#89. Red Flag in a Relationship (4)
Na Jihan looked at me once again. But that too was brief—after just a few seconds, he turned his gaze elsewhere.
It’s been like this a lot lately. This trivial noise that suddenly wedged itself between us is becoming clearer with each passing day. Whether he finds me difficult or awkward, this change has left me restless as well.
“Why are you being like this, really…”
Tracing back the reason for his subtle attitude change, there was only one answer. The day I told Na Jihan I liked him. Something that started then seems to have grown little by little, leading to the current situation.
I admit it. It was quite an impulsive confession. Something that had been dangling on the tip of my tongue came bursting out like a sneeze.
Still.
“I said I’d sort it out.”
I said I’d wait just a little, sort it out properly, and return to friendship.
It would be best if I could organize everything cleanly without being caught or confessing. But that wasn’t going my way any more than the feelings that suddenly emerged. I seemed still too immature to handle everything in a mature, adult manner.
Should I be grateful that he still takes care of me from the closest position as usual, or should I say it’s not quite fortunate since the awkwardness shows even better because of that distance?
Na Jihan’s inner thoughts are as mysterious as the fate of my unrequited love.
“Close your eyes.”
This time too, Na Jihan changed the subject. Avoiding my gaze as if avoiding the question, he silently washed my hair like someone who hadn’t heard anything.
I tightly closed my eyes while gripping his shirt, which was more than splashed—it was practically soaked.
“Fans are suspicious about us, Jihan.”
“……”
“What if discord rumors spread instead of us doing roleplay?”
Of course, given that cyber wreckers had deliberately created controversy, they would have twisted and gossiped about whatever we did anyway.
“This time, while explaining various things, let’s resolve and explain our situation well too.”
The stream of water tickling my hair stopped. When I lifted my head, Na Jihan was looking down at me with somehow complicated eyes.
“How are you going to resolve it and what are you going to explain?”
His voice sounded a bit muffled, so it seemed some water had gotten into his ears while he was washing my hair.
“That I liked you for a long time and finally confessed, but took time to sort it out properly and returned to being friends?”
Na Jihan, who had been looking up at me quietly, answered.
“We should say our friendship is fine like this, naturally…”
Na Jihan, with an “oops” expression, pressed his lips together and placed a large towel over my head. Between the awkward atmosphere and his caring touch, I was once again caught in a puzzling mood.
‘Is he being conscious of it?’
If there’s one fortunate thing, it’s that he doesn’t find my confession unpleasant. Instead, he seemed confused, but the flaw was that I couldn’t know exactly what was causing that confusion.
Just as I need time to sort out my feelings for him, Na Jihan probably needs time to accept and understand this fact too.
After much contemplation, I reached this conclusion. It also meant I had to endure this awkwardness.
“Pay attention when there are cameras. Since you’re more natural at it than I am, act closer too.”
Na Jihan nodded. Still, he’s a guy with professional consciousness, so fortunately we could communicate about this.
Na Jihan changed clothes while keeping me seated. His movements brushing off moisture and slipping his arms into new clothes felt indifferent rather than calm. When he handled me, he was so careful and slow.
“Come here.”
The action of wrapping one arm around my waist and supporting below my knees with the other to lift me up was quite natural. At first, the floating sensation was scary, so I had to tightly embrace his shoulders with both arms to bear it, but now I knew I didn’t need to do that, so I could lean against him more comfortably.
When we went down to the first floor with me in Na Jihan’s arms, the members gathered in the living room warmly greeted us. Hapil Jae giggled, saying he was now used to seeing us like this.
“You’re really amazing. I’m not confident about carrying someone like this. I don’t think I could do it.”
For saying such things, Hapil Jae was quite tall too. He even bragged recently about growing another 0.5cm, so he was the second tallest and biggest in our group after Na Jihan.
“What are you talking about? You’re incredibly strong.”
“That’s true.”
Ahn Haesol smoothly interjected with a laughing voice.
“I tried using the weights Jihan and Hapil used after them during workouts, but they wouldn’t budge. What kind of weight do you guys lift?”
“Eh? Don’t other people do it like that?”
“Of course not. You two always put on 100kg when you add weight…”
“You exercise with weight heavier than my body weight?”
I looked up at Na Jihan with a “really?” expression. He shrugged and replied nonchalantly.
“It’s only exercise if it’s difficult.”
…Maybe I should exercise more diligently too once I’m fully recovered.
While thinking about this, I was diligently transported. Since we had a meeting as soon as we got to the company building, there wasn’t much time to delay.
When I first heard about it, I thought I’d be fine since I was calm, but as the car rolled toward the company building, I felt a strange tension approaching.
As my words gradually decreased and I finally just sat in silence gripping the seatbelt tightly with both hands, Na Jihan glanced at me and said quietly.
“Should I turn the car around?”
If he wanted to ease my tension, he succeeded. I burst into small laughter.
Na Jihan’s voice had also become much lighter.
“It’s not entirely a joke. I mean you don’t necessarily have to step forward directly. It’s not like I don’t know what you want, so I can do it for you.”
I couldn’t enter the meeting room without any plan. So as soon as I heard they’d arrange a meeting, I called Na Jihan to convey what I wanted from this meeting and how I would demand what from the other party. Just in case I got swept up in the atmosphere or hesitated and couldn’t speak properly, I hoped Na Jihan would fill in the gaps.
“I know. I trust you too.”
I said while glancing at the city scenery slowly passing by outside the car window.
“Still, I want to do it myself.”
“You’ve grown a lot, Yoon Seowoo.”
“Of course. I’ll be twenty-three in a month.”
“That’s right.”
The hand gripping the steering wheel suddenly stretched out and ruffled my hair. It was a rough yet caring touch.
“You’ve grown up so well on your own, I don’t know what to tell your mom later. She earnestly asked me to take good care of Yoon Seowoo.”
“…Later, when you meet my mom.”
I slightly raised my hand and tapped his hand appreciatively.
“Just praise me for what I did well and how.”
“That’s my specialty.”
Instead of other people’s trivial chatter, a few familiar old ballads flowed through the car.
It meant the season when we shouldn’t turn on the radio had already arrived.
* * *
Bae Jonghwi’s face was ashen.
I didn’t feel sorry for him at all. Even hearing that it was done in anger and that he was reflecting on it stirred no emotion in me. I just quietly looked at him with my arms crossed as he slouched over.
“You pushed someone in anger…”
That was the excuse he gave while sitting down for this meeting. It was so trivial and crude that I lost even the will to say anything.
The company building has higher ceilings than regular homes. It was fortunate that it only resulted in a slight leg injury—if I had hit my head first, it could have led to a really serious accident.
Wasn’t it too lazy and malicious to brush it off with expressions like “in anger,” “impulsively,” or “somehow it happened”?
A cold silence flowed through the meeting room. Not only Han Seongkyung and Na Jihan, but also Bae Jonghwi, Bae Dojin sitting across from us, and the Frame Label CEO all held their breath waiting for my words.
“I don’t care about the reason. Besides, even if you had given me a decent answer, I don’t think I would have felt any different.”
I presented the document folder I had prepared in advance. The Frame Label CEO’s eyes trembled finely as he stared at the manila envelope.
“Is… is it a lawsuit?”
It hadn’t been long since the debut date for the trainee group Bae Jonghwi belonged to was decided. Since it was Frame Label’s first boy group, they must have put considerable effort into it, but it was a proper red flag from the very beginning.
“No.”
I said calmly.
“But it won’t be good news for you two.”
Bae Jonghwi, who had hesitated briefly, took out the contents and examined them. I showed kindness by summarizing the document contents for the two people.
“I don’t like legal battles.”
Having had enough of the years of fighting with cousins over inheritance after my mother passed away, I didn’t want to do such troublesome things unless necessary.
So I wanted to settle cleanly through agreement without needing to wrestle with the law.
“I have three conditions. Check them and sign the written agreement.”
Warm body temperature settled on top of my hands resting on my thighs. It was Na Jihan. The last bit of tension remaining like sediment melted away with that warmth.
“First. Sincerely apologize for this incident without making any excuses.”
Of course, I had no intention of accepting the apology. But that didn’t mean Bae Jonghwi didn’t need to apologize.
“Second. Don’t bring up this incident anywhere, whether public or private. I mean don’t gossip freely about me or about Arcus either.”
Apology, and maintaining secrecy. Just as some color was returning to Bae Jonghwi’s face as he looked over the documents.
“And, lastly.”
I looked directly at Bae Jonghwi and said.
“I demand the dismissal of trainee Bae Jonghwi.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
