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Baek Saheon had never particularly cared about his reputation as a wanton man.
Awful gossip blogs always needed something to write about and reporters constantly shoved microphones into his face, it was just the nature of being an actor. As long as the roles kept coming, he saw no reason to help them develop better hobbies.
Though, he was starting to think that leaving them alone had been a mistake.
He’d only suggested that someone consider pairing him with Kim Soleum. From an anonymous account, of course. He wasn’t stupid enough to say something like that publicly.
Apparently, it had still been enough for Kim Soleum’s fans to swarm the post.
— [GhostsDontPayMyRent]: soleum-ah deserves someone who would actually take care of him, not baek saheon lol
Saheon glared at his phone.
What does that mean? Do they think he needs someone to follow him around and feed him?
Actually, that wasn’t entirely wrong. Soleum did sometimes forget to eat when he was busy, though Saheon doubted any of these people knew that. They were probably imagining something much more flattering.
He glanced across the sofa, where Kim Soleum lay with a script. Soleum had been reading for the past half hour, under a blanket Baek Saheon had brought him. A cup of tea Baek Saheon had made sat on the table, beside a bowl of grapes Baek Saheon had washed.
Of course, those people couldn’t know about it. That was the entire point of a private relationship.
Still! They could have the decency to be less confidently wrong, he fumed.
— [OurDeerOurRules]: i don’t see the chemistry at all… Choi is clearly a better match
Clearly?
Beside him, Soleum shifted closer to reach the bowl. His foot pressed against Saheon’s thigh, and Saheon moved his hand to keep it from slipping between the cushions.
Another comment appeared.
— [TheRabbitWasThereFirst]: even braun would be better. at least we know he’d stay with soleum-ah
Saheon stared.
It’s a stuffed rabbit. Where would it go?
“How fucking stupid,” he muttered.
Soleum looked up from his script.
“Who?”
Saheon jumped and locked his phone a little too quickly.
“No one..”
His boyfriend watched him for a moment. Saheon tried not to look as though he’d just spent twenty minutes getting offended by people who didn’t know either of them.
“…All right.”
Soleum went back to reading.
For some reason, being left alone made Saheon feel worse. He looked down at the phone again, already wondering what else they’d said.
He should probably leave the post.
Though, if he left now, they would think they’d convinced him.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
See, Baek Saheon’s problem had started a week earlier, when J3 smiled at Kim Soleum during a promotional interview.
Saheon hadn’t thought much of it at the time. People smiled at Soleum constantly, especially when there were cameras around. He was the lead, after all, and it would be awkward if his co-stars spent their interviews looking as though they couldn’t stand him.
Apparently, J3’s fans thought differently.
Within days, the JaySol tag was full of fanart, fanfiction, and interview compilations. Saheon kept seeing the same clip whenever he checked posts about the show, usually accompanied by comments about how J3 had never looked at anyone like that before.
He didn’t remember anything particularly noteworthy happening during the interview.
…Had he missed something?
Eventually, Saheon found himself clicking on one of the videos out of curiosity. It started with J3 passing Soleum a bottle of water, then replayed the exchange at a slower speed. There were captions pointing out where J3 was looking and how Soleum’s fingers brushed his when he took the bottle.
Saheon waited for the rest of it.
There wasn’t any. The same seventeen seconds somehow became three minutes of analysis.
Isn’t he just giving him water? What else was he supposed to do, throw it at him?
He closed the video, though the explanation continued bothering him. According to the comments, J3 had noticed Soleum was thirsty before anyone else did.
Well, yes. He was sitting beside him.
Should I start recording myself replacing the water filter?
Saheon opened another video to see whether there was anything more convincing. He wasn’t particularly interested in the pairing, but it would be annoying to dismiss it and then find out he’d misunderstood what everyone was talking about.
Even Soleum’s fans eventually joined in. Having inspected J3’s interviews, work history, and apparently his childhood photographs, they declared him worthy of standing beside the deer they had so lovingly raised.
Saheon hadn’t realized “raised” meant watching someone on television.
By the time evening came around, he had watched enough to discover that looking at someone while they spoke also counted as evidence.
The relationship in question appeared to consist only of water and eye contact.
Nevertheless, it became everyone else’s problem.
When Soleum walked out of their bedroom, his posture was perfect and his expression serene.
Then the door clicked shut.
“Saheon-ah,” he said. “We might need to pack.”
Saheon put his phone facedown on his thigh. He wasn’t sure why he did it so quickly. There was nothing wrong with watching promotional material for a show he was in. And tilted his head.
“What?”
“Our things.”
“I know what packing means. Why would we need to?”
“Management called. They’re worried the online controversy will affect the studio.”
“What did they want?”
“They want Jay-ssi and me to limit our interactions for a while.”
That sounded reasonable. If the fans were going to react like this every time the two of them stood beside each other, separating them would save everyone some trouble.
“How sensible.”
Soleum stopped beside the sofa and looked at him.
Saheon frowned. “What?”
“They’re also worried about people investigating our private lives.”
Considerably less sensible.
“If the studio starts checking where I spend my time, they’re going to find out we live together,”
“The agency won’t find anything. They’re incompetent.”
“Individually,” Soleum said. “Collectively, they can become very inconvenient.”
He should have expected that answer. Still, hearing Soleum say it made the whole situation more irritating.
Soleum sat beside him, already looking distracted. Saheon could practically see him working through the possible arrangements, deciding which belongings to move first and how to make it seem as though none of this was inconvenient.
“They’ll suggest separate accommodation. Then someone will insist it’s temporary. Then I’ll end up in a drafty studio apartment pretending the arrangement is perfectly reasonable. It would be easier to deal with it before someone starts asking questions.”
Deal with it? Is he seriously planning to move out because someone might ask?
“You’re not moving into some drafty studio apartment,” Saheon interjected.
“I would prefer not to.”
“Then don’t.”
“Excellent. I’ll relay your comprehensive solution.”
Saheon clicked his tongue.
He knew that tone. Soleum had already decided this was going to become a problem, which meant every attempt to reassure him would produce another explanation of how it could get worse.
Arguing would take all evening. By the end of it, Saheon might somehow find himself helping carry boxes.
He reached for the remote and turned on the television. The cartoon Soleum had been watching the night before resumed halfway through an argument between two brightly colored animals.
Soleum glanced at the screen.
“We’re discussing something.”
“I heard you.”
“Then why did you turn that on?”
Saheon didn’t answer immediately. He was trying to remember where Soleum had left his tablet.
There it was, beside the cushion.
He picked it up and opened the webnovel app. Soleum had mentioned new chapters that morning, though he’d apparently been too busy to read them. Saheon found the novel and purchased the latest horror chapters, with Soleum’s money, naturally. He wasn’t funding this man’s obsession.
“Here. Read.”
Kim Soleum blinked down at the screen.
Saheon waited, half expecting him to put the tablet aside and start discussing apartments again. Instead, Kim Soleum settled against the cushions and opened the first chapter.
“Very efficient today,” he murmured.
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
The cartoon kept playing while Soleum read. After a few minutes, his shoulders relaxed, and he drew his feet up onto the sofa.
The drafty apartment had been forgotten in favor of whatever horrors were in those novels.
Saheon returned to his own phone. This was research now.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
Creating an anonymous account hadn’t been difficult. Saheon picked a username, added a few pictures of boring nonsense to his profile, and followed enough accounts to look like an ordinary fan.
He hadn’t intended to join so many chats. At first, he only wanted to see whether the community was as ridiculous as everywhere else.
Unfortunately, they were.
Over the next week, he followed fan pages, read discussions, and worked his way through the more popular Soleum fanfiction. He wasn’t sure when the stories had become part of his investigation, but people kept linking them as though they explained something, and it would have been irritating not to know what everyone was talking about.
By the end of it, he hated all their co-stars.
One story insisted that Soleum needed someone who could gently coax him out of his shell. Saheon glanced at the man beside him, who was immersed in watching a cartoon rabbit threaten another rabbit.
Out of his shell? Isn’t he already doing whatever he wants?
He wasn’t sure he wanted to meet a less restrained version of Kim Soleum.
Another story described him as too shy to ask for what he wanted.
“Saheon-ah,” Soleum said without looking up. “Bring me the charger.”
Saheon looked from his boyfriend to his phone screen, then closed the story.
There had to be better material somewhere. Surely somebody had noticed that Soleum wasn’t a helpless woodland creature waiting for the right person to hand him a bottle of water.
After scouring the internet Baek Saheon had discovered a problem, a very big problem. There was not a single person who thought himself and Kim Soleum were compatible.
He’d checked the tags, searched both their names together, and even tried reversing the order in case people had somehow decided to be difficult about that too. Twenty minutes later, he still hadn’t found a dedicated blog or a single piece of fanart.
Seriously? No one?
It wasn’t as though he and Soleum had never appeared in the same promotional material. Their characters were rivals, but that hadn’t stopped fans from pairing Soleum with practically everyone else in the cast.
By that afternoon, he’d decided to test the waters. It had seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea before the replies started arriving
— [BSH1864]: Has anyone considered Baek Saheon and Kim Soleum? Their contrasting personalities could be interesting.
He read the message once after sending it. That sounded casual enough. Nothing about it suggested a personal interest.
A reply arrived almost immediately.
— [Moonpuppy4ever]: interesting as in soleum-ah filing a restraining order?
But all he received were mocking comments about his strange tastes and lectures about how unsuitable Baek Saheon was.
The Baek Saheon in question glared at his screen while swearing that he would prove them all wrong.
Which was how he’d ended up on his own sofa, being informed that even a stuffed rabbit would make a better partner for Kim Soleum.
He’d heard enough of their suggestions. That evening, he decided to make somewhere for his own.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
“I need a blog,” Baek Saheon announced that night, dropping his chin onto Kim Soleum’s shoulder with a heavy dramatic sigh. It required some care. If he put too much weight on him, Soleum would complain; if he barely touched him, he might be ignored altogether.
“No, you don’t.”
Kim Soleum hadn’t even looked up from his tablet. Saheon tilted his head for a moment, waiting for something more useful, but his boyfriend continued reading as though the matter had already been settled.
“They’re calling me a toxic venomous reptile, Soleum-ah.”
Baek Saheon whined (pointedly ignoring Kim Soleum's response of "you are"), widening his eyes into his most pathetic, calculated puppy dog expression.
“They’re posing you as a frail doe too.”
“How considerate of you to become offended on my behalf.”
Saheon glanced at the tablet. Soleum was still reading his horror novel.
‘Is that really more interesting than this?’
He shifted a little closer, making it harder to pretend he wasn’t there. Soleum finally let out a breath and put down the tablet, which seemed promising until he held out his hand.
“Give me the phone before you dox yourself.”
“I’m not an idiot.”
“What’s your username?”
Saheon hesitated. He’d picked it quickly when making the account, and there hadn’t seemed to be anything wrong with it then.
Soleum turned his head to look at him.
“Saheon.”
“It isn’t my birthday.”
“Very reassuring.”
He handed over the phone before Soleum could ask any more questions.
Although Kim Soleum grumbled at his partner's schemes, he still set up the blog, organized the categories, and made a second administrator account. Saheon watched over his shoulder, occasionally offering suggestions that were either accepted or dismissed with very little explanation.
For his username, Soleum recycled his usual webnovel handle: Mr. Roe Deer.
Saheon had seen it often enough on his phone. It was a little obvious, but apparently that was only a problem when he did it.
Once Soleum returned his phone, Saheon opened the account settings and changed BSH1864 to PoisonousGoat. If they were going to manage the blog together, the names might as well match.
Soleum noticed when he checked the member list. He paused, then smiled.
“What?” Saheon asked.
“Nothing.”
“If you have something to say, say it.”
“It suits you.”
Saheon was about to ask which part when Soleum reached up and pulled him into a kiss. He complied easily, reluctantly deciding that the answer wasn’t important enough to pursue.
The blog was finished, anyway. Now they only needed people to follow it.
That couldn’t be particularly difficult.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
Baek Saheon stared at his screen in absolute dismay.
Two. The SahSol blog had exactly two followers. One person was him. The other was Kim Soleum, who had followed while making the administrator account.
And as if that pathetic number wasn’t enough to stomp all over Baek Saheon’s ego, fate decided to kick him while he was down. A handful of Kim Soleum’s fans had stumbled across the page, and were mocking the idea. Baek Saheon’s blood boiled as he scrolled through the comments:
— [OurDeerOurRules]: OP doesn’t have a good eye lololol
⤷ [braunsolstocksareup]: EXACTLY
⤷ [anonymous]: heavy agree.. why would we want soleum-ah with such a scummy dude?? we’re not a fandom full of masochists ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
⤷ [jaysEmptyDonutBox]: we don’t even need to discuss this irrelevant shit, there are only two people following it
Baek Saheon gripped his phone tightly. The world was clearly populated by absolute idiots who wouldn't know a top-tier romance if it bit them in the ass. He’d spent the afternoon putting together interview links, and not one of them had bothered to discuss those.
‘Why come here if they hate it so much? Don’t they have their own blogs?’
He considered replying, but Soleum had already warned him about arguing through the administrator account. Apparently, telling potential followers they had no taste was bad for the blog.
Fine. He would find better followers.
He went looking for Soleum and found him getting ready to go out. Before entering, Saheon adjusted his expression into his best sad puppy face. He would do whatever it took.
Soleum looked up.
“No.”
“I haven’t asked anything.”
Kim Soleum laughed at the pathetic display. Laughed!
Saheon sat beside him anyway. “How do people get followers?”
“Usually by posting something worth following.”
He waited. Soleum watched him for a moment, then sighed and put a hand on his head.
“Try your own fans. They already like you despite everything.”
“Despite what?”
“If that doesn’t work, commission some art or stories. People need something to look at.”
Saheon considered it. His own fans ought to be more receptive, and paying for material would save him the trouble of waiting for someone else to develop good taste.
Baek Saheon nodded fast, leaning into the touch. “Grapes-ah you are the best.”
“Go sell your praise somewhere else.”
Despite saying that, Soleum continued moving his fingers through Saheon’s hair. His boyfriend had a very thin face.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
Baek Saheon reflected on life. Maybe his ship was dead in the water. Not even his own damn fanbase was interested in his ideal partner because they believed he had absolutely no emotional responsibility.
He stared at his notifications, silently cursing every single one of his followers.
— [BaekSaheonFanPage51%]: poison-nim i see the vision but soleum-ah’s fans will tear us limb from limb. not worth the risk ㅋㅋ
— [secretlybaeksister]: going against choisol AND jaysol??? you’re going to die
— [Saheonnoticeme]: i love baek saheon but i would not recommend him to someone i liked ;;; OP do you have a fetish for black-flag MLs?
⤷ [XxpinkbunnyxX]: heavy agree
⤷ [Saheonoha’oe]: agree
Are these really my fans??
He checked the third account. There were pictures of him all over the profile, including one from a magazine shoot he barely remembered doing. Apparently, they liked his face enough to look at it every day but couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to live with him.
“Screw them,” Saheon snapped. He decided to forget about his heartless, unsupportive followers and throw his massive bank account at the problem instead. If nobody was willing to make anything voluntarily, he could hire people who understood how to follow instructions.
He spent the next two hours contacting artists and writers.
— [PoisonousGoat]: Budget is unlimited. Make sure Baek Saheon looks handsome and attentive. Kim Soleum should look interested, not helpless. Is delivery within forty-eight hours possible?
One artist asked for more details about their dynamic. Saheon started with a brief explanation, then realized there were several misunderstandings he ought to prevent before they began drawing.
By the time he finished, he’d sent several paragraphs.
The artist thanked him for the thorough references, which was reassuring. At least someone appreciated being properly informed.
Another asked whether he preferred soft romance or a more possessive interpretation. Saheon flicked open his lockscreen to look at the background, a photo of Kim Soleum dressed up as Agent Grapes in their bed, laughing at something off camera.
He wasn’t sure why the categories needed to be separate.
— [PoisonousGoat]: Both is fine.
Once the requests were confirmed, he returned to the blog and started arranging places for the new material.
If the fandom didn't exist, fine. He would just be the entire fandom.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
While Baek Saheon waited for his paid content to be delivered, a notification popped up.
Someone had actually joined the SahSol Fanclub general chat. He opened it immediately, checking the username before typing a welcome message. It didn’t look familiar, which was encouraging. None of the people who’d been insulting him had decided to follow the pairing after all.
— [PoisonousGoat]: Welcome to the SahSol Fanclub chat!
— [Agent_Sanyang]: Is this the ChoiSol chat?
— [Agent_Sanyang]: . . .
Saheon stared at the screen. Then he took a slow breath, reminding himself that Soleum could see everything he posted in here.
Before he could settle on an answer, another message appeared.
— [Agent_Sanyang]: actually, im a Baek Saheon fan too!! never thought about sahsol but i kind of like it
He sat up a little straighter.
— [Agent_Sanyang]: is there any food for this ship?
Baek Saheon felt like crying. But he didn’t, of course—his dramatic tears were reserved for only the most important guilt tripping—but the urge was there. Instead, he composed himself and began sweetly sugar-trapping the only fan he had managed to attract:
— [PoisonousGoat]: The food is cooking! We’ll have new fanfiction and fanart shortly. Please make yourself comfortable (人 •͈ᴗ•͈).
— [Agent_Sanyang]: okay!! i’ll hold out a little longer. maybe i should contribute too… would anyone read sahsol as girls?
— [PoisonousGoat]: I would love to read that.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
Saheon was in a very good mood when Soleum returned home after a long day of filming.
Kim Soleum noticed before he’d even put down his bag.. "What happened to you?"
“Someone joined the fan club,” Baek Saheon preened.
“I see. Truly momentous."
He reached over to pat Saheon’s head. Saheon leaned into the touch, pleased enough that he decided this might be a good time to make another suggestion.
“Soleum-ah. We could interact more during promotions.”
The hand stopped.
…He probably should have waited until Soleum had eaten.
“No.”
“Nothing excessive. An interview together.”
“Our low profile is why we get to live here without anyone asking questions.”
“I know that.”
“If we start providing material for people to investigate, we’ll have managers interfering. At worst, people will come looking for us.”
Saheon glanced up at him. Soleum’s expression was calm, but he looked tired, and there was a faint mark on his cheek from the collar of his costume.
Baek Saheon knew his partner was entirely right, but it still tasted bitter. The other ships were only popular because the studio scripts explicitly milked the bromance for sales—something they didn't bother doing with Saheon’s character because of their on-screen rivalry.
Then again, he remembered how quickly Soleum had started considering separate accommodation.
Would he actually agree to move if they pressured him enough?
The thought was unpleasant. Having to drive across the city to visit his own boyfriend because strangers wanted more footage of them together would be ridiculous. Soleum would probably insist the arrangement was manageable, too, while looking more exhausted every time Saheon saw him.
He clicked his tongue.
“Fine.”
Soleum’s hand resumed its movement. Saheon stayed beneath it, trying not to be too obvious about how easily he’d been persuaded.
Once Soleum went to change, he reopened the commission spreadsheet. Several creators had already sent progress updates.
They could manage without an interview
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
The commissions arrived on schedule, and Saheon spent most of the afternoon checking them.
There were only two corrections to the art. The stories took longer, partly because he kept rereading the good parts and partly because one writer had Soleum blush through an entire conversation.
He sent a careful message about that.
Otherwise, the results were excellent. By the time he’d uploaded everything, the blog finally looked like a place someone might want to spend time.
Saheon surveyed the page with the satisfaction of a king inspecting a digital feast. This was how he and Agent_Sanyang would live for the next several days!
She noticed the updates almost immediately.
— [Agent_Sanyang]: POISON-NIM?????
— [Agent_Sanyang]: HOW MUCH DID YOU COMMISSION
— [PoisonousGoat]: Enough to get started !!
— [Agent_Sanyang]: i owe you my life
That seemed excessive, though it was still considerably an upgrade to anything his fans had said before.
Saheon saved the message before going back to arrange the uploads. If Soleum asked whether the commissions had been worth it, he could show him.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
A few days later, Saheon woke on his day off to several notifications from the fan club chat.
For a moment, he worried someone had found the page and started another argument. Then he opened the messages.
— [Agent_Sanyang]: EVERYONE WAKE UP
— [Agent_Sanyang]: SOLEUM POSTED ABOUT HIM
— [Agent_Sanyang]: also baek saheon can cook?????
Saheon frowned at the last message. Surely the promotional video for his appearance on a cooking show had made that clear.
He followed the link she’d posted and found the video on Soleum’s public account, accompanied by a short message encouraging people to watch.
Their lone fan went ecstatic in the chat over the "SahSol breadcrumbs,"
He read the caption twice before getting out of bed.
Soleum was in the kitchen, drinking tea. He glanced up when Saheon came in, then looked back down at the phone in his hand.
“Why did you share that?”
“You’re in it.”
“That isn’t an explanation.”
“It’s a fairly complete one.”
Saheon leaned against the counter and checked the post again. There wasn’t anything unusual about it. Soleum had supported other co-stars’ projects before, and the caption didn’t suggest anything beyond an ordinary professional relationship.
Still, he must have known what could potentially happen.
‘Did he post this because I asked about the interview?’
Soleum took another sip of tea. Apparently, he wasn’t going to explain unless Baek Saheon asked, and Baek Saheon didn’t particularly want to give him the satisfaction.
“Your caption is bland,” Saheon said instead.
“Delete it, then.” Kim Soleum held out his phone, already unlocked.
Saheon took his phone, put it facedown on the counter, and moved closer. There was nothing wrong with a bland caption.
Kim Soleum watched him approach, lowering his cup just in time for Saheon to lean in and kiss him. It was meant to be brief, though his boyfriend’s free hand settled against his waist before he could pull away.
…Well, it was both of their days off, there wasn’t any reason to hurry.
Despite thinking that, Saheon drew back. Kim Soleum was still looking at him.
Saheon glanced down at the cup between them. Kim Soleum had tilted it slightly to keep it out of the way, but one careless movement would send tea down the front of his shirt.
“Put that down.”
“Are you planning to complain about the caption again?”
He really did make everything difficult.
Saheon took the cup from him and placed it on the counter. Kim Soleum let him, which was encouraging enough that he leaned in for another kiss.
This time, Kim Soleum met him halfway.
By that evening, the post had brought them a second fan.
— [JangHeoWoon]: Hello. I saw Kim Soleum’s post and found this blog while searching. I hope it’s all right to join.
Saheon had prepared a proper welcome message this time. He checked it once, added an emoticon for safe measure, and sent it.
— [PoisonousGoat]: Welcome (≧▽≦), you can check out our compilations of interviews, TV shows, movies, fanfics and fanarts in the master link, don't forget to follow it!
— [Agent_Sanyang]: Welcome (*´ω｀*)! We have little food, but it’s premium quality.
— [JangHeoWoon]: Thank you! I'll do my best to contribute to the cause.
Soleum read the exchange over his shoulder, wearing the shirt Saheon had eventually retrieved from the kitchen floor.
“You sound like you’re recruiting for a suspicious company.”
“Don’t you have something else to do?”
“Not at the moment.”
Saheon moved the phone out of his line of sight. The new member was asking a question, and he didn’t need Soleum commenting on his answer while he typed it.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
Eventually, Baek Saheon grew fiercely protective of their cozy, four-member club.
He was the president, Soleum was the vice president, and the other two were the only people on the internet who had demonstrated any taste whatsoever. It seemed reasonable to make sure they enjoyed themselves.
When Agent_Sanyang mentioned an artist she liked, Saheon contacted them about a commission. He’d needed someone for the next piece anyway, and he knew at least one member would appreciate it.
JangHeoWoon occasionally apologized for taking too long to update. Saheon put a stop to that after the second time. Nobody had given them a deadline, and he didn’t see why they should rush something they were writing for free.
He also banned anyone who came into their comments to insult them. Once, he did it quickly enough that Agent_Sanyang never saw the message.
Soleum noticed.
“You’re playing favorites.”
“They’re contributing. Why shouldn’t I?”
His boyfriend smiled at him in a way that suggested he’d said something revealing. Saheon ignored it and went back to the blog.
Although he continued funding commissions, he found himself looking forward most to their own updates. Agent_Sanyang’s genderbent AU had become enormous, and JangHeoWoon was writing a reincarnation fic in which Soleum was forced to debut as a K-pop idol.
In the latest chapter, Soleum acquired a reputation as an innocent rookie while privately terrorizing his manager into renegotiating the group’s contract.
Saheon devoured every single word.
He left a generous comment, then contacted an artist about illustrating Agent_Sanyang’s latest chapter. She’d written a scene he liked, and it would be a waste not to do something with it.
While he was discussing the details, a notification appeared beneath one of the blog’s discussion posts.
Saheon opened the notification, already pleased to see Mr. Roe Deer among the replies.
That lasted until he read the comment.
— [Mr. Roe Deer]: SahSol works because Baek Saheon would complain about how troublesome Kim Soleum is and then take care of whatever is bothering him anyway. He would insist this was for his own convenience.
⤷ [JangHeoWoon]: Oh, I really like that interpretation •́ ‿ ,•̀
⤷ [Agent_Sanyang]: Such a cute analysis! and he’d be so offended if someone pointed it out
Saheon stared at the comment before looking across the room. Soleum was studying his script, apparently unaware of the notifications arriving on his own phone.
He posted that while sitting right there?
Of course he had. There was no reason for him to use that account otherwise.
Saheon opened the reply box.
— [PoisonousGoat]: There’s no need to make him sound so easily manipulated.
⤷ [Mr. Roe Deer]: Of course.
⤷ [Agent_Sanyang]: poison-nim defending his bias again www
His bias???
“Soleum.”
“Mm?”
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Contributing to the cause.”
“You’ve contributed enough.”
Soleum turned a page without looking up. Saheon watched him for a moment, then checked the comment again.
Deleting it would make the whole exchange look strange. Besides, the other two had already replied.
He left it alone, cheeks flushed.
━━━ . °‧ ᓚᘏᗢ ·｡
Sitting together on the bed later that evening, Baek Saheon pulled the phone close to his chest.
The follower count was still four. He refreshed the page, mostly out of habit, and Soleum glanced over from beside him.
“Did someone escape?”
“No.”
“Then why are you counting them?”
“I’m checking something.”
Soleum made a small sound. Saheon wasn’t sure whether it was a laugh, but he decided not to ask and opened the chat instead.
Their two members were discussing the latest art, which showed Saheon adjusting Soleum’s collar. Apparently, his expression had caused considerable damage.
— [Agent_Sanyang]: imagine if he was actually this attentive in real life 😭
Saheon frowned.
Earlier that evening, he’d spent ten minutes finding the pajamas Kim Soleum preferred because his other ones were supposedly too short to reach his wrists properly. He was fairly sure they had reached perfectly well the night before, but pointing that out would only have made the search take longer.
“Your fans are very presumptuous,” he said.
“Our fans.”
Saheon turned toward him. Soleum nodded at the screen, then waited.
“…Yes. Well. These two are less stupid than the others.”
“How generous.”
“They contribute.”
“Mm.”
“And they don’t start arguments.”
Soleum reached over and put a hand in his hair. Saheon stayed still, reading the chat while his boyfriend’s fingers moved slowly against his scalp.
After a while, he found he wasn’t really following the messages.
"Soleum."
"Mm?"
"Soleum-ah."
"What is it now?"
“Four is enough,” he said.
The hand paused.
“For the club,” Saheon added, glancing up. “More people would make it troublesome.”
“I see.”
“We’d have to explain the pairing to idiots.”
“A terrible burden.”
“Exactly.”
Soleum resumed stroking his hair, and Saheon leaned closer without thinking. He noticed what he’d done a moment later, but moving away now would only draw attention to it.
“Don’t misunderstand.”
“I haven’t said anything.”
That didn’t mean much. Soleum could be irritating without saying a word.
Saheon’s phone buzzed again.
— [Agent_Sanyang]: poison-nim!! roe deer-nim!! thank you for feeding us so well !! best tiny fandom ever
— [JangHeoWoon]: Agreed. I’m glad to have joined.
He read both messages, then scrolled up a little to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.
They seemed happy with the latest uploads. That was good. He’d been wondering whether to leave more time between commissions, but apparently there was no need.
Before the conversation could become embarrassingly sentimental, he told them another piece would be ready by the weekend.
Both immediately began screaming.
Soleum glanced at the screen, then pulled Saheon closer.
“You’re spoiling them.”
Baek Saheon went entirely limp, molding himself into Soleum’s embrace.
“They have good taste. It should be encouraged.”
“Is that why you spoil me?”
Saheon turned his head. His boyfriend was smiling, clearly pleased with himself.
“Your taste needs more work,” he said decisively.
“And yet you made an entire blog about it.”
Saheon looked at him for another moment before locking his phone. Continuing would only give Soleum more opportunities, and he’d already had enough for one evening.
He put the phone on the bedside table and leaned in to kiss him.
Soleum’s smile lingered against his mouth, which was irritating enough that Saheon rested a hand along his jaw and kissed him more firmly. His boyfriend made a quiet sound, fingers curling into the front of Saheon’s shirt as he turned toward him.
There. Much less talking.
Saheon had meant to pull away after that, but Soleum’s hand slid up to the back of his neck. The slight pressure was enough to keep him close, and when Soleum parted his lips, Saheon forgot whatever objection he’d been preparing.
He shifted nearer, bracing one hand against the mattress. Soleum tilted his head to accommodate him, his thumb brushing the short hair at Saheon’s nape as the kiss deepened. Saheon could feel him smiling again, just a little, though it was harder to resent it with Soleum’s mouth warm and willing beneath his.
Their mouths parted briefly. Saheon took a breath without moving away, his nose brushing Soleum’s cheek before he found his lips again.
Soleum’s grip loosened in his shirt. His palm settled against Saheon’s chest instead, warm through the fabric, and Saheon found himself following when he sank farther into the pillows.
He only stopped when his supporting arm began to ache.
Soleum looked up at him, lips slightly parted. Saheon brushed his thumb over the corner of his mouth before he could think better of it.
“What?” Soleum asked softly.
“Nothing.”
His boyfriend’s gaze dropped to his mouth.
Saheon kissed him once more. Briefly, this time, though Soleum still managed to catch his lower lip before letting him go.
…Move over,” Saheon muttered.
“You have half the bed.”
“I’m aware.”
Soleum shifted anyway, lifting his arm so Saheon could settle against him. It took some adjusting to find a comfortable position, and Saheon had to tug the blanket out from beneath his own knee, but eventually he rested his cheek against Soleum’s chest.
A hand returned to the back of his neck. Soleum’s fingers moved idly through his hair, occasionally catching on the strands Saheon had mussed while leaning over him.
Hidden against Soleum’s shirt, a pleased, unpleasant little smile spread across his face.
The other shippers could keep their ten million followers. He hoped they enjoyed replaying the same seventeen seconds of someone handing over a bottle of water.
“Stop looking so smug,” Soleum murmured.
“You can’t even see my face.”
“I can tell.”
Saheon closed his eyes rather than answer.
It was a shame he couldn’t tell them. Watching those idiots try to explain this away would have been entertaining.
Soleum’s hand paused in his hair, and Saheon shifted closer until it started moving again.
…Well. They could stay wrong.