Vol 3 Ch 26

…How did things end up like this?

 

“Water… wa… Water, please….”

 

Inseop looked down at Seo Jaeha, lying on the living room floor, pleading for water, and contemplated.

 

“Water…!”

 

Seo Jaeha burst out with frustration. Inseop turned around briefly, then jolted in surprise. Lee Wooyeon was standing there, holding a cup of water.

 

“Wooyeon, are you okay? When did you wake up?”

 

It was when he had just laid the drunken Lee Wooyeon to rest in the bedroom.

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“I need water…”

 

Seo Jaeha, lying on the floor, spotted the cup of water in Wooyeon’s hand and reached out for it. Wooyeon asked in a gentle voice, “Are you thirsty?”

 

“Yea… I’m thirsty…”

 

“Oh dear.”

 

Wooyeon made a pitiful expression and neatly drank the water from the cup. It could have been a scene worthy of a bottled water commercial. Inseop, staring blankly at Wooyeon, quickly regained his composure and asked, “What should we do?”

 

“What can we do?”

 

“Seo Jaeha seems too drunk to go home.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

Wooyeon replied indifferently, as if it weren’t his concern. Inseop hesitated, then asked if he should put him to sleep in the guest room. Apart from the room they both used, there were four other rooms available. Any of them would do if they spread out a blanket, but Wooyeon stood there without saying a word.

 

“Should I lay him on the sofa?” Inseop asked cautiously again.

 

“Are you a fan?”

 

“Yes?”

 

Inseop was taken aback by Wooyeon’s sudden question and widened his eyes in surprise.

 

“Inseop, are you a fan of Seo Jaeha?”

 

“Oh… um, well, he said that because he’s drunk…”

 

Inseop glanced briefly at Seo Jaeha sprawled on the floor. Seo Jaeha was still searching for water as if he had been stranded in a desert for three days. Worried that he might say something unnecessary, Inseop decided to put Wooyeon to bed first.

 

“…!”

 

Inseop turned his head and was startled, trembling with surprise. As Wooyeon leaned in as if their lips were about to touch, he asked, “Am I not that great anymore? Because I lose all my endorsements to someone else?”

 

“It’s not like that.”

 

“It is. Earlier, when Seo Jaeha said that, you just listened without saying anything.”

 

Wooyeon leaned in again as if to say, “Isn’t that right?” Inseop held Wooyeon’s arm and led him to the bedroom. Fortunately, Wooyeon followed him quietly.

 

“You’re drunk. Go to sleep quickly.”

 

Inseop sat Wooyeon on the bed. Wooyeon wrapped his arms around Inseop’s waist. Inseop tried to push him away in surprise. Though drunk, Seo Jaeha was lying just outside the door.

 

“I’m a bad actor… Do you hate me now?”

 

Wooyeon’s eyes seemed to be smiling yet sad, showing a mixture of emotions. Some critics praised Wooyeon’s eyes for tearing apart people’s hearts with various emotions.

 

Though Wooyeon was smiling, his eyes looked lonely as he leaned towards Inseop.

 

“It’s not like that. Wooyeon, you’ve received awards and continue to work on great projects. It’s just a decrease in activity. Please don’t say such things.”

 

“So, are you becoming Jaeha’s fan now? Because he’s a great actor?”

 

Inseop felt sorry and regretful as Wooyeon repeated the same thing because of his drunkenness. It was he who had cut off Wooyeon’s acting career.

 

“No, absolutely not. You’re a better actor, much cooler. Why would I become a fan of another actor? I wouldn’t.”

 

“If I lose popularity, will you abandon me?”

 

Inseop shook his head in shock, saying no.

 

“No, I won’t. I won’t do that. Why would I abandon you? How could I…”

 

Suddenly, tears welled up in Inseop’s eyes. He quickly wiped away the tears with the back of his hand and continued.

 

“Even if you stop working, I don’t care. I just… like you…”

 

“Then, will you kiss me?”

 

“Outside…”

 

“Just once.”

 

With a desolate look on his face, Wooyeon leaned his face against Inseop’s waist. Inseop slowly knelt down and met Wooyeon’s gaze. Then, he took Wooyeon’s face in his hands and whispered.

 

“…I love you. The most in the world.”

 

His voice was almost inaudible. But the sincerity in his voice was unmistakable.

 

Their lips met softly, accompanied by the sound of a kiss, and then parted. As some distance formed between them, Wooyeon’s face came into view. With eyes like a boy in love, Wooyeon looked at Inseop. Each blink felt like a rise in temperature. The air became subtle. Inseop bowed his head and stood up from his seat.

 

“Jaeha…I …”

 

His body wobbled and was pulled onto the bed. When Inseop barely regained his senses, the fervent kisses began pouring down from Wooyeon. He couldn’t regain his composure. Wooyeon continued to passionately kiss him, gripping Inseop’s head firmly in his hands.

 

“Ah… Outside… Wait…”

 

“I told you not to talk about other men while on the bed.”

 

It was strange. It was completely different from before. It was a voice so clear that it sent shivers down one’s spine, without even a hint of drunkenness.

 

Inseop looked at Wooyeon with a start.

 

“I’m okay with having s*x right now, but since you don’t like it, Inseop.”

 

Wooyeon swept his messy bangs aside, smiled brightly, and got up.

 

“Uh, where are you going?”

 

“I’m going to clean that up.”

 

Realizing what “that” meant a little too late, Inseop quickly got up and followed Wooyeon. Wooyeon grabbed Seo Jaeha by the collar, who was sprawled on the living room floor.

 

“Get up. You need to go home.”

 

He was smiling, but anyone watching felt an eerie chill run down their spine.

 

“Oh, I’m thirsty…”

 

When Jaeha started begging for water again, Inseop said, “I’ll get it for you,” and turned away. At that moment, there was a loud sound from behind.

 

“Pull yourself together.”

 

Wooyeon laughed as he tapped Jaeha’s cheek. No, it was more like a slap than a tap. Inseop, who was watching how fiercely he was being hit, was so shocked that he couldn’t even think of stopping it and shook in surprise.

 

“Ow… That hurts.”

 

Jaeha squeezed his cheek and mumbled. Whether he protested or not, Wooyeon rummaged through Jaeha’s clothes and pulled out his phone.

 

“Give me the password.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Wooyeon laughed as he slapped Jaeha’s cheek again. Jaeha, who had been hit hard enough to feel dizzy, groaned and replied, “Three, four,” incoherently. Wooyeon, who entered the phone’s password, searched through the call log and made a call.

 

“Hello. Is this Seo Jaeha’s manager?”

 

It was a soft and polite tone.

 

…Without a hint of urgency or any deviation from the usual.

 

Inseop stared blankly at Wooyeon’s back as he continued the call, as if he were possessed by something.

 

“Then, I’ll send you the address, so please come over here. Yes, understood. Thank you.”

 

After ending the call, Wooyeon helped Jaeha stand up. When Inseop tried to help him, Wooyeon blocked him.

 

“Let’s stop here for today.”

 

Before he could ask what that meant, Wooyeon dragged Jaeha to the entrance. Inseop followed behind, worried.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Fortunately, it’ll take his manager about an hour to come. It’s cold outside, so we can just leave him on the main road and come back.”

 

“….”

 

Saying such contradictory things, Wooyeon smiled as if he were the kindest and most gentle person in the world.

 

“I’ll be back soon.”

 

“I’ll go with you…”

 

As Inseop tried to put on his shoes, Wooyeon clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

 

“Inseop.”

 

“….”

 

Inseop trembled in surprise. It was rare for Wooyeon to call him by name alone. Especially in such an angry tone.

 

“I had my chocolate stolen, and now I have to see you flirting with someone else?”

 

Inseop felt like his blood was draining from his head to his toes. Leaning his face against Inseop’s shoulder, Wooyeon whispered in a low voice.

 

“Don’t come out. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose my temper. Part of me wants to snap this thing in half.”

 

As Wooyeon shook the slumped Jaeha, who was drunk, Inseop grabbed onto Wooyeon’s clothes in alarm. Wooyeon chuckled and joked, saying it was just a joke, but his eyes smiled.

 

…It was not really a joke though.

 

“Because I’m too lazy to snap it.”

 

“…Please don’t do it.”

 

Inseop pleaded in a voice that sounded like he might cry, and Wooyeon burst into laughter.

 

“Ah, as expected, conversations flow so well with Inseop. I’ll be back soon. We communicate so well; we should talk all night tonight.”

 

Wooyeon left with a bright smile, dragging Jaeha along.

 

Left in the entrance hall, Inseop began to slowly process the situation in his mind.

 

Today’s drinking session wasn’t a coincidence. Wooyeon knew from the beginning that Inseop had given chocolate to Jaeha. Given his past experiences, how he knew wasn’t important at all.

 

It’s just that Wooyeon knowing everything…

 

Shortly after, Inseop heard the sound of Wooyeon’s footsteps climbing the stairs.

 

Thud thud thud.

 

The sound of the keypad in the entrance, the sound of the password being entered, came clearly.

 

Why? Clearly, that person is someone I love, and there’s no way he would harm me, but why…

 

“I’m back.”

 

With an incomparably warm and sweet smile, Wooyeon opened the door and stepped inside. Inseop realized that he was trapped in an inescapable honey trap.

 

The door closed behind Wooyeon’s back.