Chapter 32: Rumors and Late-Night Calls

“What’s so bad about rumors…”

Tae-seo muttered to himself as he glanced at Park Han-su through the side mirror. If he cared about rumors, he would have quit this school long ago. But right now, his life, literally his survival, was what mattered. Gossip was something he could easily ignore.

Straightening his posture, Tae-seo leaned back against the seat. He finally turned his attention forward to see where they were headed.

“What’s wrong?”

Se-heon glanced at him while turning the steering wheel. He caught Tae-seo’s slight pout before refocusing on the road. Tae-seo fidgeted with his seatbelt, then shrugged.

“It’s nothing, really. Just the usual inconvenience of being around someone famous.”

“They’re asking about what kind of relationship we have?”

Tae-seo felt contrary, so he half-complained to Se-heon. But Se-heon wasn’t surprised. He answered in a matter-of-fact tone, which made Tae-seo turn to look at him.

How shameless…

“What? Weren’t you talking about me just now?”

“Well, yeah, but how did you immediately assume they were talking about you?”

The fact that Se-heon took it as his fault was almost laughable.

“You’re unbelievably shameless, you know that? This is my school. What makes you so sure you’re the one getting attention? Maybe I’m the famous one.”

“At most, you’re known within your department. I, on the other hand, am recognized beyond the university. My face is known nationwide.”

“…Wow.”

Tae-seo couldn’t argue. Se-heon really was that famous. He wasn’t a celebrity, but with his striking looks and business skill, people didn’t leave him alone. His powerful background only made it worse.

“Even yesterday, when we were just sitting on that bench, most people who saw me recognized me immediately.”

Se-heon recalled how, while talking to Tae-seo, he had occasionally glanced up to find passing students pausing and whispering. Unlike Tae-seo, he was aware of all the eyes on them, including Park Han-su’s.

“What exactly are they saying?”

Se-heon’s casual reaction made Tae-seo sigh and look ahead. It felt weird discussing someone’s own fame with them, but since it was true, there was nothing to argue about.

“There was a guy named Park Han-su who saw us yesterday. He told me about it. Asked me what kind of relationship we have.”

“And what did you say?”

“Uh… that it was weird?”

Tae-seo tilted his head, recalling his response. It hadn’t been an outright denial. It was just an odd reaction, something too noticeable to ignore. At that moment, Se-heon’s gaze flickered toward him. As if on cue, Tae-seo turned to meet his eyes. He pointed at himself deliberately.

“I’m a Beta, remember?”

“You’re an Omega.”

“Well, yeah, I manifested as one, but publicly, I’m still a Beta. You’re the only one who knows about my secondary gender.”

Even during his blind date with Mirae, nobody had suspected he was anything but a Beta. His pregnancy had suppressed his pheromones entirely, making it impossible for anyone to detect his true nature. He had no intention of revealing it.

“So, I’m a Beta guy, and you’re an Alpha guy. Why would people even think we fit together?”

At Tae-seo’s question, Se-heon responded with a nonchalant expression, as if the answer was obvious.

“They might be curious about me, but in the end, they’re more curious about you.”

“…Me?”

“They keep looking at you because you’re good-looking and cute.”

The moment the attention shifted to him, Tae-seo widened his eyes in disbelief.

“What does me being good-looking or cute have to do with anything?”

Just as Se-heon was confident about his own fame, Tae-seo had never doubted his appearance. But still, what did that have to do with rumors?

“That’s why they think we match well together.”

“So basically, my looks are a big factor in this?”

“Not wrong.”

Tae-seo finally nodded as if everything made sense.

“Well, I am pretty decent-looking. Honestly, it makes sense that a rumor like this would only happen because it’s me.”

If it weren’t for his reputation, the persistent rumors about him and Kang In-hyuk wouldn’t have lasted this long. The added context of him supposedly bullying Seo Da-rae only made things messier, but Tae-seo didn’t care.

Se-heon watched Tae-seo praise himself so casually and bit his lip to stifle a laugh. The car had stopped at a red light, giving him a clear view of Tae-seo’s smug expression.

“Have you solved all your questions now?”

“Yeah. But honestly, rumors are such a pain. They’re never a good thing. It’s just annoying. How am I supposed to go anywhere if every little thing turns into a rumor?”

Tae-seo clicked his tongue, clearly exasperated. Being famous is a hassle.

Se-heon finally let out a short laugh. It was brief, but unmistakable. Fortunately, Tae-seo was too caught up in his own words to notice.

Even after that, Se-heon had to endure Tae-seo’s endless self-praise until they finally arrived at their destination.

“Let’s eat first.”

Right now, the best way to shut Tae-seo up was with food.

****

Tae-seo rubbed his full stomach, smiling in satisfaction.

Whenever he ate with Se-heon, the food always seemed to go down easily. Whether it was Se-heon’s pheromones boosting his appetite or just the fact that the meals were always great, he always ended up eating more than usual.

“At this rate, I’m going to gain a ton of weight.”

His satisfaction quickly turned into mild concern as he pressed his hands against his stomach. Maybe it was because he had met Se-heon yesterday, but even this morning, he had eaten a decent breakfast. And now he had stuffed himself again.

If this kept up, his stomach would start showing, not from pregnancy, but from sheer overeating.

“What are you complaining about now?”

Se-heon, who had been following behind him, stepped up beside him.

“It’s not a complaint, just a concern. I ate too much, so I need to walk it off a little.”

Walking all the way home wasn’t realistic, but maybe he could stroll for a bit before catching a taxi. Lost in thought, Tae-seo turned to Se-heon.

“Thanks for the meal. Then, I guess I’ll…”

“Wanna go to a café? There’s a nice place nearby.”

Instead of suggesting they walk off the meal, Kang Se-heon casually suggested a café. Tae-seo stared at him, wondering if he had ignored his concerns completely. After a brief hesitation, he sighed and answered.

“…Sure.”

Just for today.

****

Back home, Tae-seo collapsed onto his bed, towel-drying his damp hair. As he shook his head, letting his hair air out, his phone vibrated beside him.

“Hello?”

– Did you wash up?

“Yes.”

As if to confirm his own words, Tae-seo nodded at his reflection in the mirror. Of course, Se-heon couldn’t see him, but for some reason, he exaggerated the movement anyway.

– How was the café?

“Not bad. The atmosphere was nice, and the scones were really good.”

– Should we go again?

“Hmm…”

Unlike the lingering sweetness of the desserts, Tae-seo hesitated. Hearing his drawn-out response, Se-heon waited patiently.

“It was nice and all, but there were too many people. That makes me hesitate.”

Se-heon realized why he hesitated and chuckled. The laughter carried through the phone to Tae-seo’s ears.

While the two of them sat at the bar, eating their desserts, an absurd number of eyes had been glued to them. Even as people whispered to their companions, their stares never left Tae-seo and Se-heon.

“All because of your fame, huh.”

– No, because you’re good-looking.

“So that was the problem.”

Tae-seo immediately accepted the blame, rolling onto his back on the bed. After spending the whole day from morning classes to hanging out with Se-heon, exhaustion was finally settling in.

He tried to remember what he had planned to do once he got home, but his grip on his phone kept loosening as fatigue took over.

“If we go when it’s less crowded, it might be fine.”

The café itself was fine. The unwanted attention was the problem. But the scones had been delicious. Even the cake that Se-heon had occasionally fed him had been pretty decent.

– Alright, let’s go again sometime.

Listening to Se-heon’s smooth voice, Tae-seo let out a small yawn.

“Did you get home yet?”

– Yeah. Just about to wash up.

“It’s late.”

– Had to take care of an urgent payment issue.

“Oh, right. You’re a busy office worker.”

– And you’re a leisurely college student.

At Se-heon’s teasing tone, Tae-seo pursed his lips in protest.

“College students are busy too, okay? Every week, we drown in assignments and classes. There’s so much to do…”

– Oh? That sounds tough. Impressive that you handle it all.

Se-heon immediately backed down, giving him the validation he wanted. Tae-seo’s voice softened in response.

“Well… I guess hard-working office employees deserve some credit too.”

– Thanks.

As they exchanged lighthearted praise about their respective struggles, Tae-seo’s eyes slowly lost focus. His eyelids, barely staying open, started to droop. He forced them open, only for them to lower again, heavier than before.

– By the way, what about the baby? Weren’t you going to think about it seriously at home…?

“That’s…”

What was he going to say?

His groggy mind struggled to form a response. But before he could get the words out, his eyes finally closed.

His grip on his phone loosened completely. It slipped from his hand, rolling twice before coming to a stop on the bed, screen facing up.

The call with Kang Se-heon was still ongoing.

But now, there was only silence.

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