Without me realizing, as if I was filming a mukbang or something, Lee Hyeonseok only watched me eat and hardly put food in his own mouth. Occasionally he just gulped down water or sujeonggwa, but since he wasn’t eating anything, I felt embarrassed eating alone and casually asked.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“You just stuff your face.”
This rude bastard, really. How can every word he says be so hateful? Still, they say you should offer three times. On the second time, I placed beef pyeonchae on his empty plate with chopsticks.
“That one’s delicious. Try it.”
“……”
“Why?”
Lee Hyeonseok stared at it for a while, then called an employee. He said nothing to me expressing doubt. Thanks to that, just as I was sneakily watching his mood and picking up another side dish, the door opened and an employee came in.
“Did you call?”
“What is this?”
“Ah. It’s beef pyeonchae.”
When the employee came in, Lee Hyeonseok lifted the beef pyeonchae I’d given him and abruptly asked the food’s name. He looked like someone who doesn’t eat Korean food much, so it seems he didn’t know the food’s name. If that’s the case, he should have at least asked me first. Did he really need to call the employee like that? The employee showed no dissatisfaction or absurdity at Lee Hyeonseok’s behavior and answered calmly.
“What’s in it?”
“……”
Only after Lee Hyeonseok asked about the food’s ingredients did I realize this bastard called the employee because he was worried about going to the hospital again from eating what I gave him.
“It contains beef and sweet rice powder, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, carrot, radish sprouts, etc.”
“Peanuts or cinnamon aren’t in it?”
“No, they’re not in it. Do you have allergies?”
“Never mind that, the ingredients aren’t spoiled, are they?”
“No, we only use fresh ingredients, and we inspect them before making anything, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“You may leave.”
“Yes. If there’s anything uncomfortable or if you need anything, please call, and I hope you have a pleasant meal.”
Even though Lee Hyeonseok asked questions arrogantly in a tone that only went through the motions of courtesy, the employee who answered sincerely was courteous until the end. And my expression couldn’t hide my absurdity beyond being dumbfounded. Regardless, Lee Hyeonseok stubbornly split the beef pyeonchae in half and fed it to my mouth first.
“Didn’t you see me eat it earlier?”
“Just chew and swallow.”
More than being angry, I was dumbfounded. Lee Hyeonseok firmly commanded me as I looked dumbfounded with a bewildered face. Instead of spitting out the beef pyeonchae on that face stained with distrust, I thought of what was in my mouth as Lee Hyeonseok, chewed it thoroughly with force, and swallowed it down my throat. Lee Hyeonseok only put it in his own mouth after confirming I’d eaten, but looked at me with distrustful eyes until the end.
At first I was pissed, but seeing him distrust me this much, I thought he must have quite a trauma and felt a bit sorry.
* * *
“I’m Choi Wooseok, head of the pheromone research team.”
“I’m Seo Jiwoo.”
What greeted us when we returned after barely finishing the rather awkward meal was a researcher who would tell us the examination results. Wearing a mask and white gown, he showed me a name tag that read “Trait Research Center Research Team Leader Choi Wooseok” and welcomed me warmly. He looked quite old, and unlike other researchers, he didn’t look at me with rude emotions like curiosity or observation, but whenever Lee Hyeonseok wasn’t looking, his gaze watching me became subtly sharp. At the gaze that looked at me exactly like looking at precious material, I unknowingly moved behind Lee Hyeonseok’s back and slightly hid my body.
“What, why the sudden aegyo?”
“You seem to get along really well.”
Lee Hyeonseok teased me with a dubious face yet a voice filled with pleasure, and the research team leader smiled pleasantly and spoke. Instead of spewing curses, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Don’t feed attention seekers. If I react, they’ll only enjoy it more.
“You’re healthy.”
“Yay…?”
Indeed, since I didn’t react, the research team leader told me the conclusion first. As expected, it was a diagnosis I’d never heard in my life. Perhaps because I inwardly thought there might be some problem? Just as I was about to be purely happy, Lee Hyeonseok frowned, so I added a question mark to the end of my words.
“You threw up though.”
Wow. Still, it wasn’t a bad feeling that he cared in his own way. Unlike me who couldn’t even remember throwing up last time and was just happy hearing I was healthy, Lee Hyeonseok properly pointed it out. The research team leader answered Lee Hyeonseok’s point while breaking out in cold sweat.
“That was probably a temporary symptom due to pheromones, or it could be a psychological symptom.”
“Psychological?”
“Yes. It’s a symptom commonly appearing due to resistance to suddenly manifesting as an omega.”
“Resistance….”
When Lee Hyeonseok raised one eyebrow and asked with dissatisfaction at the research team leader’s answer, he delivered a safe answer, having regained his composure at some point. I was the one who became disturbed. If it was because of resistance to manifesting as an omega, I could understand it well enough.
“As I said before, although you’re an omega, you can’t get pregnant, your heat periods aren’t regular, and aside from being insensitive to pheromones, you’re healthy.”
“Insensitive to pheromones?”
“Jiwoo-ssi doesn’t notice light pheromones and only reacts to strong pheromones.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Not necessarily. Because even if someone deliberately puts malicious pheromones lightly on you, Jiwoo-ssi won’t know.”
The fact that I’m less swayed by pheromones was good, but my mouth tasted bitter at the story about being robbed blind.
“It’s awkward to say this, but when you go out, it’s better in many ways to be with someone or stay at home.”
“Is that so?”
“To begin with, right now it’s not a good environment for omegas to wander around alone.”
At words that subtly stirred up anxiety, I became slightly discouraged and couldn’t reply at all, just staring at the innocent floor. A moment of silence descended and Lee Hyeonseok tried to place his hand on my shoulder, but the outside becoming noisy came first.
“What’s that?”
The first to speak and move was the research team leader. Lee Hyeonseok and I just turned our heads toward the door and stood still, but since the noisy sound kept getting louder instead of quieter, I took a step to follow the research team leader, half curious, half worried.
“Stay put, okay?”
While I was moving my steps ignoring Lee Hyeonseok’s words, the research team leader opened the door leading to the corridor to check the situation.
“Lee Hyeonseok, where is that trash bastard!”
“Please leave already!”
“What is security doing!”
A shout full of rage and hatred came through the open door. Anyone could see they seemed to be looking for Lee Hyeonseok. The research team leader and I turned our heads to Lee Hyeonseok instead of checking outside. Lee Hyeonseok crumpled his face completely as if in a bad mood.
“Fuck, I know he’s here! Bring him here quickly!”
“I’ll go check what’s going on.”
The other party endlessly searched for Lee Hyeonseok with a voice I’d heard somewhere before along with vulgar curses. It seemed like people around were trying to stop them, but it looked useless. Belatedly, the research team leader said he’d check the situation and went outside the door.
“He must’ve been a sharp bastard, but without that, he’s become a dumb bastard.”
I didn’t go out but just peeked my head slightly through the door gap to check what was happening. Lee Hyeonseok, who was watching me like that, openly mocked me. I wanted to give him a passing necklace or something. In the hallway, researchers were blocking in front of the person causing a disturbance, so I couldn’t confirm who it was. Just as I was thinking I should just stay put until someone tells me, about to pull my head back, I heard flustering content.
“I know that bastard Seo Jiwoo is here too, where is that bastard I’ll chew to death.”
Someone was looking for me as well as Lee Hyeonseok. Of course, still with curses. In my life, I’d never done anything to earn such resentment from anyone, so I was flustered that they were searching for me while threatening to chew me to death.
When my name was heard, Lee Hyeonseok also approached the door, perhaps finally curious about the situation.
“Oh.”
“Just stay put.”
Lee Hyeonseok pushed me back and went outside without hesitation. I considered obediently listening to Lee Hyeonseok’s words, but somehow it didn’t seem like anything big would happen, so I went out together. Lee Hyeonseok looked at me with displeasure, but perhaps he thought the same, there was no particular restraint.
“If you keep this up, I’ll sue!”
“Go ahead! You think I don’t know he’s here? Tell these bastards to come out!”
“Cheon Jaekyung-ssi!”
“!”
My eyes widened at the name Cheon Jaekyung. When I went outside and looked, it really was Cheon Jaekyung. Cheon Jaekyung had a face literally dyed with anger and searched for us with a voice full of resentment. To anyone watching, it seemed like we were his parents’ enemies or something, making me unknowingly shrink my body.
“What’s with that bastard?”
“It’s. It’s all because of those bastards! Seo Jiwoo…! Because of that bastard Seo Jiwoo who wouldn’t cool my anger even if chewed to death, I…!”
Cheon Jaekyung was resenting me as if he would really kill me. No, rather than simply calling it resentment, it was so fierce it wouldn’t be strange to call it hatred or rage. There was only one reason for him to hate me, who had lived well without major problems, that much. I looked at Lee Hyeonseok with a troubled face and spoke reluctantly.
“I guess he’s fucking pissed about becoming a eunuch.”
“You really have a problem with your personality.”
While I felt sorry yet awkward about Cheon Jaekyung, Lee Hyeonseok seriously spoke while looking at me like I was a strange bastard again. What exactly did I do to be treated like a strange bastard—now I was on the verge of feeling wronged. No, even if I really had a problem, I didn’t want to hear it from Lee Hyeonseok of all people.
