* * *
At the wine bar where Siwon had been turned away, a man suddenly rushed out and dragged Junhee off to the stairway.
For some reason, she looked familiar.
After thinking it over while waiting, he realized it was the same man he’d seen at that event that day.
The man who had sat beside that obnoxious man called the Director, the one who smelled of perfume.
Anyway, while Siwon was anxiously waiting for Junhee, the two appeared in front of him and suddenly made this unexpected request.
‘Jin Siwon, can’t you do me a favor?’
‘Suddenly?’
‘Listen first. If you really can’t, you can refuse. I’m not forcing you.’
‘Hey, have I ever refused one of your requests? It’s just that you never ask. As long as you’re not telling me to disappear from your life, I’ll do anything for you.’
It wasn’t an empty promise but a hundred percent sincere.
Junhee, who hated owing others more than death itself, wouldn’t have made a request without a good reason.
‘…But of all things, why this?’
Was it because Moon Doyoung needed an Alpha partner and Siwon just happened to be one?
Whatever the case, if it benefited Junhee, Siwon would do even more.
Before he could even ask what he was supposed to do, the woman made a phone call somewhere, and a suit arrived in no time.
Siwon obediently changed into the clothes as instructed.
The last thing he remembered was Junhee patting his back, saying not to worry.
When he came to his senses, he was under the spotlight, bathed in a warm yellow glow.
But there was at least one comforting thing.
When Siwon turned his head to look at Junhee, he saw him awkwardly raise the corners of his lips and wiggle his fingers in a barely noticeable wave.
That tiny gesture was like magic, calming Siwon’s pounding heart as if it were a lie.
“By the way, who’s that person?”
“Oh, he’s my guest too. He’s someone I owe a lot to personally, so I invited him specially. Is that okay?”
“Hello, I’m Yoo Junhee.”
“Oh my, nice to meet you.”
Junhee bowed his head and greeted Doyoung’s friends.
Were they her college friends?
After brief introductions, the attention shifted back to Siwon.
“Hey, Doyoung. Your partner looks really young. Excuse me, how old are you?”
“I’m twenty…”
As Siwon carelessly started to answer, Junhee’s gaze reached him.
“…five.”
Junhee silently sighed in relief.
“Twenty-five? Wow, but he’s only four years younger than you, Doyoung. No wonder he looks so young.”
“Oh my, so fresh. Even his pheromones smell so sweet. Is it because he’s young? Doyoung, so your type is a dependable younger guy?”
“Hey, you know how picky I was since college.”
Moon Doyoung held his thick forearm even tighter. Her red lips curved softly.
“You all know. Age doesn’t necessarily mean maturity. In fact, the older they are, the more cunning they get. You should try dating a younger guy too. They’re so cute, and their stamina is… Oh dear, this isn’t the right place for such talk.”
Several people chuckled as they watched Doyoung snuggle up even closer, pretending to be shy.
Watching Siwon’s body twitch awkwardly, Junhee let out a hidden sigh.
“Alright, everyone’s here now, so let’s cut the cake and make a toast.”
“It’s Doyoung’s birthday, so I even brought a vintage port wine. You know how rare it is.”
The atmosphere quickly turned lively, and Doyoung, who proudly took the center of attention, looked satisfied.
“Junhee, you come over too.”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll take some pictures for you.”
Someone handed their phone over to Junhee.
He took it and turned on the camera, but a notification popped up, causing him to see the message unintentionally.
[My Love♥: I’m so sorry for being lateㅠ I’m almost there, so wait a little longer, kiss kiss!]
Pretending he didn’t see it, Junhee adjusted the camera angle.
“I’m taking the picture now.”
Click, the shutter went off several times, and the photo shoot ended.
Junhee glanced around, looking for the owner of the phone, but the owner approached first and extended his hand.
“You can give it to me.”
“Ah, yes.”
A slender man with a sharp face and lean build took the phone from Junhee.
His hair was long enough to touch his shoulders, making Junhee mistake him for a woman at first.
But upon closer inspection, he realized he was a man.
Standing still, the man checked the message and grumbled.
“Seriously. The busiest person in the world, aren’t they.”
Junhee was about to quietly leave the awkward situation when—
“Ah, Yoo Junhee, was it?”
The man tilted his round eyes and looked intently at Junhee’s face.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Have we met before?”
For a moment, Junhee wondered if the man was one of the members, but a timely rescue arrived.
“Cha Yoonjae, do you know Junhee?”
It was Moon Doyoung, walking over with Siwon in tow.
“No, it’s not that… His name just seemed familiar for some reason. Was it just a mix-up?”
After hearing “Cha Yoonjae,” Junhee was certain he had no connection to him.
If it were a member, he would have remembered all their names by heart.
“It must have been a mistake. This is my first time meeting you.”
“Yeah, I must have been mistaken. Haha, am I getting old? Lately, I’ve been so scatterbrained.”
Seeing his bright smile, Junhee thought he had a lovely smile.
Maybe it was because of the deep dimples on his cheeks.
Realizing he was staring without meaning to, Junhee averted his gaze, only to lock eyes with Siwon.
Just by looking at him, Junhee could tell what Siwon wanted to say.
‘Hyung, when are we leaving?’
‘…Just a little longer.’
In the empty space, their gazes briefly intersected, silently concluding an unspoken conversation.
Junhee looked at Siwon, dressed in a suit, with a sense of unfamiliarity.
He had always seen him in casual clothes or sportswear until now, so seeing him like this made the change feel dramatic, almost as if time had shifted.
Maybe it was the feeling of a mother bird watching her chick mature.
But with those broad shoulders, tall stature, and perfect proportions, it was clear that he looked every bit the part.
He blended in seamlessly, not feeling out of place even among this group.
“By the way, Cha Yoonjae, when is your partner coming? You must introduce them to us today.”
Doyoung, who didn’t seem to be in the best of moods, spoke warmly to Yoonjae.
“They’re on their way. They said they’re almost here, so they should be here any minute.”
At Yoonjae’s words, Junhee recalled the message he had seen earlier. It was oddly filled with affection.
If they were truly in a relationship, did all couples really exchange such cringeworthy messages without hesitation?
For Junhee, it was an unimaginable concept, no matter who the other person was.
“Do I really have to let you know when they arrive? I’ll be over there for a bit. Let’s go, honey.”
Siwon, being pulled away by Doyoung who had linked arms with him, looked back at Junhee.
His gaze resembled that of a child who had been following along excitedly for a pork cutlet but was now being dragged into a dentist’s office. It didn’t feel right.
“Junhee, right? I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Cha Yoonjae.”
“Oh, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Yoo Junhee.”
Yoonjae picked up a bottle of wine nearby and poured it into two glasses.
Every small movement seemed inexplicably elegant.
“Let’s have a drink, just the two of us.”
He smiled softly as he offered the glass, making it hard for Junhee to refuse.
It seemed like they were the only two without partners in the crowd.
For Junhee, it didn’t matter since he never had one, but for Yoonjae…
Guided by the atmosphere, Junhee accepted the glass and took a small sip.
“What do you do, Junhee?”
“…I’m just an office worker.”
“Oh, I see. I’m more like a half-unemployed person.”
Junhee struggled to respond to Yoonjae’s sudden confession, but Yoonjae laughed cheerfully.
“Look at how flustered you are. I do a bit of painting as a hobby, but since I don’t have a proper job, I’m calling myself unemployed.”
“If you can live doing what you like, I think that’s enough.”
“Wow, that’s a comforting thing to say. Most people, when they hear I’m unemployed at this age, assume I’m some sort of parasite living off my parents.”
Yoonjae, holding his wine glass, smiled brightly.
Although his face wasn’t familiar, he felt oddly familiar to Junhee, as if they had met somewhere before.
Junhee hadn’t said it to console him.
Compared to someone like Junhee, who had to force himself to work day after day just to make a living, someone living doing what they wanted was a thousand times better.
In the end, you needed some sort of support to be able to live like that, and having that in itself was proof of a blessed life.
“I’ve been cooped up in my studio, so I came out after a long time, but it’s not that fun. I guess gatherings like this don’t suit me.”
Yoonjae turned his head towards the window and took a small sip of wine.
Earlier, with so many people around, Junhee hadn’t noticed, but now that they were alone, it was clear.
‘An omega…’
There was a faint scent of pheromones emanating from him.
Junhee’s usual wariness toward strangers eased a little.
* * *
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