MTLNOVEL -7-
-7-
There are some people who always seem to attract attention wherever they go. It’s as if a spotlight follows them around even when they’re not trying to stand out. People around Junjae thought he was that kind of person. They believed his family background and striking appearance always drew people’s attention. However, their perspective changed when they saw Jeonggwan beside him. Ah, so that’s what it really means to be in the spotlight, they thought.
“Eungyu hyung. The bread here is really delicious.”
“Wow-. This cream is amazing. What is this? Chestnut?”
“Excuse me, are you perhaps the owner?”
“Ah, no. I’m just an employee… Oh, the owner is here.”
Jeonggwan, who had been making bread and cakes at dawn, gone home to sleep, and then lazily returned to the shop in the afternoon to close up, paused when he saw people with cameras bustling inside. The bakery was small and located in a quiet neighborhood, so it wasn’t usually this crowded. Only occasionally would people who knew about his connection to Junjae come by when photos of their dates appeared online, but journalists had never come to take photos directly.
“Oh, are you the owner? Hello!”
“Hello!”
“Hello-.”
“…Who?”
Three men who looked unmistakably like celebrities greeted Jeonggwan cheerfully, and about five cameramen, a PD, and what appeared to be staff members were blocking the entrance but made way for Jeonggwan to enter. As Jeonggwan hesitated, wondering whether to go in or not, a man with his hat pulled low approached him quietly.
“Hello. We’re filming an idol reality program called ‘Breakout Curve,’ and our cast members are regulars at this café. We just stopped by while passing through. Would you be willing to make a brief appearance?”
“…Idols?”
“Do you know Curve?”
Curve…? Jeonggwan’s heart raced. Although he had stopped being a fan at 20, he still kept in touch with friends who were fans of this idol group. Since he hadn’t quit being a fan because of anything the idols did wrong, but rather had naturally drifted away from fandom because life got busy, he still occasionally heard news from friends who remained fans. And now, those former hyungs of mine are at my café…?
“Song, Song Eungyu…”
“Oh? You know Eungyu? Are you a fan? Then please make a brief appearance. I’ll ask him to sign something for you later.”
Not only that, but Jeonggwan’s former favorite idol was here. Jeonggwan’s eyes darted around quickly. The hyung who was always voted #1 for having the most stunning appearance in person during his fan days. But I’ve never seen him in person, and now he’s here?
“Wow.”
He was there. Even after 8 years, Jeonggwan recognized him instantly. A small face with large, elongated eyes that made you wonder if half his face was just eyes. People said he looked very pure on screen but extremely cold in person, but that wasn’t an issue for Jeonggwan who was already used to Junjae’s cold handsome face. What was certain was that this face was so seriously handsome that it would be instantly imprinted in your mind even if you just passed by on the KTX train. It wasn’t a face that belonged in the human world.
Jeonggwan’s jaw dropped helplessly. And seeing Jeonggwan like this, his former idol found it cute and funny, smiled with his eyes turning into crescents, and regardless of whether the camera was filming him or not, Jeonggwan walked toward him in a trance.
“Hyung… I’m a fan…”
“Oh? Really? You’re our fan?”
“Wow, amazing. I really come here often! I had no idea the owner was our fan!”
While Jeonggwan stood there with his hands clasped to his chest staring at his former idol, another member beside him showed the camera photos he had taken, insisting this wasn’t scripted and that he really did come here often to buy food. But Jeonggwan couldn’t hear or see any of that. He was simply entranced, his eyes fixed only on his former idol standing before him.
About two months later, the internet was in an uproar again. It was already shocking that the bakery featured on Curve’s reality program belonged to Won Junjae, the executive director of Won Electronics, but the fact that he himself appeared and was a fan of Curve made it even more sensational.
Having kept it a secret until the broadcast aired as promised, Jeonggwan posted a selfie with Song Eungyu, who had become his current idol again, along with the signed photo hanging in his shop on Instagram with the caption:
[Everyone has a Song Eungyu in their heart, don’t they?]
After that, people’s fondness for Jeonggwan began to skyrocket. He was already a famous Instagram personality known for his humor, but now he had not only admitted to being a former fan but also recognized it with good humor. People became even more enthusiastic about Jeonggwan because he broke various stereotypes about chaebol in-laws.
Moreover, when Jeonggwan posted that selfie, he included the hashtag #WonElectronicsNewPhone, causing the company’s new phone to sell out nationwide just three months after its release. His influence was so great that everything from clothes and shoes to common convenience store lip balm featured in his photos on social media sold out nationwide, earning him the title of rising “Sell-out Man.”
That’s why people around Junjae looked at Jeonggwan rather than Junjae and called him the true walking spotlight. Junjae agreed with that assessment. After all, Jeonggwan adding a single hashtag on Instagram was more effective than advertisements that cost tens of billions of won.
But that was that, and this was this.
“EungyuhyungI’llsupportyoujustkeepbreathing.”
“…”
“EungyuhyungYourfaceisbrighterthanmyfuture.”
“Stop it.”
“EungyuhyungOr… what’s this one?”
“…What is it?”
As Jeonggwan’s past fan activities were revealed, his old usernames also started coming to light, which was embarrassing even for the thick-skinned Jeonggwan. He tried to cover Junjae’s mouth with his hand to stop him from reading further, but for some reason, Junjae stopped reading on his own, wearing a strange expression. What’s with that sudden change in expression? Did I make some weird joke? Jeonggwan took the phone from Junjae’s hand.
[NoMarriageWithoutEungyuhyung(MeaningIWon’tMarry)]
[I’llHaveMyThirdMarriageWithEungyuhyung(MeaningI’llWait)]
Oh, that’s nothing. Jeonggwan made a dismissive face and put the phone back in Junjae’s hand. He had been startled in case he’d used a potentially controversial username, though he had no memory of doing so, but it was nothing like that. He knew well that he had never done so because his fan activities had always been pure-hearted, but he felt a bit annoyed at being tricked by Junjae’s expression.
Was he thinking that Jeonggwan had liked the idol enough to want to marry him? It was obvious that Junjae was probably thinking things like, “What if you hadn’t married me?” and so on. Jeonggwan didn’t even bother to ask, finding it too tiresome to respond.
“…Did you want to marry him that badly?”
Of course, what else? Jeonggwan didn’t even look at Junjae as he stretched out on the sofa and turned on the TV. In the early days of their relationship, he might have responded to such comments with “No! You were my destiny from the beginning!” But after five years, he knew that responding to everything would only become more exhausting, so he kept his eyes fixed on the screen.
“You ended up marrying me.”
“…”
“Will you have your third marriage with Eungyu hyung?”
“…”
“…I asked if you’re going to marry Eungyu hyung.”
One might think it wouldn’t be difficult to just humor him a little, but there should be limits. How could he be so fixated on idol fandom activities from nearly ten years ago? Jeonggwan glanced at Junjae with a look that said “what do you want me to do about it, just watch TV.”
“…You’re mean.”
Having uttered what he considered his harshest criticism of Jeonggwan, Junjae abruptly stood up. However, despite the speed with which he rose, his back moved slowly toward the bedroom, radiating displeasure as if demanding to be embraced from behind.
Sigh. Seeing him like that, both pitiful and cute, Jeonggwan reluctantly got up and slowly approached Junjae. From the moment he heard Jeonggwan’s footsteps behind him, Junjae’s pace slowed by about 0.2 times, barely holding back the corners of his mouth from turning up as he waited for Jeonggwan’s arms to wrap around his waist.
“Hyung, do you need to poop? Why are you walking like that?”
But Jeonggwan, as if he was above Junjae’s head games, passed him and ran to the kitchen. “Want some ice cream-? Oh, your stomach hurts so you can’t eat it, right?” he added, rubbing it in.
“…”
Junjae remained alone in the living room, having lost yet another unwinnable battle.
Giggling as he entered the kitchen, Jeonggwan opened the freezer door. He had tried many expensive ice creams here and there, but the family-sized thirty-flavor ice cream was still the best. Hugging the container while watching dramas, taking three spoonfuls for himself, one for Junjae, five for himself, one for Junjae – this was how a day ended perfectly. Jeonggwan happily hugged the large ice cream container and closed the freezer door, when—
“Ah, hey…!”
Appearing out of nowhere, Junjae pushed Jeonggwan against the refrigerator and covered his lips with his own. Startled, Jeonggwan tightly hugged the ice cream container, but finding it cold and cumbersome, Junjae snatched it away and threw it somewhere. Thud-. The sound suggested he had thrown it into the sink, but Jeonggwan urgently pushed Junjae away, worried that if he gave in now, the ice cream would melt completely.
“Hyung, wait, the ice cream…!”
But Junjae, who might yield on everything else but never on this, didn’t give Jeonggwan time to safely return the ice cream to the freezer.