#7. One-Sided Love Red Flag (1)
As soon as I came out of the CEO’s office, I grabbed Na Jihan’s collar.
“You, come follow me.”
He followed me all the way to the emergency stairwell, led by my touch. He could have resisted if he had put strength into his body, but he didn’t and obediently went along with me.
“What are you really trying to do!”
As soon as I was free from others’ gazes, I pounded Na Jihan’s shoulder with my fists. He replied in a soulless voice.
“It hurts, Yoon Seowoo.”
What are you talking about. You’re not budging at all. Only my knuckles were suffering from pounding his body packed with muscle.
“What are you doing? Pretending to date? Doing BusGayPerf? We haven’t even debuted yet? Would that even work in the first place! Do you want to lose people’s favor with lies that won’t even break even?”
Na Jihan shrugged with an indifferent expression.
“It’s fine if we don’t get caught, what’s the problem. It’s not like we’re kissing in front of everyone, so how would it be a problem?”
“Is it okay as long as you don’t kiss!”
When I shouted angrily, an echo reverberated through the stairwell.
Is it okay as long as you don’t kiss!
Is it okay as long as you don’t kiss…!
Is it okay as long as you don’t kiss…….
“Anyway, it’s not happening.”
I said firmly after coming to my senses.
“I’m going to prove myself with skill and put in effort over time. If you pull weird stunts, I won’t let it slide even if it’s you.”
“What weird stunts? Let me hear it.”
“Are you asking because you don’t know? Touching unnecessarily in front of people, sticking close together, pretending to be close… mmph.”
I was shooting off words in an agitated tone when my body was suddenly yanked. Before I could react, my body was pushed back and my mouth was covered. It all happened in an instant.
Not only was I cornered against the wall, but my hands were also firmly held. It was a strong force, as if he had just been going easy on me until now. I couldn’t move at all and looked up at him.
“Wait a moment.”
Na Jihan, who had come close enough to whisper, said.
“……Mmph, mmph.”
“Yoon Seowoo. Shh.”
At that moment, a clattering sound echoed from the floor below. It was the sound of someone opening a door.
“Just because you can’t see doesn’t mean it’s not there. It’s wide open all around.”
His gray shadow fell darkly over me.
“I don’t want you to get unnecessary misunderstandings. Let’s stay quiet, okay?”
Only after I nodded did Na Jihan let me go. He stuck his head out over the railing to carefully check below before stepping back.
“But, thinking about it, it’s a bit weird. That ‘weird stunt’ you mentioned. Isn’t it too strange?”
Na Jihan asked in a sulky tone.
“How do we pretend to be close when we already are close.”
It was actually a valid point. We were unusually close, which also meant Na Jihan was unusually affectionate toward me.
“I was originally going to try to act less close and stick together less.”
I tried to say it matter-of-factly, but after saying it, it sounded a bit like an excuse. I cleared my throat to hide my embarrassment and added.
“Like when I greeted the members last time, I wanted to keep it secret that you and I are childhood friends if possible.”
An awkward silence fell after those words. I wondered why he was staying quiet and glanced at him…….
“……Na Jihan?”
He was looking at me with a somewhat upset expression.
“Yoon Seowoo. Do you dislike me that much?”
“Huh…… huh? Huh huh?”
As I stared blankly at his face, layers of accumulated emotions revealed themselves. Questions, disappointment, resentment, and even dejection.
“Why don’t you like debuting with me? I like it.”
“……”
“I’m confident I’ll work hard, and I’m sure I won’t cause trouble or treat you carelessly. I like being with you so much that I’m just happy about everything…… but you don’t seem to feel the same.”
“Jihan, that’s.”
I fumbled and eventually had to avoid his gaze. I felt uncomfortable.
How could I dislike it. What Na Jihan means to me. I also liked being with him, and if I was going to be this happy, maybe I didn’t need to avoid him so much.
But the problem was my heart that grew bigger day by day. Because of the feelings I became aware of at some unknown point, whenever I looked at Na Jihan, my heart would beat loudly and I’d feel restless inside.
“Anyway, it’s already decided.”
Na Jihan gently consoled me.
“The CEO didn’t make that suggestion for no reason. So Seowoo, you should think about it seriously one more time too.”
“……”
“I’m not unaware of what you’re worried about, but it’s not as big a deal as you think. So I think you can accept it more comfortably.”
I don’t like seeing you struggle, Na Jihan added as he gently stroked my hair.
Na Jihan was probably right. As he said, we were already close, and since it was just a performance at most, it might not actually become that troublesome.
However, I didn’t have the confidence to laugh it off as no big deal like him. I was worried that I might reveal this heart of mine, having no talent for hiding things, so a corner of my heart felt uneasy.
I couldn’t give a proper answer and followed him out of the emergency stairwell while thinking.
‘Na Jihan, you really……’
You’re kind but have no sense at all.
So I’m really relieved.
* * *
The dorm was better than I expected.
Was it a two-story detached house with some age? I heard it was built well over 10 years ago, but as the explanation said, it had been cleanly renovated inside and out after purchase, so it looked neat.
‘Even if it’s old construction, a detached house in Seoul must have cost quite a bit.’
Considering that rookies were usually given officetel or apartments, it seemed like they had really made up their minds to invest seriously.
I was stuck right behind Na Jihan who was naturally pulling my suitcase when I was about to press the doorbell, but he overlapped his hand with mine to stop me.
“No. You don’t need to press it.”
“Isn’t the door locked?”
The front door entering the house was locked with a door lock, but the big gate surrounding the garden was an old-fashioned key system. I figured since we were idols, they probably double-locked it for safety reasons.
“Hapil is inside. He’ll come out on his own.”
As soon as he finished saying that, the door burst open from inside and Hapil Jae appeared with a beaming smile.
“Hi hi. You’re here? You said you’d come soon but why did it take so long? I was waiting so long my neck almost fell off. Give me your bag.”
He really came out on his own. I didn’t press the doorbell or make noise, so how did he know? Did he look out the window?
When I looked at Hapil Jae with a puzzled expression, he giggled and pulled me in.
“I saw through the external CCTV. It’s connected to the monitor in the second-floor living room.”
“For safety?”
“Yes yes. It’s a bit less now, but there are still sasaeng fan problems…… sometimes there are really aggressive ones.”
He pretended to look around quickly and then shrugged naturally.
“After seeing the pile of wreaths lined up in front of our company building, I really thought it was good we installed this. Hyung should be careful too. Try not to go around alone if possible.”
Since my trainee life wasn’t that long and I practiced quietly at a small agency, it sounded like a story from another world. I nodded and followed Hapil Jae around the house for a tour while getting introduced to the basic structure.
“The first floor is mainly common areas. You know we have a shared dress room, right?”
“Yeah. Jihan told me.”
“You can wear anything including accessories. Just be careful about sizes and make sure personal clothes don’t get mixed up with sponsored clothes…… well, the manager hyung comes to check occasionally.”
The road manager was Na Hyeonjun, right. He was trustworthy since he had such a thorough and meticulous personality.
“Other than that, there’s a fitness room, study, utility room. And a big living room. Want to come see the second floor?”
Going up the stairs, I saw the second floor that was as spacious as the first floor. There was a small living room, veranda, and three bedrooms.
“This room is used by me and Lee Seon hyung. The opposite side is Jihan hyung and Haesol hyung. And this side. The small room close to the veranda is a single room……”
Three rooms, five people. I guess the structure was two people each in two rooms and the remaining one person uses the single room.
“Is this the room I’ll be staying in?”
“Yes yes. There’s basic furniture and I’ve washed all the bed sheets. Want to go in and see?”
The room that was originally used by Maki seemed to have been empty for quite some time since its owner left, looking completely vacant. Since two walls were exterior walls and it was connected to the veranda, cold wind rushed in directly, making me shiver even though I was wearing a coat.
“……It’s cold?”
When I, who was particularly sensitive to cold, started shivering, Hapil Jae made an “oh” sound.
“Wait a moment. Can’t we just turn on the heating? Each room has its own. The control device…… ah, here it is.”
“How do you use it? It looks a bit different from the one at my house.”
“Ah, this is simpler than you think. First press the power button here. When the screen turns on……”
Click.
“I pressed the power button so the screen should……”
Click, click.
“What? Why won’t it turn on?”
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
“Hapil. Don’t break the house.”
“No, Jihan hyung. This…… I think the boiler is broken.”
The three of us gathered in front of the palm-sized control device exchanged ominous looks.
“The heating doesn’t work?”
When the room is this cold?
“It seems like it. What should we do?”
“How can you ask me that. I just entered this house for the first time……”
It seems like the first start of dorm life isn’t going to be ordinary.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
