After taking a few sips of iced Americano, a refreshing sensation traveled down his throat. This is the taste… Do Yeonjae, who’d been smiling alone, turned his gaze. Because he asked but there was no reply.
“……”
Kwon Isoo, who was practically lying down, was looking at him with a blank stare. He wasn’t particularly angry, just had a dry face. Not understanding the meaning of his gaze, he tilted his head, and suddenly he wore a sneer.
“Looking at you from this angle, you look fucking terrible.”
“…Doesn’t everyone look like that when seen from below?”
He answered calmly then hesitated. Because he thought the guy next to him might not be that way. Kwon Isoo didn’t particularly answer and looked at the ceiling. Then, as if tired, he closed his eyes. Seeing his dense eyelashes cover beneath his eyes, Do Yeonjae turned his gaze away.
During driving practice, they don’t play music or radio that could scatter concentration. When the conversation cut off, the inside of the car quickly became quiet. Although he’d inwardly refuted Kwon Isoo’s words that the space was cramped, after suddenly catching Kwon Isoo’s body scent tickling his nose, he came to acknowledge it a little.
A cool musk scent. Today too, the cigarette smell was very faint. Did he really quit? He was about to ask but closed his mouth when the words ‘what does it matter to you whether I smoke or not’ came to mind.
Kwon Isoo slept surprisingly a lot. I should wait to let him get some shut-eye. More than anything, I think it’d be hard for me to drive right now… Do Yeonjae massaged his shoulders that had become stiff from tension and quietly enjoyed the park scenery outside the window. The iced Americano cup with melted ice was damp as if it would slip from his hand.
“…Do Yeonjae.”
Then Kwon Isoo’s locked voice flowed into his ears.
Oh, he wasn’t asleep? He turned his head and Kwon Isoo was looking at him with a deep gaze. Vividly, as if he’d been doing so all along.
“You.”
However, the following words didn’t easily continue. For some reason, Kwon Isoo couldn’t speak right away and repeatedly parted his lips then closed them again. He wordlessly rubbed his mouth, and as if his thoughts wouldn’t organize, he quietly spat out profanity. His face scratching his head and lowering his gaze looked quite complicated.
What is he trying to say? At this point, curiosity arose and he didn’t take his eyes off him. Silence pooled lengthily, and their breaths piled up layer upon layer.
After a long while, Kwon Isoo opened his mouth. His sunken voice came out cracked.
“After debuting, even once—”
Before finishing his words, he fiercely frowned.
“…Never mind. Start the engine. Let’s go back.”
Saying that, he straightened the backrest. When the words cut off, somehow the breath that had been stopped burst out. The moment had passed, but the curiosity didn’t fade. Do Yeonjae leaned his body toward the passenger seat.
“Why do you stop talking midway? What is it, even once?”
However, Kwon Isoo seemed to have already given up the thought of speaking.
“I said never mind.”
“But I’m curious.”
“Then you speak first, the secret.”
“What secret… Ah.”
You’re still holding onto that? It seemed Kwon Isoo knew well the excellent method to shut his mouth. Do Yeonjae, who quietly started the engine, entered the company address into the navigation.
Kwon Isoo’s driving practice was very effective. In the end, he couldn’t hear the words “thank you” from Kwon Isoo that day. Whether unexpected luck really found him in his day according to the horoscope fortune… Well, I don’t know.
* * *
The day before the first filming, the casting article went out.
[NEOS’s Kwon Isoo Launches First Variety Show with RAYEON’s Do Yeonjae… “Anticipating Real Best Friend Chemistry”]
[Do Yeonjae·Kwon Isoo Confirmed for <My Favorite! Chemistry>]
Usually, Do Yeonjae wasn’t the type to search often. However, maybe because it was his first variety show launch with his name on it, he became subtly curious about the reactions.
He entered an SNS account he’d made a very long time ago and left abandoned. A subscriber account with literally ‘0 followers’ that indiscriminately followed fan accounts as he saw them.
His brief delight at seeing nicknames after a long time was short-lived—because he followed too many people, the timeline was dizzying.
Do Yeonjae decided to click on ‘1065 following’ and check reactions one by one. Oh. This person isn’t active these days. The bio says ‘Infinite tweet generation until DdoHaet kisses’… He wondered if he’d kissed Hayun hyung without knowing, then pressed back.
This time it was a well-known fan with tens of thousands of followers. They mainly posted information about him, and a tweet about <My Favorite! Chemistry> was up with an article link.
Dokundokun @dokundokun
Woww Yeonjae variety show launch!! 🤩💙 Seems like it’s a variety show making project music with best friend Isoo-nim, so looking forward to our Yeonjae’s vocals 😭😭😭
https://enews.ojec.com/News
Jjangromii @romiS2
Huk.
Possible lol
「Dokundokun @dokundokun
Woww Yeonjae variety show launch!!……」
The quoted reactions were also generally good. He didn’t know exactly what “possible” meant, but anyway it’s a positive word so it must be good… Are the RayIts looking forward to it too? Do Yeonjae’s smile, which had been proudly watching the fans’ reactions rejoicing at the hiatus content, suddenly stopped dead.
It was after discovering this account.
Now~ Stone Age @ssiballl
Lol agree.. When will the male idol jjotmok ban law be created?
[Sping Sping Request Box: Ah.. Do Yuckjae was good because he was a quietly handsome image who didn’t show jjotmok much and only knew songs, but he’s doing a jjotmok variety show, backstab legendary]
Now~ Stone Age @ssiballl
It was beautiful when he was my secret nobody male idol, but suddenly doing a variety show with a major national tier 1
[Sping Sping Request Box: And the other person is too.. too much, they’re doing so well fuck, thinking about getting dragged into aggro and getting hit and reading the comments makes me stressed already]
Now~ Stone Age @ssiballl
So like can’t you just not do it fuck?
[Sping Sping Request Box: Just play with the group members, you don’t need friends or that crap]
Mm. Can’t you just not do it, when the first filming is literally tomorrow… Do Yeonjae rubbed his eyebrows with a troubled face.
Still, he couldn’t cancel filming that was already set.
Originally, whatever you do, some negative reactions follow. He’d realized long ago that he couldn’t reflect everyone’s opinions. Do Yeonjae, who’d been distantly staring at that fan account for a moment, gently pressed back.
In the first place, we’re not even close enough to use the word “jjotmok” with Kwon Isoo.
“……”
Do Yeonjae put his phone on the nightstand and sprawled onto the bed. Staring blankly at the ceiling, thoughts broke into his head.
During the program, an opportunity to properly apologize to Kwon Isoo will come at least once.
If it just stays like this. If Kwon Isoo hates me just a little bit less. If you accept the apology I convey at that time.
Then can we return to being close friends like before?
“…I don’t know.”
An empty laugh leaked from his expressionless face. He thought this wasn’t like himself. Hiding the words he should say first, waiting only for the other’s hatred to fade. Does that optimal timing really come? Do Yeonjae, who’d been quietly lowering his eyes, muttered softly.
“Should I just call him right now and bombard him with apologies…”
Apology bombardment. He chuckled at the words he’d spat out himself being funny. But soon the laughter died down.
I’ve never agonized like this before. Are friendships originally this complicated… As he rubbed his face with his hand making groaning sounds, the strange face of Kwon Isoo he’d seen recently came to mind. That complicated-looking expression.
‘Do Yeonjae. You.’
‘After debuting, even once—’
Suddenly he became curious about what Kwon Isoo was trying to say then.
Do you also have something you want to say to me?
