Chapter 80: A Question Interrupted

Yoonwoo felt Yeon-chae’s gaze on his cheek, and his heart pounded. Even the gentle lapping of water had ceased. He was terrified that the frantic thumping felt so loud, Yeon-chae might hear it.

Yeon-chae’s low voice, rough as if scraping against the floor, shattered the oppressive silence that had settled heavily in the bathroom.

“Why do you torment me so?”

Yeon-chae let out a long sigh.

Before Yoonwoo could even open his eyes or utter a word of protest, Yeon-chae retrieved a fresh, fabric-softener-scented shower gown, draped it over Yoonwoo’s body, and lifted him into his arms. In an instant, Yoonwoo found himself laid upon the newlywed bed in the bedroom.

“Hyung, honestly… do you know how truly awful you are?”

The subdued voice reached his ears, yet Yoonwoo remained speechless. Before he could even process what was happening, he was gently rolled from left to right on the bed as Yeon-chae carefully guided his arms into the sleeves of the gown. Yoonwoo cautiously squinted his eyes open, only to find the waist tie already neatly secured in a butterfly knot.

Yeon-chae was already by the door, flicking off the light switch. With another sigh, he left the bedroom.

Alone, Yoonwoo remained in the empty, darkened room.

He felt an overwhelming sense of injustice. With a jolt, he sat upright.

“What…? What do you mean? When did I ever torment you?”

No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn’t recall a single instance.

“Why am I awful?!”

He hadn’t done anything wrong.

He hadn’t possessed the courage to open his eyes and loudly demand what he’d done wrong in that moment, so he had stayed still. Yet, he utterly failed to understand why Yeon-chae had said such things. Ever since realizing his feelings during their rut together, Yoonwoo had been the one constantly on edge, secretly agonizing in a way that was entirely uncharacteristic of him. Pretending indifference in front of the person he liked was far more emotionally draining than he had ever imagined.

So, if one were to ask who was ‘awful’ in this relationship, where the person who fell in love first was clearly at a disadvantage, the answer would obviously be…

‘…But did he just kiss me? And secretly?’

So, obviously…

‘Why? Why did he kiss me secretly?’

Obviously…

‘…………Are you, by any chance, in love with me?!’

The one who was oblivious to the other’s feelings and acted without a clue was the truly ‘awful’ one.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“You’ve been staring at me since earlier. Do you have something to tell me?”

“Hmm? Is that so? Something to tell you? What could I possibly have to say?”

“…Well, I wouldn’t know…”

Yeon-chae muttered, his voice laced with exasperation. Since morning, he had been grinding organic soybeans, piled high, to make *biji-jjigae*, and Yoonwoo kept hovering around, offering no real help, which clearly annoyed him.

But Yoonwoo truly did have something to tell Yeon-chae. However, the words simply wouldn’t come out, so he could only follow Yeon-chae around, unable to broach the subject. Finally, Yeon-chae’s patience snapped.

“Hyung, if you have something to say, just say it quickly. And stop picking at the beans. You’re not supposed to eat them raw.”

“Oh, right, sorry…”

“No, I wasn’t asking for an apology.”

“Well, I do have something to say.”

“What is it?”

Last night, Yoonwoo had tossed and turned, unable to sleep properly. No matter how he thought about it, it made no sense. But a secret kiss from someone who didn’t like him made even less sense. A hundred times over, the conclusion narrowed down to one thing: Yeon-chae must…

Yoonwoo squinted, scrutinizing Yeon-chae intently. Yeon-chae looked back at him with an expression that asked, ‘What are you doing?’, then abruptly turned his head and poured the remaining beans into the mixer. The mixer whirred loudly, spun, and then stopped.

Yeon-chae sharply lifted his head. His eyes, fixed on Yoonwoo as if glaring, were piercing, yet the tips of his ears were bright red.

“Why… why are you staring at me like that?”

“Huh? How am I staring?”

“Just say what you need to say, quickly…”

‘Or you’re going to burn a hole through me,’ Yeon-chae’s grumbling could be heard under his breath. The warmth that had started at his earlobes now spread to his cheeks. His puffy, early morning cheeks were as flushed as cherry blossom petals.

The flushed face was lovely. The back of his hair was flattened and sticking up in places, and his eyelids were swollen, making his faint inner double eyelids disappear. The apron, adorned with a bear, worn over his white T-shirt and sweatpants, was stained with ground beans and chili powder. Yet, his dumpling-like face glowed with an undeniable charm.

Yoonwoo took a deep breath. If he was mistaken, it would merely be a moment of fleeting embarrassment. The idea that Yeon-chae secretly liked him, and thus had stolen a kiss, seemed far-fetched. But abandoning this ‘dumpling’ now, just to avoid potential humiliation, seemed the most illogical course of action. So, he decided to ask directly. ‘Do you, by any chance, like me? If not, then never mind, ha-ha-ha…’

“Yeon-chae, are you, by any chance…”

It was precisely then that he opened his mouth.

Rrrrrr—.

Yeon-chae’s phone, usually little more than a heavy alarm clock, rarely used for anything beyond calls with Yoonwoo or his mother, suddenly rang. Both their gazes simultaneously landed on the phone screen. An unsaved number flickered, blinking on the display. Yoonwoo waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t answer. It’s spam.”

“Ah, okay.”

“Yeon-chae, but are you, by any chance, like…”

Yoonwoo pressed on, undeterred.

Rrrrrr—.

The alarm, which seemed to have paused, rang out again. The long, insistent vibration continued without tiring, causing Yeon-chae to furrow his brows.

“It keeps ringing? It doesn’t seem like spam.”

“No, it’s spam. I think it is, anyway?”

“Spam doesn’t usually call this many times. Just a moment, Hyung. I’ll just answer and hang up quickly.”

“Oh…”

Yoonwoo blinked slowly. Yeon-chae removing his hygiene gloves, placing them on the island counter, and answering the phone unfolded before his eyes in slow motion.

There are some things that feel like they must happen *at that exact moment* or not at all. For Yoonwoo, this ‘thing to say’ was precisely that. So, he urgently reached out and grabbed Yeon-chae’s wrist. Yeon-chae, surprised, turned to look at Yoonwoo.

“Hyung?”

“Yeon-chae! Wait, listen to me for a second before you answer the phone!”

–Yeon-chae? Yeon-chae! Hey, why are you answering so late—!

Three voices tangled together at once.

Yoonwoo stared blankly at Yeon-chae, who had just opened the front door and stepped inside, followed closely by a handsome man. Two large travel suitcases rattled across the floor, dragging behind them.

“What are you doing? Say hello first.”

Yeon-chae urged the man, his voice tinged with exasperation. The man had been cowering behind Yeon-chae, his shoulders hunched as he hesitated. Despite his efforts, the man’s bulky physique, as if he lived solely on protein shakes and weight training, couldn’t be easily hidden behind Yeon-chae’s slender frame.

“Hello. I’m Kevin. Go Kevin.”

The man, slightly shorter than Yeon-chae but considerably taller than Yoonwoo, bowed his head awkwardly. A long, cross-shaped drop earring dangled from only one of his earlobes, swaying in the air.

Yoonwoo gazed intently at him, peeking out from behind Yeon-chae. His features were distinct, giving him a refreshing impression. His large eyes with deep double eyelids and his firm, chiseled jawline seemed resolute, yet the plump aegyo-sal beneath his eyes lent him a cute, large-dog-like charm.

Perhaps sensing Yoonwoo’s thoughts, Kevin rolled his large eyes, then suddenly popped out from behind Yeon-chae. He grinned, a wide, innocent smile, at the startled, wide-eyed Yoonwoo.

“Sorry for just barging in. I landed at Incheon Airport on an morning flight, but it’s been years since I’ve been to Korea, so I don’t know anything. I took an airport bus, but I think it was going somewhere else. I thought I was completely lost!”

“Ah, yes…”

Yoonwoo flinched at the rapid, familiar tone. Kevin, who had been close friends with Yeon-chae since Yeon-chae’s school days in America, was three years older than Yeon-chae. He was also a year older than Yoonwoo, but even so, his immediate attitude, treating Yoonwoo like a close younger sibling, felt too natural. Yoonwoo, in contrast, felt awkward.

Kevin continued to chatter for a long time, his face cheerful.

“I was planning to stay at Yeon-chae’s house for a few days, but I didn’t know it was a newlywed home. I was completely surprised when I heard that Yeon-chae got married without even telling me!”

‘He didn’t know? Yeon-chae didn’t tell him?’

A vertical furrow appeared between Yoonwoo’s brows. It sounded as if Kevin had deliberately come, unaware of Yeon-chae’s marriage, and was now disappointed. ‘If he wasn’t married, then what? What was he planning to do?’ Yoonwoo felt angry at Yeon-chae too. ‘Why didn’t you tell him you’re a married man? You’re even going to be a father!’

Yoonwoo once again scrutinized Kevin, his eyes sharp and probing. He inhaled, trying to detect pheromones. It was as if Kevin had meticulously contained his pheromones, for Yoonwoo could barely detect any scent.

‘There’s no way someone with that face and body could be an Omega, right?’ Yoonwoo narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Kevin’s bulging arms, which looked capable of effortlessly hoisting a sack of rice. He seemed like an Alpha. He must be an Alpha. Probably…

While Yoonwoo was struggling alone to determine Kevin’s secondary gender, Yeon-chae frowned and turned his head toward Kevin.

“What are you talking about? I did tell you. I said I was getting married, didn’t I?”

His voice was reproachful. Kevin, however, shook his head with a bewildered expression.

“Hmm? No, you didn’t. I don’t think you did?”

“I did. You even sent congratulatory money.”

“Hey, how could I send congratulatory money? I don’t even have a Korean bank account—.”

“Exactly. You sent dollars to my old American account that I don’t even use anymore. What was I supposed to do with that?”

“Huh? Hahaha. That does sound like something I’d do.”

“It was you, I’m telling you.”

“Hahahahahaha. Really? I forgot, sorry, sorry.”

“How could you forget about a wedding?”

Yeon-chae grumbled, his eyebrows furrowed.

Yoonwoo’s eyes widened. While relieved that Yeon-chae had mentioned the marriage, this was the first time he had seen Yeon-chae interact with someone so casually. After all, Yeon-chae had never brought anyone home before. He had heard that no one, except Yoonwoo, had ever visited the officetel where Yeon-chae used to live alone.

The large, handsome man who had suddenly contacted Yeon-chae and then appeared at their newlywed home with two huge suitcases seemed to be Yeon-chae’s close friend. A very close friend, at that.