NLFSD Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Lee Jiwoon, too, had started to discover—bit by bit—the joy of living with someone ever since meeting Seo Taecheon. Though he didn’t want to admit it, the concept of marriage, which had suddenly intruded into his life, had brought him a new understanding.

Sometimes, he felt disappointed; at other times, elated; and on certain days, indifferent. And lately… it had been a constant stream of fluttering emotions and surprises.

That something like this would happen to him—a man once proudly recognized for his staunch bachelor lifestyle.

Jiwoon had lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his grandparents. Though his family had nothing in terms of wealth, it was warm and affectionate.

Having grown up receiving abundant love, Jiwoon developed a bright and untroubled personality, and he had always imagined that, once he grew up, he would marry early and bring home a dependable son-in-law and adorable grandchildren to show his grandparents.

In a way, one could say his fantasies and expectations about family were greater than most.

But when he turned eighteen, his grandparents passed away one after the other, and Jiwoon was once again forced to taste the sorrow of losing family. That’s when he made a decision: he would never again create someone whose loss could hurt him.

I’ll live alone. I’ll never get married.

He had lived by those words for nearly a decade…

But just for today, he couldn’t help but acknowledge it.

This tea wasn’t delicious because it was harvested from a fine field. It was delicious because Seo Taecheon had brewed it, and because he was drinking it while sitting across from him.

Even if starting tomorrow he went back to denying every emotion he had for this man, tonight—just tonight—he had to admit the flavor of this tea. That was Jiwoon’s honest feeling.

Back at the office again. Jiwoon spent his monotonous hours imprisoned in the “jail” of work, serving out the “sentence” of his duties.

Then, out of nowhere, a company memo arrived.

Sender: PR Team

Hello. We hope all the employees who participated in the Love Village project have been well.

Following your departure from Jeju Island, the filming crew will be visiting the company to follow up on your stories. We hope everyone will actively participate in the interviews.

Oh, what’s this? A follow-up interview?

Soon after, another message arrived.

Sender: PR Team

Detailed schedule: Filming for the Marketing Team is scheduled between 14:00 and 17:00. Please ensure you are at your desk during that time.

“Huh. That’s soon.”

It was currently 1 PM, which meant the film crew would be arriving in just a few hours. Jiwoon wondered what questions they might ask, and memories from that time began resurfacing one by one.

…It was fun. There were all sorts of incidents with BBG. We drank, walked along the beach…

And that laugh. That moment when I completely lost myself to BBG’s smile.

As he continued to nostalgically chew over his memories of Jeju Island, he suddenly heard singing coming from the far end of Marketing Team 2.

“What’s going on?”

Upon listening closely, he realized it was Assistant Manager Ki Hyunjin’s voice. The tune was a rock ballad, characterized by a dramatic sorrow that far exceeded the acceptable limit.

“Even in death! I’ll love you! AAAAAH!”

The screaming-style vocals sent shivers down Jiwoon’s spine. No way… is that some kind of love serenade aimed at me?

Just as he was trying to convince himself it couldn’t be, the filming crew appeared in the area where Marketing Team 1 was located.

“Omega No. 1! Hello!”

“Hello, PD. It’s been a while since I saw the production team.”

After exchanging handshakes with the familiar staff, Jiwoon was handed a microphone.

“You’ve been doing well, right, Omega No. 1?”

“Yes, I’ve been doing well.”

“You were one of the most talked-about participants in Jeju. The fact that you didn’t make a final choice left a lingering impression.”

“Ah… is that so? Haha.”

Well, there was no choice but not to choose—if we’re being precise.

“If you could go back to that time, would you still make the same decision not to choose?”

At the PD’s question, Jiwoon hesitated for a moment. But no matter how he thought about it, the conclusion remained the same. Unless it were BBG, he had no reason to choose any of the other Alphas.

“Hmm… I suppose I’d still make the same decision.”

“Ah, really? Haha. That’s interesting.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You and Alpha No. 1 were the only ones who didn’t make a final selection, right? But Alpha No. 1 told us that if he could go back, he’d definitely make a final choice.”

What?!

Jiwoon was so stunned, he was momentarily speechless.

“You interviewed Alpha No. 1 too?”

“Yes, we met with him first for the interview.”

“Oh… I see.”

So he had the desire to choose someone… Is that what it was?

Then who exactly was he thinking of? Jiwoon suddenly found himself seriously curious.

That evening, after washing up and lying in bed, Jiwoon was searching for the right moment to bring up the topic. Normally, he would’ve counted sheep—one sheep, two sheep—while staring at the ceiling to fall asleep, but tonight, he had to talk to BBG, even if it meant fighting off sleep.

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Seo Taecheon, leaning against the headboard with a tablet in hand reading the news, asked.

“No. I’m not sleeping yet.”

“Why not?”

“I just felt like talking about a few things.”

“With me?”

“Yes.”

Taecheon shrugged, as if finding it odd, then closed the tablet and got under the covers. Once Jiwoon confirmed that Taecheon had turned to face him, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“The Love Village follow-up filming crew came to the office today.”

“Yes. They visited me as well.”

“Did the production team happen to ask you? If you could’ve stayed in Jeju, would you have made a final choice?”

“Yes, they asked.”

Jiwoon glanced sideways at Taecheon’s face. As always, his expression was calm and unbothered.

“So… what did you say?”

“I told them I would have made a choice if I could.”

As expected. He really said that. Jiwoon swallowed hard.

Should I ask if the person he wanted to choose was me or Omega No. 3? I’m so curious.

Jiwoon couldn’t suppress his curiosity that kept rising. Of course, deep down, he was hoping Taecheon would say, “The one I wanted to choose was Omega No. 1—Lee Jiwoon, you.”

“Um, I…”

So, would you be willing to tell me who you were planning to choose?

The words had reached the tip of his tongue when—

A warning light suddenly flickered in Jiwoon’s head.

Hold on. Let’s say this man really was going to choose you. What are you going to do with that information?

‘Actually, I was going to choose Alpha No. 1 too! Wow, we’re on the same page? Should we start dating?’

Is that what you’re going to say?

We’re a married couple counting down the days to our divorce. There’s no way Alpha No. 1 had real intentions of choosing me.

Sure, he’s been strangely kind lately—enough to throw me off—but he hasn’t said anything definitive. He’s probably just responding to situations as they arise.

Besides, the person BBG was planning to choose could very well have been Omega No. 3. They had great chemistry during their date, after all.

What if I ask and he says, “Yes, I was planning to confess to Omega No. 3”? What then? I’d only end up hurting myself with a pointless question.

‘I plan to marry Omega No. 3 once this fake marriage with Mr. Lee is over.’

What if he even says something like that?

Jiwoon’s imagination began to spiral out of control.

“Do you have any more questions?”

“N-no. Nothing. Good night!”

Jiwoon quickly turned his back and pulled the blanket over his head. Lying with his back to Taecheon made it easier to hide any signs of disappointment or gloom.

Jiwoon couldn’t fall asleep until late into the night. He tried his best to fake being asleep, but inside, he was wrestling with inner conflict.

I don’t like this man. I don’t. I’m telling you again—I definitely don’t have feelings for him! So I should just keep things cool and part ways when the time comes.

Why? Because we’re not just strangers—we’re coworkers in the same department. If we get emotionally entangled and things end badly, it’ll be awkward going to work.

It was already hard enough getting this job… There’s no way I’m quitting. So I need to keep my mouth shut! Don’t ask anything. Don’t feel anything! Just stop caring!

Jiwoon once again attempted his “stop caring” strategy—a tactic that had already failed several times. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Everything about Seo Taecheon—his body warmth, his scent, just lying there—made Jiwoon hyper-aware. Screw it, I need to clear my head. I’ll go out to the living room.

Jiwoon sat on the sofa in the dark living room, staring blankly into space for a long while. He finally felt like the excitement was subsiding a little. His gaze wandered around the apartment.

It had already been a little over a month since he started living here. It had become familiar in that short time. Jiwoon’s eyes landed on the fridge. He wanted something cold to soothe the heavy feeling in his chest. He opened the refrigerator and peeked inside.

…Should I just take some medicine?

Lately, Jiwoon had grown increasingly addicted to the herbal tonic made by Madam Choi. Seo Taecheon seemed to have completely forgotten about it—he hadn’t mentioned it once since the first day.

So Jiwoon had hidden the packets deep in the vegetable drawer and had been drinking one every day.

Strangely enough, the tonic felt addictive—he’d find himself thinking about it if he skipped a day, even craving it in the middle of the night.

He had no idea what ingredients were in it, but lately, his hands and feet had been warmer, and he felt more energetic.

Next time I see Madam, should I casually ask what’s in this stuff?

Jiwoon took out a packet, tore it open, inserted a straw, and gulped it down.

“Ahhh.”

Once again, it tasted like health itself. He already felt like it was working.

It would’ve been great if I had checked what this tonic was for in advance. Jiwoon would eventually come to seriously regret ever taking it.