CHAPTER 388: IT’S PROBABLY THANKS TO ALL THE STRETCHES AND EXERCISES I’VE BEEN DOING

"Not bad," Min-Cheol said softly. "You’re a natural, Hyung."

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. "Really?"

"Well," he nodded, "...why not?"

"Then did you also do like this in your first time?"

"No way, I was way better than this." Hearing about his overbearing talent, I felt irked and elbowed him lightly. He laughed.

When we came back around, Seo-Jun was waiting at the fence, watching us with something unreadable in his eyes. Let’s just say he was jealous.

"My turn," he said, dismounting his black steed smoothly. He held the reins and looked Min-Cheol in the eye.

I thought they were going to have yet another showdown, but to my surprise, Min-Cheol did not protest.

He simply slid down from the horse.

"Jo-Pil, would you like to ride my horse?" He asked and I looked at the black creature.

It looked scary but it could be safe.

"I... I guess." I said as he stretched his hands towards me.

"Grab my shoulders," he said as he held my waist and I did so.

Then, he held me. With one hand steadying my back and the other gripping my thigh as he pulled me up, I felt red in the face.

This pose... Ah, I’ve seen it in a novel before.

Was he doing this because it was the only way or was he trying to create ’a moment’ for us? Because if he was doing the latter then he was definitely succeeding.

After we got on his horse, I noticed the height from the ground on this horse, compared to mine, wasn’t that high.

But it was still a fact that this horse was bigger than mine.

"Comfortable?" he asked, leaning in so much that his voice was close enough to tickle my ear.

"Y-yeah," I said, but it came out too quickly, as if I had been waiting for that question. It made me flush and from the side of my eyes, I saw his lips curve.

"And your legs?" He asked, dropping one leg on my thigh and I looked down at it. "Does it ache?"

"It... It’s alright." I said.

"But..." he leaned in even more and whispered, "...you spread your legs quite well for a beginner."

I turned my head to glare at him despite my flushed cheeks.

"It’s probably thanks to all the stretches and exercises I’ve been doing." Even though it’s only been two days.

My protagonist holo shines brightly in times like this.

Or maybe it’s just my natural talent shining forth, huhu.

Min-Cheol, who was walking beside us on his horse, clicked his tongue at Seo-Jun’s crude remark.

Seo-Jun grinned like he’d won something. They just don’t let it go.

I was glad that they were finally on talking terms. They’ve probably patched up their relationship, no need to ask, but they were still quite the interesting characters to put in one box.

I groaned.

Maybe it’s best to just open the box.

"Shall we move at a faster pace?" Seo-Jun asked, leaving the reins to me. "Try whipping it harder." He said and I decided to do that.

With my palms clenching the leather reins, I decided to give it a harder jerk than the one Min-Cheol had taught me.

And with that, the horse took to speed.

For the first time that day, I forgot about being nervous. The wind brushed my face, and the horse’s gait grew steady beneath us.

When we finally stopped near the edge of the paddock, Jie-Yu waved at us from afar, still riding like the world’s most talented Beta.

I exhaled, cheeks flushed from the heat of the sun as well as the excitement pounding in my chest.

0

"Alright," I said, as Seo-Jun helped me off the horse. "I think I got the hang of it now."

"Jo-Pil—" Seo-Jun started, but I cut him off.

"No, really. Watch. I can do this on my own now." I said. I definitely don’t know where I got that confidence from but it was a very dangerous and stubborn behavior, and I came to understand that later.

I marched toward my horse and took the reins, excited to reenact the moment I just had on Seo-Jun’s horse.

But they were worried.

"Hyung, maybe you should—" Min-Cheol tried to intervene, but I was already halfway up.

"I got it!" I said proudly, swinging my leg over... well almost... Because I hadn’t even gotten on the horse fully when the next thing I knew, my balance had shifted.

Mary moved, and gravity suddenly remembered my existence.

"JO-PIL!" "HYUNG!" both voices shouted at once.

Seo-Jun lunged from one side while Min-Cheol dove from the other, and the next moment was quite a blur. Did I hit my head?

I’m not sure. I don’t feel any pain.

But I did feel something. The heavy sound of my heart trying to escape my chest.

By some miracle, I didn’t hit the ground, but I did end up sprawled awkwardly across two very frantic Alphas, both panting and holding onto me like I was made of glass.

"See?" I wheezed. "Told you I could... almost do it." Though I was

Seo-Jun glared at me, his eyes widening in horror.

"Almost died, you mean? Jo-Pil,"

Min-Cheol sighed, pushing hair out of my face to make sure there was nothing wrong with me.

"Hyung, you... Are you okay? You scared ten years off my life, Hyung."

I looked between the two of them, both looking far too distressed for my near-embarrassing fall, and I couldn’t help it—I laughed.

I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t experience the danger in person and managed to escape breaking my neck, but I found this situation funny.

Maybe it’s because it’s not my first time being in Death’s jaw and I believed... Strongly believed... That my Alphas would save me no matter what danger I had landed myself in.

And I was right.

It was a loud and breathless laugh that startled them.

"Did he perhaps hit his head?" Seo-Jun asked Min-Cheol but how exactly was Min-Cheol supposed to answer that when he was equally shocked and confused?