Come Back

As soon as Choi Hong-seo entered the room, he almost ran straight to his bedroom. During past overseas trips, he always shared a standard hotel room with two members and one manager, but this time, for some reason, a suite with two bedrooms and a living room had been prepared.

However, the suite alone wasn’t enough, so they had to book another room, but everyone, including the members and managers, was happy with the comfortable 2-person-per-room arrangement.

Choi Hong-seo locked the bedroom door and went to the window, distanced from the door, before calling Lee Hae-seong. The call was quickly connected.

**[You worry too much. I bet you’re still restless.]**

As soon as he picked up, Lee Hae-seong’s voice, mixed with laughter, greeted him.

“Should I delete it now?”

**[No need to do that.]**

“People are thinking it’s strange and guessing things since I’m using a phone that hasn’t even been officially announced yet. Is this really okay? Aren’t you going to get in trouble at the company?”

**[Me? Get in trouble? Who would scold me?]**

He replied in a puzzled tone.

“You said before that it’s not like you do whatever you want at the company, like people think.”

**[Ah… Well… that’s true, but no one’s scolding me either.]**

“…”

**[And the company is actually happy about it. They said the reaction is much quicker compared to giving the product to IT influencers and having them write reviews. At one point, our team even talked about making a commercial with you as the model.]**

“Really… is it okay?”

**[Of course. If it was a problem, I would have told you to be careful beforehand.]**

“Well, that’s a relief…”

Choi Hong-seo’s voice relaxed as he felt a sense of relief. It was then that he noticed the view outside the window. A winding river flowed not far from there. It was a small stream that flowed into the Saigon River.

**[Were you that worried I’d get in trouble?]**

“…No.”

**[Sure, sure.]**

Though he tried to act calm after the fact, Lee Hae-seong wasn’t fooled. He could vividly picture Choi Hong-seo’s face, showing a cute expression, and he found himself wanting to see him in person.

Choi Hong-seo plopped down onto the sofa by the window and leaned his head against the high backrest. Now, he wanted to take his time and enjoy the conversation with him.

“The phone… the members were really jealous.”

He said that if it were released on the market right now, wealthy early adopters would pay more than double the price to get it. The members were all excited about it. However, he thought it wasn’t necessary to mention that part since he wasn’t going to sell it.

**[Really? When it’s officially released, I’ll have to gift one to the members too.]**

“You don’t have to. The accommodations are enough.”

**[How’s the phone? Is it uncomfortable to use?]**

“I usually just use my phone for calls and messaging, but considering that, I adapted quickly after switching.”

**[I’m glad to hear that. I was worried I might have made a bad gift choice since you were so used to your old phone.]**

“It’s really easy to use.”

“…”

“From now on… I’ll only use ARA phones.”

A brief silence followed. Feeling awkward in the silence, Choi Hong-seo absentmindedly rubbed his knees. As he was about to say something, Lee Hae-seong muttered seriously.

**[You’re so cute, I could die.]**

“What’s cute about what you just said?”

**[Everything about it. It’s annoyingly cute.]**

“It’s not because of you. It’s because the ARA phone is comfortable to use… that’s why I said I’d keep using it.”

The nickname “ajussi” (uncle) had now become quite natural. It was funny how just changing his title from vice president to “ajussi” made him feel closer.

Expressing his feelings was easier now, and it also made it easier to act a bit spoiled like this.

Between them, “ajussi” was no longer just a formal term but had become a special nickname of sorts.

**[It’s so reassuring that Choi Hong-seo from Layered is using our phone. Thanks to your popular boyfriend, we’ll get great publicity, huh?]**

“Earlier, you said I might already have a possessive boyfriend. But now you’re saying you’re my boyfriend? Isn’t that a plot hole?”

Choi Hong-seo made a dry joke, but Lee Hae-seong laughed, clearly enjoying himself.

**[Can we talk a little longer? I have about 10 minutes before my next meeting.]**

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

**[I got the gift I mentioned last time. The original poster for *Love Story*. I just wanted to show you.]**

“Wow, you got it faster than I thought.”

[You mentioned you got it from an auction in Mexico or Brazil… Anyway, it was lucky. I think the poster will arrive just in time for Hong-seo’s return. Even though it’s a more recent movie, it’s actually harder to find *City of Angels*.]

Hearing him talk about movies with such enthusiasm, Choi Hong-seo quietly smiled, completely letting go of his concerns about the phone.

After they watched a movie together for the first time, Lee Hae-seong had said he wanted to collect original posters of the movies they watched together.

“We’re going to watch dozens, maybe hundreds, of movies together in the future. I know we won’t be able to collect them all, but… should we try to collect as many as we can?”

It wasn’t just the suggestion to collect posters to commemorate the memories; it was the way he spoke so confidently about watching countless movies together in the future. That certainty made Choi Hong-seo feel even better.

After *Love Story*, they watched *City of Angels* together for the second time in the backseat of his car. He had a rough idea of the plot, but since he hadn’t looked up any spoilers in detail, the movie had left Choi Hong-seo feeling heavy for several days. It was a film he chose because he thought the premise was interesting…

**[Is there any new news from you, Hong-seo?]**

“We talk and message every day, but there’s nothing really… new.”

**[Your voice is slowing down, so there must be something.]**

“Well, actually, I’m writing new lyrics these days.”

**[That’s good news! I like your lyrics, Hong-seo.]**

He even checked who the lyricist and composer were. Choi Hong-seo thought that he might need to officially appoint him as the honorary Casper.

“It’s just two songs, though.”

**[Does it matter how many songs? I especially love the song *Becoming an Adult*. I listen to it often in the car.]**

“In the car?”

**[Yeah. That song always makes me smile. I listen to it when I want to relax or clear my emotions when I’m feeling upset. Plus, it’s a solo track, so I get to hear your voice the whole time. It’s a healing point.]**

Every time he said things like that, Choi Hong-seo still found it amazing and fun.

**[When I was able to open my eyes for the first time while washing my hair… when I pressed the bus stop button by myself… when I could run the washing machine alone… in those moments, we were gradually becoming adults. Ah… I can’t help but agree with that.]**

“You’ve probably never taken a bus or done laundry yourself. Right?”

**[I haven’t used them often, but I have taken the bus and used the washing machine a couple of times.]**

Choi Hong-seo lifted his legs up on the sofa and adjusted his posture to get more comfortable, pressing the phone closer to his ear.

“Wow… Our ‘ajussi’ has taken the bus! That’s impressive. I should give you some praise.”

He made a sound as if scolding a child, but Choi Hong-seo only smiled. It didn’t scare him at all.

**[Looking back, I think I felt much more pride and satisfaction in those moments than when I became the vice president of ARA Electronics… I had forgotten about that feeling for so long. It was as if I had always been an adult, always responsible for something heavy.]**

“…”

**[I like your lyrics because they bring back those feelings. They don’t brag, they don’t try to act cool, and they don’t intentionally try to look beautiful… the lyrics resemble their creator.]**

“You only see me in a good light, don’t you?”

There were many who liked him, but just as many who didn’t. People had called his lyrics childish, said they sounded unrefined, and that he was pretending to be an artist. Even after time had passed, the words were still fresh in his mind, and when he remembered them, his voice naturally dropped in tone.

“I got a lot of criticism for being childish.”

**[It’s not childish, it’s pure. Could you not ignore my taste?]**

“…”

**[You see the little things in such a pure and warm way… I’ve fallen for you again. Every time I listen to it, I fall for you again.]**

He was amazing.

With a single sentence, he could heal the wounds left by hundreds or thousands of people. The boiling hatred from countless people couldn’t reach him, protected by his shield. It felt like there was nothing he couldn’t do.

**[When the lyrics you’re working on are finished, will you show them to me first?]**

“…”

**[Are you nodding right now?]**

“…Yes.”

**[Good, that’s all I needed.]**

He had pretty much gotten his answer, and he said it with a smile.

*Thud, thud, thud.*

He was such a fascinating person.

Choi Hong-seo stretched his neck and turned toward the door. There was a sound, louder than a typical knock—like someone knocking with their fist. The manager was calling for him from outside the door.

**[It seems like someone’s looking for you, Hong-seo?]**

“Yeah… it seems that way.”

**[Contact me again. Take care, don’t get hurt, and don’t get sick.]**

“I will.”

He hurried to the door to finish the call. At the door, his manager was holding a phone in his hand, looking at Choi Hong-seo with an annoyed expression.

“You’ve been talking on the phone for that long?”

“Is it already my turn for makeup?”

The manager handed him the phone, which had been passed to him from the living room.

“Mr. CEO keeps calling you, but he says you’re on the phone. Pick up.”

“Mr. CEO?”