Come Back

His hand now gently kneaded the entire back of Hongseo’s neck. It was a soft, caring touch, without any hint of a sexual motive—just pure tenderness.

“I want to spend time together, to get to know each other more,” Haesung’s voice was as gentle as his touch, soothing without a trace of insistence. He really was a peculiar person.

“Feelings like these… don’t come to me often. So, yes, I’m trying my best here.”

“……”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’m greedy.”

Curiosity and interest. It was probably the most ordinary reason for anyone to want to start a relationship. People don’t wait until they’re deeply in love to begin dating. And he understood that Haesung wasn’t demanding something like marriage or a vow of eternal love from him.

Yet, Hongseo couldn’t shake the feeling that this unbalanced relationship was doomed to fail. He couldn’t ignore his own complex situation, either.

In a moment of hesitation, he finally spoke up about what he had intended to mention from the start, but had been putting off.

“Today… I heard from CEO Myung that our new accommodation was arranged by you.”

“Oh… um…”

Haesung narrowed his eyes as he looked off into the distance, then gave a small, bitter smile, his fingers lightly tapping on the skin of Hongseo’s neck.

“So, that’s why you wanted to meet.”

He tried to pass it off lightly, but couldn’t entirely hide his disappointment. His hand withdrew from Hongseo’s neck.

“I thought… maybe you wanted to see me.”

Seeing his awkward smile, Hongseo felt a pang of regret. He wished he hadn’t brought it up.

“Yes, the villa is mine, but I’m just renting it out to you at a lower rate. I hope there are no misunderstandings.”

“……”

“You’re the lead in the film I’m investing in, too, you know. Providing a more comfortable environment so you can focus—it’s beneficial for me as an investor as well.”

Seeing that Hongseo didn’t quite seem convinced, Haesung sighed.

“Alright, I’ll be honest.”

“……”

“When I saw the place you were living in, it didn’t sit well with me.”

He’s a strange man.

There must be countless people around him who are attractive, sophisticated, well-connected, and intelligent. For someone like me, who’s only known for being in the public eye, a glance out of curiosity should have been enough. So why does he look so bothered just because I live in a cramped, shabby place? He’s truly unusual.

Hongseo, watching Haesung’s earnest expression, lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact.

“I understand that you did this out of a pure desire to help me.”

“Hongseo, it wasn’t out of a pure desire.”

“……”

“I just… wanted peace of mind.”

Haesung held onto Hongseo’s shoulders. The grip was firm, as if asking him to pay attention, to listen.

“Nothing changes because of this. It wasn’t meant to put any pressure on you. After five dates, if you decide it’s not right, just return the card. The villa lease is a separate thing; our agreement is our agreement.”

When CEO Myung told him the villa was Haesung’s property, Hongseo’s anger hadn’t been directed at Haesung. It was directed at CEO Myung, who had surely made a play to benefit from Haesung somehow.

Whether he fully trusted Haesung or not, he had been nothing but kind so far. No other VIP had treated him this way. That alone made him hate the idea of CEO Myung taking advantage of Haesung.

“It’s not that I wanted to confront you. I just… wanted to apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?”

“It’s just… well, with our CEO making that request, it feels like you’re taking a financial loss here.”

His voice grew softer, head bowing as though his chin would touch his collarbone.

“Hongseo, are you crying?”

“No.”

He shook his head firmly. If he had cried over every little thing, he would have been consumed by tears a long time ago. Laughing and crying over feelings didn’t change the reality he’d eventually have to face, so it was easier not to feel anything at all.

“If you’re not crying, then will you look at me?”

But somehow, talking to this man always threw him off balance.

He wanted to keep a straight line, unaffected by positive or negative emotions. That was the only way he knew to protect himself.

“I was actually grateful to CEO Myung for telling me you were moving,” Haesung said. “After I saw your place, I couldn’t sleep.”

Why, though?

“I’m rich, you know. Just think of it as me giving you a scarf or a pair of gloves as a gift. Can’t you think of it that way?”

There’s probably nothing that expensive in his closet.

“If you’re apologizing that much over a scarf or gloves, well… maybe I should have offered you an even bigger place?”

“……”

At that, Hongseo finally looked up at him, and Haesung returned his gaze with a warm smile. His smile was even warmer than anything he’d ever gotten from his parents. Haesung briefly touched the tip of Hongseo’s chin between his thumb and index finger.

“Could you say it’s okay? That you’ll let this go?”

“……”

“If you keep making that face… it just makes me really want to hug you.”

In his imagination, he could hug, touch, or even carry him to bed if he wanted to. That was how most VIPs viewed the world.

Just thinking about him hugging him like that made his ears instantly heat up, and he felt the warmth spreading to his face. Rubbing his hand over his cheek, Hongseo slowly nodded.

“Thank you… for your thoughtfulness with the place.”

He felt strange reacting this way over the mere thought of a hug, as though he were some naive person.

Looking relieved, Haesung leaned on the showcase with his arm, resting his upper body forward.

“I always thought I was slow and cautious when it came to relationships. But I don’t know… with you, I feel like a superfan who wants to do everything for you.”

“……”

“And I’m not even your boyfriend yet.”

Haesung, staring at Hongseo’s blank expression, let out a quiet chuckle, amused.

“Maybe it’s the age difference…”

He muttered as though to himself, straightened up, and ruffled Hongseo’s hair.

“Shall we head up?”

They left the private room and went up to the rooftop.

It was a space exclusively for Haesung’s penthouse. The rooftop was decorated with a variety of trees, feeling more like the backyard of a country home than the rooftop of a building.

There was a low hill behind them and the skyline of high-rise buildings in the distance. A cool breeze occasionally blew, keeping the warmth at bay.

They each held a can of beer in front of them as they sat at a round table, sharing stories.

They talked about that day’s interview, the photoshoot, and how Haesung had barely survived a visit to a factory site with his elders. Just ordinary, small daily stories, yet they were so engrossed in each other that it never felt dull. Like the way he would smile when looking back at their messenger conversations.

Their glances, voices, even when and how they laughed—each little detail caught their attention, creating a moment that, unmistakably, was a date.

The anticipation felt as nerve-wracking as the first broadcast of a new song, though it wasn’t the kind of nervousness that made him want to run. It was a feeling he’d never experienced before, and instead of looking at his invisible emotions, he found himself constantly watching Haesung’s face.

Perhaps Haesung felt the same; they kept catching each other’s gaze.

Every time their eyes met, Haesung would smile even without saying anything, while Hongseo would pretend to take a sip of beer or act as though he hadn’t noticed.

After taking a cool sip of beer, Hongseo was the first to ask,

“Where are you off to for your trip tomorrow?”

“Europe. It should be about a week.”

“I have a three-day overseas schedule in a few days, too. I’ll be moving in as soon as I get back on Saturday.”

“Where are you going?”

“Bangkok, Thailand. We go there most often for international schedules. Have you been?”

“ARA has a brand experience center in a big mall in Bangkok. It was our first one in Thailand and a major investment, so I attended the opening for promotion.”

“Then, have you been to Chatuchak Market?”

“After the event, I went straight to visit our appliance factory in the outskirts of Bangkok. I didn’t get to sightsee.”

“Khao San Road, too?”

“…No, haven’t been there either.”

Hongseo’s eyes widened a bit as he asked one more time, fiddling with his beer can.

“What about Sky Bar? It’s supposed to be a famous rooftop bar. Everyone who goes to Bangkok seems to visit it.”

“The most I did was have a Thai meal. Sounds like Bangkok was a lot of fun for you.”

Seeing Haesung’s amused smile, Hongseo realized he’d been chattier than usual. It was a clear change from the stiff, formulaic answers he used to give.

“Not really… it’s just the place I’ve been to most often abroad.”

“Why are you going quiet again? I liked hearing you talk about it.”