Episode 17

“In-hyuk, if you send me what you’ve investigated so far, I’ll organize it and wrap it up.”

Seo Da-rae looked at the laptop and spoke, then lifted her head when there was no response. In-hyuk, sitting across from her, was lost in thought as he gazed out the window. Judging by the shallow water around the Americano in front of him, it seemed like he had been doing so for quite some time.

“In-hyuk?”

“Yeah. Sorry, what did you say?”

“What’s wrong?”

At Seo Da-rae’s question, Kang In-hyuk shook his head slightly. Belatedly picking up his Americano, he saw that all the ice had melted and put it back down on the table. Though he claimed it was nothing, his expression didn’t improve, so Seo Da-rae closed the laptop and raised her arms together. Right now, In-hyuk was more important than the assignment.

“You don’t look good.”

“Is that so.”

Kang In-hyuk wiped his cheeks, but there was no sign of his expression changing. In fact, he was thinking about the lunch with Yoon Tae-seo’s family. 

The sudden encounter left quite an impression, enough to disrupt In-hyuk’s peaceful routine. The contrast between how they were friendly in front of the adults but immediately became prickly when alone stood out. Yoon Tae-seo’s gaze and attitude towards him felt like thorns embedded in his fingertips. They were irritating to touch but invisible, and ignoring them only made them more irritating, like those kinds of thorns that constantly prick your nerves.

– “I didn’t know I was meeting you today, and I felt the same. I don’t know what our parents were thinking when they set this up, but anyway, they just tried to match the atmosphere as our parents. I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable for the adults by pretending we’re on bad terms for no reason.”

– “The fact that your parents like me is an issue, and if I become an omega, it’s also a problem for our parents who want to match us up. Yeah, that’s there.”

With that said, he blatantly set up a blind date right in front of Kang In-hyuk. He was clearly saying that he had no feelings for him. His insides, which used to be transparently visible, were now impenetrable. Was he trying to escape from that situation under the pretext of a blind date, or was there another reason…?

Despite everything, worrying the person right in front of him by thinking about Yoon Tae-seo was too much. Seo Da-rae kept staring, and Kang In-hyuk chuckled and said,

“There’s really nothing.”

“Maybe…”

Seo Da-rae hesitated for a moment, as if she was about to mention a name but then closed her mouth, saying it was nothing. She thought there was no need to mention Yoon Tae-seo’s name here.

“Since it seems like we can’t focus, should we go back home and finish the rest separately?”

Seo Da-rae asked, and Kang In-hyuk lowered his gaze to his laptop. He had searched here and there, but nothing seemed organized, so it didn’t seem like it could be resolved quickly.

“Let’s do that.”

As Seo Da-rae nodded and started packing up her things, Kang In-hyuk suddenly called out to her.

“I’ll give you a ride.”

“No, it’s okay. I can take the subway and be there soon.”

“How can you say it’s soon? You have to take the subway and then catch a bus down.”

“You don’t know how efficient it is to study every time, do you?”

Seo Da-rae casually laughed and evaded Kang In-hyuk’s suggestion. It felt both guilty to take up his time again when he drove her home and economically noticeable even if she pretended otherwise.

“Da-rae.”

While Seo Da-rae had packed up all her bags, Kang In-hyuk still seemed unsettled. He looked up from his still-open laptop. Seo Da-rae quietly withdrew her teasing hand as she noticed his sinking gaze.

“Are you still rejecting my offer?”

“Well…”

What In-hyuk had suggested to Seo Da-rae was staying at his place while attending university. He had mentioned it occasionally for quite some time now.

“The school you’re attending is too far away. Besides, I often visit my hometown, so it’s convenient for you to study there, saving time on commuting.”

“In-hyuk, I’m really fine. I knew the school was far when I applied. And I’m not wasting my time commuting back and forth; I’m using it efficiently, so you don’t need to worry.”

“What about me?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t I worry about you until you get home?”

As Kang In-hyuk shifted the focus onto himself, Seo Da-rae couldn’t hide her surprise. She had always claimed to be fine, but when Kang In-hyuk asked about his feelings, she couldn’t avoid it anymore. 

“Every day, I worry if you got home safely, if something happened, if someone is following you. Do you think I don’t care?”

“In-hyuk.”

“It’s not that you’re weak, it’s just… you’re too beautiful, so weird things keep happening.”

Seo Da-rae didn’t have anything to say since she had heard Kang In-hyuk say this several times. There had even been times when Kang In-hyuk chased away alphas who followed her after catching their scent. With him being so protective, she couldn’t really claim everything was fine anymore.

Truth be told, she would have preferred a school closer to home. It would have been easier to focus on her studies and not have to squeeze in time to look for part-time jobs. But she had hesitated to rely on Kang In-hyuk too much, and now her resolve to refuse was slowly weakening.

“I’ll make sure no one else comes, so come to my place. I won’t hold you back after graduation.”

“I’ll think about it.”

In the end, Seo Da-rae gave Kang In-hyuk an opening instead of outright rejecting him.

“You’re considering that too?”

Kang In-hyuk had been waiting for Seo Da-rae’s response to his confession of wanting to date, but she had been postponing her answer, asking for time to think. Feeling like she was giving him the same answer repeatedly, Seo Da-rae couldn’t meet his gaze. She liked Kang In-hyuk too. Her heart had raced when he confessed, so how could she dislike him? But it wasn’t a simple matter. There were many differences between Kang In-hyuk and herself, and there were many obstacles.

“Well, it’s better this way. From the day we start dating, we can live together.”

“What do you mean?”

When Kang In-hyuk lightened the mood, Seo Da-rae felt relieved and could smile.

“Let’s get up now.”

Kang In-hyuk nodded and quickly tidied up his laptop and books. Seo Da-rae, who had already finished organizing everything, helped him and handed him his pen. To anyone watching, they looked like affectionate lovers. Their gaze also held a mutual fondness for each other. It was strange that they weren’t officially dating yet.

“Oh, wait a moment.”

As Kang In-hyuk was about to lift his bag, he pulled out his phone from his pocket when it vibrated. When he checked who was calling, his expression stiffened involuntarily. Just by his reaction, it seemed like she would know who it was without asking. Seo Da-rae, sensing Kang In-hyuk’s gaze, lowered her half-raised buttocks back to the ground.

“Yes, what’s the matter?”

The voice of a woman came through the phone, presumably Kang In-hyuk’s mother.

“I’m alone. What’s going on?”

Seo Da-rae shrugged her shoulders slightly at Kang In-hyuk’s brief glance. Even though it was just a phone call, she found herself involuntarily shrinking in on herself as if trying to make herself less visible. While Kang In-hyuk was fine and told her not to worry, his parents were still intimidating and burdensome to Seo Da-rae. The fact that they regarded her as a thorn in their side made it even worse.

Even though Kang In-hyuk reassured her not to worry, it was hard for Seo Da-rae to not feel uneasy about not being accepted by his parents. Still, when their eyes met, she pretended to smile as if everything was fine. That was how Seo Da-rae lived her life. Even if she felt rotten inside, she didn’t show it externally; it was the only way to protect her self-esteem.

“I envy Yoon Tae-seo in moments like this.”

She couldn’t help but feel envious of Yoon Tae-seo’s confidence, who believed that the world revolved around him. Looking at Kang In-hyuk, who couldn’t receive his parents’ love, made her own world seem so dismal.

“Is it for Se-heon Hyung?”

Unaware of Seo Da-rae’s thoughts, Kang In-hyuk focused on his conversation with his mother.

“Why would I go to hyung? Father has a secretary.”

Kang In-hyuk said reluctantly, but it seemed like his mother kept talking. He sent an apologetic look to Seo Da-rae but continued the call without hanging up. The atmosphere suggested that his mother was asking him to do something.

“Sigh, okay, I got it. I just need to take it to Hyung, right?”

Even as he sighed and reluctantly accepted, Seo Da-rae couldn’t hide her bitter feelings. Even if she voiced her displeasure, in the end, she would lose to his parents, and their relationship would eventually come to an end. That was why Seo Da-rae hesitated.

Still…

“Hey, In-hyuk.”

My feelings for In-hyuk that I couldn’t give up kept bubbling up.

***

“The approval documents end here. The canceled meeting has been rescheduled for next week.”

Kang Se-heon rolled his pen absentmindedly as he casually listened to his secretary’s report. A month-long meeting had been pushed back due to the urgent circumstances of the other party, throwing off his evening plans.

“I’ll take you home.”

Se-heon offered as he finished his work.

“Hmm…”

Kang Se-heon set down his pen and rubbed his chin. At the mention of going home, someone’s face naturally came to mind. The cat that woke him up in the morning and asked for sushi… Was he softening up?

“Let’s stop by the sushi restaurant on the way.”

“Will you be dining in? I’ll make a reservation then.”

“Rather, ask them to prepare two servings for takeout.”

“Understood.”

It was just about buying food on the way home, nothing more. And perhaps the canceled meeting could be seen as a stroke of luck for Tae-seo.

As Kang Se-heon picked up his coat to head home, his secretary handed him a phone.

“It’s President Kang Soo-hak.”

He was like a little father to Kang Se-heon, responsible for KH Mart.