By Zephyria 
A sticky silence flowed. The man entered the shop, wearing his long coat like a suit of armor.
“Things are turning out quite interestingly.”
As he took off the coat and draped it over his arm, a grey shirt was smoothly revealed.
“The crab shell is filling up on medicine, and the kid is being fed dog food, for fuck’s sake.”
Out of shame, Eun-myeong’s ears flushed a vivid red. The spoon slipped from his hand. Clang, the sound of it breaking echoed.
“Why not just eat on all fours on the floor and be comfortable?”
Eun-myeong slowly pushed his chair back and stood up. One cheek was currently puffed out. A smooth, glossy sheen coated the bulge.
“The things the customers eat are perfectly fine, very fresh….”
His lips trembled. Terrified that the man might catch him selling mixed leftovers, he poured out the excuse to the frightening man.
“Then what is it that you’re eating right now?”
The man, who had been leaning against the doorway, approached.
“Leftovers from other bastards?”
Eun-myeong cast his eyes down in embarrassment. His narrow jaw trembled.
“So you’re saying you ate food waste.”
He couldn’t bring himself to say it wasn’t true. Because that expression was accurate…. Eun-myeong wanted to hide his face in shame. He felt as if he had been burned. It felt as though his entire life had been stripped of its skin, leaving only raw, red flesh exposed.
Moreover… if this customer had arrived just ten minutes earlier, he would have been caught red-handed throwing away the snow crab. His heart hammered in his chest.
“Bring me the special.”
He murmured as he pulled out a chair. The chair, bearing his massive frame, let out a screeching creak, as if screaming for mercy. He had hoped it wouldn’t happen, but was he actually planning to eat raw fish and then leave?
“T-the aunties have all gone home for the day, so we can’t slice the fish.”
Why on earth did he visit at a time when no one else was here? Being alone with this man in the gloomy atmosphere made him feel like he was going crazy with anxiety.
This was a man who had killed people.
‘I’m scared.’
Truly, he was so terrified that he wanted to flee into a mouse hole if there were one. But since the man was blocking the exit, no matter where he ran, he would be within the man’s grasp.
Today, the man who usually followed him around like a henchman wasn’t here. He was standing alone, so why did he feel such an overwhelming sense of intimidation? He had never seen a person with such a large shadow. Eun-myeong stepped back slowly in his slippers.
“Then what is Baby good at?”
Eun-myeong deliberately thought of a menu item the man would likely never eat.
“S-spicy fish stew….”
At that, the man gestured toward the kitchen with his eyes.
“Bring it out, with a bowl of rice.”
He was determined to eat and stay. Eun-myeong trudged into the kitchen. He took out a pot and prepared to boil the spicy fish stew. He laid the fish head inside and poured in plenty of water. He scooped out the seasoning with a spoon and dissolved it slowly into the water.
Normally, he should have served it at this stage, but Eun-myeong deliberately let it boil vigorously. He was trying to stall for as much time as possible.
When he came out of the kitchen with the steaming pot, the man was waiting with his arms crossed over his chest. His thick arms were as threatening as ever.
“H-here is the spicy fish stew….”
As he tried to light the portable stove, his hands kept slipping, click-clack. It was because of the gaze pooling in his ears. This man was far more terrifying and daunting than the middle-aged Mister who had been harassing him earlier.
Soon, the blue flame flared up.
“Please enjoy your meal.”
Suddenly, a hand gripped his wrist firmly from the side. It was that hand. The one that had recklessly grabbed his hand and sucked at his flesh so damply and indiscriminately….
“W-why….”
Eun-myeong looked at the man, pleading for him to let go, but the man didn’t budge an inch. He simply held Eun-myeong bound as tightly as a rope.
“Sit in front of me.”
For a moment, Eun-myeong couldn’t process the man’s words and blinked. His round eyelashes fluttered. Because of the remaining soap suds, the fine hairs were exceptionally moist.
“I believe I told you to sit.”
As if he wouldn’t say it twice, the man’s elegant brow was faintly furrowed. At that, Eun-myeong slid tentatively into the opposite chair. In his nervousness, he tangled his hands together haphazardly under the table. Why, why was he doing this again all of a sudden?
The man pushed the bowl of rice, still radiating heat, and the utensils in front of Eun-myeong. Why is he giving this to me…. While he stared, unable to understand, the man gestured toward the rice with his chin.
“You need to put some meat on your cock so you can wear bigger panties, right?”
Bubble, bubble, the spicy fish stew boiled on one side. It smelled so good that he swallowed hard, but there was no way he could swallow anything with this man in front of him. Yet, the man continued to stare at him.
“What, fuck. You don’t want to eat what Mister gave you?”
The low-voiced profanity was utterly vulgar. Eun-myeong squeezed his eyes shut. Then, he slowly began to scoop up the rice with the spoon.
“No word from Noona?”
“No….”
The rice he chewed felt like grains of sand. He felt the man’s gaze touching the nape of his neck. He was watching intently, as if trying to pick something out.
“Right, good boy.”
Soon, a hand as large as the stew pot covered Eun-myeong’s head.
“Just keep acting this obedient from now on. Submissive and pr~etty.”
The tone was as if he were dealing with a well-behaved child, but Eun-myeong’s legs were trembling violently.
“I heard that shitty bastard of an orphanage director sold you off for a debt….”
At the words that followed in a low voice, Eun-myeong bit his lower lip hard. Since the man was someone who spent over a million won a day, it wouldn’t have been hard for him to find out.
“Baby, the only way to pay off that debt is to be sold. Do you want to wear diapers for the rest of your life because your bottom hole won’t close?”
Eun-myeong squeezed his eyes shut.
If he truly were an Omega, that really was the only way. He worked day and night like this to pay off the debt, but he was simply grateful for the fact that he was only a half-breed. It was a hundred, a thousand times better than selling his body. Otherwise, his entire life could have been thrown into the trash.
“Mister doesn’t usually eat things others have eaten and thrown away.”
The man leaned his upper body toward Eun-myeong. Moving his smooth tongue, he whispered leisurely and secretly.
“Maybe marry Mister when you turn thirty. Who knows? I might fucking adore you.”
The man chuckled. At that, Eun-myeong’s fingers flinched. It was because of a sudden chill. As if he had told a funny joke, the man pressed the corner of his wide mouth with the tip of his tongue.
A smooth, thick tongue. Eun-myeong felt a sudden surge of nausea. And finally, unable to hold back the vomit rising from within, he jerked his waist to the side.
“…Ugh, ugh.”
Since he had eaten almost nothing, aside from a bit of rice and stew, it was mostly just gastric acid. The cold man looked at him. Then, he smiled expressionlessly, as if a hook were caught in his mouth.
“It’s okay. Babies usually eat and vomit at the same time.”
He took out a handkerchief and wiped Eun-myeong’s cheek. Eun-myeong looked up at him blankly. Why is he going this far? I just wish he would let me go. Why did he suddenly appear and act kindly…. Eun-myeong remained wary.
“I’ll drop you home, so come out.”
“N-no, I’m fine.”
Eun-myeong shook his head desperately. How could he possibly get into the same car with this man?
“T-there’s an auntie coming with me. She said she’d stop somewhere for a moment.”
I think I have to wait and go with her—he hurriedly made up a random excuse. He wondered if the man would slap his cheek for disobeying, but fortunately, the man didn’t say anything more.
Despite only ordering the spicy fish stew, the man handed over a one-million-won check. Then, he left the shop.
“G-goodbye….”
In truth, it was a great relief for Eun-myeong. He could just make an excuse that the man had bought snow crab with the newly accumulated money.
Eun-myeong stood at the door and looked outside. A car was buried in the pitch-black darkness. With a vroom sound, it emitted threatening yellow lights from both eyes.
“Are you back, sir?”
Bear, who had opened an umbrella, quickly stepped out of the driver’s seat. Without using it himself, he held the umbrella over the man and opened the car door. The man climbed into the backseat as if it were second nature. The car sped sharply through the night streets.
“…He’s finally gone.”
Only then did Eun-myeong let out a sharp breath. He rubbed his face vigorously with his palms. He truly felt like he was going to suffocate to death….
It was 30 minutes later when Eun-myeong left the shop. Outside, the rain was still pouring down, and he only had a zip-up hoodie thrown over his head. The face glimpsed beneath it emitted a pale light even in this darkness.
…A short distance away.
A car as black as a bat was moving slowly, like a snail. Through a slightly open window, the man watched the figure as if ready to pounce.
The slender body struggled not to step in the puddles. Spreading his legs wide, he hopped over the puddles. Perhaps because he was afraid of getting wet in the rain, he was wearing slippers on bare feet without even socks.
“…Ah!”
He must have misstepped, as a large puddle splashed and his backside became damp. Though he couldn’t know for sure, his bottom must be soaking wet. His heels and ankles were a ripe red; if one were to touch them with a tongue and roll them, they would likely taste quite sweet. They certainly wouldn’t compare to cheap raw fish.
“Fuck, that little brat.”
He thought things would go easily since the kid was an Omega. He thought the boy would rub those soft cheeks against his chest and beg him to save him and adore him….
But far from it, even when he stepped forward with generosity to adore him, the boy was slipping away like a loach. Only the smooth sensation from earlier remained in the man’s two hands.
“He’s playing a fun game.”
Suddenly, he craved the bitter taste of nicotine. The man took out a crocodile Zippo lighter from inside his jacket. He scratched the bumpy surface, like crocodile leather, with his fingernail.
As he flicked the wheel to ignite the flame, the man’s lips were revealed in the darkness. He was smiling, pressing the corner of his mouth with his tongue.