# Chapter 5
Who Jiho really was or what kind of story he had wasn’t actually that important.
Yeomin had no desire to get involved in other people’s lives, nor did he have the luxury to do so. It was already overwhelming just taking care of himself.
But regardless of Yeomin’s wishes, while eating ramen as a late-night snack, Jiho confessed his situation.
“Actually, the part about being kicked out was a lie.”
Yeomin almost dropped his spoon.
“I wasn’t kicked out, I ran away.”
“Ran away?”
Did I just hear “ran away” correctly? It’s not like debt collectors were after him, so why would the young master of Ian Group run away?
“I was annoyed that my family was trying to control my life however they wanted.”
“How can parents not get involved in their child’s life?”
“I don’t want to live like that. I also hate acting like money is everything.”
“Hmm…”
Isn’t money actually everything? If not money, what else matters?
Yeomin couldn’t relate to this conversation at all.
“Why are you making that face?”
“I’m just surprised.”
“Surprised?”
“Yeah. You really are rich.”
Now he finally seems like a real young master, saying such unrealistic things.
Jiho chuckled at Yeomin’s random comment.
“Anyway, I didn’t like it, so I threw away my wallet and phone before I left. If I went to any of my close friends, my family would know, so I had nowhere to go. I was drinking and wandering around when I collapsed.”
“Even so, if you were going to run away, you should’ve at least withdrawn some cash first. Are you stupid?”
“Hyung, you’re really smart.”
There he goes again, saying nonsense.
‘So that car from earlier was someone from his family coming to get Seol Jiho? And Seol Jiho refused to go?’
The puzzle pieces in Yeomin’s head fell into place.
Above all, for this to be a lie… Jiho would have no reason to go this far with him.
“You’ll keep it a secret, right?”
“Of course. Who would I even tell this to?”
Although everyone would probably be curious, Yeomin didn’t want to create unnecessary trouble for himself.
“Hyuuung, thank you.”
Jiho tried to pull Yeomin into another hug.
Suddenly doing this in the middle of eating ramen.
The flimsy folding table wobbled precariously. Yeomin pushed Jiho away in alarm.
“Hey! You’ll spill the ramen!”
“I think coming to hyung’s place was really the right choice.”
He really doesn’t seem to listen to others. Is that how all pampered kids are?
“You didn’t come here, I brought you here.”
“That’s what I mean.”
“Just eat. The noodles will get soggy.”
“What time is your first class tomorrow, hyung?”
“I think it’s third period.”
“I have third period too. Should we go to school together?”
Imagining himself walking to school side by side with Jiho felt incredibly awkward.
‘Everyone would go crazy and ask what’s going on.’
Yeomin changed the subject.
“I need to go to the library tomorrow afternoon. Let’s just go to school separately.”
He expected Jiho to cling to the idea, but surprisingly, Jiho agreed right away.
“Okay. I’ll do whatever hyung says.”
The kid is quite scattered, talks a lot, and is annoying, but he’s also strangely obedient.
Whether he’s truly obedient or just pretending to be, I don’t know…
* * *
“Are you alright, sir?”
The aide opened the back door of the car in panic. Because the right door was damaged, Director Ahn had to exit from the opposite side.
“That crazy bastard Seol Jiho…”
Director Ahn, dressed in a suit, cursed under his breath as he got out of the car. Cold sweat had formed on his forehead.
“Did you see that look in Seol Jiho’s eyes earlier? He looked like he wanted to kill me. Should I really report him?”
If he had really intended to hurt me, he would have hit the car window glass…
Director Ahn shuddered just thinking about the earlier situation.
‘You can follow me and tap my phone, but at least get the timing right, Director Ahn.’
‘…’
‘That’s why you’ll always be just your mother’s footrag, Director.’
“This little brat! To someone more than ten years older! Did you see how disrespectfully he spoke earlier?”
Director Ahn shouted in fury.
In truth, his anger was rather meaningless since Jiho had been a person with no concept of hierarchy from the moment he was born.
Etiquette, manners, social skills, morality, conscience. These concepts were never installed in him to begin with.
You could call it a representative case of failed home education.
“About today’s incident… should I report it?”
“No need. I’ll handle it myself. Just delete all the dashcam footage.”
“Yes, Director.”
I just ruined my style and felt my life threatened for nothing. I should get hazard pay from now on.
Director Ahn’s shirt was completely soaked with sweat. After adjusting his suit, he headed toward a corridor with automatic doors. While walking, he sent a text message.
[Found Seol Jiho]
A reply came almost immediately.
[Seol Jiwoong: Where is that crazy bastard and what is he doing?]
[In a semi-basement…]
It was definitely not a place where someone who was picky about even his bedding would stay.
He probably doesn’t even know what a semi-basement is. The environment was so poor that it seemed impossible for him to sleep there.
Director Ahn paused while typing his message.
[Seol Jiwoong: In a semi-basement?]
What was he doing there… well.
[Some kind of romance…?]
That’s exactly what his face looked like. The face of someone completely smitten.
* * *
Jiho said his first class was suddenly canceled. Yeomin gave him some clothes that might fit and left first.
And what he was doing now at school was,
“Just one bite.”
Mooching a sandwich from his friend Lee Taeyang.
So much for going to the library early.
“The great Joo Yeomin can’t be satisfied with just one bite?”
“Then be generous and give me half. I came out early and now I’m dizzy.”
Perhaps Taeyang took pity on his pathetic state and graciously granted him half of the sandwich.
“Lee Taeyang is a god, a genius of all geniuses!”
Just as he was making a fuss and taking a bite of the sandwich at a table in front of the school store,
“Isn’t that Seol Jiho?”
Taeyang pointed behind Yeomin.
‘Looks like Seol Jiho just arrived at school. I wonder if he ate lunch before coming.’
Yeomin turned his head with his cheeks full. And… immediately had to tilt his head in confusion.
After thoroughly searching his closet for the biggest and most decent clothes to offer, Jiho was now wearing a neat shirt and slacks.
What’s more, the thing Jiho was looking at while walking was a mobile phone.
‘He definitely said he lost his phone and wallet…’
While Yeomin was dumbfounded, Taeyang made a fuss beside him.
“I heard Seol Jiho is engaged to the daughter of L Card? L Card and Ian Group are super close, you know.”
“…”
“Don’t you sometimes feel deprived? If someone’s going to be from a loaded family, they should at least have an average face. But he looks like he could be an actor.”
“What actor…”
In truth, Taeyang wasn’t just exaggerating. Honestly, I do admit he’s good-looking.
“Anyway, we might be at the same school now, but after graduation, he’ll start at the top of the pyramid. I’m seriously jealous.”
Taeyang sighed as if he were genuinely envious.
‘That pyramid peak is now eating my ramen and living in my semi-basement apartment.’
Yeomin felt strange. The guy who was obsessed with Kkumteuli jelly until yesterday—only he would know that.
The Jiho visible now looked like someone who wouldn’t even touch the finest dessert, let alone Kkumteuli jelly.
“You never know. If you get on his good side, maybe you could land a position at an Ian Group subsidiary… What the hell, Joo Yeomin! How could you eat it all!”
Yeomin had stuffed the entire sandwich into his mouth.
There were times when he mechanically filled his stomach due to unbearable hunger, and this was one of those times.
Taeyang’s commotion drew the attention of students passing through the corridor. Jiho’s gaze was among them.
“I’m not asking you to spit it out, just chew and swallow properly.”
“*cough* *cough*! I’m choking.”
“Looking at you, it seems like you only have appetite and greed. Here, drink this.”
Taeyang offered his coffee. Yeomin put the straw that Taeyang had used into his mouth. Gulping down the Americano, he felt his throat clearing up.
By the time he had finished every last drop, leaving only ice, Jiho was standing in front of Yeomin and Taeyang.
“Hello, sunbae?”
That was Jiho speaking just now. Oh, and for reference, that greeting wasn’t directed at Yeomin, but at Taeyang.
Although they were acquainted, they weren’t particularly close, so Taeyang was visibly flustered.
“Oh, uh, hi!”
“Have you eaten?”
“As you can see, I’m just making do with this.”
Taeyang pointed at the empty sandwich wrapper.
“I see. I’m absolutely starving.”
Jiho responded, staring directly at Yeomin while speaking to Taeyang.
“…”
The two of them maintained eye contact while absolutely refusing to acknowledge knowing each other.
“Well, I’ll see you again, sunbae. Let’s have a meal sometime.”
“Oh? Sure, sounds good!”
Even while saying goodbye to Taeyang, Jiho kept looking only at Yeomin. Yet still not speaking to him—what was his intention?
After Jiho disappeared, Taeyang was bewildered.
“Did I just talk to Seol Jiho?”
“Seems that way.”
“Wow. What was that? Did I make a good impression on him?”
“…”
Yeomin was very displeased.
After feeding and sheltering him, Jiho ignored him and only acknowledged Taeyang?
No, that’s not it. That didn’t bother him at all. He was the one who wanted to pretend not to know Jiho at school as much as possible.
While he was chewing on the straw of the finished coffee, Yeomin’s phone rang.
The message that appeared on the screen was:
[SJH: You left first]
[SJH: Just to eat someone else’s sandwich?]
After feeding him, giving him shelter, and lending him clothes, instead of wagging his tail gratefully… this ungrateful puppy was acting like he was going to bite his neck?
Why did you look at me with that expression?
“…Unbelievable.”
Yeomin muttered. More messages arrived from Jiho.
[SJH: Why are you sharing a straw?]
[SJH: You’ll catch something that way]
Yet he ate ramen with the same chopsticks I was using. This is truly infuriating and incomprehensible.
Why the hell am I being obsessed over?
