NAME 3

Upon hearing Assistant Manager Seo Jiyeon’s voice, Seowon could not bring himself to turn around right away. Instead, he rinsed the inside of the tumbler, which was already sparkling clean, once more.

“Yes, I thought I’d have some tea.”

Only after rinsing the tumbler several times did Seowon turn around. He was relieved that he wasn’t in a situation where he was alone with him.

“If you tell me which tea you would like, I will prepare it for you.”

Thanks to Assistant Manager Seo Jiyeon’s brisk response to him, Seowon was able to remain silent. However, Baek Kanghyun glanced at her and then spoke while looking toward Seowon.

“I don’t have a cup yet, so what should I do?”

Baek Kanghyun shrugged his shoulders and lifted both hands as if to emphasize that his hands were empty. To protect the environment, personal cups were used in the office, so there were no paper cups in the pantry. Seowon quickly took a spare mug out of the drawer and set it down in front of him.

“You can use… this.”

“Thank you.”

Even in that short moment of receiving the mug, he continued to stare at Seowon. The bubbling kettle turned off with a clicking sound. Seowon grabbed a random tea bag, tore it open, and tossed it into his tumbler.

But after putting it in, he realized it wasn’t a tea he particularly liked.

‘Of all things…’

Damn it. He was being way too conscious of Baek Kanghyun.

“Assistant Manager Lee, give me your tumbler. I’ll fill it with water for you.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Thump-thump, thump-thump. Even while speaking, his heart pounded violently. How was one supposed to breathe again? Unknowingly, he took a very deep breath, and a refreshing scent rushed in through his nasal passages and tickled his lungs. It was fragrant and wonderful.

Since there was no way a tea bag would give off such a scent, the fragrance he smelled now was likely Baek Kanghyun’s pheromones. His already feverish face flushed as if it would explode. Seowon hurriedly grabbed the nape of his neck.

‘So it was… this kind of smell.’

It was a fragrance he hadn’t known seven years ago. It made sense. Because Seowon had been a Beta when he met Baek Kanghyun.

“I’m sorry, but could I ask for mine too?”

Baek Kanghyun strode closer and set his cup down right next to Seowon’s. It was just a single cup, but for some reason, he hesitated to grab it. However, being nothing more than a timid team member, Seowon carefully poured water into his cup, which contained the same green tea bag as his own. After filling it about two-thirds of the way, he filled Jiyeon’s next, and finally, he put water in his own.

Because of Baek Kanghyun, the amount of water was slightly insufficient, but he had no intention of boiling more water. He just wanted to get away from the man emitting those alluring pheromones as quickly as possible.

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

He spoke while looking at Seowon with a smile. Seowon barely replied with a faint smile and hung his head low.

“Then, I’ll be heading out first.”

Fortunately, he left the pantry first. As soon as Baek Kanghyun left, Seo Jiyeon spoke while sipping her tea as if she had been waiting.

“Wow, the Team Leader’s voice is amazing too. He seems to have good manners. He looks decent for a ‘parachute’ appointment, don’t you think, Assistant Manager Jung?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t really… know yet.”

“But if he’s a close associate of the Chairman, couldn’t they have slotted him into a higher position than Team Leader?”

Those were the words Seowon wanted to say. If he was at that level, they could have put him in a higher position rather than just a Team Leader, so why on earth was he assigned to Sales Team 3? If only the department had been different, he might never have had to meet him again like this.

Well… seeing as he met Baek Kanghyun of all people when the university was that large… it might just be because his fate is cursed.

“Ugh, bitter.”

He inadvertently sipped the tea and furrowed his brow. Due to the lack of water, the tea tasted bitter and astringent. It tasted exactly like Seowon’s mood today.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

“Since everyone is seated, shall we have a toast first?”

“Sounds good!”

A dinner party to celebrate Baek Kanghyun’s appointment was held hastily. It was at the suggestion of Manager Park. Seowon wanted to sit as far away from Baek Kanghyun as possible, but while he went to the restroom for a moment, the seats were all filled. There was only one seat left, at the table with Baek Kanghyun and Manager Park.

“I’ll pour you a drink, Team Leader.”

“I have to drive, so I’d prefer a soda.”

Manager Park put down the bottle of soju he had picked up and filled Baek Kanghyun’s glass with a soft drink. However, the glass placed in front of Seowon was filled to the brim with soju. Of all things, soju. In a situation where it was hard to even swallow a sip of water while sitting across from Baek Kanghyun, Manager Park acted as he pleased without even asking for Seowon’s opinion.

‘I really hate this.’

He hated the soju, and he hated Manager Park, who didn’t have a lick of sense. And he hated the gaze of Baek Kanghyun, which had been clinging to his face for a while now, even more. He had to smile even if it was forced, but the muscles around his mouth wouldn’t listen. However, he couldn’t just sit there looking like a mess, so he hid his mouth with his fingers to avoid other people’s eyes.

“Nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with you.”

“We look forward to working with you, Team Leader!”

Seowon’s gaze remained solely on his glass until they clinked them together and he downed the alcohol. His face automatically crumpled at the smell of alcohol rising up his throat. While he was holding his nose and coughing lightly, someone placed a glass of water in front of him.

“Thank… you.”

It was Baek Kanghyun. Having met Seowon’s eyes, he smiled slightly and spoke.

“Assistant Manager Jung, by the way, have we met somewhere before?”

<By the way, who were you again?>

<I’m also in Psychos. I’m in the same club as you, Sunbae. I even took a liberal arts class with you, Sunbae…>

<Really? Ah, I remember. But… you like me?>

Clang.

The conversation he had shared with him on that very day he had impulsively confessed flashed through his mind. Strength left his entire body, and the water glass he was holding plummeted onto the table. Fortunately, there wasn’t much water left in the glass, so there wasn’t much damage, but the internal injury Seowon suffered from Baek Kanghyun’s question was considerable. Seowon hid his trembling hands under the table and spoke in a cynical tone.

“No.”

“Is that so? You have a face I feel like I’ve seen somewhere.”

Baek Kanghyun laughed awkwardly and emptied his drink.

“It’s the first time I’ve met you today.”

The air around them cooled for a moment at Seowon’s firm answer, which lacked both a smile and any softening language. It was completely different from Seowon’s usual conversational style of never losing his kindness, regardless of who the other party was. As if trying to refresh the awkward atmosphere, Manager Park changed the subject.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t Assistant Manager Jung graduate from Korea University? I heard the Team Leader also graduated from Korea University. Is that correct?”

Of all things, the topic brought up was the school. The blood drained from Seowon’s face.

“Yes, that’s right. Did Assistant Manager Jung go to our school too? What year did you enter? Which department? Surely you weren’t in the same department as me.”

Baek Kanghyun seemed very pleased to hear that Seowon was a junior from the same school. His lips, curved at an angle, were surprisingly exactly the same as before. Seowon barely swallowed the sigh that was about to come out and spoke.

“That is…”

Seowon wasn’t in the same department as him, and there was a two-year difference in their entrance years. The only common denominators with him were a club and one liberal arts lecture. Although they had bumped into each other during college, he had only seen him three times a week at most, and once at the least. Despite having seen him only that much, Seowon had harbored feelings for him, a man who was always surrounded by people.

Foolishly.

“Did you ever see me while attending school?”

It was a question that felt full of confidence that if he had attended Korea University at the time, there was no way he wouldn’t know him. In fact, it was safe to say that almost no one except for loners or exchange students didn’t know him back then. However, Seowon shook his head.

If Seowon had been as foolish and impulsive as before, he would have shouted that he and he weren’t just acquaintances, but had been stuck together quite deeply for a while. However, 28-year-old Seowon was neither as naive nor as clumsy as he was seven years ago.

“No, I’m sorry.”

Now, Seowon had become mature enough to give a clean answer with no unnecessary details.

“There’s no need to be sorry. I just asked because you didn’t seem like a stranger, Assistant Manager Jung.”

Despite Seowon’s boring answer, Baek Kanghyun didn’t seem to care much. However, Seowon couldn’t bring himself to touch the food.

He poked at the food aimlessly with his chopsticks and eventually ordered a cider. He gulped down the served drink almost without stopping and put the empty can down with a thud. While he was wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, he met Baek Kanghyun’s eyes again. Eventually, Seowon couldn’t take it anymore and decided to leave his seat.

“I’ll step out for a moment.”

“Then let’s go out together.”

He was trying to get some fresh air, but Baek Kanghyun also stood up to follow Seowon. A flash of dismay crossed Seowon’s face. He couldn’t exactly sit back down, so he had no choice but to lead the way as if guiding him.

‘Let’s just think of him as a new Team Leader, not Baek Kanghyun. If I think like that…’

But it wasn’t as if he could set his mind so easily. Seowon swallowed a sigh secretly from Baek Kanghyun, who was following behind, and stood leaning against the wall next to the restaurant. It was a place where people enjoyed their smoke breaks, but since Seowon was a non-smoker, he took a piece of candy out of his pocket and popped it in his mouth instead of a cigarette.

“Is Assistant Manager Jung the only one from Korea University in our department?”

Baek Kanghyun stood a little bit away from Seowon. He took a cigarette out of his inner jacket pocket and lit it. Seowon recognized the cigarette he was smoking at a glance. Even his taste in cigarettes was the same.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“And you’re the only Omega too.”

“Yes.”

“By the way, earlier… was that intentional?”

Baek Kanghyun said while tapping near his own neck. Seowon hurriedly covered his neckline with his hand. Pheromones—so he had noticed after all… It was by no means intentional, but it seemed he had given the wrong impression. Seowon increased the distance between him and Baek Kanghyun and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. It was absolutely not intentional.”

“Right, I understand for now.”

Having lit the cigarette, he inhaled the smoke deeply and exhaled—fwhooo. Baek Kanghyun was the first person whose smoking appearance Seowon had thought was cool. And the way he smoked a cigarette was still as wonderful as a scene in a movie.

‘Jeong Seowon, are you crazy?’

Seowon was angry at himself for using the adjective ‘wonderful’ to describe him. They say a person’s taste never changes easily, and it was exactly the case for him. Seowon barely swallowed a bitter smile.