Pyeonghwa Apartment 801 (4)
“Jeongbae hyung is a pitiful person who gave everything to us and has nothing left.”
“……”
“I don’t know what you saw to approach our hyung, but…”
Sejin continued speaking, then met Jaehyuk’s eyes and closed his mouth. Beast-like cold eyes. His Adam’s apple swallowed automatically for a moment.
“Brother-in-law, what do you mean what did I see to approach him. I’m going to marry Kang Jeongbae.”
Jaehyuk wasn’t joking. However, Sejin’s face was full of doubt.
“But someone like you, an alpha… why…”
Sejin’s gaze scanned Jaehyuk up and down. Though he called himself unemployed, things like his attitude and face showed he lived in a different world from himself. Sejin, being the same alpha, instinctively felt it. The aura of a top predator.
Frankly speaking, with that physique, even without a single penny, omegas would line up to take him…
‘Why of all people…’
Sejin thought of Jeongbae. A face smiling brightly like a mischievous child. Hands roughened by hardship. A kind and gentle person to everyone. Though distant from the commonly described pure and pretty omega, he had a spirited and straightforward charm. Kang Jeongbae was a person who made you feel good just by being beside him.
“As expected, Jeongbae hyung is too good for you.”
“I think so too.”
At the words he muttered without realizing, a low, strange voice returned. Sejin raised his head in surprise. Jaehyuk’s expression was somehow chilling.
“To know that, you’re pretty good. If you cling to him as a younger brother, I’ll kill you.”
“Are you crazy! To the hyung who raised me on his back!”
Sejin shouted as if horrified. Then a satisfied smile appeared on Jaehyuk’s face.
“Good, brother-in-law. I like that attitude. Let’s keep going like this.”
Jaehyuk patted Sejin’s shoulder. It was a strangely relaxed touch. Sejin realized then. The thought briefly crossed his mind that a viper might be better.
***
The busy lunch peak time. Just as Jeongbae was carrying earthenware pots without time to breathe, a large shadow approached.
“Huh?”
It was Yoon Jaehyuk. As if about to go to school, he was wearing a backpack.
“Wait a moment. A seat will open soon. The large size, right?”
His voice trembled slightly and his toes bounced. He’d been worried anyway, having left just Sejin and him alone. With an anxious heart, Jeongbae spoke and ran back toward the kitchen.
“I’ll take that out.”
At the voice from behind, Jeongbae stopped. Jaehyuk had already put on an apron from one side. He rolled up his sleeves and lifted the tray right up.
“Hey, what is a customer-“
“I’ll just try it. At least carrying food. Go receive customers.”
Jeongbae tried to stop him, then swallowed seeing the increasingly long waiting line. It was the busiest time, so there was no time to argue with Jaehyuk. Seeing Jaehyuk skillfully place the earthenware pot and side dishes on the table made his insides noisy.
“Um, next customer. How many people?”
“Four of us.”
“What would you like to order?”
“Four regular sizes, please.”
“Auntie! Four regular sizes.”
After taking the order, when he scanned with his eyes to see where Jaehyuk was, he was already cleaning up a table where customers had left. Then he checked the food that came out with the order slip and served it again. At the appearance of a sudden tall, handsome part-timer, the gazes in the hall stuck to Jaehyuk.
“Your food is here.”
Seeing Jaehyuk who even knew how to give service comments, Jeongbae shook his head. While he was trying to quickly find a way to detach that guy, Jaehyuk seemed to only be scheming to stick closer.
‘Why is he acting like that?’
Apologetic feelings, anxiety, and a bit of gratitude. Jeongbae’s head became complicated.
“Take orders quickly. The customers are waiting.”
At Jaehyuk’s low scolding, Jeongbae came to his senses with a start.
“Yeah, um… I’m going.”
After quite some time passed and it became a bit easier to breathe, Jaehyuk glanced at his watch and packed his bag.
“I’ll be late for class. See you later.”
Leaving just those words, his departing back made his heart heavy.
‘I should’ve at least fed him before sending him off.’
As if to console his upset heart, Jeongbae concentrated on washing dishes. Then the boss quietly approached.
“No, what’s your relationship with that handsome regular guy? Last time too, why does he suddenly help with work?”
“Oh, Boss. He’s just a younger brother I know.”
“I don’t think so…”
“He goes to Korea University. What would a kid like that want?”
“No, what’s wrong with you, Jeongbae! Don’t do that and hold on tight.”
At the boss’s words, Jeongbae was speechless for a moment. Water droplets from his fingertips dripped into the sink. Jeongbae just smiled slightly.
“It’s just… not like that.”
He felt strangely bitter but forcibly swallowed it. The thought of quickly finding a new job came first.
The road heading to the casino pub after finishing the rice soup restaurant part-time job. Sure enough, a large shadow was standing under the streetlight going to the bus stop. A model-like silhouette noticeable even from afar. It was Yoon Jaehyuk.
“Go home quickly.”
“Why did you block my calls?”
Though his face was expressionless, his mouth seemed to be sticking out sulkily somehow. In the end, Jeongbae had no choice but to say again what he’d repeated several times.
“Don’t, don’t do this. There’s nothing good about getting involved with me. I’m really saying this thinking of you.”
“I don’t know the house passcode.”
“Go to your house.”
“I told you I got kicked out.”
“Ah, I don’t know. Then you figure it out yourself.”
When the irritated Jeongbae turned around sharply, he heard the sound of a large frame grumbling from behind.
“My card got suspended so I don’t even have bus fare…”
Oh really! Jeongbae, who was about to ignore it and go to the bus stop, stopped abruptly.
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly what I said. When I got kicked out, my money source got cut off too. I don’t have a single penny.”
“Ah…”
At Jaehyuk’s appearance saying something tremendous with a carefree face, Jeongbae’s face turned deathly pale.
“Then at school?”
“I’m hungry. I didn’t even eat lunch today.”
Jaehyuk’s blunt face turned sharply to the side and pouted. Jeongbae shouted angrily.
“Why are you only saying this now!”
“I was going to say it. But you didn’t answer the phone. Earlier at the rice soup restaurant you were too busy.”
Jeongbae flinched. He was the one who hadn’t unblocked him. Jaehyuk’s expressionless face slowly turned toward Jeongbae.
“Are you going to abandon me?”
“……”
Jeongbae’s brow, which always smiled, crumpled sharply. Ah, really. Jeongbae took out his phone and roughly pressed the password to unblock him.
[121 missed calls from Yoon Jaehyuk]
[50 text messages from Yoon Jaehyuk]
“Why so many calls…”
The moment he saw the screen, his throat choked up painfully.
“…Are you crazy, really?”
Jaehyuk stared blankly down at Jeongbae, who was at a loss for words. That he’d been going around without eating with that frame made Jeongbae’s stomach burn. Jeongbae sighed deeply inside. In the end, his resolve to push him away failed.
“Write it down. The passcode is 456789. I’ll go after I finish work, so eat something in the meantime.”
Jeongbae sighed and rummaged through his pockets. A few thousand-won bills touching his fingertips, and the last fifty-thousand-won bill from his wallet—he gathered them and handed them to Jaehyuk.
“Here. At least order delivery.”
Though his words were harsh, his hand was ultimately pressing that bill into his grasp. Jaehyuk’s eyes, having received the money, narrowed as if satisfied.
“Are you giving me living expenses?”
“It’s not like that!”
Jeongbae shouted angrily, but Jaehyuk, having thought something by himself, had a pleased expression on his own.
“Go and earn lots of money.”
A large hand stroking his hair. Jeongbae huffed and turned his body sharply. Walking quickly with large strides, when he sneakily looked back, Jaehyuk was standing there waving his hand. As if seeing him off.
‘He has no manners but has decency.’
He thought for a moment then shook his head.
‘What does it matter, he’ll be leaving soon anyway.’
Jeongbae resolved to somehow end things with Jaehyuk today.
***
A satisfied smile appeared on Jaehyuk’s face, having finally extracted fifty thousand won and the front door passcode from Jeongbae.
‘The more I see him, the cuter he is.’
Kang Jeongbae shouting angrily. Like a harmless puppy barking thinking it’s the culprit. His bright smile was pretty, but his anger was also charming. Enough to make him want to keep teasing. Alpha Yoon Jaehyuk with a terrible temper was in an unprecedentedly good mood.
‘So this is why everyone dates.’
Brief romances that passed by came to mind in a row. When contact was cut off, he just thought “I guess so,” and when they fought, he broke up roughly because it was annoying. He’d never tossed and turned all night with lingering feelings. Even when the other person cried, he’d never properly said he was sorry even once. The fact that such a person was this excited over extracting a mere fifty thousand won and one house passcode was funny.
While thinking garbage thoughts that would make his ex-girlfriends and ex-boyfriends, who could fill five trucks, gasp if they heard, Jaehyuk carefully put away the fifty thousand won he received from Jeongbae deep in his wallet.
‘I should treasure this.’
Inside the well-maintained clean leather wallet was full of crisp cash. Enough to make Jeongbae’s eyes roll back if he saw.
It was true his card was taken, but he wasn’t hard up for money. The salary he received from the military was all saved in his account without fail, and there was monthly rent coming out in his name. Rather, he was confident he could support someone like Kang Jeongbae.
“But if I did that, I’d be kicked out immediately.”
Jaehyuk, with a wicked smile on his face, took out his phone and pressed the number he’d received earlier. The dial tone rang a couple times, then a low, thick male voice was heard.
“Hey, brother-in-law. It’s me. I have some things to ask you.”
Jaehyuk’s voice calling Sejin was full of excitement.
