So now that I’m not accommodating his whims, is he switching to Nanneokeo? But before I could say anything, the sulking Ryu Hanyoung ran away to his room first.
I was about to chase after him and ask if he was in his right mind, but I heard sniffling sounds again, so I ended up holding back alone. However, my irritation didn’t subside, so I quietly went outside and smoked a cigarette.
Just then, I got a Discord message from Anaki.
[Anajokiwojo] How’s the idol debut going? lol
[Hwang Hyunjung] You want to get hit?
[Anajokiwojo] If you ever get famous later I should report this for a character controversy lol
After pestering me for a while, when I didn’t respond, Anaki suddenly sent a game screenshot. It was a capture of Ryu Hanyoung’s chat flirting with Nanneokeo.
[Anajokiwojo] Your fan’s been sticking with Nanneokeo lately lol
[Hwang Hyunjung] Who asked?
[Anajokiwojo] lololol Aang finally got tired of you too
[Anajokiwojo] Thought this one would last a bit longer
I know. This is just Anaki’s characteristically annoying joke. But even knowing that, I couldn’t help the irritation that surged up in that moment.
“Tired my ass, who…….”
I looked at the screen where I’d been typing curses, but in the end didn’t send it and just turned off my smartphone screen.
When I came home even more annoyed after trying to relieve stress, Ryu Hanyoung must have fallen asleep in the meantime as everything was completely quiet.
“Hyung. I told you not to have fun without me.”
“…….”
I went into the room, grabbed the hair of Ryu Hanyoung who was sleeping face down, and asked while pulling it back a little. Once Ryu Hanyoung fell asleep he didn’t wake easily, so even when I played with him like this, only his eyebrows twitched slightly but he didn’t get up.
From that angle, I stared intently at Ryu Hanyoung’s flushed eyes and lips. Then when I suddenly let go, sure enough, he buried his face in the pillow and didn’t move.
Still, this time his nose bumped something so it must have tickled a bit as he sniffled. Or maybe, he was bothered in his sleep by my cigarette smell. I pondered how I could torment Ryu Hanyoung more.
But then, Ryu Hanyoung who had been sniffling turned his head to the side and instead of moving away from me, gradually brought his head closer. As if he would bury his nose in my embrace if I just waited a bit.
“Are you smelling me?”
“Mmm…….”
“……You’re really a pervert.”
Even when I said that, he stuck close without caring. I watched that sight for a while, then pushed Ryu Hanyoung aside a bit and lay down next to him.
When I lifted the bed covers, Ryu Hanyoung’s scent wafted out strongly. As soon as I lay down next to him, Ryu Hanyoung buried his face in my chest as if he’d been waiting.
I’d thought this from before, but Ryu Hanyoung really seemed to like chests. Ryu Hanyoung slept wriggling around in my embrace like that.
I wanted to choke Ryu Hanyoung’s neck a little. But since I couldn’t understand why I wanted to do such a thing, I ended up doing nothing.
Then before Ryu Hanyoung woke up, I returned to my room at dawn.
* * *
“I’m going out.”
“…….”
Even though Ryu Hanyoung’s shoulders flinched when he heard my words, he stubbornly didn’t respond.
I wanted to stare at him until our eyes met, but I didn’t have much time so I eventually had to leave the house. And…… I worked in front of cameras all day.
“Hyunjung-ssi, shall we try a bright smile?”
“Ah, yes…….”
“Let’s raise the corners of your mouth just a bit!”
I went to a studio to take profile photos as a camera test.
For several hours, I had to keep taking photos while making what I felt were stupid expressions. Reality hit me hard, but I endured it thinking about the down payment that would come soon.
Still, the photographer seemed troubled as if not quite satisfied with the results.
“Hyunjung-ssi seems a bit introverted.”
“…….”
“You haven’t been photographed much, right?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll be photographed a lot from now on. You’ll need to practice expressions at home.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Ah, I’m not criticizing you~ It’s just a shame because Hyunjung-ssi’s face…….”
We were able to salvage a few decent photos among the ones that looked slightly stiff somewhere even when smiling.
They said they’d upload those to the Almond TV contract profile now. I felt bad that photos taken with a stupid expression would be published online, but I didn’t show it.
I repeated words of thanks like a parrot, and when the PD who arrived a bit late at the site today because of other work came and saw the results, they were impressed.
“Wow, these came out really cool.”
“Hyunjung-ssi’s face has atmosphere.”
The photographer who had been disappointed with me only gave compliments in front of the PD. Anyway, it meant I passed. I was relieved that my first assigned work was finished.
“Great work.”
“Please contact me again next time!”
“Hyunjung-ssi, great work.”
The PD patted my shoulder while speaking. Then suddenly offered to buy me drinks tonight. I felt that was more an extension of work than an invitation, so I attended.
Sure enough, it was a private gathering with key people from Almond TV.
There were some arrogant people and some who weren’t particularly interested in me, but they were generally friendly. Some patted my shoulder saying they had high expectations.
Everything was tiring, but it was manageable.
* * *
“I’m back.”
There was no response to my words saying I was back today either. I looked at Ryu Hanyoung’s tightly closed door and opened it, but Ryu Hanyoung was sleeping peacefully by himself today too.
“…….”
I looked at that sight, closed the door and came out. Because today it felt like I’d really wake him up if I tormented Ryu Hanyoung.
But…….
The next day, even though I came back a bit early after finishing work, no one was home. Since Ryu Hanyoung rarely went out of the house, I felt something was strange about this uncommon occurrence.
“…….”
Most importantly, the bicycle that should be in the living room was gone. I realized Ryu Hanyoung had fallen for Nanneokeo’s tricks.
‘Is he in his right mind?’
I couldn’t understand what on earth Ryu Hanyoung was thinking hanging out with Nanneokeo so consistently.
I could understand being completely swayed by the offer to teach him bicycling and learning it, but continuing to hang out with Nanneokeo after that just seemed like he was deliberately doing it to piss me off.
At a time when he should be doing his best to win me over and change my mind, it was annoying that he was clumsily trying to provoke jealousy.
Beep beep beep―.
While thinking that, I heard the sound of the door lock password being pressed and Ryu Hanyoung’s presence noisily echoed.
“What were you doing to come back only now?”
“…….”
As soon as my eyes met Ryu Hanyoung’s, I asked. But now Ryu Hanyoung didn’t even make excuses and just kept his mouth tightly shut.
“You rode the bicycle, right?”
“…….”
“You rode the bicycle with Nanneokeo?”
At my continued interrogation, Ryu Hanyoung’s shoulders flinched. Then he said something not even a dog would believe.
“I, I rode alone though?”
“You rode with Nanneokeo.”
“I said I rode alone. And, whoever I ride bicycles with, what’s it to you!”
In the end, Ryu Hanyoung’s words touched a nerve.
“Why wouldn’t it matter to me?”
“What?”
“For people living together, isn’t this much natural? Don’t you care if I hang out with just anyone without even telling you?”
“…….”
Ryu Hanyoung looked at me as if at a loss for words. I said to that Ryu Hanyoung what I’d been holding back all this time.
“Am I asking for too much? Is it hard to just tell me who you’re hanging out with, when you’re coming back, and contact me in between when you go out? I do it.”
But after a long silence, Ryu Hanyoung ended up being stubborn again.
“……I can’t do that.”
“Why? Didn’t I explain it clearly enough for you to understand?”
“I just don’t get it besides the fact that you feel bad if I don’t do that.”
“So you’re doing it on purpose?”
“It’s not on purpose…… Haah. Why should I cater to your feelings?”
I tried to gauge when Ryu Hanyoung would be able to escape from his desire for revenge over being rejected by me.
‘He needs to realize that dating is nothing but a fantasy.’
But if I say this much, it’ll be irreversible. This time I held back and held back what I wanted to say.
“Does hyung either date or live as enemies?”
For me, it was an appeal to Ryu Hanyoung. To stop obsessing now and let’s go back to how we were before…….
But Ryu Hanyoung was resolute.
“I won’t halfheartedly stay as friends!”
“…….”
“If you don’t like that…….”
“…….”
“If you don’t like it, stop caring.”
“…….”
“I don’t care at all what you do and go around doing?”
After saying that, Ryu Hanyoung ran away to his room again this time too.
The more I chewed on it the angrier I got and I wanted to confront him right away, but like a coward, Ryu Hanyoung had locked his door in advance. That made me even angrier, but I couldn’t break the door so I just went back to my room too.
‘This is ridiculous…….’
It was absurd how he’d immediately start sniffling again if I really met just anyone as I pleased, didn’t tell him, and ignored him, yet he was acting tough.
‘He really doesn’t know I’m going easy on him.’
Should I change my attitude? What I’m trying hard to suppress, can I just pour it all out on Ryu Hanyoung?
I agonized with wide-open eyes all dawn. While imagining things that would make Ryu Hanyoung frightened and more if he knew.
