#59
“So, are you going to threaten someone who can’t even remember, telling them that it was you who took advantage of their confused state that day, and prevent them from filing a report? Why are you so arbitrary, noona… Is it because you’re an alpha?”
“You’re an alpha too, little brother.”
“…This is driving me crazy.”
“That’s why you shouldn’t have let your story reach my ears through others. You’re the one who made me take action directly.”
Jaeseong’s words weren’t wrong from a logical standpoint. She was also accurate about Eunhong. But that’s what suffocated Jaeha. The way she blocked all of the opponent’s moves and controlled things in her favor. It reminded him too much of their father, and Jaeseong knew and despised the fact that this made Jaeha hesitate and unable to move forward.
“What are you so afraid of?”
“…”
Jaeha covered his face with both hands.
“Little brother. I was wondering…”
Jaeseong looked down at Jaeha, slightly furrowing her delicate brow.
“…That day… It was consensual, right?”
Jaeha abruptly stood up, roughly shaking off the hands on his shoulders. He shot a fierce glare as if asking how she could say such a thing, to which Jaeseong pouted. The force of his rejection was so strong that her hands stung.
“How can you say that?”
“Just know that it’s reasonable doubt. Everyone will think like me. If that day’s events completely disappear from Eunhong’s memory, you’ll be the only one who can defend yourself. It means you have no evidence, no witnesses, nothing. Wake up. In case Eunhong betrays you.”
“Is that how you saw Eunhong?”
What a great love. Jaeseong shuddered at her brother who seemed to convulse at the mere mention of Eunhong’s name. She just shrugged at his demanding gaze. Jaeseong didn’t think her thoughts were wrong.
“I’m just someone who creates contingency plans.”
“I never asked for such measures.”
“Are you only thinking about yourself? Don’t you consider how this could destroy Han Jung’s image? You, even last time…”
“…Alright, just please, don’t let this reach grandfather’s ears.”
Jaeha said, emphasizing with his pointing finger. His words, broken into syllables, fell like frost in midwinter. It wasn’t easy for him either. He knew better than anyone that he seemed crazy, acting as if nothing had happened in front of Eunhong.
Unable to vent his boiling emotions, Jaeha stormed out of the room fiercely. As Secretary Kim tried to stop him as he ran down the stairs, Jaeha got into his car without any sign of being deterred and left the mansion.
Left alone in the room, Jaeseong sighed deeply. Her head throbbed. Although Eunhong grew up with Jaeha and was close, he was still an outsider. Moreover, Jaeha was a prime target for media fodder. They didn’t know, but there had already been several attempts at publishing articles that she had blocked. Despite being an extremely rare alpha, Jaeha, without any position or power, was an easy target for gossip and snack news.
Chairman Lee entered the room. He seemed to have heard about the youngest’s escape from a servant. Although sibling fights weren’t uncommon, he was visibly upset that the youngest had left without even having a meal, his wrinkled lips tightly pressed. Jaeseong approached affectionately and massaged the old man’s shoulders as he sat down.
“Grandfather, why is our youngest so soft?”
Chairman Lee’s moist eyes gazed into the distance. The sleet had turned into rain, blurring the windows.
“It’s all my fault. It must be because he lost his mother at such a young age.”
While pressing the old man’s tense shoulders, worried deeply, Jaeseong thought of Eunhong. More precisely, she recalled the look in his eyes.
‘As I said at the hospital earlier, I want to act as if nothing happened.’
‘May I ask why?’
‘It’s something I’d rather not remember. I just want to bury it. The more it’s stirred up, the more I think I’ll remember.’
When she gave him her direct number, saying to call if he needed help, he smiled softly. Usually, he looked young for his age, but when he smiled like that, he didn’t seem entirely childlike. In response, Jaeseong impulsively took out a card and handed it to him.
‘Use this in emergencies. There’s no limit or restriction.’
‘Noona. You know I don’t need things like this. Jaeha provides everything…’
Chairman Lee silently covered Jaeseong’s hand. The old man’s deeply wrinkled hands were dry but warm.
“Try to understand and embrace your youngest brother. He’s been alone all this time without a partner, hasn’t he? Don’t push him too hard.”
“Ah… I don’t think you need to worry about that. But he’s quite foolish, so I think he needs to be pushed a little, don’t you think?”
Jaeseong laughed exaggeratedly. Lonely? Grandfather… He’s a damn casanova…
“Don’t call your brother a fool.”
“Then do you think he’s not?”
The old man chuckled.
“Jaeha is a bit stubborn, that’s true.”
***
As soon as he opened the front door, Jaeha could tell that Eunhong hadn’t returned home yet. Beyond the entrance, the house was in pitch-black silence. Jaeha recalled the conversation he had with Eunhong on the way to work.
‘Today is our team dinner. I’ll take a taxi home, so go home first.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah. What about your dinner? Do you have someone to eat with at the company?’
Eunhong was a fool who genuinely believed that Jaeha couldn’t eat alone.
‘Ah… It’s okay. Grandfather called, so I was planning to visit the main house anyway.’
‘That’s good. Eat lots of delicious food.’
Returning home alone, Jaeha slipped his feet carelessly into his slippers and stumbled into the house. Thanks to the sensors, the space quickly brightened, but it only emphasized the coldness. The house was so quiet that his ears rang.
He regretted saying he was going to the main house. If he hadn’t, maybe Eunhong would have come back earlier…
Jaeha took out his phone to check the time. He habitually checked Eunhong’s pheromone graph as well. While feeling relieved at the lack of response, he suddenly felt the urge to know where Eunhong was right now. He forced himself to retract his finger that was about to turn on the location tracking feature and threw his phone towards the sofa.
As he was irritably taking off his stuffy tie in the dressing room, he suddenly noticed traces of Eunhong one by one in the mirror. When Eunhong was deciding between a yellow and mint-colored hoodie, Jaeha had chosen the less pretty one, so Eunhong had neatly folded the mint one and placed it on the stool. Since many people at Eunhong’s company wore hats for commuting, Jaeha had bought many baseball caps, but he felt disappointed that Eunhong never wore them. He should cover his face more when going out…
His wandering gaze caught a fallen wireless earbud on the floor. Thinking about how upset Eunhong must have been, losing it all day due to his carelessness, Jaeha sighed. As he picked up the earbud, his eyes fell on the pajamas left in the basket. Jaeha held the pajamas Eunhong had worn to sleep yesterday. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Eunhong’s body scent mixed with pheromones invaded his nose.
As if entranced, he headed to Eunhong’s bedroom. It was a purely impulsive action. The room, inhabited for less than a month, had already become Eunhong’s. It was filled with Eunhong’s overwhelming presence. Jaeha collapsed onto the bed. The scent absorbed in the bed burst out and then settled like mist. His limbs went limp from that faint force.
“Hah… Eunhong…”
With his eyes closed, it felt like Eunhong was lying beside him. Clutching the pillow tightly, his heart throbbed intensely. Jaeha ended up getting aroused after inhaling the pheromones mixed with dust. His fumbling hand undid his belt buckle. The soft touch of the pajamas in his hand drove him even crazier. He licked his now dry lower lip.
Eunhong’s round, large eyes were looking at him. With a flushed face, trembling hands called out to him.
‘Jaeha, Jaeha.’
“Fuck…”
Jaeha curled up his body and grabbed his painfully swollen member. The bedding rustled with his movements. Having broken his self-imposed ban, inhaling Eunhong’s pheromones made him feel like he could ejaculate at any moment. Jaeha tightly gripped his bright red, excited tip.
“Haa…”
‘Hnng… Just, just! Jaeha, Lee Jaeha.’
Eunhong had definitely called out to him that day. He kept telling himself it wasn’t an illusion.
Imagining the feeling of being inside Eunhong, he roughly rubbed his sensitive area. His mouth opened involuntarily, and veins bulged in his neck from the rapidly building pleasure.
“Hah… Eun… hong…”
Jaeha repeatedly called Eunhong’s name as he suddenly climaxed. All the muscles in his body tensed at once, and pleasure dominated his body like a lightning strike. Jaeha lay there for a while, unable to escape that sensation, writhing.
“Ha… Haa… Haa…”
When he opened his tightly shut eyes, the first thing he saw was Eunhong’s pajamas, now a mess with his semen. The hand that had been clenching was so stiff it wouldn’t open at once. His heart was racing wildly, and his breathing was rapid.
As the pleasure that had numbed all reason subsided after its chaotic peak, self-loathing filled its place. As the afterglow of orgasm faded, only the sticky, wet result remained, making him feel dirty. Even Eunhong’s pheromones had dissipated, scattered by the pheromones Jaeha had emitted in his lust.
