MIM 46

Renting the amusement park after midnight was more expensive than regular evening rates due to the labor costs for staff working until dawn. Although it didn’t exceed the budget, Shin-woo negotiated to use only designated rides until 3 AM. Since it was money extorted through threats, splurging on it didn’t bother him much.

Jae-seung, who had been restless with excitement in the car, continued looking around eagerly after arriving at the park. Unable to take his eyes off the colorfully lit rides, he whispered to Shin-woo,

“I thought we’d have to wait forever for each ride, but there’s no one here?”

“Of course not. I rented the place.”

“…What? Why?”

Jae-seung asked, with an expression that seemed to say, why would you do something so unnecessarily expensive? It was amusing to see such a practical reaction from a child, thrilled but questioning if renting the whole park was really necessary. He didn’t seem to suspect for a moment that it might be for him.

Not wanting to shatter that belief, Shin-woo shrugged with feigned bravado.

“Just felt like having fun, that’s why.”

“Are you rich? Does your father give you that much money?”

“You should be saying ‘thank you’ for bringing you here.”

As Shin-woo grumbled and took the lead, Jae-seung hurried after him. Though he had carefully chosen his clothes, both his t-shirt and pants were too big, fluttering as he ran. Catching up to Shin-woo in one breath, Jae-seung blocked his path. His hair shimmered with the colorful lights pouring down. His eyes were the same. They were always such a pretty color.

“Thanks.”

This gratitude was better than the last. Maybe he was getting used to it. Smiling, Shin-woo ran to the food truck right in front of them. A sweet aroma wafted from the truck selling ice cream, slushies, and churros. Shin-woo chose churros, something he’d never bought with his own money except for ice cream. Just by looking, he knew it was fried, so it couldn’t possibly taste bad.

They could eat as many churros and ice cream as they wanted for free. Shin-woo had checked Jae-seung’s allergy list just in case, but there was nothing problematic, so he let him eat freely. Jae-seung got the largest size ice cream and even topped it with churros. Shin-woo also indulged in snacks for once.

“Delicious!”

With the sugar intake, Jae-seung became increasingly excited. The first ride they went on was the merry-go-round. Its prominent, glittering presence in the center made it impossible not to hop on the horses.

Jae-seung tightly gripped the model horse with his long, muscular legs and raised both hands high. Shin-woo teased him for his amateurish posture, despite apparently having riding experience. Then, spotting the entrance to the haunted house, he dashed out immediately. He didn’t know what kind of attraction it was, but he liked the name. The merry-go-round was too slow and boring for Shin-woo.

Expecting the haunted house to be a roller coaster where you dodge rapidly approaching ghosts, he was disappointed to find it was just a dim maze you walk through on foot. As Shin-woo looked around the haunted house interior with disinterest, he heard rough breathing behind him. Turning around, he saw Jae-seung’s eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Just as he felt the warmth nearby, Jae-seung suddenly hugged Shin-woo’s waist from behind. Are you scared? Glancing back, Shin-woo saw Jae-seung’s face close by, grinning. Given his lack of fear, it seemed he just wanted to stay together. Just as people held hands for support, he clung to the waist right in front of him.

That much was understandable, but it became a problem when Jae-seung repeatedly lifted Shin-woo off the ground like pulling a radish whenever he was startled. Even without being on a ride, Shin-woo’s body kept jolting up and down.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“Ahhh! You scared me!”

So this is what it means to be unable to control one strength. Due to abnormal muscle growth from experiments, Jae-seung couldn’t gauge his own power. The fact that he could easily lift Shin-woo, who had been tall since childhood and now stood over 180cm, was already far beyond normal. But he didn’t even give Shin-woo’s feet a chance to touch the ground. Every time they tried to walk a bit, someone in a ghost costume would jump out, and each time, Jae-seung would startle violently, hugging Shin-woo tighter and running away.

By the time they reached the exit, all his earlier bravado about not being scared of such things had vanished, with tears even glistening in his eyes. His heartbeat rapidly drummed against Shin-woo’s back.

“Can you put me down?”

“Huh!”

Since Jae-seung showed no sign of loosening his tight embrace, Shin-woo had to ask directly before being released. His back felt warm after being pressed against Jae-seung’s hot chest the entire time. When Shin-woo glanced up, Jae-seung blushed and cleared his throat.

“The, the makeup is really realistic. They all looked like real ghosts.”

“If you were scared, why didn’t you run away alone? Why did you have to carry me around?”

“Leaving you alone would be cowardly, wouldn’t it?”

He was going to overcome it, it was a reward, he was going to become the master who resists evil, he didn’t like being a coward. Listening to him, one would think he was a true hero. As Shin-woo narrowed his eyes, full of the urge to tease, Jae-seung suddenly pulled him into an embrace. Jae-seung’s warm breath reached Shin-woo’s ear as he leaned in awkwardly and blinked.

“I may be weak against ghosts, but I’m good with things that fall from high places.”

Jae-seung whispered, though there was no one around to overhear. Perhaps because of the cold wind, Shin-woo didn’t shy away from the warmth.

“How do you know?”

“In the past, when I took medicine, everything would spin. I’d get so dizzy I couldn’t even walk. With each step, it felt like my head was crashing to the ground.”

He was still young now, so when was this “past”? Jae-seung’s eyes, vividly describing the pain of that time, fixed on empty space. Beyond his unfocused pupils, his consciousness seemed to drift in the past for a while.

Then, as if a switch had suddenly flipped, Jae-seung returned to the present the very next moment.

“It’s okay now. I guess I’m getting better.”

“Getting better? Where?”

Shin-woo asked seriously, without a hint of sarcasm. Then he wrapped his fingers around Jae-seung’s wrist, which was still rough with scars. As he gently caressed the marks, Jae-seung’s thick eyebrows twitched. His gaze was drawn into Shin-woo’s eyes.

“You don’t look okay at all.”

Even if the outer skin heals, wounds deep enough to tear flesh always leave scars somewhere.

Shin-woo released the wrist without any lingering feelings and started walking ahead. Jae-seung, whose face had been flushed to the tips of his forehead, finally came to his senses and hurried to follow. Shin-woo stopped in front of the roller coaster. The sign boasted it as the “Fifth Highest in the World” in large letters. It also warned that the ride might not operate in bad weather for safety reasons, asking for customers’ understanding. He read the sign, his lips moving silently.

True to the ominous warning, the roller coaster had double safety mechanisms. As Shin-woo obediently followed the safety instructions after boarding, he suddenly leaned towards Jae-seung. His low whisper was full of mischief.

“Should we ride without the safety belts? Might be more thrilling.”

Jae-seung turned pale at those words and grabbed Shin-woo. Even after checking the belt and safety bar, he still seemed uneasy and scolded Shin-woo again.

“Are you crazy? No way. I told you clearly it’s not allowed.”

“Haha.”

“Fuck, if you don’t wear the belt, I swear I’ll… It’s an order!”

“It’s a joke, just a joke. Look, I’m wearing it properly.”

Just as Shin-woo leaned back slightly to show the belt, the roller coaster started with a jolt. Jae-seung gripped the safety bar so tightly his knuckles turned white, screaming at the top of his lungs as the roller coaster picked up speed.

“Why would you make such a stupid joke? And right before we start!”

“Sometimes I get dumb ideas, what can I do?”

“Keep those thoughts to yourself, you bastard!”

The roller coaster slowly climbed a steep incline, then stopped at the peak. Watching Jae-seung screaming indistinctly – “Aaaah!”, “Uwaaa!”, “Euaaagh!” – Shin-woo wondered if his joke had been too harsh. Jae-seung had confidently said he wasn’t afraid of falling from high places, so Shin-woo had believed him.

The roller coaster creaked and swayed at the highest point, then tilted precariously forward.

Falling.

Shin-woo laughed until tears streamed down his face, listening to Jae-seung’s echoing screams.