# Chapter 42
I thought he’d want to go straight home after coming out. But after his private meeting with President Ahn, Jiho made an unexpected proposal to Yeomin.
“Do you want to see my room?”
Since this was the main house of Ian Group, of course Jiho would have a room here.
Yeomin really wanted to go home and rest, but he nodded. Somehow, it seemed like that was what Jiho wanted.
The room on the third floor that Yeomin followed Jiho to was spotlessly clean, as if it had been swept and dusted daily. However, it didn’t feel lived in at all.
Still, there were a few elements that indicated it was Jiho’s room.
Awards hanging on the wall, graduation photos from elementary, middle, and high school, commemorative photos of horseback riding, pictures taken at a hotel swimming pool.
You even did shooting?
“You’ve lived quite an active life,” Yeomin said, sharing his honest impression.
He was genuinely amazed. The child in the photos and the Jiho he knew seemed like completely different people.
Looking at him in those riding clothes, he really looks like a young master. Even as a kid, he had that rebellious look about him.
When Yeomin’s gaze lingered on one photo, Jiho smirked.
“If you like it, should I give it to you?”
“Can I use it for a curse?”
“If you need to.”
“…No thanks. I might get sleep paralysis if I keep it.”
Yeomin declined.
Jiho was just sitting on the armrest of the sofa. He hadn’t said much since bringing Yeomin up here.
So Yeomin asked first.
“What did you talk about with the president?”
“She told me to move back to the main house, and I said no.”
Move back to the main house? Yeomin was inwardly surprised.
“Did she say anything else about me?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“Why would I lie?”
Yeomin felt both relieved and anxious at the same time.
‘Today I’ve been giving off completely weird vibes with Seol Jiho… What if she says something to me too?’
If she throws money at me and tells me to get lost, that’d be fine, but. What if she secretly buries me alive, or throws me into the sea, or sends me into exile… He couldn’t help but worry.
If Jiho had been the son of a moderately wealthy family, Yeomin wouldn’t have worried this much.
‘Why couldn’t he be moderately successful and moderately well-off? Why does he have to be the son of Ian Group making Joo Yeomin tremble like this?’
Trying to shake off his anxiety, Yeomin changed the subject.
“I think you and the president look somewhat alike.”
“Because I’m her son.”
“Still, Jiwoong is her son too, but you have a more similar vibe.”
“Jiwoong takes after our father.”
But where is your father? Yeomin was curious but felt he shouldn’t ask, so he kept quiet.
Jiho silently guided Yeomin to sit on the sofa. Then he laid down, using Yeomin’s thigh as a pillow.
“Hey… what if someone comes in?”
“Jiwoong has left, and my uncle is too scared to come in because he’s afraid of what we might be doing. And if President Ahn catches us, that would actually be a thank you. That’s our strategy.”
“You really know what to say in these situations.”
Yeomin couldn’t argue with that.
Jiho muttered, “I don’t have the energy to drive, so let me rest a little before we go,” and closed his eyes.
Though his leg was very uncomfortable and awkward as Jiho’s pillow, Yeomin remained silent.
Right now, Joo Yeomin was being paid by the hour. What’s a pair of thighs? He should be willing to offer all four limbs to serve as Jiho’s hands and feet, and even that wouldn’t be enough.
“Okay, get some sleep. I’ll wake you up.”
As soon as Yeomin said to sleep, Jiho’s eyes opened.
Always the contrarian.
“…”
In the silence, their gazes intertwined. Yeomin didn’t avoid Jiho’s direct stare.
Jiho slowly reached out and grasped Yeomin’s chin.
“I changed my mind. I don’t feel like sleeping anymore.”
“Then will you move? My leg hurts.”
Despite the complaint, Jiho didn’t budge. Instead, Yeomin’s chin was pulled closer.
Now Jiho wasn’t looking at Yeomin’s eyes. Realizing that Jiho’s gaze was fixed on his lips, Yeomin awkwardly muttered,
“…What are you doing?”
“Want to practice? Kissing.”
“…”
“We might need to do it someday.”
The devil’s whisper flowed from Jiho’s lips.
“It would be good to make it more convincing when the time comes.”
“…”
And Yeomin had no reason to refuse the offer. In fact, he didn’t really want to refuse.
As Jiho said, they might need to kiss someday out of necessity, and rather than fumbling when that time comes, practicing in advance…
“You try it, hyung. On me.”
Nothing’s ever easy with him. Yeomin furrowed his brow.
Jiho was looking up at Yeomin with an amused smile.
“I prefer being on the receiving end.”
“Somehow…”
Jiho hadn’t expected Yeomin to agree so readily and tried to explain.
“I’m kidding.”
“You don’t have to be so embarrassed. It’s just your preference. I respect that.”
“It’s not that kind of preference, I just… want you to do it to me, hyung.”
“Do you like it forceful? But I’m not really into hitting and stuff. I’m naturally kind-hearted.”
“How far is your imagination going?”
Jiho sat up abruptly to protest. His disheveled hair looked funny.
Yeomin burst out laughing at his honest reaction.
‘Teasing Seol Jiho is actually quite fun.’
“Sometimes you go further than I do, hyung.”
Jiho, whose ears had turned red, pinched Yeomin’s cheek gently. Yeomin shrugged.
“I don’t think we’re in the mood for kissing anymore.”
“Let’s go home.”
“Didn’t you say you had no energy to drive?”
“I want to go now. There will be a mood when we get there.”
“My stomach still feels full. I think I ate too much earlier…”
Yeomin clutched his stomach and slumped. Jiho playfully poked Yeomin’s stomach with his finger.
“I told you not to touch.”
“You’re sensitive here, hyung.”
“Ah, heh, puhahaha!”
They rolled around on the sofa bickering like elementary school kids.
* * *
The two hurriedly returned home.
On the way up, they stopped at a convenience store and bought loads of ice cream of all flavors.
Yeomin paid. It was to celebrate receiving the contract money. For Yeomin, who used to tremble while buying a 1,500 won cone ice cream, this was an unimaginable luxury.
But there was no time to taste the ice cream they’d bought. As soon as they entered dangling the plastic bags, Yeomin was pushed against the wall.
His head naturally tilted up to meet Jiho’s gaze.
“…”
Jiho pressed his forehead against Yeomin’s. He looked at him as if about to kiss, but didn’t actually connect their lips.
Soft breath lingered near Yeomin’s lips.
“…The ice cream is melting.”
Though he said it seriously, his words had no effect. Instead, Jiho’s arm around his waist grew stronger.
‘It tastes bad if it melts and then refreezes…’
Even in this moment, that’s what Yeomin was worried about.
“We need to put it in the fridge before it melts…”
“If you’re that concerned, hyung, put it away. Yourself.”
“Ack!”
Suddenly Yeomin’s body was lifted up. It was Jiho, supporting Yeomin’s buttocks.
Afraid of falling backward, Yeomin urgently wrapped his arms around Jiho’s neck.
Now it looked like Yeomin was clinging to Jiho. Just like a koala clinging desperately to a eucalyptus tree. A truly desperate posture.
Jiho carried Yeomin like that all the way to where the refrigerator was.
With a red face, Yeomin ordered Jiho:
“Stop playing around and put me down.”
“You know what? I’ve actually wanted to do this since we were at the department store.”
“…”
“I held back well, so praise me.”
That I’m trembling at lines like these, am I such a trite and predictable person…
Did I, who thought I was asexual, actually have romance cells all along?
Yeomin’s mind became complicated.
‘But is it okay to feel butterflies while being paid hourly to act as a boyfriend?’
As he looked at Seol Jiho with troubled eyes, they had already reached the refrigerator.
Jiho skillfully opened the freezer door.
“You said you didn’t like it melting.”
Yeomin, holding the cold bags and pondering, shoved the ice cream into the freezer and closed the door.
Immediately after, Yeomin’s back was spun around and pressed against the refrigerator door. Now there was nowhere to escape as Jiho’s face came closer.
In truth, he didn’t particularly want to escape anyway…
They were now close enough to count each other’s eyelashes.
“I’ve done my part, now it’s your turn, hyung.”
“…”
“You just need to come a little closer. It’s not that difficult.”
It would only take stretching his head forward 3cm for their lips to touch.
The task given to him. Jiho was clearly drawing a line and ordering him to cross it. Really clever, isn’t he?
Yeomin didn’t want to resist anymore. There was no reason to play hard to get. He wasn’t hard to get anyway.
He didn’t want to attach any grand meaning to this act either. If he gave it meaning, it would gain meaning.
Yeomin said gruffly:
“It’s not difficult at all.”
“Hmph. Trying to act tough.”
“Close your eyes, kid.”
At Yeomin’s words, Jiho smiled. Quite prettily.
“Okay.”
With a playful “Yes” and a smile, Jiho closed his eyes. The corners of his mouth twitching upward was quite cute.
Yeomin tightly shut his eyes and pressed their lips together.
…Crossing the line was much less of a big deal than he had imagined.
