Chapter 42: The Disappearance and the Confrontation

Having returned from his trip, Jae-hyun went to see Yoo Seo-jin after a long time. Even though it had only been three days, a trip was still a trip, so he had bought a souvenir for Yoo Seo-jin. It was a beer made from fruit cultivated only on the island he had just visited.

‘Yoo Seo-jin will like this,’ he thought.

Yoo Seo-jin’s room was just around the corner now. Jae-hyun, humming a tune with a buoyant heart, faltered when he spotted an unfamiliar figure standing in the middle of the hallway.

‘Isn’t that Han Jung-woo?’

Though they were acquainted, their relationship was too distant for a warm greeting. Indeed, they had no reason to meet unless Yoo Seo-jin was involved.

The best course of action would have been to pass by pretending not to notice, but Han Jung-woo was blocking the entrance to Yoo Seo-jin’s room, making avoidance impossible.

‘I dislike awkward situations,’ he mused. After a moment of hesitation, Jae-hyun ultimately approached Han Jung-woo and offered a smiling greeting.

“Hello, Director Han.”

“Yeon, was it Hyun-jae?”

As if his memory was hazy, Han Jung-woo called Jae-hyun by a different name. Since this was only their second encounter, Jae-hyun thought he might be confused and was about to correct him when he paused, struck by Han Jung-woo’s appearance.

‘His condition… it’s strange.’

Han Jung-woo’s state could not be described as good, even as a mere courtesy. His eyes were heavily bloodshot, his lips were bitten until they bled, and his hair was disheveled.

And that wasn’t all. He was haphazardly wearing only one shoe, and his upper garment was inside out. His condition was so utterly chaotic that it was fortunate his trousers were at least worn correctly.

‘His pheromones… they’re quite intense?’

The subtly leaking pheromones exuded a profound sense of anxiety. During their first meeting, he had seemed utterly at ease, but now there was no trace of that composure. He appeared so unfamiliar that Jae-hyun wondered if he was truly the same person.

“Are you here to see Yoo Seo-jin?”

“Ah, yes. I just returned from a trip.”

“A trip?”

“Oh, I bought this as a souvenir. Would you like one too, Director Han?”

Jae-hyun offered an awkward smile as he extended one of the beers he held in his hands to Han Jung-woo. He didn’t forget to add that it was a beer sold exclusively on that island.

Han Jung-woo merely stared down at the beer Jae-hyun offered, making no move to take it. It was unclear whether he didn’t want it or not. His expression gave no clue to his thoughts.

“I’ve wanted to ask you something for a while.”

Finally speaking, Han Jung-woo took a decisive step closer to Jae-hyun. Despite not being short himself, Jae-hyun had to tilt his head slightly to meet Han Jung-woo’s gaze. The man’s lowered eyes meticulously scanned Jae-hyun’s face.

“What is your relationship with Yoo Seo-jin?”

“We’re friends…”

Han Jung-woo raised one eyebrow askew, clearly disbelieving Jae-hyun’s words. Jae-hyun understood. Given that his secondary gender was different from Yoo Seo-jin’s, he often faced such misunderstandings.

Many people had asked how an Alpha and an Omega could simply be friends, but Jae-hyun’s answer was always the same.

He would state that he simply wasn’t capable of handling Yoo Seo-jin’s utterly outrageous personality.

Perhaps because of this, despite having spent a considerable amount of time together, Yoo Seo-jin had never been a romantic interest for Jae-hyun, let alone a one-night stand.

The feeling was mutual for Yoo Seo-jin.

“Friends, you say.”

Han Jung-woo let out a scoffing laugh and finally took the beer. Moments later, a loud *bang* echoed as something hard struck the wall. Startled, Jae-hyun’s head instinctively snapped to the side.

There, the beer can that had just been in Han Jung-woo’s hand lay crushed, its contents spilling out in a gush.

“Since you gave it to me, isn’t it my prerogative to dispose of it as I wish?”

“…”

“Wouldn’t you agree, Yeon Jae-min?”

Han Jung-woo lightly dusted off his hands and offered a saccharine smile. Hearing him call him by a different name again, Jae-hyun finally realized that the first instance hadn’t been a mistake either.

‘What a childish bastard.’

Jae-hyun had known since their first meeting that Han Jung-woo was not favorably disposed towards him. He could tolerate the release of pheromones in front of someone of the same secondary gender. However, throwing the beer clearly crossed a line.

“It seems Director Han treats people’s goodwill in such a manner.”

“Not everyone. Just those annoying bastards.”

The brazen man appeared to have no intention of losing even a single word. Judging by his demeanor, an apology seemed unlikely, so Jae-hyun decided to abandon all restraint himself.

“Is the reason you’re acting this way towards me because of Yoo Seo-jin?”

“…”

Seeing his previously talkative mouth clamp shut, Jae-hyun knew he had hit a nerve. Even with Han Jung-woo so openly displaying his feelings, why did Yoo Seo-jin still believe he simply disliked him?

From Jae-hyun’s perspective, it was clear Han Jung-woo harbored feelings for Yoo Seo-jin. Otherwise, there was no way to explain why he was so excessively wary of Jae-hyun simply for being near Yoo Seo-jin.

‘Please, just let them sort out their own affairs.’

While he enjoyed observing Yoo Seo-jin’s romantic life as an outsider, he had no desire whatsoever to get involved. Especially not if Han Jung-woo was the other party. This was not someone he wanted to antagonize further.

[Excuse me.]

A room maid abruptly interjected into the uncomfortable silence between the two men. Placing her cart, laden with cleaning supplies, in front of the door, she took out a key card and prepared to open Yoo Seo-jin’s room.

[Now—]

Han Jung-woo blocked the room maid. Startled, she began to earnestly explain something in her native language, which the two men could not understand.

As Han Jung-woo frowned, she realized her words weren’t getting through. She then showed him her key card, pointed to Yoo Seo-jin’s tightly shut room door, and formed an ‘X’ with her arms.

“…Damn it.”

Finally understanding the room maid’s gesture, Han Jung-woo snatched the key card from her. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, he flung open the door to Yoo Seo-jin’s room.

“Wait, Han Jung-woo—”

Jae-hyun tried to restrain Han Jung-woo, who was attempting to enter without Yoo Seo-jin’s permission, but the man, whose eyes were already wild, roughly swatted away his hand.

“Yoo Seo-jin!”

The room maid, flustered by the sudden commotion, nervously shifted her weight. Jae-hyun picked up the card that had fallen to the floor and, after telling her to calm down—though he wasn’t sure if she understood—followed Han Jung-woo inside.

Han Jung-woo strode across the living room without even removing his shoes, then *slammed* open the firmly closed bedroom door. The interior was dark and silent, with the lights off.

“Mr. Han Jung-woo, you shouldn’t do this without permission…”

“He’s not here.”

Han Jung-woo mumbled, appearing utterly distraught. Frowning at his incomprehensible words, Jae-hyun pushed Han Jung-woo aside and peered inside.

“What?”

The room, disheveled as if something had violently swept through it, was completely empty. Just in case, Jae-hyun checked the bathroom, but Yoo Seo-jin was not there either.

‘His clothes and luggage are gone too.’

The moment Jae-hyun, having grasped the situation, turned around, his shoulder was seized by a furiously charging Han Jung-woo. Slammed against the wall, Jae-hyun let out a pained gasp.

“Did you receive any contact from Yoo Seo-jin?”

“Mr. Han Jung-woo, please calm down first—”

“I’m asking if you know where Yoo Seo-jin went!”

Confronted with the harsh roar directly in front of him, Jae-hyun’s eyes widened. Han Jung-woo’s pupils darted back and forth, unable to conceal his profound anxiety.

Han Jung-woo released Jae-hyun with a motion that was almost a shove, then stumbled out of the room. Rubbing his aching shoulder, Jae-hyun followed him.

Han Jung-woo didn’t get far before he collapsed. Slumping to the floor, he bent deeply at the waist, silently sobbing.

“Are you really nothing to Han Jung-woo?”

“Yeah, we really are nothing to each other.”

A conversation he once had with Yoo Seo-jin resurfaced in his mind. Yoo Seo-jin had so emphatically drawn a line, declaring they were nothing to Han Jung-woo, that Jae-hyun had believed him.

‘How is *that* “nothing to each other”?’

Yoo Seo-jin might think that way, but it certainly didn’t seem to be the case for Han Jung-woo. What kind of person would be so utterly distressed by the sudden disappearance of someone they had no feelings for?

Jae-hyun walked past Han Jung-woo without a word and exited the room Yoo Seo-jin had occupied. The room maid was still waiting outside for the two men to emerge.

[Here.]

Fortunately, the room maid understood and nodded. After she moved away, Jae-hyun quietly closed the room door.

‘It’s gone lukewarm.’

The beer he had brought for Yoo Seo-jin no longer felt cold. His plan was to return to his own room, put the beer in the refrigerator, and then try to contact Yoo Seo-jin.

There must have been a reason for Yoo Seo-jin to leave so abruptly without a word, so Jae-hyun intended to listen to his story without getting angry, at least for now.

If he managed to get in touch with Yoo Seo-jin, should he… tell Han Jung-woo?

‘I don’t know. He’ll figure it out himself.’

Quickly dismissing his trivial worries, Jae-hyun took heavy steps.