Jaesuk Called

Jihoon gently ran his fingers through Jieun's soft hair as she nestled against him. The warmth in his arms, the steady rhythm of her breathing—it grounded him. It comforted him.

This little girl wasn't so little anymore. Somewhere along the way, the timid, awkward Jieun had grown into someone who could read the room, feel things deeply, and care about others more than herself.

"Have you thought about which company you want to train at?" Jihoon asked softly, brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"Um... can't I just join JH with Oppa?" Jieun said with a smile.

"Aigoo, Jieun-ah... Oppa's company is a filmmaking company, not a music label," Jihoon said with a laugh. "So you'll have to pick another one if you want to be an idol."

Jieun shook her head, still tucked against his side. "Hmm... in that case, I just want to be an idol. You can decide for me, Oppa."

Jihoon chuckled and pulled back a little to look at her. "Wow. No pressure, huh?"

She looked up at him with a sheepish grin.

"Alright then, let's think this through." He got up, stretched his arms over his head with a yawn, then padded over to the kitchen. A moment later, he returned with two glasses of water and handed her one before settling onto the couch.

"I say we cross SM off the list right away," he said, taking a sip. "They're great at dance music, but... let's be real. Your legs are too short for those high kicks."

"Oppa!" Jieun gasped, smacking his arm with a pout. "You're so mean!"

Jihoon snorted. "I'm being honest. Come on, you want me to lie to you now?"

Jieun puffed out her cheeks, clearly offended. Jihoon reached over and poked them with a grin. "See? Even your angry face is cute. But seriously—SM's style just isn't you."

He continued, now sounding half like a manager, half like a big brother who cared way too much. "YG's all hip-hop and street vibes. Not your scene either. And DSP... well, with Lee Hyori sunbae gone, that ship's probably sinking."

Jieun nodded, soaking it in.

"So that leaves with JYP," he said with a small shrug. "Park Jinyoung's kind of a weirdo, but he takes care of his own artists. You'd probably learn a lot there."

"The only problem is... if Uncle Lee finds out you joined JYP instead of SM, he might actually explode."

He laughed at the thought.

Jieun didn't. Her lips formed a pout, and she stared at him, unimpressed. "You just made fun of my legs and gave me zero useful advice."

"Hey, hey, don't look at me like that!" Jihoon laughed, reaching over again to poke her cheek.

"We don't have to rush into this. You've still got time. You're talented enough to debut when the time's right—no need to panic about companies yet."

Jieun sighed, but she nodded. She knew he was right.

Just as the moment settled into a comfortable quiet, the phone on the table lit up and buzzed to life.

From inside the bathroom, over the sound of running water, Jihoon called out, "Jieun-ah! Can you check who that is? If it's someone important, go ahead and answer—I'll be out in a minute!"

Jieun stretched over lazily, peeking at the screen.

"It's Jaesuk oppa!" she shouted back, already picking it up. "I'm answering it!"

"Yeoboseyo, Jaesuk oppa!" she said brightly into the phone, her voice cheerful.

Because of Jihoon's close bond with people like Jaesuk and Taehyun, Jieun had met them several times—usually when she tagged along to Jihoon's dinner parties.

Over time, they'd come to see her as a little sister too.

"Oh hey, Jieun-ah!" Jaesuk's familiar voice rang out, full of warmth. "Still taking care of that troublemaker brother of yours?"

She grinned. "More like he's the one causing me trouble these days."

From the bathroom, Jihoon shouted, "Ya! I heard that!"

Jieun burst out laughing. Jaesuk, chuckling on the other end, said, "He's always been noisy. Some things never change."

"Jihoon oppa's in the bathroom," Jieun explained sweetly. "He'll be out soon."

"You sure he's not hiding in there to escape chores?" Jaesuk teased. "If he ever bullies you, just tell Jaesuk oppa. I'll sort him out, don't worry."

Jieun scrunched her nose, playful. "He's actually nice to me. No bullying—yet."

Just then, Jihoon emerged from the bathroom, drying his hands with a towel. Jieun held out the phone. "Here, Jaesuk oppa wants to talk to you."

Jihoon took the phone with a curious expression. "Hyung, what's up?"

"Jihoon-ah! You busy today?"

"Nope, totally free. Why?" Jihoon replied, plopping onto the couch.

"Perfect. Come out, someone asked me to drag you along."

Jihoon blinked. "Huh? Who?"

"Heh. You'll see when you get here," Jaesuk said with a sly grin in his voice.

"Why so mysterious? Is this a blind date or something? Your girlfriend finally gonna approve of me?" Jihoon teased.

"Ya, don't get ahead of yourself! Just hurry up—I'm sending you the address now." And with that, Jaesuk hung up.

Jihoon looked at the phone, shook his head, and turned to Jieun. "Jaesuk hyung wants me to meet him for dinner. You wanna come with me?"

Jieun rubbed her chin dramatically like she was making a huge life decision, then shook her head. "Hmm... nah. I'll just stay home. You go have fun."

Jihoon narrowed his eyes. "You sure? Could be free food."

"I'll survive," she said with a wink. "Might just order tteokbokki or something."

"Alright than," he said, grabbing his keys. "But remember—throw the trash out before bed, okay? I don't wanna come back to a kitchen full of bugs again."

"I got it, I got it!" Jieun waved him off like a nagging mom.

"Don't stay up too late watching dramas either!" he added as he slipped on his jacket.

"No promises!" she shouted from the couch.

With a laugh and a final glance at Jieun curled up on the couch like a content cat, Jihoon stepped out the door.

The evening air was cool, tinged with the faint scent of spring blossoms and the far-off hum of traffic.

He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, still trying to figure out what kind of setup Jaesuk had dragged him into.

A short cab ride later, Jihoon arrived at a cozy, upscale Korean restaurant tucked in a quiet alleyway—one of those low-key places celebrities used when they didn't want to be spotted.

The hostess nodded politely and led him to a private room in the back.

Jihoon pushed open the door and called out before even looking inside, "Alright, who's the VIP powerful enough to get you, the Nation's MC, to play middleman just to invite me out?"

A woman's voice called back, light and teasing, "It's me!"

Jihoon blinked and turned to finally see who was inside. His eyes widened. Sitting comfortably with a sly grin on her face was none other than Lee Hyori.

No way.

"Annyeonghaseyo, Hyori sunbae!" Jihoon said quickly, straightening up and giving a respectful bow.

Not just because she was older, but... it was Lee freaking Hyori.

K-pop royalty. The OG femme fatale.

The sexy goddess of the early 2000s who once ruled every chart and variety show like a queen with a killer wink.

Plus—let's be honest—he'd heard stories.

Rumors about her fiery temper, her bold attitude, how she once yelled at a variety show director on set and no one dared challenge her.

But just as many stories painted her as kind-hearted, especially toward younger idols.

Jihoon wasn't afraid of her though—he had nothing to clash with her over. He was a filmmaker, she was a idol.

No competition, just mutual respect... hopefully.

Hyori gave a breezy laugh and waved him off. "Aigoo, no need for all that sunbae talk. You're Jaesuk's friend, right? Just call me noona."

"Yeah, Hyori noona's chill," Jaesuk chimed in from his seat with a grin. "No need to get all stiff and polite. We're just here to hang out."

Jihoon chuckled, finally relaxing as he sat down. "Actually, it's kind of funny—I was just talking about you at home with my sister Jieun before I came here."

"Oh, really?" Hyori raised a perfectly sculpted brow, intrigued. 

[Author's Note: Heartfelt thanks to Wandererlithe, JiangXiu, Daoist098135 and OS_PARCEIROS for bestowing the power stone!]