“You like sweet things, don’t you, Yiseo?”
Yeon Yiseo, who’d been steadily munching on the sweet potato fries, nodded.
“Yeah. Because they’re good.”
“It’s cute that you have a sweet tooth.”
“…Kehuk— cough, cough!”
The unexpected comment hit him out of nowhere, and Yiseo ended up choking and coughing violently.
He’d never once been called cute in his entire life. Hearing it now, so out of the blue, made the impact all the more intense. Hugo patted his back gently. Once Yiseo had calmed down, he wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and spoke.
“Isn’t it pretty common for people to like sweet things?”
“Not really. I’m not that into them.”
“Wait, then these dishes…”
Most of the menu items Hugo had ordered were sweet. Naturally, Yiseo had assumed it matched his taste. But if that wasn’t the case…
“Did you order these because you thought I’d like them?”
“That’s right. I’m glad you noticed.”
Hugo smiled softly and took a sip of water. That was when Yiseo realized—Hugo had barely touched anything on the table. Other than a single taste right after the food arrived—just a bite of salad, at that—he hadn’t eaten a thing. He hadn’t even sipped the orange juice.
Recalling how he’d mistaken it for a shared meal, Yiseo thought back and realized that Hugo had only ever picked at the food with his fork, not actually eaten any of it. Seeing where Yiseo’s gaze had landed, Hugo opened his mouth.
“I’m currently cutting weight for my next movie shoot.”
At those words, Yiseo looked flustered and quickly wiped his greasy hands with a napkin.
“Didn’t you meet with CEO Ethan of Dymine on Friday? I assumed you’d had a proper meal then, so I had no idea… If you’d mentioned it, we could’ve eaten something else. Or met somewhere else entirely.”
If Hugo wasn’t going to eat anything at all, that meant he was in the middle of a very strict cut. And not being able to eat—what a harsh thing for someone to endure. Yiseo began to rise from his seat, but Hugo gently stopped him.
“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to worry. Watching you enjoy your food was more than enough for me—it made this all worthwhile. Seeing someone you like eat something delicious with such joy is a beautiful sight, isn’t it? And, to be honest, I was also hoping to take advantage of the psychological effect—how people tend to let their guard down during meals. I think it worked pretty well.”
Hugo smiled, showing his even, white teeth. Yiseo had never met someone who expressed their feelings this candidly before. Sure, he’d met plenty of people, but someone who laid themselves bare so sincerely—Hugo was in a class of his own.
“I’m starting to feel like I might come across as an incredibly frivolous person.”
“…A little bit, yes.”
Caught off guard, Yiseo paused before answering. He briefly debated whether to deny it, but couldn’t bring himself to lie and say Hugo seemed serious. So he ended up confirming it. Hugo raised his eyebrows, widened his eyes in an exaggerated expression, then lifted and dropped his shoulders with a chuckle.
“Well, I suppose it can’t be helped now. I’ve been like this from the start with you, so if I come off as someone who flirts with everyone, that’s on me. But just so we’re clear, I don’t act like this with just anyone.”
Is that really true? The doubt lingered, but Yiseo couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. More than that, what he really couldn’t get used to was the way Hugo looked at him—like he was adorable or something. Eventually, Yiseo spoke up, his voice hesitant.
“Would you mind… looking somewhere else for a bit?”
“Hahaha. As you wish.”
Hugo readily complied. He turned his body to face the window instead of Yiseo. But that somehow bothered Yiseo too. He knew he was being fickle, but the request now felt unnecessary. No matter what Hugo did, Yiseo was breaking into a cold sweat.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
“I wouldn’t say no, exactly. But you’re a lot more forward than I expected, and… it’s a bit much.”
Yiseo answered honestly. There was no point in sugarcoating it—he’d be found out soon enough anyway.
“My grandfather used to say: ‘If you find someone you like, be brave. Don’t try to hide your feelings. Stand tall and say how much you like them.’”
Hugo tilted his head slightly, resting his chin in one hand as he gazed at Yiseo. The sunlight streaming in from the window made his hazel-green eyes look even more exotic—like smooth pebbles submerged in a clear mountain stream. So bright and vivid they almost hurt to look at.
Try as he might to avoid it, there was no way to miss it now. Hugo was openly confessing his interest in Yeon Yiseo.
“I’d like to ask something personal—would you be willing to answer?”
“Mm… I guess it depends on what it is.”
“Did your job change have anything to do with the pheromones clinging to you?”
So that’s what he was wondering. It was definitely personal. If Hugo had met with Ethan privately, he might’ve picked up on a clue or two.
For him to even ask a question like this without needing a full explanation meant that Hugo already had some idea of what Yiseo was going through. Which meant denying it was pointless. With that conclusion, Yiseo slowly nodded.
“Yes, it did.”
“I see.”
Hugo nodded thoughtfully.
“When did your unique trait manifest?”
“A little over a month ago.”
“I see…”
Hugo appeared to be deep in thought for a moment.
“I remember hearing that after a unique manifestation, you need a steady supply of pheromones until things stabilize. If you don’t have a partner yet, would it be okay if I helped with that?”
“I’m… not sure what you mean.”
“I like you, Yeon Yiseo. That’s why I’m offering. I may not be an extreme-dominant Alpha like him…”
Hugo paused, meeting Yiseo’s gaze head-on.
“But I am a dominant Alpha. And getting pheromone support from me would be better than relying on someone you have no relationship with, wouldn’t it?”
His words struck Yiseo like a dart. But he couldn’t just accept the offer so easily.
“You don’t even know me that well. Why would you go this far?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“Most people would think so. Especially someone like you, Mr. Cruz. You’re famous—you could have anyone you wanted. So why come to me, specifically? I don’t really get it.”
By the time Yiseo finished speaking, Hugo’s expression had grown more serious than ever before. The usual playful glint was gone, but he still didn’t come off as menacing. That, too, was strange. He opened his mouth slowly.
“Would it make sense if I said I felt a sense of destiny with you?”
That answer only made things more complicated for Yiseo. His head spun even more. Destiny, huh? It was destiny, in a way. Both of them were characters from Don’t Look for the Sickly Villain, after all.
So he couldn’t just be happy about it. Seo Eunwoo had warned him before—that it’d be easy for someone like Yiseo to raise affection levels with romance targets. Which also meant that Hugo might be more easily drawn to him than others.
With Hugo coming on this strong, Yiseo started to wonder if he’d said something that unknowingly raised his affection level. If not, then Hugo’s behavior was just too hard to accept. It didn’t make sense by normal standards.
“Even putting that aside, wouldn’t it be nice to get to know each other? If it doesn’t work out, we end it there. But wouldn’t it be a waste not to even try?”
Maybe because Yiseo hadn’t responded, Hugo reached over and lightly tapped the back of Yiseo’s hand with his fingers—playful, casual, as if to say, Don’t take it too seriously.
“I’m not looking to date anyone right now. I don’t have the bandwidth. But I’m okay with being friends.”
Hugo’s lips tightened slightly.
“Friends, huh. Alright, fair enough.”
Yiseo had expected him to take offense, not accept it so easily.
“Then, as friends… does that mean you’d be okay with me supplying you with pheromones?”
“Why are you so obsessed with the pheromone supply?”
Yiseo frowned, confused.
Hugo’s expression darkened.
“Because I don’t want some other Alpha marking you. I figure I can say that, as a friend.”
“That’s… not quite the same.”
Yiseo had been the one to bring up friendship, but that didn’t mean he was ready to accept Hugo’s proposal. Hearing this, Hugo fell silent. The same man, sitting in the same spot, suddenly felt like he was surrounded by colder air.
“If you’ll accept my proposal as a friend… then, considering our friendship, I’d be willing to accept the advertising deal with Dymine.”
The sudden shift left Yiseo speechless. He stared at Hugo for a moment. If Yiseo had so much as hinted at the topic, it might’ve been understandable—but he hadn’t. Which made this even more disconcerting. Still, he kept his tone light and wore a pleasant smile.
“I’m not sure why you’re bringing that up right now.”
It wasn’t the kind of subject that came up randomly. Yiseo asked, on edge. Hugo, unfazed, continued calmly as if he’d expected the reaction.
“It’ll make things hell for my manager to juggle it with the film schedule, but if it’s for a dear friend’s sake, I could push it through myself.”
“I see. Still, I don’t understand why you’re telling me this.”
“As far as I know, you’re not the only assistant to the Dymine CEO. Isn’t that right?”
The smile Yiseo had been maintaining finally began to fade. This wasn’t a random mention. What Hugo was really saying was: If I wanted to reject the deal, I could use Natalie as my excuse.
“The fact that you know I met with Dymine on Friday means… you’re keeping in touch with someone there, aren’t you?”
“Please don’t do this.”
Yiseo’s voice wasn’t sharp—it was more of a plea.
If Hugo used Yiseo as an excuse to decline the deal, it would sting, but he could live with it. But if he used Natalie as his reason, then that was different. Natalie would be the one left to deal with the fallout—and that, Yiseo couldn’t let happen.
It didn’t matter that he no longer worked there. Even if it was just an ex-coworker, it still nagged at him. He couldn’t just write it off as part of a “game.” For Yiseo, who had to live this as his real life, these connections still mattered.
There was only one possible answer for him.
“I still don’t understand why you’re going this far.”
“If being nice doesn’t work, you try something else. That’s only natural for someone who’s desperate. If I didn’t try anything at all, there wouldn’t even be a next time.”
Hugo still wore that charming smile. But the way he said those words didn’t sit right with Yiseo.
“Even if it works, it’ll only leave a bad impression of you. What’s the point?”
Yiseo sighed. Hugo shrugged, as if conceding the point. His posture relaxed. It almost felt like he was watching Yiseo carefully now.
“All I’m asking for is a chance. I swear I won’t use that as an excuse to do anything shady.”
“Just earlier, you said it’s only natural for desperate people to play dirty.”
Yiseo repeated his words, his tone firm. Hugo gave a bitter smile.
“I swear it. I’m not that kind of thug. I may have pushed things, but I’m not the type to act dishonorably on top of it.”
