Ch 28

Ideun silently watched Ji-an’s face as he slept, seemingly lifeless. He grabbed Ji-an’s wrist as it went under the blanket, then slowly brought it to his nose. The room was filled with his own pheromones.  

When they had been intimate, Ji-an had smelled strongly of musk. It was a different scent, but it seemed like a fragrance rooted in Ideun’s own pheromones, blooming like a flower. However, now he could not sense any scent from Ji-an.  

He had done nothing but wash Ji-an, whose body was a mess from their chaotic encounter. Could washing him off erase all traces of pheromones? If Ji-an had no scent now, would it change after he was with someone else? As this thought crossed Ideun’s mind, a frown formed on his forehead.  

Was his inability to let go of Ji-an, even though he was exhausted and seemed to faint and fall asleep repeatedly, just his own desire? He would push him away, only for Ji-an to beg him to continue, clutching his limbs tightly. How could he let go of him when Ji-an wrapped his arms and legs around him?  

Despite needing to get up and go to work, Ideun lay beside Ji-an, curled up behind him. He poured his pheromones into Ji-an, whose body was still full of the body wash scent.  

He slipped his hand inside the bathrobe he had just put on him. He felt the soft skin and pinched Ji-an’s nipples between his thumb and forefinger, causing a small sigh to escape from Ji-an’s lips.  

“Hell.”  

Though he held Ji-an throughout the night, his craving for him was not satisfied in the slightest. How could this be? Ideun sighed deeply as he pressed his lips against the shoulder he had been kissing all night.  

* * *  

“Are you okay?”  

Ji-an, playing with Bobo at the tip of his toes, looked up in surprise at the caretaker who spoke while he bit into a toast. He hadn’t realized he had a nosebleed until the caretaker rushed over and handed him a tissue.  

“…Hmm… I’m fine…”  

With his mouth full of toast, he spoke awkwardly and stood up, holding the tissue under his nose.  

It wasn’t a big deal to him that his nose was bleeding while he was tired and worn out. After all, he had gotten used to the intense encounters that lasted two to three days, and last night’s experience, while intense, was bearable.  

Muscle aches and skin irritation didn’t bother him, but internal injuries were something he couldn’t fully understand. As the blood flowed from his nose, the deeper pain in his body made him press his other hand against his lower abdomen while he held the tissue with the other.  

The tissue under his nose quickly turned red, so Ji-an, who had been looking up, took the new tissue from the caretaker and bent his head again, pinching his nose tightly.  

His condition had been erratic lately, and now he was seeing the consequences.  

“Sometimes it happens. Don’t worry.”  

To be honest, Ji-an was more embarrassed about the state of his house than the nosebleed. When he woke up on the large bed in the fast-setting winter afternoon, he thought nothing of it that he was clean and wearing a bathrobe.  

What was their relationship, really?  

It might be a complicated one for him, but it was clear that it didn’t mean anything special to Ideun. An alpha and omega had been drawn together, mingling their bodies. That was all. After thinking about what he had said yesterday, it seemed like he wanted a sex partner, not a long-term partner.  

Since the door had been left open, Ji-an, who couldn’t lie around in bed while hearing the caretaker’s noises, finally got up.  

On his way to the dressing room, he had to spend a while in the bathroom due to the fluids running down between his legs. After cleaning up and getting dressed, he found toast prepared for him.  

He was about to eat the toast, but by the time his nosebleed stopped, his appetite had vanished. With just coffee in hand, he sat on the floor by the living room sofa, curled his arm around his legs, and turned on his tablet.  

Even as he moved, Ji-an unconsciously muttered small sounds like, “Ah,” “Ouch,” and “Haa.”  

“Not hungry? Should I make something else for you?”  

“I’m fine. If I’m hungry, I’ll get something myself.”  

When Bobo brought over a small cloth ball, Ji-an tossed it nearby and then picked up his pen, staring at a blank program window.  

Nya-nyang~  

After dropping the ball near him, Bobo put it down beside him again, so Ji-an threw it back.  

“Bobo, be honest. You’re not a cat, are you? You’re a dog?”  

As he threw the ball, he watched Bobo’s back as he happily walked away, humming, and then returned to sketching. Soon, lines appeared, and a shape began to form.  

While throwing the ball with his left hand, Ji-an looked up when he heard the familiar bell sound.  

Before he could reach for his phone, the caretaker handed it to him. Ji-an gave a slight bow to show his gratitude, and the screen displayed [Ajusshi.].  

He briefly considered waiting until the call ended, but then figured that Ideun would just call again if the call dropped, so he picked up.  

“Yes?”  

― Are you okay?

“Yes.”

― Are you okay?

“Well, it’s just okay.”

― You had a nosebleed, how’s your body?

“If you have a conscience, you shouldn’t be asking something like that.”

As expected, it seemed there were no secrets in this house. The manager must have informed her, but Ji-an didn’t feel any ill will toward her. It was probably part of her job.

― You haven’t eaten, is there anything you want?

“…Your dick.”

He didn’t say it expecting a reaction from Ideun. He just felt irritated by his overly kind voice.

― …Seo Ji-an.

“Why did you call?”

Breaking the silence, which only held their breaths, Ji-an immediately spoke when he heard his name.

Noticing Bobo, who had been tirelessly fetching the ball, was now breathing heavily, Ji-an dropped the ball under his butt and pulled Bobo into his arms.

― Won’t you come out for dinner?

“I’ll come if you buy me alcohol.”

― No.

“Then hang up…”

― I’ll send someone.

After ending the awkward and silent call, Ji-an buried his face in Bobo’s soft belly. The plush little fists hit his face, forehead, and head, but Ji-an didn’t lift his head. Bobo seemed not to mind too much and hummed a little tune while pulling at Ji-an’s hair. Ji-an let him tug on his hair for a while, then, hearing the manager’s reminder to get ready, he finally stood up.

I’m in pain. My body hurts. You don’t know, but I’m in pain. I even got a nosebleed.

After you pushed me so hard last night, did everything, you practically chewed up my neck, shouldn’t you be telling me to rest? Why are you making such a fuss, telling me to come and go?

The complaints that had been swirling in his mind suddenly stopped.

“…There’s no reason to be considerate of a sex partner.”

Ji-an briefly glanced at the suit hanging on the coat rack, but then he left the room wearing his usual jeans, hoodie, and padding. He grabbed his phone and wallet before walking into the living room, where a man dressed in a suit caught his eye. Ji-an exchanged greetings with the man who bowed, then sat in the backseat of the car the man was driving, heading somewhere. He couldn’t help but chuckle at his situation.

Just a few days ago, he had thought of dying and slept in a shabby one-room apartment with nothing but an electric blanket for cooling. Now, he was sitting in the backseat of a luxury car worth millions of won.

Was hell sweeter than heaven?

Ji-an placed his hand on his neck and let out a small “ah.” There were marks and traces all over his body, but his neck was in absolute ruin. How much had it been bitten? It wouldn’t break the imprint right away, though.

If he did it, it would be a complete imprint, but Ji-an couldn’t help but laugh at the ignorant actions of someone who didn’t know that. What would Ideun do when he found out? Ji-an wondered if his warning had gotten through. He had said he wouldn’t, but of course, he would get angry and curse Ji-an, and then surely, he would look for a way to break the imprint.

Should he hope the imprint comes quickly? Or should he pray it doesn’t happen?

With his forehead against the cold window, Ji-an stared at the familiar road and wiped the expression off his face. The car drove away from the city and onto a quiet road that seemed difficult and far to walk. The car stopped in front of an elegant traditional house.

“We’ve arrived,” the driver said.

Ji-an’s heart sank. Without giving him a moment to hesitate, the door to the backseat opened, and Ji-an got out of the car, gritting his teeth. If that man really called him here, he had a terrible sense of humor, but if not…

“I’ll take you this way.”

Was he the house manager, perhaps? Ji-an followed the man, who was walking ahead of him. Every part of his body ached, but he tried to hide it and put more strength into his steps.

His head ached from the whirlwind of daily events. Today he learned this, tomorrow it’s something else, and before he could make a decision, another issue would arise.

Ji-an stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky as he entered the inner part of the house, which was far more luxurious than the outer one. The sky looked so clear today; normally, it would be cloudy or the moon wouldn’t be visible due to a new moon, wouldn’t it? That would make for a more dramatic effect.

He shook his head, displeased with the clear sky and the bright full moon, occasionally interrupted by pretty clouds. He turned his attention to the man waiting for him right in front of him. As their eyes met, the man gave a slight wave of his hand, silently urging him to enter. Ji-an slowly approached.

He stepped inside, briefly feeling the cold wooden floor before taking off his shoes. For a moment, he stared at the sliding door that opened automatically, passing through three such doors before entering what could be called a room.

“Isn’t this a historical drama set?”

“Come in and sit down.”

The old woman’s voice came from behind as the doors closed. Ji-an hesitated for a moment, then walked slowly toward a small cushion placed in front of a table and plopped down onto it.

Seeing the wrinkles at the corners of the old woman’s eyes and forehead, Ji-an smiled slightly. There was a small cup placed in front of her, and another in front of him, along with a teapot and some snacks that looked like light refreshments. The sight made Ji-an’s stomach turn.

“Are you not going to greet me?”

“Why should I? We’re not on friendly terms, are we? And why are you serving me just water when you invited me to eat? I’m hungry, isn’t there any food?”

“Well, really… From where…”

Her expression of surprise followed by a sigh only made Ji-an smile even wider. She clearly didn’t have any good feelings toward him, and it was certain that would never change. Even if he tried, he didn’t want to put any effort into changing their relationship. It was a mess, anyway…

The old woman wore a beautiful hanbok, and as Ji-an looked at the rings on her fingers—jade and amber—he tilted his head slightly. Well, those were over-the-top for such attire. But then, he thought, why wasn’t there a pearl ring? A useless thought crossed his mind.

“Alright, what do you want to eat?”

“The pumpkin porridge was really good when I came last time. Today, I’d like pumpkin porridge, warm janchi noodles, and pajeon. If you have alcohol, I’d like makgeolli. Oh, you probably don’t know about this, but it’s makgeolli mixed with cider. If you have it, please give me night makgeolli. I’ll mix the cider myself.”

Without even having to speak, Ji-an could tell from the sounds outside that someone was preparing the food. Sitting across from the grandmother, Ji-an stared at the floor in silence, growing bored. He started by sitting cross-legged, but eventually, his posture slouched in discomfort.

“…When you meet an elder, you should greet them and introduce yourself…”

“You already know who I am, don’t you? What’s the point of asking? It’ll just hurt my mouth to say it. You’ve already done your background check.”

Interrupting the old woman, Ji-an noticed her hand tremble as she clenched a fist full of rings. Realizing he might have gone too far, Ji-an adjusted his posture slightly. He didn’t want to start the conversation, but with nothing else to do, he reached for the small sweets on the table.

As the old woman’s gaze followed his hand, Ji-an felt like she was silently telling him not to eat them. Ignoring that, he grabbed two pieces and popped them into his mouth at once. It felt like his throat was choking, so he poured tea into his cup and brought it to his lips with both hands.

After drinking the now-cold tea, Ji-an was left with nothing to do. The heat from the floor made his lower body ache, but it gradually warmed up, and he couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t like he was receiving a massage for the hard work from the night before.

“So, did you get close to him because you wanted something?”