Contrary to my expectation that he might hesitate, Min Seungwoo remained calm as ever.
“I don’t know how you’ll take my words, but I didn’t really hate Seonho.”
“Even though you were always competing for first place?”
“Does that become a reason to hate him? I actually thought the opposite.”
Seeing my puzzled expression, he added in an amused voice.
“However For Sta portrayed our relationship, those were my feelings. I don’t know how Seonho felt, but, well. That’s not something I can do anything about.”
I see. Not only in the broadcasts, but in filming and interviews afterward, the two were often portrayed as particularly antagonistic. It wasn’t just once or twice that not only Kwon Seonho but Min Seungwoo seemed to be quite conscious of the other and deliberately acted more coldly.
‘That was a misunderstanding too.’
It was confirmation once again of how easy misunderstanding was in this entertainment industry.
I wasn’t the only one living with big and small misunderstandings. At that fact, I felt a sense of kinship, then felt comforted, then felt sorry that I too had judged Min Seungwoo arbitrarily just as others had done to me.
But there was something oddly catching about Min Seungwoo’s words. It was that most of his words were in the past tense.
As if proving my guess, he opened his mouth again.
“But now I’m not so sure.”
“……What?”
“It’s not a big deal, so I’d appreciate it if you’d listen lightly and move on.”
It was an unreasonable request. The reason many trainees, including myself, found Min Seungwoo difficult wasn’t just because he was the unwavering first place. It was because of his characteristic serious personality, never doing anything carelessly, whether in words or actions.
I wasn’t sure if I could really brush off his words lightly.
“I’ll try.”
After a short silence, Min Seungwoo answered.
“It’s because of you and Seonho.”
“……What?”
“Because Seonho treats you carelessly.”
It was completely unexpected.
“I know it’s your relationship with him, and I’m a third party with no right to interfere. Maybe, just like we misunderstood each other, there’s a possibility I’m seeing Seonho wrong.”
But that wouldn’t be the case. Somehow I had that certainty. For me, and for him too.
“B-but Seonho hyung wouldn’t be like that to other people too, right?”
“So you do know. That he’s especially careless only with you.”
That’s exactly what’s unpleasant, Min Seungwoo said, frowning. As his already strict-looking face turned cold, I swallowed dry saliva for no reason.
“You especially liked and followed Seonho.”
“……”
“Isn’t it strange? Instead of taking care of someone who likes him more, he’s especially mean to that person. And even after you collapsed like that, his attitude hasn’t changed at all.”
“……”
“So personally, I’m quite disappointed. Of course, group activities will continue, so I’ll be careful in various ways to prevent it from leading to discord rumors.”
I apologized in a crawling voice.
“……I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Perhaps because I still seemed flustered, he spoke teasingly.
“Then let me ask you something too.”
“Go ahead.”
“What’s your relationship with Seo Nakil?”
My hand that had been fiddling with the teacup stopped abruptly.
“Do you like the actor?”
Thoughts that flooded in instantly filled my head.
Why is he suddenly asking about Seo Nakil? Because he came to the hospital room? Does he think it’s strange? And he says ‘like,’ in what sense? Like I did with Kwon Seonho? But Min Seungwoo wouldn’t have known that was affection. Does he not have prejudice in that direction?
“You stayed at the actor’s place after discharge, right? I heard from the manager hyung.”
“……Ah.”
“He took care of you when you were in the hospital too. Subin was very disappointed that visits were suddenly prohibited.”
“We’re just…… close like hyung and dongsaeng.”
“That’s unexpected. There’s quite an age difference.”
That was true. Seo Nakil was 10 years older than me. It was quite far from what people generally think of as friends.
“I guess I’m like his youngest sibling.”
“So that’s why you said you’re living like family.”
Min Seungwoo, who had been thinking carefully, said.
“Still, because you didn’t immediately recognize Seo Nakil, I thought you hadn’t known each other for long. So I thought even if you were together at the hospital, you wouldn’t follow him home. You’ve been well without any issues?”
“Yes. The actor is always kind.”
It was to a degree that couldn’t be fully explained by the word ‘kind.’ Sometimes I felt that his feelings toward me were greater than I thought.
But I didn’t look into or try to distinguish exactly what kind of feelings they were. Even though I didn’t fully believe Seo Nakil’s words that he was a fan, I did so.
It was a cowardly choice I made to avoid destroying the only safe zone in my world.
“I thought the one you’re living with like family would be Senior Lee Yuwon. Well, I guess it would have been a bit difficult to impose on that senior since he’s living in a dorm?”
“Huh……?”
Flustered, I sprang up from my seat. My gaze looking down at him shook crazily.
“You knew that I was close with Won hyung, no, Senior Lee Yuwon?”
“It just happened.”
Min Seungwoo shrugged.
“I happened to see you two talking separately at the broadcasting station before. You seemed close.”
“……We are close. We’ve known each other for a long time.”
“So it seems. Since the senior seems to remember.”
Lee Yuwon was someone I lived close to as a neighbor when I was young. He had taken care of me and my younger sibling a few times in place of our busy parents.
We’re still close. Lee Yuwon is one of the few people I deeply rely on.
However, as I got older, it gradually became difficult to acknowledge him in front of other people. Because he had become the main dancer of Days, Midnight Entertainment’s representative idol group.
If it became known that I was especially close to him, one of the most famous people in South Korea, it didn’t seem like it would help either of us. I didn’t want to be misunderstood as trying to become famous by using him, and I didn’t want him to be troubled because of me either.
In fact, in my past life, after bad rumors circulated, I deliberately didn’t even contact Lee Yuwon. It was because I was afraid of ruining not only him but his group as well.
“I didn’t tell the other members. I thought I understood why you kept it secret.”
“……Thank you.”
I answered sincerely.
“I haven’t known Actor Seo Nakil for that long, but we’re close enough that I can impose on him.”
“I see. That’s good.”
I stared blankly at Min Seungwoo’s smiling face. The temperature so different from the one I remembered felt awkward.
He was always difficult for me. It wasn’t that he was the type to easily hate people or be mean, but because it was hard to get close to him, as if there was a wall around his heart.
I didn’t want to break down that wall and step inside it now. I had no expectation that I could remain in a special relationship with him or see him for a long time even after group activities either.
But, perhaps this time I could at least be hated less…….
“The guys are here.”
As soon as his words ended, the door burst open. Not only Kang Subin and Kwon Seonho, who used the same dorm, but members from the next dorm came over all at once, and the house instantly became noisy.
“Whoa! Ijae hyung is here! How long has it been!”
“I’m telling you. I thought I’d completely forget your face. Is your body okay?”
“Still, he seemed a bit better than when we saw him at the hospital……”
“What did you eat for dinner? Huh? What. Bread? Is that enough? We’re ordering chicken, you in? Let’s go next door and eat while doing a live……”
“Ugh, Kang Subin. You idiot. As if Han Ijae would do a live. Are you going to advertise that your memory is gone? Huh?”
“Ah, right. That’s right. Then should I bring you some chicken? We ordered plenty.”
“It’s okay. I ate lunch outside, and I was going to go to my room and rest now. I’m okay now, so you don’t all need to worry. Starting next week……”
I deliberately ignored Kwon Seonho’s gaze staring intently at me, and glanced at Min Seungwoo as I said.
“Please take care of me. Please help me a lot.”
Min Seungwoo slowly blinked.
It was a sign of acceptance.
