CHAPTER 386: A HORSE. A REAL LIVE HORSE

The stables seemed bigger than I imagined.

You know, I always wondered why the fields beyond the Library were so big and if there was a horse ranch or something.

Now I can see it for myself.

The land beyond the mansion seemed to be endless.

A part of it was, of course, reconstructed by Min-Cheol to contain various sports grounds. But even at that, there was still so much space left.

I could only imagine what lay beyond those endless plains of well-trimmed green grass.

"What are you thinking about so intently?" Seo-Jun asked and I turned my head to him.

We were seated in the golf cart, the best mode of transportation on these green plains that wouldn’t end up ruining the grass.

We used it before when we went together to play basketball, remember?

"Well," I said and swiped my hair from my face and behind my ear. "It all just seems... Endless."

He followed my line of sight and then looked at the endless plains.

"Well, it’s not endless." He said. "I also had that thought when I bought it the first time but I’ve managed to reach the end."

"Really? What’s at the end of it?" I asked, thinking there was some sort of secret or a magical—

"Water," he answered, his words cutting through my thoughts, and I felt my body stiffen up.

It’s not like I don’t hear the word water every day but somehow, hearing his words immediately conjured an image of an endless and deep sea.

Just like the one I ’voluntarily’ went to drown myself in.

"What’s wrong?" He asked, seeing my stiffened state but managed to smile, brushing it off.

"It’s nothing," I said but I secretly told myself, let’s not go there, even if it’s out of curiosity.

Seo-Jun looked at me for a bit, of course suspicious, but did not press further, since he knew the topic of water just didn’t sit well with me.

Min-Cheol, who was driving the cart, glanced back at us and then focused on the road.

Beside him was Jie-Yu, who was doing her best to stay calm. She was sitting next to one of the four Alphas. Ah, never in her wildest dream... Was probably what she was thinking.

She was a nervous wreck, I’ll tell you that.

We finally got to the stable and as I stepped down, the scent of hay, leather, and something distinctly animal filled the air. Don’t ask me what it is; it’s probably just a horse smell.

I didn’t know whether to breathe it in or hold my breath entirely since it didn’t seem as refreshing as the farmers claimed it was in movies I had seen in the past.

My hands itched with a tingling sensation as I stepped closer to the wooden fence, trying not to show just how uneasy I was.

And then I saw one.

A horse. A real live horse.

Ah, it wasn’t just one. There was another, and another, and...

The horses were huge.

Not the cartoon kind of huge but real, living, breathing muscle huge.

Their coats were nearly brushed, and their big beady eyes were sharp and very much alive.

I swallowed as I heard a neigh.

"They’re... big," I said.

"Of course they’re big," Seo-Jun said, a teasing tone in his voice. "What, did you expect ponies?"

His words sealed my lips. I mean, what’s wrong with expecting them to look pony-like?

The ponies in ’My Little Pony’ were cute too.

And don’t ask me if I watched a children’s series. It’s hard not to be curious about cartoons even as a grown-up, and even as someone who spent their entire free time reading.

Jie-Yu, on the other hand, looked oddly calm and excited as she gazed at the horses.

She walked up to one. It was a tall brown mare, and so she grazed her fingers over its muzzle and the horse nickered softly like it already trusted her.

She wasn’t even scared in the least and I... I couldn’t even think of going near it.

So it gave me a conclusion.

"Looks like you’re familiar with horses," I said and she flinched.

It looked like she had gone ahead without thinking.

She smiled shyly, brushing a strand of hair behind her red ear.

"A few times." She said. "My uncle had a ranch and in the past, I went to see the horses. So, I think I’d say I’m a bit familiar with them."

It was no wonder she moved so naturally and wasn’t scared in the slightest.

But ’a bit,’ she said, yet the moment she was given the go-ahead to take a horse of her choice, she climbed onto the horse, she sat straight and elegant, gave the reins a light pull, and took off at an easy gallop.

It was her, her horse, and the wind against the world.

With the wind blowing her hair so naturally behind her back, and that happy smile on her lips, she looked like someone who’d make a great cover for an equestrian magazine.

I stood there frozen, blinking as she circled the field once, then twice, and... Wow, and she said ’a bit’. Look at her go like a pro.

Min-Cheol clicked his tongue but didn’t say anything regarding her actions.

While Seo-Jun took one good look at my expression and then back at the girl riding with the wind at her feet, and muttered,

"Show-off,"

Ah, it seems they were acting up again.

Meanwhile, I was still standing a few feet away from my horse. Ah, I think that’s the smallest horse in the stable.

I don’t know if to feel offended or relieved but this was a clear act of them looking down on me.

Well... As long as it was a pretty horse, and it could move just as fast as the others, I didn’t mind.

But then again, what did its speed matter when I don’t even know how to mount it? Welp.

"Hyung, have you ridden before?" Min-Cheol asked, but I guess he already knew the answer just from looking at the guilty expression on my face. "But you seemed too excited, so I thought you’d ridden one before."

"Well, I’ve seen people do it," I said defensively, rolling my eyes away as I added, "On TV."

Seo-Jun smirked. It looked like he was making fun of me.

"Well, given how much space he’s given Mary, that definitely seems to be the case." He said and I blinked.

"Mary?"

"Yeah, your horse’s name is Mary." He said and then pointed at the black, scary-looking horse beside him. "Mine is Philip,"

"Why did you give them English names?"

"Hm," he looked like he was thinking of the reason when he suddenly shrugged and said, "I don’t remember."

Tsk, hopeless.

The horse huffed through its nose, like it agreed with me.

"Anyway, they say there’s a first time for everything so this is my chance to learn. I’ll definitely learn. So, help me here." I said. "Who’s going to teach me?"

They both stood silent for three seconds and then chorused,

"I’ll teach you."

Hearing the other say the same thing, they both turned to each other with squinting eyes and a cautious look.

"I’ll ride with him," Seo-Jun said.

"No, I’ll ride with him," Min-Cheol argued.

Their eyes met and sparks practically bolted from their eyes.

And then, they began to state the qualities they were so very good at.

"I’m better at keeping balance," Seo-Jun argued smoothly. "He won’t fall off with me."

"You’re too rough," Min-Cheol shot back. "You’ll crush him the moment he leans back."

"I won’t crush him. I’m very gentle."

"Ha, do you even hear yourself? Up until recently, you were—"

"Little Min," I yelled and they both fell silent.

How did they turn from enemies to arguing buddies? This was getting out of hand.

Though they stopped talking, their glares didn’t soften.

"Alright," I sighed, eyeing the two of them. "Then, how about this? Whoever teaches me better wins. I’ll decide on who’s the better teacher after you both take turns."

That shut them both up for about two seconds but then it brought about another reason to argue.

"Who’s going to go first?"

They butt heads together and yelled,

"I’ll go first."

I palmed my face. It seemed like I had only made it worse.

Jie-Yu, who had slowed her horse to watch us, laughed softly from a distance. I swear I could feel her amusement even from here.

"Jo-Pil, come here," Seo-Jun said, offering his hand. "I’ll help you up. Slowly."

"Don’t trust him, Hyung," Min-Cheol cut in, his voice low and confident. "He’ll make you nervous. Ride with me instead. I’ll handle the reins, you just hold on."

"I’m nervous either way," I muttered, staring at the horses on standby, waiting for me to decide.

Seo-Jun clicked his tongue.

"You trust me more, don’t you?"

Min-Cheol shook his head.

"He trusts me more."

I groaned, massaging my forehead.

"I trust neither of you right now," I said and then took in a deep breath.

I did the could think of and grabbed the saddle. I saw Jie-Yu do it, so it probably wasn’t that much of a big deal.

I hauled myself up but then my leg somehow got caught halfway. Believe me, it was way harder than Jie-Yu made it out to look.