By Zephyria 
Seo Yi-kyung walked down the stairs. The helper, who had been walking ahead, had already scurried far off. She tried her best to inform Jin Seon-yu that his face was far too swollen to greet a guest, but she had no way of keeping up with Jin Seon-yu, who was leaping down the stairs two or three steps at a time.
Seo Yi-kyung stopped, gripping the stair railing. From his vantage point above, he could see Jin Seon-yu’s back and the face of Kwon Gwi-jun, who stood facing him, in a single glance. Kwon Gwi-jun stood out with his sharp features and a sturdy build encased in a navy suit.
Kwon Gwi-jun, who had been looking at Jin Seon-yu, tilted his head up slightly. He glanced at Seo Yi-kyung once before shifting his gaze back down. Then, looking at Jin Seon-yu, whose eyelids were so swollen they were half-closed, his expression stiffened minutely.
“Your eyes…”
“Why? Why are you here? Is it lunchtime, so you came to get a free meal?”
Before Kwon Gwi-jun could finish his sentence, Jin Seon-yu snapped back aggressively. He seemed to have no intention of hiding his swollen eyes. Or perhaps, he had simply forgotten that they were swollen.
This was because merely facing Kwon Gwi-jun was like digging into Jin Seon-yu’s wounds all over again.
“Lunchtime passed ages ago.”
The helper, who had somehow overtaken Seo Yi-kyung, approached the restless Jin Seon-yu from behind. She reached out with both hands as if to grab his arms, but hesitated and pulled back. Unable to stop him, she stood there anxiously, looking back and forth between the two.
Just then, the door behind Kwon Gwi-jun opened, and Jin Seok-young entered with a phone to his ear. Jin Seon-yu cried out in shock.
“Did the second Hyung call him? Don’t tell me…”
“I brought him here. I’ll call you back.”
Having finished his call with the eldest, Jin Tae-won, Jin Seok-young stepped up beside Kwon Gwi-jun. He pointed at Kwon Gwi-jun with the phone in his hand.
“You cried because of this guy. That’s why I told you I’d go with you that day, didn’t I?”
“No! I told you it wasn’t!”
Jin Seon-yu jumped and threw out his hands. It was true that after meeting Kwon Gwi-jun and returning, he felt as if his heart were burning, being torn apart, and in agony. However, the reason the tears had actually burst forth was because of Jin Tae-won, who had flatly rejected Jin Seon-yu’s request to meet Ham Gyu-ho.
No matter how much he pried for a reason, Jin Tae-won wouldn’t tell him why he hated Ham Gyu-ho so much or why he was acting this way; he simply said it was absolutely not allowed, and Jin Seon-yu felt a deep sense of sorrow. Furthermore, the words of Kwon Gwi-jun, which he had been trying to ignore, swirled in his ears, causing him to break down and sob.
“…….”
Kwon Gwi-jun remained silent, even as he watched Seon-yu shouting that it wasn’t because of him. Jin Seok-young retorted.
“I brought him here to apologize to you.”
“Hyung! I told you not to do this. How many times do I have to say it wasn’t because of Gi-jun? Ha—.”
Jin Seon-yu let out a heavy sigh and turned around. He ran back up the stairs toward where Seo Yi-kyung was. The area around Jin Seon-yu’s eyes had turned red again in that short time. Seo Yi-kyung took in the sight of Kwon Gwi-jun watching that retreating figure and Jin Seok-young shouting beside him.
“Jin Seon-yu! You have to get your apology before you go.”
“Why did you even come down… let’s go up.”
As he brushed past and grabbed Seo Yi-kyung’s arm to pull him along, Jin Seon-yu’s voice was deeply sunken. Perhaps his throat was tightening, as he didn’t say another word and led Seo Yi-kyung away.
Glancing back, Seo Yi-kyung fell into thought as he saw Jin Seon-yu rubbing his eyes harshly with the back of his hand. It was all well and good that Jin Tae-won and Jin Seok-young cherished and valued their younger brother, Seon-yu, so dearly… but he felt that their way of expressing it was truly wrong.
Moreover, since the ‘Omega’s World’ was a world run by superior Alphas, the majority of people were authoritarian and arrogant. Alphas consumed by their own self-importance, and Omegas who had little to boast in comparison.
Jin Seon-yu, who had entered first, closed the door as soon as Seo Yi-kyung came in. He took a deep breath and stroked his chest, trying to suppress his anger. Perhaps he was holding back tears.
Jin Seon-yu approached the round table, pulled out a tissue to rub his eyes, and downed the tea in front of him in one gulp. Then, he pointed to a chair with his fingertips.
“The tea has gone cold. Sit here. I’ll go out and talk to him.”
Coming back to his senses late, Jin Seon-yu avoided Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze as if embarrassed. Holding the teapot, he brushed past Seo Yi-kyung and opened the door again.
Perhaps because he had rushed out mistakenly thinking that Ham Gyu-ho, the person he had been longing for, had arrived, or because his emotions were heightened, he had long since forgotten Jin Tae-won’s order not to leave the room. Soon, Jin Seon-yu’s steps came to a sudden halt. This was because Kwon Gwi-jun was standing right in front of the door.
“Did Seok-young Hyung send you? Forget it. I don’t need an apology. It wasn’t because of you.”
While Jin Seon-yu was answering, Seo Yi-kyung slowly looked back. Unlike when he looked down from the stairs, seeing Kwon Gwi-jun right in front of him revealed a much more impressive physique. The suit smoothly wrapped around his broad shoulders.
Suddenly, he looked at Seo Yi-kyung, who was behind Jin Seon-yu. His eyes were cold, but they were nothing compared to Han Seung-jae. When he was with Han Seung-jae, he felt a crushing sense of intimidation first, but he didn’t feel that here.
However, he wondered if it would be better to step away. Just as he was thinking that—
“Just go back. Or have some lunch on the first floor before you leave.”
Still, it was a connection that had lasted ten years. Whether it was school ties, regional ties, or a bad relationship, they were all intertwined. He could at least provide lunch. He must have been dragged here relentlessly by Jin Seok-young, so shouldn’t he be compensated at least that much?
It was the moment Jin Seon-yu tried to close the door. Kwon Gwi-jun reached out his large hand to block the door from closing.
“Seok-young Hyung didn’t drag me here.”
“Enough. Just go. I’m closing the door.”
Jin Seon-yu seemed to have no intention of listening to Kwon Gwi-jun’s words in the first place. Holding the teapot to his chest, he pulled the door handle. The lid of the teapot rattled, making a noisy clinking sound.
“What do you think Gyu-ho said?”
Jin Seon-yu flinched at the mention of Ham Gyu-ho’s name.
—I heard from Gyu-ho. That you wanted to see me.
—After hearing that, why did you come out? But what did Gyu-ho say? What did he tell you? Huh? What did Gyu-ho say?
He looked up, as if recalling the words he had repeatedly spoken at the hotel lounge. Kwon Gwi-jun’s words continued without hesitation.
“He said he’s calling off the engagement.”
Crash!
The teapot Jin Seon-yu was clutching hit the floor and shattered into pieces.
Jin Seon-yu, who until a moment ago had been anxious and unable to push Kwon Gwi-jun away, took a step forward. At the sound of glass shattering, Seo Yi-kyung moved as well.
“Was it really… did he say he dislikes me?”
Jin Seon-yu’s toe was cut by a glass shard, and red blood began to flow. Kwon Gwi-jun’s composed face shifted minutely.
Just then, the helper came up from the floor below, having heard the sound of the teapot breaking. She quickly stepped between Kwon Gwi-jun and Jin Seon-yu, forcing a distance between the two.
Seo Yi-kyung grabbed Jin Seon-yu’s arm and pulled him back. The location was not ideal for continuing the conversation.
“Calm down first.”
Jin Seon-yu, looking dazed as if he didn’t even know he was hurt, sat in a chair. Seo Yi-kyung lowered his upper body, grabbed Jin Seon-yu’s ankle, and examined the bleeding area. Fortunately, it seemed no glass shards were embedded. It was just a slight prick, with a bit of blood seeping out.
Behind them, the helper began to clean up the glass shards and the floor soaked in tea.
“Your pants are wet…”
The helper’s voice leaked out softly as she cleaned the floor. She stared at Kwon Gwi-jun’s suit pants, which had been dampened by the incident. However, Kwon Gwi-jun said it was fine and turned away.
Glancing up at Jin Seon-yu’s face, Seo Yi-kyung let out a bitter sigh. Jin Seon-yu’s eyes were beyond empty; they were void. Perhaps he shouldn’t have intervened from the start. If he hadn’t, Jin Seon-yu might have been able to marry as he wished.
But there was no way a marriage resulting from that could be happy. A life completely different from what Jin Seon-yu expected would have unfolded. In particular, there would be more days like today, where tears wouldn’t dry, than days of cheerful laughter.
That was likely why Jin Tae-won was opposing it so strongly. However, he didn’t seem to have any intention of calmly and gently explaining the current situation. Did he simply think Jin Seon-yu would follow if he just said it was not allowed? That would only make him more rebellious.
‘Is this why he had the child?’
Even in a situation with such strong opposition, in the original story, even Jin Tae-won couldn’t stop the marriage in the end. Eventually, he had no choice but to accept Jin Seon-yu’s will. And Jin Seon-yu, who entered the wedding hall while pregnant, became a constant subject of people’s gossip. It went without saying that Ham Gyu-ho was at the starting point of that misfortune.
“Yi-kyung.”
Seo Yi-kyung’s thoughts scattered. As he made eye contact, Jin Seon-yu, with reddish eyes, looked at him and murmured.
* * *
Step, step. Seo Yi-kyung, having just come down the stairs, appeared on the first floor. The helper, who had been attending to him throughout, approached.
“Is there something you need?”
“Well…”
The helper’s gaze flickered upward. Seo Yi-kyung waved his hand to draw her attention. He spoke with a somewhat sorrowful face.
“I’m a bit thirsty. Could you give me a glass of water?”
His tone was somewhat awkward, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Pardon? Yes.”
As she turned back the way she came, Seo Yi-kyung looked around. Kwon Gwi-jun and Jin Seok-young, whom he had seen earlier, were nowhere to be seen. In particular, this house had remarkably few helpers coming and going. The only person was someone cleaning a table with two teacups and a sofa that bore the marks of someone having sat there a short while ago.
Seo Yi-kyung moved his feet. He grabbed the firmly locked door handle and opened the door. Then, Jin Seon-yu, who had been hiding at the end of the stairs, came running down in one breath. The sunglasses he was wearing flashed, reflecting the light.
Seo Yi-kyung quickly exited the door. His breathing was labored as he ran through the garden. His heart felt like it was going to burst.
Before he knew it, Jin Seon-yu had run up and reached his side. It clearly seemed like he had started running first, but in an instant, Jin Seon-yu was overtaking him.
“Jin Seon-yu, where are you going?”
Jin Seok-young, who had been on the phone in the garden, turned his head. He lowered his phone and started walking toward them.
Bang!
The iron gate was flung open as if it were about to break. He threw the door open exactly where Jin Seon-yu was and leaped forward. Just before coming down, Seo Yi-kyung had contacted Butler Do to request that the driver be ready to return. Therefore, once Seo Yi-kyung passed through this iron gate, the driver would be waiting for him.
“Haa.”
Seo Yi-kyung clutched his chest, feeling as if his heart were about to jump out of his mouth. As he stepped outside, Jin Seon-yu, who had already climbed into the back seat of an open sedan, gestured to him.
“Yi-kyung, hurry! Come quickly!”
“!”
Gasping for air, Seo Yi-kyung was bewildered and didn’t know what to do. It was because Jin Seon-yu was in a different car. The driver who had come with Seo Yi-kyung only then noticed him and opened the back door.
Furthermore, Jin Seok-young’s voice thundered from behind him.
“Can’t you come here right now? What do you think will happen if Tae-won Hyung finds out? Come back quickly!”
In the end, Seo Yi-kyung climbed into the car where Jin Seon-yu was desperately gesturing. As soon as he sat down, Jin Seon-yu reached out and closed the door.
Seo Yi-kyung stared at Kwon Gwi-jun, who was visible behind Jin Seon-yu.
Should he tell him now that this isn’t the right car?