As they drove through the bustling streets of Seoul, Jihoon kept his eyes on the road, but his thoughts were still tangled up in the events of the past few days. He glanced in the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Quinn and Jay excitedly chatting about what they might see on the set. Mike, on the other hand, was scrolling through his phone, likely looking up nearby clubs for later.
The mood in the car was light, and for the first time in a while, Jihoon felt himself relax a little. He could almost forget the mess he had left behind with Minji. Almost.
"We're here!" Quinn practically jumped out of her seat as they pulled up to the set. Jihoon parked the car, and the group quickly exited, greeted by the sight of bustling crew members, trailers, and equipment sprawled across the lot.
"Whoa, this is huge," Jay said, his eyes wide as he took in the sight.
"Yeah, welcome to the movie business," Jihoon replied, locking the car as they started walking toward the entrance. He pulled out his phone to check in with Uncle Minho. After a quick call, Minho's assistant came to meet them and guided them onto the set.
As they stepped into the massive soundstage, they saw the actors rehearsing a scene. Uncle Minho stood in the center of it all, effortlessly commanding the space. The moment he spotted Jihoon and the others, his face lit up with a warm smile, and he excused himself from the set to come over.
"Look who's here!" Minho said, pulling Jihoon into a tight hug. "My favorite nephews and niece!"
Quinn was practically beaming. "Uncle Minho, this is amazing! You look so cool up there."
Minho laughed. "Thanks, kiddo. It's just a regular day at work for me. But I'm glad you're all here. I'll give you the full tour after I finish this scene. Shouldn't take too long."
"No rush, we're just excited to be here," Mike said, shaking Minho's hand. "Do your thing, we'll just hang back."
Minho gave them all a nod and headed back to the set. The group wandered around, taking in the sight of the crew adjusting lights, setting up cameras, and actors running lines.
"Man, this is wild," Jay said, his voice full of awe. "I can't believe we're actually here."
Jihoon stayed a little behind, leaning against a railing and watching Minho as he performed. His mind drifted once more to Minji. He hadn't heard from him since last night, and a part of him felt uneasy about it.
Despite everything, Jihoon knew his feelings for Minji were more complicated than he liked to admit. The thought of losing him—especially after what they'd been through—was hard to shake.
Before he could dwell on it too long, Quinn tugged on his sleeve, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Jihoon! Come on, Uncle Minho's about to introduce us to some of the cast!"
Jihoon gave a small smile, pushing his thoughts aside. "Alright, let's go." He followed her over to the group, ready to dive into the excitement of the moment. For now, he could focus on something else, even if just for a little while.
As Jihoon and the group approached the cast, Uncle Minho was in full charm mode, talking animatedly with the lead actors. He spotted Jihoon and waved him over.
"Everyone, these are my nephews and niece. They're visiting the set today!"
One of the actors, a tall guy with a warm smile, leaned over to shake Jihoon's hand. "Nice to meet you. You're the famous Kim twin, huh? His always talking about you."
"Where's your other half?" He asked, "Something came up." Jihoon replied.
Quinn, still buzzing with excitement, stepped forward eagerly. "We've seen you in so many dramas! It's so cool to meet you in person!"
The actor chuckled. "Well, I hope I live up to expectations."
After meeting almost every single actor and actress, it was time for them to head back. But before heading back Minho handed them his spare card to spend, "you guys should go have a little fun." He told them.
Quinn's eyes lit up as she took the card from Minho. "Oh, trust me, we will!" she said with a grin.
Jihoon smirked, glancing over at Jay and Mike. "Looks like our plans for a chill night are officially canceled."
Jay shrugged, already pulling out his phone to look up spots they could hit up in Seoul. "No complaints here. I know just the place to start."
As they piled back into the car, Quinn was practically bouncing with excitement. "This is going to be the best night! Shopping, food, maybe even a little karaoke later."
Mike leaned back in his seat, already in party mode. "I'm down for whatever, as long as there's good food involved and clubs."
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At JaeHwa's house in HwaYoungs art room, Baekyheon and HwaYoung are painting portraits of each other. "Are you ready to see your self portrait?" Hyeon asked as put the finishing touches, HwaYoung chuckled, "I'm scared."
"Come on, I'm not that bad of a painter." Hyeon said.
Baekhyun wiped his hands on his apron and grinned. "Alright, I'm done. Prepare yourself for the masterpiece."
HwaYoung, sitting across from him with a brush still in hand, chuckled nervously. "Why do I feel like this is going to be either really flattering or absolutely ridiculous?" He dabbed some final strokes onto his own canvas, glancing over at Baekhyun's, though he couldn't make out much from his angle.
Hyeon stood up dramatically, holding his canvas like it was the Mona Lisa. "Okay, close your eyes."
HwaYoung gave him a playful eye-roll but complied, closing his eyes and resting his hands in his lap. "You're really hyping this up. It better be good."
Hyeon positioned the canvas in front of him. "Alright, open."
HwaYoung opened his eyes slowly, and the moment he saw the painting, he burst into laughter. Hyeon had captured him in an exaggerated style, with an overly serious expression and wild strokes of color in his hair that made him look both majestic and cartoonish. It was artistic, but also a little over-the-top.
"You made me look like some sort of ancient king," HwaYoung said, still laughing. "And what's with the hair? I don't think I've ever seen myself that... fierce."
Hyeon smirked, setting the canvas down. "You're welcome. I thought I captured your regal side. Honestly, this should be in a gallery."
HwaYoung shook his head, still grinning. "Well, I guess I owe you mine now. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Hyeon leaned in, excited. "Come on, I'm ready. Hit me with it."
With a sigh, HwaYoung turned his canvas around. His portrait of Baekhyun was completely different—soft, with delicate strokes and a calm, almost peaceful expression on Baekhyun's face. He had gone for a more realistic approach, capturing Hyeon's subtle smirk and sharp features.
Hyeon stared at it for a moment, "mines is still better." He shrugged his shoulders with a slay smile, "You can't be serious." Hwa laughed.
"Come on uncle Young, you're an artist so this match it's not fair." Hyeon pouted.
"Okay, you win." Hwa said smiling.
"Of course I do, you're painting couldn't beat mines." Hyeon added, HwaYoung just sat there smiling and shaking his head.
"So why didn't you got with your brother and cousins to see your uncle Minho?" HwaYoung asked.
"Well I always see Uncle Minho, I barely get to see you because uncle Jae doesn't bring you around." Hyeon replied
HwaYoung raised an eyebrow, surprised by the honesty in Hyeon's answer. "Really? You'd rather be here painting than hanging out with the others?"
Hyeon shrugged, trying to play it off. "I mean, it's not like I don't enjoy hanging out with them, but it's always the same. Clubs, bars, or wandering around. But with you, it's... different. We actually get to do something interesting."
HwaYoung chuckled softly, setting down his brush. "You always were a bit of an old soul, weren't you?"
"Guess I get that from uncle Jae," Hyeon said, shooting him a playful grin.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before HwaYoung leaned back, studying Hyeon. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked.
"Not really." Hyeon replied shaking his head.
"You want some ice cream?" He asked.
"Please." Hyeon agreed letting out a big sigh.
HwaYoung stood up, stretching his arms as he moved toward the kitchen. "One scoop or two?" he called over his shoulder.
"Two, obviously. And don't be stingy with the toppings," Hyeon replied, leaning back in his chair with a small grin.
As HwaYoung began preparing the ice cream, Hyeon sat in thought, his earlier facade slipping away. It was always easy to joke around and pretend everything was fine, but being in his uncle's quiet company made it harder to keep up the act. HwaYoung wasn't one to push, though, and that made it easier for Hyeon to relax.
A few moments later, HwaYoung returned with two bowls, handing one to Hyeon before sitting across from him. "You know, you don't always have to carry everything by yourself," he said, breaking the silence.
Hyeon glanced up at him, swirling his spoon through the ice cream. "I know but, it's not every time that you're best friend since birth tells you he likes you."
"What's wrong with Chris liking you? By the looks of it you like him too." HwaYoung said.
"But that doesn't matter, the only thing that matters is our friendship. I don't ever want to lose Chris, that's why I don't want to date him". Hyeon stated.
"I want him to be with me forever, so if we end up dating and we break up things won't be the same."
"So you think hiding your feelings and pushing Chris away will make things better?" Hwa asked.
Hyeon took a bite of his ice cream and nodded, "But what if Chris finds someone else to like and forgets about you?" Hwa asked.
Hyeon froze mid-bite, the thought of Chris moving on hitting him harder than he expected. He set his spoon down, staring at the half-melted ice cream in his bowl. "I don't know," he admitted softly. "I guess I never thought about that."
HwaYoung leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "It's a risk either way, Hyeon. Whether you date or not, things can change. But pushing him away without being honest about how you feel? That's a sure way to lose him."
Hyeon sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just... I don't want to mess it up. Chris is the one constant in my life, the one person I can always count on. If I lose that, I don't know what I'd do."
HwaYoung nodded thoughtfully. "But what if dating him doesn't mean losing him? What if it means getting closer, building something even stronger than what you have now?"
Hyeon looked up, uncertainty clouding his features. "But what if it doesn't? What if it all goes wrong and he hates me?"
HwaYoung smiled softly. "That's the thing about relationships, Hyeon. There are no guarantees. But keeping your feelings locked up inside and pretending everything is fine? That's a surefire way to let fear control your life."
Hyeon didn't say anything for a while, just sat there, his mind racing with all the possibilities. The thought of Chris finding someone else, of drifting apart, scared him more than anything. But the idea of being with him, of taking that leap... it terrified him too.
"I don't know what to do," Hyeon finally whispered.
HwaYoung reached across the table and placed a comforting hand on Hyeon's shoulder. "You don't have to figure it out right now. But just remember, you deserve to be happy, Hyeon. Don't let fear be the reason you miss out on something good."
Hyeon nodded, his chest feeling a little lighter. Maybe he didn't have all the answers, but at least he knew one thing—he couldn't keep hiding from his feelings forever.
TBC