The single sentence that came from his younger brother’s mouth became a dagger that pierced straight through his heart.
Words spat out like an attack. If those words had come from someone other than Gyeonwoo’s mouth, they would have sounded like sarcasm saying ‘Why would Lee Seohee even like an omega like you?’
However, there was no sarcasm or malice visible in Gyeonwoo. He was genuinely worried about his hyung.
He was being this sharp and suspicious because he was afraid his twin hyung, who had been with him from the moment they were born, might be betrayed and suffer pain at someone’s hands again.
How could he ease his worries? Hyowoo, who had been searching for an answer in his head, finally opened his mouth after a long while.
“…It doesn’t seem like a lie.”
“Do con artists paste ‘I’m scamming you’ on their faces?”
Even seeing his hyung answer calmly, Gyeonwoo didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go of his suspicion.
“Whether that’s real or just something made up to seduce you. How can you believe that?”
Looking at his younger brother with his guard completely up, Hyowoo smiled bitterly.
“You’re right about that. But that person has no reason to tell me such a lie.”
He wasn’t confident enough to guarantee that confession was sincere. However, one thing was certain.
“If he said that and something went wrong, he’d only ruin his own image.”
As a celebrity and a large corporation’s heir, there was no reason for him to do something that wouldn’t even benefit him.
If he wanted to enjoy amusement or novel entertainment, he could just moderately deceive his partner and enjoy himself. There was no fool in this world stupid enough to make sweet confessions of ‘I like you’ over and over just to briefly play around with one omega, or to do something that might turn into a major scandal.
“And that’s the feeling I get. He doesn’t seem like someone who would lie.”
At Hyowoo’s answer, Gyeonwoo’s brow furrowed slightly.
He seemed displeased with his hyung trying to trust people again after being deceived by someone he trusted and suffering such terrible pain.
“Fine, okay. Let’s say that’s true for Lee Seohee. Then what about you?”
“Me?”
“What do you think about Lee Seohee?”
To his twin younger brother who had better intuition and was quicker to pick up on things than anyone, it was impossible to vaguely brush it off.
“I… don’t dislike him.”
“That’s what you said that evening on the day of your blind date?”
“Yeah, it’s the same as back then. I just don’t dislike him. That’s all.”
He deliberately ended his words dryly.
It was the truth. The person called Lee Seohee was enjoyable the more they talked, and even though he was an alpha, he was someone who didn’t give him a sense of rejection, someone he didn’t dislike.
Even so, this too wasn’t a completely honest feeling.
Hyowoo clearly harbored deeper emotions for him, beyond simply ‘not disliking’ him.
Despite that, he couldn’t let his feelings for him out of his mouth.
He had to hide them tightly so his true feelings wouldn’t leak out, so no one would find out.
‘That person is someone I shouldn’t like.’
He shouldn’t dare to be greedy either.
Continuing on while knowing the end was a foolish thing to do. Hyowoo had made up his mind to break up with him soon.
‘It’s ridiculous to break up when we’re not even dating, but…’
Suddenly, the scar on his lower abdomen throbbed. Reflexively, he brought his hand to the surgical site.
He pressed down on the scar over his clothes and bit his lip. A faint pain and sadness quietly spread into the air.
That pain was transmitted to Gyeonwoo as it was. Perhaps because they were twins, the two were particularly sensitive to each other’s emotions. In the end, Gyeonwoo didn’t ask any more and wrapped up the conversation.
“Well, even from my perspective, Lee Seohee doesn’t seem like that bad of a person. Though I’ve only seen him on TV.”
Gyeonwoo’s eye for reading people was fairly accurate.
“If you don’t dislike him, meet him a bit more.”
While being cautious in case his hyung got hurt again, the desire for him to be a little happier was subtly embedded in Gyeonwoo’s recommendation.
In front of such a Gyeonwoo, he couldn’t bring himself to say ‘We’ll break up soon.’ It would be enough to say it ended naturally someday. There was no need to unnecessarily upset his younger brother more than necessary right now.
“Like you said, he has his own image and his family’s reputation. So he won’t be able to treat you carelessly.”
“That’s right. He’s really a good person.”
“Huh? You said you’re not dating, so why are you taking his side and making a fuss?”
“Who said I’m taking sides?”
“Anyway. If by any chance he does anything terrible to you, I’ll make it so his family, in-laws, and relatives to the eighth degree won’t be able to hold their heads up on Korean soil. Tell him to behave himself.”
Even as a joke, when it came from Gyeonwoo’s mouth, it was always unsettling. He was a younger brother who would execute what he just said and then some if he saw even a strange sign.
Hyowoo tried his best to smile, hoping such a thing wouldn’t happen.
* * *
Current score 0-0.
Though only 10 minutes remained in the second half, both teams’ goals still hadn’t opened.
Lee Seohee also had several critical opportunities. However, each time they were caught by the goalkeeper’s fingertips by a hair’s breadth.
Truly a breathtaking close match. It was the first time watching a sports game this nervously.
When the fifth goal was blocked, he even began to think absurd thoughts like, is it because I’m watching? Is there a jinx where the team I cheer for loses?
He already didn’t watch thriller movies because he hated that nail-biting feeling. Watching the tense battle for close to an hour and a half, his heart felt like it would break down.
Unable to endure the extreme tension in the end, Hyowoo came out of the house saying he was going to the convenience store.
In the dawn sky still covered in deep darkness, a faint light could be vaguely seen far away as if the day was about to break.
Lights were on in several officetels across the way. Most would be people starting their day early, but he thought there would probably be quite a few people watching the match broadcast too.
He deeply inhaled the refreshing dawn air and slowly headed to the convenience store right in front of the officetel building. When he went inside, a middle-aged man who appeared to be the owner was alone at the counter.
“Welcome.”
As if all his attention was focused on his phone screen, he barely looked when Hyowoo entered. Even when Hyowoo picked out two bottles of carbonated water and a bag of snacks and placed them on the counter, he couldn’t take his eyes off his phone screen.
With a hopeful feeling, he glanced at the screen. Sure enough, what he was watching was Lee Seohee’s match.
“Is it still tied?”
Only then did the man raise his head.
“Yes, still tied. Oh my, to be burning with anxiety like this. My insides are completely burning up.”
“I know. They need to win.”
“Of course they need to win. It’s a historic opportunity for our country’s player to set a record of five crowns. And it’s about time Lee Seohee won a championship too. Don’t you think?”
Looking at the owner showing a passionate expression completely different from the blunt greeting from earlier, Hyowoo smiled slightly.
“You must like player Lee Seohee.”
“Of course. Among our country’s soccer fans, who doesn’t like Lee Seohee?”
At the question that followed, ‘You like him too, right?’, he hesitated for a moment, but soon answered ‘I like him too.’
Pleased by those words, the owner handed him a chocolate as a service.
After finishing the payment like that, Hyowoo left the convenience store and checked the time.
Now only about 3 minutes remained. The score was still 0-0.
If it continued like this, the possibility of going into extra time had increased.
‘If they go into extra time after running for 90 minutes in both halves…’
More than the match result, he was worried whether his stamina and physical condition would be okay. Hoping the match would be decided quickly, he quickened his pace.
The elevator doors opened, and just as he was about to take a step toward Gyeonwoo’s place. Large and small cheers could be heard from here and there in the building.
‘C-could it be?’
Hyowoo ran at full speed toward Gyeonwoo’s place.
As soon as he opened the front door, he threw off his shoes and rushed inside.
In the living room, Gyeonwoo had sprung up from his seat and was shouting in jubilation.
The excited voice of the broadcast commentator echoed throughout the house.
-Goal! It’s a goal! Player Lee Seohee, with 20 seconds left in the second half, dramatically scored a goal! FCC, UEFA Champions League championship confirmed! Treble achieved! The league’s first five-crown season!
It was the victory of Lee Seohee’s team, FCC.
Cheering spectators. Players running to each other, hugging and shouting. In the midst of it, Lee Seohee could be seen. His appearance shouting as if roaring while surrounded by his teammates was shown in close-up.
“Hey, Lee Seohee did it. He did the impossible!”
As if his brain had stopped, his whole body froze.
He couldn’t hear Gyeonwoo’s voice or the loud cheers coming from the TV.
The only thing that entered his eyes was Lee Seohee joyfully cheering.
