Joo-cheol fell silent for a moment. However, even in the heavy silence, his excitement was palpable. Sanho also noticed Joo-cheol’s shallow excitement. His heart thumped uncomfortably. After a while, Joo-cheol spoke up in a bright voice.
– How about we meet? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other and talked.
“I don’t want to.”
– Come on, that’s harsh. It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other. Ah, is it because of what happened last time when you came to quit your Omega job and got caught by Jin Siwoo? Are you afraid of getting caught again?
“That’s because you threatened to come to the classroom if I didn’t meet you.”
– Either way, you came to find me on your own.
Joo-cheol said with a frivolous laugh.
– Look at this. Jin Siwoo making you lose interest is a piece of cake for me. Well, if you’ve already lost interest, there’s nothing I can do about it. If you don’t want to see that bastard shudder at just the sight of your shadow, come find me while I’m still being nice. Who knows? Depending on what you do, I might just disappear in front of Jin Siwoo and you.
Sanho pressed his lips together with his fingertips. Blinking his seemingly empty eyes, Sanho finally opened his mouth slowly.
“If we meet.”
The thought that Sanho had taken the bait made Joo-cheol laugh again. In a languid voice, Joo-cheol replied leisurely.
– Let’s meet and talk then. Come to P Club at midnight tonight.
He chuckled, adding in a playful tone.
– Make sure to look pretty. Who knows, P Club might become your workplace later.
Sanho pressed the call end button without responding to Joo-cheol’s mockery. The voice that had filled the space with noise quickly fell silent. Sanho remained seated in the same position on the sofa. The only change was that his hand, which was gripping the phone, trembled slightly. However, gradually the shaking of his hand subsided. With a calm expression, Sanho moved his lips.
Tonight. Midnight. P Club.
At that moment, the sound of the hotel room door lock being opened echoed. Soon after, Siwoo entered. Sanho slowly stood up. Siwoo’s face, approaching him, looked somehow weary. Sanho forced a smile, pulling his lips into a grin.
“Sanho….”
“Sanho.”
Siwoo cut off Sanho’s words and spoke. He looked unusually tense, unlike his usual self. But Siwoo smiled at Sanho just the same. It was a terribly beautiful smile, with eyes that sparkled. Sanho had imagined that smile countless times in his mind. Therefore, he now sensed that Siwoo’s smile carried a strangely different atmosphere. What had happened with his father?
“Aren’t you tired?”
Siwoo had asked the same thing in the parking lot. Not tired at all. With his senior in front of him, how could he be tired? When Sanho tilted his head, Siwoo laughed as if to make an excuse.
“Ah… actually… I’m a little tired. Just like you said, Sanho.”
“Oh, then….”
When Sanho glanced at the bedroom, Siwoo quietly shook his head. Soon, a gentle voice followed.
“You must be tired too. Even if it doesn’t seem like it now, it’s better to rest.”
“I’m really okay.”
“I’ll go home. You’ll be more comfortable resting alone.”
Sanho’s mouth, which had been slightly open, slowly closed.
Home… He had momentarily forgotten. The hotel where Siwoo was staying with Sanho was not Siwoo’s home. It wasn’t even Sanho’s home. Siwoo had said to use this place like home, but in the end, it was just a temporary arrangement. More than anything… Jin Siwoo had a home to return to. A place he perhaps had to return to.
Siwoo slowly stroked Sanho’s head. His hand, which had hesitated in the air as if in thought, finally touched Sanho’s head this time. Siwoo’s warm body heat was transmitted clearly.
“Rest well. I’ll contact you tomorrow.”
It wasn’t a promise to return. Of course, it might just be a trivial difference in words. However, Sanho bit his lip invisibly. The gentle voice felt painfully like it was digging into his heart.
***
Looking at the phone screen that had ended the call on its own, Joo-cheol grinned. He was in a very good mood right now. The anticipation of getting sweet revenge on the arrogant alpha who had injured his shoulder was swelling within him. Joo-cheol subtly placed his hand on his injured shoulder. A sharp pain pricked at his nerves.
“Ha, this still….”
The broken collarbone had yet to heal completely. The sensation of the dominant alpha crushing his collarbone with one hand was still vivid. That chilling feeling would not be easily erased. Joo-cheol knew that if he had set his mind to it, the crushing of his collarbone would not have been the end of it. It was a very clear warning. The words he had spoken were no different.
‘It wouldn’t be hard to break all your limbs… but it would be better to rip out your tongue.’
If they were weaklings, they would have tucked their tails and run away from such threats. But Joo-cheol was different. If given the chance, he would cling to them even more tenaciously and viciously. Not just the alpha who had injured his shoulder, but also the despicable omega who hadn’t opened his legs for him. The very sight of those two sticking together displeased Joo-cheol.
But heaven was on Joo-cheol’s side. The opportunity to torment them came sooner than he expected. Just last night, when he received a frantic phone call, he hadn’t thought it would be such a fortuitous opportunity.
‘A good marriage prospect has come up. It seems the other party is not easy to deal with. They come from a very noble family. They can hold it against you for even a little enjoyment in your youth. You can erase the traces well, right?’
The content of the late-night urgent call was nothing special. Wealthy heirs often made such requests. They enjoyed a debauched and filthy nightlife surrounded by all sorts of drugs and pheromones, but when problems arose, they would come looking for someone like Joo-cheol, who was well-versed in the back alleys, to erase their traces. This usually happened before political campaigns or, as now, before marriages.
So at first, Joo-cheol was indifferent. Did they even know how bothersome it was to clean up the mess they had made? Not only did he have to go to various clubs to delete CCTV footage, but he also had to track down every host he had ever been with, paying them off with money or drugs to keep their mouths shut. Of course, the commission was quite generous, but it was undoubtedly an unpleasant job.
However, when the client conveyed the details, Joo-cheol’s eyes widened in surprise. It was after he confirmed who the ‘not easy opponent’ was.
‘It’s JR. The only son of that family. He’s a bit eccentric and likes to live a normal life. He rarely shows his face at gatherings. He’s a flawless alpha, and there are plenty of people drooling over him. But it seems he’s gotten himself into some trouble? The fact that he’s in such a hurry to find a marriage prospect says a lot. Anyway, Chairman Jin Tae-seok said to find out as soon as possible. And it has to be an omega. Since he’s the only son of that family, I wonder if he got into some trouble with an omega. But what does it matter? It’s JR. I don’t know if it will be a few years before he becomes my in-law, but it seems like the engagement will happen soon. This is something we definitely need to pursue. So, Manager Yang, please take care of it well.’
Joo-cheol licked his lower lip and confirmed again. Is he really the only son of JR? Is it certain that Chairman Jin Tae-seok has only one son? Only after receiving a satisfactory answer did Joo-cheol hang up the phone. A cunning smile spread across his face. Without any delay, Joo-cheol took action. He logged into an illegal messenger and started fishing for bait. The omega who was firmly captivated by JR immediately took the bait. Tonight. Midnight. P Club.
“…Hmm.”
He still had a long wait until midnight. Joo-cheol stretched his arms wide and yawned. He wished midnight would come quickly. He was also looking forward to meeting the mouthwatering omega after a long time.
Baek Sanho was a precious catch even for Joo-cheol. From the moment he first came to find him, completely unaware, Joo-cheol had sensed it. An omega who dripped with delicious pheromones yet had no idea how alluring he was. An untouched omega was incredibly rare. Especially if he was struggling financially. Moreover, Baek Sanho was a dominant omega. Where had such a treasure come from? If he played his cards right, he could sell him for a high price at the club. Of course, before that, he intended to thoroughly enjoy himself with him.
To the prickly Baek Sanho, Joo-cheol arranged a simple date. It was a trivial task of setting up a date for a few hours with some clueless alpha or perverted omegas who wanted to meet. Baek Sanho seemed to find even that quite dreadful, but Joo-cheol thought he would change once he tasted money. Right now, he was putting on a coy face, but soon enough, he would spread his legs willingly. Gradually exposing him to drug pheromones would make things even easier.
However, it wasn’t easy. Baek Sanho didn’t act as Joo-cheol had hoped, and he only came to Joo-cheol when he was truly struggling to make ends meet. Joo-cheol began to feel a bit impatient. It wasn’t just about the money… he wanted to taste that brat’s hole quickly. On the day Joo-cheol, feeling a bit hasty, went to Sanho’s house, he encountered a dominant alpha who was a senior at school. That was when everything began.
Joo-cheol checked the time on his phone again. Today, he would be able to satisfy his desires. Just as Jin Siwoo was firmly captivated by Baek Sanho, Baek Sanho was also blindly devoted to Jin Siwoo. It was common for an omega, who knew nothing of the world, to meet a young master who took an interest in him and dream of a futile romance. That clichéd story often ended in tragedy without them realizing it. Baek Sanho would have no choice but to do what Joo-cheol demanded out of fear of being abandoned by Jin Siwoo.
Joo-cheol laughed crudely. He thought time was dragging on more than usual.
