Chapter 119
Just as Hyeon-woo’s eyelids were about to close weakly, his struggles ceasing…
Thwack!
A violent impact sound rang out above his head.
“Ugh…!”
As a short groan burst from Kevin, the grip choking Hyeon-woo’s windpipe released.
Hyeon-woo, lying on his side on the floor, broke into a fit of coughing. Tears welled up involuntarily, blurring his vision even more than before. His oxygen-deprived brain struggled to regain its senses.
Gasp, wheeze.
Catching his breath, Hyeon-woo barely managed to lift his head with his hazy consciousness to observe the situation before him. A large figure was mercilessly kicking at a motionless form sprawled on the floor.
Buzz- Buzzzz-.
The loud cicada cries and the scorching sun. A memory of waiting for someone in front of a supermarket, holding a melting ice cream. The moment he entered an alley seeking shade, an assailant attacked him, and his consciousness blurred. The scene of groceries spilling out of a dropped plastic bag and rolling haphazardly across the asphalt unfolded before his eyes.
Thwack- Thwack-.
The sound of relentless beating showed no sign of stopping.
“St… op… That’s enough… stop.”
Crawling on the floor with his trembling body, he desperately grabbed the leg of the figure kicking the assailant. If he was hit any more, he felt he might really die.
As he tightly hugged the powerful leg with both arms, the figure’s tense leg suddenly relaxed, as if afraid of hurting Hyeon-woo who had suddenly intervened. Sensing this, Hyeon-woo let out a sigh of relief while coughing slightly.
I’m okay, so stop now, Tae-geon-.
“Bastard, I should have finished him off for sure back then.”
An unfamiliar voice pierced his eardrums.
As if someone had thrown cold water on his foggy consciousness, his mind suddenly cleared in an instant.
“Are you alright?”
Just as the figure lowered his body to ask Hyeon-woo carefully, a car with its headlights on passed by. Strong light poured into the store. The figure’s eyes looking down at him reflected that light, sparkling for a brief moment.
Sapphire blue eyes. It was McRae.
*
He washed his face with cold water in the back room. It was pathetic. Although he wasn’t in his right mind, he had almost recalled an absurd name.
Coming out, he saw Kevin sprawled in a corner of the store, beaten to a pulp. McRae, sitting in a chair, was poking Kevin’s unconscious jaw with the toe of his shoe, still seeming unsatisfied.
“I won’t let it slide if there’s a murder in our store.”
“…What did I do.”
McRae shrugged his shoulders, feigning innocence.
“Why are you here at this hour?”
“Maya contacted me. She heard from Ashley that you were acting strange today. But she couldn’t leave Jamie alone, so she asked me to come instead.”
“I see.”
As Hyeon-woo roughly shook his wet bangs with his hand, McRae, who had been sitting quietly, stood up and approached.
“This is wet too…, sh*t, really.”
Hyeon-woo flinched in surprise as McRae suddenly cut off his swearing while looking down at him.
“…What?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? You’re asking because you don’t know?! The stench coming from you because of that bastard is about to rot my nose!”
Stench.
Ah. Only then did Hyeon-woo remember that Kevin had released pheromones on him. He had forgotten about it since he couldn’t smell it.
“Do you have any deodorizer in the store?”
“No.”
“…Then, should I cover it with mine instead?”
“It’s fine. I can’t smell it anyway, so it’s okay. You’re the one who’s troubled.”
“…You can’t smell it? The pheromones?”
“Yeah. I can’t smell them.”
While casually responding and roughly running his hand through his hair, Hyeon-woo went to the back room and came out with a dry towel. As he watched Hyeon-woo drying his wet hair, McRae fell into thought.
He had heard that occasionally, some alphas or omegas couldn’t detect pheromones, like betas. This was the first time he learned that Hyeon-woo was one of them.
In the current situation without a deodorizer, he had offered to cover Kevin’s pheromones with his own out of goodwill, thinking it would be better than Hyeon-woo continuing to be drenched in that bastard Kevin’s scent. Of course, it would be a lie to say there was no ulterior motive at all.
Rejected outright, McRae seemed a bit hurt and vented his frustration by idly kicking Kevin’s unconscious elbow.
“There’s CCTV in the store, right? Hand that over to the police too. Let’s get this bastard thrown in jail while we’re at it.”
“You’re an athlete. Your assault is on there too. Want to end your athletic career?”
“You’re even worried about my athletic career? I’m touched.”
Hyeon-woo furrowed his brow at McRae, who was still smirking and acting glib even in this situation.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes right now. Don’t you know athletes get heavier punishments for assaulting civilians?”
“There’s one way it could be considered extenuating circumstances.”
“What is it?”
“If I were your boyfriend.”
“…What?”
Hyeon-woo’s eyes widened at the unexpected words.
“What kind of crazy bastard would just stand by and watch while his boyfriend is about to be raped right in front of him.”
“……”
“So, let’s date.”
…What is he saying? Asking to date in this context?
He couldn’t tell how much was a joke and how much was serious. McRae’s face, looking at Hyeon-woo who was squinting suspiciously, was more serious than ever before.
“I’m not joking. I didn’t intend to confess like this… Hah, I don’t know why nothing ever goes as planned with you.”
“……”
“Anyway, this isn’t an impulsive confession.”
“……”
“You knew I was interested in you.”
“……”
“Let’s date.”
McRae’s cheeks were flushed red as he spoke while looking directly into Hyeon-woo’s eyes. Only then did Hyeon-woo realize that McRae’s confession was sincere, and he responded, unable to hide his bewilderment.
“…I can’t, sorry.”
“Why.”
“I don’t date.”
“So, why.”
“Date someone else, not me.”
“…Hah.”
McRae tilted his head and let out a low snort.
“……”
“So why.”
“……”
The conversation kept going in circles without progress. Unable to give a proper answer and just avoiding eye contact, Hyeon-woo finally spoke up.
“Is it because of Tae-geon, that bastard?”
“…!”
Hyeon-woo’s shoulders stiffened as if caught off guard by the sudden mention of that name. His pale face looked at McRae with eyes that seemed to demand how he knew that name. Seeing Hyeon-woo’s reaction, which was neither affirmation nor denial, McRae smiled bitterly.
On his way home from the center, he had impulsively turned the steering wheel towards Chinatown, where he had been with Hyeon-woo. He picked up a newspaper from a stand. That handsome face that had captivated Hyeon-woo’s gaze was splashed across the front page.
After returning home and starting to investigate the person, it didn’t take long for McRae to learn everything about his identity. It was an understatement to call it an investigation. Just searching the name he found in the newspaper article online yielded an enormous amount of information.
His name was even mentioned in prestigious international academic journals. Legatum, which is currently gaining worldwide attention, was developed by this person. The next leader of a giant corporation leading the biotechnology field.
He had spent last night wondering what the connection between such a person and Hyeon-woo could be. From Hyeon-woo’s pale reaction to the name ‘Tae-geon’, McRae gained more certainty than any answer could provide.
“So it seems you really weren’t just casual acquaintances.”
“……”
“What was it, were you lovers?”
Seeing a sneer form at the corners of Hyeon-woo’s mouth, McRae’s face crumpled. McRae roughly ran his hand through his hair, unable to hide his irritation at Hyeon-woo’s silence as he just stared at the floor without answering.
He had blurted out the name without meaning to in his agitation. He hadn’t intended to interrogate like this. He never meant to confess in such a place in this way either. Everything was a mess.
“Well, whatever. You’re not in any relationship now anyway, right?”
“……”
But seeing Hyeon-woo maintain his silence again, McRae could no longer contain his rising frustration.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
McRae clenched his fist tightly.
“Do you still have lingering feelings? Are you still not over it?”
“……”
“How long are you going to hold onto this? That guy seems to be shacking up with someone else, so how long are you going to foolishly keep pushing away everyone who approaches you like this?”
All the regretful emotions he had felt while watching Hyeon-woo mixed with his surging anger and poured out of his mouth mercilessly.
“Are you even trying?”
“……”
“Trying to break free from that guy.”
“……”
“Trying to meet someone new and be happy again.”
“……”
“Have you ever made even a little effort?”
“……”
“Is there even any space for me to enter in here?”
McRae said, tapping the back of his hand lightly near Hyeon-woo’s heart. It was just a faint touch that barely registered, but that insignificant touch hurt terribly. Every word McRae spat out pierced Hyeon-woo’s heart like sharp thorns.
Am I trying, he asks…?
What more should I do here?
That effort, how exactly am I supposed to do it?
