Chapter 93: The Distance Between Us

After Jitae collapsed last time, they said they would reschedule the shoot depending on his condition—but the new date was set much sooner than expected.

“Hyung, here’s your coffee.”

Woojoo naturally took the coffee Dongha handed him.

The bandage that had once wrapped around his extended arm had now been replaced with a small band-aid.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

It had become quite familiar now, getting into the company car Dongha drove.

Dongha was really good at his job.

He knew what kind of coffee Woojoo liked and prepared it every time, and somehow even figured out his preference for spicy food, choosing lunchboxes accordingly.

“The shoot got scheduled pretty quickly, huh?”

“Yes. If the photoshoot gets delayed, interviews and other schedules get pushed too. And I think actor Won Jitae’s side said it was okay to move it up.”

As Dongha smoothly turned the steering wheel, he glanced at Woojoo through the rearview mirror.

For some reason, Woojoo was just absentmindedly stirring his coffee straw.

Looking closer, his condition didn’t seem good.

“H-hyung… did you not sleep?”

“Huh?”

“Or are you feeling sick? Your complexion…”

The car stopped at a signal, and Dongha turned his body fully to check on him.

The dark circles under Woojoo’s eyes had sunk deeply.

Even his usually bright, chatty voice was unusually quiet today.

“I just didn’t sleep. I’m not sick.”

Woojoo reassured Dongha, telling him the light would change soon.

The car started moving again as Woojoo leaned back.

He said he wasn’t sick—but he was.

Not physically, but mentally.

A week had passed since hearing Jitae’s explosive confession.

During that time, Woojoo had been like someone who had lost his soul.

He often spaced out even during training and, for the first time, got scolded by Coach Kim.

“If you’re going to train with that mindset, just go home,” he had said—but unfortunately, Woojoo’s mind had already run away, with no sign of returning.

He hadn’t been able to sleep for an entire week.

Every time he closed his eyes, Jitae’s words spread like clouds and filled his mind, making his heart race uncontrollably.

Realizing his body had no intention of falling into a sleep rhythm, he had given up on sleeping entirely for the past two days.

So when Dongha told him the shooting date had been fixed, Woojoo felt despair.

How… how was he supposed to face Won Jitae?

It had been a long time since he received such a sincere confession—and the person was someone he had never even imagined would feel that way, let alone someone of the same gender.

“…Hyung! We’re here.”

Dongha’s loud voice pulled Woojoo out of his thoughts and back to reality.

“Ah—r-right?”

Woojoo nervously bit his nails as he looked outside.

It was indeed the same studio building where the first shoot had taken place.

He got out of the car, slightly unsteady.

Jitae would be inside.

Today’s shoot would require them to be close again—would he be able to handle it?

No, work is work, and personal matters are personal.

Right. Jitae would probably act like usual.

Last time, even after their big fight, when they met again at the photoshoot, he had greeted him calmly as if nothing had happened.

So he couldn’t let this affect the work.

He couldn’t cause trouble for others because of personal issues.

With that resolve, Woojoo entered the building.

“Equipment coming through. Please move aside.”

At that moment, several staff members passed by carrying large equipment like cameras.

Woojoo tried to step aside naturally—but perhaps due to lack of sleep, his legs tangled even though there was nothing in the way.

As he staggered, someone quickly approached and supported his shoulder.

“Ah, thank you—”

Woojoo looked up with an awkward smile.

“Are you okay?!”

Even with a mask on, there was no way Woojoo wouldn’t recognize that tall figure as Won Jitae.

Especially not when just a week ago, he had received a c-confession from those same bright, beautiful eyes.

“Uh…”

“Did you hit anything? Your legs?”

Jitae steadied him and began checking him over.

Beside them, Dongha stood just as flustered, unsure what to do.

After all, Woojoo hadn’t even hit anything—he had simply stumbled on his own.

“Did you twist anything?”

There was absolutely no need for Jitae to be making such a big fuss.

“I-it’s fine.”

“Be careful. It’s dangerous.”

Did this guy not realize that he was a 27-year-old athlete with a strong build?

“But Woojoo, what’s wrong with your face? Are you sick?”

Jitae seemed possessed by a “question mark demon” today.

After checking his body, he now bent down to examine Woojoo’s face closely.

If anything, wasn’t all of this because of him?

“Did you not sleep?”

Jitae naturally lifted Woojoo’s cheek with his hand.

At the lukewarm touch, Woojoo quickly slapped his hand away.

“I’m just… a bit tired. A-are you okay now?”

Woojoo asked, looking elsewhere.

“…Yeah. I’m fine now.”

“That’s good. Let’s go up. They’ll be waiting.”

Woojoo quickly walked toward the elevator, almost as if fleeing.

Dongha hesitated, then bowed slightly to Jitae before following behind him.

“Are you feeling hot?”

“Huh?”

The makeup staff glanced at the mirror and asked with a smile.

“Your face looks a bit flushed. Maybe it’s because summer is coming—it’s getting warmer.”

Woojoo clenched his teeth and agreed repeatedly.

He tried to shake off the lingering warmth where Jitae’s hand had touched him.

After finishing preparations, he left the waiting room.

Fortunately, perhaps because he had resolved not to let it affect his work, the shoot went relatively smoothly.

Since this was just additional filming for parts missed during the second shoot, it didn’t take long either.

Still, during breaks or outfit changes, Woojoo tried to stay as far from Jitae as possible.

Before, it was because they had fought.

Now—it was instinct.

After hours of work, Woojoo rubbed his stiff neck.

It felt like he had worked several times harder than usual, just from being conscious of Jitae.

“Woojoo.”

While helping Dongha pack things in the waiting room, he sensed a familiar scent of perfume behind him.

“Huh?”

“If you have time, can we talk in my car for a bit?”

Woojoo swallowed hard.

Honestly, he just wanted to leave—but continuing like this wasn’t possible either.

He knew they needed to talk at least once.

“…Okay.”

After briefly explaining things to Dongha, Woojoo followed Jitae to the parking lot.

As soon as they both got into the back seat, a heavy silence fell between them.

“Let me apologize first.”

Jitae suddenly bowed his head.

Woojoo’s eyes widened at the unfamiliar sight.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“It must’ve made you uncomfortable. Being confessed to by another guy.”

Woojoo parted his lips slightly.

Thinking back—how had he felt then?

At first, it hadn’t felt real.

But once he realized Jitae was serious… honestly, he hadn’t felt disgusted.

“And… I kissed you without asking.”

Jitae scratched the back of his neck.

Seeing him so unusually timid somehow made him look oddly cute.

Even the kiss had only surprised him—it hadn’t felt unpleasant.

If anything, this apology now made Woojoo uncomfortable.

Because he didn’t feel like it was something that needed an apology.

“No… it’s not like that…”

“I know you must’ve felt uncomfortable. Watching how you acted today made me realize how impulsive I was.”

Then he muttered quietly, “I’m not even human…”

It seemed he had noticed Woojoo avoiding him.

But strictly speaking, it wasn’t because Woojoo found him unpleasant.

It was because he didn’t know how to face him.

When their eyes met, when he heard that gentle voice, when he caught that faint scent only noticeable at close distance—

Something about it made him feel strangely weightless.

It was unfamiliar, so he instinctively kept his distance.

Woojoo had almost never experienced something like this before.

People naturally avoid what feels unfamiliar.

That feeling Jitae gave him—it was something entirely unknown.

So he treated it as something unknowable, something he didn’t want to approach.

Somewhere deep inside, he felt that if he figured out what it was, he might be consumed by it.

“Hey, it’s not that I dislike you or anything. It’s just…”

“I know. You see me as a friend. That’s natural, and I’m not trying to be greedy. I didn’t confess because I wanted an answer from you.”

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