“Hyung.”
“I-I’m sorry. How can you leave like this?”
As Sangho, having barely grabbed Wonha’s collar, gasped to catch his breath, Wonha looked down at Sangho with a still upset face.
“Why. Why are you so angry? I told you I only met Kyungoh to help with his exercises.”
“Then you should just help with exercises. Why are you two living together?”
“…That’s—”
“I asked you to live together first. Why do you think about living with me, but immediately live with Han Kyungoh? Do you like that bastard better than me? Because he’s an alpha?”
“N-no!”
Sangho felt bewildered by the tone that somehow seemed like a boyfriend complaining about a cheating partner. Moreover, why are we living together—to answer that, he’d have to confess that Nam Dohyun had released pheromones all over his studio apartment. He’d have to tell Wonha that Nam Dohyun likes you, that he’s obsessed with you and threatening people around you.
‘Wonha has never once brought up Nam Dohyun. If he asks how I know Nam Dohyun, what do I say? That I possessed someone…? Or that I’ve been stalking him?’
Neither made any sense. Unable to answer Wonha’s question, Sangho moved his lips slightly before barely managing to change the subject.
“That’s… let’s talk about it later. What does it matter that Kyungoh is an alpha? I’m not interested in him. And I’m a beta, I keep telling you. Why do you keep talking as if I’m an omega?”
“…Hyung. Don’t you remember?”
“Huh?”
“What happened after the GV ended last year. Don’t you remember? After that, hyung disappeared without a word, and I was so…”
“…”
At Sangho’s bewildered face, Wonha stopped trying to continue. His expression seemed hurt, sad, and pained.
“Ha. You don’t remember. I guess it was only meaningful to me.”
“Wh-what…”
“Never mind. If hyung won’t tell me why you’re staying with Han Kyungoh, I won’t tell you either.”
“Wonha.”
“Take care.”
Wonha firmly removed Sangho’s grip on his collar and got in the car. Then he drove away immediately. Sangho just stood there like a stone statue, blankly staring at the road Wonha had left on.
Even after that, Sangho couldn’t leave that spot. Wonha’s face full of disappointment as he left lingered before his eyes. Wandering around the neighborhood aimlessly with a heavy heart, Sangho regretted deleting all of Wonha’s records that ‘Sangho’ had left behind. If he had read even a little, he might have had some idea what kind of relationship the original ‘Sangho’ and Wonha had.
Sangho only returned to Kyungoh’s apartment late that night.
When he entered the apartment entrance, Kyungoh was sitting on the living room sofa in the dim light. Confirming Sangho’s entry, Kyungoh stood up without a word and headed to his room. It seemed he had been waiting only for Sangho to return.
Kyungoh, who was about to open the door and enter his room, stood at the threshold hesitating for a moment before asking.
“Do you like that person?”
At the quietly resonating question, Sangho looked at Kyungoh. He couldn’t see his expression as his back was turned.
“…Don’t ask weird things and go to sleep. I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Sangho, who answered in a curt tone, went straight into the bathroom. Kyungoh lowered his gaze and remained silent for a long while before muttering.
“He didn’t say no.”
***
That night too, Sangho tossed and turned without sleeping a wink. He didn’t even have the courage to contact Wonha. Having not slept for two consecutive nights, Sangho had to go to work and do his job with dark circles extending down to his cheeks. One of the cleaning supervisors who happened to pass by Sangho was so shocked that he suggested Sangho take a day off tomorrow to rest. Sangho shook his head, saying he’d rest plenty on the weekend since it was just one more day anyway.
Rubbing his eyes constantly while cleaning slowly, Sangho sat on the stairs to rest briefly after finishing cleaning the third floor. He had been checking his phone constantly, but no contact had come from Wonha. Sangho buried his head between his knees and let out deep sighs. He thought he’d feel relieved if he distanced himself from Wonha. But now that he thought they might never see each other again, one side of his heart felt empty.
Ding-dong.
At that moment, at the sound of his phone ringing in his pocket, Sangho quickly raised his head. When he hurriedly pulled out his phone, there was a single text message from the hospital.
[Lee Sangho-nim. Trait re-examination results have been mailed. Inquiries 02-– -Pureum General Hospital]
Ah. It’s already been almost 2 weeks.
Thump thump, his mind cleared and his heart pounded with tension. What kind of results came out? Kyungoh’s meaningful words and Wonha’s confident reaction came to mind. But it was also true that he had endured for the past several months without taking suppressants.
‘First, I need to check.’
Sangho stood up with an anxious expression.
Throughout the cleaning, Sangho fidgeted restlessly, and as soon as he finished the day’s work, he quickly headed to his studio apartment. The 20-some minutes rushing on the bus felt like 20 years.
The villa complex he arrived at after a long time was as quiet as usual. As he entered the old red-brick villa hidden among the winding alleys, a large cage blocking half the entrance came into view.
‘Who puts something like this in the walkway?’
Frowning briefly, Sangho roughly avoided it and entered the entrance. In the rusty aluminum mailboxes, things like overdue bills were crammed into each slot. And in Sangho’s unit slot located in the bottom row, a white envelope caught his eye.
With trembling hands, Sangho picked up the plain white envelope and quickly opened it. As he carefully unfolded the single sheet of paper, Sangho suddenly let out a sigh of relief and plopped down on the spot.
「Lee Sangho-nim’s trait examination result is (Beta) determination.」
“Haah…”
After sitting there with his head down, constantly running his hands through his hair, Sangho stood up with a somewhat lighter heart. Roughly stuffing the hospital examination paper into his pocket, Sangho turned to leave and almost bumped into an unfamiliar man crouched in front of the door.
“Ah, you scared me…”
The man was wearing a hat and mask and was fiddling with the cage.
“How can you put something like this at the entrance?”
“…Sorry. The pet I was raising ran away. I thought if I left its house, it might come back.”
The man scratched the back of his head sheepishly and quickly moved the cage to one side. This villa prohibits pets though. Sangho looked the man up and down with a suspicious expression, then roughly moved aside to pass by. When the crouching man stood up, his unexpectedly tall height stood out.
As he roughly passed the man through the narrow entrance, a faint forest and grass scent brushed past his nose. At the eerie feeling, Sangho quickly covered the nape of his neck with his palm and turned around, but the man didn’t even look at Sangho and seemed busy organizing the cage.
“…”
Sangho turned around again with an unpleasant feeling and left the studio apartment alley. Once Sangho had completely disappeared, the man pulled down his mask, showed an incredulous laugh, and muttered.
“He really doesn’t remember.”
***
After checking the trait examination paper and visiting several real estate offices in the neighborhood, Sangho felt heat rising from his body. His head had been throbbing since earlier and strength had drained from his arms and legs.
‘Is it a cold…’
Pressing his heated forehead, Sangho let out a deep sigh. He wanted to move neighborhoods entirely and relocate near Korea University, but the difference in monthly rent was too great. Moreover, the landlord insisted that the security deposit couldn’t be returned unless the contract period was complete. At this rate, he’d have to endure for more than two months while paying more than double the monthly rent. Still, if he was going to move, he needed to look around, but perhaps because he hadn’t slept for several days, his body hurt so much it was hard to stand any longer.
‘I told Han Kyungoh I’d leave today though.’
There was no choice. For now, Sangho decided to stay at a motel or somewhere for a few days. His salary would come in on the 10th of next month, so it seemed he could barely manage. First, he decided to gather his toiletries and clothes from Kyungoh’s apartment, say goodbye, and leave.
Entering Han Kyungoh’s apartment with a staggering body, he saw an empty living room with no one there. Did he go exercise or something? Sangho silently began gathering his belongings scattered around the apartment.
A moment later, the sound of Han Kyungoh entering through the front door was heard. Seeing Sangho packing his bag, his expression stiffened.
“Are you leaving today?”
“Yes.”
“…Are you sick?”
