Evan, who stopped the car at a signal, looked at the next lane. It was a signal he could have passed through sufficiently. The car in the next lane, like himself who deliberately slowed down and stopped at the signal, stopped even though it could have passed.
He knew paparazzi were following him. It wasn’t even the car he usually drove, and this car was a new one that came out today. He deliberately purchased it thinking an SUV would be better than a sports car to ride with Siwoo. And yet they stuck to him? He was fed up with their disgusting behavior.
Still, just in case, he didn’t start even though the signal changed.
“Amateur.”
Only after confirming the car that didn’t start with him did he slowly move his foot from the brake to the accelerator. What should he do? He couldn’t predict whether it was a paparazzi with at least some ethics or a bastard who only lives for today.
Gradually picking up speed, Evan checked the car following him in the rearview mirror and ran one hand through his hair. Shaking off the car wasn’t difficult. It’s not like he’d been shaking off paparazzi for just a year or two. It seemed like he needed to talk about it soon. About what would happen in the future.
“Ongi. Hello.”
Everything is difficult the first time. Once becoming twice, and twice becoming three times was truly easy. After taking him home drunk and even filming a vlog together, they became much closer. He called him anytime, made appointments, and came and went from Siwoo’s house as comfortably as his own home.
After the first broadcast of ‘Journey’ aired, Siwoo’s life changed a lot. As if they had decided to push Siwoo completely, the editing team drastically increased his screen time.
The scenes where the two overlapped were going out with minimal editing. If they couldn’t put it in the main broadcast, they put it in the episodes.
“What? Ongi comes before me?”
At those words as he came out dragging his slippers and clicking his tongue, the corners of Evan’s mouth went up. He handed over the paper bag to him who approached him, then walked toward the curtains.
“Should I pull back the curtains?”
“Ah! No. Just leave it. You said you have to leave soon. Want to eat some fruit? But there are no plums.”
Hearing that voice full of laughter made his mouth bitter. Since that day when they all watched the main broadcast with the members and had a drink, Siwoo hadn’t come outside. Already several weeks. He’d been inside this house only.
“No. I came to see you. Let’s pull back the curtains. It’s dark.”
Evan deliberately spoke in an exaggerated voice while picking up Ongi, who was meowing and playing around at his feet.
“It’s because it’s noisy. It’s noisy. Even when I tell the agency, they say there’s nothing they can do about the people crowded in front. If they’re making a commotion, I can report them to the police and chase them away. But they say they can’t do anything about them camping out like that. Why is there such a fuss like I’m some kind of superstar?”
He couldn’t know Siwoo’s honest feelings. At first, he thought everything would work out if he forcibly pulled him up. Before he could use any means, Siwoo’s recognition began to rise as he was naturally exposed on broadcasts. But Siwoo showed a completely different reaction than he expected. He acted as if it was nothing, like someone who transcended things like popularity.
Rather, he said this fuss was bothersome and unpleasant. Around then, Evan put everything down. If his and Siwoo’s pace were different, he planned to match Siwoo’s. If he could stay by his side even like that. If he could come and go from this house like this anytime he wanted under the name of friend. If only it could be like that, hiding his insides turned upside down into a mess, the anxiety that seemed to choke his throat was nothing at all.
“You are a superstar. Now they even call me to ask how you’re doing?”
“I hate it, I hate it. I want to live quietly. Please just leave me alone. But where’s mine? These are all for Ongi.”
Taking out the cat snacks filling the paper bag, at the dejected voice as if disappointed, Evan laughed out loud. This appearance was Siwoo.
“Let’s go out for dinner. I’ll go do my schedule now and come pick you up.”
“What? You don’t even have time to eat fruit? Then should I put yuzu tea in a thermos for you? If you’re going to be like this, why did you come? Did you come to give Ongi churu?”
Siwoo, who was rummaging through the refrigerator, stopped his hand and turned around. Looking at Evan standing behind him, holding Ongi in one hand and having come close at some point, he hesitated and stepped aside.
Why does he move around without making any sound?
“Churu was an excuse. I came to see you.”
Seeing Evan casually saying embarrassing words, Siwoo shook his head and took out a bottle with yuzu tea. It’s just friendship. From the moment he decided to stay by his side as a friend, everything became comfortable.
He put everything into the name of friendship—wanting to see him, wanting to hear his voice, wanting to be together like this. Then, even if his heart pounded unbearably, he could smile looking at him.
“If you date someone, it’ll be no joke. Whoever it is, their heart will probably go crazy acting up dozens of times a day and they’ll go insane.”
Unlike Siwoo, who was busy taking out a small thermos and boiling water in the coffee pot, Evan leaning against the island table was merely still.
“You want me to date?”
He put yuzu tea in a large mug and poured hot water. And the hand of Siwoo, who was stirring with a long teaspoon, stopped. Instead of answering, he shrugged his shoulders.
“What? Why do I need your permission to date? It sounds like you’re asking me for permission. You really don’t have time to eat fruit? There’s mango in the fridge.”
He carefully transferred the yuzu tea that had dissolved well in the hot water into the thermos. He deliberately asked Jinwook-hyung to buy mangoes. He didn’t particularly like tropical fruits, but at some point, they were always occupying one side of the refrigerator. Because they’re Evan’s favorite fruit.
“If you tell me not to, I won’t. I saw you’re doing well, gave Ongi a present too. I’ll go. I’ll contact you by 7 PM at the latest, so let’s go out and eat dinner.”
The thermos slipped out of Siwoo’s hand as he tightly closed the thermos lid. Just take the thermos. At the regret left by the warm touch that had covered the back of his hand, he quickly wrapped the back of his hand with his other hand.
“You’re doing this even though you know I won’t go out.”
“That’s why I’m telling you to come out. I made a reservation at a quiet place. I’ll let you have a nice dinner and send you back home. Siwoo-ssi.”
At his words as he lightly shook the thermos, Siwoo ended up laughing. There were moments when he was awkward and uncomfortable. But he couldn’t hate that cheekiness, that smile. Even without speaking, even without expressing it openly, he knows what mood and what thoughts he came with.
He really came to see him using Ongi as an excuse. Himself who suddenly went radio silent. When public attention focused on him to an unbearable extent, what he chose was voluntary confinement. He expected it would be like that, but he did. His choice was to hide.
Late December.
Maybe it was because it was after his enlistment date came out. If he stayed quiet and quietly went and came back, this current attention would surely die down.
The ‘Journey’ members contacted him, and everyone asked how he was doing, but Evan was the only one who came by so casually like this. Today it was Ongi’s snacks, but he never came empty-handed.
Fruit. Food deliberately packed from famous restaurants. Three days ago, he even bought him a game console. He didn’t ask why he had so much interest in him. He didn’t ask why he was so good to him either. He just received what he gave with words of thanks.
“Answer.”
As he followed him going straight to the entrance, wondering if he really didn’t have time, his voice full of laughter lingered in his ears.
“Got it.”
How could he refuse that? It’s not anything else, it’s you saying it.
“Coco. Dress up prettily. Let’s go on a date.”
His words as he waved his hand before the door closed stuck in his chest. He knew it was a joke, he also knew that was his manner of speaking. His chest swelled up. Heat rose to his cheeks and he pressed his cheeks firmly with both hands.
Tame me…….
For instance, if you come at four in the afternoon,
I’ll begin to be happy from three o’clock…….
But if you come at any old time,
I’ll never know when I should prepare my heart…….
“The Little Prince” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The promise. The promise to contact him before 7 PM for dinner.
Siwoo looked at the clock. 11:27 AM. He felt like the fox in “The Little Prince.” The fox became happy an hour before, but he was already happy.
Siwoo approached the heavily drawn curtains. He’d come like this until now, but this was the first time he’d said let’s go out together. When he pushed the curtain aside, sunlight flooded in. Cars passed quickly on the wide road, and he could see people coming and going on the street.
The season had changed. People’s clothes had gotten thicker, and only a few leaves were precariously hanging on the tree branches. There wasn’t much time left to move around freely as a civilian. Rather than regretting autumn that disappeared without him even feeling it, it seemed he should enjoy the remaining month.
Popularity was truly something frightening to Siwoo. Thinking it would briefly burn madly and then disappear, he had no desire to covet it.
Siwoo, who had been lost in various thoughts, checked the name of the person displayed on the loudly ringing phone screen.
What timing, like a ghost.
“Let’s use that promise we made back then now.”
At the call from Taehoon-hyung, the agency CEO, a faint smile formed on Siwoo’s lips.
“Yes?”
“Just film one CF before enlisting.”
“Yes.”
He didn’t ask what kind it was, who it was with, or how much the amount was. Because it was a promise. He should cut his hair that had grown wildly and unruly first. Running his hand through his hair, Siwoo drew the curtain he’d pulled back again.
Since it’s a rare outing. Pictures will probably be taken. So this is absolutely not because Evan said to dress up prettily and go on a date. Absolutely not. Muttering to himself, Siwoo contacted Jinwook-hyung.
Asking him to make a reservation at the shop first. He should get his hair done and buy and wear clothes too. This is absolutely not for Evan. A change of mood. He repeated to himself that it was for himself going out after a long time.
