* * *
Cameras were set up in the house again.
On the morning of the third shoot, the two lay side by side on the bed, fast asleep.
Their breathing was soft and steady, peaceful in every sense.
Although the weather was gradually getting warmer, the way they clung to each other felt natural, as if even that wasn’t enough.
At every opportunity, they’d burrow into each other’s arms.
Gong Yoochan woke up first.
He always woke up with a start, as if he had been in the middle of a nightmare, and this time was no different.
His eyes shot open, and he found himself staring at Cha Joobin’s handsome face.
Without realizing it, he let out a small, “Oh,” in admiration.
“Looking handsome from the morning.”
Gong Yoochan chuckled and gently stroked Cha Joobin’s nose.
Cha Joobin had gone through such an exhausting schedule over the past week that it could’ve been called a marathon.
Maybe that’s why, despite feeding him all his favorite foods the night before, he still seemed to have lost a bit of weight.
As Gong Yoochan caressed his soft cheek, Cha Joobin, as if out of habit, nuzzled his face into the palm of his hand.
It was a long-standing habit that appeared even in his sleep.
“Joobin.”
“Mm.”
“Are you awake?”
“…No.”
Cha Joobin shook his head, his voice hoarse.
It seemed like he wanted to sleep more, so Gong Yoochan pulled the blanket up to his chin and slowly got out of bed.
He thought about making a hearty breakfast, but when he checked the time, it was already lunchtime.
He had no idea how long they’d slept.
They hadn’t gone to bed particularly late, so it had been a while since he’d woken up so late.
A sigh of disbelief escaped his lips, followed by a smile.
He felt good.
He’d felt that way for the past few days.
Being close to Cha Joobin, as much as his heart desired, seemed to ease the tightness in his chest.
So, without realizing it, Gong Yoochan started humming.
Instead of their usual portioned salad for breakfast, he placed some chicken breast in the frying pan.
He figured he’d wake him up when it was cooked to the right degree, and even found himself swaying his hips.
“Whoa.”
Suddenly, someone hugged him from behind. Light kisses began raining on the back of his neck.
“Did you wake up?”
“Mhm. Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
He hadn’t heard him approach, but there was Cha Joobin, fully dressed, his arms wrapped tightly around Gong Yoochan.
The soft kisses grazing his neck made Gong Yoochan’s shoulders twitch.
Without brushing him off, Gong Yoochan continued to poke at the chicken breast in the pan.
“Tell me to stop when it looks just right.”
“Stop.”
“Now? It’s still white.”
“I like it just warmed up.”
“Wow… How do you even enjoy it like that?”
Gong Yoochan shook his head in disbelief.
“That’s why you’re so soft and squishy.”
When he heard that, Gong Yoochan looked back, startled. Cha Joobin’s eyelids, still heavy with sleep, blinked slowly.
His gaze wandered, and Gong Yoochan, finding it hard to swallow, turned his attention back to the frying pan.
It was a relief that only the cameras were set up and the actual shoot hadn’t started yet.
Gong Yoochan gulped, trying to suppress his shaky breath, and ruffled Cha Joobin’s hair.
“We have that studio shoot in Seoul later, right?”
“Yeah, for about three hours.”
“Taking the filming crew with you?”
“Looks like I’ll have to. What about you? Staying home?”
“Yeah, I haven’t had a day off in a while, so I don’t even know what to do with myself.”
Gong Yoochan shrugged with a quiet laugh.
What should I do?
His eyes wandered as if lost in thought.
But tagging along to another set again?
The drama team had only been understanding for so long, and he figured it was time to stop.
He decided to call the company and check if there were any scripts waiting for him.
Out of habit, he gave Cha Joobin’s backside a light pat.
A few days ago, he would’ve pulled his hand away in shock, but not this time.
Cha Joobin blinked his big eyes rapidly.
“You’ve been acting a little strange lately.”
Gong Yoochan glanced at him. Cha Joobin wasn’t looking at him, instead focused on the plate where the cooked chicken breast sat.
“What’s strange?”
Gong Yoochan asked casually.
Cha Joobin glanced at him and quickly looked away, as if unable to meet his gaze for too long.
The way he avoided eye contact made Gong Yoochan swallow dryly.
“…You’ve been messaging me more often.”
“Mm.”
“And calling me too…”
“…”
“And even… more physical contact.”
Cha Joobin’s voice trembled as he spoke.
He was certainly glad about Gong Yoochan’s change in attitude.
He could sense a faint affection in how he treated him now.
Even so, he couldn’t shake his unsettled feelings.
What’s gotten into him?
It worried him that these actions, which had long stopped between them, were happening again.
Was this the beginning of something, or were they truly nearing the end?
Being treated so warmly made it impossible for him to keep up his defenses.
With Gong Yoochan, he always found himself crumbling.
And if they continued like this, only to hear, “Let’s really break up this time,” once filming ended, he might lose it.
Afraid of that, he didn’t know what else to say.
‘Do you want to get back together with me, hyung?’
The question echoed in his mind, but he made every effort to keep it from leaving his lips.
Just then, Gong Yoochan let out a low hum.
His gaze was steady, unwavering.
While the coldness had melted away, the tenderness laced with unease wasn’t exactly comforting.
Cha Joobin found himself wishing he could see inside Gong Yoochan’s mind.
As Cha Joobin struggled to swallow his confusion, Gong Yoochan spoke softly.
“Trying to do the things we didn’t.”
“…”
“You said you didn’t know why we broke up, right?”
I already apologized for that.
Cha Joobin bit down on his lower lip.
He vaguely recalled Kim Woosun’s biting words, ‘You really want to act like this when someone’s sick?’
‘I cried, didn’t I?’
‘Was that why I cried? Or was it…’
The next thought that crossed his mind was something he didn’t want to dwell on.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Nothing good ever came from thinking about Kim Woosun, so he wanted to ignore it as much as possible.
Did Gong Yoochan understand how much he struggled?
Silently, he watched him, throwing heavy words his way without saying anything more.
He stared at him for a while.
Eventually, Gong Yoochan let out a soft sigh, his expression complicated.
It looked like he had a lot on his mind, much like Cha Joobin.
He swallowed hard several times.
“Trying to figure it out.”
“…Figure what out?”
“Not sure. A bit of this, a bit of that.”
Gong Yoochan shrugged as if that was the end of the conversation.
Figure it out, and then what?
Is he going to tell me, “So we broke up, and that’s that”?
Cha Joobin was already anxious from the shock of their breakup, and the fact that they were still separated only made everything more unsettling.
He couldn’t even ask, ‘Why don’t we get back together?’ because he had no way of winning Gong Yoochan back.
All he could do was stare helplessly at the chicken breast.
Then, Gong Yoochan called him again.
“Joobin.”
“Yeah?”
“So do what you want.”
“Do what?”
“If you’re annoyed, say you’re annoyed. If you don’t like something, say you don’t like it. Then you’ll know, too.”
What am I supposed to know?
Not understanding the hidden meaning behind his words, Cha Joobin bit his lip.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
The staff for Romance Diary had arrived.
The cameras were about to start rolling, and they’d soon have to wear microphones.
Though it was frustrating to leave the conversation here, it was a relief they’d talked before filming started.
Cha Joobin merely nodded, signaling that he understood.
His head was a mess, but he tried his best not to think too deeply about it.
Generally, thoughts that spread uncontrollably tend to bind oneself and lead to misunderstandings.
I didn’t want to retie the knot that seemed to be loosening bit by bit.
Regardless of Gong Yoochan’s thoughts, I reassured myself to continue as I had been.
To keep liking, to keep following, and to express my feelings.
Even if his feelings eventually drift away, which would be truly miserable and painful, I still wanted to do my best as long as the relationship wasn’t completely broken.
That was far better than thinking ahead about getting hurt.
Eventually, Cha Joobin shook off the gloom that had briefly touched him with a sigh.
From the direction of the entrance, the voices of the staff coming in, chatting softly with Gong Yoochan, continued.
Voices asking if they had been well or if they were feeling any better signaled the start of the filming.
* * *
*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*
Ufff