DASH

Chapter 26

When Jaekyung suddenly brought up the topic, Jihong looked at him with a puzzled look, as if to say, "Huh? What?"

It took him a while to understand what he was talking about and muttered quietly, "Don't you have a relationship with him?"

— No, I don't

Jaekyung's answer was brief, with a hint of audacity, he repeated as if convincing, "Absolutely not."

Which surprised Jihon very much. He had never seen Jaekyung deny anything so vehemently. After all, the guy did not care about the opinions of others, and did not bother himself with tedious explanations. Who would have thought that Jaekyung would be so insistent, placing accents.

"If they're not in a relationship, maybe they're more than friends but less than lovers, or just sleeping together... He was talking on the phone with such an ambiguous expression on his face. What if this is a one-sided hobby?" - Jihong could not voice his questions that were spinning in his head. And when he started writing a crazy story in his mind, Jaekyung suddenly intervened: "Hyun." Taken by surprise, Jihon became nervous and waited for the next word.

"Are you dating anyone?"

"Hah, just look at him," Jihon's smile faded. Whenever Jaekyung called him that, he would give out something out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, given the course of the conversation, the question seemed quite relevant.

— No, I don't

"Why?"

"Why? I guess I just didn't find my man," while Jihong replied with a grin, Jaekyung leaned on the window frame and said, "I heard that you used to have a lover."

— Yes, back in college

"Is there anyone you like?"

— No, I don't@@@@

"How boring

"I know," Jihong was still trying to look unfazed. The traffic light changed color from yellow to red, and he stopped the car right in front of the pedestrian crossing. Looking at the people rushing in a huge stream, Jihong continued, "Maybe I've never really been interested in anyone. Even in college, if a person showed sympathy, I just agreed."

Perhaps this is why his romances never lasted long. He always behaved politely and courteously. But that's all. It was as if there was a huge chasm that could not be bridged, and despite his efforts to achieve more, the relationship inevitably ended. It wasn't until he went through this futile struggle a few times that he realized that he wasn't cut out for a romantic relationship.

"Yes, a pretty dull life," Jihong muttered as he looked at the crowd. Immediately, the voice of the interlocutor was heard from the side: "It's better to be boring." Jihon turned to him. As before, Jaekyung, while enjoying the cityscape, added, "It is better to be boring than to experience pain and suffering from unrequited feelings."

Jaekyung had probably experienced something similar, and it made more sense than praising the virtues of love, which was very much in keeping with his nature. Jihong couldn't stop worrying: "... Buddy, do you really have unreciprocated love?"

"Don't joke

Jaekyung intervened before Cha Sung-hyun could finish the sentence. And his tone is so harsh that it can only cause regret for what he has done.

"Hey, there's no need to say that. Jihon's instincts prompted him to disappear as soon as possible. "I'd love to, but I need to go to the company."

"Oh, really? What a pity," Cha Sung-hyun expressed his great disappointment. Jaekyung grabbed his arm, signaling him to stop. To which Jaekyung, playfully watching Jaekyung's reaction, waved his hand and said goodbye: "Well, then be careful on the way back, hyung-nim. Let's have lunch together next time."

***

When Jihong entered the office, a stack of papers was waiting for him on his desk. All of them are dedicated to advertising offers, grabbing which he went to the smoking room. He didn't hold a cigarette in his mouth all day, except in the morning. Immediately taking a puff, he put the documents aside and reached for his mobile phone, checking the news related to Kwon Jaekyung. Fortunately, no one published any articles or photos. Jihong breathed a sigh of relief as he put down his phone for a moment. But after a while, he picked it up again, and this time he was looking for Cha Sung-hyun. He went to the image section, and a bunch of photos popped up there. He flipped through them, taking a drag, until he heard a voice behind him, "Oooh, Cha Sunghyun." Jihong turned around and saw Assistant Manager Nam brandishing a pack of cigarettes.

"He's handsome

— Yes, very much

Assistant Manager Nam chuckled at Jihon's answer, lit a cigarette, and sat down opposite him.

"You know, he's one of the finest young actors. He has real talent and a pretty appearance. He used to work as a model, but his acting skills are also not bad. And he is only 25."

"Yes, he seemed good

Jihong nodded as he exhaled smoke and added, "Just from the photos, I thought he's a little withdrawn and quiet. But when I did talk to him, he was surprisingly playful."

"Did you talk to Cha Sung-hyun?" asked Assistant Manager Nam enthusiastically, his eyes wide. Jihon realized that he could not retreat now. The cat has already got out of the bag, and an attempt to substitute words will definitely not work. And the assistant manager is not someone who gives up easily. So Jihong decided to be frank: "Just a little. Kwon Jaekyung was going to meet him in Gangnam, so I took him there."

"Damn, is it real?" Are they really dating?

"No, I don't. This is not true," Jihong immediately denied the assumption.

"Are they just good friends?"

"Well, maybe

"Well, friends with 'privileges' are still friends," Jihong eventually came to this conclusion, but did not voice it. He exhaled a puff of smoke again, in which there was a hint of a sigh: "What am I even doing? I don't know anything."

He should get rid of all delusions. Otherwise, he might blurt out too much in front of Jaekyung.