In-seok turned off the faucet, glanced once at Han-gyeom, then, out of habit, looked over at Won-hyeok. Sure enough, the guy who had been focused on something on his laptop until just a moment ago was now staring fixedly at the two of them, who were standing close together.
“What, what is it?”
“Ah, well…”
Han-gyeom scratched at his head, unable to answer right away. As the two of them remained close for longer, the look in Won-hyeok’s eyes gradually began to change too.
“Is this something you absolutely have to discuss with me?”
You’ve also got your boyfriend over there glaring this way like sparks are about to shoot out of his eyes. In-seok forced a smile and swallowed the words he wanted to say.
“Yes, I really have to talk to you about it, hyung.”
When Han-gyeom’s eyes lit up and he stepped even closer, In-seok instinctively backed way up. Won-hyeok was practically shifting like he might spring to his feet at any second. In-seok, who had instinctively put distance between them in order to survive, pressed a hand to his head at how pathetic he looked. Even when he tried not to be scared of Won-hyeok, it was hard not to when he knew exactly what a fucked-up temper the guy had.
“Could you maybe make a little time for me later?”
“Y-yeah. Sure. For now, let’s work. Work.”
Thankfully, before Won-hyeok actually came all the way over, the two of them put a proper amount of distance between themselves.
And it was only when Han-gyeom went into the changing room to get ready to leave work that he finally told In-seok what he wanted to discuss.
“Do Won-hyeok’s birthday present?”
“Yes. Sunbae’s birthday is coming up soon, in August.”
In-seok stared off into space for a moment, then scratched his head. Apparently, he hadn’t even realized his cousin’s birthday was getting close.
“Actually, I’m doing this part-time job to buy sunbae a birthday present…”
When Han-gyeom confessed the reason he’d gotten a part-time job for the first time in his life, In-seok’s mouth fell open. It was common enough for college students to work part-time during break, so he hadn’t bothered asking why. He’d never imagined it was because Han-gyeom wanted to save money for his boyfriend’s gift.
“You… really like Do Won-hyeok.”
“Yes. I like him a lot.”
Maybe he’d heard the small unconscious mutter In-seok let slip, because Han-gyeom answered immediately. Even as he said he liked him, his face turned red and he acted shy, and In-seok fell silent for a moment.
“What kind of virtue did that bastard even accumulate in his past life…”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. Anyway, a present, huh.”
While In-seok was thinking, Han-gyeom tensed slightly. The truth was, the reason he’d asked him for help was because he truly couldn’t think of what to give Won-hyeok for his birthday. He’d rarely ever celebrated someone’s birthday before, and he’d even less often bought a present for a boyfriend himself, so nothing suitable came to mind.
Starting a part-time job to buy a birthday present had been one thing, but after that, an even more daunting problem had been waiting for him.
So after agonizing over it, he’d sent out an SOS to In-seok, Won-hyeok’s cousin. Since they were family, he thought In-seok would probably know well what Won-hyeok liked and what he wanted.
“Well… honestly, even if you ask me, nothing really comes to mind. To begin with, I don’t think Do Won-hyeok has ever once said he wanted anything.”
Do Won-hyeok’s family, both on his mother’s side and his father’s side, were wealthy. He’d grown up in an environment where, as someone born into an extremely rich family, he could have anything he wanted from the moment he was born. So even In-seok had never seen Won-hyeok passionately want something first or long to have something. There was no way he’d feel the need for anything when it was already in his hands before he could even think he wanted it.
“I figured.”
Han-gyeom drooped right away. He had already known Won-hyeok’s family was well-off. That was exactly why picking the right present was even harder. It felt like he probably already had most things, and at the same time, no matter how much he worked part-time, he couldn’t buy something too expensive either.
“Should I try asking him naturally? Like whether there’s anything he wants.”
“R-really?”
Seeing Han-gyeom’s eyes shine again, In-seok let out a rough laugh. Honestly, he wasn’t even that close with Do Won-hyeok, and to begin with, it didn’t seem likely that Won-hyeok would kindly tell him even if he asked. But seeing Han-gyeom so dejected like that stirred some kind of protective instinct in In-seok for some reason.
“Don’t get your hopes up too much. I’ll ask him first.”
“Thank you, hyung. I really think I’m so lucky you’re here.”
Han-gyeom smiled brightly. It was the kind of smile that made you smile along with him for no reason. Looking at him, In-seok suddenly found himself wondering all over again why such a pure, clean kid was dating Won-hyeok.
“Han-gyeom, let me ask you just one thing instead. What do you like so much about Do Won-hyeok?”
From watching Han-gyeom all this time, In-seok knew very well how deeply he was into his boyfriend. He’d just never, not even in his dreams, imagined that the person in question would be Do Won-hyeok. He didn’t particularly want to hear his blood-related cousin’s love story, so he had no intention of prying, but he was still curious.
“Hmm…”
“Just tell me one thing.”
“One thing? That’s not enough, though…”
Han-gyeom rolled his eyes around with the most serious expression in the world. It was obvious he was genuinely trying to choose just one reason out of countless ones.
“I just like everything.”
“Hm?”
“I just like sunbae himself.”
At the sight of him smiling as he said he just couldn’t choose only one thing, In-seok thought for the first time in his life that maybe dating really could be that good.
***
From early morning, there were quite a few people out on the park walking trail to exercise. Won-hyeok, too, was out jogging lightly in training clothes for the first time in a while. The park near his family home was wide and had well-laid running courses, making it perfect for exercise.
“Um…”
Won-hyeok was just about to head back home when someone slipped up beside him.
“You must live around here.”
Won-hyeok wiped away his sweat and looked down at the other person indifferently. The slight build reminded him so much of Han-gyeom.
“Yes, I guess.”
“I also moved here recently and started exercising. If it’s okay with you…”
“I have a boyfriend.”
“Huh?”
“I’m seeing someone, so that kind of thing would be difficult.”
At that, the other person nodded with a disappointed face and disappeared. Won-hyeok turned over what he’d just said in his mind. Lately, he’d even started noticing for himself that rejecting people who flirted with him by saying he had a boyfriend had become pretty natural.
Swallowing down a strange ticklish feeling, Won-hyeok went inside. He planned to wet his throat before showering, so he took some water out of the fridge and drank, and just then Sung Eun-hwa came over to him.
“Won-hyeok, by the way, how’s your rut been lately? Didn’t you say at the beginning of the semester that your meds weren’t working very well?”
“Ah, that?”
Unscrewing the cap of the bottled water as if it were no big deal, Won-hyeok recalled that day again. He’d definitely gone into rut, and because the suppressants he’d been using well until then hadn’t worked, he’d ended up laying hands on Kang Han-gyeom, who had shown up at just that time.
After that, Won-hyeok went straight to the hospital as soon as he had time. When he explained the situation to the professor who had been monitoring his condition ever since he presented as an alpha, the professor suggested trying a new suppressant.
“There’s no real problem. He said we should try a new suppressant, and I said okay, so it should be fine.”
“Really? Still, Mom worries so much. It’s awful for you every time your rut gets that bad.”
She let out a deep sigh and looked troubled.
“You really don’t have anyone you’re seeing? When I introduced you to Woo-hee, you should’ve just tried making it work. She’s really a good girl.”
Ever since Won-hyeok had been diagnosed as a dominant alpha and, at the same time, as someone physically sensitive to suppressants, Sung Eun-hwa had constantly worried about her son. These days, trait medicine was improving more and more every day, and all kinds of suppressants were available, so there wasn’t really a problem—but she was still a parent with old-fashioned fixed ideas.
That was why she hoped her son would meet a good omega partner as soon as possible, settle that sensitive constitution of his, and live comfortably.
“I’m not really interested.”
More than that, he already was seeing someone. Even if he was a beta. What kind of reaction would she have if she heard that? Won-hyeok suddenly remembered what the doctor had said when he went in for his checkup.
“By the way, Won-hyeok… looks like this rut went pretty well for you anyway. I was worried when you said the suppressants weren’t working, but your pheromone levels are stable. Did you maybe get a partner? Seems like your compatibility is quite good.”
Won-hyeok hadn’t said anything to that. The professor probably assumed he’d spent his rut with an omega partner, but the one who had relieved his arousal that day wasn’t an omega—it was Kang Han-gyeom, a beta.
While he was turning that over in his head, the doorbell suddenly rang through the house. In the middle of their conversation, Sung Eun-hwa crossed the living room and went over to the intercom.
Won-hyeok stayed standing there blankly, still thinking about Han-gyeom.
“Oh my, In-seok.”
He heard noise coming from the front door, and not long after, Do In-seok came inside.
“Mom told me to drop this off for you. She said she made a lot of side dishes.”
“Sister-in-law, really. I keep telling her she doesn’t have to. Anyway, thank you. Do you want to sit for a while before you go? At least have some fruit.”
“Then I’d be grateful.”
Maybe it pleased her to see how politely In-seok behaved, because Sung Eun-hwa’s face brightened at once. The moment she hurried into the dining room humming to herself, Won-hyeok strode over to him.
“What do you mean grateful? If your errand’s done, get out.”
“Auntie told me to stay, so I’m staying, okay?”
“Don’t you think we’ve been running into each other way too often lately?”
“You’re saying that with your own mouth? If you hadn’t been coming to the café like you were dying to, I’d never have to see your face.”
“You think I go there to see your ugly mug? I go to see Han-gyeom.”
Won-hyeok dropped onto the sofa. Soon after, Sung Eun-hwa came back carrying a full tray of fruit and set it down.
“Hey.”
In-seok took a bite of an apple and glanced sideways at Won-hyeok. At some point, a book from the coffee table had ended up in Won-hyeok’s hand. Treating In-seok like he was air, he had already started reading.
“You, I mean…”
