Just disappearing won’t work. I need bait.
Gulp, he swallowed at the feeling of his mouth going dry. Seeing that Nam Dohyun hasn’t appeared in front of him yet, the pheromones sprayed in the studio apartment are simply a warning. A warning not to approach Wonha any further. To safely escape from that bastard’s eyes, he needed to make him recognize that there’s another dangerous person targeting Wonha.
Moreover, if it’s an alpha as strong and attractive as Nam Dohyun, that would be perfect.
Sangho looked at Kyungoh, who was exercising with 10kg dumbbells in both hands. Having recovered his shoulder injury to some degree within a week of injury, he said he was gradually increasing the weight to strengthen his shoulder muscles. His biceps bulged and sweat dripped down between them. Certainly, Han Kyungoh was an attractive alpha.
“One more set left.”
At Kyungoh’s words, Sangho quickly wrapped the band in his hand around his wrist and did pulling exercises. Even though it was a light material that stretched well, not the rubber tire-like material Kyungoh used, as the reps increased, his arms gradually hurt more. Still, he was grateful there was no lower body workout today.
No, what am I being grateful for? I need to connect Wonha and Kyungoh… What should I do?
Should he playfully ask Kyungoh ‘Want to go on a blind date?’ No, the two have already met on the variety show, what blind date? Wonha seems interested in Kyungoh, so if I tell them to meet, he’d probably be really happy. But I can’t read Han Kyungoh at all… He’s never talked about Wonha.
Ding-dong.
A message sound rang in the middle of exercising. At Sangho’s rarely ringing bell sound, Kyungoh looked this way. Sangho quickly finished the last set of band exercises and picked up his phone. It was a message from Wonha.
[Hyung. Did you have a good weekend? I’m on a total hell schedule. I found really delicious jam here. I’ll make you toast when I get back.]
[What kind of jam?]
[Kaya jam Have you tried it? It’s sweet and savory. You cut the butter a bit thick and eat them together.]
[No. I’ve only heard about it. Sounds delicious.]
At the message from Wonha after a long time, Sangho unknowingly smiled slightly. Kaya jam, I’ve only heard it’s delicious. Food that Wonha said was ‘okay’ was delicious, and food he said was ‘delicious’ was a rare restaurant find. This time he said ‘delicious,’ so it seemed like it would be an even more delicious snack than he’d imagined. His heart somehow raced.
“Who is it?”
At the low voice ringing from behind, Sangho jumped in surprise and turned around. Han Kyungoh was looking down at him with an expressionless face. Though he was a man with little change in expression, Sangho thought Kyungoh’s mood had sunk quite a bit.
“Who are you smiling at like that?”
“Ah… A friend.”
“A friend?”
“Kyungoh student would know too…”
“Who?”
At Kyungoh’s pressing question, Sangho blinked for a moment. Was he always this talkative?
“Jang Wonha.”
“I don’t know who that is?”
Ding, his head rang at Han Kyungoh tilting his head. You don’t know who? You were stuck together filming the variety show for a whole week.
“What? The celebrity who filmed the variety show with the wrestling team two weeks ago. That, brown hair. Tall. Eyes that droop a bit like a puppy… You don’t know?”
“…Ah. That gentleman.”
“You don’t know actor Jang Wonha?”
“I didn’t know he was an actor.”
At Kyungoh’s indifferent words, Sangho made an absurd face. Does he only eat and exercise?
…Right. He does seem to only exercise.
Still, he couldn’t understand it. In that variety show, Wonha and Han Kyungoh were stuck together almost like a couple. They matched well, and the unexpected chemistry between lively Wonha and taciturn Kyungoh exploded, to the point that viewer opinions were exploding on the internet demanding a special featuring just the two of them. Even Wonha remembered Han Kyungoh and had expected additional filming. But his impression of Wonha, whom he filmed with for a whole week, is ‘gentleman.’
“No, no. Gentleman? Wonha has a really good body though?”
Twitch.
At Sangho’s words shooting back as if protesting, Kyungoh’s brow furrowed.
“A-and he’s really handsome. No. Rather than handsome, he’s pretty. Isn’t he incredibly pretty? His skin is really white. His eyelashes are long. When he smiles, the way his lips curve here is really pretty,”
“Are you dating him?”
“What? What?”
“I’m asking if you and that person are dating, hyung.”
“No?”
That would be a disaster! Dating Wonha should be you!
Sangho felt heat rush to his face and stammered. O-of course, he had strongly wanted to continue staying close with Wonha. If it weren’t for Nam Dohyun, he probably would have been willing to live with Wonha after his studio apartment contract ended. They got along well, and he’s kind. I know well that such friends are hard to meet.
“And isn’t my body better?”
“What?”
Han Kyungoh, who had approached closely before he knew it, snatched Sangho’s hand and placed it squarely on his chest. The hot muscles after just exercising were felt through the compression t-shirt.
“Mine is better.”
With a subtle voice, Kyungoh held Sangho’s hand and smoothly slid it down to his abs. When the bumpy muscles were felt plainly under his palm, Sangho nearly panicked.
“Th-th-th-that!”
Diring, ding.
Once again, Sangho’s phone rang. On the phone screen held in Sangho’s other hand, a call was coming from ‘Jjang Wonha.’ Looking at the phone, then looking at Kyungoh once more, when Sangho twisted his wrist trying to pull out his caught hand, Kyungoh didn’t budge and said.
“Answer it. Your ‘friend’s’ call.”
Sangho, with an expression of being fed up, hesitated a bit before answering the call from Wonha.
“H-hello.”
— Hyung. I called because I wanted to hear your voice.
“Oh, uh. Y-you must be busy.”
— Don’t even get me started. It’s so hot and there are so many events… But hyung, your voice sounds a bit off? Are you sick somewhere?
“No, no. Sick? I’m exercising. That’s why.”
— Exercise? You exercise too, hyung?
“Yeah, yeah. I’m trying to manage my stamina a bit…”
“Will you shower here? Or will you shower when you get home?”
Kyungoh suddenly asked. Then Wonha fell silent on the other end of the line. Surprised, Sangho stared at Kyungoh with round eyes. There is a shower room in the community room too, but why is he asking that now? When Sangho faintly frowned, Kyungoh still looked down at Sangho with an unchanged expression before releasing the wrist he’d grabbed.
— …Who is that?
“Uh, huh?”
— Who is it, I asked.
“Uh, um… Han Kyungoh.”
— …Why are you exercising with that person, hyung?
At the somehow lower voice, Sangho fidgeted anxiously. Sangho glared once at Kyungoh then quickly went outside the community room.
“No, no. Don’t misunderstand. The one who saved me when the center director pushed me that time was Kyungoh student. But he got injured because of that, so I agreed to help with his rehabilitation exercises,”
— What’s this about showering at home?
“Th-that. …Haah. It’s complicated to explain,”
— Don’t tell me you’re going in and out of that bastard’s house too?
That bastard? Wonha, why are you using that term…
It was bewildering. Wonha definitely seemed to have shown interest in Han Kyungoh. Could he be bothered because I seem too close to Han Kyungoh? he worried.
“No, no. I said don’t misunderstand, right? I’m not interested in Kyungoh. I know you’re interested in Kyungoh student… Anyway, it’s not like that so don’t worry. He just helps me exercise and makes my meals. That’s all.”
— What are you talking about? That I’m interested in Han Kyungoh?
“…Huh?”
— Hyung. I really don’t understand. Why is a guy who needs to do his own rehabilitation exercises taking care of your diet?
“You weren’t interested in Kyungoh? The broadcast went well too,”
— I said no!
At the shout ringing from the receiver, Sangho paused for a moment. Wonha isn’t interested in Han Kyungoh? How can that be? Originally, the two of them were supposed to like each other. In that variety show, they felt attracted to each other and became tender as they got closer. Something was confusing.
When Sangho fell silent, Wonha changed his voice back to soft and spoke as if coaxing.
— Haah… Hyung. I’m not angry.
“Uh, yeah. Yeah…”
— Just… I was frustrated. Sorry for yelling. But I’m really not interested in Han Kyungoh. That was just broadcasting.
“Oh, oh yeah. Broadcasting.”
— I’ve never contacted him personally. What kind of feelings could I have from seeing him for just a week? And Han Kyungoh is an alpha. He wouldn’t be interested in a beta like me either.
“Yeah…”
Thump, thump, his heart pounded. How can this be? Wonha, you’re supposed to like Kyungoh.
— And it’s okay to be with an alpha like Han Kyungoh? I heard that bastard’s pheromones are no joke, if hyung receives some weird influence,
“I, I’m a beta too.”
— What?
“I’m a beta. Why on earth do you think I’m an omega?”
— …Hyung. I’m really confused. Why are you a beta?
“N-no, I’m telling you. I haven’t taken suppressants for 3 months but no heat cycle came. I can’t feel alpha pheromones at all either. So I got tested again at the hospital,”
— You haven’t been taking suppressants?
“Why are you so convinced I’m an omega?”
— Ha… Fuck… I’m going crazy, Lee Sangho. I’m coming back to Korea right now, so absolutely don’t meet that bastard.
