JADE 13

It was quite an affectionate tone, but Kwon Joowan had experienced enough of Jin Sejun not to be completely fooled by it. He asked, still in a calm manner.

“Setting that aside, why are you even working?”

“Because I’m bored?”

“If that’s the case, I should talk to the director and at least have you sign a separate contract…”

“I don’t want to? I’m going to come when I want and leave when I want?”

“No, I mean you’re always just spending money when you’re here—”

“You don’t have to pay me? I have a lot of money?”

“Why are you responding like an elementary school student?”

“But Sejun is thirty-one? Elementary schooler Yiseo speaks more maturely than I do?”

“Yes… are you bragging? Even if you work unpaid, it’s your loss, not mine.”

For goodness’ sake, anyone would think you’re the one paying my salary. Jin Sejun exclaimed, rather theatrically.

“That sounds like you enjoy seeing me!”

Kwon Joowan waved his hand as if to say ‘do as you please’ and picked up a broom. As he headed toward the empty practice room, Jin Sejun followed as if to help, then leaned against the ballet barre and chatted idly.

“I’ve been wondering, John Teacher.”

There was no reply, but he stubbornly continued his question.

“I’m confused, so what was your name exactly?”

“…My name?”

“Yes, your name. Was it Kwon Joohwan? No, my memory isn’t bad, but I’m suddenly confused.”

“No, it’s Joo. Wan.”

He had obviously memorized the name from looking at the chart, and during the period when they were actively texting, he had called him ‘Mr. Joowan’ precisely. So even to Jin Sejun himself, it was a childish provocation.

“Yes, Jawn~ Teacher.”

“……”

“Your parents gave you a very confusing name. You must have had to emphasize each syllable every time you introduced yourself. It’s Kwon, then ‘Joo,’ and then the ‘Wan’ from ‘wanryeok’ for physical strength.”

“Yes… you know it well.”

“Wear a name tag at work.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Hmph.

Jin Sejun massaged the ballet pole, imagining kicking away the dust Kwon Joowan had gathered. Kwon Joowan’s reaction was far calmer than he had expected.

When they were alone, shouldn’t he have gotten angry and asked what he wanted by acting this way? Why was he pretending to be so nice?

No, was this even pretending to be nice? If Jin Sejun himself were on the receiving end, he would have told him to stop with the tricks and get lost, or started a fistfight right there.

Even as he relentlessly poked at Kwon Joowan, he was the one getting stressed.

Frustrating bastard! A bastard who’s no fun to bully. Jin Sejun, who had been pouting, suddenly called out to Kwon Joowan.

“Hey, Cheer Pink.”

“Yes?”

The fact that he answered so obediently again was mind-boggling.

“You were so~ so quiet about it. So your sport was cheerleading. How cute.”

“I’m glad you find it cute.”

He’s quite good at playing it off. This was what was funny about Kwon Joowan. The man was completely unpredictable.

Even with just Jin Yiseo, if Jin Sejun said something like this, he would be consumed with rage, so he had been watching his mouth lately. But he was frustrated that a man whose pride would be stronger, never weaker, was just enduring it.

“But, isn’t it usually omegas who do the cute stuff, shaking the fluffy things? Do the kids who are likely to present as omegas come to the junior class?”

“The world has changed a lot these days. Don’t say things like that anywhere else.”

Aha, so the director and the people here were ‘those kinds of people.’ Then again, seeing as the director of an academy for a sport that typically has the image of being for betas and omegas was an alpha, it seemed the director had also walked a rather thorny path.

That aside, he wished Kwon Joowan would stop enduring and fight back. Jin Sejun felt a tickle in a corner of his chest and opened his mouth again.

“But you know, no matter how much the world has changed, I don’t think there’s anyone who would want to entrust their kids to a pervert who uploads jerk-off videos.”

Kwon Joowan’s mouth, which had been chattering away quite a bit, snapped shut. So this is his weak spot. Jin Sejun smiled obnoxiously and continued.

“I think you’re very brave, doing business in the neighborhood. Especially when you know full well that I live in the same neighborhood.”

“I, don’t do it anymore…”

“Really? Can I believe you?”

“Yes…”

Why did he get weak again when pushed? If he just flatly denied it ever happened, who would know? The bastard who knew how to deftly handle a verbal sparring match had no shamelessness when it came to this.

But just as his heart was about to soften, a cognitive dissonance would arise from the fact that the man who had stood him up in the hotel room was the man right in front of him. Jin Sejun’s mood soured in an instant, and he grumbled.

“Don’t be so proud of your thick hair.”

“Why are you suddenly talking about hair…”

“Hmm, then again, alphas have more baldness than betas and omegas, so maybe you were relieved. I think that’s why the rumor that bald men have high libidos spread.”

“…Bald men don’t have high libidos?”

The nuance clearly swallowed the words “how do you know,” and Jin Sejun gave a deliberately sultry smile.

“All the ones in my garden are bald, so what do you expect.”

“…It seems you often had inappropriate relationships with your clients.”

“Hahahaha!”

Right, it was better than him getting depressed again about his perfectly fine hair falling out. Jin Sejun, who was laughing so hard that tears formed in the corners of his eyes, suddenly realized that a gaze had been lingering on his cheek for a long time.

To erase his awkwardness, he slapped Kwon Joowan’s butt with his five fingers spread wide, making a loud SMACK! sound.

“Ugh?”

“Look who’s talking. Just abstain from masturbating.”

“…Saying such things at the academy.”

“Weren’t you saving your load to get donations from jerking off? That’s what I want to think is the reason you stood me up.”

“……”

It was almost time for Kwon Joowan’s students to arrive, so instead of saying more, Jin Sejun left the practice room.

Even though he had been loitering at the academy for several days, he had never seen Kwon Joowan work out during that time.

His pride was hurt at the thought that openly peeking would make him look like someone with a lot of lingering attachments. He had already come too far to care about such things, but it was one of the stubborn habits he couldn’t let go of.

He also thought that if he saw Kwon Joowan properly at work, he might really go crazy over the fruit he couldn’t have.

Right, he was slowly starting to become conscious of the two of them being alone in a closed practice room. There were many times he couldn’t even look at him directly and instead watched Kwon Joowan’s every move through the mirror.

And then he would get strangely worked up by himself and overreact, which led to him even slapping his butt.

And why was his butt so firm! If he had just had a taste, it would have been as ecstatic as described in a popular erotic novel.

I admit it, desire has no pride… Jin Sejun was still at a point where, if Kwon Joowan spread his legs for him, he could forget all his resentment and pounce.

How broken was he as an alpha to have gotten turned on by a beta? Jin Sejun was sure that tonight, before he went to sleep, he would masturbate while recalling the texture of the butt that remained on his hand.

✶⋆.˚

“What should we have for lunch?”

“Spicy stir-fried pork, spicy stir-fried pork.”

“Jun Teacher really likes spicy stir-fried pork. It’s almost always spicy stir-fried pork.”

“Spicy stir-fried pork is a complete food.”

Somehow, he had blended in as if he had worked there for years, and lately, Jin Sejun’s daily routine included even counseling the parents who came to visit.

Since he only stepped in when the manager was busy and then stepped out, he was also self-aware enough not to be kicked out, and since his main profession was what it was, his work was flawless.

Unfortunately.

Kwon Joowan, who was watching the conversation between Jin Sejun and the director, lowered his voice and whispered to Jin Sejun.

“Didn’t you say you liked Greek cuisine? And that you were a beef person rather than a pork person.”

It seemed that after getting his butt slapped, he had kept his distance and forgotten his sense of crisis a little. Either that, or he couldn’t stand not to challenge him right away.

“What? Greek?”

“You said you like Mediterranean food. These days it’s like you’re possessed by the ghost of someone who died without getting to eat spicy stir-fried pork, it’s always spicy stir-fried pork, spicy stir-fried pork.”

“I just said that to seem sophisticated, because it seemed like you were managing yourself. I don’t even like Greek yogurt. I don’t really like olives either. When it comes to pizza, I’m a Korean-style pizza person.”

“Ha, for goodness’ sake.”

As Kwon Joowan sighed and ordered lunch, curious gazes fell on them. One of the omega coaches with the surname Hong said with a pleased look.

“You two have gotten really close.”

“We’re Cheer Blue and Cheer Pink, after all.”

That damn Cheer Pink. In Kwon Joowan’s opinion, he suited Cheer Black the best among them… no, that’s not it.

…Us? If he said something like that, he would only be pushed into a corner even more.

Thinking that, he looked over at Jin Sejun and saw him nodding as if it were absolutely true, so he couldn’t just let it go.

“Us?”

“I’ve never seen you be so sarcastic and playful before, John Teacher. And I’ve been here for ten years.”

“I haven’t been here for ten years, so I must have been playful where you weren’t looking, Mr. Hong.”

“Should I call the director over to testify?”

“What? What do you mean Mr. Hong has been here for ten years and John Teacher hasn’t been here for ten years? Explain the family tree.”

As soon as Jin Sejun jumped in, the Hong coach explained with a bright face.

“Originally, the director was working alone, and then he brought John Teacher in. The academy was also originally further on the outskirts. It’s gotten much bigger. I’ve been learning from the director all this time, so now I’m just earning some pocket money and showing my filial piety.”

“Aha, so Mr. Hong was John Teacher’s sunbae.”

“Hahaha, is that how it is?”

“John Teacher, from now on, call Mr. Hong sunbae. The upper stream must be clear for the lower stream to be clear.”

Kwon Joowan desperately ignored Jin Sejun poking him in the side.

Aside from his annoyance, Jin Sejun’s attire was much more relaxed than at the hospital, so his cleavage was often visible between the collars of his shirt. To make matters worse, he even had a habit of leaning against tables or the ballet barre with his arms crossed, making the emphasized volume of his chest all too clear.

One day, it bothered him so much that he asked if he didn’t wear a tie, and a reply like “Why, are you going to hire me officially?” came back, so he couldn’t say anything more. It wasn’t something to argue about in a workplace where no tie was the norm anyway.

After finishing their meal, they all headed to a café, and as always, Jin Sejun pulled out his card. The work Jin Sejun had done on the manager’s day off had been paid in a cash bonus.

What kind of varied custom drink will he give me this time? Whatever he gives me, I won’t show the reaction he wants.

Kwon Joowan didn’t go out of his way to pick a fight unless it was about his class, so he didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention. They were already being lumped together as Jun Teacher and John Teacher as it was.

“Today, an iced Americano for John Teacher.”

What’s this? He had endured drinks that seemed to say “go to the bathroom” every time, but today it was the Americano he usually drank. The pale winter sunlight fell on Jin Sejun’s face as he handed him the drink.

“Your hands are always cold, shouldn’t you drink something warm? You’re not one of those ‘I’d rather freeze to death than wear anything but a coat’ types, but you’re like that only with coffee.”

“It’s become a habit…”

It felt like today was the first time he had properly seen Jin Sejun’s face since they had met again. He had looks that anyone would see as alpha-like, and while he was slim overall, he had strong, defined lines. He had lost some weight compared to when they were actively meeting, giving him a slightly sharper impression.

Sweat began to form in the palms of his hands.

Because he’s an alpha? Is it because he’s an alpha, because of a competitive spirit? From before, when he was with Jin Sejun, there were often times when his body reacted before his mind like this.

‘If he’s an alpha, then why…’