By Zephyria He was alone when he opened his eyes. Seo Jeong-won was buried deep in the cool air and thick bedding, blinking without moving.
No sound could be heard, so he wondered why Kwon Tae-hee wasn’t there, then realized it was Monday and closed his eyes again. He reached for his cell phone, which was neatly placed on the bedside table with the charger connected. Since he didn’t remember doing it, he figured it must have been him.
Seo Jeong-won checked his phone as a habit. It was clean as usual. There were no pop-ups indicating missed calls or unread messages. He pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes.
But he couldn’t dawdle any longer in a house without its owner, so he finally threw off the blanket and sat up.
The cool air touched his naked body. He shivered. He looked for clothes, but gave up when he found nothing and lowered his legs out of bed. He wrapped his arms around himself and moved slowly.
He limped because of the pain in the place that had been stretched open for so long. His waist throbbed. His face felt hot, as if he was getting a fever.
As soon as he entered the bathroom, Seo Jeong-won passed the mirror and headed for the shower booth.
“Haa…”
His whole body ached as if he had been beaten. Even the slightest movement of his arms and legs caused a tingling pain to spread. He leaned his forehead against the wall and turned on the water, and hot water poured out as if it had been waiting.
He wanted to stand under the hot water for a long time, but he washed quickly, thinking that the house was empty. He roughly rinsed off the foam and moved, feeling that the pain had lessened a little.
He dried his hair with a new towel and took out the clothes he had brought from a bag in the corner of the dressing room. He didn’t know where the clothes he had taken off were, so he had to take out the empty bag.
He neatly arranged only the bed sheets, filled a cup with water and poured it into the pot. He said goodbye, telling them to take care of themselves until he came back next Friday night.
In the quiet living room, there was a delicious smell that he hadn’t smelled for two days.
“Ah.”
Was this the day that person started coming? Seo Jeong-won guessed rather coldly and hurried across the living room. He thought it would be uncomfortable to run into him.
He should have gone with Kwon Tae-hee when he went to work in the morning, but he fell asleep in the early hours of the morning and couldn’t get up.
Seo Jeong-won scratched his cheek and was about to leave the hallway when he heard footsteps approaching rapidly from behind.
“You’re Seo Jeong-won, right? Hello, Executive Director told me to make sure you had a meal, so I didn’t even know you came out because I was preparing the food. Are you hungry? If you wait a little bit, it will be ready soon.”
“Ah, no. It’s okay.”
“Please eat before you go. If you just leave, Executive Director will scold me.”
The rather elderly man smiled, softening his expression. He skillfully led Seo Jeong-won. Seo Jeong-won, who had been caught trying to leave the house secretly, followed the man with a bewildered look.
“You don’t have to feel uncomfortable. I only prepare meals when Executive Director isn’t here and then leave, so you’ll probably hardly ever run into me. The person who cleans the house also comes after Executive Director goes to work, so it’s the same.”
“Ah, I see.”
“If you need anything, you can call me Mister, or if that’s awkward, you can say ‘excuse me.’ Or you can call me by my name. I’m Kim Jae-sik. For your information, Executive Director calls me Head of department Kim.”
Kim Jae-sik smiled as he sat Seo Jeong-won in a chair. He was consistently kind. The food that filled the table all looked delicious.
He filled a long glass halfway with water and put the water bottle down without making a sound, then opened his mouth.
“I’ll be inside, so call me if you need anything.”
Kim Jae-sik bowed and disappeared with light steps. Seo Jeong-won stared at the neatly placed spoon and chopsticks, then quietly picked up the spoon. He tasted each dish, starting with the clear radish soup. The food tasted as good as it looked. Much better than the lunch boxes Kwon Tae-hee had ordered and eaten together for the past two days.
From the lightly seasoned greens to the grilled fish, to the stir-fry filled with meat and vegetables, Seo Jeong-won’s chopsticks lingered on each one at least once. The taste was similar to what he had eaten on the first day. Was it the same person’s handiwork?
As he slowly continued his meal, he heard footsteps in the hallway. The sound of slippers dragging. Seo Jeong-won suddenly turned his head, confirmed the owner of the footsteps, and lowered his head.
“…Hello.”
“Wow, I saw the shoes and wondered, but you’re still here? It’s past 3 o’clock?”
It was Song Hae-seop. He stared at Seo Jeong-won with a rather annoyed expression. His fine eyebrows were furrowed as if he had met someone he shouldn’t have.
Then he covered his nose and burst out laughing as if he was dumbfounded.
“The smell. You’re completely soaked in it.”
“Yes?”
“You’re not an Omega, are you? Well, if you were an Omega, you wouldn’t be leisurely eating a meal.”
“I… I don’t really know what you’re talking about.”
Seo Jeong-won stopped eating, put down his chopsticks, and muttered. Song Hae-seop narrowed his eyes, then sighed deeply and sat down next to him.
When he asked how old he was, Seo Jeong-won hesitated to answer. He didn’t know if he should tell him, so he just moved his lips.
Looking at Seo Jeong-won, Song Hae-seop sighed again.
“Why is a Beta who can’t even feel Pheromones here? I couldn’t ask that day, we only met briefly. Are you also pretending to be lovers like me, Jeong-won?”
“…No, I’m not doing that.”
“I don’t know if you know, but I’ll probably get married to that person if nothing goes wrong. I came here for that purpose. To live together, naturally get pregnant and have children, and live happily. His family knows about me. They’re saying I’ll be going to greet them soon.”
“Ah.”
Seo Jeong-won quietly nodded at the words that accurately told him his purpose. He had already expected it when they met that day. That he was the person who would replace his Hyung.
“I don’t know what Tae-hee is thinking. Why he brought Jeong-won here, why he did a Pheromone shower.”
“……”
“What’s the point of a Pheromone shower for a Beta? It’s strange. By the way, are you really not going to tell me how old you are? You definitely look younger than me. Twenty?”
“……Twenty-one.”
“You’re really young.”
Song Hae-seop’s mouth dropped open when he heard Seo Jeong-won’s age. Then he saw Kim Jae-sik coming back from the kitchen and greeted him happily.
“Head of department!”
“Have you arrived?”
“Yes, I want to eat seaweed soup today. For dinner.”
“I will prepare it for you to eat.”
Kim Jae-sik quickly assessed the situation and checked Seo Jeong-won’s dishes. He judged that they were quite empty and could be cleared.
At the same time, he thought that the meeting between the two should not be prolonged. This was just the feeling of an old man who lived by his wits here.
“I’ll see you off.”
“Ah, no. I can go out alone.”
Seo Jeong-won was flustered, as if he didn’t know what to do with Kim Jae-sik’s extreme hospitality.
“A car to take you home is waiting. Executive Director specifically told me to make sure you get in.”
When Seo Jeong-won stood up, Song Hae-seop also stood up. He said he would see Seo Jeong-won off with Kim Jae-sik.
“Go carefully. Are you coming again this Friday?”
“……Probably.”
“I see. Then we might run into each other again. I’m twenty-eight. Call me Hyung comfortably. I’m not really Tae-hee’s lover, and the relationship is uncomfortable… it’s funny. There’s no need to fight. Why do we have to be on bad terms? Isn’t that right? It would be funny to be close, but at least let’s not look at each other like we’re going to kill each other.”
Unlike before, Song Hae-seop lowered his guard and continued in a light tone.
“I’m fine as long as Jeong-won doesn’t take my place. I mean, as long as you don’t ruin my guaranteed future. Do you understand? If you do that, I understand what you do with that person during the weekend. You can’t have children because you’re a Beta, right?”
Seo Jeong-won briefly recalled the contract he had with Kwon Tae-hee. The words sexual contact for manifestation and pregnancy were clearly written in the contract. He lowered his head, afraid that his trembling gaze would be noticed.
“…Goodbye.”
Putting his feet into the old sneakers that didn’t match the glossy entrance, Seo Jeong-won turned around and bowed once more.
Song Hae-seop waved his hand with a sullen expression. He emphasized to Seo Jeong-won, who was hurrying out, that they should get along well without getting angry with each other.
Kim Jae-sik followed Seo Jeong-won out the door. He, too, was busy thinking in order to understand the current situation.
But on the other hand, he seriously wondered if he needed to know what kind of relationship the two and Kwon Tae-hee had.
I’m just someone who has to do what I’m told. To be Kwon Tae-hee’s eyes and ears and report Song Hae-seop’s daily life in detail.
What I saw and heard today will also be conveyed to Chief Jung, and that story will be refined and reported to Kwon Tae-hee.
“It’s hot today. Take good care of your health and I’ll see you again.”
“Yes, and… thank you for the meal. It was warm and delicious. Thank you for seeing me off.”
“You’re welcome.”