Evan, who took photos of Sangjun and Siwoo receiving treatment at the oriental medicine clinic, immediately uploaded them to SNS.
The temperature difference in the photos Evan posted on SNS was extremely severe.
The photo of Sangjun with his shirt off, getting densely packed acupuncture needles in his back, contained no sincerity whatsoever.
On the other hand, the photo of Siwoo’s peaceful face by the window seat, bathed in the red and warm-feeling sunset, looking like he was asleep with earphones in his ears, was full of affection.
“Hey! Are you discriminating against people?”
Sangjun, who checked the SNS Evan posted, burst out once more, but Evan didn’t pay any attention to his words.
“What discrimination. Hyung’s seat was the dark inner seat where the sunset light doesn’t reach, and you were lying face down, so how could I take a photo where your face comes out well. Instead, there are way more comments talking about hyung.”
Right, how could he beat a couple doing a secret relationship that’s not a secret relationship. Sangjun just had to hold back the rising anger.
“I want to go play.”
“I know, right. I saw on the way here that in just about a week, all the autumn leaves will fall. At times like this it’s camping, when it’s coolly cold is the peak of camping. When it’s too hot or too cold, it’s hard. Just like right now.”
“Hyung, have you been camping?”
“I went a lot with my parents when I was young. Pitching tents and grilling meat outside. Roasting sweet potatoes over the remaining heat. Looking at stars. Sleeping in sleeping bags.”
Evan, who had been looking at the comments coming up on SNS, didn’t join their conversation, but soon a faint smile hung on his lips. And he opened a message window instead of SNS. What can’t he do? If they want to go camping, they can just go.
* * *
“You’re telling us to find the destination by looking at this?”
Chan’s face, holding the map the production staff handed over, was full of bewilderment. When did navigation come out, and suddenly a map?
“Yes. We’ve checked the map so you’ll be able to find it well. There will be a big prize for the team that arrives first out of the two teams, so please look forward to it.”
Siwoo brought over the map Evan received and spread it out.
He’d never tried finding directions by looking at a map.
“It’s about a two-hour drive from here, so please keep that in mind. Above all, safe driving is most important. We’ve already tampered with the vehicle navigation so it won’t connect. Since cameras are installed in the vehicles, if we check later and it’s revealed that you used the navigation on your mobile phone, it will be immediately invalidated.”
After hearing the production staff’s explanation, the members got into the already prepared vehicles. There was no need to even divide into teams.
While Yechan and Sangjun played rock-paper-scissors over who would drive, Evan naturally headed to the driver’s seat, and Siwoo silently headed to the passenger seat.
At this point in time, it was natural since Siwoo didn’t have a driver’s license. It seemed like getting a driver’s license should be the first thing to do after the second album activities ended.
“I really didn’t expect we’d actually camp.”
“Everyone’s exhausted, so we need some time to rest.”
“Hyung! Hyung! Can you hear me?”
After putting on his seatbelt and starting off, Yechan’s voice flowed from the walkie-talkie the production staff gave them.
“How do I use this?”
“Press the button on the side and try talking.”
“Yechan-ah, what?”
Siwoo, who had been holding the walkie-talkie and fiddling with it here and there, pressed the button as Evan told him and spoke.
“Are we going to stop at a rest area on the way?”
At Yechan’s question, Siwoo looked at Evan.
“We should go while resting. There’s nothing urgent on today’s schedule.”
No. Take the walkie-talkie, not my hand. Watching Evan pull the hand holding the walkie-talkie to his own mouth and speak, Siwoo chuckled.
“Oh! Not greedy for the prize?”
The noisy situation on the other side was conveyed as is through the walkie-talkie.
“It’s already a won game.”
At Sangjun’s voice, Evan answered leisurely. For a moment, various short conversations were exchanged, but soon the walkie-talkie became quiet.
It was a continuous schedule of going to the shop when he opened his eyes, getting in and out of the van when told, dancing and singing according to music broadcasts, and answering interviews according to pre-prepared answers.
He slept wherever his head touched, and when hungry, ate whatever food caught his eye. What was added to the continuously repeating schedule was the terribly bitter herbal medicine he had to take every morning. Why on earth do people pay expensive money to buy and drink this? In front of Siwoo who fell into doubt was Evan like a tightly blocked wall. He conceded and understood everything else, but why was he so firm in front of herbal medicine?
Even when Siwoo begged, pleaded, and acted cute, Evan didn’t bat an eye. Instead, in his hands was super sweet chocolate.
As they turned onto a quiet road with not many vehicles moving during weekday daytime, Siwoo checked the map he was holding. Does he know where he’s going and just driving without asking?
“Do you know where it is?”
Siwoo looked at the map then raised his head to look around. How can you find your way by looking at this.
“Well, doesn’t it matter wherever we go? The staff vehicle is following behind too. If there’s a problem, they’ll radio us.”
“At this rate we’ll end up in Busan.”
Siwoo, who checked the passing road sign, moved his gaze back to the map.
“You want to go to Busan?”
“I’m just saying. It looks like we turn left up ahead.”
“Left turn? Got it.”
Siwoo, who told him the direction, opened the small bag containing drinks and snacks that the production staff had prepared in advance. Today’s filming was ‘Ocean Story’. Since there was no reason to make the members suffer, they could do whatever they wanted.
“Coffee? There’s Americano and latte.”
“Americano. Give me some tangerines from there.”
When Evan answered Siwoo’s explanation, Siwoo took out an Americano and tangerines. He stuck a straw in the Americano so Evan could drink it easily, and picked up a tangerine and rolled it in his palm.
When they were caught at a signal, Evan manipulated his mobile phone to play music good for driving.
“After activities end, I should go traveling. It’s really nice.”
Siwoo, who opened the car window a little, smiled while feeling the cool breeze. Many memories came to mind at once. And he put a piece of the peeled tangerine into Evan’s mouth while he was driving.
“Is there somewhere you want to go?”
Evan, who received and ate the tangerine Siwoo gave him, turned the steering wheel to the right instead of left.
“Hey! Hey…! Left! Left turn!”
“Ah…! Was it? I looked at the sign wrong.”
“Ugh. Now I have to look at the map again.”
Siwoo put the tangerine he was holding in his mouth and checked the map spread out on his lap again.
“Coco. Where do you want to travel?”
“A quiet, peaceful place where you can see a lot of nature? Hmm, if the road goes like this, should we take the national highway? The expressway would be faster though.”
Answering Evan’s words, Siwoo’s brow furrowed as he concentrated on looking at the map. Siwoo placed his index fingertip on the map and moved it here and there following the roads. Since the big overall map was the first page, and if you flipped back there were section maps, he quickly fluttered through the map pages.
“Should we go to my house?”
“Huh? You mean let’s go to England? I miss Rush and Roxy. Are they doing well?”
“They must be doing well.”
“Oh! It says to turn left up ahead. You saw it, right?”
Siwoo, who confirmed the direction on the road sign they were just passing, took out another tangerine.
“I saw it.”
The tangerine, completely peeled in Siwoo’s hands, disappeared harmoniously into Evan’s and his mouth. Even during that time, Siwoo and Evan continued their bland conversation that could be done in front of the camera.
“…Left turn!! Left turn. I said left turn earlier.”
At Evan’s action of turning right again in a situation where they should turn left, Siwoo’s voice grew louder. I’ll just drive myself… Ha, driver’s license. Why didn’t I check my driver’s license. Like suffering in silence, Siwoo pounded his chest with his fist.
“Siwoo-ssi, are you checking the map right now?”
As expected, the production staff’s urgent voice came through the walkie-talkie. How many times is this. Siwoo glanced at Evan who was grinning.
“Sorry. Evan says he was mistaken.”
“Please make sure to turn left next time and enter the expressway.”
For the production staff to say something like this, how bad must it have been. At this point, twenty years old. He couldn’t tell if it was because he was a driving beginner or if it was intentional.
“You heard, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You answer well.”
At Siwoo’s sulky words, Evan laughed out loud.
“Don’t laugh!”
“I can’t even laugh as I please?”
When Evan, unable to hide his laughter, cheekily retorted, Siwoo turned his head sharply to look out the window.
Filming was an excuse. Since Siwoo said he wanted to leisurely camp and rest, he moved up the plan that was supposed to be filmed during the break period.
It seemed like they had enough footage, and since it wouldn’t be good if Siwoo found out what he was about to do, Evan gradually released his pheromones. As if feeling the change in his pheromones, it seemed like he glanced at him, but there was no big movement.
And at the soon-heard even breathing, Evan began driving in earnest. The map was already perfectly in his head. He didn’t need the prize the production staff said they prepared. He was just planning to go leisurely, letting the sleep-deprived Siwoo sleep, have a cup of coffee at a cafe said to have nice scenery, and arrive at the camping site before sunset.
A whistle flowed from Evan’s mouth as he turned the steering wheel in a different direction than what the production staff had said.
“Evan-ssi, Siwoo-ssi. Is looking at the map difficult for you?”
As soon as they headed in a different direction, a radio message came from the production staff.
“I looked at the sign wrong again. Since it turned out like this, let’s stop by one place before we go.”
“Yes?”
“There’s a cafe with a nice view nearby. I’ll guide you, so follow me. We were going to stop somewhere like a rest area anyway to rest briefly.”
Before the production staff could say anything, Evan turned off the walkie-talkie. Since Siwoo was sleeping, there was no reason for him to be disturbed by it beeping and ringing unnecessarily.
Ah, how should he cover the camera? Just turning it off would be too obvious. There wasn’t anything suitable to cover it with either. If he covered the camera, he could hold hands and look at the sleeping face. This is why secret relationships are inconvenient.
When they were caught at a signal, Evan looked at Siwoo who was deeply asleep, slumped over the steering wheel. At a thought that suddenly came to mind, Evan quickly moved his body. Soon the passenger seat reclined comfortably backward and Evan’s jacket wrapped around Siwoo.
His face after finishing all those actions was full of a satisfied smile.
