‘Forget it, are you kidding?’
‘What?’
‘You said you have so much fucking luggage, fuck, what is this.’
Sunjeong had been whining for several days before leaving for Italy. Sunjeong’s parents had a great interest in the wedding, a major event for the family, so they had already departed two weeks prior. Sunjeong, who was departing alone, had to arrive at the airport at 3 AM, but the driver’s wife happened to be giving birth to twin babies via C-section that day.
‘The suitcases…… there are two, what should I do?’
Sunjeong had been voicing this worry in front of Taeon for days.
‘Go Sunjeong, your passive aggression is really something.’
‘Me?’
As if waiting for Taeon’s rebuke, Sunjeong smiled broadly and said this. Taeon scanned such a Sunjeong up and down with sharp eyes.
That small kid can’t handle two overseas suitcases alone.
Thinking this, Taeon had even used a half-day off and gone to Sunjeong’s house in the early morning. But when he found out that what Sunjeong brought out was one carry-on suitcase and a mini suitcase placed on top of it, the back of his head hurt.
‘Taeon-ah, you really……’
‘What.’
‘Look good with this car.’
‘Bullshit.’
‘It’s like your car.’
When Taeon sat in the driver’s seat instead of Sunjeong, who had a driver’s license but couldn’t drive, Sunjeong said with sparkling eyes.
In reality, Taeon had been agonizing for months over maintenance costs even for a bike for mobility, but the driver’s seat of the Maserati he’d driven a few times because of Sunjeong felt familiar.
Sunjeong’s parents had even made this proposal to Taeon, who had led Sunjeong back out into the world during his difficult school days. They would support all costs of attending Hanguk University together in exchange for him playing the role of accompanying Sunjeong.
In other words, they’d offered him the job of being a driver. For them, it was also expressing their support in a roundabout way out of consideration for Taeon’s pride.
Sometimes Taeon thought. Would it have been better if he’d accepted that offer?
Whenever he thought this, Taeon would look at his own firm hands.
Taeon at least had a sturdy body that could feed himself and pay off his debts. Spending his life with this body seated in a Maserati driver’s seat somehow didn’t appeal to him.
Looking at his palm lines, which had received a judgment from a quack fortune teller that his lifeline was truly long, he’d even have strange delusions. If Sunjeong had grown up in the same neighborhood and in the same circumstances, these hands probably would have worked even harder for two people’s lives.
Fortunately, Sunjeong was born clutching a golden spoon in full, so he also thought it was something to be congratulated for.
At Incheon International Airport, which was quite crowded even though it was early morning, Sunjeong looked up at Taeon and said with a resolute expression.
‘I’ll go and come back well.’
‘What, as if you’re emigrating. It’s only a week.’
‘To me it’s like emigrating. I can’t see you, Yoon Taeon, for a whole week.’
That shameless expression mixed with shyness from Sunjeong who said such things as if it were nothing.
And then he came back to Korea after just 3 days and this was what he said.
‘Yoon Taeon, you missed me too, right? That’s why I came back early.’
‘I didn’t miss you.’
‘Yeah. I know you missed me, Taeon-ah.’
Now the thoughts about Sunjeong, who didn’t even seem to miss him, seemed to be getting too long, so Taeon lightly got up. He couldn’t be consumed by such meaningless thoughts.
Just then, Taeon’s phone rang.
[I’m kind of in a hurry haha]
It was a message from Yoonwoo. After thinking for a moment, Taeon got up.
If Taeon and Yoonwoo were entangled even a little bit emotionally, Taeon could have readily refused this offer. Right now, Taeon really wasn’t in the mood to mix bodies with anyone.
But the reason Taeon was entangled with omegas like Yoonwoo and Yuhyeon was too practical.
If Taeon refused Yoonwoo’s proposal, Yoonwoo would end up having to find someone like that cigarette-reeking bleached-hair bastard who had clung to Sunjeong.
Thinking this, Taeon chuckled.
It was because he found himself a bit ridiculous for being so certain that he was different from that bastard.
After briefly messing up his hair and agonizing, Taeon let out a sigh and sent a reply.
[I have spare suppressants]
[And money]
[Tell me if you need it, I’ll lend you some]
In the end, all problems came down to suppressants. Fucking expensive suppressants. Medicine that people living in this low-class neighborhood had to steel themselves to obtain.
Taeon made the offer because he thought of Yoonwoo as somewhat close, but somehow there was no response from Yoonwoo.
Well, if he needs it, he’ll contact me again.
Thinking this, Taeon busily got dressed and left the house.
Even thinking he shouldn’t go, Taeon’s steps didn’t stop. Since he still hadn’t bought a bike, Taeon left the narrow alleys of the neighborhood and took the village bus.
Getting on the bus, Taeon momentarily grimaced. It was because there was a foul smell coming from the elderly people who half-filled the bus. It wasn’t because of the commonly mentioned old person smell. It was the pheromone stench from the aging of trait-bearers who still carried pheromones that were no longer necessary.
Whenever he smelled such a scent, Taeon became afraid. The thought that he would escape this neighborhood someday, along with the thought that he might age like them.
Knowing that thinking this way itself was rude, Taeon tried his best not to pay attention to his sense of smell.
It got much better when he got on the subway. Someone grabbed Taeon, who was striding toward the ticket gate.
“Excuse me.”
It was a woman’s voice. Unlike her relatively blunt tone, the eyes looking up at Taeon were gentle. Already tired, Taeon knew why those gentle eyes were wavering here and there.
“I’m sorry, but you’re exactly my type, so……”
Before the woman could finish speaking, Taeon bowed his head with a polite expression.
“I’m sorry. I have a boyfriend.”
“Ah, yes……”
At Taeon’s firm rejection, the woman made an embarrassed expression and quickened her steps to distance herself. Watching the woman head toward the bathroom for a moment, Taeon let out a hollow laugh and tapped his transit card at the gate.
He felt pathetic that he thought of Sunjeong even in moments like this.
Sunjeong used to be unbothered when women, not male omegas, approached Taeon.
‘What’s the difference when they’re both omegas?’
When Taeon asked this, Sunjeong answered with a casual face.
‘You like me. You only like men. So doing it with men is okay, and women aren’t.’
‘Crazy. Did you go inside my head or something?’
‘Yeah.’
While always following Taeon around with an expression of knowing nothing, Sunjeong would sometimes speak provocatively like this. The problem, if it was a problem, was that Taeon would be swayed each time. He was usually fine, but he’d flinch at times like these.
Sunjeong, who said women were okay, quietly watched as women lined up to get Taeon’s number in the shopping district, then a few days later held out a small box that was clearly containing a ring.
‘Wear this when you go out. It’s a fake ring, absolutely not a diamond.’
From Sunjeong’s confident words, Taeon, who was certain it was a real couple ring and definitely a diamond, didn’t take or open that ring box.
‘I don’t need that kind of thing.’
‘……’
‘I’ll reject everyone well on my own.’
In front of Sunjeong’s gaze staring straight at him, Taeon said this as if making a promise.
Whether Sunjeong understood that meaning or not, he didn’t know, but it didn’t matter.
‘Hey, Go Sunjeong.’
‘What, why.’
‘What’s that on your finger? Let me see the ring box.’
It was funny how Sunjeong, who had been holding out the box telling him to take it just a moment ago, now gripped the box tightly. Taeon easily snatched the box from the powerless Sunjeong and let out an absurd laugh.
It was a ring with the exact same design as the ring on Sunjeong’s fourth finger, only a different size.
‘Fake ring my ass.’
‘No, I, I was, originally, going to buy a ring as an accessory!’
‘How funny.’
Back then, Taeon had giggled because such a Sunjeong was funny and cute, but did Sunjeong laugh too?
No matter how much he tried to recall on the subway heading to Hanguk University, he couldn’t remember at all.
In reality, Taeon didn’t even know why he was heading to Hanguk University Station right now. On that vast campus, not even knowing where the building for Sunjeong’s department was, it didn’t seem like he’d be able to find Sunjeong.
Moreover, even if he found Sunjeong, what could he do?
His steps moved faster than his worries. Taeon strode toward Exit 2 of Hanguk University Station.
***
He didn’t want to have useless thoughts. There were always thoughts better not had.
Yet as he watched peers laughing while talking about who knows what with friends on the vast campus, or alone heading somewhere with hurried steps, Taeon’s mood became strange.
His lips that always drew a blunt straight line, his jacket that claimed to be cleanly maintained but couldn’t hide its worn-out look—such things bothered him for no reason.
This was why Taeon didn’t go outside the neighborhood much. Because when he saw, he’d come to know. The things he didn’t have, things Taeon had actually once dreamed of too.
