In the end, Jorangi-nim became Banye’s editor.
And Jorangi-nim started re-editing all the videos that had been uploaded from the beginning and uploading them.
People said that Banye finally got an editor too, and that the newly edited videos were much better to watch and nicer.
I was jealous, but the videos Jorangi-nim edited had much better quality, and it was also true that Banye’s NewTube channel gradually grew after Jorangi-nim started editing, so I couldn’t say anything. Even in my eyes, Jorangi-nim edited too well.
However……
“Yes. No subtitles needed there. It’s fine.”
From then on, Banye had Discord calls with Jorangi-nim every day and had editing meetings, which bothered me because the time he spent hanging out with me decreased a lot.
And when Banye had editing meetings with Jorangi-nim, he would wave his hand at me shooing me away as if telling me to leave. It’s not like I’m some flying insect…….
Of course, the fact that Banye and I were living together was still a secret, so we couldn’t let Jorangi-nim find out……
When he was with other guild members he didn’t really stop me, but only when Jorangi-nim was around he acted like this, so I couldn’t shake the question ‘Why does he treat Jorangi-nim specially?’
‘Am I really going to lose Banye at this rate……?’
Suddenly one day, imagining Banye saying he was going to live at Jorangi-nim’s house and leaving…… I thought this wouldn’t do, so from that day I started earnestly appealing to Banye.
The first thing was making him food.
“Banye-ssi……”
The meeting had just ended, and I poked my head in from outside the door calling Banye who was taking off his headset.
“Banye-ssi?”
Banye looked back at me as if puzzled.
I got straight to the point.
“I made food, want to eat?”
“Why food?”
“Your meeting went long…… I thought you’d be hungry. So I tried making something! Hehe.”
Of course, I’d put out a cutting board to hide the sink that had become a mess while cooking, but anyway, on the surface there was a fairly decent spread laid out.
Banye poked at the food I made with chopsticks as if suspicious, but still ate well. The problem happened when I tried to stop Banye from offering to do the dishes after eating everything.
“I-I’ll do it!”
“No, why? I can do the dishes.”
“That……”
Eventually, I ended up showing him the sink that had become a chaotic mess. Banye looked at it speechlessly then let out a sigh.
“Haa……”
“I-I’ll clean it up!”
“What did you do here?”
“Cooking……?”
Honestly, I don’t know why it ended up looking like it got bombed either. I just bought a meal kit and followed what was written there…….
As I stood there making a tearful face, Banye poked me firmly to move me aside and ended up cleaning that dirty mess himself. During the dishwashing time that took 20 minutes longer than usual, I thought I was screwed.
“Sorry……”
“It’s fine.”
Banye’s “it’s fine” probably means “this is enough so don’t do this anymore,” right?
I became dejected and went to sit on the living room sofa, and Banye looked at me then went into his room.
“So cold……”
Still, would it hurt to say at least one word like “I ate well” or “thanks”!
I recalled Banye’s cold attitude while turning the pedals of the bicycle set up in the living room with my hand.
Whirr. Whirr.
But as I kept turning the pedals listlessly, I thought I couldn’t keep being dejected like this. The first attempt failed, but still, I could do well for him with something else too.
I was lost in thought. Then I turned my eyes to the television, and just then a massage chair commercial was on.
“Hmm…… He’s been looking tired lately…… Should I buy him a massage chair?”
But the problem was there was no separate place to put it at home. Putting it in the living room would make the living room a bit cramped……. No, more than anything, Banye might firmly tell me to return it again.
“Then should I just massage him myself……? Shoulder rubs……”
But just thinking about it made my cheeks slightly red. It wasn’t like I was trying to do it with ulterior motives, but somehow just placing my hands on Banye’s shoulders…….
“Kyaa……”
“What are you doing?”
“Uwah!”
I was startled by the voice that suddenly came and quickly took my hands off the bicycle.
Banye saw me fiddling with the bicycle and narrowed his eyes.
When there was something he didn’t like, Banye always made that expression. Lately he made that expression every time he saw the bicycle, but even when I asked why, there was no answer.
Anyway, because of that I only secretly touched the bicycle when Banye wasn’t looking, and now I’d just been caught. I pretended not to notice the bicycle wheel still spinning smoothly and scurried over to Banye.
“Yeah, I was just…… watching TV.”
“If you want to play on a bicycle, why don’t you go outside and play?”
“N-no. I don’t even know how to ride a bicycle……”
“Ask Nanneokeo to teach you.”
“Uh…… Neokeo-ssi must be really good at it, wouldn’t teaching a beginner like me be bothersome……”
“Ha.”
Banye clearly showed his displeasure at some part of this conversation again.
Still, thinking this was my chance to make up for it, I quickly grabbed Banye’s arm.
“B-but more than that…… Aren’t you tired lately? You edit until dawn and stuff.”
“I’m not tired.”
“Y-you look tired. Your eyes are all like this when you walk around.”
I stretched my eyes with my index fingers. But Banye didn’t budge at my joke meant to make him laugh.
‘I’m screwed……’
I moved my mouth to quickly salvage the situation.
“Ahem. S-so…… I was thinking I’d massage you until your fatigue goes away.”
“……What?”
Banye reacted as if he’d heard all sorts of strange things, but didn’t shake off the hand I was holding.
It seemed like a good sign somehow, so I led Banye’s wrist that I was holding and approached the sofa. And I sat Banye down there.
Banye seemed to sit down obediently but shook his head and tried to get up. I grabbed his shoulders and quickly stopped him.
“I’ll massage you!”
Banye glared at me looking somewhat annoyed, then sat down with a thump. And with a somewhat arrogant attitude, he asked me,
“Where?”
“Huh? Um…… Your…… tired places?”
“In this position?”
“U-unfold your arms and sit comfortably……”
I coaxed Banye who seemed somehow sulky while flustered.
But Banye didn’t unfold his arms. Rather, in that same position he leaned back deeply against the backrest and looked up at me saying this.
“So, you’ll massage me? The tired parts?”
“Mmm……”
“My legs are tired.”
“Eh…… Really?”
“Yes.”
Saying that, Banye stuck one of his long legs between my legs and tapped my ankle bone with his bare foot.
I inadvertently grabbed that leg and sat down below the sofa. The part where Banye’s bare foot touched tickled for no reason.
“Sh-should I massage starting from the sole?”
“Do whatever you want, hyung.”
“Do whatever you want” seems like the most difficult words in the world.
But I had offered to do it anyway, and since making food had also failed, I was overflowing with motivation. So I held Banye’s foot and pressed down earnestly.
Banye just silently watched me pressing his foot while groaning.
“……”
“……”
I was massaging from the foot to the ankle, and then pressing the knee while slowly moving upward.
But somehow the atmosphere was strange. I didn’t raise my head to look at Banye, but I could tell Banye was staring at me intently.
‘If he stares like that…… I get too nervous.’
Should I say my fingertips trembled slightly, and I became conscious of even exhaling my breath?
Then it was when I pressed down on Banye’s thigh firmly.
‘Hm……?’
I took my hand off his thigh that I was pressing at the unfamiliar sensation.
Something next to his thigh…… brushed against my hand. But the moment I was about to touch it again because I didn’t know what it was, Banye avoided my hand and drew his thigh inward.
“……That’s enough now.”
“Huh? I only did one side?”
“My fatigue completely melted away.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
But Banye’s expression when I looked up now looked like he’d chewed on something bitter.
Only then did I realize what I’d pressed just before and my face turned pale.
