PAO 76

The road to the university, which he took for the start of the new semester, welcomed Seowon with a familiar air. As he gazed at the vibrant main gate of the university, he soon arrived at the building where he needed to be dropped off.

“You don’t have to come all the way in here.”

Seowon said with an apologetic look on his face in response to Junghoo’s suggestion that he would drop him off somewhere close after passing through the main gate.

“It doesn’t matter to me.”

“I was talking to the director, not you. Thank you.”

He offered his thanks to the director, who had come out today to take Junghoo to the company.

“You ended up taking a detour just because of me. I’ll buy you coffee next time.”

“I don’t turn down free coffee.”

Thanks to the director’s cheerful acceptance, Seowon got out of the car with a much more relaxed heart. Junghoo, who had been asking for attention all along, met his eyes through the window after the door was closed.

“I’m your boyfriend, though.”

“Have a good day.”

Seowon reached his hand through the window and stroked Junghoo’s head. As if that was something special, Junghoo briefly closed his eyes at Seowon’s touch, then snatched his hand as it pulled away and kissed it.

“You’re coming home early today, right?”

As Junghoo mumbled with his lips buried in Seowon’s palm, Seowon wondered what to do. He understood that he meant for him to come home early, but he wasn’t sure if that would be possible.

“I probably can’t.”

When he thought of Minsung and Minhee, who had contacted him several times and even frequently messaged him today asking if they could see him, he felt certain he would be held up even after his classes ended.

“Should I just drag you back right now?”

Junghoo didn’t let go of Seowon’s hand, revealing his immense reluctance and disappointment. It seemed he had become completely enamored with being together after they started dating, and he hated it whenever Seowon was away.

“We can just text.”

“That’s different. I’m saying I don’t want to be apart.”

Seeing a rebellious glint slowly creep into Junghoo’s face, Seowon unknowingly pulled his body back. This guy seemed so normal when he was calm, but there were times like this when you couldn’t tell which way he would snap.

“Meet the Mister, and wait for me quietly. I’ll be in touch.”

So Seowon pulled his hand away with force and firmly grabbed the door handle to prevent Junghoo from getting out. Click. Junghoo’s eyebrows furrowed as he was blocked just as he was about to open the door and get out in that 0.1-second interval.

“Director, let’s go.”

At Seowon’s shout, the director stepped on the accelerator without another word. Seowon waved his hand as he watched the very displeased Junghoo move farther away.

“Is it going to be like this every day from now on?”

He already felt drained.

Every time Han Sucheol tilted his soju glass, the worry on Yoo Younghan’s face deepened as he watched.

“You’ll be in big trouble if you drink like that from the morning.”

Yoo Younghan tried to stop him, but Han Sucheol smiled as if to say he was fine and drank another shot of soju. The hour hand of his watch was pointing to 10, so it was still early, not even lunchtime yet.

“It’s alright. A day like today calls for a drink.”

As Han Sucheol was filling his own glass, Yoo Younghan couldn’t help but push some food in front of him, telling him to at least eat this.

“I called you to have a meal, what are you doing just drinking?”

“Is that so? Ah, I shouldn’t be doing this here…”

As if embarrassed about setting up a drinking session in Yoo Younghan’s CEO office of all places, Han Sucheol belatedly started gathering the dishes. However, when Yoo Younghan clutched the glass in front of him as if to protect it, Han Sucheol paused.

“What’s wrong with it? I’m the CEO of this company. Who’s going to say anything if I decide to throw a celebratory party in my own company because my son survived?”

“The board of directors.”

“Ahem.”

Yoo Younghan turned his head and cleared his throat, looking awkward.

“At least this here is my office.”

“CEO…”

“Office. My office where I work. No one’s going to come in, so drink up.”

Yoo Younghan raised his glass. Then he downed the shimmering soju in one gulp and let out a refreshing exclamation.

“Soju really is the best.”

Saying that when it comes to alcohol, nothing beats soju, Yoo Younghan rambled on and on, even though he wasn’t drunk. Knowing that it was all for his sake, Han Sucheol silently filled his own glass.

“This is the first time I’m drinking with a peaceful mind since that person left.”

It wasn’t as fiery as the first glass he’d downed, but a strong aroma rose up and seemed to pierce through Han Sucheol’s mind.

“Then you should have come to me.”

This time, Yoo Younghan filled Han Sucheol’s glass for him. Then, after pouring a drink into his own glass, he once again drank it all in one go.

“How could I do that? If I met you, hyung-nim, Seowon would be waiting…”

A long time ago, after Junghoo was hospitalized, Han Sucheol had also cut off contact with Yoo Younghan. Because he knew that if he were to go see Yoo Younghan, Seowon would be waiting for him while pretending not to be. Unable to explain the circumstances, Han Sucheol thought it was better to pretend not to know anything at all.

And so, he and Seowon endured together. He endured the loneliness of his wife’s disappearance by holding Seowon, bearing it again and again. Because he knew that if he collapsed, Seowon would too.

Instead, he focused on work. Wondering if living a busy life for even a moment would make things better. And he saw that Seowon was doing the exact same thing. Even after becoming a dominant omega, he lived a busy life, saying he was practicing pheromone control.

Maybe it wasn’t that he and Seowon endured together, but that they lived while pretending not to know about each other’s loneliness.

“You don’t have to do that anymore.”

“You’re right.”

The moment Junghoo appeared before Han Sucheol, he had an intuition that he wouldn’t be able to stop it, even if things went wrong for him, even if it brought another pain to Seowon.

That’s why he didn’t refuse the help Junghoo offered. He knew and tacitly approved of Junghoo using that as an excuse to get closer to Seowon. In fact, he even helped by arranging for Seowon to go to Junghoo’s house.

And then he waited.

Han Sucheol looked at Junghoo’s test results, which were placed to one side. Junghoo, who had not just worried Yoo Younghan sick but had completely dried him out, had come vividly back to life.

Was that all? Seowon had willingly agreed to the treatment, saying he would go to Junghoo’s side. Seowon was just as proactive as when he had practiced his own pheromone control.

What a relief. It seemed the void his mother left could be filled by something else. Now, Han Sucheol was fine with Seowon dating Junghoo, living with him, or even marrying him. He just hoped that his child’s life would be colored with beautiful shades, whatever it took.

“I don’t know why it was so nice to hear that Seowon likes someone.”

He couldn’t count how many times he had been on pins and needles, worrying that his son would not accept anyone and end up alone. That was why, when Seowon said he liked Junghoo, he went into his room and clutched his chest in relief over and over again.

“Congratulations, hyung-nim.”

When Han Sucheol held up the soju bottle, Yoo Younghan gladly offered his glass.

“Who do I have to thank for all this? I’ll consider you my benefactor for life, so let’s see each other for a long time.”

Seowon had taken on the role of not just calming Junghoo’s pheromones but putting them to sleep for good. Yoo Younghan was grateful to Han Sucheol for watching over things until that point, and it went without saying how grateful he was to Han Seowon.

“From now on, just tell me if there’s anything you want to eat. I’ll buy you whatever it is.”

“The drinks I’m having right now are more than enough.”

“Then I’ll just buy Seowon something he likes. I sent him with a cake last time, so this time…”

Yoo Younghan, who was recalling one by one the things Seowon liked, lifted his head at the sound of a knock. He had told them not to disturb him unless it was something important, so there must be a reason for someone to come in person.

“The director is here.”

At the secretary’s report, Yoo Younghan thought for a moment. He wondered if the director’s arrival was such an urgent matter, then belatedly remembered the person who came along with the director.

Yoo Younghan hurriedly cleared away the soju bottles. He was also stacking the dishes with the food they were eating when Han Sucheol, who had been watching furtively, lent a hand. After pondering where to put the stacked dishes, he set them down behind the sofa. As if wondering if they would be hidden there, Han Sucheol, who was also moving, was concealed behind the sofa as well.

“Our drinking is a secret.”

“From whom?”

A question came from someone leaning against the doorway. That voice was exactly like his son’s, and Yoo Younghan’s hands froze.

“You’re here already.”

“And you could have hidden everything if I came later?”

Junghoo looked at the drinking mess that hadn’t been fully cleaned up, then turned his head toward the director.

“Shouldn’t you convene a board meeting? The CEO is drinking at the company in the middle of the day.”

He showed absolutely no mercy just because it was his father. As Junghoo was even taking out his phone, intending to take a picture, someone called out to him in a cautious voice.

“It’s been a while.”

“Huh? Mister.”

It was Han Sucheol. Han Sucheol, who had been crouching down to put the dishes to one side, slowly straightened up.

“What brings you here?”

“Well… I came to have a meal to congratulate you on your illness improving, and then.”

Han Sucheol replied awkwardly.

“I know I shouldn’t be doing this, I’m sorry.”

As Han Sucheol apologized on Yoo Younghan’s behalf as well, Junghoo rushed over as if he would fly and took his hand.

“Of course, you can do that. It’s not like the company came first and then people, it’s people first and then the company. You were congratulating me on my recovery, I doubt anyone would fail to understand. I’m so happy, Mister.”

“Happy?”

“Of course I’m happy. And my father can just come in and work on the weekend. I’ll make sure he can. You don’t have to worry at all, Mister.”

“I’m grateful you say that, but…”

Han Sucheol looked at Yoo Younghan’s betrayed face.

“I actually had something I really wanted to say to you if I saw you, Mister, so this is great.”

“To me?”

“Yes, yes. I was going to ask you what your favorite food is, Mister. Ah, do you like blood sausage soup?”

Junghoo, who had guessed they were eating blood sausage soup from the smell wafting through the CEO’s office, even took out the hidden soju bottle.

“So you like soju too. How can we be such a perfect match?”

At Junghoo’s affable behavior, Yoo Younghan finally let out a hollow laugh.

“This is why raising a damn kid is…”

“You dare ignore my messages?”

At the chilling warning, Seowon patted the arm wrapped around his neck. Pat, pat. It was meant to ask her to let go now, but she only tightened her grip on his neck.

The strength contained in her slender arm was so great that Minhee didn’t let go even as Seowon faked choking sounds, gasping for air. Gag, gag.

“Min, Minsung.”

Seowon extended a hand for help to Minsung, the one person who could mediate this situation. Minsung, who would have normally helped him right away, stood there blankly and didn’t approach.

“He didn’t answer my messages either.”