#120
Idam, who arrived early at the cafe, was busy chopping onions. It was for making sandwiches to sell in the morning. Even with a mask on, his eyes were stinging from the spiciness. But he kept going, thinking of the customers who would enjoy the sandwiches he made.
“Idam, should I chop this too?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Oh my, it’s spicy.”
Sujeong was also handling onions with tears in her eyes. Her brother was preparing to open the store. Though it was a repetitive day, it had become familiar and peaceful. Working hard had led to a promised raise starting this month, and everything seemed fine. It felt like he was moving forward, achieving one thing at a time.
But while 350 million won was pocket change for Taemin, it was an enormous mountain for Idam. He wondered if he could ever repay it in this lifetime working like this. Moreover, as his belly would soon start showing, he might not be able to work anymore. Whenever he thought about this, his good mood would suddenly turn gloomy.
“Ah.”
At that moment, Idam felt a sharp pain in his index finger. He quickly put down the onion and knife he was holding. He had cut his finger.
“Are you okay?”
Sujeong quickly brought a tissue and wrapped the wound.
“Oh, you should have been more careful.”
“It’s okay.”
It was because he had been momentarily distracted by his complicated thoughts.
“It doesn’t seem to be cut too deep. The bleeding has already stopped.”
“That’s a relief. I’ll get a band-aid. Just a moment!”
Sujeong hurried out of the kitchen. Seeing the blood on the crumpled tissue reminded Idam of Taemin. It brought back the memory of when Taemin had been injured trying to protect him from Ahn Juhan’s sword.
“Hah…”
At that time, it had just been an act to gain his favor, using him as a tool. Not knowing that, Idam had felt sorry and touched. But even if the intention was impure, it had prevented him from getting hurt. Taemin’s hand must have been in a lot of pain too.
Idam felt resentful towards Taemin, but at the same time, he was frustrated with himself for not being able to easily push him away.
“This really shouldn’t be happening…”
Idam felt like crying but swallowed it back. Meanwhile, Sujeong came back into the kitchen with a band-aid.
* * *
In the parking lot in front of the cafe, there was a sedan with Secretary Kang and Taemin inside.
“So that cafe is where that Eun Sujeong bitch works.”
Taemin frowned deeply, fixing his gaze on a tablet. The screen was full of information about the cafe where Idam was currently working. It was a place run by Eun Sujeong’s brother, and while it hadn’t been very popular, it had recently started to thrive due to word of mouth.
“When did our baby meet that omega girl? Were they secretly in contact?”
Taemin, already irritated by Eun Sujeong, felt even more upset learning this, overcome with intense jealousy.
“I was surprised too, but I’m not sure how they came to know each other.”
Realizing his answer was inadequate, Secretary Kang continued, as if providing alternative information.
“An employee monitoring the area saw Yeo Idam entering the cafe. It seems he went to work today.”
“Yes, I saw Idam leaving the gosiwon too.”
“Is the madam staying at a gosiwon?”
“Yes. I followed Idam after he got off work yesterday. I wanted to grab him right away and take him to a hotel, but I barely restrained myself to understand more about Idam’s surroundings.”
“You did well to hold back.”
If Taemin hadn’t been patient, there might have been another chase scene, and they likely would have lost him again.
“Instead, I stayed in the room next to Idam’s yesterday.”
“What? Really?”
It was surprising how this alpha, who wouldn’t associate with anything less than high-end facilities, spent a night there.
“At first, I was just curious about what kind of place it was, but it turned out to be a men-only gosiwon. Plus, there were rumors about wanted criminals staying there, so I couldn’t just leave him there out of worry.”
“Luckily, the room next door was empty, I guess.”
“Of course, I kicked out the person who was there.”
He said it nonchalantly.
“Gasp.”
Secretary Kang’s head hurt thinking about what this man, whose face was now well-known to the media, was doing blinded by love. But unable to express his thoughts, he barely composed himself and changed the subject.
“But if he’s staying at a gosiwon, doesn’t he need to report his change of address within two weeks?”
“For hot or extremely hot omega traits, it’s set that they can report within four months. They’re classified as socially protected, so they’re given this convenience.”
“Ah, I didn’t know that. Then, are you going to buy sandwiches yourself later?”
“No. Thinking about it, if I show up, Idam might run away again. I don’t want to disrupt their business.”
“Huh?”
Secretary Kang wondered why this person, who usually inconvenienced others without a second thought, was suddenly acting so considerate.
“Then how do you plan to approach the madam?”
“I’m thinking of approaching him gently when he gets off work.”
“That’s ideal. Oh? Then we could come back in the evening. There’s no need to cancel all your schedules, is there?”
Originally, there was an interview with a journalist today and a factory tour in Incheon, but everything had been cancelled.
“Of course there’s a reason. I need to watch our Idam all day.”
In other words, he was planning to monitor him like a stalker.
Soon, Taemin opened the velvet case beside him. Inside was a neatly arranged veil with a prominent spider web pattern. This was the veil he had put over Idam during his last rut cycle. Taemin held it to his nose and inhaled deeply.
Although Idam’s scent had almost disappeared, it felt like he could still sense that day’s sensations. Taemin took a moment to organize his thoughts on how to show his feelings to Idam today.
“Then, sir, you’re not going to eat the sandwiches?”
“Of course I will. But you go buy them.”
“Understood. Will five be enough?”
“Yes. But don’t send Secretary Kang, send the newly hired kid this time.”
“Why?”
“Yesterday we were lucky to just pass by, but Idam might run away again if he sees Secretary Kang.”
“I guess that’s true. Alright. I’ll send one of the kids.”
Secretary Kang nodded, seeming to understand.
* * *
“Ah, let’s head out now.”
After selling out the sandwiches again today, it was afternoon. Idam put on the bear costume and clothes. Soon, another bear emerged from the changing room. At the same time, Idam’s pupils shook.
“Huh? W-Who are you?”
“It’s me. Sujeong.”
“Why are you wearing that? Wasn’t there only one bear?”
“I thought it would be better to go with a twin concept, so I rented another one last night.”
Sujeong made a V-sign with both hands and danced around. Idam couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.
The store was left in the care of Sujeong’s brother, and the two of them headed out with flyers to distribute.
Today, the sky was high, signaling autumn. The sunlight was also very bright. Just as they were about to start around the nearby shopping area, a black sedan caught Idam’s eye. For a moment, his body froze. Sujeong, who had come out with him, tilted her head curiously as Idam stiffened.
“What’s wrong?”
“No… It’s nothing.”
When he first came to Cheongdo, he used to panic every time he saw a black sedan. But each time, different people got out, and after repeated occurrences, he had become indifferent. But… there was a different feeling this time.
The scent he had noticed when he found his cap that had blown away in the wind yesterday came back to him. It felt like a rose that had bloomed at dawn was approaching him.
What if Taemin had come looking for him…?
If so….
Idam’s heart sank, and he felt his blood run cold. He wanted to think it wasn’t true, but he couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling. He needed to run away. But if he told Sujeong about this, she would also be upset and worried. Idam had to resolve this quietly on his own.
“Sujeong, I’ll handle the market area.”
“Okay. I’ll go around the opposite side.”
Sujeong soon went out of the cafe, and so did Idam.
* * *
“Huh? Two bears are coming out of the store?”
Secretary Kang, with a sandwich in his mouth, was bewildered. Taemin’s brow furrowed as well.
“Is there some event going on?”
“They have flyers in their hands. Looks like they’re distributing them. It seems another man is watching the store?”
“Eun Sujeong’s brother must be staying in the cafe. Then, one of those two bears must be Idam…”
Taemin’s gaze, which had been examining the bears like he was dissecting them, gradually sharpened like a scalpel.
“Oh? The two bears are suddenly running really fast. They must be busy.”
Secretary Kang recalled moments when he used to run around with bundles of documents when he was busy. But Taemin’s face remained cold.
“It seems they’ve noticed we’re watching…”
“Nah. It looks like they’re just running to distribute flyers? I think it’s best to wait until they come back.”
“No… I have a bad feeling about this.”
All the situations where Idam had run away before flashed through Taemin’s mind. The tension, desperation, and arousal he had felt then were vivid. Taemin quickly put the veil back in its case and opened the car door.
“Huh? Sir, why are you suddenly doing this?”
Secretary Kang was flustered by Taemin’s impulsive action. He couldn’t understand why Taemin was making such a big deal out of bears running to do their job.
“I need to catch Idam now.”
“What? You’re going to catch that bear?”
“Yes.”
But there were two bears, so which one was Idam? It was hard to tell them apart as they were identical in size and build, like well-baked fish-shaped pastries. While Secretary Kang was confused, Taemin seemed to know which one was Idam and started running without hesitation.
Secretary Kang thought Taemin was being overly sensitive, but just in case the bear Taemin was chasing wasn’t Idam, he followed the other bear.
* * *
Idam ran diligently, holding the flyers. His only thought was to get as far away from the sedan as possible. But it could also be a delusion bordering on paranoia, so he decided to first check the situation at the market and then distribute the flyers.
Entering the market, Idam carefully surveyed his surroundings. The market was peaceful, and there was no one resembling Taemin anywhere.
“Phew…”
Idam thought he might have been overly sensitive. It was rather a relief that it was just his imagination. As he was about to grab the flyers to start distributing them in earnest, his hand slipped. As a result, the flyers fell to the ground, sticking to it. Flustered, Idam bent down to pick them up.
At that moment, he felt a tilted shadow from the opposite side. A familiar scent reached his nose. The tension that had briefly subsided rose again as he looked up.
“I’ve missed you, Idam.”
It was Taemin.
It was the moment when his hope that it wouldn’t be him was proven to be a delusion.
Though his legs shook with great agitation, he tried to calm himself. He was currently wearing a bear mask. Since his face wasn’t directly visible, he could just deny it.
“Um… I’m not Idam.”
However, with his judgment impaired by the sudden situation, Idam forgot to disguise his voice. So he ended up revealing that he was indeed Yeo Idam.
“Hic.”
A damn hiccup to boot.
“If you’re not Idam, then are you a bear?”
Taemin approached a bit closer, smiling. Like a hunter with a gun.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
