If You Want Me - Episode 37
<Episode 37>
Seo-won almost burst out laughing unintentionally at Do-gyeom’s words. Never thought of him in “that way”? Then what was it that they had been pheromone partners for several years? Even now, he came every week telling Seo-won to come back as his partner…
He wanted to argue like that, the words welling up in his throat. However, they were in front of his mother. His mother didn’t even dream that Seo-won had been working as Do-gyeom’s pheromone partner, so he couldn’t argue like that.
As he swallowed down the surging emotions, Ji-hee rolled her eyes as if embarrassed. Although she had spoken confidently before, she wasn’t actually the type to be articulate like Seo-won. She didn’t have a strong personality either.
While she was choosing her words to oppose using some excuse this time, Do-gyeom spoke first.
“There are some troublesome issues because Seo-won suddenly quit his job, and today is the only time that works for me.”
If it was about pheromones, Seo-won would understand, but Do-gyeom was speaking as if there was a disruption in work because Seo-won hadn’t properly handed over his duties.
He was about to lash out, saying it was absurd, but it was the same this time too. His mother only knew that Seo-won worked under Do-gyeom, so he couldn’t say that wasn’t the case.
“If the discussion ends early, I’ll go back too. I’m not necessarily thinking of sleeping over, but I asked because I was worried the timing might not work out.”
“Ah…”
There’s no way this man would go back early… Seo-won was beyond frustrated, but his mother was completely persuaded.
It seemed she thought it couldn’t be helped since he said he came for work, as even a passing elementary school student knew Do-gyeom was a busy person. But the reality was completely different.
Seo-won mumbled with frustration and a sense of injustice. She glanced at Seo-won as if gauging his reaction, then let out a small sigh and opened her mouth.
“I understand it’s for company work, but… no matter what, sleeping over is a bit troublesome. Please finish your work as quickly as possible and go back.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
In the end, even Seo-won’s mother couldn’t stop Do-gyeom from barging into the house. It was fortunate that at least she made it clear that sleeping over wasn’t allowed.
After politely greeting Seo-won’s mother, Do-gyeom naturally got up from his seat. Then he casually spoke to Seo-won.
“Let’s go to your room.”
“…”
Do-gyeom gave a look as if telling Seo-won to guide him since he didn’t know where his room was.
Is this okay…? Seo-won wanted to stop Do-gyeom from entering his room, but since he had already come into the house and couldn’t use his mother as an excuse, he couldn’t stop him.
It should be fine since he said he wouldn’t sleep over…? Seo-won swallowed his saliva and looked up at Do-gyeom.
* * *
“D-Don’t wander around and sit there.”
As soon as they entered the room, Do-gyeom walked around the small room and took in every corner with his eyes. Even though there wasn’t much to see, he was busy looking around as if trying to take in everything one by one.
Come to think of it, he was also busy looking around when he first entered the house in the countryside Seo-won had moved to. At that time, Seo-won thought he was looking around because the house was a mess after he finished looking and asked, “Were you scammed by the real estate agent?”… But now it seemed like he was originally the type to be very interested in other people’s houses.
Fortunately, it was a room his mother had tidied up, and since Seo-won had only slept there after coming, it wasn’t messy. However, it wasn’t as spacious and nice as Do-gyeom’s house, so it would probably be compared.
Seo-won indirectly told him to stop looking due to embarrassment, but Do-gyeom didn’t even listen. Rather, he let out a chuckle and picked up a frame on the wooden desk.
“What’s this photo?”
What Do-gyeom picked up was a frame containing a photo of Seo-won when he graduated from elementary school.
In the photo inside the frame, a young Seo-won was standing in front of the school’s podium, wearing bright yellow clothes and holding a lush bouquet of flowers.
Although Seo-won would stiffen up in front of the camera, he was smiling brightly on this day, looking incredibly happy for some reason. Seo-won didn’t like the photo because he thought he looked too foolishly happy, but his mother loved that photo the most.
Seo-won grumbled like a teenager, half embarrassed and half awkward, as he answered.
“It’s a photo from when I graduated elementary school, my mom put it there.”
“She has good taste.”
“…”
Good taste…? He was definitely teasing. That’s because the corners of Do-gyeom’s mouth were twitching upward as he looked at the photo, as if he was trying to hold back his laughter because it was funny.
What’s so funny about it? He had seen me countless times at that age in real life, so why is he looking at it so intently as if seeing it for the first time?
It didn’t seem like Do-gyeom would listen even if Seo-won told him to stop looking… Feeling embarrassed, Seo-won turned his gaze elsewhere and tried to clear his mind. That’s when it happened.
Click.
“Huh?”
Before Seo-won could even clear his mind, he heard the sound of a camera shutter coming from somewhere on a cell phone.
Startled, he turned his gaze and saw Do-gyeom taking a picture of the frame with his cell phone. Why on earth is he doing that? Seo-won asked Do-gyeom with a dumbfounded face, as if questioning his incomprehensible actions.
“W-Why are you suddenly taking a picture of that?”
“Hm? Because it’s cute.”
“What do you mean cute, it’s my photo! How can you just take a picture like that?”
“I can’t take a picture?”
Do-gyeom blinked his eyes, asking if he wasn’t supposed to take a picture of someone else’s photo without permission. He had an innocent face as if he didn’t know what was wrong. It was absurd.
“Is that even something to ask? Of course, you can’t.”
“Then can I ask you something in exchange for deleting it?”
“No, you’re supposed to delete it anyway…”
It seemed like he was trying to hold the thing he was supposed to do anyway as a hostage and demand something.
Seo-won gave him a look, squinting his eyes to tell him to just delete it without asking, but Do-gyeom pretended not to know. Whether he really didn’t know or whatever, his brazen face seemed like he wouldn’t delete it until Seo-won accepted his request.
Seo-won looked at him with resentful eyes, mumbling his lips. Really… what is he trying to do again? He held back a sigh that seemed to come out.
“What is it?”
“What’s this about you having a cold?”
Do-gyeom brought up the story he had heard from Seo-won’s mother a little while ago.
Seo-won thought he would let it go since he was doing other things after entering the room… He’s not easy to deal with after all. Seo-won subtly avoided his gaze and answered.
“It’s nothing much.”
“Exactly where and how are you sick? You said you even went to the hospital.”
“It’s just similar to you, Young Master. Well… I’ve been a bit tired and struggling these days, but it seems there’s nothing to diagnose. My mom is speculating that it might be because the symptoms are similar to a cold.”
He would find out anyway that Seo-won had gone to the obstetrics and gynecology clinic. Rather than insisting it was a cold, it seemed better to make an excuse like this.
At Seo-won’s answer, Do-gyeom’s expression became quite serious. Then, as if he had thought of something, his face became so grave that deep wrinkles formed between his eyebrows.
“Since you don’t have pheromone congestion like me, shouldn’t you go to another hospital? Should I make a hospital appointment for you? How about getting a comprehensive examination?”
“Forget it. You should go to the hospital instead of me, Young Master. From what I heard, it doesn’t seem like a simple issue of pheromone congestion.”
“That’s something that will all be resolved if I just have you.”
Do-gyeom asserted lightly as if his problem was nothing. It was a response that didn’t seem to matter to the extent that one wouldn’t know why he had struggled so much.
“How can you assert that, Young Master? You said medication and other partners had no effect.”
“When I was with you on the weekend, my headache definitely lessened. So if I even just sleep with you, it will get better.”
“…”
He said it got better when he was with me? Seo-won thought he was coming to the house recklessly to persuade him, but it wasn’t just for that reason?
When he came down alone without Secretary Bae, Seo-won wondered why he would go that far, but now that he thought about it, it seemed like he came to escape the pain that was suppressing him. Thinking that way, his behavior that crossed the line seemed a bit understandable.
But why does it get better only when he’s with me? As if there’s a reason it has to be like that.
The possibility of imprinting came to mind, as it reacted to only one person, but Seo-won was fine without Do-gyeom. Even if his reaction was less than Do-gyeom’s since Seo-won was a fervent omega, there was nothing that affected his life to the point of causing inconvenience anyway.
Usually, imprinting occurred mutually in many cases, and very rarely, a one-sided imprinting like a curse would happen… But it clearly wasn’t something like that.
One-sided imprinting was premised on love, and even though Seo-won had loved Do-gyeom for so long, it hadn’t happened. There was no way Do-gyeom would like him more than Seo-won loved him, so such a thing wouldn’t happen.
Then what is it? As Seo-won furrowed his brows, thinking it seemed like a really serious problem, Do-gyeom continued after looking at him.
“But didn’t you come down to Seoul because of the hospital?”
“What? Ah, no… I came down for a bit because I had something to discuss with my mom too. We agreed that I would come down a few times a month after moving…”
He even knew that Seo-won had come down to Seoul because of the hospital. Seo-won hurriedly made excuses, stammering that it wasn’t like that.
The answer didn’t come out smoothly because it was an unexpected question. Did the awkward answer arouse even more suspicion? Seo-won glanced at Do-gyeom’s reaction, then cleared his throat and changed the subject as if that wasn’t important now.
“Ah, anyway… since you said you’re not sleeping over, let’s call it a day and go back today. There’s no need to endure the discomfort when you’re going to come again next week anyway.”
“You’re telling me to go back already even though I got permission? I don’t think it’s even been thirty minutes since I set foot in the house?”
“You’re not really going to discuss work anyway.”
“It’s true that I need your help.”
“…”
“Just help me for exactly thirty minutes from now. Then I won’t say any more and go back today.”
“What is it again…?”
“I told you I just want to sleep together. I want to sleep even for thirty minutes.”
Even for thirty minutes, he wants to sleep…? How little does he usually sleep? Seo-won knew he wasn’t normal, but his condition seemed quite serious.
Seo-won had never experienced insomnia, but he had heard somewhere that insomnia was extremely painful. A state where you’re tired but can’t sleep, and it eats away at your mental strength.
If Seo-won accepted his request this time, he might make such requests again. He knew he shouldn’t agree to the request. However… he still liked Do-gyeom, and his heart softened thinking he was sick.
“Ha… What should I do?”
“Just lie down. I won’t touch you and will only sleep next to you.”