#83
[Idam, when are you really coming back to Korea? Your birthday is the day after tomorrow.]
Idam was on a call with Hayun while walking alone on a forest path after finishing his meal.
“Ah, well…”
Idam hesitated to answer, scratching his cheek.
Before he knew it, two weeks had passed, and he had been on this island for over 3 weeks now. He had been spending all day with Taemin throughout. Every day felt like a dream, but he couldn’t keep hiding here indefinitely. Also, even though Taemin was handling company work, Idam was worried that he couldn’t do other tasks like attending meetings.
So, the day before yesterday, Idam asked Taemin if they should return to Korea now.
‘Han Jongcheol is still in the wind. So I think we need to stay longer.’
It was supposed to take a week, but at this rate, they might end up staying for a month.
“It seems Han Jongcheol hasn’t been caught yet.”
[Something seems off. No matter how much that bastard runs, does it make sense for it to take this long with Ji Taemin’s resources? It looks like they haven’t even surrounded Kwon Gicheol yet.]
“Really?”
[It’s strange. I heard at Pungcheopcho before that Ji Taemin does business really ruthlessly. They say he always destroys anyone who crosses him. So there are often people who run away, but they say he usually finds them within two or three days. Only when they flee overseas does it take a bit longer.]
“Then, could they have escaped overseas?”
[I think that might be possible for Kwon Gicheol, but not for Han Jongcheol. After all, he’s in a similar situation to us.]
Hayun’s assertion made Idam even more confused.
[Could it be that Ji Taemin has already surrounded them but is pretending not to have?]
“Why?”
[Why… well…]
Hayun seemed lost in thought for a moment, then changed the subject.
[No, never mind. They could be hiding like rats, so it’s pointless to speculate. Then I guess we won’t be able to spend your birthday together. That’s a shame.]
“Yeah…”
[So, does Ji Taemin know about your birthday?]
“No, I don’t think he knows.”
[Huh? Didn’t you write your date of birth when signing the contract?]
“I’m not sure if he’ll remember. And I can’t just tell him about my birthday myself.”
[That’s true.]
Idam also wondered if they were close enough for Taemin to celebrate his birthday. Idam felt good when he was with Taemin, but it could be different from Taemin’s perspective. Of course, they had gotten closer and expectations had grown, but Idam was also trying to keep his feelings in check to avoid getting hurt or disappointed.
[Then you’ll have to spend your birthday alone this year. That’s too bad.]
“I’m not alone. I have you, Hayun.”
[We’re far apart though. Are you really not going to choose a birthday gift? Should I decide on my own?]
Suddenly, Idam became anxious, wondering if Hayun was planning to get him something expensive. So he felt he should choose a gift after all.
“Then, just get me a t-shirt from the Nana brand.”
[What? Even the most expensive one there is only 30,000 won.]
“That’s enough. Nana clothes are pretty, right?”
[You’ve become so modest after meeting Ji Taemin. Weren’t you only wearing luxury brands?]
“I just wear whatever the CEO gives me…”
In reality, Idam wasn’t interested in luxury brands. Even the clothes he was wearing now seemed to be luxury items judging by the embroidery and texture, but he didn’t have any desire to own more.
[Alright. When you come to Korea, I’ll make you a fancy cake this time.]
“Okay, thanks Hayun.”
[By the way, Idam…]
Idam felt tense at Hayun’s suddenly serious voice. What was he going to say?
“What?”
[No, it’s nothing. And… summer is approaching soon…]
Hayun was back to his usual self. Idam thought it was nothing important and finished the call after some small talk.
On my birthday…
It looks like I’ll be spending it quietly this year, he thought. The desire to receive congratulations from Taemin kept growing, but he tried to swallow it down.
* * *
[Madam’s birthday is the day after tomorrow? Has it already been that long?]
Secretary Kang’s voice rang out from the phone set to speaker mode. Taemin, sitting at the study desk looking at documents on his laptop, nodded. His eyes were full of joy and excitement.
“Time flies, doesn’t it?”
[So, have you prepared for the party?]
“Of course. I never thought I’d end up cooking too.”
[Cooking?]
“I’m going to prepare the birthday meal myself.”
[My goodness, you’re preparing the meal yourself, sir?]
“I learned from Lady An.”
[Does the madam know about this?]
“I learned bit by bit when the fairy was sleeping or out for a walk like now. I’m going to make a cake too.”
[That’s amazing.]
Taemin raised the corners of his mouth as he continued briefing about the birthday event.
“After dinner, we’ll have a glass of wine on the yacht. We’ll also tour the nearby islands, and at night, I’ll show her fireworks.”
[It seems you’ve put a lot of thought into this.]
“Yes… I found that what we can do within Jihwado is quite limited. I actually thought about going to Korea. I considered booking a hotel or renting out an amusement park, but I decided against it because there might be annoying people on the mainland.”
Taemin was very irritated by Jang Hayun’s existence. He occasionally secretly checked Idam’s phone, and Jang Hayun was unusually attentive about Idam’s birthday. It was annoying to have to pretend not to know because of the surprise event preparation.
[Have you prepared a gift?]
“Of course.”
[What are you planning to give?]
“That’s a secret, but if I give you a hint, it’s like another Yeo Idam.”
[Pardon? What do you mean?]
“There’s something like that. Haha.”
A sinister light glimmered in Taemin’s smiling eyes.
Secretary Kang, seemingly uncomfortable continuing the conversation with Taemin, began to wrap up the call.
[I understand. I have a meeting to attend now, so I’ll be going.]
“After we finish the baby’s birthday party, we’ll return to Korea, so schedule the pending meetings well.”
[Of course.]
After finishing the call with Secretary Kang, a broad smile bloomed on Taemin’s face. Imagining Idam with wide, surprised eyes on his birthday almost made his dick stand up. Having never celebrated someone’s birthday before, this excitement seemed to hit him even harder.
“Ha… This is so fucking exciting.”
As he grinned, he gradually felt an intense heat emanating from his body.
“Ha…”
Taemin’s gaze turned to the desk calendar. His rut cycle was approaching soon. Usually, he would have called an alpha to resolve it or taken a lot of suppressants, but this time he didn’t want to do that.
“If the fairy could get pregnant…”
As he muttered, his eyes changed to reflect a bizarre possessiveness and selfishness.
* * *
Swoosh…
As Idam was heading towards the villa, his attention was drawn by the sound of water. A waterfall unfolded before his eyes. The water falling from a height that seemed to reach the sky appeared to be boasting the grandeur of nature. He felt a strange sense of elation.
“Wow, it’s really big.”
It was his first time seeing a waterfall in person. It felt different from the sea. It even reminded him of a dragon. As Idam blankly stared at the waterfall, he gradually saw Taemin shimmering in the water. Idam quickly rubbed his eyes. Then he only saw the stream of water again. Recently, whenever he was apart from Taemin, he kept seeing visions of him. The feeling of emptiness was the same. He thought he should return to the villa and see him.
Just as Idam was about to hurry back, he saw something flailing at the point where the waterfall was dropping.
“Huh?”
Looking closely, it was a person. He also thought he heard screams as if calling for help. Two thin arms were repeatedly going in and out of the water. Someone had fallen into the valley. Idam quickly took off his sandals and top before jumping into the water.
Idam, who was good at sports, was also quite a good swimmer.
He headed towards his destination in an instant. The water was quite deep, and the current was rough due to the waterfall. But Idam skillfully pushed through and moved forward. Soon, he saw the person who had fallen in. It was a woman, and her face seemed somewhat familiar. For now, he didn’t pay attention to that and rescued her.
* * *
After finishing his work, Taemin leisurely left the study and headed to the kitchen. He wanted to prepare some dishes in advance for Idam’s birthday meal the day after tomorrow and get Lady An’s evaluation. He planned to prepare only dishes that Idam usually enjoyed eating.
He looked at his thick forearms. He had thought these hands would never hold a knife except for cutting meat.
He never imagined there would come a day when he would cook like this. All because of that fairy.
Taemin was grinning like a fool as he reached the kitchen. That’s when it happened.
“S-Sir!”
A female employee rushed over urgently. Her whole body was wet, and her eyes were brimming with tears. Looking closely, it was Sujeong, who had accidentally exposed her pheromones in front of Taemin last time.
“S-Sir, something terrible has happened.”
“What is it?”
His cold expression changed to one of bewilderment.
“The… the madam… After saving me from the valley, she collapsed.”
“What are you talking about? Yeo Idam collapsed?”
“Yes… She can’t control her body now… She’s burning with fever.”
Sujeong burst into tears.
Taemin felt like he had been struck by lightning out of a clear sky. He couldn’t understand why Idam had suddenly saved this woman and collapsed. His head was in a mess, about to become a complete disaster, but he calmed himself. Saving Idam was the priority.
“Where is Yeo Idam now?”
“J-Just follow me…”
The woman began to lead the way, sobbing. Only then did Taemin realize that pheromones were gently emanating from her.
But damn it. His body, exposed to her pheromones, was now unaffected. Realizing this fact, Taemin gritted his teeth and followed her.
