PAO 5

Ever since they were young, he had grown sick of watching his cousin obsess over just one person. That’s why Yoo Taeha brought up the question he had been asking for nearly 20 years.

“Do you like him that much?”

He must have asked this question at least a thousand times…

“Of course I do. Just thinking about him makes my heart pound like crazy and my vision blur.”

“Usually, when people get into that state, they come to the hospital…”

“It’s only been three months since I met Seowon again. How can I break up with him when it’s only been that long?”

Yoo Taeha’s mumble was drowned out by Junghoo’s excited voice.

“Right. That is short.”

Three months might be long for some and short for others, but was there a need to point it out specifically?

“It’ll be our 100th day soon.”

Not the 100th day since they started dating, but the 100th day since they met again. He had let his guard down against Yoo Junghoo’s love for Seowon and got blindsided.

“Do you like him that much?”

The question he had asked a thousand times naturally came out again.

“Yeah.”

“Because he’s pretty? Or because he’s smart?”

“Honestly, he doesn’t have a pretty face.”

For what reason could such a cool-headed assessment of Seowon have come from Junghoo’s mouth? As Yoo Taeha watched him suspiciously, Junghoo immediately continued.

“He’s closer to the sexy type. His whole vibe is insane. He has this unique, indifferent air about him. But it’s not like he’s only sexy. When he pouts his lips in dissatisfaction while eating cake, he’s so cute it could drive a person crazy.”

“I shouldn’t have asked. But I guess he still likes cake.”

Yoo Taeha acted fed up, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the smile that filled Junghoo’s face. One way or another, it wasn’t so bad seeing Junghoo smile whenever Seowon’s name was mentioned.

That was why the people around Junghoo, including Yoo Taeha, always brought up Seowon whenever they wanted to see him smile. Thanks to that, there was no one who didn’t know Seowon’s preferences.

“Yeah. He was eating a strawberry one earlier, and the way he wriggled around, trying to eat the strawberry, cream, and bread in similar proportions, looked so delicious.”

There was no way he didn’t know that what Junghoo found delicious was Seowon, not the cake.

“I’m planning to buy him a cheesecake later. He doesn’t chew that one; he lets it melt in his mouth.”

Isn’t it Seowon who’s melting in your head? Unconcerned with whatever Yoo Taeha was thinking, Junghoo continued saying whatever he wanted.

“He eats carrot cake well too.”

“I know. I know Seowon eats cake well. Is that all? His family…”

Yoo Taeha, who had been mumbling for him to stop, covered his forehead as a thought inadvertently came to mind.

“If Seowon presents as an omega, are you planning on doing it with him?”

Junghoo, who had been estimating what time Seowon’s class would end, turned to look at Yoo Taeha.

“Planning on doing it…”

‘I’m going to do it. He’s going to present. Just you wait. I’m going to fuck him relentlessly. I’m going to fuck him so hard. I’m going to chew him up and suck him dry.’

He’d made such a fuss about doing it, and the fine line that formed on Seowon’s brow had been so attractive. Thinking the same thought, Junghoo retorted.

“There’s no way I could do that.”

It was Seowon, of all people; he couldn’t do something so dangerous.

“Right. I knew you’d say that. Seowon is precious, and your body isn’t.”

Glaring at the silent Junghoo, Yoo Taeha stood up from his seat.

“Anyway, no shot for you.”

“What?”

“Try living without the shot for a few days.”

Yoo Taeha picked up a chart and strode away. He had no more appointments, so he planned to go out and have a leisurely meal for the first time in a while.

“What a self-centered doctor, huh? I’m telling you I’m in pain, but you won’t give me a prescription?”

“I’m your cousin before I’m a doctor, so that’s all the more reason I can’t.”

“I have to start living with Seowon from today. Hand it over, now.”

“What does that have to do with anything? You said Seowon is a beta. He can’t even smell your pheromones, so it doesn’t matter.”

Junghoo flared up in anger at Yoo Taeha’s relaxed tone.

“I have to be in my right mind, don’t I? I have to watch over Seowon for 24 hours, but if my fucking head goes crazy, I won’t be able to!”

“…Watching someone 24/7 makes you a stalker, you bastard.”

Yoo Taeha looked at him with weary eyes, but Junghoo paid him no mind and blocked his path.

“Give it to me right now.”

“If you don’t want to die, don’t get the shot for a while. Any more of this and you’ll either die or go crazy, one of the two.”

“Then I guess dying is the only option. I’m already crazy.”

“Then try living properly as an alpha before you die. I’m not giving you the shot, so just know that.”

As if to show Junghoo, Yoo Taeha said to a nurse, “No shots for a month,” and left. In the end, Junghoo left the hospital without getting the shot and kicked his car several times to soothe his boiling anger.

If he didn’t get the shot, he couldn’t even drive, which meant he and Seowon couldn’t be in a car together. Because you never know what might happen.

“Should I go to a different hospital?”

Junghoo, clicking his tongue in annoyance, called for a driver and went to meet Seowon. As he approached the main gate at the right time, Junghoo’s eyes were fixed on Seowon, who was already out and waiting.

His dark black hair and moderately tanned skin were full of a freshness that was unlike his own pale and unimpressive self.

The delicate features packed into his small face were lovely no matter when he saw them. The fact that he had a double eyelid on only one eye like himself, the soft line of his high nose bridge, and his plump lower lip were all part of Han Seowon’s unique and perfect composition.

Seowon was his reason for living. Because if he lived one more day, he could see Seowon. Seowon was the savior who sustained his life.

After class ended, as I exited the building with reluctant steps, a black car pulled up as if it had been waiting. It sure knows my class schedule well. When Seowon glanced around, Minhee was nowhere to be seen, and there were only a few students passing by.

“Should I have come out a little later?”

Junghoo rolled down the window, grinning from ear to ear. He was saying it because he knew Seowon was conscious of other people’s eyes, which made him feel even more detestable… But when that handsome face—so handsome Minhee would beg for an introduction—smiled, it shone like an innocent boy’s.

His light brown hair and fair skin. His light brown eyes, which felt almost foreign, made Junghoo look young, but his towering height and broad shoulders were anything but.

Perhaps because of that contrast, Junghoo’s appearance was even more eye-catching.

“Just waiting for you got me so fucking turned on that I came here after jerking off. Oh, right. Sorry.”

Ever since Seowon told him to please stop saying things like that, Junghoo had been reining himself in, but sometimes it would slip out. Still, since he apologized on his own first, Seowon didn’t say anything else, but…

What were you thinking, Father, entrusting me to a guy like this?

“Hurry up and get in.”

Junghoo called to Seowon as he scooted further inside. Usually, he drove himself, but when he came to meet me, he said he hired a driver because he wanted to see my face?

As Seowon familiarly got into the back seat, Junghoo held out a coffee to him. He took it and had a sip; it was an Americano.

“You’re hungry, right?”

Junghoo took out a cake he had prepared in advance and placed it in front of him. Seowon looked down at it before picking up a fork.

“I ate some earlier, and it’s cake again? Eating it twice a day is a bit much.”

Though he said that, he stuck his fork into the cake. It was strawberry earlier and cheesecake this time, so it went down smoothly. The cake was just a tool to distract him so he wouldn’t get too worked up. When he was somewhat full, the movement of his fork slowed down noticeably. Seowon looked at the cake, which was more than half-eaten, and began to speak.

“How much do you know?”

When he told Junghoo to tell him the information he knew, a reply came back immediately.

“What do you want to hear first?”

“In order.”

Since it seemed like he knew more about what happened to his father than he did, it wouldn’t be too late to investigate again after hearing it from Junghoo first.

“One, he took a nearly completed product and went to Hanbit.”

The conglomerate his father had taken a job from this time was Hanbit. With about ten affiliates, including Hanbit Electronics and Hanbit Chemical, the Hanbit Group wasn’t as big as Junghoo’s Jungil, but it was one of South Korea’s top corporations.

“Two, he ran a simulation.”

“No way.”

Seowon muttered, hoping it wasn’t what he was thinking.

“Three, Hanbit was satisfied and paid the development costs.”

“What the…”

He had thought Hanbit had rejected it, but that wasn’t the case, so Seowon let out a sigh of relief. If they had paid the development costs in addition to the down payment before receiving the finished product, then Hanbit had done their part according to the contract. In any case, since they received the development funds, with that…

“Four, someone took the development funds and ran.”

“What?”

Seowon was so surprised he dropped the fork he was holding. He didn’t seem to have the presence of mind to care about the fork that had slipped and fallen to the floor, so Junghoo put the remaining cake back into its box.

“Your house is going to be seized.”

“…He said he borrowed money from you.”

“I had hoped he would use it to take care of the urgent debts first, but the Mister said he paid his subcontractors with that money. The bank found out and moved even faster.”

The car had come to a stop at some point, and realizing they had arrived home, Seowon got out first. It was his house. He was living out for a bit now because he was in university, but it was the house he had lived in since he was very young. He walked quickly across the garden and opened the front door, revealing the silent interior.

It was no different than usual. Ever since he and his father started living alone, the house had felt empty even with staff, but now, with the added silence, just looking around made him feel uneasy.

While Seowon looked around with a serious expression, Junghoo sauntered over. Junghoo rested his chin on Seowon’s shoulder and mumbled.

“Your father will resolve things well on his own. In the meantime, you just need to stay put and not give the Mister anything to worry about.”

Junghoo’s voice was full of delight.

“Stop with the ‘father’ this and ‘father’ that.”

What was he supposed to trust about this crazy bastard who was happy that his friend was ruined? However, the reality that had already unfolded kept pushing Seowon into a corner. His father hadn’t said anything, but if it was true that he had withdrawn his apartment deposit, he had nowhere to go. If that was the case, what he could do was…

Seowon stared blankly at the quiet interior of the house before opening his mouth with grim determination, as if he had made up his mind.

“It hasn’t been seized yet.”

“Surely you’re not planning on staying here until it gets seized, right?”

As Seowon listened to Junghoo ask how long he thought he could hold out, he looked up at him.

“Can I just take the bed from here?”

“…”

Seowon knew it too. That the only place he could really go to now was Junghoo’s house. So, he first tried to think about what he could take with him.