20.
The date itself went more smoothly than expected. The important things about dating, tips for setting a meeting place and time, all of it.
Yuna, who even explained in detail the things you should absolutely never do on a date, could truly be called the best teacher.
She didn't look down on him just because he didn't know much. And she didn't slyly put him down and needle him the way Quokka did.
I've never had anyone as easy to be around as Minhee.
At first he'd thought of her as just someone he'd meet for the program and then part ways with, but now, as long as she was okay with it, he wanted to keep in touch even outside of the show.
As friends.
...Which is exactly why I can't do it.
If it had been the hand-holding he'd written down himself, he'd have found some kind of opening no matter what.
They had gone to the beach, but he couldn't bring himself to carry out Ga Gijo's mission exactly as written.
All the more so because he wanted to get closer to her.
He didn't want to force physical contact she might dislike just to level up.
He wasn't confident he could lead it smoothly, either. So Raon decided to cleanly give up on this mission.
It wasn't as if he wanted things to work out with anyone here anyway. The appearance fee alone was enough to cover the settlement money, so he didn't need the extra incentive either.
Still, I'm glad she didn't seem bored.
Since he was so introverted by nature, he'd worried she might find it dull being with him, but thankfully he never caught a bored expression or a tired look on her face.
“Shall we head back now?”
“Yes, sounds good!”
It was already five, and rather than lingering longer and then rushing back during rush-hour traffic, taking it easy seemed far better.
Thanks to leaving early like this, they were able to get back sooner than the other cast members...
“Big sis!”
“Pudding?”
The moment they stepped through the building entrance, Pudding, who happened to be coming out toward the hall, came pattering over.
Hurriedly taking a bite of the ice cream she'd been holding in her mouth, she quickly greeted Raon too.
“You just got back?”
“Yeah. Did you just get in too?”
“We only just got here as well. Pop went up ahead of us.”
Pudding, a lifelong-single cast member, had been paired with Ga Gijo.
That guy who loved going out and having fun was back already? Finding it hard to believe, Raon blinked.
“We didn't go far. When I told him I don't really like wandering around, he just took me to a café or so...? He accommodated me as much as he could.”
“Really?”
Yuna answered in a slightly surprised voice. She, too, knew Gijo's personality.
Just then, sensing something, Pudding pointed politely toward one spot.
When they turned their heads that way, staff were waiting to remove their mics. The staff came over quickly and took off the mics fastened to the two of them.
“You can go change your clothes, and it's free time until dinner. We're swapping tapes right now, so there won't be any filming. If you're tired, feel free to sleep until the meal.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Raon nodded, said his goodbyes to the other two, and headed straight for the elevator.
His time with Yuna had been fun, but he'd been out all day, so he wanted to rest a little.
Bzzt.
The moment he stepped into the elevator, Raon absentmindedly checked his phone notification and knit his brows.
[Gijo: wru]
“...What is this.”
This rootless string of consonants.
Not too familiar with abbreviations, Raon was honestly flustered.
But before he could even reply, the chime announcing his arrival on the fourth floor sounded.
Eyes still fixed on his phone, Raon stepped out.
That was when it happened.
“If you're back, you could've said something.”
“...!”
“Why the hell are you ignoring my texts, Cherry? Keeping a guy on edge.”
Gijo, who happened to be passing right in front of the elevator, sauntered over. He, too, had a phone in his hand, its screen lit up bright.
“W-why are you out here...”
“Your hyung came out to change his clothes.”
At that, Raon recalled that Ga Gijo had also arrived not long ago.
“But why no reply, huh? All ten fingers working just fine.”
Gijo's gaze dropped down for an instant. Unable to withstand the sharp look, Raon mumbled as if making an excuse.
“I just saw it. On my way up in the elevator.”
“It wouldn't take even ten seconds to reply, though.”
“That's...”
The words I honestly didn't know what it meant hovered on the tip of his tongue. Seeing his hesitation, Gijo let out a small snort of laughter.
“Don't tell me you actually didn't know what it meant?”
His body twitched on its own, struck right at the sore spot. Sharply catching it, Gijo spoke in a casual voice.
“I wouldn't have thought our Cherry was that clueless.”
The nuance of I really can't believe it prickled at his skin. If it had been anyone else, Raon would've found some kind of opening and made his escape.
Unfortunately, that trick didn't work on Ga Gijo at all.
In the middle of all this, Gijo, having drawn his own conclusion, playfully ruffled the small head.
“You're cute.”
“Wh-what.”
“Really such a hopeless dork.”
“...!”
Raon froze for a moment, and then his face flushed bright red. The shame of being so openly looked down on smeared itself all over his features.
“Grab your clothes and come out.”
He'd been bored anyway.
Gijo, who'd tousled the fine, silky hair until it went all fluffy like he was petting a puppy, smiled.
“Let's go change together.”
Can't I just change in my room?
Standing blankly in front of the door, Raon fell into the biggest dilemma of his life.
Maybe because it was so obvious who'd be waiting the moment he stepped out. Even though it wasn't locked, he couldn't bring himself to open the door easily.
But then, changing in the room... even though they weren't filming right now, it nagged at him on the off chance.
The bathroom was outside.
Which meant, in the end, he had to go out anyway.
Right. Let's head to the bathroom.
Having made up his mind after much deliberation, Raon took a small, deep breath.
With any luck, Ga Gijo might've gone to the bathroom first. Or maybe he'd gotten tired of waiting and gone back in, right?
I'll just go without looking back.
Coaxing himself over and over, Raon drew in a big breath and gathered his courage.
Click.
Carefully pressing down the handle, Raon slipped one foot through the crack of the opened door.
Like a ninja moving to sneak a late-night snack behind his mom's back, Raon moved as secretly and quietly as could be, gulping down his dry throat.
But no matter how carefully he moved, it was all in the palm of the Buddha's hand.
“...!”
Soon enough, spotting a dark shadow beyond the door, Raon's eyes went as wide as saucers.
Unable to so much as scream, he slowly rolled his eyes. When he glanced sidelong at the guy who stood a full head taller than him, a languid laugh reached his ears.
“I told you before, didn't I.”
“...”
“Don't go running that head of yours pointlessly, Cherry.”
You get caught anyway.
“Why even bother? Hm? Isn't running your head a pain?”
“I-I thought you'd already gone in.”
Barely calming down from nearly fainting, Raon forced out the words one at a time.
“I told you. Let's go in together.”
Gijo gestured with his eyes at the clothes draped over one arm.
“I'm not the kind of bastard who ditches people, you know. Unlike a certain someone.”
That last added remark jabbed straight into Raon's conscience.
It seemed he was still holding it against him for going abroad to study without a word. His grudges ran deeper than Raon could have imagined.
No, but...
Of course, Raon had things he could say about this part too.
But because it was Ga Gijo he was dealing with, he had no choice but to keep his mouth shut obediently.
He'd long known this wasn't an opponent he could beat with words.
If it were a debate grounded in logical reasons, Raon would've been confident too, but this was the opposite. Beating Ga Gijo, armed thoroughly with confidence and no logic whatsoever, was impossible unless you were of the same species.
Knowing his own limits, Raon chose safe avoidance instead of confrontation.
“Come on, let's go.”
“Yeah, that's more like it.”
Apparently pleased with Raon's answer, he wore quite a satisfied expression.
Squeezing his body out through the opened crack of the door, Raon shot a sidelong glance at the man standing right beside him.
...The second I get my appearance fee, I'm definitely paying it off.
Just being together with him like this drained the life out of him. If he wasn't careful, he might be hounded even after filming ended, wouldn't he?
Deciding that paying it back even one day sooner was his only way to survive, Raon forced his legs to move.
But the real ordeal was only just beginning. Raon realized that the moment he stepped into the changing room.
And just how crazy Ga Gijo really was, too.
