Chapter 125

A taut current of tension stretched between Yo Han and Gyeol inside the private room.

The wish had always existed strictly off the record.

It was a secret shared only between Yo Han and Gyeol—something that could never be mentioned in front of the cameras.

And now Gyeol had deliberately dragged that secret into the open and laid it in front of Yo Han.

Even as he stared, almost spellbound, at Gyeol's bright smile, Yo Han didn't answer carelessly.

If he'd relaxed for even a moment, he might have betrayed himself—shown surprise, reflexively asked what Gyeol was talking about, tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, or remarked that this wasn't something they should discuss here.

But Yo Han did none of those things.

Unfortunately.

The silence that followed lasted far too long to be called brief.

Not only the viewers but even Producer Yoo would undoubtedly wonder what they were talking about—whether something had happened between them before, whether there was footage they'd somehow missed—and go digging back through everything they'd already filmed.

From the audience's perspective, who could only see what the cameras had captured, the story looked like this:

Yo Han Sung had chosen Gyeol every single time.

He'd spent his Golden Date on Gyeol.

The date had begun with CAMERA OFF — FREE TIME.

The only clue to what happened during those private hours was a single verification selfie taken in the car.

Then, inside the theater, Yo Han suddenly looked unable to suppress his desire for Gyeol.

And that wasn't the end of it.

After moving to the hotel's private VIP room, Yo Han revealed an easygoing side of himself that no interview or television appearance had ever shown before.

All while continuing the skinship.

Continuing the flirting.

Once everything reached this point...

Which way would public opinion turn?

People searched for answers in what they could see.

They couldn't tolerate empty spaces.

In other words...

Curiosity about those two unseen hours would grow until it reached its breaking point.

And curiosity left unanswered had a habit of feeding the imagination.

What exactly had Yo Han and Gyeol done while the cameras were off?

What kind of date had transformed Yo Han into someone behaving like this?

The bomb had already been inflated to the point of bursting.

With a single card—

A wish.

—Gyeol struck a match against the fuse.

One wrong move...

And everything would explode.

Then, with complete composure...

He handed the bomb to Yo Han.

"A wish."

Yo Han repeated the words slowly.

It sounded almost like a question, as though he were trying to measure Gyeol's intentions.

Without hesitation, Gyeol tossed the turn back to him.

"Yeah."

"You still haven't decided?"

"..."

Then he pressed even harder.

"You said it expired today."

They had never made any such agreement.

The only condition had been that Yo Han use the Golden Date Card on him in exchange for the wish.

Nothing about an expiration date.

Yo Han had never asked for one either.

After a moment, he let out a slow breath.

A faint smile settled across his lips.

Whether he'd understood Gyeol's intentions or not...

His expression gave nothing away.

"You're right."

"You did."

For now...

He'd accepted the premise.

In other words—

Yo Han had decided to join the game Gyeol had started.

"We'll be heading back to the island soon."

"After that, we might not get another chance to talk alone."

"I could always come to your room."

"It'll be after midnight."

"Then it'll be invalid."

Yo Han covered his mouth as a low laugh escaped him.

He looked thoroughly entertained.

After a moment, he lowered his gaze to Gyeol, amusement shimmering openly in his eyes.

"I shouldn't let you drink anymore."

"Why?"

"Drunk Gyeol..."

He smiled.

"...is terrifying in all kinds of ways."

The words carried more than one meaning.

Perhaps Gyeol was reading too much into them...

But they also recalled everything that had happened here three years ago.

Heat rushed up the back of his neck.

Determined not to let it show, Gyeol held his expression steady, clinging to the role he was playing.

"Don't change the subject..."

"Okay?"

"You know it'll disappear once I use it."

Yo Han sounded as though he were merely confirming a simple detail.

But Gyeol understood what he was really asking.

If I make a wish here...

Does the promise we made off camera disappear?

"Of course."

The answer came cleanly.

Yo Han stared at him in silence.

Then, without warning—

He leaned forward.

Their faces closed the distance.

Gyeol forced himself not to retreat...

But Yo Han moved too quickly.

For one dizzy instant, it felt as though their lips were about to collide.

His body reacted before his mind did.

He leaned back.

Yo Han didn't stop.

He kept following him.

"W-What are you..."

The startled words escaped on their own.

Only when Gyeol's back lay flat against his chair, with nowhere left to retreat, did Yo Han finally stop.

Their noses brushed.

Then—

He froze.

"I told you not to tease your big brother."

"..."

"You should sit up straight."

"Once you're over thirty, your spine starts going crooked."

"...What?"

Yo Han broke into a low laugh and finally leaned away.

The meaning was obvious enough.

You tried provoking me.

So I returned the favor.

Gyeol wanted to grab his face and crush it between his hands.

He was that infuriating.

How many times had this happened now?

Yo Han already had a history of crossing the line.

Every single time Gyeol genuinely feared their lips would meet...

...he fell right into the trap.

Because Yo Han was exactly the sort of lunatic who might actually do it.

"You don't know this, Gyeol, but spinal surgery—"

Gyeol stared at him with utterly dead eyes.

That only made Yo Han laugh harder.

After laughing for a while, he rested his chin against one hand on the table.

Then he looked at Gyeol.

"I'll make my wish."

"Yes, sir."

Gyeol answered sweetly.

"Senior."

"Are you pouting?"

"I'm not."

He's definitely not an easy opponent.

At least he can't use his wish to make me do business gay performance.

That had been one of the biggest reasons Gyeol had brought out the card now.

Yo Han's relentless proposal.

To become his business gay performance partner.

Of course, things weren't quite the same as when he'd first made the offer.

Back then, Yo Han had cornered Gyeol mercilessly.

Now...

Whether from fickleness or something else...

He seemed almost desperate to have him.

Purely from the standpoint of succeeding on the show, agreeing to a business gay performance wouldn't actually be a bad choice.

In fact...

It was practically a guaranteed victory.

But Gyeol refused to be swept along by Yo Han again.

Using the Golden Date Card so he could see Yuli.

Bringing him out himself.

Buying snacks for Yuli.

Looking after Gyeol all day.

Treating him gently.

Yes.

He was grateful.

Truly grateful.

But how could he trust Yo Han?

A man who had once discarded him.

A man who had threatened someone already cornered.

A man who had spoken as though he cared about a future together...

...only to leave behind cruel scars.

How could he possibly trust someone like that?

It was too dangerous.

The Gyeol Go of several years ago might have let himself be carried away.

The Gyeol Go standing here now was different.

He'd steeled himself enough to appear on R-Connect.

He'd already decided he'd do whatever it took to support Yuli until the day he graduated from college.

He refused to be swept away like that ever again.

After all those kisses.

After all those promises.

No.

He didn't want a business gay performance born from granting Yo Han's wish.

He didn't want to surrender control that way.

He wasn't about to hand the fuse back to a man who was practically a walking time bomb.

Whether he chose revenge for the past...

Or not.

Whether he used Yo Han Sung's name...

Or not.

Whether Yo Han shook him...

Or failed to.

Whether he chose Yo Han...

Or didn't.

Every one of those choices...

Had to belong solely to Gyeol.

"You said you'd grant me anything."

Silently, Gyeol nodded.

He'd made up his mind about that the day Yo Han helped him see Yuli.

Four cameras recorded them.

Two mounted on the ceiling.

One on each side.

All four red tally lights glowed steadily.

"I thought about it a lot."

"It's not often someone gets a chance like this."

"But I couldn't settle on just one."

What's he talking about?

Is he about to ask for all three?

Gyeol's eyes narrowed slightly.

"So I'll give you three options."

"You choose whichever one you like best."

His guess had been completely wrong.

But this wasn't a bad deal.

Choosing the least objectionable option out of three was far better than being forced to accept whatever Yo Han decided.

"...Okay."

Even so...

He couldn't relax.

What the hell is this lunatic about to say?

Completely unaware of how Yo Han interpreted the way Gyeol stared intently at his lips, Gyeol waited.

"Kiss."

"..."

For a moment...

Gyeol thought he'd misheard.

His lips moved automatically.

"That's ridiculous..."

"You said anything."

Has this man completely lost his mind?

Does he seriously not care how this will look on television?

Are you planning to retire from acting?

"There are still two left."

"...Okay."

Somehow...

Gyeol's desperate optimism kept sputtering along.

The kiss has to be bait.

Surely the next one's something normal.

"Second."

"Business gay performance."

It wasn't.

"What?"

"You don't know what that is?"

"No, that's not the problem."

It felt as though someone had smashed him over the head.

Business gay performance?

That wasn't something anyone said with cameras rolling.

Who openly asked someone to fake a gay romance...

On a dating show?

"The third is..."