That thought occupied a corner of his mind as he got in the car, made sure Yeonwoo fastened his seatbelt, and until they arrived near his house.
Yeonwoo, who had been quiet the entire time, only looked at Munbeom when it was time to get out of the car. After feeling Yeonwoo’s gaze briefly touch his face and then drift away, Munbeom heard a very small whisper of “Thank you.” Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Munbeom answered briefly.
“Get home safely.”
“…Yes.”
Yeonwoo got out of the car. After carefully closing the door and turning around, Yeonwoo walked up the sloped road, and only then did Munbeom turn his head in that direction. Yeonwoo didn’t look back. Watching the receding figure walking at a pace that was neither slow nor fast, Munbeom finally exhaled the breath he had been holding.
Then he shifted his gaze to where Yeonwoo had been sitting.
“…”
The cunning alpha, who had noticed from their first meeting that he had a place in Yeonwoo’s heart, had tried to use that to get what he wanted. Without making any effort or showing sincerity, he had cunningly sought only the pleasure he needed. Thinking at that time that it was acceptable to do so.
Having become accustomed to relationships based on transactions, contracts, and exchanges, his mind had somehow become a mess at some point. He had tried to exploit a young omega who was not from his world, who struggled just to get through each day, with an impressive contract where money was everything.
It would have been fine with an omega who grew up in the same environment or had a similar way of thinking. But not Yeonwoo. Occasionally reflected in those eyes, the Yeonwoo who didn’t know what to do because he liked him so much, who blushed and fidgeted with their clasped hands—that wouldn’t work.
Because when it came time to end the relationship, Yeonwoo’s heart would be deeply hurt.
The deep wounds inflicted on the young omega, whose body and mind still needed to grow, would likely continue for quite a long time. So, he might need to end this relationship earlier than the period initially decided.
Despite the thoughts in his head, Munbeom, who had been feeling stuffy for a while, let out a long sigh.
***
After meeting Chairman Ho Jaejung and then Munbeom, Yeonwoo became busy.
Perhaps it was because the meal at Munbeom’s house was delicious. Yeonwoo started cooking again after having set it aside for a while. He went to the market to buy ingredients for side dishes and bought ready-made products for things that seemed difficult to cook himself. He also bought a 10-kilogram bag of rice and plenty of meat.
The day passed quickly as the empty refrigerator filled with food. After cooking, he didn’t have much appetite, but still took out the newly made side dishes and quickly finished a bowl of rice.
Meanwhile, he continued cleaning, though there wasn’t much left to tidy up. Besides, the house was so old that even after sweeping and wiping, it hardly showed. So the next day, he did the laundry for the bedding.
The weather wasn’t that good, so it didn’t seem like it would dry in just one day. Since the only other bedding he had was a thin blanket, it would be a problem if it didn’t dry well, but he went ahead and did it anyway.
After diligently washing the bedding and somehow managing to spread it out well on the tiny balcony rack, he felt a bit tired. He wanted to take a nap, but remembered the rice and side dishes he had made the day before. After taking them out and eating until he was full, his stomach felt bloated, and wanting to move his body, he went out for a walk.
The weather was nice.
Walking absent-mindedly, his eyes eventually fell on a familiar place. It was the supermarket where he had worked part-time.
“…”
It was strange. He hadn’t done anything wrong while working there. Rather, thanks to an absurd rumor that had spread, Yeonwoo was in the position of a victim. On top of that, a few days ago, he had heard strange words from a colleague he had been close with. That they were trying to pin all sorts of things on him—a sexual harassment incident at the supermarket and other unsavory scandals.
There were quite a few people who had seen what Director Park had done to him. If the supermarket really filed a complaint against him, the investigation would reveal that it wasn’t true. So he thought there was no need to worry too much, but he was anxious. And a little scared too.
Looking at the supermarket with a hardened expression, Yeonwoo soon turned around. At that moment, his eyes met with those of a man coming from ahead. If it had been a stranger, he would have just passed by, but he couldn’t. It was an employee from the bakery inside the supermarket where he occasionally bought bread when getting off work.
“Oh! What brings you here??”
The man, who recognized Yeonwoo and opened his eyes wide, suddenly looked around. Then he ran to Yeonwoo, grabbed his arm, and pulled him, saying to come this way. Although Yeonwoo wondered why he was suddenly acting this way, he didn’t push away the hand that was pulling him.
After entering between buildings, the man looked outside once more before turning to Yeonwoo.
“It’s nice to see you after a long time, but don’t come here these days. The atmosphere is really bad. I don’t want to say this to someone who already quit the mart, but that Director Park is spouting nonsense, claiming he’s the victim. He sexually harassed you but pretends he didn’t, spreading rumors like he was tricked by a gold digger.”
“…”
“Who doesn’t know that the director is a dirty guy? But for now, everyone is talking recklessly, saying it’s not their business. Of course, I don’t believe what he’s saying.”
As he spoke, the man checked Yeonwoo’s expression.
It seemed that Director Park, who had returned to the supermarket, was very actively waging a public opinion campaign. Yeonwoo, with his cold fingertips clenched, hesitated and then muttered.
“…As expected, it seems he’s talking nonsense to create a situation that’s favorable to him.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Don’t even mention it. It’s really serious.”
The man sighed and fanned himself after taking off his hat.
Yeonwoo had thought that the talk about him would disappear when he quit the part-time job. But that wasn’t the case at all. Somehow the situation seemed to be getting more serious, but he couldn’t consult this man about it. Thinking that Director Park was originally just a man of words, so hopefully this too would pass, Yeonwoo managed an awkward smile.
“Then I…”
“It’s just Kim Miyoung who’s having a hard time. After rumors spread that she was quite close to you, her working hours suddenly became all messed up. Her son has slight autism, you know. It seems he’s attending a welfare center near home, which is a good opportunity, but he still finds it difficult to commute alone, so Kim goes to drop him off and pick him up every day. But with the changed hours, that’s becoming difficult, so she’s worried about whether she should quit her job. But at her age, it would be hard to find another job if she quits here. I heard she lives just the two of them, her and her son…”
The man, who had been rambling on, looked at Yeonwoo’s face and closed his mouth. Looking around with a confused expression, he made an awkward face and moved to the side.
“Just let what I just said go in one ear and out the other. Well then, I’ve got something to do, so I’ll be going.”
Even after the man had left, almost running away, Yeonwoo stood there for a long time. When his legs began to hurt, he took out his mobile phone and tried to remember the number he had received before, but he couldn’t recall it. Even trying to retrace his memories was futile. Feeling frustrated, Yeonwoo emerged from between the buildings and looked toward the supermarket, but soon turned his head away.
With what he had just heard, he couldn’t go to the supermarket recklessly. If he had known this would happen, he would have kept the auntie’s number for a few more days. Instead of habitually deleting it.
It seemed that somehow the surrounding situation had become a bit strangely tangled since some time ago. As if the direction had been altered to make things more difficult for him. If that was the case, he was afraid that he might not be able to turn that steering wheel back.
In the midst of all this, it was very grateful to have someone who was concerned about him. Usually, people wouldn’t care this much. After all, it was someone else’s business, so they would just show a momentary interest and then erase it from their minds when they lost interest.
So he wanted to remember even the smallest help and surely repay it someday. Even if it was difficult right now, wouldn’t he be able to do that someday? Suddenly, Yeonwoo was startled by the number that appeared on the screen of the mobile phone he was holding.
“…”
At first, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing and stared at it for a long time before belatedly answering the phone. Trying to calm his rapidly beating heart, Yeonwoo opened his mouth and said, “Hello.”
[Hello, Yeonwoo. This is Secretary Kang.]
He was someone Yeonwoo had been in contact with several times before meeting Ho Munbeom. Knowing it was Secretary Kang just by seeing the number, Yeonwoo nodded and replied, “Yes.”
[The Executive Director asked me to deliver something, so I’m leaving it in front of your house. I called because you don’t seem to be home.]
“…”
At Secretary Kang’s words, Yeonwoo’s eyes slowly closed and then opened.
The days he met with Munbeom were often on weekends. So he naturally thought it would be about setting up an appointment for a meeting with that person. But there was no mention of a meeting with Munbeom in what Secretary Kang was saying now. Just that there was something to be delivered. Even that alone was a significant thing, but still…
Secretary Kang was a polite person and didn’t forget to say goodbye before hanging up. To the greeting wishing him a pleasant weekend, Yeonwoo barely managed to reply, “Yes.”
“Thank you,” he muttered as if talking to himself.
The call had ended, but Yeonwoo was still looking at the mobile phone in his hand.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
