Chapter 11: The Blind Date at the Hotel

Episode 11

“I’ll get up first, so let’s chat more.”

Han Mi-soon tapped her husband’s arm and rose from her seat. Following her signal, Yoon Seok-hoon and Kim Mi-kyung stood as well. Tae-seo, who had missed the timing to leave with them, hesitated and stood up late.

“Tae-seo, let’s meet again next time. You can have a deeper talk with Mom then.”

“Yeah, take care.”

“Maybe you’re being too aloof with your goodbye. Mom is leaving. See you again.”

Han Mi-soon kept her eyes on Tae-seo until the end. Then she patted her son’s back and turned around. Kang In-hyuk, who had moved reluctantly when Tae-seo stood in front of the adults, pretended not to notice his mother’s signal and turned his head away.

Once they were alone, an awkward mood settled between them, as if neither could remember when they had ever been affectionate. Tae-seo no longer felt the need to force a smile. He sat down and took out his phone with an expressionless face. He checked the message that had been buzzing against his buttocks and the chair.

“Yoon Tae-seo.”

“Don’t call me. Just sit quietly until you leave.”

Tae-seo spoke without even looking at Kang In-hyuk. He wasn’t going to leave now in case he ran into his parents, so he stayed seated too, shifting his weight against the chair.

It was unclear whether Tae-seo heard Kang In-hyuk or not. But Kang In-hyuk sat obediently because he had something to say. Then he called Yoon Tae-seo softly.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but dragging our parents into this won’t change anything. Whether we’re engaged or married, nothing will change. So don’t create scenes like today.”

“I’m sorry, but I thought I was having dinner with my parents and ended up meeting you…”

“Don’t pretend you didn’t arrange this.”

“Yeah, I heard your theory loud and clear.”

Tae-seo dismissed Kang In-hyuk’s words as he touched his phone screen.

“Yoon Tae-seo.”

Kang In-hyuk’s voice dropped at Tae-seo’s ignoring attitude. It felt like Tae-seo would pull something like this again and then claim it was only my speculation. But when Tae-seo lifted his head and their eyes met, Kang In-hyuk felt something unfamiliar. It wasn’t the gaze of the Yoon Tae-seo he knew. It wasn’t the gaze that pretended indifference while secretly hoping for his affection. It was indifferent and cold.

“I didn’t know you were going to meet me today either. I don’t know why our parents arranged this mood, but they just wanted to set things up with my parents. I didn’t mean to make things awkward between us.”

“…How am I supposed to believe you?”

“It’s a problem that your parents like me, and it’ll be a problem if my parents try to match us as soon as I become an omega. Yeah, that’s there too.”

Tae-seo suddenly changed the subject, and one of Kang In-hyuk’s eyebrows twitched. If Tae-seo was playing a prank on him, he wanted to tell him to stop.

Just then, Tae-seo brought the phone to his ear. His gaze remained fixed on Kang In-hyuk, but he was talking to the person on the line.

– I’ve changed my mind.

– What, suddenly…?

– I want to go on a blind date. Arrange it for me.

– Really?

Kang In-hyuk could hear the other person’s voice through the phone as well. When he recognized Park Han-soo’s voice, he remembered that Tae-seo had promised to set him up on a blind date not long ago.

– Don’t change your mind. I’ll set up a blind date for you tomorrow.

– Fine.

Tae-seo replied and hung up. Then, still not taking his eyes off Kang In-hyuk, he said,

“Got it? I’ll arrange a blind date and find someone for myself first. You can arrange your own.”

Tae-seo thought he had already compromised plenty, considering his past behavior. He wouldn’t torment Kang In-hyuk with harsh words like the old Yoon Tae-seo. Now he only wanted to bear the responsibility that came with the name Tae-seo, without acting more servile than that.

“I’ll get up first.”

Tae-seo turned away from Kang In-hyuk and left the room. Outside, he glanced around to see if his parents were there, then sighed softly.

His parents had suddenly started favoring him, calling Kang In-hyuk without warning. Kang In-hyuk grumbled about what was going on, and Tae-seo felt suffocated by the whole situation. Next time, he had to firmly ask them not to arrange meetings with In-hyuk’s family.

Tae-seo moved his head around, still feeling unresolved fatigue.

“Let’s get some sleep.”

Until just now, he had wondered why he had to endure such trials as Yoon Tae-seo. But now there was a silver lining. The hotel belonged to his parents, so he could use it freely. Tae-seo headed to the desk to get a hotel room instead of going home.

***

“Oh, goodness.”

He had clearly stayed up late and even overslept, and worse, the day had changed. Tae-seo raised his phone again with drowsy eyes, read the message, and put it down.

[Shall we meet at XX Cafe at 11?]

[Check your messages.]

[I already told her that. Since you saw it late, you have no choice.]

[…Are you ignoring my texts?]

[Contact me…]

[Are you asleep? Just in case, I’ll leave her number: 010-XXXX-XXXX]

[She said she likes you, so make sure to go, okay?]

He skimmed the following messages and checked the time.

“11 o’clock…”

It was 10:50. Even if he hurried to shower and leave, he would definitely be late. Tae-seo blamed himself for not waking up once during the night and roughly tousled his hair. He was about to do something unthinkable to his date, the one Kang In-hyuk had arranged.

Tae-seo tousled his hair a few more times, then picked up his phone again. Whether Park Han-soo had foreseen this or not, the number he had left captured Tae-seo’s attention completely.

After staring at the number for a moment, Tae-seo sighed deeply and dialed.

***

Cold water suppressed the fluttering in Tae-seo’s stomach since morning. Then someone approached and stood in front of him.

“Hi.”

The woman lowered her head to look at Tae-seo, and her hair flowed forward. Tae-seo quickly put down his glass of water and apologized.

“Hi, sorry for calling you here.”

After changing the location, Tae-seo had smoothly accepted that his date was the same age as him during his conversation with Park Han-soo. The woman also spoke comfortably to Tae-seo, so there seemed to be no problem as she sat across from him.

“You suddenly changed the location. Are we going to eat at the hotel?”

“Oh? Uh, sorry. I actually woke up late…”

Tae-seo had originally asked her to wait a bit because he might be late due to a call. But the woman asked where he was and said she would come over.

“I’m Han Mi-rae.”

“Oh, I’m Yoon Tae-seo. And even though I called you here, it doesn’t mean anything else. I stayed here last night.”

Calling her to a hotel. Tae-seo added an explanation in case coffee and a meal here sounded strange. He emphasized that there was no deeper meaning and that he had slept and woken up here.

“I slept alone. It’s not like I have a hobby of coming to hotels to sleep…”

The more he spoke, the more tangled Tae-seo’s expression became. Then Han Mi-rae smiled as if relieved of something and waved a hand at him.

“It’s okay, this is your parents’ hotel, right?”

“Oh? How did you know?”

“I saw you.”

Tae-seo tilted his head at Han Mi-rae’s words. He had expected Park Han-soo to know his face or name, but he hadn’t thought she would know about his parents’ business. He had never heard anything like that from Park Han-soo.

“I actually came to the hotel for the founding anniversary party. I saw you and thought you were nice, but I couldn’t talk to you because you left right away.”

“Oh…”

That was the day Seo Da-rae collapsed after drinking the medicine. Although there had been many people there, he only noticed Han Mi-rae.

“We go to the same school, so I’ve heard your name a few times. Seeing you in person, you seemed okay, so I nagged Han-soo to introduce us. Could you relax a bit…?”

He hadn’t expected such circumstances. He thought she was just making conversation…

“Should I say thank you?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks.”

Han Mi-rae laughed at Tae-seo’s innocent gratitude.

“But you know, right? I might not be as popular as you, but I’m also quite popular. Since pretty me is showing interest in you, you should consider yourself lucky.”

Tae-seo burst into a hearty laugh at Han Mi-rae’s cheeky, shameless demeanor. Meeting her for the first time, she was as comfortable as Park Han-soo. Han Mi-rae laughed along with him.

“You look even better when you laugh.”

“Wow, you’re the first person who says that so casually.”

“Haven’t you heard you’re handsome a lot?”

“If I say yes, what does that make me?”

“An objective person, that’s all.”

Tae-seo, who had been blushing under Han Mi-rae’s frank manner, finally burst into laughter. Their laughter fed on each other, and they looked quite good together. They were a noticeable couple, enough to make passersby turn their heads. The same was true for Kang Se-heon, who glanced back at their familiar laughter.

Kang Se-heon had come to the meeting spot. As he watched Tae-seo laugh happily with the pretty girl, he muttered as if he understood everything.

“That’s why you hid your pheromones.”

A pretty girl and a handsome Tae-seo with cool features seemed to match quite well. They looked like a fresh couple who had just started dating, so that was all there was to say.

But no matter how much he pretended to be a beta, it was still noticeable.

After clicking his tongue, Kang Se-heon turned away.

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