MORE 12

“It’s raining a lot. I’m going to go once it lets up a little.”

The massive umbrella, which would look like a parasol if he held it, looked like a normal size for the man. Perhaps because the alcohol was still in his system, or perhaps because the drinking party had increased their sense of intimacy, Siyul felt more comfortable dealing with Woo Hyunse than before. Siyul bobbed his foot and opened his mouth.

“Weren’t you leaving with the manager?”

“I sent Manager Kang off first.”

I thought he would just go his own way, but Woo Hyunse climbed the stairs and entered the convenience store. Curious about what he would buy inside, Siyul leaned his head out and peered in. The part-timer took out a pack of cigarettes, and after finishing the payment, Woo Hyunse came back out. Siyul quickly lowered his gaze to his phone as if he had never been peeking.

Woo Hyunse sat across from Siyul without asking for permission. Siyul moved his fingers busily to play his game, but it was hard to concentrate because all his attention was focused on the person sitting across the table. In the blink of an eye, one of his precious lives was lost.

He considered trying once more, but Siyul changed his mind, closed the game, and placed his phone on the table. Even if he tried again, it was obvious he would just die anyway.

Then, a hangover relief drink was placed with a thud next to Siyul’s hand. Siyul lifted his eyes, following the hand that had placed the drink.

“Didn’t you drink a lot?”

“I’m fine, but….”

“Drink it anyway.”

Although he was feeling tipsy, he wasn’t going to be suffering too much tomorrow morning. However, he couldn’t refuse that one command to drink. Siyul bowed his head in greeting and took a sip of the drink. The sour lemon taste and the stinging carbonation caused the bridge of his nose to wrinkle on its own.

“Is the work manageable?”

“Yes.”

“No one bothering you?”

“Everyone is very good to me.”

“You’re a parachute hire, so of course they have to be good to you.”

Woo Hyunse reached out to take out a cigarette but hesitated. He looked at Siyul, asking with his eyes. Siyul shook his head vehemently and pointed to the sticker on the convenience store’s glass door. It was written in large letters: No Smoking. Woo Hyunse saw the sticker, clicked his tongue, and put the cigarette pack back in his pocket.

“Do you smoke?”

“No.”

When he was young, some hyung he knew gave him one to try, but after coughing so hard he almost threw up, he never touched cigarettes again. His financial situation wasn’t good enough to buy cigarettes, either. He was barely scraping by on utility bills and groceries, so he couldn’t spend money on luxury goods. Perhaps because it didn’t leave a good memory, even back when his financial situation was comfortable, he never thought to smoke.

“That’s unexpected, for a druggie.”

Siyul opened his eyes wide and stared at Woo Hyunse. A druggie? Even though he had been a guy who delivered drugs, he hadn’t touched them himself. More than anything, didn’t they say that if you took them, you would become an Omega? The hyung character that Kwon Yuwon often cursed at was an Omega. He didn’t even have any curiosity about it.

“I don’t do drugs.”

“No way.”

“It’s the truth. They said if you eat that, you become an Omega, so I never touched it. Living as an Omega is so hard….”

“Is living as an Omega hard?”

“Yes. Alpha or Beta is fine, but they say being an Omega is a pain in the ass. My friend said so.”

The man sipped the drink he had bought for himself and just hummed a “Hmm” deep in his throat. Siyul also wetted his throat. Even though it was raining this hard and the air was humid, he was strangely thirsty.

“Mister Representative, are you a Beta?”

“Alpha.”

“Then you probably wouldn’t know.”

“Know what?”

“Life as an Omega. They really struggle. Even if they take suppressants, they have a really hard time during their heats. Mister Representative, is it not hard for you during your rut?”

“Alphas don’t have heats, we have ruts. And it’s not particularly hard. Actually, isn’t it good? Everyone gets excited and clings to me.”

Siyul finished his drink and set it down. That scene he had seen at the shop flashed through his head. As the drinks went around, seats changed, and taking advantage of that, Manager Kang sat tightly against Woo Hyunse. It was hard to believe it was just because she was drunk, seeing as she was subtly stroking his thigh or resting her head on his shoulder.

Tracing the rim of the can with his finger, Siyul stole a glance at Woo Hyunse. It was a face that one could not help but admire no matter how many times they looked. Even though there was a slight curve in the middle of the bridge of his nose, it suited him so well that it looked like it was made that way on purpose. With his sharp jawline, solid cheeks, lips, long eyes, and forehead, his face alone was enough to draw other people’s attention, and on top of that, he was tall and had a sturdy physique.

While he was deeply suspicious that there might be some Samoan or Viking in his ancestry, there was no doubt that Woo Hyunse would have been an object of envy even if he weren’t an Alpha, but a Beta or even an Omega.

“Mister Representative, how tall are you?”

“I haven’t measured since I passed 190 cm.”

“Hic,” Siyul raised both his eyebrows high. He knew he was big, but he didn’t know it was to that extent. No wonder his shadow was exceptionally long.

“And you?”

“178 cm.”

To be precise, it was 177.6 cm. He had measured it during his military physical examination, so he might have grown a little more now. In his desire not to lose, he rounded it up. He wanted to lie and say 180 cm, but since he would be found out soon, he confessed the truth with just a little bit of pride attached to it.

“You’re small.”

Woo Hyunse’s lips curved into an arc. Since it looked like he was mocking him, Siyul flared up and straightened his back.

“Mister Representative, you’re just excessively big. I’m not small. I’m above average.”

“Is your clothing size a Medium?”

“I wear a Large. Look at this.”

Siyul flipped the hoodie inside out to show him the tag attached to the inside. Since it was clothing he had bought one size larger, he had nothing to worry about. As he pulled on the clothes, his fair neck was exposed under the light of the convenience store. Like a mole poked right under his right eye, a spot was dropped between his neck and shoulder as if ink had splattered.

Woo Hyunse’s gaze was fixed there. His hand holding the can twitched as if it were about to move upward. Siyul leaned his shoulder toward Woo Hyunse, telling him to look closer. Because the clothing was loose, a lot of his bare skin was exposed. His straight collarbone was also precariously visible.

“….”

A motorcycle passed through the alley, honking its horn. Only then did Woo Hyunse take his eyes off Siyul’s bare skin. He neatly fixed the flipped hoodie for him. And then, instead of the mole, he grabbed Siyul’s forearm. Even though Siyul flinched, he didn’t let go and kneaded it as if measuring the circumference.

“What use is a man being this skinny? Eat more. Exercise more, too.”

“Hey, should I show you my forearm?”

Siyul rolled up his sleeves without hesitation and bent his arm into an L-shape. Seeing the round, protruding muscle, Woo Hyunse snorted. Being a kid who couldn’t stand losing, he was claiming even that to be muscle.

Siyul’s phone, which he had left on the table, lit up. Siyul answered it quickly. As soon as he said, “Hello,” the question, “Where are you?” cut in sharply. It was Kwon Yuwon.

“I’m near the shop. I’m going to walk when the rain stops.”

Take a taxi, why not.

“I have to save money. I’ll be there soon.”

…Shall I come pick you up?

“No. It’s night so it’s a bit cold. You might catch a cold, so just stay at home. Did you have dinner? Should I buy something on the way?”

I already ate. Come home quickly.

“Okay.”

He hung up the phone and looked out past the railing. Whether the weather forecast was right or not, the rain was much lighter than before. At this rate, it would be fine even if he went home with his hoodie up.

“—A lover?”

Siyul was about to stand up, but he flinched and looked at Woo Hyunse. He heard a lot of surprising things today. “Oh, no,” he said, shaking his head.

“Yuwon is a friend.”

“He was excessively affectionate for a friend. Do people usually talk like that?”

For Woo Hyunse, who mostly had people around him who were sincere about dissing and teasing each other, it was hard to understand. Wasn’t it that kind of cringey conversation that might pass between lovers? On the other hand, the only person Siyul could name as a friend was Kwon Yuwon. Since he had no other comparison group, Siyul nodded his head vigorously this time.

“Yes.”

“Or are you not romantically interested in that friend? It’s not a sin for a Beta to like an Omega.”

“Yes? No, no. What on earth are you thinking? We are definitely not that kind of relationship. How can you have such a scary thought? Yuwon is a peer who came from the same orphanage as me. He’s like a brother.”

Siyul revealed it unreservedly. He had revealed the fact that he was an orphan and emphasized the unbreakable friendship he had with Kwon Yuwon that was no different from being real brothers, yet Woo Hyunse was still humming, staring only at Siyul. He sounded like he couldn’t believe it. For a moment, Siyul interpreted that gaze in a different sense.

“Even if you look at me like that, I can’t introduce my friend to you. He hates Alphas.”

Perhaps because this overlapped with the time the pig had told him to bring Kwon Yuwon to him, a suspicion might have suddenly arisen. Furthermore, Woo Hyunse was an Alpha and Kwon Yuwon was an Omega. What would happen if the two ran into each other and sparks flew?

No matter how rich and handsome Woo Hyunse was, he couldn’t show his precious friend to a dissolute person who said that ruts were “good” and that “everyone gets excited and clings” to him. He was raising his guard as much as he could, but Woo Hyunse let out a dry laugh as if to say he was seeing all sorts of funny things.

“Do you hear often that you’re oblivious?”

“I’m quick-witted, though….”

Siyul stuck his lips out like a beak, saying something no one would believe. With a chuckle, Woo Hyunse shrugged his shoulders lightly.