#064
“What?”
Kang Dojun’s face was full of displeasure as he asked back. His expression was annoyed, as if asking why that name was being mentioned from his mouth.
Park Daeho gained confidence once again.
“Do you perhaps like Yeonwoo-s— Mmph!”
Kang Dojun quickly looked around and covered Park Daeho’s mouth.
“Later, let’s talk about it later.”
Even though everyone had left work, this was still the company and there were people staying for overtime. If he wasn’t going to spread rumors throughout the neighborhood, now wasn’t the right timing.
Park Daeho seemed to understand as he nodded. Only after receiving confirmation several times did Kang Dojun release the hand covering his mouth.
“But you really…! No, let’s solve this first.”
Park Daeho was about to scold him again but quietly backed down at his frown.
They, who had been in the corridor, opened the glass door again and went inside.
“You’re back? We confirmed the contract you sent, and we’ve extracted a few sentences. And we read the statement – we’ve marked the points to fix in red pen. Nothing special was changed, we just added a few more sentences. Please check.”
As the clock hand approached 11 o’clock, the staff member spoke urgently.
Feeling sorry for the staff member who couldn’t even go home and was working late into the night because of him, Kang Dojun looked over everything as thoroughly and quickly as possible.
“I’ve checked it.”
“Then we’ll type this up and post it. The staff member sitting over there will do that. I’ll be leaving work now. Seoyeong-ssi, good work.”
“Yes! Have a safe trip home!”
‘The junior staff ends up doing overtime after all.’
The staff member who had been in charge of them until just now left, and the person named Seoyeong guided them. She held out a paper to Park Daeho.
“Manager-nim, please write down your number here before you go. I’ll contact you if there are any problems while monitoring the internet.”
“Yes, do you have a pen?”
“Here.”
Kang Dojun seemed concerned about the staff member doing overtime because of him and spoke up.
“Should I buy you some coffee?”
I should buy something for Yeonwoo on the way too. What should I get? Should I buy ice cream too? While he was contemplating various things, the staff member spoke firmly.
“No. Don’t stop anywhere today and go straight home. I’ll buy my own coffee.”
It was silent pressure not to create any more controversial issues.
“R-right. Dojun, let’s not disturb the staff member and disappear quickly. Seoyeong-ssi, please contact us if anything happens.”
“Yes, please go in now.”
“…Good work.”
The overtime-working staff member’s anger couldn’t be calmed even by Kang Dojun’s good looks.
Finally alone in the car, Park Daeho decided to ask openly and refreshingly.
“Do you like Yeonwoo-ssi?”
“Yeah.”
At Kang Dojun affirming without even a second’s hesitation when he could have taken some time to think, Park Daeho let out an amazed laugh.
Whether he trusted his childhood friend too much, or whether he couldn’t hide his feelings of affection.
To Park Daeho, who was spaced out because he hadn’t finished organizing his thoughts, Kang Dojun gestured while fastening his seatbelt.
“Let’s go quickly. Yeonwoo must be waiting.”
He became anxious about Lee Yeonwoo, who hadn’t contacted him even after sending texts. Even when he called, he only heard the automated message saying the line was busy.
‘Who is he talking to at this hour?’
Petty jealousy swelled up.
「Yeonwoo, who are you on a call with?」
He expressed his jealousy by sending a text. There was nothing to hide anymore. Even if others found it strange, Kang Dojun wanted a relationship where they were completely obsessed with and possessed by each other.
Park Daeho said while starting the engine.
“Does Yeonwoo-ssi like you too?”
“Yeah.”
Kang Dojun’s entire attention was focused on his phone. He searched through his contacts and made a call.
“Are you calling Yeonwoo-ssi?”
“No.”
The dial tone rang a few times and Kim Haseon answered.
“Ah, did you get home safely today? Yes, yes. Sorry for calling so late at night. I dialed the wrong number. Yes. Thank you.”
After a few exchanges, he hung up abruptly.
“Who was it?”
“Haseon-ssi. Yeonwoo’s friend.”
“…The person we met today? Isn’t it Seungseon-ssi?”
“That’s a nickname.”
‘When did he even get that phone number…’
Kang Dojun answered briefly and brought his phone to his ear.
“I dialed the wrong number. Sorry for calling so late at night. Yes, thank you. We’ll resolve it well. Congratulations on this comeback too. Yes. What are the other members doing by any chance? Is that so. I understand. Well then.”
“…What are you doing?”
“Jaihan-ssi. Grace.”
That wasn’t what he was asking about. Why does he keep calling random people and then saying he dialed wrong…
Kang Dojun, seemingly tireless, made another call to someone. At a glance, he looked like someone obsessed with phone calls.
Park Daeho, who had stopped the car at a red light, decided to openly watch what he was doing.
This time the call seemed to fail as he hung up without saying anything.
“It’s Gihyeon-ssi.”
“What is?”
“Nothing.”
Only then did Kang Dojun turn off his phone and stare straight ahead.
“It’s a green light.”
“I know.”
He seemed somehow anxious.
“Besides me, do you know anyone else? You and Yeonwoo-ssi.”
“Gihyeon-ssi probably knows.”
He was the first to be found out, and Shin Gihyeon often contacted Lee Yeonwoo so he couldn’t not know.
Park Daeho moved on to another question.
“What are you going to do from now on? You’ll continue acting, right? Right?”
“I don’t know. What should I do? Going down to the countryside to live wouldn’t be bad either.”
“…Following your friend to Gangnam?”
“Following my lover to the countryside.”
A shy smile bloomed on Kang Dojun’s face as he said this.
“I’m going to live taking care of our Yeonwoo.”
…He’s completely lost his mind. His friend likes the same man. He could understand that much. Park Daeho wasn’t someone who had prejudices about that sort of thing.
However, seeing him act like it was the one and only love in the world made his head ache, so he pressed his temples firmly.
Park Daeho thought his symptoms, which had been fine for years, had relapsed. He thought it was just a momentary burning love.
Once he gets fixated on something, he does only that like crazy, then when his feelings cool down, he doesn’t even glance at it. This time the target seemed to be Lee Yeonwoo.
“What will you do if you want to act again later? If you break up with Yeonwoo-ssi? What will you do for a living?”
“That won’t happen.”
He lost his words at Kang Dojun’s firm line-drawing.
He brought up even the most unlikely scenarios to somehow wake him up to reality.
“Fine. Let’s say you even quit acting and followed Yeonwoo-ssi to the countryside. Let’s say you don’t break up. But what if Yeonwoo-ssi asks to break up first? What will you do then?”
Kang Dojun expressed his irritation as if even such a hypothesis was unpleasant.
“Don’t say such things.”
He didn’t hide his crumpled face. It was a scenario he didn’t even want to imagine.
If that happened, if such a day really came, he would be together from the beginning to the end of each day, from opening to closing his eyes.
He’d feed him, put him to sleep, wash him, stick close to his side and take care of him so he couldn’t do anything without him.
Park Daeho, who had dropped Kang Dojun off in front of his house, opened the window and said.
“You still have time left on your contract, so think about it more.”
“I’ll go first. Good work.”
A sigh naturally burst out at Kang Dojun leaving without looking back. He’d definitely already forgotten about Han Taegu’s matter.
He was about to raise the window and leave while clicking his tongue when he heard a knock-knock sound. He lowered the window again.
“What?”
“Give me your phone.”
Park Daeho held out his phone to Kang Dojun with a question mark on his face.
Kang Dojun fiddled with the phone and handed it back to Park Daeho.
“What did you do?”
“Um…, since I got caught, I’ll tell you. If you have something to say to Yeonwoo, contact me.”
“What? Hey…!”
Kang Dojun pulled up his mask and slipped into his apartment. Park Daeho hurriedly checked what had changed on his phone.
‘No way.’
He searched through his contacts, but Lee Yeonwoo’s number was nowhere to be seen.
Just in case, he looked for the record of the text he’d sent earlier. The number should still be there. But seeing that even the text history had been completely deleted, Park Daeho finally felt disgusted.
“Crazy bastard.”
***
“You’re back? What happened with Han Taegu?”
“What were you doing that you didn’t answer the phone? I was worried.”
Kang Dojun pulled Lee Yeonwoo, who had come out to greet him at the front door, into his arms and buried his face in his hair.
“I was on a call.”
“With Gihyeon-ssi?”
“How did you know?”
“What did you talk about?”
“Come here.”
At Kang Dojun’s question, Lee Yeonwoo grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to the living room.
Lee Yeonwoo didn’t seem bothered by Kang Dojun putting his hand on his shoulder and kissing around his eyes – he just scratched his cheek, saying it tickled.
“Did you cry? Your eyes are red.”
“They’re red because hyung keeps kissing me.”
“They were red from earlier.”
He had good observation skills. When Lee Yeonwoo remained silent, he now completely pulled him into his embrace and began nibbling all over his pale face with his lips.
“I got a text from Manager-nim. Is it because of my contract?”
“You don’t need to worry about it. It’ll be resolved well. Did you cry because of that? It’s not your fault.”
“I didn’t cry. But hyung, look at this. I just wrote this with Gihyeon.”
Lee Yeonwoo changed the subject and showed him the white paper that had been turned face down. It was densely filled with black writing.
Kang Dojun slowly read the text.
“Your handwriting is like you too.”
“What do you mean?”
“Round and round.”
Lee Yeonwoo refrained from answering so Kang Dojun could concentrate on reading. He glanced at his own handwriting and peeked at Kang Dojun’s face. His handsome face was crumpled.
He raised his hand and massaged his wrinkled brow. Even so, there was no sign of improvement.
“Did you sign it while drinking?”
“Yes.”
Lee Yeonwoo answered roughly while focusing on rubbing his face. Kang Dojun bit those fingers as if they were annoying.
“Ow.”
“Did it hurt?”
At the exaggerated sound, he was startled and carefully examined Lee Yeonwoo’s thin fingers. There wasn’t even a tooth mark left.
“Why didn’t you tell me you signed it while drinking?”
“I thought it was something in the past. Getting involved in this kind of thing because of me… I’m sorry.”
The voice of Lee Yeonwoo, who was fidgeting in his embrace, trembled slightly.
“I told you it’s not your fault.”
When he grabbed and lifted his cheeks, the white face crushed by his grip was pitifully holding back tears.
“Why do you keep crying?”
“Because of me… What if hyung can’t act anymore now?”
“We decided to go live in the countryside together.”
“Wasn’t that just something you said?”
No, it wasn’t. At Kang Dojun’s firm words, Lee Yeonwoo stopped crying slightly and rolled his eyes around.
“I really don’t have money…”
He had income, but it wasn’t enough for two people to live on.
‘What should I do? Should I give him even my share to hold onto him?’
If Kang Dojun left because of money, that would be the worst. Kang Dojun was like Lee Yeonwoo’s mental pillar. In his anxious heart, he gripped his fingers tightly.
“I told you I have a lot of money. And so what if we don’t have any? Let’s starve to death together.”
Kang Dojun gently bit Lee Yeonwoo’s chin. The tender skin heated up red wherever he bit.
Finding this amusing, he bit a little harder, leaving tooth marks. He went down and bit his soft neck.
Lee Yeonwoo slightly lifted his head to let him settle in comfortably. He squinted his eyes at the small pain that came, but didn’t restrain his actions.
“I like it when hyung acts. Seeing it in person today, you were cool.”
From his bitten neck, he could feel vibrations every time he made a sound.
“Should I continue then?”
Kang Dojun went back and forth, leaving all decision-making to Lee Yeonwoo.
“What if this matter goes wrong?”
“Don’t worry. It seems like it’ll be resolved well. Really.”
Kang Dojun soothed Lee Yeonwoo, who was pouting his lips and grumbling.
There was clear evidence in the form of the contract, and although he felt sorry for the staff member working overtime, the company’s handling wasn’t slow either.
Twisted emotions about Han Taegu, who had demanded a signature while drunk, rose up in Kang Dojun’s stomach.
Who’s calling whom overbearing? It wasn’t even funny.
It was time to show what real overbearing behavior was.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
