CHAPTER 5
Taeseo didn't dare to lift his head to confirm who it was. He parted ways with the man that morning and has been trying to forget about him ever since. Or, to be honest, the man had occasionally popped into his mind. Each time, Taeseo forced himself to dismiss it as a mere incident, but why did they have to meet here? Taeseo took his hand off the button and stepped back. He wouldn't force the elevator doors to close, but if the man didn't get in, the doors would close on their own. After all, that man probably wanted to avoid him just as much.
[ The doors are closing. ]
With the announcement, the elevator doors began to move. Watching the shrinking gap, Taeseo knew that man wouldn't get in. If they continued on their separate ways like this, even if they happened to run into each other again...
The closing elevator doors slid open again, and Taeseo's gaze lifted. When his eyes met Kang Seheon's, he realized that man was looking at him the entire time.
Kang Seheon stepped into the elevator. After studying Taeseo for a moment longer, he turned away.
As the doors closed, the two were left alone in the cramped space. Taeseo awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, then suddenly noticed the scent emanating from Kang Seheon.
The refreshing fragrance seemed to penetrate his nostrils and linger in his chest the more he inhaled it. The scent's movement was as pure and honest as could be.
'Nice.'
Even back then, he thought the scent was quite pleasant. The scent was unforgettable and today he recognized the man by his scent first. What kind of cologne is that? he wondered, then considered: Could this be pheromones? In this world, pheromones were perceived and processed like any other scent.
Taeseo surreptitiously raised his arm and sniffed his own scent. Since he was an Omega, he wondered if he might have a scent. Come to think of it, why hadn't he ever tried to smell his own pheromones before?
'Hmm?'
Taeseo tilted his head. All he could smell was fabric softener. Does that mean I'm not an Omega? But I definitely went into heat that day...
"Yun Taeseo."
Taeseo flinched at the small but thunderous voice. Since they were the only two inside the elevator, Kang Seheon must be calling him.
"I was going to ignore you, but..."
Kang Seheon's voice, neither loud nor soft, echoed faintly in the confined space. Though he wasn't exactly demanding his attention, Taeseo's senses inexplicably focused entirely on him.
"Something feels off."
Taeseo's brow twitched. He could understand Kang Seheon pretending not to recognize him after so long. After all, even if they had kissed, they were just strangers that happened to run into each other by chance and there would be no next time. But "Something feels off"? What was that supposed to mean? It made him feel like he was some kind of stain on the man's body.
Taeseo's furrowed brow smoothed out, replaced by a forced smile. He glared at Kang Seheon, his smile unwavering. He won't even notice me glaring since he'll never see me again anyway.
"Do you have something to say to me?"
"I thought you might have something to tell me."
"And you think I'll just obediently answer you?"
Not a chance. Taeseo had no intention of catering to that man's mood. In fact, he didn't need to. Frankly, his current situation was too precarious to even worry about Kang Seheon, especially since he wasn't someone like Kang Inhyeok or Seo Darae, whose lives were intertwined with his own.
"Ah, right. That's how it was."
Kang Seheon acted as if something came to mind upon Taeseo's grumpy reaction.
"You were never a good kid, were you? I'd forgotten that for a moment."
"...Are you messing with me right now?"
"I just mean you're not the type to obediently follow orders. Anyway..."
Kang Seheon brushed off Tae Seo's retort with a dismissive wave.
"Come with me."
[ The doors are opening. ]
Just then, the elevator doors opened with an announcement, and Kang Seheon gestured for Taeseo to exit. Taeseo checked the floor number. He was heading to the basement, so there was no need to get off on the first floor.
"No thanks."
Taeseo calmly refused his offer, signaling for Kang Seheon to get out quickly. He even subtly placed his hand on the close button, ready to shut the doors the moment Kang Seheon stepped out.
Kang Seheon, observing Taeseo's reaction, chuckled softly and stepped out of the elevator. Taeseo was about to press the button, hoping to never encounter him again.
"Well, I guess I have no choice. I'll have to start looking for someone who knows a 25 year old Yun Taeseo. If I start with the party that night, I'm sure I'll find someone who remembers him. But what should I say first? Should I just blurt out that he suddenly went into heat?"
His tone was casual as if there was no need to ask the person concerned, but it was clearly a threat. Taeseo knew he should dismiss it, Who would believe him anyway? I'm just a beta.
"...Where are you going?"
Yun Taeseo, the 25 year old still haunted by his past misdeeds, fidgeted nervously and pressed the open button.
┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈
'I would rather it be someone I know'
Taeseo glared at Kang Seheon, his face brimming with displeasure. If it had been Kang Inhyeok instead, he wouldn't have felt this surge of dissatisfaction. He knew the novel's original protagonist intimately and could easily figure out how to handle him. But the man before him was a complete enigma.
Even if he was a minor supporting character mentioned a few times, Taeseo could at least piece together a strategy. But nothing came to mind. This means all the information he has is totally useless against dealing with Kang Seheon now.
But ignoring him wasn't an option either. This man's unexpectedly formidable personality meant that a single misstep could leave Taeseo completely under his thumb.
"You said you wouldn't take responsibility," Taeseo muttered.
Taeseo's sudden remark made Kang Seheon, who was looking at his phone, glance up.
"So you told me not to acknowledge you if we met again, right? To not cling to you. But why are you acknowledging me now and even having coffee with me?"
Taeseo acted genuinely wronged. He should have been grateful for Kang Seheon's help and followed his instructions, but Kang Seheon clearly drew the line first. He had specifically told Taeseo not to act like a grateful magpie trying to repay a debt over the incident.
"You even told me not to think about getting your phone number, right? So why are you making me sit here? I'm really busy right now."
"What are you so busy with?"
"I need to go home and have dinner."
At Taeseo's brazen answer, Kang Seheon's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Yes, he's a child who takes care of his meals. What can I say......"
"Calling me 'kid' and 'young one' since earlier? Must be nice being old."
"...Do you know Kang Inhyeok?"
"...Who?"
For a moment, Taeseo thought he'd misheard. But Kang Seheon kindly repeated the name, making it sink in properly.
"He's my cousin. I heard one of Kang Inhyeok's friends is named Yun Taeseo. I was wondering if that might be you."
Kang Inhyeok. Kang Seheon. Gears spun wildly in Tae Seo's mind as he tried to piece together the relationships.
Am I currently the villainous bottom who likes the main male lead but ended up sleeping with his cousin while desperately trying to avoid him?
This is so twisted... And of all the humans he could have gotten help from, it had to be him...
"...Who is he?"
Tae Seo's hesitation was brief. He now understood that Kang Inhyeok and Kang Seheon were cousins, but he had no intention of revealing Kang Inhyeok's identity.
"Never mind. I've said what I needed to say. You can go now."
Kang Seheon set his phone on the table and picked up his coffee cup. He gave Taeseo a gentle smile, as if apologizing for having detained him.
"You should go eat."
Taeseo rose awkwardly, surprised at how easily the meeting had ended. As he walked back toward the elevator, he stopped.
'How did things get so tangled up?'
Tae Seo scowled deeply, then rubbed his forehead irritably. He turned back to face Kang Seheon.
"Why? Did you lie to me about something?"
The question implied: Was it a lie that you don't know Kang Inhyeok? But Taeseo shook his head.
"Give me your number."
"Out of the blue?"
"It's not because I have any other feelings. I just want you to ask me directly later instead of saying things like, 'looking for someone who knows a 25 year old Yun Taeseo' or whatever."
"Saying it like that makes me even less inclined to give it to you."
Kang Seheon chuckled, leaning back against the seat. Taeseo glared at him. He probably isn't that much older than him, but Taeso hate how effortlessly composed he is from start to finish. Now, even his scent was starting to annoy him.
"That's not gonna happen, you were the one who approached me first today, so you don't get to say that. Anyway, give me your number."
Taeseo suppressed his irritation, gesturing with his eyes toward Kang Seheon's phone. Kang Seheon glanced up at Taeseo for a moment, offered a brief smile, and handed over his phone. As Taeseo took it and entered his number, Kang Seheon's gaze swept over him.
Though his face still held a youthful cast, it still gave a masculine impression. While softer than his cousin Kang Inhyeok's features, Yun Taeseo was undeniably handsome. He was tall with broad shoulders, but the naked allure Kang Seheon had witnessed that day was truly breathtaking. The seemingly ordinary physique had unexpectedly revealed exquisite body lines.
Moreover, despite his mischievousness, Taeseo didn't seem to lack self-esteem. He knew how to return playful banter in kind and, above all, was remarkably perceptive.
Conversing with him was like watching a lively ping-pong match, making Yun Taeseo seem quite appealing. Of course, only up to that point.
"If you call me just because you're lonely, you'll be in trouble."
"I guess it’s because you’re getting older, so you’re worried that your sides will be cold." Tae Seo retorted with a snort.
Metaphorical saying that there is no lover by their side. When walking on the street with your lover stuck to your side, your side will be warm VS a who person walks alone in winter
As Kang Seheon took the phone from Yun Taeseo, he suddenly noticed something strange. The scent that he held close and inhaled all night that day had vanished.
"By the way, you've completely suppressed your pheromones."
At Kang Seheon's words, Taeseo's face froze. He had been sulkily pouting and fiddling with the phone, but now his expression turned rigid.
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