* * *
“Gaeul!”
Yoonwoo let out a low gasp, involuntarily squatting down in Dojin’s entryway and hugging Gaeul tightly.
The warm temperature of the small body, the sensation of soft fur, and the now considerably loud, regular purring. It was a sensation he had missed.
He continuously stroked Gaeul’s back and whispered.
“Have you been well? To be this healthy. You’ve grown a lot, our Gaeul.”
His voice naturally carried the suppressed affection and longing he had kept hidden for so long.
Dojin stood in the entryway, watching the scene with a deeply content expression.
Seeing Yoonwoo so genuinely happy and bright upon seeing Gaeul warmed his own heart.
He knew how much comfort Gaeul had been to the wounded Yoonwoo.
He wished to see Yoonwoo smile like that more often.
After sharing the joy of reunion with Gaeul for a long time, Yoonwoo suddenly felt Dojin’s gaze on him and awkwardly stood up.
He cleared his throat and stepped into the apartment.
*
Dojin’s studio apartment was clean and neatly organized, reflecting his personality.
It wasn’t a large space, but the design reference images on one wall, the design books and movie DVDs placed throughout, and the pile of sketchbooks in a corner showed the owner’s interests.
Small accessories that hinted at his taste were also noticeable.
“Please stay for dinner! I’ll prepare it right away!”
Dojin said cheerfully as he headed towards the kitchen.
“No, no. I can’t be a burden here after Jeju, too.”
Yoonwoo tried to decline, but Dojin was already opening the refrigerator.
“I have to eat dinner anyway! I’ll make it quick! I’ll make you Kimchi Stew!”
Without waiting for Yoonwoo’s reply, he began to cook with practiced skill.
Unable to refuse his kindness any longer, Yoonwoo sat on the living room sofa.
Gaeul had already jumped onto his lap and settled down, starting to purr again.
Yoonwoo stroked Gaeul’s back and watched Dojin’s back as he cooked in the kitchen.
His broad shoulders and skillfully moving arms.
His back somehow felt reassuring and trustworthy.
Yoonwoo couldn’t deny the fact that this person had quietly supported him over the past few months.
Before long, the savory smell of Kimchi Stew filled the house.
Dojin served a simple but neat dinner table with freshly cooked Kimchi Stew, thick rolled omelets, and a few side dishes.
“It’s not much… but please eat well!”
The two sat across from each other at the small table and began to eat.
Yoonwoo found he surprisingly had an appetite for the first time in a long while, eating food that felt like a warm home-cooked meal.
He finished a surprisingly large amount of rice and stew.
Small conversations passed between the two during the meal.
At first, it was mainly Dojin asking about work life or design, and Yoonwoo answering, but gradually, Yoonwoo also began to share his own thoughts or talk about books he had recently read.
Unlike before, the conversation flowed naturally without interruption.
Under the table, Gaeul played, weaving between their legs.
“Oh, speaking of which, Senior Designer.”
Dojin suddenly spoke, as if remembering something.
“CEO Seoyeon told me you used to be in a film club! Do you happen to like watching movies?”
He cautiously asked about Yoonwoo’s interests.
The thought of the club where he met Juwon gave Yoonwoo a sharp, painful pang, but he shook his head slightly and then nodded slowly.
“…Yes, I do. I don’t really have any hobbies, so I watched a lot of movies besides design.”
“Wow! I really love movies too. I’ve collected a lot of DVDs at home! Then, do you like director Jean-Pierre Melville’s films?”
Dojin’s eyes sparkled.
“How did you know?”
This time, Yoonwoo asked back, surprised.
“Somehow, the style of the movies felt like something you would enjoy! I really love that director too! Especially Le Samouraï! Wow… even though there’s hardly any dialogue, the tension and atmosphere…!”
Dojin began to chatter excitedly about the director he liked.
Yoonwoo unconsciously smiled at his enthusiasm.
And for the first time in a long time, he talked comfortably with someone about something he enjoyed.
“I like that movie too. Alain Delon’s gaze is masterful. Personally, though, I prefer Army of Shadows. It’s a bit less kind, but there’s so much more to chew on the more you think about it.”
“Ah! I saw that one too! The interpretation of the final scene is highly debated, isn’t it? What did you think, Senior Designer?”
Just like that, the two talked about their film preferences rather than design for a long time.
Yoonwoo still spoke sparingly, but led by Dojin’s pure passion, he shared his thoughts much more comfortably than before.
Dojin listened to his words with sparkling eyes, trying not to miss a single detail of Yoonwoo.
In this time of learning about and empathizing with each other’s tastes, the distance between the two was visibly closing.
Warm food, a quiet space, a person who looked at him without prejudice, and a small cat playing at his feet.
For the first time in a very long time, Yoonwoo felt a sense of comfort and solace rising from the depths of his heart.
The terrible memories and the anxiety about an uncertain future could be temporarily forgotten.
For this moment, he was just a person having a normal dinner.
He suddenly found himself unconsciously wearing a relaxed smile.
And he made eye contact with Dojin, who was looking at him with a warm gaze.
Yoonwoo was slightly flustered, but he didn’t avert his eyes like before.
Instead of sharp wariness, his eyes now held soft gratitude and a tiny hint of fondness.
Dojin also sensed this change in Yoonwoo.
His heart felt like it would burst, but he tried to hide his expression and quietly smiled back.
A warm, hopeful current flowed silently between the two, an understanding that transcended words.
*
After that day, time flew by, and it had been well over a month since Dojin joined Studio Yeon.
The relationship between Yoonwoo and Dojin had undergone as many changes as the time that passed.
Dojin still respectfully called Yoonwoo ‘Senior Designer,’ but as the days of working on projects and staying up all night increased, the two had grown much closer than mere superior and subordinate.
Dojin was growing much faster than Yoonwoo had anticipated, capably fulfilling his role as a designer at Studio Yeon.
He constantly stayed by Yoonwoo’s side, eagerly absorbing his design philosophy and working methods like a sponge, and Yoonwoo willingly mentored his talent.
Sometimes, they fiercely debated concepts in meetings until their faces flushed, but through that process, they were becoming excellent design partners who inspired each other.
Furthermore, they became increasingly integrated into each other’s daily lives.
For Yoonwoo, who had nothing much to do after work, visiting Gaeul became a great source of healing and an important routine.
Gaeul, perhaps knowing that Yoonwoo had saved him, would become a clingy cat whenever Yoonwoo came over, sticking close to him.
Ultimately, thanks to an Alpha and a cat who vehemently welcomed his visits, Yoonwoo found himself stopping by Dojin’s small studio apartment once or twice a week, sometimes almost every day, after work.
Unlike the officetel Juwon left him, Dojin’s small, modest space strangely provided him with a true breathing space and a sense of being alive.
There, Yoonwoo laughed out loud watching the antics of Gaeul, who had bravely adapted to life in unfamiliar Seoul, and shared casual stories over dinner that Dojin prepared with sincerity, despite his limited skill.
And sometimes, if they had time, they would watch movies they both liked and chat about them until dawn.
These moments gave Yoonwoo a different kind of stability and comfort than his time in Jeju.
Although he tried hard to ignore the emotions embedded in the warm, deepening gaze Dojin directed at him, Yoonwoo could not deny that Dojin’s presence had now become a considerable part of his life.
But not everything was peaceful.
As Studio Yeon grew, new employees joined, and some of them made Yoonwoo uncomfortable.
Lee Minjae, a designer who was an Omega, possessed excellent visual sense and skill, but he was openly displeased that his superior was a Beta.
He seemed to harbor both a sense of Omega superiority and a victim mentality that his position had been taken by an inferior Beta.
He frequently challenged Yoonwoo’s opinions on every matter during meetings or deliberately ignored his instructions, pretending not to hear them.
On the surface, he would apologize, saying, “I apologize, Senior Designer. I’m still lacking…” but his eyes still held dissatisfaction and defiance.
Underlying his behavior was a deeply rooted form-based discrimination that Betas were inferior to Alphas or Omegas.
Recently, Minjae’s attitude had worsened.
The reason was clear: the undeniably attractive dominant Alpha, Kim Dojin, only showed interest in Yoonwoo.
Dojin hovered near Yoonwoo almost constantly, during breaks and after work.
Most people at the studio noticed that his eyes held feelings beyond mere respect.
Minjae, who also had a crush on Dojin, had tried to approach him several times, but Dojin remained completely unresponsive to his small talk and subtle advances, like an iron wall.
Blinded by jealousy, Minjae slowly accumulated anger and hatred towards Yoonwoo, who monopolized Dojin’s attention.
He believed that Yoonwoo was undeserving of Dojin simply because he was a Beta and desperately wanted to drive a wedge between the two.
Eventually, the situation came to a head during a meeting.
* * *
That’s childish coming from an adult.