“It’s fine. The fun part is trying this and that while wandering around together. Although I’m a college student too, I haven’t been able to come to school much. You see, it’s my first time sightseeing a festival, though there have been many times when I sang at a festival.”
“Why don’t you just go around with someone else. Since I’m a busy person…”
“Slave, shall I return you?”
“…”
An explicit threat to return him!
For the slave, there was no freedom of choice. He couldn’t get onto the stage again or return the 2 million won, either.
“I’ll show you around the festival.”
“You should have said that earlier.”
Jung Hyo Rin understood Lee Hyun well and had gotten used to the way to handle him.
‘A threat is the most effective!’
Jung Hyo Rin clung onto Lee Hyun’s arm tightly. Lee Hyun could feel her body every time he walked. Her body which possessed not a shred of fat and her cushiony chest kept bumping into his arm.
“Hey, Master. Is it alright to do this, even though you’re a celebrity?”
“Do what?”
“If we go around holding arms, it could create a misunderstanding.”
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
“In general, if you see a guy and a girl and attached like this…”
He heard people’s voices.
“Jung Hyo Rin-ssi, she’s really nice.”
“They say she donated 2 million won to the charity event Slave Dating.”
All the proceeds from the Slave Dating were to be used as charity donations.
“Just look at them holding arms.”
“Shhh! It’s fanservice. Fanservice.”
“Since it’s the kind Jung Hyo Rin, she’s treating him well like a boyfriend even though it’s a guy like him.”
“A newb slave that wasn’t even getting sold has completely grabbed a golden chance, jeez.”
Although there were reporters at the Korea University festival, they passed by them easily.
“We thought she had nothing to do with university festivals ever since she debuted and soared up from her first album, but for Jung Hyo Rin-ssi to be in a place like this… it’s surprising.”
“The fairy known worldwide is truly kind.”
She radiated plenty of dazzling charm.
Lee Hyun, who had left after working at the bar, didn’t just not suit her, but he really didn’t suit her.
It wasn’t possible to think otherwise, all the more because there had been times when she had brushed off proposals from Hollywood’s famous male actors. It was Jung Hyo Rin, who’d been far too clean when it came to scandals or things to do with men.
It was she who only loved songs.
“After holding arms with a guy once, it’s a little thrilling. I wonder if everyone holds arms for this kind of feeling…”
“What?”
“I am just talking to myself.”
Lee Hyun had heard what she had said.
‘Although it’s my first time holding arms with a girl too…’
As he passed over twenty-two years of age, his contact with women was solely with his little sister.
The life that had come in contact with women only in the faint age when he’d carried her around on his back when she was a baby, changed her diapers, and given her baths!
“Shall we play human whack-a-mole?”
“I don’t want to…”
“It’s 2000 won (~$2).”
“…”
Two crumpled sheets of bills emerged from Lee Hyun’s pocket.
‘So a date with a woman costs money after all.’
For him to use 2,000 won, it seemed like this would be a day he wouldn’t be able to forget for the rest of his life.
It might even be something that could resurface in his moments of death in old age.
Jung Hyo Rin raised the plastic mallet without releasing his arm.
“Ya! ya!”
Lee Hyun tried to stand by and watch, but as he kept seeing her plastic mallet only missing, he couldn’t help himself from focusing on it.
“A little more to the left.”
“Alright.”
“Now they’re about to come from the right!”
“I saw!”
“The second from the left! It’s not going in right now. Catch it quickly!”
“I said I’m going to do it on my own!”
The competitive spirit of the two was raging up.
“Dang, I missed 12 of them.”
“You should have moved quicker.”
“I’m saying it was like that cause you kept making me talk on the side. If you just hadn’t made me talk, I wouldn’t have missed.”
“Try it again.”
“I’m really going to catch them all.”
Even though Jung Hyo Rin was swinging the plastic mallet even more fiercely than before, she didn’t release his arm.
As he was trying to remove his arm because he thought it might be uncomfortable, Lee Hyun’s hand grazed her hand slightly. Then, Jung Hyo Rin grabbed Lee Hyun’s hand tightly.
It was something that happened so naturally and intimately.
“Che! I missed three of them.”
“You did well though.”
“What do you want to play next?”
The couple that had grown friendly while catching moles!
Perhaps because Lee Hyun also felt comfortable, he suggested, “Wanna get some plushies by shooting BB-pistols?”
“Sounds good.”
300 won (~30 cents) per shot!
Lee Hyun checked the prices and chose the cheapest game.
“Mister, please load ten bullets for each of us.”
This time, Jung Hyo Rin took out her own wallet and paid. It was an action that struck Lee Hyun deeply.
‘So she’s a nice girl…’
Jung Hyo Rin raised her pistol with one hand.
“I will shoot first.”
“Okay.”
The bullets Jung Hyo Rin shot missed the plushies exquisitely. Even when they hit a plushie by some chance, it didn’t fall over.
This game was originally like this.
It was a war between the owner and the customers who were recklessly coveting the plushies!
After Jung Hyo Rin’s failure, Lee Hyun didn’t aim for the big plushies.
‘A medium-sized plushie was roughly 780 grams (~1.72 lbs). It’s a weight I’ve felt countless times whenever I sewed eyes onto plushies. It won’t be easy to take it down precisely with a BB-pellet.’
Even if it hit the center of the plushie, the force was not enough.
It was only possible by shooting a barrage.
Since he was throwing away 300 won per shot, Lee Hyun aimed carefully at a small sparrow plushie and knocked it down.
‘Success.’
Lee Hyun planned to give the sparrow plushie to his little sister.
‘Looks like I can brush off this year’s birthday present with this.’
But Jung Hyo Rin snatched the plushie.
“Are you giving this to me?”
“…”
He couldn’t bear to refuse the sparkling eyes and beautiful expression that was asking him to give it to her.
“Y-you can have it.”
“Thank you.”
Jung Hyo Rin embraced the plushie preciously.
The two of them also rode the merry-go-round and watched a play by college students.
On the roof of Korea University’s main building they had the opportunity to see the night view of the city and the festival.
Even when the fireworks were embellishing the sky, Jung Hyo Rin didn’t let go of Lee Hyun’s hand. She didn’t confess her feeling for him; this was her way of conveying what she felt.
Lee Hyun thought, ‘She must really like holding hands.’
* * *