Chapter 101

“...Because of me?”

The words slipped out before Gyeol realized it, and he startled, covering his mouth. It was because they had landed too close to an overly naked truth.

“Hmm.”

At Gyeol’s question, Yo Han folded his arms and seemed to think for a moment. Then he lightly shook his head and answered.

“If I say that directly, like it was because of Gyeol Go, I doubt you’d get all delighted like the other idiots, so... just think of it as justice being served.”

“......”

Justice being served.

It was not entirely wrong.

Woo Seok Jung had hidden the fact that he had a lover and appeared on a dating program. Then he had thrown out unpleasant advances at one person after another and secretly engaged in physical contact far beyond what was necessary. Gyeol could not know what had passed between Woo Seok and Hanseul Ga, but if his guess was not wrong, Gyeol himself had also suffered direct and indirect harm in the process.

If Yo Han had played a major role in exposing that wrongdoing, then, as he said, it really was justice. Because now the Omegas here would no longer be harmed, and Gyeol Go was among them.

But the fact that Gyeol had been Yo Han’s trigger.

That was a separate issue.

Yo Han was someone who held Gyeol’s secret. Would he really move with pure intentions, simply for Gyeol’s sake? With no other purpose?

Gyeol forced his slowly twisting expression back into place and asked in return. He had no intention of getting dragged along like this.

“So? Why are you telling me this?”

“Who knows. Does Gyeol Go always speak with some particular intention whenever he says something?”

“No, you just said you did it because of me. Didn’t you? If it was because of me, I’m asking why you did something like that.”

“Now that I think about it, you ask me ‘why’ a lot. Maybe you’re more curious about me than I expected.”

Fuck it. Forget it. There’s no talking to him.

Gyeol decided he would no longer deal with Yo Han and started walking. His only regret was that he could not curse him out to his face.

He strode forward with his face twisted in a deep frown, and Yo Han followed behind him at an easy pace.

“You’re leaving without hearing my answer?”

“......”

“Weren’t you curious? Why I went that far?”

“......”

“That hurts. I went to all the trouble of taking out the trash, and Gyeol Go just ignores every word I—”

“Oh, will you—! Do you have nothing better to do? Stop following me and go wherever you were—!”

Gyeol had finally reached his limit at the voice chattering behind his head and whipped around.

That was the moment it happened.

Maybe the problem was that he had already thought going down the slope in platform sandals with heels was cumbersome. The axis of his shoe twisted, and his body suddenly tipped backward.

Yo Han’s face moved away from him.

Then, in an instant, it came close again.

Because Yo Han had wrapped an arm around Gyeol’s waist and pulled him in.

“......!”

“This is what catching someone who almost fell looks like.”

It had happened in a split second, so for a moment, Gyeol could not understand what had just happened.

“Isn’t it?”

Only then did the pounding of his startled heart climb all the way up the back of his neck and into his ears, the solid strength of Yo Han’s forearm press against his waist, and above all else, he realized just how close Yo Han’s face was, wearing a strangely satisfied smile.

He was truly, unbearably close.

Close enough for Gyeol to see his own reflection in Yo Han’s eyes.

“I almost fell because of you.”

Sounding unlike himself, Gyeol pushed the blame away from himself and shoved both hands against Yo Han’s chest.

Yo Han, who had reflexively tightened his arm to hold him steady, looked down at Gyeol’s hands.

His gaze lingered on the bandaged one. Then he sighed, set Gyeol securely back on his feet, and released him.

“Rotate your ankle. See if you hurt it.”

“I don’t think we’re in the kind of relationship where we worry about each other or accept each other’s concern.”

“That sounds like, at the very least, Gyeol Go has already defined what kind of relationship we are.”

“...Ha. Forget it. Let’s not talk.”

“I said rotate your ankle.”

Gyeol ignored Yo Han and began walking again.

Fortunately, it seemed he had not injured his ankle badly. It ached faintly for the first few steps, but soon felt normal again.

This time, Yo Han did not follow him.

Instead, he watched Gyeol walk without any problem for a moment, then tossed a casual remark at his back.

“My offer still stands.”

Gyeol did not stop.

“Don’t forget.”

He kept walking.

“Think smart. Think about who you need most right now.”

That was the last of it.

Yo Han said nothing more, and Gyeol reached the end of the path without looking back once.

Only belatedly did he glance up the hill. He saw Yo Han’s distant back for a moment before it quickly vanished over the slope.

This is what catching someone who almost fell looks like.

“Ah.”

Only then did Gyeol think he understood what Yo Han had meant.

Woo Seok Jung’s lie......

He had been referring to the excuse Woo Seok had made after grabbing Gyeol’s wrist and cornering him, claiming he had only caught him because Gyeol almost fell.

...He got rid of Woo Seok Jung because of me?

As Gyeol entered the beach path, he tried hard to erase Yo Han’s smile, now branded sharply into his mind.

***

The question behind Yo Han’s cryptic comment was resolved more easily than expected.

When Gyeol returned to the lounge, the seats were sparsely empty because of the ongoing interviews. Only three people remained: Sun Choi, Hee Jun Kang, and Tommy.

Naturally, the conversation moved to the circumstances of the incident.

Listening to Tommy’s explanation, Gyeol found his answer.

“Apparently Assistant Producer Kang and camera director Yoon went looking for those two and ran into Yo Han first. So they asked if he knew where Woo Seok Jung was... and Yo Han said he’d smoked with him at the beach, then told them it looked like Woo Seok was heading toward that hill by the beach. You know the one?”

“No wonder... Right, there aren’t any cameras there. So he was hiding there and making the call when they caught him?”

“Yeah. Completely caught.”

Hee Jun picked up Tommy’s words, and Tommy nodded with a composed expression.

“Yo Han seemed really surprised too. He said he had no idea Woo Seok would be on that kind of phone call.”

Tommy, already completely taken with Yo Han and the older men, clasped both hands together and shook his head.

I don’t think so. Tommy, you’re being fooled. Like hell that man was surprised......

Thinking that inwardly, Gyeol swallowed a sigh.

So that was why Yo Han had called it self-destruction. Even if Yo Han had told them where Woo Seok was, whether Woo Seok was actually on the phone with his lover when the staff arrived had been entirely up to Woo Seok himself.

But that means Yo Han at least knew Woo Seok had a lover and that he was calling them constantly. ...What a terrifying man.

And that same Yo Han also knew Gyeol’s secret.

My offer still stands.

By “offer,” he must mean fake fan service as a couple.

Resting his chin on his hand as he continued thinking, Gyeol suddenly noticed something strange.

Why is someone like Yo Han Sung so sensitive to his surroundings?

A face no one else could rival. Acting skill that drew admiration. A filmography paved only with success. He had never had even a single moment of obscurity, and now he had established himself as an icon of his era.

Wasn’t he someone standing at the very top with nothing to fear?

If Gyeol were Yo Han Sung, he felt as though petty things would not bother him at all.

Of course, Gyeol knew there were top stars who were hysterical beyond words. When he had acted in supporting and minor roles, plenty of actors he had seen on set had left him thinking they were disappointingly awful once you saw them up close. There were even crooked people who seemed to relieve stress by tormenting staff or junior actors.

But Yo Han was different from them.

His behavior was not simply a matter of being sensitive or bullying someone.

Should he call him meticulous?

Or should he say Yo Han seemed constantly sharpened, never lowering his guard against his surroundings?

But that kind of trait did not suit Yo Han Sung, who already possessed everything in abundance.

At the very least, someone would have to be in Gyeol Go’s position—someone who had been through every hardship imaginable, someone who was always tense because he never knew when something might be taken away or lost—

“Can I sit next to you?”

The voice above his head cut through Gyeol’s thoughts.

Jun Shin, back from his interview, was standing beside him.

“Yeah, sit.”

Gyeol lowered the hand that had been propping up his chin and straightened his posture.

Jun gave a small nod and sat beside him.

His face looked pale, making it obvious he had not slept properly the night before.

What are you going to do about it? It’s already been decided.

Gyeol firmly resolved not to concern himself with Jun.

“What did you two do on yesterday’s date?”

But then Tommy, eyes sparkling brightly, just had to ask about the Golden Date.

“Oh, just...”

Slightly flustered, Gyeol stumbled over his words, but Jun answered in a calm tone.

“We couldn’t go anywhere crowded, so we walked in a quiet park, ate cotton candy, went to a café. Things like that.”

“Boo, that still sounds nice. I want to leave the island for even ten minutes.”

“After I went to all the trouble of feeding you French toast yesterday? Do you have a new wish now, King Potato?”

At Hee Jun’s playful question, Tommy blushed and waved both hands, lightening the atmosphere.

Thanks to the easy back-and-forth that followed between the two of them, Gyeol was able to laugh without much difficulty.

“Gyeol.”

The soft call drew Gyeol’s attention.

When he raised his eyes, Sun was looking steadily at him.