“Joong Ki-yah, you’re home?” he asked only to receive a
silence.

Suk Jin went to Joong Ki’s room and turn on the light
switch. He gasped when he found Joong Ki sat on his
bed—leaning on the headboard–staring blankly to his hands.

“Yah, imma! You almost gave me a heart attack! Did you not
hear me calling your name? And what are you doing just sit
there in the dark?” he yelled embarassly as he put his hand
on his chest, calming his surprised heart.

Joong Ki sat on his bed for so long he didn’t know the sun
has fully sunk outside. He didn’t even remember how he got
back to his condo safely, considering that he drove his car
alone all the way from Yeon Nam beach unfocus–with so
many things in his head.

“Why did you suddenly say that you can’t go to the movie
premiere? I thought you’re sick because it was very unlike
you to cancel in the last minute. What happened?” he asked
when he found out that Joong Ki is fine. “Your fans knew
you were going to be there, now they could only disappoint
because you cancelled it!” he added, trying to make him
guilty.

But still he got no respond from Joong Ki. He acts as if he
didn’t realize his manager’s presence in his room. His eyes
were only glued to his hands.

“Song Joong Ki. What’s happening with you, really? You’re
very unusual these days. Is something bothering you, that
you don’t tell your hyung here?” Suk Jin asked again,
trying another attempt to make him talk.

“Hyung… is it worth it?” suddenly Joong Ki spoke and then
slowly turned his eyes from his hand to Suk Jin. “my career.
Is it worth my life?” he continued.

“Mwo? Yah, what are you talking about?”

Joong Ki let out a loud breath. He felt depressed. He never
told his manager that he met Chae Won again so everything
that happened, he feels that he could only keep it to
himself.

“I asked you, is my career worth my life that much I had to
let go of something I don’t want to…... or someone.”

They looked at each other quite long before Suk Jin
shrugged.

“I don’t know. This is your career, your life. You tell me.”

Joong Ki scoffed, “you’re not helping at all, hyung.” He
spoke.

Suk Jin examined Joong Ki’s face. Something bugged his
actor so much but it looks like he couldn’t tell him. He found
that odd because Joong Ki told him everything, except
for his love life. He kept it to himself when it came to
that topic.

Then Suk Jin suddenly knew what this is all about.

“That “someone” you don’t want to let go, is it Moon Chae
Won-sshi?” he asked, caught Joong Ki by surprised.

Suk Jin smiled to Joong Ki’s how-did-you-know-hyung looks
before he d his jacket’s pocket and took out
something. He threw it on the bed. Joong Ki reached to take
it and realized it was a picture.

It’s a picture from the back of him grabbed Chae Won’s hand
the day he found out about Joong Seon. He could spot Il Woo
in the picture too.

“It was taken by a camera phone. Thank God it was your fan
who took it because he sent it to us instead of some
magazine, or else you’re going to be the headline news on
magazines by now. She was asking if the café owner and Jung
Il Woo are your friend and what happened between you three
because you were kind of looked intense at that time.”

Suk Jin could see Joong Ki’s face as if he got caught doing
something wrong when he stares at that picture. Took a
breath, he leaned on his backrest.

“Don’t worry. I took care of it. And I’m not going to tell
our CEO about this. We know that you usually are very
careful for not making a scandal, that’s why you don’t have
a “non-date contract” deal.” He spoke calmly like he knew
what it is that Joong Ki worried about. “so… are you going
to tell me what happened?” he then asked.

Joong Ki looked at his manager hyung, wondering if he’ll
tell him or not. He’s in doubt. However, Suk Jin is his
manager, the one who is responsibility for his career. If
he tells him about Joong Seon, what will his reaction be?
Is he going to forbid him for seeing Chae Won ever again?

But then again, Suk Jin is like his own hyung. He took care
of him since the first time he signed the contract. They
went through everything together that whe