It wasn’t just any ordinary variety show—why on earth would he want to appear on a program like a matchmaking show where specific images are easily ingrained? And a model who gained popularity through mystique, at that.
However, because Yuwon’s will was so firm, while reluctantly cooperating, they gave Yurim a personal request. They understood that his image would be somewhat damaged or consumed due to the broadcast appearance. But they asked him to be careful not to suffer damage beyond an appropriate level that would interfere with future activities.
But what am I supposed to do when that bastard is walking down the path of being unlikeable on his own? Yurim, who had been watching Yuwon, eventually had no choice but to make a decision. He blatantly didn’t reflect Yuwon’s wishes in the mission partner matching.
If you don’t cooperate properly and keep half-assing it, I won’t cooperate either, so deal with it yourself. The reason he could make such a strong move was thanks to Yuwon’s reaction when facing Sungjin being a sight even he, as a close relative, was seeing for the first time.
Having finally met Sungjin, Yuwon was doing something strange to anyone watching. Just like a young child or cat throwing a tantrum when they don’t get the attention they want, Yuwon’s behavior was exactly that. He showed his favor as he pleased, but when the other person was lukewarm, he immediately changed his attitude. Yet even then, he visibly couldn’t settle down, as if he’d changed his mind again.
Has he lost his mind? To other people’s eyes, Yuwon might just seem like someone who grew up only being loved and throwing tantrums, but Yurim, who had known Yuwon for a long time, could immediately tell. That bastard isn’t just ordinarily smitten. Whatever history there was between those two, as long as Yoon Sungjin remained on the program, it didn’t seem like Yuwon would announce his departure first.
Yuwon, who had just watched Sungjin move locations with another woman right before his eyes, reacted as if he’d been hit on the back of the head. In the end, he had no choice but to cooperate with the activities to some extent.
And so it came to this situation of sitting obediently and folding laundry. While Yuwon performed the repetitive work with eyes that showed not the slightest bit of interest, Jiyoon carried out actions suited to his own purpose.
“Wow, this is the second time I’ve done this much laundry. Want to know when the first time was? I worked part-time at a guesthouse for a bit, you know?”
Jiyoon was someone who, far from being shy, could chatter on for hours by himself. He was truly a talent optimized for the new media era. Whether Yuwon reacted or not, while he rattled off stories the other person wasn’t even curious about, as if continuing a talk show broadcast by himself, the work that seemed endless began to show its bottom.
After the mission ended, there was free time until all teams completed their missions. They were told they could spend time mingling with other participants until everyone gathered in the meeting room. Yuwon was only thinking about going to see what state Sungjin was in as soon as his mission ended.
‘……’
What did he like about that woman? Just looking at the other person’s reaction, it didn’t seem like it was a mutual match. Imagining him shamelessly flirting with a female partner when he acted all tough around men made his blood boil. So not only was he annoyed that Sungjin became partners with someone other than himself, but the fact that the partner was a woman made his head even hotter.
What poured oil on that ignited jealousy was the fact that the two’s combination looked quite plausible on the surface.
Yuwon had also met numerous queer industry people while working in the modeling industry. One shouldn’t judge what someone’s preferences are just by their appearance or behavior, but still, aren’t there general prejudices or statistics? Sungjin gave the impression that, at first glance, he clearly wasn’t someone from this side.
Maybe that’s why he caught his eye even more. His lower abdomen throbbed heavily at the imagination of a man who looked like a caring and affectionate husband material to anyone crying and accepting his thing underneath him, clinging desperately.
If only I’d gone just one step further that day. If only he hadn’t stopped at sucking his nape, kissing him, and touching him. Because he couldn’t hold him as he’d imagined, things had become this ridiculous.
Yuwon, ignited again with anger toward Sungjin, quickly folded and stacked his share of laundry.
“Oh. Your hands are really fast.”
With Jiyoon’s admiration devoid of any malice, Yuwon, who had finally completed the mission, bowed his head toward Jiyoon out of courtesy and quickly set out to find Sungjin.
It seemed they were preparing firewood for the campfire and barbecue party later. Coming out to the front of the building, he heard the sounds of participants who had the role of trimming and preparing cooking ingredients gathered and chattering cheerfully.
“So I was really surprised then.”
“Really? So what did you do?”
“First, I contacted the community and…”
He wasn’t particularly interested in what they were talking about. However, something that shouldn’t have caught Yuwon’s gaze suddenly did. It was Oh Harin, who had been Sungjin’s partner. He thought Sungjin and she would be together, but his figure wasn’t visible. Looking more carefully, the number of people was odd, not even.
“……?”
While Yuwon was thinking this was strange and tilting his head, another participant who spotted him waved.
“Oh, it’s Yuwon. Is your team done too?”
Then Jiyoon, who had followed him, answered instead of Yuwon.
“Ah, yes. We’re all done!”
“Wow, that’s fast~.”
“Yuwon’s hands were really fast.”
“Ooh, is it because he’s in the fashion field? Do you organize clothes yourself too, Yuwon?”
The topic immediately shifted to him, but Yuwon wasn’t interested in that nonsense at all. He was only curious about why Sungjin wasn’t here and where he was and what he was doing. Yuwon immediately asked Harin.
“What about Sungjin?”
“Uh….”
Harin, who hadn’t expected him to suddenly come at her with a question like that, couldn’t hide her flustered appearance and stammered.
“M-me?”
“Yes.”
Yuwon’s sentences were short and blunt. It was blatantly obvious he disliked talking at length with someone he wasn’t interested in. Unfamiliar with that clear hostility, Harin rolled her eyes, looked at the floor, and answered in a small voice.
“He, he said… he could do it alone, so he told me to go help the others.”
What kind of situation is this now? When did he go off to do the mission with this woman all happy, and now he sent her away saying he’d do it alone? When Yuwon frowned, Harin hurriedly made excuses.
“According to the rules… there’s no problem, so it should be fine….”
Why does that even matter? The essence is that you dumped the mission on your partner and came here to chat happily with other people.
Looking at the ingredients placed on the table, it seemed like there wasn’t that much to begin with, and several people had been taking it easy while shooting the breeze. Yuwon felt heat rising to his head because this situation was absurd, then realized what was truly important to him.
“So Sungjin is alone in the backyard?”
“Ah, yes….”
Harin’s voice became as small as an ant. She’d come to join here because she wanted to, but now that Yuwon was pressing her, she seemed to finally start worrying about the consequences. Yuwon sighed, “Hoo,” blew up his bangs, and answered shortly.
“Then I’ll go over there. It seems like he’s still working, so I should help him.”
He had no intention of asking anyone’s permission in the first place. Leaving those words, Yuwon headed to the backyard without looking back. What was waiting for Yuwon in the backyard, where he arrived with feelings in complete disarray—anger that he didn’t know who it was directed at—was a shocking scene he hadn’t expected at all.
“……?!”
Yuwon doubted his own eyes. Did I see that right? Is this reality? Not the fantasies I’ve been having in my dreams like an immature fool having wet dreams?
Thwack, thwack, Sungjin was chopping firewood with his upper body thrown off, wiping away the glistening sweat flowing all over his body. He was in a state where he didn’t notice at all that someone had approached nearby.
“Huu….”
His smoothly carved muscles showed that he paid quite a bit of attention to body management. His neatly maintained muscular upper body suited well with his plain and affectionate-looking gentle impression. Whatever the case, he looked reliable, like you’d never starve to death as long as you followed this man. That’s why I fell for that face.
At that moment, beads of sweat trickled down his firm, glistening wet chest and gathered at the end of a protruding nub, sparkling. Yuwon stared blankly at that overly stimulating scene.
He almost reacted below without even being conscious of it. Yuwon came to his senses only after Sungjin noticed his gaze and flinched.
“Uh… Yuwon?”
His flustered appearance was clear, as if asking why he was here. It felt like cold water had been poured on his hot chest. He felt as if he’d become an uninvited guest. That was unbearably irritating.
