# Side Story 7
Yeomin got a headache after searching for the price of couple rings with Jiho at work.
‘I might need to take a day off from work just to go find a ring.’
He knew it would be expensive, but… actually seeing the amount made it impossible to focus on his work.
As a result, his tasks piled up, forcing him to work overtime and stay late at the office. When Jiho adamantly insisted on staying with him, Yeomin sent him home first, telling him to prepare dinner.
He figured having Jiho beside him would only make him more anxious.
“Overseas? That’s not a bad idea, is it?”
Despite sending Jiho home, Yeomin was now on the phone with Jiho’s younger brother, Seol Jiwoong, at the office.
Jiwoong was already in his final year of university.
Unlike Jiho, he diligently attended school, and from what Yeomin heard, he even worked part-time jobs. Something about gaining social experience.
Yeomin could understand why President Ahn wasn’t desperately chasing after Jiho. She probably had peace of mind knowing she had such a reliable youngest son…
“You’d just be exhausting yourself if you stayed in Korea.”
“I guess so…”
“It would be nice to go abroad for a few years to study and have fun. And if it’s an overseas branch, it probably wouldn’t be too busy. Besides, do you really think Mom would just keep quiet and send you away? She’d at least give you a promotion.”
Though still a university student, Jiwoong always sounded so mature.
‘It actually sounds tempting when he puts it like that.’
Yeomin groaned and fell into deep thought.
“If Mom went that far in her offer, it means she genuinely likes you, ssaem.”
Even though it had been ages since Yeomin quit tutoring him, Jiwoong still called him ‘ssaem’ (teacher).
Well… I’m deeply honored that the President thinks highly of me and is taking a personal interest…
Yeomin, being an inevitable commoner, couldn’t help but worry. By nature, he wasn’t someone with grand ambitions.
“Then should I go overseas with Seol Jiho?”
“Is that what you want?”
“I haven’t been apart from him since university.”
Even during university, they dated while constantly visiting each other’s nearby apartments, and after moving in together, they became even more inseparable. They even worked at the same company now.
Yeomin suddenly realized that he was truly spending every moment of his life with Jiho.
I’m starting to get a little scared…
“…If I said I was going alone, he’d find a way to follow me no matter what.”
“It’s not like you actually want to go alone anyway.”
Jiwoong had become sharper with age, making him increasingly difficult to deal with.
Yeomin muttered in a troubled voice.
“Let’s say we go together. Then… does that mean I’ll never break up with Seol Jiho?”
There was no certainty in his tone. Yeomin heard Jiwoong snicker.
“Have you ever said something like that in front of Seol Jiho?”
“…No.”
“I didn’t realize you two were living together while having thoughts of breaking up.”
Yeomin had no response to Jiwoong’s remark.
That’s right. If he had any intention of breaking up, he shouldn’t have moved in with Jiho in the first place. He shouldn’t have loved him so intensely, without any sense of moderation.
“It seems like the answer is already clear. Why are you hesitating?”
“Somehow… changing reality feels scary and unsettling.”
“Then are you going to keep living like this, in the same place, forever?”
“Jiwoong. One reckless challenge in my life—meeting Seol Jiho—is enough.”
I wasn’t born with the capacity for grand ambitions to begin with. And I didn’t grow up in an environment that would foster such courage.
Seeming concerned by Yeomin’s words, Jiwoong offered some advice.
“Since I was young, there’s something my mom always told me.”
“What is it?”
“With that kind of mindset, you can’t even protect what you already have, let alone make progress.”
I just got deeply burned…
It seems like I should be the one calling Jiwoong ‘ssaem’ from now on.
* * *
After finishing the call and continuing his overtime work, Yeomin checked the group chat while returning with a cup of coffee.
There was a photo posted in their study group chat. It was a picture of the ring Yeomin had lost.
[Found it in my bag! This is yours, right Yeomin-nim?]
Yeomin nearly dropped to his knees and shouted, “Thank you, heavens!” The ring in the photo was indeed the couple ring Jiho had given him.
‘I thought I’d never find it since it was such an expensive ring!’
It seemed the ring had become loose and fallen into another study group member’s bag.
The study member said they were coincidentally passing by Yeomin’s company and could deliver the ring personally.
A little while later, upon receiving a message that they had arrived at the lobby, Yeomin hurriedly packed his things and went downstairs.
“Minsung-nim!”
Yeomin rushed over as soon as he spotted the study group member. Minsung had been in the same study group as Yeomin for three months now.
Yeomin thanked him profusely, nearly in tears.
“When I saw your message, I almost cried.”
“Haha, I can see that on your face. This is it, right? Yours?”
“Yes! Thank you so much… truly… you’re my savior.”
“If I had known, I would have checked my bag sooner.”
“No, no. I’m just grateful you found it.”
Honestly, he could have just pretended not to notice and kept it. It seemed there was still some decency left in the world.
When he couldn’t even get back his watch stolen by his own blood relative, here was a complete stranger returning his ring.
“I must repay you somehow!”
“How about today?”
“Pardon?”
“Since I’m already here, let’s go have a drink.”
It was then that Yeomin belatedly remembered that Minsung had subtly shown interest in him before. He had forgotten in his excitement over recovering the ring.
‘It’s good I sent Jiho home first.’
Yeomin thought of Jiho, who was probably anxiously waiting for him at home right now.
Yeomin smiled as he declined.
“Ah~ What should I do? I already have plans for today.”
‘Does this guy really think he can hit on me while knowing full well that what he returned is a couple ring? I need to get out of this. I’ll just pretend to be busy and send him a gift later.’
Yeomin extended his palm to the man.
“If you give me the ring… I’ll definitely repay you properly next time…”
“Hmm~”
Are you crazy?
The man playfully hid his hand behind his back. Yeomin forced a fake smile.
‘Just smile, Joo Yeomin…’
“Do you really have plans?”
“I told you I do?”
“Come on~ You’re lying.”
“Director Nam! Please, give it to me quickly!”
Give it to me…!
Yeomin was trembling with effort as he tried to contain himself. A struggle ensued between him and the man.
Gritting his teeth, Yeomin pried the man’s fingers open one by one. And finally, when the ring was revealed in his palm—
Pop! The ring shot out and rolled across the floor.
“No!”
Afraid of losing the ring again, Yeomin frantically chased after it. His posture, bent at the waist as he scurried after the ring, looked quite comical.
Then, just a bit ahead of Yeomin, the rolling ring disappeared under a sleek shoe tip.
“My ri—”
“…”
“ng…”
As Yeomin looked up and faced Jiho’s shadowed face, he thought,
‘This is insane. I definitely sent him home, so why is he here…’
“Why are you here?”
“That’s not the important thing right now.”
Before Yeomin could fully straighten up, Jiho had already picked up the ring. Then he grabbed Yeomin’s wrist and pulled.
He slid the ring onto the fourth finger of Yeomin’s left hand. The ring went on a bit loosely.
“You’re so careless, my darling.”
‘Darling? What crazy nonsense is this?’
Before Yeomin could react, Jiho kissed the ring on Yeomin’s finger.
To reiterate, they were in the company lobby, there were employees on duty at the information desk, and to top it all off, Yeomin’s foreign language study group member was watching them like an audience.
Of course, Jiho seemed all too aware of this fact.
“I was worried you might have collapsed from overwork since you were taking so long to come down.”
“…”
“And who is this person, darling?”
Yeomin’s brain malfunctioned again at the word ‘darling.’
The study member’s face already showed that he had intuited their relationship. Jiho looked at him with a gaze that suggested he saw the man as an inanimate object.
“Did you bother my darling?”
“No, no. It’s not like that. He’s the kind person who found my ring.”
So stop this, you crazy bastard. Yeomin sent a wordless threat, but Jiho’s gaze was already looking the man up and down.
Knowing Seol Jiho’s personality all too well, staying any longer would only make things worse for Yeomin.
Yeomin urgently pulled Jiho away.
“Shall we go now? Minsung-ssi, I’m sorry. I’ll definitely repay you!”
“Yeomin…”
Ignoring the man who was trying to say something, Yeomin pushed Jiho’s back with all his might. Then, as soon as they got into the elevator, he frantically pressed the door close button.
To avoid the worst-case scenario of Seol Jiho rushing back out to pick a fight with the man.
Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, Jiho remained very quiet during their descent to the underground parking lot.
‘It’s never ended well when Seol Jiho is this quiet…’
Yeomin tried to gauge Jiho’s mood.
In any case, his fault in this incident was significant. He hadn’t mentioned losing the ring, and after sending Jiho home first, he had secretly had a rendezvous(?) with someone else.
Fortunately, just as the tension was reaching its peak, the elevator arrived at the underground parking lot. Not knowing where Jiho’s car was, Yeomin looked around.
Is it over there? As he was looking around for the car, Jiho suddenly grabbed Yeomin’s hand. His ringed left hand was firmly intertwined with Jiho’s.
“…”
Jiho silently led Yeomin to the car. The parking lot was very quiet as it was past the time when most people would have gone home.
Instead of getting into the car, Jiho gripped both of Yeomin’s hands tightly, as if restraining him. Yet his lips remained tightly sealed.
At first, Yeomin thought Jiho might try to do something right here, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
He had a thoroughly displeased expression.
“You held hands with that person, didn’t you?”
How long had he been watching? Yeomin explained.
“We weren’t holding hands; I was struggling to get the ring back. If you were watching, you should know that.”
“That bastard asked you out for a drink.”
“…From what point were you listening?”
“From the beginning.”
“Why didn’t you go home?”
He had promised so nicely that he would go home! Yeomin tried to change the subject, but Jiho still held Yeomin’s hands tightly with a sullen face, as if trying to disinfect them with his own hands.
At this rate, we’ll be here until dawn and have to go straight to work.
For survival, and to get home, Yeomin made a bold move.
“Let’s not do this here.”
“…”
“Let’s go home, darling.”
“…”
“Darliiing, okay?”
He wanted to bite his tongue, but he endured and stretched the last syllable.
Yeomin hadn’t seen Jiho make this expression in a long time. It was like a puppy entranced by a delicious snack for the first time.
An expression of being so dumbfounded he couldn’t even respond right away.
“I was wrong today. So I’ll take my punishment when we get home.”
“…Say it again.”
“What, that I’ll take my punishment?”
“No, not that. The darling… thing.”
It was truly childish, cringe-worthy, and even gave him a reality check, but…
Nevertheless, Yeomin did as Jiho asked without hesitation.
“Darling. Let’s go home.”
“Where did you learn to say that?”
Jiho asked as he wrapped his arms around Yeomin. His voice was trembling.
‘He really likes it, doesn’t he?’
“I learned it from you. You just called me that earlier.”
“…Let’s hurry and go, like hyung said.”
Suddenly Seol Jiho was in a rush. He abruptly opened the car door and practically shoved Yeomin inside.
Yeomin ended up curled up in the passenger seat. Slam! After closing the door for him, Jiho quickly returned to the driver’s seat.
Joo Yeomin’s big puppy darling.
‘He’s not angry anymore, right?’
Yeomin secretly let out a sigh of relief. He truly felt like his lifespan had been shortened by 10 years.
