Come Back

“Don’t people usually watch movies on dates? I think anyone would love it here if they came over.”

“Hmm… most of the people I dated were foreigners. Even when we watched movies together, there weren’t many opportunities to invite them over and watch here.”

“Oh…”

Hong-seo nodded, lightly stroking his arm under his short sleeve. So he mostly dated foreigners. That probably felt safer.

He thought back to the man he had seen at the last party—a foreigner, someone who exuded a vibe of growing up in a similar world to Haesung’s. Had Haesung always dated people like that? If so, why did he choose someone like him this time—someone who was neither a foreigner nor from a similar background?

Questions bubbled up inside, but they were difficult to put into words.

“Take a seat.”

Haesung gestured toward the sofa in front of the screen. The sofa was deep, with high, soft backrests, and just the right length for one or two people to comfortably enjoy a movie together. It was clear the space wasn’t meant for hosting a crowd.

“So, how did you choose that movie? It’s quite old.”

“It’s a classic. I’ve always wanted to see it at least once.”

“……”

“And the title…”

His words trailed off, a bit nervous. Even though he was trying to gather the courage, saying something like this still didn’t come easy.

As he was standing there, connecting the projector to the streaming platform, Haesung looked down at him, one eyebrow raised, as if he couldn’t believe it.

“You wanted to watch *Love Story* with me because of the title?”

“Yes.”

Even though he couldn’t bring himself to say it first, he at least wanted to answer honestly when Haesung asked. As he nodded in confirmation, a warm smile spread across Haesung’s face. Then, as if something had crossed his mind, his expression shifted, and he narrowed his brows, gesturing toward the screen with the remote.

“But you know how it ends, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

After pressing his lips together for a moment, he shrugged playfully.

“Well, we’re going to have a happy ending.”

Just as Haesung was searching for *Love Story* in the movie list, there was a knock at the door.

It was Kang, the chief of staff, bringing drinks himself. As he entered, Hong-seo, feeling flustered, stood up.

“Excuse me.”

Kang placed the drinks on the table, and Hong-seo waited until he straightened up, then gave a small bow.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy this.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Haesung had personally escorted him in and out before, so he rarely crossed paths with the other staff. It seemed Haesung had arranged things that way to make him feel more comfortable. But since he had formally introduced Kang to him, they had at least seen each other before. Still, the awkwardness was hard to shake.

Noticing Hong-seo’s discomfort, Haesung smiled with a hint of amusement.

“Try to get friendly with Chief Kang. You’ll be seeing each other a lot.”

“I’ll make sure you feel comfortable,” Kang replied with polite formality, making Hong-seo break out in a slight sweat. He had no idea how to navigate a relationship with someone who worked in his boyfriend’s household; it felt as challenging as meeting a partner’s parents.

“Uh… thank you. I look forward to it.”

Unconsciously, Hong-seo edged closer to Haesung. Little by little, the distance closed until he was touching Haesung’s arm, gripping his elbow.

Watching him cling to him nervously in front of the unfamiliar figure seemed to amuse Haesung, who looked down at him with a barely restrained smile.

“Is Kang scaring you? He does look a little intimidating.”

“No! I didn’t say that!”

Worried Kang might misunderstand, Hong-seo emphatically waved his hands in denial. Yet, he didn’t let go of Haesung’s arm.

“I understand. If I were to be honest, the Vice President here is probably the scarier one.”

Hong-seo couldn’t help but laugh, even though Kang’s face remained perfectly expressionless.

“Think of me as a hotel butler,” he said before leaving, which finally let Hong-seo relax his shoulders.

“You stayed so close to me while Kang was here…”

Haesung glanced down at the now-empty spot beside him, looking slightly disappointed. Catching his meaning, Hong-seo, feeling bashful, turned the conversation in another direction, scolding him.

“Why did you say that earlier?”

“Hmm? Say what?”

“Saying that Kang looked scary…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. Kang doesn’t mind; he and I joke around so you can get comfortable more easily.”

With a casual smile, he put the remote on the table. The opening screen of *Love Story* was already displayed on the screen. Sitting down beside him, Haesung used a different remote to dim the lights.

“Chief Kang prepared a tea that’s good for reducing puffiness since you’ve got a schedule tomorrow. It’s probably best we both avoid alcohol tonight anyway.”

“Really? I feel bad for making him go to that trouble. I didn’t even thank him properly…”

Looking as if he were about to dash out of the room to find Kang, Haesung pressed him gently back into his seat and placed a large tumbler of tea in his hand. The tea was prepared in a generous, chilled portion, perfect for sipping throughout the movie.

“Kang’s just doing his job. No need to get so anxious each time. Go on, try it.”

“Please, tell him I really appreciated it, okay?”

“Alright.”

“I mean it, Vice President. You have to.”

Haesung turned toward him, his face full of amusement, as Hongseo, who rarely initiated physical contact, held onto his collar, trying to get a promise. Haesung leaned in, his face coming close.

“Of course. How could I ignore something you ask of me? So, shall we start the movie?”

Now that the tension brought on by Chief Kang was gone, a different kind of tension filled the space—the nervous excitement of watching a movie alone together in a dim room. This tension was so thick and close that even his breathing quieted on its own.

“What do you say about a woman who died at twenty-five?”

The film began with a shot of a man’s back, looking out over a wide, snowy field.

It was a classic tearjerker romance, with a famous OST that’s still referenced and shown in clips on various broadcasts today. Even though the storyline was simple, the captivating performances by the actors who carried it along had earned the film a place on his “must-watch” list.

The 90-minute runtime passed by quicker than he expected, without the boredom he had worried about.

The movie ended where it had begun, returning to the opening scene. The cyclical structure, though considered a bit clichéd nowadays, seemed to hint that even though one of them was no longer in the world, their love would repeat endlessly, never truly ending.

“It left more of an impression than I thought.”

Haesung’s voice carried a note of surprise. Hongseo nodded enthusiastically in agreement. He’d gotten so drawn in halfway through that half of the tea Kang had prepared was still left in his cup.

“I’d avoided it until now, thinking it’d be a typical tearjerker that forced sadness. Of course, it’s not the freshest story by today’s standards, but it was still different from what I expected. What did you think, Hongseo?”

“I was actually looking forward to that famous scene where they run through the snow together. I was a bit disappointed because it doesn’t really play a special role in the plot… but watching them in that moment, you could feel how full of happiness and love they were… Even though it didn’t add much to the story, you could just tell how much they loved each other. It made me think, ‘So this is what it means for acting to fill in the gaps of a story.’ It’s amazing to think they could create that feeling without actually being in love…”

Listening intently, Haesung turned fully toward him, saying, “I guess because you’re an actor, you really focus on the performances.”

“I’m not quite an actor yet…”

Comments from earlier in the day came back to him. They had dismissed his talent, mocked him, and accused him of using his body to secure roles. It hurt to think of the way people assumed things about him. Even though he’d had to comply with Chairman Myung’s demands, he’d never exchanged his body for roles. Not to mention, as a high-ranking executive, Chairman Myung didn’t even see the network contacts as potential clients. But he never got a chance to explain that. Truth wasn’t what they were interested in anyway.

“I think you’re being way too modest. You’ve earned respect for your talent. Most of all, Director Kang, who never compromises on his work, chose you—be confident in that.”

Hongseo tried to focus on Haesung’s words. He didn’t want anything to ruin this moment.

Even though the movie had ended, neither of them made a move to get up. It was like they were reluctant to part, lingering together in the same spot like any other couple.

Sitting with his right arm draped over the back of the sofa, Haesung turned completely toward Hongseo and gently took his hand with his left.

“If you can stay a bit longer… would you help me pick out a tie?”

“A tie?”

“I’ve got an important appointment tomorrow, but I haven’t picked a tie yet. I don’t think I’ll be able to decide without your help.”

Hongseo glanced at his watch. His manager had gone home, and he was planning to take a cab back anyway. There was no one to question him for getting home late because of his meeting with Haesung. More than anything, he simply didn’t want to leave just yet.

“Yes, that’s fine. I can stay a bit longer.”

He said it clearly, looking him straight in the eyes, without any hint of shyness.