TRIPLE 25

“Is there a reason Mr. Hong Siyeon needs to go out? You should be able to just have everything you need ordered for you.”

Beom Yisu’s expression remained desolate, as if asking what the intent behind the question was. To hide the fact that he was feeling unnecessarily intimidated, Siyeon leaned back against the sofa cushion and spoke again.

“I just wanted to know in advance if I have to keep living like this.”

“If it’s a walk you want, do it in the mansion’s garden. And I believe the mansion’s library has a wider variety of books than most bookstores, doesn’t it?”

There was no room to argue with that. Since he walked every day and managed the library himself, he had even less to say. But that wasn’t the meaning behind his question, was it? Feeling inexplicably stifled, Siyeon paused for a moment before adding:

“Then are you saying that as long as I’m carrying your child—however many years that may take—I have to stay only inside this place?”

Since he wasn’t pregnant yet, Beom Yisu did not answer immediately to the question of whether he had to be confined to the mansion for at least a year or more. He slowly scanned Siyeon’s face before opening his mouth cautiously.

“I have no intention of banning going out altogether. As I said before, provided you are accompanied by me or my spouse.”

“But you’re busy all day, sir. Same with Mr. Chae Yoonoh. It’s not like I can move with you every single time… I was just wondering if it would be okay to at least take a walk nearby or visit a bookstore occasionally.”

“That is a part you should have expected to endure under the contract. Didn’t you ask for ten times the amount?”

Beom Yisu brought up the contract money Siyeon had suggested. He had thought it strange that Beom Yisu had accepted it so easily, and now it was clear he hated that he kept bringing up money whenever there was a disagreement.

“Mr. Hong Siyeon’s physical condition has not completely stabilized yet, and there is a possibility of unexpected exposure, so I believe it would be best for you to remain in the mansion until a suitable time. There are too many variables outside this house that I cannot control.”

“And when exactly is that ‘suitable time’?”

“First, it would be better for you to speak again after seeing this.”

He seemed to have already reached a conclusion, leaving no room for negotiation. Before Siyeon could even try to speak again, Beom Yisu placed the tablet he was holding onto the table in front of the sofa.

As the dark screen lit up, a photo appeared. Chae Yoonoh, pulling his hat down low, and Siyeon, covering half his face with his turtleneck next to him. It was undoubtedly the photo taken during their last outing.

The moment Siyeon’s gaze fixed on the screen, his heart sank. Chae Yoonoh had said he would take care of the photo situation that day…. He had even contacted the agency immediately. And yet, separate from that, the photo was already in Beom Yisu’s hands.

‘How much does he know?’

Does he only know they walked by the river? Or has the fact that they stopped by the hospital also reached him? He might even know that Siyeon had overdosed on un-heat suppressants. Feeling the pressure of guilt for no reason, Siyeon subconsciously swallowed hard.

“What about this photo?”

Since his face wasn’t fully exposed, he intended to pretend he didn’t know. Then, as if he had expected such an attitude, Beom Yisu swiped the tablet one more time.

‘…Damn it.’

It was a photo from a different angle. A shot of them hiding their bodies behind the Jeep. This time, it was hard to deny that it was the two of them.

“Fortunately, thanks to a quick initial response, most of the distributed photos have been taken down.”

“Then hasn’t it ended without any issues?”

“That is the case this time, but I cannot guarantee that the next time this happens, it will pass as quietly as it did now.”

He was speaking while presenting the evidence himself, so there was no room for rebuttal. Securing freedom for potential emergencies should have been the priority, but Siyeon had no idea such a risk would arise from just a brief outing.

He should have been more careful. But regretting it now wouldn’t change anything. After staring at the screen for a moment, Siyeon gave a short nod.

“…Well, I understand what you mean. But you know I didn’t follow him out that day because I wanted to, right?”

“For something like that, you looked quite happy.”

Beom Yisu said something meaningful. The tone was as if he knew exactly what had happened that day, which left Siyeon feeling unnecessarily uncomfortable.

‘Could he have seen us kissing? Or did Chae Yoonoh tell him directly….’

Who knows if he followed them or had them watched? There was more than one thing to be suspicious of, so Siyeon stopped the useless provocation and shut his mouth. Beom Yisu then turned off the tablet without a word and brought up his main topic.

“If you have no other demands, let’s begin the pheromone partner business now.”

“Today?”

“Right now.”

Before the response even finished, Beom Yisu tapped the seat next to his on the opposite side of the sofa. What on earth did that mean? Was he telling him to sit next to him? Siyeon was in a state of great confusion, as he had never sat side-by-side with him, even if they had often eaten meals sitting across from each other at the same table.

“I dislike wasting time, Mr. Hong Siyeon.”

Beom Yisu tapped the table where the tablet was placed again with his fingertips. Fine. It wasn’t like he could avoid it by stalling, so he might as well end it quickly.

“O-okay, I got it.”

Siyeon approached Beom Yisu’s side hesitantly and sat on the edge of the sofa. Since it was an important task of adapting to each other’s pheromones, it was best to maintain an appropriate distance.

“What do I do now?”

“Mr. Hong Siyeon, you can just sit there.”

A distance of a hand-span. At a distance close to him but not touching, the pheromones began to spread very slowly. If Chae Yoonoh’s scent was like a bright spring day, Beom Yisu’s scent was a winter with snow piling up.

A scent like transparent ice holding a cool breeze. Surprised that such different scents could exist, he turned his head and met his steady gaze.

“Is this situation uncomfortable for you?”

“Rather than uncomfortable, it’s just a bit awkward….”

It would be a lie to say it wasn’t at all. The pheromones weren’t even a comfortable scent to begin with, which made him even more nervous. At that, Beom Yisu, who remained expressionless as if his thoughts were unreadable, slowly lowered his head toward Siyeon.

“Let’s keep contact to a minimum today. Since it’s basically the beginning.”

With those words, Beom Yisu’s face drew closer. Siyeon subconsciously clutched his hands, which were resting on his knees. Beom Yisu’s gaze dropped downward, as if he hadn’t missed the fact that his fingertips were gripped tight.

“It seems you are nervous.”

“Me? No, I’m not. I’m actually very comfortable right now.”

It was a reflexive remark. A lie so transparent it was embarrassing even to himself. But as if the short denial was meaningless, Beom Yisu slowly raised his hand, causing Siyeon’s shoulder to flinch.

Perhaps realizing he was on guard, his fingertips, which had been heading precisely toward Siyeon, stopped just before touching Siyeon’s body.

“Or perhaps you are scared.”

Beom Yisu wore the face of someone who had to do what he had to do, whether the other person was nervous or scared. If he was going to act like that, why ask for a reaction in the first place? Siyeon looked down at the hand that had been lowered beside him. Fine. What’s the big deal about just holding hands? If he avoided it first, it would feel like he had lost.

“Scared… who, me?”

Siyeon, who had been agonizing over it, reached out first. As he placed his hand on the back of Beom Yisu’s hand, it turned into a somewhat rough grasp. A dry, firm texture. They were just touching, but he felt sweat forming on his hand for no reason.

“Is this how we do it?”

When Siyeon spoke while glancing up nervously, Beom Yisu looked at Siyeon steadily. In the silence that followed, Siyeon gave a forced laugh.

“It’s not as much as I thought.”

As the calm response came back from Siyeon, Beom Yisu looked down at the held hand.

‘It isn’t disgusting.’

If it were this much contact, he should have pushed the other party away long ago. From the moment he perceived an omega’s scent—let alone touch—a sense of repulsion would well up; that was the sequence far too familiar to him.

However, even though their bare skin was touching now, it was strangely fine. There was a sickening stimulation, but it was devoid of the follow-up rejection.

Is it because of the matching rate? After pondering for a moment, Beom Yisu decided to label the identity of this unease as such. For now.

“Mr. Hong Siyeon, do you usually have a lot of body heat?”

“No, I think I’m pretty normal… why?”

When Siyeon asked back, Beom Yisu, instead of answering, slowly pressed his fingertips once onto the hand covering the back of his hand.

“You’re the type to get damp more easily than you look.”

For a moment, Siyeon was left speechless. This crazy bastard. Just as he was wondering what on earth he was saying with that expressionless face, he realized he was talking about the sweat on his palm.

“What… isn’t the CEO just too dry? I thought I was holding onto a block of ice.”

Perhaps because he had misunderstood it so embarrassingly on his own, heat rushed to his face. As he tried to pull his hand away in a flurry, his fingers, which had been resting on the back of his hand, tangled tightly.

It wasn’t a full grasp, but it wasn’t a release either. Before Siyeon could even be surprised by the sudden contact, Beom Yisu opened his mouth in his still-composed voice.

“Leave it as it is.”