If You Want Me - Episode 83
<Episode 83>
[20:31 Seo Do-gyeom Young Master] Can I come see you today?
That evening, while resting after dinner, a message came from Do-gyeom.
The content was no different from usual. So it could be that he just sent a message because he missed me, as he always did, but on the other hand, there was also the thought that he might be coming because I spent money extravagantly.
[20:33 Yoon Seo-won] Yes, come.
If it was the latter reason, it was what I hoped for. Seo-won finished preparing himself mentally and even pressed the send button on the message telling him to come.
Looking at the message window where it was properly sent, his heart suddenly felt stuffy as if it was clogged. Seo-won hit his suffocating heart with his fist as if he had indigestion and took deep breaths.
“Hah…”
Why is my chest so stuffy and nervous? Seeing how he suddenly felt this way after sending the message, it seemed he was afraid of the cold gaze Do-gyeom would send him.
The chilly reaction he had seen when he confessed to him before was still vivid in his mind. He was scared of seeing that again. He purposely spent money lavishly to make his affection fall, and it was what he wanted, so why was he trembling…
As that stifling time that was hard to express in words passed, the doorbell rang in less than 30 minutes. It seemed Do-gyeom had already arrived.
Seo-won stopped his mother who was about to come out, and threw on a thin cardigan and went outside. When he opened the gate, he saw Do-gyeom waiting for him.
“Seo-won.”
“…Young Master.”
As felt in the message, Do-gyeom looked no different from yesterday. As soon as he saw Seo-won, he brightened his expression as if he had missed him.
Seeing his sincere expression, even though Seo-won had only used him and spent his money as he told him to, he felt uncomfortable and stuffy as if he had done something bad and was meeting the other person while hiding it.
As Seo-won stood there hesitating and unable to make eye contact, Do-gyeom looked at Seo-won with quiet eyes and opened his mouth.
“Was your body a little better today?”
“…It was fine.”
“That’s a relief. Oh right, I bought some fruit for you and your mother to eat. Do you like shine muscat?”
As if he couldn’t come empty-handed, Do-gyeom opened the passenger door and took out a box. Inside the box were three bunches of shine muscat with plump and firm grapes. They looked like the highest quality, with no blemishes and a clear green tint.
He really liked shine muscat, as he usually liked sweet things too. Seo-won unconsciously swallowed his saliva, then realized this wasn’t the situation for that and turned his gaze away.
As Seo-won showed a lukewarm reaction unlike Do-gyeom’s expectation, Do-gyeom slightly tilted his head as if asking why.
“Do you not like this by any chance? I thought you ate grapes well before.”
“Ah, no. It’s not that I don’t like it… I do like it, but…”
The shine muscat was innocent. When Seo-won shook his head, Do-gyeom frowned one eye as if asking what the problem was then.
At the gaze expecting an answer, Seo-won lowered his head for a moment then stealthily observed his reaction. Did he come to ask because I spent more money than expected at the department store today? Did he just want to see me and bring some fruit?
I knew this much money wouldn’t even make a dent for him, so I didn’t think he would say anything about spending some money today… But he became even kinder than usual, let alone no different, so I felt like the bad person. It was uncomfortably wanting to escape this situation even while liking that he took care of me without shame.
Seo-won mumbled his lips and indirectly refused.
“I do like it, but… you don’t have to bring me things like this. You gave me a card to use if I need it too.”
“That’s because it’s in the contract. It’s separate from what I want to take care of for you.”
“…”
I have nothing to say if you put it that way… But it still seems to be getting excessive…
It was the same tone as usual, but for some reason it felt ticklish and unfamiliar, so no words to reply came out. I had things to say but they just circulated in my mouth and couldn’t be spat out.
In the end, when Seo-won couldn’t say anything and the conversation was cut off, Do-gyeom let out a small sigh. Then, as if he had something to say when they met, he naturally changed the subject.
“Come to think of it, you bought clothes today. Let’s go together next time. I’ll pick some out for you.”
Seo-won, who had been hesitating, suddenly opened his eyes wide upon hearing Do-gyeom’s words.
Clothes…
“You knew?”
“Knew what?”
“That I… went to the department store today.”
“Huh? Yeah. I set it up so I get a message when you use the card.”
Seo-won asked in surprise, but Do-gyeom answered nonchalantly.
Since there was no reaction, he wondered if maybe Do-gyeom didn’t know he had spent money… But it wasn’t that, it was true that the amount he spent today wasn’t even enough to scratch him.
He didn’t spend as much money as expected today, but still, he swiped a few ten million won in a few hours. It was by no means a small amount of money, so it was a bit absurd that his sense of money was this different, and he had no idea how much more he would have to swipe the card to stimulate him.
Can I buy a house with the card? Does he have to go that far to care? But for that, he even gave me an apartment…
As he was pondering deeply whether he could provoke him just by spending money, Do-gyeom must not have seen Seo-won’s expression as he continued.
“It seemed like you went shopping for this and that together with your mother. Did you buy her a lot of gifts?”
“Yes…”
“That must have been nice. Ah, and about the donation to the single mother support center. I thought about it, and while donating is good, it might be good to create a system where our company sponsors them long-term too.”
“…”
“…Seo-won?”
Do-gyeom must have thought they could have a pleasant conversation on this topic, as he belatedly saw Seo-won’s expression and showed a flustered look.
When Seo-won didn’t say anything with a blank face, Do-gyeom thought for a moment and then opened his mouth again.
“Ah, is it burdensome for you that I see where you swiped the card? If that’s the case, I won’t look. I just found it fun to see what you were doing, I didn’t know you would feel that way.”
“…”
As he listened quietly, it turned out he didn’t feel averse to him spending money, but rather liked it.
He found it fun to see where I was shopping in real time. I spent money lavishly to make his affection fall, but I was completely off the mark. Seo-won finally realized then that he had chosen the wrong method.
The reaction was completely different from what he expected, and although he felt so absurd that he was at a loss for words, Seo-won weakly shook his head that it wasn’t a problem that he saw the card history.
“No, it’s not that I don’t like that…”
“Then?”
“…”
At Do-gyeom’s question, Seo-won closed his mouth again like a mute who ate honey.
As Seo-won became lost in thought biting his innocent lower lip, Do-gyeom continued with a serious expression.
“Did I make a mistake? Seo-won. Tell me in words.”
“…No.”
“No, there might be a misunderstanding like last time.”
“…”
A misunderstanding… At his words, Seo-won thought of the omega constitution actress, Seo Chaeyeon.
It doesn’t seem to be a misunderstanding that Do-gyeom kept her as a partner… There would be no reason for him to keep an omega constitution actress by his side if not for that.
It could be that he was suspecting an innocent person like having a persecution complex, but Seo-won knew how he treated other people and what kind of people his acquaintances were for the most part after being by his side for a long time. So there was an uncomfortable corner that couldn’t be overlooked simply as a groundless fear.
“Seo-won.”
“…”
When Seo-won didn’t say anything, Do-gyeom called his name as if pleading. It was a voice filled with an earnest wish for him to not do this alone and talk.
Rather… would it be right to get a confession from him and distance myself from him?
He could try another method now without saying it and scratch his temper. However, today, when he purposely swiped his card, he felt so uncomfortable. His conscience pricked him.
Just as lies gradually increased, provoking him might become easier if he kept doing it. But he didn’t want to become that kind of person, and he didn’t want to endure that process either.
The thought occurred to him that it might be better to just sort it out with words rather than doing something that didn’t suit him. He hadn’t wanted to say it because he would have to admit he eavesdropped on the conversation to tell the truth…
Seo-won hung his head low and brought up the content he heard yesterday.
“Yesterday… there was someone who talked to you, Young Master.”
“Talked?”
“The actress Seo Chaeyeon. She said she left clothes at your place… What is that?”
“…”
He tried to lower his voice as much as possible to not reveal his emotions, but his voice trembled a little. No matter how much he said his lies increased, it was difficult to completely hide it because he wanted to believe him.
After barely spitting out the question, Seo-won belatedly raised his head and met eyes with Do-gyeom. He must not have even thought that the actress Seo Chaeyeon’s name would suddenly come up while talking about shopping, as he was showing a considerably flustered look.
Seeing that he didn’t make excuses right away and was flustered, it seemed there was something. Could it be that what I thought was really true? Although he expected it, thinking about getting a definite answer from him made him feel gloomy and his nose bridge stung.
Seo-won’s throat was as dry as if there were grains of sand rolling in it, so he swallowed dry saliva and opened his mouth as calmly as possible.
“That person… is an omega, right?”
“…”
Do-gyeom didn’t say anything to this question either.
Silence was also the most definite expression meaning affirmation. So it was true… Following his nose bridge, now his eyes heated up. He felt like he was being abandoned twice in this way.
You should have not made me have expectations in the first place then. You should have just let me leave. No matter how much you say you need me because of the one-sided imprint, isn’t this too much?
Until now, he was able to speak calmly, but now his emotions were heightened and his voice trembled pathetically.
“You said… I was the only one you liked. You said you didn’t meet other omegas either. You already found another omega partner?”
“Wait, Seo-won. That’s a misunderstanding.”
“What misunderstanding?”
Seo-won spoke as if arguing, and looked at Do-gyeom with slightly reddened eyes. Just putting strength in his eyes to hold back tears made his body tremble. It felt like he would crumble at any moment.
When he asked tearfully, Do-gyeom let out a deep sigh as if in lamentation. Narrowing his brows as if agonizing, he opened his mouth as if persuading.
“I’ll explain everything. But it’s a bit much to say it here… if it’s okay, can I say it in your room?”
“My room? We can just talk here.”
What on earth was he trying to talk about that he wanted to come inside? Or if it wasn’t true, he could just say so, but it felt strange that he was dragging out time.
If I heard him tell the truth, wouldn’t it only make me more miserable? With that thought, as Seo-won stood still like a stone statue, Do-gyeom held Seo-won’s hand as if begging and said,
“It’s a bit of a story to tell outside. It’s absolutely not what you’re thinking. Ten minutes is enough. Please.”
“…”
If it’s not what I’m thinking, then what on earth is it? Could there be an even worse scenario?
Honestly, he wanted to turn back like this and didn’t even want to hear the answer, but on the other hand, there was a lingering desire to believe him one last time. Even now, he might be acting, but his desperate plea for a chance seemed sincere, so he ended up having expectations.
Seo-won wanted to push him away saying it was fine and go back, but in the end, he roughly wiped away tears with his hand and nodded, saying let’s go in and see.