Not your child chapter 17

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“Hey! How could you just take everything without even saying a word?!”

“Unni, that’s too much. You could’ve at least given us a heads-up.”

“Didn’t you say you sent the managers to a hotel? Was it fun leaving me behind to go play on your own?”

The next day, as soon as they returned to Seoul, the managers who had disappeared with the cast’s bags reappeared.

Since it was all a part of the filming setup, most of the cast exaggeratedly took back their belongings with a bit of theatrics.

‘There’s a camera, so I’ll just take it easy for now… I’ll talk to him afterward.’

Unlike the others who rushed to grab their bags, Hyun leisurely got out of the car, scanning for Sera.

With the other cast members crowding around, it was hard to spot her.

Just then, a familiar silhouette emerged through the crowd.

“…Here’s your bag…”

“What are you doing here? Where’s the manager?”

“Well… due to certain circumstances, I came instead.”

Siyoung hesitantly handed over the bag with an awkward expression.

Hyun, surprised to see Siyoung in such an unexpected place, didn’t notice the camera filming him as he stepped forward.

“You’re not in good health these days—why are you here?”

“I’m fine. I’m healthy, so just take the bag already.”

Siyoung shoved the bag at Hyun and tried to slip away, but a staff member caught him, reminding him they had to film the final interview.

‘If I weren’t planning to quit in a few months, I wouldn’t have come out here. But…’

Right now, if Sera quit, the company’s schedule would be a mess.

If only he could throw everything aside and walk away irresponsibly, but that wasn’t an option, so he was stuck bearing the burden.

“You said you weren’t the manager, yet here you are again.”

“I’m really not the manager… but I came for some… reasons.”

“It’s nice to see you again.”

The staff member, whom they’d met at the previous meeting, spoke with an oddly cheerful expression.

Siyoung glanced at Hyun, gauging his reaction, then replied.

“Uh… did the shoot go well?”

“Yes, it was a bit more low-key than expected… but from here, it’s all about editing skills. Director Kim isn’t a novice; he’ll handle it well.”

“He’s never been a fit for variety shows, so I was worried.”

“Don’t worry. Variety is as much about the characters as it is about the entertainment. In that regard, Hyun is… outstanding.”

The staff member gave a thumbs-up.

Although Hyun wasn’t particularly funny, variety shows often depended on character building and editing, so Director Kim seemed pleased with Hyun’s performance.

“The director is satisfied, so no worries. By the way, the manager went to the hotel…”

“Something came up suddenly. My mother recently had surgery and her condition worsened…”

“Oh no. I hope she recovers quickly.”

Siyoung let out a nervous laugh to gloss over the lie.

It wasn’t entirely untrue, though.

“We just have the ending scene left, so after this, will the manager be back for the next shoot?”

“Yes. I’m actually part of the office staff… Our company is really small, with only one celebrity.”

“That must be tough. I’d like to see you around more, but I suppose from your side, you probably hope there won’t be incidents every time you come out.”

“Haha…”

As Siyoung continued chatting with the staff, the final shoot wrapped up.

With the cameras off and only Hyun and Siyoung left, it was time for the real conversation.

“Let’s go.”

The moment the farewell remarks ended, Hyun grabbed Siyoung and headed for the parking lot without saying anything more.

As Hyun started the car in silence, Siyoung sighed, thinking, ‘I really don’t want to get in,’ but knowing he couldn’t stall forever, he opened the door and sat in the passenger seat.

The tension was palpable, with Hyun’s anger practically radiating from him.

“Why are you so mad? I said I’m fine. I told you, I’m fine. You know I haven’t had any issues lately.”

“…”

“I knew about the bag situation too, but I was told not to say anything. It’s just a shoot—why are you taking it so seriously? Sera couldn’t handle it, so I said I’d do it.”

“‘Sera this, Sera that.’ You treat her like she’s royalty.”

Despite Siyoung’s attempts at an explanation, Hyun’s anger only seemed to deepen.

Siyoung flinched at the intensity of his pheromones.

“…Haah.”

Hyun, realizing his pheromones were leaking, quickly reined them in.

While pheromone control was second nature to him, he tended to lose control when he was truly angry—especially around Siyoung.

His aggressive pheromones didn’t trigger arousal, only a sense of intimidation, but for someone like Siyoung, a recessive, the pheromones felt particularly oppressive.

Normally, Hyun would be careful around him, but today he was genuinely annoyed.

It wasn’t just about Siyoung showing up with his bag.

“You act all strange, then tell me not to ask questions. It’s contradictory.”

“This is because of you. If you hadn’t been so difficult, would Sera have considered quitting just because someone hid a bag for a variety show?”

“I don’t care if the manager quits or not. If she can’t handle this, she should leave.”

Siyoung retorted, “I do care, alright? I’m the one stuck recruiting new people and covering gaps when positions go unfilled.”

“You’ve managed it just fine until now.”

“What?”

“This manager has lasted longer than most, huh? So, you go through all this because it’s a hassle to recruit?”

“…Yeah.”

Siyoung nodded, realizing he had a lot to say that he hadn’t been aware of.

‘What’s with me acting suspiciously?’

He reflected on his recent behavior, but nothing stood out.

At first, it was difficult, but he’d adjusted and was healthy now.

‘What’s his problem?’

“What’s so strange?”

“You’re acting like we can’t afford to lose this manager. Normally, you’d just cut your losses and hire a new one.”

So that was it.

Siyoung rubbed his temples.

Truthfully, if Sera quit now, it would make it harder for him to step down later.

He wanted Sera to stay as long as possible to keep things running smoothly.

‘Sure, but wouldn’t it be better for him too if someone he’s used to stayed around? It’s not like I’m doing this for my own benefit.’

“Don’t you think it’s time to settle down a bit? You’ve been a celebrity long enough that it’s about to be known you’re a nightmare for managers, and the rumors have only quieted down thanks to Sera.”

“So what? There are plenty of people willing to work with me, and we’re through the busiest period now. What’s so irreplaceable about this manager?”

“What the hell is your problem?”

It seemed like he was acting as if he wanted Sera to quit.

Sure, Hyun’s schedule had loosened up a bit recently, but that just meant compared to last month; he still had minor broadcasts and shoots lined up.

If he lost his manager, Siyoung would have to handle everything—from paperwork to driving and caretaking, all while searching for a replacement.

So why was he so hung up on keeping Sera around?

“Do you want me to be your shadow or something? Isn’t it annoying for you too? You always get so irritated whenever I fill in as your manager.”

“When did I ever get annoyed? You’re the one who gets annoyed.”

“Oh, come on. As if you weren’t. You know there have been times you couldn’t control your pheromones around me. You didn’t say anything, but you didn’t exactly hide it either.”

“That’s…”

Hyun couldn’t refute and closed his mouth tightly.

What was he even denying?

Siyoung let out a dry laugh.

“Yeah, I’m sure you don’t like me taking on the manager role either. So, try to cooperate so Sera can stick around for a while longer. I don’t know what bothers you, but a replacement might bother you even more, you know? Just be satisfied with things as they are. Or at least tell me what’s bothering you so much.”

“…”

“Unless there’s a really big reason, I’m not changing things. So, just… let it go. What I’m doing now is more than enough for me.”

Siyoung sighed, leaning back in his seat.

Typically, the manager was supposed to drive, but with Hyun seated confidently behind the wheel, Siyoung found himself back in his usual spot.

“…There’s some sponsored clothing we need to pick up, so let’s stop by the office real quick.”

“Alright.”

It was always like this.

Siyoung closed his eyes as if to end the conversation. Just keep things calm for another three months.

Whatever happens after I leave is none of my concern…

‘Ha, here I am, actually worrying about this jerk just because we’ve spent time together.’

If only he could leave without looking back.

Siyoung rested his head against the rattling window, deep in thought.

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