PAO 46

Seowon cut Yoo Taeha off. He completely took his eyes off Junghoo and looked at Yoo Taeha.

“I calmed him down with my pheromones every night. Um… until before I fought with Junghoo, that is.”

He added the last part because he hadn’t done it recently, and Yoo Taeha’s eyes widened in surprise before quickly returning to normal. As if something occurred to him, he stroked his chin and looked back and forth between Junghoo and Seowon.

“Was it your influence, by any chance, that Junghoo was fine the day after he was brought to the emergency room?”

At that time, considering how critical his condition was when he was brought in, he walked out perfectly fine. I wondered why, and Seowon nodded, telling me it was his doing.

“If I soothe him with my pheromones, he’s fine the next day. So I’m thinking of trying that again this time.”

He hadn’t brought Junghoo to the vacation house without a plan. Even knowing that, Yoo Taeha’s expression didn’t relax. He hadn’t stopped Seowon even though he knew he would be living with Junghoo. He didn’t know Seowon was an omega, but he had secretly hoped he would be a help to Junghoo. However, now that Seowon was saying he would handle it, he suddenly became worried.

“Let’s change your mind, even now. You could be in danger. This isn’t something that will end with just suppressing the symptoms. If, by some chance, his pheromones run rampant, something irreversible could happen.”

“It’s too late.”

Seowon, who had been stroking Junghoo’s hair, lifted his head.

“You should have told me from the beginning instead of saying this now. Then I would have slept on the street rather than moving into Junghoo’s house. And I wouldn’t have seen him in so much pain.”

In a voice that was neither loud nor soft, Seowon relentlessly stimulated Yoo Taeha’s guilt.

“I—I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you beforehand. I was kind of hoping you would help…”

“You’re right.”

Seowon grinned at Yoo Taeha. Seeing that smile, he knew. The words about wishing he’d been told from the start were just him teasing Yoo Taeha…

“I came here to help, so let’s just move past everything else.”

Seowon turned back to look at Junghoo. He placed the back of his hand on his cheek to check his temperature, then carefully tucked the blanket around him.

“Seowon, this really isn’t an easy task. No matter how much of a dominant you are, Junghoo is a dominant too. Especially the amount of his pheromones is within the top 0.1% in the entire world.”

“I’m not confident just because I’m a dominant omega.”

Seowon lowered his head to look at Junghoo’s face. Moving his hand, which had stopped for a moment, he once again swept his hair back.

“He was a guy who only liked me since we were kids. And that guy disappeared from my life.”

Did Junghoo want to do that?

“He probably planned to see me after he got better. But it didn’t work out… and do you expect me to send him away with a smile when he came to see me as a last resort?”

At Seowon’s question, Yoo Taeha bit his lip hard. He had nothing to say, even if he had ten mouths. The day Seowon had come looking for him, Yoo Taeha had told him when Junghoo first presented. At that moment, Seowon had understood why Junghoo had disappeared without a word, so what more could be added here?

“So I have to try and save him. After that, I can nitpick every single thing he’s done.”

Seowon lightly poked Junghoo’s cheek. He hadn’t stirred at all, even though I’d been touching him for a while.

“Aren’t you scared that you could end up with a permanent disability?”

“If not me, who else would do such a dangerous thing. Since I received all his affection, I’ll try receiving his pheromones, too.”

Seowon smiled and shook his head, and Yoo Taeha shut his mouth. No matter what he said, Seowon’s decision would not change.

“Does Junghoo know?”

“No way.”

Seowon scoffed as if the idea was ridiculous.

“He’d run away if he knew, so he must absolutely not find out.”

Right now, Seowon was approaching very cautiously. He would get right under Junghoo’s chin before he could notice.

“Then why did you come to the vacation house? I thought you were creating a mood to confess or something.”

“We came to have fun. By the way, when are we eating?”

Seowon looked at the sun, which had set quite a bit, and changed the subject.

“We should eat now.”

“Then could you get things ready? I’ll wake Junghoo up and bring him.”

When Seowon asked him to prepare dinner, Yoo Taeha instinctively stood up and headed for the kitchen, then paused. What is it? It feels like I’m missing something. He tilted his head, then roughly pieced together the reason for his feeling. It must be because they had just been having a serious conversation and had casually slipped into an everyday one.

Yoo Taeha, not realizing how easily he was being ordered around, disappeared, and when the two were left alone, Seowon looked at Junghoo. His long eyelashes and the elongated corners of his eyes were beautiful even with his refreshingly wide eyes closed. And what about his fair skin? It was so smooth that even while touching it, I wanted to keep touching it.

Prince Snow White.

No, is it Sleeping Beauty now? No matter which fairy tale came to mind, they all suited Junghoo.

“It’s time to wake up now.”

But he couldn’t just keep looking at him. He hadn’t eaten properly as much as he hadn’t slept, so he had to make sure he ate his meals.

Seowon carefully placed his hand near Junghoo’s cheek. He hesitated for a moment, tempted to touch him just a little longer before waking him, but soon decided to wake him… and slapped him with a sharp smack.

Looking at Junghoo’s dazed eyes as he woke up in surprise, Seowon smiled brightly.

“Let’s eat.”

Dinner was a barbecue party. Thanks to everything being prepared in advance, they only had to grill the meat outside, so the preparation time wasn’t long.

Of course, Yoo Taeha had to move about busily by himself, lighting the charcoal, setting up the grill, and bringing out the meat and various other things, but in any case, it proceeded smoothly.

“Yoo Junghoo, you stay seated.”

Seowon, putting on work gloves, gestured with his chin to an empty spot.

“I’ll do the grilling.”

Junghoo shook his head, saying it was fine, but Seowon didn’t give him the gloves.

“You just woke up, what do you mean you’re going to stand in front of the fire.”

Citing the reason for pushing Junghoo away, Seowon stood next to Yoo Taeha. Yoo Taeha, who was already grilling meat, clicked his tongue as he watched their squabble.

“Is there no one who’ll offer to grill in my place?”

He had driven all day and was now grilling meat, yet not a single person offered to help.

“That’s why I’m here.”

“That means you’re doing it with me, not taking me out of it.”

“It’s better than doing it alone.”

Seowon answered good-naturedly and picked up the tongs. He brought a new pack of meat and was getting ready to grill when Yoo Taeha, surprised, pointed with his tongs.

“You have to control the heat well for that one. If you cook it for too long by mistake, it gets tough.”

Of all things, he had to pick up the best beef, which made Yoo Taeha act worried right away.

“I’m good at grilling.”

“Sorry, but I haven’t been able to confirm that yet. How about we slowly raise the difficulty level instead?”

“You have to grill and eat the delicious stuff first.”

“The delicious stuff is the most expensive.”

“That’s why we start with the delicious stuff.”

No matter what he said, Seowon retorted to everything, leaving Yoo Taeha at a loss and just shaking the poor tongs.

“Hyung, the meat is burning.”

“Huh? Oh, right.”

At Seowon’s words about the meat, Yoo Taeha hurriedly flipped it over to check its condition, and Seowon laughed as if it was amusing.

“Worry about your own meat, not me.”

“I can’t concentrate because of you.”

Junghoo, who had been watching the two of them laugh and talk, couldn’t stand it anymore and got up from his seat.

Seowon, sensing his presence, turned his head and found Junghoo was closer than he expected. When did he get so…

He could only stare at Junghoo’s nose, lips, and protruding Adam’s apple, unable to say anything, when his shoulders moved.

“I’ll do it.”

Seeing Junghoo reach out to take the tongs, Seowon instinctively tightened his grip. He didn’t want to hand the tongs over to him while he was sick. Right now, even just standing still was probably a struggle for him; he couldn’t let him grill meat.

“Give them here.”

However, he had overlooked the fact that there was one more person holding tongs. Junghoo extended his hand toward Yoo Taeha. It was obvious he did it knowing I wouldn’t give in.

“You will?”

Yoo Taeha looked at Junghoo as if wondering if it was okay to give them to him, but the hand holding the tongs was already slightly extended forward.

“Hyung, the meat is burning.”

At Seowon’s appalled shout, Yoo Taeha hastily flipped the meat. There were already some blackened spots, and because it hadn’t been laid flat from the start, there were red parts too.

Yoo Taeha pushed the meat to one side and then lifted it to look. Then, with professional expertise, he began very seriously.

“Can this be saved?”

“You eat it, hyung.”

Seowon flipped the meat in front of him to keep it from burning and ignored Yoo Taeha’s. Then he picked one piece up, checked it over, and held it out to Junghoo, who was still standing.

“Ah.”

“…”

“What are you doing. Open your mouth.”

At Seowon’s urging to eat, Junghoo hesitated before opening his mouth and taking the food. Even though it had come straight from the grill, he didn’t seem to find it hot as he closed his mouth firmly and chewed well.

“Is it good?”

“Yeah.”

“How good?”

“Good enough that it would be delicious even if you grilled a rock for me?”

It meant that it was delicious because Seowon gave it to him, rather than the meat itself being delicious.

“What do I expect from you.”

Seowon muttered as if giving up, then suddenly looked at Junghoo again.

“Don’t swallow a grilled rock. You’ll burn your mouth and throat.”

“Then Seowon just has to not grill one.”

Junghoo chuckled but didn’t forget to take the tongs from Yoo Taeha. Seowon, who thought he had given up, shook his head upon seeing him finally holding the tongs.

“Either way, it’s nerve-wracking.”

Yoo Taeha burns the meat, and Yoo Junghoo is sick, so it’s nerve-wracking.

“I warned you.”

Seowon said one last thing, looking at Junghoo who had insisted on taking the tongs. If he collapses from exhaustion after this, it’s not my problem. I absolutely must not worry.

Deciding it was best to just not pay attention, Seowon focused on grilling only the meat in front of him. Before long, the area was filled with the savory, smoky aroma.