After Story 189

As it had been a long time since he last slept on the floor, his back felt sore.

Maru woke up with a groan before discovering Daemyung, who was laying down next to him. The way he breathed out slow, heavy breaths made him look like a bear in hibernation.

The cat was laying down on top of the fellow’s chest, seemingly having come to like his wide chest.

“You’re up?”

His wife had gotten ready to leave. He had heard that she was going to go to the company because they were opening a store in a department store in Apgujeong. The big events were still handled by Haneul.

“You’re leaving now?”

“Yeah. Wake Daemyung up and have some breakfast.”

“I guess you’ll be late today?”

“Probably. When are you going to leave, sweetie? You said you were going to a concert.”

“I need to leave at four. There’s something Jichan-hyung told me to do.”

“Good luck with that.”

After a light kiss on the porch, he sent off his wife.

The cat raised her head as though she was woken up by the sound of the door being shut. She looked around before lightly stepping on Daemyung’s face and then going to the small room which was her refuge.

“What the?”

Daemyung woke up after being kicked by the cat. He touched his face with a dazed face.

“Ricebun is telling you to wake up. Get up and let’s eat. Oh, when does your part-time job start?”

“I only have one in the afternoon. The chauffeur service is something I only do when I want to, so it doesn’t matter.”

After yawning, Daemyung took out his phone.

Maru took out the soup that had been chilled in the refrigerator as well as some eggs. He heated up the soup and chopped up some spring onions to put in a rolled omelet.

“Yes, manager. No, I’m not sick. I just woke up so my voice is a little bit sunken. I was thinking about quitting the job. Should I bring someone I know to take over? Or would you like to get one yourself? Okay, alright. Thank you.”

“Your part-time job manager?” Maru asked as he scooped up some rice.

“Yeah. I decided to work with Haneul, so I should deal with my part-time jobs.”

“Nice decision.”

“I don’t lose anything from doing this, but I wonder if Haneul is okay with it. What if she says she can’t pay me later?” Daemyung said in a joking tone.

“Tell me about it if she ever skimps on payments. I’ll go on a strike with you.”

After eating with Daemyung, he started his routine of morning cleaning. When he turned on the vacuum, the cat stared at him as though she was fed up. It seemed that the motor noise from the vacuum was really unbearable no matter how many times she heard it.

“So you really do clean, huh?”

“Just what kind of Han Maru lives inside your head? He has rock bottom credit.”

“What do you mean? It’s just a moderately dirty Han Maru. Would you like me to help?”

“Don’t create more work for me to do and just make some coffee.”

They talked about dramas over some coffee before wrapping up.

“I think I should get going. Thanks for letting me sleep over.”

Daemyung said goodbye to the cat hiding in the small room and left. Maru saw him out to the entrance before coming back.

Household ch.o.r.es were about done now. He checked the time: 11:20. He took out a casual-style suit from the closet.

He went with a round-neck T-s.h.i.+rt instead of a full s.h.i.+rt. He put on his watch before leaving the house with his phone and wallet.

“Yes, manager. I’m going over there to get my hair done right now. Is that okay? It doesn’t matter who does it. Okay, I’ll go there for now.”

He drove his car to the hair shop he frequented. It was the place often used by the people at JA.

“You’re here, Mr. Maru?”

As soon as he entered the shop, an employee greeted him. Maru smiled and greeted back.

The people drinking some tea in the waiting room gave him a glance. This place was frequently visited by many celebrities, so no one caused a fuss.

The manager, whom he had called, came over.

“Didn’t you have a customer to attend to?”

“I handed them to someone else. A member of our JA family is coming, so I should attend to them, don’t you think?” The manager looked at his outfit and asked, “Going somewhere?”

“I was invited to a concert by someone I know. I think I’ll be on stage for a little bit.”

“Really? Whose concert?”

“Yoo Jichan.”

“I really like that person.”

“Really?”

“You have it good. Are you two close? I mean, you’re being called out to the stage instead of just being handed a ticket.”

“We’re just making use of each other, I guess.”

Before, Jichan had helped him out for the shoot for ‘Hot-blooded Youths.’ Maru didn’t even ask him to, but he had made the time to visit. How could he possibly refuse Jichan’s request when such a thing happened?’fr?ew??no???.com

While he had his hair done, he also received some makeup. Going up on stage without any makeup was not respectful.

“That came out pretty,” the manager said as she took her hands off.

Maru looked at himself through the mirror. Both his hair and makeup were flawless.

“I don’t think I can ever go to another shop.”

“Isn’t that what skill is about? Oh, if you have the time, please get an autograph from him. You can get one under the shop’s name. There’s an empty spot on the wall right there.”

Maru chuckled as he looked at the spot that the manager pointed at. As the shop was pretty large, there was even a separate s.p.a.ce for celebrity visit photos and autographs.

The visiting customers also seemed to like it.

“Okay.”

“If the side of your hair rises, then spray it a little and press it down according to the line right now. As for the top of your head, nothing will happen to it for the rest of the day so don’t worry.”

“Okay, I will.”

He left the shop and went to a nearby cake bakery. It was a hand-made cake bakery that was known for having great cakes. They looked great too.

“Can you give me some candles as well?”

The concert was being held on Jichan’s birthday. Preparing some cake should be okay. If the stage staff said no, then he could just give it to him separately afterward.

-You up?

It was Jichan’s call.

“Not to mention up, I got my hair done and everything.”

-I was worried you’d sleep in and be late.

“Hyung, have you ever seen me be late to an appointment or outright forget it?”

-No, so where are you right now?

“I’m driving to the concert venue. Oh, what’s the seating scale?”

-Five thousand seats. This is my first ever individual concert, so I was worried it might not fill up, but thankfully, it’s sold out.

“Does it feel different from doing it as a group?”

-It definitely does. This will also serve as my fan meetup. Actually, I was very worried. I did continue to work with music, but the things I showed to the public were all dramas and movies. I thought that maybe Yoo Jichan doesn’t have much to do with music anymore.

“You were clearly overly worried. Hyung, idols don’t die that easily.”

-Now, there’s not long left of me being called an idol.

“Are you more comfortable with being called an actor?”

-I don’t know what’s more comfortable. Anyway, drive safely.

“Okay, good luck with preparations.”

He went to the handball arena in the Olympic Park, where the concert was being held.

He was getting off after parking when he saw people waiting in the distance.

He took the cake with him and went over. The staff members were handing out presents prior to entry. At the end of the line, he also saw some merch being sold.

“His popularity isn’t dead.”

He entered the concert venue as he muttered to himself. He mentioned his name to the staff member blocking his way, and that person guided him after saying ‘ah.’

“Please keep this on.”

A staff member wearing a yellow vest gave him a name tag, saying that it was necessary to go around the concert venue that was under preparation.

Maru walked past the people moving about busily while holding outfits and headed to the waiting room.

“Hyung,” he called out as he poked his head inside.

Jichan, who was exercising his voice with the guitar, stood up.

“You’re here already?”

“I should be here an hour early. How are you feeling? Is your condition good?”

“I was worried because I had a terrible cold just two days ago, but I feel perfect now. What’s that in your hand?”

“What else? It’s a cake for a birthday.”

“I’m touched. I didn’t know I’d ever get this from another dude.”

“I was planning to give it to you when I go up on stage to talk. Is that okay?”

“You’re planning to show it off to the fans?”

“I should show off that I look out for you a lot. Don’t you think I should receive some love from your 500-thousand-member fan club?”

Jichan talked to the staff about it. From what Maru heard, it seemed that the fans had prepared a cake as well. It was decided that Maru was to go up on stage after the cutting ceremony.

“What the, Maru’s already here, huh?”

He looked back after hearing the cheerful voice. Lee Haena stood there wearing a dark grey s.h.i.+rt and a white skirt.

“You’re here, noona.” Maru waved at Haena.

“Maru, it’s been two years, hasn’t it? We haven’t seen each other since The Witness.”

“That’s true.”

“Why weren’t you there at the afterparty?”

“What would a minor actor like me do?”

“It would’ve been great if you came by. What’s that box next to you?”

“A cake. It’s Jichan-hyung’s birthday after all.”

“That’s bad.”

Haena held out her arms. There was a small box, which seemed to be a cake.

“You two are way too straightforward. Why didn’t you buy flowers or something?”

Even as he grumbled, Jichan smiled brightly.

“Cake is the best on a birthday.”

“Right, cake is the best. Just accept what you’re given.”

Haena placed the cake on top of the makeup table.

“Sinseo-oppa won’t make it because of the drama shoot, right?”

“I asked and he’s in Busan. He was overseas because of a shoot just a week ago. He’s really busy.”

Jichan called someone with his phone, whom Maru presumed to be Park Sinseo.

“Why do you think I called? It’s to tell you that everyone else has gathered save for one heartless person.”

After a rather sarcastic greeting, Jichan handed the phone around, telling them to say h.e.l.lo. Maru spoke first,

“Sinseo hyung-nim. It’s me, Maru.”

“I’m here too, Oppa.”

“Hear that? The entire loyal faction from The Witness is here, but you aren’t. No, don’t swear at me. Anyway, good luck with the shoot. Huh? You want to talk to Maru?”

“Me?”

Maru received Jichan’s phone.

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

-It’s been a while.

“It has. Are you in a shoot right now?”

-I’m suffering under terrible snow.

“Sounds like hard work.”

-I’m enjoying your drama. Thanks to you, the atmosphere at the shoot on our side is slightly bad. The viewing rates are bad after all.

There was a bone behind those words. Maru faintly smiled.

“We should meet up sometime. I want to eat food treated by you.”

-You should be the one treating me. The one who’s doing well is the bigger brother, and they are the ones who should buy food.

“Do you really want to extort a newly starting-out junior?”

-I’m jealous, okay?

Sinseo laughed in a deep voice.

-I was just joking, and I hope you do well in the future. I’m really enjoying your drama.

“I’m also enjoying yours, hyung-nim.”

-Alright. See you later. Take care of Jichan today.

“I will.”

After finis.h.i.+ng up the call, he returned the phone to Jichan.

“What did he say?”

“He wants me to treat him out, saying that the one who’s doing well is the bigger brother or whatnot.”

“That’s right. The one who’s doing well should be the one buying.”

The manager came into the waiting room, calling for Jichan for the final stage camera checkup.

“I’ll be right back.” Jichan left.

“Case Number 0 turned out really good. Senior Yang Ganghwan looked cool, and you look good too.”

“I’m getting a lot of popularity thanks to him. How are you doing, noona? Are you preparing for your next work?”

“I’m on a break for now. I did a series of dramas, so I’m a little tired. But I can’t exactly play around, so there’s a scenario I’m looking over, but I don’t know if I’ll do it or not.”

“I’m also being dragged everywhere after the shoot without being able to work on anything for four months.”

“The drama was really good. I’m sure you got a lot of interview offers.”

“I’m trying to make myself known so that my flash of popularity does not disappear again.”

“I don’t think it’ll just be a flash, you know? There are a lot of actors mentioning your name.”

“Really?”

“Thanks to that, I sold your name out a few times to get coffee from them.”

Haena winked. Her bright personality hadn’t changed from two years ago.