Sweet Gratitude and the Swordmaster's Spotlight
Donghu, isn't it true that the person you love never gets boring no matter how many times you look at them? To the question "Isn't that obvious?" Ryu Jaerin could answer more refreshingly than anyone. And in reality, that was the case.
Starting from the school uniform photoshoot she did with Kim Donghu, to movie bromides featuring him as the main star—collecting everything related to Kim Donghu was Ryu Jaerin's hobby. On top of that, "Donghu's acting is getting better and better." Anything with Kim Donghu in it, she made sure to check out. Ryu Jaerin was his ultimate die-hard fan.
So when she spotted a similar build in that narrow alley, Ryu Jaerin unconsciously overlaid Kim Donghu's image onto it. "Even thinking back, it matches perfectly."
First off, Kim Donghu's physique had an aura that couldn't be hidden no matter what. His superior frame and proportions—calling them superior wouldn't even do them justice—plus the solidly built muscles flowing from there. No one could replicate any part of that irreplaceable physique.
But she hadn't been entirely sure. "Donghu doesn't wear clothes like that." Jaerin knew Donghu's preferred style very, extremely, incredibly well. So she figured it was a miraculous coincidence of someone with a similar build.
But then.
"...The police called. About that knife-wielding creep caught in your neighborhood."
"Yes."
"Turns out you were the stalking target. That was his goal. He was already completely subdued, scared shitless, spilled everything on his own. I wasn't gonna say anything originally, but figured it's better if you know."
Ryu Jaerin was genuinely shocked by the call from her manager the next day. A stalker? What the hell did that mean? Me? Out of nowhere?
"He was scared?"
"Yeah, he... said someone beat him up one-sidedly. 'Beat' my ass—it was just stalker suppression."
"Wh-who was it?"
"No idea. But apparently fights like a beast. Subduing a knife-wielding guy perfectly ain't easy. Heard the description was all black attire. Anyway, we're keeping the victim's identity out of the press. If an article pops up later, don't freak—just giving you a heads-up, so thought I'd call."
As her manager explained the incident, Ryu Jaerin thought, "So that guy in black was Donghu."
There was no other explanation. A stalker appearing out of nowhere, and a man in black saving her. Everything fit like fate. Just like that moment we met.
"Haa..."
A deep sigh escaped naturally.
"You okay? Pretty shaken?"
"Ah, no. No actual harm done, no damage taken, so I'm totally fine."
"Good, glad you see it that way. Anyway, huge relief. Wanna thank that helper, but he vanished. Can't reach him."
Unlike Ryu Jaerin, who was already at ease, her manager kept rambling, still rattled.
"Reach him?"
"We wanna reward him properly. Only right."
"Ah... reward, yeah, absolutely, gotta do it big."
Saying that, Ryu Jaerin turned her head sideways. Her gaze, with a sticky smile, landed on the wall. Precisely, the wall connected to the neighbor's.
"Anyway, rest up. I'll pass on anything else ASAP."
"Yes, please do."
"Got it. Hanging up."
"Yep."
Click.
The moment she hung up, Ryu Jaerin started prepping cake batter. She glanced at the time.
"If I start now, I can give him cake tomorrow morning."
Ryu Jaerin busied her hands. "Saves me like that and doesn't even check in."
She knew it was Kim Donghu's way of being considerate. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and since it ended well, no need to worry her. She got it, she totally got it.
But that thoughtfulness drove her crazy. Makes you fall even harder. How to express these unspeakable feelings? Even that was tough.
"Done."
With everything prepped, the next morning, Jaerin fired off a KakaoTalk to Donghu right away.
Donghu, is this you?
A message brimming with conviction. After sending it, Jaerin grabbed the cake and waited at Donghu's door. Thud thud thud.
After a short wait. Click.
"Huh? Cake? But... what'd that Kakao mean?"
The door opened, and Donghu entered Jaerin's view.
"What do you mean? You know exactly. It was you, Donghu."
Jaerin's eyes flashed like a predator's.
++++++
How'd she know? What evidence? It wasn't me.
Sometimes, no such lines are needed. When the other person comes at you with 100% certainty. Denying's pointless; only facing it head-on is allowed. Put simply, the arena opens.
When Jaerin showed up at my door with cake, I ran through possibilities.
"Did her agency tell her?" Easiest assumption. But even then, no way they'd know the identity.
"No CCTV there anyway—just witness statements." And those would be vague. The incident happened when the streetlight flickered off briefly.
"I even masked my voice to the stalker." Left zero clues to ID me.
So how was Jaerin this sure? Especially...
"Thanks so much for saving me. If not for you..."
"Uh, uh, huh?"
"Let's eat cake first. Fresh-baked, super tasty?"
Jaerin gave me no room to escape. She perfectly missed my golden window to deny, slipping naturally inside to set up the cake.
Flustered nonstop. I rushed to say it was a misunderstanding, but...
"Donghu, how can you just leave clothes like that?"
She spotted my detective cosplay outfit shed like a skin in front of the TV.
If anyone asked why I left it like that, I'd glare and retort. "I didn't expect to get caught in one day! Who could've predicted this?!"
Who could've? This was absurd.
"Like Nutella? They call it devil's chocolate. Made it into cake."
Jaerin didn't ask how I caught the stalker or spotted him. Facts didn't change: I saved her. That was the ultimate truth. With a constant soft smile, she finished setting the cake.
Whipped cream and Nutella perfection. Fresh-sliced strawberries and bananas piled on. Mouthwatering, but a weird tension hung in the air.
"This is my house—why do I feel like this?"
But seriously, how'd she know? That curiosity kept me from seizing control. Ask, and I'd confess to the save.
"Can't come eat? I worked so hard on this..."
Her soft, gentle, somehow intense voice bewitched me into sitting.
Then I threw it out, no holds barred. "But what's your proof it's me? Way more likely it's not."
If Jaerin slipped here, I'd wriggle free.
But.
"Donghu, it was you."
No gaps.
"..."
It felt like saying 1+1=2. No one chimes in with "Actually, that's a window"—her short, ironclad certainty shut it down.
"Uh... can I get the strawberry-heavy slice?"
I gave up everything and just ate cake.
"Why not? But you saved me, so I'll feed you. Just open wide, Donghu. Got it?"
"Uh, yeah."
Nah, I accepted being fed.
"We look like newlyweds like this. Whenever you want cake, say so—I'll bake it."
"Pfft... hack, cough, huh? *Cough cough*."
The sudden choke was bonus.
++++++
Anyway, the stalker incident wrapped up cleanly after that. Time flew to Christmas Day.
Mariah Carey's holiday tune blared on the streets as I warmed up for Yeokjeok: Bud of Corruption filming.
"Brr, freezing. Right?"
"Yeah? Yeah."
Jin Yuseong sunbae—bonded over oyster gukbap lately—was beside me.
"Sunbae came early today too?"
"Not from the guy here two hours ago. And no 'sunbae'—what'd I say?"
"Hy-hyung."
"Right. Call me hyung from now."
"Yes, hyung."
Dunno why that mattered, but anyway, as Yuseong hyung and I chatted amiably...
"Ah, actor Kim Donghu! Here you are."
Director Yoon Seongbin suddenly appeared. Filming hadn't started—what's up?
As that question rose...
"Uh... do you know kendo or something? Or any martial display..."
A request tinged with circumstances. Beyond basic action. I nodded calmly.
"Yes."
"Ah, yes! Can we film that separately later?"
"Sure."
Not hard, helps the movie—why refuse? I knew such scenes were planned anyway. "Why the sudden ask?"
Before I could inquire, Director Yoon dashed off.
What the...?
Bzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz!
A text from Shim arrived.