I slipped my arm around his waist, letting myself sink into the warmth of the man who had shown me nothing but care. Together, we tore through the chaos of rush-hour streets, the motorcycle weaving past honking cars and glowing signs. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a group of teenagers sprinting across the crosswalk—one of them wearing a Wolves Kiss shirt.
They didn't recognize me, not with these camo glasses hiding my face. Still, my heart longed to jump off and greet them.
"They're adorable," Iris said, glancing at the kids. "They're even wearing your merch."
"Hm. Makes me want to hop off and give them an autograph."
"Control yourself. If you pull some' like that now, we'll break the traffic." With a playful grin, Iris twisted the throttle, the engine roaring louder. "How about barbecue out in the suburbs near Hanam? Too crowded around here—someone might notice us." He tilted his head back to catch my reaction.
"Sounds good. And hey, if we do get exposed, guess we'll both go down together." I laughed. "Actually, I know a shortcut."
We veered off the main roads, speeding through stretches of withered fields and rolling hills. The motorcycle hummed across farmland browned by the season.
"Shame," Jun Ho murmured. "So many flowers must wither with the changing season. I've always loved flowers."
"I used to pass through here as a kid. Back then… it was beautiful."
"And now you're grown—no bending, no breaking, eh?" Jun Ho shot me a cheeky grin.
"God, that was dirty. Totally caught me off guard."
He chuckled, eyes glittering.
We passed a lone, brown-leafed tree that, from a distance, looked eerily like a butterfly's skeletal wings. Beside it stood a derelict cottage, a long-abandoned two-story house, with a flickering neon sign still clinging to life above the door:
Land for Sale, 6,400 square meters. Broker contact : 010-8888-8888
"You've finally come back, my child," I heard a mysterious whisper noise from afar. I paid it no mind at all and thought it was just my imagination.
Catching my reflection in the fractured windowpane, I shivered. "Creepy… like a haunted house." I rubbed my arms.
"Looks like a good spot to tear down and build a mansion." Jun Ho took a closer look in an abandoned kitchen.
"You really think so?"
"Why not? With enough money, you could turn that rotting shack into a palace. Imagine it—quiet, peaceful, surrounded by fields that bloom each season. Like being pulled from the abyss straight into paradise."
"In plain words: from dirt to diamonds." I grinned, and he laughed under his breath.
"Sharp tongue you've got there." He slapped my thigh lightly, while my eyes wandered back to the ruin and the solitary tree.
"If I ever make it big… this wouldn't be such a bad place to start," I whispered to myself. And then—
♫ My body drifts with you, though only for a fleeting while; My heart still hopes, like the myths of old, for something pretty… ♫
Iris Jun Ho began to sing.
I couldn't resist joining in:
♫ Even if you've cursed me with sorcery, still my heart aches,Though I know with each day our lives will grow more bitter,Though I know you still love me, why do you keep this wretch like me at your side? ♫
His voice rose, smooth and strong:
♫ No one else could ever do what you do, No one else could ever complete me the way you do… ♫
I answered in harmony, the wind carrying our song into the dusk:
♫ If nothing in this world could ever tear us apart, then let me be the one who loves you better, my love… ♫
Together, we sang:
♫ Promise me you'll stay by my side until the world itself ends,That we'll remain together until the very last day… ♫
The motorcycle thundered down the suburban road, laughter bubbling from his lung as the final verse soared.
♫ Because our love will never fade… never die… ♫
The last light of the sun washed across our faces, golden and endless.
"Woooooh!" I shouted into the wind, my voice echoing as the sun fell on the horizon.
-Chapter 4 Ends-