#023
“…I understand.”
What, what. What is this. Jaihan felt like his head was spinning. Paid features? For Kang Dojun, money was something that kept coming no matter how much he spent, and there was no way Jaihan wouldn’t know that.
‘…The paid filters probably don’t matter how much they cost, right?’
However, the request to make it as pretty as possible bothered him. With 25 years of life and having just debuted in the entertainment industry, he was practically a new member of society.
It was someone from the same agency, and moreover, a great sunbae. Make it as pretty as possible… as pretty as possible, he muttered, moving his hands as if entranced.
Kang Dojun seemed to have tried many things too, as various Photoshop apps were installed. Among them, he saw a familiar app he used, so he went in and began carefully decorating Yeonwoo’s photo.
“What are you doing?”
“Yes, yes?”
‘Did I do something wrong?’
Jaihan gulped. Kang Dojun personally pointed out his error.
“Why are you painting here?”
“Ah! The bangs length didn’t quite match. I majored in art before, so I was trying to fill it in to give it a real hair texture feel.”
“…The hair length doesn’t match?”
Somehow Kang Dojun’s expression had hardened a bit.
“Just a little, a very little.”
His intense gaze seemed to pierce right through Jaihan.
‘Stay calm, stay calm.’
He pretended nothing was wrong and moved his hands smoothly. Fortunately, there was a dedicated stylus attached to the phone, otherwise it would have taken some time.
After filling in the sparse empty areas of hair and applying pretty filters under Kang Dojun’s payment, a decent result came out.
“How is it?”
After receiving the phone, Kang Dojun examined it carefully. The impression was originally cute, but compared to the previous photo, it was even more refreshing.
‘The filter… no, is it because of the hair?’
He looked at the photo and compared it with Yeonwoo’s actual appearance.
Eventually, Kang Dojun had no choice but to find the answer.
“Is Yeonwoo’s hair strange?”
“…I think it has character!”
It was a confident statement that implied it was indeed strange. Kang Dojun handed the photo back to Jaihan and asked.
“Do you perhaps also do hair styling?”
* * *
Jaihan had majored in art, and he entrusted Yeonwoo’s hair to Hail, one of the members who was twenty-three years old and had once studied hair styling.
Grace had their own stylist, but Hail had brought hair scissors and a comb just in case he needed to manage his own hair, and while combing Yeonwoo’s hair, he said:
“If we cut it to match the shortest hair length, it’ll be difficult to achieve this photo look. But I’ll try my best.”
‘It’s so bad that he needs to try his best?’
Kang Dojun rubbed his face dry.
Actually, Hail also felt cold sweat running down his back.
He desperately wanted to leave everything to the stylist. However, it was troubling that their specialty was fashion, and the hair stylist would arrive here tomorrow.
“Just cut it roughly.”
Yeonwoo said nonchalantly. Kim Cheolsu was taking commemorative photos in front of him to bid farewell to his unsightly hair.
‘Why is everyone making such a fuss over just hair.’
Actually, he had known for a while that his hair was strange. If you have eyes, how could you not know?
‘I’m screwed.’
That was the first thought he had when he looked in the mirror right after Kang Dojun cut his hair.
However, the deed was already done and couldn’t be undone. Especially seeing Kang Dojun looking so pleased with himself, there was no need to say anything.
How could he ignore someone’s sincere effort?
Hair was something that could be grown back, and before the elderly people could say anything, he hurriedly told them that Kang Dojun had cut it, so they roughly caught on and kept quiet.
Yeonwoo kicked Kim Cheolsu and looked at Kang Dojun. For some reason, he had a serious expression.
‘This is why I didn’t say anything.’
“Then I’ll cut it…!”
Hail said with a trembling voice.
“Just cut it quickly and roughly.”
“Yes!”
The scissors passed over the hair with a snip-snip sound.
The production staff who had been doing checks also resumed filming one by one at Han Taegu’s urging.
“Phew, it’s finished.”
He sighed with relief and spoke with a relieved expression, like a doctor who had just performed a high-difficulty surgery.
Kang Dojun examined Yeonwoo’s hair. Now he had to admit it. He’d never been told he lacked manual dexterity, but thinking about it, he seemed never to have heard such words because he’d never had the opportunity to demonstrate his manual skills.
‘Much better.’
“Good work. How about you, Yeonwoo?”
He acted like a parent who had entrusted their child to a hair salon. Yeonwoo replied without even checking his hair.
“It seems fine. Thank you, Hail-ssi.”
He could guarantee it without having to check through a mirror. Honestly, it couldn’t have gotten worse than before.
More than that, Kim Cheolsu should have been satisfied with taking one photo earlier, but he was still constantly clicking away.
“Stop taking pictures.”
“Don’t you know about reviews? Hail hyung-nim! Can I post this on StarStar and brag that you cut it for me?”
“…It doesn’t matter.”
“It’s my hair, not yours. Just try posting it. I’ll kill you…”
*Click-*
“Ah, I guess it would be a bit much to post it, right? Sorry.”
Now that he looked at it, Kang Dojun also seemed full of thoughts about posting it.
‘Shit, why is he making that face.’
He lowered his eyebrows as if he felt very sorry. “I’ll delete the photo too,” he said, hesitating with his hand while watching his reaction.
It seemed like he was waiting for an answer.
‘Right, Shin Gihyeon probably spread rumors about my face being messed up anyway, so what’s this much.’
“You can post it.”
At those words, Kang Dojun smiled happily and went into the paid filter that Jaihan had taught him.
“Wow, then I can post it too, right?”
He ignored Kim Cheolsu’s excited chatter from the side. For some reason, he felt like he was getting weak to Kang Dojun’s requests.
Originally, Yeonwoo had clear likes and dislikes – if he disliked something, he disliked it, and if he liked it, he liked it. But something new and perplexing, something with an unpredictable trajectory, had infiltrated his daily life.
* * *
*Beep-*
“Blue team scores 1 point! Currently 13 points, Red team 7 points!”
They had currently moved locations and were using the playground of a branch school in the neighboring village, playing a 15-point jokgu match.
“Yeonwoo-ssi! That’s not how you do it, you need to watch the ball coming all the way and like this! Like this. Lightly, just tap.”
Grace’s Biyu demonstrated kicking the ball while coaching Yeonwoo.
“I did it like that, but the ball keeps avoiding me.”
It was a 4 vs 4 team match with Yeonwoo, Kang Dojun, Biyu, Jinhyeong vs Jaihan, Hail, Hanjin, Kim Cheolsu divided into teams.
Currently, the Blue team that Kim Cheolsu belonged to was winning by a significant point difference. It wasn’t that there was anyone particularly good on the Blue team, but Yeonwoo’s mishits on the Red team were leading them to victory.
“Yeonwoo, let’s switch positions.”
Kang Dojun guided Yeonwoo to a corner position.
“Yeonwoo-ssi, it’s not difficult! Just lift it up. Just lift it!”
The game resumed with Biyu’s coaching. Since Kang Dojun kept receiving and passing the balls that came to him instead, Yeonwoo had nothing to do and left his position.
If he couldn’t do it well, he should at least follow instructions, but this clumsy guy didn’t listen to anything at all.
Soon a ball happened to fly toward Yeonwoo’s position, so he belatedly tried to receive it, but the Blue team’s score was already smoothly running toward 15 points. They only needed 1 more point for victory.
“I’m sorry.”
Knowing it was clearly his mistake, Yeonwoo pouted and offered an apology.
‘This is boring.’
He wished this stupid game would end quickly. Biyu and Jinhyeong, not knowing Yeonwoo’s feelings, comforted him and energetically offered words of encouragement.
“It’s okay! Let’s try for a comeback victory!”
“Yes, mistakes can happen! Let’s score at least one more point!”
Kang Dojun looked at such Yeonwoo and stroked his now well-trimmed hair.
“It’s okay.”
What’s okay about it. It wasn’t okay at all. His gently drooping eyes kept sinking down endlessly, hiding his true feelings.
To such Yeonwoo, Kang Dojun smiled as if telling him not to worry and whispered something. Yeonwoo made a puzzled expression at his words, but the game resumed with a whistle signal, so he missed the timing to ask.
“Ah, ahhh! I sent it wrong!”
With Kim Cheolsu’s loud noise, the ball flew toward Kang Dojun.
He was handsome, good at acting, and except for manual dexterity, there was nothing he couldn’t do well – he was a troublesome opponent who could skillfully send the ball to tricky positions in the opposing team’s area.
However, an unexpected turn occurred. Kang Dojun made an absurd mistake. He kicked the ball so hard that it flew completely past the opposing team’s ground, hitting a home run.
“Waaaah! We won!”
Unlike the celebrating Blue team, the Red team comforted each other.
“I’m sorry. I made a mistake.”
“Not at all! Getting 7 points was thanks to sunbae-nim! Good work.”
“Wireless earphones as the winning prize? I didn’t expect them since they were already here! Rather, it was fun being on a team with sunbae-nim and Yeonwoo-ssi.”
Kang Dojun approached Yeonwoo, who was watching him from a distance. He playfully tugged at his protruding lips.
It’s okay, I’ll end it quickly.
His smooth eyes curved prettily as he spoke teasingly, as if asking for praise.
“Didn’t I say I’d end it quickly?”
* * *
When they returned home and were eating dinner, grilling the beef that Han Taegu had given them, he quietly called everyone together.
Idols are all about fan service! Essential elements of fan service. Cuteness, freshness, coolness, life shots, versatility, and the surprising charm of my baby.
He intended to proceed with filming that had been coordinated with the manager for DH Entertainment’s Grace.
“From now on, we will conduct a courage test!”
“…Huh?”
Everyone asked in bewilderment.
“You know the school where we played jokgu during the day, right? I borrowed it once more for tonight.”
Han Taegu looked at Kang Dojun and Yeonwoo. Grace was mandatory attendance, and Kang Dojun would go along due to a request from the agency to take care of their juniors since they’re from the same DH Entertainment.
However, he felt sorry about forcing Yeonwoo, whom he had already startled during the day, to go without proper invitation.
If only Kang Dojun and the rookie boy group Grace went, it would feel like an awkward company MT between senior and junior colleagues. They needed someone to help bridge their relationship.
‘It would be nice if Yeonwoo-ssi could be there…’
“Have a safe trip.”
At Han Taegu’s gaze, Yeonwoo spoke words of refusal.
“You’re not going?”
Kang Dojun spoke softly, but unusually, Yeonwoo shook his head even at his request.
“I need to check the apiary. I only looked briefly at dawn today and couldn’t go properly.”
Today, Uncle Cheolsu was sick, so he couldn’t help watch over it. Recently, not only hornets but also toads had been appearing, making the apiary need even more attention.
“Yeon hyung, I’ll go. I’ve learned here and there so I know how.”
In this rural village with only elderly people, Kim Cheolsu, who was at least of a similar age, often hung out with Yeonwoo on weekends when he came home. In the process, he had learned beekeeping by observation, and now he was confident he could do better than his father, who was just starting to learn.
“Thanks to today being fun, I should tactfully step aside. I got wireless earphones as a prize too. I’ll check the apiary before going home.”
However, when Yeonwoo just stared silently without responding to Kim Cheolsu’s words, Kang Dojun quietly asked.
“Do you perhaps dislike scary things?”
“No. I just felt like I should go check, even briefly. But since Cheolsu says he’ll watch over it, I think I’ll have time. Let’s go, whatever.”
Kang Dojun carefully observed his expression. Without any change in expression, he calmly picked up meat and chewed it.
Was it pride? Or was he really not scared? He felt like he’d need to watch more to know.