MIM 47
by Springlila“Ah, that was fucking scary.”
Jae-seung trembled like a newborn giraffe as he got off. Worried the big guy might lose balance and fall, Shin-woo quickly jumped out to support his arm. Feeling Jae-seung’s rock-hard bicep under his hand as he caught his breath, Shin-woo felt an inexplicable sense of relief. If he had known how much this guy clung to life, he wouldn’t have made such a joke in the first place.
Shin-woo’s lips kept curling into a smile, finding it cute how Jae-seung had threatened him with bloodshot eyes about not wearing the safety belt. He tightened his grip on Jae-seung’s arm, chuckling.
“That was a bit scary. Thanks to you, I survived.”
“What did I tell you? You could have died.”
As soon as Shin-woo admitted his carelessness, Jae-seung raised his voice in irritation. Despite his annoyance, he clung tightly to Shin-woo’s side, unwilling to let go. Flexing his fingers that were starting to turn blue from lack of circulation, Shin-woo grinned.
“You should wear a safety belt in life too.”
The casual remark caused a heavy ripple in Jae-seung’s eyes. Though feeling the intense stare, Shin-woo pretended not to notice and looked around. He spotted a large ring-shaped ride that repeatedly dropped from sky to ground. It looked terrifying, but tempting – like it could give you a taste of what jumping from a 30-story building might feel like.
“Want to try?”
“This time, I’ll choose.”
Shin-woo expected Jae-seung to recoil, complaining the roller coaster wasn’t enough, but he was surprisingly calm. Saying he saw something on the way, Jae-seung started leading Shin-woo towards the lake. Wondering what could be at the lake, they found swan-shaped boats for two people to ride side by side.
Is that even a ride? Isn’t it for kids? Shin-woo frowned skeptically.
“Boats? That’s just something you pedal to float around.”
“I know.”
“Go ahead and ride. I’ll wait here.”
They came to enjoy their own time anyway, so they didn’t need to be together the whole time. As Shin-woo waved his hand and tried to turn away, he found he couldn’t break free from Jae-seung’s grip. It was amazing how strong he was, holding Shin-woo firmly without changing his expression.
“…Why?”
As Shin-woo tried to pull away slightly, Jae-seung’s long arm wrapped around his back. He knew Jae-seung was huge even from a distance, but with him standing so close and reaching out his arm, it felt like being engulfed by a wave. It was similar to the overwhelming feeling when facing something inescapable.
Lost in idle thoughts, Shin-woo’s smile faded as he looked down at his side where Jae-seung’s hand rested. As if remembering the scars Shin-woo had shown, Jae-seung gently caressed the exact spot of the wound.
“…Did you do this to yourself too?”
He was asking if the scar there was also from self-harm, like how Shin-woo had scratched his own wrist.
“No.”
That’s a mark of survival. Shin-woo changed his mind and turned towards the lake. He had to give the gift anyway, so riding the boat wouldn’t be so bad. On the way, he picked up the gift he had left at the merry-go-round. Though Jae-seung looked curious about what Shin-woo was carrying, he didn’t ask till the end.
Jae-seung, a young master down to his bones, didn’t even pedal properly on the swan boat. Despite suggesting the ride himself, Jae-seung just stared into the calm lake, suddenly lost in melancholy and not saying a word. Seeing his serious expression, Shin-woo left him alone, but after pedaling by himself for a while, he started to get annoyed.
“Hey, quit working for my father and become my trainer.”
Just before the words ‘Pedal the damn thing while I’m asking nicely’ was about to burst out, Jae-seung looked Shin-woo in the eye and spoke resolutely.
“What trainer?”
“Seeing you climb walls, I realized there’s a lot to learn. You’re good at running and fighting too. You could teach me how to use my body. Father wants me to get stronger, so he’ll approve.”
This guy really doesn’t know his dad at all. What Ma Jin-seong wants isn’t fighting skills, but superior physical abilities that can’t be taught or learned. Moreover, the fact that Shin-woo was the only one from Mangwol District who wasn’t a test subject implied something significant.
Shin-woo knew that Ma Jin-seong particularly liked him. He wouldn’t be willing to give up someone who could handle all sorts of dirty work, no matter how much his son wanted it.
“Don’t you like being a trainer? It would be much safer and easier than your current job.”
“My current job pays much more.”
Not wanting to go into details, Shin-woo vaguely brushed it off as an income issue. Even now, keeping a proper distance, he was on edge projecting himself onto Jae-seung. Getting any closer would be troublesome. The current situation of pedaling hard was enough foolishness.
Jae-seung seemed internally disappointed at the money talk. It must have sounded too materialistic an excuse for the young master who had never lacked money. Shin-woo twisted up the corners of his mouth as he pedaled vigorously.
“I need to earn to keep doing this crap.”
“…”
“You like it, don’t you?”
While enjoying the luxury of floating on the lake without exerting any effort, Jae-seung stubbornly kept his mouth shut and didn’t answer. Whatever. Shin-woo turned his gaze to the wide lake. He liked how calm the water was with only one boat floating. The buildings visible in the distance emitted various lights. The quiet moment felt even more peaceful, easily imagining the busy daily life that would resume when morning broke in a few hours.
Jae-seung started pedaling little by little. Had he finally given up on trying to get Shin-woo to switch jobs to become a trainer? Chuckling, Shin-woo handed the shopping bag he had kept beside him all along to Jae-seung.
“Here, take it.”
“What’s this?”
“A birthday present.”
He could have just called it a gift since it had been long past his birthday, but he deliberately said it was a birthday present. He wanted to tell the guy who had received a poisoned birthday feast that someone had wanted to celebrate his birthday that day.
Jae-seung carefully placed the gift box on his lap and pressed his lips together. He tried not to show how pleased he was, but his twitching cheekbones betrayed his true feelings. He slowly pulled the ribbon tying the box to undo the knot, then gently shook it to open the lid.
Lifting the trunk underwear softly with both hands, the guy raised bewildered eyes. After confirming the complete form of the underwear, his head tilted to the side.
“…Underwear?”
“I didn’t know your size so I just bought whatever. Throw it away if it doesn’t fit.”
How can teasing be this fun? Jae-seung, with his ears turning bright red, hurriedly stuffed the underwear back into the box. It wasn’t even used underwear but new, and seeing him frantically try to hide it was quite adorable, making Shin-woo burst into laughter.
Had he ever laughed like this before? For a while, he couldn’t even have a conversation because he was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. When he opened his eyes, which he had squeezed shut, he saw Jae-seung’s face, red not only on the cheeks but up to his forehead. Not content with just closing the lid, the guy had already tied the box tightly with the ribbon. Was he afraid the underwear might burst out of the box? The sloppily tied knot from his rush made Shin-woo burst into laughter again.
“Hahaha, ah… Hey, put that box away, it’s too funny.”
“Giving underwear as a gift, am I your friend? I’ll let it slide since you probably never received etiquette lessons.”
Well, strictly speaking, Jae-seung is the son of his employer. It might be seen as somewhat inappropriate, but seeing Jae-seung act as if he’d been insulted was hilariously funny. Especially because he seemed to genuinely feel humiliated.
“Stop laughing. I’m letting this pass because I’m grateful for something.”
Jae-seung, who had been silently pedaling in place of Shin-woo, grumbled sullenly. Grateful for something… Shinwoo wondered if Jae-seung was still thinking about the day he had gone to the villa. Only the harsh words spoken then remained in memory, making Shin-woo feel he should apologize rather than receive thanks. Feeling awkward, Shin-woo asked needlessly.
“What are you grateful for?”
“You kept your promise.”
“I didn’t promise anything.”
“You said we’d go to an amusement park together when I got better.”
“…”
“I didn’t think you’d really come.”
Whether it was because of the intense sense of déjà vu felt in the basement, the memory of Jae-seung from that day remained particularly vivid. Recalling the empty eyes of the guy who had smiled sadly rather than getting excited at the mention of an amusement park, the clear eyes now facing him felt strange anew.
Shin-woo reached out and grasped Jae-seung’s scarred wrist. Even without looking closely, just feeling with his fingertips, he could roughly gauge it. It was a fresh scratch. The fact that the wrist of a guy who usually healed completely in a few days was in this state meant he hadn’t been given time for the wounds to heal.
“We can come again sometime.”
Though next time, they’d probably have to wait in line. Shin-woo added briefly, turning Jae-seung’s arm so the scratched wrist was exposed. Their gazes settled together on the rough wound.
“When the scar here completely disappears.”
Shin-woo whispered, gently stroking the wound. Drawn in by the moonlight in his eyes, Jae-seung promised he would. And after that, he never dug his nails into his wrist again.