think I’m a knight in shining armor…”
“…”
“Unless I’m a knight who locks you up so you can’t leave.”
Anything would do as long as it involved a kiss. The murmured words were so loud that Eun-jo, eyes still closed, furrowed his brows. Mu-seong kissed the faint crease between his eyebrows and chuckled softly.
“Or is it not my lips that won’t wake you?”
The voice was so clear that Eun-jo’s eyelids finally lifted. His dark pupils filled with the sight of Jin Mu-seong.
Eun-jo blinked, as if unable to grasp the situation. Then, he glanced down at the arms wrapped around his waist and shoulders, alternating his gaze between them. Only then did he realize that what he was holding wasn’t a blanket—it was this man. A gasp escaped him.
“Ahh!”
As if he’d accidentally spent the night with someone, Eun-jo jolted upright and clutched the blanket to his chest.
“J-Jin Mu-seong, Team Leader?!”
At the word Team Leader, Jin Mu-seong’s eyebrows shot up. It seemed Eun-jo still had no memory of him.
“It’s been a while since someone called me that.”
“W-Why… when…?”
Eun-jo stammered, gripping the blanket tightly like a small, trembling animal. Mu-seong looked down at him with amusement, tilting his head.
“Don’t you remember?”
“What…?”
Before Eun-jo could react, Mu-seong closed the distance between them. So close that their breaths mingled. He tilted his head as if about to kiss him, locking eyes.
Eun-jo couldn’t move a muscle. It was as if his body had been imprinted—all he could do was hold his breath and surrender to him. Mu-seong’s fingertips traced from the corners of his eyes down to his cheeks. It didn’t feel sexual; it was more like he was confirming Eun-jo’s existence.
Just like before.
The first time Mu-seong had used his ability, he hadn’t been able to look away from Mu-seong either. It had been fascinating, like prey caught in a trap. A smirk twisted Mu-seong’s lips as he finally lowered his gaze.
“We’ve done this often. You’ve forgotten all of it, huh.”
“Me… and you, Team Leader…?”
“Yeah.”
Why… why…? Eun-jo’s face paled as he stammered, his eyes darting around. He forced himself to ask again.
“I—I married Tae-seok hyung! We even have a newlywed home! So why are you—”
“Tae-seok hyung?”
Jin Mu-seong’s eyebrow arched skeptically. Eun-jo, flustered, snapped his mouth shut with a hup. Mu-seong nodded, signaling him to continue. Eun-jo hesitated, then slowly added,
“We have a newlywed home, so… why are you here…?”
“…”
“And—and look, the rings!”
As if presenting a marriage certificate, Eun-jo thrust his left hand in front of Mu-seong. His gaze lingered on the ring finger. Even without his memories, Eun-jo had obediently kept his ring on that finger. Mu-seong pressed his lips together, stifling a laugh, and tilted his head.
For his age, he’s mature… but he’s still just a kid.
Eun-jo’s face flushed, then paled, then flushed again—his expressions shifting like a broken palette. Mu-seong’s fingers twitched. If I stick my tongue in now, he’d probably just take it. He swallowed the rising desire along with his amusement.
But teasing him a little should be fine. He tilted his head at an angle.
“You might not know me, Team Leader, but at least I’m not the type to—”
“Baby.”
Gasp! Eun-jo sucked in a breath and looked up at him. At the same time, Mu-seong’s eyes curved wickedly.
“We were having an affair, weren’t we?”
Bullseye. The bomb Mu-seong dropped exploded perfectly in Eun-jo’s mind.
Like the cheating men in dramas and movies, Jin Mu-seong rose from the bed and casually straightened his clothes. He buttoned his half-undone shirt and even grabbed his jacket. The way he sprayed deodorant from the drawer made it clear he’d been staying here for more than just a day or two.
Eun-jo sat there, dazed, as Mu-seong yanked him forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. A sticky squelch echoed in the room.
“Your husband won’t be here for a while, so don’t worry.”
It was the classic line of a cheating man. Eun-jo’s unfocused gaze followed Mu-seong as he turned toward the door, even though he knew he was being watched.
“Uh… um…”
Eun-jo’s quiet voice made Mu-seong pause mid-step. As if he’d been waiting for it, he turned back to face him.
“Yeah, baby?”
“N-No, I mean, uh…”
“…”
“Then… what did I call you, Team Leader?”
Mu-seong fell into thought, his silence stretching. The longer he hesitated, the more color returned to Eun-jo’s face. Of course. No matter how much of a mess his future self was, he couldn’t have sunk that low.
He’s lying.
Maybe the whole “memory loss” thing was just a prank. Or it had to be. Eun-jo forced himself to calm down, gripping his sanity with both hands.
Then, with a smirk, Mu-seong answered.
“When your husband was around, it was ‘Jin Mu-seong-ssi.’ When he wasn’t, it was ‘baby.’”
“…”
Mu-seong added, nodding toward the bed with his chin.
“In there, it was ‘hyung.’”
Hyung…? Eun-jo’s gaze traveled from Mu-seong’s face down to his body. He was huge—towering like a mountain. The muscles visible even through his shirt, the solid thighs… even the aura he gave off was different from others his age. And the way he carried himself, as if the entire Center could collapse and he wouldn’t even blink—it wasn’t the demeanor of someone in their twenties.
Noticing Eun-jo’s bewildered stare, Mu-seong let out a short pfft of laughter. Then, he replied lightly,
“I’m the one who gets too excited.”
“…”
“If you’re bedridden, your husband might find out. Not that I’d care, but…”
“…”
“Wouldn’t you care?”
If you want to tell him, go ahead. The blunt addition made Eun-jo’s face turn sheet-white. Watching him look like he might pass out at any moment, Mu-seong covered his mouth with his hand. Otherwise, he might have laughed out loud.
“See you later.”
With that, Jin Mu-seong, having played the cheating man to the end, walked out of the Guiding Room.
Click. Eun-jo stared blankly at the closed door. His forehead throbbed.
***
Fuck.
So, to summarize: He was married to Jung Tae-seok, and at the same time, he was secretly seeing Jin Mu-seong. In the same workplace.
Two Espers!
Eun-jo pressed his forehead, realizing his future self must have been absolute trash. He hadn’t even known he had multiple partners. His past self was a lunatic. A madman.
How the hell did I end up cheating in this weird world?
He was just a hardworking child actor doing his job. Why was he tangled up in this mess?
A hand suddenly touched his forehead. It was Jung Tae-seok.
“You feverish?”
Eun-jo slowly shook his head, and Tae-seok’s hand moved to his cheek.
“Your face is a little red.”
“…”
“No headache? You’ve been burning up for a while.”
The touch was gentle. Eun-jo couldn’t even meet his eyes and bowed his head deeply. His heart pounded so loudly he was afraid Tae-seok might hear it. Why did I do that insane thing? He bit his lip hard, and a large hand suddenly reached for his neck.
A cool temperature touched his skin.
“Neck’s more accurate for checking temperature.”
It was Jin Mu-seong, who had followed him all the way to the cafeteria, insisting they eat together. As Mu-seong slowly dragged his hand down Eun-jo’s neck, Eun-jo flinched as if burned and jerked away. Then, he glared.
Are you crazy?!
Afraid Mu-seong might give them away, Eun-jo quickly checked Tae-seok’s reaction. He looked like a startled cat, bristling with tension. Mu-seong let out a low hmm at the sight.
“You should see a doctor.”
“I’ll handle it myself.”
“Got time for that?”
If anyone knew how swamped he was, it was the man who’d dumped all the work on him. Every task he was given was either tedious or time-consuming. Tae-seok squeezed Eun-jo’s hand, and Mu-seong’s gaze settled there.
That bastard. Tae-seok swallowed a curse and replied,
“I’ll handle it.”
“I’d be better than anyone else. Eun-jo doesn’t even have his full memory.”
“…I can manage that much.”
“Don’t push yourself.”
Mu-seong cut him off and picked up his chopsticks. Then, he moved the tonkatsu from his own tray to Eun-jo’s.
“…”
“Wasn’t the accident at the Gate your fault? You whined until they let him stand in front of it.”
“…”
“I thought you’d lost your memory too, since you came out unscathed.”
The air turned icy. Eun-jo couldn’t bring himself to eat the tonkatsu or speak. He just darted his eyes between the two men, at a loss.
Tae-seok’s gaze, then Mu-seong’s. Unable to decide what to do, Eun-jo’s eyes wandered. Mu-seong picked up the tonkatsu with his chopsticks.
“Our ba—”
Eek! Eun-jo flinched, and Mu-seong quickly corrected himself.
“Kids need to eat. You’re at the age where you’re still growing.”
Then, he brought the tonkatsu to Eun-jo’s lips.
“I-I’m not a kid!”
“Eighteen is still a kid.”
“B-But I’m all grown up! I even got married! I—”
Eun-jo glanced at Tae-seok as he moved the tonkatsu to his own chopsticks, then desperately bowed his head and shoved the food into his mouth.
It was supposed to be crispy, but he tasted nothing. His mind was consumed by what had just happened.
If he’d just said ‘our ba,’ wouldn’t Tae-seok have understood?
His heart pounded anxiously. He wanted to check Tae-seok’s face, but that would give him away.
This is insane. Seriously.
If they were having an affair, shouldn’t they be more discreet? Mu-seong seemed determined to flaunt it—handing him food, calling him a kid. It was completely inappropriate for a workplace where his partner’s lover was present.
“…I’ll go to the doctor myself.”
Mu-seong’s low voice made Eun-jo look up. At that moment, Mu-seong’s lips came into view—twisted into a smirk.
“A-Ah, no!”
Both men turned to look at him. Fearing Mu-seong might give them away again, Eun-jo quickly added,
“Hyung is busy, so I’ll just go with Jin Mu-seong-ssi.”
“What?”
Tae-seok’s expression twisted in betrayal, but Eun-jo was shaking too hard to notice. All he could think about was the ticking time bomb in front of him—the cheating man he needed to get rid of, fast.
“Hyung will still be at the Center. Nothing’s going to happen…”
“You don’t have to.”
“You’ve been stuck at home because of me.”
“It’s not like I’m that busy.”
Eun-jo did his best to meet Tae-seok’s eyes. He recalled the compliments he’d received on set—so pretty, so pretty—and forced a smile, curving his eyes into crescents, hiding them completely.
“If anything happens, I’ll call. I have the pager you gave me.”
He pulled the pager from his pocket.
“The doctor knows me well. If I have a fever, I’ll just get an IV and rest. You don’t need to worry.”
“…You sure?”
Only then did Tae-seok’s voice soften. He patted the hands Eun-jo had clenched together and smiled.
“Anyone who sees us will think I’m going with a criminal.”
Which is true. They were both criminals. Eun-jo did his best to reassure Tae-seok, but the more he tried, the more he felt like the cheating husband giving his wife extra attention.
Gritting his teeth, Eun-jo quickly swallowed his rice. Mu-seong’s gaze settled on Eun-jo’s frustrated crown.
Cute.
Mu-seong’s sickness was as bad as ever.
