# Side Story 5
A rare day off.
Jiho wasn’t in the comfortable sweet home he shared with Yeomin, but at an essay writing academy located in a residential area.
Three small classrooms, one self-study room, and one staff room. Though small in scale, it had everything needed.
“Doesn’t Ian Group even have coffee? You’re depleting a poor self-employed person’s supplies.”
“The job bean tea here is delicious.”
Yeojin, who had come to the essay academy for some weekend students, was ironically dealing with the large-framed Jiho rather than the elementary school students she taught.
Yeojin had opened this essay academy a year ago. She had tried preparing for employment and studying abroad, but one day, she suddenly came to her senses, vowed to “make money!” and took out a loan to open the academy.
Since Yeojin was exceptionally good at speaking, word of mouth spread around the neighborhood, and the number of students was gradually increasing.
‘Still, I wanted to take it easy on a weekend like today.’
What was Seol Jiho, who wasn’t even a student, doing here drinking job bean tea for the second time already?
Yeojin saw off one of her students and returned to sit across from Jiho.
“So. What do you need this time?”
Yeojin and Jiho had a strictly give-and-take relationship.
For instance, when Jiho was curious about Yeomin’s childhood photos, tastes, small habits, or stories from his upbringing, he would secretly seek out Yeojin.
Of course, it was never free. In exchange for providing information, Jiho would pay Yeojin with enticing items or money.
Once they were caught red-handed by Yeomin and both got thoroughly scolded, but they still met occasionally.
“Where’s Yeomin?”
“He went to some kind of study group.”
Jiho frowned with displeasure.
Even after becoming a working adult, even while being crushed by work, Yeomin was enthusiastic about building his credentials. Maybe he was preparing to change jobs.
Jiho couldn’t understand why Yeomin would meet with strangers every weekend to study together.
‘If he wants to study a foreign language, couldn’t he attend an academy or take online lectures? Or even go abroad…’
Thinking about Yeomin socializing with strangers there made Jiho irritable. He crushed the empty paper cup in his hand.
Yeojin clicked her tongue as if it was all too predictable.
“I heard you’re doing some internship or something these days? You’re being quite dramatic.”
“…”
“Come to think of it, Director Ahn must be very good-natured. If it were me, I would have tied you both up and gotten rid of you.”
“Did Yeomin hyung tell you?”
“Yes.”
Yeomin seemed to be keeping in touch and getting along well with Yeojin since she had settled down and opened the academy.
“He answered the phone sounding like he was dying, so I told him to quit if work was too hard, and he said a new intern had come in and it was difficult?”
“That intern is me.”
“Exactly.”
He had tried his best to avoid causing trouble for Yeomin. Was he still being a burden?
To be honest, sitting quietly in an office didn’t suit Jiho’s nature. He was only sticking around because Yeomin was at that company, and that made it enjoyable.
Jiho was gradually growing tired of that life too.
“How about you?”
“Not great.”
“Making money is always like that.”
“I just want to lock him up at home all day and be together forever, just the two of us.”
“You really say such dangerous things so casually.”
Yeojin shared her thoughts as she looked at Jiho.
“It’s surprising. I thought you’d run off with Joo Yeomin in less than 1-2 years, but here you are even following him to work… so you’re not that antisocial after all?”
“You don’t know how long I’ve been holding back those antisocial feelings.”
But now he was at his limit. Seol Jiho only needed Yeomin. With just Yeomin, he didn’t need anything else, even if there was nothing else, even if there was no one else… no family, no friends, nothing.
But the fact that Yeomin couldn’t live with just him still felt unfair and unacceptable.
Despite having a young, rich, handsome boyfriend who only had eyes for him, Yeomin was someone who needed to go to work, care about performance evaluations, and attend weekend study groups to survive.
Jiho lamented:
“The world seems unfair.”
“It’s really funny hearing that from someone born with a golden spoon in a world that’s unfair.”
As Jiho listened to Yeojin, he suddenly remembered. A confession Yeomin had made to him.
Isn’t it a characteristic of someone totally whipped to want to proudly boast about everything?
Jiho, who had been stone-faced just seconds ago, suddenly smiled brightly.
“Noona, do you know what Yeomin hyung said to me?”
“Do I need to know?”
“He said he would have liked me even if I were poor.”
“What?”
Yeojin slammed the desk in surprise. Jiho felt like he could die of happiness again.
“He said he would have liked me even if I had 1 billion, no, 500 million in debt.”
“…He’s crazy, Joo Yeomin.”
Yeojin couldn’t believe it right away. She said she couldn’t believe those words came from her brother who thought money was everything.
“If I asked hyung to abandon everything and run away with me, would he follow?”
Jiho asked something he was truly curious about. In fact, he had come to Yeojin’s essay academy today to hear the answer he wanted, like someone already knowing the answer to their question.
Of course, Yeojin wasn’t the type to easily give the answer he wanted.
“Are you crazy? Why pursue a love that requires you to abandon everything?”
Besides, it’s not even a situation where you have to abandon everything, right? Ian Group views Yeomin favorably, and the only obstacle is his busy work life. (Honestly, can you even call that an obstacle?)
But Jiho was already too immersed in his own thoughts.
“True love should be possible even if you abandon everything.”
“Pfft. Do you really know about love?”
Yeojin openly mocked him. She knew that Yeomin was this clueless young master’s first love. Of course, it was Yeomin’s first love too.
Watching what these dating rookies were doing was simply amusing.
“I do know about love.”
“Really? What is love then?”
“Yeomin hyung.”
At his simple and clear answer, Yeojin held her stomach and laughed. But Jiho didn’t show the slightest hint of embarrassment and remained very confident.
That certainty, not even questioning if he was right, must have been what bewitched Joo Yeomin.
Now Yeojin completely understood. Why Yeomin was so smitten with Jiho.
“Yeomin hyung is love. Love itself.”
“Ha… I swear, the only interesting thing in my life these days is watching you two. It’s just too funny.”
“Stop with the nonsense. If I asked him to stay with just the two of us forever, do you think Yeomin hyung would agree?”
Jiho’s voice sounded quite desperate. Yeojin hit him with the facts.
“Why are you asking? You came all the way here to me like a dog that needs to poop because you’re not confident either.”
“…”
Executive Ahn might treat him like a child but was still careful with him, but Yeojin had no filter at all. If Yeomin was quietly strong, Yeojin was openly strong.
“Get out of here. Confessing ‘let’s run away and abandon everything, let’s live together’? That’s the worst. Are you planning to live on a deserted island or something? What century are you living in?”
“…”
Jiho quietly listened to Yeojin’s harsh words. Seeing him seriously considering it was both endearing and pitiful, so Yeojin gave him a hint.
“In modern times, there’s a very rational system that binds you to each other without having to elope at night.”
“…”
“You even have the money and freedom for it. Why are you both still like this?”
You could just go to any country and get married right away.
I can understand Yeomin because he’s possessed by a workaholic ghost, but what about you? Why are you still hesitating? Yeojin looked at Jiho with contemptuous eyes.
“…”
A very rational system that can provide stability without eloping to a world of just the two of them…
Jiho knew the answer well too.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
“Really?”
“I’m going to propose. To hyung.”
“That’s right~ Correct answer!” The sound of Yeojin’s soulless applause echoed in the essay academy’s consultation room.
All her impassioned arguments had paid off. Well, today’s lesson is over!
* * *
Jiho returned home before Yeomin’s study group ended. But surprisingly, Yeomin had already returned.
He even seemed to have been home for quite a while, dressed in comfortable loungewear and smelling fresh as if he’d showered.
“You’re back already?”
“It ended early today. Where have you been?”
“You should have called. Then I would have come back sooner.”
Jiho didn’t answer and hugged Yeomin.
Usually, even without Yeomin asking, Jiho would tell him everything that had happened to him minute by minute…
But Jiho decided to keep his meeting with Yeojin a secret for now. Just in case his proposal plan might leak from Yeojin.
“Dinner? Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s good. Should we order something delicious?”
“Okay.”
“Why do you seem so tired? Was studying difficult?”
Yeomin seemed unusually listless today. He even looked more lethargic than on workdays.
Jiho worriedly placed his hand on Yeomin’s forehead. It was lukewarm.
‘No particular fever…’
Since Yeomin was the type to never take care of himself, Jiho mentally scheduled to either give him some herbal medicine soon or take him to the hospital for vitamin injections.
“I’m just sleepy because it’s the weekend.”
“Hyung is just like a cat. Always dozing off and lounging around when you’re home.”
“Do I seem too lazy?”
Lazy? Is there a word that fits Joo Yeomin less than laziness?
Jiho kissed the head of Yeomin, who was staring blankly.
“I mean it’s cute. Like a cat.”
“…”
“What do you want to eat, my little cat?”
Even with the cringeworthy nickname, Yeomin showed no particular reaction. Then he murmured as if talking to himself.
“I don’t know…”
He said this after thinking hard for a while. And this coming from Yeomin, who always took menu selection very seriously.
Is something really wrong? Jiho anxiously examined Yeomin. Yeomin suddenly pulled Jiho’s neck and embraced him.
Our Joo cat, who still feels shy making eye contact even after living together for years.
“I just want to stay like this…”
“Okay. I’ll decide the menu.”
Jiho stroked Yeomin’s back while opening a delivery app. Then he ordered from Yeomin’s favorite regular restaurant. The movements were familiar.
During all this, Yeomin was very quietly clinging to Jiho.
“Hyung, just a moment. I need to get up.”
“No…”
“Then hold on tighter.”
Yeomin hugged Jiho’s arms very tightly, almost suffocatingly. Jiho supported Yeomin’s round bottom and stood up.
As he entered the dressing room to take off his clothes, Jiho mischievously kneaded Yeomin’s bottom.
When Yeomin glared at Jiho and their eyes met, Jiho didn’t miss the opportunity and bit Yeomin’s nape.
“Ha… I thought we were going to eat.”
“It will take at least 40 minutes to arrive.”
Which meant there was more than enough time for one round. A solemn pre-meal ritual, you could say?
