DASH

Filming resumed. Jaekyung kept his promise. So much so that during the entire filming he said only a few words: "Yes", "No", "I don't know", "Maybe".

Jihong, feeling that he had to compensate for Jaekyung's silence, answered questions twice as hard and reacted actively. Thanks to this, Inyeop even "praised" him, saying that he looked like a fake spectator. However, this had consequences.

Due to the constant tension, Jihon began to get sick again. As a result, during a short break before the final part of filming, he took another pill. Fortunately, the nausea was gone, but the throbbing in his temples did not subside. Suddenly, his eyes darkened, and he decided to skip the final interview and head to the foyer.

"Hyung, are you sure you're okay?" Jaekyung, who followed him, asked several times. He almost knelt down in front of Jihong sitting on the couch: "Hyun, look at me.

"It's all right. Go quickly, give an interview," Jihong waved off, raising his head with difficulty.

He asked Jaekyung to take his time and speak twice as long, for himself and for him. But the stubborn man snapped, "No, I have nothing to tell.

He then sat down next to Jihon and turned to Lucas, "Keep an eye on him. If anything happens, call Min.

"Okay, okay, don't worry.

Lucas nodded vigorously. Jaekyung, with a worried face, went into the studio with Min-woo. As soon as he was out of sight, the young man asked, "Honey, do you want some cold water?"

Without waiting for an answer, he poured water and handed it to Jihon. He drank a few sips and returned the glass, adding restrainedly, more politely, "I guess you and Jaekyung got on quite well.

Lucas closed the bottle, chuckling awkwardly and somewhat embarrassedly, "Ah, haha...

Jihon thought that this embarrassment was not accidental, and he was not mistaken. After a few seconds of hesitation, the guy finally said, "I... I... A few days ago, he confessed to Jaekyung... in love.

"Oh, really...?" Jihon could only squeeze this out of surprise. He was surprised by many things: the fact that Lucas had finally confessed, and the fact that Jaekyung had kept silent about it. But most of all, he was struck by what he decided to share with him.

"But... But he immediately refused me! Lucas blurted out quickly. "He said he already had a boyfriend, that he... He loves someone else and can't be with anyone else!

Lucas defended Jaekyung desperately, as if he was afraid that Jihong would misunderstand him. Jihon, embarrassed by such a detailed explanation, muttered, "Ah... Got it.

— Yes, yes. Jaekyung said he had a boyfriend," Lucas repeated.

While Jihon was wondering how to react and whether he needed to be comforted, Lucas continued quietly, "But... I... I already knew that Jaekyung had a second half.

"Oh, really?" Jihon said mechanically again. Realizing that all he had been saying all this time was "Oh, really?", he tried to come up with a more meaningful reaction.

— Yes. So am I... I know who it is.

Jihong could not use the invented answer and simply closed his mouth. Seeing this, Lucas hurriedly added, "That's why I expected a refusal.

"I see," Jihong kept up the conversation somehow, leaning forward and turning slightly: "But why did you confess then?"@@novelbin@@

Jihon tried to be as gentle as possible so that Lucas wouldn't think he was judging him. The guy seemed to understand his sincere curiosity and, stammering, answered:

"I came to Korea to confess my feelings to Jaekyung. I wanted to tell him that I liked him, and for this I learned the language, although I understood that it was not mutual.

He planned to do this from the very beginning, and, despite everything, he fulfilled his plan. He knew that Jaekyung already had a loved one, that he would be rejected, but he still didn't change his mind.

"Weren't you afraid?" Jihon asked quietly.

"Yes, it was!" Lucas exclaimed, as if he had been waiting for this question. "Very, very scary!"

He stamped his foot, but a smile lit up his face.

"I kept wondering, 'What should I do? Should I say it or not?" But on the other hand, if I hadn't opened up, I would definitely regret it.

Lucas was still smiling, though there were tears in his eyes. But in the next moment, the smile became even wider. And he continued excitedly, "It hurt me when Jaekyung gave a firm 'no' and apologized. But... It became easier. "That's it, the end! I did everything I could! Now I feel good." - These are the thoughts that ran through my head.

Perhaps he meant that he felt relieved. That he had no regrets left.

"But... I thought I should tell you that I confessed my love to Jaekyung.

Lucas's voice became quiet again. He spoke with his head bowed, like a guilty child. Probably, the guy understood that by remaining honest with himself, he could hurt others.

If Jaekyung had cheated on Jihon with him, it would have been a different matter. However, Jaekyung gave a clear answer. So the incident is over. And Jihong did not want to stir up the past.

"Good. Thanks for sharing.

Lucas seemed to be very worried, so Jihon's words of gratitude encouraged him visibly. The young man's face immediately lit up, and he began to stammer: "I... I like Honey. It's clear why Jaekyung loves you. I like you too. You are cool and kind. I want you and Jaekyung to be happy together.

Jihon finally understood why Lucas had come here. Looking at the shooting is just a pretext. Most likely, the guy was waiting for an opportunity to tell him this. After all, tomorrow he flies back to Australia.

Jihong couldn't help but smile as he ran his hand over his face, "I'm not that cool. It seems to me that you are much braver and cooler than me.

Jihong admired how a person could be so honest and brave. Just like Kwon Jaekyung.

"Perhaps it's because he's young," Jihon thought, covering his face with his hands. "Was I like that at twenty? No, definitely not. Then, probably, this is innate. Brave, honest people who follow their beliefs, no matter what, they are probably born that way. Does this mean that I will live my whole life as a coward?.."

«… Now Jihong covered his face with both hands and began to justify himself to himself: "If there are such people, then there must be those who are careful, compromise and live in their own way. You need to live the way you can. I don't bother anyone."

As Jihong pondered, his body leaned forward more and more, as if he was about to fall, but due to the incessant dizziness, he didn't even realize it.

"Honey, are you okay?" Lucas asked worriedly.

"No, it's not okay," Jihon replied to himself. This time it was different. He instinctively knew that he was in a dangerous state.

"What should I do?" he thought, keeping his hands on his face. "The ambulance... No, if you call an ambulance, there will be too much noise. We need to take a taxi. Only emergency departments are open during this time. Go to a university or multidisciplinary hospital...? Which one is the closest here...?"

He had to move out immediately, before Jaekyung returned, but he couldn't move. It seemed to him that he would fall as soon as he got up.

It was at this moment...

"Hyung," Jaekyung's voice came above his head. "Can you hear me?"

— … Yes," Jihon replied quietly.

"Can you get up?"

"Not now... Later.

Jihon wanted to ask to wait five minutes or at least two, but he didn't have time. At the same moment, the body rose above the ground. It seemed to Jihon that he lost consciousness for a moment. But the voice that came next to him brought him back to reality.

"We're going to the hospital. Right now. Jaekyung blurted out anxiously, holding Jihon in his arms.