Chapter 9: The Dessert Run

With partners now decided, everyone dispersed to their rooms to prepare to leave.

Lee Dohwa, keenly aware of the situation, followed Woo Sori and Chaeyeon-woo into their shared room.

‘There’s nothing for me to do,’ he thought.

Unlike the other two, who were bustling about, Dohwa simply stood by his bed and opened his suitcase.

He wasn’t even changing clothes; he was ready to leave as he was.

After taking out a few items and placing them near his bed, he watched the other two still getting ready before finally standing up.

“I’ll head out first.”

Perhaps because they hadn’t grown close yet, the silence in the room, broken only by their movements, felt profoundly uncomfortable.

While it was slightly less awkward when everyone was together, even then, he often found himself walking on eggshells. It was a natural consequence of not being able to speak freely.

Whenever such moments arose, Dohwa yearned to escape.

“Bring back some delicious desserts!”

“Have a good trip!”

“Have a good time, everyone.”

No sooner had he spoken than Chaeyeon-woo, seated at the vanity, and Woo Sori, rummaging through his suitcase, simultaneously turned their gazes towards him.

He flinched internally, caught off guard by their sudden attention, but thankfully, his reaction didn’t show outwardly. Accepting their farewells, he opened the door and stepped out.

He had taken but a few steps when—

“Oh, Dohwa, you’re out already?”

“…”

‘He’d avoided one awkward situation only to stumble into another.’

He couldn’t fathom why such trials constantly befell him, leaving him breathless with exasperation.

In the second-floor living room, where partners had been decided earlier, all three Alphas were seated on the sofa.

As Dohwa halted, rigid as a robot, their gazes naturally fixed upon him.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes. The others will be out shortly.”

Kang Hae-il rose from the sofa and approached Dohwa.

Too focused on him, Dohwa failed to notice the other two. Unlike before, Hae-il now held his phone, car keys, and a card in his hand.

“We’ll head out first.”

“Alright, have a good trip.”

“Drive safely.”

Though he’d said the others would be out soon, waiting for the two, whose arrival time was uncertain, felt even more uncomfortable.

Just like before, Dohwa took his leave, accompanied by Kang Hae-il who followed him down to the first floor, receiving farewells from Ma Won-ho and Jae-hyun, who remained seated.

‘It feels like there’s something massive behind me.’

Whether it was due to his imposing presence or if it was truly a palpable sensation, Dohwa couldn’t tell.

Despite his unease, he kept his lips sealed, descended to the first floor, and headed straight for the shoe rack.

From the neatly arranged shoes on one side, they each retrieved their own.

“You have small feet.”

“Ah, yes… When I was young, I used to trip often, so I wore shoes that fit snugly. That’s why they’re small.”

Among all the footwear, Dohwa’s shoes were noticeably the smallest, prompting Kang Hae-il to comment.

‘He didn’t ask, so why did I overshare?’

Fearing a terse reply would seem rude with just the two of them, he had added an unnecessary explanation, a decision he immediately regretted.

“Are you alright now?”

“I’m all grown up; I don’t fall anymore,” he replied, a playful tone in his voice.

He glanced at Kang Hae-il’s shoes beside him, and indeed, the size difference was striking.

His playful retort dispelled his earlier regret completely. ‘Still, it’s easier to focus and observe when there’s only one person instead of several.’

“Um, I don’t have a driver’s license.”

“I’ll drive.”

As Dohwa hesitantly spoke while heading towards the parking lot, Kang Hae-il calmly made his way to the driver’s side.

‘It’s been a while since I sat in the passenger seat.’

It was an unfamiliar car, and as he surveyed the interior, he noticed camera-like devices mounted on the front and sides.

“Seatbelt.”

“Ah, my apologies.”

No wonder the engine had started, but the car hadn’t moved.

He had been distracted and forgotten to buckle up. As he hastily fastened his seatbelt, Kang Hae-il, who had patiently waited, finally set the car in motion.

The navigation system indicated a 20-minute drive to their destination.

The cameras mounted in the car felt awkward, so he rolled his eyes, trying not to look at them. Instead, Kang Hae-il, calmly turning the steering wheel, entered his line of sight.

He was contemplating whether to strike up a conversation when, serendipitously, Hae-il spoke first.

“Do you like desserts?”

“Desserts are the only thing I’m not picky about. I love sweets, for starters… What about you, Hae-il?”

It was then he remembered: they were both going to choose desserts.

“I like them too. They’re good for a light snack, and… they just make you feel good, don’t they?”

“Exactly! We’re buying for everyone else, so let’s get a ton when we get there!”

Watching Kang Hae-il, who spoke of the joy desserts brought with a faint smile, Dohwa felt a deep sense of agreement.

It wasn’t for nothing that people said they needed a ‘sugar rush.’

After expending emotional energy, he always found himself craving something sweet. The happiness derived from desserts was a completely different kind of satisfaction than that from a meal.

He felt an unexpected sense of mission, as if he had been appointed the ‘dessert manager.’

“Do you like fruit?”

“I do. I don’t usually eat fruit with seeds because I dislike the hassle, but otherwise, I’m not particularly picky. What about you, Hae-il?”

“I eat everything without being picky.”

‘If there are any fruit desserts there, I definitely have to buy them.’

And if he bought a whole cake, with so many people, it would surely be devoured quickly.

As they continued their journey, the car’s interior grew more comfortable, and his tense body gradually began to relax.

[You have arrived at your destination. Driving will now cease.]

The twenty minutes had flown by in an instant.

After parking, he unfastened his seatbelt and exited the car. As they walked outside together, the awkwardness seemed to dissipate considerably.

Opening the door to the dessert shop and stepping inside, they were met with a sight that resembled paradise.

“There are so many varieties here.”

“I’ll hold the tray, so you can pick what you like.”

Kang Hae-il naturally picked up a square tray and offered Dohwa the tongs.

Dohwa’s gaze, which had been darting excitedly across the array of desserts, now settled on Hae-il.

“Tell me if anything catches your eye.”

Dohwa accepted the tongs without hesitation. His eyes then resumed their scan of the desserts, searching for something appealing.

While he couldn’t know everyone else’s preferences, it being the first day, buying a variety seemed like the best approach.

‘Surely at least one of the six people will eat it.’

With renewed vigor, Dohwa diligently selected items for everyone, as well as a few for himself.

When he became aware of Kang Hae-il silently following behind him, holding the tray, he turned to him and asked,

“Tell me, what do you want to eat the most?”

“For me… I think this one looks good.”

He pointed to a pack of three mini cream puffs, which Dohwa had swiftly picked up earlier.

‘I was going to eat that by myself.’

The quantity was far too small to share. Hearing Kang Hae-il’s implicit claim on the cream puffs, Dohwa hastily grabbed two more packs of three.

With the wooden tray now awkwardly full, Dohwa retrieved another tray and held it himself.

But then, a thought struck him.

‘What if others want the things I planned to eat?’

Having gained this realization, he grabbed several more of his favorite items, determined not to have them taken, and placed them on the tray.

“Someone might want bread for breakfast tomorrow, so…”

Even though the wooden tray was already overflowing, he picked up a bag of bread, muttering the justification to himself.

“I’ll carry that.”

Without much protest from Dohwa, Kang Hae-il took the bag of bread. As they headed to the cashier, they placed a final order for the cakes and macarons displayed in the showcase.

The not-so-modest prices accumulated one by one, and as the total scanned by the clerk surpassed 100,000 won—

“Uh, this will be okay, right?”

“It will be fine.”

He clutched the card they had received from the production team.

“If it hits the limit, I’ll pay.”

“That won’t happen.”

Although no specific instructions had been given, they had been provided with a shopping card for each pair, and Dohwa had briefly worried about hitting the limit.

Fortunately, the payment went through without any issues, bringing him a wave of relief.

“Would you like a receipt?”

“Yes.”

“Here you g-go.”

He collected the card and receipt, then picked up the boxed cake.

All the other shopping bags were in Kang Hae-il’s hands. Dohwa stared at them for a moment, and Hae-il’s expressionless face seemed to convey, ‘Not a chance.’

“Shall we go?”

“Yes!”

Given Hae-il had already proven his strength with the suitcases, trusting him with this much was surely fine.

Having indulged in dessert shopping to his heart’s content, Dohwa felt a surge of happiness.

With their purchases secured, they climbed back into the car to return to the accommodation.

“Don’t we need to set the navigation?”

“I remember the way back.”

He asked, watching Kang Hae-il turn the wheel without even activating the navigation system, and received an utterly unexpected reply.

Despite having conversed while driving on the way there, they arrived at the accommodation without a single wrong turn or guidance from the navigation.

“Is no one here?”

The house, upon their arrival, was completely empty, suggesting no one else had returned yet.

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