# Chapter 50
Yeomin bought juice at the convenience store before heading back home.
There was plenty to eat in the refrigerator, but he felt like he needed an alibi for why he’d gone out.
Sure enough, as soon as he arrived home, Jiho was waiting.
“You’re already awak—”
Before he could finish, Yeomin was ‘subjected to’ a hug from Jiho. This truly could only be expressed as being ‘subjected to’ it.
Jiho mumbled against Yeomin’s body like he was sleep-talking.
“Where did you go? I was surprised when you weren’t here.”
“…To buy juice.”
The convenience store bag dangled from Yeomin’s hand.
“I get worried when you leave without your phone.”
Now he looked at Yeomin with reproachful eyes.
‘When he talks like that, it makes me feel like I’ve committed a mortal sin.’
Yeomin wasn’t used to this situation. Before meeting Jiho, he could leave his phone at home, or even turn it off for a week, and it wouldn’t have been an issue.
“I’m a fully grown adult with two working legs, so I should be able to go to the convenience store.”
Yeomin deliberately took a strong stance.
“Do I have to report every place I go? Are you afraid I might get kidnapped or something?”
Yeomin snorted openly. But when Jiho stared at him and raised the corner of his mouth, the smile disappeared from Yeomin’s face.
“That’s entirely possible.”
“…”
“Would I worry about you for no reason?”
Do you realize how creepy that just sounded?
‘Am I really dating someone from a family important enough that I might be ‘kidnapped’?’
Yeomin felt indignant.
“There was nothing in the contract about threats to my safety!”
“How can you predict what might happen? In this dangerous world.”
“You’re talking like it’s someone else’s problem?”
“That’s why you should just stay by my side, hyung. To avoid any danger.”
“Are you joking? It’s most dangerous next to you.”
Yeomin pushed away Jiho with all his strength as he leaned in, looking like he was about to kiss him.
Right. The most dangerous thing is this guy. And moreover, that face! A very, very dangerous weapon that makes you give in no matter what he says right in front of you.
Why did heaven give this guy such a cheat code? Yeomin had the fresh thought that life is truly unfair.
“You seem especially sensitive today, hyung.”
“Do you know how long I’ve been stuck at home already? I’m bored to death.”
“Then shall we go on a date outside for the first time in a while?”
“…Really?”
Yeomin instantly brightened. It wasn’t the ‘date’ that excited him, but the ‘outside’ part. Really!
Jiho stroked Yeomin’s hair.
“Are you that happy?”
“Of course.”
I feel like I’m becoming simpler… getting so excited about something like this.
As Yeomin was feeling self-loathing, Jiho suddenly bit his lower lip as if taking a bite of ice cream.
Jiho’s lips, which had been lightly licking and biting, separated ticklishly.
“Drink your juice. I’ll get ready quickly.”
“…Okay.”
Before Yeomin could say anything, Jiho hummed a tune and went into the bathroom.
Left alone in the living room, Yeomin sighed.
“…Damn it. Is this heart failure?”
If not, why is my heart racing like this… I wonder if it might burst at this rate.
At this point, he should ask for additional hazard pay every time they kiss.
* * *
“Ugh, my back…”
Jiwoong, coming out of the kitchen, looked at Director Ahn lying on the living room floor as if he were an unwelcome guest.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m tired of hotels now. I’m going to sleep here.”
“Why are you being so pathetic…”
Jiwoong clicked his tongue. Director Ahn felt tearful about his situation, being pitied by his barely eighteen-year-old nephew.
What am I doing leaving a perfectly good house empty? Staying in a hotel is fine for a day or two. But people really need stable housing.
Director Ahn, who couldn’t stand it anymore and came to Jiwoong’s house after work, lay sideways on the soft carpet and muttered:
“Don’t you think Seol Jiho has definitely changed?”
“…”
Jiwoong’s footsteps stopped as he was heading to his room.
“Changed how?”
“He still has no manners, but… seeing him living with Yeomin, there’s definitely something different. He hasn’t been causing trouble lately either, right?”
Director Ahn shook his head, recalling how extraordinary Jiho used to be.
He had never broken the law, but he had done everything else except break the law.
If he had just dated around and played hard, they could have dismissed it as a young master enjoying his youth.
But Jiho deviated in different ways.
Dropping out of high school overnight despite his brilliant mind. Making all the arrangements for studying abroad, then disappearing on the day of departure, making Director Ahn sick with worry. Exposing Ian Group’s weaknesses during a dinner with business partners from other companies.
It would have been better if he just played around abroad where they wouldn’t have to see him, but he hated going overseas no matter what. A time bomb ticking away at Director Ahn and President Ahn’s lifespans in Korea.
Still, with his exceptionally sharp mind, Jiho had been attending a decent domestic university with some focus. Overturning Director Ahn and President Ahn’s predictions that he would quit within six months. They thought he at least intended to get a university degree, but…
On his birthday, when they had thrown him a fairly grand party, Jiho suddenly disappeared. (Director Ahn had come to accept even that.)
After vanishing like that, Jiho was spotted living in a half-basement room in a student housing area near the university.
He was always one who lived for the fun of training Ian Group’s lackeys, but his actions were incomprehensible.
‘I thought he suddenly developed a taste for playing commoner… but actually, he was interested in the honeypot he had hidden there.’
The puzzle pieces connected in Director Ahn’s mind.
“Don’t you think Seol Jiho has been treating me more affectionately lately? Doesn’t he pick fights with you less too?”
“He never picked fights with me to begin with. We just had no interest in each other.”
Director Ahn was in the midst of a mental victory, believing that Jiho had ‘improved’ recently.
And after reasoning about the cause, he had reached a conclusion.
“I think it’s all because of Yeomin. He doesn’t listen to us at all, but he listens to what Yeomin says.”
“…”
“I really thought Seol Jiho would never, ever change.”
“Do you really think so? That Seol Jiho has changed?”
“…”
Director Ahn raised his stiff body.
Jiwoong looked down at Director Ahn and sneered.
“He’s just pretending to have changed.”
“…”
“He’ll do anything to get what he wants.”
Because he goes crazy if he can’t have it. With those words, Jiwoong went up to the second floor.
Left alone in the living room, Director Ahn became lost in thought again.
‘Is what Seol Jiho is doing now love, or just a game… or is it pure-hearted affection, or obsession?’
Despite living for over fifty years, Director Ahn couldn’t easily come up with an answer.
But suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
‘Do we have to distinguish between those two? For some people, obsession could be pure-hearted affection, and love could be a game…’
Whatever it was, if Seol Jiho had made up his mind to do it, that kid would do it. Until the very end.
* * *
Today, Jiho and Yeomin’s date course was an amusement park.
Yeomin swears he wasn’t the one who suggested coming here. Shouldn’t this kind of date be something you graduate from in high school? (Of course, Yeomin had never gone on an amusement park date even in high school.)
Yeomin trembled with fear that Jiho might have rented out the entire amusement park like he did with the movie theater last time.
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
“An amusement park is more fun when it’s crowded, right?”
“It’s amazing to hear you say that.”
They ‘stood in line,’ ‘bought all-day passes,’ and ‘stood in line again’ to enter the amusement park.
Yeomin was already exhausted just from entering. Perhaps because it was vacation season, the amusement park was bustling with people despite it being a weekday evening.
The amusement park was quite an unfamiliar place for Yeomin.
First of all, from Yeomin’s hometown, it took a good three hours to reach an amusement park, and he had never visited one except for school field trips.
This was because Yeomin had the principle: ‘With the money for an all-day pass, I’d rather buy meat to eat.’
While examining the amusement park map, Jiho asked:
“Are you good at riding attractions, hyung?”
“Neither good nor bad? What about you?”
“I’m not good at them.”
Jiho answered cheerfully. Yeomin’s confusion deepened.
“Then why did you suggest coming here?”
He suddenly suggested the amusement park. I thought he wanted to ride the attractions, but that’s not it either?
But Jiho’s answer was very innocent:
“Because I wanted to eat churros with you here.”
“…”
He’s the type to go to Japan to eat udon and America to eat steak. Is this the scale rich kids operate on?
Yeomin wasn’t even surprised anymore.
‘If you wanted to eat churros, you could have just bought entrance tickets, why did you get all-day passes?’
Yeomin knew that such petty concerns were no issue for this guy.
Alright. Little Seol Jiho, do whatever you want~ As Yeomin was feeling hungry anyway, he followed Jiho without complaint.
As they walked side by side, Jiho naturally interlocked his fingers with Yeomin’s.
Yeomin looked up at Jiho with a slightly surprised face.
“I wanted to eat churros and do this, so I suggested coming here.”
“Don’t tell me… your fantasy is wearing rabbit ear headbands and taking photos at an amusement park?”
Aren’t you acting a bit too unlike your appearance? Yeomin was disgusted.
Jiho, without showing any sign of embarrassment, gripped Yeomin’s hand even tighter.
And whispered in Yeomin’s ear:
“Actually, I also want to kiss in front of the carousel.”
“…That’s not happening.”
“Do you have a fear of public attention, hyung?”
‘Even without a fear of public attention, most people would hate that! Ask anyone walking by!’
Yeomin stood firmly on his two legs, as if to say that was absolutely not happening.
Then Jiho stopped teasing and burst into laughter.
“I’m joking. Let’s eat something first since we’re hungry.”
“…When you say it, it doesn’t sound like a joke.”
Yeomin reluctantly let himself be pulled along by Jiho. Even so, he still remained wary.
‘No carousel kissing. Absolutely not!’
Not only would it be a dark history that would remain in his life forever…
He also didn’t know what might happen to his heart at that moment.
