By Zephyria 
One spring day, when Ryle came to the school to pick up Hae-jin, a small commotion broke out in the media.
It was the day the identity of the ‘Omega’ from the rumors, which had only been whispered in tabloids, was revealed. Once the pressure from the Vermouth Corporation, which had been applied in all directions, disappeared, even the major media outlets began to cover Hae-jin’s existence.
However, since they couldn’t afford to ignore the whims of Vermouth, their largest advertiser, the news was handled politely and passed over discreetly. It became clear that this was the right decision when several media outlets that had used rude language regarding Hae-jin subsequently became targets of tax audits.
But it couldn’t be quietly overlooked at the school he attended. There was no way to stop the rumors among spirited young people, and Hae-jin instantly became the most famous person on campus.
At first, this explosive interest was burdensome, but it gradually improved over time. In particular, as he focused quietly on his studies alongside his close friends, many people quickly lost interest. Rather, as the cause of the strong marking Hae-jin wore every day became clear, the existing rumors diminished.
Thanks to that, by the time early summer arrived, Hae-jin was able to adapt to his daily life reasonably well. He thought that even if the commotion had continued, he wouldn’t have quit school. After all, he was already used to the gazes directed at him.
If it hadn’t been the rumors about Ryle, he would have inevitably drawn attention for various reasons—simply for having black hair, or for being Asian. In fact, he had already been suffering from useless curiosity.
Since it was a two-year community college, the remaining course period wasn’t long. Thinking that he could just quit if things became harder or more dangerous, Hae-jin felt a sense of peace that surprised even himself.
As if those sharp gazes could no longer reach him.
“Hurry up and attack, Bright. The loser buys drinks at school tomorrow.”
It was one of those cloudy days characteristic of the city of Heavy Rain. The three of them came to the game room in the mansion as soon as class ended. Today happened to be a leisurely day with only the ‘History of Architecture’ class that the three of them took together.
Hae-jin let out a faint laugh at Brown’s spirited challenge. After losing several times in a row last week, they seemed to have been brooding over it all week. Seeing them neatly tie up their red hair, it seemed they were truly determined.
“Sure.”
He had been getting along well with Brown and Miller even after that day. In fact, after returning while draped in Ryle’s arms that day, Hae-jin had a belated thought: perhaps things would become awkward with these two from now on. Since they were the first friends he had made in a very long time, he felt a bit sad.
Fortunately, the two approached Hae-jin as usual the next day. Miller poured out a non-stop stream of questions, but it was merely curiosity; there were no unpleasant remarks. Brown, who was by his side, occasionally smacked Miller on the back and acted thoughtfully as usual.
“Bright! Can I do this? Oh, it’s not opened yet.”
“Go ahead.”
“Whoa, this is N Company’s latest game. The release date is next week, how on earth did you get this?”
As if waiting for a precise answer, Miller disappeared toward the opposite wall in a state of great excitement. He looked utterly thrilled as he turned on the console that matched the game pack he was holding.
Occasionally, Ryle would manage to get games before their official release. Since explaining how he did that was a bit embarrassing, Hae-jin was always grateful for their casual attitude.
Perhaps because they were all in the same department, people from the history department occasionally asked the two about Hae-jin. It was a scene he had happened to witness in passing, and the two were appropriately brushing off useless questions. There were likely many more annoying incidents happening out of sight.
He was still grateful for their effort to treat him normally. Thanks to that, they had become friends who now invited each other to the mansion.
When he was with them, he often thought of the boisterousness when his Hyung’s friends used to swarm the house. When he recalled that alone, his heart had felt so cold, but thinking that he was now living like his Hyung provided a strange sense of comfort.
“Oh, Bright, did you hear? About next week’s game.”
“Game?”
“Yeah. Our school’s football team. I heard they made it to the finals.”
“I see.”
Hae-jin’s college, which wasn’t difficult to enter, was small, but as a school in a wealthy city, it had all the necessary facilities. Among them, the football team, which had entered a local tournament, seemed to have successfully advanced to the finals.
“The dorms are in an uproar over it. It’s the first final in 20 years. Plus, the final match is at a stadium near the school.”
From behind, Miller let out a cheer, shouting a loud support slogan. He had always been deeply interested in football, so there was a high probability that Miller was among the people causing a stir in the dorms.
Brown, who watched that with a brief look of pity, asked Hae-jin again. They seemed to remember that Hae-jin had watched the football team’s practice intently while looking for a classroom a while ago.
“You seemed interested too, want to come along?”
Whenever he saw someone in a football uniform, he always thought of his Hyung. His Hyung had gone away during the time he should have been shining most brilliantly. When he saw the players with their faces hidden by helmets, he felt as if his Hyung were running right before his eyes, and at some point, he found himself watching blankly.
Suddenly, the atmosphere of the stadium where he had gone to cheer for his Hyung came to mind. The image of his parents screaming at the top of their lungs. And his own young heart, trembling because the sight of his Hyung being tackled looked so painful.
Hae-jin didn’t dislike the active heat blooming within him for the first time in a long while.
“Yeah. I’ll think about it.”
He answered this way because he couldn’t give an immediate confirmation, but Hae-jin definitely wanted to go. As if that were enough, Brown nodded readily.
The game they started after that was very intense. It seemed the determination wasn’t just a bluff, as Hae-jin, who had practiced steadily, narrowly lost several rounds.
Because of that, he didn’t know how time flew. He thought Mark had brought some snacks halfway through, but they had barely touched them.
Then, he snapped back to his senses at the sound of a bell ringing outside the door.
“Oh, it’s already this late.”
Brown seemed to be the same, awkwardly checking the time on their phone. Outside, it was already growing dark. Because the lights hadn’t been turned on yet, only the game screen dimly illuminated the room.
In that situation, the door clicked open.
“Hae-jin.”
“…Ryle.”
It reminded him exactly of the times his parents had come home while he was playing games instead of doing his homework. Especially since Mark, standing behind Ryle, made a playfully stern face, Hae-jin awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.
“Were you having fun?”
Ignoring the darkness, Ryle strode into the room. His swept-back hair was as perfect as it had been when he left in the morning.
Approaching Hae-jin immediately, Ryle scanned the dim room and the untouched snacks in turn. Feeling increasingly embarrassed, Hae-jin rubbed the nape of his neck roughly again.
“I’m home, Hae-jin.”
“Welcome back.”
Watching Ryle embrace Bright so affectionately, Brown subtly read the room. How should they leave without disturbing this couple?
Vermouth was truly one of the most difficult people to deal with. That’s why Brown had originally intended to go home before he arrived, but they had become too absorbed in the game.
Since he acted so desperately every time they saw him, it felt as if he had been away on a long business trip. However, after seeing it a few times, they barely realized that he was just that kind of person. It was a side of him truly different from the image encountered through the media. Sometimes, even while seeing it with their own eyes, it felt slightly surreal. Especially the fact that the partner was their friend.
Brown didn’t know about Miller, who was also a Beta, but they heard that Vermouth always left a thick marking on Bright. To the point where friends with traits at school would occasionally step back. While they understood the social meaning of marking, they sometimes thought it was quite excessive.
The two whispered and talked for a long time. The Butler standing behind them gave Brown and Miller a knowing look.
“Ahem. Young Master, how about seeing the guests out first?”
“Ah.”
As if only then noticing their presence, Ryle turned his head. A cold gaze, the complete opposite of the one he gave Bright, directed toward the two.
Vermouth always maintained a polite attitude toward the two, but it was obvious that he was indifferent to an almost excessive degree. One might feel bad about that, but perhaps because he was such an unrealistic figure, Brown didn’t think anything of it.
“My apologies. Get home safely. Mark, please provide the guests with a vehicle for their return.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Goodbye.”
“G-goodbye.”
Miller, who was next to them, answered stupidly in a strange voice. Seeing him act like that every time, it seemed he was still very afraid of Vermouth.
Something about the different trait, or the feeling of intimidation when seen by another male. While Brown teased him for being a fool, in truth, she also had many things she was curious about regarding Bright and Vermouth.
Ryle Vermouth’s fame went without saying. Unlike other chaebols, he was famous for his Omega hatred rather than romantic scandals. The anecdote of an Omega who jumped in front of him as a ‘fan’ and sprayed pheromones, despite him not being a celebrity, and was subsequently sued, was well-known.
Therefore, the news that he was in a normal relationship was a fresh shock. Moreover, with the news that the partner was an ordinary citizen like Bright, people naturally became interested.
Brown also thought the two were a rather random combination. For some reason, Bright’s usually quiet personality didn’t seem to fit with Vermouth. In fact, when Bright mentioned living in the mansion as if it were natural, the first thing that came to mind were the strange rumors surrounding the Vermouth mansion.
But having actually come here, Bright in the mansion was, how should I put it, living very well with a great sense of domesticity.
“Bye. See you tomorrow.”
After casting a very brief glance at the two, Vermouth’s gaze was fixed back on Bright, who was waving innocently.
After seeing that amazing atmosphere for the first time, Brown forgot all the useless, ominous rumors. Because she had never seen a gaze that looked at another person as if they were so lovely, even in movies. Vermouth’s characteristic blue eyes, the symbol of coldness, held warmth only when looking at Bright.
And above all, it was the same for Bright. He naturally embraced the emotions Vermouth directed toward him. The moment she saw the two together, Brown also corrected her thought that they didn’t seem to fit.
Though they weren’t long-time friends, seeing them look happy gave her a strange sense of relief. She left a playful remark and disappeared with a light step.
“Right, see you tomorrow. I won the game, okay?”
“Mmm…”
Watching Hae-jin make a groaning sound with his nose slightly wrinkled, Ryle let out a low laugh. Now that they were finally alone, he pulled Hae-jin into his arms more densely than before.
As if the friend’s words were displeasing, he kissed the cheek that was slightly puffed up in dissatisfaction. He had been anxious all day, wanting to bury his nose in this soft body.
“I didn’t lose. If we played just one more round, it would have been a draw…”
“It must have been a very fierce competition.”
When Ryle readily agreed, Hae-jin for some reason brushed his neck with his hand again. Knowing it was a habit that came out whenever he felt awkward, Ryle let out another low laugh.
“I assume you played while eating properly. Right?”
“…I ate well.”
Watching Ryle’s gaze drift toward the snack tray once more, Hae-jin answered lukewarmly. He had definitely eaten lunch well, so it wasn’t a lie.
Once, just one time, he had skipped a meal because of gaming and had been pestered all day long. To the point where Mark had subtly suggested that next time he should at least hold a sandwich in one hand while eating.
Although his legs still hurt after walking for a long time and minor illnesses were a daily occurrence, he wasn’t at the point of collapsing from skipping one meal. However, the overprotection from Ryle and the people of the mansion remained.
“Oh, I heard there’s a football game this time.”
Fearing that Ryle would worry about his condition for a long time again, Hae-jin quickly changed the subject. It worked out well since there was something he wanted to say anyway.
“Football?”
“Yes. I think the school football team made it to the finals.”
“Ah.”
Ryle, who had been gazing at him for the obvious subject change, let out a chuckle again. As if he would let it slide this time.
“Were you originally interested?”
“Well, a little.”
The gaze landing on his ear felt very ticklish. This time, Hae-jin brushed that spot with his hand and followed Ryle’s lead out of the game room.
Not long ago, all the carpets in the mansion’s hallways had been redone. The material had become a bit softer than before, so his ankles didn’t hurt as much when stepping.
A new elevator had been installed in a corner of the mansion’s main building. For Hae-jin, for whom even a single floor of stairs was quite burdensome, it was very welcome news. Ryle was still dissatisfied, saying the path to the elevator was too far. This was because the structure of the old mansion limited the places where an elevator could be placed.
Due to the elevator construction, the two had stayed in the downtown penthouse for a while. When the renovations of the mansion ultimately didn’t satisfy him, Ryle even suggested the option of moving their residence to the penthouse entirely. However, after thinking it over, Hae-jin chose the path of returning to the mansion.
The bustling city landscape was certainly beautiful, but if he had to see it every day, the meadows surrounding this mansion were better. Since his family’s home had been built upon it, Hae-jin had come to like these wide, once-desolate meadows. Then, Ryle had tried to tear down the mansion and build a new one, and Hae-jin had struggled to stop him.
Walking while holding hands with Ryle, Hae-jin suddenly realized that the mansion’s hallways had changed a lot. Even when Ryle wasn’t around, it was no longer burdensome for Hae-jin to move around the hallways. Many devices had been installed along the way that he could hold onto to stand up. In the places Hae-jin frequented, chairs to sit on were placed here and there.
To think he would grow fond of this mansion. Truly, one could never know the future.
“They say the finals are at the small stadium next to the school. I’m planning to go with Brown and Miller; would you like to come along?”
His heart felt ticklish again with the encroaching thoughts. With a fresh smile, Hae-jin made the proposal to Ryle. Although there would be a commotion if he appeared, he thought it wouldn’t be bad to go watch together.
“I can’t exactly join in where the kids are playing.”
“If you put it that way, I’m old too…”
However, Ryle countered Hae-jin’s proposal with a playful smile. In fact, aside from the youthful appearance characteristic of Asians, Hae-jin’s age was also on the older side compared to Brown and Miller, who had just graduated high school. He remembered how surprised the two were when he first revealed his age.
Anyway, Hae-jin shrugged, judging that Ryle might have absolutely no interest in football. Since there was an elevator, arriving at the dining room was quick.
“Oh, that day… um, I’d prefer it if you didn’t do the marking before going.”
Hae-jin thought that if Ryle didn’t accompany him, he could visit quietly. If he wore a hat pulled down low and stayed with his friends, he wouldn’t draw attention.
“Is that okay?”
At Hae-jin’s lightly spoken proposal, Ryle felt the words leaving his tongue were quite clingy. Naturally, anxiety came first, but the answer was already decided.
“…Fine.”
Although the two people who were his friends were Betas, Ryle could not be at ease. Hae-jin had lived his entire life as a Beta during the period when sexual preferences are established, having manifested late. Truly, everyone was a target of vigilance.
Since the day he had proudly gone to pick him up, Hae-jin had said it was okay to make their relationship public, but this too was actually ambiguous. In the first place, what was permitted to Ryle from the start was living together with Hae-jin. Just because the feeling he harbored was love, he couldn’t demand the same from Hae-jin.
Even the act of marking was nothing more than Ryle’s insistence. There was no firm covenant between the two that they were lovers in an emotional sense.
Ryle tried to suppress himself, telling himself not to assign too much meaning to the words that his pheromones were pleasant. Or Hae-jin’s words recommending a course that couples often visit when traveling. Perhaps Hae-jin allowed it simply because Ryle’s pheromones weren’t disgusting, unlike other Alphas.
“Ryle? Are you okay?”
Because of his plummeting confidence, the pheromones surrounding him fluctuated. Sensing this, Hae-jin looked up at him curiously. It felt as if that transparent gaze was slicing through him.
Hae-jin was surely exercising compassion because he felt sorry for him, trembling endlessly in anxiety. Even though he had finally become able to stand side-by-side in front of others, Ryle’s confidence continued to roll in the mud day by day.
“I’m fine. Let’s go in.”
But Ryle barely managed to control his emotions.
Even if it were nothing more than pity, Ryle was more than willing to stay by Hae-jin’s side and feed on his attention.
“Waaaaagh! Woo! Woo! Woo!”
“…….”
“…….”
The day of the finals. Hae-jin and Brown looked forward with somewhat bewildered expressions. Miller, his face smeared with blotches of paint, was hanging onto the fence and screaming at the top of his lungs.
Beside him, other hooligans dressed similarly to Miller were shouting along. The match hadn’t even started yet, and since it was a small game—essentially a local festival—the bewildered gazes of the crowd converged on them.
“Actually, I asked you to come along because I’d feel awkward being the only one there if he acted like that.”
Brown, who had been staring at the back of Miller’s head with a complicated expression, confessed with a sigh. Hae-jin, who had been speechless with his mouth slightly agape, barely managed to respond.
“…Good call.”
It was a level of madness where, even if Ryle had been there, no one would have even glanced at him amidst Miller’s insanity. With the dormitory friends joining in, the boisterous noise continued without end.
Miller had certainly claimed a spot, but Brown subtly urged Hae-jin to move further back. After climbing about two more levels of the stadium’s tiered seating, they created a distance that made it seem as though they weren’t part of Miller’s group.
Only then did Brown sit down with a satisfied look and start chatting.
“Oh, by the way, I heard that idiot suddenly dropped out.”
Brown, who had been critiquing how bizarre the placard Miller had spent all night preparing was, abruptly changed the subject.
“Who?”
“You know, that guy who kept calling you ‘Oriental.’”
“Ah……”
Only after hearing that did Hae-jin remember the events from a few months ago. Since he hadn’t seen a trace of the man since then, he had simply thought that the guy had been intimidated by Ryle. He had completely forgotten about him, so the news that he had actually dropped out was unexpected.
“Why?”
“Who knows. He got teased for wetting his pants at school and then disappeared. Must have been embarrassed.”
“I see.”
They were hot-blooded young men obsessed with Alpha-like masculinity. Even for ordinary Beta men, it was a common culture to display bravado disguised as courage.
However, having wet his pants due to being suppressed by pheromones in a place where so many eyes were watching, it was understandable that he would consider dropping out. Since it was a community college one attends before transferring to a state university, deciding to find another place wouldn’t have been difficult.
That was the extent of his thoughts. Hae-jin found it strange that he couldn’t even properly remember the verbal abuse that had been poured upon him.
“Well, anyway. Oh, did you finish the assignment for the next class?”
Brown moved on casually, as if the topic had just occurred to him. The conversation shifted instantly, and it never returned to the nameless Alpha.
“Woo-ooo! Woo-ooo!”
Before they knew it, the game began. Miller, who had been screaming randomly, started cheering in a fairly coordinated manner with his friends. It was a chant Hae-jin often heard when passing by the school; as it turned out, it was the school’s official cheering repertoire.
Hae-jin was simply dazed by the unexpectedly earnest cheering battle. Even Brown, who had been looking at Miller with utter patheticness, cheered every time the ball passed to their team.
“Yes! Go! Kill them!”
“…….”
Watching the rather aggressive cheering, Hae-jin quietly observed the field. The official uniform of the school he attended was navy blue. Coincidentally, the starter’s uniform his Hyung used to wear was a similar color, which drew his eye further.
Even though he had lived for a long time without being conscious of it, the rules of American football were remembered as if they had happened yesterday. He remembered secretly reading the rulebook in bed late into the night just to be able to follow his Hyung’s movements with his eyes.
The next day, seeing a frail-looking Hae-jin, his family figured out the situation and scolded him, telling him that a young child must get plenty of sleep at night. Then, his father and Hyung sat around him and explained all the difficult terms in the book one by one.
A faint smile lingered on Hae-jin’s lips throughout his reverie. He slowly stroked the marble of memory—a memory so painful that he hadn’t dared to even hold it in his hand, for fear that just bringing it out would hurt.
“Excuse me.”
Just then, someone spoke to Hae-jin from behind while he was wandering through his memories.
Because the person was closer than expected, Hae-jin turned around in surprise. A tall Alpha he had never seen before was looking down at him. For a first meeting, the distance felt uncomfortably close.
“Yes.”
Answering first, Hae-jin scanned the surroundings. As if they had been watching before this man approached, the nearby bodyguards were gradually moving toward them.
“You’re an Omega, right?”
“…Why do you ask that?”
The smiling man had a fairly handsome face. However, the smile hanging on his lips was somehow unpleasant.
He didn’t suddenly release pheromones, but the scent faintly lingering around him clearly signaled that he was an Alpha.
“You are an Omega, right? I’m interested, so could I have your number?”
“No.”
This was another strange approach. Naturally, Hae-jin had no interest, so he rejected him instantly and shifted his body slightly toward Brown.
As he moved, Brown, who had been screaming passionately, looked over in curiosity.
“I see you’re an inferior gene, but wouldn’t someone like me be okay for you?”
Hae-jin thought he had rejected him quite firmly, but the man was persistent. As the man tried to step closer again to close the gap Hae-jin had created, Hae-jin stood up entirely. Brown, seeing the situation unfold, packed his things and stood up to come to Hae-jin’s side.
At that boundary, the man raised both hands and continued to speak slyly, as if he hadn’t heard Hae-jin’s refusal.
“Giving out a number isn’t that hard, so why are you being like this? You’re making me feel awkward.”
Furthermore, the way he spoke was quite cunning. The way he framed it as if Hae-jin were the one in the wrong was unpleasant.
If he had been openly rude, the bodyguards would have stepped in to stop him, but the situation was unfolding strangely.
“Hey, he said he doesn’t want to.”
Eventually, Brown, unable to watch any longer, added a word, but the Alpha didn’t even glance in that direction. It was as if he wanted Hae-jin to act directly.
While Hae-jin frowned at this uncomfortable situation, there was someone watching the scene. It was none other than Ryle.
“…….”
Today, naturally, he had not performed marking, following Hae-jin’s wishes. Having not done the marking he had been doing daily recently, he felt an indescribable anxiety. Even though it was originally nothing more than a generously permitted act.
Once he began to feel greed, it grew without end. Especially now that he was aware of the subtle relationship between himself and Hae-jin, Ryle couldn’t just sit back and do his work. In the end, despite the Secretary’s dissuasion, he had come here.
In truth, he wasn’t sure if it was okay to follow him so obsessively. He simply clung to the hope that Hae-jin had originally suggested they go together.
It was while he was slowly approaching, looking at Hae-jin’s back from afar. Some suspicious fellow was approaching him. His hesitant steps, fearing that Hae-jin might frown and ask why he came, suddenly quickened.
The conversation he overheard as he approached was appalling. The guy was definitely an Alpha, and despite Hae-jin’s clear refusal, he was playing dog-like tricks.
Once again, it pained him that he hadn’t been able to mark him. He should have taken measures so that such creatures wouldn’t dare approach.
Having reached the immediate vicinity, Ryle was about to speak. Even though he could only see Hae-jin’s back, he could clearly feel the pheromones that made Hae-jin uncomfortable. The thought that that Alpha bastard was sensing Hae-jin’s precious pheromones because he couldn’t protect him with his own made Ryle’s vision turn red.
“Playing hard to get is a bit much. Instead of that……”
“I have a partner.”
At that moment, Hae-jin’s calm voice pierced Ryle’s ears.
“What?”
“And even if I didn’t have a partner, I’m not interested. Do I have to keep repeating myself?”
The indifferent voice was engraved into Ryle like an eternal truth. The worries that had made him anxious for days vanished in an instant.
“Oh? Mr. Vermouth!”
Brown, who had turned around at the presence of someone, acknowledged him intentionally for all to see. From this uncharacteristic behavior, Ryle realized she was doing it on purpose to rescue Hae-jin from the predicament.
Just as he conveyed his gratitude with a glance, Hae-jin turned around a step later. The moment his frozen expression turned toward him, it cleared up brightly.
“Ryle!”
Ah.
Even in this hazy city, Hae-jin shone this brightly.
“You came.”
“Yeah. Work finished early.”
Hae-jin’s words about having a partner weren’t just a lie to escape the situation. A nuance that he truly thought so was naturally revealed. Ryle, who detected even a hint of comfort in those words, suddenly felt like crying.
As he naturally approached and took him in his arms, the pheromones telling him that Hae-jin was sincere felt even more vivid.
Only after lightly kissing the tip of Hae-jin’s eyebrow did Ryle slowly lift his gaze. The guy who had been harassing Hae-jin with nonsense was staring at them, pale with shock.
“Do you have some business with my lover?”
Ryle was deeply grateful for this moment where he could speak so calmly.
On the way back to the mansion, Hae-jin stared intently at Ryle’s profile as Ryle massaged his knees. It was because Ryle was smiling in a way that was suspiciously pleasant.
The game was a total defeat. Hae-jin’s school, which had managed to keep the game close in the beginning, eventually lost its pace. Consequently, the score gap widened significantly toward the end. In Hae-jin’s eyes, the opposing team’s skill was just mediocre.
In the end, it meant the team they were cheering for was even worse than expected. Despite this, Miller and Brown didn’t hold back their disappointment. Instead of criticizing the team’s skill, Hae-jin quietly agreed with them.
Throughout the process, Ryle stayed quietly by Hae-jin’s side. As expected, many eyes were on them, but it wasn’t as uncomfortable as he thought.
“Did something good happen today?”
However, throughout the boring game, his pheromones had fluctuated quite a bit. Since it seemed to be a very joyful mood, Hae-jin asked about the part that had been puzzling him for a while.
But the answer that came back was quite far from the question.
“Hae-jin, can I mark you?”
At the sudden request, Hae-jin’s eyes widened slightly. The sun was already setting, and the only remaining schedule for today was to go home, wash up, and sleep.
While Ryle was someone with great pheromone power, it was strange to call it a waste of pheromones.
“Uh…, we’re going home anyway……”
“I just want to.”
The atmosphere was slightly different from usual. As Hae-jin just stared at him in bewilderment, Ryle approached and spoke, letting his golden eyelashes flutter prominently.
“We’re lovers, after all.”
Approaching as if acting coquettishly, Ryle lightly rubbed his nose against Hae-jin’s cheek. Because of this, Hae-jin, who got to see his brilliant looks from a very close distance, lowered his eyebrows in slight embarrassment.
He heard all of that earlier.
Somehow, he felt a tickle in his chest. He wanted to rub his neck, but Ryle’s hand, which had been massaging his knees so they wouldn’t hurt, was now holding both of Hae-jin’s hands. Gently stroking the prominent knuckles, Ryle interlaced their fingers and met Hae-jin’s eyes again.
It felt as if his heart had plunged into those lake-like blue eyes.
Ryle, who always pleaded to be allowed to mark him like someone about to fall off a cliff, was certainly pitiful. However, Ryle, who expressed such heightened emotions and uttered the word ‘lover’, was a bit more dangerous. To his heart.
“Well, go ahead.”
Eventually, unable to withstand the fluttering of his heart, Hae-jin shifted his gaze out the window. As soon as his consent was given, Ryle leaned his face against the nape of Hae-jin’s neck and slowly released his pheromones. Ryle’s forest-like pheromones filled their private space.
Throughout the marking, the tips of Hae-jin’s ears, who stubbornly stared out the window, were red as if they were about to burst.
After returning from the game, gifts flooded into the mansion.
Whether he wanted to fill this vast mansion with gifts and flowers for Hae-jin, Ryle constantly sent things. He couldn’t even remember how many buildings had already been transferred to Hae-jin’s name.
Hae-jin told him several times that he never wanted such things, but Ryle only smiled mysteriously. After hearing that he was sorry he could only express his feelings this way, Hae-jin had no choice but to give up.
Anyway, among the gifts Ryle sent, there was something unusual. It was tickets to a professional American football game.
“These are the seats.”
“Wow…… this is my first time at this stadium.”
“Mine too.”
Hae-jin’s eyes widened as he looked at the VIP seats for a game that was half-jokingly, half-seriously said to be the hardest tickets in the world to get.
Since watching the finals previously, his interest had been revived, and he had looked up the professional league a few times. He had intended to watch this game on TV, but to think he could watch it live at the stadium. He was very grateful to Ryle for taking such care of him as soon as he showed interest.
“Are the seats okay?”
“They’re the best.”
Saying they were ‘okay’ would be an insult to these seats. It was a place where the field could be seen at a glance, yet it was partitioned so that the two of them could be alone without the bustle. Since people’s gazes couldn’t reach here, it seemed they could watch the game more comfortably.
Hae-jin’s heart thumped along with the sound of the crowd’s cheering echoing through the wide stadium. He was very excited about this unique date. The thought that it would be nice to keep doing new things with him also crossed his mind.
“It seems you like it.”
“Yes, really.”
Hae-jin nodded vigorously to Ryle, who laughed with a satisfied rumble in his throat. He had never seen Ryle take an interest in such sports, so he was deeply grateful that Ryle had even come with him.
He placed the drinks they had bought on the table in front of them and bounced his legs. Since they had arrived exactly in time for the game, it would start soon.
“I heard Dallas is strong this time too.”
“Is that so?”
Ryle seemed quite familiar with providing outlooks on the competing teams. Feeling as if he had discovered another side of him, Hae-jin asked unconsciously.
“Do you usually watch American football, Ryle?”
“Of course.”
Ryle, pulling up the corners of his mouth somewhat awkwardly, stated definitively.
“As a sponsor, I have to check on the current status, after all.”
At that moment, the large electronic displays placed around the stadium and the ceiling display in the center simultaneously showed the Vermouth logo.
After watching the synchronized videos, the various advertisements for Vermouth’s subsidiaries embroidered on the fences finally caught his eye.
Only after that flamboyant advertising time passed did the long whistle signaling the start of the game blow.
“Ah……”
Whenever this happened, Hae-jin felt that he still didn’t properly know about Vermouth. In truth, he wasn’t sure if a day would ever come when he became used to it.
“Do you have a team you’re rooting for?”
“Hmm, Hyung liked Chicago, but I don’t have one in particular.”
Ryle, who lightly stroked his cheek with his thumb, brought up the topic again. Watching the players line up according to their tactical formation, Hae-jin recalled the past.
Perhaps because he had let the reins loose, he had been thinking of his Hyung particularly often lately. Hae-jin blankly watched the first collision of the players wearing hard helmets.
Then, suddenly, he felt pheromones containing anxiety and a slight unpleasantness from beside him.
“Why are you in a bad mood this time? …Do you hate the Chicago team?”
“Something like that.”
At the answer that was almost grumpy, Hae-jin was filled with questions. He had been in an unusually good mood for the past few weeks, but today he seemed to be fluctuating.
Searching his mind for a reason, Hae-jin soon narrowed his eyes. He was worried that if he left this alone, Ryle might have some other misunderstanding later.
“Tell me.”
“……It’s just that you’re looking over there so fervently, Hae-jin, that I’m jealous.”
“…….”
He had answered reflexively to Hae-jin’s firm request, but Ryle, immediately becoming embarrassed, covered his mouth.
Ryle was aware that he had been excited lately. However, since there was absolutely no reason to suppress it, he had simply complied.
No matter how much he gave Hae-jin, it didn’t feel like enough. Even knowing that Hae-jin had no interest in things like real estate, Ryle simply wanted to give him everything he possibly could. The reasons were different every time, but the heart was the same. He just wanted Hae-jin to have many things.
Now, his greed had grown even further, and he naturally wanted Hae-jin to possess him as well. In his heart, he wanted to gift him a ring and slide it onto those beautiful fingers for all to see, but he barely managed to hold himself back. He was still conflicted about whether it was okay to cross the line that far.
He wanted to stay within the boundaries of Hae-jin’s heart, doing his best to ensure Hae-jin didn’t feel burdened.
However, letting his petty jealousy be discovered was a blunder. His heart fluttered anxiously as he stared only at the corners of Hae-jin’s mouth, and the smooth curve that formed there momentarily stole Ryle’s breath away.
“I was looking because I thought of Hyung.”
“Ah…”
The revealed truth left him completely deflated. Along with an even greater sense of embarrassment.
“Actually, the reason I memorized the rules of American football was to watch Hyung’s games.”
“You said… your Hyung was the captain of the football team.”
“That’s right.”
There was an old family album in the Bright household. One day, when Hae-jin had been flipping through it with tears welling in his eyes, Ryle had watched with him. He remembered the photo of Hae-jin’s brother wearing a football uniform, holding a young Hae-jin in one arm.
“Is the jealousy gone now?”
“…Yeah.”
He had done something truly foolish. Overwhelmed by repeated embarrassment, Ryle covered his face with his large hand again. Hae-jin, watching this pathetic display without a hint of ridicule, naturally reached out and took Ryle’s remaining hand.
“…”
“…”
As expected, a ring would look perfect on this hand.
[Dallas has a golden opportunity! A long throw… a sharp pass! He’s running toward the end zone, dodging all the defenders!]
The game grew increasingly heated. The home team, Dallas, and their opponents were locked in a neck-and-neck battle. It was a more tense match than the college football game he had seen Hae-jin watch recently.
Immersed in the exciting game he hadn’t seen in a long time, Hae-jin became completely absorbed. While still holding Ryle’s hand, he was so engrossed in the match that halftime arrived before he knew it.
“The opposing team is quite formidable.”
“Player number 80 is great at handling the ball.”
While the two were chatting softly about the game, an announcer appeared on the electronic scoreboard for halftime.
After summarizing the skills of both teams with witty remarks, he announced the start of the Kiss Time. After some loud, comical music played, a pink-colored heart appeared on the screen.
[The glorious Kiss Time! Who will be chosen!]
Several faces flashed quickly through the empty heart. The crowd watched with excited faces, wondering what scene would fill the interval.
Hae-jin, taking a sip of his drink to moisten his throat, watched the screen without much thought. The loud music continued, and then the camera suddenly stopped at one spot.
[First up… the man of the hour and his lovely partner…]
The people appearing on the giant central screen were none other than Ryle and Hae-jin. He couldn’t bear the sight of his own surprised face filling the massive screen.
Flustered, Hae-jin quickly looked at Ryle imploringly. Ryle also seemed surprised that they had appeared on the screen, as he had one eyebrow raised.
“Cover me. Quickly.”
“Okay.”
Because he whispered so desperately, Ryle couldn’t help but let out a faint laugh. He obediently did as his partner wished, spreading his jacket wide to cover Hae-jin’s face.
As he leaned down, he naturally pressed a kiss to Hae-jin’s forehead. He wouldn’t miss the opportunity to satisfy his own selfish desires.
[Hahaha! What a shy couple! Shall we look at the two people on the other side this time? Oh? Were these two not a couple?]
The announcer’s loud laughter sounded like thunder. The audience joined in with a loud, boisterous roar. It certainly wasn’t a negative atmosphere, but he couldn’t help feeling embarrassed.
Hae-jin, still burying his face in Ryle’s chest, had the nape of his neck flushed red.
“Should I sue the announcer?”
“No. Just please don’t do anything. Please.”
Ryle asked in a voice full of amusement, but Hae-jin whispered softly again, as if telling him not to do anything else that would draw attention.
This time, Ryle burst into an even louder laugh and pulled him firmly into his embrace. Unable to contain his burning happiness, he kissed the heated nape of Hae-jin’s neck thoroughly.
The date was a success. For the sake of his partner who was knowledgeable about American football, Ryle vowed that he must secure Super Bowl tickets.