TCBW C50

Chapter 50

“Ah, come on. If you had a boyfriend, you should’ve said so earlier.”

With that, the men spat on the ground, muttered curses, and left.

The moment they were gone, Seojun pressed Suhoe.

“Why did you come out here alone? More importantly, are you okay? What you drank earlier—that was a bomb shot! Really strong!”

“Ah, was it? No wonder I felt a bit dizzy. Still, if it’s just this much, I’m fine. If it’s as you say, maybe I hold liquor better than I thought.”

“What? You don’t see yourself staggering? This is what you call fine?”

“Yeah, I mean, I didn’t pass out, so isn’t it fine?”

“Unbelievable….”

At a loss for words, Seojun finally managed a retort.

“I’ve never met anyone who thinks as long as you don’t pass out when drinking, you’re fine.”

“Ha-ha….”

Awkwardly, Suhoe laughed.

“The place I grew up was a bit unusual. Lots of ancestral rites, and shamanic rituals weren’t rare either.”

For a moment, Seojun said nothing, simply watching as Suhoe murmured through his own story.

“Being around those adults from a young age, I thought that was normal—that everyone lived like that. But—heh. Why are you looking at me like that? Jun.”

Tilting his head, Suhoe asked.

“No, it’s just… it’s the first time I’m properly hearing your story. I didn’t expect it… but thanks to this company dinner, I get to hear it. I like that.”

“Ha-ha. Do you really think so?”

He smiled sheepishly.

“Yeah. So, how is it, now that you’ve tried a company dinner? Louder than you expected, right?”

“No. I love it. I’m almost always alone when I go home. I used to live somewhere crowded and noisy all the time, but since moving to Seoul, I’ve been alone nonstop… so this is actually fun. I’m not used to being out late, so it feels novel, too.”

“What, did you live in some countryside where tigers might pop out? Why can’t you go out at night?”

“Not tigers—things just as scary… ah.”

He clapped a hand over his mouth, stopping the words that had slipped out.

“Scary things?”

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

He shook his head hard. The influence of alcohol really was frightening—his inner thoughts were leaking out without his realizing.

“It’s not nothing. You started, so say it—what were you afraid of?”

As soon as Suhoe clamped his mouth shut, Seojun looped an arm around his neck and teased.

“Hm?”

But Suhoe looked in no mood to continue. The moment he spoke of spirits, gods—any of it—he feared he’d be pushed out of this ordinary life once again.

“Hurry.”

“You’ll just find it boring.”

Still, Seojun was relentless. Suhoe waved him off and edged away.

“Besides, even now—when those things aren’t so vaguely terrifying anymore—I still don’t really want to talk about them.”

“Hm. Yeah? Then what about now? What are you most afraid of?”

“Now? Why?”

Perplexed, Suhoe looked at him.

“Just because.”

Just because—what a baffling reason. Even so, Suhoe began to sift through what frightened him most now.

Looking back, the object of his fear had changed in layers, like tree rings.

As a very small child, after nearly being harmed by a spirit, the very existence of spirits or gods had terrified him.

After learning from Unhyo how to drive spirits away, he’d still feared being ostracized as different from the servants, even while growing up in the shrine.

When he heard the servants whisper he’d become some old man’s kept lover, he feared those words might come true.

And after coming to Seoul—what was he afraid of?

“D-Dowoon.”

Lost in thought, his husband’s name slipped out before he knew it. Once he became conscious of the thought, the man’s predator-like eyes and ice-cold expression wouldn’t leave his mind.

“What? President Lee? You like him! Oh—right.”

Remembering a promise he’d made, Seojun lightly tapped his own lips.

“Huh? What is it?”

“It’s just… I promised I wouldn’t ask whether you like President Lee.”

“Ah, that. As long as it’s not that topic, I think it’s okay to talk about the rest.”

“…Yeah? I guess that makes sense.”

After a moment’s thought, Seojun continued.

“Still, saying you’re scared of that guy is kind of funny. He’s stoic, sure. Good-looking, but hardly any change in expression. Same in articles and on TV.”

“Ha-ha. True.”

“Actually, more than scary—he’s kind of insufferable, don’t you think?”

Seojun muttered under his breath.

“What?”

A faint smile touched Suhoe’s face.

At least in his circles, no one dared to speak that way about Dowoon.

Oh—come to think of it, Unhyo had been particularly disapproving of him… A brief, helpless laugh escaped.

“You don’t think so?”

“……”

When the very person who’d been smiling a moment ago didn’t answer, Seojun tilted his head and looked down at him.

“…Hey?”

“……”

“Suhoe?”

At some point, face flushed red, Suhoe had dozed off, lightly wheezing, his head resting against the restaurant wall.

“Hey—what—what’s wrong? Wake up!”

Seojun panicked and shook his shoulder.

“U-uh… dizzy!”

Wincing, squinting his eyes open, Suhoe coughed.

“Damn, the bomb shot must be hitting late! This is bad. Where do you live? Tell me now—I’ll get a taxi.”

“Mm… uhh….”

After that, he couldn’t answer properly—only groaned.

Flustered, unsure what to do, Seojun suddenly flinched at the sharp scent of grass brushing his nose.

This is—

Looking down at Suhoe just to be sure, he saw the faintest trail of pheromones beginning to seep from him.

“Ugh—wait, your pheromones! Did you not take a suppressant today? Hey—hey! Suhoe! Get a grip!”

“Mm… huh?”

With a faint moan, Suhoe opened his eyes. A throbbing headache, and an unfamiliar ceiling swam into view.

It was clearly still night, not long after the company dinner—but unlike the bustle from before, the space was quiet and still.

“You’re up?”

Startled, glancing around to place himself, he turned his head reflexively at a familiar voice at his ear.

There was Seojun, looking worried, approaching with a cup of water.

“J-Jun? Where is this?”

“Where else—my place. You seriously don’t remember anything?”

“What…? Huh? Then why am I shirtless, wearing only pants?”

Reaching to take the water, he caught sight of his bare arm and quickly ducked his head. Then, seeing his own body, he jolted.

“God… do you know how hard it was to get your clothes off, man.”

Seojun pressed a hand to his forehead.

“Get them off—why?”

“Wow. Don’t drink again, ever. You remember nothing, and it was the worst. You threw up in the taxi, you know?”

“I—threw up?”

His eyes went round.

“Yeah. You suddenly collapsed at the company dinner, and your pheromones started pouring out.”

“Ah…!”

Only then did the memories return, faint as clouds.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t take a suppressant today.”

It was his routine to take the pills with breakfast at the table before work—but he’d been ill and scattered this morning and had forgotten entirely.

Seojun sighed.

“I figured. Anyway, the place went nuts because of you. And we couldn’t just leave you out there with your pheromones pouring out… I tried to ask the manager for your address, but the guy vanished out of nowhere. Didn’t pick up either. I barely managed to call an Omega-only taxi and got you in, but…”

He trailed off and gauged Suhoe’s expression. Suhoe swallowed.

“You suddenly had a serious bout of vomiting and diarrhea. The driver was yelling for us to get out right then, and you wouldn’t stop… so I had no choice but to bring you to my place.”

“I’m sorry….”

Head bowed, he murmured.

“And do you know what you yelled when I tried to take off your puke-covered clothes?”

Seojun shot him a mischievous look.

Uneasy, Suhoe peered up at him. Seojun mimicked his drunken voice.

“Don’t touch my body!”

“…I’m really sorry.”

Heat flared across his cheeks.

To think he’d spouted something so ridiculous while drunk.

“Forget it. Just tell me your home address now.”

“About that… so, you never managed to ask the manager?”

Seojun held up his phone with a cracked screen and gave a hollow laugh.

“I was clutching it waiting for his call, right? And you—very precisely—right on top of it… you get the idea?”

Shuddering, Suhoe nodded.

“Thanks to that, my phone is completely dead. So use your own mouth and tell me. Your address.”

“…I’ll pay you back.”

“Forget it—just the address.”

Showing saintly patience, Seojun leaned back against the wall, looking truly worn out.

“…It’s just… um.”

But then, trailing off, Suhoe hesitated, watching him carefully.