Uncomfortable Revelations

The drinking party grew livelier and livelier. Even past two in the morning, empty soju bottles piled up, and no one seemed to have any intention of going home.

Hyun was at a loss, as the atmosphere never settled on ending the party. He could use a non-existent filming schedule as an excuse to leave, but he had no idea how to get Song Him-chan out.

“Is it over already?”

Cha Seok-young nudged Hyun’s empty glass. Hyun inverted his glass and looked back at him.

“Yeah, I can’t drink any more. I’m drunk.”

“You look fine.”

“It doesn’t show on the outside.”

“Then how do I know? If you’re drunk.”

Cha Seok-young asked, leaning low against the table. His loose eyes, deliberately looking up, captured Hyun’s gaze.

‘He’s pretty. His eyelashes are really long, I want to touch them.’

The fact that such thoughts came to mind without any filter was proof he was drunk. Hyun pressed his lips with the back of his hand and mumbled.

“I just know. When I’m drunk, words come out as I think them.”

“Hmm, so you can’t lie then?”

Cha Seok-young twisted one eyebrow upwards. Then he gestured with his chin towards Song Him-chan, diagonally behind Hyun.

“Are you acquainted with him?”

Song Him-chan was vaguely visible where the pointed chin indicated. Pulled to the center of the table midway through the party, he was excitedly accepting drinks offered from all directions.

“No, I met him at the tryouts.”

“But you’re worried about him like that?”

“Huh?”

“You haven’t been able to take your eyes off him since earlier. You’re not leaving because of him, are you?”

How did he know? Hyun laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. Perhaps it was because he was embarrassed and awkward, but he kept feeling itchy all over his body.

He was talking casually with Cha Seok-young. Perhaps because there were many ears around, Cha Seok-young’s tone was gentle as before, and the conversation was ordinary. As if they had always been like this.

If they could end things at this point, it would be a good farewell. Both to baseball and to Cha Seok-young. His drunken feelings dispersed pleasantly.

“It’s not just because of that. Since today will be the last time with you too, it’s a little regrettable to leave early.”

Hyun rubbed his eyelids with the back of his hand that had been pressing his lips. He said that, but he had been feeling sleepy for a while now. He swallowed a small yawn and looked back at Cha Seok-young.

Their eyes met, and they were sunken.

‘Ah, what did I just say? Did I bring up something too strange because of the alcohol?’ Just as Hyun’s heart sank, and he was about to replay his words, Cha Seok-young, who had been loosely leaning on the table, straightened up.

“Last time?”

He suddenly leaned closer, questioning crookedly. It was a breathless distance, like lovers just before a kiss.

“You looked like you were enjoying yourself to death while pitching, what last time? Do you really want to be eliminated?”

Cha Seok-young asked softly, touching Hyun’s hair. Distracted by his touch, Hyun’s answer slipped out as if he were possessed.

“No.”

“Right? You actually want to keep playing baseball, don’t you?”

“Yes, I want to keep playing.”

“Wow, you’re really answering honestly, aren’t you?”

Cha Seok-young let out a low chuckle. His handsome face was excessively close, allowing Hyun to feel every breath.

“Then, Hyun-ah, answer this too.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“How did you mess up your shoulder?”

“Huh?”

“How did you tear your perfectly fine shoulder?”

A gentle voice whispered nearby. Hyun frowned, rummaging through his hazy mind.

“My shoulder…”

His unconsciously twitching lips stopped. As the moment his shoulder felt like it was burning came to mind, warning lights began to flash.

Hyun, whose face had turned pale, hastily stood up. He got up so roughly that his thigh hit the table with a loud thud. The boisterous people instantly fell silent and looked at Hyun.

“Ah, I have to go now, I’m sorry. I’ll be going first.”

He bowed repeatedly in a panic. As he scurried out, like he was escaping, a worried shout came from behind, but he couldn’t look back.

‘Crazy bastard, no matter how drunk I was…’

Hyun, who had hurriedly come out onto the main street, leaned against a streetlamp. The short escape, which wouldn’t normally even count as a run, had drained all his energy. He gasped for breath.

“How are you going to go without your phone and wallet?”

A familiar voice approached from behind. Hyun couldn’t turn around immediately and rubbed his dry face.

“I called a taxi. It’ll be here soon.”

Cha Seok-young approached, holding out his phone and wallet stacked together. Perhaps because there were drunkards out smoking nearby, his voice was still gentle.

“Oh, thanks. Uh… if it’s okay, could you also look after Him-chan?”

“Why would I look after him?”

The casual words he had tried to offer were cut short. Hyun, with nothing left to say, quietly shut his mouth.

Cha Seok-young seemed intent on waiting until the taxi arrived.

Standing tall like a large statue, he gazed at the road. The sound of cars speeding past on the quiet road and the distant chatter of drunkards faded into the background.

As the silence lengthened, Hyun grew anxious. Like a guilty person, he kept stealing glances at Cha Seok-young’s profile.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to hide so much.”

Cha Seok-young slowly turned his head. Their eyes met, and Hyun found himself staring at his own reflection, trapped in Cha Seok-young’s crystal-like eyes. His frightened face glistened.

“This time, I won’t let you go as easily as before.”

Behind Cha Seok-young, who gave a sardonic smile, a taxi with its hazard lights on approached. Cha Seok-young personally stopped the car and even opened the door, then helped the frozen Hyun inside.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he even pulled out several banknotes and handed them to the driver, then smiled again.

This time, it was a genuine smile.

“See you again, Jung Hyun.”

Habits are terrifying.

Because the routine of morning training remained in his body, Hyun still woke up every dawn. The clock was always around 5 AM, without him needing to check.

After a quick wash, Hyun put on a cap, mask, and workout clothes and left the villa.

The orange-colored villa, whose deposit was paid by his agency, was old-fashioned but perfectly located. It was five subway stops from the agency office in Nonhyeon, and the Han River track was nearby, making it good for running. Starting from near Heukseok Station where his accommodation was, running around Seongsu Bridge and back, he could run for exactly about two hours straight.

While running, he didn’t look at his phone or listen to music. When he ran with only the sound of the giant city waking up as his background, most thoughts naturally disappeared.

The problem was that Cha Seok-young was no ordinary guy.

‘Do it properly today. I came here to mentor you.’

‘It wasn’t me, Jung Hyun was the ace.’

‘This time, I won’t let you go as easily as before.’

Even though half a month had passed since the tryouts, Cha Seok-young’s voice was still clear. To clear his mind of Cha Seok-young, who filled it completely, his running time grew a little longer each day.

[You’re up, aren’t you? Drop by the office in the morning.]

A text message arrived from the CEO just as he was passing Seongsu Bridge.

Hyun shook his soaking wet hair and ran towards Nonhyeon Station. On the way, he picked up two smoothies, Kwon Hyuk-won’s favorite.

Soon, Hyun arrived in front of the CEO’s office and greeted the secretary with a nod. He lightly knocked and opened the door, and the CEO spoke without looking back.

“Yes, put it there.”

He seemed to think it was his secretary. Kwon Hyuk-won, glued to the large fish tank by the window, was meticulously scattering fish food.

Hyun chuckled silently and headed towards the sofa. At the sound of him placing the packaged drinks on the table, the CEO finally turned his head.

“You showed up just in time to feed the fish again today?”

Kwon Hyuk-won had an obsession with feeding the fish every morning at 8:50 AM. Hyun laughed, teasing him about it.

“What, I didn’t expect you to come so quickly? Did you run here?”

“Yes, I was nearby anyway.”

“Wow, my beloved blueberry smoothie came with you too!”

Kwon Hyuk-won, whose eyes widened as he approached, quickly climbed over the sofa and sat down. Hyun was dismayed by his behavior, welcoming the drink more than him, but he silently inserted a straw and handed it over.

“So, what’s up?”

Kwon Hyuk-won took the large smoothie first without answering. His expression, as he searched for the straw and sipped, seemed troubled, delaying his answer.

It seemed to be bad news. Hyun, easily guessing, asked even more calmly.

“Did I get eliminated from the tryouts?”

“No, well…”

In fact, elimination was something he not only expected but even hoped for. Since his wish had come true, he should have been happy. But for some reason, his heart felt damp and heavy. Hyun quickly lifted the corners of his lips, which felt heavy.

“It’s okay. I knew it.”

“Hey, listen to me till the end. Who said you were eliminated?”

“……”

“They said you did well that day? I received a call saying they’re positively reviewing your application. That’s why I called you.”

Suddenly, his heart, which had been chillingly still, began to pound. Had he secretly been hoping to pass? Hyun couldn’t process his contradictory feelings and merely blinked rapidly.

“But Jung Hyun-ah.”

Kwon Hyuk-won slowly put down the smoothie cup. He clasped his hands together and leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“Why did you hide that you’re close with Cha Seok-young?”

“…Huh? Cha Seok-young?”

“Yes, that’s what they said. Cha Seok-young is willing to provide any past photos or whatever if actor Jung Hyun joins. He said he’s fine with a special feature, and he’ll film a training vlog if asked. Cha Seok-young, who never films anything except for the team TV, said that. He’s strongly appealing that he wants to film with you, even if it kills him.”

“What… Then are you saying they’re going to accept me because of Cha Seok-young?”

“That’s not it. They said the players they expected couldn’t perform well that day, so your impact was strong. They’re in final review between you and a college player. You two are evenly matched in skill, but your buzz is much higher. Plus, with Cha Seok-young stepping up to reveal his past, wouldn’t the PD be drawn to that? If they just cast you, the viewership ratings are already guaranteed.”

Hyun picked up the drink he had neglected. He pretended to drink the unappealing beverage, delaying his answer, when Kwon Hyuk-won took a deep breath.

“Actually, they’ve already decided on you, but they seem to have contacted me to confirm. If they’re going to use past materials and such, it’s an issue that requires our cooperation, not just Cha Seok-young’s. Honestly, as soon as I heard it, I wanted to immediately shout, ‘Ah, yes, great, do it!’ Passing alone is thanks enough, but to be linked with Cha Seok-young? It’s only a matter of time before you get famous, right? But something still felt off.”

“……”

“Hyun-ah, was there something between you and Cha Seok-young?”

Thump, his heart dropped, and for a moment, he almost dropped the drink.