UR Chapter 82
by BrieChapter 82
The timing was perfect.
The sky was piercingly clear. The dusty, grimy winds from before had been swept away by days of heavy snowfall, and the snowfall itself had been cleared like a broom sweeping a floor by a blast of northwesterly wind, taking all the dust and clouds with it.
Even the little scraps of cloud that would usually drift lazily in the air had long since blown far away. The empty, pure blue was so clear and transparent that I-bom clutched his seatbelt and stole glances out the window.
For midwinter, the warmth of the sun without wind was the kind of weather you might only get a few times a year. I-bom pressed the button to crack open the firmly shut window. The scent of the gentle breeze winding down the mountain road softened his heart.
He leaned his face toward the window, eyes wide. He wanted to kick off his shoes and run across a soft grassy field. Even though he lived as a human, he wondered if the excitement he felt in weather like this came from the fact that his ancestors were dogs.
“I-bom, want to look up too?”
He had thought the man wouldn’t notice him opening the window and getting lost in idle thoughts, but apparently he saw everything. The man glanced at him with a warm smile.
“The sky’s beautiful. It’s as high and wide as it could be.”
The man pressed a button. With a low whir, the solid black roof began to open, letting in the bright sky.
“Wow…”
In an instant, the dim interior of the car was flooded with dazzling light. Two sharp shafts of sunlight beamed inside, glittering like jewels.
“It’s so beautiful…”
“We should open it more often when we drive.”
The man’s gentle voice came to his ear, but I-bom, lost in staring at the sky, let the words drift past.
The word “often” gave him a flicker of doubt, but his thoughts didn’t reach any further. He just liked it. He wished every day could feel like today.
—Welcome to the land of dreams, Neverland!
With cheerful music came the pop-pop of small fireworks. I-bom’s eyes sparkled as he looked out the window. It was Neverland.
“You said you liked amusement parks.”
“Ah…”
I-bom bit his lip.
He’d only ever said in passing that he liked them — he hadn’t expected the man to remember.
In his entire life, the only amusement park he’d been to was the small city park in Manwol-gu. It was less than a third the size of Neverland, with nothing more than a carousel or a tiny mini-viking ride. The paint had peeled, the rides were rusted — he didn’t even know if it still existed.
But the Neverland the man had brought him to was said to be the biggest amusement park in Korea. It took up an entire mountain, had costumed characters dancing, and a wealth of exciting rides.
Of course, the entrance fee was expensive. Jin-sang had once said that between food, rides, and transportation, it could easily cost over 100,000 won. With his thin wallet, I-bom had never been able to come. For the young beastmen of Aji Village, it was a dream destination. He didn’t know if the man was aware of that.
Screech.
The man casually pulled up to a spot right by the entrance. It wasn’t in the parking lot — it was a small decorated side path next to the ticket lines. He quickly got out and opened the passenger door, then held out his palm in front of I-bom.
“…Aren’t you going to park?”
Caught off guard, I-bom placed his fingertips lightly in the man’s palm and asked. Behind him, the parking lot already had a “FULL” sign posted. The thought that they might not be able to get in without a space made his earlier excitement suddenly turn into unease.
“Mm. The valet staff will be here soon.”
“Valet? Oh, you even booked ahead?”
I-bom asked again. He had thought the date was something arranged on the spot, but apparently not. Since he’d done short-term parking jobs here and there, he knew that valet parking at places like amusement parks or concert halls usually required advance booking. He’d never worked at Neverland, but he’d heard their valet service was reservation-based and usually done at least two days in advance.
“Yes, I booked it ahead. Ah, and they’re coming now.”
The man smiled warmly and tilted his chin toward the space behind I-bom. When I-bom glanced back, a man and woman in suits were hurrying toward them with bright smiles. Their faces looked a bit pale for some reason, but he couldn’t guess why.
“Ah, hello, Director!”
With neatly combed hair, the two greeted politely, quickly looking over both the man and I-bom. They exchanged glances, then smiled again and stepped back a pace.
The person standing on the left extended a business card with perfect form.
“I’m Min Sun-woo, assistant manager of Neverland’s PR department, and this is Lee Eun-hyung, chief of the secretary’s office. It’s an honor to meet you!”
The man smiled with good manners and held out his hand for a shake. When I-bom reflexively reached out as well, Eun Beom-ho caught the man’s hand first.
“Yes, hello, Assistant Manager Min, Chief Lee. Nice to meet you. I made busy people wait on me, didn’t I? You can go take care of your work now.”
“Oh, not at all! It’s fine! We’ve prepared everything, so you can enter right away. Is there anything you might need while you’re here with your guest, or any questions? Please feel free to tell us anytime.”
I-bom found himself clasping Beom-ho’s firm hand and gave a small bow to the staff. Then, looking around a bit timidly, he asked carefully,
“…I have a question.”
“Yes! Please, go ahead!”
“Do we… not need to buy tickets? This doesn’t seem like the main entrance, but you told us to go straight in.”
At I-bom’s earnest question, Beom-ho smiled — not mocking or teasing, but a full, genuine smile from the heart.
“No, you don’t need to buy them. I reserved everything ahead of time, of course. If I want to take time to date a busy person like you, I have to at least do this much.”
“I-is that so? But I heard Neverland is really crowded…”
I-bom glanced toward the clock tower. How long should a date here last? He’d heard the park could be so packed that you’d spend the whole day just standing in lines.
“Don’t worry, there aren’t many people today, so we can enjoy plenty.”
“How? The weather’s so nice.”
“……”
The man swept his eyes over I-bom’s doubtful expression, made a thoughtful “hmm,” then suddenly leaned close to I-bom’s ear.
“The thing is… they put a limit on attendance today.”
The ticklish brush of breath made I-bom flinch and look at him, only for the man to murmur in a troubled tone,
“…Because I’m a beastman.”
“……”
Ah. A reason he hadn’t even considered. Because the man moved around so normally, I-bom had completely forgotten he was a beastman — and not just any beastman, but a pureblood capable of transforming into his original animal form. The man’s fingers brushed the back of his neck as his brows drooped.
“…If a pureblood like me walks around in a crowded place, it could be dangerous for both sides. I wanted to spend time alone with you, but I thought too private a place might make you uncomfortable. Since you said you like amusement parks, I wanted to bring you here. But… if ordinary people stay too long near a pureblood beastman, it can take a toll on their bodies. So I thought about it and came up with the safest way.”
Regret flickered across I-bom’s face.
“Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
With the saddest look in the world, the man nodded, then whispered into his ear again.
“I’m pitiful, right…? Because I’m a pureblood, I don’t have many friends, and I have to avoid certain streets because of other beastmen who say they go into heat when they’re near me. So… you have to spend the whole day with me until tonight. Got it?”
“…Yes!”
I-bom nodded firmly, as if making a resolute promise. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the faint upward curl of the man’s lips.