Jeong Suyeon flipped through the report that had just been uploaded a moment ago, then checked the titles of the video list displayed on her monitor.
Celebrity I Was Curious About Their Recent Status, Ki Seonwoo Back Then, Aegyo Battle Victory! (feat. Ki Seonwoo Who Really Hated Aegyo), Halo Around the Moon Director’s Cut – Unaired Footage, Did He Go to Eat Food or to Eat Visuals, Seonwoo!!
After scrolling through the entire video list, she began checking each portal site one by one. The content was already in the report, but it was better to see it with her own eyes.
The actor community had already been swept through once. Beyond that, articles with Ki Seonwoo’s name attached, video clips, photos, pictorials and such were quite plentifully posted in communities where people in their 20s and 30s were active.
“This is interesting…”
Ki Seonwoo was becoming quite a sellable product enough to make the PR department buzz. The situation with running the agency was already unsatisfactory, and it was a shame to miss such a luscious fruit that would ripen on its own with just a little more time.
“What should I do?”
She tapped the report with her fingertip and quietly stared at one cleanly printed photo. In it, Seonwoo was captured smiling brightly at someone. Holding the photo and leaning back in her chair, Jeong Suyeon lightly rolled her feet and spun around in a circle.
After staring at the photo quietly for a while, she threw down what she was looking at and picked up her phone. Finding a familiar name, she made a call.
“Reporter Jang, have you been well? Oh my… are you a columnist now? Still, I like calling you Reporter Jang-nim better. It’s been quite a while since we’ve seen each other’s faces, hasn’t it? How about dinner today or tomorrow? I know a good Korean restaurant. Oh my, of course I should treat you. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other’s faces, right?”
Jeong Suyeon’s red lips were drawing a soft arc.
***
These days, Yoonjo was spending days where 24 hours weren’t enough. There were various factors for getting this busy, but the biggest reason was because of the damn ‘Cat in a Box.’ A group project that wasn’t even in the syllabus suddenly hit during the semester.
What’s more, one of the three team members was a second-year student who had completely given up on points, and the remaining one was Baek Sijin, who recently found a long-term internship and wasn’t coming to class. I thought so… I thought it was hard to see his face after the general meeting…
However, no matter how much he complained, the situation of having to drive a bus with no passengers didn’t change. Yoonjo’s luck this year really seemed to have been entirely spent on seeing Seonwoo.
“Ugh… I’m dying…”
Yoonjo pressed firmly on the area around his eyes and lay face-down on the classroom desk. Because class had ended, the surroundings were noisy, but Yoonjo didn’t budge. A sigh came out naturally.
Lately, Yoonjo had been pouring all his time into doing assignments at the library or study cafes near his house, and reviewing what he’d learned.
Naturally, the time to see Seonwoo decreased. That said, he couldn’t study at home either. It was because he was busy taking Seonwoo in with his eyes and couldn’t concentrate at all.
As Yoonjo was muttering that he missed Seonwoo, he turned his head at the touch firmly poking his back. A woman he was seeing for the first time was looking at Yoonjo with a flushed face.
“By any chance… were you on that Eating and Walking Table Journey show…?”
At the sudden words, Yoonjo stared blankly at the woman before sitting up abruptly. Come to think of it, the broadcast day was yesterday evening. He wondered how he could have forgotten that. He’d set a phone alarm in advance… Yoonjo checked his phone without realizing it. Among dozens of stacked alarms, he could find one.
[Watch Table Journey with hyung together! (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑]
[Two days before Table Journey! Definitely!]
[One day left~ Don’t forget~]
[It’s the day^^ Yoonjo, if you’re not a dummy, don’t forget~]
He must be an idiot. Otherwise, there’s no way he would have left the alarms piled up like this.
After reciting curses at himself several times inwardly, Yoonjo barely tore his eyes away from his phone. Then he blinked at the person who had called him from beside him.
“What the heck is that? Is it… like a mukbang show with comedians or something…”
“Ah… it’s not? I’m sorry.”
The woman who bowed her head returned to where her group was. Occasionally he heard words like ‘Isn’t it him?’, ‘I think it is…’ but Yoonjo lowered his head deeply again and pretended not to know.
He had a feeling this would happen. Honestly, since it was a program with core fans like that, there was no way the public wouldn’t notice Seonwoo’s appearance. What’s more, he stood in front of the camera together with Seonwoo?
“It’s like I advertised myself to the whole nation…”
Yoonjo, who had been lying still, fiddled with his ring finger. The twisted ring blending silver and gold was clearly felt at his fingertips.
It was the couple ring that was the prize for winning the horror experience last time. Of course, it had the title of friendship ring attached to it, but regardless, he decided to find meaning in the fact itself that he could proudly wear the same ring together with Seonwoo.
“Still… is this a good thing…”
He tried to think that whatever’s good is good, but he hadn’t anticipated getting this much attention. His heart felt unbearably heavy to just say it was good. Then was it a bad thing… The answer didn’t come easily.
As an ordinary person named Ji Yoonjo, it was hard to draw people’s attention no matter what he did. But Ki Seonwoo wasn’t. He was still a celebrity with fans and cameras following him around, so there was a high possibility that one action of his could become a blemish on him. He came to the conclusion that it was better to pretend he didn’t appear on the broadcast, but inside he felt uncomfortable.
“Haah…”
A sigh came out naturally. After burying his head for a long while, when Yoonjo felt a presence beside him, he muttered without raising his head.
“You go first. Today I’m going to chew on solitude and desolation a bit before I go…”
“……”
“Seonghyeon-ah, but you know… does it make sense that two out of three people don’t show up for a group project…? What’s more, one of them is a senior from the same department, but he’s no help at all. No, how could he possibly…”
The lack of response was really strange. Just as Yoonjo was wondering why Seonghyeon was being quiet, he got up drowsily. But the person in front of his eyes wasn’t the person Yoonjo expected.
“If he does…”
In front of his eyes was Baek Sijin. He lifted the corners of his mouth slightly in a smile and added.
“I came because I didn’t want to freeload, but should I just leave like this?”
“No, sunbae-nim. You came at a good time. Where shall I escort you?”
Yoonjo, who had become servile in front of grades, smiled ingratiatingly. The circumstances like Baek Sijin not coming to school often or having submitted a leave of absence had already been cleanly erased from his mind.
***
“By any chance… the temporary manager on Table Journey…”
“No luck. Not buying. Not going on journeys. I like home the best.”
Having settled in the campus cafe with Sijin, Yoonjo now mechanically responded to words he’d heard more than twenty times. Sijin, who was sitting across from him, looked with peculiar eyes, then propped his chin and asked.
“You appeared on Eating and Walking Table Journey?”
“No.”
“Usually people who lie answer right away like that.”
“…Really, I didn’t. Really. I guess someone who looks like me appeared.”
“Hmm…”
Sijin, who was quietly staring at Yoonjo, searched for something on his laptop. Then, as if he found the result he wanted, he turned the screen toward Yoonjo.
“I think it’s you though?”
On the screen was a photo along with a news article. It happened to be an ugly surprised face, but that wasn’t what was important.
Starting from the mole by his eye to his tanned skin, the person in the photo was clearly Ji Yoonjo no matter who looked. But Yoonjo had already decided to be shameless.
“We do look a bit alike. But I don’t really watch TV or movies.”
“Everyone knows you like Ki Seonwoo, but you didn’t watch this? That can’t be.”
“…How do you know that, sunbae?”
“Seonghyeon told me.”
What a loose-lipped guy. Yoonjo swept his dry lips with his tongue and lowered his voice.
“It’s a secret. For now…”
“If you appeared, you appeared—what reason is there for it to be a secret?”
Yoonjo, who rolled his eyes slightly, immediately found an excuse and retorted.
“Look even now. It’s so annoying, what if it gets more annoying?”
“There isn’t another reason?”
“…What would there be? Anyway, let’s do the assignment, sunbae.”
At the words hitting the mark, the answer came out a beat slower. Yoonjo lowered his head and kept moving his hands. Because of that, Yoonjo didn’t see Sijin’s expression. Sijin, who was quietly staring at Yoonjo as if gauging something, suddenly chuckled.
After that, the two didn’t open their mouths except when coordinating the assignment content. Just the sound of tapping keyboards mixed with the cafe noise, continuing endlessly.
***
“Is this why you told me to take Yoonjo along?”
Seonwoo firmly pressed his fingertips against his pounding head and threw the tablet he was holding onto the desk. Woojin, sitting on the opposite side, had a troubled face the whole time. As if he hadn’t anticipated this result, he kept fiddling with the back of his neck.
“That’s not it… Honestly, I didn’t think you’d appear on a broadcast with Yoonjo. I naturally thought you’d have put him in the background. Seonwoo, it’s not like you couldn’t anticipate this situation…”
Woojin trailed off vaguely. Seonwoo knowingly or unknowingly let out a sigh and covered his face with both hands. It was his own fault. Not anyone else’s, but Ki Seonwoo’s fault.
Yoonjo would eventually have to return to a normal life someday. Now he was at an age where he knew nothing, so there was a high probability he acted as his heart led him. Of course, he was happy. The days spent with Yoonjo were irreplaceable time.
Even so, Seonwoo couldn’t be swept up too. At least Ki Seonwoo had to be the person who could let Yoonjo go anytime and help him return to his own life.
If this incident gradually became entangled with the celebrity Ki Seonwoo, and in the very distant future, if by any chance a blemish appeared in Yoonjo’s life…
“Ha…”
That would all become Ki Seonwoo’s fault. Even though he’d experienced it once already, his foolish self seemed to have forgotten in the meantime. Seonwoo endlessly criticized himself and bit his lip.
Yoonjo standing in front of the camera was possible in the end because he himself didn’t refuse. No matter how recklessly Yoonjo grabbed his hand and ran, he just needed to ask for understanding and go back.
Since it wasn’t a reality variety show, there was room for negotiation in that part. It’s just that at the moment when he was running holding Yoonjo’s hand, no thoughts came to mind. That’s why he did it.
His choices always brought such disastrous results like this. Rather, he should have done nothing… he shouldn’t have even taken Yoonjo along… Seonwoo, who smiled bitterly, swept down his face and said.
“So there was another reason for sending Yoonjo.”
“I wasn’t certain either… You know too. The talk that goes around among managers. I heard one of Seo Yeongyeom’s schedules fell through and suddenly a provincial one was booked, so I had a hunch.”
“You could have given me a hint in advance.”
“You want me to shake your mentality with uncertain information? Say something that makes sense.”
Because even that was consideration for him, Seonwoo couldn’t say anything more. Then he directed his gaze toward the tablet screen.
The news article title was normal, and the content also didn’t have anything particularly strange, so it would pass as a simple happening. But he didn’t know why he felt so anxious without reason.
Whether knowing or not knowing Seonwoo’s state, Woojin opened his mouth while joking around. Until just a moment ago he had a troubled expression, but now it was just clean.
“Still, it’s fortunate he only appeared briefly at the end. Even so, attention went more to you than Yoonjo. It was broadcast last night, and today the auto-search word already came up. Now if you search Table Journey, your name is attached right next to it.”
At least this was a part that investors would like. Seonwoo got up from his seat with relief, knowingly or unknowingly.
“If you hear news from Seo Yeongyeom’s side, let me know… Director Bae’s side… no, I’ll do that myself.”
“Huh… you’re leaving?”
“I have to see the CEO before I go. I needed to organize the contract anyway, so I have to see her.”
The whole time he left the small conference room and went to the CEO’s office, his insides churned. It felt like someone was punching the inside of his chest. While firmly pressing around his solar plexus as he grabbed the CEO office door handle, Seonwoo checked his phone at the vibration he suddenly felt.
The moment he saw the sender’s name, his heart beat loudly for an instant.
[Yoonjo(✌’ω’)✌]
As usual, it would probably just be an ordinary greeting. But why was he so anxious? Seonwoo tightly gripped his phone with trembling hands. Just as he was about to move his finger to check what message came, the door to the CEO’s office opened.
“Oh my, Seonwoo-ya. If you came, come in. Why are you standing there like a gatekeeper?”
Jeong Suyeon stepped back, telling him to come in. When she smiled, her red lips stood out as if pulling in the surrounding colors. It was a somehow eerie sight.
