X
Join our Discord server and get release updates for every novel you follow.
Join the ServerOn the way back after parting with the others, Han-geon stared straight ahead in silence, lost in thought.
Eun-gyeol’s manager….
Despite it being a job he had once done himself, and something he had been agonizing over alone until just moments ago, hearing it spoken aloud by the director made it feel endlessly unreal.
Why did it feel as though an enormous amount of time had passed since then?
It had been a summer day just like this, the air heavy and sweet with humidity, the day Eun-gyeol had asked him to become his manager and bodyguard.
He had been so excited it felt like he owned the entire world.
He had been so happy he thought his chest might burst.
After that, they had gone through passions and incidents too intense to ever put fully into words, and somehow ended up here.
Han-geon glanced sideways at Eun-gyeol, seated beside him.
A beautiful face.
A pheromone that always felt warm yet irresistibly tempting.
Large, elegant hands wrapped around the steering wheel.
Suddenly, his chest swelled so much it nearly made him nauseous.
He had cried so much.
To finally arrive at a place where he could keep all of this—the person he loved—right by his side.
“What are you staring at so hard?”
“You’re making my heart flutter.”
“…Nothing.”
As Han-geon continued to gaze at him blankly, Eun-gyeol smiled back playfully, almost coquettishly.
A large hand reached over, gently brushing Han-geon’s cheek before pulling away.
The way Eun-gyeol remained sullen and prickly toward everyone else, yet smiled brightly at Han-geon alone from beginning to end, was unbearably lovable.
If he could once again take care of him and protect him right by the side of the person he loved.
It had once been the thing he wanted most, a dream that became Han-geon’s entire life.
But after everything he had gone through with Eun-gyeol, Han-geon now had to ask himself first.
Could he truly be happy doing that job again?
Was that really what he still wanted, even now?
Eun-gyeol was so busy these days that seeing each other once or twice a week was the most they managed, and a day like today spent entirely together was exceedingly rare.
If he returned to that role, he would undoubtedly be able to spend far more time with Eun-gyeol than he did now.
He would understand Eun-gyeol’s work more deeply, and delicately care for someone as sensitive as a glass marble so he could focus solely on his craft.
‘Ever since Han-geon quit, it feels like Eun-gyeol can’t get attached to managers the way he used to….’
Yujin’s words from earlier kept echoing in his ears.
The things Eun-gyeol had once expressed so freely resurfaced one by one.
That he loved having Choi Han-geon as his manager.
That he had never felt this comfortable before.
In truth, Eun-gyeol had been deeply satisfied under Han-geon’s care.
Even when their relationship had not been what it was now, he had obsessively tried to keep Han-geon by his side.
That was why it worried him even more.
If he had never experienced it, perhaps it wouldn’t matter, but hearing that Eun-gyeol struggled even more to attach to other managers after Han-geon quit made it impossible not to care.
If he were to return to Eun-gyeol’s side again…
More than anything else, he would be able to protect Eun-gyeol with his own hands from things that threatened him.
After directly experiencing just how dangerous things could become last time, that point mattered more than anything to Han-geon.
After a long stretch of quiet contemplation, Han-geon finally spoke.
“Cha Eun-gyeol.”
“Hm?”
“You… you know.”
“Yeah?”
“What is it?”
When he actually tried to say it, the words would not come easily.
Earlier, Eun-gyeol had shown a hint of jealousy when he mentioned security work, but until now, Eun-gyeol had never once asked him to come back.
What did Eun-gyeol really feel?
If he said they would work together again… maybe Eun-gyeol would like it.
“How would you feel… if I became your manager again?”
At that moment, the smile lingering at the corner of Eun-gyeol’s lips faded.
Without answering, he gently pressed the brake and slowed the car.
After pulling over to the side of the road, the face he turned toward Han-geon was unexpectedly stiff.
“…Why would you suddenly say that?”
“Did the director or someone else say something to you?”
“No.”
“They didn’t say anything.”
“I was just… wondering how you feel.”
Caught off guard by the reaction, Han-geon felt slightly awkward.
He had thought Eun-gyeol would like the idea at least a little.
Honestly, he had expected him to light up with excitement the moment he suggested it.
But Eun-gyeol was calm.
And he wore a stiff expression Han-geon had never imagined.
After a long silence, Eun-gyeol spoke carefully.
“If this is because you heard about me constantly replacing managers earlier, don’t worry about it, Han-geon.”
“You don’t need to force yourself into something because of me.”
“Just do what you want to do.”
“…..”
“I don’t want to be hated for bringing up old things, but since we’re talking about it, I’ll be honest.”
Han-geon silently looked down at Eun-gyeol’s hand resting on his knee and waited.
Eun-gyeol’s gaze dropped diagonally, heavy with emotion.
Fidgeting as he clasped his fingers together, he continued slowly.
“When I first made that offer to you, I just needed you.”
“That was all.”
“What you would go through and how you would feel doing that job didn’t matter much to me.”
“…But now.”
“…..”
“The most precious thing to me is you, Han-geon.”
“Your feelings.”
Eun-gyeol smiled as he said it, firm and decisive.
That faint smile clearly carried a trace of longing for that time last year.
“If you became my manager again and you’re asking how I’d feel?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“How could I feel anything other than happiness?”
“I’d probably die of joy.”
“The person I love most in the world taking care of me.”
Between the words he struggled to hold back was an unmistakable thrill he could not hide.
Even so, Eun-gyeol continued, carefully restraining his emotions.
“But how could I ever ask you to be my manager again?”
“How could I, of all people, do that to you?”
“…..”
“I’m not going to use you only when things are good for me anymore.”
With a firm, unwavering smile, he extended his hand.
Han-geon placed his own hand wordlessly atop the pale, open palm.
He closed his eyes for a moment and felt Eun-gyeol’s warmth.
Thump, thump.
It felt as though he could sense the powerful beat of his heart through their fingertips.
The chaotic noise in his mind gradually settled.
He had offered only a light touch, yet what returned was strength solid enough to bring relief.
It was the stability only a man who had become his lover could give.
“Alright.”
“I’ll do what I want to do.”
“So don’t worry.”
“Now let’s go, home.”
When Han-geon finally added that softly, Eun-gyeol’s smile deepened.
“Yeah.”
“Let’s go home.”
As though coloring in a sketch, Eun-gyeol repeated Han-geon’s words with emphasis and pressed the accelerator again.
This time, he did so while holding Han-geon’s hand.
On the way home, Eun-gyeol never once let go of Han-geon’s hand.
Quietly accepting the warmth firmly covering his own, Han-geon gained certainty about the doubts that had been troubling his heart.
The resolve he had steeled himself with no longer wavered.
The thoughts that had wandered aimlessly for months finally found their direction.
Han-geon smiled softly, his heart full and at ease, all the way home.
***
Dim dawn light seeped in through the window.
The warmth of the sun had yet to fully spread across the ground.
As Eun-gyeol slowly sat up from the bed beside him, Han-geon opened his eyes as well.
Though Eun-gyeol had risen decisively, he remained seated like that for a moment, as though still half-asleep.
The sight was so adorable that the urge to kiss his cheek rose unbidden.
Having finally decided to get up, Eun-gyeol turned his head and leaned in.
Han-geon quickly closed his eyes.
A brief kiss landed on his forehead.
Moments later, the weight pressing down on one side of the bed disappeared without hesitation, and the bathroom door closed.
Han-geon’s eyes flew open.
Needless to say, all traces of sleepiness were gone.
He jumped up, checked the clothes he planned to wear today, then stretched long while gazing at the bluish window.
It was a perfect day for a new beginning.
His heart beat fast with pleasant anticipation.
Soon, the sound of running water stopped.
Lying back down, Han-geon pretended to wake up just as the bathroom door opened.
Fresh from the shower, Eun-gyeol walked over and placed another brief kiss on his cheek.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah.”
“You?”
“Yeah.”
“I slept great, since I was sleeping with someone.”
After exchanging morning greetings, Eun-gyeol began moving busily.
Watching him slide his long, beautifully shaped legs into his pants and button his shirt, Han-geon asked casually.
“Is filming going late today?”
“Yeah.”
“It’ll probably end late at night.”
“I see.”
“I heard from Yujin noona that a new manager’s coming today.”
“Really?”
“Huh.”
“Is that so.”
Eun-gyeol replied absently while fixing his hair in the mirror, his voice carrying not even a speck of interest in the new manager.
“You’re going to that taekwondo gym interview today, right?”
Eun-gyeol glanced over through the mirror.
Han-geon nodded calmly in response.
“Where is it?”
“Right nearby.”
“Second floor of the shopping building.”
Though he was not usually good at lying, the words flowed smoothly.
Thanks to how natural the answer was, Eun-gyeol nodded without suspicion.
“Really?”
“That’s close.”
“That’s good.”
“…I haven’t even passed yet.”
“If they have any sense at all, there’s no way they’d reject you.”
Hearing Eun-gyeol’s confident encouragement, Han-geon smiled slightly.
Leaving the busy Eun-gyeol behind, he went to the kitchen and took out the tumbler and fruit lunchbox he had prepared earlier.
When Eun-gyeol followed after finishing up, he took the lunchbox and beamed.
“Thank you… my love.”
Eun-gyeol spread his arms wide and playfully wiggled his eyebrows as if telling him to hurry up and come over.
Giving in, Han-geon stepped closer, and Eun-gyeol wrapped him in a suffocating hug.
Embarrassingly affectionate kisses rained down on his hair, forehead, and eyebrows.
Only after Han-geon finally told him to stop did Eun-gyeol speak in a gentle voice.
“Have a good time today, Han-geon.”
“And be sure to message me how the interview goes.”
“Okay.”
“You do well at filming too.”
Eun-gyeol left, closing the door behind him with undisguised reluctance in his eyes.
Han-geon waved until the very end, then hurried back into the apartment.
You’ve got to see this next! Jinho's Story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
Read : Jinho's Story
If You Notice any translation issues or inconsistency in names, genders, or POV etc? Let us know here in the comments or on our Discord server, and we’ll fix it in current and future chapters. Thanks for helping us to improve! 🙂