NAME 22

“Assistant Manager Jeong, are you working overtime again today?”

“Ah, no. I’m going before 7 o’clock. I’m just finishing up what I was doing.”

His work efficiency had been abysmal all afternoon. He hadn’t even managed to get through half of what he intended to do. Worries about who he should spend his heat cycle with filled his head, sending his concentration to rock bottom. However, he didn’t plan on staying late. On days like this, work doesn’t get done even if you stay late anyway, so it was better to just get some rest and do it tomorrow.

‘Is Baek Kanghyun not leaving yet?’

Visible beyond the partition, Baek Kanghyun was immersed in his work with a quite serious face. It was to the point where it felt like a lie that he had done that sort of thing with him a few days ago, seeing him act so nonchalant.

[Assistant Manager Lee Jaehwan: Have you left work? Still at the office?]

He paused for a moment upon seeing Jaehwan’s message. Why did he contact him all of a sudden? He had a feeling Jaehwan was going to ask to meet up… Since things had turned out like this, should he take this opportunity to suggest they end things now? Seowon hesitated for a moment before sending a reply.

[Assistant Manager Jeong Seowon: Still at the office. I’m leaving now.]

The number 1 next to the chat disappeared instantly, and a reply came back immediately.

[Assistant Manager Lee Jaehwan: Then do you want to go together? I’m about to head out too.] [Assistant Manager Jeong Seowon: Okay. I’ll wrap up within 10 minutes.]

While turning off his computer and putting on his jacket, he locked eyes with Baek Kanghyun. He also seemed to be in the mood of tidying up his desk, as if he intended to leave.

Seowon tried to look at him as emotionlessly as possible, but his eyes inadvertently drifted to the man’s lips. As he recalled those concentrated pheromones, a suspicious heat surged from deep inside his chest.

Seowon cleared his throat and quickly turned his body away.

“Team Leader, I’ll be leaving first.”

He opened the office door and stepped out as swiftly as possible. He could feel Baek Kanghyun following him out. Seowon sent a text to Jaehwan while pretending to be unbothered.

[I’m coming down now. See you on the 1st floor.]

He came out as fast as he could, but somehow he ended up getting on the elevator with Baek Kanghyun. He had hoped at least one other person would get on with them, but cruelly, no one else did.

Being alone with Baek Kanghyun in the enclosed space sent his senses on edge. The thumping sound of his heart, the sound of his own breathing, the sound of fabric brushing against fabric—noises he usually didn’t pay much attention to were heard more clearly than usual.

However, the loudest thing Seowon heard was Baek Kanghyun’s presence. Moving his body, breathing, shifting his eyes… He had the illusion of hearing sounds that couldn’t possibly be heard. Seowon focused all his nerves on him, fearing the man standing just a step away might do something reckless.

The elevator stopped halfway down. It was such good timing that he felt like giving a thumbs-up to whoever was getting on.

But his mind changed the moment he saw who it was. Damn it, of all people.

“Ah, you haven’t left yet?”

It was Jaehwan. He showed a look of joy upon seeing Seowon, but his expression hardened immediately upon seeing Baek Kanghyun right next to him. However, he soon bowed slightly as if nothing were wrong and stood next to Seowon. It became a formation where Baek Kanghyun and Jaehwan seemed to be in a standoff with Seowon in the middle.

“The timing is good. This worked out well.”

Jaehwan asked affectionately. Since he seemed no different from usual, Seowon also replied in a similar tone.

“Right. I thought I’d meet you on the 1st floor.”

Jaehwan continued a normal conversation as if he didn’t care about Baek Kanghyun’s presence at all. Seowon also made an effort to focus on the conversation with Jaehwan, desperately ignoring Baek Kanghyun’s gaze which felt like it was poking his cheek.

<Today in the cafeteria, Assistant Manager Lee Jaehwan got a confession!>

Assistant Manager Seo Jiyeon’s story suddenly came to mind. To be honest, he was curious about what happened after that confession, but he couldn’t ask. It was because he knew that asking would itself be something that hurts Jaehwan.

“If you have time, do you want to grab dinner before going home?”

Jaehwan asked cautiously. Seowon gave a faint smile and nodded immediately.

“Sure, let’s eat something delicious.”

“It’s been a while since we had a meal together. Did you eat lunch?”

His heart ached because Jaehwan was so visibly happy just because he asked to have dinner together. In fact, Seowon was planning to bring up the idea that it would be better to end their partner relationship while they ate.

“I did. On my way back from the hospital.”

“The hospital? Why?”

He had mentioned the hospital inadvertently. With just that one word, Jaehwan’s face became very worried. At that moment, the selfish thought of ending the relationship only after going through the heat cycle with Jaehwan popped up. Wow, am I really not a total piece of trash?

“I just went for a visit.”

Soon the elevator stopped, and the two got off on the 1st floor. Before leaving with Jaehwan, Seowon became newly aware of the presence of Baek Kanghyun, who was left behind. No matter how uncomfortable he was, the man was his superior after all, so he felt he should say goodbye and turned toward where he was.

“Team Leader, I’ll be going…”

Seowon couldn’t finish his sentence and froze. The gaze Baek Kanghyun directed at him was terribly cold. 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

Throughout the meal, the conversation with Jaehwan stayed on the surface. Time moved steadily forward while they kept exchanging stories that had no substance, only shells. He wanted to bring up the subject of stopping this now, but he could hardly open his mouth. Before being a partner, Jaehwan was a good friend. Could they not just stay like this? He dreamed of an impossible wish.

“Seowon, you have something to tell me, don’t you?”

In the end, it was Jaehwan who ended the circling conversation.

“If you do, tell me. As long as it’s not saying we should end things, I’m fine.”

“Huh?”

Seowon was left speechless by the words he said with a friendly smile. He put down the fork with food on it and moistened his mouth with water. He quietly lowered his eyes to avoid the man’s gaze that was fixed straight on him. Staring at the inside of the empty cup, he scratched the surface of the cup repeatedly. He could imagine the man’s expression turning gloomy.

“Jaehwan, about that…”

“There haven’t been any problems until now, between us. I like it this way too.”

Ah, a small sigh escaped. Seowon slowly raised his head. A light shadow was cast over the man’s face, which usually looked so kind. His eyes, holding moisture, trembled slightly. Seowon was not cold-hearted enough to be callous toward someone who feared the end of a relationship.

“It’s because… I’m not okay with it.”

“Jeong Seowon.”

“I have a conscience too. It’s already been 3 years for us. I have nothing to say to you other than thank you and I’m sorry.”

Jaehwan’s hand quietly touched the hand Seowon had placed on the table. He didn’t know what to do with himself because the sincerity transmitted through his fingertips felt heavy and made him feel apologetic.

“Well, I knew all of that when we started.”

“A-anyway, think about it. I’m serious.”

Seowon tried to speak lightly as if it were no big deal. Since it was a relationship that started lightly from the beginning, it was only right that its end be light as well.

During the new employee training period, Jaehwan happened to discover Seowon while his pheromones were leaking; after Jaehwan helped release the pheromones, the two became naturally involved.

It was Jaehwan who first suggested being partners. Saying that things like pheromone partners are no big deal between Alphas and Omegas, and that they just need to take mutual benefit…

What would have happened if he hadn’t become partners with him? It might have been difficult to lead a normal social life because of pheromones that ran wild from time to time.

“You’re at an age where you should start dating and get married.”

He wanted to ask why Jaehwan was caring for him when there must be many people who like him enough to even confess. But Seowon’s courage ended right there.

“What about you?”

“I…”

He couldn’t answer that he wasn’t, nor could he answer that he was. Dating was still frightening, and he had never dreamed of marriage. Furthermore, even if he were an Omega, his reproductive function was significantly low. It was because there was a problem with his pheromone gland due to his late manifestation.

Even if marriage is only the completion of love and definitely not for the purpose of reproduction, Seowon’s thoughts were a bit different. Also, to have a marriage or a relationship, he had to do something called ‘love,’ but he didn’t feel like he could do such a thing. Though he had grown older, his heart remained stopped on that day 7 years ago when things ended with Baek Kanghyun.

“Fine, I understood what you mean. But it’s okay for you to act a bit mean.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m saying don’t act too nice. You’re smart, but you’re too nice. You can’t even say things people don’t want to hear.”

“How am I nice? To you, I’m always…”

That was the end of the talk with Jaehwan. They parted in a state where things were neither here nor there, and nothing had become clear. After persistently refusing the man’s offer to take him home, Seowon took a taxi again. He leaned his head against the car window, having the realistic worry that the taxi fare for this month alone would come to 1 million won. Even though he hadn’t drunk, he felt dazed as if he were drunk.

“Phew…”

He thought he had lived a relatively smooth life, but lately it felt like something was constantly going wrong. To be precise, it was after Baek Kanghyun appeared in his life. He desperately wanted to quickly reach 5 years and change jobs. Or should he just enter another company even if it meant lowering his salary? But he had debt. And 100 million won of it, at that.

Suddenly, the things of the past where he had shared his body with him countless times came to mind one by one. First love, first experience, first relationship… his past self who was foolishly naive… If he could go back to that time, he wanted to at least give himself a slap. Both to Baek Kanghyun and to his clumsy self.

What should he do to prevent the old wound from reopening? Should he tell Baek Kanghyun even now that the foolish kid from back then was actually him?

‘Is that so? Well, I don’t remember.’

But even if he were to talk about the past, Baek Kanghyun would likely say that and act like it was nothing.

Seowon shook his head. Rather than being denied by him again, it was better to stay as he was now.