“Huh? What is this?”
Upon entering the VIP lounge, a dazzling two-tier cake and a stylish bento box were waiting. In the center of the cake, a sugar figurine resembling Gi Cheonghyeon was smiling and holding a water bottle. And on the bottom tier was written: “Congrats congrats on Gi Cheonghyeon’s first solo advertisement.”
“This was sent by AKA Go Yeonhee. It seems like it was sent personally, not through the agency. Take a selfie in front of the cake and post it on Instagram. But when did you two get so close? I was surprised to receive it too.”
A card was tucked between the delicious-looking bento boxes.
First Solo Commercial congrats congrats!! But you are actually a year older than me… Sorry, oppa~^^h Oh right, you asked why I sent this? I have done a lot of solo ads^^ Sending you cake as your senior in advertising~ lol –Human Chanel, Go Yeonhee–
Reading the note alongside Cheonghyeon, Changsik could not help but laugh. \
Although Yeonhee had been active in the entertainment industry for a long time, in ordinary terms, she was just the age of someone who had recently graduated from university.
Plus, having debuted so young and only ever receiving fans’ love, she tended to be more childish than her peers.
Honestly, during their initial pre-meeting, she had not made a great impression, but now he realized she was still just a kid.
Cheonghyeon, who had been worried she was too naive, seemed to have gained a pretty decent celebrity friend. One whose mental age appeared quite similar to his own.
“Wow, look at those big strawberry seeds. Quick, take a bite.”
As soon as he opened the lid, the sweet and tangy scent of strawberries filled the air.
Thanks to the ice packs surrounding the fruit lunch box, the strawberries were cool, as if they had just been taken out of the fridge.
The moment he took a bite, the bursting juice and sweet aroma made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside again.
The manager told him to eat the rice first and save the dessert for later, but Cheonghyeon ate one more strawberry before touching his lunch.
The taste of the first friendship he had made in this world was sweet, and yet tangy.
As the Secret Signing event began, the hall bustled with activity. The first fan at the Secret Signing was a middle-aged woman.
“Hello, your name is Yeo Jiseong, correct?”
“Ah, yes! You remember all this.”
“Of course I should. You came all this way.”
Hearing this, the fan fidgeted nervously. She seemed to want to say something but hesitated, unable to bring herself to speak.
Cheonghyeon tilted his head, meeting the woman’s gaze. Then, her face slightly flushed, the woman opened her mouth.
“Um, actually, I am not a fan of Mr. Cheonghyeon. I am a fan of Go Yeonhee. You two just seemed so close, and I really liked that. And since I happen to run a few businesses, I switched all the water my employees use to Cheongsan Water. I just meant to show support for Mr. Cheonghyeon, but oh my, I feel like I have totally stolen the fans’ spot. This secret… this is really… ugh.”
As Jiseong rambled on, sweating profusely, Cheonghyeon finally seemed to grasp the situation and gave a small smile.
Seeing this, Jiseong seemed slightly relieved and continued. “I was planning to secretly give it to one of your fans if I won, but then the Secret Signing event was added, and the ID verification got stricter, so I ended up coming myself.”
Cheonghyeon laughed heartily.
“Still, thank you for coming. I imagine you are more curious about Yeonhee than me. Is there anything you would like to ask?”
Jiseong shrugged her shoulders and answered.
“I have been rooting for Yeonhee since she was 12 and appeared on that kids’ audition show. Honestly, you might think I am overdoing it, but Yeonhee is like a child I gave birth to in my heart. Sure, celebrities’ on-camera personas and their private selves are different, but I know her better than you do, Mr. Cheonghyeon, who has only met her once, right?”
Cheonghyeon laughed again at the statement tinged with quiet pride. Usually, fans worry when their favorite celebrity gets close to someone their age, wondering if they are dating.
But perhaps because she had watched Yeonhee since she was so young, and given the age difference, it seemed more like pseudo-parenting than pseudo-dating. Plus, they were the same gender.
Watching her genuinely cherish Yeonhee, not out of overprotectiveness or meddling, made him feel a bit envious.
Even if the world split in two, somehow, this person would stay by Yeonhee’s side until the very end.
“Seeing Yeonhee, who debuted so young and rose to the top like this, makes me so proud. Now, fans only want one thing. That she finds a good friend, a good lover. Celebrities get swarmed by all these flies around them, right? They go into business and fail, meet weirdos and ruin their lives. So even if she dates, they want her to find a decent guy. Honestly, at my age, you can tell just by looking at someone’s face. You can see it in their eyes, some look shady, others seem like decent people. Ah, you know Mr. Cheonghyeon is definitely the latter, right?”
Hearing this, Cheonghyeon smiled with a look of satisfaction. Jiseong burst out laughing, then sighed and continued.
“Fans might wonder why they care about such things, and celebrities might dislike it… But since Yeonhee debuted so young, I always worry about all sorts of things. She needs to meet lots of ordinary people to develop good judgment about others.”
At that, Cheonghyeon recalled Yeonhee’s dating rumors. This fan seemed to be referring to last year’s rumors with Yang Dohyun too, but since they avoided mentioning his name in front of Cheonghyeon, it seemed unnecessary for him to bring it up first.
Apparently, this fan did not think Yang Dohyun was such a great person after all. Perhaps realizing she had said something she should not have, the fan hesitated, trying to change the subject.
To lighten the mood, Cheonghyeon clapped his hands and spoke up.
“Oh, come to think of it, Yeonhee sent me a lunch box and cake for the signing event. Would you like to see them, if you do not mind?”
Jiseong’s eyes widened at that. Seeing her nod vigorously, Cheonghyeon smiled and fetched the cake and a note from behind.
“The lunch box was already eaten, so it is gone. I just took a picture of it. I could not bring myself to eat the cake. I saved it to show off to the members back at the dorm first, then we will all share it later.”
At Cheonghyeon’s words, Jiseong beamed like a mother hearing praise for her child. When she saw the message under the cake, she even laughed out loud, “Ahaha!”
“That is so typical of Yeonhee. She is so thoughtful, she treats everyone she works with, celebrities and staff, really well.”
“Hmm, more than just thoughtful, it is that slight…”
Jiseong tilted her head, and Cheonghyeon pulled the card he had received earlier from his pocket to show her.
“Looks like the advertising senior sent this to warn us not to steal Human Chanel away?”
After reading the note’s contents, Jiseong laughed so hard her sides ached. Laughing so intensely that her stomach hurt, she held her abdomen and waist, gasping for breath.
“Um, would it be okay if I took a picture of this? I want to post it online…”
Cheonghyeon readily agreed. Truthfully, after the Uyeonri broadcast, quite a few posts linking him and Yeonhee had appeared, but neither of them paid much attention.
They would not react unless there was something substantial. However, some of his fans were stressed by posts persistently insisting their relationship was suspicious.
In that situation, Yeonhee’s lunchbox gift and card, which clearly showed no ulterior motives, were a decent choice. He had planned to post a thank-you message on SNS anyway.
If he allowed her fan to see it and take photos, would it not make it seem even more genuine?
After quickly processing this, Cheonghyeon readily nodded.
“Then would you mind taking a picture with me and the cake?”
Cheonghyeon started to pose but instead scribbled something quickly on Jiseong’s autograph board with a marker.
“There, all set. Take the picture.”
Seeing what Cheonghyeon had written, Jiseong burst out laughing again. Only after all the photos were taken did Jiseong shake hands lightly with Cheonghyeon and stand up.
“Seems like neither of you developed any romantic feelings at all. I guessed as much from watching the broadcast. Congratulations on your first solo ad. I hope everything you do from now on goes well.”
Cheonghyeon smiled and nodded at those words. The ten minutes had flown by. Though she was not a fan, meeting this cheerful person who held a fondness for him had been quite enjoyable.
Cheonghyeon gained another perspective on relationships. Not someone who adored him blindly, but an elder with a light fondness who did not need to establish a hierarchical superiority.
As many people as there are, there are just as many relationships. Cheonghyeon’s world, previously divided only into those who served him and those he had to bow to, expanded a little more.
Cheonghyeon smiled faintly.
Another fan entered next. Cheonghyeon was incredibly happy throughout the long fan meeting. Since it was a secret signing event, fans occasionally asked slightly sensitive questions, but Cheonghyeon handled them naturally.
Cheonghyeon had secretly expected many questions about his relationship with Yeonhee, but the fans said something unexpected.
“I hope you are happy, oppa.”
“Cheonghyeon, I really hope you are happy.”
These were the common words fans said as they left. Seeing people love him so blindly and sincerely, Cheonghyeon felt bewildered.
Why do they like me this much? No one told them to, so how can they wish for my happiness with such sincerity?
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