A couple for show chapter 1

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Q: Actors Cha Joobin and Gong Yoochan, known as the entertainment industry’s ‘perfect couple.’ What’s the secret to your long-lasting relationship?

Joobin: We’ve known each other since we were kids, so we don’t really fight much. (laughs) I first met him when we were child actors, so we know each other’s personalities really well.

Yoochan: That’s right. (laughs) When we were younger, we fought a lot because our personalities were so different, but maybe that’s why we’re more lenient with each other now. We accept things more easily. Oh, and even when we do fight, we avoid saying “Hey” or “You.” We also try to avoid cursing.

“Hey, didn’t I tell you not to leave your clothes lying around?”

Gong Yoochan furrowed his brow deeply, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

Dangling from his hand was Cha Joobin’s T-shirt, which had been carelessly tossed somewhere.

Joobin barely glanced at the inside-out shirt, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

He seemed to convey that this wasn’t the first time, so why get upset over something like this?

A surge of frustration boiled up from Yoochan’s core.

They’d been dating for four years and living together for three, having moved in during the peak of their passion.

They had been publicly dating from the start, making them one of the entertainment industry’s longest-standing couples after seven years.

They had fought over small things before, eventually agreeing to compromise and adapt to each other’s habits.

But recently, their arguments had become more frequent.

“I was going to wear that again. You could’ve just left it alone, hyung.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“What’s your problem now?”

Cha Joobin abruptly stood up, checking his schedule on his phone.

Tall and broad-shouldered, Joobin had grown from a child star into one of South Korea’s top actors.

With his strikingly handsome face, his hearty laugh, and his easygoing personality, he had captivated the public.

Despite his status, he remained down-to-earth, maintaining a consistently positive image.

But to Yoochan, who had seen it all, he often found himself thinking, ‘When will people realize what a jerk he really is?’

Joobin snatched the shirt from Yoochan’s hand and tossed it carelessly into the laundry basket before heading straight to the bathroom.

“I’ve got a schedule. Aren’t you leaving?”

His grumbling did nothing to ease Yoochan’s irritation—it only made it worse.

Yoochan closed his eyes tightly, placing both hands on his hips and letting out a long sigh.

After all these years of stability, their relationship was now cracking.

Moments like this made him want to drop everything.

All the love and memories built over the last seven years… he wanted to reset it all to zero.

It was better to walk away in moments like this.

Yoochan also had a schedule, so instead of heading to his bathroom, he called out to Joobin through the door of the one Joobin had just entered.

“I have a company dinner later. I’ll be home late.”

“Okay. Don’t drink too much.”

He didn’t bother replying. How could he not drink at a company dinner?

That was the only thought running through his mind.

Q: You two rarely fight, like the perfect couple. Could you share how you resolve conflicts when they do arise? I bet just looking at each other’s faces would make the anger disappear, right?

Joobin: We resolve everything through talking. I try to think about hyung’s perspective, even though I know him well, because his thoughts can still be different from mine. (laughs) Hyung is also good at expressing himself honestly.

Yoochan: I try to talk things out too. Like you said, sometimes just looking at Joobin’s face calms me down. (laughs) Joobin is really good at expressing his own thoughts during conversations, so I make an effort to understand him.

“Ugh, why isn’t he answering?”

Cha Joobin pressed his fingertips into his eyes, trying to suppress his irritation.

He had known about the dinner beforehand, but now it was well past 1 a.m., and Yoochan wasn’t answering his phone.

Joobin had heard from Yoochan’s manager that they had moved from the shoot to the dinner, but the bubbling anger in his chest refused to subside.

No matter what, they had agreed to keep in touch when moving locations, and Yoochan’s failure to do so made Joobin feel disrespected.

He told him not to drink too much, but he’ll probably come home drunk again.

Just thinking about it made Joobin’s head throb. He knew all too well how messy Yoochan could get when drunk.

At times like this, Joobin wished he didn’t know so much about him.

Like Joobin, Yoochan had also debuted at seven and, as Joobin’s senior by two years, had earned the title of ‘the nation’s son.’

Now fully grown, he had become a consistent presence in the industry, a guarantee of high viewership for any drama he appeared in.

Unlike Joobin, who dominated the film scene, Yoochan was a ratings magnet for dramas, with his latest show becoming another huge hit.

With his neatly handsome features and the nickname ‘the in-law’s dream son-in-law,’ he was well-liked everywhere he went.

His friendly nature and love for gatherings often led to moments where he would lose track of time and stop responding to messages.

In the early stages of their relationship, Joobin had feared others might steal Yoochan away, but after seven years, he was simply angry at Yoochan’s lack of consideration.

After seven years, shouldn’t he start acting differently?

With a hot sigh, Joobin threw his head back. Leaning into the back of the sofa, eyes still closed, he gritted his teeth.

Before long, he heard the familiar beeping of the front door keypad.

Yoochan must have entered the wrong code several times, as the siren blared repeatedly.

Even then, Joobin didn’t get up.

How long would he have to keep dealing with this drunken behavior? The feeling of frustration was overwhelming.

Eventually, the hallway light flicked on, and the sound of shuffling footsteps echoed.

Joobin opened his eyes to see the smell of alcohol permeating the air, as Yoochan stumbled in.

Yoochan, clearly intoxicated, looked at Joobin and let out a slow groan.

“You’re still awake?”

“Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

“I didn’t know.”

“Of course.”

Joobin gave Yoochan a quick once-over, his drunken state making him feel irritated by association.

Was there even a point in talking?

It would only lead to more friction, so Joobin muttered a curt, ‘Go to sleep,’ and walked into the bedroom.

In the past, Yoochan would have trailed behind him, asking, ‘Are you mad?’ but tonight, all Joobin heard was the sound of the bathroom door closing with a thud.

Q: This might be a cliché question, but what do you find attractive about each other? Is that too boring a question by now?

Joobin: Hyung is seriously so pretty. People often say I look mischievous, but hyung looks so classically handsome. I really like his face.

Yoochan: Same for me, Joobin’s face. You’d think I’d get tired of it by now, but I never do. He’s so handsome. Joobin has such striking features, and his face suits any kind of makeup. I really like his face.

Q: After dating for so long, is there a promise you two make sure to keep? Could you share one with us?

A: No matter what, we always eat breakfast together. Unless we have a super late-night shoot or a location shoot, if we’re home, we always make sure to eat breakfast together.

“Are you skipping breakfast?”

When Joobin woke up, Yoochan wasn’t beside him, which already annoyed him.

He walked into the living room and gave the still-sleeping Yoochan a few nudges, covered with just a blanket he had dragged from the couch.

“Hyung, aren’t you going to eat?”

“Uh, yeah… I’ll eat.”

Gong Yoochan staggered as he got up.

The dinner party from the night before had dragged on longer than intended, and his head still felt like it was floating in a haze of alcohol.

He hadn’t planned on drinking that much.

Cha Joobin had repeatedly nagged him to cut down on alcohol, and Yoochan had tried to come home early, thinking of Joobin who was waiting for him.

But it was difficult to ignore the hands that grabbed him as he tried to leave the bar.

Besides, yesterday was the wrap party for the drama he had starred in, and with everyone in high spirits, it wasn’t exactly appropriate for him, the lead actor, to break the mood and leave early.

He knew that if he explained it all, Cha Joobin would understand.

But going through the trouble of explaining everything just felt exhausting.

Yoochan sighed deeply as he heated up the hangover soup that had been delivered in a home kit.

Joobin was preparing his own meal beside him, but he didn’t ask how Yoochan had slept or whether he had waited long the night before.

The two sat across from each other at the table, eating in silence.

When they had first started dating and living together, they couldn’t stop talking.

But these days, the silence between them lasted longer than any conversation.

Even so, neither of them felt awkward, nor did they feel the need to break the silence first.

They simply ate, picking at their food, feeling the quiet time passing by, as if it were both present and absent.

Q: Lastly, do you have any advice for couples who are just starting out?

Joobin: I think the more you get to know someone, the more fun it gets. In the beginning, there may be things that don’t sit right, but as you accept them, it feels like you’re growing together. Most importantly, I think it’s great if you talk a lot. There’s no better way to get to know someone than through conversation.

Yoochan: I think it’s good to solve everything through conversation. If you think about the person you love, that’s also a great way. Of course, it would be best not to fight, but how can you not? When you care about someone, you start wanting things, and that’s where the friction comes from. I think the real danger comes when you stop talking. I hope you talk a lot.

The only sounds at the table were the clinking of chopsticks, the pouring of water, and the occasional clattering of dishes.

Silence pressed down on the space, but neither of them found it uncomfortable, and both accepted it indifferently.

“…Should we just break up?”

Neither of them asked about each other’s day.

There were no accusations about what had happened the night before.

It was likely they both felt too tired to even talk.

Was there any point in continuing this relationship?

Yoochan blinked slowly and looked at Joobin.

Joobin, who didn’t respond, met his gaze with the same unchanged expression.

“Should we?”

Then, Joobin put down his spoon with a slight clink. He leaned back in his chair, as if the result was inevitable, showing no particular reaction.

“Let’s do it.”