Whether it was because BNCZ’s manager wasn’t a dedicated one, or because their manager career was short, they did many bewildering things. No matter how much they were both idols, to carelessly give out the contact information of their own idol to an idol from another company.
No matter how much he himself kept watch, if the manager handed out numbers like this, it wouldn’t be difficult for other female idols to find out Seonwoo Jin’s number either. Jion looked down at his phone with a troubled heart and typed a reply.
Me
[It’s okay]
[We’re both guys, so whatever]
Seeing the answer that revealed his true feelings without him realizing it, Yoon Hyeok sent a laughing emoticon.
No Name
[So it’s not okay if it’s the opposite sex?]
[BNCZ’s surveillance is brutal]
At Yoon Hyeok’s reply, Jion only then went “oops,” but there was nothing he could do about the message he’d already sent. And since a dating ban for an idol who hadn’t made it yet wasn’t surprising, there was no need to make excuses. He wanted to reply that even exchanging contact information with someone of the same sex was a bit much, but…… Jion held back his honest feelings and
Me
[^^; Yes]
typed an insincere answer. Now the flow would be for Yoon Hyeok to naturally write a final comment like, “Alright, I’m relieved to hear you’re recovering well. I’ll save your number and let’s have a meal next time,” and then he could end it with “Thank you.”
“Huh?”
However, instead of ending the conversation, Yoon Hyeok called. Jion panicked greatly at the incoming call screen showing an unsaved number and looked around. After making all that fuss at Seonwoo Jin not to fraternize with other idols and fighting about it, here he was exchanging contact with another idol.
“Shit……”
Fortunately, the members were each in their own rooms. Jion hurriedly got up and hid in the laundry room. And when he answered the phone, Yoon Hyeok laughed without knowing how people felt.
― Haha. Did I startle you by calling suddenly?
“Ah, yes, a little……”
― Sorry, sorry. I’m more comfortable with calls.
Seeing how he smoothly continued the call, Jion realized that while Yoon Hyeok acted very nice, he was actually quite selfish and the type who wasn’t satisfied unless he led things his own way.
Not someone who’d be good to know deeply.
“Ah, yes, it’s fine.”
Though he had no intention of getting to know him deeply anyway, Jion hardened his guard once more and replied appropriately. However, that wasn’t the reaction Yoon Hyeok had expected. What he had expected was someone who, upon receiving a call from a popular senior idol, would be overcome with emotion, their voice trembling with gratitude, and even though he couldn’t be seen, would bow deeply while groveling.
He looks meek but he’s actually quite stiff, huh?
Yoon Hyeok saw Jion’s delicate frame and pretty face and arbitrarily thought he would be timid and introverted. He didn’t seem like he’d cause any major incidents, and when he looked into it, he sang quite well too, so if things went well it seemed like he could solidify a talented image, so he’d tried to build some rapport in advance, but this young junior wasn’t as easy as he thought.
Nevertheless, since he still intended to build rapport with Jion, Yoon Hyeok decided to think positively.
Well, maybe he’s just too surprised to react well. In any case, he’s being polite.
― Save my number. You’re resting from activities, right? Let’s have a meal sometime.
Yoon Hyeok naturally tried to set up an appointment and take control of Jion. Jion sensitively picked up on the manipulation coming right in. It was thanks to his heightened vigilance from frantically keeping watch over Seonwoo Jin. Jion quickly switched his response format to a parent-teacher conference tone.
“I’d be so grateful if sunbae-nim suggests it. But actually, my ankle still hurts too much……”
― Ah, really? It must be bad?
“It’s not broken, but when I stand or sit, blood rushes to my ankle and it swells up, so I’m staying lying down as much as possible.”
― Oh my, what should we do?
Since he said he had to stay lying down, he couldn’t keep insisting on having a meal. Yoon Hyeok immediately understood Jion’s roundabout refusal and backed off one step.
― Then is your ankle in a cast now?
“A half-cast.”
― I see, let’s have a meal once you get that off. Your next single is still far off anyway.
Hmm, he’s subtly dropping the formal speech, and saying “your next single is still far off” when he clearly knows we just hit our career high this time. Jion’s expression soured at the faint disrespect he felt from Yoon Hyeok’s attitude. As if I’d have a meal with you. With a dry expression, Jion put acting into his voice.
“Yes, thank you so much for reaching out first, sunbae-nim.”
― No, there’s no senior-junior relationship in things like this. The person who wants to contact first does it.
“Next time I’ll definitely reach out to check on you first.”
Meaning I’ll never contact you, so you don’t contact me either until I contact you.
― Haha, alright. See you next time. Rest up.
“Yes, take care.”
Jion finished the call as if cutting off an excessive demand for an in-person consultation from the parent of a major student, and sighed.
“Ha…… Jeez…… A young punk acting like a senior and putting on airs.”
It was a remark made while temporarily forgetting that he himself was younger. Jion, who had come out to the laundry room barefoot, limped out of the laundry room in a hurry with his cold soles. The part about his ankle hurting from blood rushing to it wasn’t a lie. While standing briefly to take the call, blood had rushed to his ankle and it hurt with a hot throbbing pain.
“Ugh……”
Limping out of the laundry room, Jion tried to quickly return to his room. Things were a bit awkward with Seonwoo Jin, but he couldn’t avoid him forever, and more than anything, he wanted to lie in his own bed with his legs stretched out. Jion stopped in front of the room door, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on the doorknob.
“……Whew……. Huh?”
However, before Jion could turn the doorknob, the door opened first and Seonwoo Jin’s chest appeared before his eyes. No, Seonwoo Jin appeared. The flustered Jion tried to step back and swayed, and Seonwoo Jin quickly extended his arm and wrapped it around Jion’s back.
Breathless silence. And the sound of heartbeats disturbing each other’s ears. Thump thump thump thump.
“Be careful.”
“Uh…… thanks……”
It was good that Seonwoo Jin had stably supported Jion’s back, but it had been a while since they’d been this close. Having his face buried in Seonwoo Jin’s neck for the first time in a while, Jion’s heart pounded at the familiar scent of cologne.
The one whose heart was fluttering was Seonwoo Jin too, who was half-embracing Jion. He should naturally release his arm and help Jion regain his balance, but his body had stiffened as if cement had been poured into his joints and wouldn’t move.
Ah, should I stay like this just a bit longer.
He didn’t want to move because he liked the feeling of his skin touching Jion’s. But the two of them had to separate quickly. Jion, intoxicated by Seonwoo Jin’s cologne scent, started to turn redder and redder, and Seonwoo Jin, holding Jion, started to have blood rush between his legs. Moreover, the sound of a door opening came from Jinyeong’s room just in time. It was the perfect environment to be misunderstood.
“……Hold onto me.”
Seonwoo Jin quickly placed Jion’s hand on his forearm to help him keep his balance. And like an escort, he opened the room door wide and let Jion enter the room, then quickly closed the door and went outside.
“Rest.”
Left alone in the room, Jion felt hurt by Seonwoo Jin leaving without looking back, but also felt relieved at the closed door.
“Ah…… what…… coming out suddenly……”
Feeling his ears burning hot, he checked the mirror and his face really did look like it was on fire. Would his face get this red just from hugging a bit with a fellow member? Jion pointlessly patted his own cheeks lightly, then sneakily looked back and forth between the two empty beds and the cologne on the vanity.
……When I stole and sprayed it, it wasn’t that scent.
The scent of Seonwoo Jin’s body that he smelled after so long was too good. It was already quite dense and rich, but when Seonwoo Jin, whose body temperature was relatively high, wore it, did it feel even richer and more gorgeous? And yet the scent wasn’t too strong, but rather felt like it was softly enveloping him…… Jion closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the scent he’d smelled in Seonwoo Jin’s embrace.
“………”
When he opened his eyes again, what he saw before him was Seonwoo Jin’s bed. His own bed was on the other side too, but Seonwoo Jin’s bed was closest to the vanity, so, yeah. Jion began to convince himself with illogic like that.
My leg hurts so much I can barely walk a step, it’s a fellow member’s bed anyway, Seonwoo Jin told me to rest up too, the bed’s owner isn’t in the room, he went out, and also……
Jion recalled Seonwoo Jin’s attitude of hugging him and pausing for a moment. The feeling of being stiff wasn’t hard at all, but rather felt like he was softly embracing him. He must have gotten over his anger. Though they hadn’t formally reconciled by saying sorry and it’s okay to each other, Seonwoo Jin’s attitude toward him earlier was soft to the point of being mushy.
“……The cologne had that kind of feeling too.”
The deep and sweet scent of a fully ripened, soft fig topped with rose, an enchanting yet elegant and deeply sweet fragrance. Added to that was Seonwoo Jin’s hot body temperature.
“……Ah, what the hell.”
Suddenly turning red all by himself, Jion hesitantly got up and perched on Seonwoo Jin’s bed. And after even holding his breath and listening carefully outside to confirm that Seonwoo Jin’s presence couldn’t be heard, he felt reassured and pulled back the covers, lay down on someone else’s bed, and breathed in deeply.
Seonwoo Jin’s body scent wafting richly. It felt like being held in Seonwoo Jin’s arms, making him sleepy. Jion closed his eyes just like that and fell into a deep sleep.
