* * *
Jin Sejun, who had fallen asleep clutching his phone, suddenly woke up in a panic.
“Kwon Juwan!”
Surely he hadn’t sent something weird under the influence of alcohol, right?
He hadn’t drunk enough to black out, and he distinctly remembered dozing off while fiddling with his phone.
But what if he’d said something strange in the moments he couldn’t recall?
Especially something embarrassingly flirtatious?
That would be a disaster.
His hands shook as he nervously opened the chatroom.
Juwan: Did you get back safely from the company dinner? You didn’t drink too much, did you?
Me: Eh jsthhdmmtkkgn
“…?”
He distinctly remembered responding smartly, something like, “Yes, I finished early.”
But what was this?
The rest of the conversation was similar.
Messages he thought he’d sent coherently were all jumbled and incoherent.
If Jin Sejun had received such messages, he’d probably wonder if the sender was faking being drunk or genuinely hammered.
But most importantly, he’d find it too tedious to decipher and just leave it on read.
Kwon Juwan, however, responded as if he’d perfectly understood everything.
Juwan: I think I’ll feel better if you say you’re okay.
He even remembered finding that message cute.
But below it were no responses from Jin Sejun, only more messages from Kwon Juwan.
Juwan: Are you okay? Did you drink too much?
Juwan: If it’s hard for you to move, should I come get you?
“Ha…”
The reason Jin Sejun had even asked Juwan if he was still “anxious” was to imply whether he was still dissatisfied with his own appearance.
Of course, thanks to a ridiculous typo, the word came out as “balls” instead of “anxious.”
Yet here he was, worrying about someone clearly drunk.
“Did I drink too much?”
Yes, I’m drunk on your cuteness, idiot.
“Should I come get you?”
Isn’t that just another way of saying, “Let’s spend the night together?”
Sejun pressed the back of his hands against his flushed cheeks, sighing again.
He hadn’t even drunk that much, yet he was acting like a mess through text?
At this age?
It wasn’t the first time he’d contacted someone while drunk, but this kind of behavior was a first.
Even if someone told him to act like this on purpose, he couldn’t pull it off.
He wasn’t Jin Youngjun, who got tipsy off a few drinks.
Was he really losing his tolerance just because he’d hit his thirties?
Then again, he hardly drank anymore except at company dinners or while drinking alone.
Me: Maybe I got too comfortable since I was off today^^; Sorry for the nonsense I texted. I’m fine, but I’m more worried about you. Aren’t you working today?
Sejun had been attracted to Juwan from the start, wanting to have a good-looking beta friend, but Juwan seemed more receptive than expected.
“Wouldn’t it be bad for him to get closer to me either?”
Regardless of his profession, plenty of people had wanted to get close to Jin Sejun before.
But most weren’t looking for just friendship—they wanted a one-night stand.
Even at work, it was common for omega coworkers to flirt with him.
Of course, he couldn’t entertain such advances.
These days, he’d resigned himself to this reality, but in the beginning, it had been agonizing to hold back.
That omega back then had such beautiful lips.
But it had been better to pretend to be cool and let them go than to watch their face contort in discomfort as soon as they were exposed to his pheromones.
At 7 a.m., he realized he’d sent his message far too early.
No office worker on a five-day schedule would want to wake up early on a Saturday.
But surprisingly, a reply came almost immediately.
Juwan: I’m glad to hear you’re off today.
Juwan: (Photo)
The photo Juwan sent showed gym equipment, a water bottle, and a thumbs-up in the foreground.
“Oh, he really is a trainer?”
The fact that he always sent photos like this somehow felt adorable.
With a grin spreading across his face, Sejun quickly typed a reply.
Me: You’re so diligent. I always complain about not wanting to go and end up only making it to the gym twice a week at best.
Juwan: I’ve gotten used to it, so I don’t mind. I wake up at 5 a.m. to start my workouts.
Me: Really? Every day at 5 a.m.?
Juwan: Unless something special comes up.
“So, he doesn’t even go out drinking at night?”
Juwan’s willingness to respond to Sejun’s texts showed he wasn’t overly shy.
With his looks, he probably had plenty of friends, but if he had too many, he likely wouldn’t have entertained that omega’s baseless gossip.
Thinking about Juwan, Sejun finally rolled out of bed.
He’d fallen asleep in his suit again, so everything was wrinkled.
Tossing his clothes into the laundry basket, he brushed his teeth while scrolling through his phone.
The replies were coming in slower now.
“Is he getting annoyed? Well, texting me this early in the morning is probably…”
Just then, Juwan sent another photo, as if to reassure him that he was just busy working out.
Juwan: What do you usually do on your days off?
“Me? Oh, just watching hookup videos and jerking off.” Obviously, he couldn’t say that.
Me: I usually run errands, do some shopping, or chauffeur my brother and his family around. Come to think of it, I don’t really have any hobbies.
Would being hobby-less make him less attractive?
So many people on dating apps seemed to want a “hobby-rich” partner who was diligent about self-care.
Maybe he should’ve forced himself to write something like “reading” instead.
But Juwan’s reply came before he could finish that thought.
Juwan: I guess weight training isn’t all that fun for you?
Me: I think it’s just boring to endure it. I’m not very patient, haha.
“Do you really have to highlight your flaws first?”
As soon as Jin Sejun sent the message, he berated himself again.
If the other guy liked weight training, shouldn’t he at least pretend to like it too, to create some common ground?
That worry had made him overthink.
Juwan: Do you enjoy any other kinds of exercise?
Me: Hmm… not really. Honestly, I haven’t tried much.
Swimming?
No way—I hate the cold, and I can barely bring myself to shower, let alone go swimming.
Golf?
I tried it because my older brother was into it, but it was boring as hell.
Surfing?
Gave it a shot but didn’t enjoy it enough to chase waves.
Even the artificial wave pools don’t appeal to me.
Jogging?
I gave up the first day it rained, and today marks exactly one year since that decision.
Jin Sejun tried once more to recall anything he actually liked, but his mind was blank.
Even if he did have a solid answer, there was no way he’d admit it.
“I enjoy browsing explicit accounts, fantasizing about Alpha bodies, their anatomy, and climax durations while imagining tender moments with an Omega during my… private time.”
Juwan: It’s a shame we don’t live closer; we could’ve worked out together.
‘Should I just move closer?’
Hahaha.
Jin Sejun deleted the desperate-sounding reply before hitting send.
Me: Yeah, it’s too bad. Just watching you work out would probably be entertaining.
After sending that, there was no reply for a long time.
Thinking about it, he wondered if calling the other guy by the nickname he’d assigned in his contacts was too forward, like he was being overly familiar on his own.
“You asked me first and even sent photos—it’s like you want us to get closer, right?”
‘I don’t have many friends, so when someone’s even a little nice, I get way too excited.’
Jin Sejun scowled at the screen as he filled the tub. A long soak seemed necessary to pull himself together and start his day.
Juwan: (photo)
Juwan: Just got out of the shower.
Soaking in the warm water, Jin Sejun stared at the picture of the wet towel Juwan had sent for what felt like forever.
This… this was just an innocent message, right?
* * *
