Chapter 6 : The Script in Action

“I’m a little scared…”

Ijeong spoke in a small voice, letting out a quiet laugh as he watched Yihyun hide behind his back.

Normally, in a situation like this—no, even if it weren’t this exact scenario—not many people could act so naturally when suddenly thrust into the spotlight.

Even for Ijeong, whose very job was to stand in front of cameras, unexpected flashes could sometimes cause panic.

So what was with this flawless behavior, as if Yihyun had been expecting it all along?

Click, click, click.

The shutter sounds of reporters who had caught an exclusive scoop rang out cheerfully.

A reporter holding a recording microphone adjusted his grip and called out urgently.

“Kang Ijeong, please say something!”

“Hey, what more is there to ask? They literally called each other ‘honey.'”

The reporters, having bitten into their prey, thrust their cameras and microphones forward as they rushed toward the pair.

But Yihyun, appearing entirely lost in the moment, simply tightened his grip on the hem of Ijeong’s clothes.

“I’m sorry.”

Ijeong murmured, turning his head to look down at him.

The furious eyes Yihyun had flashed back in the conference room were completely gone, replaced now by a gaze of pure innocence.

‘Since we decided to walk the same path, I might as well play along.’

Ijeong reached up to adjust Yihyun’s hat, gently brushing his hair back.

Startled by the sudden touch, Yihyun blinked up at him.

Ijeong smiled back down, his eyes softening as if he were looking at the most adorable lover in the world.

“You were surprised. I’m sorry.”

Ijeong whispered, lightly stroking Yihyun’s cheek.

Right on cue, Yihyun offered a beautiful, eye-curving smile.

“It’s okay.”

The reporters, startled by the sudden, overt display of affection, bombarded them with a fresh wave of questions.

But Yihyun had already shown enough, and he had no intention of wasting another second in front of the press.

“…”

Without a word, Yihyun looked up at Ijeong.

Catching the hint instantly, the actor stepped in to block the crowd.

“We will release an official statement soon, so please check the upcoming articles. Thank you. I’m sorry, but since my partner is a civilian, I ask for your understanding that I cannot provide detailed information.”

Almost wrapping his arm around Yihyun, Ijeong pushed through the thick crowd and led him away.

The reporters, seemingly realizing they wouldn’t get a proper interview, busied themselves with photographing the couple’s retreating backs.

“The black car straight ahead belongs to the staff member who brought you here earlier. You can take that one.”

Checking to ensure no one was trailing them, Ijeong whispered into Yihyun’s ear.

Yihyun, finally releasing his grip on Ijeong’s clothes, spoke up.

“Thanks for going along with it.”

“No need for thanks. It’s my job too.”

Yihyun’s voice had immediately reverted to a calm, detached tone, acting as though nothing had happened. He didn’t even glance back at Ijeong.

“But when are you going to let go of my clothes?”

“Until they’re completely out of sight. Even if they can’t hear us, they’re still taking pictures.”

When Ijeong pulled the car door open, Yihyun turned around and flashed a brilliant, radiant smile.

It was hard to believe he had been wearing a stone-cold face just a second ago.

“Then I’ll be in touch.”

With a voice as strictly businesslike as his true expression, Yihyun stepped into the vehicle.

Watching the car pull away, Ijeong smiled, thoroughly intrigued.

When Monday arrived, Yihyun dragged himself to work, sitting down at his desk with a thoroughly exhausted face.

He had braced himself for the fallout, but the barrage of weekend messages had been far more intense than expected, leaving him unable to get a single moment of proper rest.

–Hey, come out for drinks lol Tell me about your new lover–

–Oppa, about that meal we planned before, should we do it next week?–

–Yihyun lol The article with Kang Ijeong, that was definitely you, right?–

Messages flooded in from casual acquaintances to people who barely even had his contact info.

Yihyun could only manage the briefest, most noncommittal replies.

–Sorry, it’s a bit hard to talk about it with so many people around–

–I’m buried in work, so I don’t think I can make it ^^–

–Haha–

‘If I went to all the trouble of putting on a show for the reporters, they should already know I’m dating. Why do they keep pestering me?’

It felt incredibly grating, especially coming from people he barely spoke to once a year.

He seriously considered turning off his phone, but he couldn’t afford to miss updates from Ijeong or the agency.

Having arrived at the office much earlier than usual to avoid both the commuter rush and his younger sister Yeseo, Yihyun booted up his computer to scan the headlines.

[Kang Ijeong Admits to Relationship: Lover Is a Civilian One Year Older]

[Hat Worn by Kang Ijeong’s Lover Sells Out Within 2 Hours of Article]

“Right. That hat belonged to Ijeong’s manager. I need to return it.”

As a direct result of the agency’s strategy and their brief performance for the press, Yihyun had become the most famous ordinary citizen in Korea overnight.

Hearing phrases like “The Sold-out Man” and “A 21st Century Cinderella” made him flush with embarrassment, but there was a headline that was far worse.

[Kang Ijeong and His Lover: Pet Name Is ‘Honey’]

‘What kind of article is this?’

Yihyun couldn’t bring himself to press the play button on the attached video, his lips pouting in mortification.

Calling Kang Ijeong “honey” in front of the press and pretending to be helpless had been a completely impulsive move.

But since the news was bound to break anyway, he had wanted to make it look like he was doing spectacularly well—that he was blissfully happy. Since he was committing to the lie, he figured it was best to go all out.

[Kang Ijeong ♡: Unstoppable Affection in Front of Reporters]

However, the photo captured right as he was getting into the car had been shot at an angle that made it look like a subtle, stolen kiss.

This had prompted a flurry of articles calling him a passionate, bold lover who didn’t care about public scrutiny. That part was deeply embarrassing.

“Anyway, since we’re supposedly dating, we had to do at least this much for people to buy it.”

Yihyun sighed, muttering quietly to himself.

Just as the agency had predicted, the public reaction to the dating news wasn’t terrible.

Over on Kang Ijeong’s fan cafe, there were scattered announcements of fans leaving the fandom alongside dramatic merchandise-burning ceremonies.

But those were extreme reactions from a tiny minority; the general public’s response was actually quite favorable.

–In this day and age, dating isn’t a crime. It’s much better to just admit it honestly.–

–The next civilian lover of Kang Ijeong is going to be me.–

–Nonsense. It’s me.–

The real-life romance of the number one man people wanted to date proved to be an irresistible topic of conversation.

Some fans genuinely loved it, swooning over Ijeong’s affectionate gaze and gentle tone while declaring, –This is the ultimate vicarious satisfaction!–

Even the manager’s hat Yihyun had worn sold out instantly, simply because the moment Ijeong adjusted it had thrilled the public.

Of course, this smooth transition was only possible because Ijeong’s public image was pristine, but to Yihyun, the entire phenomenon was utterly baffling.

‘How can they be perfectly fine watching the person they like date someone else?’

Even if it concerned a distant celebrity, Yihyun knew he could never feel that way.

“Oh, Yihyun? You’re early.”

Lost in the articles, he hadn’t noticed the time slipping away.

Yihyun looked up to see his colleague, Assistant Manager Lee, walking in while sipping a coffee.

“The weekend was pure chaos. I knew I’d see you today anyway, so I didn’t bother adding to your text notifications.”

“Haha. Is that so? Thank you.”

Assistant Manager Lee, who was easily the quietest member of the team, was the only person who hadn’t text-bombed him.

Meanwhile, their team leader and Senior Assistant Seo—both notorious office gossips—had already caused a massive scene via text messages.

Just the thought of facing them later brought on a mounting headache.

Yihyun’s brows furrowed involuntarily.

“You kept your relationship so tightly under wraps that I thought you were dating a ghost. But if it’s Kang Ijeong, I completely understand why you hid it.”

Yihyun flinched slightly at the comment.

The “person he had been dating” back then wasn’t Ijeong at all.

‘Work is chaotic, and we’re not college students anymore. I don’t see any reason to broadcast our relationship to the world. Yihyun, you understand, right?’

Even if Han Gyujin was excluded from the core succession battle, a third-generation chaebol was still a chaebol.

Gyujin had constantly reminded him that with so many eyes watching the family, it would cause unnecessary trouble if it leaked that he was seeing a regular citizen.

At Gyujin’s strict request to keep their relationship hidden, Yihyun had naturally refrained from ever mentioning him.

Somehow, the office had figured out he had a partner, but whenever anyone pressed for details, Yihyun would simply laugh it off, carefully guarding Gyujin’s identity.

At the time, he had foolishly believed it was a form of protective consideration for his own well-being. Looking back now, that clearly wasn’t the case.

“Maybe that was just the first time he got caught…”

“Huh? Did you say something?”

“Ah. No, it’s nothing.”

Getting caught this weekend might have been a first, but who was to say Gyujin hadn’t been seeing other people throughout their entire relationship?

Swallowing the bitter thought, Yihyun bit his lower lip hard.

“The team leader and the others are going to make a massive fuss the second they get in, so I’ll leave you in peace.”

Offering a small token of sympathy, Assistant Manager Lee walked over to his own desk.

Right. Assistant Manager Lee might show some restraint, but there was absolutely no way the rest of the team would display such tact.

He needed to prepare himself right now.

Yihyun began reviewing the fabricated relationship history he had meticulously memorized over the weekend.

‘I am a close neighborhood friend of Kang Ijeong’s manager. I first met Kang Ijeong when I visited RAINS Company to drop something off at the manager’s request. Later, when the manager fell ill and took a leave of absence, I helped run various errands, which naturally brought Ijeong and me closer…’

He had studied the notes as diligently as if he were preparing for a major exam, but rote memorization wasn’t enough.

He had to deliver it flawlessly, acting as though it were his own lived experience, to ensure no one suspected a thing.

Lines like: ‘I originally had a partner, so even though I was aware of Kang Ijeong’s feelings, I turned him down. But after my previous relationship ended, the sudden void in my heart…’

“Well, well, look who it is! Our international celebrity, Employee Seo Yihyun!”

Right in the middle of his mental rehearsal, the absolute last person Yihyun wanted to face sauntered straight into the office.

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