Chapter 78: Andrew Jin
by Gideon“Sit down.”
“Really, what if you collapse again?!”
“Just lie down a little longer!”
Jubin fought to keep his balance as he stood, wanting to show them he was fine.
“I’ll call it a day with training. Thank you so much.”
He bowed deeply, deliberately keeping his posture formal.
Kang Mu-hyeon dismissed his students, then turned his attention back to Jubin.
“At least call your manager.”
“No, my manager doesn’t accompany me on personal schedules.”
“I’m worried about letting you go alone.”
“I can just take a taxi.”
“Is there no one else you can call? Oh, what about Do Zion?”
Jubin shook his head, stopping him once again.
“Zion’s in the States right now.”
“Ah, the States… I see.”
The man asked again, his voice still laced with worry. “Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“Yes, I know my body best. I’ll make sure to manage my condition better next time.”
“You can always change the day if it’s too much for you.”
Jubin assured him he would do just that, then deliberately called a taxi to pull up right in front of them. Since it was a nearby cab, it arrived almost instantly.
“I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. It’s no trouble at all.”
Before opening the passenger door, Jubin turned his head, hesitating for a moment before forcing out his words.
“Um, there’s one thing I’d like to ask of you.”
“Anything.”
The man’s expression was so resolute that Jubin was certain he would have agreed to drive him to the hospital as his guardian without a moment’s hesitation. But Jubin’s request was far more modest.
“Please keep it a secret from Zion that I passed out. I’m counting on you.”
After making his polite request, Jubin climbed into the passenger seat.
If other people were this worried, Zion’s personality meant he would drag Jubin to the hospital the moment he found out.
Jubin rolled down the window to say goodbye to Director Kang one last time. Only when the man had driven far enough away, his figure receding in the side mirror, did Jubin finally let his tension unravel.
His condition had been rock bottom for days, and now this had finally happened. It was a mistake to force himself to come out, driven by a sense of responsibility…
After the CPR, Zion’s pheromones clung to the inside of Jubin’s head, driving him absolutely insane.
He knew Zion’s pheromones were strong, but he never imagined they could seize control of his mind, his body, and even his emotions like this. His judgment faltered, and his body felt heavy in real-time.
Jubin crushed his expectations and checked his phone once more.
Zion still hadn’t read the message.
He tucked the phone back into his pocket, trying to remain calm. He’s probably busy, he told himself. He traveled all that way, so he’s bound to be sightseeing. And with the time difference, he might just keep missing the right moment to reply.
The most important thing was the fact that Zion could easily meet someone new there.
I understand. I understand, but… no. I have to understand, but the anxiety of being backed into a corner was driving me insane.
He was just my partner. Yet, I felt rejected and abandoned by a lover. The thought made my heart sink even further.
“Fuck, his pheromones…”
If I were just craving any Alpha’s pheromones, I could just go to a bar, grab some random guy, and fuck him. But I only wanted Do Zion’s pheromones.
The ridiculous part was the guilt that flooded in the moment he imagined such a thing.
It wasn’t like he was cheating, but he didn’t want to treat Zion that way.
It wasn’t like he was dating him alone, either. Jubin let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Zion, who was all the way in the United States, really…
“…I miss him.”
Jubin curled up, hiding his thoughts from the world, and let his mind drift to Zion.
He squeezed the e-cigarette Zion had given him, still tucked in his pocket. The watch Zion had gifted him felt heavy on his wrist.
If only all my feelings for you could burn away like cigarette smoke…
I have no idea how to let you go.
Ten days had passed.
“God, I’m exhausted.”
Jubin collapsed onto a sofa in the company lobby and took a moment to catch his breath.
He still felt under the weather, and he’d realistically put off waiting for Zion’s call. The problem was, he couldn’t bring himself to give up hope.
[ Iconic Mood director Andrew Jin makes emergency visit to Korea. He decided to come in person to scout for his new project, his first in five years. He will depart after finalizing the production company. ]
The embargo had lifted right on schedule.
Today was the day he was set to meet Director Andrew Jin, and CEO Moon Woo-jin had decided to accompany him.
“Jubin.”
“Ah, CEO.”
Jubin stood up reflexively.
“Kept you waiting? Let’s take my car.”
As they walked toward the underground parking lot, the thick scent of cigarette smoke wafted up from somewhere.
Jubin quickly covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve, hurrying his pace. The moment he got into CEO Moon Woo-jin’s car, he popped a candy into his mouth.
“Want one?”
“A candy? Where’d that come from?”
“I’m quitting smoking.”
“What? You are?!”
That’s why it’s so hard, Jubin answered inwardly, savoring the sweetness on the tip of his tongue.
The idea of Cha Jubin quitting smoking was so shocking that CEO Moon Woo-jin acted as if he’d just witnessed a miracle.
“Is that why you’ve lost so much weight?”
It’s because I can’t stop thinking about Do Zion’s pheromones, day or night, Jubin thought. I’ve even been losing sleep over it.
He worried that his insomnia would persist, but he shrugged it off, figuring he’d deal with it somehow.
Looking out the window, he saw the heavy, oppressive air that always preceded a storm.
“You’re not feeling sick, are you?”
“I’m just tossing and turning because of the heat.”
“Me too. I can’t sleep a wink lately. I wish it would just rain already. This heatwave is unbearable.”
As they headed to the meeting spot with Andrew Jin, Jubin stared out the window, taking slow, deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm his racing heart.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop the trembling.
“No matter what the director says, let’s just nod along like we understand everything, then just say ‘Sorry’ at the end and walk out. Okay?”
The problem was, Jubin’s English was terrible. How was he supposed to read the director’s mind and decline the offer politely and carefully without being rude?
In that moment, he craved a cigarette—the kind that could give anyone the desperate courage to conquer any obstacle. But instead, he gently stroked his wrist, where the diving watch Zion had given him still rested.
“Are you feeling better now?”
He’d heard that question from the man all week, repeated until it was practically drilled into his ears.
“Did you hear something from someone?”
“I did. From Director Kang.”
Of course. Jubin realized he’d made a mistake in how he’d asked for the favor. He should have been more general, telling him to keep it a secret from everyone at the company, not just Do Zion.
Since there was no point in hiding it anymore, Jubin offered a casual excuse. “It’s nothing. Just anemia, I think.”
“Then you need to go to the hospital. Fainting isn’t a minor thing. How many times has this happened now?”
Turning the steering wheel, CEO Moon Woo-jin spoke in a low tone, sounding like a stern parent scolding a child.
“It’s just the heat,” I insisted. “I’ve lost my appetite lately. I’ll be fine once summer is over.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple. You’ve lost a lot of weight. You need to see a doctor.”
I tried to spin it into a positive. “Well, this works out. I needed to lose weight anyway.”
“Are you kidding me right now?!”
His voice sharpened, his lecture stinging more than usual today.
“I’ll go if it gets any worse. I can handle it.”
“You are so stubborn. Can’t you just listen to an adult for once?”
The thought and the question—Why is CEO Moon Woo-jin worrying about me this much?—melted away like ice cream in the summer heat, replaced by the conviction that he needed to go to the hospital.
Perhaps it was the endless wave of fatigue, but a lethargy-like laziness washed over him first. Even though it was his own body, it felt strangely unimportant.
“Let’s go to the hospital together after you meet Andrew Jin. You don’t have any other schedules today, right?”
“I know you went out of your way to make time for me today, CEO. If it’s too much, I’ll just call Joo-won.”
Since managing an actor’s condition was typically the manager’s job rather than the CEO’s, Moon Woo-jin reluctantly backed down at the mention of Joo-won.
Even in his hazy state, Seo In’s eyes unerringly found the red mark left on the back of Moon Woo-jin’s neck.
Is he seeing someone with a compatible trait? He once again chose to ignore the CEO’s private life.
The two of them arrived at the rendezvous point. Even at the faintest sound, they both snapped their heads around like meerkats, following the noise.
Their eyes remained glued to the door in real-time. Every time a customer entered who wasn’t Andrew Jin, they’d immediately slump in disappointment and chug their cold water.
Just then, their long-awaited favorite appeared in the distance.
CEO Moon Woo-jin and Jubin shot to their feet. The wrinkles at the corners of his uniquely gentle eyes were charming.
His tanned, golden-brown skin, revealed by a bright smile, was the mark of a true surfer.
“Hello.”
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