Chapter 35
Doyun anxiously waited for the next alert to ring.
At that moment, ding, the alert tone chimed.
[Producer, I sent 500,000 won to my grandmother. Thank you.]
Eun Jihoon had informed him that he sent money to his grandmother.
‘Ah, so close.’
But calling him to ask for another transfer felt like giving a directive, which likely wouldn’t contribute to Jihoon’s success satisfaction.
‘The remaining 10% will have to come from work.’
Doyun replied to Jihoon’s message.
[Good job.]
Although Jihoon couldn’t imagine it now, in the near future, he would be able to buy his grandmother a house and even send her on overseas trips.
***
The next day, after work, Doyun met Eun Jihoon in front of his house.
“Let’s head inside. Dongsoo’s waiting.”
As they entered Dongsoo’s apartment together, a delicious aroma filled the air.
“Welcome!”
Dongsoo poked his head out of the kitchen while preparing food and greeted them.
“Hello, thank you for inviting me,” Jihoon said politely.
“Don’t mention it. It’s just one more bowl on the table for us.”
On the dining table, dishes of japchae, bulgogi, and galbijjim were already laid out.
Doyun looked baffled as he headed toward the kitchen.
“I thought we were having a simple dinner?”
“This isn’t much.”
Dongsoo chuckled as he added rehydrated seaweed to the boiling beef broth.
“You even made seaweed soup?”
“Yeah, I felt like eating it. Hey, Jihoon!”
Startled, Jihoon, who was standing awkwardly in the living room, jumped to attention and ran over.
“Yes?”
“You know me, right?”
“Ah, yes. You’re Producer Kim’s friend.”
“Wow! That’s not enough. Do you even know who helped you work with Doyun? It’s me, Producer Go Dongsoo!”
Dongsoo patted his chest with pride.
“Oh, really?”
Having no idea about this, Jihoon blinked in confusion. Dongsoo glared at Doyun.
“Hey, Kim Doyun. You didn’t say anything? Why do you always keep your mouth shut? Jihoon, remember when you dropped off your profile at our company? I handed it to Doyun. That’s how you got the contract.”
Jihoon scratched the back of his head awkwardly, unable to recall which profile submission Dongsoo was referring to.
“Ah, yes.”
“‘Ah, yes’? Is that all you can say?”
“No, it’s not…”
Watching Jihoon grow flustered, Doyun intervened.
“Don’t corner him like that.”
“Corner? I even bought groceries to make him a good meal.”
Dongsoo spun around and stirred the seaweed soup, his back radiating slight irritation.
Seeing this, Doyun subtly whispered to Jihoon,
“Jihoon, grab a beer from the fridge and pour him a glass. That’ll calm him down.”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
“Never mind!”
Dongsoo’s sudden shout made Jihoon freeze in place. Amused, Doyun smirked and gestured for Jihoon to proceed, reassuring him that Dongsoo’s sulking wouldn’t last long.
After washing his hands, Jihoon opened a beer can and poured it into a glass, offering it to Dongsoo. Taking just the glass, Dongsoo downed it in one go.
“Ah, refreshing.”
“See? He’s fine now.”
“Already?”
Jihoon glanced at Dongsoo in disbelief, only to hear him grumble in response,
“Clean the glass and set the table with spoons and chopsticks.”
“See? I told you.”
At Doyun’s comment, Jihoon nodded with wide eyes.
“Yes.”
“Oh, Yoonho’s coming too.”
“I saw his text. Don’t drink till dawn again like yesterday, alright? It’s bad for you!”
Last night, Park Yoonho had gotten so drunk he couldn’t go home, staying up all night drinking with Dongsoo.
They had been so loud and disruptive that Doyun only managed to catch a bit of sleep after sunrise.
“Yoonho lives in a goshiwon*. That stubborn guy refuses to live with me. How could I ignore him? All it takes is another bowl of rice. Should I tell him not to come?”
“I said drink less, not skip meals!”
“Ugh, so much nagging. Jihoon, bring some packing tape so I can seal Doyun’s mouth shut.”
Jihoon shook his head vigorously, clearly unwilling to comply.
“Wait…”
Seeing the table packed with side dishes, Doyun tilted his head.
“But Dongsoo, there’s no room for another bowl on the table.”
“Really? Jihoon, grab the folding table from the storage room. Doyun, show him where it is.”
“Pfft! Got it.”
Doyun went to the storage room and unfolded a table in the middle of the living room.
Dongsoo had mentioned this table was used whenever his parents visited Seoul, where they’d fill it with countless side dishes.
After wiping it down with a cloth and setting the side dishes, the doorbell rang.
“Yoonho’s here.”
“I’ll get it.”
Park Yoonho entered the apartment. Jihoon, who had been setting the table, looked up in shock.
“E-Everyone’s so big…”
“That’s just how we are.”
Dongsoo, stocky and muscular like a gang leader, looked ordinary next to Yoonho.
Standing at 190 cm and built like a tank, Park Yoonho made the apartment’s living room feel smaller just by walking in.
Yoonho handed a box to Jihoon with a smile.
“Here. It’s cake.”
“…Ah, yes.”
“See that? All he ever says is ‘Ah, yes,’” Dongsoo teased, coming out of the kitchen and throwing a playful glare at Jihoon.
“Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s begin!”
“Wait, whose birthday is it? There’s seaweed soup and cake…”
At Doyun’s question, Dongsoo placed his hands on his hips, looking incredulous.
“Agh! Your birthday is tomorrow.”
“…Oh, is it?”
Doyun had forgotten his own birthday, but Dongsoo remembered and prepared a birthday meal for him.
“You seriously forgot your birthday? Unbelievable!”
Park Yoonho chuckled as he sat down first.
Dongsoo and Eun Jihoon followed, leaving Doyun standing awkwardly.
Left to look over everyone from above, Doyun rubbed his face with both hands in bewilderment.
‘What is this feeling?’
He had felt hungry moments ago, but now he felt full inside.
“What are you doing? Sit down already.”
The cake was placed in the middle of the table.
The seat at the head of the table, which looked like the best spot, was left vacant.
Feeling bashful, Doyun took the seat.
As he lit the candles, Dongsoo explained,
“I start filming tomorrow, and Yoonho has to wrap up his job before quitting, so we moved your birthday celebration to today.”
“It’s fine to celebrate a birthday early,” Yoonho agreed, nodding.
Dongsoo smirked mischievously at Doyun.
“And tomorrow, you’ll be spending it with your girlfriend.”
“What? Doyun has a girlfriend now?”
“She’s just a coworker. Dongsoo’s teasing as usual.”
Doyun firmly denied it, but Dongsoo rolled his eyes.
“You text her every night, and she’s just a coworker?”
In truth, he only exchanged messages with Do Suyeong about sponsorships, but explaining that felt pointless.
“Fine, think whatever you want. Anyway, Dongsoo, this is amazing. I’m touched. Thanks for the meal.”
In his past life, after his mother passed away, there were years when he didn’t even realize it was his birthday.
It hadn’t mattered at the time.
But sitting at a birthday table surrounded by his people now, he realized that it had mattered more than he wanted to admit.
He had been lonely.
He had refused to acknowledge that he hadn’t made a family of his own.
His pride had blinded him.
“Thank you all so much.”
“The candles are melting!”
“Wait!”
Yoonho stood and turned off the living room lights.
In the darkness, the candlelight on the cake glowed brightly.
Doyun silently made a wish.
A wish that he was determined to make come true.
He blew out the candles, and the living room was briefly engulfed in darkness.
“Whoa! A cat!”
Jihoon pointed at a cat that none of them had seen before, blinking its eyes in the dim light.
Its owner, Dongsoo, called out its name with emotion.
“Yaong!”
“I’ve never seen it before.”
“Me neither,” Yoonho agreed.
“Does it recognize celebrities?”
Yaong, a Siamese cat known for rarely appearing, was called the celebrity cat.
But the once-distant Yaong climbed into Jihoon’s lap and purred.
“Wow, Jihoon, you’ve been chosen!”
At Dongsoo’s comment, everyone nodded in agreement.
_
“Does it really recognize celebrities?”
Seeing Yaong curled up and asleep in Jihoon’s arms was almost laughable.
“You’re up early.”
Dongsoo emerged from his room, gulping down water.
Having spent two consecutive nights drinking with Yoonho, Dongsoo groaned as he clung to the fridge door, his hangover still lingering.
“Ugh, I’m dying.”
**((A goshiwon (고시원) is a very small room that can range from 26 to 39 feet along, which sometimes includes the bathroom. This small space always includes: a bed, a small wardrobe or shelf for clothes and items, a desk and a chair.))
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