Episode 5

 

“Ju, Ju, Ju Jae-young.”

 

“Yes, that’s me.”

 

Unlike Seung-hyun who couldn’t even speak properly due to his bewilderment, Jae-young looked completely unfazed. No, he even looked very satisfied.

 

Seeing that face, the events of last night flashed through Seung-hyun’s mind like a panorama. The memories that felt like a zoetrope made his face turn extremely pale.

 

“About last night… I mean, what happened last night…”

 

“You’re not going to say you don’t remember, right? After ravishing me so enthusiastically.”

 

“Wh-what are you talking about?  If anything, I was the one who was ravished…!”

 

“See, you remember it well.”

 

Seung-hyun felt like he would lose his mind with the way Jae-young dizzily switched between informal and formal speech. Even though he decided not to care about other people’s gazes or opinions, this was a different matter.

 

‘I didn’t want to get involved with a character from the novel…’

 

“I didn’t know our Director Han had this kind of secret.”

 

His smiling face was so pretty yet so annoying to look at. Seung-hyun strongly pulled his caught wrist out and got off the bed. He hurriedly picked up his clothes and put them on, his guard raised high.

 

“I had a great time yesterday. As for how it was for you, Director… I don’t think I need to ask.”

 

“…I think I drank too much yesterday. I guess I exceeded my limit since it’s been a while.”

 

“Yes, it definitely seemed that way. You even left such passionate marks on my back while begging me not to stop.”

 

“Y-you… No, Ju Jae-young. Please shut that mouth of yours.”

 

At Jae-young’s words, the events of last night that he had tried to bury deep in his mind resurfaced again, making Seung-hyun blush and turn his head.

 

He wanted to pounce and cover Jae-young’s mouth right away.  If possible, he wanted to cover up the nail marks on his exposed back too.

 

“Your reaction is amusing, Director Han Seung-hyun.”

 

“This situation may be amusing to you, but it’s not for me.”

 

“Why? Didn’t you say you wanted to sleep with a handsome man? Even  if he was an alpha.”

 

“…Don’t read too much into what I said when I was too drunk to even recognize who you were. I hope you can forget about today.”

 

“Why? Did I not perform well? I don’t think that’s the case though.”

 

“Please, shut that mouth…”

 

Seung-hyun bit his innocent lips and spoke. Honestly,  if you ask whether it was good or bad – it was good. Since they were both alphas, he couldn’t feel the dizzying sensation of pheromones intertwining, but pheromones were still unfamiliar to Seung-hyun anyway. Those things really didn’t matter at all. 

 

Only the warmth of another person that he felt up close for the first time, the thrilling sensations that awakened him even in his hazy mind, and the memory of embracing Jae-young’s back with all his strength remained vaguely in his slightly blurred recollection.

 

“Wouldn’t this be quite a shocking story  if other people found out?”

 

“……”

 

“It seems like a secret you have to hide somehow, Director. I think we have a lot to talk about.”

 

‘No wonder he looked excessively pleased, he must have thought he got some dirt on me.’

 

Seung-hyun let out a small empty laugh. After all, Han Seung-hyun was the villain of this world, and he didn’t have good relationships with most of the main characters, so it was only natural. His mind that had been in a mess due to the shock was starting to calm down.

 

“I don’t particularly want to let others know about this either…”

 

“Go ahead and talk.”

 

“…What?”

 

Jae-young’s face that had been smiling leisurely lost its smile at Seung-hyun’s composed attitude. Seung-hyun spoke again nonchalantly.

 

“I said go ahead and talk. Spread rumors everywhere. I don’t care.”

 

“…Are you still drunk?”

 

“No, I’m perfectly sober.”

 

His stomach hurt and his head felt like it would split, but his mind was clear. Yes, the milk had already been spilled anyway. It was only a matter of time before the characters heard about the change in his attitude, it was just the order that changed a little.

 

“I don’t know what kind of rumors you want to spread, but go ahead.”

 

“Are you serious? You know how conservative Chairman Han is. If he hears that you slept with an alpha…”

 

“I’ve decided to quit the company. I’ve decided not to care about the succession structure anymore.”

 

“…Was I the one who got drunk instead of you?”

 

Jae-young muttered as if his soul had left his body. The shock was evident on his face. It was only natural, since the Han Seung-hyun he knew wasn’t like this.

 

But Seung-hyun didn’t care what kind of person Han Seung-hyun had been until now, or what others thought of his actions. Seung-hyun finally picked up his coat that was a little further away and put it on.

 

“Excuse me. I’ll get going now. Don’t contact me again.”

 

After saying that, Seung-hyun left Jae-young’s house without hesitation. Honestly, he wasn’t as calm as he appeared. He just didn’t want to show Jae-young his wretched state any longer.

 

“Wait…!”

 

He heard Jae-young’s voice trying to stop him from behind, but Seung-hyun left his room without looking back. For now, he just wanted to go home.

 

“Haa…”

 

The first place Seung-hyun headed to after taking a taxi and returning home was none other than the bathroom. He had been barely holding back the urge to throw up everything in his stomach, which felt unwell as if he would puke at any moment.

 

Only then did he realize that there was no way the original Han Seung-hyun’s alcohol tolerance would be the same as his own, and he regretted it, but it was too late. The liquor he had downed without any snacks poured over the toilet bowl, and Seung-hyun got up from the floor, wiping his mouth.

 

“I used to be fine with this much before. I guess I can’t drink excessively anymore.”

 

Moreover, since he had gloriously created a dark history claiming it was his last in life, he thought it would be better not to drink alcohol at all in the future. Seung-hyun threw the clothes heavily scented with Jae-young’s pheromones into the trash can and threw himself onto the bed.

 

“I did check off one thing on my life’s bucket list… but I also created a dark history along with it. I don’t know what to say about this.”

 

Seung-hyun lay face down on the bed as if he were dead. He intended to fall asleep again, but it didn’t go as planned. His stomach still hurt, and yesterday’s events kept coming back to his mind.

 

‘Ah, there…’

 

‘I won’t run away, so… huff… please let go of this. I can’t breathe.’

 

“Ahhh!”

 

In the end, Seung-hyun pulled at his hair and punched the blanket, rolling around on the bed. Why did he have to get involved with Ju Jae-young of all people?

 

Ju Jae-young was the childhood friend of the novel’s male lead Seon-hu and the sub-male lead of this novel. He was also a character as popular as the main couple.

 

Jae-young had been inseparable with Seon-hu since childhood. Their relationship was a little deeper than ordinary friends.

 

The relationship between their families was also good, and since he heard he was likely to present as an alpha while Seon-hu was likely to be an omega, he naturally thought Seon-hu was the only one for him.

 

Moreover, the elders of both families linked them together since they were young as if it was only natural. They were essentially in an engaged relationship. However, things changed when Seon-hu unexpectedly presented as a non-dynamic in high school, contrary to expectations. 

 

The relationship between the two families was still good, but their relationship couldn’t be the same as before. Jae-young’s family subtly expressed their inner thoughts that he, as a dominant alpha, should naturally be matched with a dominant omega. Then, Jae-young’s father made a remark that he should at least be with a regular omega, which became the catalyst. 

 

Seon-hu’s family, irritated by those words, started arguing if Jae-young was the only decent alpha in the world, and their engagement ended up being broken off.

 

However, Jae-young still liked Seon-hu. He couldn’t understand that their dynamics had torn them apart. Ignoring all the meddling from his family, he stayed by Seon-hu’s side without getting engaged to anyone else.

 

But Seon-hu ended up marrying Tae-sung, and Jae-young thought Seon-hu was forced into an unwanted marriage, so he was displeased with Tae-sung. However, there were times when even Jae-young unhesitantly took Tae-sung’s side – when dealing with Han Seung-hyun.

 

He disliked Han Seung-hyun as much as Tae-sung did, and he was a character who had bad blood with Han Seung-hyun. By now, Han Seung-hyun would have already scattered some obstacles in Tae-sung and Seon-hu’s path…

 

“He must hate me, but he still slept with me even though he was sober.”

 

Seung-hyun muttered with a long sigh. Can someone go that far for a friend? Anyway, he was an amazing person.

 

I should never get involved with him again. Seung-hyun thought as he rubbed his still aching stomach. The pain didn’t seem to subside easily, and it didn’t feel like it was just because of a hangover. It was a moment when he needed the power of medicine.

 

He poured the medicine he got from the hospital into his mouth and returned to bed. If he slept deeply like this and woke up, wouldn’t the pain subside a little?

 

With that thought, Seung-hyun closed his eyes. And when he opened his eyes after waking up from sleep…

 

“……?”

 

He was back at the hospital.