Vol 6 Ch 21

“Hey. Lee Wooyeon. Of all the excuses, why’d you use that one? You killed the mood.”

 

Outside, Manager Cha confronted Lee Wooyeon.

 

“Would you rather I just say I don’t like her? Ruin the vibe right at the start of the shoot?”

 

“…It’s on the way, so what’s the harm in giving her a lift?”

 

“No can do. Inseop would get jealous.”

 

Manager Cha burst out laughing in disbelief.

 

“Jealous? You’re just uncomfortable around her and using Inseop as an excuse now.”

 

Lee Wooyeon tilted his head slightly.

 

“Inseop gets really jealous. Didn’t you know?”

 

“Choi Inseop? Hahaha. Come on, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

 

Manager Cha lit a cigarette. Of all the people he knew, Choi Inseop was the kindest, most genuine person. Calling him jealous didn’t make any sense to Manager Cha.

 

“Inseop’s always had a small appetite, but it gets worse in winter.”

 

“……”

 

Lee Wooyeon’s way of speaking was so unpredictable that even after many experiences, Manager Cha never got used to it. It always gave him chills.

 

“He’s lost at least a kilo since last month.”

 

Lee Wooyeon twisted the cap off a water bottle and continued.

 

“He doesn’t eat much meat, avoids greasy food. It’s really hard to get him to gain weight.”

 

“…And why do you want him to gain weight?”

 

“Why? So I can eat him, of course.”

 

Lee Wooyeon smiled, revealing his white, even teeth. Manager Cha suddenly remembered when CEO Kim had commented on a famous director’s offer that Lee Wooyeon had rejected.

 

‘He was offered a vampire role… A scalpel would suit him better… Creepy.’

 

Manager Cha briefly imagined Lee Wooyeon biting into Inseop, and the thought sent a shiver down his spine.

 

“Hahaha. Just kidding. But when Inseop loses weight, he feels weak. So I have to make sure he maintains his weight.”

 

Manager Cha inhaled deeply, looking at Lee Wooyeon. Sometimes, when Lee Wooyeon talked like this, he seemed like just another person in a normal relationship.

 

“And besides, if he’s too thin, it hurts when you’re doing it from behind.”

 

“……”

 

Forget normal relationships.

 

Manager Cha exhaled a long puff of smoke.

 

“So, why is Choi Inseop’s weight being brought up in this situation?”

 

“One of the few foods Inseop actually likes is the soup at this rest stop. I’ve fed him here a couple of times while we were passing by, and he ate well.”

 

Manager Cha recalled what Lee Wooyeon had said earlier about how they had to stop at this rest stop before they left today. He found it odd since it was a bit out of the way, but he turned the car around without much of a comment.

 

“But he left half of it.”

 

“What?”

 

“And he left the walnut cookies behind.”

 

Lee Wooyeon tossed the bag of walnut cookies into a nearby trash can. Thinking about the few walnut cookies that were still left, Manager Cha clicked his tongue in disappointment.

 

“Maybe he just wasn’t in the mood? Not every human is jealous of everything all the time, like you.”

 

Lee Wooyeon burst out laughing. The fresh sound of his laughter lightly stirred the cool air of the faintly brightening dawn. It wasn’t for nothing that people said even his laughter was one of his many offenses, because it was just that pleasant to hear.

 

“Alright, see you in thirty minutes.”

 

“What? What do you mean? Why thirty minutes?”

 

“I have to go comfort Inseop.”

 

Lee Wooyeon took a sip of water as he glanced at the van parked off to the side. Even after drinking half the bottle, he licked his lips lightly as if his thirst hadn’t quite gone away.

 

“How are you going to comfort him for thirty minutes…?”

 

“Wow, are you really that curious?”

 

“…No.”

 

Manager Cha quickly shook his head. He had once asked the wrong question and had been tortured while wide awake.

 

“Be on time. Or better yet, come later. Oh, and don’t go back into the rest stop. If you run into her again, it’ll just make things awkward.”

 

Lee Wooyeon walked off, shaking the half-empty water bottle. Suddenly, anger surged in Manager Cha. At his age, being a road manager and waiting outside in the cold, he felt so pitiful that he wanted to say something harsh.

 

“Hey, you jerk!”

 

Lee Wooyeon turned around. He looked so perfect and handsome that it irritated Manager Cha even more. That’s why he said something he probably shouldn’t have.

 

“No wonder Inseop keeps getting sick and losing weight. You keep….”

 

Before he could finish telling him to stop tormenting Inseop, Lee Wooyeon strode over.

 

Lee Wooyeon was an actor who took self-discipline seriously. For his role as a neurotic surgeon, he had lost over five kilograms. It may sound like just five kilograms, but for someone who was already in shape, it was a level of pain that felt like shaving off bone. Perhaps because of his sharp jawline, Lee Wooyeon looked even more intimidating as he approached.

 

…And why are his shoulders so broad?

 

“Manager.”

 

Without realizing it, Manager Cha took a step back and replied in a trembling voice like a lamb’s bleat, “Yes?”

 

“I’ve changed my mind.”

 

“Good. You should. You must have some conscience to change your mind. You’re going to make me stand out here in the cold for thirty minutes.”

 

Lee Wooyeon finished off the water bottle. Even just drinking water looked like a commercial-worthy scene when he did it.

 

“The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The memory loss.”

 

Lee Wooyeon cursed under his breath and crushed the water bottle in his hand.

 

“I went through hell to keep that guy by my side, and he just forgets me? How am I supposed to live?”

 

“…….”

 

…Maybe you shouldn’t live.

 

“Now I’m probably going to have nightmares every night.”

 

With a face that looked anything but troubled, Lee Wooyeon smiled.

 

“So, Manager.”

 

He firmly placed the crumpled water bottle in Manager Cha’s hand and continued.

 

“Find your own way to the filming site.”

 

“What the hell? How am I supposed to get there from here….”

 

Manager Cha gasped. Lee Wooyeon’s eyes gleamed threateningly.

 

“You were right earlier, manager. I’m jealous of everything. There are so many people better than me out there. I can’t help but be jealous. It’s driving me insane.”

 

“…What did I even do?”

 

“What did you do? Why did you eat the walnut cookies?”

 

‘Eat a lot.’

 

Choi Inseop offering the walnut cookies came to mind. And Lee Wooyeon, silently watching from beside him.

 

“Don’t you dare open that car door. You and the boss need to stay happy together for a long, long time.”

 

“…….”

 

“I’ll see you later.”

 

Lee Wooyeon smiled brightly and disappeared into the van. Left alone, Manager Cha looked at the crumpled water bottle in his hand and sighed. Lighting another cigarette with shaking hands, he scrolled through his call log and made a call.

 

“Yeah, it’s me. Boss, sorry to bother you this early, but I need a favor.”

 

He exhaled a long trail of smoke.

 

“I’ll send you the address. Can you send a car here? Oh, and about that thing we talked about earlier, the silenced gun—still can’t find it?”

 

A frantic voice responded on the other end of the line.

 

“What do I need it for? I’m going to shoot that bastard Lee Wooyeon in the head. Hahaha.”

 

Manager Cha laughed loudly, only to cough violently from inhaling the smoke wrong.

 

“No, no, I’m not crying. Why would I cry at my age… F*ck, hyung.”

 

Manager Cha crouched down. After sniffling for a while, he chuckled at the voice on the other end.

 

“Yeah, yeah. I got it. But if you keep splitting shares like that, aren’t you worried you’ll lose your company? Whatever. Just buy me a drink when I’m back in Seoul. Oh, and hyung…”

 

Manager Cha took a long, deep breath, his cheeks hollowing as he inhaled.

 

“Keep your promise. When Lee Wooyeon’s contract ends, we’re done. If you back out, I swear I’ll get that silenced gun myself.”

 

The voice on the other end reassured him confidently. Manager Cha muttered, “Fine,” and ended the call.

 

He let out a long sigh. He had never expected CEO Kim to keep that promise. Despite all his swearing, Ceo Kim couldn’t let go of Lee Wooyeon. Even when Lee Wooyeon and Inseop were living in the U.S., CEO Kim cried for Lee Wooyeon whenever he got drunk. It wasn’t just because Lee Wooyeon was a ‘good product.’ There was no one more sincere about him than CEO Kim was.

 

In the cold early morning air, the van stood off in the distance. There was probably one more person inside who was just as sincere….

 

“Ugh.”

 

The large van seemed to shake slightly, and Manager Cha quickly turned his head away. He didn’t even want to imagine what was happening inside.

 

The blue morning sky began to glow with a reddish hue. It was a usual, beautiful dawn. Another shitty day with Lee Wooyeon was about to begin.