If You Want Me - Episode 42
<Episode 42>
Seo-won glanced at Jihwan sitting across from him and told him what he usually thought.
“W-well, you’re good-looking. And you have a good sense of fashion.”
“Those are all external things. And what else?”
“Do I have to say more…?”
“Then is that the end of the reason? Are you just blindly infatuated?”
“Blindly infatuated…”
He had only given reasons that could make one think he was blindly infatuated, but can’t he just let it go?
Although Jihwan seemed to be helping Seo-won deceive Do-gyeom, it also felt like he was trying to torment him. It felt even more so because Jihwan’s personality was quite mischievous and playful.
Things he liked about him… What did people usually like when they liked someone? He tried to think of common reasons, but nothing really came to mind. And it seemed like he knew even less because he had only felt love for exactly one person.
What did I like about the Young Master?
When they were young, he was someone who was naturally by Seo-won’s side. The younger they were, the more they felt each year’s difference, so they probably couldn’t even communicate properly, but he would come to Seo-won’s small room every time, share food, chat about trivial things, and read comic books together.
Most of those were things one would do with a friend, but on the day Seo-won presented as an omega, he realized he liked Do-gyeom. Since he became aware of it that day, he must have fallen in love even before then.
It was a love that seeped in naturally like clothes getting wet in a light rain, so there was no particular reason. Just… I constantly liked Do-gyeom himself so much.
“He’s cool, and he treats me well while pretending not to… He makes people have expectations.”
As he thought about it, his heart overflowed and he ended up confessing as if he was making a confession. Even though he tried so hard to put away his feelings, he still had many unresolved feelings.
When Seo-won answered seriously to the question Jihwan had asked jokingly, he seemed a little surprised. He gulped down the coffee he had said he couldn’t drink because it scalded his throat. Then, with his neck flushed red, he asked.
“Did I… make you have expectations?”
“Huh? Oh, a lot…”
“I didn’t know. I didn’t know you liked me so passionately.”
“…”
Jihwan answered awkwardly as if trying to accept it somehow. I’d rather have him take it jokingly like before. He’s acting like he really received a confession, so I suddenly felt hot too.
It was embarrassing. In fact, Do-gyeom probably didn’t even know that Seo-won was talking about him, but it felt embarrassing and shy as if he had made a passionate confession to him.
It’s hot, so hot. As he poked the innocent bread with a fork and shoved it into his mouth, something hot suddenly rose up to his throat.
“Urgh…!”
It felt like a ball of fire was coming up his throat. He couldn’t stop the vomit that was rising up like reflux. Seo-won put down the fork he was holding as if throwing it and covered his mouth with both hands. It seemed like an incident would occur.
In an instant, his complexion turned pale and his head felt cool. Seo-won got up from his seat with a trembling body.
“Seo-won-ah?”
Seo-won saw Jihwan’s surprised face asking, but he quickly rolled his eyes and found the restroom.
Fortunately, the restroom was nearby. Seo-won, who ran inside, opened the toilet lid and spewed out what had suddenly come up.
“Urgh, bleh!”
What he vomited was only a little bit of the bread he had just eaten, and most of it was stomach acid. It was because he hadn’t really eaten anything before meeting Jihwan due to his lack of appetite.
He wanted to vomit more, but his chest only felt hot and nothing was coming up. As he tried to get up while wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Jihwan, who had followed him, quickly patted his back.
“Are you okay? No, you were fine just now… Ahh!”
The hand patting his back suddenly fell away and Jihwan’s short scream was heard.
“Yoon Seo-won!”
What followed was Do-gyeom’s urgent voice.
He had no strength in his body after vomiting once. His stomach was still churning and his eyelids were hot.
When he turned around with weak, hazy eyes, Do-gyeom approached closely, examined Seo-won’s face, and stroked his back.
“Yoon Seo-won, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. D-don’t look and go out…”
Seo-won slowly shook his head and rejected his touch. He didn’t want to show such an appearance to the person he liked.
He flushed the toilet weakly and got up on his knees, but Do-gyeom’s worried gaze didn’t leave him. He even helped Seo-won get up by holding his waist while staring at him intently.
“How can a person who’s fine vomit? Let’s go home.”
Do-gyeom was ready to support him and take him straight home like this.
At that, Seo-won stopped his steps as if pressing the brakes. He couldn’t end it like this. He hadn’t been able to properly show that he had someone he liked, and above all, there was Jihwan.
He had made an unreasonable request to Jihwan, who wasn’t even that close to him, and Jihwan was someone who would go back to Seoul before long. If he missed today, he didn’t know when the opportunity would come again. He couldn’t go home just because his condition wasn’t good.
“Home? No. I-I’m on a date…”
“Damn it, you’re about to collapse and you’re talking about a date? Is this a cold? Let’s go to the hospital quickly.”
Do-gyeom growled as if telling him to make sense. He wondered what he meant by a cold, but it seemed he was referring to the excuse Seo-won had made last time when he got caught going to the hospital.
He seemed to be trying to take Seo-won home somehow, even helping him wash his hands and wipe his mouth. He didn’t mind even though it was dirty, even though it was someone else’s vomit.
As Seo-won unknowingly received his help with his skillful touch, Jihwan, who was pushed back, tried to separate the two with an absurd face.
“Where do you get off suddenly appearing and pushing people? And I’m his companion, so you go on your way. Okay?”
“I am…”
Do-gyeom opened his mouth as if to refute Jihwan’s words. However, he couldn’t even continue a single word and shut his mouth tightly.
It seemed like he was trying to say what kind of relationship they had since Jihwan asked who he was. But he seemed to be having trouble defining it. Hesitation was evident on his face.
Indeed, it was quite strange to explain their relationship. When they were young, it was the Young Master and the housekeeper’s son. After becoming adults, they were pheromone partners. Now, they were like former boss and employee.
The last one was the most normal to explain to others. Seo-won had explained similarly to Jihwan too. However, Do-gyeom didn’t open his mouth, perhaps because he hated it when Seo-won called him a former boss, gritting his teeth.
While Seo-won was thinking for a moment, the air around them became heavy. Do-gyeom’s alpha pheromones were filling the restroom.
Seo-won was familiar with his pheromones and didn’t feel very bad since he was pregnant with his child. But…
“Ugh…! Control your alpha pheromones. My head is splitting.”
Jihwan covered his nose as if he couldn’t stand Do-gyeom’s pheromones at all. His face was even more contorted than when he drank the coffee shop coffee.
That was probably because alphas found each other’s pheromones unpleasant. Especially since Do-gyeom was not just any alpha, but a “dominant” alpha, the rejection would be stronger.
“If you’re not going to give me a pheromone shower, what are you doing…!”
“I’ve known Yoon Seo-won for over twenty years. I know him much better than you, so get lost.”
Jihwan tried to raise his voice angrily. However, Do-gyeom didn’t even listen to the end of his words. Rather, he came out with a preposterous response and acted savagely.
“What…!”
Jihwan’s mouth gaped open as if this situation was utterly absurd. It was an expression that said it was absurd for him to suddenly appear and tell his companion to get lost.
However, the dominant alpha’s pheromones were still pressing down on Jihwan, and Do-gyeom’s every word and action was as brutal as if he was threatening him. It seemed like a fight might break out if they left them any longer.
How did it come to this situation…? He was trying to pretend he had someone he loved, not that he wanted to see the two of them fight. Seo-won mustered up his strength and grabbed Do-gyeom’s hand.
“Don’t do this. He’s my companion.”
“…”
Was he really about to fight? Do-gyeom’s eyes were shining fiercely as if he could fight right away, but he softened that light as he looked down at Seo-won.
Do-gyeom’s downward gaze contained a complex and subtle look. It seemed like he had something to say, so Seo-won looked up at him quietly, and he let out a small sigh.
Then he interlocked his fingers with Seo-won’s hand that was holding his and applied force. Their hands were tightly interlocked without any gaps.
“Let’s go home.”
“Ah, I’m not going.”
“Don’t be stubborn. You’re a patient and need to rest.”
“I said I’m not sick.”
“Please listen to me for once!”
Do-gyeom said with a deep frown as if exploding. It seemed like he was annoyed, but also pleading.
Why was that? The person in front of him looked extremely precarious. The blood vessel that popped out on his forehead seemed like it would burst at any moment, making him anxious. His eyes were bloodshot, looking angry but also sad.
For a moment, Seo-won couldn’t say anything. As he stiffened his body and just stared at Do-gyeom, Do-gyeom steadied his breath and stabilized his mind and body.
Only when the oppressive pheromones surrounding them were somewhat withdrawn did Do-gyeom calmly open his mouth, turning to Jihwan.
“The person who said he’s the companion.”
“…Yes?”
Jihwan met eyes with Do-gyeom with a dumbfounded face as if he didn’t expect him to suddenly talk to him.
Then Do-gyeom politely and formally bowed his head and apologized to him, as he usually did.
“I’m sorry for using my pheromones. But I’ll be the one to take him back.”
“No… I said I would do that.”
“Seo-won left his clothes at home and has to go anyway, so don’t bother walking. And Seo-won is having a hard time, so going in my car will be faster than walking.”
He was just feeling unwell, not to the extent that he couldn’t walk. Do-gyeom was treating him like a complete patient.
By the way, he left his clothes? His outfit was the same as when he came to Seo-won’s house today.
He didn’t know what clothes Do-gyeom meant he had left behind, but since he did stop by his house, he might have left something.
“He left his clothes?”
But Jihwan’s reaction was a bit strange.
He was surprised as if he had heard something tremendous, and then he looked at Seo-won with a complex and subtle gaze.