Survive! Foolish Bottom!

 

Park Ha asked in a soft, gentle voice.

― Is someone there with you?

It seemed like Shiyoung’s mumbling before leaving the room had carried over. If he was told to leave, he should have gone quietly. Yejun, knowing that it wasn’t necessary, answered quickly.

“Oh, a member… Shiyoung, one of our group members, but he just left. Don’t worry about it.”

Park Ha’s voice, which had sounded delicate and careful, now came out with a slight shift in tone compared to before.

― Ah, the one they said was your spouse in your past life.

“…What?”

The calm tone was one thing, but the content of his words was shocking. Doubting his ears, he asked, and Park Ha replied nonchalantly.

― I saw it on YouTube. Someone made a video saying that the two of you were probably spouses in your past life.

What was he thinking when she said that? Yejun knew that there were quite a few fans who liked the pairing of him and Shi-young. So it wasn’t strange that such a video would be posted on YouTube. But mentioning it while receiving his call—Yejun couldn’t understand Park Ha’s thread of thoughts.

Is he just joking around? Or is he so naive that he believes what he saw in the video is true…?

In reality, Park Ha was just saying things without much thought, but Yejun had no way of knowing that. He tried to keep his composure and answered without showing his confusion.

“No, that… Of course, that’s just something people are saying.”

― Huh? Well, I guess that’s true.

“……”

Park Ha’s response, which sounded like “Duh?” with a bit of nasal tone, seemed to imply that Yejun’s answer was obvious. Yejun felt slightly confused. He thought the difference was just in how they texted, but today’s conversation felt different from their previous encounter.

― But last time, you dropped the formal speech, and today you’re back to using polite language.

Before Yejun could respond, Park Ha continued. Ah, he realized what he had done, and quickly pushed aside the thoughts he’d just been having. He needed to speak as calmly as possible.

“I guess I used informal language without thinking, because I felt a bit more familiar with you, but if it made you uncomfortable, I apologize—”

― No, it’s fine. You can keep it casual.

Park Ha interrupted, answering nonchalantly. In fact, Yejun hadn’t had many experiences where someone just cut him off like this. As an idol who was considered top-tier in the industry and also known for his not-so-sweet personality, there wasn’t anyone who wanted to cut him off and create trouble.

It was even more so, when it came to a junior artist like Park Ha. Every rookie male idol at least once considers Black Bers as a role model, even if it’s not genuine. Whether they truly admire them or not, it’s a common sentiment.

“Well, I guess so.”

But he didn’t feel the urge to correct him, nor was he angry. It was strange how lenient he felt. In the first place, the fact that he called him, a junior he had only met twice, out of concern, seemed odd to him.

― But why the sudden call?

It was as if Park Ha had read his mind and asked the question. Since Yejun had already thought about the reason himself, he was able to answer calmly.

“I saw what happened. I figured you might not be feeling great, so I wanted to check if you’re okay.”

It was a bit surprising to see Park Ha looking more composed than expected—more so than when he saw him before. Still, it was better than seeing her upset.

― Do you trust me?

Park Ha asked the question with a somewhat sharp tone. Yejun hesitated for a moment. If he was asking if he trusted him, the answer would be yes. The Park Ha he saw at the shoot that day wasn’t the type to cause trouble or ruin the mood by rebelling against his seniors. Even in the midst of people who were pushing him, he remained humble and worked hard—Park Ha was a diligent idol.

However, since he had only met Park Ha a few times, if he spoke as if he was certain about him, it would probably sound like an empty compliment.

“At least, to me, you don’t seem like the type of person who would do that.”

― Hmm…

Park Ha made a sound that suggested he was quietly thinking, trying to choose an appropriate response. He seemed surprisingly cheerful, straightforward in his speech, yet still delicate in his manner—Yejun found it interesting.

― Do you know Gloomy’s Jaewoon, Sunbae?

Park Ha suddenly changed the subject with a question. Yejun had expected the conversation to continue from where they left off, but it had shifted entirely. He answered casually.

“I’ve seen him around, so I know him.”

The real issue wasn’t that he knew him, but that they didn’t get along. But he just went with that response for now.

― Is that bast- sunbae always like that, even outside of work?

The pronunciation seemed a bit off there. It sounded like “Shaebae” instead of “Sunbae,” as if he had misspoken.

Yejun wasn’t sure if he heard it right or if he just imagined it because he disliked Jaewoon. Park Ha’s tone didn’t sound like someone who would casually throw out insults.

“What do you mean by ‘that type’?”

“Someone like Ja… Ah, never mind.”

His previously bold voice suddenly softened, as if shy, and started fading. Yejun found himself lost in thought again. Perhaps it had been more awkward for him when they met face-to-face, whereas now, talking over the phone was relatively more comfortable. 

But when he suddenly became cautious, was it because he was occasionally reminded who he was talking to? The thought made him chuckle.

“You’re… the type whose vibe changes a bit between talking on the phone and meeting in person.”

Since it crossed his mind, he decided to say it outright. He meant no criticism, but Park Ha seemed flustered by the remark.

― …What? I don’t quite understand what you mean.

A brief silence followed. Just as Yejun was about to explain that he found it fresh and interesting, Park Ha spoke again, his voice sounding subdued.

― Actually… I’ve been pretty hurt by this whole situation. I guess my emotions have been a bit heightened because of it. If I made you uncomfortable, I’m really sorry.

Sigh.

The way he sighed sounded rather heavy. Yejun, who became uncharacteristically flustered, waved a hand in the air—despite having no audience—and spoke hurriedly.

“Oh, no, no, it’s fine. Totally understandable.”

― …

There was only silence on the other end, as though Park Ha had sunk into a deeper state of disappointment. Wanting to encourage him, Yejun added,

“Anyway, things like this always settle down on their own, so don’t waste your energy worrying about it.”

― Is that why you called me?

“Well… yeah, pretty much.”

Park Ha responded more calmly than expected. It wasn’t that Yejun wanted to see him looking distressed or uneasy, but hearing a voice that sounded indifferent left him feeling strangely impatient. He hurriedly spoke up.

“You have a meeting tomorrow, right?”

― “Ah, yes.”

“I’m not sure if the timing will work out, but if we meet, I’ll buy you a meal.”

Park Ha asked in a clueless tone if the meeting wasn’t going to be held with everyone together. As expected, she seemed a bit naïve. Perhaps the unusual behavior she showed today was truly due to the hurt she mentioned earlier.

Laughing as he answered, the atmosphere felt lighter. What seemed like a call on the verge of ending dragged on for quite a while after that.

***

Park Haeun let out a long sigh. Somehow, he had managed to get through the meeting, but throughout the entire session, his thoughts were elsewhere.

If he reminded himself that it was just a fleeting incident in the world of entertainment, he shouldn’t have felt this unsettled. But having been openly exposed to malice made it impossible to shake off. Was it because it had happened in the gaming scene?

In an age filled with CCTV cameras and legal actions, someone hated him enough to show up at their dorm and pelt it with eggs. Even for someone as poised as Park Haeun, that was bound to cause stress.

As he stood outside the broadcasting station and saw a large number of people gathered there, he couldn’t help but wonder—was there someone hiding among them, clutching another egg, ready to strike?

It was certainly possible. After all, even Yejun of the extremely busy Black Bers had personally called to check in on him. He even said he’d treat him to a meal if they met—did he really mean it? 

Come to think of it, he had bought him coffee when they ran into each other at a café before. Maybe he was the type to spend freely because he earned so much.

At that time, Haeun was convinced that Yejun, a target character, was undoubtedly up to something. But after talking with him longer, he just seemed like a good-natured senior. The unexpected call was a bit annoying, but surprisingly, he’d received plenty of useful advice.

And as Haeun continued browsing YouTube, he realized there were countless videos praising Yejun’s personality. Titles like

“Yejun Who Surprisingly Takes Good Care of His Members,”

“Kind to Juniors: Black Bers’ Ye-jun,”

and

“The Perfect Tsundere Who Pretends Not to Care Yet Always Does”

filled his recommendation page.

Well, even if this was a BL game world, it was weird for romantic affection points to build up so easily when he hadn’t been actively trying to seduce the characters. Thinking that way lightened the burden on Haeun’s mind a bit.

“Wow…… There are even more people now, huh?”

It had been a hassle avoiding the crowd when they first came in, but now it seemed even more packed than during the morning rush. Junwoo adjusted his cap and answered.

“That’s because Jo Yejun is still inside. They’re all waiting to catch him on his way out.”

It seemed inevitable that they’d have to postpone getting that meal. Haeun nodded and glanced toward the main gate. Junwoo, seemingly sensing his unease, offered a calm reassurance.

“Don’t worry. Not many people are gutsy enough to cause trouble in places like this. Besides, the people who hate hyung are all Gloomy fans. Black Bers fans honestly don’t care that much.”

Was it obvious that he was concerned? Feeling a bit self-conscious, Haeun quickly waved his hands to show that he was okay.

“No, it’s fine. I was just curious since the meeting wasn’t fully wrapped up. Let’s go.”

He straightened his back deliberately and led the way out.

When they stepped outside, there were no insults or flying eggs. It seemed yesterday had been a special case. Feeling very relieved, Haeun moved toward the car.

However, just as they approached Stone Cherry’s waiting van, another van suddenly pulled in front, blinking its headlights. It was so flashy and massive that it didn’t seem like a typical celebrity’s ride. The murmuring from nearby onlookers was loud enough to hear clearly.

Everyone, not just Haeun, instinctively froze. But the van door opened precisely in front of Haeun, as if perfectly choreographed.

It felt like something straight out of a movie. Perhaps that’s why his gaze, like a camera panning dramatically, traveled from the polished shoes to tailored dress pants, a crisp white shirt, and finally, a ridiculously slick face.

‘It looks like a full-on actor with that killer entrance… but what’s he doing here?

Through the narrow gap of the van door, an unexpected face smirked and waved nonchalantly.

It was such a sudden appearance that it wiped all thoughts from his mind.

“Hey. Daddy’s here.”

With a straight face and no hint of humor, Kim Gyowon greeted him calmly.

Updates will be back to every Sunday for a few months. I will switch it back to every Sunday and Wednesday as soon as I can. P.S. The last line got me so shook lol