If You Want Me - Episode 19
<Episode 19>
“…”
Taste… It wasn’t untrue.
If Do-gyeom was asked who the most comfortable person in the world was for him, it would undoubtedly be Yoon Seo-won. Not only his obedient personality that accommodated Do-gyeom’s every need, but they also conversed well since childhood.
And his sparkling black eyes, white skin, small frame that fit in his arms when embraced, and the faint pheromones that didn’t bother him, likely because he was a low-fertility type – they all suited his tastes too.
He liked him enough to think “if only Yoon Seo-won wasn’t a low-fertility omega…” several times, but never thought deeply about it. Nothing would change even if he thought about it anyway.
In any case, there was no need to specifically look for someone resembling Yoon Seo-won. Thinking that, Do-gyeom unknowingly furrowed his brows as he looked at the list again.
“What resemblance… Are your eyes crooked.”
If it was as Secretary Bae said, they should have found someone similar to Yoon Seo-won, but for some reason, there was not a single resembling point.
In fact, there was no one better than Yoon Seo-won. The list even included a rookie idol who was just starting to get popular, but they didn’t meet Do-gyeom’s standards.
Do-gyeom casually flipped through the papers and returned the file to Secretary Bae with an unimpressed face.
“Call anyone.”
“Uh… If there’s no one you like, I’ll look into it again.”
“I just need to relieve pheromones, why does the partner matter? Call anyone. The most discreet one.”
“…Yes. Then I’ll call them to the hotel at the end of work hours.”
Secretary Bae seemed to find it a bit unexpected, but didn’t object and took the list back with a deep bow.
Secretary Bae briefly left the secretary’s office, and Do-gyeom, left alone, let out a small sigh. Perhaps because he had been used to embracing only one person for 6 years, the thought of holding an unknown omega felt strange.
It felt dirty, unpleasant… as if he was doing something he absolutely shouldn’t.
Why did he feel this way when it was nothing more than relieving pheromones without any special meaning?
Could it be the discomfort from unfamiliarity? Perhaps embracing a stranger was more unpleasant than he thought.
The thought went that far, but it wasn’t as if he would go and bring back Yoon Seo-won who left saying he found someone he loved.
It would be nothing. It was just a partner after all. Do-gyeom thought he would get used to a new omega after being with them and lightly moved past the feeling.
* * *
At a late hour well past work hours. Do-gyeom, who finished work later than others, headed to a hotel room feeling a throbbing headache.
Unless there was a special occasion, he usually spent the night with Yoon Seo-won at this hotel. Not only could he come comfortably avoiding people’s eyes since it was an affiliated hotel, but he also liked the interior and overall atmosphere.
Come to think of it, Yoon Seo-won had also admired before that the room was neat and had a great night view with one wall being a full window. The room service meal after finishing their relations wasn’t bad either.
Recalling pleasant old memories as he entered, a man sitting on the bed caught his eye.
“Hello.”
“…”
The man who looked to be in his early to mid-20s at most was sitting on the bed in a white gown with a flushed face, then stood up from his spot and greeted respectfully.
Do-gyeom’s face stiffened as he looked at him. Was there such a man in the file Secretary Bae gave earlier? Perhaps because he didn’t pay close attention, it was an unfamiliar face.
But seeing him in person, it seemed understandable why Secretary Bae had filtered for omegas resembling Yoon Seo-won.
Although the face was completely different, the overall atmosphere seemed a bit similar. The hairstyle too, the height, white skin, slender build…
But it was different after all. Those traits didn’t feel charming on this man. It felt incongruous.
As if there had been something special about Yoon Seo-won.
“Um…”
As Do-gyeom just stared at the man as if appraising him, the man seemed to feel burdened and shrank back.
Such behavior was also similar to Yoon Seo-won, but it made Do-gyeom scoff. To volunteer as a partner to relieve pheromones for money or fame and then act shy over just this much.
Yoon Seo-won was someone who knew nothing that Do-gyeom had to teach from start to finish, but this omega didn’t seem that way. It felt like he was acting shy.
Did Secretary Bae instruct him to act similar to Yoon Seo-won? Well, it didn’t matter even if it was an act. He just needed to relieve pheromones with this partner.
Do-gyeom untied his necktie that felt like it was choking him and haphazardly hung it on the chair, saying,
“Lie down.”
“Ah…! Yes!”
The man answered awkwardly like a new employee, then quickly laid down on the bed. His appearance had not a hint of sexiness, like a wooden doll.
Do-gyeom looked at him absurdly and got on top of the man feeling a bit strange.
Earlier, he had thought the man’s body type seemed similar to Yoon Seo-won’s, but touching him, it was definitely different.
Yoon Seo-won really fit in his arms…
He knew Yoon Seo-won was his only partner so he had no one else to compare to, but he kept being reminded of him. Everything was lacking compared to the standard.
What was so unsatisfying about this? He wasn’t sure if he was being too picky or if this omega was really that bad.
He felt like cursing, but thinking the hole below would be the same, he tried to embrace the man. But…
“Fuck…”
“Wh…what? Why are you doing this?”
The moment he brought his nose close to the man’s nape, nausea welled up from his stomach.
It was the worst pheromones, so revolting he thought it wouldn’t be this bad even in a dumpster.
“I, I’m sorry!”
At Do-gyeom’s chilling words, the man hurriedly suppressed his pheromones, but remnants seemed to linger in his nose and his stomach still churned.
No matter how much his head throbbed as if it would shatter, he didn’t think he could sleep with such a man.
Do-gyeom got up from the bed with a grimace and said coldly without even giving the man a glance.
“I can’t fucking do this so get the hell out.”
“What? What do you…”
“Do I need to say it twice? You won’t leave?”
At the icy tone that seemed he would do something if he didn’t leave, the man quickly got up from the bed, hastily gathered his things and left.
He was wearing nothing but a gown, but his body language showed he feared getting on Do-gyeom’s bad side more than going outside in such a state.
Fuck, they brought this as a partner? Secretary Bae may not have checked his pheromone preferences, but wasn’t this too revolting? There wasn’t a single thing he liked from head to toe.
Do-gyeom stood still, then took out a cigarette from his pocket. He lit it with a lighter, took a big inhale, and exhaled the hazy smoke.
“Phew…”
Why was there so much he disliked? It was just overlapping bodies, so why was he nitpicking so much?
Why did he keep thinking of Yoon Seo-won?
He knew he was a good partner, but thinking of him this much seemed a bit abnormal. Do-gyeom vaguely thought as he smoked his cigarette.
* * *
Yoon Seo-won visited his parents’ home.
His parents’ house was a single-family home in Gangnam. Although he wasn’t doing the job as Do-gyeom’s partner for money, he was paid handsomely since it was the uncommon occupation of relieving pheromones as a partner. This house was directly obtained by Seo-won with the money he saved that way.
When Seo-won rang the doorbell in front of the gate, the door opened quickly without even answering the intercom. Entering through the gate, his mother warmly welcomed Seo-won.
“Seo-won.”
“Mom.”
She seemed to have been watering the plants until just now. The trees, flowers, and the lawn covering the yard all exuded a lush scent.
Since it was a house with a spacious yard that his mother, who had enjoyed growing plants for a long time, found, Seo-won felt a bit proud each time he saw her tending the yard beautifully.
“You must be tired from coming. Is it hot outside?”
“Yes. It got a lot hotter recently. How’s your knee?”
Seo-won asked, looking at his mother with concern.
His mother had recently gotten knee surgery. Saying joints wear out the more you use them, perhaps because she had many tasks using her knees while working, it reached the point of needing surgery. Because of that, it had been a few months since she retired.
At Seo-won’s worried gaze, Ji-hee slightly raised the corners of her mouth and answered.
“Thanks to that. It got a lot better after the surgery.”
“…Tending the yard is good, but take it easy.”
“I am doing that. Ah, while you’re here, should I make some kong-guksu? You like that.”
“Kong-guksu? Hmm… Sounds good.”
Seo-won thought for a moment then nodded. He had lost his appetite these days so he wondered if he could eat it, but if it was kong-guksu made by his mother, he felt he could eat it deliciously.
After telling him to wait a moment, Ji-hee quickly finished cleaning up the yard, then skillfully boiled the somen noodles and put them in the chilled soybean broth.
Floating ice in the white broth, topped with julienned cucumber and cherry tomatoes cut in half as garnish – the completed kong-guksu looked as delicious as the ones sold in restaurants.
“Here, eat up. If it’s bland, add more salt to season.”
“Okay. Thank you for the meal.”
Perhaps because it was a dish made by his mother? Usually just looking at food didn’t make him think it would be delicious, but it really looked tasty.
After first sipping the cool and nutty soybean broth, he slurped up the somen noodles and his eyes widened. It was delicious as if his lack of appetite had been a lie. It seemed there were still foods that suited him well even when he had no appetite.
Seo-won gulped down what was in his mouth and spoke to his mother with admiration, his eyes wide open.
“It’s really delicious!”
“There’s plenty of noodles left, so let me know if you want more.”
As if she had expected it, she said she prepared a generous amount and also slurped up the noodles herself.
Although the sun was scorching to the point his skin felt like it was tanning even after riding in the car, eating a cool lunch made the heat dissipate quickly.
Ji-hee even prepared watermelon as dessert since her son had come after a long time. As he was diligently eating, she quietly observed Seo-won and brought up a topic.
“So, what made you come?”