# Chapter 67
“But won’t Gye Minho feel left out that we’re eating just the two of us?”
Mo Eunje asked as he put two large pieces of meat that Tae Igyeol had cut for him into his mouth at once. Even if they hadn’t deliberately excluded him since the gathering was spontaneous, the sensitive Gye Minho would likely feel very hurt.
“I called him earlier while buying alcohol and meat at the supermarket, but he said he has a date with that person from the blind date, so we should eat without him.”
“Ah, today is Friday. Gye Minho’s doing well these days.”
“He’s meeting her separately tomorrow, but today they’re all getting together with the people from the blind date.”
Usually, when there’s a 4:4 blind date, it’s often difficult for even one couple to form, but Gye Minho’s group must have had a great atmosphere since they were all continuing to meet afterward. It was also surprising that despite people having different values and preferences, their interests in the opposite sex didn’t overlap at all.
“Aren’t you dating? It’s Friday evening, is it okay for you to be with us like this?”
“Do you know what day it is! Feeding you meat comes first, what date?”
“Suspicious…”
“What’s suspicious? There’s nothing suspicious at all.”
“…”
“Ah, fine! Yes, there’s a company dinner. Happy now? What power does an intern have? When they say there’s a company dinner, I just have to say ‘Yes, I understand’ and follow along. Ugh, damn company dinners.”
When Mo Eunje looked at him with eyes of disbelief and a suspicious expression, Ban Hajun, who had been brazenly holding out, confessed. He couldn’t understand why Ban Hajun would hide something that nobody would care about even if he had been honest from the beginning.
“Oh! I want that one, the soft, tender piece with lots of fat.”
Mo Eunje pointed at a piece of meat sizzling on the grill as he filled Tae Igyeol’s glass with soju. After checking which meat it was with a glance, Tae Igyeol emptied his soju glass and picked up the tongs. After verifying that it was cooked well on both sides, he picked it up with the tongs and held it in front of Mo Eunje’s mouth.
“Whoo, whoo…”
Mo Eunje blew on it loudly and then quickly took the meat. As he had suspected from when it was gleaming, it was really delicious and tender, melting in his mouth almost as soon as it entered.
“You’re really making me sick to watch. Hey, you two are single, and I’m the one with a girlfriend, okay?”
“So what?”
“Yeah, so what?”
Mo Eunje imitated Tae Igyeol’s tone and took a sip of his somaek (soju and beer mix). Although it had only been ten days, he lamented the fact that he’d been missing out on these small joys and pleasures while claiming to work. Lately, he’d been eating convenient foods like kimbap, sandwiches, hamburgers, or bibimbap that could be easily consumed while working. Of course, due to Tae Igyeol’s nagging, he properly ate hearty meals together at the table for his first meal after waking up.
“I need to take this call.”
After checking his phone, Tae Igyeol grabbed his cigarettes and went to a corner where the ashtray was while answering the phone. Mo Eunje quickly picked up the tongs and scissors before Ban Hajun could burn all the meat. He took the cooked meat off the grill onto a plate and put new meat on the grill. Then, while trying to sound casual, he brought up the question that had been bothering him.
“You’re not upset with Igyeol, are you?”
“I’m fucking upset as hell!”
“Don’t be like that. Igyeol agreed to the introduction too. If Igyeol had opposed it until the end, I wouldn’t have stepped in.”
“Look at you defending him like his housekeeper.”
“I’m not defending him, that’s just the fact!”
“He probably reluctantly agreed because you kept pestering him. But even if Tae Igyeol had opposed it until the end, I wouldn’t have been upset at all, so don’t worry.”
“…That’s good then.”
It was truly a relief. He had been momentarily flustered earlier when the casting director mentioned his name, as he hadn’t expected it. He resented the unnecessary mention that he was the one who made the introduction. According to the plan, he would have given the credit to Tae Igyeol and let him take the opportunity to look good. Moreover, he had been secretly anxious that his well-intentioned actions might have hurt his two friends’ feelings.
“And just to be cautious…”
“What kind of mood are you trying to set? You’re giving me goosebumps.”
“Eunje.”
“See this? Damn, serious goosebumps. If you’re going to say something strange, just eat your meat.”
Ban Hajun deliberately set a serious mood and lowered his voice, so Mo Eunje picked up a piece of meat with the tongs and put it in Ban Hajun’s mouth, partly to shut him up. With words like “cautious” being used, plus knowing that this usually preceded something embarrassing or awkward, he needed time to mentally prepare himself.
“Can I speak now?”
“Not yet… Ah, fine. Just say it. Say it all at once and get it over with.”
“You know. I hope I pass, no, I really hope I pass… But even if I fail, I’ll be fine because that’s just the limit of my ability, so don’t feel sorry about it.”
“…You worry about the strangest things. Do you think I’d feel sorry about something like that? If you fail, it’s not my fault, and if you pass, it’s not thanks to me. I’m dying busy with work—do you think I have time to worry about you?”
Sensing the mood becoming heavy, Mo Eunje deliberately exaggerated and spoke lightly. Regardless of the outcome, he hoped Ban Hajun wouldn’t take it to heart, just as he wouldn’t. It would be wonderful if Ban Hajun could contract with Ila Actors, but even if he was rejected, there was no need to be greatly disheartened. Even if rejected, Ban Hajun wouldn’t lose anything and would maintain the status quo, just as before the audition.
“Mo Eunje.”
“Ah, why do you keep calling me?”
“Thank you for at least giving me the opportunity. I won’t forget it.”
“…”
Three days later, Ban Hajun received a call that he had been rejected from the audition without any twist and wouldn’t be able to work with Ila Actors.
&
Tae Igyeol turned off the engine after parking in the officetel parking lot. Having practically lived at the gym and sports center lately, his body felt stiff after not going for just one day. He never thought there would come a day when he would invest so much time in exercise.
Despite his strong self-control, because Mo Eunje had reduced his sleep time, Tae Igyeol couldn’t even freely look at him with his eyes, leaving no way to satisfy his desires. Only by exercising intensely and tormenting his body could he barely endure.
These days, Mo Eunje was not only worrying but also pitiful. Why was he so obsessed with that new work that he not only reduced sleep but also rushed through meals? While his passion and effort seemed admirable, it wasn’t pleasant to see him overworking his body.
At this rate, just like the title of the poetry collection Mo Eunje liked, it seemed all his beauty would become words.
Tae Igyeol sighed and entered the common entrance after pressing the passcode 2580*, then got into the elevator and pressed the button for the 10th floor. The common entrance passcode of Ban Hajun’s officetel was the same as that of his own apartment building, so they could go straight to each other’s front doors without announcing their visits. That’s why Ban Hajun had been crouching in front of his 5th floor entrance two weeks ago.
After reaching the 10th floor and getting out of the elevator, he rang the doorbell of apartment 1002. Since he had called Mo Eunje around noon to tell him that Ban Hajun had received the results in the morning, there was a high possibility that Ban Hajun was still in bed, wetting his pillowcase with tears. This meant it would take some time for him to come down from the loft, which he used as a bedroom, to open the door.
Ban Hajun, who lived in a fully furnished duplex two-room officetel, used the upper floor as his bedroom, the small room on the first floor as a dressing room, and the large room as an acting practice room with mirrors on one wall. The living room was quite spacious, but the kitchen with its single sink counter was rather narrow. As someone who enjoyed cooking despite burning meat whenever he grilled it, he always lamented the small kitchen.
After pressing the doorbell about four more times while thinking these useless thoughts, the front door opened.
“What? Why are you here?”
“Don’t think I came because I wanted to. Mo Eunje is so worried you might be devastated that he can’t even concentrate on his work, so I came instead.”
“I’m fine, really…”
“Look at those fish-like swollen eyes of someone who claims to be fine.”
Mo Eunje had reason to worry. Ban Hajun’s eyes were swollen, similar to how they were two weeks ago. Tae Igyeol pushed past Ban Hajun’s shoulder and entered, taking off his shoes.
Though he was the first to know the result after talking with the casting director over the weekend, he hadn’t shown any hint of it to Mo Eunje. He had only asked the casting director to notify Ban Hajun of the result promptly on Monday. Dragging it out would only increase expectations, and the greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. It was better to accept it quickly and move on quickly.
“I knew your personality was messed up, but coming to console someone empty-handed—what kind of manners is that?”
“You crazy bastard, let’s order delivery.”
Tae Igyeol buried himself comfortably on the living room sofa as if it were his own home, arrogantly crossing his legs and resting one arm on the low backrest. This was the most comfortable position for sitting on the sofa, but at home, he consciously avoided it because Mo Eunje would lie down with his head on Tae Igyeol’s thigh.
“I’m going to eat something expensive.”
Ban Hajun spoke in a gloomy tone as he plopped down next to him and took out his phone to open a delivery app.
“Actually, he told me to buy you something expensive and delicious to cheer you up.”
“Ugh, so annoying. Anyway, that guy would believe the sun rises in the west if Mo Eunje said so.”
“It’s true that Mo Eunje has no sense of direction, but he’s not stupid enough to say the sun rises in the west.”
“Let’s eat steamed king crab.”
“…You’d better be really grateful to Mo Eunje.”
Tae Igyeol threw a cold glance with a grim expression. If Mo Eunje hadn’t earnestly asked him to buy something expensive and delicious, there was no way—even if he died and came back to life—that he would have fed the expensive king crab with a delivery fee of 9,000 won to Ban Hajun.
“I like Eunje.”
“Eunje hates you.”
“Let’s also add black tiger shrimp chili butter grilled.”
“…”
Despite his exasperated expression, Tae Igyeol added the black tiger shrimp chili butter grilled to the cart and paid for it all. If he had known it would be like this, he should have forcibly brought Mo Eunje along despite him being buried in work, to eat king crab together. Mo Eunje also loves king crab…
