Chapter 14: Because I Need Courage
by Gideon“I didn’t run away because I was scared.”
Jubin stared directly into his eyes as he added, “I was just surprised you showed up. Honestly, I was waiting to get hit on purpose.”
“What?”
He seems angry at me now.
Jubin tried to dismiss his worry and concern as if it were nothing.
“Even if we took this to court, I’d still win. You’re the one who threw the first punch.”
The man let out a short, sharp breath, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Sunbae, I can understand being too shocked to move, but you don’t just wait to get hit.”
Every word was laced with sharp emotion. He’s the type who’s scary when he’s quietly angry.
“If I were alone, I could’ve at least run away cleverly. But Do-won sunbae was here, and I couldn’t exactly start a brawl with both of you.”
He asked, his tone dripping with even more incomprehension.
“You should have just abandoned Do-won-sunbae.”
He’s not joking, is he?
“Hey, how could I do that?”
Jubin sighed softly, hoping to appeal to Zion as a fellow actor. He wasn’t sure if this tactic would work.
“It’s only semi-celebrities like me—with just enough fame to be recognized—who get unfairly dragged through the mud when a fight breaks out. You know how it is.”
He wanted Zion to understand that he’d had no choice.
“I’ll definitely avoid it next time, just like you said.”
He’d hoped that would appease Zion’s anger, but it didn’t work at all.
“From now on, you’re attending every company dinner with me.”
Do Zion is seriously pissed.
“But you hate company dinners.”
“I don’t! Not if you’re there. I was just late today because I was busy.”
Every word he spoke, every gesture he made, was focused entirely on him. The emotions he had tried so hard to bury deep inside resurfaced. He didn’t want to talk about the incident anymore.
“Okay, let’s go together next time.”
Feeling a prickle of unease, as if he were being scolded, he quickly changed the subject.
“Did the interview run late?”
“Yeah, the CEO and I ended up talking for a while after it finished.”
“Everyone was disappointed you weren’t there.”
“Really?”
The reply was devoid of any real interest.
“For a group that was ‘disappointed,’ they looked pretty happy on social media without me.”
“No, they really—”
In that moment, Jubin met his gaze, and the light brown eyes were smoldering with a possessive intensity. He finally understood what was really going on.
It wasn’t that the man was upset about being left out.
“Did you look for me too, sunbae?”
He seemed hurt that Jubin had looked so happy in his absence.
Jubin tried to feign ignorance, but Zion’s sudden, direct approach caught him completely off guard.
Throughout the company dinner, Zion had been staring at him—not just glancing, but watching him with the same unwavering focus as a life-size cardboard cutout.
“So, did you miss me too, Sunbae?” Zion pressed softly.
His pheromones bloomed in the car, thick and sweet.
Why am I so anxious? Jubin wondered. He realized he hadn’t smoked in hours. The alcohol was also taking its toll, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He couldn’t tell if he was drunk on the drinks or intoxicated by the pheromones. It was the perfect storm for losing control.
He glanced out the window and saw they were passing near his house. If he didn’t get out now, he’d be too far from home—and he couldn’t stand the pheromones much longer.
“Hey, sorry, but let me out here,” Zion asked, his senses on high alert.
“Is your place around here?”
“Yeah. Thanks for the ride.”
Jubin tapped on the partition separating the driver’s seat from the back.
At the sound, the partition automatically lowered. The manager glanced in the rearview mirror, gauged the atmosphere, and asked, “Should I let you out here?”
“Yes, please.”
The road manager turned on the hazard lights and pulled over to the curb. The automatic door slid open.
“Thank you, manager,” Cha Jubin said, bowing politely to the road manager before immediately turning to Do Zion. “Thanks for today. Get home safe. See you at the reading.”
He thought that was the end of it, but suddenly, Zion stepped out of the car.
“Thank you for your hard work, manager,” Zion said.
Before anyone could stop him, the door slid shut, and the van pulled away.
Jubin glared at the van as it pulled away, leaving him stranded.
“Why did you get out?”
“Where do you live? I’ll drive you home, so lead the way.”
You’re the last person I want to see right now.
A sudden, fierce craving for a cigarette hit him. He needed to get rid of Yeon and smoke—it was the only way to shake this suffocating tension.
“Just give me your address. I’ll call you a cab.”
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting?”
Cha Jubin, who had been pulling out his phone, froze. A question mark flashed in his mind.
“…Waiting for what?”
“Every time I saw you smiling in other actors’ Stories, I kept waiting for you to contact me.”
Jubin had wondered what Yeon was waiting for, since he’d left out the subject of his sentence. If he’d known he’d hear this, he should have just sent a single text.
“You made it clear you weren’t coming. And I told you I don’t call when I’m drinking.”
“Everyone else doesn’t have my number, but you do, Sunbae. I gave it to you specifically so you’d be curious and reach out privately. I’m hurt.”
What is this guy’s deal?
Was he just testing the waters again? Or was his competitive streak flaring up in a way she couldn’t predict?
She had always instinctively avoided people like him, so she’d never even had to deal with one.
She had zero immunity. The alcohol was already clouding her judgment, leaving her completely disoriented by his relentless, aggressive advances.
If you can’t escape, defend yourself as best you can.
“Just let me have a cigarette first…”
Zion scanned their surroundings and pointed to an ashtray set up next to a nearby park. It was a secluded spot, barely lit.
“Let’s go over there.”
Driven by urgency, Jubin hurried to the spot and quickly pulled out a cigarette, popping it into his mouth.
The lighter’s flame momentarily illuminated Zion’s features. Click. As the cigarette caught fire and Jubin took a drag, pheromones flooded his lungs.
The smoke drifted lazily into the air, and in an instant, the pheromones stabilized.
“Haaah…”
Exhaling the smoke, he vowed to run straight to the hospital the moment he woke up tomorrow.
Whether it was the cigarette or the pheromones finally settling down, the alcohol seemed to wear off, and Jubin felt he could finally face Do Zion.
“Is this place always this empty?”
“Yeah, people don’t really come around here. It’s not on a main path.”
Jubin could feel the other man’s gaze—a slow, steady wave of interest and curiosity washing over him.
“Does smoking pheromone cigarettes change anything?”
Cha Jubin took another deep drag before exhaling slowly. “It changes how you feel.”
“How so?” the man asked, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.
“It gives you the courage to take on anyone. It’s all in the head.”
The man let out a short, soft “Ah,” then closed the distance between them in a single, swift motion.
Before Jubin could react, the man grabbed his wrist and twisted it with effortless ease.
Fwish. Jubin’s wrist was turned, and the cigarette he had been holding was now clamped between the other man’s lips.
The sight of his full lips clamped around the cigarette was so damnly sensual that Jubin’s face flushed crimson.
But they were far enough from the streetlights lining the park, and the deepening shadows mercifully hid his expression.
“Hey…” Jubin murmured, trying to stop him. He yanked his hand back, but it was too late. The man’s grip was vice-like, and the cigarette burned down rapidly.
“Take it out now.”
He slowly pulled his lips away. A soft plume of smoke drifted between them, and Cha Jubin frowned.
“You’re really okay with smoking someone else’s cigarette…”
“Phew. You’re not just ‘someone else’ to me, sunbae.”
“And what exactly am I to you?”
“Do you ever plan on letting me be something more?”
The man’s lips curved into a faint smile at the lighthearted joke. Well, I’m not letting you be anything, Jubin thought, simply offering the rest of the cigarette.
“Want to finish this?”
“Sure. I could use a little courage.”
He leaned in, parting his lips just enough. It was an invitation. With every blink, his thick, long lashes cast flickering shadows over his eyes.
The glimpse of his bright red tongue between those parted lips was… a lot.
As if entranced, Cha Jubin placed the cigarette between Zion’s lips.
Watching him smoke so naturally, a suspicion took root. He didn’t even cough once. This kid…
“You’re a smoker?”
“I used to be. I quit.”
“Used to be? When?”
“In high school.”
“What?!”
For some reason, Jubin couldn’t hold back his anger and smacked Zion hard on the back.
“Ow! Sunbae?”
Zion rubbed his shoulder, his expression turning serious. He clearly hadn’t expected to get hit.
“That hurt.”
“It was supposed to hurt. You’re too bratty for your own good.”
Do Zion wore a look of utter injustice, as if he couldn’t fathom why he’d been hit.
“And what about you, Sunbae? You were even brattier, dating people without caring about their secondary genders.”
“I only started doing that after I became an adult. I was a good boy in school, thank you very much.”
Ah, look at him scowl. I must have hit a nerve. Is it the alcohol talking? How cute.
“Sunbae, are you drunk-talking right now?”
“Am I?” Cha Jubin retorted quickly.
“Can you hit me like this tomorrow, too?”
“Of course, if you make another bad choice like today.”
He tapped the cigarette in his mouth with his finger, knocking the ash into the ashtray.
“You’re such a teacher. So preachy.”
“Yeah, I’m a teacher. Got a problem with that?”
Zion quickly added, “This is the pack of cigarettes I bought you, by the way.”
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