Chapter 54: Their Tremor of Emotion
Joshua looked at the roller coaster track twisting through the air, then at the line of cars waiting before him — and at that moment, he really just wanted to run away.
He wanted to eat cake!
"Why don’t we ride the carousel instead?" Joshua turned to Luther, blinking earnestly as he asked.
Luther had the sudden urge to cover those eyes. He snorted, "No whining."
Joshua frowned. "I wasn’t whining! What’s wrong with you?!"
Luther tilted his chin upward. "You’re not a kid anymore. The carousel is for children. Adults should go for something exciting like this."
Joshua glared at him. "You’re the kid here! You’re the one who dragged me over!"
Luther looked at Joshua’s clenched fists at his sides and almost laughed. He felt that those fists might land on him any second if he said one more word.
People around them began to notice the bickering pair. Some chuckled, and a few girls nearby whispered to each other with bright, curious eyes, watching the two with interest.
Even though their looks were not malice, Luther didn’t like the feeling of being on display. He pulled Joshua toward the seats. "Alright, we’re already here. It’s my first time too. It’s not that scary anyway."
Joshua blinked. "Really?"
"Waaaaaaahuuuuuuuu!"
"Nine! Look at this! It’s so fast, Nine!"
In truth, it really wasn’t scary at all. Joshua lifted his arms into the wind, his hair fluttering wildly. Thankfully, he’d removed his hat earlier, or it would’ve flown away by now.
He didn’t forget to share his joy with Nine, either. But Nine had long since curled up in a corner — the visuals were terrifying! How could humans invent such dangerous things? And why was Joshua actually enjoying it?! Too dangerous!
As soon as they got off, Luther’s face went pale. He staggered toward the restroom, limping.
Nine’s voice rang sharply: [Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic! I didn’t even feel anything!]
Joshua, who was buying water, replied calmly, "Everyone reacts differently. You shouldn’t impose your feelings on others."
[There you go again, lecturing me! You like Luther more than me, don’t you?!] Nine roared.
Joshua: "..." utterly baffled.
Just then, Luther returned, his head resting on Joshua’s shoulder. Instinctively, he took a deep breath — the sweet scent on Joshua’s body eased the dizziness in his head almost immediately.
Joshua patted his head and held out a bottle of water. "Mineral water."
Luther took it, muttering, "So you have a bit of conscience."
Joshua glanced at his pale face and couldn’t help but smile. "I see there are even more thrilling rides over there. Want to go again?"
Luther frowned at him, and Joshua, facing him, smiled even brighter.
Finally, Luther tapped Joshua on the head and said, "You little menace."
Joshua dodged his large hand, pouting. "You dragged me here! Who knew you’d be weaker than me?"
Luther took a sip of water, feeling his energy return. "Weaker? Do you know calling a man weak is an insult?"
They spent the next few hours trying various games in the amusement park. Luther was frustrated with the ring toss, shooting games, darts, and claw machines. Joshua never won a single game, yet he kept diving in repeatedly. Every time he lost, he’d blink up at Luther, and the only thing Luther could do was whisk him away quickly.
After lunch, they spent the afternoon running around, jumping from ride to ride. Even though they didn’t do anything significant, time passed faster than they expected.
"Joshua, shall we go to the next ride?"
Joshua rubbed his eyes and mumbled softly, "I’m sleepy..."
Seeing him about to curl up on a bench, Luther pulled him up, slipping his arms under Joshua’s armpits and lifting him to stand upright.
Joshua frowned at him. Luther smirked. "If you want to bite, just bite."
Joshua turned away. "I’m not a dog."
Luther waved his hand before Joshua, flamboyantly teasing, "Then who bit me this morning? Joshua? Not Joshua... Shuashua, right? Chihuahua?"
Joshua, annoyed, pushed Luther’s face away, though Luther just laughed. He tried to dodge Joshua’s "attack," but Joshua did nothing. He stared straight ahead, as if forgetting Luther entirely.
His image was being broadcast in front of him on the giant LED billboard atop a shopping mall.
The background was black and red, with him centered in the frame, wearing bunny ears. Other images of him appeared beside the main one. The screen shifted again, showing him smiling brightly, the streaks of blush on his cheeks standing out vividly. The background was a deep ocean blue, and he waved, his eyes sparkling brighter than fireworks.
Joshua blinked, feeling strange. His eyes twitched slightly, and his heart thumped oddly.
Suddenly, a hand waved in front of him. Luther’s familiar voice rang out: "Moved to tears already? You idiot."
Joshua pushed him lightly. Luther laughed and pulled out his phone. "Alright, strike a pose. Let’s capture the memory."
Standing under the lights, Joshua—who was usually perfectly professional—suddenly seemed a little lost, unsure what to do.
Ultimately, he lowered his head slightly and raised one hand to make a V-sign.
When he didn’t hear Luther’s voice for a while, Joshua couldn’t help asking, "Are you done yet?"
Just then, Luther suddenly lifted his face with both hands. Under the glow of the streetlights, he saw Joshua’s eyes—brighter than usual, shimmering like sunlight scattering across the ocean at dusk, as though countless stars were floating within them.
But what shone even brighter were the tears gathering in those eyes.
Luther tugged Joshua’s mask down, revealing his reddened nose and the lips pressed into a faint line.
He chuckled softly, brushing his thumb along Joshua’s cheek and murmured, "So touched you’re crying, huh? You get moved this easily—careful or you’ll get fooled one day, idiot."
Joshua lowered his gaze without replying. Luther didn’t understand—he felt like none of this was real. But it was. Everything was real. He was here now, he really was here... this wasn’t a dream, right?
"It’s not a dream."
Luther’s voice snapped Joshua out of his thoughts, and that was when he realized—he’d spoken his thoughts aloud.
Seeing Joshua’s dazed expression, Luther gently rubbed his cheeks and the corners of his eyes, smiling. "Come on, pose again, let’s take a few more." He even sighed dramatically. "My God, our Joshua’s moved to tears—what will the fans do with that? Haha. But it’s not their fault. Can’t blame them for having such a crybaby idol."
Luther braced himself, expecting Joshua to get angry and snap back, maybe laugh, and everything would return to normal. Perfect plan.
But instead, Joshua just tugged lightly on Luther’s sleeve, lifted the phone, and said, "You too."
Luther blinked, surprised, but Joshua had already pulled him into the frame before he could react. Amid the city’s noisy background, Joshua’s soft voice came through clearly beside him.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
Luther froze. For a split second, it felt like he was again back in that strange dream—that night when he’d dreamt of Joshua...
No, no. You’re best friends. Super best friends!
He pointed at his cheek. "If you’re thankful, give me a kiss."
Joshua immediately smacked him. Though it wasn’t hard, Luther turned his face away dramatically, pretending to be in pain. "Joshua, you heartless traitor!"