#53
The trouble started when Eunhong spotted Han Sejin walking on his way to work. Jaeha, who noticed a beat faster than Eunhong, wanted to just pass by, but Eunhong insisted on giving Han Sejin a ride in the back seat. Han Sejin, who initially hesitated to join, seemed to have adjusted quickly, as he started chattering away as soon as Eunhong was dropped off.
Jaeha knew what Han Sejin was going to say. Eunhong was changing noticeably day by day since manifesting. The expression of a flower blooming in its season… Jaeha had always thought it cliché, but now he understood why people used it.
Last weekend, Eunhong was about to leave the house, saying he had an appointment. When Jaeha stopped him, already in his sneakers, and asked what it was about, Eunhong sheepishly scratched the back of his head and said he was going to a freelance meeting. When questioned about why the meeting was on a weekend and why he was doing freelance work, Eunhong just said it was a project he wanted to participate in.
His outfit was a sight to behold. The neat hands peeking out from under the coat sleeves, worn for the meeting, fueled Jaeha’s unease. In the end, Jaeha insisted on giving him a ride and followed Eunhong out. Upon arriving at the meeting place, after promising not to acknowledge Eunhong, Jaeha followed him into the coffee shop. Sitting nearby and glaring at Eunhong’s table, he soon saw two dark, thug-like guys come to meet Eunhong. One was clearly a beta, but the other was undoubtedly an alpha.
Jaeha walked past the alpha-looking guy to buy another coffee. As expected, a pungent pheromone vibrated in the air. Turning his head slightly, he saw Eunhong listening intently to the project explanation.
‘Mr. Ban Eunhong, the portfolio you sent was very impressive. Actually, I’ve been a fan of your drawings on the community site for a while…’
Jaeha knew Eunhong was skilled and what they call a “named” artist. Still, it irritated him. Was it necessary to say he was a fan? Jaeha deliberately released threatening pheromones as he bought his coffee and returned to his seat. Sitting down, he opened his ears wide to eavesdrop on Eunhong’s voice.
‘You’re too kind. I was actually impressed by the project concept you sent. I’m excited thinking about the results that will come from creating good work.’
Eunhong was saying things that might have been sincere or just polite, embarrassingly enough.
‘Are you two developing it? The UI looked really well done. Which one of you did the planning?’
‘We do it together, but I’m mainly in charge. He handles the programming.’
‘Oh, really? I roughly sketched out some characters based on the plan I saw yesterday. Would you like to see? The concept was so appealing, I just wanted to start drawing right away.’
The alpha guy looked downright moved. When Eunhong smiled, he practically drooled. Despite coming to the meeting with a colleague, he never once turned his head towards his partner, his gaze fixed on Eunhong without even blinking. Pheromones were leaking from his dirty body like a beast in heat.
That bastard looks like he’s about to cum. Jaeha wanted to pour hot coffee on his leering, smiling face. He glared at their table with all the disdain he could muster. His insides were boiling.
Recalling that situation made his mood plummet. Even after arriving at the company building, Jaeha sat still for a while. Han Sejin nervously offered coffee, but he declined. Han Sejin visibly relaxed, bowed deeply, and quickly disappeared.
Jaeha rubbed his furrowed brow. He was already tired. Perhaps because of yesterday’s events, he felt his senses becoming increasingly sharp and sensitive after dropping Eunhong off at the company. Jaeha took out his phone and tracked Eunhong’s pheromone graph. For now, the location pin stuck quietly in one place and the calm graph were Jaeha’s only source of stability.
‘Um, is this okay? I think it’s not bad.’
After the meeting with the outsourcing company, they went to a sandwich shop for a quick bite. Eunhong cautiously asked. Seeing him touch his nose, he seemed to be checking if the smell was okay. Jaeha smiled weakly.
‘You order whatever you want. I don’t know much about franchises.’
‘Okay. Wait a bit then. I’ll go order.’
From a corner seat not easily visible to others, Jaeha watched Eunhong walk to the counter to order. It had started with that alpha’s gaze earlier. Jaeha suddenly realized how easily Eunhong attracted people’s attention.
Again. He caught someone looking again. Jaeha noticed another passing alpha looking at Eunhong. Were there always this many alphas in the world? Currently, Eunhong’s pheromones were difficult to detect unless one buried their nose in his nape. If so, there was only one answer. They were sensing the same aura from Eunhong that Jaeha was feeling. The woman subtly watching Eunhong at the cafe earlier. The part-time worker taking coffee orders. Even the guy they passed on the way to the sandwich shop – that guy even had his girlfriend tucked under his arm.
Two sandwiches and sodas were placed on the table. Jaeha didn’t even notice Eunhong’s expression checking for his reaction; he only saw the server glancing at Eunhong. Why is this guy looking? He’s not even an alpha.
‘It’s delicious. Eating this sandwich after a long time, it’s really good. What if it doesn’t suit your taste? Come on, try it.’
‘…I’m fine.’
Jaeha, who had been surveying the surroundings threateningly with his sharp emotions on display, lowered his eyes docilely. Although he had been exposed to all kinds of media since childhood, it was the first time he felt the whole world’s gaze so aggressively. The world had never felt so hostile. Jaeha had to slowly admit that there were far too many things in this world that stimulated the dark, writhing, dirty possessiveness in his heart.
Thinking he could wait for Eunhong’s pace had been arrogant. Who knew his patience would run out so quickly? He wanted to bend Eunhong over the table and take him for all the world to see.
He wanted to let everyone know that Eunhong was his.
‘Doesn’t it taste good?’
Eunhong asked, his cheek full as he chewed. Jaeha took a napkin and dabbed at Eunhong’s clean mouth. He also stroked the bulging cheek once.
‘Did I get something on my face?’
Eunhong raised his eyebrows and touched around his mouth. Jaeha gently shook his head and fiddled with Eunhong’s earlobe again. Despite his mental state bouncing back and forth across the line between normal and abnormal, his physical contact remained moral.
‘Live with me. Keep living with me even after you stabilize. Eunhong.’
Jaeha sighed and then said to Eunhong.
Eunhong’s answer didn’t matter. Even if their emotions and pace didn’t match, even if they never ended up with the same feelings, it didn’t matter. Right now, he just needed to keep Eunhong by his side to keep from going crazy. This was directly linked to basic mental health. Jaeha was acutely aware of what triggered his separation anxiety and panic disorder. He had been raised to believe that if there was a problem, it should be solved.
‘Keep living with me. I don’t care what your answer is. Regardless of that…’
Eunhong was visibly flustered. His eyebrows shot up and his mouth clamped shut. His Adam’s apple bobbed significantly as he hurriedly swallowed the food he had been chewing. A soft red flush started at his neck and spread to his earlobes, turning them bright red. His wide-open eyes shook wildly. It was the expression of someone caught off guard by an unexpected preemptive strike. Anyway… he was pretty.
‘I need to live.’
After sitting in the car for a long time, ruminating on yesterday’s events, Jaeha straightened up and took a deep breath. He had to get up. Just sitting and worrying wouldn’t change anything. He gathered his anxiousness and stood up. He tidied up the car interior and grabbed his phone before getting out. As he took his first step, he habitually checked Eunhong’s location again.
***
On Monday lunchtime, the company cafeteria was bustling with people.
“Asking to live together means ‘I love you.'”
Startled by Seo Heeseung’s words, Eunhong, who had been lost in thought, nearly spit out the coffee in his mouth. Yoo Junseok exclaimed, “Ah, that’s not the important part right now!”
“It’s the last time of freedom before marriage, and he’s already asking to live together. I’m asking for ways to avoid it, and you’re talking about love?”
Yoo Junseok, who was getting married in the coming spring, had come seeking advice on how to avoid his girlfriend’s – that is, his bride-to-be’s – suggestion to try living together beforehand. Thanks to this, Eunhong was still stuck there even after finishing lunch.
“Isn’t that right, Deputy Ban? You agree with me, don’t you? When you go to your lover’s house, don’t you feel excited and want to live together and never be apart? Right?”
Swallowing the coffee in his mouth, Eunhong replied.
“I touched up the work you uploaded to the intranet this morning, Heeseung. I’ve re-shared it. I only adjusted some details, so please check. I’ve also sent you an email with the coordinates.”
“Huh… Deputy, you’re talking about work because you don’t like what I just brought up, right?”
“What? No.”
“Liar. We all know you avoid things like a ghost when you don’t like them.”
“Yeah, so that’s why I’m asking you to think of a solution together.”
“Tell her sincerely that it seems like a wrong choice and suggest going your separate ways.”
“Ah, Heeseung, why are you so extreme? Come on! Can’t you suggest a more constructive solution?”
Seo Heeseung and Yoo Junseok bickered non-stop. Eunhong glanced at the watch on his wrist. He sucked up the remaining coffee in one go, making a gurgling sound, and stood up. He tapped the table with his fingers.
