Chapter 15

Summer vacation began.

After cram school, Yi-seon rode his bicycle along the park trail. He had scraped together his allowance to buy the secondhand bike on Strawberry Market, and every turn of the pedals produced a metallic creak.

A hot, humid night breeze brushed the back of Yi-seon’s neck. Mugyeol drifted into his thoughts again: the guy who could ignore him for days, then stroll over at the blackboard, throw an arm around his shoulders, finish a problem for him, exchange a high five, and walk away as if none of it meant anything.

Yi-seon wanted them to be close again, but he had no idea how to cross the distance between them. Whenever he thought they were getting somewhere, Mugyeol pulled away. Whenever Yi-seon gave up, Mugyeol closed the gap himself. The guy made no sense.

Should I pretend nothing is wrong and pay Chairman Yeon a visit…? While greeting Grandfather, I could chat with Mugyeol on the side…

He was still turning the idea over when—

“Huh?”

Yi-seon hit the brakes with a sharp skrrrrt. Beneath a lamppost, where weak light bled into the darkness, a familiar figure was walking at an easy pace.

A white short-sleeved T-shirt and navy uniform trousers—the same ordinary clothes worn by hundreds of students at school. Even so, Yi-seon recognized the broad shoulders and tall, athletic silhouette at once.

In the entire school wearing the same uniform, only one person possessed such a silhouette.

Yeon Mugyeol.

The unexpected sight startled Yi-seon, then immediately lifted his mood. He pedaled harder, his bicycle announcing the approach with an awful squeak-creak, squeak-creak.

I must oil this tomorrow without fail.

People had been glancing back at the bicycle all night because of its grinding pedals. Mugyeol, however, did not react at all. His ability to ignore anything he considered none of his business had not changed since childhood.

As he drew closer to Mugyeol, Yi-seon called his name softly, “Yeon Mu… gyeol!”

Mugyeol turned immediately. Despite Yi-seon’s hesitant call, he had recognized the voice at once. Yi-seon rolled up beside him and squeezed the brakes—skrrrt!

“Hey.”

“What.”

“Get on.”

“What?”

Mugyeol raised one eyebrow at the sudden offer, plainly bewildered. Yi-seon jerked his thumb toward the rear rack.

“Get on. I just got a new bike.”

“…”

“I’ll give you a ride home.”

Yi-seon needed some excuse to keep Mugyeol talking, and at the moment all he had to offer were his own two feet and this bicycle. When Mugyeol showed no sign of getting on, Yi-seon tried again. “It’s night. It’s late. It’s dark.”

“…”

“It’s dangerous for a minor to wander around alone late at night.”

It was a laughably transparent ploy.

Mugyeol looked first at Yi-seon’s hopeful face, then at the bicycle clattering loudly with every turn of the pedals, and finally back at Yi-seon, who blinked up at him with wide eyes as he waited for a verdict.

Stepping toward Yi-seon, Mugyeol casually settled onto the bike’s rear rack.

“Other than Driver Oh, you’re the first person to offer me a ride home.”

…Wait. He actually got on?

Despite being the one who had urged him to get on, Yi-seon was taken aback. He had never imagined Mugyeol would agree so readily. He had expected to beg, chase after Mugyeol while he ignored him, and shout himself hoarse before getting anywhere. Was it really going to be this easy?

Mugyeol’s hand reached past Yi-seon’s shoulder, pointing forward. “What are you doing? Pedal.”

Snapping back to his senses, Yi-seon pushed down on the pedals. The bicycle wobbled on the first turn of the pedals. Mugyeol was so heavy on the rear rack that keeping his balance was a struggle.

“What kind of ride quality is this?”

“It’s because it’s brand new. You’re my very first customer.”

“…”

“If you’re grateful, give me the first ride when you buy a car later.”

“Never said I was grateful.”

Yi-seon ignored the retort entirely. Straining under the weight of two boys, the bicycle protested with a frantic chorus of creaks and squeaks. Instead of placing a hand on Yi-seon to steady himself, Mugyeol gripped Yi-seon’s backpack tightly.

“Isn’t this thing going to snap in half any second?”

“Don’t worry. It was like this when I bought it.”

“Looks like we’ll be holding a funeral for it shortly.”

“Don’t say things like that. You’ll scare her…”

Yi-seon pumped his legs with all his might. Mugyeol was heavy behind him, but Yi-seon felt strangely light. Even the night breeze that had seemed muggy before now felt refreshing, all because Mugyeol was sitting behind him.

“Where did you get this?”

“Saved up my allowance and bought it secondhand.”

“How much?”

“Negotiated down to eighty-three thousand won.”

It had been listed for ninety thousand won, but when they met for the in-person trade, the seller knocked off a whole seven thousand won. What a generous person.

“I’m tearing up. Truly moved to tears…” Mugyeol scoffed, snickering as though overcome with emotion.

Claiming to be moved while openly snickering—where on earth had he learned to be so cheeky?

“Don’t laugh. Have you ever saved up your own money to buy anything?”

“A gaming console.”

“Oh, really? Let me play too.”

“…”

Hmm. That didn’t work.

As Yi-seon fumbled through one conversation starter after another, the bicycle carried them out of the park. They passed through a quiet alley with little foot traffic and emerged onto the smooth asphalt road leading up to Mugyeol’s house.

Right. Where he lives is…

The estate of Chairman Yeon, Mugyeol’s grandfather, sat at the very top of this neighborhood lined with luxury mansions. At the foot of the mountain, the estate enjoyed crisp air and a breathtaking panoramic view of Seoul from its terrace.

Which also meant it stood at the end of a brutally steep climb. And Yi-seon was currently attempting that climb on a bicycle with a massive beast of a boy riding on the back.

Gripping the handlebars tightly, Yi-seon put all his strength into his thighs. They had barely started up the hill, yet his thigh muscles were already knotting painfully.

Haa…

Why did I offer to give him a ride…? Was this really the only way to make up…?

Scolding his past self changed nothing. The incline remained merciless, and with every push of the pedals, his breath shortened as heat spread through his body.

Gasp, wheeze…

“Hey. Don’t you hear the sound of someone dying somewhere?”

“Haah… pro… bably not?”

Clenching his teeth, Yi-seon hunched over the handlebars and pedaled for dear life. He had promised to take Mugyeol all the way home, so he had to see it through. At this point, it was a matter of pride.

Yet Mugyeol’s mansion seemed no closer. By now, Yi-seon could no longer hide his ragged breathing.

“Speed up. Is this all you’ve got? Give it some fighting spirit.”

“Shut… your mouth, huff…”

“Why? You love fighting. Last time in the art room, you held hands with Jeong Seonjin and were acting all crazy going, fighting, fighting.”

What fighting? What holding hands with Jeong Seonjin? He could hardly remember.

“Huh? Answer me. Did you or didn’t you?”

Haah, haah…

“I said answer me.”

Yi-seon’s face was bright red, and he was too exhausted to answer, yet Mugyeol kept pestering him from behind.

“Huh? Answer. Hey. Answer me.”

“It’s… true, so haaah… just shut… up! I love fighting! Fi-ii-ne!”

Does he have some condition where he’ll drop dead if he doesn’t get an answer?

Why did I offer to give him a ride home? I should’ve just talked in the park.

Would it look too pathetic if I told him to get off right here?

Korea has way too many mountains. That’s why there are houses even on steep hills like this.

By the way, why on earth is this guy so heavy? Is it okay to ask how many kilos he weighs? They say muscle is heavier than fat, so he might weigh surprisingly a lot.

With his body pushed to the brink, Yi-seon let his mind wander anywhere it could to distract him from the agony.

The top of the hill was right there, yet his legs were giving out. Crushing the handlebars in his grip, he forced the pedals down with the last of his strength. His lungs felt stretched to their limit, his thighs ready to burst.

Ah, pride or no pride, I’ve reached my limit… Just as the thought crossed his mind—

Suddenly, the bicycle became startlingly light. A moment later, it began gathering speed up the slope.

“Whoaaa!”

“Hold the handlebars straight.”

Startled by the sudden surge of momentum, Yi-seon let the handlebars wobble. A firm grip from behind steadied the bicycle before it could tip.

Yi-seon glanced back as the pedals creaked beneath his feet and found Mugyeol off the rack, one hand gripping the back of the saddle as he pushed the bicycle uphill. “What are you doing?”

“Looked like someone was on the verge of croaking.”

Grinning, Mugyeol kept pushing the bicycle uphill.

With Mugyeol propelling the bicycle like an electric motor, Yi-seon made it to the mansion in comfort. Moments earlier, the climb had felt like death itself; now that they were at the top, nothing could have felt better.

At the main gates, Yi-seon hastily propped up the bicycle and dropped into a squat on the pavement.

“Ugh, I’m dying…”

“Then why the hell did you offer a ride and pull this bullshit? Sometimes your mental state is fucking fascinating.”

“Don’t talk to me. I really feel like throwing up…”

With no strength left in his legs, standing was out of the question. Yi-seon braced his palms on the pavement and panted until his breathing eased, then looked up. Mugyeol stood over him at his leisure, hands shoved into his pockets.

“Have you come to your senses yet?”

The night wind descending along the mountain slope ruffled Mugyeol’s hair and the hem of his white T-shirt. The distant blare of car horns mingled with the rustle of tree branches in the night.

Wiping his sweaty forehead, Yi-seon smiled brazenly. “Didn’t this hyung say he’d get you home?”

“…”

“You trusted me and made it home nice and easy, right?”

Mugyeol scoffed in disbelief. His face had visibly relaxed. Seeing that, Yi-seon gathered his courage.

“If you’re grateful, unblock me.”

“Did you offer to give me a ride just to say that?”

“Yeah.”

“What does me blocking you even matter to you?”

Mugyeol’s smile faded. His low voice sounded indifferent, but a faint edge of sarcasm slipped through.

Yi-seon nodded vigorously. “It matters a lot.”