Ch 24

“Come over and have some coffee. Stop bothering people who just woke up.”

“Our new hire gets even cuter after he sleeps. Look at those chubby cheeks.”

Just as Taemin leaned in to touch Bobo again and got swatted by his tiny paw, Ji-an quickly lowered his gaze. If he wasn’t holding Bobo, he would’ve covered his face with his hands, but right now, there was no way to avoid him.

“Wow, look at that clear and smooth skin. He’s like a baby, a real baby. Were we like that at his age?”

“Ha Taemin. Cut it out.”

“Alright, alright, Mr. Uptight. I didn’t get to ask yesterday because I was out of it, but, new hire, are you really staying here from now on?”

It was only after Taemin pulled back at Ideun’s pointed warning that Ji-an could straighten himself from his hunched posture.

“Stop talking and drink this. Milk?”

Standing at the bedroom door, Ji-an shook his head with a resolute “Coffee” under Ideun’s gaze.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Drink milk so you can grow.”

Oh. This guy. I’m twenty-four. I’ve grown as much as I’m going to grow.

Even though he’d asked for coffee, Ji-an pouted as he stared at the warmed milk placed before him. The only one excited by the scent of milk was Bobo. After setting Bobo down to keep him from diving into the mug, Ji-an glanced between Ideun, the milk, and the coffee machine behind him.

Since both of them would be leaving for work anyway, it would be best to wait and make a latte once they were gone.

Ji-an sat at the island table, occasionally glancing over at Taemin, who was sipping his coffee. Did he really not recognize him? While he was out of it during his heat cycle, this man also seemed not to remember. It was one thing not to remember a rut partner, but forgetting even the night itself didn’t make sense. It hadn’t been entirely dark, after all, with enough shadow to make out some details… Pausing, Ji-an looked over at Ideun, who was tying his necktie.

Why don’t I remember my partner either?

He’d been so fixated on the musky scent that he hadn’t thought it through. The sensation of someone touching him, biting him, making a mess inside him, muddling his mind—he’d assumed it was the same person purely out of habit.

With the musk thick in the air, Ji-an found himself looking at Taemin again. Is it not him? Or is it? Maybe everything from that night in France was just a mirage. His memory isn’t perfect, after all. People see what they want to see and remember things the way they want to, especially in situations like that.

The last face in his memory was Ideun’s. It was someone else’s room when he woke up, but now that he was back in Korea, Ji-an frowned as he recalled their recent conversations.

How can I be so sure just from a scent? 

Pheromones are unique to each person, but there are plenty of similar ones. On top of that, people cover them with similar perfumes… Even now, the whole house was filled with a musk scent from air fresheners, and Ideun, handing him milk, smelled strongly of wood.

Air freshener, pheromones, perfume—all the scents were a jumbled mess.

If this man wasn’t his rut partner, if he wasn’t the one from that night in France…

There was only one way for Ji-an to find out whom he’d imprinted on.

“Seo Ji-an.”

Lost in anxious thought, nibbling at his thumb, Ji-an closed his eyes tightly at the sound of his name, then slowly opened them.

“I’m heading out now. You can go back to sleep; some people will come by around ten to switch out a few things, so don’t be alarmed. The caretaker will come by then, too, so ask him to make you something to eat. There’s medicine on the table, so take it after eating. I won’t be back tonight, so keep that in mind.”

Ji-an nodded at Ideun’s calm instructions. Ideun was the one who knew most about that night with him.

“Hey, cute new hire, are we starting work together next month?”

“Yes.”

“Which department?”

“The design team.”

“We’re counting on you. A good design makes it easier to sell a great product.”

When Taemin extended his hand to shake Ji-an’s again, Ji-an took it without hesitation. Taemin’s hand was warm, and it seemed to completely envelop his own. Though he flinched slightly when Taemin jokingly squeezed his hand, Taemin simply let go with a hearty laugh.

“Enough chatter; let’s get out of here. The way you act makes me not even want to send you to work.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

As the two men disappeared out the door, Ji-an leaned against the hallway wall. He’d meant to keep things lighthearted, but it wasn’t easy. Why did he even try a partial imprint? Staring at his phone in the living room’s armchair, Ji-an contemplated.

From the break of dawn until the sun fully rose, he couldn’t take his eyes off his phone. Imprint, partial imprint, how to break an imprint, how to initiate one—he typed similar searches repeatedly, looking for answers.

It’s nearly impossible to imprint. Even if you want to, not just anyone can do it.

Even if a heat or rut partner attempts an imprint mid-act, it doesn’t always work. That’s why even married couples, deeply in love, often find that an imprint never happens, even though they share a family and life together.

If imprinting is that difficult, a partial imprint is even harder.

And breaking an imprint isn’t any easier. Ideun and the doctor had mentioned that a stronger alpha could break an imprint, but even that was a rare occurrence.

Ideun doesn’t know whom he imprinted with. Given all the events that had happened so quickly, and now living in Ideun’s home, it felt like asking about a one-night stand had become a disrespectful act.

Even if he asked and Ideun answered… There was no guarantee the person would want to see him. And if, by some chance, they met, could he really say, “I accidentally imprinted on you, so would you kindly let me stay close to you?” He’d rather die than say such a thing.

“Bobo, what should I do?”

Lost in thought, sighing deeply, Ji-an’s moment of pondering didn’t last long. As Ideun had mentioned, people began arriving at exactly ten to rearrange the space.

The stiff sofa he hadn’t liked much was replaced with a plush one that was easy to clean and pet-friendly. Though the current TV seemed fine, a larger one was installed, along with various gaming consoles, though he couldn’t understand why.

There was a complete overhaul of the curtains and bedding, and beside the armchair by the living room window, a cat tower was set up.

The middle-aged woman who came in carrying an armful of items and filled the fridge to the brim seemed to be the caretaker Ideun had mentioned.  

“What kind of food do you like? Have you had breakfast?”  

“No, I…”  

“If you’re not in the mood for a full meal, how about some nurungji soup?”  

“It’s fine.”  

“But you should eat something.”  

“Then, just… anything…”  

Ji-an, who had answered impulsively, rubbed his forehead as he watched more people come in, setting down items they said they’d brought from his place.  

Indeed, the scale for the main character was on a different level. In novels, the gong would often do these kinds of things for the su. That’s right. The su would be flustered, touched, and that’s how it would go. The problem was that this should have been directed at Haneul, not him…  

Now that it was clear the original story had deviated, Ji-an, already struggling to handle what had happened to him, slumped over onto the island table. He wanted to be alone, but the whole house was bustling, so there wasn’t even a quiet spot, and a frightened Bobo clung to him.  

“Bobo, I wish you could fit in this pocket…”  

Ji-an, realizing that his shirt had a front pocket and absentmindedly trying to put Bobo in it, blinked. These clothes… aren’t his. Neither the shirt nor the pants belonged to him.  

He’d changed into the clothes he’d brought after showering last night.  

Seeing the shirt with the sleeves rolled up a few times and the large pants with the hem casually folded, Ji-an held his forehead. He didn’t need to ask or check to know whose clothes he was wearing. Did that mean he had met Taemin looking like this, greeted the people coming in and out, and talked to the caretaker across the table like this?  

He was more curious about why he was wearing these clothes than worried about any misunderstandings. Since he didn’t remember it, it meant Ideun must have dressed him, but nothing was making logical sense, so Ji-an slumped back down on the island table.  

The space, filled only with black, gray, and white, started to take on color. Soft ivory, wood tones, deep brown—he silently watched it change to look cozier and more comfortable. In teams of two or three, people who seemed to each belong to a different group came in, did only their assigned work, and left quickly.  

While people came and went, whenever the house became messy, others would promptly sweep, mop, and tidy up. Beyond the island table, the caretaker was busily moving around, and the delicious smell of something cooking wafted in the air.  

There hadn’t been any emotional connection between him and Ideun…  

He’d never thought of him that way. Ji-an, who had been standing blankly, raised his hand to press his forehead like Ideun had done. He pressed the tip of his nose with his index finger and rubbed his lower lip with his thumb for no reason, but nothing felt particularly different. Ji-an’s face darkened as he brushed the nape of his neck.  

He didn’t want to become a villain, and even less so a tragic supporting character.  

Recalling the elderly lady he had met for a very short time made his skin crawl. It was obvious that she was very fond of Haneul and that she and Ideun didn’t seem to get along well. In the eyes of that lady, he would surely be less than a speck of dust.  

“No. Then…”  

Words slipped from his mouth, uncertain if he was speaking to Bobo, who was gently nibbling his finger, or to himself.  

“It’s a bad thing.”  

When he pulled his hand away from Bobo, who had been playfully biting and holding it, Bobo immediately meowed, expressing his displeasure. How was he supposed to handle this talkative, fussy cat?  

“Even if you don’t have an appetite, try to eat a little.”  

When he slowly lifted his body from the table, he saw a single serving of food neatly arranged on the placemat. Where in the world did they find brassware? Yesterday, it was a tea set with a serene feel.  

Seeing the clear soybean paste soup filled with tofu, his favorite, and the golden-browned grilled short ribs, Ji-an realized he hadn’t even had a drink of water until now. He had prepared all of Bobo’s meals and snacks, though…  

“Thank you.”  

Since there was no reason to refuse the meal set before him, Ji-an picked up the brass spoon. Life really brought all sorts of experiences. He knew this wasn’t his place, but whoever the rightful owner was, he could simply step aside when they appeared. He was at least paying a tiny bit of rent, wasn’t he?  

Aside from meals bought outside, Ideun was the first person to have prepared a meal for him. And this meal wasn’t much different from him preparing it himself. When the caretaker, who had been busily preparing the meal, left, Ji-an was finally able to eat quietly alone.  

He figured he’d have to start using the money he had saved in his account. Instead of spending it all and wrapping things up, he would need to plan for the future. If he wanted to live happily with Bobo, a small apartment would be better than an officetel, right? A new apartment with three rooms around 20 pyeong should do. One for the bedroom, one for Bobo’s room, and one for a workspace.  

He’d never really thought about interior design before, but he definitely wanted the sofa that had just been brought in. He’d also need a proper bed, a desk, and kitchen supplies if he wanted to prepare raw food for Bobo. There was a lot to buy.  

It wasn’t like he was staying in this house because he lacked money. If he rushed, he could get it done in a week, and if he took his time, it’d take a couple of months.  

Since the weather was cold and things were still uncertain, he’d stay until spring.  

As he thought about various things, his eating pace quickened.  

“Bobo, I’d love to take you with me, but you know I can’t, right? Just play by yourself for a bit.”  

Though he hadn’t really tried to do anything, Ji-an, once he decided on something, immediately put it into action. As soon as he finished eating, he set out from the house.