When Jaekyung suddenly brought up the topic, Jihong looked at him with a puzzled look, as if to say, "Huh? What?"

It took him a while to understand what he was talking about and muttered quietly, "Don't you have a relationship with him?"

— No, I don't

Jaekyung's answer was brief, with a hint of audacity, he repeated as if convincing, "Absolutely not."

Which surprised Jihon very much. He had never seen Jaekyung deny anything so vehemently. After all, the guy did not care about the opinions of others, and did not bother himself with tedious explanations. Who would have thought that Jaekyung would be so insistent, placing accents.

"If they're not in a relationship, maybe they're more than friends but less than lovers, or just sleeping together... He was talking on the phone with such an ambiguous expression on his face. What if this is a one-sided hobby?" - Jihong could not voice his questions that were spinning in his head. And when he started writing a crazy story in his mind, Jaekyung suddenly intervened: "Hyun." Taken by surprise, Jihon became nervous and waited for the next word.

"Are you dating anyone?"

"Hah, just look at him," Jihon's smile faded. Whenever Jaekyung called him that, he would give out something out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, given the course of the conversation, the question seemed quite relevant.

— No, I don't

"Why?"

"Why? I guess I just didn't find my man," while Jihong replied with a grin, Jaekyung leaned on the window frame and said, "I heard that you used to have a lover."

— Yes, back in college

"Is there anyone you like?"

— No, I don't

"How boring

"I know," Jihong was still trying to look unfazed. The traffic light changed color from yellow to red, and he stopped the car right in front of the pedestrian crossing. Looking at the people rushing in a huge stream, Jihong continued, "Maybe I've never really been interested in anyone. Even in college, if a person showed sympathy, I just agreed."

Perhaps this is why his romances never lasted long. He always behaved politely and courteously. But that's all. It was as if there was a huge chasm that could not be bridged, and despite his efforts to achieve more, the relationship inevitably ended. It wasn't until he went through this futile struggle a few times that he realized that he wasn't cut out for a romantic relationship.

"Yes, a pretty dull life," Jihong muttered as he looked at the crowd. Immediately, the voice of the interlocutor was heard from the side: "It's better to be boring." Jihon turned to him. As before, Jaekyung, while enjoying the cityscape, added, "It is better to be boring than to experience pain and suffering from unrequited feelings."

Jaekyung had probably experienced something similar, and it made more sense than praising the virtues of love, which was very much in keeping with his nature. Jihong couldn't stop worrying: "... Buddy, do you really have unreciprocated love?"

And now Jaekyung's words, "You have no idea how I feel every day," took on a slightly different connotation. Perhaps he meant that the man had no idea how much pain and difficulty he was having. In addition, his smiling face... It did not reflect happiness, but rather bitter irony towards himself.

«……»

It was worth saying a few comforting phrases, but not fully understanding the situation, Jihong refrained. However, when he tried to change the subject, it seemed to have a big impact on Jakyon's mood, causing him to take everything else with hostility. Lost in his thoughts, Jihong missed the right moment and decided to remain silent until they reached Gangnam.

"He told me to go straight to Index. Do you know where it is, hyung?

"Yes, next to the department store, over there

When Jihong mentioned that they might be delayed due to the blocked road, Jaekyung said without expressing any excitement, "Then he'll just have to wait."

The road was overloaded with transport and pedestrians due to rush hour. As a result, it took about twenty minutes to reach the destination.

"By the way, what about your manual therapy?" - parking the car in front of the building, Jihong suddenly asked, as if coming to his senses.

"I wrote to the therapist that I would not be able to come today. I do not resort to manual therapy because of my poor physical condition, but I do it simply because it is useful. If you miss it once, there will be no problem," Jaekyung explained, taking out a cap that he placed on the dashboard.

"I see... Are you going to have a drink?" the guy suddenly froze when Jihon asked, staring at him in bewilderment, "Who gave you the right to interfere?"

"No, I don't mind, the main thing is not to overdo it. You mentioned that today you are not in the best shape, because you were only engaged in weightlifting. And tomorrow you will have to work hard."

"That's not why I missed training

Jihong didn't have time to ask his question as there was a knock outside, and instinctively turned towards the sound. An extremely attractive man stood at the passenger window and waved to him. It was Cha Sung-hyun.

Jaekyung, clicking his tongue, rolled down the window.

"Why are you here?" It would be better to wait inside

"I came to pick you up because I wanted to meet you as soon as possible," Cha Sung-hyun chirped with a smile. Despite his calm demeanor, his speech is full of mischief. But because his face is so perfect, the content and manner of speech of this beautiful young actor is absolutely irrelevant.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous," Jaekyung grumbled in annoyance as he got out of the car. And his behavior did not resemble a guy in love at all. Strange as it may seem, why Jihong was more nervous than before: "Is he really embarrassed? Or is it because I'm here?"

Cha Sunghyun patted his grumpy friend's hand and said, "Seriously? Baby, you're pretty cynical today. Or are you talking to me like that because of the manager next to me?"

"I think it's time for me to disappear," when Jihong jokingly apologized for nothing, the handsome man asked, "Huh? Why? Since you've both come such a long way, how about you grab a bite to eat together?"

"Don't joke

Jaekyung intervened before Cha Sung-hyun could finish the sentence. And his tone is so harsh that it can only cause regret for what he has done.

"Hey, there's no need to say that. Jihon's instincts prompted him to disappear as soon as possible. "I'd love to, but I need to go to the company."

"Oh, really? What a pity," Cha Sung-hyun expressed his great disappointment. Jaekyung grabbed his arm, signaling him to stop. To which Jaekyung, playfully watching Jaekyung's reaction, waved his hand and said goodbye: "Well, then be careful on the way back, hyung-nim. Let's have lunch together next time."

                                                                                                 ***

When Jihong entered the office, a stack of papers was waiting for him on his desk. All of them are dedicated to advertising offers, grabbing which he went to the smoking room. He didn't hold a cigarette in his mouth all day, except in the morning. Immediately taking a puff, he put the documents aside and reached for his mobile phone, checking the news related to Kwon Jaekyung. Fortunately, no one published any articles or photos. Jihong breathed a sigh of relief as he put down his phone for a moment. But after a while, he picked it up again, and this time he was looking for Cha Sung-hyun. He went to the image section, and a bunch of photos popped up there. He flipped through them, taking a drag, until he heard a voice behind him, "Oooh, Cha Sunghyun." Jihong turned around and saw Assistant Manager Nam brandishing a pack of cigarettes.

"He's handsome

— Yes, very much

Assistant Manager Nam chuckled at Jihon's answer, lit a cigarette, and sat down opposite him.

"You know, he's one of the finest young actors. He has real talent and a pretty appearance. He used to work as a model, but his acting skills are also not bad. And he is only 25."

"Yes, he seemed good

Jihong nodded as he exhaled smoke and added, "Just from the photos, I thought he's a little withdrawn and quiet. But when I did talk to him, he was surprisingly playful."

"Did you talk to Cha Sung-hyun?" asked Assistant Manager Nam enthusiastically, his eyes wide. Jihon realized that he could not retreat now. The cat has already got out of the bag, and an attempt to substitute words will definitely not work. And the assistant manager is not someone who gives up easily. So Jihong decided to be frank: "Just a little. Kwon Jaekyung was going to meet him in Gangnam, so I took him there."

"Damn, is it real?" Are they really dating?

"No, I don't. This is not true," Jihong immediately denied the assumption.

"Are they just good friends?"

"Well, maybe

"Well, friends with 'privileges' are still friends," Jihong eventually came to this conclusion, but did not voice it. He exhaled a puff of smoke again, in which there was a hint of a sigh: "What am I even doing? I don't know anything."

He should get rid of all delusions. Otherwise, he might blurt out too much in front of Jaekyung.