─ …Ah
After a brief silence, Joo Tae-hyun’s response was an ambiguous murmur, neither affirmative nor negative.
A quick glance at the phone screen showed the call time slowly ticking away. It meant there was no problem with the connection.
Although Joo Tae-hyun wasn’t usually talkative, Seo Baek-han had expected him to be unable to hide his excitement at the mention of a date. Seeing him seemingly flustered and unable to say anything was a bit unpleasant. Had he perhaps been expecting some kind of reaction from Joo Tae-hyun this time?
“If you’re busy, we can meet next time.”
─ Ah, no. It’s okay
The small addition of “I’ll go out” in Joo Tae-hyun’s voice sounded, well, close to resignation.
Seo Baek-han had only ever seen his slightly downturned, expressionless face, so he didn’t know. Maybe it was because they weren’t face to face, but talking to him on the phone made his emotions seem clearer than usual.
Come to think of it, he didn’t think he’d ever talked to Joo Tae-hyun without a specific purpose, consciously aware of him.
Well, if anything, this was interesting… What was unexpected was the slight displeasure that surged within him at the conversation taking an unexpected turn.
Seo Baek-han ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek a few times before casually tossing out a topic that his young spouse might like.
“Then, shall we go ride the Ferris wheel later?”
─ The Ferris wheel?
“Yeah. Like people in Seoul go to see Namsan Tower, in Pyongyang, people go to ride the Ferris wheel. When they’re on a date.”
This silence, unlike the previous one, clearly conveyed excitement and elation. As expected. Seo Baek-han smirked as he got into the back seat.
“Then let’s meet in front of it around 7.”
─ Yes.
Ah, perhaps he thought they were going to the hotel again today. Joo Tae-hyun’s body was a mess from the harsh penetration sex that had been going on every few days.
He wasn’t trying to push him that hard. He was just thinking of having a simple meal outside and then practicing some oral sex in the car.
Sex with Joo Tae-hyun couldn’t be described as diverse, even as a joke. Mixing bodies with a guy meant that the positions and the amount of foreplay he could give were limited, so honestly, the sex itself was a bit boring.
However, there were also some pretty extreme acts that were possible because the partner was a man. Unlike the people he had met in the past, the unbridled feeling of being able to Knot him whenever he wanted gave him a considerable thrill.
It wasn’t just sex; the instinctive pleasure of controlling and dominating the other person was also not something to be ignored.
So, unlike when Seo Baek-han had initially recoiled from embracing Joo Tae-hyun, he was now quite enjoying savoring the transference of sensations that were being converted in various ways.
“Oh, Director. Lotus Flower Palace called a little while ago.”
“Ah. Was it because of this incident?”
“Yes. They said they were calling lightly to confirm, and that there would be lunch and dinner schedules later, so they suggested we talk again on the weekend.”
“Okay.”
Seo Baek-han recalled the problem he had momentarily forgotten because he was pushing Joo Tae-hyun so hard.
The various rumors surrounding same-sex Alpha couples were nothing new. The stories about Switch use had been going on constantly since the marriage announcement.
However, there must be a reason why his father was particularly sharp about this matter, so it seemed necessary to investigate separately. Since he was already suspicious of everything Joo Tae-hyun had presented to him, it wouldn’t hurt to rummage through it together.
Seo Baek-han leaned back into the seat and closed his eyes.
It was a first. Looking forward to leaving work more than going to work.
***
Friday’s rush hour would be congested anywhere, but the Pyongyang city center, where the roads were particularly tangled, was a battlefield.
Joo Tae-hyun glanced at the phone screen once, the watch on his wrist once, and the scenery outside the car window once, fidgeting with his eyes.
Even in a luxury sedan that boasted excellent ride quality, the body was just as tired. Before the bruises and muscle aches from the sex at Lotus Flower Palace, which he barely remembered, had even faded, he had tumbled with Seo Baek-han at the hotel again.
Joo Tae-hyun had all the characteristics that people thought of when they heard the word “Alpha.” It meant he had a strong body and excellent recovery ability.
But this time, unlike usual, he was feeling weak. Was it because the pain was unfamiliar? Even just sitting like this, beads of cold sweat were forming on his forehead.
Joo Tae-hyun roughly wiped his face with a rough hand and buried his nose in the gown that Seo Baek-han often wore at home.
He hadn’t done much other than doze off while following his Pheromones for the past few days.
He could understand wanting the Pheromones of his Imprinting partner, but he had never felt this sleepy before, so Joo Tae-hyun was embarrassed by himself, dozing off at every opportunity like a sick chicken.
Well, it was sex that he couldn’t bear without doing that.
Even Joo Tae-hyun, who didn’t have much experience, knew that sex with Seo Baek-han wasn’t normal.
Trying to erase the bitterness, Joo Tae-hyun yawned unnecessarily and perked up a little when he saw the Ferris wheel in the distance. It was probably just his imagination, but he felt a slightly stronger Pheromone from Seo Baek-han’s blanket wrapped around his body…
Lost in the beautiful scenery and Seo Baek-han’s scent, Joo Tae-hyun suddenly snapped to his senses at the sharp vibration. Like someone caught doing something bad.
“…Oh, Noona.”
It would have been a little awkward if it had been Seo Baek-han, but fortunately, it was a call from Joo Yun-woo.
─ Eh? Baby, do you have a cold?
Startled by his hoarse voice, Joo Yun-woo asked with a worried voice, setting aside greetings.
─ You do have a cold, don’t you? Your breathing sounds just like it!
She probably called to check on Kim Seung-jun’s matter, but seeing her worry about him first, he thought that family was family after all. Seo Baek-han didn’t even seem to know that he was sick…
“No, Noona. I just woke up from a nap.”
─ You? Our know-it-all slept until this hour? You must be sick! What should I do, did you contact Doctor Woo?
“I’m not a doctor yet. And I was just really tired.”
─ Really? You didn’t cry because of that damn bastard, did you?
Joo Tae-hyun denied it, but hesitated for a moment. He had difficulty guessing who that damn bastard was referring to for a moment. Baek-han Hyung? Or Kim Seung-jun?
─ Anyway, I called to tell you that you don’t have to worry. We’re going to counterattack by saying that Poongjin Industries did this because they were blinded by the repeal of the Shifter welfare bill. Why, those bastards have been going crazy trying to make some kind of Heat emotion chip since before.
But, Joo Yun-woo hesitated for a moment.
─ The Yunra Foundation seems a little upset.
“Why?”
─ Kim Seung-jun went to see Cheon Seung-pil. They’ve always been unhappy that reporters have been looking for Seung-pil first whenever they wanted to dig up information about you, and now that this has happened, they seem very uncomfortable.
Joo Tae-hyun, who had been languidly stretched out, straightened his posture. Ah, that’s right. He had been really indifferent to Cheon Seung-pil. He hadn’t even thought of apologizing properly, even though they had been in contact until recently…
“Ah, I’m sorry. I should have paid a little more attention to Seung-pil…”
─ No. We decided to assign a bodyguard to Seung-pil. But since his family doesn’t lack money, I was wondering if our baby could show some sincerity instead.
“How?”
─ Since it’s still before the semester starts, why don’t you invite Seung-pil to Pyongyang?
It sounded like she meant to help Cheon Seung-pil write his transfer essay under the guise of Pyongyang tourism.
Well, he was taking a break from going to the lab for the time being, and Cheon Seung-pil wasn’t a Shifter, so it wouldn’t be a problem to be close to him for a few days. Above all, he could gladly endure that much trouble for an acquaintance who had suffered in a distant place because of him.
─ If you let Seung-pil sleep and take care of him at your house, his family would be relieved and happy… Husband Seo, he wouldn’t allow it with that temper of his, would he?
“Um, Baek-han Hyung doesn’t like having anyone at home… But I’ll ask.”
Joo Yun-woo clicked her tongue as if to say she shouldn’t have said anything. She wanted to curse Seo Baek-han somehow, but she seemed to be holding back because it was a bit much to force a complete stranger to stay and eat at a couple’s house.
─ Or why don’t you and Seung-pil go on a trip to the north this time?
Joo Tae-hyun smiled faintly, telling Joo Yun-woo, who was enticing him with the opportunity to use her card to his heart’s content, that he would think about it. He didn’t seem to have been chatting for that long, but before he knew it, the Ferris wheel, which had been the size of a fingernail, was right in front of him.
“Noona, I think I need to get off soon. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”
─ Okay. Take it easy with your studies, our baby.
If you feel uncomfortable at all, don’t hesitate to call Doctor Woo, and if you want to see your family, be sure to tell me so I can adjust the schedule somehow…
After that, his affectionate sister’s nagging continued for a long time.
Joo Tae-hyun rubbed his eyelids, which had become heavy again, and nodded silently.