A couple for show chapter 32

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“Hyung, put your leg up like this.”

Cha Joobin, dressed casually in a loose t-shirt and pants, stretched his legs forward.

He wiggled his toes and poked Gong Yoochan’s thigh, as if telling him to do the same.

When Gong Yoochan turned to look, saying “Huh?”

Cha Joobin’s feet were already propped up on the coffee table, his toes splayed out playfully.

“Like this?”

“Yeah, hold on.”

As soon as Gong Yoochan mimicked the action, Cha Joobin suddenly rummaged through the sofa cushions.

Wondering what he was looking for—

Click.

The sound of a camera shutter soon followed.

“What the?”

Gong Yoochan blinked rapidly.

In front of them was the big TV.

Cha Joobin had arrived just before dinner, as they had planned, and now the two of them were sitting side by side, comfortably leaning back on the sofa, ready to watch a show together for the first time in a while.

But why a picture all of a sudden?

Tilting his head in confusion, Gong Yoochan soon realized something and burst out laughing.

“A proof shot?”

When he nudged Cha Joobin’s shoulder and asked, his pale face flushed slightly.

“What? Can’t I post it?”

“Go ahead, post it.”

Just a few days ago, Gong Yoochan would have snapped at him for being so rude.

But now, he just laughed and patted Cha Joobin on the head.

Cha Joobin always took his proof shots the same way—with his feet and the TV screen in one shot.

It was like his trademark on social media.

Thinking about it, Gong Yoochan found the whole thing endearing.

As he patted Cha Joobin’s head once more, this time more firmly, Cha Joobin gave him a curious glance.

But soon enough, he was back to editing the photo, cropping it to the right size, and adding a caption.

C.Joobin
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As soon as he posted the picture, the number of likes skyrocketed, nearing a million in no time.

Gong Yoochan was used to the fans’ fervent reactions by now, so he didn’t think much of it.

He simply pressed the like button quietly.

C.Joobin
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Noticing something, Cha Joobin flinched and glanced over at Gong Yoochan, blinking in surprise.

Instead of reacting to every little thing, Gong Yoochan calmly showed him his phone.

“What do you want to eat?”

Earlier, he had told him to send a message with what he wanted to eat, but Cha Joobin had shown up without a word.

When asked why he hadn’t texted, he’d given a lame excuse about not wanting to disturb his sleep.

So now, they still needed to decide on food.

With Cha Joobin managing his weight recently and feeling stressed about it, Gong Yoochan thought it might be better to choose something he could eat comfortably.

As Cha Joobin scrolled through the options on the phone, his eyes lit up and dimmed alternately.

Meanwhile, the sound of strikes in a bowling game echoed on the screen.

With every strike, the two of them exchanged unfiltered laughter and applause, filling the screen with their candid smiles.

Realizing something new, perhaps, Gong Yoochan found their expressions beautiful.

Before he knew it, he had rested his head on Cha Joobin’s shoulder, watching the screen with a quiet smile.

He had seen this scene before, but watching it again didn’t bore him.

Then, when the screen was filled with the image of Cha Joobin, stiff and frozen in Gong Yoochan’s embrace…

Gong Yoochan unconsciously licked his dry lips.

It felt like his heart was racing in sync with Cha Joobin’s pulse, which he could vividly feel against his chest.

“Why were you so stiff back then?”

Gong Yoochan looked at Cha Joobin.

For a moment, Cha Joobin’s gaze lingered on his face before turning to the TV screen.

As if recalling the feeling from that time, the tips of his ears began to flush red.

Then, he tugged at his t-shirt, hiding his face under it.

“What, Joobin?”

Gong Yoochan nudged Cha Joobin’s arm.

“Look at that. How could I not freeze?”

Cha Joobin, still hiding his face, pointed to the TV.

Gong Yoochan looked in the direction he indicated.

On the screen, he could see himself looking up at Cha Joobin, holding him tightly.

What’s so weird about that? I’ve always looked at him like that.

In every photo others have taken of us, I’ve had that same expression.

His reaction was as unnecessary as it was sudden.

Yoochan mischievously poked his side.

“Hey, hey. Were you really that embarrassed?”

“Stop it.”

“Come on, we’ve been together for seven years.”

Gong Yoochan chuckled and playfully tapped Cha Joobin’s chest.

Slowly, Joobin’s head began to emerge from under the t-shirt.

When he finally revealed his face, he wore a grumpy expression, as if asking how Yoochan could even ask such a thing.

In moments like these, Yoochan was the guilty one.

Scratching his forehead lightly, Gong Yoochan glanced at Cha Joobin’s phone.

He had asked him to pick something from the menu, but he hadn’t chosen anything.

Instead, Cha Joobin had just been holding the phone without doing anything.

Gong Yoochan snatched the phone from his hand and started picking random dishes.

“Let’s eat first, then we can talk,” he said, trying to ease the atmosphere.

“Don’t tell me… is this when you’re finally treating me to that meal you promised back then?”

Cha Joobin looked at him with an expression that said, “You can’t be serious.”

Realizing what he meant, Gong Yoochan just shrugged.

He hadn’t really been thinking about the bowling bet, but seeing Joobin’s reaction, it seemed like he was hoping for a proper treat.

“Do you think I’m that cheap? I’ve earned two more years’ worth of salary than you. This is fine, right?”

“Yeah.”

Cha Joobin nodded in approval.

The menu Yoochan selected was mostly a protein-heavy, meat-based meal, thoughtfully chosen with his current condition in mind.

After placing the order, Gong Yoochan set the phone down with a light thud.

This time, it was Cha Joobin who looked at the phone.

Seeing Joobin smile at some message, Yoochan found the sight unfamiliar.

Since Joobin didn’t usually enjoy messaging other people, he couldn’t help but wonder who it was.

In the past, Yoochan would’ve just stayed curious, careful not to let it bother him.

But now, he wasn’t going to leave it at that.

Their relationship had begun to fall apart due to a lack of communication, so he’d decided to ask whenever something piqued his curiosity.

“Who is it?”

He craned his neck, pretending to sneak a look at the screen, but Joobin quickly hid the phone, saying, “It’s nothing.”

What’s with this?

It was rare for Cha Joobin to hide something so blatantly, making Yoochan all the more curious.

“What is it?”

“I told you, it’s nothing.”

Sure, it’s probably nothing. After all, we’re technically broken up.

But still, Yoochan didn’t want to let it go.

He was curious.

Who was it that made Cha Joobin smile like that?

Determined, Yoochan leaned closer, trying to sneak a look at the screen.

But Cha Joobin’s large hand firmly grabbed his cheek and pushed him away.

“Hey, hey! Are you really using your strength now?”

“Come on, stop! I have my own privacy too…!”

“Privacy? So what? I’m curious!”

“Hyung, you’re acting so weird, why are you like this all of a sudden?”

“All of a sudden? What do you mean, ‘all of a sudden’?”

Of course, to Cha Joobin, it probably did seem out of the blue.

But Gong Yoochan didn’t care what he said.

What’s the harm in acting on his feelings?

Just like how Cha Joobin had done with him.

Before he knew it, they were playfully wrestling.

Although Cha Joobin was much stronger, he seemed to be holding back, and they tussled back and forth.

One moment, they were here, and the next, they were there, until finally, they both lost balance.

“Whoa…!”

Cha Joobin fell backward with Gong Yoochan on top of him, a surprised yelp escaping his lips.

Cha Joobin stared up at Yoochan, who was now on top of him.

His pale face was flushed, probably from the physical effort.

As Yoochan, distracted by his heated gaze, struggled to catch his breath, he managed to snatch the phone from Joobin’s hand.

Gong Yoochan, grinning triumphantly, glanced at the screen.

But what he saw wasn’t a message conversation.

“…What is this?”

Yoochan’s eyes widened in surprise.

At the same time, Cha Joobin hurriedly covered his face with his big hands.

But even on a show, his red-tipped ears wouldn’t have been able to hide his embarrassment.

On the screen was a calendar.

Their D-day was marked on it, along with a small heart below it—bright red and impossible to miss.

“What’s this heart for?”

Confused, Yoochan asked again, swiping up on the calendar.

On certain days, there was an empty heart, on others, a lightning bolt, and on some days, there was a red heart.

It seemed there was some kind of pattern.

As he scrolled through the calendar, Gong Yoochan let out an involuntary gasp.

The days they’d eaten together, the days they’d gone out, the days they’d had good times—most of them were marked with red hearts.

He scrolled down further.

On the day they’d decided to break up, there was a lightning bolt, symbolizing a broken heart.

So that’s what the lightning bolt meant—a day they fought.

It was then that Yoochan realized all of Cha Joobin’s attention had always been on him.

He had been so focused on figuring out who made Joobin smile, but now, he had his answer.

Yoochan, who had been smiling mischievously, gradually lost his grin and looked down at Joobin.

With his hands no longer covering his face, Joobin’s strikingly handsome features filled Yoochan’s view.

The warmth and heaviness in his gaze made Yoochan gulp.

“…Give it back, now.”

Cha Joobin quickly snatched the phone back, but made no attempt to push Yoochan off, remaining pinned beneath him.

Yoochan cleared his throat and awkwardly got off his lap.

But the way Joobin was looking up at him—those heated eyes—made Yoochan’s throat feel dry.

He tried to look away, only for his gaze to land on the TV.

“….”

Of all things, the TV was showing the scene where Cha Joobin was looking at him with the same expression, clearly wanting something but not saying it aloud.

His hand was lightly rubbing his inner arm, the scene where he had warned Yoochan not to take his medication again.

Once again, Yoochan gulped.

He had to get out of here before things got even more complicated.

‘The main entrance is ringing.’

The food delivery had arrived at the perfect moment.

Yoochan let out a sigh of relief as he headed for the intercom, the awkward tension in the air dissipating, and Cha Joobin’s expression, which had been stiff moments ago, relaxed.

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