Chapter 4
Eunsol was left alone in the room, reflecting on the events of the day. His gaze fell to his palm, which was a mess. It was the result of clenching his fists with his short nails digging into his palm whenever he felt anxious. A warm sensation welled up in his eyes, and soon transparent droplets fell onto the red scars.
Sometimes, when faced with overwhelming situations, Eunsol would think:
‘…Why was I born into this world?’
He had no good memories in his life. Before becoming an adult, he lived by conforming to what was given to him, not believing he could survive the world alone.
He didn’t even think that something big would change when he turned twenty. Eunsol ended up getting married as if he were being sold off by his elderly grandfather, and the only change was that his partner became a young and handsome man.
In a way, it could be seen as an improvement from his unfortunate situation. The man who left Eunsol alone in the room was someone anyone would admire.
Some might criticize Eunsol for shedding tears despite his good fortune. They would be right.
Han Hyun-oh seemed like the ideal marriage partner any Omega would envy. Even though he was older than Eunsol, he didn’t look much older in appearance.
He wasn’t violent either. He always spoke politely to Eunsol and never raised a hand against him.
The only time he did was when Eunsol touched him without permission, pressing Eunsol’s wrist down as a warning.
‘But why…’
Eunsol couldn’t understand his restless heart in the rustling wind. He curled up his body at the edge of the large bed, as if that was the only space given to him.
The place he was in now was much cleaner and wider than the space he had lived in before. There was no musty smell of dust, and the window was large enough to let in the soft moonlight.
‘I hope something good happens… even in my dreams.’
A place where he could breathe comfortably, not having to worry about anyone’s gaze, and where there was someone who loved him.
Eunsol prayed with all his heart, his small hands clasped together.
* * *
“This is the house where Eunsol will live with the Director from now on.”
“…Yes.”
The next day, Eunsol met Kim Myungjun as soon as he opened his eyes at the hotel. Hyun-oh had already gone to the company.
Their house was a high-end villa located in the center of Seoul. It was a top-tier private residential facility accessible through the lobby lounge on the first basement floor.
“This house is decorated according to the Director’s taste. Please take your time to look around and let me know if there’s any style you prefer, and I will make the adjustments.”
“It’s fine.”
Eunsol didn’t know his own preferences. He had never chosen anything in his life. All the items in the room where Eunsol stayed were things that the hired people had carelessly left behind.
Thus, the colors and designs were all mismatched. He couldn’t choose even if there were options, as Eunsol had no choice.
Following Kim Myungjun’s guidance, they entered a house located on the top floor of the 20th floor.
As they opened the door and walked down the long hallway, Eunsol gasped softly at the sight before him. The view of the Han River, with the Yeongdong Bridge to the east, was visible through the large windows.
“The bedroom is this way.”
Kim Myungjun started explaining the layout of the house to Eunsol, beginning with the bedroom.
“However, the study is the Director’s personal space, so even I cannot enter freely. I can only enter when the Director is inside and with permission…”
“It’s okay, I don’t need to look around.”
Seeing Kim Myungjun looking troubled, Eunsol waved his hands and gave a faint smile. If it was Hyun-oh’s personal space, it was a realm Eunsol couldn’t intrude upon. He didn’t want to make Kim Myungjun uncomfortable by insisting on entering.
“This room is empty, so you can decorate it as you like. If you need anything, you can contact me or the secretary’s office.”
“I understand.”
Eunsol obediently responded to what Kim Myungjun said. He had seen more than five rooms.
The space he was allowed to use as his personal area was as spacious as any high-end hotel room, with a small bathroom attached.
“This is a gift from the Director to Eunsol. The memo has the Director’s number, my number, and the direct line to the secretary’s office, so you can save them.”
Kim Myungjun checked the time on his wristwatch and handed Eunsol a small shopping bag he was holding.
Eunsol had never even had a phone before. To use electronic devices, he needed permission from his family and supervision from the staff.
His father never wanted Eunsol to acquire knowledge beyond what he allowed. He also strongly disliked Eunsol forming relationships with people outside the family.
‘It would be troublesome if you reported anything.’
From what his half-brother had said, it seemed his father was extremely wary of Eunsol leaking his situation to the media. Even though Eunsol had no intention of doing so, he couldn’t own a phone like everyone else because of his father’s suspicions.
This was the first phone he had ever owned. A pale blush spread across Eunsol’s cheeks, which had been pale with shock.
“I have to go now because of work. Today, we will proceed with the marriage registration on our end, so you don’t have to worry about that part.”
“…Yes.”
Compared to his original home, the attitude towards Eunsol was polite, but just like before, things proceeded without regard to Eunsol’s opinion.
“Goodbye.”
Perhaps truly busy with work, Kim Myungjun bowed to Eunsol and quickly left the house. Eunsol saw him off near the front door and trudged towards the living room.
“The house… is really nice.”
Eunsol’s original house was also nice, but it felt different here. The structure was a duplex, and one side of the living room was a wide window, giving it a more open feel.
“Now I really… have a family.”
Hyun-oh might think of it as a simple contractual relationship. But Eunsol’s heart fluttered at the fact that he had become a family like this. Even if the relationship started with a single contract, Eunsol was determined to do his best.
It was a hard-earned opportunity.
To Eunsol, a house was a prison without bars. But this place felt different from the house he lived in. Maybe it was because it was a space shared with his new family.
“That person and I are now family.”
The first meeting was surprising and a bit frightening, but Eunsol resolved to open his heart to Hyun-oh little by little. No matter what Eunsol thought, the situation wouldn’t change. So, it was better to find a way to be happy in the current situation.
Moreover, Hyun-oh was now legally connected to Eunsol as family. Since his blood-related family had hurt him, having a family connected like this made his small heart beat non-stop.
Thinking of it as a space shared with that person, the fluttering emotion grew stronger as time passed.
“I see, this is his taste.”
He carefully sat on the black leather sofa. He tried to sit with his legs pulled up as usual, but the socks he was wearing bothered him, so he left his feet on the floor and looked out the window.
The surface of the Han River shimmered dazzlingly in the bright sunlight. For some reason, Eunsol couldn’t look at the scene for long because it was too bright, and he turned his attention to the shopping bag he was holding.
The phone he took out of the shopping bag was black, like the sofa. It was larger than Eunsol’s palm, with a fruit shape on the back.
After completing the basic settings, he immediately opened the phonebook. Fortunately, he knew the basic usage methods even though he didn’t have a personal phone.
“…What should I save it as?”
The only thing Eunsol knew about Hyun-oh was his full name. He didn’t even know his age properly. It was clear that Hyun-oh knew everything about Eunsol, though.
His thumb lingered on the keyboard for a while before typing six letters.
[Director Han Hyun-oh]
After writing it, he felt it wasn’t right and quickly erased the six letters he had written with difficulty.
‘Hyun-oh, Han Hyun-oh, husband…’
After that, he tried writing several words, but he couldn’t come up with a suitable word to call him.
Eunsol thought of saving other things first, so he entered ‘Manager Kim Myungjun’ and ‘Secretary’s Office’ and bit his lips, falling into thought.
“Anyway, that person won’t look at my phone, so…”
Finally, Eunsol decided and entered a three-letter name.
* * *
“…Welcome back.”
After saving the number on his phone, Eunsol spent time only on the living room sofa. He wasn’t hungry, so he didn’t go into the kitchen, and he just mindlessly rubbed his fingers over the name he had saved Hyun-oh’s number under.
It might be a boring time for someone, but Eunsol waited for the front door to open with a more excited expression than usual. He wasn’t waiting for a stranger, but for Hyun-oh.
If he were to get married, Eunsol wanted to greet his husband with a bright face every time he came home.
Because there was no one to welcome him.
As the sun set and the darkness became the background, the lights scattered colorful traces. It was then that a sound came from the front door.
Eunsol quickly got up from his seat and headed towards the front door. Hyun-oh, dressed in a suit similar to the first time they met, was entering while loosening his tie from his neck.
“…Ah.”
Hyun-oh stopped at Eunsol’s greeting and stared at him. It was as if he had encountered someone who shouldn’t be there, and Eunsol’s head lowered towards the floor.
Eunsol didn’t expect Hyun-oh to welcome him with a smile. But he didn’t expect to be pushed away with such a gaze as if looking at a stranger.
The excitement in his heart quickly cooled down. It was clear how differently he and Hyun-oh viewed their current relationship. His unfocused eyes wandered between the two feet, which were noticeably different in size.
“From now on, you don’t have to come out to greet me like this.”
It was a line that drew a boundary. Hyun-oh left those words behind and disappeared inside, leaving Eunsol standing blankly.
The sound of footsteps going up to the second floor was faintly heard. Eunsol only quietly moved his footsteps after the light that had turned on when the front door opened was turned off.
Did he usually come home at this time, and had he eaten dinner before coming?
There were many things he wanted to ask, but Eunsol silently headed to the room that Kim Myungjun had told him was his personal space. Even though it was a time he had been waiting for, he was resigned like a dog with its tail between its legs at the sight of a cold gaze.
The room was empty, giving it a hollow feeling. But unlike the chilly wind blowing outside, the air inside the house was warm. Yet, Eunsol shivered as if he were naked in the cold wind.
“I wanted to talk a little…”
Eunsol’s father wanted him to live like a bird in a cage. He wasn’t a bird that was cherished. He was just locked in a small space, given just enough food to survive, and shown the outside world.
Even his education was replaced by homeschooling, so he couldn’t experience peer relationships appropriate for his age. The world Eunsol was born into was all connected to his family.
Thus, he couldn’t easily imagine himself apart from his family.
Now, Eunsol’s life was inevitably connected to Hyun-oh. If the marriage registration was properly done, he and Hyun-oh would legally become a couple. Moreover, a couple was the closest relationship in a family.
Eunsol didn’t know how to live alone in the world. After realizing how different the world he saw in books was from the reality he was experiencing, he dreamed of a happy family.
Because he couldn’t live alone. His one and only wish was to meet an Alpha who loved him when he reached the age to get married.
“He must be tired from work.”
Eunsol repeated to himself the reason Hyun-oh avoided him, to comfort his disappointed heart.
Perhaps because Hyun-oh behaved quite gentlemanly, Eunsol unknowingly expected something from him. That he could start the first day of living together with excitement. Even though the time they had spent together was less than a day.
Perhaps he noticed Eunsol’s abnormal expectations and was trying to keep his distance.
Eunsol understood in his mind. That Hyun-oh didn’t have special feelings for him and proposed a contractual marriage. But his heart, beating with excitement, wasn’t controlled by Eunsol’s will.
He was the only one expecting. But now that they were legally family, perhaps Hyun-oh also wanted a real family like him.
Eunsol hid his depressed gaze by pulling his knees up and lowering his head.
Knock, knock, knock, the sound of knocking on the door echoed in the space where Eunsol was alone. Soon, the door opened, and the person who appeared was the one who had filled Eunsol’s mind just moments ago.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
