By Zephyria 
“……Yeah, the research I was working on took a bit of time. Sorry. Did I make you worry?”
His voice was soft and gentle. He was a man who usually pricked everyone around him with sharp words, but toward Yeon-rok, he was nothing but sweet cotton candy or a gentle breeze. Yeon-rok shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.
“Since I want a change of pace, if you have time, shall the two of us go somewhere together?”
“Yeon-rok-ah…….”
Seeing Moon Gyeon-woo’s deeply moved expression made Yeon-rok feel a slight prick of guilt. In truth, Yeon-rok was trying his best to treat the three of them fairly. After all, hadn’t he gone to an art auction with Yeom Cheon-ho last time and had a movie premiere date with Choi Hwan? This proposal came from the thought that he should also go out with Moon Gyeon-woo.
“Ah! That’s right. Then how about going to an amusement park?”
“An amusement park?”
Since he hadn’t been to one since his school days, Yeon-rok’s interest was piqued. Moon Gyeon-woo gently coaxed him.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been there, too. If we go on a weekday, there will be fewer people than on the weekend, so it’ll be better.”
Thinking it sounded fun, Yeon-rok quickly nodded. This was the beauty of being unemployed: a completely free schedule. Just then, an unwelcome guest suddenly barged in.
“I’m coming too!”
It was Choi Hwan, who had been secretly eavesdropping on their conversation. Moon Gyeon-woo’s face, which had been as bright as the sun, instantly contorted. Before Yeon-rok could say anything, he scoffed.
“Are you serious? You, going to an amusement park?”
While he had shouted confidently simply because he hated the idea of the two of them doing something alone, a hint of hesitation flickered across Choi Hwan’s face. A famous celebrity appearing in a crowded place? A crowd would swarm them in an instant. Setting aside the fact that they wouldn’t be able to enjoy themselves properly, a major incident could break out if things went wrong. Predicting the outcome easily, Moon Gyeon-woo mocked him.
“Now that I think about it, it would be great if you came along. While you’re drawing all the crowds, we can comfortably ride the attractions without waiting in line.”
However, far from giving up, Choi Hwan became stubborn.
“You clearly said I could go, right?”
“Stop talking nonsense and just get lost. Don’t cause trouble for no reason.”
Moon Gyeon-woo’s words began to grow sharper. Worried that the two would fight again, Yeon-rok hurriedly intervened and tried his best to soothe Choi Hwan.
“Right, I’ll make sure we have a great time when your schedule clears up. It’s an amusement park, of all places. Wouldn’t it be a bit difficult for you to go along?”
Choi Hwan, who had been listening silently without a word, quietly turned around and went back to his room. Yeon-rok thought he had given up, but Choi Hwan was a more persistent and reckless person than he had imagined.
As soon as Yeon-rok snapped his eyes open in the morning, he shouted internally.
‘Amusement park!’
Even though he was now twenty-five and a full-grown adult, he felt as excited as a child. He could barely remember the times he went during his school years. Having been heartbroken immediately after graduating high school and working himself to death in the aftermath, everything he did these days felt joyful and fun. Humming a tune while scrubbing himself clean in the shower, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
‘Being unemployed is actually great.’
After quitting his job due to Yeom Cheon-ho’s will, he had spent the early days diligently searching for a place to be hired. However, at some point, his visits to job search sites became infrequent, and lately, his will or desire to find employment had completely vanished. This was partly because he had no worries about food, clothing, or shelter, and no one told him he had to work. In fact, rather than telling him to get a job, they seemed to hope he wouldn’t.
Mrs. Park and Secretary Kim Jeong-seong were especially like this. Though they didn’t say it out loud, they looked visibly relieved once Yeon-rok completely stopped his job-seeking activities. They even encouraged him to lounge around the house and play more actively.
Thinking about it, it was only natural. All three of Yeon-rok’s name partners had hectic schedules. Not to mention Yeom Cheon-ho, there was Moon Gyeon-woo, who often returned late at night due to his devotion to research, and Choi Hwan, who was dealing with the irregular and murderous schedule typical of a celebrity.
Yet, because the relationships between those three had collapsed, all of them were only making contact with Yeon-rok. In this situation, if Yeon-rok were to lead a corporate life, at least one of them would likely be carried away by a contact deficiency within a month. Thanks to this, Yeon-rok enjoyed this free life without any guilt. Self-actualization was more than sufficient through his hobbies.
Anyway, after finishing his preparations and heading down for a simple breakfast, Moon Gyeon-woo appeared with a bright face. Upon spotting Yeon-rok, he smiled softly with a coffee in his hand.
“Good morning, Yeon-rok-ah. Are you all ready?”
“Yeah, I’ve finished breakfast too.”
Yeon-rok quickly swallowed his last bite. Noticing a flipped collar, Moon Gyeon-woo naturally reached out to straighten it. As he did, he lightly stroked the nape of Yeon-rok’s neck; the touch was so affectionate it felt ticklish, causing Yeon-rok to jump up from his seat as if burned. Come to think of it, unlike Yeon-rok, who was going with nothing but his light self, Moon Gyeon-woo was carrying a fairly bulky tote bag.
“Why do you have so much luggage?”
“It’s nothing much. Just some drinking water and simple snacks.”
The inside of the tote bag he showed was filled with all sorts of things. A tumbler full of iced coffee, sandwiches, fruit, wet wipes, emergency medicine, and so on. This Hyung is a pack-rat style… Yeon-rok awkwardly fiddled with the card wallet and phone he had casually stuffed in his pocket. He hadn’t even brought cash today.
“Should I bring something too?”
“Why bother? If we run out, we can just buy it there.”
Looking at the stuffed tote bag, Yeon-rok thought, Exactly, that’s what I’m saying.
Moon Gyeon-woo slung the heavy tote bag over his shoulder and scanned the surroundings with a sharp gaze. To anyone, it was a face wary of Choi Hwan. However, until they departed in the car, not a single hair of Choi Hwan was seen. Thus, Yeon-rok assumed he had given up.
‘I mean, it’s Choi Hwan; how could he possibly go to an amusement park for fun?’
Hadn’t he been so anxious at the book cafe last time, worried that people would notice?
Yeon-rok suddenly felt sorry for Choi Hwan. Since debuting as a child model, he was someone who had essentially been exploited by his family to work. If one loses the freedom of privacy, they should at least have a lot of money, but since that had all been taken away, it was a pitiful situation. It was a relief that Choi Hwan at least liked his work.
However, that sympathy did not last long.
On a weekday morning, after the rush hour had passed, they arrived at the amusement park via the quiet roads, only to find more people than expected. As they parked the car and stepped out, the accompanying bodyguards flinched. A car had parked nearby, and suddenly, a person wearing a mascot costume appeared from inside.
“Who are you? Please do not come closer.”
A strange figure wearing a cute puppy mascot costume strolled carelessly toward the wary bodyguards. But looking at the gait, a certain person came to mind. No way? Surely not? As Yeon-rok’s mouth hung open, Moon Gyeon-woo, who was the first to realize the other’s identity, grit his teeth.
“Is he out of his mind?”
That was exactly what Yeon-rok wanted to say. Familiar bodyguards, appearing behind him with exhausted faces, confirmed the identity of the puppy mascot. Only then did Park Chung-seong realize who the mascot human was, his face turning aghast.
“By any chance, are you Young Master Choi Hwan?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
A familiar voice echoed from inside the mascot head. Moon Gyeon-woo burst out in irritation and pointed a finger at Choi Hwan.
“Get lost, you crazy bastard! You really have a diverse way of acting out.”
Seeing him use profanity, it seemed he was quite enraged. At that, Choi Hwan crossed his arms and said:
“Why should I get lost? I have the right to play here by paying my own money. You two play on your own. I’ll play just fine by myself.”
However, far from playing well alone, it was obvious to anyone that he had every intention of following the two around. Letting out a deep sigh, Yeon-rok tried to reason with Choi Hwan.
“Stop this and just go back. The weather is practically summer these days.”
“I’m very sensitive to the cold.”
“Hey! The temperature is 28 degrees! You’re going to steam to death!”
Yeon-rok was someone who knew from experience that working as a mascot is like hell in every season except winter. In short, Choi Hwan was currently doing something insane while simultaneously attracting people’s attention in a different way.
“Look, there’s a doggy over there!”
When a child usually shouts like this, the guardian tends to approach, thinking it’s an amusement park staff member, perhaps to take a photo. However, upon locking eyes with the group of bodyguards—whose physiques and expressions were menacing—they quickly backed away. Unable to imagine how grueling the security detail would be today, Choi Hwan’s bodyguard’s face grew darker.
“I told you not to worry about me and just have fun.”
Even in this state, the clothes he wore to match the mascot costume were conspicuous. He seemed to have worn clothes made of cool material to avoid steaming to death, but sweat was already streaming down his neck. Moon Gyeon-woo barked fiercely.
“Get lost while I’m still being nice.”
“And what are you going to do if I don’t? You’re always just talking. I’m not scared at all. What are you gonna do? What?”
Infuriated by the teasing tone, Moon Gyeon-woo lunged at Choi Hwan. He had a tendency to fall for Choi Hwan’s childish provocations particularly easily. Yeon-rok hurriedly stepped between the two.
“Stop! Stop fighting!”