TGT 10

Kwon Tae-hee naturally guided Seo Jeong-won. He led him into his bedroom, a place that neither Seo Gyu-won, Song Hae-seop, nor any of the Omegas he’d casually met had ever entered as if it were perfectly normal.

“You shouldn’t find it uncomfortable to use.”

Seo Jeong-won felt slightly embarrassed. He had meant the plant should be placed where Kwon Tae-hee spent time, but his meaning seemed to have been misinterpreted.

Lacking the courage to clarify, he awkwardly smiled and looked around. He found it surprising that the bedroom had a living room-like space.

He had thought a sleeping area would simply have a bed. Though he had never seen one before, it felt like a showroom had been transplanted here.

“It seems too… spacious for one person. Is there a smaller room I could use?”

“This is my bedroom.”

“…Pardon?”

“We’ll be sharing my bedroom, so I don’t understand what you’re saying. You’ll only be here for three days, do you really need a separate room?”

Seo Jeong-won had naturally assumed he would use a different space, separate from him. He was a bit surprised to learn otherwise.

Moreover, while Kwon Tae-hee’s tone didn’t seem to be scolding him, somehow it sounded that way, making him feel unnecessarily ashamed.

“Ah… no.”

“Tell me in advance if there are foods you avoid.”

“There’s nothing in particular. I eat everything well.”

“Change into comfortable clothes and come out. That’s the dressing room, so leave your bag in a suitable place.”

In the direction Kwon Tae-hee pointed was an arched doorway. He remained still, giving him a look as if to say “what are you waiting for?”

In truth, he was already wearing very comfortable clothes, but they apparently didn’t appear that way to Kwon Tae-hee. Scratching his exposed arm, Seo Jeong-won placed the shopping bag on the floor and carefully removed the plant.

He placed it on a small table beside the sofa and gently stroked its leaves.

“Is it okay to put it here?”

“Yes.”

Seo Jeong-won bowed his head out of habit. After standing awkwardly for a moment longer, he moved toward the dressing room.

Inside was densely packed with Kwon Tae-hee’s clothes, accessories, and bags.

Not knowing where he could put his clothes, he stood in the middle before finally placing his bag in a corner of the closet.

Seo Jeong-won took out a t-shirt and shorts not much different from what he was currently wearing and changed into them.

Perhaps he had told him to change because he had seen his fall earlier. After all, his clothes had gotten dusty.

After neatly folding the clothes he had been wearing and putting them in his bag, Seo Jeong-won left the dressing room without giving Kwon Tae-hee’s belongings another glance.

He hadn’t expected him to be waiting, so he was a little surprised to see him closely examining the plant. He hurried over and stopped in front of Kwon Tae-hee.

“What did you say this was called again?”

“Ah, it’s an Alocasia.”

“Alocasia. But it only has one leaf.”

“It just sprouted a leaf. If you wait a little, a new stem will soon come up. It especially likes water, so you can give it plenty at once, but if water droplets form at the tips of the leaves, it means you’ve given too much. When that happens, you should wait until the leaves droop slightly before watering again.”

Forgetting his awkwardness, Seo Jeong-won continued as if ready to tell him everything about Alocasias.

“Also… the leaves resemble elephant ears, so it’s sometimes called the elephant ear plant. There’s even a story related to Hindu mythology. If you look closely at the leaves, they really do look somewhat like elephant ears, don’t you… think?”

He suddenly fell silent, as if coming to his senses when he noticed his intense gaze. He had rambled on tactlessly. He probably hadn’t wanted such detailed information.

“You’re right. They do resemble elephant ears. But I won’t be watering it or anything.”

Kwon Tae-hee smiled gently. He found it fascinating how he chattered away in such a pleasant voice.

Watching his lips curve occasionally, he finally looked his age.

He had been giving off a consistently damp mood like rainy weather, but the moment his eyes sparkled, he became as bright as a freshly bloomed flower.

“Shall we go out, or talk here a bit more?”

His smooth hand gently stroked the leaf. His gaze remained fixed on Seo Jeong-won.

“…I think it would be better to go out.”

“We probably won’t be in the mood to eat anything tonight, so shall we have dinner first?”

“Ah… yes. That sounds good.”

Kwon Tae-hee moved first. Seo Jeong-won quietly followed him. The long dining table was neatly set with warm food, as if someone knew the two would be dining together.

“Let me know which dishes you enjoy after tasting them.”

“…Yes, thank you for the meal.”

Since Kwon Tae-hee was clearly his elder, Seo Jeong-won didn’t immediately pick up his utensils. He scanned the appetizing food with his eyes, waiting for Kwon Tae-hee to start eating first.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m waiting for you to start first, as is p-polite.”

“…?”

“Because you’re an adult. You seem much older than me. I don’t know exactly how old you are as an executive director, but I thought you must be quite old because of your position…”

Somehow he had been using excessively formal speech. Kwon Tae-hee stared blankly at Seo Jeong-won as he realized the reason. Childishly, he felt a bit offended at being perceived as old, despite the fact that this was an accurate assessment considering the age difference and social position between himself and the 21-year-old Seo Jeong-won.

Perhaps it bothered him more because it was an evaluation he had never heard from anyone before.

“Eat.”

“…I’m sorry.”

The atmosphere had somehow soured. Having spent years reading the room, how could he not notice? Seo Jeong-won apologized out of habit.

After finishing their meal in awkward discomfort, Kwon Tae-hee said he had work to do and went upstairs.

Though Kwon had told his to make himself comfortable, Seo Jeong-won couldn’t. Like a borrowed sack of barley, he sat motionless in the living room for hours.

Since he wasn’t here on a social visit, exploring the house seemed inappropriate, so he just sat still, killing time.

Then suddenly, he recalled Kwon Tae-hee’s words about not having time to eat anything. What did that mean? Probably some sexual implication? Seo Jeong-won asked himself, found the answer, and hung his head low.

“Hah…”

Unexpectedly, he thought of Seo Gyu-won. Is this really okay? What he was feeling now was different from guilt. It felt like he was committing a sin that no human should commit.

Even if they hadn’t been in a loving relationship, was it right to be doing this with his brother’s former fiancée?

But the water was already spilled. Even knowing it couldn’t be scooped back up or undone, it felt like there was a stone weighing on his chest.

“No, no…”

These thoughts weren’t helping him now. Seo Jeong-won shook his head slightly and covered his face with the hands that had been resting on his thighs.

How long had he been like that? He turned his head at the sound of someone coming down the stairs.

“Oh… You’re here.”

“I’m going to shower. Has Seo Jeong-won been sitting here the whole time?”

“Ah, I can see the garden well from here. So…”

While he was stammering his explanation, Kwon Tae-hee approached. Just like when he first entered this place, Kwon perched lightly on the table rather than sitting beside him.

“So, did you see everything?”

“…Yes. It’s pretty from the inside too.”

Kwon Tae-hee reached out his hand. Listening to Seo Jeong-won’s calmly resonating voice, he cupped his reddened cheek. Even after just a few exchanges, his pale skin had colored.

Being this shy won’t do. Perhaps it was because he was used to seeing worn and weathered things, but this pure, unfiltered reaction felt unfamiliar.

Although he should naturally proceed as planned, Kwon Tae-hee hesitated as if his brakes had been applied.

Under the obvious stare that came without words, Seo Jeong-won rubbed the back of his neck before finally speaking.

“Should I… shower too?”

“Would you like to?”

What should he call this feeling that arose whenever he looked at that fair, naive face? It was certainly a familiar word, but strangely, it wouldn’t come to mind.

Seo Jeong-won, who had been glancing at the motionless Kwon Tae-hee, stood up. He asked Kwon, whose eyes followed him, which bathroom he should use.

Listening to the quietly resonating voice, Kwon Tae-hee answered after a slight delay.

“The bedroom.”

“…Okay.”

Seo Jeong-won moved away without making a sound. Even after lunch, he had barely been noticeable.

The only noise he made was the sharp sound of the door closing.

* * *

It had been several dozen minutes since Kwon Tae-hee finished his shower, entered the bedroom, and waited for Seo Jeong-won.

Judging by the fact that the water sounds had stopped, he had clearly finished washing, yet for some reason, he wasn’t making any sign of his presence.

At first, Kwon waited patiently, but as time passed, a faint irritation spread.

Just as he was thinking that he couldn’t understand what the other woman was trying to do, he rose from his seat. The moment he was about to move his feet, intending to draw his out—

Click, the door opened. Seo Jeong-won, who had walked through the passage connected to the dressing room, finally revealed himself.

Dressed in a white short-sleeved T-shirt and black shorts that covered his thighs.

“…”

“Come here.”

Kwon Tae-hee clicked his tongue while looking at Seo Jeong-won’s flushed face. After hesitating, he slowly approached, and Kwon stretched out his hand toward him.

As soon as Seo Jeong-won placed his hand on the large palm extended in front of him, he was pulled forward.

“…Ah!”

He was abruptly seated between Kwon Tae-hee’s spread legs. It was a position he had never experienced or thought he would be in.

“Your body seems to have cooled down, but why is your face so red?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Are you nervous? Or expectant?”

“I think… I’m nervous.”

Kwon Tae-hee smiled slightly at the honest answer. Seo Jeong-won’s gaze was captivated by the smile of the overwhelmingly handsome man before him.