LM 83

“Let’s sit down first.”

Kwon Yuwon, who had been glaring silently at Woo Hyunse this whole time, sat on the sofa without hiding his irritation. When Kwon Siyul tried to sit next to Woo Hyunse, Kwon Yuwon grabbed his wrist and pulled him to sit beside him instead. Kwon Siyul was fine with that too. He didn’t mind sitting next to Kwon Yuwon and holding his hand tightly.

Woo Hyunse watched with crossed arms, not bothering to hide his displeasure, but Kwon Siyul didn’t even glance his way. For the first time in a long while, Kwon Siyul’s eyes, which had been shadowed all this time, brightened a little.

“The dangerous situation has mostly been resolved now. Kwon Siyul is also safe. However, there are still some matters to settle, so it would be best for the two of you to remain apart until everything is finished.”

“Then where is Yuwon going now?” Kwon Siyul asked urgently, still not letting go of Kwon Yuwon’s hand. Park Hae-jeong glanced over at Woo Hyunse before speaking.

“We have separate accommodations prepared. We can’t disclose the address.”

Kwon Siyul’s shoulders slumped dejectedly. Kwon Yuwon comforted him, patting and embracing his shoulders.

Woo Hyunse watched Kwon Siyul intently while rubbing his temple. Noticing the cold gaze, Kwon Yuwon pulled Kwon Siyul closer as if to hide him behind himself. His dislike was obvious. If Kwon Siyul hadn’t been present in the room, he might have thrown out a punch.

“But Kwon Siyul, I think there’s something I need to hear about.”

“What is it?”

“Didn’t I tell you not to meet alphas?”

Kwon Yuwon’s words, directed at Kwon Siyul without blinking while staring at Woo Hyunse, weren’t meant for Kwon Siyul. His words were intended for Woo Hyunse’s ears. His pheromones were threatening like a bristling wildcat, but despite the murderous scent, Woo Hyunse didn’t even raise an eyebrow. Only Kwon Siyul, belatedly sensing this, gasped in surprise and grabbed Kwon Yuwon’s shoulder to stop him.

“Don’t you know Siyul’s age? Where’s your conscience? Fuck, our kid isn’t some plaything.”

“Was Kwon Siyul a minor? I didn’t know he had a guardian.”

“Fuck, now you’re—”

“It’s you who doesn’t know how old Kwon Siyul is. If he’s an adult, you should let him stand on his own, not keep him wrapped in your arms forever. Control freak and gaslighting on top of that.”

“Who—?!”

Kwon Yuwon sprang up from his seat. His eyes said he wanted to grab and beat that bastard to a pulp. His tightly clenched fist was trembling as if he might actually throw a punch. In response, Woo Hyunse’s scent also intensified as if deliberately released. It was an invisible war. Threats and killing intent filled the office. It wasn’t just a scent, but an indicator of bloodshed in the near future.

In this intense confrontation, it turned out to be Kwon Siyul that felt it the most. Only Kwon Siyul was hit by the thorny whips they were emitting. Both Woo Hyunse and Kwon Yuwon were supposed to be dominant, but their aura seemed strong enough to crush an ant easily.

“…Ugh!”

His stomach churned, his head spun, and finally, his insides turned over. As Kwon Siyul, pale as a sheet, covered his mouth, Woo Hyunse’s sharp scent subsided as if by magic.

Park Hae-jeong, who had also turned pale, though not as much as Kwon Siyul, reached out to block Kwon Yuwon. Kwon Yuwon belatedly reined in his scent and sat down, panting. Though he hid his pheromones, his eyes remained as fierce as ever.

“The person who helped me was Park Hae-jeong, not you.”

“And I’m the one who sent Park Hae-jeong.”

Park Hae-jeong sighed lightly. Kwon Siyul felt like sighing along with him.

It was Park Hae-jeong who settled the tense confrontation. He cut off the cold war between the two and reported in detail what had happened so far and what needed to be done moving forward.

Woo Hyunse seemed uninterested, resting his chin on his hand distractedly, but even so, he didn’t take his eyes off Kwon Siyul. His tightly closed lips looked sulky as if displeased that Kwon Siyul was sitting so close to Kwon Yuwon, holding hands tightly and listening attentively to Park Hae-jeong.

“If we’re done, let’s go. We have a long way to go.”

Before Park Haejeong could finish his report, Woo Hyunse waved his hand and stood up. Though he had clearly called them here, he treated Park Hae-jeong and Kwon Yuwon like uninvited guests. His voice and expression were tinged with irritation.

Unlike Kwon Yuwon, who exhaled in disbelief, Park Hae-jeong calmly got up. He seemed quite accustomed to Woo Hyunse’s whims.

“Then we’ll be going now.”

Seeing Park Hae-jeong bow, Kwon Siyul also jumped up. At this rate, he might have to part with Kwon Yuwon again without having a proper conversation about everything they’d missed out on while being away from each other. Quickly looking back and forth, wondering whose collar to grab, Kwon Siyul habitually reached out toward Woo Hyunse.

“Um, couldn’t we at least have one meal together?”

He couldn’t just let them go like this, not knowing when this would all be over. He wanted to feed them at least a warm meal with soup. Even if Woo Hyunse said no, he’d use the money he had saved up secretly.

“It seems too heartless to just send them away like this.”

Kwon Siyul saw that the other man’s once-healthy cheeks had hollowed, and his arms had thinned to a handful. How much had he suffered? His nose stung with sympathy. Even if it was trouble of his own making, blood was thicker than water, and seeing his shabby appearance made Kwon Siyul’s heart heavy.

Woo Hyunse stared at Kwon Siyul for a moment, then sighed softly and nodded his head. When he said he’d make a reservation, Kwon Siyul’s face brightened. He had thought he’d be refused, given how displeased Woo Hyunse seemed.

Grinning, he turned to look at Kwon Yuwon. Unlike the beaming Kwon Siyul, Kwon Yuwon’s expression wasn’t very pleasant. He looked like he had tasted bitter bile. When their eyes met, he forced out a smile, but it didn’t last long.

The atmosphere during the meal was rather stiff. Even a business meeting would have been more convivial. Woo Hyunse and Park Hae-jeong were silent as if their mouths were only for eating, while Kwon Siyul and Kwon Yuwon chattered away happily. They were busy picking fish meat for each other and placing it on top of each other’s rice.

Kwon Siyul ate heartily for once. He usually left half a bowl of rice, but this time he cleaned his plate without leaving a single grain. With Woo Hyunse and Kwon Yuwon competing to pile side dishes on his spoon, there was no room left in his stomach even for a drop of water.

When parting with Kwon Yuwon, they hugged for a long time, just as they had when they first met. The words “Can’t we go back to the inn where we used to live?” rose to his throat, but Kwon Siyul ultimately swallowed them back.

In the past, he might have blurted it out thoughtlessly, but now he knew the reality. It was clear that staying by his side would only cause hardship. Until everything was completely over, it was right for Kwon Yuwon to stay with Park Hae-jeong.

Surprisingly, Woo Hyunse took the wheel himself instead of having the bodyguard drive them home. Kwon Siyul leaned his head against the window, gazing intently at Woo Hyunse’s profile. It reminded him of the past when he used to secretly steal glances at Woo Hyunse’s reflection in the window, afraid of getting caught.

The slide-like bridge of his nose, his lips, his jawline, even the cheek where Kwon Siyul had kissed—nothing had changed, yet somehow it felt very distant. It felt hazy, as if out of reach even if he stretched out his hand toward the other man.

“Hyung, what about work?”

“I have plenty of time to take Kwon Siyul-ssi home.”

With a full stomach, his body felt languid and his eyelids heavy. Kwon Siyul squirmed, burying himself deeper into the seat. Woo Hyunse’s voice sounded like a lullaby.

“How do you feel?”

“Good. I’m so relieved Yuwon is safe. I was really worried. I even had a dream recently where Yuwon was lying in some strange pit, and when I called his name, he suddenly got up and ran away in the opposite direction. It was so scary…I’m really relieved.”

Kwon Siyul chattered like a bird. He hadn’t talked this much in a long time. He felt much more at ease compared to when he was cooped up at home. Above all, knowing that Kwon Yuwon, whom he had worried about most, was safe had lifted a great burden from his mind. No, it felt like ten burdens had been lifted.

“It was worth bringing him then.”

Woo Hyunse chuckled. Kwon Siyul’s eyes, which had been drooping, suddenly flew open.

“You called him?”

“Yeah. The crisis was over, and you seemed to miss him. I insisted he come right away when he was whining about it being difficult.”

He grinned, showing all his teeth. In contrast, Kwon Siyul felt uneasy. He tilted his head and pressed hard on his solar plexus. He couldn’t tell if it was his mood, his head, or if he had just eaten too much.

The only thing clear was that Woo Hyunse, who had brought Kwon Yuwon here for him, had shown him he was safe, and even treated them to a meal, was the cause of his discomfort.

Don’t be kind. Don’t be considerate. It was enough now. These efforts weren’t necessary anymore, but Woo Hyunse always easily ignored and surpassed his wishes. He tried to keep alive the affection that should be killed and kill the hatred that should be kept alive. Kwon Siyul wiped his mouth, suppressing a sigh that threatened to escape.

“…Thank you, hyung. Really. Thank you so much.”

For helping Kwon Yuwon, and for showing him he’s safe. Even if he couldn’t spend his life with Woo Hyunse, he would never forget this kindness until the day he died.

“There’s no need for thanks between us. Just say the word anytime. I’ll bring him to you.”

He shrugged and answered as if it was no big deal. This behavior, no different from usual, felt awkward to Kwon Siyul. It felt like he was the only one who had changed. As if he was the only one having nightmares, the only one sinking underwater.