Episode 49
After the air had circulated, they closed the windows. Perhaps due to the extreme cold, there were few people passing by on the street. There weren’t many customers either. Maybe more would come later when Yang Hye-na was scheduled to play the piano.
“Yes, Hye-na,” the manager answered her phone, as if reading Si-yul’s thoughts. Si-yul, who was tidying up the scattered menus, looked at the manager. She had a worried expression. With final words of “Yes, yes, get plenty of rest,” the manager ended the call.
“This is a problem. Hye-na caught the flu and says she absolutely can’t come today.”
“Isn’t there a performance scheduled for today?”
Si-yul exclaimed in surprise. He wondered what they would do, since some customers came specifically to listen to Yang Hye-na’s performance. The manager also sighed heavily, looking at the piano. Although their regulars probably wouldn’t leave empty-handed…
Amidst the gloomy atmosphere, a long arm shot up. All eyes turned in that direction. Woo Tae-joo, sitting on a round bar stool with his hand raised, scratched his cheek and smiled sheepishly.
“I know how to play the piano a bit. If it’s alright, could I perform just for today? As a substitute for Hye-na?”
“Really? We don’t have sheet music. Hye-na plays without it.”
“I don’t need sheet music either. I know a few songs that I can play. Would you like to hear?”
When the manager gave permission, Woo Tae-joo stood up, stretched his interlocked hands, and loosened up his body. He also tilted his head deeply to the side with his hand on it, then went up on stage and sat at the piano. He tapped the keys a few times, and for some reason, glanced at Si-yul once. When their eyes met, he grinned.
Without announcing he was starting, Woo Tae-joo began playing the keys. Although Si-yul didn’t know much about piano, the performance was no less impressive than Hye-na’s. However, while Hye-na’s playing was smooth like flowing water, Woo Tae-joo’s was rough with each note carrying weight. He had also completely erased his usual grin. Surprised by his unexpected skill, even the manager slowly unfolded her tightly crossed arms and leaned against the bar.
The performance ended quickly. Si-yul applauded as if entranced. Others had the same reaction. Woo Tae-joo stood up from the bench, raised his arms, then lowered them as if taking off a hat, bowing in response to the applause.
“That’s unexpected. I didn’t know you could play the piano so well.”
“I guess I don’t look the part. I hear that a lot.”
He laughed boisterously. Even while talking with the manager, Woo Tae-joo kept glancing at Si-yul.
“I’m actually better with guitar than piano. I play guitar even better. If you give me a chance next time, I’ll bring my guitar.”
“Oh really? Then would you like to bring your guitar tomorrow? It seems Hye-na won’t be able to come until she’s fully recovered.”
“Yes!”
Woo Tae-joo answered energetically. The manager sighed in relief, glad that customers wouldn’t have come for nothing. Si-yul also set aside his worries and continued organizing the liquor bottles, casually thinking that Woo Tae-joo, who usually just grinned at everything, could be serious sometimes too.
The performance was a success. Even the regulars who were disappointed by Hye-na’s absence seemed satisfied with Woo Tae-joo’s performance. Some people even secretly asked the bartender for Woo Tae-joo’s contact information.
Si-yul threw a large, tightly packed garbage bag into the bin and dusted off his hands. It had been a while since he had disposed of it himself, as Woo Tae-joo would always insist on doing it, showing overprotectiveness like Kwon Yuwon, saying it was too heavy for Si-yul to carry. He had quickly come out while Woo Tae-joo was talking with the manager.
He arched his stiff back to stretch and took a deep breath of cold air. Again today, there seemed to be a problem with his nose as he could smell something mixed with the musty odor of the back alley. He sniffed repeatedly, trying to identify the smell, but it disappeared as if it had never been there.
“Could it be pheromones?”
Si-yul muttered to himself and then burst out laughing. It was nonsense. Doesn’t presentation usually occur during adolescence, or as early as the early teens? He was well past that age. The possibility of presentation was approaching zero.
Suddenly, Kwon Yuwon’s words flashed through his mind:
‘The worst among alphas are dominant alphas. Those bastards, just being near them can affect you. I heard that even some sensitive betas can present after being around them for a long time! You know as well as I do that neither of us has particularly good luck, right?’
The laughter slowly faded. Woo Hyun-se was undeniably a dominant alpha. No matter how much he claimed to be recessive, Si-yul didn’t believe it.
“No way…”
He shook his head, denying the possibility of presentation. No, it’s just a touch of a cold. Or it might be symptoms of a new mutated virus. Didn’t a plague sweep across the world just a few years ago?
Si-yul had also suffered severely from it before. It could be that the aftereffects were only now manifesting, making him imagine non-existent smells.
But if he did present…
Then Woo Hyun-se wouldn’t need to get medicine from the hospital.
Ruts wouldn’t end with just one occurrence, and who knows how many times he’d have to go through it in the future. Relying on strong medication each time could be dangerous for his health. While he’d prefer to become an alpha, for Woo Hyun-se’s sake, becoming an omega wouldn’t be so bad either.
There was also the advantage of being able to smell Woo Hyun-se’s pheromones directly with his own nose, which he had been curious about every moment. Like a snow-white birch forest, he had said.
If Kwon Yuwon were beside him, he would have immediately raised his palm and slapped Si-yul’s back as if hitting a volleyball, but he wasn’t here now. Si-yul grinned, tapping the ground with the toe of his sneaker as he usually did when embarrassed. He wanted to fall right into Woo Hyun-se’s arms.
He missed him.
Very much.
“…”
He had once heard a definition of love on the radio. The DJ said that love is when just seeing someone makes your heart flutter and you feel happy. Si-yul couldn’t relate. He had never experienced what love was.
He had never received unconditional parental love, and having to survive among a crowd of children, love was a luxury, and survival was the priority.
But when he looked at Woo Hyun-se, his heart would stir, and indescribable feelings would sprout like seedlings. Even seeing him every night and morning wasn’t enough.
He wanted to see him more. He wanted to share more time together. He wanted to hear his voice, hug him, hold his hand. Even just lying together doing nothing, his heart was full of something indescribable. It felt like floating on warm water that would never cool, and his stomach always felt comfortably full. Just the memory made his heart swell.
He still didn’t know what love was. But he felt like he might understand. It was vague and faint, but if he had to find a similar emotion, that word would probably be it.
“I like you…”
The words he couldn’t say in front of Woo Hyun-se suddenly burst out like a sneeze. Although it was close to a whisper, Si-yul was startled and covered his mouth. He hurriedly looked around. There was no one else but him.
Confirming he was alone, Si-yul smiled broadly. His dazed-looking eyes curved prettily, and a smile played on his lips. Like flowers blooming by the roadside when spring comes, even without anyone watching, a new season had arrived on Si-yul’s face. Despite the cold, dark winter alley, the smile spreading across his face shone with warmth like the sun in May or June.
The sound of hurried footsteps crossing the hallway interrupted Si-yul’s moment. He inhaled and looked up, not having time to savor the feeling he had just realized. The iron door flung open, and Woo Tae-joo poked his head out. His cheeks were flushed red, as if he had run in a hurry.
“Hyung! I’ve decided to work here for a while. While Hye-na is resting.”
It seemed the manager had changed her mind after listening to his performance. Si-yul brightened.
“That’s great! Didn’t you say your allowance was cut off?”
“Exactly! I’ve been an unpaid intern until now, but now I’m an official employee. It’s all thanks to you, hyung.”
“But I didn’t do anything.”
Woo Tae-joo stepped over the threshold and grabbed Si-yul’s hands with both of his. Even as Si-yul stepped back hesitantly, Woo Tae-joo leaned his upper body forward, bringing his face close.
“What do you mean you didn’t? You were here. I kept coming here to see you. That’s how I got this job.”
Si-yul smiled awkwardly and pulled his hands out of Woo Tae-joo’s grasp. He put them behind his back to prevent it from happening again and took a big step backward.
“Hyung, why do you keep…”
“Oh, sorry for grabbing your hands.”
“Is it not okay to hold them? Is it weird?”
Despite saying this, Woo Tae-joo kept reaching out to Si-yul as if he wanted to touch him somehow. Although he didn’t want to know, even with his lack of perception, Si-yul couldn’t misunderstand Woo Tae-joo’s feelings after seeing such behavior. It resembled the emotion he had just realized in himself. Although he hoped he was mistaken, Si-yul asked directly.
“I hope this is my misunderstanding, but do you like me?”
