Chapter 92

Eventually, the photograph developed completely.

Inside the frame stood Jun holding the rabbit's cotton-candy ear and Gyeol holding the rabbit with one ear missing.

Unlike Jun, who was smiling, the Gyeol in the picture looked oddly uncomfortable. Seeing himself standing beside Jun with his eyes opened slightly wider than usual felt strangely unfamiliar.

Once, being together all the time had been the most natural thing in the world.

But after spending years seeing only Jun's solo photoshoots and his appearances with the members of Moving, seeing Go Gyeol standing beside him now felt oddly out of place.

“Here.”

Without hesitation, Gyeol held the photo out to Jun.

“Why are you giving it to me? You keep it.”

“There's only one copy. You take it.”

“We can just take another one.”

“I'm fine.”

Gyeol flicked the photo once as if urging him to hurry and accept it.

Jun toyed with the camera for a moment before reluctantly taking the picture.

“Let's head farther up. It's hot. Wearing these masks the whole time is suffocating.”

Waving the cotton-candy rabbit, Gyeol tilted his head toward the path ahead.

Jun tore off a handful of cotton candy and shoved it beneath his mask before obediently following after him.

Only after reaching an area slightly removed from the center of the park—a place almost untouched by visitors—did they finally remove their masks.

The sunlight was still relentless, but simply uncovering their faces made it easier to breathe.

Choosing paths shaded by thick clusters of trees, they continued exchanging idle conversation.

“...At this point, isn't this more of a mini hiking trip than a date?”

“I went through all the trouble of getting you off that island. Are you saying you'd like to be sent right back, Jun Shin?”

“No, ma'am. My mistake. I think Seoul air suits me much better.”

After rummaging through his bag, Jun pulled out a small handheld fan.

When he switched it on and directed the breeze toward Gyeol's face, Gyeol couldn't help laughing.

“What did you pack, exactly? Are you some kind of Dora-whatever-mong?”

“What's Dora-whatever-mong?”

“Self-censorship.”

Jun burst out laughing.

“Do you remember that handheld fan from back then?”

“Of course I do. We almost died that day.”

The conversation naturally drifted into old memories.

A brutally hot summer day.

All of SAVE ME huddled together behind an outdoor stage, crowding around a single handheld fan Jun had brought.

Kisoo Yang had shouted, “Wouldn't sticking together like that make you even hotter?!” while taking pictures anyway.

Those photos later became a minor sensation among fans.

“We went through a lot of hard times, but when I think about it now, there were a lot of funny moments too.”

“We were all young and full of energy back then.”

“Though even among all of us, you were the craziest one, Jun. You know that, right?”

“I don't know about that.”

Jun grinned.

“I was just crazy about you.”

Has he completely lost his mind?

When Gyeol shot him a frosty look, Jun laughed even harder.

“Wow. It's been a while since you've looked at me like that. You always gave me that look whenever I said something ridiculous.”

“You spent every waking moment waiting for an opportunity to make stupid jokes...”

“I missed that look too.”

The unexpected attack left Gyeol momentarily speechless.

Laughter danced across Jun's face.

This was the biggest difference between them.

Jun could talk about the past with open nostalgia.

Gyeol couldn't.

Even so, Jun's smiling face was pleasant to look at.

That much Gyeol couldn't deny.

A face he had loved for a very long time.

The person who defined his teenage years and the beginning of his twenties.

His gaze lingered on the sharply curved corners of Jun's mouth and the soft rise of his cheeks before he deliberately looked away and pointed toward a bench.

“Let's sit for a bit.”

Gyeol sat down first.

The instant he did, Jun snapped a picture.

Whirrr.

As Jun sat beside him holding the developing photo, Gyeol extended his hand.

“Let me see the camera.”

“Huh?”

Despite his confusion, Jun obediently handed it over.

“I'll take one of you too.”

Standing up, Gyeol peered through the viewfinder and adjusted the frame.

“It's fine, really...”

Inside the square frame, he captured Jun.

Not the Jun Shin he saw on television, online, or in magazines.

The Jun Shin standing right in front of him.

Click.

In the photograph, Jun looked unusually stiff.

His expression was caught awkwardly between one thing and another.

For some reason, it reminded Gyeol of his own face in the selfie they'd taken earlier.

He ended up laughing.

***

After wandering around the park for quite a while, the two of them visited a small privately owned café near the rear entrance.

“Ah, air conditioning. I can finally breathe.”

“You worked hard. What do you want to drink?”

“Iced Americano.”

Production had already made arrangements beforehand, so the café was completely empty.

After ordering their drinks, they sat by a sunlit window at a table prepared by the staff.

They had been here before too.

Specifically, this was the café they'd ducked into late that winter night to escape the cold.

Back then, the owner hadn't recognized either of them.

This time, he recognized Jun immediately.

It felt like tangible proof of everything Jun had built over the last eight years.

After taking their orders, the owner asked for autographs.

The request directed at Gyeol felt largely ceremonial, but the excitement in the man's eyes suggested he was already anticipating the attention that would come once the episode aired.

The staff once again reminded him that everything had to remain confidential until broadcast.

Especially spoilers.

The owner glanced happily at the signed autographs and enthusiastically promised to keep quiet.

Not long afterward, the drinks and dessert arrived.

“We didn't order dessert.”

“I asked for it beforehand.”

Jun's iced Americano.

Gyeol's iced latte.

And a freshly baked molten chocolate cake.

Jun stared at the table for a moment before a knowing smile slowly appeared.

It was exactly what they'd ordered here years ago.

“I haven't had molten chocolate cake in forever. I love this.”

“I know. You like eating something ridiculously sweet and then washing it down with iced Americano.”

“You remembered?”

“Of course I remembered. You only drink iced Americanos, even in the middle of winter.”

Jun stared at him.

Then slowly began to smile.

Picking up the Polaroid camera, he snapped another picture.

Do you really have to photograph something like this too?

The words rose all the way to Gyeol's throat.

But he never said them.

If Jun was enjoying himself, Gyeol wanted to let him.

“It's nice wandering around with you.”

Jun smiled.

“Eating sweets together is nice too.”

Smiling back despite himself, Gyeol pressed his fork into the top of the molten chocolate cake.

The surface collapsed effortlessly.

Thick melted chocolate flowed out from the center.

***

“So you're using your free-time privilege now, right? In that case, if you return to the helicopter pickup location by eight o'clock—two hours from now—you should be fine. Just don't be late.”

“Understood.”

“And don't forget the verification photo.”

“We won't.”

“Got it.”

With the final instructions delivered, Jun Shin and Gyeol Go's

CAMERA OFF — FREE TIME

officially began.

Gyeol had honestly suspected the production team was bluffing.

That they would hype up the audience with the promise of freedom, then secretly follow them with cameras anyway.

Instead, they were given genuine freedom.

Completely.

Driving away from the staff with Jun sitting in the passenger seat, Gyeol still found the situation hard to believe.

They're actually doing this.

At the same time, a dull weight settled in his chest.

Only now did his nerves seem to be truly tightening.

“Gyeol.”

“...”

“Where are we going?”

“...Who knows.”

Gyeol answered absently and continued driving.

The atmosphere had gone noticeably colder the moment they were left alone.

Jun studied him carefully.

“...Are you angry?”

“...”

“Even after you drew the line, I still—”

“It's not that.”

Gyeol cut him off in a calm, even voice.

“I'm not angry at you.”

That should have reassured him.

Instead, Jun felt no relief at all.

Come on a date with me.

The truth was, his anxiety had begun the moment the Golden Date started.

Jun had never imagined Gyeol would invite him.

He had been happy.

But he'd also been terrified.

He spent the entire day happy.

And not once did he let his guard down.

The nostalgic course of the date thrilled him, yet he never dared believe it meant Gyeol was accepting him.

Then, much later, he learned about the free-time portion of the Golden Date.

That was when his anxiety finally took shape.

Before long, the car entered Han River Park.

They passed the crowded convenience-store parking lot and drove for quite some time before stopping in a neglected open area surrounded by overgrown grass and tangled trees.

“This should work.”

Gyeol parked the car.

“Let's get out.”

Dusk was slowly descending.

The bright weather from earlier had vanished beneath thick clouds.

Leading Jun toward the riverside, Gyeol descended a narrow path.

Towering reeds as tall as people swayed together in the wind.

After hiding behind them, Gyeol took out his phone and snapped a picture with Jun.

The photo had simply been taken to fulfill the verification requirement.

Then he switched the phone off and slid it into his pocket.

Turning toward Jun, he faced him fully.

Their uneven eye lines crossed awkwardly before finally meeting.

“Jun Shin.”

A damp, chilly wind swept past them.

“This is your last chance to tell me your side of the story.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then Gyeol spoke.

“Why are you doing this to me, you bastard?”