#72
Idam continued to nestle into Taemin like a baby bird, unaware of what misunderstandings Taemin had or what sinister thoughts filled his mind. He was also emitting sweet pheromones. Intoxicated by the scent, Taemin wanted to devour Idam right away but forcefully restrained himself. Instead, he gently stroked Idam’s head.
“It’s okay now. I’m here.”
“CEO…”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No…”
Idam answered this way, but he was anxious considering how he had been rolling on the floor. So he examined himself, feeling for any injuries. Nothing was visible to the naked eye, but it might be too dark to see.
“Ah!”
Idam spotted Han Jongcheol outside the car window and trembled more. Seeing the frightened fairy, Taemin could be certain that this bastard was not an accomplice but a kidnapper. He also felt sorry for misunderstanding. However, it was also an opportunity to achieve a greater purpose.
“Wait here for a moment. Don’t get out of the car, it’s dangerous.”
“What? D-Don’t go… I’m scared… Huh?”
The terrified Idam tried to cling to Taemin. Because of this, Taemin’s lust soared even higher, but he barely calmed himself and surveyed the surroundings. The man in the driver’s seat was motionless like a corpse, and there was no sign of Han Jongcheol’s gang around. After confirming Idam’s safety, he gently unwrapped Idam’s arms from around his back, as if he had made a decision.
“I’ll go catch that bastard. I can’t let him escape like this.”
He jumped out of the car. He faced the back of Han Jongcheol’s head as he ran away along the road. In just a moment, the distance had become quite far. Taemin grabbed the side mirror of the car and yanked it off. With a cracking sound, it separated completely from the car body.
He immediately threw the side mirror like a pitcher, aiming at the back of Han Jongcheol’s head. The side mirror drew an arc and hit Han Jongcheol squarely on the back of his head.
“Ugh.”
He collapsed with a groan, and blood soaked his head. Then Taemin opened the trunk of his sedan and took out a real sword. The blade gleaming in the moonlight was terribly eerie. He ran like a beast that had smelled blood and stabbed Han Jongcheol’s ankle first.
“Hah!”
He, barely conscious, let out a short groan. And he tried to move forward, pressing his elbows against the ground to escape somehow.
“……”
But for some reason, Taemin didn’t stab him again.
“Run away quickly.”
“What?”
Han Jongcheol looked back in confusion. He saw an alpha with a sinister smile. He wondered if he had heard nonsense due to his head injury, given the statement that didn’t fit the situation.
“Run away before I slash your neck.”
“……”
“Because I need a ‘justification’.”
He couldn’t understand what this crazy alpha was planning. It certainly wasn’t pure consideration. But he couldn’t question it either, and since he said he would harm him if he didn’t do as told, he had to move like a marionette.
Han Jongcheol, barely standing up, limped away.
Taemin watched his retreating figure with satisfaction and returned to the old car where Idam was. Idam was curled up on the floor of the back seat, covering his ears with both hands. And when he saw Taemin, he stretched out his arms as if begging to be held like a baby. Taemin threw the real sword he was holding onto the floor and took Idam into his arms. At the same time, the corners of his mouth turned up in great satisfaction.
“What… what happened to Han Jongcheol?”
Idam asked, seemingly frightened.
“He ran away.”
“What? Ran away?”
“Yes… I went after him to catch him… but he disappeared.”
“H-How could that…”
Idam, who had witnessed Taemin tearing off the side mirror with his bare hands, believed he would naturally surround Han Jongcheol. He felt like he was falling off a cliff again, and his fear exploded at the thought of Han Jongcheol appearing before him once more.
“For now, when the man in the driver’s seat wakes up, we’ll look for places where that bast… I mean, the man named Han Jongcheol might have fled to. Don’t worry. I won’t let him get away.”
Making this bold claim, he took out his phone and called Secretary Kang.
“Secretary Kang, bring a car over here now. There’s been an accident. This location is…”
As Taemin’s explanation continued, Idam clung to him even more tightly. He was like a baby kangaroo.
After finishing the call, Taemin met Idam’s eyes.
“How did you end up being kidnapped?”
“Well…”
Idam finished explaining to Taemin what had happened to him.
“But how did you follow me, CEO?”
“Thanks to your pheromones, Idam.”
He calmly said this while hiding the existence of the location tracking app.
“I see… Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
In fact, Taemin could only sense Idam’s pheromones when they were in close proximity. To avoid Idam realizing this fact if they continued talking, he quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, isn’t that man from the same orphanage as you, Idam?”
“Yes. He was friends with Ahn Juhan. But…”
At that moment, he remembered Ahn Juhan’s last message that Han Jongcheol had shown him.
“CEO, what did you do with Ahn Juhan?”
He felt uneasy thinking about Taemin’s unrestrained nature.
“I plan to give him an appropriate punishment.”
“P-Perhaps… Are you going to k-kill him?”
Idam asked, trembling.
“I’m just becoming the police instead of the police.”
He gave an ambiguous answer while wearing the mask of the police he despised. Gradually, Idam’s eyes filled with concern for Taemin.
“I hope you don’t do anything dangerous because of me, CEO.”
Idam was also reminded of Heo Jitae’s corpse with its neck broken.
“You already got hurt because of me. And if you do the same thing to Ahn Juhan as you did to Heo Jitae, I’d feel too guilty…”
“Heo Jitae?”
For a moment, Taemin wondered who that person was, then his expression changed as if he suddenly realized.
“Ah… You mean that loan shark bastard.”
“Yes…”
“If that loan shark were alive, he would have kept demanding money from you.”
“……”
“I don’t like seeing you suffer because of that.”
Idam’s eyes shook violently. When he had discovered Heo Jitae’s corpse, he had just been scared, but he didn’t know there was such a meaning behind it. At this moment, Idam felt Taemin’s twisted behavior as salvation. Like seeing a flower blooming in the mud.
“If we leave Ahn Juhan alone, we don’t know when he might do something dirty to you.”
“Why… why are you helping me so much?”
“Because you’re precious to me, Idam.”
Idam’s heart rate gradually increased as if it had met a stimulation point. His whole body heated up. He knew that the meaning of “precious” Taemin spoke of was that Idam was an omega with compatible pheromones, but it made him have different expectations.
It felt like this position as a fake wife could become real. He knew it shouldn’t be like this… But…
“When something difficult happens to you, my heart becomes gloomy too.”
Taemin’s gentle gaze, carried on the spring breeze, deepened. Idam felt his accelerating heartbeat now burning like a flame.
Gradually, a hot impulse rose up his throat. He wanted to confirm Taemin’s feelings.
“CEO. Maybe. I… I…”
Just as he was about to say “Do you like me?”, an intense headlight beam engulfed them. Idam squinted at the brightness. Soon after, there was a bustling sound of footsteps, and the back door flung open.
“CEO, are you alright!”
It was Secretary Kang.
* * *
“I mean, what about your dinner with the Chairman? What on earth happened?”
Secretary Kang, holding the steering wheel, looked at the back seat through the rearview mirror. There, Taemin and Idam were sitting side by side.
“Well, you see.”
Taemin calmly explained the whole situation. After listening, Secretary Kang’s attitude changed immediately.
“Oh my. Then, how is Mr. Yeo Idam? Are you not hurt? Shouldn’t we go to the hospital?”
“No, I’m fine. I don’t think we need to go to the hospital.”
Although it had hurt quite a bit when he rolled off the chair, now he felt no particular discomfort. However, for some reason, Taemin’s brow was deeply furrowed.
“Secretary Kang.”
“Yes?”
“From now on, you should call Idam ‘Madam’ too.”
Taemin sharply corrected the form of address. Secretary Kang was momentarily flustered but quickly adopted a submissive expression and nodded.
“Understood. I’m sorry.”
“No… I’m okay…”
Although the contract period was indefinite, the title of “Madam” was too burdensome. He wanted to say there was no need to call him that, but Taemin maintained a strict expression. He seemed unwilling to back down even if Idam said it was okay.
Idam didn’t know what to do, but on the other hand, he felt good. It seemed like Taemin was thinking of him more specially than before.
It felt like a dream. As if reading Idam’s mind, Taemin’s hand overlapped with Idam’s. Idam also grasped Taemin’s hand with warm feelings. Although they were already close, he snuggled his body even closer to Taemin’s side.
“You can lean on my shoulder.”
Taemin gently pulled Idam’s head with his other hand. Thanks to this, Idam leaned on his shoulder. It was much more comfortable. Gradually, he felt his eyelids gently lowering and his eyes closing. Before he knew it, Idam had fallen asleep.
How much time had passed? Idam hurriedly opened his eyes, stimulated by a shaking sensation. Taemin was looking out the window, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. He seemed to be in a very good mood. Because of this, Idam felt good too. But this excitement was short-lived. He felt wide awake at the scene unfolding before his eyes. He saw a majestic arched building. It was Daehan International Airport.
“Huh? Did we come here now?”
Idam was so surprised that his voice cracked at the end. In contrast, Taemin began to answer very calmly and elegantly.
“There’s no guarantee that something like today won’t happen again. Moreover, Han Jongcheol is currently on the run.”
“So… what does that mean?”
Idam asked, feeling afraid of the unreasonable statement that might come out of his mouth.
“It would be better to leave Korea for a while. We’re going to that island, ‘Jihwado’, right now.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
