A couple for show chapter 25

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Cha Joobin thought it was a good idea to have cleared his schedule.

It was only after the fifth day that Yoochan’s heat subsided, and the household returned to normal.

This heat cycle had lasted unusually long.

Normally, it lasted three or four days, but the five-day cycle had left Yoochan completely exhausted, passed out in deep sleep.

Cha Joobin had grown accustomed to carrying Yoochan’s unconscious body to bathe him.

He didn’t dare leave him in the bathtub alone, afraid he might slip under the water, so each time, he sat with him, though he didn’t find it bothersome.

After their physical encounters, Yoochan always needed hot water to relax his body, and after dating for so long, even this had become routine.

Cha Joobin carefully washed Yoochan’s limp body, mindful of waking him, and gently dried his hair, quietly dressing him to avoid any discomfort.

He tucked the blanket snugly around him to keep him warm, softly closing the door behind him.

“Phew.”

Sinking onto the sofa, Cha Joobin finally let out a tired sigh, rolling his neck.

Then, for the first time in five days, he picked up his phone.

The missed calls that stood out the most were from his grandmother.

“Oh no, the broth.”

Cha Joobin suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering the broth he had left out of the refrigerator right before Yoochan’s collapse.

He hurried to the kitchen.

The broth had thawed and was starting to emit a funky smell.

Not sure if it was still safe to eat, Cha Joobin decided it would be better not to risk it.

He immediately called his grandmother to apologize and ask for more.

Cha Joobin smiled happily after a long time and playfully asked, “Is that so?”

Growing up under his grandmother’s care from a young age, he was closer to his grandparents than his parents.

It sometimes felt odd to see Gong Yoochan getting along so well with his parents, as calling them “Mom” and “Dad” was less comfortable for him compared to calling his grandparents.

Perhaps because of that, his relationship with Gong Yoochan, who cherished and liked his grandmother, became even stronger.

Cha Joobin chuckled softly.

“Why don’t you go out and buy something?”

─ Oh, that’s a pity. I’ll send a little more next time.

“It’s okay. It takes a long time to cook that anyway. Grandma needs to rest.”

─ Our Joobin is such a filial child, really. Just like your dad.

The conversation with his grandmother, who was kindly smiling, went on for quite a while.

It felt apologetic not to have contacted her properly due to being busy, and his grandmother asked detailed questions about him.

Cha Joobin answered each question as thoroughly and lengthily as he could.

Every time he informed her about the drama he was working on, the content, how he was doing at home, and his schedule, his grandmother’s laughter grew louder.

However, when she mentioned, “It’s nice to see you still getting along well with Yoochan,” he awkwardly smiled and replied with a noncommittal sound.

He couldn’t bring himself to say they had broken up, which made him feel a pang of guilt.

“Grandma, I think I need to go buy some soup for Hyung now. I’ll call you again.”

─ Alright, always be careful. Get some good rest!

“Got it. I’ll come down sometime.”

─ Hmm, I don’t believe it. Grandma is still waiting. You’re such a filial child.

Laughing at his grandmother’s teasing, Cha Joobin ended the call, getting up from his knees.

After grabbing his wallet and car keys and stuffing his phone into his back pocket, he thought of the nearest Seolleongtang (beef bone soup) place. His steps as he left the house were light and cheerful.

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Gong Yoochan, who woke up late, stretched his arms and legs, feeling his body refreshed. With the heavy pheromones having disappeared, he felt light all over.

He often found the pleasure from sex with Cha Joobin overwhelming, but during the cycle, he was able to fully handle the intense pleasure, which felt good.

“Everything is so clean…”

Gong Yoochan chuckled as he looked around the room.

Even though he must have been tired from the cycle, Cha Joobin always made sure to return his body to its original state.

The room felt no different from before sex.

The redness from his bites on his white skin was quite stimulating, but it was a familiar sight, so it didn’t bother him much.

The bite marks on the inner thighs were also visible. Since Cha Joobin, who became affectionate during sex, sometimes nibbled, that was fine too.

At the same time, his chest felt a bit ticklish. Although Cha Joobin had been rough before the sex, he had been tender during it.

It was as if he knew exactly what touch would please him, and Cha Joobin’s focus solely on him, putting his desires aside, remained unchanged.

“Cute.”

Gong Yoochan smiled softly and leaned lazily against the head of the bed.

His waist ached a bit, and the space between his spread buttocks felt strange, but there wasn’t any particular pain.

Stretching out his legs and wiggling his toes, Gong Yoochan thought about Cha Joobin.

Despite his erratic behavior, one thing was certain: the freshness of first love, which he had forgotten, was coming back.

Maybe that’s why his chest felt pleasantly ticklish. It was both moving and overwhelming, like he was rediscovering excitement.

It was perhaps natural.

Cha Joobin was the first to awaken his feelings of love, so how could those feelings be neatly summed up with just a “let’s break up”?

Even though they had said they broke up, their interaction was the same as before, so it didn’t really feel like they had broken up.

They always approached situations with the premise of “since we broke up,” but perhaps it was because they were overly conscious of their “breakup” situation.

Since it was his first love and his first breakup, he might not be quick to settle it, and he had promised himself to endure any aftermath.

“……”

Gong Yoochan reminisced about old times, which he had momentarily forgotten.

Cha Joobin, who wanted to experience all the fun things he had gone through with him again, always wanted to share good things with him first.

Even when he went on shoots, he made sure to bring back something for him if he saw anything good.

Despite occasional irritability, he was very affectionate and knew how to be cute.

When they were in sync during the cycle, he did his best to relieve Gong Yoochan’s cycle, and when they had sex regardless of the cycle, he showed his love openly and eagerly.

When it was his turn to get the ruts, he suppressed himself so much.

He would often say he should just be kicked out if he acted like a bastard.

“……”

Gong Yoochan sighed and expressed regret.

He liked Cha Joobin for being kind, cute, and good, while also establishing himself outside and producing the best results in his work.

He liked Cha Joobin for being so honest in his love for him.

He still believed that no one else could replace him.

Gong Yoochan smiled happily.

He didn’t ignore the ticklish feeling in his chest.

He thought he should thank him when he came into the room, saying that he had solved the hit cleanly, and he smiled shyly like a novice experiencing first love.

“……But where did he go?”

He must have known that after the hit, his body would ache like having a fever.

Gong Yoochan felt around the place where Cha Joobin should have been lying.

The spot, as if it had never been used, was cold, and the pillow and separate blanket were neatly arranged.

Maybe he just had sex and slept separately?

Had he never actually lain next to him?

Memories during a hit tend to be fragmented, so he wasn’t sure if Cha Joobin had been there or not.

“Joobin.”

Gong Yoochan opened the door and stuck his head outside.

He wondered if he might be in the living room, but the house was neatly tidied up.

“……Did he go out?”

He searched here and there for places where Cha Joobin might be.

He tried opening this door and that door, but Cha Joobin was nowhere to be seen.

His car keys and wallet, which were always left on the living room table, were also missing.

He tried calling Cha Joobin.

He was always quick to answer the phone before the third ring, but today he didn’t answer at all.

Since he had said he cleared his schedule, there shouldn’t be anywhere for him to go…

Could he have gone out for a bit?

Since the cycle was over, had he left without caring about the pain?

Gong Yoochan’s expression darkened.

Even though he thought he wouldn’t be that much of an asshole to leave him in pain, he found himself walking toward the front door, unaware of his trembling steps.

When he realized that even the shoes he usually wore were missing, a line he had casually mentioned came to mind.

“Think of it as a cycle partner. Since you have to show off outside anyway, going out now will only cause gossip. There’s no harm in it, right?”

So, he figured he had done his duty after the sex.

As he thought about him, the heat started rising in his body.

Once his mind cleared, the pain began to come on strongly.

Even though the warmth was familiar from his usual post-hit aftereffects, his eyes felt sore and swollen.

Reality came crashing down, mocking the excitement I had kept to myself just moments ago in the bedroom.

Didn’t I say it didn’t feel like we had broken up?

Only now did Gong Yoochan realize, “Ah, we really broke up,” as reality set in.

He decided he couldn’t stay here any longer.

If the only time Cha Joobin was kind was during hits or shoots, it would be better for him not to see his cold side at all.

Gong Yoochan knew he was constantly comparing the present cold, biting reactions and icy glares of Cha Joobin to how things used to be.

Instead of continuing to get hurt like this, it was better to distance himself now.

With cold eyes mocking his feverish body, he quickly dressed.

He grabbed the suitcase that had been packed but untouched and immediately called his manager.

“Hello?” His manager answered briefly, and Gong Yoochan spoke urgently.

“There’s a vacant company dorm, right?”

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