#34
Eunsol smiled warmly as Ryu Jeong-woo’s face appeared on the screen, and he opened the first-floor security door for him. It led to the corridor connecting to the elevator that only accessed the floor where Eunsol and Hyun-oh lived.
Eunsol left the front door wide open as he waited for Jeong-woo. This was the first time Eunsol had a guest visiting this home.
Although Kang Ye-ryeong frequently dropped by to see Eunsol, strictly speaking, she was Hyun-oh’s mother rather than Eunsol’s guest. Her visits had more meaning as a mother visiting her son’s home.
“You’re welcoming me from the doorway? That’s so like you, Eunsol.”
As the elevator door opened and Jeong-woo walked toward the front door, he smiled brightly at Eunsol standing there.
“Hyung, your hair…”
“Oh, this. Does it look strange?”
Eunsol’s eyes widened as he was about to smile back in greeting. Jeong-woo’s hair color had changed to a vibrant blonde.
“No, it’s not strange…”
He was surprised. Jeong-woo’s neat and gentle impression had transformed into something strikingly eye-catching now that his hair was lighter.
“Just wanted a change. I felt like doing all the things I couldn’t do before.”
Jeong-woo’s voice was steeped in inexplicable sadness as he touched his hair.
“Please come in first.”
Jeong-woo was carrying many items in both hands. Judging by the shopping bags, they seemed to be the gifts for Eunsol that he had mentioned.
“Hyun-oh is at work, right?”
“Yes. It’s just me here now.”
It was a weekday afternoon. It was a time when ordinary office workers would all be at their companies working.
“The house is really nice. I heard it was the top floor, and the view is amazing.”
Jeong-woo whistled softly at the sight that greeted him after putting on the indoor slippers Eunsol offered and passing through the long corridor. Jeong-woo’s newlywed home was shared with his parents-in-law, so it wasn’t as urban as this place and was surrounded by high walls on all sides.
“I might buy a house here too. To live close to Eunsol.”
“But… would that be okay?”
It was welcome news for Eunsol. But he knew that Jeong-woo wasn’t as free as he might seem. Just as Jeong-woo had learned about Eunsol, Eunsol had also inevitably come to know things about him, knowingly or unknowingly.
“I’m getting divorced soon.”
Despite the content of his words, his voice was so cheerful that for a moment, Eunsol had to question whether there was something wrong with his hearing. Had the word “divorce” always carried such a light resonance? Somehow, Eunsol felt the word “divorce” distinctly echoing in his ears.
He knew that Jeong-woo wasn’t enjoying a happy marriage. Like himself, Jeong-woo had also entered into an arranged marriage after signing a contract.
Although he had a background that couldn’t be compared to Eunsol’s in many ways, Jeong-woo had still struggled to maintain his marriage.
Hearing this person who had tried so hard now mention divorce sent a chill through a corner of Eunsol’s heart.
“Divorce…?”
“Yes. I used to think the world would end if I got divorced.”
Jeong-woo placed the shopping bags he was holding on the table and stretched his arms up as if doing a victory pose.
“But I actually feel relieved. I regret struggling so hard all this time.”
What should he say?
Eunsol witnessed a fleeting shadow of sadness pass over Jeong-woo’s face despite his claims of relief.
“I’m going to get quite a share of the assets? The fault lies with him.”
Jeong-woo, who had been gazing at the scenery outside the window, turned his head toward Eunsol and made a money gesture with his fingers.
“May I ask… what the reason is?”
Eunsol’s voice was barely audible as he asked, knowing it was a sensitive matter. Even after hearing Eunsol’s question, Jeong-woo remained silent for a while. Just as Eunsol was about to blame himself for being careless, Jeong-woo casually dropped his words as if discussing an everyday matter.
“My husband had a mistress. And she’s even pregnant.”
Eunsol’s eyes trembled greatly. He knew how much Jeong-woo had wanted to have a baby. He had visited the fertility clinic diligently every week.
Male omegas didn’t have as high a probability of pregnancy compared to female betas or female omegas. But Jeong-woo was a high-grade omega with above-average pheromone levels.
Since higher pheromone levels increased the chances of pregnancy, Jeong-woo had expected to conceive soon.
“It’s for the best, really. I don’t have to be mindful of my in-laws anymore, and I don’t have to follow around an alpha who doesn’t even care about me.”
Jeong-woo was clearly smiling, but Eunsol felt that he was hiding his sorrow behind that smile. Unlike the smiling Jeong-woo, when Eunsol’s expression darkened, Jeong-woo approached him and took his arm.
“Let’s stop with the depressing talk now. Let’s open what I brought.”
“Is all of this… gifts for me?”
“Yes.”
Eunsol couldn’t ignore Jeong-woo’s efforts to lighten the mood. He pushed down the questions he wanted to ask deep inside his heart and turned his attention to the items Jeong-woo was starting to display.
“I bought everything that’s trendy these days. Try each one and let me know what you like. I’ll bring more when I go to America next time.”
From handmade chocolates to candies, donuts, caramels, and handmade butter.
Every single item was food. As Eunsol couldn’t take his eyes off the items he had brought, Jeong-woo picked up a caramel and handed it to him.
“Last time I noticed you seemed to like sweet things. This hazelnut flavor is really delicious.”
Eunsol carefully accepted the caramel Jeong-woo offered and put it in his mouth. A smile spread across his face, forgetting the complicated situation as the sweet flavor filled his mouth.
“You seem to have gained a little weight since before I left for my business trip.”
For a while, Eunsol had lost so much weight that his cheeks had become hollow. After Hyun-oh returned from his long business trip, Eunsol had been eating his meals properly, and some of the weight he had severely lost had returned.
Jeong-woo placed his hand on Eunsol’s crown and lowered his head to examine Eunsol’s complexion closely.
“It seems Hyun-oh isn’t a totally bad husband after all.”
Eunsol, who had been rolling the half-melted caramel in his mouth, suddenly froze. Jeong-woo, who had been looking closely at Eunsol’s face, immediately noticed his unusual reaction.
“Is it for the same reason you need to go out with Secretary Song?”
He had been meaning to ask anyway. What had happened that even for meeting him, Eunsol needed to be accompanied by a secretary.
“I happened to meet Hyun-oh’s half-brother by chance…”
“Vice Chairman Han Hyunyong?”
“Yes.”
Jeong-woo’s expression became serious. He had also met Han Hyunyong a few times in private settings.
He was someone who would flirt with omegas who were his type, regardless of whether they had partners or not. He was also someone who didn’t act his age and surrounded himself with only young people. Despite having a spouse of his own.
“He didn’t do anything to you?”
As it happened, from what Jeong-woo knew, Eunsol quite matched Han Hyunyong’s preferences.
Despite being married, Eunsol had an aura like untrodden white snow. Judging by the circumstances, since he hadn’t yet consummated with Hyun-oh, it wasn’t for nothing that he gave off such an aura.
Perhaps Han Hyunyong, being the sly person he was, could better perceive Eunsol’s purity. Jeong-woo examined Eunsol with concerned eyes.
“He just released his pheromones a bit…”
“That bastard released pheromones on you?”
This was the first time Eunsol had heard Jeong-woo use such harsh expressions during their acquaintance. From Eunsol’s words, Jeong-woo seemed to be visualizing the situation.
Eunsol was innocent and tender, to put it kindly; to put it less kindly, he found it difficult to stand up to people who might harm him.
Without someone by his side to protect him, Eunsol would have to protect himself. But he was still too young for that. Not just his age of twenty, but observing him closely, one would naturally realize that Eunsol hadn’t experienced even the things his peers would typically have gone through.
He was a boy who blushed at the slightest kindness. There was a concern that he might accept even malice disguised as kindness at face value.
“Eunsol.”
Jeong-woo took both of Eunsol’s hands and met his gaze. Even though Eunsol hadn’t done anything wrong, he was excessively cautious, seemingly because Jeong-woo’s voice had lowered.
“Next time, if an alpha releases pheromones on you without your consent…”
Eunsol’s Adam’s apple moved. It was due to Jeong-woo’s voice getting progressively lower as he continued speaking.
“Lift your leg and kick that bastard’s thing hard. Whether his balls burst or not, kick it hard.”
“…Pardon?”
Was what he just heard real?
Eunsol unconsciously questioned, shocked by what he’d heard.
“This won’t do. You need to learn some self-defense techniques with me. If that’s difficult, I’ll buy you some self-defense tools, so always carry them with you.”
Even if Eunsol learned self-defense, Jeong-woo wasn’t confident that he would properly use the techniques against an opponent. Jeong-woo concluded that it would be better to buy self-defense tools that would be easy for Eunsol to carry.
“When is Secretary Song coming? Let’s go look at some self-defense tools today.”
Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. Upon hearing from Eunsol that Secretary Song would arrive soon, Jeong-woo gathered his belongings.
“The staff will take care of these things if we leave them here.”
As Eunsol tried to organize the items he had brought, Jeong-woo grabbed his wrist. Just then, Secretary Song arrived at the house, and Eunsol ended up leaving the house, led by Jeong-woo.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
