#62
“What does a hurt finger have to do with kissing?”
Idam asked, unable to understand no matter how much he thought about it. He wondered if there was some medical basis he didn’t know about.
“An omega’s pheromones are said to be more effective than any medicine for an alpha. So when injured or in pain, exposure to omega pheromones is said to alleviate the pain. Moreover, because of my genetic disease, I’ve never properly felt omega pheromones before, so I was skeptical. But after meeting you, Mr. Idam, I came to understand this.”
“After meeting me?”
“Yes. After meeting you, Mr. Idam, I felt healed and full of vitality.”
“Ah…”
Idam recalled what Taemin had told him earlier in the old wedding hall. He now understood to some extent why Taemin had only dealt with alphas until now, and why he had been so receptive to Idam’s pheromones and full of energy. However, this kind of aversion was something Idam had never heard of before in his life. He hadn’t encountered it in news articles or even in passing conversation. It felt like he had discovered a secret hidden from the world.
“And when we kiss…”
Taemin gently pressed his thumb against Idam’s lower lip.
“More of your sweet pheromones come out, Mr. Idam.”
Taemin’s blue eyes held an intense but excited heat. Facing him like this, Idam realized that his earlier attempt to kiss wasn’t a misunderstanding. He felt his body temperature rising.
“Will you initiate it this time, Mr. Idam?”
“Alright.”
Idam agreed readily. Not because Taemin was being forceful or scary like before, but because he genuinely wanted Taemin to recover quickly. Idam brought his face close to Taemin’s. As their lips approached, he felt his breath trembling, but there was a magnetic pull between them. Knowing that his pheromones would help Taemin, he gradually opened up and moved closer. Their lips overlapped.
Feeling suddenly shy, Idam closed his eyes tightly.
Taemin spoke with their lips still touching.
“Don’t close your eyes. I want to keep looking at you.”
At his whisper, Idam carefully opened his eyes. Intense blue eyes met his gaze.
Simultaneously, Taemin’s lips deeply enveloped Idam’s as if to devour them. His arms wrapped around Idam’s thin back, pulling him close.
“Mmm…”
Idam diligently licked and sucked on Taemin’s lips. As Taemin had claimed, pheromones were seeping strongly from his body. The scent definitely intensified. His heartbeat quickened, adding to the heat.
Idam licked Taemin’s lips horizontally with his small tongue, then bravely slipped it inside. Taemin, as if he had been waiting for this, caught Idam’s tongue and sucked on it deeply. Saliva mixed like waves inside their mouths. Both of their pheromones intensified in the narrow space, the sweet scent growing stronger.
The kiss Idam had initiated soon became dominated by Taemin, who kissed intensely as if to swallow Idam’s mouth. Taemin tilted his face, and Idam matched his lips accordingly. Taemin’s tongue wrapped around Idam’s like a lasso, then prodded underneath it, repeatedly licking. A fiery heat ignited strongly between them.
Gradually, Taemin gently pushed Idam’s body onto the sheets. Idam yielded without resistance, lying down. Taemin climbed on top of him, continuing the passionate kiss. Just as his hand was about to reach for Idam’s belt buckle, Idam’s phone in his pocket started vibrating. It seemed someone was calling.
Startled, Idam gently pushed against Taemin’s chest and raised his upper body. It was unusual for someone to call at this hour, especially in this situation. Idam checked his phone, guessing who it might be.
-Hayun
It was as he expected.
“It’s a call from Hayun.”
At Idam’s words, one of Taemin’s eyebrows twitched. He remained silent, as if calculating something. Idam quickly sat up and answered the phone.
“Hello? Hayun?”
[I… Idam… *sob*… Everything’s ruined… I’m… I’m sorry…]
Hayun’s sorrowful voice filled Idam’s ear. Idam’s anxiety deepened. His eyes, which had dried from kissing Taemin, began to moisten again.
“Where are you now? Are you safe?”
[What about you? Didn’t those guys come to the motel?]
“They did, but… I’m safe for now. Hayun, I’m… Ji…”
Just as Idam was about to continue, Taemin snatched the phone from his hand and answered.
“Where are you now, Jang Hayun?”
[Who is this?]
Hayun’s voice was full of confusion at the sudden change. He also sounded anxious, perhaps worried that Idam had been kidnapped.
“This is Ji Taemin.”
[Gasp, Ji Taemin? Why are you answering this call? Are you two together?]
“Just tell me where you are now.”
Taemin, who had been so affectionate towards Idam moments ago, suddenly turned ice-cold. Feeling that nothing good would come from his mouth, Idam thought it would be better if he took over the call. But as he reached for the phone, Hayun’s voice came through.
[I’m in front of Sari Police Station.]
At the word “police station,” Taemin’s brow furrowed deeply. Of all places, he couldn’t understand why Hayun was there. It seemed that Idam’s friend was quite similar to him in their actions at times like these.
“Isn’t there any other place nearby?”
[E-everywhere else is closed right now… I was scared to be alone, so I came here.]
“Then stay there. We’ll come with Idam now.”
[Okay. And could you please put Idam on the ph-]
Taemin ended the call before Hayun could finish speaking.
“Huh? Why did you just hang up?”
Since they were in the car and Hayun’s voice was quite loud, Idam could hear everything even without the speakerphone. He felt awkward that Taemin had hung up when it seemed Hayun had something to say to him.
“Isn’t it better to meet quickly and talk in person rather than wasting time on the phone?”
“Ah…”
Taemin’s point made sense. But Idam felt it wasn’t right to hang up so abruptly without saying anything to Hayun. It was another moment when Idam realized how unfavorably Taemin viewed Hayun. Taemin took out his own phone and called for a driver.
The driver, who must have been waiting nearby, immediately opened the driver’s side door and sat down. Idam, practically cradled in Taemin’s arms, felt self-conscious about the driver’s gaze. So he moved away from Taemin and sat up straight. However, Taemin’s left hand sought out Idam’s right hand and held it tightly. It seemed he didn’t want to lose physical contact even for a moment. Idam also liked this warmth for some reason and unconsciously gripped Taemin’s fingers.
The car slowly started moving and quickly left the hospital grounds.
“So Jang Hayun wasn’t taken by those bastards earlier?”
Taemin asked with a puzzled expression.
“No, it seems he was caught but escaped. That’s what those men said earlier.”
At Idam’s answer, Taemin’s eyes grew sharper, like knife blades.
“So that’s why they came looking for you?”
“Ah… well…”
Idam hesitated to answer, feeling that if he said yes, Taemin would view Hayun very negatively. But Taemin seemed to understand without Idam having to say anything and continued with his next question.
“The person who said they’d lend you 350 million won was Jang Hayun, right?”
“Huh? How did you…”
Idam’s eyes widened, but then he lowered his head in understanding. It made sense for Taemin to deduce this, given that Idam had met Hayun at the hotel, escaped, and then asked to terminate the contract saying he would repay the money himself.
“Mr. Jang Hayun was also being deceived by the person he was supposed to get the money from to lend to you.”
“What? But… Hayun said it was severance pay he received when he quit Pungjeopcho…”
“What kind of severance pay is in the hundreds of millions for a newcomer? I adjust salaries based on the individual, too.”
Taemin seemed to flare up for a moment but then fell silent as if he’d realized something. Idam looked up at him, wondering why he suddenly changed. Their eyes met.
“I haven’t told you this before, but actually, I’m the one running Pungjeopcho.”
“Ah… I know… Hayun told me…”
“I guess that omega told you everything.”
Taemin continued, seeming to have come to an obvious realization.
“My work requires a high level of security. At first, I rented VIP rooms at other establishments to conduct business, but I found out that the owner of one place had secretly installed listening devices in the room to eavesdrop on our meetings. So I thought it would be better to create my own space where I could relax, and that’s how I came up with the idea for Pungjeopcho. Initially, it was just a business space disguised as a bar, but as customers increased one by one and it seemed profitable, I started paying attention to the interior design and changed the operating style. As it grew, I thought it would be awkward for me to officially be in the position of owner, so I put a friend in that role.”
“I see…”
Although he framed it as being for business purposes, it was undoubtedly meant for a life of debauchery. According to Hayun, Taemin had brought his friends to Pungjeopcho to enjoy parties. He had a genetic disease and that’s why he had dealt with alphas, Idam surmised. Even so, Idam felt uncomfortable thinking about Taemin’s past with other people.
However, Taemin had said he would only look at Idam until their marriage ended, and Idam wasn’t even Taemin’s real wife, so he felt it was presumptuous to have such feelings of disappointment. He tried to let it go.
“Why did your voice suddenly drop like that?”
Despite Idam’s short answer and attempt to hide his emotions, Taemin seemed to have an uncanny ability to perceive Idam’s state. Idam tried to smooth over his bitter feelings.
“It’s nothing, I’m just worried about Hayun.”
“He’s in front of a police station, so he should be fine. Don’t worry too much.”
“Okay… I understand.”
After replying, Idam looked out the window. He felt suffocated by the unfamiliar emotions beginning to sprout within him, concerning not just Hayun but himself as well.
