Chapter 36: The Ex-Husband’s Last Weapon.

Yoojun looked at Han Jaewoo’s shameless face as he naturally offered a greeting.

Jaewoo wore an extremely polite and gentle expression.

If one didn’t know better, it was an appearance one would consider quite charming, regardless of personal taste.

Honestly, if he followed his heart, he wanted to ignore him without even a reply.

It wasn’t just because of Sayoung; Yoojun simply found the human being known as Han Jaewoo to be displeasing.

Even before getting entangled with Sayoung, he disliked the shady attitude of a married man subtly showing interest in him.

Still, in the past, he had wondered if he was being too sensitive about a fellow actor simply showing friendliness.

He had thought that perhaps he just found even the expressions of goodwill annoying because their personalities didn’t match.

But now Yoojun knew that his gut feeling hadn’t been wrong.

It was only natural that facing him had become even more uncomfortable.

“Hello, Mr. Han Jaewoo. Fancy meeting you here.”

However, instead of ignoring him or retorting sarcastically as his temper dictated, Yoojun returned the greeting with a rather friendly attitude.

He didn’t forget to subtly hint that he was glad to run into him like this.

Yoojun remembered Sayoung’s plan very accurately.

To inflict greater pain on Han Jaewoo at the moment of revenge, he had to drag him up to the highest possible place.

Only when one is swollen with anticipation and hope does the blow strike harder when everything shatters.

To do that, Yoojun had to give him room.

It was important to deepen Jaewoo’s interest so that it could become something more affectionate than it was now.

So, Yoojun tried desperately not to make a contemptuous expression.

Perhaps Yoojun’s intention worked, as Jaewoo looked faintly pleased at Yoojun’s response.

He looked as if he wanted to add something more to Yoojun, but he glanced briefly at Sayoung standing beside them, licked his lips, and spoke politely.

“As a fan, I would love to chat a bit more with an actor I admire, but I have a more important matter to attend to…”

Yoojun saw Jaewoo’s gaze turn toward Sayoung.

Even though he was just looking, Yoojun’s stomach twisted strangely.

Han Jaewoo’s intention in trailing off was obvious.

He wanted to talk to Sayoung alone.

Yoojun also turned his head slightly to look at Sayoung.

Because he was standing right next to him, Yoojun couldn’t see exactly what expression he was making, which felt frustrating.

Marveling at the detestableness of Han Jaewoo putting on a face of concern for Sayoung, Yoojun opened his mouth toward Sayoung.

“Then I’ll wait in the car. Go ahead and have your talk.”

At the words that he would wait in the car, Jaewoo’s expression distorted very briefly before regaining composure.

Sayoung, who seemed frozen for a moment, only then flinched his shoulders slightly and turned his head to face Yoojun.

At that moment, Yoojun felt an unidentifiable thrill run down his spine.

It wasn’t even a big deal.

Their eyes just met.

The fact that he made eye contact with Sayoung in front of Han Jaewoo provided a mysterious sense of satisfaction.

‘Do I already feel some sort of camaraderie just because we’ve been together for a short while?’

Thinking useless thoughts, Yoojun gave a slight silent bow toward Jaewoo and left the spot first.

He was insanely worried and curious about what conversation the two would have, and whether Han Jaewoo would spout bullshit again.

However, since Yoojun is a gentle person, he headed to the car acting as if it were no big deal.

Sayoung was a grown adult too, so there was no need for Yoojun to fuss and worry.

Of course, he did shake his leg a bit while sitting in the car and swore a little to himself, but anyway, it wasn’t really a big deal.

****

Sayoung quietly followed behind Jaewoo, who had signaled toward the corner with his eyes.

Since he was greatly flustered by the completely unexpected encounter, his heart beat rapidly.

It was surprising enough that he had sent Eunseong to deliver a warning, but Sayoung truly hadn’t known he would go as far as to visit in person.

It meant that Kim Yoojun was that, that important.

Enough to personally seek out the person he said he never wanted to see again.

Come to think of it, that must be why he treated him so harshly in the life before he died.

There wasn’t much emotional agitation, but his hands kept trembling.

Sayoung wondered if perhaps he hadn’t simply turned back time, but rather his soul had possessed a past body.

It felt like it was clearly his body, but difficult to control at will.

As if he had to control the body of a stranger that had been excessively tamed by Han Jaewoo.

“What are you doing?”

While Sayoung struggled to restore the strange physical sensations to his will, Jaewoo, who had stopped in a secluded hallway of the hospital, stabbed at him sharply without beating around the bush.

The voice that had called “Sayoung-ah” worriedly seemed as if it belonged to someone else; this voice was cold.

Sayoung didn’t give a particular answer and just looked up at Jaewoo with calm eyes.

The fortunate thing was that while he couldn’t help his heart racing and his hands trembling with his own will, he was able to look at him composedly.

The Sayoung before death couldn’t even look him in the eye properly until Jaewoo gave an order.

To think he could overcome so much in such a short time just because he experienced death once.

If he could come back to life, dying once didn’t seem like such a bad thing.

It was all useless contemplation, but thinking about other things in front of Jaewoo was quite significant, whatever it was.

“Yoon Sayoung.”

Perhaps sensing the heterogeneity of that silence, Han Jaewoo called his name with a sharper voice.

Sayoung recalled the voice that had called him ‘Sayoung-ah’ in front of Yoojun just a moment ago, as if meeting a fond first love, and burst into laughter without realizing it.

Whether it was just his mood, Jaewoo’s face seemed to pale a little.

Sayoung enjoyed the information, which might be a misunderstanding, and opened his mouth.

“What is this about?”

“…What?”

“You sent Eunseong to say what needed to be said; what made you so anxious and curious that you came here personally?”

“…….”

“Does it bother you because it looks like I approached Yoojun on purpose?”

His speaking voice trembled against his will.

He wanted to speak a bit more confidently and calmly, but just as he couldn’t control his racing heart and trembling hands, he couldn’t regulate his voice as he pleased either.

Sayoung decided to be satisfied for now with just letting the words he wanted to say out of his mouth.

Before, he had never even imagined himself speaking to Han Jaewoo like this.

Perhaps taken aback, Han Jaewoo was silent for a moment before scoffing lightly and speaking.

“Just because you’re an Omega, are you trying to seduce Kim Yoojun to fix your wretched life?”

Sayoung found it quite funny that Jaewoo would say such a thing.

Words he wanted to say came to mind, but simultaneously, his heart tightened as if it would burst.

It was a pressure as if every cell in his body was struggling to stop him from spitting out those words.

He hadn’t realized before his death that he had been oppressed by him throughout.

Even if he had known, he would have looked away and denied it.

Because he wanted it to be love.

Because he wanted to be in love.

Because he wanted it to eventually return to love.

So Sayoung had accepted the things Han Jaewoo did to him as natural, as deserved.

Those memories, the obedience he carried in his body like an instinct, blocked Sayoung’s words and scolded his thoughts.

That he shouldn’t.

That he shouldn’t do that to Han Jaewoo.

It clung to him, asking what he would do if Jaewoo hated him forever and never looked back.

So Sayoung opened his mouth desperately.

“…Is that story about you, Mr. Han Jaewoo?”

“What did you just… What…?”

“Approaching a successful actor to improve one’s lot in life… that sounds like a very familiar story, ugh…!”

A short groan burst from Sayoung’s mouth, who had continued speaking steadfastly despite his whole body trembling.

It was because Jaewoo grabbed Sayoung’s shoulder and shoved him against the wall before he could finish his sentence.

That wasn’t all.

Sayoung opened his eyes wide in surprise at the sensation of his mind momentarily becoming hazy.

He was releasing pheromones toward Sayoung.

Sayoung reflexively tried to lift his hand to cover his nose and mouth.

Jaewoo grabbed Sayoung’s hands and bound them.

He was using the pheromones, which he only ever used during their marriage to violently force Sayoung into submission, in the exact same way right now.

Sayoung’s chin trembled pitifully.

He hurriedly released his own scent to counter Han Jaewoo’s pheromones that rushed in roughly as if strangling him, but Sayoung’s body, suppressed by him for a long time, couldn’t properly block him off, like a person with fear carved into his instincts.

“Sayoung-ah. Do you think things have changed just because you demanded a divorce first?”

“Haa… Ugh….”

“The one who discarded you a long time ago is me. You shouldn’t crawl up like this when you’ve only just managed to fall off after hanging on miserably all this time.”

“G-Get a-away, ugh…”

Sayoung continued to resist, chewing out each syllable.

The days when he liked Han Jaewoo, when he would give himself to him no matter how miserable the situation if he just released some pheromones, became terrible memories that choked Sayoung.

Looking down with satisfied eyes at the sight of Sayoung trembling with a pale face, Jaewoo moved close to his ear and whispered in a sweet voice.

“What’s wrong, Sayoung-ah. You like this kind of thing.”

“Haa, haaa…!”

“Do you dislike it now if it isn’t Kim Yoojun?”

With those final words, Jaewoo reined in the pheromones he had been pouring out like a storm and released the hands binding Sayoung.

Sayoung, his body drained of strength, collapsed onto the floor as he was, gasping for painful breath.

Jaewoo made a gesture of brushing off his clothes as if something dirty had touched them, then spoke.

“Yoon Sayoung. It’s only because it’s me that I lived with a kid like you for that long. I’m saying this out of genuine concern, so don’t chase after the wrong person in vain.”

“…….”

“And if you’re doing this because you still have lingering feelings for me, wake up from your dream.”

Jaewoo’s gaze swept over every corner of Sayoung’s body, which was slumped on the floor.

He wondered if he had reacted to his pheromones. Of course, there was no need to check. It was certain he would have, even without checking.

“Then take care of yourself, Mr. Yoon Sayoung.”

With those words spat out like mockery, Jaewoo turned away from Sayoung and began to walk. His lower abdomen tightened painfully at Sayoung’s scent still lingering on the tip of his nose.

Since he had to be careful after divorcing Sayoung, he hadn’t been able to have relations with anyone.

Even so, to be aroused by Yoon Sayoung’s scent of all things; it seemed he had endured for too long.