SRP 16

Chapter 16

Bom gripped her chopsticks tightly.

Her anger was bubbling up. She couldn’t hold it in anymore.

She couldn’t speak, but there was another way.

• [Cut it out.] *

She sent the message on her phone so it wouldn’t get caught by the action cam on her collar.

Go-Geon checked his phone… then started talking nonsense again.

“Yeah, I know. Me too.”

What was she supposed to do with him stopping there?!

Me too? Why was he answering like she’d confessed first or said she wanted to live together?!

“Anyway, you’re really shy. You could just say it out loud.”

He knew she couldn’t talk because they were filming, yet he kept doing whatever he wanted.

So annoying! She really wanted to get him back once.

Rrrrr…

“It’s my manager.”

Ki-ung had promised to call around the time their date would end.

It meant today’s shoot was over.

Time had passed already. It felt too short.

Go-Geon stood up.

“What kind of shoot is it today?”

“Underwear.”

It was for a world-famous brand.

“Do you take everything off?”

“It’s underwear, so yeah. Oh—are you saying you don’t want other people seeing my body? Then I’ll stop taking underwear shoots from now on.”

She’d held back, but he just kept teasing until the very end.

Bom grabbed Go-Geon’s wrist as he reached for the bill.

With her other hand, she wrapped her arm around his neck and rose on tiptoe.

“Huh?”

His startled expression made Bom feel triumphant.

Sure, makeup could cover it, but let’s see how embarrassed he feels in front of the staff.

Bom pressed her lips to his neck.

His firm neck tensed as he tried to pull away, but Bom held on tightly.

Just as the sweet scent of his skin rushed into her, their bodies pressed together.

Bom pressed her lips harder and sucked firmly on his neck.

“Mmm.”

Why the hell was he making a sound like that?!

Because he was so much taller, Bom’s body slipped between his legs as they pressed close.

Something hard brushed against her lower belly.

Before she could pull away, Go-Geon grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.

She’d been the one grabbing him—yet now she was captured in his arms.

What pressed against her stomach was making its presence very obvious… and very upset.

Go-Geon sighed and muttered,

“I feel the same way… but not today.”

Bom’s face burned bright red.

She was clearly the one who attacked first, but somehow she felt defeated.

He released the defenseless Bom, then lifted his phone to check his neck in selfie mode.

The hickey was clear and bold.

“Did you really want to stamp me as yours that badly?”

She’d made a mistake.

This man was far more dangerous than she thought.

Looking smug, he even took a selfie that showed his neck clearly.

“I’ve got a shoot. Well, nothing I can do.”

What? Nothing he could do?

He could just cover it with makeup—what did he mean nothing he could do?

Bom hurried after him. Once they paid and stepped outside, the street had gotten quiet.

“Geon.”

“Bom.”

Go-Geon turned and held out his hand. He wiggled his fingers for her to take it.

Behind him, she could see the van waiting far off. Ki-ung couldn’t drive up, so he’d parked and was waiting.

Suddenly reality hit her. What had she just done over some silly pride?

This was his career on the line.

Sure, he’d teased her first and provoked her…

But she should’ve stayed calm and rational.

Bom stared at his outstretched hand.

“…I’m sorry.”

She sent him a message.

• [I made a mistake. At the park too.] *

Go-Geon grabbed her wrist and read the screen.

There were only a few words, yet his eyes stayed on it for a long time.

Under the screen’s glow, the corners of his lips lowered, and the mood sank.

“There you go again.”

He sounded slightly annoyed as he suddenly demanded,

“Call me oppa.”

Why was he being petty again?

“You tell Yoon Myeong-jo I’m your actor, and you can call random staff oppa, but you won’t call me that?”

“When did I call a stranger oppa?”

“When you were a trainee.”

That was ages ago!

She tried to text back to ask why he was acting like this, but he didn’t let go of her hand.

Even though he knew they were filming.

Bom pointed to the action cam on her collar with her eyes.

He knew exactly what she meant… and still only looked at Bom.

He let out a bitter laugh.

“Lee Bom, you’re really expensive.”

He finally let go and started down the road.

• [Why are you acting like this? We’re recording right now.] *

He must’ve heard the notification, but he didn’t check it.

Ki-ung opened the van door.

“What time do you wake up tomorrow?”

He asked Bom out of nowhere. Clearly, he wasn’t done being upset.

“It’s the weekend, so around nine.”

“Why so late?”

“Because… it’s the weekend?”

What was so wrong about that?

Frowning slightly, Go-Geon looked back at her.

“I’m mad, so don’t contact me until nine. No messages either.”

He was impossible.

“…If you’re mad at me, I just won’t contact you tomorrow, then.”

“No.”

He claimed he was mad, yet immediately rejected that.

“I still want to hear your voice. Call me when you wake up. Your boyfriend is mad—so you should try to make it up to him.”

Well… he wasn’t completely wrong.

But Bom really couldn’t keep up with his thoughts.

Go-Geon walked past the van instead of getting in.

“Hyung?”

“You take her home, then come to the studio. I’ll take a taxi.”

“Huh? We’re not going together?”

“I’m mad.”

Ki-ung looked at Bom. She shrugged, just as confused.

Go-Geon stopped a taxi, then turned back to Bom before getting in.

“Got it? Call me exactly at nine sharp.”

And he left.

Leaving Ki-ung and Bom behind.

She felt completely drained.

“How is that someone who’s angry?”

“He said he’s mad?”

“Feels more like he’s sulking.”

As Bom got into the van, she suddenly remembered when they’d left the bar.

The salad she’d ordered for Go-Geon had been left untouched.

He’d only pretended to eat so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable while eating.

“Is actor Go-Geon normally like this?”

Inside the van, while Ki-ung drove her home.

No matter how hard she thought about it, Bom couldn’t understand his sudden emotional shift.

Actors often dive deep into their roles to understand them…

But this time, she just couldn’t understand him at all.

“He suddenly said he was sulking… then told me to call him at nine.”

He acted so much like someone who really liked her that she couldn’t help getting swept up sometimes.

A great actor pulls their partner into the performance…

She understood he had to fool the public.

But couldn’t he tone it down just a bit?

At least enough that her heart didn’t race like this.

“At work, he’s actually very steady emotionally. Everyone at the company envies me for managing him.”

Ki-ung glanced at Bom through the rear-view mirror and smiled.

“I don’t know why he’s like that… but maybe it’s because he really loves you, Bom. Maybe he’s frustrated you don’t understand his feelings.”

Of course Bom knew he’d expressed romantic interest.

But they weren’t real.

“Then shouldn’t he just say it honestly? Tell me why he’s upset, what bothered him?”

At Bom’s rebuttal, Ki-ung laughed awkwardly.

“He happily ate twisted donuts with you and admired the night view…”

“Huh? He ate donuts?”

Bomb felt guilty at his surprised tone.

Was he not supposed to eat that?

He’d been the one to suggest it.

Back when they were trainees, Go-Geon had eaten everything just fine with no allergies.

“Before we went up the hill to the park… we shared one. Was that bad?”

“Wow… he completely cut flour. He’s been strictly dieting and working out for a month to prepare for today’s underwear shoot. He hasn’t touched flour at all.”

No wonder. Even the salad had been untouched.

“Well… he only had one.”

“He finished a whole one? I hope he’ll be okay.”

“…I’m sorry. If I’d known, I would’ve been careful…”

“He ate it because he wanted to. Still… maybe you should ask if he’s okay.”

“You heard him. He said not to call him till nine because he’s mad.”

“Hmm… then maybe you should contact him even more…”

While they were talking, they arrived near Bom’s place.

“Thanks for dropping me off.”

“Please give me the action cam.”

“Oh—right.”

She’d completely forgotten on the way back. Bom reached to unclip the camera from her collar… then hesitated.

“All the conversation I had with you… that was recorded too, right?”