Chapter 43: The One-Night Stand Who Vanished Without a Trace
by Gideon“Your ride is here.”
“Thanks.”
Jubin hurriedly paid and dragged his aching body into his house, heading straight for the shower.
His pelvis, waist, and shoulders—every inch of him throbbed with pain.
“What’s this bruise?”
His knee was a deep, angry purple. His wrists were just as bad.
As he washed with warm water, he tentatively touched his perineum and flinched.
The area was swollen and tender. He vividly remembered the intense sensation of being forced open as the other man pushed inside.
“God, the inside must be a complete mess…”
A wave of anxiety washed over him. He licked his dry lips in despair.
“…He didn’t come inside, did he?”
Fortunately, he had switched to a non-covered chip, which meant he would skip his fertile window and ovulation this month, making the chances of pregnancy slim.
Of course, it wasn’t a foolproof contraceptive.
If he was anxious, taking emergency contraception now was the safest bet.
Though it would be hard on his body, he had no other choice. He quickly finished his shower and headed to the hospital.
After taking the emergency contraceptive, he went to the SUB Entertainment headquarters to return the sponsored clothes.
Since his manager hadn’t started their first day yet, he had to leave them with CEO Moon Woo-jin today.
As the elevator opened on the floor where MOON Entertainment had relocated, the delicious aroma stimulated his empty stomach.
Upon entering the office, familiar faces greeted Jubin.
“Jubin, are you okay?”
The concern on her face was genuine.
He had no idea where his memory cut off, and the thought terrified him.
“Did I… do something wrong?”
“You took a nasty fall!”
Ah, so that’s why…
His knees and wrists throbbed. At least he’d found the cause of the deep purple bruises.
“Yes, I’m fine,” Jubin replied, feigning composure.
“You fell so hard, I was worried you might have hit your head.”
I’m seriously quitting alcohol, he thought, breaking into a cold sweat while pretending to be relaxed.
“I fell on my own, right?”
“Probably. To be honest, I was so drunk I only remember you falling. I don’t really recall how it happened…”
Maybe that’s for the best? Everyone must have been completely wasted.
I wondered if anyone had even been sober that day. A quick glance around the office revealed everyone was suffering from hangovers, their energy levels lower than usual and their complexions sallow.
“Is CEO Moon in?”
“Yes, he’s in his office.”
After two quick knocks, I opened the door to find him face-down on his desk, looking half-dead.
“Oh… Jubin, you’re here?”
“I came to return the sponsored clothes.”
“Ah, those… Just leave them there.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin muttered, “I guess I’ll have to dry clean them myself,” before asking in a dying voice, “Are you okay?”
“I don’t get hangovers.”
“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
Asking CEO Moon Woo-jin might be my best bet for piecing together my blurry memories, I thought.
“CEO Moon.”
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t cause any trouble yesterday, did I?”
“Trouble? What trouble?”
Jubin licked his lips, trying his best to act nonchalant. “My memory’s a bit spotty.”
“Why’d you sleep on the street?” CEO Moon Woo-jin asked, tilting his head. His tone suggested he was surprised Jubin hadn’t made it home as usual.
“I didn’t.”
“Right. You’d crawl home on all fours if you had to.”
Jubin wondered why his homing instinct had failed him yesterday, leaving him to wake up in a hotel room. It was a private room, accessible only to invited guests, and the security had been exceptionally tight.
He had no idea who he’d hooked up with or where they’d even met. There was one person on his mind, but he prayed it was all just a dream.
“Do Zion wasn’t here yesterday, was he?”
“Do Zion? No, he wasn’t here.”
Good. That’s good.
The only reason I’d been so anxious was that his voice kept echoing in my ears—Sunbae. Sunbae.—endlessly fueling my dread. All I had to do was avoid Do Zion.
Just then, someone burst through the door without knocking.
“Moon Woo-jin. Is your stomach feeling any bet—”
I’d been certain it was Do Zion, but it was CEO Park Ji-bun. A profound sense of relief washed over me.
It was a strange feeling, being more afraid of Do Zion than CEO Park Ji-bun.
“Oh, Cha Jubin, you’re here too?”
CEO Park Ji-bun walked in unceremoniously, handing CEO Moon Woo-jin a hangover cure while asking Jubin a polite question.
“Yes, I’m here on business.”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
He swept his gaze over Jubin from head to toe, as if to confirm he really was alright.
“Do Ji seemed really pissed.”
“…What?”
Why bring up Do Zion all of a sudden? Jubin stared at him, his expression a mix of confusion and wariness.
“That guy never says a word when he’s angry.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin continued, his tone laced with curiosity as he twisted open the cap of a hangover cure. “Zion was angry? Why?”
“How should I know? He didn’t say a word.”
Jubin’s heart sank, and a cold chill crept over his fingertips.
“Do Ji took you out yesterday, didn’t he? Do you know anything about this?”
What is he talking about now? Jubin’s heart constricted further.
“Do Zion showed up yesterday?” CEO Moon Woo-jin asked, sounding surprised.
“Yeah, he came right at the end.”
“Loyal as ever. He said he couldn’t make it.”
“I told him I’d be taking care of you, so I wouldn’t have time for Jubin. Then he showed up anyway.”
Jubin’s thoughts began to tangle into a chaotic mess.
The disjointed, fragmented memories he’d dismissed as dreams—scenes that refused to fit together—swirled in his mind.
And right in the middle of it all, the identity of his one-night stand was missing.
“Jubin, do you remember?”
CEO Moon Woo-jin met his gaze, his expression curious, demanding an answer.
Jubin’s heart hammered so violently that its thrumming drowned out everything else in his ears.
“No, I… not really…”
He trailed off, a forced smile on his lips. The awkwardness was too obvious to hide, and CEO Park Ji-bun seized the moment with a sudden suggestion.
“Could you ask him for us, Jubin?”
Ask him what? Jubin’s anxiety spiraled.
“I’m a bit on bad terms with him lately,” Park Ji-bun explained. “If I ask, he’ll probably take it to his grave rather than tell me why he’s mad. You should try feeling him out.”
“Right, right,” Moon Woo-jin agreed. “You’ve been getting along well with Zion lately, Jubin.”
CEO Moon Woo-jin, who had been listening, nodded vigorously in agreement.
The two CEOs were like needle and thread, sewing the two of them together as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I can’t let them dump this on me, Jubin thought. I have to draw a line here.
“Well, he’s not a child. He’ll figure it out on his own,” Jubin said, turning to leave.
Once outside, he leaned against the wall for a moment. The anxious premonition he’d been trying to ignore now threatened to crush him with the weight of reality.
“Ugh, my head is going to explode…”
Suddenly, the firmly shut door to the CEO’s office swung open.
“Cha Jubin.”
He should have left immediately. Instead, he was caught again by CEO Park Ji-bun, who had followed him out.
“Yes, sir?”
“Do you have a genre in mind for your next project?”
Jubin thought it was too early to be discussing his next project, especially since he was already preparing for the table read of Leaf on Snow, which was currently on standby. In truth, he just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to juggle multiple projects at once.
“No, not yet.”
“Do you know director Andrew Jin?”
Of course I do. He was Jubin’s favorite director.
“Yes, I know him.”
“His next project is tentatively titled Iconic Mood. He’s visiting Korea secretly for the casting process.”
It seemed strange to mention this to Jubin, who had no connection to the project, especially given the “top secret” nature of the visit.
“Would you like to try out for the lead role?”
Opportunities at a big agency like this really are on a whole other level…
“If you’ll give me the chance, I’d be honored to try,” Jubin replied firmly, determined not to let this opportunity slip away.
“Fine. I’ll get in touch with him.”
He checked the luxury watch on his wrist and added, “Do Zion should be done with his schedule by now. Ask him why he’s angry. I’ll leave it to you.”
So he’s using this casting opportunity as an excuse to ask me for a favor regarding Zion. And he’s already assuming the reason for Zion’s anger is me.
Just like that, he dumped the responsibility on me and left.
Normally, I would have waited for Zion to contact me…
Take it off.
…You told me to find you when I’m desperate.
Will you hold me?
…Can I?
Because it’s you, Zion.
Come inside.
I had seduced him, made those shameful requests, and enjoyed myself to the fullest, thinking it was all a dream. But it was all real.
“Fuck.”
The curse slipped out before I could stop it. I was at the absolute peak of self-loathing.
It started raining again.
I made up my mind.
Let’s do this. I have to be the one to make the first move.
Back home, after much deliberation, I decided to reach out to Zion first.
The thought of calling him terrified me, but my mind went completely blank when I tried to figure out how to start a text. A blunt “What’s up?” would be too sudden. Asking if he was resting… well, he’d probably be furious at me, so… I was anxious he wouldn’t even reply.
“Ugh, Cha Jubin. Just go die already!”
I buried my face in my pillow, cursing myself over and over.
Don’t just run away.
And make sure you remember today.
His words were seared into my mind like a brand.
After taking a deep breath, I dialed Zion’s number.
Each ring tone felt like an eternity. My breathing grew ragged as I waited, on edge, not knowing when he’d pick up.
Finally.
—Hello, sunbae.
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