* * *
“Ha-ha…”
“What’s so funny all of a sudden?”
“It was just bothering me before that I couldn’t remember… but now that I think it might actually be true, it’s kind of terrifying.”
“Explain yourself.”
Hyun glared at Yeonseok irritably.
First, he had been clutching his head like he’d remembered something, and now he was laughing for no clear reason.
It was unnerving and irritating.
“What did you remember?”
“Not everything. Just one scene… But the important part is this: there was a time when Siyoung and I were alone together.”
Up until now, he had assumed the odds were low since he couldn’t recall anything.
But if there had been a moment alone with Siyoung in that forgotten time, the story might change.
Especially if it involved dredging up old matters, even more so.
“Well, it’s just a possibility… but it’s a bit chilling, isn’t it?”
“…Yeah.”
“For now, the priority is keeping him close. With his younger brother heading overseas, Siyoung probably won’t quit his job to avoid adding to his family’s worries. We need to use that time to hold him steady. Ideally, until he’s ready to say it himself.”
Yeonseok tossed the cigarette pack with its two remaining sticks into the trash.
He would definitely need to hire staff quickly.
“You’ve got that variety show shoot tomorrow, right? The three-night, four-day thing. By the time you’re back, Siyoung should be back at work. Just behave yourself and don’t create any unnecessary chaos while he’s out.”
“…Yeah.”
“Everyone’s got a lot on their minds. For now, just focus on keeping him from running off somewhere out of sight. Once the baby’s born, we’ll know for sure.”
Yeonseok brushed his hands through the air as if to dismiss the thought.
He and Hyun both had a tendency to act uncharacteristically thoughtless and irrational when it came to Siyoung.
‘Once the baby’s born, maybe we’ll finally understand.’
“So, don’t lose your temper. Stay calm.”
“Look who’s talking.”
Yeonseok held out his hand in a gesture of cooperation, only for Hyun to swat it away in annoyance.
Taking life advice from the most reckless person he knew was almost laughable.
“You take care of yourself first.”
As Hyun walked past him, Yeonseok stared blankly at the door that slammed shut in irritation, muttering to himself as he glanced at the discarded cigarette pack.
“God, I really need a smoke.”
- -Hyung, you’re pretty popular. I kept running into clips of you online.
“What nonsense are you spouting…”
-Still, that show was fun. It’d be nice if you appeared on TV again. Seeing you on screen was weird.
Siyoung shook his head at Jooyoung’s excited chatter.
The first episode of the recently aired ‘Self-Sufficient Vacation’ had drawn quite a bit of attention.
He’d thought it strange how the staff had kept looking his way, but in hindsight, his screen time had been significant.
‘Even your manager’s good-looking,’ the producer had said.
He should’ve realized then.
But it wasn’t until Jooyoung, energized from seeing him on TV, called that he learned his face had been featured.
-People at the art studio were shocked when I said you were my brother. They said you look nothing alike.
“Well, we don’t look alike. I wish I took after Dad more.”
-They also said you look younger. Like my younger brother instead of my older one.
“That’s not necessarily a good thing. Looking young in the workplace just means you get underestimated.”
-And someone even asked to be introduced to you.
“What?”
Siyoung nearly dropped his phone in surprise.
A manager being neat was one thing, but wasn’t this a bit much?
“Are you serious?”
–I’m serious. When they asked me to introduce them, I was shocked too. But there’s no way. I mean, how could someone like my brother—he doesn’t even run his own studio or have a single exhibition under his belt—be introduced to someone like that.
“You’re not so different, though.”
–Someone like me? Absolutely not. Honestly, it’d be a waste no matter who it was, but still… Anyway, I said no.
Jooyoung spoke with a voice brimming with pride, as if waiting for praise. At moments like this, he still felt like such a kid.
–Are you seeing anyone these days?
“…No. I’m not really in a situation for dating, and I don’t have anyone in mind either.”
–You don’t need to worry about me anymore or let it weigh on your mind. If you find someone nice, go for it. I don’t want you holding back because of me…
“Don’t say ridiculous things. I’m not dating because I don’t want to, not because of you. If it bothers you so much, why don’t you start dating?”
–I’m too busy. Somehow, I just never get around to it…
“Well, I’m busy too. That’s why it turned out this way, so don’t worry about it. How’s work going?”
Siyoung smoothly changed the subject and spent a while talking with Jooyoung before hanging up.
Hearing that Jooyoung was preparing well for his upcoming trip abroad and settling into studio life while getting along with people there put him at ease.
–I’m doing well now, so it’s my turn to take care of you.
“Take care of me? Just focus on looking after yourself. I’ll handle my own life.”
The sentiment—wanting to repay what he’d received—was endearing but also burdensome.
Siyoung scolded him, telling him to focus on his own life.
–And most importantly, take care of your health. Don’t brush off anything that feels wrong. Make sure to see a doctor if you need to.
“What’s left for me to say if you’re saying it all?”
–I need to stay healthy too. That way, you won’t have to worry about me.
“Alright, fine. I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. Next week… I’ll come visit you before the semester starts. Once classes begin, I’ll get busy again.”
After the long call ended, Siyoung opened the search bar on his phone and typed in the name of the show aired a few days ago.
What should he search to find it?
[Jeonghyun Manager]
Would that work?
He hit the search button nervously, and just as Jooyoung had said, quite a few results popped up.
[Jeonghyun Manager—isn’t he kinda cute?]
[Is he really a manager?? Looks more like a trainee they’re promoting.]
[That company’s a joke, though. Someone looked it up, and they only have like two employees, LOL.]
“Not two employees… Maybe Sera and Mijeong weren’t officially registered because they’re not full-time.”
Siyoung clicked on the posts one by one.
It seemed his appearance, just as the producer had hoped, was generating buzz.
He neither liked nor disliked the attention, knowing it would fade in a few days.
The idea of being recognized was a bit unsettling, but public interest was fleeting, so he doubted anything serious would come of it.
“Still… it feels strange being called ‘Jeonghyun Manager.’”
He wasn’t actually a manager, but he didn’t feel the need to correct it.
It just felt odd having his name paired with that label.
Maybe because it wasn’t the first time this had happened.
“Lately, I’ve been thinking about the past more than usual. It’s probably for one reason…”
Siyoung flipped through an old maternity record book.
After being discharged from the hospital, his regular doctor had given him an earful.
“They say to think positive thoughts, but that’s easier said than done. I want to, but…”
It wasn’t that simple.
What was done was done, and he’d been caught already. Lately, old memories kept flooding back.
He told himself it was all in the past and that there was no point worrying now that they were seeing each other again, but it wasn’t so easy.
If he could go back, he’d choose to live without getting involved with those three.
Even if Jooyoung’s accident had been inevitable, he wouldn’t have made the same decisions.
Then this tangled, chaotic mess of relationships wouldn’t exist.
But once the thought started, it spiraled.
Siyoung pulled the blanket over his head and curled up.
Tonight, it seemed he’d be lost in meaningless fragments of the past, unable to sleep for a while.
At twenty years old, some people were adults in name only, still just kids.
But for Siyoung, it was an age of heavy thoughts.
He was the head of his family; he couldn’t just think about himself.
The one saving grace was that he’d been born with a sharp mind, enabling him to get into the nation’s top university, the kind everyone recognized by name.
“The scholarship programs are good, and with this academic background, tutoring jobs should be easy to find…”
He got in with a full scholarship.
His department even had special scholarships beyond academic ones.
While attending school, he planned to tutor for extra income and maintain good grades to land a corporate job right after graduation.
Freshman year passed without issues.
He kept his grades up, juggled multiple tutoring gigs, and covered family expenses, including Jooyoung’s school fees.
Though there was no room for savings, he managed to make ends meet.
Everything changed during the second semester of his sophomore year when he signed up for a general education class known for easy grades.
* * *
