“No. He just met and played once. Seojun is young, isn’t he? He’s full of vigor.”
“I want to hear the answer directly from Choi Seojun-ssi.”
Seojun, who had been avoiding Seokhyeon’s gaze, finally raised his head. How should he talk about Soohyun? Should he say, like the CEO said, that he just met casually? Should he confess that he’s actually someone he loves?
‘Seojun-ah, it’s not just your problem. It’s a matter of billions of won going back and forth. Do you know how many people will suffer if this falls through?’
Seojun barely parted his lips, recalling what the CEO had said in the office.
“It’s not… like that. It’s as the CEO said.”
“I see. Then there won’t be anything like this in the future. Is that correct?”
A smile hung on Seokhyeon’s lips. Seojun nodded in relief at the smile that bloomed on his face, which had been stiff throughout.
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
“That’s right, Choi Seojun-ssi. I’m… looking forward to it very much.”
* * *
But unlike Seojun’s hopes, the matter showed no signs of easily dying down. After the scandal, paparazzi flocked near the house, and Soohyun found it difficult even to do grocery shopping.
The agency released a statement saying they couldn’t provide accurate information because it was the actor’s private life, but public opinion criticizing him, who had gained great favor with his clean image, boiled over various communities and SNS.
(Please box the section below)
/Title: Choi Seojun —
Content:
Choi Seojun pretended to be clean but seems to be playing around a lot behind the scenes?
┖Right. He said he didn’t even meet omegas, but they say he changes them all the time?
┖It’s not that his private life is clean, maybe his brain is just innocent? Image-making went crazy
┖Pretending to be good, pretending to be clean, but seems to be playing around through the back door. What else would an alpha be?
┖It’s private life, is this something to criticize this much?
┖You’re an agency employee, right? Are you Choi Seojun himself? Lololol
┖The agency is on emergency. They said he’s filming a movie. The sponsor will probably chew him out./
“…”
Meanwhile, Soohyun was worried about Seojun, who had been coming home with an exhausted face for several days. He still wasn’t telling him anything, but Soohyun guessed that the situation was getting worse.
“Seojun-ssi. Let’s talk for a moment.”
“Soohyun-ssi…”
He carefully called out to Seojun, who came in after 11 PM. He felt sorry for him with a face that looked like he would collapse at any moment. The two sitting side by side on the living room sofa were silent for a while.
“Soohyun-ssi, I’m tired, so can I go in now…”
“I’ll… leave. Seojun-ssi.”
“…What?”
Seojun’s head, which had been rubbing his face with his hand, shot up.
“Soohyun-ssi, what are you suddenly saying?”
“It seems too dangerous to live together like this. So I’ll quit work and leave the house…”
“Soohyun-ssi!”
Soohyun couldn’t continue to the end. Because Seojun embraced Soohyun. He remained silent in that state for a long time. When Seojun opened his mouth again, his voice was completely wet.
“Why… why are you saying that? If even Soohyun-ssi leaves… I’ll be lonely.”
“But Seojun-ssi. The situation right now is too…”
“I’m just… trying to think it will pass. It will be okay. Still, having Soohyun-ssi here when I come home like this gives me so much strength. You’re having a hard time these days too, right, Soohyun-ssi? You can barely leave the house.”
“…I’m… I’m okay. I’m worried about Seojun-ssi…”
“Filming will start soon. You don’t have to worry too much.”
Soohyun wrapped his cheek. Rough skin and lifeless eyes. Thinking that the reason the person who used to sparkle had become shabby in an instant was because of him, his heart ached as if it were being torn.
And he thought.
‘I like this person more than I thought.’
“Seojun-ssi. I’m sorry. Really… I’m sorry.”
“No. Soohyun-ssi, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to show you this side of me.”
Seojun buried his face in Soohyun’s chest, leaned on him, and closed his eyes. From Soohyun, who was always clean and neat, there was a faint scent of soap instead of pheromones. Although there was no erotic feeling, Seojun’s heart became much more comfortable in the calm scent filled with peace.
“Will you hold me today, Soohyun-ssi? I think I’ll be able to sleep better that way.”
“…Okay.”
Soohyun muttered softly in a low voice.
* * *
Trrrr-Trrrr-
Soohyun called Jang Seokhyeon. He wanted to do anything for Seojun, who was having a hard time. He had no intention of accepting his request to start over, but Soohyun was not in a situation to distinguish front from back. He didn’t want to see his loved one suffering anymore.
[Soohyun-ah.]
“Jang Seokhyeon-ssi.”
[Yes. What brings this on?]
Soohyun’s teeth chattered as if he could picture Seokhyeon’s face in his mind beyond the receiver. He would be smiling at the corners of his mouth with a leisurely face as if he had won. But even knowing that, there was something he had to say.
“What do you… want?”
[What I want? You know, Soohyun. I…]
“You don’t love me.”
[Soohyun-ah, why are you saying such hurtful things?]
Where is there a person who throws the person they love to other men like prey? Soohyun still sometimes dreamed about that night. The memory of being violated by men whose faces he couldn’t even remember. The men who thrust into him forcibly with spread legs and stomach tearing. And himself who couldn’t even scream.
It had been 5 years of living while holding his breath, afraid of going outside the house in case he met those men from that time, afraid of encountering Jang Seokhyeon again. Unlike himself who had become tattered, Jang Seokhyeon appeared before him without regretting his wrongdoing at all and dared to put ‘love’ in his mouth.
“Say… what you want.”
[Hmm… if you insist, Soohyun-ah. There’s something I want to confirm.]
“Confirm?”
Soohyun’s voice trembled miserably.
[Your body still seems to be the same. But still, I want to check with my own eyes.]
“What… are you talking about?”
[…Your pheromone glands. Do they not respond to Choi Seojun either?]
“What are you… what are you saying right now…!”
[Why can’t you understand? You said it’s nothing serious with that Choi Seojun bastard. Then it shouldn’t matter if you have sex with me, right? Considering our old feelings?]
As soon as Soohyun heard Jang Seokhyeon’s words, he hung up the phone. Although he couldn’t say he and Seojun were lovers, now that their hearts were connected, he didn’t want to betray him. And Soohyun didn’t want to touch that horrible man with even a finger.
—I’ll wait for an answer, Soohyun-ah.
Some time after Soohyun hung up the phone, a short message arrived from Seokhyeon. Soohyun curled up his body tightly while holding his cell phone and crouched down. One internet article he saw in the morning wouldn’t leave his mind.
[Choi Seojun in crisis of paying penalty fees?!]
[Clean image NO! Choi Seojun’s downfall]
The fact that things had escalated this much must all be that man’s scheme. It was certain that he was driving Seojun to the edge of a cliff, using all the means he had because he wanted to have his way.
‘What should I do? I… what should I do…’
Even if he couldn’t reciprocate his love, he at least hoped that nothing would happen to hurt him…
Soohyun’s face darkened.
* * *
“Choi Seojun-ssi, I hope I didn’t call you in when you’re busy.”
“Not at all. If the director calls, I should naturally come.”
Seojun was sitting in Seokhyeon’s office. Seojun’s face, tormented by the scandal, was terrible. To think a successful actor would be shaken this much by just a few photos. Seokhyeon twisted the corners of his mouth, then quickly made a pitying expression and comforted Seojun.
“You look like you’re having a hard time. Choi Seojun-ssi. I don’t feel very good about it.”
“I’m sorry for making you worry, Director-nim.”
Seokhyeon opened his eyes thinly and brought his face close to Seojun. Seojun leaned in, thinking he was going to tell some secret story.
“The person in the photo. Could it possibly be Lee Soohyun-ssi?”
“…!!!”
A chill ran down Seojun’s spine. Cold sweat formed on his forehead and his fist clenched. Seokhyeon wanted to clap and laugh while watching the greatly shaken Seojun, but he held back. There was still more fun left.
“Director-nim, what are you suddenly saying…?!”
