NUTMEG 32

The staff’s faces were exceptionally bright at the unexpected free drinks. Wonoh smiled at the staff instead of a greeting. All the major filming was done, and with only minor shoots left, the atmosphere on set was quite relaxed.

Choi Wonoh, who hated being indebted and liked things to be fair, found these kinds of things done arbitrarily in the name of goodwill to be nothing but uncomfortable. He didn’t think they were close enough for this. Receiving something like this so suddenly left a bad taste in his mouth. He had cussed out Shotgun for giving out the filming location without permission, but that was that, and he still had to contact Jeong Danbi separately to thank her.

Just then, he ran into Im Kihwan, whose hands were full of sandwiches and drinks, and Cheon Minje, who was holding two iced Americanos. Minje was wearing a T-shirt, baggy shorts, and the windbreaker Choi Wonoh had given him over it all. A sports brand that Wonoh modeled for had sent several new items to the set, but they were too small for Director Im, so he had given most of them to Minje. Actually, if Wonoh had wanted to, he could have specified Im Kihwan’s size, but he hadn’t.

Minje wore the clothes he had given him well. The windbreaker, made of a crinkly material in a mix of white and green, suited him well. Wonoh unconsciously scanned him up and down, gazing at the straight legs extending from below the short shorts. Had Minje hyung’s legs always been this pretty?

Minje held out one of the iced Americanos he was holding to Wonoh. He took it naturally and sucked on the straw.

“How come Kihwan hyung isn’t drinking coffee for a change.”

“I’m trying to quit caffeine. That damn nocturnal emission… no, I’m about to die from not being able to sleep because of sleep paralysis.”

Kihwan replied, sipping a pink drink with a pale face.

“You know, when I think about it, I always get sleep paralysis whenever Choi Wonoh comes to the dorm. You don’t have something, do you?”

“What is there to have.”

Answering nonchalantly, Wonoh thought it was a good opportunity, turned on his phone camera, and said.

“You two, hold your cups and stand there for a bit.”

He would take this picture and send it to Jeong Danbi along with his thanks. As soon as he pointed the phone, Kihwan immediately struck a pose, asking, “Like this?”, and he took several pictures of him and Minje, who was standing awkwardly next to him, holding the cup and smiling. He immediately sent a simple message to Jeong Danbi, saying, ‘Noona, I’ll enjoy the coffee^^’. It wasn’t long after that.

♪♬♩

“……”

A video call came in right away. Wonoh took a short breath and then touched the screen with a smiling face.

“Noona.”

—Wonoh~! Are you enjoying it?

On the screen, Jeong Danbi was smiling with a face devoid of makeup. She seemed to be at home, as she was holding a brown Pomeranian. He knew right away because she sometimes made video calls while holding that dog.

“Yes. Thank you so much. Looks like you’re at home, noona.”

“What, what. Who is it? Is it Jeong Danbi?”

Im Kihwan, who had been sipping his strawberry latte, peeked at the phone screen and ended up greeting her. Seeing that, Danbi chimed in with a friendly greeting.

—Oh, hello. Are you enjoying the drinks? It must be tough working in this heat~.

“Jeong Danbi is the best!!”

—It’s still hot, and I thought Wonoh must be having a hard time filming the movie, so I tried to do a surprise. Ehehe.

“Wow, your kindness is even more amazing than your beauty! You two must be very close!”

Kihwan brought his face close to the phone as if he were about to be sucked into the screen. Wonoh felt the urge to just hand the phone over to Kihwan and fixed his gaze on Minje, who was standing half a step away. Minje had a vague expression and was fidgeting with the iced Americano with both hands. Wonoh, who was quietly watching his face, lowered his gaze back to the screen at Danbi’s next words.

—We’re going to be in a drama together!!

“Ooh~! Is it by any chance writer Son’s next project?”

Kihwan turned his large, round eyes to look at Wonoh. Wonoh answered obediently.

“It turned out that way.”

“Wow, Choi Wonoh is doing well,” Kihwan muttered, not forgetting to be clingy with Jeong Danbi.

“Ms. Danbi, I’m enjoying your work. Please film with me next time too~!”

—Yay, I’d love to! I’ll look forward to this movie too, Director! Please take good care of our Wonoh~.

Danbi bowed her head in a greeting from within the screen. Unlike himself, who had just snickered at the phrase ‘our Wonoh,’ Kihwan, even as he left his spot at the assistant director’s call, made a fuss by mouthing, ‘She said our Wonoh, our Wonoh!’

“Noona. They say I have to get ready for filming now. Thank you so much. I’ll enjoy the drink.”

As Kihwan scurried away, Minje also seemed hesitant about where to go. Wonoh said quietly, “Wait.” At those words, Minje stood his ground with a slightly troubled face.

—What are you doing after you finish today?

He had used filming as an excuse because he wanted to end the call, but Danbi kept talking. Wonoh made a low sound, “Mm…,” and smiled. He didn’t dislike this side of Danbi’s personality. It was just annoying. Besides, the scenario for the next project that writer Son had shared with him was a romantic comedy, so building feelings beyond friendship in advance would be helpful for his acting. Just like how he had become friends with Minje hyung.

After finishing that thought, Wonoh formed a smile with his eyes and smiled softly.

“Today? Mm… I’ll probably rest at the dorm. What about you, noona?”

—I have a radio show today too. Can I call you on my way to the radio show later?

“Sure. But not a video call.”

—Oh dear, you caught me. Ehehe. Today’s guest is Radiance, your agency friends, so I was going to ask you about them beforehand.

“Ah. Radiance? They’re pretty good.”

Answering vaguely, Wonoh stared intently at Cheon Minje’s legs over the phone. Anyone would say they were well-shaped, and the line from the moderately toned calf muscles to the slender ankles was particularly pretty. The straight, long legs were tapping a stone on the ground rhythmically. Tap, tap.

—Well then, good luck with filming! I’ll call you!

“Okay. You be careful on your way to work later too, noona.”

The long video call was finally over. As soon as he put his phone in his pocket, his eyes met Cheon Minje’s. He really waited like a puppy just because I told him to. How cute. He really feels like my pet. Wonoh threw his own coffee, in which all the ice had melted, into a nearby trash can and smiled at him.

“Hyung.”

Throughout the entire call with Jeong Danbi, Cheon Minje hadn’t looked to be in a very good mood. The strange thing was that seeing him like that somehow felt good. Minje, who had been fidgeting with the iced Americano that had melted into water, moved his lips.

“Looks like you’re doing a drama for your next project.”

“Yeah. Writer Son’s.”

“That’s great.”

“Why?”

“…You said you liked Jeong Danbi.”

“I did?”

“She’s pretty, and a good actress. It would be fun to act with her.”

Cheon Minje smiled awkwardly.

Wonoh raised the corners of his mouth into a smile. He could feel a dimple forming hollowly on one cheek. What does he mean it would be fun when he doesn’t even know what it’s about.

Wonoh was genuinely amused. Since some point, Cheon Minje had started to act strangely. Their eyes would meet whenever he turned his head, and each time, he would lower his gaze as if he’d been caught. Even though he knew full well that it looked even stranger, he couldn’t help but look away, feeling as if he could see right through his thoughts.

On top of that, during sex, he would stare intently at his face with wet eyes. As if he couldn’t tear his eyes away.

Just now, too, while bringing up Jeong Danbi’s name, he acted as if he were jealous, but it sounded like the object of that jealousy was him, not Jeong Danbi. Why does this feel so good?

He had no intention of pressing the issue to confirm the exact target of the jealousy. In order to have an enjoyable sex life without emotional entanglement, they had to maintain their boundaries. But he also had no intention of stopping something this fun. Because it felt incredibly good to have Cheon Minje be conscious of him.

The languid sensations that had been clustered in his lower abdomen slowly flowed up his spine. Wonoh slowly stroked his lower back.

“Hyung, what are you doing tonight?”

“Why?”

“Be with me.”

If he took the suppressants his manager brought, this heat would probably subside easily. Nevertheless, he wanted to sleep with Cheon Minje today. Very thoroughly.

“…You have to talk to Jeong Danbi on the phone.”

“We can do it after the call.”

“…I’m not going to.”

Minje refused quite firmly. His surprise was brief, and as he looked at him with an intrigued expression, he heard the assistant director’s voice calling for Minje. Minje fled to the set as if running away.

Left alone, Wonoh gave a light shrug. So Cheon Minje can refuse sometimes. Normally, he would have followed him just to see his reaction, but the timing was bad. His body was gradually getting hotter. It seemed Im Kihwan’s medicine really hadn’t worked on him.

Wonoh turned his steps toward the parking lot without any lingering attachment. It seemed he would have to wait for his manager in the car. He sent a simple message to Im Kihwan, saying, ‘Hyung. I think I need to rest until my suppressants arrive,’ and then called his manager.

—Wonoh, the traffic is terrible. Was there an accident somewhere? The GPS says it’ll take over two hours??

“Yeah. Okay.”

Wonoh ended the call, got into the driver’s seat, and pressed a button. Lying back on the firm, brown seat that reclined all the way, Wonoh carefully examined his condition with a mind that was trying to become hazy. He had always made it a habit to take suppressants before his rut arrived, so the heat of arousal crawling up from inside his stomach like an insect felt unfamiliar. It was a sensation that was even novel.

But it wasn’t to the point of losing his mind to lust or completely losing his reason like others said. Wasn’t it just a state where it was hard to suppress his pheromones with his own strength? Of course, that would be a problem, so he had to take suppressants to control it.

Still, it was enough to make him want to get off once. Wonoh wet his lips with his tongue and slowly rubbed the inside of his thigh over his sweatpants. He could feel his semi-erect penis gradually hardening in his hand.

Just then, he heard a knock, knock, on the car window. When he glanced over, Cheon Minje was standing outside the passenger seat with a frown. The heavily tinted windows should have made it impossible to see inside from the outside.

Wonoh watched his face quietly from inside for a while. At the sight of Minje’s face, his penis in his hand, which had recalled a familiar pleasure, began to swell rapidly. The reaction was so absurd that Wonoh laughed for a moment. It’s not like he was Pavlov’s dog.

When Minje raised his hand again to knock a second time, he unlocked the door with a click.

“The director said you were sick, so… huh?”

“Hyung.”

Minje, who had opened the passenger door and was standing there, widened his eyes as if surprised by something.

At the same time, Wonoh also felt a hot sensation that seemed to crush his entire lower abdomen surge up to the top of his head.

6.

When did it start?

When he came to his senses, he would find himself constantly looking at Choi Wonoh. And if their eyes happened to meet, he would be startled all by himself and turn his head away like an idiot. Even though he knew full well that it looked even stranger, he couldn’t help but turn away, feeling as if he could see right through his thoughts.

As a result, Minje could now tell what kind of mood Wonoh was in just from a single trivial expression, body language, or tone of voice. Whether Wonoh was in a bad mood, a good mood, bored, or having fun. That was why he knew right away that Wonoh was feeling a little uncomfortable today.

It was so hard to watch him video-calling Jeong Danbi, knowing that full well, and his chest felt so tight, as if it were being torn apart, that he had ended up whining in a way that wouldn’t even be heard. ‘I’m not going to.’ Like a child. Minje’s face flushed with belated embarrassment. The thought that he believed Wonoh would be disappointed over something as trivial as sex with him made him want to die of shame.

Minje sat alone in a corner of the set with a gloomy face. If he could take it back, he wanted to go and take it back right now. When Wonoh came, he should apologize for saying something strange. Thinking that made his heart feel a tiny bit lighter. Only then did Minje straighten his back and gaze at the entrance of the set.

Since only additional scenes were left, there was more waiting time than usual. Minje’s scenes weren’t scheduled to be filmed today either, but he was on standby just in case. But Wonoh didn’t return to the set.

“What. Wonoh? Wonoh’s a little sick, so we’ve postponed all of his scenes for today.”

It must have been obvious that he kept looking at the entrance, because Director Im gave him news about Wonoh without even being asked. His body reacted first, surprised at the news that Wonoh was sick.

“Wonoh is sick?”

“Yeah. He’s probably in the car.”