Chahyun flinched. But it wasn’t a completely incomprehensible reaction.
Push and pull, that’s what people do when dating, Hyeyoung had said. Even if not that, it was natural for him to hesitate since he had learned that Chahyun was accomplished enough to be burdensome to meet.
Right, if he has any conscience, he should refuse once or twice.
Chahyun feigned ignorance and changed the subject purely to preserve Yiyoung’s pride.
“Why? Is it because you’re upset about what I said today? If so, I’ll apologize.”
“No. I mean, yes… Actually, there wasn’t a single nice thing to hear among what Chahyun-ssi said to me, but more than that.”
For some reason, Yiyoung hesitated to speak with an awkward expression. After seeming to choose his words for a long time, he soon reluctantly opened his lips as if he had failed to find another excuse.
“I just think you’re not a very good person.”
At the words like a bolt from the blue, Chahyun’s jaw dropped.
“I’m not good?”
Of course, people generally didn’t like Chahyun. Even the women who had confessed to Chahyun first looked at him like a mortal enemy after exchanging a few words with him. However, that was entirely Chahyun’s intention. He absolutely hated clingy people.
And such a Moon Chahyun was even offering to pay off his debt and asking to date, but he’s refusing? Because he’s not a good person?
Chahyun glared fiercely at Yiyoung, his lips bubbling with anger. Then Yiyoung quickly lowered his gaze as if frightened. If it had been words said with the intention of making Chahyun angry, he would have thought he was throwing an unnecessary tantrum, but Yiyoung was truly troubled.
‘He’s serious about this?’
As his expression gradually twisted, Yiyoung continued speaking while shrinking his shoulders.
“Should I say it’s disillusioning in many ways… I liked Chahyun-ssi’s mature side.”
“Ah, I really can’t believe this. What exactly about this appearance is disillusioning?”
Chahyun swept from his head to his toes with the hand he had removed from Yiyoung’s face. It was a 187-centimeter tall body overflowing with seductive masculinity in every corner without missing a single spot.
Yiyoung moved his eyes up and down following Chahyun’s gesture.
“…”
It was a look that said while there was no room for rebuttal, it was difficult to readily agree. Yiyoung changed the subject as if he had nothing else to say.
“Put a beginner sticker on your car when you go back.”
His pride was hurt even more because it was a voice filled with sincere concern.
Instead of talking back saying “I don’t want to,” Chahyun showed a disgruntled expression. Yiyoung let out a sigh of resignation, then turned around and walked toward the downhill path of the empty lot.
Chahyun glared fiercely at Yiyoung walking down the dark, narrow alley.
Chahyun wasn’t regretful either. Dating didn’t matter with whoever.
“Does he think he’s the only pretty and cute person in the world?”
Though he’d never seen them, if he looked from now on, there would be a truckload. Now that he knew his own taste, he could start dating right away even tomorrow. He should take this opportunity to meet and date someone from a family suitable for marriage.
‘Even if he regrets it later and clings to me, I’ll absolutely never accept him.’
Even while thinking that, Chahyun watched until Yiyoung opened the gate of a crumbling detached house. From what he could see, Yiyoung’s house was located in the middle of a hillside village. The road leading there was gloomy.
“Why is a neighborhood where people live so dark?”
Chahyun was out of his mind for even thinking of meeting a man living in such a place, even briefly.
Only after confirming that the light turned on in Yiyoung’s house window did Chahyun get in the car with his expression relaxed from an inexplicable sense of relief.
***
The next day, Yiyoung visited CEO Oh Seokhyeon from early morning.
Oh Seokhyeon was the CEO of SJ Production, Yiyoung’s main agency. Oh Seokhyeon placed a settlement statement on the reception table in the small production company’s CEO office and said.
“See? I told you pop would suit you well.”
Yiyoung checked the settlement details and nodded with a grin.
It was Oh Seokhyeon who had recommended a new genre to Yiyoung, who originally worked mainly on contemporary jazz. Among the dozen or so productions and agencies where he had submitted demo tracks, only Oh Seokhyeon had called Yiyoung directly to propose a meeting.
‘The songs are well-made, but there’s nowhere to use them. It’s a genre with little demand.’
It was a fact Yiyoung was well aware of. Yiyoung’s work sold fairly well as background music for advertisements, movies, and dramas, but it was difficult to maintain a living with such music usage fees alone.
That said, it was also difficult to expect an exclusive contract with a major advertiser. It was because he was an obscure composer with at best a piece that became a hot topic for one season on SNS as ‘BGM that makes you fall in love when you listen to it,’ and he had even less connections.
‘So, how about switching to pop? It’s because your talent is too precious.’
If there was only possibility, there was no reason not to challenge a new genre. Of course, it wasn’t easy.
It had already been two years since Yiyoung lived as a vending machine churning out songs that didn’t even fetch two million won per piece. Still, thanks to that, he had escaped from a life where he had to work in between driving for a designated driver service and loading and unloading at logistics centers 18 hours a day. Now he could avoid starving with just the income from the whiskey bar.
Oh Seokhyeon asked Yiyoung.
“How is it? Your impression of seeing ten million won on a settlement statement for the first time.”
“I’m bewildered.”
Yiyoung, who had earned such a large monthly income for the first time, answered honestly. It was thanks to Oh Seokhyeon unusually winning a contract for a promising idol group’s title track from a major entertainment company. The base pay was decent, but the guarantee paid when the album sold over 100,000 copies in initial sales was big.
That was also why Oh Seokhyeon called Yiyoung to the company today and personally handed him the settlement statement. Oh Seokhyeon looked at Yiyoung warmly and made an absurdly exaggerated joke.
“If you struggle like this for just two or three more years, you’ll be able to build a building somewhere.”
“I really hope that happens.”
Of course, that would never happen. But if luck continued to follow like now, it seemed he could repay the loan soon. Thanks to gradually paying off the principal while working until his back bent from the moment he became an adult, the bank debt had been reduced to 60 million won.
Oh Seokhyeon stood up from his seat, grabbed his suit jacket, and said brightly.
“Since you came all the way here, let’s have lunch together. We should eat something delicious on such a good day.”
“Ah, yes. I’ll treat you today.”
Yiyoung said as he stood up awkwardly. Come to think of it, he had only been eating meals from Oh Seokhyeon all this time without buying him a single meal. Even though Yiyoung was actually the one who should be entertaining him. Oh Seokhyeon grinned and gave the same answer he gave every time he offered to buy a meal.
“No need, man. I’m bribing you in advance so you’ll answer my calls even after you become successful later.”
At the excessive praise, Yiyoung scratched the side of his head awkwardly. Oh Seokhyeon smacked Yiyoung’s hunched back and pushed him out of the CEO’s office.
He had only had troubling things lately, so he felt good for once.
Yiyoung’s steps were light as he had lunch with Oh Seokhyeon and returned home. As he lightly climbed the narrow, winding hill leading to his house, his phone vibrated with a text message.
As soon as he checked the message content, Yiyoung frowned.
[Trash:
Motherfucker, you’re not answering your phone again]
1:48 PM
It was his mother’s young lover, Ki Taeseong.
Though he had known him for 10 years already since Yiyoung was a high school student, he was a person to whom not even a speck of affection had stuck. Though he was as good as common-law married to his mother, there was only a four-year age difference with Yiyoung, so he absolutely couldn’t think of him as a stepfather.
He was closer to a half-sibling, and Ki Taeseong treated Yiyoung similarly. Uncomfortable and awkward. Like blood relatives who hate each other enough to die but can’t quite sever the connection.
When Yiyoung didn’t reply right away even after checking the text, Ki Taeseong got annoyed.
[Trash:
Keep doing whatever the fuck you want like that
Don’t tell me you want to talk while looking at my face, is that it?]
1:50 PM
It meant if he continued to ignore contact, he would come find him whether at home or at work. Yiyoung had no choice but to reply.
[What did you call about]
1:50 PM
Ki Taeseong didn’t respond for a while even after checking Yiyoung’s text. A reply only came after staring at the text message window for quite a while.
[Trash:
Do you have any money?]
1:52 PM
Yiyoung’s expression crumpled even more.
