NLFSD Chapter 16

Chapter 16

 

“Wow. Alpha No. 1 has made a surprise confession. Come to think of it, you and Omega No. 1 had a private date yesterday. Were you satisfied with it?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. What was it that made you feel attracted?”

“There were qualities that matched my ideal type.”

At the word “ideal type,” Lee Jiwoon almost popped his eyes out. What? M–me?

“What exactly was it about them that matched your ideal type?”

“They drank beverages incredibly well. I like people who eat well, and that extends to drinks too.”

Lee Jiwoon pressed a hand to his forehead. What. He picked me just because I chugged some soda?

“Interesting. Then, Omega No. 1, who has been chosen by both Alphas—it’s time for your answer.”

“Ah, yes…”

“Please make a decision from your heart.”

Lee Jiwoon was sweating cold. Right in front of him, Assistant Manager Ki was still kneeling, staring up at him with blazing eyes. To the side was the polite robot husband whose expression was unreadable.

But in the moment their eyes met, Lee Jiwoon’s heart dropped.

Huh? Not this again. Is my arrhythmia acting up? I should really get this checked when I get back to Seoul.

He tilted his head slightly and touched his pounding chest. Then, he opened his mouth.

“…I choose Alpha No. 1.”

There was no comparison between the handsome robot husband and the overwhelming rocker. No matter what, he just couldn’t accept the rocker.

Yeah, that’s what it is. It’s not that I like Alpha No. 1—it’s that Alpha No. 2 was too much, so I went with the second-best option.

After rationalizing it to himself, Lee Jiwoon met Seo Taecheon’s eyes. The crew and the participants erupted in applause for him.

Soon, the crew handed the mic to Ki Hyunjin.

“Alpha No. 2, how are you feeling right now?”

“Sigh… Disappointed, but it’s fine. The final selection is still ahead.”

Ki Hyunjin looked downcast for a moment, then immediately brightened up.

“So that means you won’t give up yet?”

“Yes! I will absolutely win Omega No. 1’s heart.”

Oh, please stop. Lee Jiwoon just wanted to close his eyes and meditate. Anything to lower his blood pressure.

“Thanks to you, I survived. Thank you.”

Since Seo Taecheon had saved him from an awkward situation, Lee Jiwoon made sure to thank him before their dinner date began. It was hard to say things openly in front of the production team.

“There’s nothing to thank me for.”

“You saved me.”

“It wasn’t just about that.”

“Sorry?”

Lee Jiwoon asked, but Seo Taecheon didn’t answer again. He simply held his gaze.

“Ahem. Shall we move to the location now?”

For some reason, it was hard to meet those eyes directly.

Feeling awkward, Lee Jiwoon followed to the date location. This time, it was a beautiful restaurant located on the resort rooftop.

The sea stretched out in the distance, and since there were no other guests at the tables, the atmosphere was peaceful and private. One camera was fixed on their table, and another was set up farther away for wide shots.

Because of that, the crew felt practically invisible, and Lee Jiwoon truly felt like he was having a one-on-one meeting with Seo Taecheon.

When he ordered pasta without shrimp but with plenty of tomatoes, he felt the other had really understood his taste. When he ordered the same wine they had before (he hadn’t realized it was that expensive), he realized Seo Taecheon had remembered everything.

“This should be enough, Alpha No. 1.”

“You look like you could eat more.”

“…Then one more order of calamari and grilled abalone, please. And change the cheese salad to a large.”

“Understood, sir.”

After placing a huge order, Lee Jiwoon cleared his throat and glanced at Seo Taecheon.

“You really do eat well.”

“That’s just how I am.”

“Then let’s wait for the food.”

“Okay.”

As they waited, Lee Jiwoon stared at Seo Taecheon. The arrhythmia wasn’t as bad as before, but it was still there.

A part of him started to suspect—could it be? The search results for kept nagging at him.

Do I like the BBG type? Lee Jiwoon began to think deeply. But maybe because he’d never had a proper relationship in college or after starting work, he couldn’t define an ideal type or clearly identify what kind of person he disliked.

Given his financial situation, he’d spent all four years of college working part-time jobs, leaving no time for dating. Even if someone tried to introduce him to someone, he had to work after classes and on weekends, so he never even went on a proper blind date. “He’s good-looking. Very alpha-like.” That was about all he could distinguish.

So now, all he could evaluate was what was right in front of him: Seo Taecheon.

First, the face. His features were extremely well-defined. Do I like this kind of style? It feels a bit intense… but he does look handsome.

Next, the height. He’s tall—way above average. Sometimes, when walking next to him, Lee Jiwoon felt like his average height made him look small. Is the height difference too much? …But it’s better than being short.

Another thing that came to mind was money. He was in the top 1%, a chaebol with way too much money. Sure, the more money the better, but wasn’t the financial gap too large? No, having money is a hundred times better than not.

He considered everything from head to toe, and objectively, Seo Taecheon had no flaws. He was simply reminded all over again that this man was exceptional.

What kind of person even is this?

Lee Jiwoon felt strangely wounded in his pride. And a little, he started to feel melancholy.

A man who writes in a journal every single day just to divorce me. A man who said from the beginning, “Let’s have a proper divorce.”

If I start thinking that kind of man is okay, isn’t that kind of pitiful?

Upset, Lee Jiwoon desperately wanted to find flaws in Seo Taecheon. Otherwise, it would feel too unfair.

Let’s see. This man’s defect is… Oh, right! That unhuman, stiff, robot-like attitude!

Come to think of it, he had never seen Seo Taecheon smile brightly even once. What is he, an AI with no emotions? With such a personality flaw, this man couldn’t possibly be a good guy!

Lee Jiwoon smiled in satisfaction at having finally found a flaw in Seo Taecheon.

Seo Taecheon silently observed Lee Jiwoon, who was going through all sorts of emotional swings—being serious one moment, snapping his fingers, then sulking—all in real time. Lee Jiwoon didn’t even notice he was being watched as his expression kept shifting dramatically, which made it quite amusing.

Such vivid expressions that it felt like he could sketch them right then and there with just a pencil and paper. What if he captured it properly on a canvas?

Though Lee Jiwoon claimed he looked average, from an aesthetic perspective, he was anything but. Delicate facial lines, sly eyes under gently slanted brows, brown irises with a mysterious tone, and skin white like freshly fallen snow. The fact that Lee Jiwoon didn’t realize his own beauty—he was quite adorable.

To the two people lost in their own different worlds, the waiter approached.

“Your food is served.”

“It looks so good.”

True to its reputation of having the top chefs in the country, the dishes looked delicious.

“What should I eat first?”

Forgetting his earlier worries, Lee Jiwoon focused seriously on the food. Among the pasta, salad, and steak, he pondered what to eat first so it would make for a well-reputed meal.

“I need to take a photo, too.”

After taking a picture of both the food and Seo Taecheon together for his journal update, Lee Jiwoon gripped a spoon in one hand and a fork in the other and began eating with a determined expression.

“Please, go ahead.”

No sooner had Seo Taecheon said that than Lee Jiwoon leaned so close to the pasta plate he was practically burying his nose in it and began inhaling noodles. Having been under extreme stress since morning and not having had a proper meal, he was starving.

“Alpha No. 1, aren’t you going to eat?”

Lee Jiwoon lifted his head to ask. Perhaps because he had buried his face so deep while eating, a round dot of red pasta sauce was stuck on the tip of his nose.

At the sight, Seo Taecheon chuckled quietly. Lee Jiwoon blinked in disbelief. Did that robot just laugh? At me?

At that moment, a salty sea breeze blew past. The scent, mingled with Seo Taecheon’s subtle fragrance, brushed past the tip of Lee Jiwoon’s nose. And Seo Taecheon smiled brightly. It was a harmless, boyish smile.

Thump.

His heart dropped to his feet, and a siren-like alarm rang in his head. He was so overwhelmed he could barely breathe. He never imagined that man could smile like that. As his mind kept drifting further and further, Lee Jiwoon desperately pulled himself together.

Pull yourself together, Lee Jiwoon. That’s not a charming Alpha. That’s your husband—your fake husband who’s very diligently completing the mission of divorcing you! If you get swept up, you’re screwed.

Rational Lee Jiwoon showed up and tried to stop himself. Then emotional Lee Jiwoon whispered softly into his ear.

He’s really handsome. Don’t you feel irresistibly drawn to him, humanly speaking? Just admit it already.

“…Uh…”

As Lee Jiwoon sat there dazed, Seo Taecheon reached toward the tip of his nose. Lee Jiwoon flinched and pulled back.

“There’s sauce on your nose.”

“Pardon?”

Not on the lips, but on the nose?

“Stay still. If you move, it’ll smear more.”

Seo Taecheon wiped the tip of Lee Jiwoon’s nose with a napkin.

“All clean now.”

Seo Taecheon smiled with the corners of his lips lifted, as if he were looking at something adorable and lovely. Lee Jiwoon felt like the tip of his nose had turned red like Rudolph’s.

That was the final blow. At last, emotional Lee Jiwoon had won.

What am I going to do? I don’t think this is arrhythmia.

Lee Jiwoon instinctively knew his life was heading down the wrong path.