# Chapter 78
‘Let’s go ride the carousel.’
‘What?’
‘This time, I’ll wait for you.’
It was an impulse. An irresistible impulse born from liking Seol Jiho so much in that moment.
It would have been reasonable for him to find the suggestion absurd at this late hour, and perhaps Jiho had expected a more intimate and sexy reward…
But soon he nodded with a smile.
That was to be expected. Jiho had never refused Yeomin.
The two hurried to enter the amusement park before closing time. They paid for admission tickets through an app in the car and anxiously worried they might be too late to ride the carousel.
This way, they managed to arrive at the amusement park just 30 minutes before closing time.
The amusement park at night was unexpectedly quiet.
And it was beautiful.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”
The carousel illuminated by countless lights was like a decorative piece in itself. It felt different from when they had come with Jiho during the day.
Yeomin, who had been gazing at the carousel with an enchanted face, turned his gaze to Jiho.
“…”
Perhaps it was his imagination, but to Yeomin’s eyes, Jiho seemed tense.
“You don’t have to ride it if you don’t want to.”
“I’ve thought about it before.”
Jiho murmured. The bright lights of the carousel created shadows on Jiho’s impassive face.
“If it had been Seol Jiwoong who followed my father that time instead of me, would he not have abandoned him… would he not have left?”
It was the first time Yeomin had heard Jiho speak like this.
His chest ached throughout Jiho’s words.
‘He’s never seemed pitiful when he was acting pitiful, but today he really does seem a bit sad. My baby.’
Instead of offering common consolation, Yeomin gave a firm answer. For some reason, he really wanted to say this.
“Such hypotheticals are meaningless.”
“…”
“It wasn’t even the result of your choice, it was just that person’s individual irresponsibility. I’m sure he had his own reasons.”
“…Do you really think so?”
“It’s your father who should be reflecting, not you.”
Jiho’s expression was peculiar. It looked too complex to describe with a single word.
“Why do you always make me want to become a good person, hyung?”
Are you picking a fight right now? Yeomin was dumbfounded.
Jiho wasn’t joking but truly seemed to resent him.
“Now I can’t even be bad when I want to… because of you.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re not that good yet.”
Yeomin immediately corrected him. He was cold enough not to flatter him with “Yes, you’re good” even as a white lie.
“Tch.”
“Hurry and ride. The operation might end soon.”
“If I ride that, will you really wait for me? You won’t disappear or anything?”
Jiho clutched Yeomin’s sleeve and checked again. He seemed afraid that Yeomin might vanish like his father who had left him behind.
Yeomin spoke with certainty.
“I’m not that kind of person.”
“…”
“Even if you told me to get lost right in front of you, I wouldn’t. So ride with peace of mind.”
Though he doubted the day would ever come when Jiho would tell him to get lost…
Yeomin resolved that if such a day did come, he would properly show him. Show him just how persistent and stubborn a person he was. He promised himself he would show that he was an even more tenacious and eccentric person than Jiho.
Jiho boarded the nearly empty carousel right before closing time. He looked several times more awkward than when riding the swing.
There weren’t even five passengers, and among them, Jiho was the tallest and most noticeable.
Yeomin watched him while leaning against the fence. The carousel began operating with music.
“Pfft…”
He looked like he could barely handle the horse with his long body folded up to sit on it.
Yet the way he firmly held the handle was so funny. Yeomin recorded a video to preserve this excellent sight.
Jiho, whose expression had been stiff, gradually loosened up as time passed, and eventually waved his hand casually.
Yeomin stopped recording and fully appreciated Jiho. Am I secretly a sentimental person?
Suddenly, such a thought occurred to him.
‘How did I end up picking up something like that? No… how did I get caught by something like that?’
Yeomin still found it amazing. That Jiho liked him, that Jiho did all sorts of suspicious things because he liked him, and that he had come to like such a suspicious Jiho…
Everything seemed too unreal.
‘From the beginning, Seol Jiho planned to collapse near my house, so he became indebted to me, and all that talk about a strategic marriage was a lie, and I was deceived into a contract relationship…’
Listed like this, Jiho seemed like trash, and he seemed like a fool. Calling this “fate” would probably anger the heavens.
But despite all that, Yeomin found this moment extremely romantic. Even though he had lived a life devoid of romance, even if he were dying to experience it…
It seemed quite romantic. Today’s Seol Jiho and Joo Yeomin.
While he was absorbed in these thoughts, the carousel stopped operating. He could see Jiho coming out through the exit.
Though he had been in sight the whole time, his approaching steps seemed urgent, as if he had been anxious.
Jiho strode over and hugged Yeomin tightly.
“Hyung…”
“Oh my, were you scared?”
Yeomin deliberately teased Jiho more, cooing at him.
But Jiho didn’t deny it. He just silently hugged Yeomin tighter.
Through their touching chests, Yeomin could feel Jiho’s heart beating. Whether it was from anxiety or being moved by him, he didn’t know. But he hoped it was the latter.
Yeomin embraced Jiho’s shoulders in return.
“See? I didn’t disappear.”
“Yeah.”
“I waited well for you, didn’t I?”
“You’re good, my hyung.”
Happiness isn’t something easily obtained, but it doesn’t seem to run away so easily either.
That’s how the process of accepting Jiho had been, and that’s how his current feelings of loving Jiho were.
Even if you’re anxious that it might slip away from your hands at any moment… that’s just our unfounded fear.
“I love you, hyung. You’re the only one for me.”
Jiho confessed honestly. Yeomin truly treasured those words as well.
“It’s the same for me. You’re the only one.”
It’s fortunate. That we truly have only each other.
Behind the embracing couple, the empty carousel began turning again.
Like “eternity” that would never stop.
* * *
During this festival, the Global Business College recorded their highest sales ever.
Yeojin seemed to have enjoyed herself quite a bit that day.
Why the department students had photos taken with Yeojin… Yeomin didn’t even want to know.
Anyway, knowing that all the sales came from Jiho’s black money(?), he wasn’t particularly proud.
“Joo Yeomin, your pictures came out so well~ It’s a life shot!”
Taeyang showed Yeomin his screen while teasing him as he talked about the festival aftermath.
It was a secretly taken photo of Yeomin wearing the rabbit headband while soliciting customers, taken by Hyungsik, the president.
“Where did this come from?”
“Hyungsik hyung sent it.”
‘If he had the energy to take pictures like this, he should have helped!’
Yeomin returned the phone to Taeyang with a look that said “pathetic.” But before Taeyang could take it back, another hand appeared and snatched it.
“Send this to me.”
It was Jiho.
“Huh? Sh-should I?”
Taeyang looked at Yeomin nervously. Yeomin, who didn’t have the energy to argue anymore, just nodded.
Taeyang diligently sent Yeomin’s picture to Jiho. After the transfer was complete, Jiho arbitrarily deleted Yeomin’s photo from Taeyang’s phone.
He was even thorough enough to permanently delete it from the trash.
Whenever the much-tamed Jiho acted like this… Yeomin secretly liked it. He’s crazy, but I like that.
“You wouldn’t try to recover the deleted photo, would you, Taeyang sunbae?”
“Why would I go that far…?”
“Then I’ll trust you.”
“But deleting it from my phone won’t solve the problem. Haven’t you seen the posts on the community forum?”
At Taeyang’s teasing, Jiho’s eyes blazed.
“There are tons of photos posted under ‘Global Business Bunny Boy.'”
“Lee Taeyang… stop it.”
Judging from Jiho’s expression, Yeomin could clearly see his rather troublesome near future.
Jiho checked the school community posts on his phone right there. Meanwhile, Taeyang whispered in Yeomin’s ear.
“Did you see how that guy looked at me? He looks like he wants to kill me.”
“I’ll tell him not to kill you.”
“You’re just the same, Joo Yeomin!”
Taeyang fled, fearing the sparks might fly his way.
“Let’s go get some food.”
“Look at this, hyung! People are commenting on your photos-“
“I said I’m hungry…”
Yeomin grabbed the back of Jiho’s neck as he was getting worked up looking at his phone and headed to the student cafeteria.
Jiho was still distracted, busy finding posts on the school’s anonymous community board and flooding them with comments saying [Please delete this].
While Yeomin was getting meal tickets at the kiosk on his behalf, he could hear the whispers around him.
“Gasp, it’s Seol Jiho.”
“Seol Jiho has been coming to school often lately, huh?”
“But he’s always with that oppa.”
“I heard he’s the Global Business Bunny Boy.”
“Wow, he’s kinda cute. Are they close?”
The onlookers groaned every time Jiho frowned, bit his lip, or changed his expression.
Some even said they were going crazy because his hands using the phone were so handsome.
‘Aren’t they gossiping too close? At this point, they’re practically speaking loud enough for us to hear.’
But it seemed only Yeomin felt the embarrassment; Jiho was still just looking at his phone.
Well, I suppose. For him, these kinds of stares must be so familiar that he doesn’t even notice them. The conglomerate heir, tall, handsome. A protagonist setting that doesn’t fit this ordinary background at all, obvious to anyone.
If it weren’t for Yeomin, Jiho probably would never have come to a place like a student cafeteria.
Yeomin handed the meal ticket to Jiho. A window had popped up on the screen saying his comment writing had been blocked due to excessive posting.
“Seol Jiho. That’s enough, take this. Relax your forehead.”
Before, he might not have understood why Jiho would go so far… but now Yeomin understood a little. No, actually, he understood with his whole heart.
If the situation were reversed and Jiho’s photos had been posted on the school community, he would have been extremely bothered as well.
“Eat first, then get angry, Jiho.”
“No, why isn’t this working…”
“Hey. Am I the only one who gets jealous?”
“…”
“I’m enduring it too, so why are you acting like this?”
At his sudden outburst, Jiho finally raised his head. His voice was a bit loud, enough to be heard by those around them.
But Yeomin didn’t care.
“So let’s eat while I’m still asking nicely. Before I lock you up at home for good.”
“That’s actually not a bad idea…”
“Tsk.”
“You’re getting fierce because you’re hungry, hyung? Alright, let’s eat quickly.”
As if he had never been irritated, Jiho smiled instantly. He followed Yeomin like a puppy as Yeomin led the way.
People parted before the two like the Red Sea.
They were undoubtedly the century’s most dramatic attention-seeking couple.
