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The streets at night were quite deserted since it wasn’t a busy area.

I took a leisurely stroll under the bright starry sky, feeling the breeze as I searched for a convenience store.

How long had I walked like that?

Before I knew it, the convenience store came into view.

I headed straight for the convenience store, grabbed an ice cream from the freezer outside, and went inside.

“Welcome!”

Since it was late, there weren’t any customers in the store.

I walked over to the counter, where a young male part-timer was guarding the empty store, and placed the ice cream down.

“Please ring this up.”

“Uh… That’ll be 1,350 won.”

“Got it.”

I had left my wallet in a small bag at the drinking party, but fortunately, I had a way to pay without it.

Mobile pay!

Just bringing my phone close was enough to complete the transaction—what a marvel of 21st-century technology!

So, I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone, but…

“Huh….”

My hand felt nothing but emptiness inside my pocket.

“I left it behind…”

Oh no.

It seemed I had forgotten my phone at the drinking party.

“…Ah, I’m sorry. I forgot my phone.”

Looks like I can’t have this ice cream.

Just when I was about to turn back…

“Uh, excuse me…”

The male part-timer cautiously spoke up.

“Yes?”

“Would you like me to… buy it for you?”

“Pardon? Why?”

He was offering to buy me an ice cream?

As I glanced at the part-timer, he couldn’t quite meet my eyes.

“Well, um, in exchange for your number…”

A number? Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve been asked for one.

Lately, I’ve been going everywhere in taxis or Park Kang-seok’s car, so there hadn’t been an opportunity for flirting.

“Ah, I’m sorry…”

Of course, I didn’t intend to give it, so I declined and was about to turn away when…

“Excuse me, I’ll pay for this.”

A hand suddenly reached out from behind me, placing a chocolate milk on the counter.

“And this one too.”

Then, he took my ice cream from my hand and placed it down as well.

“What are you doing?”

Having recognized the voice, I turned around and looked up.

“I’m buying this while I’m at it.”

“Then can I change it to a more expensive ice cream?”

“Just take this one. Please ring it up.”

I realized it was Moon Chang-sik, who I hadn’t noticed arrive, handing his card to the part-timer.

…Why isn’t he using mobile pay while having a good phone?

“Oh, um… but, maybe….”

The male part-timer looked a bit bewildered but quickly seemed to recognize Moon Chang-sik in surprise.

Hmmm, I must have been so tipsy that he didn’t recognize me.

“I’m here for a work dinner, so please ignore this.”

After saying that, Moon Chang-sik also picked up a fatigue recovery drink from the counter and placed it down.

“Please add this to the bill.”

“Uh, sure.”

After the payment was completed, he pushed the fatigue recovery drink toward the part-timer.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“Ah, um… Yes, thank you.”

Having skillfully finished up the payment, Moon Chang-sik took me outside.

“How did you get here?”

When did he even arrive?

Curiosity prompted me to ask.

“I came to look for you since you’ve been gone so long.”

“Uh… I didn’t think it was that long.”

“Usually, we don’t stay out for more than ten minutes.”

…Over ten minutes?

I did wander around for a bit, but did it really take that long?

“Everyone will worry.”

“Yeah, you forgot your phone too.”

“That was a mistake.”

“Seriously… Let’s go back.”

“Okay.”

I replied and opened my newly bought melon-flavored ice cream for a bite.

Mmm… The cold air alongside the ice cream made me feel a bit clearer, despite the chilly weather.

Moon Chang-sik was just watching me silently.

“Aren’t you eating what you bought?”

“Oh, this?”

He had noticed I saw the chocolate milk he bought earlier, but he unexpectedly handed it to me instead.

“I don’t really want it; I bought it for you.”

“Isn’t that going to give me diabetes?”

Ice cream plus chocolate milk?

Well, considering I’ve been quite active lately, I guess it won’t matter much.

“I’ll gratefully accept it then.”

I took the chocolate milk and stuffed it in my pocket.

I should finish the ice cream first.

Thus, I walked back to the store with Moon Chang-sik.

“Sigh…”

Although the ice cream helped lessen my tipsiness, I still felt a bit fuzzy.

I glanced sideways and saw Moon Chang-sik looking quite normal despite my state.

“Seems like you drink a lot.”

“Me?”

“Yeah… I’m about to die here.”

I reckon my face must be completely red.

That’s probably why the part-timer didn’t recognize me, hmm.

Then I realized that I was focusing on getting an ice cream from a drunken girl while trying to get her number.

That part-timer is quite bold.

“I really didn’t drink that much.”

“Really? We were at the same table.”

“The writer kept pouring drinks into your cup.”

“Hmm…”

That writer certainly was filling my glass unusually often.

“…Does that mean I’m hated?”

“Haha, more like preferential treatment, right?”

Is that so?

After all, I have been asked if I want to play the lead in their drama.

“Well, thank goodness for that…”

But being a lead actor…

That’s something I’ve been delaying both back then and now, but it’s an issue I need to answer the writer about someday.

I guess it’ll be after the concert?

By then, the broadcast should be back on track, so I’d have some time.

Maybe I should keep filming variety shows, but at least I won’t have to attend lessons.

“Anyway, once we get back to the store, you can head home and rest.”

“Wait, are we not going for round two?”

“We’ll go just among ourselves.”

“Oh, no way! You can’t leave me behind.”

“You’ve had enough to drink.”

“Hmmm…”

Is that the case?

I slyly turned my head to see my reflection in the building’s glass windows.

I was styled just the same way I had gone out this afternoon.

…Since it’s nighttime, it’s hard to tell if I’m drunk.

I thought my steps might be swaying a bit.

“Well, I guess I’ll just head home and sleep comfortably.”

Maybe he said that because I looked tipsy.

Actually, I do feel like just going home.

More specifically, I crave turning on the TV again.

I haven’t been able to catch a broadcast since the last episode of the drama aired a few days ago.

If I turn it on, there’s bound to be plenty of discussions about the drama.

Plus, soon there’ll be the variety show we did with the lead actors… and all the ads or shoots we did are about to flood in…

Wow, the fan café might not survive this.

Looks like the café managers will have to put in some extra effort.

“We’re almost there.”

“Oh, really?”

While lost in thought, I realized I had walked quite a bit and could see the store ahead.

…It really was over ten minutes. I didn’t realize I had walked so far to get to this convenience store.

But how on earth did Moon Chang-sik end up at the same convenience store as me?

With this distance, there should have been other places he could have gone.

Did he just take a random shot?

…Don’t tell me he didn’t check out any other convenience stores.

Anyway, I walked on, chewing on the wooden stick of my now-empty ice cream bar.

Just as I was getting close to the store,

Bzzzt!

“Oh, hold on.”

Moon Chang-sik’s phone buzzed as we walked next to each other.

Hmm, I wonder if they were asking when he would arrive?

“Go ahead.”

“No, it’s okay, let’s walk together.”

Since he had come this far to fetch me, it wouldn’t be right to just slip away alone.

After nodding at my insistence, Moon Chang-sik answered the call.

“Hello? Oh, hyung? What’s up?”

Hyung? That can’t be Nam Han-kyung, who could it be then?

I thought it might be someone from our drinking party, but it seemed otherwise.

“Uh, oh? What?”

However,

Moon Chang-sik’s expression gradually turned serious.

Is it something serious?

I might have made a mistake by waiting; I should have just gone in first.

I subtly took half a step back.

Hmm, if it’s serious, it’s better not to eavesdrop.

“…Oh, he’s next to me, but… Yeah, I’ll tell him…”

Still, I couldn’t help but catch snippets of the conversation.

Trying to ignore them, I took out the chocolate milk I had secretly stashed in my coat pocket.

While looking at the cute packaging with a popular mascot on it, I stuck the straw in and took a sip.

“Ah, Su-hyun…”

“Yeah? Did you finish the call?”

As I was momentarily sipping my chocolate milk, Moon Chang-sik stepped closer to me.

“Um… would you like to see this?”

Then he showed me the screen of his phone.

What is it?

I glanced over and quickly noticed the title of an article that had been posted on a portal site.

[Actor Moon Chang-sik Dating Fellow Junior K…]

“Huh?”

I was slightly taken aback upon seeing that.

A dating rumor?

Surprised, I looked up at Moon Chang-sik, who still had a serious expression just like before.

“So, you’re dating?”

“Pardon?”

Wow, you’re really good at hiding things.

If we were close enough, he should’ve given me a heads-up.

“You should have told me, who is it? If it’s K, does that mean it’s Kang Ha-na?”

I remember things felt a bit off since the last filming.

It seems Moon Chang-sik has some impressive skills.

Kang Ha-na is younger, popular, and acts really well—so they fit well together…

“Not at all…”

“Excuse me?”

“…I’ll show you the article.”

He said that and clicked on the article to display its contents.

So the fellow actress K isn’t Kang Ha-na?

Then who…?

“Uh, um… uh…”

Flipping through the article, I found pictures of Moon Chang-sik with a woman.

I couldn’t tell when the photos were taken, but the true identity of ‘K,’ who he had previously denied, suddenly clicked in my mind.

Wow, ‘K’ was Kim Soo-hyun’s ‘K’.

“…So are we dating?”

“…No.”

The refreshing night breeze, the cold ice cream, and the sweet chocolate milk—

None of those could erase the buzz from my head.

It all evaporated at the sound of a single journalist’s article.

 

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