A couple for show chapter 12

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“Hyung, someone sent you a message.”

“Huh? Oh, hold on.”

Gong Yoochan received his phone from Cha Joobin with a curious expression.

In his other hand, he still held the script that had intrigued him so much.

It was already the last day of filming for their first episode of ‘Romance Diary’.

As promised, they had spent their days sleeping in the same bed, waking up together, and sharing breakfast, following the concept of showcasing their daily lives.

Fortunately, they had gotten along smoothly throughout the shoot.

They chatted easily and weren’t shy about showing affection, capturing the perfect image of a long-term couple on camera.

Feeling relieved that filming was almost over, Gong Yoochan checked his phone.

He saw that he had received a message from Kim Woosun, whom he hadn’t heard from in a while. Yoochan glanced at Joobin cautiously, aware that Joobin had always disliked him staying in touch with his friend.

Noticing Yoochan’s hesitation, Joobin raised an eyebrow and leaned his head on Yoochan’s shoulder.

When Yoochan subtly tilted the screen away, Joobin quickly grabbed his hand.

“Why are you hiding it?”

“I’m not hiding anything… look, we can check it together.”

But in reality, he was trying to hide it.

Feeling uneasy, Yoochan showed the screen to Joobin.

He figured that hiding it further would only make Joobin more suspicious, and if Joobin was going to be upset anyway, he might as well be honest.

Still, Yoochan was visibly nervous.

After all, the message was from Kim Woosun, who had persistently pursued him even though he knew Yoochan was dating Joobin.

At one point, Woosun had even made the outrageous confession, “I don’t care if I’m the second option. Can’t we just meet up once?”

And Yoochan had told Joobin about it.

Yoochan had thought it was important to be upfront and not keep secrets, but he’d never seen Joobin so furious as he had been that day.

Joobin had angrily demanded to know what Yoochan had done, and Yoochan assured him that he hadn’t just stood there and listened.

In fact, he’d firmly drawn the line, telling Woosun, “Are you crazy? You know I’m with Joobin, so why would you say something like that?”

But that hadn’t been enough to calm Joobin’s sensitivity.

Since then, Joobin had always been on edge whenever it came to Woosun, while Yoochan, by now, had learned to brush off his advances.

However, Joobin still seemed uncomfortable with the situation.

As Yoochan felt his mouth go dry with tension, he suddenly wondered why he was even nervous.

After all, even though they’d been acting like a sweet couple over the past three days, they were actually broken up.

Joobin’s reaction didn’t bother him anymore. F

eeling a bit more confident, Yoochan showed Joobin the message.

Kim Woosun: Are you filming? Haha.

Woosun, who probably kept up with all the latest news about him online, likely already knew that he was filming a variety show with Joobin.

In front of Joobin, Yoochan typed out his reply.

Yoochan: Yeah, haha.

Immediately, Joobin let out an annoyed sound.

“Why’d you reply like that? Be more formal.”

“Hey, it’s not a big deal—”

Yoochan was about to say it was just nitpicking, but Joobin’s expression stopped him.

He looked like he had a lot to say but was holding it in.

Joobin bit his lower lip out of habit, clearly a bit irritated.

Yoochan, not wanting to ignore Joobin’s feelings, reluctantly erased his message and retyped a new one.

Yoochan: Yeah, I’m filming right now.

“…Like this?”

He bent down to show the screen to Joobin, who grudgingly nodded.

Joobin suddenly looked like a child, and Yoochan couldn’t help but pull him into a hug, barely holding back a smile.

Joobin could be quite cute sometimes.

They might have grown used to each other and their conversations might have dwindled, but Joobin wasn’t without his charms.

Yoochan didn’t try to deny the affection that was blooming in his chest.

‘This is why I liked him,’ he thought.

He felt a strange mix of emotions.

Yoochan awkwardly let go of Joobin’s head, feeling a bit nostalgic.

Once, Joobin used to show him this cute side all the time, but now, he could only see it when they pretended to be a couple.

Worried that his complicated feelings might show, Yoochan quickly masked his expression.

He flashed a grin and playfully ruffled Joobin’s hair before taking back his phone.

Just then, it buzzed again, and he checked the screen.

Kim Woosun:
I’m jealous.
When will I get to shoot something like that? Lol.

Yoochan:
Lol. Get a partner.
Aren’t you dating?
Want me to introduce someone to you? Lol.

Kim Woosun:
Haha, you’re drawing the line well.
I’m going to cry.

Yoochan:
You should stop then.

After sending the firm message, making it clear he wasn’t interested in meeting up, Yoochan tossed his phone onto the table.

Woosun sent a few more messages, which Yoochan answered briefly before the conversation ended. Joobin had quietly left his side at some point.

‘I hope this part doesn’t make it into the broadcast,’ Yoochan thought.

But with the production team willing to do anything for ratings, who knows how it’ll be edited.

It felt awkward to ask them to cut it, so he decided to leave it to fate.

The filming wrapped up smoothly.

As Yoochan saw off the crew taking away the cameras, he noticed Joobin already dressed and ready to leave.

“Where are you going?”

Did he have a schedule?

Since the concept was to show their daily lives, he thought all schedules had been cleared, but maybe something had come up.

When he blinked in confusion, Joobin turned to him with that usual cold expression.

“Why do you want to know?”

“Can’t I ask?”

Joobin, who had dropped his polite facade the moment the staff left, caught Yoochan off guard.

He felt like an idiot for getting lost in the emotions of the shoot, and Joobin’s dismissive attitude annoyed him.

‘Right, we’re broken up.’

Remembering this, Yoochan gave Joobin a cold look, not caring whether he stayed or left.

They had been together constantly for three days, acting all lovey-dovey.

He wouldn’t even treat a co-star from a drama like this, yet Joobin seemed to have switched off his emotions instantly, as if he had never been invested.

“I guess I don’t really switch genres. The feeling just doesn’t linger with me.”

Yoochan recalled something Joobin had once said.

At the time, he’d thought it must be nice not to feel burnout or be dragged down by emotions, but now that he was on the other side, it felt incredibly annoying.

How could someone be so unaffected, even in love?

Swallowing his bitterness, Yoochan walked after Joobin toward the front door.

It seemed Joobin was ready to leave, as he was crouched down at the entrance.

Yoochan worried about Joobin’s scalp, which had likely suffered from all the bleaching, but luckily, his black roots were starting to show, meaning he probably wouldn’t bleach it again.

As he stared at Joobin, lost in thought, Joobin glanced up at him.

“What are you staring at?”

Joobin only briefly looked at him before his gaze shifted to the coffee table behind Yoochan.

Yoochan followed his eyes to the script for Joobin’s next project, which he had so openly shown earlier.

“Don’t read it.”

Joobin’s words were tinged with defiance, as if he were a teenager hiding his diary.

“What, is it top secret?”

“I said don’t look, so don’t.”

‘I’ll end up watching it when it airs anyway. And why do I have to do what he says? If he didn’t want me to look, he should’ve taken it with him.’

As Yoochan stewed over Joobin’s stubbornness, Joobin left without even saying goodbye.

There was no mention of when he’d be back, nor any explanation for why he was leaving.

“Ah…”

Gong Yoochan frowned deeply, running his hand roughly through his hair.

How did he end up with such a personality?

He slumped down on the sofa, furrowing his brows, and stared at the script that had been left behind.

‘Acting all cool as if he’s been waiting for this.’

That’s what Cha Joobin had said when asked if he was having a hard time preparing for the project.

“Who’s the one eagerly diving into romance, anyway?”

Even though they had agreed not to meddle in each other’s work, it felt oddly unsettling to see him jump into a romance project right after their breakup.

Gong Yoochan pushed the script off the sofa with his foot and leaned back completely.

He was already feeling down; maybe he should just go out.

The house, now empty of both the cameras and Cha Joobin, felt particularly desolate. It was clear that staying here any longer would only worsen his mood.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Gong Yoochan stood up.

While grabbing his coat, he called Kim Woosun, with whom he’d been exchanging messages just a moment ago.

Judging by how quickly he had replied, it seemed like he had no plans today either.

The phone barely rang before it was answered, confirming Gong Yoochan’s guess.

─ What’s up? You never call.

“Want to grab a drink?”

─ Weren’t you filming? Is it over?

“Yeah, just finished.”

─ If Cha Joobin is coming, I’m not.

“I’m alone. He left for a schedule.”

Setting up the meeting place, Gong Yoochan left the house.

The door slammed shut behind him, louder than usual, but it wasn’t just his imagination.

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