By Zephyria 
After talking a bit longer, I hung up.
As the phone screen turned black, the quiet in the room returned.
Now that the promise was set, my body finally felt heavy.
My mind was still tangled with thoughts of Cha Jeong-won’s misfortune, department practicals, money worries, and the sweet room, but sleep had the power to make all those thoughts stop.
“Just a quick nap, then I’ll head out.”
My eyelids slowly fell.
＊ ＊ ＊
The house, quiet after Haon left.
Cha Jeong-won looked at the phone placed on the table while smelling the pheromones he had left behind.
All this time, Yoon Haon had consistently maintained one thing.
—’You keep asking similar questions. I don’t like you, senior.’
—’And not all Omegas are the same.’
—’Even if your mother promised to give me something, I’m not the type to just bite at anything.’
His face, insisting he wasn’t that person, seemed quite sincere.
If that was true, it was understandable how he felt.
If someone was truly just an accidental encounter and I was suspicious of everything, they’d be hopping mad, and Yoon Haon actually did hop mad.
Given I’ve been this suspicious, maybe it’s time to let it go now.
Those who approached me with ulterior motives in the past didn’t take long to drop their masks. They never kept insisting like Yoon Haon did; rather, they confessed as if they had nothing left to hide and became more aggressive than before.
“No.”
Yoon Haon might really be determined.
Though his appearance was soft, his pheromones were endlessly sweet. The more harmless a face seems, the more one must be wary.
He rekindled the spark of suspicion.
Cha Jeong-won picked up his phone and searched for a name. He made the call directly, narrowed his eyes, and looked toward the bedroom.
Because Yoon Haon’s scent was still strong, his brow furrowed automatically.
If the scent remains even after airing out the room, that’s a problem.
[What’s up, hyung?]
The person who answered spoke in a rather surprised voice.
“Tell me about Yoon Haon.”
[You dig in without context, but I’m scarily good at understanding. Haon-hyung is…….]
Despite the abrupt question, his cousin showed no sign of fluster.
To find out about Yoon Haon, Cha Seo-jun was the most suitable.
Since he knows me well, he’d also know what I’m worried about right now.
[Hmm……. He’s not someone you need to be concerned about.]
Cha Jeong-won’s eyebrow twitched.
[Haon-hyung is only interested in attending classes well and graduating. You probably have a lot of classes together, but there’s no need to approach him unnecessarily. He might even dislike you. Wanna know why?]
Somehow, it sounded like he was saying there’s no need to get along with Yoon Haon, so don’t get close.
[Haon-hyung has been consistently first in class, and now you show up. How wary do you think he’d be?]
But I’ve been misunderstanding Yoon Haon as an Omega Amulet all this time?
Listening to Cha Seo-jun, it occurred to me that it might be true that Yoon Haon wasn’t trying to meet me but was trying to avoid me.
On another note, it was quite grating how he kept calling Yoon Haon ‘Haon-hyung’.
“Where are you. Let’s meet for a bit.”
[Why?]
Even to that question, Cha Jeong-won was picturing Yoon Haon’s face.
If my misunderstandings so far were correct, it felt awkward to just let it slide.
Besides, there’s something Yoon Haon wants to have.
[I have to go meet Haon-hyung? Oh, did you hear Grandma is coming?]
“Where are you going to meet?”
Cha Jeong-won only asked what he wanted to know.
＊ ＊ ＊
The restaurant was ambiguously quiet. Perhaps because the lunch crowd had left and the dinner crowd hadn’t arrived yet, the empty seats scattered around were noticeable.
“Hey. This spot’s good, right?”
Kim Hyun-gyu patted the table by the window with his palm. Sunlight passed through the glass window and fell onto the chairs.
“It doesn’t have to be by the window…….”
Haon muttered ambiguously and trailed off.
What does it matter where we sit?
He pulled out a chair and sat down.
Kim Hyun-gyu sat across from him and scanned the menu.
“What should we order when Seo-jun gets here?”
“Tteokbokki.”
“Obviously we’ll order tteokbokki. I’m asking about side dishes.”
Kim Hyun-gyu grumbled and passed the menu over. Meanwhile, Haon looked out the window.
He tapped the edge of the table with his finger. The light, wooden resonance unique to the table transmitted through his fingertips.
His mood felt strange.
Cha Jeong-won.
Why does that name keep coming to mind? It’s not like he’s going to show up.
This wasn’t near the school; it was a restaurant Haon used to frequent when he worked at an art academy.
There was no reason for Cha Jeong-won to come all the way here.
Even though it made no sense, it kept feeling weird.
‘Why…… do I feel like I’ll see him?’
Have I finally gone crazy? As Haon tilted his head, Kim Hyun-gyu picked up his phone.
“Huh? I’ll be right back, gotta take this call.”
His oddly excited face looked like he’d received a call he’d been waiting for.
Lately, he seemed to be busy running around somewhere.
“Is something going on?”
“Yeah, something like that. I’ll tell you when it’s confirmed. If Seo-jun comes, start eating first.”
“Hey hey, you have to tell me what…….”
Haon tried to stop him, but Kim Hyun-gyu acted like he didn’t hear, hurriedly got up, and went outside.
“What the. This feels like déjà vu…….”
He remembered when Kim Hyun-gyu got up saying he’d buy coffee at the café. But that time and now are different.
“There’s nothing to surprise me with now, why is he leaving?”
But instead of chasing after Kim Hyun-gyu who had already left, he lazily looked at the menu.
Then, Haon’s phone rang for a long time. Thinking it was Kim Hyun-gyu or Cha Seo-jun, Haon glanced at the name on the screen without much thought, swallowed a sigh first, and answered.
“Yes, Mom.”
[Have you eaten?]
“About to. Why.”
[How’s school?]
“Same as always. Busy and hectic.”
Haon replied curtly.
[You can quit anytime if it’s hard and come back. Remember your aunt said she has a position?]
At those words, Haon flared up, then realizing it was his mom, suppressed his voice.
“Why would I quit a school I’m attending fine? And even if Aunt says she has a position, how can I, with nothing to my name, get in there?”
He could cut off the nonsense, but he couldn’t cut off the turmoil inside.
[Mom means, wouldn’t it be nice if you took over the kindergarten your aunt runs? You’re good at that sort of thing.]
Haon frowned at that.
This was the school and department he had dreamed of for a long time and fiercely prepared to enter. Even though she knows he’s working hard here, she always says these regretful words once in a while.
To change career paths now. When only the graduation year is left.
Haon didn’t want to hear more.
[Your aunt is in Seoul too, so drop by sometime when you have time. Or do you want to go with me? I was planning to visit anyway.]
His mom’s voice was light, but Haon’s heart was unsettled.
“I’m not going. And please stop saying things like that.”
[It’s because graduation is right around the corner. The art you learned will be helpful too. If you don’t get a job this time, let’s definitely go to the kindergarten. Okay?]
Haon blankly stared at the words ‘instant tteokbokki’ written on the menu and felt his neck stiffen for no reason.
“I’m hanging up.”
[Alright. Let’s hang up.]
As the call ended, the restaurant noise became distinct again. Haon remained still even after putting down his phone.
The phone rang again. Thinking it might be his mom again, he frowned, but seeing it was someone else, he pressed the answer button.
“Yeah, Seo-jun. You here?”
[……Hyung. About that.]
The voice sounded somewhat awkward, making Haon tilt his head.
“Is something wrong?”
[Um……. Yeah. A family elder came over. It’d be a bit awkward to leave now……. Seems difficult today.]
“Ah.”
Embarrassment and disappointment surged simultaneously, but hearing the reason, he couldn’t possibly insist he come out.
“Okay. Can’t be helped, I guess. See you next time.”
[I’m really sorry. Instead, I’ll ask you to buy me something more delicious next time. Definitely.]
Not that he’d buy something delicious, but that he’d ask to be bought something. Still a cute kid.
“Sure, I’ll buy you anything. Bye.”
Adding a joking remark, he hung up.
As soon as the screen turned off, the empty seats came into view.
“Why on earth isn’t Kim Hyun-gyu coming?”
He tried calling to check, but there was no answer. Then, just one flippant text arrived. Said something came up.
What’s going on before even eating? Somehow, it felt like misfortune had settled on his shoulders again.
He was trying to fill his stomach with something spicy to change his mood, but…
“How am I supposed to eat all this tteokbokki alone……?”
Muttering in a flustered voice, Haon unconsciously raised his head.
Just then, the door opened and a man entered.
For a moment, he wondered if Cha Seo-jun or Kim Hyun-gyu were pretending not to come to tease him and were now entering.
But upon seeing the man’s face as he entered, that thought vanished completely.
The familiar silhouette and all-too-familiar features. Especially the eyes, not hidden even by the disheveled bangs, became even more sharply imprinted the moment their gazes met.
It was Cha Jeong-won.
Haon wasn’t surprised at all.
“Somehow…….”
Meeting Cha Jeong-won’s eyes, Haon muttered.
“I really am strung along by that guy.”
Haon calmly raised a hand to greet Cha Jeong-won.
“Over here.”
To anyone watching, it looked like a natural greeting between people who had an appointment.