“This bastard….”
“Wouldn’t it be better if we just liked each other?”
“What kind of bullshit is that? Do you like me?”
“Not at all.”
“…You’re saying that with your mind screwed on straight, right?”
“I’m quite miserable too. Unlike you, it seems I’ll have to put in a fair bit of effort.”
“…So you’re saying it’d be fucking easy for me to fall for you, but hard for you to fall for me?”
“I’m glad you understand.”
At this point, there wasn’t even any sanity left to lose. I just felt empty and dumbfounded. This kind of bastard is the main gong of the novel? That novel was doomed to flop.
“Whatever. I have zero intention of liking you, so do whatever you want—date someone or not. I’ll take it you agreed to that.”
“Hmm… Sorry, but I can’t agree.”
He looked genuinely apologetic. You’d never guess this was the same guy who’d tried to bewitch me with pheromones just moments ago.
“Are you a psychopath?”
“Hardly. I simply value my reputation and position. Unlike you, who only thinks about loafing around.”
“Oh, is that so? Then do whatever you want.”
I’d probably feel more relieved talking to a wall. I gave up.
“Anyway, if you end up liking someone, tell me. I won’t care about that kind of thing.”
“It won’t happen, but I’ll keep it in mind.”
“You too. If I start liking someone, don’t get jealous.”
“Yuri. If you were born human, you should speak like one.”
“…Don’t people tell you all the time that you’re fucking obnoxious?”
He ignored me and gathered his coat. Looking straight at me, Do Jihoon said,
“Even if you find someone you like, don’t get caught. By the public. I’ll only be understanding until before the marriage.”
“Yeah. Got it.”
“Don’t answer half-heartedly. If the day comes that you get caught, you’ll die by my hands before the public even gets the chance to tear you apart.”
This bastard is vicious as hell. Acting all upright while planning to take a lover despite having a fiancée. The more I thought about it, the more absurd it was. I gave him a lazy nod.
Jihoon looked at me in dissatisfaction, then grabbed his things and left. I desperately hoped that would be my last meeting with him before the engagement—but of course, the world wasn’t on my side.
Both families kept trying to tie me and Do Jihoon together.
They said we were going to watch a movie as a family, so I showed up in just a hoodie—only to find my parents gone and Jihoon standing there dressed impeccably.
My sister suggested a drive, so I followed in her car—only for her to pick up Jihoon and dump us in the middle of an amusement park.
Then there were the library, cafés, and so on.
Our parents were truly serious about pushing us together.
“…You again.”
“I didn’t want to come out either.”
He continued speaking while patting his thigh as if his legs hurt. I looked around. Today, it was a park.
“Hey. Just rub some pheromones on me.”
“What kind of obscene thing are you saying?”
Jihoon clutched his chest with both hands as if he’d just been gravely insulted. It was because of our parents, but after being forced to hang around him, I’d discovered unexpected sides of Do Jihoon. One of them was that he was surprisingly playful.
“I don’t know what you’re imagining. Don’t want to know, either. We’ve shown our faces, so now we both want to go our separate ways, right?”
“So?”
“Let’s smear some pheromones so our parents think we’ve been together the whole time. Isn’t it annoying to keep actually hanging out?”
“For once, you’re making sense.”
Jihoon readily released his pheromones. The sensation of basking in a warm heater wrapped around me. I tightened my grip on my sanity so I wouldn’t get bewitched again like before.
“I’m done. Your turn.”
“Okay.”
I released my pheromones. My rose scent enveloped Jihoon completely.
But this… the feeling was strange.
I knew Jihoon and I were strangers, that we would never love each other. And yet, seeing this alpha soaked in my pheromones made me feel oddly proud—oddly satisfied.
I wondered if Jihoon felt the same and looked at him. His face was just as irritating as usual. I turned my head as if I’d seen something I shouldn’t have. Guess it was just me.
They say an alpha’s possessiveness is no joke. Maybe that only applies to their omega. With that thought—and the sudden desire to find my own alpha soon—I stopped releasing my pheromones.
“I’m done too. Let’s call it.”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t we keep doing this whenever we have to meet? It’s convenient.”
“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.”
He smiled brightly, like the sun. For some reason, it felt similar to the lingering pheromones he’d left on me, and it made me feel strange.
“Then take care.”
He lifted a hand in farewell. I coolly ignored it and turned to walk away.
The moment I did, I got a call from Kim Bo-jin. With a fearful sigh, I held the phone about a hand’s breadth away from my ear.
“H-hello—”
“You fucking traitor bastard!!”
As expected. Keeping the phone far away had been a wise choice.
“You son of a bitch, Yeon Yuri you asshole…! We were supposed to go clubbing on January 1st! And then you don’t answer my calls and disappear? It’s already January 24th, you liar.”
“There was a very serious issue. Of course I wanted to go clubbing with Mr. Club Addict. Obviously.”
“Bullshit. Your tone is fake as hell right now.”
“Caught?”
Letting the colorful curses slam against my ear, I tried to soothe Kim Bo-jin. After all, it was true that I’d broken our promise.
“But how many years have we known each other?”
“You bastard. Why are you asking that all of a sudden? We’ve known each other since kindergarten, so about thirteen years. Why?”
“Really? That’s longer than I thought.”
Ignoring his muttered insults about me being heartless, I hesitated. If we’d known each other that long, maybe I could tell him about my engagement to Do Jihoon.
“Hey. I’m not joking—I didn’t ditch on purpose. I didn’t ghost you either. Just listen to me.”
“If I don’t get a very reasonable and rational explanation I can accept, I’m cracking your skull open at graduation.”
“Reasonable and rational? That vocabulary parade doesn’t suit you at all.”
“You wanna get your head smashed?”
Before Kim Bo-jin could escalate again, I hurriedly blurted it out.
“I got a fiancé.”
“Are you crazy, what?!”
“To be precise, I’ve fallen into the fate of having a fiancé.”
“Hey, explain in detail.”
As if he’d never been angry, Kim Bo-jin listened seriously. I told him about learning of the engagement in early December, meeting my prospective fiancé at the end of last year, and how both families kept trying to push us together, desperately begging for his leniency.
“So my skull remains intact, right?”
“Of course. Getting a fiancé is legit.”
“I’m eternally grateful.”
“So who’s the fiancé?”
“…”
I hesitated. Was it okay to reveal who my future fiancé was? The engagement hadn’t officially happened yet, and the ceremony was scheduled for mid-February. According to the novel, it would go through—but life is unpredictable. Who knows how things might turn out?
Sensing my hesitation, Kim Bo-jin whined in a hurt voice.
“Oh~ I see. So you can’t even tell a guy like me who your future fiancé is.”
“No, it’s not that—”
“I see~ Thirteen years of friendship means nothing! Let’s go our separate ways from now on. It’s been fun.”
“What are you talking about? We’re supposed to keep having fun. Our road ahead is paved with flowers.”
“So who is it?”
“…You’ll keep your mouth shut?”
“Obviously.”
“Do Jihoon.”
“What?!”
Kim Bo-jin shrieked again. Starting from “Why you?” he demanded a very detailed account of the entire situation and its outcome. I kindly explained it all once more.
“That’s how it happened.”
“Wow… That’s huge. I should buy stocks first.”
“If you leak any information, you’re dead. I’m telling you because I trust you. Got it?”
“Got it, got it. Our Yuri, Bo-jin hyung loves you?”
“Don’t need it. Take it back.”
By the time we’d chatted for a while, I found myself near Hanguk University. Since my parents had dropped me off at a neighborhood park nearby, a short walk brought me to campus.
“I’m in front of Hanguk University.”
“Huh? Was the park you went to Hansol Neighborhood Park?”
“No idea. Probably.”
Maybe I should take a look inside Hanguk University. The thought suddenly struck me. I’d be attending it anyway—might as well look around in advance.
I stepped into Hanguk University.
“Wow… It’s fucking huge.”
