Chapter 49: A Beautiful Misunderstanding

“Tickets confirmed.

Have a great time!”
The attendant checked their tickets and waved both hands cheerfully.

Up until now, Han-geon had been riding the attractions with a bright expression, showing no sign of fatigue—but now his face had gone stiff.

He looked unmistakably tense.

There was no way the guy who rode everything so well was scared of this.

Wondering what was going on, Eun-gyeol casually draped an arm around Han-geon’s shoulders.

“Let’s ride.”
“…Uh, yeah.”

What’s wrong with him, seriously?

Han-geon’s earlobes, twitching like he’d been burned, flushed red again.

They boarded the Ferris wheel cabin in turn.

When two tall boys ducked their heads and climbed inside, the cabin visibly swayed.

Soon, the Ferris wheel began to move slowly.

With a relaxed mind, Eun-gyeol looked outside.

The entire amusement park they’d spent the whole day roaming together came into view at a glance.

Compared to the daytime, when everything had been soaked in oppressive heat, it looked far better now.

“Huh?

Looks like the fireworks are starting.”
“…Yeah.”

A loud commotion rose from below.

People dressed in costumes marched in neat formation.

Fireworks of all colors scattered across the sky.

They sparkled—beautiful.

Watching something like this with a grimy guy felt a little ridiculous, but since the guy was Choi Han-geon, it wasn’t bad at all.

No—honestly, it was nice.

He wanted to come again sometime.

They watched the scenery in silence for a while.

Just as Eun-gyeol slowly turned his head toward Han-geon—

It felt as if slow motion had kicked in.

The friend who’d been sweating and running around with him all day—why, at that moment, did he suddenly stand out so vividly?

Eun-gyeol stared at the boy sitting across from him, examining him closely.

Looking back later, that moment could only be described as intuition, instinct—something special.

A memory suddenly crossed his mind.

The summer a year ago.

Wearing a different school uniform, shorter than now, cheeks and jaw less sharp than they were today.

Han-geon’s answer to the question of where he wanted his first kiss.

“…You okay?”
“Huh?”

Eun-gyeol asked calmly as the boy flinched like he’d been burned.

Before anything else, he needed a clear conclusion.

“You said you didn’t really want to ride this.

I’m asking if you’re okay.”
“Uh… it’s… good.

I—I like it.”

He barely managed the answer, then abruptly turned his head away.

The joking and laughter from earlier had vanished; ever since getting on the Ferris wheel, he’d been fidgeting, completely at a loss.

Choi Han-geon wants to kiss me.

His keenly developed senses flashed like an animal’s.

Dark-skinned and neatly dressed, boisterous and manly when he laughed, broad-shouldered with big fists—yet whenever he looked at Eun-gyeol, he’d blush shyly.

That was Choi Han-geon.

And now, instead of the scenery, he was filling his eyes with Eun-gyeol, his neck flushed red, clenching and unclenching his fists, clearing his throat restlessly, his trembling gaze wandering as if he didn’t know where to put it—

Choi Han-geon likes me.

He reached that conclusion with chilling calm, but that didn’t mean it left him unaffected.

To be honest, it was bewildering.

He’d known for a long time that Han-geon was completely taken with him.

And even from Eun-gyeol’s perspective, defining their relationship with the bland, boring word “friend” was irritating.

Han-geon used that same word freely for any random kids who tagged along to the cafeteria or convenience store.

There was no way Eun-gyeol wanted to be lumped together with those clueless idiots.

One and only friend.

A unique, irreplaceable existence.

Someone Choi Han-geon couldn’t live without.

That much, at least, would satisfy him.

Because to Eun-gyeol, Han-geon was the same—someone who couldn’t be replaced by anyone else.

But that wasn’t romantic or sexual love.

Kissing Han-geon?

That was ridiculous.

He’d never once thought about something like that.

There was no way Han-geon didn’t know he wasn’t Eun-gyeol’s type.

While girls confessed to him endlessly without tiring, Han-geon had silently watched it all from his side.

He’d even kindly answered when Han-geon asked what kind of person he liked.

So why?

Eun-gyeol stared at Han-geon.

Now completely flushed up to his neck, Han-geon refused to look his way, forcing his gaze on the scenery outside the Ferris wheel.

For the first time, Choi Han-geon felt like someone he couldn’t understand.

Why harbor feelings that would never be returned?

Why hold onto something so reckless when he clearly knew it would never work?

When did it start?

What was the trigger?

Yet among the questions drifting aimlessly through his mind, one question was conspicuously absent: Why does he like me?

Somehow, that felt almost natural.

He just couldn’t understand why Han-geon would push forward despite knowing it was impossible.

They stayed silent as the Ferris wheel continued its rotation.

When it began its descent, the conclusion that had been slowly forming finally reached its destination.

Well… does it really matter?

Knowing Han-geon, he’d never confess even if he died and came back to life.

He knew too well that confessing would ruin their relationship.

More than anything, he prioritized his relationship with Eun-gyeol above all else.

Eun-gyeol had always liked that about him.

So it didn’t matter what kind of feelings Han-geon had for him—as long as Eun-gyeol could remain his one and absolute presence.

As long as, even when time passed and they became adults choosing their own paths, Eun-gyeol could naturally be among all the choices Han-geon made.

As long as he could occupy every top priority in Han-geon’s daily life and world.

That was enough.

He couldn’t give Han-geon a kiss—but he could smile at him calmly.

As if nothing had happened.

So that today would remain a beautiful memory for both of them.

Because in reality, nothing had happened.

Han-geon hadn’t foolishly confessed under the influence of the moment, and Eun-gyeol hadn’t looked at him with anything more or less than the gaze he’d had just moments before, riding rides together.

He slowly withdrew his gaze from Han-geon.

Taking in the still-beautiful scenery, he said in a cheerful voice, “Let’s come again next time.”

After a brief pause, Han-geon answered obediently, “Yeah.”

***

From his second year of high school, Han-geon became busy.

At school he studied nonstop, and after classes he went straight to an academy to prepare for physical education college entrance exams.

Eun-gyeol was busy too.

He dreamed of becoming an actor, but for now, he planned to graduate from college first.

He attended an acting academy alongside entrance exam prep, but quit quickly—he couldn’t stand the teachers and seniors who, just because they’d started earlier, acted arrogant and treated students like crap.

Instead, he found an empty practice room and practiced acting on his own.

He auditioned several times as practice.

Each time, he was told he was a natural.

He received plenty of immediate contract offers, but turned them all down.

He wanted to experience an ordinary college life at least once—and he was confident he’d succeed even if he started acting afterward.

Annoyingly, in their second year, he and Han-geon were placed in different classes.

Still, they met every break and ate lunch together.

On hot days, Han-geon still packed ice water for Eun-gyeol or bought him juice.

In return, Eun-gyeol sometimes slipped energy bars or protein bars into Han-geon’s bag.

Everything was good.

Even amid their busy lives, nothing had changed between them—except for one irritating bastard who’d recently started nosing around.

“Choi Han-geon!

What’s for lunch today?”
“Spaghetti.”
“Oh, seriously?”

The lunch bell rang, and they waited until the ravenous idiots who bolted out of the classroom had all cleared out before standing up.

Just then, a familiar voice came from outside the classroom.

Han-geon’s here.

Smiling, Eun-gyeol headed toward the back door—

“Hey, Choi Han-geon!

Then eat with me today!”

That bastard… Eun-gyeol scowled immediately.

He frowned coldly and was about to step out, then stopped.

He wanted to hear what Han-geon would say.

When they were younger, Han-geon had been frustratingly generous with guys like that—always including them if they asked to play, dragging them along noisily to snack shops if they suggested eating together.

Eun-gyeol had complained countless times.

Thrown plenty of fits.

Told him over and over that the one he wanted to be with was him, not those idiots.

Han-geon always said he understood, that he’d be more careful.

So today, he wanted to see if Han-geon would listen even without him there.

“No.

I have to eat with Eun-gyeol.”

The refusal was firm.

Eun-gyeol’s lips curled upward on their own.

“Ah, then let’s eat together, the three of us!

Or just eat with other kids today—he’s super popular anyway, it’s not like he’ll be alone!”

f*cking clueless—and persistent too.

Eun-gyeol finally opened the back door.

“Hey.”

Both of them jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance.

Eun-gyeol naturally slung an arm over Han-geon’s shoulder and smiled with crescent eyes.

“Oh—oh!

Hey!”

At Eun-gyeol’s friendly greeting, the persistent guy hesitated, then broke into a huge grin.

Suppressing the urge to frown, Eun-gyeol spoke kindly.

“Enjoy your lunch.

Could you move aside?

We need to head down.”
“Huh?

Uh, Cha Eun-gyeol.

Can’t I eat with you today too?

The guy I usually eat with left early—”

“That’ll be difficult.

See you.”

Wrapping things up cleanly, Eun-gyeol walked off in a good mood, leaving the dumbfounded idiot behind.

But the moment they descended one floor into the hallway, his steps faltered.

Han-geon stopped abruptly, then slowly grabbed Eun-gyeol’s arm from his shoulder and pulled it away.

The expression on his face was unfamiliar—something Eun-gyeol had never seen before.