BXBX NOVEL Vol. 2 Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Vol. 2 Chapter 11: Chapter 11
Translated by Naralara
Edited by Naralara
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang. When no answer came back, the man standing in front of the door pressed the doorbell again and agian without hesitation.
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.
Did he repeat it ten times?
There was a thumping sound from inside and an urgent voice saying, “Coming.” A man in sunglasses stood leaning and crossed his arms.
The front door opened wide.
“Who is it… Huh? Mr. Wooyeon? What happened…”
Lee Wooyeon, who checked Inseop’s outfit, took off his sunglasses and frowned.
“Do you open the door without checking who it is? Dressed like that?”
Water was dripping from Inseop’s hair, who was wearing shorts and a large tee
“What if someone with bad intentions comes in and does something bad?”
Inseop apologized, narrowing his eyes, saying, “I’ll be careful.”
“Why didn’t you answer the phone?”
“I didn’t hear because I was in the shower. Did you call?”
Lee Wooyeon did not answer and went inside. After Inseop closed the door, he hurriedly looked for his cell phone to check. Twenty-three missed calls.
“I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t hear it because I was showering. But for some reason ….”
“I stopped by because I was passing by.”
Lee Wooyeon smiled and replied. But his eyes were scanning the room from place to place.
Inseop asked, “What are you looking for?”
“Because you’ve been hiding something.”
“What?”
“I’m joking.”
Lee Wooyeon sat down on the bed.
After Inseop went home, Lee Wooyeon was not in a good mood. He tried to understand, but Inseop’s intention to have some time alone was not very pleasant. Even if he coaxed him to sleep at home with some flattering words, Inseop would definitely go back to his house after a few days. Like someone hiding something.
He couldn’t sit still any longer when he thought about whether Inseop might be meeting someone else. When he came to his senses, he was driving his car with the jackknife which he had on his table in his pocket. He called Inseop, but he didn’t answer. He felt even worse. He stepped on the accelerator, thinking that if he was hiding someone in the corner of the house like a jar of honey, he would slit the youngster’s head.
“Please wash up and come.”
He spoke in the most affectionate tone in the world.
“No. It’s okay. I was just washing it off.” Inseop replied, wiping his damp hair with a towel. Lee Wooyeon beckoned him to come closer and took his hand and sat him down in front of him. Then, he took a towel and began to dry Inseop’s hair.
“…thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Looking from above, his nipples were clearly visible because of the large T-shirt with a stretched neck. Around his nipples, the scars he made were densely embedded. Lee Wooyeon smiled with satisfaction and carefully dried Inseop’s hair
His fidgeting caught his eye. It was a habit he showed whenever he wanted to say something. Lee Wooyeon pretended not to see, and pressed Inseop on the head, asking if he was refreshed?
“Yes, it’s very refreshing. Thank you. Uhm…”
“”Yes?”
Lee Wooyeon removed the towel and met his eyes.
“I was going to call you anyway. I have something to tell you.”
The long eyelashes moved four times. Lee Wooyeon watched it from above. It was pretty.
A long smile passed by Lee Wooyeon’s eyes.
“So, I…”
They heard the shrill cry of a child outside the door. Inseop’s eyes shook. Embarrassment flashed in his eyes, unable to hide his emotions. Lee Wooyeon, who held Inseop’s hand, unknowingly tightened his grip. It was only after Inseop groaned in pain, Lee Wooyeon let go of his hand.
“Sorry. I couldn’t control my strength.”
“It’s okay.”
Inseop bend and grabbed the wet towel and opened his mouth, standing.
“Can I go out for a while?”
Instead of answering, Lee Wooyeon slowly rose from the bed.
“You can go alone…”
“I’ll go with you.”
Although he said it kindly, Lee Wooyeon was in a state of irritation. Hearing the sound of a child crying outside the door, Inseop was still restless.
Was it a child that he was hiding?
“Are you going to go outthen? You’ll catch a cold.”
“Ah, I see.”
Lee Wooyeon watched from behind as Inseop found a training jumper and put it on. His slender legs were exposed through his shorts.
There was no way he could have impregnated a woman with a body like that.
“Are you sure you want to follow me?”
Inseop asks again. Lee Wooyeon smiled and nodded.
Inseop put a water bottle on his side and took out a black envelope from the cupboard.
Lee Wooyeon hummed and followed Inseop. He went up to the roof through the emergency stairs. When he opened the rusty iron door on the roof, the cries that he had heard earlier sounded closer.
“Stay here a minute.”
Inseop looked up at Lee Wooyeon from the door and said. Lee Wooyeon put his hands in his pockets and smiled and nodded.
As Inseop walked to the corner waving a black envelope, cats appeared out of nowhere and began to gather. Meow, meow, the sound of the crying sounded like the cry of a child at first.
“Sometimes I feed them.”
Inseop poured the food into a bowl on the floor. It must have been food in a black envelope. The cats hurriedly ran into the food bowl.
“Eat slowly. Drink water,” Inseop said while pouring water into another bowl.
“Clean water is also important to them. They say that if you rummage through trash, you eat food that humans used to eat, which is bad for your body. I also read and learned on the Internet.…isn’t that funny?”
It wasn’t very funny, but Lee Wooyeon smiled softly as if to tell him to continue talking.
“About a month ago, I heard a sound of crying, so I came up to see it, and it gave birth to a baby in that corner. This is Lois, the mom. And he’s Arthur, that white-tailed one is Isaac, and that striped one is John. It is the smallest and weakest.”
Inseop pushed the bowl to a small striped cat and muttered.
“That’s a nice name.”
There was a smile in Lee Wooyeon’s voice.
Lois McMaster, Arthur Conan Doyle, Isaac Asimov, and John Scalge. All of them were names he saw on Inseop’s bookcase. He thought it was a taste like a dream boy. Unlike himself.
“Can I touch it?”
When Lee Wooyeon went to his side, Inseop stopped him, saying,
“The kids are timid, so they’re afraid of strangers. It took me two weeks to touch him like this. I’m sorry.”
Inseop smiled broadly. Small tufts of hair purred and tangled under his hands.
“Why didn’t you take him and raise him?”
Lee Wooyeon said, and Inseop shook his head.
“We can’t raise animals in our house. I just secretly feed them food… Don’t tell the landlord.”
Inseop lowered his voice as if telling a huge secret.
If he wanted it even now, he would buy the whole villa and give it to him. Lee Wooyeon leaned against the wall and watched Inseop with a gentle smile.
“Even though I want to raise them, I can’t afford it. I’m often out of the house… Lois, since you’re their mother, you should eat a lot and stay strong. I don’t know when I’ll be back again, I’m sorry.”
When the days spent staying at Lee Wooyeon’s house became longer, Inseop became visibly nervous. He could guess the reason now. Lee Wooyeon flicked the knife in his pocket.
If he gets rid of that, Inseop won’t be nervous even if he takes him home for a few days. It was a simple matter. But he didn’t want it to end that simply.
He knew what kind of person Choi Inseop was.
Until they leave for another area, Inseop will do his best to provide food and water for them. Even if the day comes when the cats won’t come, he will continue his useless efforts. If he thinks about the revenge he took on himself after coming all the way to Korea for a friend who died, he will be left like that.
Choi Inseop would never throw them away first.
Lee Wooyeon looked at Inseop’s back. Suddenly, an incomprehensible childish selfishes arose in him. He was even a little embarrassed by the feelings he realized for the first time.
Even when he lost contact with his parents or family, he didn’t think this way. In order to be abandoned, one had to be possessed before that. He had never belonged to anyone. He didn’t want to, nor could he have done that.
Nevertheless.
“I’ll come back later. Sorry I couldn’t come every day.”
Inseop kindly whispered as he rubbed the dirty cats’ heads one by one.
He didn’t want to be abandoned by him.
It was a surprisingly clear feeling. No, it was a feeling close to desire. Lee Wooyeon suddenly called Inseop.
“It’s over now.”
Choi Inseop stood up and answered. Lee Wooyeon strode closer to Inseop. The cats that were fed, at the approach of a stranger quickly disperse into the darkness. Inseop panicked and called the cats, but the weak creatures remained vigilant. Lee Wooyeon squeezed Inseop’s chin and fixed his eyes on him.
“Why did you say you like me?”
“Yes?”
At the sudden question, Inseop couldn’t find words to answer.
“What did you like about me?”
“Uh, I’m… I’m…”
Inseop murmurs, avoiding his eyes, saying, “I don’t really know, but I think it’s all good.”
“Specifically, what part?”
As if gently coaxing a frightened animal, Lee Wooyeon affectionately rubbed Inseop’s cheek. Perhaps he liked that touch, Inseop’s tense expression softened a little.
“You’re working hard. It’s also cool, and… You memorize everything, even scripts and other people’s lines. I think it’s good that you’re working hard. You work out hard, and then…”
“And then.”
He thought that if he could keep Inseop by his side, he would like to stay in his favor. He could do anything for that.
“”Unwritten intention.”
At the words that came out of Inseop’s mouth, Lee Wooyeon stopped breathing for a moment.
“You said it was difficult. Giving importance the way a normal person would.”
“That’s right.”
He didn’t expect Inseop to mention this. To be honest, he felt like he was punched.
“I don’t know what other people think, but that’s why I think Lee Wooyeon is great. You’re holding the center between willful negligence, right?”
Lee Wooyeon looked at Inseop expressionlessly. It was cold eyes that seemed to have lost their emotions.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said…”
Lee Wooyeon hugged Inseop. The sound of a beating heart was heard.
“Inseop.”
For some reason, Choi Inseop felt his heart sink at the affectionate and regrettable tone.
“…Yes,”
Choi Inseop answered, but heat rose in his ears
“Will you continue to like me?”
“Of course, I will.”
Lee Wooyeon buried his face in Inseop’s neck. After taking in a deep breath, he gave Inseop strength and hugged him.
“Woo, Wooyeon. What if someone sees?”
“No one will see it except for those.”
Lee Wooyeon looked to the corner and pointed to the cats on the street. Inseop struggled, saying, “Please let me down.” The more he did, Lee Wooyeon gave strength to the arms he embraced.
“I won’t let go. No, I can’t.”
The voice was indistinguishable from whether it was a joke or not.
“I won’t do what you tell me not to. Murder, arson, looting, rape, what else?”
“…Mr. Wooyeon”
“And can I become a good actor?”
At the mention of a good actor, Inseop swallowed his breath.
“Inseop said he likes actor Lee Wooyeon.”
“…Yes I do like it.”
“Then I’ll become the best actor in our country. Are you satisfied with this? Manager.”
Inseop could understand the sincerity mixed in with his joking words. He already knew from Lee Wooyeon that his motive for starting acting was impure.
But he liked him for always working hard. Whatever his intentions, it was easy. He thought it was not. Lee Wooyeon in movies and dramas shone more than anyone else. He liked that sparkle. So, he had a personal desire for Lee Wooyeon to work as an actor for a long time.
Now, the man said he would do it for himself.
You don’t like it? Do you want me to do something else?” Inseop shook his head.
“That’s fine. Just like that. I’ll? like it.”
He leaned down and hugged Lee Wooyeon’s neck.
“Even if Mr. Inseop abandons me, I will wait until he returns with the cake box. I will never hurt Inseop again.”
Inseop carefully brushed Lee Wooyeon’s back. His soft hair wrapped around his fingers. He couldn’t tell anyone, but there were times when Lee Wooyeon felt like a young animal.
Inseop whispered while hugging Lee Wooyeon. ‘Mr. Wooyeon, I like you.’
He could feel his smile on his slightly swaying body.
“I’ll do everything you ask. Please continue to like me.”
Lee Wooyeon demanded affection from Inseop in a submissive tone like a good child
Inseop nodded.
“Inseop, can I ask you one more favor?”
The most important thing was that he suddenly added in a serious voice, and he answered yes with a lot of tension.
“It shouldn’t hurt.”
It was such a bland request that it made him laugh out loud. Inseop nodded more vigorously than before.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
Lee Wooyeon smiled brightly like a child who had everything in the world. Such a man was truly lovable. Inseop tightened his arms around his neck.
In the end, among the words he practiced that day, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything else. Still, Inseop consoled himself that he was fortunate to be able to honestly say what he wanted to say the most.
“Inseop-ah!”
CEO Kim looked at Choi Inseop and ran out.
“Hello.”
Inseop, who came to check the schedule, quickly bowed and greeted politely.
“Welcome. Come in for a second.”
Inseop was very nervous and followed CEO Kim. As soon as he entered the office, CEO Kim asked him without hesitation.
“Do you have some time before Lee Wooyeon picks you up?”
“Yes. I have about two hours to spare.”
In preparation for the unexpected, Inseop always left the house with plenty of time.
“Then read it.”
CEO Kim pointed to the script on the table.
“Did it come in today?”
The script that came to Lee Wooyeon was primarily reviewed by CEO Kim and Manager Cha. In the end, Lee Wooyeon choses the script that was passed to him. CEO Kim knew that Lee Wooyeon often listened to Inseop’s advice.
“Yes. The one that came in today.”
Inseop sat down on the sofa and began reading the script meticulously.
“It’s good.”
After covering the script, Inseop, perhaps thinking that his appreciation was lacking, immediately added,
“It’s very good. The characters are alive, the story is well-organized, and the script is great. And above all…”
“Wouldn’t it suit Lee Wooyeon well?”
He nodded at CEO Kim’s question. That’s exactly what he was thinking.
“Is he playing the main character?”
“Of course.”
“I think it would suit him really well.”
Even after reading the short script, he was an attractive character who would remain in his memory. He wanted to see Lee Wooyeon take on this role. No, he wanted actor Lee Wooyeon to take on this role.
“You think so, don’t you? As expected, you know how to read the script, and I knew you would say that because no one knows Lee Wooyeon as well as you.”
“Do you want me to show him this?”
“Well, it’s good to show.”
CEO Kim cleared his throat a couple of times and pointed to the cover of the script. Only then did Inseop check the letters written in the script.
“It’s a drama scheduled to be organized at N Headquarters.”
“…Yes”
“Seriously. I don’t want to say anything about it. But I think this is such a waste. Do you know who wrote this script? He’s Cho Yoon-young. He’s one of the biggest names in this industry. It’s the first new movie in nearly seven years. I’m sure the grand prize is a piece of work. The same goes for ratings.”
CEO Kim exclaimed excitedly. He could guess why he gave the script to Inseop.
“Let me tell him.”
“Can you do it?”
CEO Kim said with a concerned expression. Inseop nodded.
“Yes. I will tell him.”
“Yeah. If you suck it up to Lee Wooyeonp, heuk, that’s not it. Hahaha. He listens to you very well. The two of you are very close friends. Just like me and Manager Cha. Ha haha.”
At the word friend, Inseop felt remorse. He couldn’t be a friend or a manager with this kind of heart.
“And there will be no one who understands and cares for Lee Wooyeon as much as you.”
CEO Kim was sincere in these words. Aside from the relationship between the two, the person who understood Lee Wooyeon the best and gave advice in a good direction was Inseop. It may be an unfortunate story for Lee Wooyeon, but in Lee Wooyeon’s life, he was a person not to be missed.
“Is that so?”
Inseop muttered in a gloomy voice
“Hey, you don’t have to say it if you don’t want to.”
CEO Kim, who knew Lee Wooyeon’s dirty, dog-like, and fucked-up personality better than anyone else, added timidly.
“No. I’ll tell him.”
Inseop took the script and listened to it.
“Okay. It’s going to be a bit noisy today, but can I get another manager if you want?”
This morning, regardless of Lee Wooyeon’s intentions, a scandalous article was published. Lee Wooyeon, of course, had promised to publish a refutation article by the end of the day.
“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”
“Yes. I believe in you.”
“Then I’ll leave first.”
“Go carefully. Call me if anything happens, okay?”
Choi Inseop bowed his head while holding the script. He greeted everyone he met in the office politely. Everyone said something about Lee Wooyeon’s scandal that was reported today. ‘Really? You two got along well. How did you decide to respond to the article?’ etc. Inseop didn’t answer, he smiled awkwardly and bowed his head. After riding the elevator, his shoulders drooped.
“It’s tough.”
After muttering to himself, he shook his head, saying, “It’s not Inseop.” He remembered what Lee Wooyeon said on the rooftop yesterday. That person said he would become a good actor for him, but complaining that he was having a hard time with just that.
“Let’s do our best!”
Inseop slapped his cheek with the palm of his hand and cheered himself up. The elevator door opened.
“What are you doing there?”
“Hey.”
Standing in front of the door, Lee Wooyeon smiled as he lifted up his hat.
“Uh, what are you doing here?”
“Inseop didn’t come to pick me up, so I thought I might have been abandoned.”
Choi Inseop urgently checked his watch because he thought I had mistaken the time.
“I’m kidding. There were a lot of reporters in front of the house, so I called a taxi and came out. I thought I’d get caught at the entrance of the parking lot if I got out of the van now.”
“Sorry, I didn’t think that far.”
Lee Wooyeon grabbed Inseop’s chin and turned his face around, then clicked his tongue in disapproval. Then, with his thumb, he rubbed Inseop’s cheek, which had a red mark on it.
“Why do you leave your handprints on someone else’s property without permission?”
At first, he didn’t understand, so Inseop asked back, “What?” The most difficult part of Korean was idiomatic expression. Even if he took the time to study separately, there were still many expressions that he couldn’t understand.
“Inseop, it’s mine.”
“…!”
It must have been a literal expression.
He couldn’t see Lee Wooyeon’s eyes because of the hat, but he could see what kind of expression he was making. Often these days he laughed like a boy. And every time Lee Wooyeon’s mischief multiplied.
“I can’t touch it well because it’s a pity, so why are you carelessly leaving marks? It’s upsetting.”
Inseop looked around in a cold sweat, afraid that someone would hear.
“No one is listening. And it’s kind of weird to hear.”
“Keep your voice down. Rats listen to your words during the day and birds listen to your words at night.”
Watching Inseop say the wrong proverb with a serious face, Lee Wooyeon burst into laughter.
“Do not worry. Whether it’s a mouse or a bird, I’ll take responsibility and twist their neck.”
“…”
He got goosebumps when he thought of Lee Wooyeon smiling gracefully with a wine in one hand and a bird in one hand.
“Would you like to wait here for a second? I’ll get the car key.”
“What? I have the car keys.”
While Inseop was rummaging through his pockets, Lee Wooyeon slipped into the elevator
Then he said, “I’ll be back soon,” and went upstairs.
Soon after, Lee Wooyeon appeared, turning the car key in one hand. Next to him was CEO Kim, who was crying.
“No. Absolutely no. That’s my favorite car.”
“I’ll cherish it more.”
“How can I trust the words of my Benz killer? Don’t you know that you don’t lend cars or your wife?”
“Eh, you lend both to Manager Cha.”
CEO Kim insisted that Lee Wooyeon would be more than imprisoned if he was found guilty of beating people with the tip of his tongue. What are you talking about, does he only hit with his tongue, Cha countered in a rage.
“You and Cha are not the same! No, this isn’t it. Anyway, no. It’s a few thousand dollars for just one door.”
“There were only two. That’s a relief.”
CEO Kim’s mouth trembled.
In his mind, he wanted to shout a hundred times that he would cut off bastards like him , but the value of the three syllable name Lee Wooyeon was enormous.
The drama filmed a while ago was unprecedented in China. Profit he earned by recording a hit was staggering. People in the industry half-jokingly called Lee Wooyeon a walking yuan-maker
“Hey, I have a car key, too.”
Inseop stepped in carefully.
“I can’t ride that today. Reporters must be flocking like dogs.”
“Hey, you bastard. And you’re driving out the red Ferrari? Why don’t you advertise to people to watch!”
“They’ll watch it anyway even if I don’t advertise.”
“At this point, you’re just going to leave, right?”
CEO Kim shouted out loud with a hand on his forehead. Then, Lee Wooyeon burst into laughter while holding his chin with one hand. People who didn’t know the situation liked Lee Wooyeon’s laughter, saying that just listening to it relieves stress.
“Hahaha, CEO.”
To those who knew, it was just like a scene from a horror movie.
“Do you want me to show you something random?”
….”
“I am doing well. CEO, please be nice to me too.”
Lee Wooyeon continued by fixing CEO Kim’s dressing style.
“So why do you forget to publish an article on a day like today? I’m upset.”
Choi Inseop was convinced that he purposely came to his office and robbed CEO Kim of his cherished car keys.
“You must be busy sorting out the rebuttal articles, but we’ll go.”
Lee Wooyeon ruthlessly shook CEO Kim’s hand and threw the key to Inseop. Reluctantly, Inseop, who took the car key, looked at CEO Kim and Lee Wooyeon alternately.
“… drive gently.”
As if giving up halfway, CEO Kim asked in the saddest voice in the world. Inseop nodded his head eagerly so that CEO Kim could feel some relief.