Chapter 14. The Guy Next Door (14)

“Huh? Lee Jaeheon! Jaeheon!”

Jaeheon stopped in his tracks when he heard a cheerful voice call out to him after he stepped into the hallway following a meeting with his professor. He had been holed up in the student room for days working on a group project, and the fatigue had really taken its toll.

The hallway was lined with old vending machines and large potted plants with the ribbons still tied around them. The person running up to him was Jo Sunggeon.

Maybe he was here to meet a professor—he was holding a fancy-wrapped package and, unlike last time, was dressed neatly in a suit.

Jaeheon, with one hand in his pocket, relaxed his stiff expression and greeted Sunggeon with a bright smile.

“Hyung, what brings you here?”

Sunggeon waved the package he was holding and grinned.

“Came to see our professor. The response to the recording we did last time has been crazy. It’s definitely going to be a hit, so I thought I’d come and pay my respects.”

“Oh… When’s it coming out?”

“Probably next month, once the editing schedule is finalized? Sooner than we thought. Anyway… thanks, man. It’s all thanks to you.”

He gave Jaeheon a firm pat on the shoulder. Jaeheon’s dark eyes flicked briefly toward the spot where Sunggeon’s hand had landed.

“No, it’s because the planning was solid.”

“Still, if you hadn’t recommended Eunkyo, we wouldn’t have gotten a storyboard that good. Reaching out to Jung Eunkyo was the best move. How did you even know about her?”

“Ah, it just sort of happened. Please keep it a secret that I recommended Eunkyo noona. She’d feel too pressured.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her. Oh! Make sure to come to the video premiere. Eunkyo’s invited too.”

“Sure thing.”

Jaeheon curved his long, deep eyes into a soft smile. Then, going a step further, Sunggeon got up on his tiptoes and ruffled his hair.

“You’re seriously a good guy. The real deal. I owe you one. I’ll treat you next time, and I’ll be asking for help again.”

Still smiling, Jaeheon’s hand tightened slightly around the strap of his duffel bag.

“Of course, sunbae. Ah… My classmates are waiting, so I’ll get going. Say hi to the professor.”

“Yeah, see you again!”

“Bye.”

He stood there silently until Sunggeon disappeared into the professor’s office. Running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair, he casually dusted off his shoulder—with a hint of discomfort in the gesture.

Meeting Jo Sunggeon had been a coincidence.

He was the CEO of a startup his professor had invested in, and they had roped in Jaeheon through a mix of connections and requests for talent donation. All that was left was narration and a finalized script.

At first, it had seemed like a hassle and a nuisance—until they asked him to recommend a professional writer.

“Jaeheon! Ugh, why are you so late? It’s so damn hot, seriously.”

His classmates, waiting on a bench, waved while blasting portable fans at their faces.

Jaeheon gave a small chuckle as he walked over, and Donggyun, cooling himself with a fan, pointed toward the building entrance with a puzzled look.

“Hey… isn’t that the owner of the café on the first floor of your studio?”