How many steps had he taken? Now that he thought about it, unlike when he came in, both his hands were empty. Wondering what had changed, Wooyeon stopped walking and let out a sigh. The major textbook he’d finally managed to get wasn’t in his hands. It was far too expensive for his circumstances to even consider buying it. Since it was a hardcover and also large and thick, he couldn’t fit it in his bag and had been carrying it around, but it seemed he’d left it in the club room earlier. Come to think of it, he’d placed it on the table next to the sofa before falling asleep, but he had no memory of taking it with him when he left.
“Ah, seriously…”
Of all things, his next class was that very required major course. It made no sense to finally get hold of the textbook only to go into class without bringing it. Besides, if he kept leaving it in the club room, who knows where that textbook would end up. If he happened to lose it…
At the terrible thought, a chill ran down Wooyeon’s spine. Those uncomfortable people were still in the club room, but Wooyeon had no other choice.
Wooyeon immediately turned his steps back toward the club room. There were still about ten minutes left until class, so at least that was fortunate.
He ran right up to the club room, but for some reason his momentum to open the door faltered. That said, he couldn’t just turn around and leave like this either, so Wooyeon carefully grabbed the doorknob. Perhaps because he hadn’t closed it properly when he left earlier, the club room door wasn’t completely shut.
“…You, are you doing that with him?”
“Doing what?”
“Did you sleep with him?”
At the voices coming from inside the club room, Wooyeon stopped moving. Through the gap, he could see the group from earlier surrounding Jeonghan. They weren’t specifying anyone in particular, but somehow Wooyeon couldn’t move. He naturally knew there was another dictionary meaning for “sleep,” but he could instinctively tell they weren’t talking about that. Wooyeon remained frozen, looking at Jeonghan through the crack in the door.
“Ah, hyung, what are you even saying. You know this bastard Jeonghan likes women.”
“You were just alone with him in the club room, weren’t you?”
For a moment, goosebumps rose. At the conversation that was clearly specifying him, Wooyeon felt like he was going to panic. Had he heard that first statement correctly? Unlike Jeonghan who was sitting comfortably on the sofa, Jeonghan’s face became visible again between the shoulders of the men perched on the table.
“I keep seeing you with him lately. Is he hitting on you?”
“No. I just want to become friends with him.”
Jeonghan’s answer was without unnecessary words. With a languid face, Jeonghan was smiling. The words about wanting to become friends were clearly directed at Wooyeon himself.
“You want to become friends with him? You? Why?”
“Why, that hyung’s face is really…”
Someone was snapping at Jeonghan, but Jeonghan himself didn’t say much, and someone else was earnestly defending Jeonghan.
“It’s not that you’re turned on and want to do it once? It looked like you came in after eating together the other day.”
“Ah, hyung. It’s just because we’re doing a group project together this time. Stop scratching at this bastard Jeonghan.”
“Keep your place in line, yeah?”
In an instant, the smile slowly faded from Jeonghan’s gently smiling face. Seeing that, Wooyeon flinched and let go of the doorknob he’d been gripping. Jeonghan’s wide-open eyes seemed to meet Wooyeon’s through the crack in the door.
“This hyung-nim, why do you keep doing this. We’re doing a group project together, so what’s the big deal about guys eating together and stuff.”
“He’s not just some regular guy.”
Clang! The sound of the doorknob that had been caught bouncing back up rang out. Multiple eyes turned toward Wooyeon simultaneously. He didn’t feel as miserable as he’d expected. To the point where feeling embarrassed in front of Kwon Jeonghan earlier seemed stranger, Wooyeon was calm. Words he’d heard ad nauseam. There was no need to feel shame at that kind of objectification.
Wooyeon opened the club room door and went in as he was. Facing those dumbfounded faces wasn’t exactly pleasant, but Wooyeon didn’t bother expressing it. He could feel Jeonghan’s gaze continuously watching him.
Until he picked up the major textbook placed on the table, Wooyeon ignored that gaze and didn’t look in that direction. After leaving the club room immediately, Wooyeon ran out of the building and caught his breath.
He wondered if maybe a text would come from Kwon Jeonghan, but there was no contact from him until all his university classes ended that day.
5.
「Wait in front of your house at 8 o’clock.」
At the end of a remote alley where even the streetlight glow didn’t reach, Wooyeon was leaning against a wall waiting for Choi Seokwoo. The text message from him that he read again while fiddling with his phone clearly said 8 o’clock, but even after 10 minutes had passed, there was no contact.
The feeling of waiting for a creditor he’d always only avoided was strange. Ha, with his exhaled sigh, white breath dispersed near Wooyeon’s face.
Soon yellow light illuminated the dim alley. It was Choi Seokwoo’s car. An old luxury sedan that didn’t match the area stopped in the relatively wide alley near Wooyeon’s house.
Beep!
The horn sounded short and loud, and Wooyeon slowly walked over and got into the car.
“You getting in the back, you fucking bitch?”
“Just go.”
“Get in the front.”
“I said just go.”
Wooyeon sat in the back seat and raised his head to glare at Choi Seokwoo through the rearview mirror. It wasn’t like they were going somewhere nice, and he didn’t want to sit side by side with Choi Seokwoo cozily in the driver and passenger seats.
Choi Seokwoo muttered “fuck” under his breath, then perhaps knowing that further argument would be wasteful, didn’t demand anymore and started the car. Outside the car window, shabby walls and such passed by close enough to touch at any moment.
“You’re pretty in every way except that shitty temper needs to be dealt with somehow.”
Wooyeon didn’t answer and kept his gaze fixed only on the world outside the car window.
The car that had exited Wooyeon’s neighborhood was now between wide roads. Between tall buildings and dazzling headlights, Wooyeon somehow felt depressed.
Perhaps bored because Wooyeon wasn’t responding back while he was driving, Choi Seokwoo turned on the radio. From the radio, an announcer with a gentle tone offered words of comfort, and soon, incongruous with her voice, a currently popular male idol’s song flowed out.
The scenery outside the window had changed once again. This time, a long tree-lined street stretched alongside a two-lane road. Then gradually the car reduced its speed, and security guards stopped the car. Buses wouldn’t come to a place like this. At that moment, Wooyeon seemed to have worried about how he’d get home.
“Hey.”
When one of the security guards who checked the invitation opened the back seat door for Wooyeon, Choi Seokwoo, who had been sitting in the driver’s seat, suddenly turned around.
“Keep your mouth shut and humor the old men.”
“…”
“I still don’t understand why you’re going through this shit with that hot face.”
To borrow from Choi Seokwoo’s expressions that weren’t obscene, he’d called Wooyeon’s face “a face that looks dominant.” Of course, that wasn’t meant as a pure compliment.
Dominant omegas belonged to Centers and were managed nationally, and it was natural for the nation’s eyes to follow their marriages, relationships, employment, and such. So conversely, those involved in illegal matters could only be recessive omegas. Things like the entertainment industry, getting sponsored by old alphas, becoming a surrogate for alpha couples, and such.
“I’m not living like this because I want your understanding.”
When Wooyeon got out of the car, the security guard firmly closed the car door. The neat-looking security guard gestured Wooyeon onto the red carpet without even making eye contact.
Walking along the path laid with red carpet for a bit, soon a mansion with a classical feel revealed its white walls. When Wooyeon hesitated a little, the security guard following behind raised his hand again to point toward the entrance.
“Hello.”
Then, a woman in a suit wearing glasses who had been waiting at the entrance approached Wooyeon. Seeing her holding a document folder in her hand, he thought she would know who Wooyeon was. She was smiling with a friendly face, but it was a thoroughly businesslike face.
The woman wearing low heels gestured for Wooyeon to follow her inside, and the men standing at the door personally opened the large, tall door.
“You’re Seo Wooyeon-ssi, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Yoona, the ‘Night of Sponsorship’ assistant. Seo Wooyeon-ssi, this is your first time coming to the ‘Night of Sponsorship,’ right?”
When Wooyeon nodded, she also smiled slightly. Below the high ceiling of the entrance corridor hung paintings that looked expensive. Down the corridor, the melody of classical music, the sound of glasses clinking, and people’s conversations could be heard. When Wooyeon turned his gaze, the large banquet hall came into view at a glance below the corridor railing.
“This is Seo Wooyeon-ssi’s private lounge. Let’s go in.”
She said while pointing to one of several doors along the corridor. The shape of a seven of diamonds card was carved in marble and attached to the door. Soon, finding the key engraved with a seven of diamonds among the small bundle of keys, she opened the door.
