By Zephyria 
You crazy bastard, where are you going to go and buy what in this state?
When Kwon Yi-kang, realizing I had no clothes, suggested going to buy some, I nearly jumped out of my skin.
I may have walked out of the house like this, but I wasn’t crazy enough to wander around among people.
Eventually, Kwon Yi-kang pulled over on the street, went into a bedding shop, and bought a thin blanket. I wrapped myself up like a kimbap and entered the elevator of Kwon Yi-kang’s apartment. I was nervous that someone might get on halfway, but fortunately, I made it home without encountering anyone.
“Ah, now I can finally relax.”
Kwon Yi-kang, who had carried my blanket-wrapped body like a giant roll—warning that I might step on something sharp—set me down in the house.
“What’s in this bag that you didn’t even have one piece of clothing?”
“That? Gold bars. I don’t need clothes, but I had to bring those.”
When the Alpha father told me to leave everything he had bought for me, I felt a bit guilty, but I closed my eyes and took them anyway. That man wouldn’t know anyway. If he asks for them back later, I’ll give them then. For now, I have to take what I can.
“You at least had the presence of mind to bring this.”
“Of course. It’s more important than my underwear!”
“And that’s why you came out with your buttocks completely exposed?”
“Because of this, I was at least able to cover the front. Otherwise, I would’ve shown my dick too.”
“What a boast.”
The words he breathed out like a sigh were mixed with grief. It certainly wasn’t a compliment, but I was still proud of myself for securing this bag.
“Darling, I don’t have a single piece of clothing. Buy me some pretty clothes.”
As I clung to his arm and spoke in a cutesy, babyish voice, Kwon Yi-kang let out a hollow laugh.
“Do you want to go shopping wrapped in a blanket? Stay put. I’ll buy the clothes and bring them back.”
“Buy me pretty ones.”
“I’ll buy pretty clothes if you act pretty.”
“Hey, I even stripped naked to start a life with you! The least you could do is buy me a whole department store out of gratitude. Huh?”
“I’m so grateful, that’s why. When I think about you strolling around naked in front of other guys, I’m so grateful… that I want to gouge out all their eyes.”
Wait, why did this suddenly turn from romance to horror? Feeling a strange chill, I shivered and pulled the blanket up higher.
I waddled across the living room and curled up on the sofa, and Kwon Yi-kang went into the kitchen as if to bring something.
“What are you doing?”
“Warming up some milk. Are you hungry?”
“No. It’s not mealtime yet, so just come here first.”
“One second.”
As if warming the milk was the most important task in the world, Kwon Yi-kang ignored my urging and eventually brought a glass of warm milk and handed it to me.
“Drink this. To warm up your insides.”
“The car heater melted everything already.”
“Drink it anyway.”
“More importantly.”
I patted the sofa seat, telling him to sit next to me, and Kwon Yi-kang sat down and met my eyes.
“I should probably go speak to your father too, right?”
“I guess so. If it’s too bothersome, you don’t have to. I can go alone, or just tell him over the phone.”
I was impressed by Kwon Yi-kang’s audacity to notify such an important matter over the phone, but it wasn’t something to rush. No, rather, it was something that shouldn’t be rushed.
“Let’s tell him a bit later.”
“…Why?”
“Later, much later. Let’s delay it as much as possible before we go tell him.”
“I’m asking why.”
Kwon Yi-kang’s brow furrowed as if he had heard something he didn’t like.
“I didn’t bring anything with me. I even stripped off the underwear I was wearing. It’s not like I have a company I attend; do you think I saved up a salary from working? Or do I have some inheritance from parents who died early? All I have is some pocket money I saved and a few gold bars. I came here looking only at you. Doesn’t that make you feel anything?”
“…Thanks?”
You piece of… I struggled to hold back a curse and forced my lips upward. I managed to make a smiling face, but it was uncertain if my trembling mouth actually looked like a smile.
“Mr. Kwon Yi-kang. Let’s think about this calmly and seriously. We’re practically one body now. A community of destiny.”
“…A community of destiny.”
“Yes. So, in this situation, what do you think is the most important thing?”
“I love you.”
Along with a sudden confession of love, a rough kiss followed as if he were overcome with emotion. A hand slipped through the gap in the thin blanket and moved suggestively against my bare skin.
Love is great, kissing is great, and skinship is great. But we were in the middle of an important conversation. I pushed the back of Kwon Yi-kang’s head away and made a warning ‘tss’ sound.
“Whose name is this apartment under?”
“Obviously.”
“Obviously?”
“Mine.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I don’t have to worry about being kicked out overnight. As I let out a sigh of relief, Kwon Yi-kang nibbled on my earlobe and laughed softly.
“Why? Want me to transfer the title to your name?”
“No. I’m just glad it’s your house. Then from now on, carefully transfer everything that can be transferred to your name. Land, houses, things like that. Real estate is the best. Buy whatever needs to be bought before the cards are cut off. No, wait. Who’s paying the credit card bills?”
“Soo-kyung.”
“If your father is paying, let’s just swipe away. If you’re paying, let’s save and be frugal from now on. And what else is there?”
“Soo-kyung.”
As I was frantically thinking with my eyes darting around, Kwon Yi-kang called my name again and grabbed my shoulders to meet my gaze.
“What is it?”
“Now I only have one card given to me by the Omega father. My father isn’t exactly opposing it, but he wants a grand wedding. But if both families oppose it, a grand wedding is impossible, and then my father will eventually oppose it too. Then that last card will be gone as well.”
“Right. So what?”
“Your father will probably cut off everything he gave you while opposing the marriage. You might even get fired from the company. I guess this is why people say you need your own business. Being a company employee is like having the life of a fly. If they tell you to leave, you have to leave. If that happens, we’ll both be unemployed, so we’ll have to worry about how to make a living.”
Kwon Yi-kang burst into laughter at my words. He’s probably never experienced going hungry, so he can’t imagine it. That made it even more bleak. I wondered how a young master who grew up without a single hardship would survive.
“You have no worries now, right? Once you start living on your own, everything is money. Housing, food, living expenses, utilities. Money goes out just by breathing.”
“Are you worried we’ll starve?”
“Honestly, I’m fine. I think I could live the rest of my life just by selling the gold bars I have. But you… you’ve never lived like that. I don’t know if you can endure it.”
We might have to eat rice with nothing but a piece of kimchi because we have no money, or survive on ramen for several meals, or if things get worse, we might have to survive on just water for days. Could Kwon Yi-kang endure such a life?
“Why do you talk like you’ve done it? If we’re talking about growing up pampered, you probably grew up more pampered than I did.”
“That’s because I… I have an unexpectedly stubborn streak, so I’ll endure it well. I’m just worried about you.”
I had experienced it. Not just once or twice, but I lived like that until I almost died. That’s why I hated returning to such a life, and I was afraid of what would happen to Kwon Yi-kang in that situation. It wouldn’t matter for me since I’d be returning to my original life, but I couldn’t guarantee that Kwon Yi-kang could handle it.
“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”
I reached out and hugged Kwon Yi-kang.
What am I thinking, worrying about a pampered young master? I can’t let a guy who’s getting kicked out just to live with me suffer.
“I’ll feed you. I won’t let you starve. If it really comes down to it, I’ll steal money or sell my body, I’ll find a way to make money somehow…”
“Sell what?”
Kwon Yi-kang, who had been laughing happily to himself, oblivious to the mood, asked with wide eyes. I thought his timing for getting serious was poor. It would have been better if he had matched my seriousness from the start.
“I don’t actually mean I’ll sell it. I just mean I’m prepared to go out and work with that level of determination.”
“Don’t even think about it. Just think about me and do things related to me. The only place you’ll be exerting effort is in bed. So don’t even have such foolish thoughts.”
“Yeah, thanks for the words alone. Anyway, we need to think a bit about the future.”
They say people can do anything when pushed, but I still didn’t know what other work Kwon Yi-kang could do if he were kicked out of his father’s company.
He’s just my responsibility now. It’s bleak when I remember the times when it was hard to even take care of myself, but at least I won’t be lonely since I’m not alone. Though the thought of dragging Kwon Yi-kang down into that gutter-like bottom makes my heart ache.
I wish Kwon Yi-kang had told me about his mother a bit sooner. If he had, I would have delayed bringing him to greet my family and siphoned off money or whatever in advance. I felt a lingering regret, thinking that if I had asked for a house to become independent, it would have been better.
Still, it wasn’t a story Kwon Yi-kang could bring up easily. It was a lifelong pain, so I had no intention of blaming him for not telling me sooner.
“Stop worrying about useless things. Once the clothes are ready tomorrow, let’s go shopping. Or we could go on a trip for a change of pace. This place is small, so we could look for a place to move to.”
“I told you we have to save money.”
“Right. I’ll take care of the saving. Just think about where you want to travel and where you want to live from now on.”
No matter how much I thought about it, Kwon Yi-kang didn’t seem to realize the severity of the problem they were currently facing.