Jihong and Jaekyung took their table in a secluded corner. Usually they were located opposite each other, but the presence of another person disrupted the usual order. Jaekyung immediately moved to take a seat next to him, causing Jihong to briskly stop him, saying, "No, I need to make a video. Sit opposite."

To which the bulldozer, frowning a little, reluctantly followed the order. Jihong turned on the camera and, after setting the shooting mode as Inyeop had taught him, turned to Lucas, "It looks like you and I will have to go order, do you mind?"

He explained that he needed to capture the "anguish" of Jaekyung's choice, and Lucas nodded his head vigorously.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm the same as Jaekyung!" He blurted out.

«... It won't be easy for him to eat all of this," This thought immediately crossed his mind, but Jihong decided not to voice it. Lucas probably just wanted to try the same thing that Jaekyung prefers one day.

Jihong bought food, but, as expected, when the guy saw the mountain of fast food barely fitting on the tray, he was already stunned with shock.

"Jaekyung... Do you eat like this every day? He asked confusedly.

"Uh-huh," he just grunted, taking one sip of the milkshake, and then suddenly began to grumble: "Hyung, stop filming, let's eat."

"I'm done, that's it!" Jihon waved him off.

To which Jaekyung, glancing at the lens, took French fries and generously dipped them in ketchup. And then he tried to put it in his mouth.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jihong exclaimed in fright and abruptly recoiled back. He was confused not so much by the camera as by the fact that Lucas was sitting across from them and watching them.

"I told you to stop," Jaekyung said calmly, and with a smile, he put the fries intended for Jihon in his mouth.

"Oh, you..." sighed Jihon and finally resigned. It seems that if he protests, then the capricious Kwon Jaekyung will definitely smell something.

Before he had time to hide the camera in his bag, the silence was broken by a question: "Do I need to film you?"

— No, I don't.

"Why?" This is a program about a manager and a star.

— Hey, even if the video is about the two of us, the star still has the main role. Who wants to look at the footage only with a manager?

"Stop talking, let's eat," Jaekyung said reproachfully, taking the tube into his mouth.

Lucas looked at him, puzzled, and then, plucking up his courage, asked, "Can I—" I will be... Call you Hyung?

Jaekyung stared at him with the most questioning expression on his face, causing the guy's cheeks to immediately flush.

"Can I call you hyung?"

"No," Jaekyung snapped, not even listening to the end, and turned away.

"Why...?"

"Because I don't like it," the grumpy explained, unwrapping the hamburger wrapper.

Clearly not ready for rejection, Lucas drooped and lowered his head. Seeing how upset he was, Jihong decided to defuse the situation, pretending that nothing special had happened, "Jaekyung is a year older, huh?" In Korea, it is not customary to call a person one year older than the hyung.

Jihong bore the blizzard with a completely confident look, although such a statement will shock every Korean. To which Jaekyung, frowning more than before, quipped, "Hyun, do you live in some other Korea?"

Because of this, he instantly received a blow to his shin, in the blow there was a subtle hint that he should be silent.

"By the way, Lucas, you really speak Korean very well," Jihong did not skimp on compliments, opening a box of nuggets. "Every time I am surprised at how correct your pronunciation is. It seems that you really studied a lot.

Fortunately, the praise caused Lucas to smile with his usual shy smile. He began to stammer, telling stories about how he was given classes at the language center. While Jiheon actively agreed and listened, Jaekyung remained silent. His face did not change, munching on a hamburger and fries, showing complete indifference.

"And Noah once said that now he also knows Korean, and I was like, "Are you kidding?"

"Well, Noah spews out all sorts of stupid things a lot," Jihon laughed.

"No, he's kind, though stupid. and angry.

Lucas began to defend his friend, listing not entirely logical arguments. Perhaps he meant that Noah was just too mischievous. And, naturally, Jihon supported him:

— Yes, he is straightforward and, rather, not evil, but a little harmful. He is an excellent swimmer, he tries very hard. The greatest athlete.

At Jihon's words, Lucas nodded his head vigorously. And then he asked in a cautious tone:

"You were a swimmer too, weren't you?"

It seems that he heard something from Noah, since he even knew about his sports career, although Jihong himself never brought up this topic. I wonder what else that Australian alpha tousled him? That I was the athlete in the video from the championships in Berlin that Jaekyung was looking at so closely? Or perhaps he has already told you that I am an omega and that Jaekyung is still angry about it?

Recalling a conversation with Noah at the Pacific Championships, Jihon replied, "Yes, I don't swim anymore. I have completely ended my career. Fearing that Lucas would not understand, he added the English words "retire" and "farewell".

– Then why didn't you become a coach?

Lucas seemed to want to know why he chose to work at the agency. The childlike spontaneity and directness made Jihon smile.

– Not everyone can become a coach. This should be done by people like Oliver, those who really know how to teach. I'm not very good at mentoring anyone.

Lucas was about to say something, but Jaekyung interrupted him.

"You'd do just fine.

It seemed that he was still warming his ears, although from the outside it looked like Jaekyung was completely immersed in his thoughts.

"People like you should coach, who are strict with themselves, but empathic with others, and not those who just yell and swear. Then the athletes will respect them and follow them," he added seriously.

His sincere praise made Jihon feel embarrassed, and feeling Lucas's gaze on him, he turned everything into a joke: "Come on... If I were your coach, you'd immediately sit on my neck with your legs dangling and wouldn't listen to me at all.

"What are you talking about," Jaekyung muttered in displeasure. "Seriously, I listen to you more than anyone else in the world. I don't listen to anyone at all but you.

"All right, take it. Go and buy yourself some conscience," Jihon continued to tease him, holding out a map.

But the stubborn man was not confused: "It's not a corporate card, is it?" Can I spend without limits?

"No, you can't," Jihon said quickly, and snatched it back.

"Where have you seen it, first I gave it, then I took it," Jaekyung muttered, frowning.

Jihong was about to blurt out something like, "Do you even know how much I had to pay for that bed you broke?", but he remembered in time that they weren't alone and bit his tongue.

However, Lucas asked, as if waiting for the moment, "By the way, Honey, do you have a d-girlfriend right now?" Or a boyfriend?

Jihong didn't even have time to think, and Jaekyung had already seized the initiative, angrily crumpling the wrapper: "What do you care?"

Because of which the poor guy shrank in fright.

"Well... It's just that Honey is so handsome... Cool..." he began to stutter.

But the bulldozer did not back down: "So I ask, what difference does it make to you?

The harsh tone of the object of sympathy made Lucas instantly embarrassed, turn pale and lower his head. This sight caused Jihon not the most pleasant feelings. He read Lucas's intentions perfectly, but his pity was stronger.

Obviously, Lucas was trying to find out what kind of relationship he had with Jaekyung.

'If I say I don't have it, he'll probably feel better,' Jihong thought as he looked at the depressed child. Of course, Lucas is counting on this answer. After all, if Jihong doesn't have a boyfriend, then he's not dating Jaekyung.

But...

"Why?" Do you want to introduce me to someone? Or maybe you want to be my boyfriend?

Jihong deliberately turned everything into an absurd pun to somehow smooth out the corners, but it seems that he only confused Lucas more.

"No!" No! That's not what I meant! He jumped to his feet and waved his arms desperately.

"Understood, understood. I was joking," Jihon hastened to explain. "I'm sorry.

And he handed him his ice-Americano, which he had not yet touched, as if inviting him to calm down. Lucas nervously accepted the glass and sat down. Fortunately, the cold drink and caffeine helped him recover a little. Jihon waited until he had cooled down and then apologized again.

"I'm sorry, I've gone too far.

"No, it's all right!" It's my fault," Lucas babbled, avoiding eye contact. And his cheeks were still burning with shame.

"No, it's not about you, I made a mistake," Jihon softly clarified the misunderstanding. "It's my bad habit. When the people I work with ask personal questions, I try to avoid answering. We've talked a lot today and gotten to know each other, but you're Oliver's assistant. So, probably, I am embarrassed to discuss such personal topics.

From the outside, it seemed that Jihon was talking to the child, comforting him. Lucas immediately understood, and nodded, repeating several times, "Yes, yes. Excuse me. I won't do it again...

But even so, it was hard to see him like this, ready to fall through the ground. After Jihong encountered people everywhere who, even if they made mistakes, still remained arrogant and self-confident, such a reaction caused strange emotions mixed with guilt in him.

"No, you have the right to ask. What's wrong with that? Just come on, when we get a little closer.

"Thank you!" See you tomorrow! See you later! Lucas got out of the car, waving his arms and bowing, using all the goodbye phrases he knew.

"Have a good rest, until tomorrow," Jihon said, watching Lucas run towards the hotel building. He lifted the window on the driver's side and was about to start off, when suddenly Jaekyung said:

"Hyung, you seduce people so easily.

"What?" Jihon, hearing such an unexpected statement, forgot about the pedal for a moment and turned to the grumbler who was sitting in the passenger seat. But he did not look at Jihon, but stared indifferently ahead.

"Lucas seems to have lost his head altogether.

«... Does this guy have eyes for decoration? Or are they just dimples for glasses instead?"

"Hey, he came to Korea for you," he said, moving off again.

"Did he tell you about it?"

— No, I don't.

"Then what are your guesses based on?"

"You can see from it.

The stubborn man's face expressed total bewilderment.

"Maybe you misunderstood something?" We in Australia were not close at all. We almost did not communicate.

"You and I were not close when we trained in Ilsan either. And they hardly spoke." These words first came to Jihon's mind, but he did not say them aloud. I just didn't want to.

"Unhappy love is called that for a reason. After all, only you love, and you can't even admit it. It looks like he even learned Korean because of you.

"Didn't he just learn it at school?"

— No, he attended a language center for a whole year.

"Why do you know this so well?.. Jaekyung continued the interrogation, narrowing his eyes meaningfully. This reaction seemed to Jihon as ridiculous as possible that he could not stand it anymore and exclaimed:

"Why, he told me about it himself!"

As soon as Jihong made a claim that he had listened at all, Jaekyung remembered: yes, there really was something like that. It seemed as if it was flying in one ear and out the other.

"I don't know. What's the odds? Jaekyung muttered with an intonation like he really didn't care. In the end, he even clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. Because of this, Jihong involuntarily wondered: "What could Lucas even like about him? He does nothing but say hurtful things, he has no social adaptation at all, except for his face and body, there is nothing else to look at. Well, yes, he still swims well. And sometimes it looks cool, and there is cuteness. Though... Maybe that's enough?"

Suddenly, Jaekyung's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Hyun. I warn you in advance: don't even dream of bringing us together.

"Do I look like someone who meddles in something that is not his business?"

"That's not the point, it's just that you have a distorted understanding of responsibility. You'll start saying things like, "He's better for you."

"Come on," Jihon grinned. "I'm not an altruist, I'm a selfish egoist," he added, to which Jaekyung, propping his chin with his hand, stared at him.

"You don't know yourself at all.

"You're mistaken," Jihon said.

— No, I don't. I can write a whole dissertation about you.

"I can already imagine how you will fail it.

But, if you think about it, although Jaekyung didn't know him one hundred percent, he definitely saw through him. Because two months, no, even a month ago, Jihong could have teased Jaekyung into trying it out with Lucas. In those days, his whole thought process was reduced to how to cool the ardor of the impudent man. And the appearance of an opponent would be a long-awaited freedom.

However, today, Jiheon was in no hurry to furiously deny and prove that he did not have a lover, for fear of upsetting Jaekyung. Because of which he caused such a commotion.

"But you know, I liked the way you did.

"What?"

"You didn't deny having a partner right away.

Caught red-handed, Jihong looked excitedly at Jaekyung, whose face was adorned with a gentle smile. And the corners of his eyes curved slightly.

"Although, of course, it would be better if you said that there is a guy.

Jihong's heart beat faster, not only from the unexpected coincidence, but also from Jaekyung's insight. But most of all, the smile of the impudent man hit to defeat, It actually touched the most secret strings of the soul. A few days ago, confused and confused, Jihon would have tried to destroy the fragile magic of the moment with a snarky joke. But not now. Now he hesitated to answer, fearing to hurt him.

"I don't understand what's wrong with me," Jihon mentally lamented. "But when Jaekyung is happy, so am I. Because of his spontaneity and sincere joy, I feel how my body is filled with warmth. If I could, I would like to see him like this as often as possible. This boy who reacts so charmingly to any insignificant trifles... Makes me spoil him even more."

The traffic light switched. Jihong slowly stopped the car and said,

"Next time."

"What?"

"Next time Lucas asks again, I'll answer like this.

Jaekyung didn't immediately realize what he was talking about, but suddenly realized that this was a response to his words "it would be better if you said that there is a guy." He opened his eyes in surprise.

"Why would you?" He muttered, pretending to be serious, but at the same time barely hiding his joy.

"I've already informed Yonho about it, and it won't be difficult for Lucas to repeat the same thing. So there is no difference. Jihon replied, grinning deliberately, as if it meant nothing, although his hands were tense to the limit as they gripped the steering wheel. From this whirlwind of emotions that he hadn't been caught in for quite some time, Jihong could hardly breathe.

A familiar feeling gripped Jihon, echoing in his heart with echoes of past relationships, but with new shades. In the past, he had sought to make his couple happy, driven either by duty or notorious responsibility, and a smile in return was seen as a reward, as a confirmation that Jihon was moving in the right direction. At such moments, it seemed to him that their union would definitely be long-lasting and strong.

But with Jaekyung, everything was somewhat different. What happened between them can hardly be called a "relationship", rather it resembled a deal. And this means that any kind of selflessness is absolutely unnecessary. Moreover, Jihong wanted this "agreement" to be completed as soon as possible, praying to all the gods that Jaekyung would lose interest in him. But then why did his smile evoke such a trembling response in Jihon? Where does this thirst to surround the stubborn person with care and protect him from all adversity come from? Why was he afraid to upset Jaekyung in any way? In all his life rich in love affairs, Jihong had never experienced anything like this. The answer, which had long settled in my heart, frightened me with its simplicity, making my pulse speed up in an anxious rhythm.

The traffic light turned green, and the cars, driven by the midday sun, rushed forward. Hoods, roofs, and even the asphalt shone as if strewn with handfuls of light. Jihon's eyes tingled, and for some reason he wanted to cry.