Nam Yiwon, claiming there was one last task they hadn’t yet handled, led the way, guiding Seungjun towards the fragrant aroma of tea. Upon seeing the rows of premium teas and Oh Munseong’s advertisement images, Seungjun instantly understood the reason for their visit.
Oh Munseong’s fan signing event.
“We have to spend 400,000 won here for the fan signing,” Nam Yiwon announced. “I’ve already asked them to enter the raffle as soon as it opens.”
Nam Yiwon spoke as casually as if 400,000 won were a paltry sum. Since it took 200,000 won to qualify for the fan signing, this amount was clearly for two people.
Recalling the Oh Munseong autograph he had left behind in the VIP room, Seungjun gritted his teeth.
‘Why does he keep putting me in debt without any prior notice, making me feel like absolute crap? It’s too humiliating to even complain about something like this.’
“Senior, just buy whatever you want,” Nam Yiwon said. “I don’t drink tea.”
As expected, Nam Yiwon pushed his luck even further. Seungjun, utterly dumbfounded, retorted.
“You want me to pick out 400,000 won worth of tea? What am I supposed to do with all that?”
“You love tea enough to keep it at your company and drink it, Senior. Isn’t this a good thing?”
He often smelled chamomile at the broadcasting station to control his anger, but lately, thanks to Nam Yiwon, he had practically been living with his nose buried in it.
Given his state, it was only natural that Nam Yiwon had noticed.
“Even so, am I supposed to buy 400,000 won worth of chamomile? Like, hundreds of teabags?”
“You probably couldn’t buy hundreds of them,” Nam Yiwon countered. “Just think of it as a gift. And thank you for helping me choose my clothes today.”
“What do you mean I helped you choose clothes, again? Anyone listening would think… no, never mind. Just don’t go blabbing about it anywhere.”
He couldn’t unleash his anger in a space filled with tranquil music and fragrant tea leaves. Seungjun took a deep breath, inhaling the rich tea aroma, and composed himself.
‘Think rationally. This money has already been spent to persuade Oh Munseong, so it can’t be undone. Insisting on only paying my 200,000 won share would look completely uncool, and stubbornly refusing to accept any of it would be ridiculous. No, damn it, I still have to buy him dinner, so why is this bastard making me buy 400,000 won worth of tea now?’
“If you buy something like this, I think we’ll reach the amount quickly. What do you think?”
Nam Yiwon, who had been browsing intently, spotted a teapot and gestured towards it. There was a section displaying cups, saucers, and teapots, though the variety didn’t seem extensive.
His tea set at home was glass, so buying a ceramic one didn’t seem like a bad idea. The dainty cups also looked quite charming.
Seungjun reluctantly looked at the teacups.
“This one’s neat.”
He liked the plain black matte teacup. Thinking it would be good to use at the office, he tucked a box under his arm.
Nam Yiwon brought over a shopping basket and pointed to another teacup. It had a design with blue lines haphazardly drawn like tangled threads—exactly the kind of thing Nam Yiwon would choose.
“Isn’t this cute?”
“Don’t even think about picking anything out for me.”
“Buy a few more teacups for guests who come over.”
“No guests come over. One is enough.”
Seungjun shook his head dismissively and moved on. Nam Yiwon trailed behind Seungjun as he carefully browsed.
“You don’t have anyone who visits your home?”
“My sibling sometimes. But they drink coffee, not tea. This is cute too.”
He picked out a tea ceremony set with a simple design and placed it in the basket. As he wandered around, he noticed some pet treats being sold in a corner.
He remembered the stray cat he sometimes played with in his neighborhood and picked one with a cat’s picture on it. ‘Come to think of it, I haven’t seen it lately. I wonder if it’s doing well.’
Next, Seungjun sought out the shelves displaying tea. Nam Yiwon approached leisurely, hands clasped behind his back, and asked.
“So, you usually have tea ceremonies by yourself at home?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you get interested in tea ceremonies? It doesn’t really suit you.”
“What *does* suit me, then?”
“Travel. For some reason, I imagine you going to remote places where people don’t usually go.”
“Like deserts?”
“The South Pole would be good too.”
‘This bastard just keeps needling me without a break.’
Seungjun let out a hollow laugh, and Nam Yiwon grinned back. Perhaps due to the tea fragrance permeating the entire store, Seungjun felt a sense of generosity and answered the initial question.
“An old girlfriend I used to date gave me a tea set as a gift, telling me to calm down. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
“You keep gifts from old lovers instead of throwing them away?”
Nam Yiwon’s surprised expression was amusing. ‘He must be conservative in this aspect, too, huh?’
“Do *you* throw them away?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t even tell what I bought myself and what was given to me.”
During his series of brief, frequent relationships, he had often exchanged small gifts. Since they couldn’t see each other often due to work, he’d often tried to make up for it with gifts, and he received just as many as he gave.
They rarely broke up amicably, but he wasn’t delicate enough to care about disposing of ex-partners’ gifts. He usually just got caught up in work and completely forgot about them.
Since he had to choose 400,000 won worth of items, buying more expensive teabags rather than loose-leaf tea seemed better. He had bought chamomile from various places, and it surprisingly tasted different every time, so he was curious what the “premium tea” here would taste like.
“You seem to like chamomile, but do you drink other teas?”
Nam Yiwon asked, seeing him stare intently only at chamomile. He drank warm tea to control his anger, not because he was interested in different types of tea, so he barely knew what was available.
Seungjun shrugged.
“I don’t really know tea. I just drink chamomile because they say it has a calming effect.”
“Does it work?”
“It’s alright. I’ve probably finished almost a whole box since meeting you.”
Nam Yiwon laughed. Feeling the low chuckle was close, Seungjun looked up to find him standing even nearer.
His proximity naturally cast a shadow over his face, revealing his confidently sparkling eyes and individual dark eyelashes. He subtly pressed his shoulder against Seungjun’s, then leisurely scanned the displayed teas.
“You should try other teas too.”
“Why? Going to recommend a bestseller again?”
Seungjun snorted, picking up a box of chamomile and putting it in the basket. Deliberately ignoring the tea labeled “No. 1 Seller,” he reached again for the chamomile, of which he had already chosen three boxes.
It was then that Nam Yiwon’s pale hand abruptly grasped Seungjun’s.
“There’s a reason why popular things are popular, you know.”
Nam Yiwon met his gaze, whispering softly. His unusually long fingers caressed Seungjun’s rough hand, then slowly slid down to his wrist bone.
The touch carried a more suggestive intent than simply asking him to put down the chamomile and try another tea. Feeling Nam Yiwon’s hand still resting on his wrist, Seungjun closed his slightly agape mouth.
Nam Yiwon smiled. His shimmering eyes shone boldly.
As if he himself were the bestseller, captivating everyone.
“Just because many people like it doesn’t mean it suits my taste.”
‘Such a narcissist. Must be absolutely thrilled after buying new clothes, huh?’ Seungjun scoffed, shaking off his hand.
Nam Yiwon didn’t back down, taking a step closer. His spotless shoes brushed against Seungjun’s sneakers.
“You won’t know until you try it.”
Nam Yiwon pulled out a box of herbal tea labeled “Best” and offered it. The undisputed No. 1 seller.
He looked down at Seungjun, who was nonchalantly scanning the ad copy, and curled his lips into a smile. His subtle remark reached Seungjun’s ear.
The skin where his breath had brushed tingled, sending a shiver from Seungjun’s back to his shoulder blades. Was he telling him to try the herbal tea, or something else entirely? The obscene nuance embedded in his single remark was so blatant it left Seungjun speechless.
‘Is this filthy bastard actually trying to hit on me now? Or is it just a habitual flirtation ingrained in him? Maybe he’s trying to deliberately piss me off? I’d felt him subtly poking at me before, but lately, it definitely felt like a deliberate ploy.’
“It’ll probably be delicious.”
His subsequent words turned Seungjun’s suspicion into certainty. That playful attitude, constant throughout their work.
Seungjun was here as a professional to create a drama, not to flirt and joke around.
“I don’t need to try it; I already know it’s bitter.”
Seungjun met Nam Yiwon’s brazen gaze and replied coldly. Without even glancing at the herbal tea, he tossed two more boxes of chamomile into the shopping basket.
After contacting Oh Munseong’s manager, they waited in Nam Yiwon’s car for about ten minutes. Seungjun was slowly growing fed up with the current chaotic situation, all for the sake of casting a single actor.
He had never clung to someone who disliked him, not even during relationships, so coming to a fan signing for an actor who had rejected the offer, claiming “genre dramas are boring,” felt utterly pathetic.
‘Isn’t this practically begging? Why go to such lengths just to cast an actor?’
Moreover, Seungjun had never agreed to Nam Yiwon’s underhanded tactic of “spreading rumors first and seeing what happens.” He was well aware of Nam Yiwon’s dirty play, having experienced it before.
When Nam Yiwon had tried to reel him in, he was the one who first leaked articles, then went to high-traffic channels and even mentioned Seungjun by name in interviews.
This time, too, his intention was likely to spread rumors among Oh Munseong’s fans first. Seungjun glanced at Nam Yiwon.
Seeing him lounging in the car, wearing his newly bought clothes, made Seungjun let out a hollow laugh. ‘What’s the point of being decked out in designer brands from head to toe? He’s still just trailing after an actor who rejected him, stuck waiting around.’
“Do you have something to say?”
Perhaps sensing the gaze, Nam Yiwon, who had been absorbed in his phone, looked up. Since Nam Yiwon was being so brazen first, Seungjun felt emboldened to be brazen in return.
Seungjun tilted his head slightly and smiled. He was so infuriated that he actually found himself laughing.