If You Want Me - Episode 41
<Episode 41>
Do-gyeom had an expression that looked like he was angry. However, not long after, he burst out laughing as if he had heard something absurd.
“Date? You’re doing that again? I must have clearly told you. I can’t believe it until you bring them in front of my eyes.”
“This time it’s real. If you’re so suspicious, you can follow me like last time.”
“…You’re telling me to follow you?”
Do-gyeom seemed to have thought that this time, too, Seo-won was obviously putting on a show, and he flinched at the words that he could follow. His thick eyebrows could be seen going up and down.
When Seo-won nodded that it was okay, Do-gyeom, who had been quietly standing as if a little surprised, belatedly opened his mouth.
“Last time, you said it would interfere with your date and whatnot… What are you thinking?”
“Even if I say that, you’ll follow me anyway. And you always say you can’t believe it until you see it with your own eyes, so I have no choice but to do this.”
“…”
What was he thinking? I have someone I like. So please stop coming to see me. That was what he meant.
* * *
“To make such a request.”
“…Sorry.”
At the grumbling voice, Seo-won apologized in a small voice.
The person Seo-won defiantly met in front of Do-gyeom was none other than Seulgi’s brother. Pro gamer Lee Jihwan.
At first, he had no intention of making such a request to him. He just thought it would be nice to get a little closer to a same-age friend he rarely met in this countryside.
But when he thought about it for a moment, Jihwan had said he came from Seoul and was an alpha the same age as Seo-won. He was tall and had a decent appearance.
Thinking that far, it occurred to him that it was an opportunity. Isn’t Jihwan the perfect person to deceive Do-gyeom?
So on the first day he met him, he unreasonably made the request. It would have been better to ask after getting closer, but Jihwan was someone who only came down to the countryside occasionally. Since he didn’t know when he would come to this village again, it was better to ask when he was there.
‘The reason I came down from Seoul… I confessed to my boss at the company I used to work at and got rejected.’
‘What? You came all the way to the countryside for that reason?’
‘He wouldn’t accept my feelings but kept telling me to return to the company. It was uncomfortable… I came down for a while, but he followed me all the way here.’
‘Is there no one to replace you at work?’
‘I guess so. Anyway, I made an excuse that there’s someone I love in this village and that I have no reason to go back to Seoul. But he said he would only believe it if he saw it with his own eyes… So I was wondering if you could… pretend.’
That day, Seo-won half-crazily and unreasonably asked Jihwan, mixing half-truths. The fact that he was pregnant was a secret.
‘Okay, sure.’
‘R-really? You’ll really help me?’
‘It’s not something that requires money or is difficult. I was just bored in this countryside with nothing to do, so it’s perfect. What do you want me to help with?’
Fortunately, he readily accepted the request. He even took an active stance, asking what he should do first.
Although he had obtained permission and coordinated the story that way, it was indeed an unusual request, so he felt sorry. As Seo-won recalled the moment he made the request and dropped the corners of his mouth, Jihwan shrugged his shoulders.
“Well, I have nothing to do on weekends and I was thinking of calling you to hang out if I was bored, so it doesn’t matter… So the person who was your one-sided love and former boss is that person?”
Jihwan asked, pointing to one side with a slight gesture.
When Seo-won carefully shifted his gaze in that direction, Do-gyeom was looking this way with a terrifying air.
Unlike last time, perhaps because he told Do-gyeom to follow him this time, he didn’t even make an effort to hide his presence. It wasn’t like he told him to watch so blatantly… Feeling burdened, Seo-won slightly nodded his head, and Jihwan shook his head as if he had seen something ridiculous.
“Wow… He rejected you, but why is he following you like that? It must piss you off.”
“I-It’s not that it pisses me off…”
“Hey, you’re not even pissed off that you’re being stalked? I can clearly see how you’ve treated that person. It’s because you do that, that person can’t let go of his lingering feelings and follows you around.”
“…”
He wanted to say it wasn’t like that, but it wasn’t wrong, so he couldn’t deny it.
He had only made up his mind to draw a clear line, but he had been procrastinating and even fell asleep in Do-gyeom’s arms a few days ago. Hearing that, it seemed like it was Seo-won’s fault that Do-gyeom was persistently chasing after him.
After reflecting for a moment, Seo-won suddenly felt something strange and regained his senses. No, but this is the fault of the person who’s following, right?
He wanted to say something in protest, but Jihwan shook his head as if he knew everything and continued.
“Alphas think they’re the most superior. They do that even while dating and sharing love with omegas.”
“…But you’re an alpha too, right?”
Listening quietly, something seemed strange. It was widely known that many alphas fell into alpha supremacy. But Jihwan was cursing alphas even though he was an alpha himself. Don’t people usually not do that?
When Seo-won asked, looking up at him as if it was strange, he joked.
“I’m a bit different from those guys.”
“What’s different?”
“I’m a bit gentle.”
“What…?”
Gentle? Is he really talking about the English word “gentle” that I know?
It wasn’t that his personality was bad, considering that he agreed to such an absurd request despite being in an unfamiliar relationship. However, it wasn’t really a word that suited him either.
When Seo-won unknowingly stiffened his expression, Jihwan said, rolling his eyes as if embarrassed.
“It’s a joke, but your reaction is too flat. If you’re asking me to pretend to be your lover, you should put in some effort too, you know?”
“…Uh-huh.”
“Ha, but what kind of date are we having here? Should we go to that coffee shop over there?”
“Yeah… Let’s do that.”
There was nowhere suitable for a couple in their twenties to date, so they had no choice but to go to a coffee shop. It was difficult and hot to talk and walk around outside.
Seo-won reluctantly nodded his head and moved to the coffee shop Jihwan pointed to.
* * *
“Ugh, this coffee is too sweet.”
Jihwan, who took a sip of the coffee shop coffee, said with a frown. It was a reaction as if he had eaten something inedible.
The way his face contorted was quite a sight to see. Seo-won let out a small laugh at his comical appearance.
“Is it?”
“Can you drink it?”
“For me, well…”
Seo-won trailed off, looking down at the coffee cup on the table.
When Seo-won responded half-heartedly, Jihwan looked at the coffee in front of Seo-won as if it was strange and tilted his head.
“You haven’t drunk any at all? Why aren’t you drinking? Do you dislike coffee?”
“I-It’s not that I dislike it…”
Naturally, there was no decaf at the coffee shop.
When Jihwan suggested going to the coffee shop, Seo-won had planned to go and order a different menu instead of coffee.
However, the coffee shop lady said it was bothersome to make a separate menu and roughly unified the menu to coffee. Seo-won had barely exchanged a few words with the coffee shop lady, but she acted as if they were close. She was completely self-centered.
Can you even run a business like this? It’s a neighborhood business… He had such thoughts, but he didn’t have the personality to argue with an elder, so he just received the coffee and left it at that.
Anyway, Jihwan seemed curious about the reason why Seo-won wasn’t even touching the coffee. It would have been fine to make an excuse that he didn’t particularly like coffee since Jihwan didn’t originally know his eating habits, but he couldn’t say that because Do-gyeom had followed them into the coffee shop to keep watch. Unlike earlier, now the distance was close and there were no other customers in the coffee shop, so it was clear that everything would be overheard.
But he couldn’t say he was pregnant either. Do-gyeom knew very well that Seo-won liked sweet things, so he couldn’t lie and say he didn’t like sweet things…
As Seo-won looked down at the coffee with a troubled face, Jihwan clicked his tongue softly as if he didn’t intend to hear the reason.
“Tsk, I shouldn’t have come to the coffee shop. We should have gone somewhere else.”
“No, it’s fine. There was nowhere else to go anyway, and it’s comfortable and nice to sit here.”
“Do you want to eat something else that’s available? They have rice cakes, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, puffed rice… I think they had bread too.”
“You really don’t have to. I’m not hungry…”
“Wait. I’ll bring some bread.”
Although Seo-won insisted that it was okay, Jihwan got up from his seat and headed towards the coffee shop lady as if he couldn’t just leave it.
The lady who said it was bothersome to make two menus didn’t seem like she would give anything delicious. When Seo-won glanced earlier, there was nothing that looked appetizing…
Above all, his appetite had gotten particularly bad this week. Even the tomatoes sprinkled with sugar he received during tutoring a few days ago, he barely ate.
However, Jihwan returned to his seat with a smile on his face, holding a piece of bread.
“At least eat this. The lady said young people like this.”
“…Thanks for bringing it.”
Seo-won smiled faintly, looking at Jihwan.
Seo-won took the fork Jihwan brought, tore off a small piece of bread, and put it in his mouth. It didn’t look very tasty, and it was true. It was crumbly and dry as if it had been left outside for a long time, and it had no taste as if flour was simply lumped together.
His appetite had been unusually poor lately, perhaps because of the heat, but since the child had entered, his likes and dislikes for food had become extremely strong. So he had no desire to eat it at all, but he couldn’t bring himself not to eat it since Jihwan had brought it for him out of consideration.
As he nibbled on the bread, Jihwan had a satisfied expression. He opened his mouth with a bright smile.
“By the way, what do you like about me?”
“Puh, mmph… What?”
What is this about? He was so surprised that he almost spit out the bread he was eating.
When Seo-won frowned and asked what kind of absurd thing he was saying, Jihwan spoke again, feigning innocence.
“You said you like me. There must be a reason why you became interested in me.”
“…”
Even hearing it again, it was just as incomprehensible. What was the intention behind asking such a question?
But when he thought about it, it seemed like Jihwan deliberately brought up such words because their conversation could be heard even from Do-gyeom’s seat.
No, but this is a bit of a problem. Seo-won, who had become uncomfortable, rolled his eyes. He really had nothing to say. He should have skillfully lied, but he had no idea what to say at all.