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Kim Jiwoong and Jung Chaeran were the stoic faced duo in the SBC’s Documentary Department. They delivered their projects on time and always handed in quality documentaries that rack ratings for the network. But even with their impeccable professionalism and being kept to themselves, everyone in the department knew that their relationship changed.
One thing the Department is curious about them now is how Chaeran still calls her boyfriend as—
“Sunbae.”
Jiwoong looked up from his laptop and faced her, “Mmm?”
“Should we eat?”
“Okay.”
Or the times that they were in a meeting and Park Dong-il and Lee Minkyung could only stare at the two while they discussed their plans.
“I think we can film in this location this weekend if the cast is available,” Jiwoong suggested. “Then we can frame it with this script.”
Chaeran agreed, “Taehun scouted this location as well, but we need permission for the budget.”
“Okay, I will make some calls. Do you need anything else for this?”
“All good, sunbae.”
Even Jiwoong’s childhood friend, Woong, once saw their chats and groaned at how they exchange messages.
“Sunbae, the cast is already here. your ETA?”
“In 30 minutes. Start filming.”
Both Woong and Eunho sat him down and told him the importance of exchanging sweet nothings over messages to maintain the relationship. Jiwoong defended that their way worked for them. When Yeonsu and Solyi heard about this, they hauled Chaeran to Solyi’s restaurant to ask what she felt about their messages. Chaeran answered the same way as Jiwoong.
But, for Dong-il who was observing and rooting for the pair since the first day knew that there was a significant change in how they conduct themselves around one another. The proximity between Jiwoong and Chaeran reminded him of old time married couples who were so used to each other’s habits and movements. Chaeran would hand in a tissue to Jiwoong even before he would sneeze or he would open a bottle of water and hand it to Chaeran without them even asking each other. They were so seamless together that it even added to their productivity at the office. So no one could complain about their relationship.
There were moments when Dong-il would catch Jiwoong’s arm over Chaeran’s shoulder when they thought no one was around them and they would giggle amongst themselves as if they were caught up in their own bubble. Sometimes they would sneak holding hands under the table during meetings that Minkyung would roll her eyes at but also smile in secret. The building security guards would often see their arms linked up together as they walked towards Jiwoong’s car to go home. And everyone knew that when Chaeran eats, Jiwoong eats and when Chaeran had to stay late to finish editing and rendering the films they shot, Jiwoong would also be there.
The most noticeable difference was Jiwoong’s mood. Jiwoong was a man of a few words, only speaking whenever needed but kept to himself most of the time. So he was often misconstrued as a snob and out-of-reach.
But Chaeran could say—
“I have coffee for you, sunbae.”
Or
“I found a good restaurant, do you want to go there, sunbae?”
Prior to the relationship, Chaeran was the go-to person whenever people needed something from Jiwoong because she’s the only person Jiwoong updates and talks to. But now, everyone who was looking at them during those moments would see him bright up like lantern lights during festivals.
Jiwoong and Chaeran’s relationship was never a secret, but they enjoyed each other’s company in serenity. Whether Chaeran called Jiwoong a nickname in private or she stuck with sunbae wherever, no one bothered to ask.
So in one particular Thursday night, as the pair with their sunbaenim were about to have their dinner outside, it was peculiar for Chaeran to suddenly stop and exclaimed—
“Oppa.”
Surprised with her action, Jiwoong and Dong-il stopped walking as well and followed Chaeran’s gaze pointed towards someone by the main entrance. The guy was stocky with a good head above his neck and was holding a single daisy.
“Chaeran~ie!” the stranger called her.
“Oppa,” Chaeran repeated, then walked towards the stranger. Dong-il sensed that Jiwoong tensed but he didn’t comment. The stranger gave Chaeran the daisy he was holding. Chaeran graciously accepted it and asked him, “What are you doing here?”
“Eomma is staying near here. She told me that you work nearby, so I dropped by!” he replied. He looked at the men beside Chaeran.
Chaeran looked at her companions who were a few steps behind him. The look on Jiwoong’s eyes towards her friend was unfamiliar to her, so she stepped back to Jiwoong’s side and felt his arm around her waist in an instant. She looked up to Jiwoong to study his face, but she couldn’t distinguish what he was thinking about.
She cleared her throat and called her friend, “This is Park Dong-il, one of my mentors here.” Dong-il extended his hand, figuring out how the situation will all play out.
“And this is Kim Jiwoong,” she paused for a beat, still trying to figure out what was going on with Jiwoong, “my boyfriend.” Unlike their sunbae, Jiwoong didn’t extend his hand and instead, she felt Jiwoong’s arm tighten around her waist.
The stranger teased, “You finally got a boyfriend?”
She let loose a guffaw and exclaimed, “Eo, you prick!” She faced her mentor and boyfriend, who were waiting for her to introduce the unfamiliar man. “Sunbaenim, this is Lee Hyungsik. He’s a childhood friend. We used to live near each other, until he migrated to Japan years ago.”
Chaeran’s childhood friend extended his hand to Jiwoong. It took a nudge from Dong-il before Jiwoong extended his hand too. The good natured Hyungsik congratulated them for getting together. Jiwoong barely nodded.
Chaeran changed the topic and asked him, “How long will you be here, oppa?”
Dong-il could visibly see Jiwoong’s jaw tightened but both of them didn’t utter a sound. He wondered how Jiwoong could be this slow towards Chaeran.
“Until tomorrow morning because I have to fly back to Kyoto immediately.” Hyungsik looked at Chaeran’s companions before he asked, “Actually, eomma asked if you could eat with us if you’re free now.”
“I can’t. We’re about to have dinner too,” Chaeran explained and looked at his companions, especially to the man who was still holding her waist a little bit tighter than he usually would in the company of other people. Jiwoong hasn’t eaten yet and it took a lot of forcing from Chaeran before he was even persuaded to leave the editing room, so Chaeran wanted to see him eat.
“Oh, that’s unfortunate,” Hyungsik replied, regret laced in his tone.
“When will you be back to Seoul?” Chaeran probed.
“Not sure. I only had to do some urgent business here this week.”
No one spoke for a moment, so Chaeran decided that she would bid goodbye to her friend but Jiwoong finally spoke. “You should go.”
Chaeran was surprised and Dong-il restrained himself from rolling his eyes.
“Maybe we can all go together?” Chaeran offered.
“No, that’ll be too much,” Jiwoong retorted. He then tapped Dong-il’s arm. “We’ll just eat now. Let me know when you’re coming back to the office.”
Chaeran wanted to object because she wanted to make sure that Jiwoong would actually eat. But then Jiwoong did something he never did in front of other people as of yet.
He kissed her cheek.
“See you later,” he said and briefly smiled at her. He then dragged their sunbaenim away.
Chaeran and Hyungsik stared while they walked away from them.
Chaeran found Jiwoong at the rooftop looking at the city, as if in deep thought. She approached him and nudged him to let him know she was there. Jiwoong quickly, but barely, smiled at her.
“ Sunbae , where did you eat?” she asked.
“In the cafeteria.”
“Liar.” She then forced a gimbap on his hand. “Sunbaenim told me you didn’t eat.”
Jiwoong didn’t say anything but he unwrapped the food and started to eat it.
“We ate in one of the restaurants near here, then just exchanged some stories. Found out that Hyungsik’s eomma just moved to Seoul because she had to be near Yulje Hospital for her post-liver operation check-ups. She said she’s in good hands with the VIP doctor there. We spent the entire dinner just with her gushing over her doctor.”
Chaeran glanced at Jiwoong but he continued to eat and stare at the city skyline without a word to Chaeran.
“You know, I can easily tell when you’re not in the mood. It’s obvious even how much you try to mask it. Life would be so much easier if you share what your thoughts are or if something bothers you, instead of sulking or not muttering any word or icing me out.” Chaeran looked at the stoic Jiwoong who was still eating the gimbap in silence. “You know, I’m just telling you this because I’m worried about you, right?
Jiwoong finally gave in. “Why do you call him oppa?”
Ah, bingo. Chaeran tried not to smile because he looked so sad and serious that she wasn’t calling him that.
“Do you want me to call you oppa?” Chaeran sheepishly asked.
“Ah, I don’t mean—” Jiwoong diverted his gaze back to the city lights, trying to avoid an awkward situation. “Never mind.”
Chaeran snickered. Who knew that the ever professional and straight face Kim Jiwoong would act this way?
Jiwoong barely threw her a look because of her laugh and grumbled, “What’s funny?”
She pulled his arm, willing him to look at her. His body followed her pull, but his face and gaze were still looking at the cityscape. Her eyes glinted with mischief. “I get it, oppa.”
A fleeting smile broke Jiwoong’s facade. Chaeran caught that so she moved a little closer to him. “Jiwoong oppa,” she called him again. “Did you get jealous?”
His response was abrupt. “Heol. I just wondered why you called him… that.”
She held his face so he could finally meet her eyes. Ever so slightly, caressed his face as she looked deep into his eyes and called him again, “Oppa.”
And with that, Jiwoong’s resolve melted. He swooped her into his arms to move her close to him. “Ahhh, Jung Chaeran.”
Chaeran let out the laugh she was holding earlier, then berated him. “You could have told me that you want that?”
“I thought that was automatic when we started dating?”
“I’m so used to calling you sunbae like I call him that,” she argued. “Habits are difficult to break!”
Jiwoong chuckled and moved one of his hands to her face, tucking the loose strand of hair behind her ears. “Arasso,” he said as he caressed her cheek the way she did it a little earlier. His sharp eyes gazed softly at Chaeran, full of admiration and love that anyone who didn’t believe they were a couple would doubt it no longer.
Park Dong-il who was still hungry and wanted to drag Jiwoong back to the cafeteria just quietly closed the door and left the couple to themselves.
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