Manager Kim Deukpal, a veteran with a solid track record at Daepaseong, had been living a spectacularly chaotic life ever since meeting Min Jiheon—the kind of man with an innocent smile and a face so captivating anyone might fall for him at first glance. Landing the job of managing Min Jiheon at Daepaseong was a great career move. A ten-million ticket-selling actor! No title felt too grand for Min Jiheon. There had been a time when Deukpal used to worry that someone with such a cold, icy resting face yet such a clueless personality might get scammed out in the world. But after spending a few years with him, he realized that had been a very big misunderstanding. Always grinning like a fool, no one seemed to notice—but Jiheon was actually headstrong and stubborn. He took acting seriously and was kind to staff, but everything outside of that? He didn’t give a damn. Cold, unpredictable, occasionally vanished without a trace. “Hyung, walnut cakes~.” “Jiheon, please! Could you either tell me in advance before moving or at least take me with you?!” That cheery response with a question instead of an answer meant: no chance. And truthfully, he had never behaved properly. While heading to filming locations, he’d disappear dozens of times—leaving everyone behind, only to be found later standing by the van with both hands full of snacks. Watching him beam and go, “Want some too, hyung?” while flashing that angelic smile was the daily blood-pressure-spiking routine of his poor manager. The previous manager, who had also been the head of Daepaseong’s management team, went from low to high blood pressure before he finally escaped the role. So naturally, being assigned as Min Jiheon’s manager became infamous within the team as an extreme-duty assignment. And Kim Deukpal had inherited that role. ‘But Seo Hoyun is managing our Jiheon now?’ On top of that, the fact that Jiheon himself had gone to the CEO and requested to do a variety show with Seo Hoyun? He’d almost wondered if the sun had risen from the west. It was a cataclysmic announcement. Still, knowing Seo Hoyun’s suffering was inevitable, he braced himself and headed to the shoot, wondering how to get through the program without ruining Jiheon’s image. ‘Guess I should drive?’ Broadcasts were all about maintaining appearances, so unless he stepped out of line, they’d probably allow him to drive. He parked the car, twirled the key around his finger, and walked toward Jiheon’s house. But the moment the door opened, Jiheon looked strangely tense. A hidden camera trailed behind him. Apparently, they had already finished filming Jiheon’s spacious Han River-view apartment—and his fluffy, pristine white dog. ‘Why does he look nervous?’ He wore a smile, but Deukpal could tell—it was awkward. Even his fingertips were trembling slightly. Unsure if he should proceed with the shoot, he headed down to the parking lot... and right on cue, a black van pulled up in front of Jiheon. The window rolled down slowly, revealing Seo Hoyun in the driver’s seat, dressed in a plain black hoodie. No makeup, no styling—but the celebrity aura was unmistakable. Hoyun jerked his chin at Jiheon. What was this? Did The Dawn’s manager give him the heads-up? He hadn’t even handed over the keys yet, and here Hoyun was, already behind the wheel. But it made for a strong opening scene, so Deukpal let it slide with a smile. He expected Jiheon to break into a grin and hop into the van immediately, but instead, Jiheon glanced at him, then at the van, then at the camera, then back at the van—before finally sighing and climbing inside. Hoyun glanced at Jiheon in the rearview mirror and offered a greeting. Jiheon blinked a few times before mumbling back, “Ah, a-ah, good morning... Hoyun.” Hoyun dipped his head slightly and let out a snort of laughter. “Didn’t you say you’d just call me Hoyun, like usual?” Deukpal, baffled by Jiheon’s unusually subdued demeanor, quietly curled up in the far back seat, staying out of the camera frame—just in case. ‘Driving a van is a whole different beast from a normal car.’ But to his surprise, Hoyun shifted the gear smoothly and backed up effortlessly. And with barely a pause, he navigated the maze-like parking lot, packed tight with early-morning traffic, and got them out in no time. “Sunbae-nim, can I play a song?” Before Jiheon even finished answering, Hoyun had already connected his phone via Bluetooth and hit play. The ride was smooth and silent. And despite the GPS instructions, Hoyun seemed to know the route instinctively. Normally, Jiheon would be whining about what he wanted to eat or suggesting detours to grab food. But today, sitting quietly with his seatbelt fastened, he stared out the window and kept his mouth shut. ‘Wow, our Jiheon actually knows how to stay calm!’ Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novel✦fire.net While the manager teared up watching this rare, peaceful version of Min Jiheon, music began to play. 【I guess my world goes around you Like the moon circles the Earth】 “...Hoyun, isn’t this your song?” “Yes, it’s a fan song. Why? Should I change it?” “No?! No, I just asked because it sounds like the divine harmony of angels. Ahaha~.” ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’ For a moment, the manager doubted his ears. Min Jiheon, praising someone without a hint of sarcasm? Nodding earnestly? It was unsettling. 【Honestly, I never thought badly of you】 “I always, uh, felt dragged along~.” “Wow, Sunbae-nim, you even know the lyrics to our song.” “I’ve actually never really hated you~.” “You got that part wrong though.” Somehow, Jiheon had even studied up on the lyrics and was clumsily humming along. The manager, head bobbing lazily with half-lidded eyes, thought to himself: ‘Whatever’s going on... this shoot might actually go smoother than I expected.’ Being a manager could be hell, but— The day was just getting started. And today’s schedule? Which, out of all his duties, was one of the things Min Jiheon hated the most. “Min Jiheon is amazing today, huh?” But ten minutes into the shoot— Sitting in a chair with an armful of flowers, Jiheon had been zoning out. But when Hoyun let out a subtle sigh, Jiheon visibly flinched... and suddenly started posing and making expressions with gusto. “Wow!! Perfect! Goooorgeous~. My god! Beautiful!” The photographer couldn’t stop gushing while Hoyun waited quietly with a water bottle in hand. Jiheon, practically rolling on the floor, threw himself into the shoot like his life depended on it. “Hold the flowers behind your back and turn your chin this way! Ah~ that’s it! Oh wow, so enthusiastic! What’s going on today, Jiheon?! If you did this every time, I’d be living the dream.” Since becoming his manager, this was the first time Deukpal had seen Jiheon so dedicated to a pictorial. Sure, he poured his soul into acting—but anything else? He was always a half-interested headache. ‘What’s going on...?’ The manager studied Jiheon closely as he monitored the shots that had just been taken. Just then, someone announced a short break before the next outfit change. At the same time, boxed lunches prepared by the magazine staff were delivered. “Woohoo! Food, food, food~!” Jiheon perked up immediately, excited. But Hoyun stepped in front of him with a wide grin. “Sunbae-nim, where are you going?” “Huh? The food’s here?” “Before that, how about we take a selfie?” Jiheon’s eyes widened like saucers, but Hoyun continued, firm and polite. “I noticed you don’t take many photos or update SNS. That kind of thing makes fans sad, you know.” ‘Oh no! Jiheon doesn’t like taking pictures! And if you interrupt him before eating, you’re a dead man!’ The cameras for Please Take Care of Me were still rolling, so Deukpal couldn’t shout aloud—but internally, he was screaming in pure dread. “Wait, Hoyun. What about food?” "Who eats during a photoshoot? That’s for the staff." "But if I don’t eat, I have no energy..." "You’ll swell. Eat after the shoot. Now, come on." Even with a shocked look on his face, Min Jiheon squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then reopened them and obediently launched the [N O V E L I G H T] camera app. "Why do you keep closing your eyes?" "I’m hungry... I have no strength..." A passionate idol-level selfie tutorial followed. Min Jiheon, who normally only used his phone for communication, awkwardly struck poses under Seo Hoyun’s instruction. Out of hundreds of photos, he barely managed to get one that passed Hoyun’s approval, after which he slumped down, exhausted. Hoyun reviewed the result and let out a quiet breath. "He's pushing it purely on face and vibe, this guy." A very fair assessment. After asking Jiheon to upload the photo, Hoyun walked over to PD Choi and spoke with him for a bit. Laughter followed, and Hoyun soon returned. "Manager-nim, I think it'd be good to shoot a YouTube behind-the-scenes for Min Jiheon sunbae-nim. Could you prepare just two cameras? You and I can split the footage." "Huh? Is that really okay? It’ll include content from the variety shoot." "I’ve already discussed it with PD Choi. He said it’d be perfect for teasing before the episode airs. He was actually really enthusiastic about it." When the manager glanced toward PD Choi, the man—still filming them—gave a big thumbs-up. So it was decided. As the manager phoned the planning team, Jiheon resumed the photoshoot. The backdrop was a rich green wall surrounded by vibrantly colored autumn flowers. Sitting among them, Min Jiheon looked like he belonged in a painting. "Wow, Min Jiheon~ That edgy vibe is absolutely awesome!" His eyes were gleaming—not from emotion, but hunger. He was clearly on edge, focused solely on finishing the shoot so he could finally eat. As he immersed himself in the shoot with the same dedication he gave acting, the final cut turned out so well that the photographer raved about it as one of the best shots in his career. Behind him, Seo Hoyun’s lips curved subtly in satisfaction. "Good job. Have some gimbap." Watching Seo Hoyun hand Jiheon one roll of gimbap as a reward and then casually resume driving the van, the manager was swallowed by a wave of defeat. Even though Jiheon, nibbling on the gimbap slowly and carefully, looked slightly pitiful, he also seemed genuinely happy. ‘Driving, content ideas, giving direction during the shoot... He’s better than me. And Jiheon actually listens to him.’ An idol was outperforming him at his own job. With a gloomy face, the manager followed behind the camera crew, trying to stay out of frame as they returned to the house. The moment Jiheon unlocked the front door— Tiny feet scrambled inside. The sound of Malang, Jiheon’s dog, moving. The manager had been around since Jiheon first picked up Malang as a volunteer for abandoned dogs, back when the pup couldn’t even open its eyes. ‘Yes! Malang, you’re my healing!’ Naturally, the manager opened his arms, expecting the usual warm welcome— —but the white fluffball spun in place, hesitated for a beat, and then bolted straight into Seo Hoyun’s arms. They weren’t strangers or anything, sure—but still? The dog wagged its tail furiously and licked Hoyun’s face like it had been smeared with treats. ‘Malang, not you too!’ How many kilos of dog food had he fed it? How many walks had he taken it on? "Cute. What’s the name?" Even Jiheon, who answered him, looked betrayed. Malang hadn't even spared him a glance. "Hoyun, do you... do you spray yourself with something? Like, dog pheromones?" Jiheon's muttering about SolO drinks being secretly infused with pet attractant was ignored by everyone. Afterward, they filmed a short interview segment with the Han River view behind them. Jiheon, having regained a bit of composure, cleared his throat and responded to a question about what their relationship was like. "Hahaha! Hoyun volunteered to do this with me. I’m really grateful—he must like me a lot." He beamed, cheeks tinged red. "I think... I might be his closest hyung?" Then it was Hoyun’s turn. Asked the same question, he tilted his head slightly. "Min Jiheon sunbae-nim?" It was clearly a prompt to show some warm senior-junior camaraderie. "His dog is really cute." Not a word about Jiheon. With a casual shrug, Hoyun looked down at Malang, now curled up on his lap. "Want to come back to our dorm?" Malang’s tail wagged furiously. "Wow, this little one’s so affectionate." I held Jiheon’s dog in both hands, staring at its round black nose, fluffy white fur, and big perky ears. Maybe my polite warning had worked—Jiheon was quieter than I expected. Though his manager kept glancing at me with tragic eyes, I ignored that part. "Malang, how old are you?" As I poked the wet nose with my index finger, Jiheon plopped down beside me. "Hoyuhou, Malang is four years old." "Malang, it must be hard living with a guy calling you ‘Hoyuhou.’" "But Hoyuhou is gonna be living with Jiheon for almost two whole weeks while filming." "I’m already suffering." A while ago, PD Choi had declared a short break and left with the staff. Jiheon’s manager also went out, saying he’d grab a smoke. Not that it mattered much—the whole house was rigged with cameras. Suddenly, I felt an itch in my nose and wiped at it—blood again. Almost once a day now. Sighing, I looked around for tissues, and Jiheon, holding Malang, handed me a pack of napkins. Not even a hint of surprise on his face. That nonchalant demeanor caught me off guard. As I pressed the tissue to my nose, I looked over at him. Just for a split second, I saw his pupils tighten sharply. The next moment, my body felt lighter, like breathing had become easier. I reached out, brow slightly furrowed—but then the front door opened, and Jiheon’s manager and the crew returned. Jiheon stood, still holding Malang, and looked down at me with a grin. "Looking forward to working together, yeah?"