Vol 6 Ch 28

As soon as he read the message, [Call me when you see this] Wooyeon dialed the number.

<Wow, you actually called right away. That’s new,> CEO Kim answered, sounding surprised.

“Should I hang up then?” Wooyeon teased.

<No! Don’t hang up!> CEO Kim replied hastily. Wooyeon smirked and asked what was going on.

<Are you sure everything’s fine with you?”> CEO Kim asked.

“Yeah, nothing’s wrong,” Wooyeon replied nonchalantly.

<Then why did you drink so much last night? Do you even know how much the bill was for that?>

“Not my problem, is it?”

<Hey! You punk!> CEO Kim’s frustration seeped through the phone. <You don’t even care about how much the booze cost, huh? When you don’t even pay? You ordered expensive wine like it was water!>

The wine list at last night’s place hadn’t included prices, but Wooyeon, having a discerning eye for wine, had deliberately picked the priciest ones. Why did they bother dragging him out, anyway?

“Well, next time, pick a place where they actually put numbers on the wine list,” Wooyeon replied, his voice laced with amusement.

<Whatever. I’m sending you a script. Take a look.>

“A script? For what?”

<Your next project. Time to get back to work.>

Wooyeon responded with a half-hearted “Ah.”

<I knew you’d be like this, so I’ve got something up my sleeve,> CEO Kim said triumphantly.

“What is it?” Wooyeon asked, mildly curious.

<You asked me to find Inseop’s report, didn’t you?>

“Ah, that.” The report Inseop had blushed over, pleading with Wooyeon never to read. Wooyeon had promised he wouldn’t. Of course, that had been a blatant lie. He would’ve done anything, even burned down CEO Kim’s office, to get his hands on it.

“Did you find it?”

<Not yet.>

“Then I’m hanging up.”

<No, wait! I found something else!> CEO Kim exclaimed hurriedly.

“What now?”

Wooyeon was already tired of the conversation. Talking to men, especially on the phone, had never suited him. In fact, he found phone calls in general annoying and tedious. As a kid, he’d often wondered what kind of idiot invented the telephone, making it possible to talk to people even from far away.

<Remember the day Inseop came for his interview? I found the recording from that.>

Wooyeon let out a short laugh. “Did you get permission to record that? Isn’t that illegal?”

<No, no. It was just a quick recording. I had an urgent appointment that day, so Jo Dae-ri did the interview, and I just asked him to record a bit to hear what the guy sounded like.>

CEO Kim was quick to defend himself. <It was really short, just to get a sense of his voice, that’s all.>

“If that was the case, you could’ve just called him,” Wooyeon pointed out.

CEO Kim laughed sheepishly, <Yeah, you’re right.>

Just then, Inseop knocked on the door and stepped into the room.

“Wooyeon, I’m going out for a bit,” Inseop said, lowering his voice when he noticed Wooyeon was on a call.

“Where are you going?” Wooyeon asked, walking over to him.

<Let him go. Just let the guy step out for a minute,> CEO Kim’s voice came from the phone, but Wooyeon ignored it and covered the speaker with his hand, smiling.

“I’m just taking out the trash.”

“Why are you doing that?”

Wooyeon took the trash bag from Inseop’s hand.

“It’s fine, I’ll do it. It’s just right outside,” Inseop insisted.

“I got it. I’ll be back,” Wooyeon said, pulling his hood over his head and heading toward the door.

Inseop followed him to the entryway, murmuring softly, “I could’ve done it. It would’ve been quick.”

“Should I bring you back some ice cream?” Wooyeon asked as he slipped on his shoes.

Inseop hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“What flavor?” Wooyeon asked with a playful smile.

“Uh…” Inseop mumbled, unsure. Wooyeon’s eyes crinkled in amusement, as if expecting the indecision.

“Let me know when you decide.”

Wooyeon put on his shoes and stepped outside.

“Go ahead.”

<Ugh, seriously. Who hasn’t dated before? My ears are hurting from listening to this.>

“If you don’t want to listen, I’ll hang up.”

<Hey!>

Wooyeon replied indifferently, “Yes?”

<So, are you going to listen to Inseop’s interview or not?>

“Send it.”

<And the script? Don’t give me that ‘I’ll think about it’ nonsense. I’m not falling for that this time.>

“Alright, if it’s a good script, I’ll take it.”

<I’m recording this! Don’t you dare change your mind…>

Wooyeon hung up. He threw the trash into the chute and washed his hands at the nearby faucet. He went to the convenience store and picked out a few of Inseop’s favorite ice creams. When the store clerk asked if he was Wooyeon, he shamelessly smiled and said, “No.”

On his way back, he checked his phone and saw that CEO Kim’s email had arrived. He didn’t look at the contents but just downloaded the attached file. Sitting on a bench near his house, he put on his earphones. The moment he heard Inseop’s nervous voice, he couldn’t help but smile. The recording started with Inseop apologizing for being late due to traffic caused by the rain. Despite CEO Kim’s claim that it was a short recording, the interview was longer than expected.

There were boring, trivial questions: what he thought of actor Wooyeon, why he applied for the job, what his interpersonal relationships were like, what his personality was. Inseop answered sincerely, having clearly prepared.

He must’ve been sitting there with a stiff back, nervously answering.

Cute as ever, back then and now.

Wooyeon stifled a laugh. He remembered an interview he did with a broadcaster recently. The reporter, following the latest trend, asked, ‘If you had 10 minutes to go back in time, what would you say to your younger self?’—a question so pointless it didn’t have even the value of a liver fluke. Wooyeon thought for a moment and replied, ‘Nothing.’ The reporter brushed it off, saying, ‘You must be really satisfied with your life, Mr. Wooyeon.’  Wooyeon smiled back politely.

If he could go back, there was nothing to say to the idiot version of himself who’d crossed paths with Inseop more than ten times and still didn’t recognize him. What good would it do? Hell no. If he had that time, he’d find Choi Inseop and do him right then and there. He’d spend all 10 minutes screwing him.

Smiling with satisfaction, Wooyeon focused on Inseop’s voice in the recording.

Inseop, who had been calmly answering the questions, started stammering when asked if he’d ever seen Wooyeon in person.

{Well, uh, I’ve seen him a lot on TV, watched a lot of his movies, and in person, just a little… yeah.}

He must’ve seen him countless times while gathering information, but of course, he couldn’t say that directly. Saying he saw him “just a little” was such an Inseop way of putting it, and Wooyeon couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Hahaha, this is killing me.”

After laughing for a while, he realized the interview was almost over. The last question asked was what kind of manager he wanted to be. Inseop hesitated before answering.

{A manager that doesn’t stand out.}

Surprised, the interviewer asked what that meant.

{Well, I’ve heard that actor Wooyeon has a quiet personality, so I’d like to support him without being noticed. To avoid bothering him.}

“Without bothering him.”

Wooyeon quietly repeated Inseop’s last words. After a brief farewell, the recording ended. He removed his earphones and put them in his pocket before calling Inseop.

“Hello?”

[Yes, Wooyeon?]

“I called because I wanted to hear your voice.”

[My voice?]

Inseop sounded flustered, and Wooyeon silently chuckled to himself before asking, “Have you picked out your ice cream?”

[Oh! Yes, I was just about to call you.]

“What flavor?”

Inseop always took his time and care when choosing ice cream. Wooyeon didn’t understand it, but he liked watching Inseop’s serious expression, so he let him do as he pleased.

[Well, it’s a new flavor that just came out recently…]

“Send me a picture.”

Inseop quickly sent a photo. Confirming it wasn’t among the ones he had bought, Wooyeon promptly tossed the convenience store bag into the nearest trash can.

[If they don’t have it, I don’t mind eating something else.]

“I was on my way to the convenience store after finishing a call with the CEO. I’ll check if they have it.”

[…Sorry.]

“For what?”

[For bothering you.]

“Didn’t you know? I love being bothered.”

[Huh?]

“Don’t you know me at all? Maybe you need to start stalking me again.”

[…Wooyeon.]

Hearing the hint of exasperation in Inseop’s voice, Wooyeon chuckled softly. He had already passed the closest convenience store and was heading down the main road to another one.

[So, what exactly did that report say? Did you stick secret photos of me in it?]

[No! Absolutely not. How could I stick something like that in there?]

“Then where would you put it? Your diary? So, do you still have the photos you took back then?”

[……]

When no answer came, Wooyeon chuckled, murmuring to himself, “I knew it.”

The ice cream Inseop was looking for wasn’t available at the second convenience store either. When the clerk asked, “Aren’t you Lee Wooyeon?” Lee Wooyeon didn’t even bother to answer and left the store.

[Wooyeon, if they don’t have it, you can just buy something else.]  

“I’m going to eat it though.”  

Lee Wooyeon replied brazenly and headed to the convenience store across the street. Fortunately, he found the ice cream Inseop had mentioned there. He grabbed several and continued his phone call while walking home. As they exchanged trivial, pointless conversation, he realized he had arrived at the house.  

“I’m here.”  

When Wooyeon said this, Inseop asked, “Shall I hang up?”  

“Yeah. See you later.”  

After putting his slightly warm phone into his pocket, he opened the gate and stepped inside. The shadows of late evening were cast on the trees filled with the fragrance of flowers and grass. It was a garden he had cultivated for Inseop.  

Last spring, Inseop planted some cherry tomato seeds he had gotten from somewhere in a corner of the garden. He watched over them every day until tiny sprouts emerged and the stems grew taller. Inseop made sure to water the soil, never letting it dry out, pouring his time and care into even the most insignificant plants.  

When early summer arrived and small fruits began to appear on the branches, Inseop lit up with joy. But the happiness didn’t last long. While Inseop had gone out to water the garden, the cat that had followed him outside chewed all the fruits to bits.  

‘Ah….’  

Inseop looked down sadly at the half-eaten, shriveled tomatoes.  

‘Was it the cat?’ Lee Wooyeon asked, folding his arms as he peered at the remains.  

‘Yes. It was John….’  

‘He needs to be scolded.’  

‘No, it’s not John’s fault. He didn’t do it on purpose. He just followed me out while I was watering. Cats sometimes chew on plants when they see them. I should’ve paid more attention to John.’  

Inseop even defended the cat, adding that it really wasn’t John’s fault, as if Lee Wooyeon was about to reprimand him. Lee Wooyeon responded with a simple, “Okay.”  

Inseop was right—it wasn’t the cat’s fault. In fact, it was the best thing the cat had done since moving into the house.  

Inseop, genuinely heartbroken, carefully removed the bitten remnants. Lee Wooyeon had hated the sight of those cherry tomatoes that Inseop had poured his heart into growing. He had often thought of stepping on them, pretending it was an accident, every time he passed by the garden.  

Why is he so invested in this?  

‘Did you really want to eat them that badly?’  

‘What?’  

Inseop, who had been picking off the tomatoes, looked up. Lee Wooyeon sat beside him, plucking off the last tomato, and continued.  

‘If you want to eat tomatoes, I’ll buy some for you. High-quality ones.’  

Inseop smiled weakly.  

‘No, that’s not it. It’s just….’  

It’s just charming, isn’t it? Seeing something grow here, seeing it bear fruit, it’s so small and cute… He mumbled reasons that Lee Wooyeon found hard to understand but listened to patiently. Then Inseop looked at him and added,  

‘I wanted to give it to you when the tomatoes ripened.’  

‘Why?’  

Lee Wooyeon didn’t particularly like tomatoes. He would eat them if they were mixed into a dish, but that was about it. Inseop surely knew that.  

‘I just wanted to give them to you.’  

Inseop smiled as he answered.  

Just because he wanted to give it to him.  

It was still an incomprehensible reason. But somehow, it was very much like Choi Inseop. It was endearing.  

‘Then give it to me next year.’  

Inseop nodded. The following year, the tree bore fruit again. Every day, Inseop waited for the small tomatoes to turn red. One stormy day, Inseop anxiously looked out the window, not knowing what to do. Lee Wooyeon knew exactly what he was worried about.  

The flowers and trees in the garden swayed in the wind and rain. Whether they lived or died was out of their hands. But Inseop always felt sorry for them, as if they were beings in his care.  

‘Go to sleep.’  

That night, Lee Wooyeon hugged Inseop and patted his back until he fell asleep. The sound of wind and rain continued throughout the night.  

The next morning, Inseop, who had woken up before him, went out to the garden. In his half-asleep state, Lee Wooyeon heard him moving around. When he opened his eyes, he saw a small tomato placed next to his pillow.  

‘It’s a gift.’  

A tiny, round, red tomato, no bigger than a thumbnail.  

‘You can eat it. I washed it for you.’  

It seemed like Inseop had gone out early in the morning to harvest the remaining tomatoes. It was a pointless and inefficient act. Lee Wooyeon chuckled as he picked up the tomato and put it in his mouth.  

‘Does it taste good?’ Inseop asked expectantly.  

‘Mm.’  

Lee Wooyeon swallowed the tomato. There was no way it could taste good, having grown on an overgrown tree. The tough skin and grassy flesh barely had any flavor.  

When Lee Wooyeon didn’t say anything, Inseop, looking dejected, apologized,  

‘I’m sorry. I’ll do a better job next year.’  

It was a futile effort. No matter how well he grew them, they couldn’t compare to the tomatoes from farms where they were properly fertilized. But Lee Wooyeon didn’t say a word.  

Inseop’s slightly absurd and incomprehensible efforts were too endearing and lovable to interrupt.

Lee Wooyeon slowly looked around the garden. The flowers and trees nurtured by Inseop were showcasing their lush life: golden dewdrops, lilacs, rudbeckias, kiwis, camellias, and roses of various colors. Things he probably hadn’t even noticed before now caught his eye. Suddenly, he felt the ring hanging on his finger. Lee Wooyeon fiddled with the ring silently. He had never worn accessories for long, so it had felt cumbersome and unfamiliar at first, but he had now grown quite accustomed to it.

At that moment, sensing a presence, Inseop opened the door as if he had been waiting. Inseop smiled brightly at his lover, who had taken a long way back.  

“You’re here?”  

Seeing Inseop’s radiant smile, Lee Wooyeon understood what little inconveniences he was willing to endure in the future.  

Small, trivial moments that were hard to find meaning in unless looked at closely.  

“I’m home.”  

Lee Wooyeon walked slowly across the garden.  

<Love Historiette – End>