MW 35

Ever since Hidden opened, Chaekyung had been punching the clock more diligently than Seungmin, the owner. He had come looking for his older cousin after hearing he was at work for the first time in a while.

Amidst this, Chaekyung’s gaze fell on the traces of someone having undressed. Not only that, but the sound of water coming from inside…….

“Hyung, are you dating someone these days?”

Chaekyung asked with a knowing smirk, his lips curling up.

“Beta? Omega?”

“An employee. I brought him here because he got something on his clothes.”

“What do you mean, an employee? Are you the type to care about that kind of thing? Since I’m here, maybe I should see my sister-in-law’s face before I go.”

Swallowing a grin, Chaekyung circled around Seungmin and asked.

“My aunt was worried about you, hyung. This is great. When are you getting married?”

“…….”

“Which family is he from? Ah, is the person you’re marrying an employee at Hidden?”

Seungmin remained silent through Chaekyung’s chattering questions. He tossed his second cigarette into the ashtray and then pushed Chaekyung’s head away.

“Stop with the nonsense and go play outside.”

“Ah, why? I’m curious. You, dating. Isn’t this the first time since Yeonhee noona?”

Feeling the air in the room turn icy, Chaekyung clamped his mouth shut with a hup. A lot of time had passed, and he thought his cousin was finally seeing someone else, so he’d made a slip of the tongue. Only then did Chaekyung glance at Seungmin’s expression and bow his head meekly.

“……Sorry. I’ll get going now, hyung!”

Just then, the sound of water from the bathroom stopped, and Chaekyung turned and left the boss’s office.

Even though he’s my cousin, he’s scary every time I see him. Recalling his cousin’s coldly hardened eyes, Chaekyung clutched at his pounding heart.

“Anyway, I’m curious who hyung is seeing…….”

Scary was scary, and curious was curious. A good idea suddenly popped into his head, and Chaekyung quickly hid his body around the corner of the hallway, waiting for the person to come out.

“I’m gonna get a ton of allowance money from my aunt.”

After breaking up with Minwoo, he had shopped a lot due to stress, and both his mom’s card and dad’s card had been taken away. Because of that, Chaekyung was short on allowance, so he waited with a goofy grin for the door to open.

After squatting on the floor for some time waiting for the person to come out, Chaekyung’s eyes sparkled at the figure that finally emerged.

“Huh? That person is Gu Dohae…… no, wait, it’s that employee from back then?”

It was the male employee who looked so much like Gu Dohae you could believe they were twins. Chaekyung tilted his head, and then his eyes curved downwards at the familiar scent of body wash wafting from a distance.

“Ah, so that person is my sister-in-law?”

What was his name again? Seo… something.

“Agh, I should’ve drunk less.”

Chaekyung hit his own head when he couldn’t remember the name no matter how hard he tried. Anyway, if it hadn’t been for that employee’s help that day, he would have made a fool of himself.

He rubbed his peach-colored cheeks and watched Yijae, who had just come out of the boss’s office, before suddenly revealing himself.

“Ack!”

“Oh. Did I startle you badly?”

He hadn’t meant to, but it seemed his hand had shot out first in his excitement to see him, surprising him. Chaekyung looked over Yijae, his eyes drooping apologetically.

“I-It’s okay. But…….”

“You remember me, right? You helped me last time!”

How could he forget? Yijae gave an awkward smile as he looked at Chaekyung, who was just as flamboyantly dressed today. Did he come here to drink? Then who is he with today…….

Yijae naturally scanned the area around him, then lowered his head with an “ah” when he met the man’s direct stare.

“You work here, right?”

“Yes…….”

“What time do you finish work today?”

Yijae felt a little burdened by Chaekyung, who was asking him all sorts of questions with a face full of laughter. He probably doesn’t recognize me.

After holding onto Yijae for a while and grilling him with questions, Chaekyung finally found out that he worked until 12 o’clock.

“You work until 12 today too, right?”

“Yes, but…….”

Before Yijae could finish his sentence, Chaekyung grabbed his wrist and said.

“Then, let’s talk for a bit!”

“Pardon?”

“You work at Hidden, right? I’m a VIP here, don’t you know?”

This person didn’t seem like he would do anything strange, but he wasn’t a dedicated VIP staff member. Besides, it would soon be the time when crowds of people would rush in, and the kitchen would be short-staffed, so he needed to help out.

Yijae was about to press the watch on his wrist when he belatedly realized he had taken it off to wash up earlier, and his face turned troubled.

“Um, I’m not a dedicated VIP staff member. And I can’t drink.”

“Really? I don’t care. It’s because I have something I’m curious about. Oh right, what’s your name?”

“It’s Seo Yijae.”

“Ah, right, Seo Yijae. It’s a very pretty name, hearing it again. But why does it feel so familiar……?”

Yijae was just flustered as the man, whose intentions he couldn’t figure out at all, kept talking to him. Just then, someone reached out from behind, released the firm grip on Yijae’s wrist, and said.

“What are you doing to my employee?”

Yijae could tell who the owner of the hard chest pressed against his back was. It was Seungmin, the man with a bitter body scent that mixed with the air he breathed in.

“Yoo Chaekyung.”

“Ah, ow. That hurts, hyung!”

Hyung… he said?

“I just, since you wouldn’t answer me, hyung, I was c-curious, so I was trying to have a few words with him!”

“Haah.”

As if he expected it, Seungmin rubbed his deeply furrowed brow and loosened his necktie with an annoyed expression as he spoke to him.

“Before you get banned. Go home quietly today. And don’t bother innocent people.”

“Jeez. Fine! But not today. My friends are supposed to come.”

Friends. Hearing that word as clearly as if it were stuck in his ear, Yijae flinched and bit his lip.

“Don’t come down to the first floor. Play quietly in the VIP room. Got it?”

“Seriously. I can tell he’s the same sub-gender as me, what are you so worried about, hyung!”

“Yoo Chae…….”

“Just stop! I said I get it.”

Chaekyung smacked his lips as if disappointed and looked at Yijae standing behind Seungmin. Seeing how he’s already being so possessive, they must be in a deep relationship.

‘There will be other chances.’

Anyway, his wrist, which Seungmin had grabbed, was throbbing.

‘Such strength, you wouldn’t know he wasn’t an alpha, tsk.’

Clicking his tongue, Chaekyung saw his phone screen light up with an incoming call and immediately picked it up.

“Where are you?”

—On my way. What about Kang Jaeha?

Ever since the semester started, Jaeha had been hard to see, always citing that he was busy. Determined to have the three of them gather today and drink until they were pickled, Chaekyung replied with a sly smile.

“He said he wasn’t coming, so I threatened him a little.”

—What did you say this time?

“Nothing much, I just told Kang Jaeha’s parents that I’m going to marry him.”

—You are really…….

Chaekyung was the youngest son of the Josung Group, a dominant omega, and a student at Hangang University – a top-tier groom on the marriage market.

He had been friends with Jaeha since they were young, so he’d never imagined marrying him, but he was well aware that unlike his grandfather, Jaeha’s parents secretly coveted him.

“Especially his mother, I heard she’s against him getting engaged to Gu Dohae. They’d probably welcome someone like me, right?”

—So what if they do? Kang Jaeha doesn’t want to.

“That’s why he’s coming, you know. Kehkeh.”

Chaekyung burst out laughing like a demon and went back up the stairs he had come down, heading towards the VIP floor.

He reached the 5th floor in an instant and, taking in the luxurious interior that couldn’t even be compared to the floors below, he headed towards an inner room as if it were familiar.

After getting the call from Haeshin saying he would arrive soon, he hung up, pre-ordered drinks and appetizers, and then started texting a guy he had recently started flirting with.

.

.

.

“Looking at you, it seems like you live here.”

“You’re here? What can I do? Mom and Dad don’t let me go to any other bars.”