Do Yeonjae moved his lips for no reason at the unfamiliar feeling. How long has it been since calling him like this? Anyway, we’re filming a variety show pretending to be best friends… Well, it should be fine.
He stared intently at Kwon Isoo’s face then reached out his hand. It happened to be a red light so the car had stopped. He tapped Kwon Isoo’s right hand loosely placed on his thigh, and he frowned and irritably turned his eyes.
In time with his sharp gaze reaching him, he asked with his mouth shape.
Why won’t you answer me?
“……”
He tilted his head as if urging an answer. At that gaze, Kwon Isoo’s face with his mouth firmly shut seemed to loosen for a moment, then various emotions quickly filled up. None of them were on the positive side… Irritation, anger, annoyance, stuff like that.
Still, it’s better than being ignored. Do Yeonjae recalled the saying that you can’t spit on a smiling face and belatedly raised the corners of his mouth.
Kwon Isoo, who’d been sharply glaring at that sight, let out a small sigh and covered the mic attached to his clothes with his hand. Then he nodded his head.
What… Should I cover mine too?
When he inadvertently followed his actions, the large body leaned toward the passenger seat.
“Hey.”
Kwon Isoo, who brought his mouth close to Do Yeonjae’s ear, whispered as if spitting it out.
“Don’t force yourself to ask things you’re not even curious about and just look at that.”
“……”
Did it show a lot?
Do Yeonjae, who flinched, awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. Well, he’d already know that chattering isn’t like his personality.
It’d be better to at least pretend to focus on song practice… He bobbed his head as if agreeing with Kwon Isoo’s words and obediently turned his eyes toward the lyrics sheet.
The traffic light changed and the car started.
The title of the song to cover today was ‘Tingle,’ an exciting pop song about how his heart tingles and thrills every time he faces you. It wasn’t the type that belts out high notes, but it subtly required vocal technique. You know how it is. Easy to listen to but actually difficult to sing.
So he was a bit nervous. Especially the adlib section. Do Yeonjae recalled the advice he’d heard from the trainer and warmed up his voice. The lyrics were all in English too, so it was difficult… but if he did well, he felt like he’d be really proud. It’s a song fans had requested a cover of for a long time.
“Can I play the song?”
Then Kwon Isoo wordlessly frowned. Seeing that he didn’t say he didn’t like it, it must be okay. He connected his phone to the car and played the song he’d cover today. He hummed along with the melody and made sounds.
Should I make the pitch a bit different here… It wasn’t a song he listened to often originally, but maybe because it was a song fans recommended saying it would suit his voice, the more he listened, the more he felt affection growing.
“……”
Kwon Isoo glanced at the face with a faint smile, completely absorbed in the song before he knew it. Even when the coldly hardened gaze touched somewhere on his cheek, Do Yeonjae was too busy concentrating on the song to notice.
Ha, fuck… Treating me like a real manager just for driving. Such a simple bastard. The empty laugh that flowed out lingered long at his lips for some reason. Maybe because it was so absurd. For some reason, he kept capturing in his gaze the sight of Do Yeonjae naturally sitting in the car he was driving.
“……”
A satisfaction he himself didn’t recognize seeped very shallowly onto his fingertips rubbing his lips. It was a fucking strange feeling. Do Yeonjae, who was ignoring him as if he’d been waiting just because he told him to look at the lyrics sheet, should feel like shit. He was definitely pissed off like hell because Do Yeonjae didn’t even think of contacting him if it wasn’t for the mission.
The fact that he held the control of direction in this narrow space with Do Yeonjae wasn’t bad. But then again, he got irritated because he didn’t know why he was satisfied. With a subtly cracked face, Kwon Isoo wordlessly increased the speed.
Not long after, they arrived at the shop.
Kwon Isoo, who’d finished parking, stretched out his large hand and mischievously covered the lyrics sheet Do Yeonjae was looking at. Do Yeonjae, who flinched at the back of the hand that suddenly filled his vision, finally raised his head.
“Ah, we already arrived. Thanks.”
He was concentrating so much he didn’t know they’d arrived because the driving was so good. Will I be able to drive well tomorrow…
Do Yeonjae got out of the car and entered the shop interior with the camera directors. They probably got permission for filming in advance.
When he appeared with Kwon Isoo, gazes followed from here and there. It must be an interesting combination… As soon as he sat in the makeup chair, Kwon Isoo asked indifferently.
“Should I buy a sandwich too while getting coffee?”
“Huh?”
“You said you didn’t eat breakfast.”
You heard that…? As he just blinked blankly, Kwon Isoo added with a face pressing down irritation.
“Don’t think about whining later that you can’t sing because you’re hungry or whatever, eat it when I’m buying it for you.”
“Okay… Then please get one without too many fillings inside.”
Kwon Isoo turned his body around without answering. That’s one of a manager’s duties too, but… His face looks annoyed to death, but he’s still working quite seriously?
He watched with strange eyes the back of Kwon Isoo roughly running his hand through his hair and leaving the shop languidly. Kwon Isoo buying the sandwich I’ll eat, could this be bread shuttle… Before finishing all his bad thoughts, the makeup teacher spoke to him.
“Yeonjae. We’re planning to go like this today…”
She explained the makeup concept matching the outfit received in advance and asked for agreement. The filming studio has a pretty cafe atmosphere so they’ll go in naturally with a boyfriend feel… Do Yeonjae, who didn’t know much about makeup, just said yes, yes and nodded his head hard.
Although he’d been going to shops for several years since debut, he still didn’t know detailed names of cosmetics and such. The touches reaching here and there on his face were still a bit ticklish too.
“What should we do with your hair? Yeonjae looks good in anything anyway.”
After the makeup was all done, he consulted with the hair teacher on whether to let his hair down or what style. What style did the fans like… Do Yeonjae, who’d been briefly contemplating, was about to answer when suddenly a large hand abruptly reached out.
“Show his forehead.”
…Kwon Isoo? While Do Yeonjae startled in surprise, the approaching hand swept up the disheveled hair before setting and half-revealed Do Yeonjae’s forehead.
“Don’t pull it all back, just about this much.”
He must have bought it already. Do Yeonjae made eye contact with Kwon Isoo through the mirror. He was sitting in the chair and Kwon Isoo was standing, so there was quite a difference in eye level. The temperature of the hand lightly placed on his forehead was cool.
Do Yeonjae quietly received Kwon Isoo’s touch then said.
“Does a manager originally decide the hair too?”
“If you don’t like it, don’t do it.”
“No. It’s fine? Please do it like that.”
While the hair was being set, Kwon Isoo stood crookedly two steps back and quietly watched the sight. A guy as big as a door taking up space in the shop and staring piercingly at his face was truly a fresh feeling. Does he think that kind of thing is also a manager’s duty?
After finishing all the setting, he stood up from the chair. He stood right in front of Kwon Isoo and looked at him as if asking if he liked it.
“……”
…He just stared down blankly and didn’t say anything. Do Yeonjae, who quickly became embarrassed, spouted just anything.
“I liked it when you had your hair down. Ah, I’m not saying your hair looks strange now.”
Because Kwon Isoo’s eyes were about to become fierce right away, he quickly added. In the first place, there’s no way there’s a hairstyle that doesn’t suit Kwon Isoo… It didn’t seem like an answer would come back anyway, so he just moved his steps.
“I’ll go change clothes.”
After even wearing the outfit, he took the car Kwon Isoo was driving to the filming studio. It was a studio with a nice atmosphere like a well-decorated cafe.
As soon as he entered the waiting room, Kwon Isoo held out the sandwich he’d bought earlier and told him to eat it. He plopped down in the opposite chair, then propped his chin crookedly and stared at him unwrapping the package.
Do Yeonjae took a big bite of the ham and cheese sandwich and chewed it thoroughly. He didn’t chew many times but it quickly disappeared in his mouth. It’s delicious. He was about to open his mouth to take another big bite when the gaze fixed on his face was intense enough that he couldn’t ignore it.
“……”
He somehow thought it was a familiar composition. Even on the day I went to Kwon Isoo’s house, I ate four slices of pizza alone… He asked with an awkward expression.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“Nah.”
“But why do you keep looking?”
Then Kwon Isoo answered curtly.
“I’m working.”
“Working?”
What work. He asked back but there was no answer. From earlier, I feel like he’s misunderstanding manager duties a bit… Or maybe work is an excuse and he just wants to sit and rest. Yeonjae, who was roughly convinced, finished eating the sandwich.
“……”
That’s strange. He clearly only took three bites but the sandwich disappeared. Yeonjae looked at his palm for a moment with an unbelieving face then smacked his lips. He has to do a live, so it’d be troublesome if he was too full. That’s why he’d asked for one without many fillings.
I should eat tons of delicious food after filming ends… Patting his stomach that wasn’t even half full, he tore open two mini nut packets that were provided in the waiting room and shook them into his mouth.
After briefly filling his meal, he prepared to enter filming. His throat condition today was very good. Holding the lyrics sheet he’d already seen hundreds of times, he checked the melody once more.
Hearing it was time, he moved to the filming location. He sat on a brown wooden chair and took a short deep breath.
In the space with softly laid lighting, the live cover video filming began.
The ‘Tingle’ sound was laid down, and Do Yeonjae opened his closed eyes and brought his mouth to the mic.
– This tingle’s more than skin deep
A sweet voice began to fill the studio. The voice laden with emotion harmoniously seeped into the flowing melody and tickled the ears.
– A secret language only we speak
The mid-low voice that rang softly became thick at some point and heavily dug into the chest. The solid voice leading the notes had the power to draw out the immersion of listeners.
Song. There are many reasons why songs are attractive to Do Yeonjae, but he remembers exactly the trigger that made him fall for them.
