To you again,
Fifty-eight. When I called your name.
J-Hope has returned to Korea after completing a three-week schedule in the United States.
In fact, the schedule came in a day earlier than planned.
As I got into the prepared car, Namjoon, who I had never expected to see, turned around.
김남준
Do something like that? Just change your schedule as you please.
제이홉
Huh??!!! Why are you here???!!!
He was no longer the CEO and manager of a small company solely focused on J-Hope, but a director at J Media. He was under his own agency, with dozens of artists, and today, sitting in the driver's seat, looking around like he did when he was J-Hope's manager, he was startled.
Namjoon started the car while smiling at the sight of J-Hope sitting upright in his chair and looking surprised.
김남준
I came here to scold you, why?! Are you hurt?
제이홉
....Uh. There are a lot of things that hurt.
김남준
He acted like he wouldn't date, but now he's in trouble.
제이홉
You should try dating too-
김남준
That's great. That's great. I'm jealous. Is that okay?
제이홉
How have you been? Are you ready for the directorship?
Let's change the subject naturally. Namjoon starts talking about what happened so far as if a flood has burst out.
Starting with the fact that Jeong Min-seok has been messing things up, there are more than a few areas that need to be addressed: album production, communication issues with the singers, their care services, and schedule management.
Namjoon, who was laughing heartily, saying that it was a total mess, ends up bringing the conversation back to the unavoidable topic by saying that Hoseok is dating and putting himself in this hellish situation.
김남준
So, are you finally having dinner with Chairman Shin today?
제이홉
Uh, I'm a little nervous.
김남준
You must be nervous lol. You have to make up for the loss, right?
제이홉
.....I think it would be fortunate if I didn't accumulate points.....
Tilting his mouth to the side, J-Hope turned his head out the window.
The reason for returning home a day earlier than scheduled.
Today is the 'father-in-law's' birthday.
Ding dong.
At the sound of the doorbell ringing, the female protagonist picked up the intercom like a bullet.
At the sight of J-Hope on the screen, she shouts, "I'm going out!" and runs across the small garden to open the gate.
Snap,
As the large gate opened and J-Hope appeared, the female protagonist hugged him tightly.
제이홉
Wow- this is intense.
신여주
I wanted to see you!
J-Hope put both arms around his neck and hugged the female protagonist while lifting her leg up, and then he hugged her tightly and let her go.
It's nice to see her face after such a long time.
제이홉
Good. Looking at your face.
Saying so, J-Hope hands the red bouquet of flowers he was holding in one hand to the female protagonist.
제이홉
gift.
신여주
Is it mine?
제이홉
I bought it while buying my father's, because it resembles Yeoju.
신여주
Wow.....thank you.
She is so pretty, she likes looking at flowers.
J-Hope's hand pulled the female lead's arm as she turned around to walk away.
side-
As the female protagonist smiles shyly at his lips that lightly touch her cheek and then fall, he raises his hand once again, pulls her towards him, and presses his lips to her forehead.
제이홉
It's so pretty, I could die.
As Yeoju and J-Hope entered the house, the smell of delicious food greeted them first.
제이홉
Wow~!! The smell is amazing??!!
Chairman Shin, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen at the sound of J-Hope's voice, his eyes wide and speaking excitedly.
제이홉
Hello! Happy birthday, Dad!!
신구현회장
You must have had a hard time adjusting to the time difference right after coming from the US, but you're working hard to celebrate my birthday.
제이홉
Oh, of course! I have to work hard to make up for the loss!
Saying that, J-Hope immediately puts down the paper bag containing the bouquet and gift and goes to stand next to Hyun-suk.
제이홉
It's my birthday, is my dad cooking?? What should I do?
The female protagonist was a little unfamiliar with J-Hope's active attitude and just looked at him.
Something.
It's like Hoseok....
신구현회장
I'll do the cooking, so go play with Yeoju.
제이홉
Haha, I can just eat and hang out with Yeoju. I'm going to sleep here today?
At J-Hope's words, both Gu-hyeon and Yeo-ju were surprised and looked at J-Hope.
제이홉
Please let me sleep, Father~~~
Shin Goo-hyun burst out laughing at the sight of J-Hope smiling and acting cute.
신구현회장
You're determined to get a minus!
제이홉
There's a guest room, right? I'm still jet-lagged, so what if I get into an accident while driving? I have to play with him until the day of his birthday passes.
신구현회장
How shameless.
제이홉
I'll also get to see the female protagonist's face.
신구현회장
It's not me, it's the heroine who's the target. Do as you please. Oh, really.
제이홉
Thank you. I love you. I respect you, Father.
Hyun-gu looked back at the female lead who was just blankly listening to the two's conversation without any room to interrupt.
신구현회장
Why is this bastard so shameless?
The sight of those two people was so blissful itself that the female protagonist burst into laughter.
Really. I'm so happy.
J-Hope actually sat next to him and talked to him until he said he should go to bed after dinner.
From lighthearted jokes to serious discussions about his vision for his current work and future plans, J-Hope spoke candidly with Hyun-woo.
The female protagonist continued to watch and listen to their conversation with a sense of wonder.
In the previous world, it was just the relationship between myself and Hoseok.
Since we both grew up as orphans, it was comfortable for us because we didn't have to worry about being seen by anyone or anything.
But now, J-Hope wants to look good in front of Yeo-ju's father.
It was such a wonderful feeling. The different sides of J-Hope his father saw. And the way his father looked at him and the way he treated him. The confidence that the source of their interest and affection stemmed from him—it somehow made me feel proud.
When the conversation had come to a close, Gu-hyeon sent them up to the room, telling them to talk.
As the female protagonist opened the door and entered, J-Hope also looked around twice and cautiously followed her in.
제이홉
This is what it looks like. Lady Yeoju's room.
신여주
I feel a bit embarrassed. Hehe.
Come to think of it, it was the first time someone had entered his room.
Feeling a little embarrassed as if she had shown something raw, the female lead rolled her eyes, and when their eyes met, both J-Hope and the female lead laughed.
The two sat leaning against each other on the bed.
The reason he felt comfortable on the floor was probably a habit he developed as an orphan. When the female protagonist said she felt at ease when she leaned against a large piece of furniture and sat on the hard floor, J-Hope sat down with her without hesitation.
제이홉
I have something to say.
신여주
What is it?
J-Hope, who was looking down at his clasped hands, looked back at Yeoju.
His gaze fell back on the clasped hands.
제이홉
Hmm... I thought about it a lot while I was in the US.
신여주
......?
제이홉
I didn't want to become the "Jung Ho-seok" that Yeo-ju was talking about. To me, the name "Jung Ho-seok" was a memory I wanted to erase, the memory of being an orphan. It was the name of an abandoned child. And when I met Yeo-ju, it was a name I didn't want to be compared to.
제이홉
So I desperately tried to differentiate between them.
제이홉
And after I fell in love with you, Yeoju, I wanted to overcome the "Jung Ho-seok" inside you. So that you could think of me before that person. So that I could be superimposed on that person.
The female protagonist was quietly listening to J-Hope's story.
제이홉
But in the end, I am also Jeong Ho-seok.
신여주
.......
제이홉
I don't know if it was fate or what, but I finally got a proper name, the one I was trying to throw away, erase, and tear off. Then, suddenly, a thought occurred to me...
제이홉
I think it would be okay for Yeoju to be Jeong Ho-seok too.
The heroine's breath stopped for a moment.
With a face like Hoseok's, J-Hope said he would become Jung Hoseok. His gaze, looking at him with eyes like Hoseok's, overlapped their images.
제이홉
I am different from that person, but aren't we also the same?
신여주
.......
제이홉
No, what does it matter if they're similar or different? I'm Jung Ho-seok too, after all.
The female protagonist's body trembled slightly.
J-Hope squeezed her hand tighter.
제이홉
Miss Yeoju.
신여주
......
제이홉
Now, you can call me Hoseok - that's my name.
The tears I thought would never flow were now streaming down my face.
J-Hope, no, Hoseok, spoke while quietly wiping her eyes.
제이홉
Call me, lady. My name.
신여주
.......
I know it's someone else.
And yet. As if you came back alive.
As if you came back to my side.
The tears won't stop.
The trembling lips opened and closed several times.
신여주
......Hoseok.
Just barely, she opened her trembling lips and called out to him. J-Hope smiled quietly and hugged her.
제이홉
huh.
Yeah, that's what Hoseok said.
[Author's Note] At first, I felt awkward writing the name "J-Hope" in "Hoseok" so I kept writing it as "Hoseok". But I guess J-Hope has become familiar to me. I think J-Hope has settled down as J-Hope. Now, it feels awkward to call J-Hope "Hoseok" lol
What I really want you to remember is that the two are from different worlds!!! They can never be the same!!! The strange formula that Jung Ho-seok = J-Hope!!!
Wow....the character count is over 4000 lol