”My voice, the way I talk… Does it make you feel attracted to me, Jihoon?”

Several things surprised Jihoon, perhaps even more than understanding why Minho had asked that question. Firstly, he realized he had never considered it before. Minho was undeniably attractive; that was clear just by looking at him. However, Jihoon had spent so much time being suspicious of him that it was difficult to set aside those feelings and sensations and admit, even to himself, that Minho wasn't all that bad and that, if he weren't Park Minho, he might actually find himself hopelessly attracted to him.

But now that he knew (at least according to Minho) that Minho wasn't responsible for getting him kicked out of the talent agency, did he really have any reason to hold a grudge against him? And if the answer was no, how would Minho fit into his life? Would he see him as a friend? Or, at some point, would he find himself attracted to him? Or perhaps he already was, but was too proud to admit it?

The alcohol was fogging his thoughts and slowing them down to the point where it was taking him a long time to process things, especially when the issues were so complex. He decided to respond as neutrally as possible. He would think about it later, perhaps in the quiet of his bedroom, but for now, he wasn't ready to confront such thoughts.

"You have a nice voice. And you use it well. It's clear you've studied acting."

"So, do you feel attracted to me or not?"

Jihoon took another sip of his cocktail, then clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Why, would it make you feel good to know that the person you’ve completely outclassed has a crush on you? Would it make you feel powerful?"

Minho smiled. He picked up the falafel he had denied Jihoon earlier and fed it to him. "Honestly? Yes."

Jihoon was left speechless, his lips parted, the falafel being fed to him, and his eyes wide with astonishment.

This guy really had no shame!

Minho raised his arm and called the waiter, ordering another round of cocktails.

"Don't overdo it; you have to drive later," Jihoon scolded, but Minho ignored the warning, seemingly unfazed.

"I'm curious," Minho said instead, his eyes locked onto Jihoon's.

"I noticed. What else do you want to know, the last time I had an orgasm?"

Jihoon replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Actually, yes. I am interested."

"Don't even think about it," Jihoon huffed. Finishing his first drink, he pushed the second aside. "And for the record, I'm curious too."

"Last night," Minho replied nonchalantly.

"Hm?"

"My last orgasm," Minho clarified.

Jihoon's face scrunched up in a mix of shock and disgust. "Thanks for sharing, but that wasn't what I was curious about."

"You're welcome. So, what were you curious about?" Minho pressed,

leaning in slightly.

Jihoon took a sip of the new cocktail. It was a bit more tart than the previous one, but still very good. He was surprised that Minho was picking

drinks that matched his tastes so well, even though it had to be a coincidence since Minho couldn't possibly know what he liked. It felt strange, almost as if Minho understood him better than he thought.

"Who are you really? You don't seem like the kid you used to be, and everything I know about you now comes from online news articles," Jihoon said, his tone almost questioning.

Minho chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You'd be surprised to find out I haven't changed as much as you think."

"I doubt that. You used to be a lot more modest," Jihoon countered.

"I was never really modest. I just had fewer reasons to be full of myself," Minho replied with a grin.

Jihoon laughed, nodding in agreement. It made sense; they had never really gotten along, partly because of Minho's cocky attitude.

"Why were you so full of yourself?" Jihoon asked, genuinely curious.

"I'd like to say it was because I was overconfident, but the truth is, I was pretty insecure," Minho admitted. "That attitude was my way of projecting the person I wanted to be, but didn't feel like I was. I thought if I acted like I was confident, maybe I would eventually become that person."

Jihoon was taken aback by this admission. "You were insecure? Really?"

Minho nodded. "When I joined the agency, I was already older than most people starting out. Others had experience, while I was still learning the basics. I felt like a failure, like I was fooling myself by even trying. Those thoughts haunted me, and the only way to cope was to act like they didn't exist, to pretend I was this confident guy who knew he'd make it. It probably wouldn't have worked if circumstances hadn't played out the way they did. You're right when you say my career took off as yours was falling apart. I can't change that, and I'm genuinely sorry it happened to you, but I also can't lie and say I'm not grateful things turned out this way for me."

A bitter smile spread across Jihoon's lips. Just when he was starting to warm up to Minho, reality hit him like a cold wave. Minho had made it clear that he was content where he was, even if it meant the end of Jihoon's dreams—dreams he'd worked tirelessly for. How could a friendship ever form between them with such a history? Jihoon knew consciously that it wasn't Minho's fault, that he hadn't chosen for things to turn out this way. Yet, Minho was the one sitting on the throne, the usurper loved and celebrated by the crowd, who had long forgotten that someone else was supposed to be in that place. The desire to keep drinking cocktails and eating falafel and tartlets vanished completely. Jihoon felt it was time to go home. He felt an overwhelming fatigue, though perhaps it was just the disappointment weighing heavily on his chest.

"I worked late. I'm starting to get tired," Jihoon said abruptly.

"What? You want to leave?" Minho asked, seemingly surprised.

"I worked," Jihoon repeated, trying to smile kindly despite the irritation Minho's words had sparked in him.

"Don't do this," Minho's tone carried a hint of command. "You're not fifteen. Is this reaction about what I said?"

Jihoon felt a surge of anger. "How can you judge me? You have no idea what it meant to me!"

"Stop dwelling on it. Obsessing over the past will keep you from living in the present," Minho replied, sounding almost bored.

Jihoon wondered if Minho might be right, if this was the reason he was living so unhappily. But how could he let go of the burden he had been carrying for so long? It felt impossible to just drop it and move on. The weight of unfulfilled dreams and the bitterness of loss were like chains, binding him to a past he couldn't escape.

"And what should I do, then?" Jihoon asked. His tone was lower now, and he seemed to have calmed down a bit, even though he still felt a bit angry about Minho's earlier words.

"Move on, obviously. And enjoy the evening instead of running away. Even if you left now, what would happen? You'd just go home and brood over nothing."

Hit the nail on the head. He was right, and Jihoon knew it.

"And if I stay here, what do I get?"

"A nice evening, and who knows."

"Who knows what?"

"Just who knows," Minho said, cutting the conversation short. "I haven't finished with the questions yet, and this isn't the only place I want to take you tonight."

"You want to drag me around half the city? Look, I don't have unlimited energy."

"I trust that you're younger than me," Minho said calmly.

Sure, he was younger (by three years!), but he was also much more tired. He chose not to point that out, realizing it was a contest he couldn't win.

"What else do you want to know?"

"Why did you settle for a humble job as a waiter? When your contract was terminated, you were at the right age to go to university."

"I'd rather not talk about distressing things," Jihoon said.

Minho decided to respect that decision. "Alright then. Tell me about the last person you fell in love with."

Jihoon sighed sarcastically. Minho couldn't know, but even that topic fell under distressing things. He hesitated. Should he tell the truth or make up some pleasant lie? It wasn't an easy decision.

"What if I told you there isn't anyone?"

"You haven't fallen in love with anyone?"

"Have you?" Jihoon shot back, beginning to form some opinions about Minho, one of which was that he wasn't particularly good at commitment.

"Touché," Minho responded, and for a while, neither of them said anything. They just kept drinking their cocktails until the glasses were empty and their minds became lighter.