Vol 1 Ch 9

Son of a bitch. No, you wolf son of a bitch!

 

Yeonho, leaving Seokjun behind and exiting the hostess bar, spat out curses through his teeth. Ten years could change the landscape, but Yang Seokjun was surprisingly the same as he was back then.

 

‘Even when we were in school, he couldn’t stand not picking on birds…’

 

Of course, the avian species also had some responsibility for Seokjun acting like that. He also found it annoying to see those winged creatures acting like there was no other species above them in the world.

 

However, Yang Seokjun’s gangster-like behavior was especially focused on chickens.

 

If he confronted those who pretended to be able to fly with facts, his pride would be crushed… and the chicken was an easy target.

 

I never boasted that I could fly, so why do I have to suffer? And why did the side dish have to be a Cajun salad of all things!

 

He’d been holding back in the room, but Yeonho, who had been quite scratched, hissed and rummaged through his pockets. But when he took out his car keys, the one glass of alcohol he’d drunk out of spite caught him.

 

Driving would be a crime for sure….

 

Should I call a driver? But a driver for just one glass of liquor?

 

He was already pissed off, and now the math didn’t add up. Yeonho tapped his feet.

 

The more he thought about it, the more fucked up the situation was, and the more fucked up he felt….

 

In this case, it would be better to go somewhere and have another drink. Fortunately, most of the streets where the sun had set were bars.

 

Yeonho’s feet flew towards the evening meal like a chicken looking for its nest.

 

[I’ve left Executive Director Yang now.]

 

[Sorry. I didn’t know that bastard would do that.]

 

[Are you home? Should I go there?]

 

Yeonho, ignoring all the messages that had been coming in for a while, ordered another drink from the bartender.

 

“You seem a little drunk. Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

Instead of filling the empty glass, the elderly bartender cautiously expressed his concern. Indeed. If you put all the drinks he’d ordered together, it would easily be a bottle of liquor. Nevertheless, Yeonho stubbornly shouted for another glass.

 

The bartender, nodding as if there was nothing he could do, soon placed a glass on a newly laid coaster. However, he didn’t just bring out alcohol.

 

“I noticed you haven’t touched the nuts since earlier. This is a service we only offer to our regulars.”

 

This was really…… a grateful and unnecessary consideration.

 

He soon turned his back to the newly arrived customer, winking at Yeonho, who was looking down at the bar. Yeonho’s drinking speed became even faster in the meantime as he moved the glass to his mouth.

 

And then, without even touching the service, he stuck a few checks on the coaster and got up from his seat.

 

The bartender, who had finally turned back to the seat where Yeonho had been sitting after a long time, tilted his head.

 

“Does he… not like eggs?”

 

The side dish he had brought out was a poached egg.

 

Was the last glass he had drunk in a hurry a fatal blow? His legs, which had been shaking since he came down the stairs of the pub on the second floor, couldn’t quite regain their strength even after stepping on the ground floor. To make matters worse, he was confused about the direction of the hostess bar where he had parked his car.

 

‘A bird that can’t even fly and is bad at directions… that’s me.’

 

He let out a hollow laugh along with self-deprecation because it was so absurd. His staggering feet headed somewhere on their own.

 

He passed the block lined with bars, and the alley with restaurants… A lot of time had passed like that.

 

He had given up on his car and was approaching the road to catch a taxi when a sudden cool air hit his body.

 

Even though it was April, the night weather after the sun had set was cold enough. Perhaps it was even more so because the alcohol had somewhat worn off while he was walking.

 

But the eerie feeling he was feeling now was clearly not just because of that.

 

The sense of incongruity that he had felt from time to time over the past few days. And… the strange aura he had felt at the Paju set a few hours ago.

 

It was unfamiliar, but definitely a kind he had experienced before.

 

Yeonho, his mind racing, scanned his surroundings with wide eyes. The problem was that turning his head also turned his drunken body.

 

Dizzy and unable to balance, his body finally lost its center.

 

Uh…?

 

By the time he realized his leg axis had crumbled, his upper body was already closer to the road than the sidewalk.

 

Ah, screwed. This is…

 

At least his head shouldn’t break.

 

It was already too late to turn back, and instead of struggling, Yeonho braced himself.

 

But what was this? The disaster he had prepared for unexpectedly didn’t happen.

 

Someone grabbed him! Someone forcefully pulled Yeonho’s body, which had lost direction and was about to fall straight down, inward.

 

A large hand, grabbing his wrist and then his shoulder, was firm and strong. Urgent and rough breaths also pierced his ears.

 

More surprised by that than almost falling, Yeonho widened his eyes. And when he turned to look at the person who had steadied him, his mouth dropped open.

 

An overwhelmingly tall figure. A face with perfect features, as if sculpted.

 

It was someone he knew. Or rather, he didn’t know him exactly, but he knew of him.

 

It was the man he had seen at the Paju set.

 

Even after receiving the unexpected help, for a long while, Yeonho couldn’t take off the hand that was holding him, nor could he utter a word of thanks, as he only had one thought in his dizzy head.

 

Why…

 

How is he here?

 

This wasn’t just a physical question. Today was the first day of filming for Next Icon. Until a few hours ago, he had been at the Paju set, and unless his eyes had turned into frozen pollack, the man should still be there.

 

Yet, the reality was that he was in the middle of Jamsil, rescuing a drunk.

 

In a situation that he couldn’t understand at all, Yeonho, repeatedly scanning the man, finally moved his dry lips.

 

“You… by any chance, did you drop out?”

 

“……?”

 

“Did you get eliminated?”

 

It was then that a subtle change occurred in the man’s face, who was still holding onto him. Eyebrows raised as if he didn’t understand what he was saying, and his head tilted slightly to the left. Even that small movement was art.

 

Yeonho, still half in the man’s arms, wondered, ‘Can’t he understand Korean?’ This time, he switched to English with a more urgent tone.

 

“What about filming? Why are you here? Did you really get eliminated?”

 

Of course, Yeonho knew that this wasn’t the time to ask such things. However, the man’s appearance, so outstanding that Seongmin looked like a sea squirt in comparison, was definitely not the kind to be eliminated on the first day.

 

To drop someone like this… Are they all out of their minds? Will this program even succeed?

 

He even began to doubt the success of his investment.

 

“…Are you alright? You seem very drunk.”

 

The man finally spoke. It wasn’t an answer to his question, but Yeonho’s eyes widened once at the unexpected Korean, and again at the soft and rich voice.

 

To think even his voice is good…

 

“Damn it. I’m sobering up for real.”

 

But unlike his words, his slightly staggering body still hadn’t found its center. Thinking he couldn’t leave him like this any longer, the man looked around and led Yeonho to a nearby bench. Then, he matched his eye level with Yeonho, who had been forced to sit on the empty bench.

 

“How much did you drink?”

 

“…….”

 

“Can you get home?”

 

He seemed worried, but sadly, the words still didn’t reach his ears.

 

He couldn’t grasp the details because he was far away at the set, but now that their eyes were finally level. He was seeing the man’s features anew.

 

Dense and abundant hair. Skin texture with no flaws to be found. A perfectly angled nose that would make all the plastic surgery clinics in Gangnam take down their signs.

 

Most surprising of all… were his eyes. Now that he looked closely, the man’s eyes were different colors.

 

One was golden, like the rising sun. The other was red, like the setting sun. It was a feature rarely found in native East Asians.

 

‘Could it be… is that why he got eliminated?’

 

It wouldn’t be a problem as a model, but there were restrictions on mixed-race or foreign people in dramas and movies.

 

But… it’s only the first day? Even so, shouldn’t they keep such a promising stock alive? Even a few seconds on screen would be free promotion…

 

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t make sense. Perhaps sensing that Yeonho was staring blankly, the man, also frowning, narrowed the distance again.

 

“Do Yeonho-ssi… are you listening to me?”

 

And it was exactly at this point. Beyond the breath that spread across his face, his mind snapped back as if someone had splashed water on him.

 

‘Do… Yeonho, ssi?’

 

What. Is he calling me now?

 

Come to think of it, yes. It had all happened so suddenly, and with the alcohol on top of it, he couldn’t think of anything else… The strange thing wasn’t just that the man had been eliminated from the show.

 

Even if he generously assumed that the judges’ eyes were all buttonholes and they had dropped him, so that the fate of the show, which had just started, was deeply concerning…

 

What were the chances that a dropped contestant would happen to appear in front of him just as he was about to fall?

 

Could such a coincidence be possible without intention??

 

The reason that had evaporated with the alcohol properly rose up. Yeonho got up from the bench as if bouncing off it. The recoil was so strong that the man reflexively reached out his arm, lest he fall again. But Yeonho mercilessly slapped away that hand.

 

At the same time, a cold question, with a tone different from before, parted his lips.

 

“What are you. ……Do you know me?”

 

The man’s eyes, which had been looking down at his pushed-away hand, wavered for a moment. It was clearly different from the calm attitude he had shown while taking care of Yeonho. Not missing it, Yeonho drove the wedge in completely.

 

“You know who I am, don’t you? My name, and you were watching me at the set earlier.”

 

The man, neither denying nor affirming, bit his lip. He looked troubled and embarrassed. Thanks to that, the suspicion became a certainty. Another cold voice poured out from Yeonho’s twisted lips.

 

“What is this? By any chance, have you been hanging around me lately too?”

 

“…….”

 

“…I guess so.”

 

Right. The presence he had often felt in places where no one was around. The feeling that someone had been watching him for the past few days. Everything fit perfectly.

 

“Answer me. Why have you been following me?”

 

“…….”

 

“If you don’t talk, I might report you as a stalker.”

 

“…….”

 

“What’s your purpose? Speak.”

 

Silence was no longer the answer. The man, who had been choosing his words several times in his mind, finally parted his bitten lips.

 

“I wanted to… talk to you.”

 

“Talk? What talk? What do you have to say to me when we’ve just met?”

 

Just met.

 

One sharply pointed word pricked his tongue again. He had guessed this would happen from the moment he asked if he knew who he was, but he couldn’t help the bitterness that spread in his mouth.

 

Even though he had been watching for the right timing for days and making all sorts of assumptions, he never imagined that he would have his first conversation like this. But he couldn’t possibly pretend not to know Do Yeonho when he was falling.

 

Meanwhile, Yeonho, looking the man up and down anew, raised his eyebrows sharply.

 

“Wait, wait a minute. Could it be… is this about that kind of business?”

 

That kind of business? The man’s eyebrows also rose in response. On the other hand, Yeonho started tapping his feet as if he had finally caught on to something.

 

“Looking at you participating in Next Icon, you must be aiming to be a celebrity. And you obviously know that our company invested in that program. …Did you hear the rumors about me, and you want me to help you get big, is that it?”

 

The embarrassment he had felt from the previous words was nothing compared to now.

 

Get big… Who’s getting who?

 

He obviously wasn’t talking about his height, which was more than a head taller than Yeonho. Instead, what flashed through his mind was the scene he had seen at the set a few hours ago. Yeonho’s job as an executive at an entertainment company. The man’s face as he had been clinging to him…

 

Ah….

 

There was only one implication that could be expected in this situation.

 

The man, who had been repeatedly swallowing the words he was about to say, bit his tongue anew, wondering where to begin untangling this hopeless misunderstanding. But as a result, it was a useless worry.

 

“Wow… I’ve heard that kids these days are fearless, but you’re really out of your mind. Just like that, without any rhyme or reason. And I didn’t even know…Did I changed my password for nothing?”

 

Yeonho, who he thought would be angry and upset, instead let out a deflated snort. And it was almost at the same time. His eyes, which had been so cold, and his twisted, thin lips began to curve helplessly.

 

‘……!’

 

The man’s widened eyes were drawn to Yeonho’s face. A shallow and faint smile, but one that made people focus even more…

 

There was no room for any other thoughts to intrude.

 

Meanwhile, unlike the momentum he had when he stood up, Yeonho slowly dropped his body back onto the bench. Then, he scanned his body up and down, and let out a light sigh.

 

“…How did you know where I was and follow me here?”

 

“…….”

 

“Judging by your inability to answer, it wasn’t a legitimate method….”

 

“…….”

 

“Age… you don’t seem to be a minor.”

 

“…….”

 

“Agency? Are you signed with one?”

 

Well, if he wasn’t, he would have targeted me. It was absurd to see him constantly asking and answering himself, but his prim expression and chattering voice were also cute.

 

He suddenly wanted to stroke his ears and chest. The man, holding back the ticklish feeling, keeps glancing at Yeon-ho’s face.

 

Then, Yeonho, who had finally stopped talking to himself, matched his gaze with narrowed eyes.

 

“Honestly, this situation isn’t very pleasant… but what can I do? I have to value your desperation.”

 

“…….”

 

“Consider yourself lucky. That I happen to be alone.”

 

If you combine the words so far, it’s a conclusion that you can’t not know what it means. But he couldn’t correct the increasingly vast misunderstanding this time either.

 

“But answer one thing properly.”

 

In the next moment, an unexpected question flew at him.

 

“Are you… a Morpher?”

 

There was an edge to his words again. The man, who had paused, rolled the words in his mouth and carefully returned the question.

 

“Why… do you ask that?”

 

“You couldn’t even investigate this far, huh?”

 

Yeonho pulled up the corners of his mouth as if to show off. The voice, with not even a needle’s point of entry, dropped sharply after that.

 

“I don’t raise Morphers. Especially raw ones.”

 

“……!”

 

“So answer me. Are you a Morpher or not.”

 

His eyes were even sharper. If he had the energy, he would have left his seat right away. There was no need for caution at this moment. An unusually quick and immediate answer parted his lips.

 

“I’m ordinary.”

 

Hmph. Is that so? A throat clearing sound as if satisfied. Yeonho relaxes his eyes and smiles languidly.

 

“Good, then. Let’s stop here for today. Let’s stop here… and hail a taxi.”

 

“…Pardon?”

 

“Go hail a taxi.”

 

His fingertips pointed to the road as if to say that the conversation was really over. The attitude of controlling the atmosphere at will, with tension and relaxation, was so nonchalant that it was brazen.

 

Even if he had lived by Conception, he had never been ordered around with a flick of the fingers like this. The man’s face was flustered at the extremely confident request.

 

However,

 

“What are you doing. Are you going to stay up all night like this?”

 

At the urging of the prim words, it was as if he was drunk not on alcohol but on Do Yeonho, and his feet naturally headed towards the road.