PAO 34

“I think I’ve seen him somewhere before, but where was it. Seowon, have you ever seen me before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Really? Not even once? Has no one ever shown you my picture, saying they’d introduce you to a handsome alpha?”

“Of course…”

Seowon, who was about to say no, looked at Sung Hangyeol. He was pointing at himself, smiling brightly.

“Are you an alpha?”

“Then what did I seem like?”

“No, well…”

He hadn’t seen him as a beta. If he had, he wouldn’t have buried his face in Junghoo’s nape. That said, he didn’t exactly seem like an omega either. Of course, thinking he wasn’t before he even stated his secondary gender was a prejudice in itself, but he had thought that way nonetheless.

However, hearing him say he was an alpha directly felt strange. Various scenes flashed through his mind. Sung Hangyeol hugging Junghoo, and burying his nose in his nape, smelling his pheromones.

‘An alpha, an alpha.’

Is that why Junghoo’s expression was bad back then?

‘No, that’s not it.’

He looked back and forth between Junghoo and Sung Hangyeol. Even Yoo Taeha’s shout that Junghoo needed to release his pheromones through a relationship swirled around in his head.

‘I don’t care. Is there a rule that an alpha must be on top?’

Even the words Junghoo had said swirled, and now he felt dizzy.

“Seowon, what’s wrong.”

Junghoo, who had been across from him, came over to his side to check on him, and he extended a hand to push him away.

“It’s nothing. I just… remembered an assignment I forgot.”

“Do you think you won’t have enough time if you do it when you get home tomorrow? Should I help you?”

At Junghoo’s offer to lend a hand anytime, Seowon shook his head.

“I can do it by myself.”

Since he had brought up a non-existent assignment in the first place, Junghoo’s help was declined. While Junghoo returned to his seat, Seowon pushed his empty bowl aside and dipped his spoon into a new bowl of pumpkin porridge.

‘What was I just thinking.’

It was obvious the two of them hadn’t dated before or anything, so it was forbidden to misunderstand before hearing anything.

“So you’re an alpha.”

“Yes. And Seowon?”

At Sung Hangyeol’s natural question, Seowon pretended not to hear and ate his pumpkin porridge. Then Junghoo, who had moved to the seat next to him, answered instead.

“Don’t pay any attention to Seowon.”

“That sounds like you’re telling me not to care whether he’s a beta or an omega?”

Sung Hangyeol retorted with a laugh, but Junghoo didn’t particularly deny it. Instead, he carefully deboned the dried yellow corvina so Seowon could eat it.

“Seowon, get your rice.”

“I’m still eating porridge.”

Seowon looked at the rice he hadn’t even touched yet. This is what happened when he asked for everything to be brought out at once instead of in sequence. Despite Seowon’s refusal, Junghoo paid him no mind. Rather, he deboned the entire dried yellow corvina and then placed the plate in front of Seowon.

“Put a big piece of flesh on it and eat.”

“Okay.”

Seowon reacted awkwardly, looking at the dried yellow corvina. He would refuse most things, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse fish that had been deboned like this.

He brought the scraped scorched rice from the pot forward and picked up his chopsticks. He put the rice topped with dried yellow corvina into his mouth.

“How does it taste?”

At Junghoo’s question, his eyes full of anticipation, Seowon chewed the rice and fish a few times before answering.

“Salty pumpkin porridge.”

Not understanding right away, Junghoo looked at Seowon’s spoon. He wondered what he meant, then it seemed he had eaten the rice and dried yellow corvina with the spoon he had dipped in the pumpkin porridge.

In any case, as he began to eat his meal deliciously, Junghoo and Sung Hangyeol also picked up their own chopsticks. For an awkward accompaniment, it was a peaceful mealtime.

Following Sung Hangyeol’s suggestion that now that they had eaten, they should spend some time on their own and gather at the hotel later, Seowon went out to the beach alone. He walked wherever his feet took him and then went and sat in a suitable spot with a view of the sea.

It felt like he hadn’t done much, but it was already evening. The sea, seen in the time before it was completely dark, had a different atmosphere than during the day. It was clear and blue, but the warmth had disappeared. As he was looking at the sea, which looked cold just by seeing it, he felt the presence of someone approaching.

“Are you spacing out while looking at the sea?”

He had thought that if someone were to speak to him, it would be Junghoo, but when an unexpected person appeared, Seowon couldn’t react at all. He was an acquaintance once removed through Junghoo, so it was difficult.

“It’s okay if I sit next to you, right?”

“Yes.”

As Seowon shifted, moving his bottom to the side, Sung Hangyeol sat in the empty space.

“You’ve been flustered all day, haven’t you?”

“I’m the one who followed along.”

Junghoo had pulled him in, and Sung Hangyeol had reacted as if it didn’t matter, so he had come. Just last night, he had wanted to ignore everything because of the small argument with Junghoo, but in the end, he couldn’t. Well, if he could have been that indifferent in the first place, he would have already pushed Junghoo away when he reappeared.

In that respect, he wanted to ask Sung Hangyeol about Junghoo. As long as Junghoo didn’t suddenly appear like before, it seemed like it would be okay to talk, but…

“Enjoy the view at your leisure. I’ll be heading in now.”

Instead of asking, he got up from his seat.

“Seowon.”

At Sung Hangyeol’s voice, Seowon’s head turned.

“How much do you know about Junghoo?”

Coincidentally, Sung Hangyeol’s question poked at his weak spot. Until he was sixteen, he thought he knew Junghoo better than anyone. But now, he could no longer say he knew.

“Why?”

He had just heard a roundabout way of being asked if he didn’t know anything, so he was not in a good mood. Because of that, his words did not come out pleasantly.

“How can you live with Junghoo without knowing anything?”

They were just asking each other questions without answers. In the unintentional battle of wills, Seowon kept his mouth firmly shut before opening it.

“You don’t have to know everything to be able to live together.”

Sung Hangyeol let out a hollow breath and then nodded his head.

“That means you two don’t know each other.”

In their not-so-long conversation, Sung Hangyeol had extracted the key point he wanted. That was why it was difficult to talk to him. Because he didn’t know what he would extract this time.

“It’s hard to have a conversation if you’re so on guard.”

Sung Hangyeol shook his head and then got up from his seat. Amidst the changing eye level, Sung Hangyeol fumbled in his coat. The whole process of taking out a business card case and pulling out a business card was quite leisurely. It was a reaction he couldn’t have shown unless he was sure Seowon wouldn’t leave.

“I’m not a strange person. My name is Sung Hangyeol and my profession is a doctor. More importantly, my father is the chairman of Hanbit.”

His profession was impressive and the father he introduced was impressive, so it felt like he should give some kind of impressive reaction. But why should he?

“Other people show interest in me when I just say this much.”

It wasn’t incomprehensible, since he had a good family and a good job. In fact, when he said Hanbit, he had felt a sense of familiarity. He could see the logo just by turning his head, and also, his father’s development under Hanbit’s support…

“Hanbit?”

Because he said it urgently after realizing it late, a shrill sound came out of Seowon’s mouth. Even Sung Hangyeol couldn’t hide a slight sign of surprise, but that wasn’t the important thing.

“What’s wrong? Do you happen to know someone at Hanbit? I’m on the hospital side, so I don’t know everyone…”

At Sung Hangyeol’s reaction, Seowon felt that he had been too forward. Honestly, it wasn’t Hanbit’s fault that his father had been scammed; Hanbit had legitimately paid the development costs according to the contract.

“You’re right. I was too pleased, wasn’t I?”

Instead of saying who his father was, Seowon retorted as if it were nothing.

“Saying it like that makes me even more curious. Do you have a connection to someone at Hanbit?”

“That is…”

There was a hesitation, wondering if it was okay to be honest. The fact that his father was the chairman of Hanbit was tempting, but on the other hand, he didn’t know how his father was doing.

“Just say it casually. It could be something I just listen to and move on from anyway.”

At Sung Hangyeol’s gentle persuasion, Seowon bit his lower lip hard. The worry he had been ignoring until now with the words that he believed in his father was slowly creeping up.

“That…”

He hesitated. But Sung Hangyeol waited with patience. Seowon looked at his persistent gaze and then opened his mouth.

“Do you think that would be delicious?”

“That? What? The corn?”

“They’re even selling corn here. How interesting. Well then, enjoy the view.”

Seowon bowed his head to Sung Hangyeol and walked away with quick steps. Considering the impulse he had felt to speak just moments ago without realizing it, it was better to get away quickly.

“Huh? Hey…”

At Sung Hangyeol’s voice, he quickened his pace even more. Seowon, who had put distance between them, almost running, looked back and swept a hand over his chest.

“I almost told him.”

The reason he didn’t tell Sung Hangyeol was not out of spite, but because of the wariness that still hadn’t faded. He didn’t think he would do anything for him even if he revealed his inner thoughts to him, who reacted ambiguously about Junghoo as well.

“If it’s Hanbit…”

There was no reason he couldn’t get along with Junghoo. Since Jungil and Hanbit had many overlapping businesses, it wouldn’t be strange for their sons to meet.

“Still, once I have a little more certainty, I can make a move then.”

Because of his personality of not being able to make the first move, Seowon forcibly suppressed his desire to go back right now and entered the hotel.

Meanwhile, Sung Hangyeol, thinking of Seowon, had a peculiar look in his eyes.

“I’ve definitely seen him somewhere.”

What he said about him being familiar was true. He had seen him somewhere, but he couldn’t remember where. So he had wondered if he could find out by talking to Seowon, only to become more curious.

“He seems to have some connection to Hanbit, but what could it be.”

While he was muttering Han Seowon, Han Seowon, his phone rang and he picked it up.

“Yes, Section Chief.”

—Mr. Yoo Junghoo has arrived.

“Please check his condition properly. And has the professor arrived?”

—He is on his way. He said he will arrive within an hour.

“Thank you. I’ll be there soon too.”

Sung Hangyeol ended the call and got up from his seat. Now that he had dragged Junghoo this far, it was time to hold him down.