By Zephyria Seo Jeong-won, stroking his neck, went into the room and threw off the blanket, which had clear marks of being wet and then dried. He was embarrassed.
Then, who does the laundry at Kwon Tae-hee’s house? He uses a lot of gel, and it’s always damp… And it’s not like it ends in one go like last night.
“Haa…”
He was taking off the mattress cover when he collapsed onto the floor. Seo Jeong-won, whose ears were red, hid his face between his knees and took a long breath.
He was still amazed that Alphas and Betas could have this kind of relationship, and he was still shocked that he was having regular sex with an Alpha.
He couldn’t believe how naturally the mood was set, and how quickly he had become skilled in just a few days.
It was his first time, but wasn’t he being too promiscuous and lewd from the start? He never imagined that it would be possible in the bathroom, really anywhere.
It didn’t seem like making love was as beautiful an act as he had seen in dramas or movies. When he thought about it, the only beautiful thing was Kwon Tae-hee’s face.
* * *
Hurrying out to the flower garden, Seo Jeong-won quickly took care of the work he had put off yesterday.
Due to a lack of funds, he couldn’t get more trees or flowers from the farm, so he had to make the most of what he had.
He scanned the pots he had gathered at the back of the flower garden, carefully checking if any had withered in the past few days. He was relieved that the weather was getting cooler.
His hand holding the hose sprayed water into every corner. After moving busily for quite some time, Seo Jeong-won checked the sufficiently wet leaves and released the pressure on the hose handle. The smell of wet soil and grass filled the enclosed space.
Standing in the middle of the flower garden, he took out the phone in his pocket and moved his fingers familiarly. He booked a bus ticket to go to his Hyung and took a deep breath.
He felt both comfortable and uncomfortable. He was afraid and scared that his Hyung would find out about his decision later. Seo Jeong-won shook his head at the endless worries and bit his lip tightly. He didn’t know why he kept worrying when he was never going to tell him, not in his life, not until he died.
He felt a throbbing pain in his chest. He pressed down on the area with his hand and turned around, startled by the presence behind him.
“Ah. Sorry, sorry.”
“…Kang Da-hyun?”
Kang Da-hyun was one of Seo Jeong-won’s few friends, a classmate from elementary, middle, and high school. He had inherited his father’s orchard and was the only one who stayed in Seonam.
Everyone said he was crazy for his decision, but Kang Da-hyun ignored them. His father and he were the youngest they would ever be today, and he said he needed to learn as much as possible.
“I was just passing by. Are you busy?”
His thick upper body, tanned skin, and long, curved, cool smile caught the eye.
Seo Jeong-won sometimes looked at him and wondered if he should tan too. He would often stay out in the sun for a long time on purpose. But every time, his skin would only turn bright red instead of tan.
It was the same when he went to work on construction sites to get Seo Gyu-won’s hospital bills. Others’ skin turned light brown, but only his turned red. On the way home from work, he would buy burn ointment and apply it.
“No, I’m not busy now. Are you busy?”
“I was wondering what to do if you were busy, but I’m glad you’re not. I need some help picking apples starting next week. Do you have time?”
“Of course, I can go. What time?”
Seo Jeong-won, who had wiped his wet hands on his clothes, quickly approached, unable to hide his joy.
Kang Da-hyun, who had been waiting for Seo Jeong-won with a red apple in his hand, stiffened his expression as he smelled the scent that wafted with his movements. It was definitely a Pheromone. Even the lingering scent was strong and heavy.
The scent coming from Seo Jeong-won was an Alpha’s Pheromone that he had never smelled anywhere else, one that was different from his own.
“Is it already time to pick apples?”
“…They’re all ripe. The first apples.”
“They’re pretty again this year. Thanks.”
Kang Da-hyun quickly scanned Seo Jeong-won, who was smiling with a pale, white face. His gaze reached his long, straight neck. Red, round marks, which he had never seen before, were scattered sporadically.
“Next Tuesday, 7 o’clock. You know you have to help with Chuseok and October too, right?”
Seo Jeong-won burst into laughter at the question, which he naturally confirmed. It was a bright smile that revealed his even teeth. The dark and gloomy atmosphere that had surrounded him for a while had completely disappeared.
“Of course, I will if you pay me a lot.”
“I’ll pay you a lot. And give you food too.”
Kang Da-hyun recalled Seo Jeong-won, who had been running around like crazy for the past few months, not caring about what kind of work he did.
The image of him looking for work every day, drying up and withering away without saying why, flashed through his mind.
What could have happened during the past few weeks when he hadn’t been able to meet Seo Jeong-won because he was busy with the orchard?
Even if an Alpha came to the flower garden as a customer, no sane person would give a Pheromone shower to someone they didn’t know.
Is he dating someone…? But, he’s never been in a relationship before, so is he meeting an Alpha as his first love? No, why would an Alpha meet a Beta, logically speaking? Seo Jeong-won has nothing to offer but his face. There were one or two strange things.
Is he even dating? It wouldn’t be so strange if he smelled like an Omega’s Pheromone.
Why was he so soaked in Pheromones? What are those marks?
His thoughts kept jumping to dangerous and dirty places. That couldn’t be, at least Seo Jeong-won as he knew him wouldn’t have made that choice.
“I’m really… short-handed. Don’t go anywhere else and come here. I’ll take good care of you.”
“Yeah, thanks for caring. Picking apples is fun. And the work isn’t hard.”
“These days.”
“Huh?”
Kang Da-hyun’s words stopped abruptly. He scratched his cheek with an awkward expression, as if he had forgotten what he was going to say.
“Did you solve the problem you said you needed money for back then?”
“Ah, that? Um…, yeah. It’s solved.”
“You still don’t want to tell me what it was about?”
Kang Da-hyun had also lent Seo Jeong-won a small amount of money. When he asked why he needed it, Seo Jeong-won avoided answering and only repeated his thanks.
Rumors had already spread throughout the neighborhood that Seo Jeong-won had taken out a private loan, and gangsters were camping out on weekdays, so he knew that something big and unmanageable had happened to him without having to hear it.
He wanted to lend Seo Jeong-won all the money he needed, but he didn’t have any cash to spare either. Asking his parents for help was out of the question.
His parents were adamant that he shouldn’t even go near the flower garden, saying that he would suffer the same dirty consequences if he got involved with Seo Jeong-won. It was the day he came back after witnessing gangsters wreaking havoc in the flower garden.
“Later. I’ll tell you later. I’m not sure myself right now.”
“…”
“I can pay back the money you lent me soon. I’ll pay you back soon, so please wait a little longer. I’m sorry, really. I’ll definitely return it by the promised date.”
“More than that, are you seeing someone?”
He was going to ask if the loan sharks, who hadn’t been seen lately, weren’t coming anymore, and to tell him that it was okay about the money and to pay it back when he had the money.
But his mouth spat out a different question that hadn’t gone through his brain. Seo Jeong-won’s expression turned puzzled at the sudden question.
“Huh?”
“I was wondering if you’re seeing someone.”
“Suddenly?”
“…Would you like to go on a blind date if you’re not?”
Seo Jeong-won laughed at the absurd suggestion. His laughter was light, as if the land that had been parched and cracked for a while had been relieved.
“What blind date? I don’t have the time to meet anyone.”
“Still. Think about it.”
“No. Right now, I’m really not in a position to meet anyone, anyone.”
Seo Jeong-won, who had refused again, rubbed the shiny surface of the apple with his fingertips. Kang Da-hyun had brought him the first apple he had picked before the first harvest this time, just like he had done in his first year running the orchard.
“I didn’t know you would stay in Seonam. All the kids were surprised when you said you were taking over the orchard.”
“…My parents had me late. I don’t have any siblings. I had to take it over anyway, so I didn’t want to waste time.”
“More than that, you’re a farmer. It doesn’t suit you.”
Seo Jeong-won chuckled and bit into the apple, wiping it on his clothes. The refreshing and sweet juice spread throughout his mouth.
“But you have a talent for it, who knew you would be so good at growing fruit trees.”
A soft voice with a hint of laughter followed. However, Kang Da-hyun couldn’t hear what Seo Jeong-won was saying properly.
His mind was dizzy with the scent that came with every movement, every time his black, thin hair shook.
The Pheromones were strong, and the red marks on his neck were definitely traces of sex. If he wasn’t seeing someone, that wouldn’t make sense.
“…Shall we have lunch together?”
“Huh?”
“If you’re not busy, let’s eat together.”
“Ah, I can’t today. I have somewhere to go after I finish up. Let’s have dinner when you have time. I’m busy during the day.”
Kang Da-hyun thought for a moment at the gentle words and soon agreed. He had to find out what was going on that day. It would be better if he got drunk and talked. Kang Da-hyun nodded his head several times.
“The apple is delicious. You worked hard this year too. There’s still some time left before the harvest is over, though.”
“I’m going. I’ll contact you.”
“Yeah.”
As he walked through the flower garden with Kang Da-hyun to see him off, Seo Jeong-won munched on the apple, which was bigger than his fist. He smiled, unaware that Kang Da-hyun’s gaze was on his lips, which looked particularly red today.
“Drive safe.”
“Yeah.”
Kang Da-hyun, leaving Seo Jeong-won waving his hand gently, got into the truck he had driven and sighed deeply. He didn’t know what that innocent guy had been through, or what he was doing, and his heart felt heavy.