Ep. 2.5: Meals and payments

Yugyeom’s still waiting to sign for his payment when Jinyoung walks out of the diner without a word, his face almost carefully neutral although Yugyeom can sense the trace of contained annoyance (anger?) underneath. One of the camera men follows Jinyoung out after looking around, confused as to what just suddenly happened, but probably deciding that he shouldn’t let one of the main leads go without being filmed. The nod from the PD suggested he most likely agrees as well.

Still at the counter, Yugyeom watches them disappear into the dim evening streets outside, wondering what’s wrong as he waits for the payment to be completed. He would hurry after Jinyoung to ask, but he doesn’t want their conversation to be captured on film. Maybe he’s being selfish, because after all, isn’t this supposed to be a pretend marriage for television? But Yugyeom can’t help wanting to keep some moments to himself, keep some parts of them private. That thought is interrupted by a polite remark from the counter lady that his payment is done, so Yugyeom turns his attention back to the counter, thanking her for the food and service, then half-walks-half-runs out to find Jinyoung.

Jinyoung’s standing just a few metres away from the entrance, staring off into nothing as he leans on the shopfront. Yugyeom’s glad he’s not gone too far, and he’s almost going to just ask him what’s wrong but the camera at the side reminds him that they’re not alone. He has to be careful with what he says. Walking slowly over to Jinyoung, Yugyeom ducks his head a little so he doesn’t stand so tall, then softly says, “Hey, is anything wrong?”

Jinyoung turns to look at him, blinking a few times before he mumbles, “I… Next time, I should pay for food, you know. I’m the hyung after all, I should be treating.”

Tilting his head, Yugyeom observes Jinyoung, who’s mostly standing unmoving except for his chest puffing up slightly every time he inhales. After a while, Yugyeom exhales, “If you really want to, sure, you can treat. I just thought since I was the one who suggested coming here and ordered the food, I should pay for the meal.” He was going to end his reply there, since he doesn’t really mind who pays for food, although it seems like Jinyoung does, from what just happened. But the camera’s recording light is a constant spot of brightness in his peripheral vision reminding Yugyeom of their tentative relationship – nothing more than pretend husbands on television – and it prompts him to add, “Anyway, we’re technically married so it shouldn’t matter who pays for what, right?”

Jinyoung doesn’t say anything for a long time, and Yugyeom wonders if he should prompt him, or pretend that’s the end of the conversation and just quickly wrap up today’s shooting so he can ask him about it in private, when Jinyoung mumbles, “…I guess.”

It’s as good an answer as he can get, at least on camera, and Yugyeom smiles, although he knows it doesn’t reach his eyes.

Jinyoung had disappeared once shooting ended, gone as quickly but much more silently than he did in the first episode, and Yugyeom didn’t get a chance to figure out Jinyoung’s thoughts and behavior beyond the noncommittal answer he had given on camera.

Sighing, Yugyeom sinks into the dorm sofa. It’s currently the morning after the shooting for the second episode of Wedded!, and he doesn’t have any schedule for the day. Squinting at the bright sunlight hitting his face from the window, Yugyeom wonders if he should have tried harder to find Jinyoung immediately after shooting had ended. He’s not sure what Jinyoung’s issue with him paying for the meal had been, although he’s pretty sure that that’s the main reason for Jinyoung’s change in behaviour yesterday.

“What is wrong with me paying for the meal?” Yugyeom asks aloud, to no one in particular, but Mark pokes his head out from the room. Yugyeom had thought he was the only one in the dorm at the moment, but apparently not.

“What happened?” Mark asks, still half in his room.

Making a noncommittal sound, Yugyeom sits up slightly and mumbles, “Nothing.”

Mark raises an eyebrow at that, and Yugyeom knows he’s not going to be able to escape questioning because Mark’s walking out of his room to the sofa. Passing Mark the cushion he likes to hug, Yugyeom decides to say, “You know the program I’m on, Wedded!, and how the actor, Park Jinyoung, is my pretend husband?”

“Yeah, he’s the guy who acts in that morning drama you always watch, right? What about it?”

Yugyeom rolls his eyes at the first comment but ignores it otherwise, not wanting to give Mark more reason to probe. “We had a shoot yesterday, and everything was going fine until I paid for the dinner, then Jinyoung got angry and huffed out of the shop.”

“Oh,” Mark hums, settling himself cross-legged on the sofa and thinking. “So you were wondering why he got angry just because you paid?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Yugyeom sighs, running a hand lazily through his hair. He’s not sure why exactly Jinyoung’s upset that Yugyeom paid for the food just because he’s younger than Jinyoung. It’s not like Yugyeom doesn’t ever pay for his hyungs’ food. He’s never been one to be too fussy about who pays, and one of his group mates, Bambam, same-age but slightly older, always made use of that fact to escape paying for his own food. He tells Mark that, and Mark gi