MORE 18

His relationship with Kang Jiwon had been good. But it wasn’t enough for them to get back together. She would likely be disgusted by the thought, too. She was a smart woman. Her standards were high enough that she couldn’t be satisfied by the likes of him. Kang Jiwon was also the one who had ended things first, declaring that Alphas just weren’t her type. It was a clean breakup, with not even a trace of lingering attachment left on either side—so clean that one might even question if they had ever really been in love at all.

The person Woo Hyunse had come to see wasn’t Kang Jiwon. He had wanted to pretend otherwise, but the moment he saw Kwon Siyul, he realized it clearly. The person he had wanted to see was Kwon Siyul. He was curious about what he was doing, wanted to know how he was getting by, and wanted to hear that voice he had heard over the receiver clearly once again.

I’m just checking to see if the item I placed is well in its spot; it couldn’t have any meaning beyond that. Woo Hyunse gave himself that answer, quenching his thirst with the bland non-alcoholic drink—he would have preferred alcohol—to justify his presence.

“No. I just came for a drink.”

“Yes,” Siyul said, then moved away. He was busy wiping tables and taking orders. When he heard the clatter of silverware hitting the floor somewhere, he rushed over, cutlery in hand. Every single one of his actions was enough to win favor with Manager Kang.

Perhaps his apron string had come undone; he stood there, grabbing the thin straps with both hands and tying them crosswise. As he pulled them, the black strap tightened, revealing a slender waistline over his shirt.

He wore a large size, so the shirt enveloping his upper body was loose. He looked like a boy who had borrowed someone else’s clothes. Didn’t every class have one? A student who bought a uniform that was too big, believing their frame would grow. His face already looked young, and with a shirt that baggy, if he just wore a name tag, there would be nothing strange about calling him a student.

Even though the lighting was dim, his fair face glowed. His skin was so plump it looked like it was bursting with moisture. If you pressed it with your finger, tears would probably spring out instead of water droplets. When his face was blank, he looked dazed because of his full lips, but when he smiled, the mole under his eye stood out, stealing your attention.

Whenever Kwon Siyul tossed out a word, customers would burst into laughter. It wasn’t as if he were particularly humorous. Perhaps that face of his itself was the cause of the laughter. He was finely and handsomely made. Just looking at his face, he seemed like a plant grown in a greenhouse, cherished and loved.

“Hyung, they say they want the pasta less spicy.”

When had they gotten so close? Siyul leaned his upper body toward the kitchen, calling Chef Park “Hyung” in a friendly tone. As he pulled back, he looked toward where Woo Hyunse was sitting. Since Woo Hyunse had been watching him the whole time, their eyes met easily. Unlike his delicate face, his gaze did not lie. The weariness of a life that hadn’t been easy—a life that had been rolled through the mud—was melted into Kwon Siyul’s pupils.

That light made his throat burn. Even drinking, the thirst wouldn’t go away. Woo Hyunse watched the back of Kwon Siyul as he turned and walked away for a long time. His straight back, his slender neck rising above the collar of his shirt, and his black hair fluttering with every step he took.

The rut was over.

But the heat was rising again.

Woo Hyunse no longer didn’t know what this meant.

■ ■ ■

The weather had turned significantly colder. A thin hoodie and an old coat weren’t enough to handle the cold wind that snaked through the gaps. “Ugh, it’s cold,” Siyul muttered, hunching his shoulders. Trying to avoid the cold even a little, he pulled his hood down and tightened the strings. With only his features exposed, he shoved both hands deep into his pockets.

He hurried his steps, thinking of burying himself in a warm blanket as soon as he got home, when a voice clearly calling his name, “Mr. Kwon Siyul,” made him jump in shock, causing him to spring into the air right where he stood. He was so startled that he could feel his heart fluttering against his ribs through his clothes, as if it were trying to break through.

Siyul widened his eyes as large as bowls and searched for the source of the sound. Woo Hyunse was sitting at an outdoor convenience store table on the stairs. When Siyul turned back, he raised his palm.

No, why isn’t that man going home and showing up here again? Siyul suppressed his pounding heart. He appeared out of nowhere at the bar, and now he was showing up here too. The man was truly elusive.

“Stay for a bit.”

He had intended to just nod in greeting and leave, but Woo Hyunse grabbed him. He thought about making up an excuse about being busy, but when he realized he would have no response if the other retorted, “What business could you possibly have at this late hour?” he turned his feet.

Five minutes should be fine. Remembering the warning Kwon Yuwon had shoved into his face and emphasized—to avoid Alphas—he sat down on a chair. It was the same table, but the chair he chose was as far away from Woo Hyunse as possible.

Since he had deliberately kept avoiding him at the bar, this was the first time he had looked at his face in detail. It had only been a week, yet he felt like a stranger, like someone he hadn’t seen in weeks. His handsome looks remained the same, but he seemed to have lost a bit of weight. His already distinct jawline had become sharper, and his cheeks were more sunken.

Woo Hyunse placed a drink in front of Siyul. It was Siyul’s favorite yogurt-flavored carbonated drink. A conversation they had held here once naturally brushed through his mind.

‘You have a baby’s palate.’ 

‘This is delicious. CEO, you should try it too.’ 

‘It’s too sweet for me.’

After one sip, Woo Hyunse’s brow had crinkled as if he’d touched gall on his tongue rather than sugar. He remembered laughing for a long time watching him shudder.

“It’s been a while, but aren’t you ignoring me too much? I’m hurt.”

“I’ve been busy with work. You saw it too, CEO. How many customers there were today.”

In truth, there hadn’t been many customers. It was just that Siyul had been busy running around to keep his interactions with Woo Hyunse, who was sitting at the bar, to a minimum. Woo Hyunse must have known perfectly well, but Siyul didn’t reveal the truth that he had been doing it to avoid him. Woo Hyunse just casually moved on, saying, “Is that so?” as usual.

“What did you do while I was gone?”

“I just worked and hung out. Were you very busy, CEO?”

Unlike Siyul, who was facing forward, Woo Hyunse had turned his entire body toward Siyul. When he stretched his legs out long, the hard tips of his dress shoes brushed against Siyul’s worn-out sneakers. Siyul quickly pulled his legs under the chair.

“I was busy. Because of my rut.”

Woo Hyunse didn’t hide the fact that he was in his mating period. Was he not even ashamed? Well, Kwon Yuwon would throw tantrums during every heat, complaining and screaming about how he wished this fucking heat would just die. If Woo Hyunse’s reaction was anything to go by, he was a gentleman among gentlemen. Or perhaps, unlike Omegas, Alphas only felt sexual desire during a rut without their mood going haywire.

Even though he had been fine when Kwon Yuwon complained about his heats, hearing the word “rut” directly from Woo Hyunse’s mouth made it feel as if the suggestive movie he’d watched that dawn was playing out right before his eyes. With heat rising to his face, Siyul pressed his cheeks with the cool, moisture-covered plastic bottle.

“CEO… are you a Dominant Alpha?”

After cooling his face down a bit, he set the bottle on the table. He hurriedly looked away the moment their eyes met, but he had caught Woo Hyunse’s expression in that split second. One of his brows was crinkled, as if he’d heard some bizarre question.

“You don’t distinguish between Dominant, Recessive, and such things. That’s discrimination.”

Siyul had heard that campaign on the radio before. “It’s not eugenics, so why would you use Dominant and Recessive to divide traits?” Since it was already out of his mouth and couldn’t be taken back, Siyul just bit his lower lip. He had no choice but to insist he was ignorant of such things because he was a Beta.

“Still. A friend told me to avoid Dominant Alphas. They said they’re more dangerous than ordinary Alphas.”

“Then let’s just say I’m Recessive.”

“Yes?”

Taken aback, Siyul stared at Woo Hyunse. Was that a trait that could be flipped like a pancake?

“Is that something you can just change at will?”

Woo Hyunse only put the drink Siyul had set down to his lips. He took one sip and wrinkled his face in disgust, as if he’d downed bitter alcohol.

“Why does that matter? A trait is just a trait. But why? What did you hear to make you think Dominant Alphas are more dangerous, Mr. Kwon Siyul?”

“They say if you’re near a Dominant, even a Beta can manifest. If you’re unlucky.”

“I’m Recessive.”

“Really?”

Woo Hyunse didn’t nod. He rested his chin in his hand and tilted his head as he watched Siyul. His eyes held both the light leaking from the convenience store glass wall and a sense of amusement. Siyul forgot the thought that he should avoid him and stared at those eyes, as if captivated. Uniquely, his irises were imbued with a deep dark blue.

“I decided to become one starting today.”

Woo Hyunse laughed mischievously. His brain knew it was nonsense. But the retort to tell him to stop lying didn’t come out. He was probably a Dominant—he had no way of knowing about pheromones or such things, but he wasn’t a fool who couldn’t recognize it even after seeing such a sly attitude.

I have to go.

Instead of rising from his seat, Siyul just stretched his legs forward. The tips of Woo Hyunse’s dress shoes touched the side of his sneakers. The frayed, faded sneakers and the pristine shoes without a single scratch were quite the contrast.

“Did you not miss me, Mr. Kwon Siyul?”

The question was abrupt. Siyul blinked his large, almond-shaped eyes and pointed his index finger alternately between himself and Woo Hyunse.

“Me? You, CEO?”

“That’s why I thought you called.”

“…No. I called to ask when you wanted to buy me that meal.”

I shouldn’t have called. Siyul regretted it, even if late. Hadn’t he just ended up listening to lewd things and letting his imagination run wild with strange fantasies?

“Forget it then.”

For someone who had come on so strong, he backed away too easily. It wasn’t as if he were playing with him. Even though he knew that one sentence shouldn’t have much influence, a surge of irritation rose within him without him even knowing the reason.

“Don’t you have a lover, CEO? Go say things like that to your lover.”

“I don’t.”

“But when I called last time…”

“Not a lover.”