“It’s not the same.”
Alexander wore an expression that clearly said he couldn’t understand.
“I don’t think I should accept these.”
Yeon Yiseo repeated himself, as if confirming it aloud. It didn’t make sense for someone who was just a secretary to accept these clothes—and even if he had manifested as an Omega because of Alexander, the same applied. It was just too much. He couldn’t even begin to guess how much all this would cost in total.
Of course, for Alexander, the money he’d spent on these clothes was probably nothing. A trivial amount. But that wasn’t the point. They weren’t anything to each other. And even if there were something between them—it still wouldn’t make it acceptable.
“…Understood.”
Alexander quickly gave in, as if accepting Yeon Yiseo’s firm refusal.
“That was a misstep on my part. So don’t be mad.”
His cautious tone caught Yeon Yiseo off guard. Was I mad? No—he wasn’t. He’d just spoken firmly, but maybe that came across differently to Alexander.
“I’m not angry.”
“That’s a relief.”
Alexander added a small sigh, and Yeon Yiseo said nothing more. Honestly, now that Alexander was reacting like this, he felt a bit sheepish. He checked the time. If he wanted to stop by home to change first, he’d have to get moving.
“Well then, I’ll be heading out. Oh—and thank you. For yesterday.”
At the door, he offered his thanks, and Alexander raised his eyebrows slightly, as if caught off guard.
“Did I do something worth thanking?”
“I mean yesterday. You didn’t have to go out of your way like that, but you did. You kept me company.”
“……”
Alexander didn’t respond right away, only stared at Yeon Yiseo for a moment. The silence was just long enough to make Yeon Yiseo wonder if he’d said something wrong. But no matter how he replayed it, there didn’t seem to be anything off. From Alexander’s point of view, it wasn’t inaccurate.
“I wasn’t dragged into anything, so there’s nothing to thank me for.”
His voice was firm enough to sound cold, but his expression remained gentle. It was a boundary, quietly drawn.
Yeon Yiseo understood. In Alexander’s view, it had simply been the responsible thing to do—nothing more.
He bowed his head slightly, curling in on himself a bit. That seemed to be the end of the conversation. With a polite nod, he stepped into the waiting elevator.
***
The location Hugo had chosen wasn’t exactly close to Yeon Yiseo’s place. He hurried home, changed clothes, and left right away.
The whole way there, he kept repeating to himself not to say anything that might raise Hugo’s affection level. One careless word could backfire and make things more complicated than they needed to be.
Even as he told himself that, the absurdity of it made him sigh. Someone else might call this a good problem to have, but for Yeon Yiseo, it was anything but. He leaned against one of the subway poles with a tired breath.
Thanks to his rush, he made it just in time.
The meeting spot was a restaurant known for its brunch, and since it was the weekend, there was a line out front. Luckily, he’d been told to just give his name at the counter, and he was guided straight to the table where Hugo was already seated.
The place was packed, making Hugo easy to spot. He was smiling for photos as people asked, clearly used to the attention.
Yeon Yiseo didn’t want to interrupt, so he approached quietly without calling out. It wasn’t until Hugo noticed him first that he made his way to the table.
Hugo rose from his seat with a bright smile and even pulled out a chair for him. The table wasn’t very large, so their knees touched as soon as he sat. Feeling awkward, Yeon Yiseo subtly moved his legs aside.
“I wanted to treat you to a meal at Le Pavillon, but they’re closed on Sundays. Besides, meeting for dinner on a first outing might’ve made you a bit wary, so I chose this place instead. Hope that’s okay.”
He smiled with those striking, clear eyes—his trademark expression.
“But for someone who said he was busy… you seem to have room in your life to start dating.”
It took Yeon Yiseo a moment to respond to that disarming smile, the kind that could easily make anyone fall for him.
“Dating? …Wait, can you smell pheromones on me?”
He had a guess what Hugo was getting at, so he asked directly. Hugo raised his brows, looking surprised.
“That’s not the reaction I expected. What is it, then? You’re not dating that guy? Was it an unconsented pheromone marking?”
“Ah, well… It’s kind of complicated. But no, we’re not dating. We’re nothing like that. He’s just… helping me deal with the complications from my irregular manifestation. That’s all it is.”
Hugo seemed to think that over before speaking again.
“So basically, you’re not dating anyone right now. That’s what I’m hearing, right?”
Yesterday’s incident lingered in his mind a bit, but it had only happened because of the mood—he’d just gone along with it. Maybe that sounded like an excuse, but it was the truth.
Yeon Yiseo wasn’t naive enough to mistake a fleeting moment for a real relationship. They weren’t dating.
“Yes, that’s right.”
After some thought, he gave a clear answer. Hugo hummed thoughtfully and studied him, the way someone might look at a puzzle they were just starting to solve.
Yeon Yiseo frowned slightly.
“If you’re playing games with pheromones, stop it.”
Caught red-handed like a naughty prankster, Hugo gave a sheepish smile.
“You’re quick.”
So he had guessed right. Since recessive Omegas couldn’t detect Alpha pheromone markings, Hugo had probably planned to slip his in unnoticed.
“I’m not a lamppost, you know.”
Getting marked without even realizing it—especially when others could tell—was far from pleasant. That resentment slipped into his voice before he could stop it.
“A lamppost, huh… Hahaha. That’s a new one. But yeah, I get how it must feel that way for you. Alright. Next time I want to leave a mark, I’ll ask first.”
Chuckling, Hugo opened the menu.
When his knee bumped Yeon Yiseo’s again, Yeon Yiseo shifted uncomfortably. But Hugo’s leg just followed, brushing up against his again.
Flustered, Yeon Yiseo curled up slightly, only for Hugo—still looking at the menu—to shift his eyes toward him with a teasing grin.
He was doing it on purpose.
Then, Hugo slowly and deliberately tangled their legs together.
Yeon Yiseo, lips pressed into a thin line, took a sip of sparkling water before finally speaking.
“If you’re uncomfortable because the table’s too small, we could move to a bigger one.”
“…Oh dear.”
Hugo set the menu down and raised both hands in surrender.
“I give up. I won’t tease anymore. Forgive me?”
“Forgive…? That’s a bit much.”
His tone was playful, but the word forgive felt too heavy. Yeon Yiseo faltered, unsure how to respond. Hugo smiled gently at that.
“Then I’ll take it as a yes.”
It was the first real conversation they’d had, and Hugo was much more playful and easygoing than Yeon Yiseo had expected. Totally unpredictable.
They ended up ordering a salad with avocado, French toast with whipped cream, eggs benedict, and sweet potato fries on Hugo’s recommendation.
As they waited, Hugo took a sip of water and watched Yeon Yiseo silently. The intensity of that gaze started to get uncomfortable. But ignoring it was getting harder.
“…Why are you staring at me like that?”
“I was wondering when you’d finally look at me.”
“….”
“Now that you have, I’ll stop staring.”
He said it with a smile that never left his face—calm and self-assured.
“You’re a little too mischievous.”
“When I’m interested in someone, I tend to get playful. But I’ll dial it back.”
Hugo was disarmingly honest. And Yeon Yiseo, who had no defenses against that kind of directness, found it deeply unsettling.
But there was no malice in him. His openness, his boundless energy—it all reminded Yeon Yiseo of a big, friendly dog.
The food didn’t take long to arrive. The presentation alone was enough to make his mouth water—and the taste didn’t disappoint either.
Hugo took a bite of the salad and nodded, clearly pleased. The soft texture of the bread melting on his tongue had a strangely soothing effect.
The sweet potato fries, crisp and sugary, were also excellent—perfectly suited to Yeon Yiseo’s taste.
