# Chapter 33
“I need you, Hyung. I really do.”
Tears rolled down Jiho’s chin and dampened the sushi.
Yeomin, whose brain had momentarily shut down, muttered in bewilderment.
“Hey… why are you suddenly crying?”
“I feel so lost.”
“What’s there to feel lost about?”
Wealthy, handsome, and young. The world should be his oyster. What could he possibly lack that makes him cry so sorrowfully?
No matter how he thought about it, Yeomin couldn’t understand. They say humans are ignorant about pain they haven’t experienced themselves.
Could Seol Jiho really have pain severe enough to make him cry like that?
“Here, wipe that first.”
Yeomin handed him a napkin. Jiho wiped around his mouth with it.
“No, not your mouth. I meant wipe your tears.”
“Okay…”
When Yeomin handed him another napkin, he finally wiped his wet eyes.
In that short moment, Jiho’s eyes had turned as red as a rabbit’s.
“I only feel like I can breathe when I’m beside you, Hyung.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Remember? The reason I left home?”
“Didn’t you say it was because of your parents?”
He hadn’t said anything beyond that, and Yeomin hadn’t been curious enough to ask. He’d just assumed it was some rebellious teenage phase of a spoiled young master.
Jiho pressed the tissue wad against his eyes and spoke.
“It was because of an arranged marriage. I haven’t even graduated from school yet, but they keep forcing marriage on me at home.”
“Oh…”
What channel is this? It’s like the makjang drama I watched this morning.
Yeomin’s sympathy levels plummeted as he just blinked his eyes.
Jiho spoke with self-deprecation.
“I ran away because I hated that so much, but it seems my family found out I’ve been staying at your place. They even know who you are.”
“So that man in front of our house earlier was…?”
“Probably sent to spy on me. I’m sorry for causing you trouble too.”
“It’s fine, really…”
It wasn’t that big of a problem. Yeomin just scratched his neck.
Jiho continued with a tear-soaked voice.
“Things were quiet for a while after I left home, but you saw it too, right? When I was being taken away that time.”
“Uh… yeah, I saw…”
Saw it clearly. I even greeted them and told them to take you away properly.
Yeomin felt a prickling of conscience. Whether Yeomin felt uncomfortable or not, Jiho’s face was immersed in sentiment.
“That’s the kind of place it is. Ian Group.”
“I see…”
“I think they found out again. That I’m staying here with you, Hyung.”
“So that person from earlier was…?”
“Yes. Director Ahn. The ‘dog’ of Ian Group.”
So he was a bad person after all. But he didn’t seem that wicked… he even got out of his car properly.
Yeomin tilted his head in confusion.
Jiho suddenly grabbed both of Yeomin’s hands. Yeomin’s eyes widened.
“At this rate, I might have to marry someone I don’t even know.”
“That might not be… so bad?”
Everyone gets married, right? Some get divorced too.
Actually, this was such a different world from Yeomin’s that he couldn’t empathize or grasp it at all.
Of course, he could understand why Jiho was so agitated. He seemed like the type who absolutely refused to do anything he didn’t want to.
Jiho trembled.
“It’s horrifying just to imagine. Living with someone you don’t love. Can you imagine how terrible it would be to live the life your parents designed for you? I’d rather die.”
“You don’t have to be that extreme… Life is precious.”
“Help me, Hyung.”
“Me? I should?”
The grip of Jiho’s hands around Yeomin’s grew tighter. Yeomin felt the blood draining from his hands.
“Save me, Hyung. From this shitty life.”
“Look, I’m sorry, but… I don’t have the capacity to save anyone.”
Besides, isn’t my life much shittier than your Ian Group-born life?
At Yeomin’s cold response, Jiho’s expression became even more pitiful.
“Just a little, just help me a little bit.”
“Sorry.”
The apology comes out in just one second. I’m really something. Yeomin felt a pang of guilt, but what’s not possible is not possible.
How could I help Seol Jiho? I don’t have the power or the right.
But Jiho was just as relentless. He was like human flypaper.
“Why do you try to abandon me so easily, Hyung? I helped you.”
“…But this is different. Marriage, the scale of it…”
“Date me, Hyung.”
“…”
“Be my lover. Please?”
“I clearly said I didn’t want that.”
“A fake lover. Be my excuse. An excuse and my salvation.”
Seol Jiho’s wet eyes looking at him were like a deep, deep lake that once you fell in, you could never escape from.
It was dangerous, too dangerous.
‘Why does he cry so prettily? Even though his heart isn’t pretty.’
Meeting those eyes, Yeomin felt like he was about to dive into a lake with a ‘DANGER’ sign in front of it.
And looking at him with those beautiful, dangerous eyes, what Seol Jiho said was—
“I’m proposing a contract relationship.”
“A contract what?”
Yeomin couldn’t believe his ears.
“Con-tract-re-la-tion-ship.”
…You’ve been watching too many dramas or reading too many web novels. I thought those words were clichés that only appeared in childish romance novels.
Yeomin suddenly remembered a conversation he’d had with Taeyang while watching a drama about contract dating.
‘Does that make sense, Joo Yeomin?’
‘Of course it doesn’t. Getting paid and dating—there’s no way such a win-win lottery opportunity would exist in reality.’
They had babbled such things while drinking beer in front of a convenience store… why was he remembering this now of all times?
In front of the dumbfounded Yeomin, Jiho was wearing the expression of the most tragic protagonist in the world.
“Just be my lover, Hyung. Be the excuse I can give to my family.”
“Hey… the son of Ian Group saying he’s gay would flip everything upside down. Talk sense.”
Yeomin laughed incredulously. But Jiho seized on this opportunity.
“You understand well. That’s exactly what I want.”
“What…?”
“My goal is to make sure they never bring up marriage arrangements in this field again.”
When he said that, Jiho’s face looked so cold that Yeomin got goosebumps.
As he listened, it started to make sense. But Yeomin still shook his head.
“Even so, I can’t. I’m sorry about your situation, but…”
“I was understanding about your situation too, wasn’t I?”
Is there any need to bring that up at this timing? It hits the mark perfectly.
‘How can you compare temporarily having nowhere to go because of the rain with a life-altering marriage!’
Yeomin genuinely couldn’t even begin to consider it.
“What if something happens to me after people find out I’m dating you? What if I disappear without a trace?”
That’s what usually happens in movies and dramas. Getting kidnapped, having the madam throw cold water in your face, being offered money envelopes to break up…
‘Wait. Money envelopes?’
“I know Ian Group well. If they find out you and I are dating, they’ll definitely try to buy you off first.”
“Wow.”
I think that’s a great approach. While it seems like an absurd drama storyline, it’s actually reality for Seol Jiho.
Yeomin, a slave to capitalism, was intrigued.
“They might give you a few large bills and tell you to leave the country.”
“Hey, that sounds really—”
“Really?”
“Really exciting.”
Are there such lottery-like opportunities in this world? Imagining a situation that hadn’t even happened yet, Yeomin found himself grinning unconsciously.
Indeed, ‘money’ was the direct route to making Yeomin smile.
‘Taking a lot of money abroad to relax, study there, find a job… that would be really nice.’
While Yeomin was lost in his fantasy, Jiho’s hand covered the back of Yeomin’s.
As Yeomin returned to reality, Jiho continued his persuasion.
“When that time comes, you can take the money and break up with me.”
“…”
“Then I’ll pretend to be heartbroken, say I’ll remain celibate, and have an excuse never to marry. You’ll get the contract fee from me, plus an amount of money you’d never earn in a lifetime.”
“…”
“What do you think? Isn’t this a really good proposal?”
Yeomin marveled.
“Seol Jiho, were you always this persuasive?”
“It sounds that way because it’s a convincing proposal.”
Agreed. It was quite persuasive.
Just 30 minutes ago, Yeomin had truly been planning to run away from this house.
Because he couldn’t live in the same house anymore with a junior guy who said he liked him. Because he was worried about getting used to this comfortable life without realizing it.
Maybe… because he was afraid that someday he might not want to leave this house anymore.
But now, 30 minutes later, Yeomin found himself in a life-changing dilemma as he looked at the bag he’d packed.
Yeomin calculated inwardly.
<Contract relationship with a *gold spoon male junior>
※ What I lose: Shame, pride, social reputation, standing
※ What I gain: An unimaginable amount of money, a bright future studying abroad
‘No matter how I look at it… I gain much more, don’t I?’
It still felt uneasy, of course. Not just any male junior, but a male junior who gave him a bouquet of flowers and made a crazy confession.
And not just any male junior, but Seol Jiho.
Yeomin couldn’t shake his suspicion.
“Is this really just a contract relationship?”
By now, Jiho was looking at Yeomin with ‘I’m innocent’ eyes. The way he could switch faces so quickly was really not reassuring.
“No funny business—is this really just a contract relationship? We’d only pretend when necessary, right?”
“Of course. We’ll even draw up a separate contract.”
Jiho was very definite about that aspect. That part, at least, I really like. Yeomin’s lips twitched unconsciously.
He must have been obsessed with money in his past life, accumulated all kinds of bad karma, and died to live like this now.
Jiho hurried.
“Should we write up the contract right now?”
“Wait!”
Joo Yeomin, don’t judge too hastily. You need to think carefully, two or three times.
“Let me think about it.”
“Do you really need to deliberate?”
“Yeah. And I’m going to sleep somewhere else tonight.”
“Why bother? It’s cold outside.”
“Cold? It’s summer, you idiot.”
In the past, Jiho would have absolutely refused, throwing a fit. But this time he yielded, albeit not with a ‘yielding’ expression.
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
“I’ll think about it until tomorrow and contact you.”
“You’re going to Lee Taeyang sunbae’s house, right? I’ll drive you.”
“I’ll just take the subway.”
“You have luggage, too.”
Although it was just one bag, it was quite heavy, so Yeomin hesitated.
Meanwhile, Jiho was already grabbing his car keys.
Yeomin chided Jiho.
“Hey, why are you leaving the sushi?”
Jiho had barely eaten two pieces. Though he hadn’t had a chance to eat more since he suddenly started crying.
“I can eat after I drop you off, Hyung.”
…Liar. You’re going to throw it all away.
Yeomin stood up with regret.
Walking to the entrance with Jiho felt somehow awkward. The fact that he was leaving this house with his packed bag. And with Jiho sending him off.
Humans are really strange.
‘It wasn’t that long ago that I came here, but leaving this house feels so unfamiliar.’
“I’d prefer if you left your bag here. Isn’t that a bit much for just one day’s worth of belongings?”
“I might not come back.”
“Don’t say things like that so casually. It makes me anxious.”
As he said this, Jiho buried his head on Yeomin’s shoulder.
This is why Joo Yeomin’s heart was shrinking and gasping day by day.
What’s the point of drawing a line? To someone who sees boundaries not as limits but as finish lines to cross.
