It was the morning of the variety show filming.
“Yeomin is going to head straight over from the filming location dorm.”
As soon as Yuho left his room, he heard shocking news from Suhyung. Yuho hurriedly asked Suhyung to confirm whether Inhan would be accompanying them.
“What about Inhan?”
“Why are you asking about me?”
Without needing to hear an answer from Suhyung, Inhan himself appeared from the bathroom and resolved all of Yuho’s curiosity.
Ah. So that means I have to go to the hair salon and filming location alone with Inhan. Yuho was already dreading that situation that seemed like it would be extremely uncomfortable.
“You’re pretty much ready, right? I’ll go pull the car around first, so come down within 10 minutes.”
“Ah. I’ll also…”
Can’t I go with you? Yuho tried to continue but stopped himself. Since he’d be stuck with Inhan all day anyway, he thought they should at least ease some of the awkwardness between them first. Suhyung asked Yuho with curiosity.
“Huh. Yuho. What did you say?”
“Nothing. I’ll come down within 10 minutes.”
“Okay.”
At Yuho’s answer, Suhyung disappeared out the front door. Inhan went to the kitchen, took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator and drank it. Yuho approached Inhan and asked a question.
“When did you get here? This morning?”
“I slept at the dorm yesterday.”
“Ah. I didn’t know.”
And then silence fell again. Yuho thought it would be better to quickly head to the car due to the awkwardness.
“You’re all ready, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then shall we go?”
Yuho suggested, but Inhan didn’t move. Rather, he was staring intently at Yuho with a face that looked like he had a lot to say.
“Why?”
“Are you going to wear that?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Bring a jacket. It gets cold at night.”
Inhan spoke indifferently and averted his gaze.
“Ah. Okay.”
Yuho hurriedly left his spot and headed to his room. He then took out a blue denim jacket he often wore from the wardrobe.
“Pack underwear and socks too.”
Inhan, who had followed into the room at some point, continued his interference. Yuho asked Inhan with curiosity.
“Why underwear? Is this a 2-day, 1-night shoot?”
“Because your clothes might get wet.”
“Ah.”
Yuho nodded in understanding and roughly crammed underwear and socks into his bag. Then he got up from his spot and said to Inhan.
“I’m all set.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Okay.”
When Yuho approached the door, Inhan naturally took Yuho’s bag from him. And then, as if realizing something, he stopped his action right there.
“Give it back.”
“Ah. Yes.”
Inhan returned the bag to Yuho. As if that action had been a trigger, an awkward atmosphere flowed between the two again. Yuho headed to the entrance first, and Inhan followed after keeping quite a distance.
The silence continued until they got on the elevator. The two stood side by side in the elevator, only looking straight ahead. Then suddenly Inhan’s mouth opened.
“Please understand if I act close to you when we get there.”
“Okay.”
Yuho answered obediently. He thought the conversation had ended there, but Inhan continued speaking.
“I thought you would do well, hyung.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“And I’m sorry.”
Inhan conveyed his apology to Yuho in a flat tone. Yuho turned to look at Inhan in surprise, but Inhan was still looking straight ahead.
“For what?”
“For everything.”
Soon the elevator stopped at the basement level and Inhan was the first to exit the elevator. Yuho, who had been watching Inhan’s back as he headed toward the parking lot, almost failed to get off the elevator. Yuho urgently pressed the open button and followed Inhan with quick steps.
After that, the two got into the company vehicle parked nearby in turn. After that, it was silence again. Inhan kept trying to sleep using fatigue as an excuse, and Yuho closed his eyes while listening to music with earphones.
Suhyung’s car soon stopped at a hair salon in Cheongdam-dong. Even while getting their makeup done, Inhan and Yuho just stared at their phone screens without talking to each other.
“Inhan. Why aren’t you being Yuho’s clingy shadow today?”
“Low on energy. I’m too tired.”
“What are you doing acting like that when you’re so young?”
Even at the hair salon owner’s scolding, Inhan just laughed it off.
“Yuho. You go recharge him.”
“Ah. I’m out of battery too.”
“Oh dear.”
Yuho also just laughed off the owner’s disappointed reaction. Fortunately, the owner’s target shifted to Suhyung.
“Team Leader. Are you starving the kids? Why do they have no energy at all?”
“It’s because it’s morning. Then in the afternoon they’ll be too energetic and that’s a problem.”
“Yuho. Take some snacks when you go.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
It was less of a problem than expected. No one would make an issue of a hyung and dongsaeng relationship that had been close becoming somewhat distant.
Everyone seemed to accept it as natural, and the only person who couldn’t adapt seemed to be Yuho himself, the person involved. That fact made Yuho feel bitter. The fact that his relationship with Inhan was so insignificant made him a little upset.
“Inhan. I guess you’ve calmed down now that you’ve grown up a bit?”
“I was always calm though.”
“That’s funny.”
Unlike Yuho, Inhan seemed unbothered.
Suhyung’s car was parked in the variety show filming location parking lot right on call time.
Yuho and Inhan got out of the car first and looked around.
“Yuho hyung!”
Yeomin, who had spotted Yuho from far away in the parking lot, ran at full speed to where Yuho was. And he greeted Yuho with an intense hug.
“I missed you. You did well even without me, right?”
Despite only not seeing each other for two days, Yeomin hugged Yuho and shook him around as if they were having a reunion of separated families.
“Can’t you see me?”
“Nope. I can’t see you.”
Inhan tried to pick a fight, displeased with Yeomin’s behavior, but it was useless.
Yuho said to Yeomin playfully.
“Yeah. I did well. Having a room to myself was so comfortable.”
“As expected of our Yuho hyung. So sweet.”
“Yeomin hyung. Let’s stop and go. The hyungs are waiting.”
Inhan spoke curtly and walked past the two.
Yeomin held Yuho’s hand and headed toward where people were gathered.
When the two caught up close to Inhan, Inhan glanced once at Yuho’s hand being held by Yeomin. And then he immediately withdrew his gaze.
“Wow. Is that Yuho-kun over there?”
The first among the variety show cast to welcome Yuho was Unseong, the main vocalist of the popular band ‘METEOR’ and Inhan’s close hyung. His appearance was so handsome that he’d been more famous for his face than his singing since his indie days, making Yuho’s mouth drop open. Just as it’s natural for a beautiful boy to become a beautiful young man, handsomeness knows no age. And Yuho was a serious face person.
“Ah yes. Hello. I’m Seon Yuho from 7SPOT.”
Yuho gave a polite greeting to Unseong. Yeomin was busy greeting other cast members, and Yuho ended up having a private conversation with Unseong unexpectedly.
“Nice to meet you. I really wanted to see you.”
Unseong extended his hand to Yuho to shake hands. Yuho also extended his hand, and an unintentionally very long handshake continued.
“I’m also really a fan of yours, sunbae. I’ve liked you since your debut.”
“Ah really?”
“Yes. I covered ‘If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come’ and ‘TRUE’ on my personal video channel too.”
“Wow. I’m honored.”
Unseong continued talking without letting go of Yuho’s hand. Yuho was so absorbed that he didn’t even realize his hand was still being held.
“Twenty-four years old?”
“Yes.”
“You play guitar well too?”
“I just play a little.”
“I heard you sing well too?”
“No, no. I’m still very lacking.”
“And you even dance well…”
“That’s really not true.”
“I heard you’re an incredibly amazing hyung.”
“Absolutely not.”
Yuho waved his hands in denial of Unseong’s words. Unseong let out a chuckle at Yuho’s reaction. He still hadn’t let go of the hand he was holding. A moment later, a shadow fell behind Yuho’s back.
“Unseong hyung.”
Inhan, who had approached close to the two at some point, called Unseong’s name. Unseong looked at Inhan with a meaningful expression. Inhan offered Unseong a friendly high-five.
“Long time no see.”
“What do you mean long time no see? We saw each other last week.”
Unseong left Inhan’s hand hanging in the air as if it was preposterous. Inhan warned Unseong with his molars clenched tight.
“Stop playing around.”
“What did I do to be playing around?”
At Unseong’s continued provocation, Inhan’s hand finally went toward Unseong’s wrist. Inhan grabbed Unseong’s wrist and twisted it hard. Ah. Unseong made a groaning sound and let go of Yuho’s hand.
“This kid. To your hyung.”
“Then why are you doing that?”
“What did I do?”
At Unseong’s question, Inhan couldn’t even answer and made a groaning sound. Yuho looked surprised, rolling his eyes around reading the situation, and soon Inhan turned to Yuho and said.
“Hyung. Yeomin hyung is looking for you. Go check.”
“Ah. Okay.”
Yuho reluctantly left his spot. Inhan continued the squabble with Unseong.
“We agreed you wouldn’t do that.”
“When did I?”
“Ah hyung.”
“What? Who are you? You’re nothing.”
Even with the continued conversation between Inhan and Unseong, Yuho couldn’t understand what it meant. Instead of eavesdropping more on their conversation, Yuho approached Yeomin and asked.
“Yeomin. Did you look for me?”
“Oh, hyung. Say hello here. Jeonga noona and Seonwoo hyung.”
“Ah. Hello.”
Yuho finished exchanging greetings with the rest of the cast as well. Then he looked at Inhan and Unseong, who were still bickering some distance away.
Inhan had a face that looked very troubled, and Unseong was teasing Inhan with a face full of joy. He couldn’t tell why.
