# Chapter 55
The sounds of kisses for damage control began to be heard. Smack smack smack smack smack. Smack smack smack smack smack. Between the rhythmic kissing sounds, there were interjections of “I love you.” Smack smack I love you smack I love you smack smack smack.
Unfortunately, the more Jaei tried to control the situation, the worse it got. Just how tender and lover-like was their conversation that he was showering kisses like rain? Anyway, kisses received had to be returned in equal measure. One couldn’t be indebted in love.
I too smack sunbaenim smack love you smack smack let’s talk smack smack when we get home smack smack smack smack smack.
He lowered his voice and used business titles to create distance. The debt was paid, but his tone indicated his heart wasn’t yet appeased, and before hanging up, they exchanged two final kisses each. He hailed a taxi to get to Jaei as quickly as possible.
Since Ryu Doha tends to listen to Lee Jaei quite well, he didn’t check the captured conversation content as Jaei had advised. However, his imagination swelled like fermenting bread as time passed. Inevitably, the foundation of his imagination was the tone Jaei usually used when messaging him.
[Ilhunie~ㅠㅠ I don’t have filming today so I really really miss you]
A cute cat character peeking out from inside a box, sending hearts wildly.
[I miss you so much I feel like I’m going to get sick I wish tomorrow would come quickly]
Kim Ilhun sends a wailing emoticon. Jaei replies.
[What are you doing now? I’m rewatching your drama because I want to see your face]
Jaei attaches his own selfie afterward. He’s shirtless so his collarbones and shoulders are slightly visible below his neck, and he’s making a playfully crying expression.
[As always, I’m in the middle of special dance training. Want to meet briefly if you have time tonight?]
To Kim Ilhun’s sudden date request, Jaei responds with a cat character hitting cymbals. Each time the cat hits the cymbals, hearts pop out.
Doha, whose imagination had grown larger than the size of his head, blinked his large eyes. With a face immersed in sadness, he quietly leaned his head against the taxi window. In truth, having lived as Jaei’s fan for such a long time, there were many occasions when he couldn’t understand celebrities.
They tended to express affection excessively to their colleagues regardless of gender compared to ordinary people. Was it because they had jobs where they fell in love with someone in a virtual world? But it wasn’t just actors who did this. Doha was still a rookie and hadn’t adapted to their customs.
Jaei’s species had changed from the weak and sensitive baby desert fox he was before his debut, and his tails increased one by one since Doha began checking his post-debut activities in real-time. Why on earth do celebrities act as if they’re in love with each other when they’re not even dating? As if they’re sending signals to the other person that they could become lovers at any time.
As soon as he opened the front door upon arriving home, Jaei jumped out and hugged him tightly. Afraid that neighbors might see Jaei with Polaroids plastered all over his face and body, Doha picked him up and quickly entered the house.
“Sunbaenim, what if you come out like that? What if someone sees you?”
“Doha, are we in a secret relationship concept right now? I like that. It somehow makes my heart flutter.”
Jaei, who was pressed close against Doha and had his arms wrapped around his waist, raised his head to look up at Doha’s face and smiled brightly. The moment Doha held Jaei in his arms and looked down at his pretty face, he felt his anger melt away like butter on a hot frying pan.
However, he needed to make it clear that their relationship wasn’t one-sided love, but rather a mutual love that had been ongoing since elementary school. It was necessary to address this issue accurately at least once.
With a face devoid of any smile, Doha trudged into the house, put Jaei down on the floor, hung his outer garment on the sofa, and said in a rather cold tone:
“I’d appreciate it if you’d be more careful from now on, Lee Jaei.”
“Hmm?”
Jaei blinked rapidly. He knew that Doha was angry, but he didn’t expect him to be this cold and resolute. Since this side of Doha was a bit scary and hadn’t been seen in a while, he thought that since it had come to this, he might as well see this rare side a bit longer. If he wanted, he could even act more carelessly.
Doha continued:
“I’m not doubting you.”
“Mmhmm. I shouldn’t doubt you and you shouldn’t doubt me. We’re a very special couple. A relationship that even death couldn’t separate.”
“It’s good that you get along well with colleagues. It’s also good to be loved by actors and staff. But please be a little less lovable to people who aren’t me.”
Seeing Doha’s serious and grave demeanor, Jaei clasped his hands together, kept his mouth shut, and curled his lips inward. His heart was pounding and at the same time, laughter was escaping. It was possible to feel coolness, cuteness, flutter, and humor all at once for the same subject.
Sending his love-filled gaze toward Doha, he asked:
“So the problem is that I’m too lovable?”
Doha, who let out a sigh, nodded and continued speaking:
“I’m saying be just a little less than how you are with me. Since someone who was born lovable can’t pretend not to be lovable.”
“Okay. I promise. I’ll restrain my lovableness.”
Jaei obediently nodded and held out his pinky finger. Since today’s guilty party was Lee Jaei, he wanted to match Doha’s mood unconditionally. However, from Jaei’s perspective, there was also something to address.
“But Doha, Doha. If I treated others the way I treat you, I would’ve already been buried in the entertainment industry. You’re the only person whose name I call twice. It just naturally happens because I like you so much.”
Jaei sweetly smiled with crescent eyes and tilted his head to the side. Doha fell into thought for a moment as he watched Jaei, who was very blatantly sending him pretty eye-smiles.
It’s true that he had been hurt hundreds of times watching countless activity videos of actor Lee Jaei over the past 8 years, but as Jaei said, he had never treated another colleague at the level he treated Doha. Looking back, it seemed that the reason he felt displeased with Jaei’s actions back then was because he had a one-sided crush on him at the time. He also didn’t exactly know what tone Jaei usually used when chatting with other colleagues on messenger.
He tilted his head and swept his bangs with a serious expression. At this moment, he thought he should check the conversation between Kim Ilhun and Jaei directly. He wrapped one arm around Jaei’s waist, pulled him close, and held him. While patting his back gently while keeping him well in his arms, he used his other hand to grip his phone, access Kim Ilhun’s SNS, and check the uploaded conversation content.
Jaei was using an emoticon of a character wearing sunglasses, sitting on a chair, and throwing money into the air. He had never used such an emoticon with Doha. He never imagined that Jaei would purchase and actively use such an arrogant emoticon.
[I’ll take responsibility for your mother’s retirement]
Though he wasn’t sure how Jaei came to make such a statement, according to what was said earlier, it came up as a joke while asking to exchange scripts. So it seemed necessary to examine the context of the unseen parts more.
Kim Ilhun replied:
[Don’t I have thoughts of taking responsibility too? You should raise me a bit]
Seeing Kim Ilhun’s bold flirting, which seemed to be done with capturing and SNS uploading in mind, Doha uttered a harsh word:
“Why is this bastard acting like this? Is he crazy?”
Doha, who had been gently raised by Jaei’s hands and was still growing well under his care even at this moment, couldn’t contain his anger at Kim Ilhun’s filthy behavior, daring to covet his position.
He moved his gaze to check Jaei’s subsequent response:
[That seems a bit difficult I’m growing a huge flower at home I can’t raise more than two living things]
Of course, there are no plants being grown at home. Therefore, the subject Jaei referred to as a flower was Doha himself. After that, Jaei sent Kim Ilhun an emoticon of a fist breaking a wall. He had also never used such a violent emoticon with Doha.
Kim Ilhun then replied:
[Why are you making my heart flutter]
The conversation ended there. He checked the article titles again with a clear mind. The reporters had attached the absurd modifier “powerful man” to Jaei.
With his heart subtly swelling, Doha tightly embraced Jaei’s fragile glass body with both arms and affectionately called his name.
“Jaei.”
“Yes, yes, Doha.”
“Can I burst you?”
“Yes. You can do whatever you want with my body.”
* * *
Jaei being cute enough to burst was Jaei’s own business, and separately from that, Kim Ilhun was quite a dirty opportunist. After checking Jaei’s filming time and location by asking the company, Doha visited the filming site the very next day.
Naturally joining the scene, Doha calmly monitored the screen being filmed while standing behind Hong Duyoung, who was sitting in the director’s chair. The film industry, or broadly speaking the entertainment industry, was indeed a minefield, and this guy, that guy, and the other guy were all mines.
Doha, who would have been the same age as Kim Ilhun had he lived his given lifespan, came today to warn him. Although sadly he was in the position of a junior 7 years younger, he intended to speak very maturely. Not wanting to look like a baby, he stopped by a salon to reveal his forehead by pushing his bangs up.
