VSP 37

It had been a long time since he last came to an amusement park, but this was the first time he had seen it so empty when the sun had not even set. It only had outdoor attractions, so winter was not the best time, but in spring weather there should have been plenty of people.

Past the sunset, the Ferris wheel–called the number one date spot in this amusement park–stood still, and the sight made Sejun feel a little bit sentimental. As a chuunibyou¹, he could not resist and pulled out his phone camera.

He took a few pictures. Of course, since he never used social media, there was nowhere to post them.

But he suddenly felt sentimental.

Would the time come when he rode it with someone? If he did, with who?

He had no friends to come to a place like this with, but you did not normally ride something like that with friends anyway.

Even though he was in the middle of the ridiculous mission called “eat with Cha Dogyeong,” when Sejun thought of dating, he had never imagined a man. His head was full of pink images, and naturally the person sitting across from him in the Ferris wheel was a pretty girl.

But at some point, the girl’s face turned into Cha Dogyeong’s face.

A body much bigger than his, and a blank expression, staring straight at him from the seat across. The thought made Sejun nearly drop his phone.

What the hell am I thinking?

“Shii…”

Sejun swallowed a curse, shoved his phone roughly into his pocket, and hurried away.

[Why didn’t you change your background photo for once after taking something like that?]

Sejun’s chuunibyou rules

1. Profile photo must always be a selfie. 2. The background photo must always be a sentimental shot taken recently.

The system had assumed he would change his messenger app’s background right away. But when Sejun cursed and walked quickly instead, the system curiously asked.

“Shut up.”

[Earlier you were crying and calling out for me.]

The system knew him too well. Sejun had not cried, but his voice sounded a little whiny so he only pouted and did not deny it.

The parking lot he arrived at later was completely empty. Unless another dungeon gate opened here, he thought he would never see such a sight again.

Heading toward one of the few cars in the empty lot, Sejun froze when he saw someone standing near his car.

“Huh?”

Cha Dogyeong was leaning on Sejun’s white car with arms crossed. There was no way not to recognize that face. When Sejun stopped in his tracks, Dogyeong, who had also recognized him, came closer.

The distance between them got closer.

Dogyeong looked him over from head to toe. It was nothing more than a glance, but Sejun’s face flushed hot, reminded of the pathetic scene he had shown in the haunted house when he was terrified.

He remembered how he had chanted Dogyeong’s name like a prayer, grabbed his sleeve, hugged his waist, and held his hand tightly. And finally, after being separated, he had run to him and hugged him like a family member reunited after fifty years.

“Not scared anymore?”

When Dogyeong asked that, Sejun’s face turned red, ready to explode.

“Did you wait here just to make fun of me?”

It was the only thing that made sense, so Sejun asked in annoyance. Dogyeong lifted an eyebrow.

“Do I look that free to you?”

…A little?

He thought but Sejun wisely shut his mouth.

Even though he had wasted time taking a Ferris wheel picture, Dogyeong had stood still waiting in front of his car. He did not look busy at all. Hunters had nothing to do when they were not in a raid anyway.

But even so, why would he wait if he had nothing to say? They had each other’s numbers.

“Ah.”

Sejun realized. To him, there was only one reason Dogyeong would wait.

Dogyeong must have been waiting to hear thanks for saving him.

Sejun was different from Dohun. He was someone who gave thanks when he felt thankful.

So he took a deep breath, looked Dogyeong straight in the eyes, and said,

“Thanks, for saving me today.”

To make it clearer, he reached out and patted Dogyeong’s shoulder a few times.

Even though they had cleared countless dungeons together, it was the first time he had touched Dogyeong like that and thanked him. It felt strange, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. Dogyeong’s expression changed subtly.

…Had he guessed wrong? Did Dogyeong not want thanks? Sejun tilted his head, and saw Dogyeong sigh.

“Seo Sejun, do you like amusement parks?”

Then he asked something completely random.

“Huh?”

Sejun expected it to be nonsense, but Dogyeong looked serious.

“I asked if you like them.”

The urging tone made Sejun’s mind spin. Amusement parks? Do I like them?

“I hate haunted houses.”

“I know that.”

The instant reply made Sejun pout. He knew he could not argue, since the pathetic state he had shown inside the dungeon was too vivid even to himself.

Amusement parks. Amusement parks. After a pause, Sejun opened his mouth.

“Amusement parks… I don’t hate them.”

Rather than remembering having fun here, what lingered in Sejun’s mind were the memories of being dragged on school trips and playing alone. So it was not a place tied to any pleasant memories.

For Sejun, the amusement park had only ever been a place where he envied kids who played happily with their friends.

“Well… at this age it’s kind of childish.”

But Seo Sejun had his pride, so he could not answer honestly. When he replied, Cha Dogyeong, who had asked that suspicious question, stared at Sejun’s face for a moment.

Silence fell between them.

The parking lot was already quiet, with hardly anyone around. The sudden silence felt strange, and Sejun fidgeted with his fingers until Dogyeong sighed.

“Seo Sejun.”

“What.”

“I don’t dislike…”

Sejun blinked at the sudden words. What? The amusement park?

“I mean I don’t dislike you.”

Me?

He had been making a puzzled face, wondering why this came up while talking about amusement parks. Then he realized.

It was an answer to the question he had asked just before they got separated: ‘Do you not dislike me?’

He had asked it without thinking and had secretly hoped Dogyeong would forget. But Dogyeong had remembered. Sejun’s face flushed red.

And he said, ‘I don’t dislike you’?

Sejun knew better than anyone that Dogyeong did not hate him as much as before. Back then, whenever he caused trouble, Dogyeong always looked at him with contempt.

Of course, even then, when Sejun’s life was on the line, Dogyeong had saved him without hesitation. But he had always been annoyed, scolding him to stop messing around.

And instead of being grateful, Sejun just shouted back and fought.

But now?

When Sejun said he was scared, Dogyeong held his hand. He came to save him. When Sejun complained, asking why he came late, Dogyeong patted his butt and apologized. It was completely different from the past.

So Sejun already knew Dogyeong did not hate him like before. But he could not believe it, so he had asked. Because he had been hated for too long.

When he said he was scared, Dogyeong let him hold his sleeve. When he asked to hold hands, Dogyeong held his hand.

When he asked for a kiss, he kissed him…He knew that would not have happened in the past. That was why hearing it confirmed in words felt so special.

Someone who was always hated, and especially by Dogyeong, who he thought would obviously hate him most for bothering him the most. Dogyeong had no reason to lie, yet he said, ‘I don’t dislike you.’ That made Sejun feel…

“I’m going.”

Dogyeong walked past him, toward where his car was parked, as if that was the only reason he had waited.

“Hey, Cha Dogyeong!”

Sejun called him without thinking.

Dogyeong turned, not speaking, but with a look that clearly asked, ‘what’. Sejun fumbled for words. He had not really called him for any reason, it just felt odd letting him go like that.

“No, just… thanks.”

So Sejun repeated what he had said earlier. Anyone watching would think he was obsessed with being grateful.

“You already said that.”

Dogyeong chuckled faintly, then left. This time Sejun did not stop him.

“…….”

Sejun stayed rooted to the spot for a while, unable to move.

The system was quiet, the surroundings were silent. All Sejun could think of was how loud his heart was pounding.

Then something happened.

[Sub-mission complete!]

Huh?

[Eh?]

Even the system, which had posted the log, exclaimed.

1. Japanese colloquial term typically used to describe adolescents with delusions of grandeur. ↩︎