Ch 15

Judging by appearances, it seemed likely that the elderly woman was Ideun’s grandmother, and since the word “spouse” had been mentioned just moments ago, it appeared that their relationship had progressed quite significantly in that brief time.

“I was already planning to call him soon, so I’ll arrange a date through Secretary Baek. It’s cold. Take Haneul with you on the way,” she said.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I came with the driver.”

“The one who should be taking care of the family is the man. The child is so considerate… And he’s not in the best of health. Once he officially becomes part of our family, this grandmother can properly look after him. Secretary Cha, load what we prepared into Ideun’s car.”

Feeling awkward about standing around like a bystander, Ji-an carefully took out his phone. He thought he should call a cab… Ah, but with Bobo, maybe a pet taxi? Although a regular taxi might be okay if he kept her in the carrier…

“I don’t think I’ll be able to give Haneul a ride today. I have company…” Ideun said.

“Secretary Cha, call for a taxi,” the grandmother instructed.

Wait, I’m already trying to call for a cab… Ji-an awkwardly showed his phone screen with the taxi booking app open from behind Ideun, but no one seemed to notice. The man in the suit behind the grandmother took out his phone, while Haneul said he could get back on his own. Ideun kept his back turned to him.

“Enough,” Ideun said firmly.

“What did you say?”

“I’ll take care of Haneul myself, so go inside. And don’t cause a scene again.”

“How dare you speak to me like that…”

This doesn’t look good. Oh, I see—it’s the classic story where the protagonist is at odds with his family. Seeing the grandmother doting on Haneul suggested that he was the one to bridge the family tensions and resolve things.

Watching with a sense of detachment, Ji-an glanced down at his phone screen. Since they were outside the city center, his ride request was still unfulfilled.

Oh… huh?

Just then, Ji-an felt a firm grip on his wrist pulling him forward, and he instinctively followed. As Ideun pulled him along, Ji-an’s gaze shifted between the grandmother, who stood still, and Haneul, who was standing with an unreadable expression on his face.

However, Ideun stopped after a few steps when the grandmother suggested, “Since you two are friends, just take them both.” Even though Ji-an couldn’t see or hear it, he felt Ideun’s silent frustration radiating from him.

Perhaps this was the most reasonable compromise, as Ideun finally replied that he would do so, released Ji-an’s wrist, and approached his grandmother. Left standing alone at a slight distance, Ji-an’s hand was soon taken by Haneul.

“Go on and wait in the car.

“

Taking Ideun’s keys, Haneul started the car, turned on the heater, and sat in the passenger seat, while Ji-an found himself naturally moving to the back seat.

“I could’ve just called a taxi…” Ji-an muttered quietly, letting out a sigh in the tense, silent atmosphere. Why was this even happening? He was clearly the odd one out here, like the awkward extra player no one wanted on their team.

“This place is isolated, and on a night like this, you probably won’t get a cab,” Haneul said from the passenger seat, prompting Ji-an to inch closer to the car door.

“Just as far as the main road where there’s a bus or subway station…”

“Seo Ji-an.”

Though Haneul’s voice sounded as calm as usual, Ji-an felt an edge to it, like a hidden blade.

“How do you know Ideun?” Haneul’s voice held a questioning intensity that made Ji-an’s heart beat faster, and he gulped.

“Remember when I went to France?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“We happened to run into each other there. Uh… I didn’t mean to overhear, but from what I gathered just now, you and Ideun… are seeing each other?” he asked hesitantly.

“We’re having a formal meeting after the holidays. So, how did you get involved with my hyung?”

Avoiding looking directly at Haneul, Ji-an had intentionally chosen the rear corner seat, but his gaze was now fixed on Haneul’s intense stare.

“I owed him a favor in France, so I offered to treat him to a meal.”

While he couldn’t say the whole truth, it wasn’t a lie either. Ji-an kept his tone casual, not wanting to come across as evasive or secretive.

“And that just happened to be on Christmas Eve, and in a restaurant run by his family?”

“Huh?”

“You didn’t know?”

It had only just dawned on him that it was Christmas Eve, and he had just learned that this restaurant belonged to Ideun’s family.

“Judging by your expression, I guess you really didn’t know.”

Haneul’s gaze swept over him, taking in everything from his face to the cat carrier in his arms.

“And what’s that?” he asked.

“My cat.”

“Wow, really. I thought I knew you best out of all our classmates, but today I’m seeing a whole new side of you.”

Then, after asking for permission, Haneul gently pulled back the scarf covering the carrier. Ji-an had set up a cozy nest with a blanket and a hot pack over his belongings. Bobo, blissfully unaware of her owner’s discomfort, was sprawled out on her back, her round belly exposed as she slept soundly.

“She’s just a baby.”

“She’s about six to eight weeks old.”

Seeing Haneul’s interest, Ji-an carefully took Bobo out.

“Meow…”

Bobo stretched out her short legs in a sleepy yawn as she adjusted to the hand, and they both couldn’t help but laugh.

“Can I hold her?”

Passing Bobo over to Haneul, Ji-an glanced over his shoulder. Someone was still loading things into the car trunk.

“Seo Ji-an.”

“…”

“If you were an omega or, well… that kind of person, I might be worried about a misunderstanding, but you’re not, right?” Haneul’s frank words left Ji-an wide-eyed. No, definitely not. If he were an omega, there’d be no avoiding the misunderstanding; even as a beta, well, people have certain inclinations… It was clear Haneul was setting a boundary.

“Do you know what Ideun does for a living?”

He quickly shook his head. Don’t misunderstand. Don’t misunderstand at all. I’m someone who just wants to set you up with that guy somehow. I’m totally on your side.

“Is his family really impressive?”

Though it was slower than the first time, Ji-an still shook his head. He’s probably from a powerful family. He could be the son of a big company owner, or maybe a doctor? A lawyer? He couldn’t remember the novel exactly, but he was certain he wasn’t a celebrity. Anyway, the main characters usually have jobs like that. Not involved in the underworld, right? Those jobs aren’t really in vogue anymore…

“So, everything’s settled with the help you received?”

This time, he could nod confIdeuntly. After all, they had made a promise and had shared a meal together… But then again, this restaurant belonged to his family. So, didn’t that mean he could eat for free? Right, it was already absurd that they managed to book a private room in peak season. If he really thought about it, wasn’t this a 500,000-won course meal per person? I just paid 300,000 won.

“You’ll come to my wedding, right?”

This time, Ji-an could neither nod nor shake his head. Up until a moment ago, Haneul had been looking at him directly, but this time he looked at Bobo instead, leaving Ji-an without a response.

As he hesitated, unable to answer right away, Ideun got into the driver’s seat, giving Ji-an a chance to dodge the question.

“Did your grandmother give lots of things again? I’m really fine. What does your grandmother like?”

The moment Ideun got into the car, the atmosphere changed. Haneul’s tone didn’t change much from before, but his voice grew softer and warmer, with a hint of affection and a bright smile.

“No need to worry about that. Just drop Ji-an off first, okay?”

“Uh, just let me off on the main road, please.”

“Yeah, yeah. If I take all of this, my parents are going to say something about it again. Does your grandmother take gongjindan? The herbal medicine from the clinic we go to is really good.”

Ah. I see. Neither of you cares much about what I say, huh?

Fine. I’m invisible. I can’t be seen or heard. Naturally, I can’t speak, either.

I can’t see or hear anything. Actually, that’s not true—the orange streetlights cast a beautiful glow on the night view, and the carols playing in Ideun’s car filled Ji-an’s ears pleasantly.

“What happened?”

“My brother had plans, my friends are all out with their partners, so I was bored. My parents are on a date, so I decided to have dinner with grandmother since she was alone.”

If he could hold Bobo, he could pet the soft fur and squish the chubby belly, but left with nothing to do, Ji-an fidgeted with his scarf instead. He could look away, but he couldn’t stop hearing them, so he tried his best to focus on the carols.

All of a sudden, amid the familiar woody scent in Ideun’s car, he caught a fresh apple fragrance. At first, he thought he must be mistaken, but the continuous scent made him lean his forehead against the car window.

Wow, this is seriously tricky.

Why did I get involved in someone else’s love life? I said I’d give advice, not this.

Being a beta, pretending not to notice would be best. But honestly, No Haneul… What a bold guy.

He’d always thought Ideun’s woody scent was plain and dry. In contrast, the sweet apple scent he now sensed conjured images of honey-filled apples floating around Ji-an’s mind. Did the convenience store near his place sell apples? They had bananas… but the fruit shop was closed at this hour.

If I’m drooling like this, imagine how the alpha driving must feel. No Haneul, you bold guy.

This is something to do when it’s just the two of you. I don’t even need to get involved. Bravo, No Haneul. The main protagonist is indeed on another level. His seduction skills are extraordinary.

It wasn’t an overwhelming, body-shaking, intense, heated scent that would leave one breathless. No, Haneul’s pheromones were sweet, fresh, and adorable—something that made one feel ticklish and smile, while also stirring up a bit of appetite. Ji-an subtly raised his hand, covering his chin as he brought his wrist close to his nose. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, but all he could smell were the faint body wash and fabric softener scents from his clothes.

Pheromones were capable of expressing as much as someone like that man or, now, Haneul. That’s why alphas and omegas felt particularly special to one another. Even without words, they could convey emotions through pheromones, and once bonded, they became inseparable.

The faint, scentless recessive omega he once was no longer existed. During his last regular checkup, the doctor had said everything negatively. Even though recessives face difficulties, pheromone therapy or other options can sometimes make it possible to have children. But now, that’s impossible for him.

He had irregular contraceptive injections. Not the regular, reliable pills, but injections that threw his body’s balance off. Alongside that, he’d taken rut stimulants. With such contradictory ingredients flooding his body, of course, it wasn’t normal.

Now, even calling him recessive was a stretch, so he asked to be recognized as a beta instead.

He couldn’t bear children, and as a scentless omega, he couldn’t appeal to alphas with his pheromones—what kind of omega was that? He wanted to live as an ordinary beta.

The elderly doctor he saw after every night with his rut partner looked at him wordlessly. After a rather long silence, he issued a few confirmation forms, and Ji-an submitted an application to change his status.

Now, he could confIdeuntly tell anyone he was a beta.

Funny, isn’t it? He could still sense others’ pheromones this way.

Unlike Haneul’s expressive pheromones, Ideun’s woody scent remained the same. Then again, he didn’t seem like someone with many emotional ups and downs. But at times like this, couldn’t Haneul adjust his pheromones a bit? The man really leaves no openings.

Did he think Ji-an was an omega? He thought he’d mentioned he wasn’t an omega back then. Ji-an recalled his first encounter with Ideun and sneaked a glance at him as he drove.

The guy had asked if he was alone and told him to look for an alpha or guardian.

So, that meant he thought he was an omega… Based on what, though?

Since sniffing his wrist repeatedly wouldn’t suddenly create a scent, Ji-an stifled a fake yawn and moved his hand away from his nose.

Stuff like your pheromones, the fact that you’re getting married next year—I know nothing, okay?

After a brief glance at Ideun, Ji-an took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, then turned to admire the beautiful night outside the window. Crossing the Han River, it looked even more stunning than before.

Maybe he should get a driver’s license? Driving alone at night like this would be great. It was quiet, peaceful, and the emotions tangled up in him slowly settled down.