Yeonwoo heard the rough, panting breaths on the other end of the receiver. Then came a loud shout of “Agh!” followed by the sound of something being thrown. After that, continuous sounds of things breaking and shattering followed. Perhaps thinking that Yeonwoo had ruined his plans, he couldn’t contain his rising anger.
It seemed he had thrown his phone as the sound quality wasn’t clear. Though Yeonwoo flinched and trembled at the sounds of things breaking, he didn’t hang up.
Now that he had told the lie, he worried about dealing with the consequences. He wondered what would happen if they cut off the hospital expenses.
Yeonwoo lowered his head and stared at the three checks.
“…”
If things went well, they could cover hospital expenses for about half a year.
At that moment, a sharp female voice came through the receiver.
[What are you doing?! Don’t you know Seongho finally calmed down and is resting?!]
[Don’t mention that bastard in front of me! He’s neither alpha nor omega, suddenly went crazy and ruined everything! If he hadn’t been acting insane yesterday, I would have gone to the hotel myself…!]
[And what would you do at the hotel? Would Ho Munbeom even meet you?! You barely got that blind date by groveling! Do you think that boy will succeed?! It’s called a blind date, but the Ho Group is just playing with us! Are there any omegas who’ve had successful matches with Ho Munbeom among all those who went on blind dates?!]
[…]
[He’ll eventually marry an omega that matches the Ho Group’s standards. Even these current blind dates are just for show!! Did you bring an illegitimate child here just for such a show and hurt an already sensitive child? Do you like that?! Do you, you jerk!!]
[What’s so young about him! He’s almost thirty! And you, stop babying that bastard! That’s why he’s like this!!]
[What’s it to you if I want to baby my child?! Have you lost your mind? Then leave everything and go! Try living with that omega guy and your precious dominant omega son!!]
What followed was a sharp scream.
After hearing the woman’s scream, unable to control her temper, and Jonghoon apparently trying to calm her down, Yeonwoo hung up. Pushing his phone far away, he lay down on the bare floor and looked up at the ceiling.
The wallpaper color near the light was strange. There was supposed to have been a leak fixed last year, but looking at it now, it didn’t seem right. Though he didn’t know how long he would stay here, he hoped it wouldn’t get worse.
Yeonwoo took a deep breath and exhaled. No matter how many times he tried, his unsettled feelings wouldn’t subside. Thumping his chest with his hand, Yeonwoo turned to his side and curled up into a small ball. Though his joints ached with every movement, he ignored it and closed his eyes.
***
Perhaps thanks to resting well until Sunday, he had somewhat recovered by Monday, but since it was still uncomfortable when he exerted force, he wanted to be careful for a few days. However, as part of the logistics team, Yeonwoo had to move quickly from the morning to replenish products that had run out over the weekend. Work felt more difficult than usual.
From early March, people seemed to be drinking so much that he had to restock alcohol in the afternoon. After checking soju, beer, and wine, Yeonwoo lightly punched his own shoulders. Seeing this, a middle-aged woman approached and asked if he was okay.
“Yes, I just slept awkwardly and my shoulders are a bit stiff.”
He tried to dismiss it casually. If only a rough hand hadn’t suddenly appeared from behind, grabbing his shoulder and massaging it hard enough to hurt.
“Oh my, it’s so soft and tender, how could it be stiff? Is your shoulder really the problem?”
Feeling goosebumps, Yeonwoo turned around to meet the gaze of a grinning man.
Smiling with eyes narrowed to slits, the man gradually lowered his hand to Yeonwoo’s forearm and massaged it.
“Yeonwoo, your problem isn’t your shoulders. You’re too skinny. I saw you moving boxes earlier and thought your waist was so thin it might break. A man should have muscles. You don’t even have flesh, let alone muscles.”
Throughout his speech, the man’s hands continuously touched Yeonwoo’s arms, back, and waist.
Though his words sounded concerned, his actions were clearly harassment. The employee who had been talking with Yeonwoo made a face as if she’d seen something unpleasant, then quickly linked arms with Yeonwoo and pulled him toward her.
“Massaging someone so skinny like that will bruise them. Yeonwoo, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat quickly.”
Since it was lunchtime, it was a good excuse to escape.
The woman took care of Yeonwoo and headed toward the employee elevator. The man followed behind with a grinning face, which made the woman quietly mutter, “Ugh, why is he like that?”
As soon as the two stood in front of the elevator, the doors opened and several employees got out. After waiting for them to exit, they got in, but the man followed them to the end. Despite the woman showing obvious displeasure, he paid no attention and acted friendly toward Yeonwoo.
“Yeonwoo, are you eating at the cafeteria? There’s a delicious rice bowl place nearby, want to go together?”
The woman tightened her grip on Yeonwoo’s arm and shook her head.
“We’re going to eat at the cafeteria together. We have a lot of work today, so there’s no time to go outside.”
“Come on, how much work could there be? You should do things in moderation, or you’ll get sick.”
“…”
As salary workers, when work piles up, it’s right to get it done quickly. Yeonwoo found it distasteful that someone could make such statements so confidently. Moreover, it was unsettling that a married man with children was flirting with him. Annoyed by the man’s continued staring at Yeonwoo with a smirk, the woman deliberately spoke to Yeonwoo.
“After lunch, let’s have coffee together. Last time, Hee-woon from the belt department gave me coupons.”
“That’s just cheap coffee. Instead of that, if you want coffee, come with me, Yeonwoo.”
At that moment, the elevator doors opened, and employees from other floors got in. Though they greeted the man, known for being problematic, he didn’t even glance at them. His gaze remained fixed solely on Yeonwoo.
The man, who became a management supervisor through nepotism at the beginning of the year, was known as Director Park.
Director Park, who had been harassing pretty and good-looking people on each floor since his first day, particularly targeted Yeonwoo. Though there was continuous talk about it, no one dared to confront him directly. This was because he was from the affiliate company managing the mart. Rumor had it that he was the company president’s son-in-law who had been temporarily demoted for some mistake. Yet, even so, his continued harassment everywhere made it impossible not to wonder what he had done to be sent down.
Director Park was particularly persistent today. As Yeonwoo was considering getting off at an intermediate floor, the director’s gaze shifted. Thinking it might be over, Yeonwoo made eye contact with the woman who was still holding onto his arm. Just as he was about to thank her, Director Park exhaled deeply and said, “Oh right.”
“I have an acquaintance who’s a reporter, and there’s this actress who’s in trouble for carrying the child of a 70-year-old sponsor chairman. The chairman thought the actress was a beta and wanted to play around a bit, but it turns out she was an omega. She had been deceiving everyone since her debut. The chairman wants her to abort the baby, but the actress is resisting. Now the chairman’s children have found out, and it’s a complete mess. Omegas are truly cunning. Well, if they’re going to sell their bodies anyway, it’s better to have strong backing. Even if it’s an illegitimate child, it’s the chairman’s seed, which means they can secure money to live comfortably for life.”
It was an abrupt and inappropriate comment. Everyone felt uncomfortable, but Director Park casually asked for agreement from those around him, then turned to look at Yeonwoo and smirked.
“What do you think, Yeonwoo?”
“…”
At that moment, Yeonwoo felt the eyes of everyone in the elevator on him.
Why was it taking so long to go up just a few floors? Just as the stuffiness made it hard to breathe, a female employee standing near the elevator doors bluntly said,
“That’s sexual harassment.”
She then looked at Director Park who was standing a step behind.
“I don’t know what your intention is in saying such things, but talking about omegas and making uncomfortable remarks is sexual harassment, and it’s also hateful speech that promotes prejudice against specific traits. Don’t you know you can be disciplined if this is reported?”
Director Park, seemingly unprepared for such a rebuke, waved his hands with a flustered expression.
“Why are you taking it so seriously? Miss, I haven’t seen you before, what’s your name? It’s just a joke, let’s just let it go…”
“I was hired as a regular employee at this mart, and there’s no reason to call me ‘miss.’ I find it offensive.”
“…”
Director Park’s expression gradually hardened. As if unable to think of what to say, he muttered sounds like “wa,” “na,” “ishi,” when the elevator doors opened. Director Park was the first to rush out hastily.
The woman standing next to Yeonwoo then pulled his arm, saying they should go. Being led by her hand, Yeonwoo looked at the female employee who had spoken boldly to Director Park. Whether she had deliberately helped him or not, he was grateful to escape the uncomfortable situation.
