The hotel room was just a standard king-size room, not the legendary presidential suite. This saved Eun Chul-woo the trouble of looking for a room everywhere.

He threw Kim Min-kyung onto the bed and lay beside him, panting heavily.

Unfortunately, Kim Min-kyung had drunk too much. The springs in the mattress seemed to bounce into his stomach, and he threw up with a “wah.”

Eun Chul-woo: “…”

It was past one in the morning. Eun Chul-woo called the hotel staff to change the bedding, while he dragged Kim Min-kyung into the bathroom and stripped him clean. The warm shower water poured down, and the dazed young master finally sobered up a little.

“Junior?”

“Wash yourself,” Eun Chul-woo stuffed the shower head into Kim Min-kyung’s hand and stood aside.

He was so embarrassed he didn’t know where to look. He wanted to go out, but he was afraid the other would slip and fall, breaking a bone.

Graduation season was a very busy time for students, especially for musical actors like them. If a physical injury affected their performance, it would be a loss no matter their family background.

“Oh…” Kim Min-kyung obediently nodded, standing in the shower and swaying as he washed himself. He showed no shame in being naked in front of Eun Chul-woo.

But he looked very good.

Like a mermaid just out of the water.

Eun Chul-woo waited for more than ten minutes, which felt like an eternity. When the shower stopped, he felt as if he had been granted amnesty. He quickly threw a bath towel to Kim Min-kyung. “…Senior, go to bed early. I’ll go buy you some clothes.”

He was about to leave in a hurry.

“Wait,” Kim Min-kyung called out to him. “I’ll just have the driver bring new clothes. He’ll bring them when he picks me up tomorrow morning.”

Oh, right.

Eun Chul-woo had always done things himself and had never thought of this. He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “That’s good. You seem to be much better, senior. If there’s nothing else, then I’ll…”

“Wait.”

Eun Chul-woo was about to ask what else the other wanted, but the next second, a pair of still-wet arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

Kim Min-kyung’s voice was gentle, with a pitiful tone. “Junior, I’ve already graduated. We’ll have fewer chances to meet in the future. Can you stay and accompany me tonight?”

He said “can you” and “may I,” but his arms were as tight as chains. Eun Chul-woo could barely breathe. As smart as he was, he instantly understood what Kim Min-kyung meant.

If you asked him if he had a good impression of Kim Min-kyung, of course he did. But if you asked him if they had reached the point of dating and sleeping together, Eun Chul-woo would say no.

They had only known each other for a little over a year. During these days, Eun Chul-woo had spent at least 80% of his energy on his personal studies and club activities. The relationship between him and Kim Min-kyung was more like friends with benefits, not yet lovers.

He didn’t think that rushing into a relationship would be of any benefit to them, especially for himself. To love as he pleased, what a luxurious power…

Eun Chul-woo’s silence made Kim Min-kyung feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. His arms tightened. “You don’t like me?”

Eun Chul-woo didn’t know how to answer.

Kim Min-kyung: “You don’t like me, or you don’t like men, or you’re afraid to like men?”

Eun Chul-woo sighed. “…You’re drunk, I won’t argue with you. Go to sleep. If you still remember what happened tonight when you wake up, we’ll talk then.”

Kim Min-kyung: “If we’re going to talk, let’s talk now.”

Eun Chul-woo: “You’re not sober now.”

Kim Min-kyung: “I’ve always been sober.”

Eun Chul-woo: “If you were sober, you wouldn’t have chosen to say this after getting drunk, Kim Min-kyung!”

Kim Min-kyung was stunned.

Eun Chul-woo closed his eyes and said slowly, “Kim Min-kyung, we’re afraid of the same things, right? You know my family. For me now, the most important things are my future and my income. I haven’t even graduated yet… I mean, not everyone can accept homosexuality. I don’t want to add too many uncertain factors to my future… Your family, they should care too, right?”

“They’ll accept it,” Kim Min-kyung said.

“Have you asked them?” Eun Chul-woo smiled bitterly. “You’re an only son, right? When can a person who needs to rely on their parents to live a good life make decisions for their parents?”

He pushed Kim Min-kyung. “Let me go, calm down.”

Kim Min-kyung didn’t move and held him tighter. “I’m very calm.”

Eun Chul-woo struggled. “You’re not calm, Kim Min-kyung! Let go!”

Kim Min-kyung got angry and turned Eun Chul-woo to face him. “Fine, I’m not calm. I’ll show you what I’m like when I’m not calm!”

He pinched Eun Chul-woo’s chin and kissed him. The passionate kiss still had the smell of hotel mint toothpaste. This was Eun Chul-woo’s first kiss. He was terrified. He didn’t expect Kim Min-kyung to suddenly do this to him.

This kiss was experienced and skillful. Eun Chul-woo was no match for him and was kissed into a mess. A surge of anger erupted from the bottom of his heart.

A noble son falls in love with a poor boy. If it’s sincere, why not talk about it when everyone is sober, instead of making a scene like this?

But Kim Min-kyung had his own things to worry about.

Eun Chul-woo’s words were not unexpected. The other cared about many things, and all of them were more important than him.

He was in his junior year of university and was about to go abroad for further studies. His parents had already arranged everything for him. He could be an actor or do something else. As long as he didn’t waste his talent, he could do whatever he wanted.

Once he went abroad, he didn’t know how many years he would have to stay. He could wait, but could Eun Chul-woo?

What if he met someone he liked after he started working? What if other seniors and he ate lunch together? What if his boss at the theater company introduced his daughter to him, would Eun Chul-woo agree?

He assumed the worst of Eun Chul-woo. This was indeed not good, but what if? Who could afford to gamble on this kind of thing?

In any case, Kim Min-kyung couldn’t.

He had to get what he wanted. Even if he couldn’t get it now, at least he had to make sure he couldn’t lose it. So some methods, he had to…

Smack!

Kim Min-kyung’s kiss was too sudden, like an emperor bestowing a favor on a servant, coming out of nowhere, without even asking if the other was willing.

This was beyond Eun Chul-woo’s limit. So he slapped Kim Min-kyung.

This slap was a bit sudden and very loud. Both Eun Chul-woo and Kim Min-kyung were stunned.

Eun Chul-woo suddenly felt that he was too impulsive. In an instant, his mind was filled with a flurry of thoughts like a revolving lantern.

For example, his parents, his younger siblings, his studies, his future, his prospects…

After all, with Kim Min-kyung’s family background, crushing him was as simple as crushing an ant. Even in the industry, the other didn’t have to crush him, there were a hundred ways to make his life a living hell.

Everyone has a scale in their heart. When something happens, everything you have, everything you have paid, everything you may get in the future… all these things will become weights of different sizes, for you to add and subtract in your heart.

So, the hazy feelings and small palpitations that had arisen in the past year seemed so insignificant and light as a feather in front of the weight of reality.

Eun Chul-woo immediately regretted it.

Why did I become friends with him?

He didn’t make friends for personal gain. He didn’t want anything from Kim Min-kyung, but he didn’t want trouble either.

This slap was not light. His cheek was stinging. Kim Min-kyung licked his cheek with his tongue and suddenly laughed.

It was hard to say how he felt. He had been hit before, so he should have been angry. But unexpectedly, Kim Min-kyung actually felt that Eun Chul-woo had hit him so well.

Hit me, Kim Min-kyung thought.

What I’m about to say won’t make you happy either, but it doesn’t matter, as long as I achieve my goal.

So without a word of “I like you” or an apology, Kim Min-kyung directly asked him, “You want to be a musical actor, right?”

Eun Chul-woo was not sure what he was going to do and said nothing.

Kim Min-kyung didn’t mind. He buried his face in Eun Chul-woo’s neck and kissed him passionately. “Chul-woo-ah, be my boyfriend. I’ll give you an internship opportunity at the top theater company, how about it?”

An internship opportunity at the top theater company was an opportunity that only outstanding graduates from top art schools had the right to compete for. From high school to graduating from university two years later, Eun Chul-woo would have to work hard for many years to barely get a qualification to compete. But such an internship opportunity was just a casual sentence from Kim Min-kyung.

Sure enough.

Eun Chul-woo thought, in the heart of this young master, whether he likes it or not, whether they are together or not, all of it, he has no choice.

Since that was the case, Eun Chul-woo said lightly, “Okay, but I can get the internship opportunity at the top theater company even without you. It’s just a matter of waiting for 2 years. So I’ll only be your boyfriend for two years. And… I only accept underground relationships. No one can find out. Is that okay? Senior Min-kyung.”

Kim Min-kyung pulled at the corner of his lips. “Don’t worry, I’ll be going abroad for a while. No one will find out about us.”

Eun Chul-woo: “That’s good.”

In order to make the “deal” seem more sincere, Eun Chul-woo stayed the night. They only did it once, but Kim Min-kyung was very good at tormenting people. Eun Chul-woo was almost exhausted to death.

From then on, this kind of thing would happen every few days.

They would usually meet on Fridays. When Eun Chul-woo confirmed that he had no activities on the weekend, he would take the subway to a subway station a few kilometers away from the school and get into Kim Min-kyung’s car.

Kim Min-kyung would take him to top-tier restaurants, watch movies in a very private private cinema, soak in a double massage bathtub, sleep in a presidential suite, and do it almost all night.

At first, Eun Chul-woo’s body was stiff and he was not used to it. Later, he thought it through. Since he had to do it anyway, he might as well be more proactive. After he took the initiative a few times, he got a taste of it.

The two of them were like conjoined twins, doing it when they woke up and sleeping when they were tired. They were as familiar with each other’s bodies as they were with their own, but there were rarely any soft words of love. After all, it was not a close relationship that came from the heart.

About half a year later, Kim Min-kyung went to the United States to develop according to his parents’ arrangement, while Eun Chul-woo continued to stay in Korea to complete his studies.

They said they would be a couple for two years, but in reality, they were separated most of the time. Kim Min-kyung would only come back on Christmas or when he wasn’t busy, but he was rarely not busy.

Every time they met, Kim Min-kyung was like a mad dog, constantly marking Eun Chul-woo.

When Eun Chul-woo couldn’t take it anymore, he would curse at him and even slap him twice, but it had little effect. That guy would only get more excited.

When he was so dizzy he couldn’t see, Eun Chul-woo would also think, is this guy thinner? He must be very tired, right? What is he busy with? But he never asked.

As for the time they didn’t meet, the two of them didn’t know how to get along.

Because there was no natural process of falling in love, one was abroad and the other was in the country. Their social circles no longer intersected, and they had no common friends, so they had nothing to say.

If you add the time difference and their respective busy academic tasks, there was even less to say.

Eun Chul-woo would often reply to Kim Min-kyung’s messages several hours later. They called even less, and they had to make an appointment together. When they finally had time for a video call, they would always just stare at each other…

Even if they tried to find something to talk about, it would just be awkward.

Talk about love?

Say “I love you”?

It’s just a business relationship.

Talk about studies?

Talk about the future?

For a two-year deal, what’s the point? It’s not certain that there will be a future.

Just like that, even though it hadn’t been two years yet, Eun Chul-woo could already foresee their future. The young master will get tired of such a boring deal, Eun Chul-woo thought.

The day the two-year contract ended was also the day Eun Chul-woo graduated. A lawyer who claimed to be entrusted by Kim Min-kyung sent him a box.

“This is from Mr. Kim Min-kyung. Please open it in person,” the lawyer said.

Strange.

Eun Chul-woo opened the box. Inside was a thin contract and a car key.

Lawyer: “The contract is a couple relationship agreement. Mr. Kim said that the two-year period is up and he wants to renew it with you for another two years.”

“Why?”

Lawyer: “I’m just a lawyer. Drafting the contract was Mr. Kim’s order.”

“Where is he?”

Lawyer: “Mr. Kim is busy. Because he had arranged to come to see you on this day a long time ago, I came over as scheduled. I hope you don’t mind.”

The lawyer added, “Mr. Kim said, you don’t have to worry about the internship opportunity at the top theater company. Just submit your resume as usual, and someone will take care of you. He also said, it’s no fun to just be an intern. With your talent, you should become a leading actor as soon as possible to release your charm in front of the whole country.”

Eun Chul-woo looked down at the contract. “So that’s why he wants to renew?”

The lawyer smiled. “You should ask him.”

Eun Chul-woo thought for a minute and signed the contract. “I won’t ask. He’s not tired of it, and I’m not tired of the benefits. It’s a win-win situation. There’s nothing to ask.”

The lawyer took the contract and handed the car key to Eun Chul-woo. “Mr. Kim said, you’ll need a means of transportation to get back and forth between the theater and home during your internship. Being too tired is not good for your voice. The car is not expensive, just a basic model. I hope you like it.”

Not expensive?

That’s for Kim Min-kyung.

This is a Mercedes-Benz.

Just like that, after another two years, Eun Chul-woo originally thought they would continue their relationship in the same way as the previous two years. Unexpectedly, Kim Min-kyung suddenly disappeared.

In the previous two years, Kim Min-kyung would send Eun Chul-woo a message every day. Although they didn’t talk much, at least there was back and forth.

But this time, Kim Min-kyung would only contact Eun Chul-woo once a month…

No, at first it was once a month, then it became more than a month, two months, and then longer and longer. Eun Chul-woo even guessed that the other was having so much fun in the United States that he had forgotten he still had a contract boyfriend in Korea.

If he doesn’t send me a message, then I don’t need to either, right?

Soon, Eun Chul-woo had no time to think about these things. He successfully entered the top theater company for his internship. Every day, besides practicing, practicing, and practicing like crazy, it was performing, performing, and performing.

Even if I don’t have Kim Min-kyung’s help, I have to stay. With this belief, the already talented Eun Chul-woo became the most dazzling newcomer in the top theater company.

Along with fame, besides love and support, there were also denial, suppression, and trouble.

But none of this mattered to Eun Chul-woo. Even if these things didn’t appear today, they would appear someday in the future. The only thing he was not used to was that when he returned to his rented apartment alone, there was no Kim Min-kyung on his phone to chat with him.

The days passed one by one.

Lonely.

The two-year period was about to end again.

But this time, the lawyer did not appear again.

Eun Chul-woo found his business card and called him. After the lawyer understood the reason for his call, he hesitated for a while. “…Uh, sorry, Mr. Yin, I haven’t been in contact with Mr. Kim for a long time either. The other party didn’t mention anything about renewing the contract with me. Your contract has already been terminated, if you want to ask about this.”

“Maybe Mr. Kim found a new law firm. You can wait and see,” the lawyer kindly added.

“What about the car?” Eun Chul-woo asked.

“Oh, the car,” the lawyer said. “Didn’t you read the agreement carefully? It’s written in the back that it’s a gift to you. You don’t have to return it.”

“Oh…”

After that, that guy Kim Min-kyung seemed to have really disappeared. His IG photos hadn’t been updated in years, and his KKT profile picture hadn’t changed in N years. He seemed to have become a symbol in Eun Chul-woo’s life.

Deeply engraved, unforgettable.

It even gave rise to resentment.

Until a class reunion, a junior with a good family background mentioned that he had heard from his parents that Senior Min-kyung was an actor in Hollywood and also a director. Eun Chul-woo suddenly realized.

So his life is going pretty well…

And here I thought he was dead.

So I was the one who was abandoned…

Later, when Eun Chul-woo was 29, he had become the pillar of the top theater company. He received an invitation from Director Baek backstage at the theater.

That guy Kim Min-kyung had appeared again.

In Eun Chul-woo’s heart, the day of the script reading was his first meeting with Kim Min-kyung after his return, but it was not. At least not for Kim Min-kyung.

Half a year ago, long before Director Baek invited Eun Chul-woo to star in the TV series, Kim Min-kyung had already returned, and it was he who had recommended Eun Chul-woo to Director Baek.

During that time, he went to the theater every day to watch Eun Chul-woo perform. He would only go in just before the show started, wearing sunglasses and a mask, and only sit in the last row, in a corner, the worst seat.

Even so, he was immersed in Eun Chul-woo’s performance every moment, because he had not seen the other for too long, especially this shining Eun Chul-woo.

How many shining moments can a person have in their lifetime? And how long can each shining moment last?

Kim Min-kyung didn’t know about others, but he always felt that Eun Chul-woo was destined to shine on the stage, forever.

He knew he was a selfish person. This selfish personality had started to show signs from a very young age. To put it nicely, it was called advocating freedom, being self-consistent, and focusing on being himself. To put it bluntly, it was disregarding the feelings of others, including family and lovers.

Of course, if he and Eun Chul-woo could be considered lovers.

Back then, Kim Min-kyung had signed a contract with Eun Chul-woo and then went to the United States. At that time, he missed Eun Chul-woo almost every day. Oh, actually, he still did now, otherwise he wouldn’t have come back.

But the way a twenty-something expresses love is different from a thirty-something. He had heard that the human brain is not fully developed until the age of twenty-five. He didn’t know if it was true, but Kim Min-kyung smiled.

Back then, he liked to be possessive. If he wanted something, he had to get it immediately. He just wanted to tie the other to his side, and he was too lazy to be roundabout or use too many delicate and gentle troublesome methods.

At that time, he didn’t think he was wrong, because he thought, I’m so outstanding. My family background, my looks, my body… everything is good. Even if you don’t like me now, or just have a little crush, after a long time, you will still fall in love with me, love me like I love you.

Besides, Eun Chul-woo already liked him a little. Kim Min-kyung was not stupid, he could see it.

In his heart, the binding contract was their bond, it was flirting, it was a joke that they would talk about after they had both achieved success and gone through a lot in a few years.

But he, who was just in his early twenties, had forgotten one thing. If a couple who was already bound by a contract spent 24 hours a day in different countries focusing on achieving success, it would be difficult for such soil to grow happy flowers.

Only the awkwardness of having nothing to say to each other.

Two days was fine, and two months was fine, but two years… Kim Min-kyung couldn’t stand it and started to want to go back to Korea.

His parents strongly opposed.

The second “great war” broke out.

His mother said, “Kim Min-kyung, look at yourself. What do you think love is? What is long-lasting? Is it just two people sticking together and sleeping together every day? You useless thing.”

Kim Min-kyung said, “If I don’t go back now, we won’t even have a chance to be long-lasting.”

“Bullshit! It’s really just the age of hormonal secretion. That kid is younger than you, but he’s much more mature than you,” his mother said with a cold face, her eyes fixed on him.

Kim Min-kyung frowned. “So what? He likes me.”

His mother sneered, “Ha, he likes you? Why does he like you? What kind of Kim Min-kyung touched him, don’t you know? If you go back now, are you sure you two can last? On what? Introduce him to an internship at the theater company? That kid is an eagle, not a canary. Now you feed him two pieces of meat, and he’s grateful. When his wings are strong, he’ll fly away. Kim Min-kyung, I ask you, if he wants to leave in a few years, to a better person, a bigger stage, are you going to watch him fly away, or are you going to break his wings?”

Kim Min-kyung fell silent.

Because he knew his mother was right. If he made Eun Chul-woo choose between a bright future and Kim Min-kyung, Eun Chul-woo would definitely not choose him. This was also the reason why he was so eager to go back.

“Min-kyung-ah…” his mother’s tone softened as she held his hand. “Promise me, don’t waste your talent, okay? You’re just like that kid, you’re both born to be in the spotlight on stage. Think about it again, don’t make a hasty decision.”

Kim Min-kyung thought for a long time. He didn’t count the time carefully, but it was at least a few months.

During this time, he hardly contacted Eun Chul-woo. On the one hand, he was afraid that he would be impulsive, because he was an impulsive person. On the other hand, he also wanted to see how Eun Chul-woo would react if he suddenly lost contact with him.

Unfortunately, there was no reaction.

Eun Chul-woo was really hardworking, tirelessly walking on the road of progress, non-stop. Whether Kim Min-kyung contacted him or not would not affect his schedule.

He’s really ambitious, Kim Min-kyung thought.

For a child who grew up in that kind of family, the first thing in life was always money, success, and hard work. Love was a luxury, a seasoning that only rich and idle people could enjoy. Eun Chul-woo seemed to have never strongly expected this kind of thing.

If I want such a Eun Chul-woo to not be able to leave me, I have to always be one step ahead of him, and let him look up to me.

Money, if he leaves his parents, he has none.

Status, he, who was just in his late teens, also had none.

He had been too lazy in the past, with talent but not using it. He always felt that just being alive was enough. Today, he was starting to regret it.

Eun Chul-woo was right. He was a person who needed to rely on his parents to live a good life. Such a him could not give Eun Chul-woo a sense of security.

The contract was no longer important, because Kim Min-kyung knew that in a few years, Eun Chul-woo would have the strength and confidence to refuse to renew the contract.

Just like that, he decided to tie Eun Chul-woo in another way, and that was to become the person that Eun Chul-woo would spend his whole life chasing and looking up to.

So, a few years later, Director Baek had the opportunity to introduce Kim Min-kyung to everyone on the day of the script reading: “This is a Hollywood actor and director, a rising star with unlimited potential.”

Chul-woo-ah, Kim Min-kyung thought, senior gave you a few years of opportunity, but you didn’t find a boyfriend yourself. Since I caught you for the second time, don’t blame senior for being a selfish ghost.

(End of this extra)