Cha Seonwoo’s words about working harder naturally brought a new current to the house that had been peaceful like a spring breeze. More precisely, it poured oil on and dropped a spark into the anxiousness of Minho, who had been frantically focused only on Soyoon.
Stopping mid-drink of his milk, Minho started hovering next to Seonwoo, who was loading dishes into the dishwasher, like a puppy that needed to poop.
“How do you get to work in the morning, Haeyoung-ssi?”
Meanwhile, Jaehwi, who had finished cleaning up everything he’d eaten, asked while putting on a thick padded jacket. Haeyoung, who had been putting his arms back through the outerwear he’d hung on the chair, looked up at that question and replied.
“I usually take the bus in front of here and transfer to the subway.”
“That must be annoying. Want to go together?”
“Do you drive, hyung?”
Looking at Jaehwi, who seemed to be offering to give him a ride to work, Yoon Haeyoung asked back while adjusting his outerwear.
Unlike himself, who wore a long coat over his suit due to work requirements, he was wearing faded jeans and a thick padded jacket. Yet he gave off the unique atmosphere of an office worker more than usual because his face was filled with an intense disgust for going to work. With such a face, Jaehwi let out a short sigh and expressionlessly gestured with his eyes toward Seonwoo, who had finished arranging the dishes and was approaching the table again.
“No, Seonwoo-ssi said he’d drop me off on his way.”
As if knowing he was talking about him, a faint smile appeared on his lips as he approached.
…Seonwoo hyung? Questions filled Haeyoung’s head once again. The combination of Jaehwi hyung and Seonwoo hyung—it didn’t seem to match well, and it was a picture he’d never thought of. However, contrary to his thoughts, Jaehwi seemed quite comfortable with him, and Seonwoo also seemed to treat Jaehwi casually.
“Would it be okay if Haeyoung-ssi joined too?”
If Seonwoo had dropped words like a bolt from the blue on Minho, this time it was Haeyoung who received the sudden bombshell statement. And the one who dropped that bomb was none other than Jaehwi.
Haeyoung, who had been unconsciously frowning slightly while mulling over the subtle atmosphere, reflexively widened his eyes at the suddenly heard words. Even seeing his expression, he must have known that he was flustered, yet Cha Seonwoo looked at him with a smile and answered.
“Yes, I’m fine with it.”
In the answer that flowed out lightly, he somehow felt sincerity. Haeyoung had no reason to refuse either. It wasn’t that there wouldn’t be some discomfort, but still, with Jaehwi hyung there too, it should be fine.
Having ended up riding in Seonwoo’s car with the three of them going to work together, Haeyoung followed behind the hyungs who were leading the way out of the house. And Minho followed alongside him.
“Hyung. Hyung-nim. What time are you getting off work today? Should we guys have a real deep gathering?”
Seonwoo, who ignored Minho’s proposal with a smiling face as he persistently offered while following closely behind him, stood in front of the stairs leading to the underground garage. As if knowing it wasn’t working on him at all, this time he turned his head and stuck close to Jaehwi.
“Jaehwi hyung, what about you?”
“I have plans this evening.”
“What, really?”
At the clean refusal that left no room to hold on, Minho made a tearful face. However, he still had his last resort. Following the people going down to the garage, Minho also descended the stairs while placing his arm familiarly on Haeyoung’s shoulder.
“Haeyoung, what about you? How about you. After work today, deal? I’ll come to your area.”
“You and me?”
“Yeah.”
“Just the two of us?”
“Yeah.”
“……”
Interest rapidly disappeared from Haeyoung’s face. Hmm. He let out a sound as if briefly pondering, then looked at Minho with a face that seemed about to smile or not and said.
“I’ll see about the time.”
“I’ll pay, okay? There’s a place with a really good atmosphere and delicious food!”
So why are you going to that place with the good atmosphere and delicious food with me… Haeyoung put the words he couldn’t quite spit out into his expression.
He thought the target of his courting was wrong, very wrong. It was certain that he liked Soyoon, so if he was anxious about that, shouldn’t he appeal more to Soyoon? But he couldn’t easily understand his behavior of suddenly grabbing male contestants and asking to go on dates instead of her.
Haeyoung wasn’t the type to enjoy getting involved in others’ romances, but he couldn’t help but pay attention to Minho’s utterly clumsy way of expressing himself. A hollow laugh he couldn’t spit out accumulated in his mouth.
Of course, even so, he had no desire to step forward directly and connect Soyoon and him. However, he could at least listen to his groaning.
“Alright, then see you later.”
Alright. Minho’s face brightened when he finally got a positive answer. Waving at him as he briefly clenched his fist at his words, Haeyoung walked toward the car.
Jaehwi, who he naturally thought would have gotten in the passenger seat first since he’d followed a bit late, was sitting in the back seat. Haeyoung, who had paused briefly, inevitably got in the passenger seat. After confirming that he’d gotten in the car and fastened his seatbelt, Seonwoo finally started the car.
There was no particular reason for the three male contestants to have anything to say. The silence that naturally settled in the car wasn’t heavy unlike before.
“Ah, I think you can drop me off at the station here.”
Jaehwi, who had been quiet the whole time until they left the residential complex and entered the main road, looked out the window and spoke. Without a word, Seonwoo changed lanes and smoothly stopped the car in front of the entrance going down to the subway station.
Following Jaehwi, who was preparing to get out, Haeyoung also unbuckled his seatbelt. Seeing Haeyoung, who was trying to get off at the station rather than ride in the car, Seonwoo asked.
“You’re getting off here?”
“Uh… You must be busy too, so I’ll just take the subway.”
“I’m not busy.”
Looking at Haeyoung, who turned to look at him with the car door half open, he slowly raised the corners of his mouth. At his appearance looking fully relaxed as his words suggested, Haeyoung unconsciously slightly furrowed his brow. Then Seonwoo immediately closed his mouth and raised his hand to gently smooth over Haeyoung’s eyebrows.
Soon he removed his hand and waved it lightly.
“Have a good day, Haeyoung-ah.”
Cha Seonwoo spoke to Haeyoung as if whispering, then gestured behind him and gave a brief greeting.
“You too, Jaehwi-ssi.”
“Yes, see you at home later.”
Jaehwi, who had been standing in front of the car, greeted Seonwoo back. At the situation that passed in an instant, Haeyoung had no choice but to stand blankly for a moment even after getting out of the car. Only after the car started again and moved away, and Jaehwi patted his shoulder as he stood still, did he come to his senses and start walking.
Even though it was his ear that was red as if burned, Haeyoung fiddled with the area above his eyebrows as he entered the subway station.
***
Haeyoung, who left the company at quitting time, raised his hand and pressed firmly on his stiff eyes.
Since it was before the final common assignment of the practical training period came out, the given schedule wasn’t that busy, but as he delved into the personal assignment given by the team’s mentor lawyer, today too he had to be stuck in research hell all afternoon. It was when Haeyoung was slowly blinking, as reading for a long time was more tiring on the eyes than he’d thought.
“Haeyoung!”
At the call from far away, he reflexively raised his head. The owner of the familiar voice was, as expected, Minho. Seeing Minho walking toward him waving from afar, Haeyoung also raised the hand that had been covering his eyes and waved.
He’d said he’d come at quitting time, and he really arrived at exactly the right time. Looking at Minho, who was dressed up flashily with accessories and all as if he had no intention of hiding that he was a model, Haeyoung closed his eyes briefly then opened them and let out a hollow laugh. That guy really has cute aspects…
“Do you drink a bit?”
At Minho’s question, Haeyoung smiled broadly without a word. Even without saying anything, at the quite confident air that rose on his face, Minho’s eyes widened. His face too soon filled with an inexplicable competitive spirit.
Why did the camera follow them even though it was two male contestants meeting—wherever they went, he could feel gazes. Ignoring it deliberately, Haeyoung sat down, looked at the menu, and ordered food that could serve as dinner. As if the meal was also being combined, the bar located on the rooftop had many menu items that could fill one’s stomach.
The ordered food came out quickly. It was when Haeyoung was satisfying his hunger while looking at the pointlessly pretty night view. Minho, who had already emptied half his glass, muttered with a rather gloomy face.
“I really hope we can do the next date together…”
At that low voice, Haeyoung turned his head. Even without asking, he could tell that the person he hoped to date together was Soyoon. Haeyoung, who had been thinking about pretending not to know and asking ‘with me?’ as a joke to refresh the atmosphere, spoke slowly.
“You can do it normally too. And even if you don’t date, you just have to express it.”
The quite affectionate voice seemed to have comforted Minho’s heart. With a face that seemed to have become much friendlier, he brought out the sincerity he’d been hesitating over.
“But I… honestly lost confidence after coming here.”
At the words that flowed out cautiously, his fingertips reflexively curled. It was uncomfortable seeing Minho, who would fit well with the cheerful music flowing throughout the rooftop, instead being dispirited.
Since he’d said he was a model, Haeyoung thought he might have appeared on the program with a light heart to some extent. And in reality, he probably wasn’t without the intention of raising his recognition through the program at all. However, since he knew that he’d liked Soyoon from the beginning, he could also tell that the words he was spitting out now were sincere.
“All the contestants are cool and all. I feel like I’m the only one without anything, you know?”
At those dejected words, Haeyoung looked at him then threw the dry snack he was holding. Minho, who caught the peanut flying at him suddenly, raised his head with a startled face.
“Hey. I’m going to be unemployed soon after my internship ends, you know? Why are you more anxious than me, an unemployed person, when you’re a model?”
“…You must not know, but you’re also a target to watch out for.”
“Huh? Really?”
At Minho’s comment subtly guarding against him, Haeyoung raised his eyebrows as if unexpected. Seeing him happy, asking if he was being included as a target to watch out for too, Minho stuck out his lips as if finding him annoying.
