* * *

“Yes, Joobin.”

Gong Yoochan let go of his frustration and spoke in a gentle voice.

At the same time, he briefly considered whether he should confide in Cha Joobin about the situation with Kim Woosun.

He had never discussed such bothersome matters with Cha Joobin before, always trying to act like a proper older brother.

But for a moment, a thought flashed through his mind: maybe that’s exactly what Cha Joobin wanted from him.

— Hyung, are you at the dorm right now? We’re heading over. Should we meet in the basement?

“The basement pub, right?”

— Yeah, they have good chicken there. You like chicken, right?

“Alright, see you there.”

— We’re almost there.

After the short phone call, Gong Yoochan let out a low hum and tapped his fingers on the table.

Even though Kim Joyoung would be there, he decided not to bring up Kim Woosun for now.

It didn’t seem right.

Kim Woosun might be a nuisance to them, but to Kim Joyoung, he was a senior worthy of respect.

Regardless of personal feelings, they were colleagues in the industry and could run into each other in future projects.

There was no need to plant unnecessary prejudices.

‘I’ll find a good moment to tell Joobin later, just the two of us.’

Having come to this conclusion, Gong Yoochan smiled.

Above all, he hoped there would be no more misunderstandings between him and Cha Joobin.

And now, he knew that to avoid misunderstandings, he needed to be open about even the smallest things.

Like in the movies.

Lost in thought, time slipped by quickly.

Noticing that Cha Joobin would arrive soon, Gong Yoochan hurriedly stood up.

He grabbed his phone and wallet, then fastened the watch he had bought—an identical one to the one he’d be giving to Cha Joobin as a gift.

He couldn’t wait to hear the questions: “Where did you get it? Who gave it to you?”

He looked forward to teasing Joobin with vague answers and a mischievous grin, only to reveal the gift later at the dorm.

Just imagining Joobin’s reaction lifted his spirits, making him smile so wide that even his non-existent dimples showed.

The earlier irritation was completely gone.

He put on his shoes and flung the door open.

“Huh? What’s this?”

Gong Yoochan muttered in surprise.

They had agreed to meet in the basement, but here was Cha Joobin standing right in front of the dorm.

“What are you doing here?”

Before Gong Yoochan could ask again, Cha Joobin stepped inside, smiling playfully.

“Kim Joyoung got caught up in some last-minute filming.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing big. It happens all the time.”

“Does it happen to you too?”

“Yeah, I’ve been fully cleaned up, and then they call me back because they found something missing. Had to do my makeup all over again. It’s really annoying.”

“Wow…”

Gong Yoochan shook his head unconsciously.

No matter how important the final product was, he couldn’t fathom how many people had to suffer for one person’s satisfaction.

Thinking it required some compromise, Gong Yoochan frowned at the idea of a work style that didn’t suit him.

Then, with a hint of disappointment in his voice, he asked, “So… we’re not drinking?”

With Kim Joyoung out of the picture, this was the perfect opportunity to drink with just Cha Joobin.

Was he really going to miss this chance?

Without realizing it, Gong Yoochan pursed his lips.

Sensing his frustration, Cha Joobin smirked and nudged him.

“Come on, be honest. You’re a real drinker, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine. But are we still drinking or not?”

“Should I go buy some?”

“Well… why don’t you shower first, and I’ll go grab it.”

Pushing Cha Joobin into the bathroom, Gong Yoochan made his way to the convenience store in the basement.

He filled his basket with beer, soju, and a cheap bottle of champagne, making it heavy in no time.

He also picked out some snacks they could enjoy together but removed a few, remembering that Cha Joobin was still watching his weight.

When he returned to the dorm, Cha Joobin was drying himself under the air conditioner.

It reminded Gong Yoochan of the time Cha Joobin had mentioned that air-drying after a shower was a habit he had picked up when living alone.

Even after they started living together, Joobin probably did the same when Yoochan wasn’t around.

A chuckle escaped as he remembered how, after Gong Yoochan had commented on it once, Cha Joobin began carefully toweling off before stepping out.

Apparently, he hadn’t completely dropped the habit.

Seeing Gong Yoochan laugh, Cha Joobin awkwardly grabbed a towel and started drying off properly, his ears turning red as he did.

Gong Yoochan had seen Cha Joobin’s body countless times since they first met, yet Joobin still seemed embarrassed.

“It’s a shame Joyoung couldn’t drink with us. It’s always fun hanging out with him.”

In truth, Gong Yoochan enjoyed spending time with just the two of them more, but he decided to add the comment for the sake of keeping up appearances.

Cha Joobin, however, shook his head.

“I prefer hanging out with just you, hyung.”

There was no way to resist Cha Joobin’s blunt honesty. Gong Yoochan couldn’t help but grin.

Cha Joobin started laying out the drinks and snacks, still shirtless.

He plated the snacks neatly and placed the bottles of alcohol on the table.

Some of them went into the fridge to chill.

His movements were precise and efficient, clearly familiar with the process.

As Gong Yoochan helped by setting out cups and chopsticks, he matched Joobin’s rhythm.

“Cheers.”

“Cheers!”

Their glasses clinked with a clear sound, and the soju swirled gently in the transparent cups.

Taking a sip, Gong Yoochan let out a satisfied exclamation.

The alcohol wasn’t anything special, but the atmosphere made it taste better.

But then, a thought from his earlier conversation with Jang Giyoung crossed his mind, making his expression sour.

Noticing the change, Cha Joobin furrowed his brows in concern.

“What’s wrong?”

Even his voice sounded cautious, as though sensing something was off.

Gong Yoochan stared at him for a moment, contemplating his words.

After a brief hesitation, he hummed and shook his head.

Bringing up the Kim Woosun situation now would only ruin Cha Joobin’s good mood.

Especially since Joobin had an early shoot the next day, there was no point in burdening him with heavy thoughts tonight.

Better to laugh together than stress him out.

Gong Yoochan abruptly stood up.

“Where are you going?”

“Just a sec.”

With a mischievous smile, Gong Yoochan headed towards his suitcase.

He pulled out a box he had placed in the most visible spot, a watch from a high-end brand that most people could only dream of owning.

Seeing him return, Cha Joobin raised his brows, recognizing the logo.

His eyes widened in surprise.

The sight of Joobin’s growing excitement made Gong Yoochan’s smile widen.

“Is this for me?”

“No, it’s mine.”

As soon as he shook his head, disappointment flashed across Cha Joobin’s face, which made Yoochan chuckle.

It was hilarious how dejected Joobin looked despite being able to buy such things with his own money.

“Why the disappointment? Don’t you have any money, Joobin?”

“Of course I do. But it’s different when you give it to me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’s special because it’s from you, hyung.”

Hearing that, Gong Yoochan suddenly thought, Joobin really knows how to be loved.

The way Joobin emphasized “hyung” made it clear: gifts from anyone else didn’t matter as much.

Naturally, that made Gong Yoochan feel great.

But even so, a teasing smile crept across his lips.

“Ah, what should I do? I bought two because I wanted to wear them on both wrists. Should I give one to you, Joobin?”

“Stop teasing me.”

“Huh? Joobin, should I give you one?”

It was clear that he wanted to have the same watch, but knowing the price, he couldn’t shamelessly ask for it.

Cha Joobin’s lips began to pout as he looked at Gong Yoochan, then at the watch already on his wrist, and finally at the box in Yoochan’s other hand.

He bit his lower lip.

Although he knew he was being teased, he was clearly unsure how to respond and was fidgeting with discomfort.

“Go on, ask for it.”

Yoochan curled one side of his lips, ready to fully tease Joobin now.

Frustration began to show on Joobin’s handsome face.

“Hyung, did you buy this gift just to tease me? You’ll tease me and then comfort me, right? Isn’t that it?”

His eyes trembled, as if shocked by the suggestion.

But Yoochan didn’t stop and added, “Hurry up.”

Joobin’s throat tightened, and his Adam’s apple moved slightly.

“Are you going to mark it with a lightning bolt on the calendar?”

“…Stop teasing me. I really don’t know how to handle this when you tease me.”

Eventually, Joobin hung his head low, clearly struggling with how to react.

He glanced up at Yoochan, his eyes wide and uncertain, then shyly called out, “Hyung.”

It was then that Yoochan bit down on his lower lip hard.

How could he win against this?

“I can’t not give it to you now.”

In the end, Yoochan handed him the box containing the watch, and Joobin accepted it with a grin.

“Is it really mine? You really bought it for me?”

“Yeah, look. I have one too.”

“When did you buy this? You can only get it in stores, right?”

Despite Yoochan urging him to open it, Joobin didn’t unwrap it and just kept asking innocent questions.

His behavior was so odd that Yoochan couldn’t help but be puzzled, almost like Joobin was a shy elementary schooler too embarrassed to open a gift.

“Why aren’t you opening it?”

“Because I’m happy.”

“Then you should open it.”

“But it’s too precious.”

Joobin let out a quiet laugh.

He just stared at the box, as if it were too precious to touch, leaving it untouched on the dining table.

Yoochan was taken aback—he had never seen Joobin act like this before.

This was the same guy who would casually toss aside clothes worth millions and nonchalantly leave the keys to his car, which cost billions, lying around.

Having dealt with large sums of money since he was young, Joobin never seemed to care about the value of things.

He would often ruin expensive clothes by throwing them around carelessly.

But now, he found this precious?

Yoochan blinked at him in surprise, and Joobin shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know why, but when it comes to what you give me, it feels too precious.”

Was it his imagination, or did those words sound a bit sentimental?

Something tugged at Yoochan’s heart.

He didn’t give gifts often, but when he did, he tried his best to pick something great—something that suited Joobin’s image and matched his tastes.

Seeing Joobin treasure it like this made Yoochan wonder if it had never been enough.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Yoochan stepped in and opened the package for him.

“Ah! Why?”

“Hey, if you keep saving it, it’ll just go to waste. If it wears out, I’ll just buy you another one, so wear it now.”

“No, wait…!”

* * *