Idol of the Heavenly One - Chapter 97.1
After the music video reaction shoot ended, we returned to the dorm.
In the car on the way back, while everyone else dozed off or quietly fiddled with their phones, I kept glancing at Baek Jae-heon sitting beside me. I felt like I needed to say something, but the words spun around only in my head. Baek Jae-heon seemed similar, stealing glances at me repeatedly.
When we arrived at the dorm, everyone went to their respective rooms. The manager moved our luggage, and a small commotion broke out in the next room over about who would shower first. Listening to that, we entered our room side by side. As soon as the door closed, silence greeted us.
We looked at each other at the same time. Who would speak first? Those few seconds felt unusually long. Then, simultaneously, we spoke.
“Baek Jae-heon.”
“Myeong-hyeon.”
A hush fell. I smiled awkwardly and waved my hand.
“You go first.”
Normally, Baek Jae-heon would have said, ‘No, you go first,’ and yielded. But today, he nodded.
“I’ll speak first.”
Instead of his usual indifferent expression, Baek Jae-heon’s face held an unusual tension and anxiety. Somehow, that made me feel impatient too.
“…I’m sorry.”
That single phrase came so suddenly that I blinked.
“The thing about telling you to see other girls before.”
Baek Jae-heon’s voice trembled slightly.
“I… don’t think I can.”
For a moment, I didn’t understand what he meant. I just watched quietly, and he took a breath before continuing.
“You’ve… never been with anyone else. I was scared that if I told you to only look at me, you’d get tired of me quickly. I really thought I could wait. I thought it would be fine as long as you were there. But…”
Baek Jae-heon lowered his gaze while speaking.
“But… I can’t.”
His voice dropped further.
“I thought I could wait, but I can’t. Even seeing you with someone else, I just can’t do anything. Really, nothing at all…”
I was a little surprised. This was probably the first time Baek Jae-heon had spoken so long and honestly about his feelings. Even when he told stories about past lives, he had been calm, like someone watching an old movie and recounting it as if all emotions were gone.
But now, he was catching his breath with a trembling voice. The sight felt unfamiliar and strangely endearing. So I just stepped closer and hugged him.
At first, silently, I slowly ran my hands down Baek Jae-heon’s back. He seemed momentarily surprised but soon hugged me tightly. I felt the tension in his arms, a mix of apology, relief, and a hint of fear.
“I’m sorry.”
He rested his forehead on my shoulder and whispered.
“…Can we pretend I didn’t say that?”
Despite the cautious tone, the slightly childish remark made me chuckle softly as I rested my head on his shoulder.
“Okay. Alright.”
Baek Jae-heon exhaled as if relieved. He held me for a moment longer before finally asking.
“But earlier, you were going to say something too. What was it?”
“Ah…”
I hesitated briefly. What I had meant to say was similar: ‘Don’t say that. I don’t want to be with anyone else. I only like you.’ I had planned to say something along those lines, but since he apologized first, I didn’t need to.
Yet Baek Jae-heon kept asking.
“What was it? I’m curious.”
He looked down at me with a slightly softer expression than before. I thought for a moment, then tilted my head playfully.
“But… have you been with someone else?”
Earlier, Baek Jae-heon had said, ‘You’ve never been with anyone else.’ So I wondered, had he been with someone? Well, even if he had, it wouldn’t really matter… or would it? Thinking about him being with someone else… hmm, it does matter. I pulled away from the hug to avoid answering.
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