Don’t you think we are going too fast? chapter 32

“…Who are you?”

Seeing the puzzled expression on Jerk2’s face change to one of incredulity, I shrugged.

“I’m similar to you. A golden spoon.”

“What did you say? This guy…”

“Anyway, check if everything is properly handled, both past and present.”

“Hey, stop right there. Stop!”

Ignoring the growling Jerk1, who was frustrated that his children couldn’t even properly price themselves, I turned around.

“Huh?”

Taeshin was sitting by the exit.

“What are you doing here?”

“For coffee.”

The Taeshin who had told me to go ahead was now sitting at the coffee shop table, answering shamelessly.

I shook my head, watching Taeshin spin his coffee cup before taking a sip. If it were me, I’d have chased after Taeshin from the moment I told him to go home if such a thing had happened to him.

When I looked back after feeling he might follow me, Jerk2 and Jerk1 were glaring fiercely at Taeshin.

Pathetic, truly pathetic.

“Is it over?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s go.”

Taeshin, who had been sitting, slung his bag over his shoulder and picked up the tablet he had placed on the table.

He turned off the tablet displaying a dog photo and opened the coffee shop door.

On the way home from school, I asked Taeshin, who claimed he had come to try the coffee because he was curious about its taste, how he knew about this coffee shop located a bit away from the business school building.

Suspicious of Taeshin’s surprisingly sly lie, I glanced at him before going home.

Not long after, Jerk2, who had threatened a fellow student with Alpha pheromones, was expelled for sexual violence rather than simple violence by the disciplinary committee. Jerk1 received a suspended expulsion for complicity.

Rumor had it that Jerk2 was also reported to the police for sexual violence and was bitten by a rabid dog, leaving him in critical condition.

It was a story Jung Noeul mentioned, but I was so out of it that I couldn’t quite remember.

* * *

After being busy adjusting to university life and handling the miscellaneous tasks the school required, I had some free time after about a month.

The heavy down jacket I had armed myself with had thinned out, and seeing the buds sprout on the branches that used to look cold made my heart flutter.

High school friends who had moved to other universities had already started dating, going on trips, and posting pink-tinted photos of early spring seas and blooming camellias in our group chat every day.

[Jjino> (photo)]

[Shin Ilkim> (photo)]

[Jung Dayoon> Seriously, I’m not interested in your love lives]

[ㅗ]

[Hwang Joonbong> Moon Sunwoo, why so sensitive? Is your partner neglecting you?]

[ㅗㅗ]

Lately, I’ve been feeling restless for no reason. I didn’t think it was particularly bad, but my mood would suddenly drop, and even when I felt good, I’d lose energy. This erratic feeling was probably because it was spring.

Everyone else was dating, but I still had no news. Go Cheolmin, who promised to set me up, was busy with his band club, and other friends I made at university kept delaying, saying they couldn’t find anyone suitable.

At this point, it seemed like an unseen force was significantly affecting my love life. I thought maybe I should pray to the three deities in my fourth brother’s room for the power of faith, even though I had been greatly betrayed before, I was willing to show sincere devotion.

“I’ve lost my appetite.”

I muttered, poking my ice cream with a small pink spoon. Jung Noeul and Park Jonghoon, who were eating shakes and ice cream across from me, looked at me.

“In the past? Or the future?”

“Sunwoo, didn’t you just eat a serving each of tteokbokki, fried food, and sundae?”

“…Did I?”

“Yeah. You also ate fish cake.”

I did eat something at the snack bar near the school after all the lectures, but I couldn’t remember eating that much. I thought I had ordered normally and started eating modestly.

“Did I?”

Taeshin, who was drinking coffee next to me, glanced down briefly.

“Kimbap, too.”

“Really?”

When did I finish it all?

Grumbling that I couldn’t remember eating anything, Taeshin smiled softly, his eyes crinkling. It was definitely spring.

Seeing his familiar face smile like usual suddenly made me feel strange. I pretended to agree and turned my attention to the ice cream, scratching my cheek with my fingertips.

I think I need to go on a blind date soon. Lately, I’ve been feeling so lonely that when Taeshin smiles at me, my heart keeps tingling like an electric current is flowing through it.

Moreover, Taeshin’s pheromones seemed to be getting sweeter day by day. The mixture of soft, cozy pheromones with sweetness sometimes made me feel very weird.

When Taeshin looks at me, his pheromones become stronger, and if those sweet pheromones intensify while looking at me, it’s just… really weird.

Especially when he laughs, it feels even stranger. I think I finally understand when to use the phrase, “not only is the face pretty, but even the pheromones are pretty.”

“Yangcheol is coming.”

“Yangcheol?”

“It must be Go Cheolmin.”

“Yeah, Go Cheolmin.”

Jung Noeul nodded while drinking his shake and put down his phone. When Go Cheolmin arrives, I should subtly pressure him about when he’ll set up the blind date. I don’t want to push too hard and make him refuse, so I’ll have to be gentle about it.

While I was busy eating my ice cream, Go Cheolmin arrived. Despite being busy, he looked happy.

“Is the club fun? Should I join something too?”

“Don’t even mention it. It’s so busy. By the way, Moon Sunwoo and Jung Noeul, are you still interested in the blind date?”

“Right, you promised us a blind date but then ghosted us, didn’t you?”

“You said you’d set up a blind date, but we haven’t heard from you. Did you go to North Korea or something?”

I teased Go Cheolmin, just like Jung Noeul, who also wanted to go on a blind date with me. Go Cheolmin showed an apologetic gesture by showing his palm and quickly scrolling through his phone.

“What are your ideal types?”

“For me, someone easygoing and fun. As long as their face is decent.”

“It’ll be problematic if your standard for ‘decent’ is too high.”

“Seriously, I like fun people the most.”

“So Jung Noeul likes fun people. Moon Sunwoo, what about you?”

Go Cheolmin’s question moved from Jung Noeul, who sincerely said he liked fun people, to me. I had only thought about dating, never really had an ideal type. What kind of person do I like? I thought for a moment and then hesitantly opened my mouth.

“Uh, a kind person?”

“Just kind is enough?”

“I’d like them to be gentle too, and it would be nice if they were good-looking. I don’t really like someone with a strong personality, so someone who can get along with me would be great.”

“Are you looking for a unicorn?”

Go Cheolmin looked at me with a critical gaze, and Jung Noeul also said my standards were high.

“They’re not that high. Just the basics.”

“Someone beautiful and submissive is like a unicorn. Everyone has their own personality, so how can they always get along?”

“I don’t think it’s Moon Sunwoo’s problem…”

When Jung Noeul and Go Cheolmin teamed up to criticize me, Park Jonghoon took my side. He nodded, looking at the two who were criticizing me, as if to say what did I do wrong, making Go Cheolmin fiddle with his phone and show the screen to Jung Noeul.

“What about this one?”

“Are they fun?”

The question came out immediately, showing Jung Noeul’s genuine interest in fun people. After hearing that the person was the most crazy among his friends, Jung Noeul tilted his head and then nodded.

“Moon Sunwoo, what about this one?”

Go Cheolmin showed me a picture of a student with shoulder-length short hair, wearing a school uniform and smiling brightly while making a V-sign with her fingers.

“She’s pretty.”

I liked the kind look of her face and nodded, and Go Cheolmin took back his phone.

“Then, Jung Noeul and Moon Sunwoo, I’ll set you up with the people I showed you.”

“But.”

Taeshin, who was also looking at the picture, tilted his head and spoke up. He glanced at Go Cheolmin’s phone.

“Is she an Alpha?”

“Huh? No… Oh, sorry.”

“Huh? Why?”

Go Cheolmin, who was looking at Taeshin as if wondering why he was asking that, soon apologized to me.

Looking a bit flustered, he rubbed his forehead with his fingers and apologized again.

Only then did I realize I hadn’t told Go Cheolmin about my traits.

“Oh, I’m an Omega.”

“I’m really sorry. That was my mistake.”

Rubbing his reddened face with his hand, Go Cheolmin looked at Taeshin with a questioning gaze.

“Alpha. Beta. Beta.”

Taeshin mentioned his own trait and pointed at Go Cheolmin and Jung Noeul with his eyes. Finally, he looked at Park Jonghoon and finished.

“Alpha.”

“Just to let you know, I plan to live a long and thin life.”

Park Jonghoon showed his palm to Taeshin, who was looking at him. After learning about Park Jonghoon’s trait, Go Cheolmin fanned his face. It’s not a big deal, but he seemed really flustered.

Alphas with Omegas, Omegas with Alphas. Betas with Betas. Since Alphas and Omegas can’t feel sexual attraction towards Betas, and vice versa, most of the time, people with traits date others with the same traits, while non-trait people date each other.

Even so, I hadn’t mentioned it, so there was no way they could know.

Jung Noeul whispered something to Park Jonghoon, who nodded roughly. Looking at Go Cheolmin, who was overly apologetic, I waved my hand.

“It’s okay. Betas can’t sense pheromones, so there’s no way for you to know. And it’s also my fault for not mentioning it, assuming everyone knew. If you feel bad, make sure to introduce me to that unicorn.”