Ch 29

Ji-an slipped his hands under his thighs and gently rocked back and forth. At the question directed at him again, he puffed out his cheeks and released the air.

“Grandmother, you don’t have to dislike me that much. When the spring breeze starts to blow, I’ll leave even if you tell me not to.”

“What’s your relationship with that guy?”

“With Ajusshi and me? Well, since no money or goods have been exchanged, he’s not my sponsor, and we didn’t sleep together during the rut, so he’s not my rut partner either. We just had sex, so… a sex friend… Ah! Forget it, Grandma, you wouldn’t know. Let’s just say… a fling?”

“What did you say?”

Until just a moment ago, she seemed to be suppressing her anger, but now she suddenly raised her voice, and Ji-an, startled, adjusted his seated position, switching from a cross-legged posture to kneeling.

“Where did such a thing roll in from…?”

“Grandma, calm down. There’s no reason to get that upset; just take a deep breath.”

Just as he thought she might throw the cup in front of her, a knock came, and the sliding door opened, allowing Ji-an to let out a sigh of relief. If she collapsed from being left alone with him, it would all be his fault.

The tea tray was set aside, and a small table filled with the dishes he’d requested was placed in front of Ji-an.

“Grandmother, aren’t you going to eat?”

Seeing it was just one portion, he courteously inquired about her, only to be met with a cold gaze that made him lower his eyes. He didn’t think he’d always been such a rude person, but he decided he’d be bold this time, do as he pleased, and somehow, it didn’t feel uncomfortable or awkward at all.

There was no reason not to eat the food he’d asked for, and since he hadn’t had a proper meal all day and was hungry, Ji-an went for the pumpkin porridge first.

“Mmm… this is really good.”

At first, he’d only taken a small taste, but the next time, he took a half-spoonful and smiled contentedly as he ate. Then, at the loud ringing in his pocket, Ji-an glanced over at the grandmother, who was holding her head as if in deep contemplation. He asked, “Grandmother, it’s the Ajusshi calling. Can I take it?”

“What?”

Receiving a slight nod of permission from the subtle movement of her fingers, Ji-an answered the call, and Ideun’s voice came through.

“Are you with the old lady?”

“Yes. I’m having dinner with Ajusshi’s grandmother. She doesn’t seem interested in dinner, so she just has the tea tray, while I’m eating.”

― What?

As Ideun’s dumbfounded voice came through, the elderly woman, who had not been looking at him, fixed her gaze on Ji-an, making him awkwardly smile as he took a small sip of the noodle broth.

― Come out. There’s no need for you to stay there. I’ll be there in ten minutes…

“…Is this anchovy broth? I don’t like anchovy broth; it tastes fishy to me. Could you make it again with vegetable stock?”

“Who’s outside?”

The sliding door opened slowly, and a person dressed in traditional Korean attire entered.

“Ajusshi, hang up. I need to eat. Actually, would you like to eat with me if you’re coming? Just wait a bit if you want. If there’s anything you want, I can ask Grandmother to make it for you.”

― You, Seo Ji-an, are truly…

Watching the bowl of noodles being taken away, Ji-an shrugged his shoulders at the sound of Ideun’s laughter on the other end. Although they hadn’t spent much time together, it was the first time he’d heard him laugh so freely.

“Hang up.”

Listening to Ideun’s laughter, Ji-an ended the call without hesitation at the grandmother’s stern command.

“What do you mean by leaving in the spring?”

“As you know, Grandmother, I lost my parents young and lived with my aunt. But she fell seriously ill, and I had no money or connections at just twenty years old. I sold my body to pay for her treatment, but it was a condition without a cure, so my aunt recently passed away. Maybe I was punished for selling my body because, as an Omega, my pheromone glands broke. I have no pheromone scent and can’t get pregnant, so I talked to a doctor and transitioned to Beta.”

As Ji-an went on, the grandmother’s expression hardened, which pleased him. He gracefully lifted a porcelain cup to his nose and took in the aroma. Smiling at the pleasant scent of the rice wine, he glanced at the grandmother. Seeing her click her tongue and look away slightly, he poured some rice wine into an empty bowl.

“I ended up meeting the Ajusshi by chance. He’s rich, handsome, capable, and, for now, I don’t really have anywhere to go. So I thought I’d stick around for the cold winter.”

After cutting off his words, Ji-an drank the rice wine in one gulp.

“Since all I know is ‘thieving,’ I can’t just stay here and keep my mouth shut. I’ll repay him by sleeping with him, ‘first night’ as they say ¹ So, you don’t need to worry. My nature is messed up, so there’s no risk of contaminating this noble family’s bloodline, and it’s not like the Ajusshi is serious about me. Besides, there’s no way a respectable lady like you would bring someone like me into the family. So what’s there to worry about?”

Ji-an refilled his rice wine bowl halfway and drank it in one go, then picked up a piece of green onion pancake.

“You just need money.”

“Oh, my. How well we understand each other. I knew Grandmother would catch on right away. So, how much are you going to give me? Ajusshi said he’d be here in ten minutes, so let’s reach an agreement quickly.”

Ji-an poured himself another bowl of rice wine. Shrugging as he noticed the elderly woman looking at him without saying a word, Ji-an grinned.

“Surely, a distinguished person from such a grand family wouldn’t be talking about a mere hundred million, right? Ajusshi could easily give me that if I asked. Let’s see… I’m twenty-four, and I figure I’ll live at least another sixty years, and I think I can manage to get around three or four hundred million from him each year. So, at three hundred million, that’d be around eighteen billion?”

Seeing the grandmother’s expression of disbelief, Ji-an counted on his fingers and calculated again.

“In any case, prices aren’t going to be the same now as they will be in 60 years, right? So, how about 50 billion won? I think that’s reasonable, no? I hear you’re incredibly wealthy, Grandma. People say they come here to borrow from you because you’ve got so much cash stacked up. 

Or was that all just bluffing?”

Seeing the grandmother’s hand gripping the empty teacup tightly, Ji-an added an essential final clause.  

“So, just turn a blind eye until the spring breeze starts blowing. When that time comes, I promise to leave without taking a single won. Also, have you already lined up a match for Ajusshi? I’ll help him if you want; he listens to me surprisingly well when we…spend the night together.”

“You shameless wretch…”

As the grandmother’s raised teacup flew in his direction, Ji-an quickly dodged to the side. He hadn’t meant to anger her this much. Perhaps he was even better at getting under people’s skin than he thought. He mentally noted that not everyone would be as forgiving, even if she was the grandmother of his Ajusshi.’ The name Baek Sanghoon suddenly crossed his mind, making Ji-an grit his teeth.

After the sound of the teacup shattering on the floor faded, Ji-an spoke up again.  

“And if you want to see me again, Grandma, just call me directly. No more secretly dragging me away like this. Kidnapping someone midway through a meeting isn’t a good look.”

“You grew up wild, but there should be a limit to it. I’m not sure about you, but meeting this one, Ideun…”

Listening to her muttered words, Ji-an took a bite of his pancake. This should’ve been cathartic, but it didn’t feel that way. Not that there was any benefit to leaving a good impression on either side here.

“Grandma.”

“Don’t tell me there’s something else coming out of that mouth of yours.”

She may have looked ready to throw another fit, but she had listened to everything he’d said, so Ji-an couldn’t help but admire her patience.

“Let’s keep today’s talk between us, okay? Ajusshi wouldn’t be happy if he knew I’d been discussing money with you behind his back. I mean, I was kind enough to value him at 50 billion won, but still. You can take it out on me all you want if you’re angry, but it wouldn’t be fair to involve him. It’s not like he knew some messed-up kid was going to cling to him.”

“So now you’re trying to flatter me?”

“It’s not flattery. I’m just saying that since our interests are clear, we’re on the same side here. Grandma, you want your precious grandson to find a decent match, build a happy family, and surround himself with adorable little grandkids. And as you know, I’m ineligible for any of that: I’m a messed-up case with broken pheromones, judged a beta, so I can’t even have kids. My health’s a mess, my personality’s flawed, and my family…well, it’s practically non-existent. But hey, at least my grades were good.”

“If you know all that, then…tsk.”

Maybe she was feeling a little better now? Seeing the wrinkles on her face relax slightly, Ji-an took a small piece of pancake and chewed it thoughtfully.

“You called me here because you were worried about Ajusshi, right? You probably thought, ‘Let’s meet him just in case,’ but now that you have, he probably seems even more suspicious, and your worries must have doubled. I bet you won’t sleep well for a few days. But seriously, Grandma, there’s one thing you don’t need to worry about. I’ll leave on my own when the time comes. I’m just here because of a little…situation.”

Hasn’t Ajusshi arrived yet? Glancing around, Ji-an realized there was no clock in the room, so he poured himself another bowl of makgeolli. He hadn’t eaten much besides a few bites of pumpkin porridge, soup, and pancake, so he started to feel pleasantly tipsy as he continued sipping his drink.

“What could a young man like you possibly have gone through?”

Resting his chin on his hand, Ji-an smiled at her words.

“You’re right. It was wrong to talk about hardship in front of you. It must seem even more ridiculous from your perspective. But don’t you know Ajusshi well enough to see that he would never genuinely fall for me? He’s a conservative alpha who thinks omegas shouldn’t even walk around alone, and you think he’d seriously accept someone like me, a recessive omega with no family or background? No way. He’s only helping me out of pity, and maybe he feels stuck with me by now because I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Would you really leave if I gave you 5 billion?”

“You don’t have to give me anything, Grandma. Like I said, I’ll go when the time comes, whether you try to stop me or not.”

As Ji-an murmured to himself, he tipped the last drops from his empty bottle into his mouth. Feeling dissatisfied, he tilted the bottle a bit more, letting a few final drops fall onto his tongue.

“And why are you planning to leave then…?”

*Click.* 

Just as Ji-an was savoring the trickle of makgeolli, the sound of the sliding door caught his attention. It was Ideun, dressed neatly in a suit and overcoat.

“I trust you’re well, Grandma.”

Seeing him greet his grandmother so politely, Ji-an couldn’t help but snicker. This really was the right family to mess with. She’d held herself back well, considering how much he’d provoked her, with only an empty teacup as her weapon.

“Does this look like peace to you?”

“If this isn’t peace, then what is?”

Lowering the empty bottle, Ji-an gave a small wave, watching Ideun take a seat beside him. He sighed heavily as he observed him.

“This boy claims you two are sleeping together.”

The dishes Ji-an had barely touched were removed, and a lavish spread similar to what he’d had on his last visit was brought in. But where was the vegetable broth noodle soup?

“Sleeping together, huh… That’s a pretty way of putting it, given how he clung to me like an animal in heat.”

Suddenly alert at Ideun’s phrasing, Ji-an narrowed his eyes. They were supposed to keep this a secret between them. He hadn’t expected Ideun to blurt it out the moment he arrived.

“Where did you find such an audacious brat? After the Lunar New Year, find time. I’ll arrange a meeting with Mr. Kim’s eldest son.”

“Didn’t I just say we were…sleeping together?”

“Whether you two are sleeping together or not doesn’t matter to me. Just do your duty.”

“Did you eat anything? Was it the vegetable broth noodles?”

“Oh…no, they weren’t here.”

Ji-an, interrupted in his conversation with the grandmother by Ideun’s questioning look, answered him directly.

“If the kid wants noodles, just let him have them. And when it comes to who I should be seeing, talk to him here. The one actually living with your precious grandson is him.”

“I have his permission, as it is.”

This grandmother was too much—she was sharing everything he’d said as if their conversation had never been a secret. Was that why she’d listened so intently? Ideun’s words also seemed off somehow. Maybe his mind wasn’t as sharp, as his tipsy state left him blinking like a fish.

“What’s the rush? It’s barely been 24 hours since we spoke.”

“It’s what you call an old person’s caution. The only thing that grows with age is concern.”

“And now that you’ve met him, how do you feel?”

Ideun’s gaze lingered for a moment on the remnants of the broken teacup before turning to Ji-an, whose cheeks were flushed and eyes blinked slowly under the influence of makgeolli. Watching him, Ideun found himself too baffled even to laugh.

1. The actual translation would be ‘flower’s sleep.’ It means a couple’s first night together after marriage.