Chapter 318 - 11.10
Kim Haneul returned back to the city with empty eyes. He didn't want to return to his dorm for now because he also needed to relax first.
He felt mentally drained and lost at the same time. He didn't know what he should do next because Mr. Lee Yongsun said he gave him a week to prepare himself and accept or reject the contract.
But the fact that he didn't even know the content of the contract made Han more scared than he should be. It was quite late at night, around ten. He still had two hours before he could return back to the dorm after his 'work' shift.
Han bought a drink from the nearest convenience store and leaned his back on the wall in front of the store. He drank his cola while thinking about what would happen next. Truly, he didn't know what was inside Lee Yongsun's head.
[If he is not interested in me at all, then why is he offering me a contract? He can just dismiss me right on the spot when he found me obnoxious. What do you think, Pupa? I feel like this master of the world is very confusing.]
[Pupa: Confusing?]
[I thought he'd dismiss me immediately. But look at this, instead of dismissing me, he offered me a contract! An unknown contract that is.]
[I'd want to think that it is a good contract, at least a contract that wouldn't harm me. But when I see that big zero on his Fatemeter and the Breakmeter, I got scared immediately. My gut feeling told me that he doesn't like me at all, and that contract will be my doom.]
[Pupa: There is no further information about Lee Yongsun except that he is a very ruthless and business-minded man. He will make a profit out of everything, and he will make sure he succeeded. Though, I don't think you have another chance to increase the Breakmeter and Fatemeter without accepting this very suspicious contract.]
[And you said this is a recreational world.]
[Pupa: At least there is no third party love interest in this world, right?]
[I'd rather have some random love interest that is easy to conquer and defeat rather than this… I don't know what this is. The master of the world is just too scary…]
Yunyu and Pupa discussed the problem with Lee Yongsun for a while until it was almost eleven at night.
Han returned to the dorm and saw that Kyong, Taeyang, and Taesa already rested after the whole day of training. But he didn't see Jay in the dorm.
Han went to check the dance room and find Jay was still dancing restlessly. His dance was not as smooth as usual because he was too stressed out. Han approached Jay, who was dancing restlessly and said, "Jay, you need to rest a bit."
Jay glanced at Han Hyung, who suddenly appeared on the door. He stopped dancing. His chest was rising up and down. He felt even more exhausted than he should be in daily practice.
"Hyung, you just returned from your work, right? You should rest first," Jay said.
"No, you should rest first, Jay," Han approached Jay and patted his back. "You've worked too hard. Relax, everything will go well."
"I don't know if everything will go well…" Jay said. "I'm so nervous about this. Hyung, do you think everything will go well? I am so scared that I might mess everything up and disappoint you—"
Han hugged Jay from behind immediately, "Jay, dance and perform because you like it, not because of me, okay? I am alright, as long as you are happy, then everything is alright for me."
[Besides, although you are a great man, I cannot be with you, Jay. I see you like a good kid I need to help and cultivate, so you can be a successful artist in the future.]
[Pupa: You talk like an old man. You are just nineteen years old in your real world.]
[Pupa… I have fathered seven children so far until all of them have their own lives. Do you think I still have a nineteen years old mentality?]
[Pupa: You have a seven years old brain, I suppose. Based on your childish pettiness.]
[Can you not bring about that again? My pettiness is justified!]
Jay felt the warmth of his Han Hyung. His anxious heart got pacified whenever Han Hyung hugged him, it was his solace, and Jay needed that solace right now.
Jay turned his back and hugged Han.
"Hyung, I don't know if you understand, but I signed that contract for you. I don't want you to get exhausted. I will try my best so you and I can have a good life in the future, Hyung," Jay said sincerely.
"I... I want you to be yourself, Jay."
"I am being myself around you, Hyung."
He kissed Han Hyung's hair, which usually smelled like coffee after his part time, Jay's favorite thing to smell.
But he frowned when he smelled Han Hyung's hair.
'How come there is no coffee smell on his hair? Usually, it smells good, like roasted coffee…'
Jay smelled nothing at first, then he smelled again, and he could perceive something,
'Cigarettes?'
Jay was sure that he smelled a cigar on Han Hyung's hair. As if he had been inside a smoking room, or at least with someone that smoked a lot, and was definitely smoking a strong cigar.
"Han Hyung, you were working today, right?" Jay asked.
"Yes, I'm so tired. There are so many people in the coffee shop today," Han replied. He saw that Jay was frowning. "What is it? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, nothing, I was just thinking about random stuff," Jay said while he continued hugging Han Hyung.
'Han Hyung definitely went to work today. Maybe there are way too many smoking customers, and he got stationed to work double as Barista and server. So his hair smelled like cigar instead.'
'How could I think of something else when Han Hyung is working almost every day to provide for us! Jay, how could you be so despicable for your Han Hyung!' Jay reminded himself. He worked hard for Han and for the group. If they succeed, they could live comfortably after they retired from the idol life.
So Jay had to work extra hard, for Han Hyung, for himself, and their future.
***
Jay's dance move was a lot smoother once Han was with him in the dance room. They danced together, either with their debut song or another song from their Sunbaenim, like that Trouble Maker song or a western duet song.
They danced in perfect sync together as their heart was connected in the same passion, and they ended the day with a good rest.
Jay urged Han Hyung to sleep on the same mattress with him after bath. However, Han felt it was unnecessary, and it might incite the suspicion of his group members. But he accepted Jay's request, in the end, thinking that Jay must really need that emotional support right now.
They slept on the same mattress at night, and Jay could finally sleep well by cuddling his Han Hyung.
'My beloved Han Hyung…' Jay mumbled in his sleep.