If You Want Me - Episode 29
<Episode 29>
Seo-won had always been told by him that he couldn’t lie, so he was nervous, but he tried his best to manage his expression and play it cool.
“He said he would meet me after I kept pursuing him several times.”
“You pursued him? The great Yoon Seo-won?”
Do-gyeom asked with a surprised tone, frowning one eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe it. It was a reaction as if pursuing someone didn’t suit Yoon Seo-won.
At Do-gyeom’s reaction, Seo-won felt like bitter water was welling up inside him. It seemed he had casually accepted all of Seo-won’s actions during the 6 years they were together.
Well, that must be why he kept him as a partner for such a long time. If Do-gyeom had known Seo-won’s feelings, he probably wouldn’t have kept him by his side for so long. He would have immediately kicked him out, saying he was the same as any other omega.
Perhaps it would have been better to be kicked out. Then he wouldn’t have had expectations of him for 6 years, or gotten secretly pregnant like this. Feeling a bit bitter, Seo-won retorted to him.
“A thirsty person digs their own well. Isn’t that right?”
“…”
Seo-won drew a line, repeating exactly what Do-gyeom had said earlier.
Do-gyeom’s gaze followed as if it was ridiculous, but Seo-won tried hard to ignore it and continued.
“I really want things to work out with that person. So don’t interfere and don’t follow me.”
“I clearly said I need to see it with my own eyes to believe it.”
“I don’t like that. I can’t meet them if I think you’re watching.”
“Why?”
“If your former boss follows you and watches your date, do you think you could focus? Unless you’re trying to interfere with your former employee who’s 5 years younger dating someone, don’t follow me.”
“…”
Seo-won drew a firm line, truly believing he was going on a date with someone else. A former boss who actually followed their employee on a date would be an eyesore.
It was always difficult and poked at his conscience to cut off Do-gyeom this way, but he was a man who wouldn’t give up unless he went this far.
As Seo-won tried to rationalize to himself that he had no choice after saying it, his heart pounded, and Do-gyeom, who had been listening quietly, asked in a low voice.
“Then what about me?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re going to leave me alone like this?”
“Of course?”
“Haa… I’m being treated like cold rice.”
Do-gyeom muttered in a self-deprecating voice. It was a reaction of absurdity and futility.
Seo-won couldn’t quite understand Do-gyeom’s reaction. Although it was true that he liked him, did he expect to be welcomed even though he came to monitor him every week?
It was absurd. But he had driven himself today, and even though he said he came to monitor, Seo-won was still concerned because he hadn’t been able to let go of his feelings for him.
Seo-won glanced at Do-gyeom and showed his consideration in his own way.
“Since you came all the way here… You can rest at home before going back.”
“…When are you coming back?”
Do-gyeom asked as if he would wait for Seo-won if he didn’t come back late.
At his question, Seo-won was about to grab his wallet but hesitated. Until now, he had always been the one waiting, so it suddenly hit him that the situation had reversed like this.
Waiting was lonely, and the longer it took, the more tiring it became. Waiting without a set time was even more so.
“I don’t know… I think I’ll be late so don’t wait for me.”
So telling him not to wait was his best consideration.
To Do-gyeom, it seemed to come across as an even more cold and chilly answer, but it was consideration based on experience.
Seo-won packed necessary items like his wallet and keys in his bag and looked back at Do-gyeom from the front door.
“…Then I’ll get going?”
“…”
Do-gyeom showed no reaction. It seemed like he didn’t care whether Seo-won went or not, or like he was protesting.
That made his steps feel heavy for some reason, but Seo-won hardened his heart and left the house. After walking out the gate for a while, he felt like something was following him from behind.
Could he be following? Seo-won felt anxious and quickly looked back, but there was nothing chasing him in the open field. Do-gyeom wasn’t there either, and his car was parked nicely in front of the house.
With his personality, he was someone who would more than follow. Did what he said about a former boss interfering with a 5-year younger former employee’s love life have an effect? He did have a shocked face, but…
The image of Do-gyeom’s reaction when he said he was going on a date and not looking back when he said he was leaving flickered before his eyes, but Seo-won tightly gripped his bag and quickened his pace.
Regardless of his feelings, the fact that he had to sever ties with him remained unchanged.
* * *
“Phew, where should I go…?”
Seo-won, left alone on the street, muttered to himself.
Having walked out without a destination or someone to meet, he felt a bit lost on where to spend his time.
He had boldly claimed he would come back late, and he didn’t know how long Do-gyeom would stay at his house, so it seemed he would have to spend time until evening…
As he wandered around as if chased out of his own home, he found himself in a busy area before he knew it. Of course, even so, it was just a small town in the countryside, so even the busiest area was at most the level of a town center. With few young people or children, there was nothing fun to do.
Did he come out on a whim…? As he walked the streets feeling lost, he saw a sign that looked like it would fall at any moment with “Arcade” written on it.
Seo-won had no memories of playing at an arcade. There were no arcades near Do-gyeom’s mansion where he lived as a child, and Seo-won wasn’t the type to really enjoy games either.
So he was about to pass by without much interest, when he suddenly spotted a familiar person sitting inside the arcade.
“Seulgi.”
“Huh? Teacher!”
Seo-won entered the arcade and tapped the shoulder of the little girl who seemed absorbed in the game. Seulgi then turned to Seo-won with a face as if she had seen a ghost.
Seo-won had acknowledged her out of gladness to see her, but for the child, meeting her teacher at a place of play didn’t seem to be a pleasant event. She had a face as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t, sitting on pins and needles.
She has a guilty look. Seo-won thought he knew what it was about and deliberately teased Seulgi.
“Did you finish all your homework before playing?”
“About that… I haven’t done it yet, but I can do it by next class…”
“Can I trust you on that?”
“What? Yes…”
Seulgi answered, rolling her pupils. It wasn’t a very trustworthy nuance.
Well, even so, homework at that age was meant to be crammed anyway, so he understood. He couldn’t be so heartless as to scold her for just playing at the arcade in a place with so little to do like this.
As Seo-won didn’t scold her and only looked around, Seulgi tried to focus on the game again, then suddenly turned to Seo-won as if curious and asked.
“By the way, why did you come to the arcade, teacher?”
“Huh…? Just… because I was bored.”
It wasn’t that he specifically came because it was an arcade, he just came in because he saw Seulgi. He had nothing to do and was just trying to see what the fun was about…
When Seo-won answered like someone who clearly had nothing to do, Seulgi dropped her guard against the teacher.
“Then do you want to try this too, teacher?”
“What? Me…?”
“Yes! This game allows 2 players, I’ll explain it to you. Sit next to me.”
Saying that, Seulgi pulled over a small chair that looked like a bathhouse stool and placed it next to her. It was a chair that kids would sit on, and it looked like it would break if he sat on it.
So he was a bit worried if it was okay to sit, but seeing Seulgi urging, “Hurry!”, it felt wrong to refuse.
Oh well, it can’t be helped. As Seo-won sat on the chair carefully with a small hollow laugh, Seulgi excitedly explained the game.
During the gameplay, Seo-won honestly couldn’t understand why people found this fun. But Seulgi’s extremely excited appearance was so cute that he went along with her.
* * *
“Wow, that was really fun! You’re really good at games, teacher!”
As they left the arcade, Seulgi spoke to Seo-won in an excited voice.
How many times did he play while receiving instructions left and right…? Seulgi said if they played one more time, they could beat it, and naturally asked for money, so he didn’t know how much he had spent.
Still, it wasn’t a lot of money, and he had spent a good amount of time having fun. Being complimented on top of that made him feel good. Seo-won smiled a bit shyly and answered.
“Really…? I think I made a lot of mistakes. I died at the boss stage.”
“Just getting to the boss stage means you’re really good! I’ve never even reached the boss stage or beaten it except when playing with my older brother.”
“Older brother?”
“Yes. The older brother I mentioned last time who lives in Seoul. He’s a professional gamer. So he’s really good at games!”
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, it seemed she had said something like that before. Both then and now, seeing her bring up her older brother for no reason, she seemed to really love her brother.
Recalling his friends, it wasn’t very common for siblings to get along well…
Come to think of it, when he was young, there was a time when Seo-won also thought of Do-gyeom like an older brother and liked him. Now it was hard to see him as an older brother no matter how he thought about it, but back then, they lived in the same house and spent the longest part of the day together.
Even then, he had a dictatorial tendency, but looking back now, he was cute then.
Recalling the good memories, a faint smile appeared on his lips. Even though the current situation was miserable, thinking of that time, he couldn’t help but like the young master who seemed to have everything.
As he continued his thoughts for a moment, Seulgi made an “Ah!” sound and spoke.
“But aren’t you going home, teacher? This isn’t the direction of your house.”
“Yeah. I’ll take Seulgi home, and then… I’m going to play some more before going.”
It sounded a bit strange to say he was going to play more… But the sun was still high in the sky, so it felt awkward to go home. He had told Do-gyeom to rest a bit at home before leaving, but he might not have left.
When Seo-won said that with that intention, Seulgi made a pondering face.
“There’s nothing to do… Ah! Do you know there’s a karaoke place over there? That’s fun too. It’s a bit expensive, but if we have money, the kids often go there by pooling our money. I recommend it!”