By Zephyria Even with his mind clouded by intoxication, Seo Jeong-won’s thoughts were surprisingly clear as he asked himself a question.
Kang Da-hyun awkwardly rose and bent his upper body. The distance between them closed in an instant. Seo Jeong-won gave an awkward smile and pushed him away by the shoulder.
“What, what are you saying all of a sudden while we’re drinking? What are we going to do? How disgusting…”
“You said you’re not seeing anyone either. Me too. We know each other well, so we can live well together. Our parents won’t know anyway. They’ll be fooled if we say you’re an Omega. We can fool them.”
“What…”
“Honestly, who would think of you as a Beta? It’s more believable that you were an Omega and were hiding it.”
Seo Jeong-won didn’t know why the conversation was suddenly heading in that direction. He couldn’t hide his crumpled expression as he leaned back. He said they were too close and avoided his gaze.
Should he not have drunk so much, or should he not have confided in him like this?
“Alpha pheromone, it’s still lingering. Whose is this? You said you wouldn’t do such bad things. Then where did you pick this up? That red mark on your neck, that’s it.”
“Ah, Kang Da-hyun. Why are you being like this?”
Kang Da-hyun stood up completely and stood in front of Seo Jeong-won as if he was going to pounce on him. He stroked the mottled marks on his long neck, then grabbed the chair and lowered his face abruptly.
“I’m drunk, ah… hey!”
Seo Jeong-won barely turned his head and gasped for breath. He felt like he was sobering up instantly, but it was just a feeling. His body was heavy. His hands, pushing him away, only flailed weakly.
In Seo Jeong-won’s vision, as he struggled to get away, he saw a body falling towards him and a neat hand grabbing Kang Da-hyun’s shoulder.
With the force of the recoil, Kang Da-hyun was thrown back and turned around with a bewildered expression.
“What is this?”
“Executive Director…?”
“Exec, what?”
His body, easily dragged away by overwhelming force, staggered before finally regaining its balance. Kang Da-hyun’s eyes, echoing the words that came from Seo Jeong-won, turned to Kwon Tae-hee.
“Where?”
“Are you drunk? Just… go home.”
Seo Jeong-won also rose from his crumpled position. He staggered from the intoxication, but quickly stood straight and looked at Kwon Tae-hee with confused eyes.
“Who is this?”
“That time, in that Seonam…”
His heart clenched at the chilling gaze. Seo Jeong-won focused on his slurred pronunciation and tried to speak clearly.
“The friend I told you about who runs an orchard. It’s been a while since we had time… But how did you come here?”
Kwon Tae-hee, who had been silently meeting his gaze, turned his head to look at Kang Da-hyun.
A pathetic Alpha who didn’t know the ways of the world. That was his first impression. A naive child who couldn’t hide his interest and curiosity and spilled it all out.
Suddenly, the interest that the much younger Alpha had in Seo Jeong-won felt unpleasant.
“You should go home now. Seo Jeong-won also seems like he needs to go.”
“No, what does this, this Manager, no, what kind of store does the Manager run?”
A faint disgust flashed in Kwon Tae-hee’s eyes at the foolish words. Seo Jeong-won shook his head and quickly supported Kang Da-hyun. He grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.
“Go, quickly. Can you go? Are you drunk?”
“No, hey. Who is that guy? And what about our wedding!”
“What wedding are you talking about? Stop talking crazy.”
Seo Jeong-won looked disgusted, as if he had sobered up instantly. He dragged Kang Da-hyun out of the flower garden and patted his flushed cheeks.
“Look at me. Are you drunk?”
“No way, who would get drunk on this much.”
“Can you walk? Can you make it home?”
“Of course… Then, am I being dumped right now?”
Kang Da-hyun, who had been roughly wiping his face, suddenly hugged Seo Jeong-won, who was standing blankly. He buried his face in his soft shoulder, which had no hard parts, and took a deep breath.
“No, damn it. Why can’t we get married!”
“What nonsense are you talking about, since earlier! Let go…!”
“I’ll make you happy!”
Did Kang Da-hyun have this kind of drinking habit? More than that, wasn’t he being too much of a nuisance? Seo Jeong-won slapped his broad back and finally managed to get Kang Da-hyun off him.
“You’re really…! Are you crazy?”
“Then! Is that pheromone from that, that Manager or whatever? You damn, your face isn’t everything! Men! It’s the body! Huh? A broad chest!”
Seo Jeong-won covered Kang Da-hyun’s mouth and pushed him away. After begging him to leave quietly, he succeeded in sending Kang Da-hyun away. He staggered away, belting out a breakup song at the top of his lungs.
Seo Jeong-won rubbed his cheeks, which were flushed from using his strength, and went back into the flower garden.
Kwon Tae-hee was still standing in the same position, checking the things scattered on the table and floor. He seemed to have sobered up quickly, considering how much he had drunk. Or was he just mentally alert?
He hadn’t done anything wrong, but his heart was beating fast as if he had committed a great sin. He thought this was what it felt like to have a chill down his spine. He would definitely know from now on.
“Executive Director.”
“That friend is an Alpha.”
“Yes? Ah, ah…”
Seo Jeong-won nodded, giving a vague answer. He had lived his life without paying attention to it, thinking it had nothing to do with him. So he didn’t understand why Kwon Tae-hee was pointing out his traits again.
He just focused on observing Kwon Tae-hee’s expression. His beautiful brow was furrowed. He looked very upset.
“But how did you… how did you come here?”
“You’re talking like I came to a place I shouldn’t have.”
“Ah, no. It’s not that, but if you had contacted me in advance…”
At least he wouldn’t have drunk so much. His cheeks were hot. Just because he was mentally alert didn’t mean that his intoxicated body would suddenly become fine. As he staggered closer, Kwon Tae-hee wrinkled his nose.
“You smell like alcohol.”
“I’m, I’m sorry.”
“Seo Jeong-won is a Beta, and that friend is an Alpha, so how did the talk of marriage come about? Most Alphas don’t consider Betas as marriage partners.”
“Ah, it’s not like that. He probably didn’t mean it. Da-hyun is a bit drunk, drunk, that’s why he’s like that. I told him I found my Hyung… so he’s being emotional, emotional… what do you call it. Anyway, he feels sorry for me.”
Seo Jeong-won explained to Kwon Tae-hee that his friend, who had been acting drunk just now, was the only one who knew all about his situation. He also added that he was sorry for making a scene.
“He’s thinking of marrying his friend just because he feels sorry for him?”
Kwon Tae-hee kept repeating the same word. Seo Jeong-won didn’t notice the sharp atmosphere and relaxed at his gentle tone.
He kept moving his hands to touch his face. He rubbed his unguarded, drooping eyes and stared at him with his red, bloodshot eyes.
“No, marriage is… it’s not something we can decide, and we don’t like each other. And I’m not going to get married. So, it’s not like I’m in a place to date right now, and it’s hard to meet with that kind of feeling. Da-hyun is also a friend I’ve known for too long…”
Kwon Tae-hee’s expression softened a little at the rambling excuses.
“That’s right. Seo Jeong-won doesn’t have the time or capacity to meet anyone right now. He has no money either.”
“Yes, yes. That’s right… I don’t have that kind of leeway.”
“It would be better not to meet that friend.”
Seo Jeong-won nodded and replied. The pronunciation that came out of his flushed lips was terrible.
He answered that he would and moved his feet, which had stopped. It was unclear whether he was trying to clear the table or simply trying to hug Kwon Tae-hee. Seo Jeong-won, who had staggered and barely stood in front of Kwon Tae-hee, hesitated and then raised his head.
“I sent a message— hic, but.”
“I was busy.”
“Ah…”
Kwon Tae-hee reached out and cupped his hot-looking cheeks. His white, translucent skin was flushed as if red paint had spread on it. The face that lengthened the end of his words, “You were busy,” somehow looked sad.
“Then, are you going home…?”
“Where.”
“Where? Ah, Seoul. Your Seoul home. Ah, but I’m a little, ha…”
Unlike his scary expression, the hand he reached out to him was gentle, so Seo Jeong-won buried his face in it. It was as if he was sure that he would accept his childish behavior.
Kwon Tae-hee rubbed his hot cheeks and laughed as if he was dumbfounded, then lightly hugged his swaying body. His slender body collapsed in his arms. He had a lot of bottles of alcohol, so it would be strange if he wasn’t drunk.
“Seo Jeong-won, get a grip.”
“Ah, I sober up, I sober up quickly. I’m sorry…”
He put strength into his slurred tongue and tried to pronounce each word clearly, but when expressed in writing, it was as if he was writing in cursive.
Kwon Tae-hee frowned at the difficult-to-understand pronunciation and hugged Seo Jeong-won, who had melted in his arms.
Seo Jeong-won buried his nose in his arms, which smelled fragrant and cool, and sniffed. It was a good smell that he had never smelled before.
He had been wide awake until he took care of Kang Da-hyun and sent him home, but he didn’t know why he was so drunk when he stood in front of Kwon Tae-hee.
“Seo Jeong-won, you’re weak with alcohol.”
“I’m not…”
“I’ll take you home.”
“Thank you, I’m… not.”
With those words, his eyes closed.
If I hadn’t come here, that bastard of a friend would have done this to him. He shouldn’t be clinging to anyone like this.
Kwon Tae-hee felt a faint displeasure at Seo Jeong-won’s attitude, which had become so lax as if he was breaking down a soft wall.