By Zephyria If the atmosphere had continued as it was, a trivial conversation would have followed. However, neither Ryu Jeong nor Lee Do-hyeon brought up other topics. After the laughter subsided, they only occasionally sipped their drinks, letting an openly awkward atmosphere flow between them.
“……”
In truth, Ryu Jeong was extremely uncomfortable in this situation. Aside from being tired, sitting face-to-face with Lee Do-hyeon for a meal and coffee felt awkward in itself. Furthermore, he found Lee Do-hyeon, who was sharing this moment, to be a mystery. Ryu Jeong couldn’t understand how he could joke around so casually, as if nothing had happened.
Ryu Jeong took a sip of his hot chocolate and glanced at Lee Do-hyeon. He looked as neat as usual, but some subtly disheveled aspects caught his eye. His hair, which he usually slicked back neatly, was down on his forehead today, and the slightly wrinkled clothes were the same ones he had worn two days ago.
The events of that night naturally came to mind. Rummaging through his faint memories, Lee Do-hyeon had clearly intended to take him to the hospital from the start. Even though it must have been unbearable, he had tried to call an ambulance, but it was Ryu Jeong who stopped him and led him to do such a thing.
Taking someone who said no… Why did I do that? How rude and shameless. Ryu Jeong let out a soft sigh.
Not only taking him to the hospital but also treating him to expensive food and drinks. Honestly, it was burdensome. He couldn’t shake the feeling of sitting on pins and needles. He didn’t have to go this far, but why…? After pondering deeply, his dimwitted brain could only come to one conclusion. It was simply because Lee Do-hyeon was an endlessly kind person. In fact, he shouldn’t just be receiving all this. He should have paid for the meal he had just eaten and the drink he was having now. Instead of glossing over it with a simple apology.
Afraid of making eye contact, Ryu Jeong quickly lowered his gaze. The whipped cream piled high had already melted, making the inside of the cup messy. Lee Do-hyeon’s Americano looked ordinary even as the ice melted, but hot chocolate was only delicious and looked good when first drunk; after a few sips, it always left dirty residue, as if it had turned into muddy water. Ryu Jeong suddenly thought it was like himself. Even if he tried not to step on it, he would accidentally step on it at least once. The feeling at the moment of stepping on it might be dirty, but after washing it off cleanly, it could be dismissed as just a small incident, like that muddy water.
“I’m…”
“Jeong-ssi.”
As he parted his lips to say something, Lee Do-hyeon looked up. Ryu Jeong forgot what he was going to say and stared blankly at Lee Do-hyeon at the now familiar address.
“Do you have something to say, Jeong-ssi?”
“No, it’s not that… You go first. It’s okay.”
“Um, it’s not about anything else.”
Lee Do-hyeon quietly put down his mug and clasped his hands together.
“When are you thinking of moving?”
After some hesitation, he asked directly. Ryu Jeong widened his eyes as if he was quite taken aback, then fidgeted, unsure of what to do, and avoided his gaze. He thought he had done well to ask, even though it was bothersome.
“Why are you asking about moving…?”
Because I want to take Jeong-ssi to my house without any guilt. The direct reason reached the tip of his tongue, but Lee Do-hyeon made an effort to hold it back. If he said it outright, he would probably get scared and hide.
“From what I see, it’s too cold even indoors. And only cold water comes out even in winter. It’s also inefficient to travel to such a high place every time. If you have to move anyway, I thought it might not be bad to move the timing up a bit. There’s a good place…”
So, let’s go to my house, which is always warm, has plenty of hot water, and is in the city center where transportation is excellent, even if it’s just as high. As he was about to say that, Ryu Jeong, who looked pale for some reason, waved his hand in horror.
“Ah, no. I’m okay.”
“…You’re okay?”
Lee Do-hyeon frowned slightly. Ryu Jeong, who didn’t notice the change in expression because it was only for a fleeting moment, clasped his hands neatly as if he was very sorry.
“I’m so grateful that you’re concerned…”
It was too much kindness. He was already worried about making him stay in a shabby house because of him, and in the end, it seemed like he had caused unnecessary worry, making his face flush. He was more sorry than grateful for the completely unreasonable favor. Even if it was for a smooth redevelopment, there was no obligation to take responsibility for the relocation.
“……”
Unable to continue speaking and only chewing on his lower lip, Lee Do-hyeon, who had been quietly watching him, said he understood and hurriedly wrapped up the topic. It seemed that a more detailed process needed to be built up before he could take him to his house.
Lee Do-hyeon was the first to break the awkward atmosphere. He was a little embarrassed to be so coldly rejected, but Lee Do-hyeon pretended not to care and got up from his seat.
“Will you stay here? I’ll be right back.”
“Yes…”
Ryu Jeong nodded obediently. Lee Do-hyeon couldn’t help but smile at his docile appearance in the midst of all this. Ryu Jeong, who was watching his receding figure, lowered his head and fiddled with the mug in his hand. The whipped cream and marshmallows had all melted and disappeared.
The hot chocolate was cold, but it was still delicious. He was reluctant to see it decrease with each sip, so he drank it little by little, even though it was cold. Even though he drank it very slowly, the bottom was eventually revealed. Regretting it, he rubbed the smooth mug with his fingertips, and Lee Do-hyeon, who had said he would be back soon, returned. He was holding a takeout cup in his hand.
“Here. It’s the same as what you were drinking.”
“Ah…”
“To drink on your way. I thought you liked it. Well, if you’re full right now, you can leave it and heat it up later.”
He hadn’t even thought of accepting the unexpected kindness, but Lee Do-hyeon gestured for him to take it quickly.
“You’ll at least let me take you home, right?”
Ryu Jeong nodded slowly. He was so absorbed in the warmth filling his hands that he missed the timing to say thank you forever.
“Oh, and this. I almost forgot to give it to you.”
They were driving through an unfamiliar city center, and they were now approaching streets that were becoming familiar. While stopped at a traffic light, Lee Do-hyeon rummaged through his jacket pocket, saying he had forgotten something. Ryu Jeong, who had been silently looking out the window, turned to him at the rustling sound.
“What is this?”
What Lee Do-hyeon handed him was an envelope. The same size and color as the envelope that the loan shark had given him a few days ago. He took it because he gave it to him, but Ryu Jeong didn’t have the confidence to open it, so he only looked at Lee Do-hyeon.
“It’s a medical certificate.”
“A medical certificate…?”
“Well, it says something like you need to rest for a few days because of your Heat cycle. It even says you got a suppressant prescription. I thought you were worried about your convenience store job, so I got it in advance.”
He said that it wouldn’t be a legal problem if he left the store because of Heat, and it seemed that the law required them to acknowledge that reason if he brought a medical certificate. Ryu Jeong understood why Lee Do-hyeon had gotten the medical certificate, but the problem was whether the Shop Owner would readily understand even if he brought it.
Even if he conceded a hundred times and understood because of that law, he would still be the type of person to talk separately about the store’s losses that might have occurred in the early morning. He might even bring up money, saying that it was fraud from the start that he had entered as a part-timer without saying that he was an Omega.
“……”
Without even opening the envelope, Ryu Jeong just fiddled with it and fell into thought, and Lee Do-hyeon glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. He thought he would be relieved and relieved to see the medical certificate because he was so restless, but his reaction was completely unexpected.
Is there anything else he needs? If it was something he could predict to some extent, he would do anything for him, but this time he couldn’t predict it at all, so he was frustrated. Lee Do-hyeon tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips. But even that was annoying, so he quickly stopped. After thinking for a while, pushing the inside of his cheek with his tongue, Lee Do-hyeon finally decided to ask directly.
“Is there anything else you need besides the medical certificate?”
The window staff said that the medical certificate was enough, but if he was uncomfortable asking, he was okay with it.
“The medicine you got from the hospital earlier is also in there. Take it with water when you get there. Did you hear what kind of medicine it is?”
“Yes… It’s an emergency contraceptive… or so.”
“Yes. It’s a medicine you take within 24 hours, so don’t forget to take it. I’m sorry. I made you take something that’s not good for your body.”
Ryu Jeong bit his lip at the apology. He felt even worse because the words he should have said came out of Lee Do-hyeon’s mouth instead. Ryu Jeong’s expression grew darker and darker, as if he had made him feel unnecessary guilt.
Lee Do-hyeon couldn’t have missed his darkening complexion. He had no idea what the problem was.
“Don’t feel pressured and tell me if you need anything else. It’s okay.”
Even though he said it was okay, Ryu Jeong didn’t open his mouth easily. Lee Do-hyeon waited patiently, even though he was frustrated. He had already figured out that he was very cautious about even the smallest things.
“Isn’t the medical certificate enough? Should I have gotten a written opinion too? I’m sorry. I need to know something. I don’t know anything either.”
“It’s not that… I don’t think the CEO will accept it…”
“CEO? Oh, are you talking about the convenience store owner?”
“Yes… The CEO, his family, and the people around him don’t have any Omegas, so I think it will be difficult for them to understand. They don’t even know that I’m an Omega…”
Ryu Jeong was about to fidget with his fingers as a habit, but he just twitched a little because he was worried that the envelope containing the medical certificate would be crumpled. He felt more uneasy than relieved after telling him the worries that had been lingering in his mind. Since he had to resolve the conflict with the Shop Owner himself, there was nothing he could do even if he told Lee Do-hyeon the truth.
“Ah… I see.”
Lee Do-hyeon sighed in understanding at Ryu Jeong’s additional explanation. It seemed that he was reluctant to deal with the person called the convenience store owner. Ryu Jeong himself was a little wary of people in general, but he thought that he might be dealing with a fairly difficult person if he was suffering in silence without saying anything.
But regardless of whether there were Omegas around him or not, and regardless of whether he knew that Ryu Jeong was an Omega or not, it didn’t make sense to ignore the rights that were stipulated by law with the excuse that he didn’t know.
“Should I go with you?”
“Yes?”
Ryu Jeong, who was surprised by Lee Do-hyeon’s words, turned to him quickly. He stared intently at his profile, which was only looking straight ahead because he was driving. Lee Do-hyeon was as calm as if he hadn’t said anything, unlike the person who had made the sudden suggestion a moment ago.
He didn’t want to make Lee Do-hyeon feel embarrassed by making him get involved in an unpleasant matter. Ryu Jeong shook his head, thinking that he had brought it up for nothing.
“It’s okay… I’ll go and explain it well.”
“If they say any nonsense about not accepting this, tell them you’ll report them. To where was it? The labor office, was it?”
“Yes… Thank you.”
The Shop Owner was not at all afraid of the part-timer’s threat to report him to the labor office. Many part-timers who had gone through the convenience store had said the same thing, but the Shop Owner was arrogant, telling them to go ahead and try. He knew that there was no better way to communicate with ignorant part-timers than to yell at them.
Most of the part-timers who were threatened by the Shop Owner’s confident claim that it was useless to report him would back down, thinking that it was true. He was exploiting the fact that they were young, didn’t know the ways of the world, and were naive. If he said this too, Lee Do-hyeon would definitely roll up his sleeves and offer to go with him. Ryu Jeong smiled bitterly and put the envelope away.
“But Jeong-ssi. What were you going to say earlier?”
“…Yes?”
“At the cafe earlier. Didn’t you call me because you had something to say?”
“Ah…”
Ryu Jeong sighed softly as if he had just remembered. In fact, he had made up his mind to call him. But once he missed the timing to say it, he didn’t have the courage to say it like himself. Unable to bring himself to look at Lee Do-hyeon, Ryu Jeong fell into thought again, looking at the dashboard, which didn’t have a speck of dust on it. Then he shook his head.
“……”
He had a face that looked like he had a lot to say, but Lee Do-hyeon didn’t force him to answer.
“Are you going straight to the convenience store? Should I drop you off in front?”
“Ah, no… The CEO probably won’t be there if I go now. I can tell him when I go to work tonight.”
“Then I’ll take you home.”
“Yes… I’m going to stop by for a moment to change clothes and go to work.”
“Work… That’s right. You have to go.”
Lee Do-hyeon muttered in a low voice at Ryu Jeong’s words that he would naturally go to work, and nodded disapprovingly. He couldn’t understand Ryu Jeong, who was trusting that he was okay after taking the suppressant and trying to work as usual. But he knew that he wasn’t in a position to tell him what to do.
That damn debt. He didn’t even create the debt himself, but he didn’t know why he was struggling so diligently.
He frowned without realizing it when he thought of the documents he had secretly seen in Ryu Jeong’s room in the morning. Ryu Jeong, who was surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere, carefully checked Lee Do-hyeon’s mood.
“President…”
“Yes.”
“You’re not… angry, are you…?”
“I’m not angry. I was just thinking about something else.”
He wanted to ask what he was thinking about, but Ryu Jeong didn’t. Lee Do-hyeon, who glanced at Ryu Jeong, who was looking at him hesitantly, stepped on the accelerator. He needed to change the subject.
“Then I’ll take you to the entrance of your house. If you were going straight to the convenience store, I was going to testify… It’s funny to say testify. Anyway, I was going to help you, but I have work to do too.”
“It’s okay… I can go alone.”
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes… I’m okay.”
“If that CEO person says any nonsense, tell them you’ll bring up the labor office. In this day and age, if they don’t accept sick leave because of Heat or Rut, it’s discrimination and they’ll be immediately imprisoned. I don’t know any labor attorneys… but I can look into it.”
It was right in front of him, so they arrived quickly while having a short conversation. Ryu Jeong unfastened his seatbelt and looked at Lee Do-hyeon, wondering if he could go now. Lee Do-hyeon, who had been quietly watching Ryu Jeong fidget, took out his wallet from his jacket pocket. He took something out and handed it to him. It was a business card.
“It’s my business card, but I realized I didn’t know your contact information even though we’ve had two meals together. My phone is out of battery right now, so I’m giving it to you so you can contact the number written on it.”
“Ah, yes… Thank you.”
“Tell me if you need a labor attorney.”
Ryu Jeong hesitated at the half-joking words and stretched his lips into a smile. He carefully put it in his pocket so it wouldn’t get crumpled, and Lee Do-hyeon moved his hand and released the lock. Ryu Jeong got out of the car and turned around instead of going straight up, looking at the car that wasn’t leaving either. Soon, the car window went down and Lee Do-hyeon was visible.
“Don’t go to work if you can help it and rest. You still have to rest even if you took the suppressant.”
“Yes… I want to… but I don’t think I can.”
“Then at least eat well. And get plenty of sleep.”
“Yes…”
Ryu Jeong nodded obediently at the worried words. It seemed like it was time for him to go, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave, so he hesitated for no reason. They stared at each other silently, and Ryu Jeong, who was suddenly surprised, bowed his head in greeting.
“Then… I’ll go first.”
“Go safely.”
“Yes… You too, President.”
Ryu Jeong, who had even said goodbye, hesitated, scraping the soles of his shoes several times before finally turning around and climbing the stairs. It was such a quiet neighborhood that the sound of his footsteps could be heard for a while even though Ryu Jeong’s figure was no longer visible. Cold wind rushed in through the open window, but Lee Do-hyeon, who had been listening to the sound for a long time, closed the window and started the car only when he could no longer hear any sound.
As soon as he received the stop signal, he reached into his pocket and took out his phone. He kept fiddling with the phone, which had died long ago due to the lack of battery, and belatedly plugged in the charger. He wondered what had happened to what he had asked him to find out. He thought he should check that as soon as he got home.
Although he hadn’t slept much, it had been a long time since Lee Do-hyeon had slept anywhere other than his own home, and his whole body screamed in protest. But that was secondary. Lee Do-hyeon glared at the road with cold eyes.