A Villain's Pregnancy - Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

"Everyone will get the wrong idea."

As Taeseo clicked his mouse, his gaze drifted to Kang Seheon's face on the screen, and he recalled their earlier encounter. After exchanging contact information, Kang Seheon had abruptly declared that Taeseo was concealing his pheromones.

Taeseo who wasn't even aware of own his pheromones before, felt caught off guard. As Kang Seheon said, he was an omega, but he'd never thought about controlling his pheromones or anything like that.

While Taeseo stood speechless, Kang Seheon rose from his seat. When seated, their eye levels had been relatively even, but as Kang Seheon stood, an undeniable aura of dominance filled the room. Taeseo remained rooted to the spot, looking up at him.

Kang Seheon gazed down at Taeseo with his usual domineering gaze, then playfully tapped his cheek with a finger, as if finding him adorable.

"Still trying to live like a Beta, huh? Even if you hide it, it's obvious."

'He thinks I'm deliberately suppressing my pheromones...'

Taeseo considered correcting him but decided against it. The condescending tone made him feel like any explanation would sound like an excuse.

"Well, it's your choice. Not my place to interfere."

With those words, Kang Seheon patted Taeseo's head with a "Good luck" and left. It was as if he had sprayed perfume on his wrist, leaving a lingering scent on the hair his hand had brushed. The moment Kang Seheon was out of sight, this was the first thing Tae Seo did.
The 'good luck' could also mean do well/keep up the good work

As soon as he got home, Taeseo searched for Kang Seheon online, determined to uncover his identity and verify whether he was truly Kang Inhyeok's cousin.

A wealth of information appeared, which Taeseo calmly sifted through before suddenly grabbing his hair in frustration.

"No wonder he doesn't show up."

He wasn't referring to the search results on the portal site. Taeseo was talking about the novel itself. Only after thoroughly researching Kang Seheon did he recall the fleeting mentions of him in the original work. It made perfect sense. In a typical novel, the main male lead should be the most impressive and prominent character. But how could a mere cousin—not even a second male lead—with stats that rivaled the main lead's possibly appear frequently?

No matter how popular Kang Inhyeok was at university or how prestigious his family's conglomerate, KH Group, might be, he still fell short of Kang Seheon by a significant margin.

Kang Inhyeok was still a university student, not yet active in the professional world, while Kang Seheon, as a direct descendant of the KH Group, had his capabilities recognized and was already working in a major subsidiary. Not content with dominating the domestic market, he had expanded overseas, and every project he touched seemed destined for major success.

Their appearances were similar yet distinct. As members of the same family with the same genetic traits, some resemblance was inevitable. However, while Kang Inhyeok retained a youthful freshness, Kang Seheon possessed the hardened features of a mature man.

"He was probably taller too, right?"

If Kang Inhyeok stood in the late 180s, Kang Seheon must have been over 190 centimeters. Moreover, he vividly remembered the man's bare back: broad shoulders and a solid, muscular physique.

"How could I keep someone like him around? Even at best, he'd only be an extra."

In fact, Kang Seheon was mentioned once in the story. He was the cousin Kang Inhyeok had asked for help when searching for the runaway Seo Darae. The cousin, initially puzzled by Kang Inhyeok's sudden request, eventually agreed to assist. Without him, Kang Inhyeok would never have caught Seo Darae at the airport. This detail was also something that just came to mind after Taeseo had repeatedly searched to find out more about Kang Seheon.

Frustrated, Taeseo tugged at his collar and tilted his head back. The suffocating feeling around his neck didn't disappear, though.

"Should I just leave this country?"

Was that truly the only solution?

┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ✿ㆍ┈ㆍ┈ㆍ┈

At the sound of the door opening, Taeseo glanced over to see Kang Inhyeok and Park Hansu entering.

Kang Inhyeok.

Compared to the casually dressed students, his wine-colored knit sweater complemented his polished appearance. Each of his features were neat and refined, but when combined, they seemed to create a striking synergy that made his face stood out.

There's no one at university who doesn't know Kang Inhyeok. But so what? Kang Inhyeok was just Kang Inhyeok—the guy who would end up with Seo Darae and love only him. That was the extent of Taeseo's impression of him. Seeing him didn't make Taeseo's heart flutter or make him think about how Kang Inhyeok could have been his fiancé.

Though fragments of memory from his body still lingered, Kang Inhyeok didn't feel particularly special to Taeseo, perhaps because the core of his being was now someone else. Being held by a man didn't strike him as strange, but his feelings toward Kang Inhyeok were entirely separate. Taeseo regarded him with the same indifference as he would a rolling pebble.

Their eyes met as Kang Inhyeok searched for an empty seat. Kang Inhyeok's brow seemed to furrow slightly before smoothing out again. The reaction was fleeting, but he couldn't completely conceal his displeasure at their gaze meeting.

'Of course, you must hate me.'

Taeseo casually averted his gaze. Since the party, they had only brushed past each other once. With no subsequent encounters, Kang Inhyeok couldn't possibly know how much Taeseo has changed.

"Let's go over there." 

Kang Inhyeok looked like he was about to head elsewhere when a voice stopped him.

"That clueless Park Hansu," Taeseo clicked his tongue as Park Hansu dragged Kang Inhyeok over. Anyone could tell that they were coming to sit near him. What made it worse was that Taeseo genuinely disliked Kang Inhyeok but couldn't openly show it.

"Let's sit here. Yun Taeseo, you came early today?" Park Hansu greeted him, gesturing with his eyes to the seat where Taeseo's bag lay.

But Taeseo didn't even return the greeting. Instead, he lifted the fingers propping up his chin and pointed elsewhere.

"Plenty of seats. Go somewhere else."

"Why? It'd be fun to sit together during class."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to. I don't like sitting next to big guys like you."

Taeseo's gaze swept between Park Hansu and Kang Inhyeok.

"That's the fun of sitting here." 

But Park Hansu's thick skin was impervious to such remarks. He shoved Taeseo's bag aside and squeezed into the seat. Then, he even patted the desk beside him, signaling Kang Inhyeok to sit next to Taeseo.

"Ugh, this is suffocating."

It wasn't clear whether Taeseo was frustrated by being crammed between his bulky classmates or by Park Hansu's inability to take a hint. He simply turned his head away, as if ignoring Park Hansu altogether.

"Did you have a good visit with your parents yesterday?" Park Hansu asked, nudging Taeseo's arm with his elbow as he set down his bag. When Taeseo glared at him, as if wondering why he was asking such a question, Park Hansu gently shook his phone. He must have been referring to the message Taeseo had sent yesterday, saying he was on his way to the hotel.

"I thought you were going to the hotel for something fun, but you said you just met your parents. That's why I'm asking."

"I only saw them briefly because they were busy."

"Really? Why did they call you?"

Park Hansu knew everything about Taeseo's family background. He was the only one who knew Taeseo's secondary gender, age, and personality inside and out. Though it all stemmed from his meddling nature, Taeseo didn't feel the need to share his personal stories with him. The only thing Hansu didn't know was about Taeseo's relationship with Kang Inhyeok. He knew Taeseo liked Kang Inhyeok, but he was unaware that their families had discussed an engagement.

"They just wanted to see me since it had been a while."

"No other reason?"

"Other reason?"

When Taeseo asked out of curiosity, Park Hansu put down his phone and draped an arm over his shoulder.

"You know, like when parents try to set you up on a 'seon' for your future or something like that."

"...A 'seon'? What's a seon? What even is that?"

선 (seon) A blind date arranged by parents or relatives with marriage in mind.
The purpose of the blind date is to introduce prospective marriage partners, allowing them to determine compatibility and assess if they could make a suitable match. The prospective couple would meet at a neutral location, where they could meet and talk comfortably to allow both sides to gauge their personalities and values. If both parties feel positively about the meet-up, they may add dates to assess further. When they decide to marry, families will proceed with the formal engagement and wedding preparations.

"Parents introducing you to someone with marriage in mind. So 'seon' is the right term."

"That's not it."

As always, half of any conversation with Park Hansu was pointless. Taeseo irritably brushed off his hand, then suddenly felt a gaze fixed on him.

Kang Inhyeok was staring at him with a strange expression. Was it because his name might be mentioned?

Taeseo scoffed inwardly, mocking Kang Inhyeok before changing his mind. Keeping his gaze fixed on Kang Inhyeok, Taeseo said to Park Hansu:

"I will never marry someone my family arranged for me."

"Huh? Why? Your parents will find someone really good, right?" Park Hansu asked, sounding puzzled.

"I don't care about conditions anymore. I'm marrying someone I love. Family background, childhood acquaintance—none of that matters. What's the point if we don't even feel attracted to each other?"

If clinging to Kang Inhyeok for that reason would put my life on the line, then absolutely not. Besides, I don't even like him anymore. Once I, or rather, this body, cleans up the messes I've made, I'm going to live a completely different life.

"Well, you don't really need to worry about the other person's family background. In that case, should I set you up on a blind date? There are a few people who've been interested in you anyway. Look here, he's a fourth-year dance major and a beta. Since you're a beta too, someone like him would be a good match, right?"

As if he'd been waiting for this moment, Park Hansu thrust his phone forward, displaying someone's photo. Taeseo pretended to examine the picture while ignoring Kang Inhyeok's gaze.

While Taeseo took Park Hansu's phone and leaned in for a closer look, Kang Inhyeok's eyes swept over Taeseo's profile. It was the usual Yun Taeseo—a handsome man with refined features. Yet today, something seemed different.

As Kang Inhyeok tried to pinpoint what had changed, one detail suddenly caught his attention. Had Taeseo's lips always been this red? Staring at Taeseo's face, Kang Inhyeok suddenly felt an indescribable thirst.

__________

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