Each time the staff gathered and dispersed, Evan gradually became disheveled.
“As expected, it’s better the more you take off.”
At the photographer’s words, laughter was heard from here and there. In contrast, Siwoo’s face turned pale.
‘Take off.’
The black hoodie fluttered this way and that under his hands. He looked down at his palm. So, he groped with this hand. His gaze that had been looking at his palm turned to Evan again. A white shirt with all the buttons undone. Below it, his upper body with well-developed muscles protruding was visible.
The scene hidden in his memory slowly awakened. He looked at Evan’s nose and touched his own forehead. He thought he had headbutted that fine nose. Moreover, he had pulled at his clothes.
“I’m crazy.”
His face that had turned pale became red like a ripe persimmon. Nothing happened? He tried to strip someone’s clothes off at the rooftop and groped his body, and that’s nothing? He would have nothing to say even if he was reported for sexual harassment.
‘Yechan became handsome.’
He covered his hotly flushed cheeks with his hands. He clearly said to wait until it was over, and since he said he would, he couldn’t run away either. Most of all, Evan still hadn’t told him where the plums were sold.
One more thing to hide increased. His feelings for him and last night’s disgraceful behavior.
* * *
“Plum.”
“You’re right. I lost to the plum.”
Seeing him who had removed his heavy makeup, changed into comfortable clothes and was walking toward him, Siwoo ended up saying the word plum first. Who knew that word would come out before saying he was cool or asking if he wasn’t tired?
What do you mean you lost? Your words just went astray.
He had to act as naturally and normally as possible, pretending not to know.
Kim Siwoo’s showtime had begun.
“That’s not it, you looked cool.”
“Tell me honestly. Did you come because of the plum? Or did you come because you were curious about me? Or did you come because you were worried about what mistake you made yesterday?”
“All three.”
Siwoo, who greeted everyone and came outside, put his hand in his pocket and fiddled with the car keys.
“That’s unexpected?”
“What is?”
Siwoo was about to go to the driver’s seat when he was pulled backward by Evan’s strength wrapping around his shoulder.
“That you came because you were curious about me. I’ll drive.”
“This is my car though?”
When filming ended, Evan tried to send his manager ahead first, and he looked at Siwoo, not Evan. It was silent pressure to keep the promise from the conversation they had just had, and Siwoo roughly looked somewhere else and just slightly nodded.
“What do you want to eat?”
At his appearance casually changing the subject while directing Siwoo, who had been going to the driver’s seat, toward the passenger seat, Siwoo’s ears turned red.
“Hey. You’re the one who’s tired from filming. I’ll treat you well, so get some sleep.”
He answered indifferently while raising his hand to press his ear repeatedly.
“It’s okay. This much.”
“Yes. You’re so great.”
Siwoo, who had been trying to go to the driver’s seat, couldn’t go there because of Evan standing in front of the car. At the sight of him looking down at him with his arms crossed, he tried to turn sideways to go to the driver’s seat when his waist was wrapped by one of his arms.
“What are you doing?”
“Don’t you want to eat plums?”
Is everything about plums? Anyway, since Siwoo was the one held hostage by the plum, he chose to go to the passenger seat rather than struggle with him. He grabbed his forearm to escape from his arm, but instead he was pulled by his strength and ended up in his embrace.
Evan, who hugged him tightly, buried his face in Siwoo’s shoulder.
“I’ll be honest. I don’t like plums that much.”
Siwoo spoke out of awkwardness. He was afraid that the sound of his suddenly pounding heart would be heard by him. The voice he thought would tremble flowed out the same as usual.
“I like plums.”
“But can you let go of this? If someone sees, they’ll misunderstand.”
“I’m doing this so they’ll misunderstand.”
Even as he said that, when he released the strength of the arm that had been wrapping around him, Siwoo escaped from him as if he had been waiting. And he headed to the passenger seat, not the driver’s seat.
The emotional drain was too great to struggle with him over useless things.
Watching Evan adjust the driver’s seat and exit the parking lot, Siwoo shifted his gaze to the opposite window. What filled his mind now was Evan.
With that person right next to him, Siwoo became lost in thought. The more he thought about it, the more unknowable he was.
“How did you become my fan?”
Tracing back his thoughts, Siwoo brought up the first thing he had said.
“There’s no reason for liking someone. Even if you ask why, there’s no answer I can give you. One of the Ocean members turned on the TV, and you appeared on a music show. That’s all.”
Holding the steering wheel with his right hand and opening the car window, Evan swept his hair back with his left hand.
He had nothing to say. Why would a reason be needed for a person to like a person? They just like them. His question was too foolish. The weight of him liking him now and him liking himself would be different.
The words “like” and “love” couldn’t fully express emotions.
Even if they both say they like each other, those meanings could be sufficiently different.
“Why? Are you going to start liking me a little now?”
At Evan’s question, the corners of Siwoo’s mouth, still looking the other way in case his unhidden expression was caught, gently rose.
“Yeah. I’ll try to like you… Urk.”
At the sudden hard braking, Siwoo’s body lurched forward sharply. Evan quickly extended his arm to block him.
“What did you say?”
Evan, who turned the steering wheel to pull the car over to the shoulder, turned his body to look at Siwoo.
“What?”
Siwoo, who barely regained his composure, was more flustered by Evan’s behavior of looking at him with a surprised expression. They were just having a casual conversation like joking around as usual. This kind of light conversation was something easily shared with anyone.
“You said you like me.”
Honestly, he thought recalling last night’s events and looking at Evan would be very awkward and difficult. Whether it was because he made up his mind to deceive or because of his behavior that was the same as usual, being with him was easier than expected.
“Yeah. I like you. Where in this world is there anyone who hates you? Well, malicious commenters and such people can’t be helped. Most people all like you. And let’s be clear about this. I’ve never hated you.”
Siwoo answered honestly. Liking is correct, isn’t it? It’s certain. I’m not lying to you right now.
What came back was silence. Evan, who had been looking at Siwoo for a moment, changed gears and started the car. In the suddenly heavy atmosphere, Siwoo turned on the radio. Sometimes he couldn’t predict his behavior. Like now.
“Oh. It’s Hyunsu-hyung’s radio.”
Siwoo, who had been listening to the radio, turned up the volume more.
[Then. I’ll connect the call now.]
At the words of Hyunsu, the radio DJ, Siwoo unknowingly looked at his own phone. Didn’t he say yesterday? That Yechan appeared on the radio and called him. But what rang wasn’t his own phone but Evan’s phone.
“Answer it.”
Siwoo’s pupils shook as he picked up Evan’s phone. Whose call do you think this is that I’m answering? The number that appeared now was an unsaved number.
“Yes. Hello?”
Unable to ignore the continuously ringing phone, Siwoo carefully answered.
[Huh? Siwoo-hyung?]
Yechan’s voice was heard simultaneously from the receiver and the radio. Next to him, Evan chuckled and lowered the radio volume.
“Ah. Yeah.”
He was suddenly speechless.
[Siwoo-ssi. This is Choi Hyunsu from ‘Tonight.’ Please say hello.]
At Hyunsu’s words full of playfulness, Siwoo looked at Evan with trembling eyes. Is this a fun situation right now? Why are you laughing? And yet he subtly raised his right hand and made a gesture to hurry up and speak.
“Hello. This is Kim Siwoo. It’s an honor to be connected like this.”
Since he couldn’t cause a broadcast accident, Siwoo answered reluctantly.
[Right now I called Evan-ssi, but seeing that Siwoo-ssi answered, you must be together.]
Of course we’re together, so that’s why I answered the phone, right? Siwoo squeezed his eyes shut. He just wanted to live quietly without getting entangled with Evan somehow.
“Yes. Since Evan is driving right now, I answered instead. I’ll pull over and pass the phone to Evan…”
[Siwoo-hyung! Don’t do that and put it on speakerphone. It’s me, Yechan.]
At Yechan’s words, Siwoo quickly switched to speakerphone and re-gripped the phone about halfway between Evan and himself. An explanation was heard that Yechan went on Hyunsu’s radio and connected a call to Evan during the conversation.
“Hello. This is Ocean’s Evan.”
[Oh. Are just the two of you there right now? No one else? What are you doing right now? You need to answer carefully. With one slip of my tongue, I can send everyone away.]
At Yechan’s laughing words, anxiety washed over Siwoo and he unknowingly touched his lower lip.
“Yes. We’re on our way because Siwoo said he wanted to eat plums.”
At Evan’s really random words, Siwoo looked at him with round eyes. What are you saying right now? Why is plum talk suddenly coming up?
[What? Suddenly plums?]
[Hyung, hyung. No. Siwoo-hyung. He has been saying he wanted to eat plums since yesterday.]
The suddenly appearing plum caused a big ripple. Behind Hyunsu’s flustered voice, Yechan said with a laugh.
[Wait a moment. Let’s organize this before we go. Yechan-ssi, were you with Siwoo-ssi yesterday? Moreover, Evan-ssi and Siwoo-ssi were stuck together like that during the ‘Journey’ filming, and you’re doing that even after coming back? So you’re going to buy just plums this evening? What about me? Evan-ssi, I also like plums.]
“If Hyunsu-ssi comes now too, I’ll buy you dinner and plums.”
[Evan-hyung! I want to go! I want to go as soon as the broadcast ends!]
Watching Evan answer with a laugh to Hyunsu’s words, Siwoo sighed softly. Anyway, he waited for the call to end safely without attention being focused on him.
[Yechan-ssi. Are you abandoning me and leaving right now? You want to intrude on a date course of eating dinner and going to buy plums together? Suddenly messages are pouring into the chat room. Eco? Evan and Coco combined is Eco. Siwoo’s nickname is Coco. Please take note. So what’s the dinner menu?]
“Siwoo-ya. What do you want to eat?”
Why are you asking me that? Just hang up.
Siwoo clenched his molars and glared at Evan, signaling with his eyes to hang up quickly.
