Maybe it was the anxiety about getting caught in a lie, but lately, Seo Jeong-won’s heart kept racing.
Even the smallest sound startled him.
With a faint frown, Seo Jeong-won tapped on the fish tank as he watched the swarming fish.
“I feel dizzy.”
Maybe it was because of the suppressants, but he constantly felt nauseous.
He had vomited everything he ate since yesterday.
This morning, he even had a nosebleed.
Seo Jeong-won had his eyes closed and was resting his forehead against the cold glass surface when the sound of the vinyl door rustling made his eyelids shoot open.
He pulled his forehead away, rubbing the red mark left behind with his hand.
When he turned around, Song Hae-seop was stepping in with light footsteps.
He waved his hand in an overly enthusiastic manner.
“Jeong-won!”
“Uh… how did you… I mean, hello.”
“Wow, this flower shop is amazing. I’ve seen places like this while passing by a few times, but I never thought of going in. But what’s this smell? Soil? Grass? Anyway, it’s really nice.”
Without hesitation, Song Hae-seop walked around the flower shop, exploring every corner.
His pale cheeks were slightly flushed.
“How have you been? I was worried after you left like that last time. You’re going to Seoul today, right? I didn’t know what time you were leaving, so I came really early.”
“Oh.”
“Recommend me a few things I can take without spilling dirt.”
Exclaiming again and again at how nice everything was, Song Hae-seop spent quite a while admiring the leafy plants.
Then, he slowly approached Seo Jeong-won, who stood frozen in front of a metal table.
Stopping before a rectangular tank, he smiled at the gathering fish.
“So cute. The colors are really vibrant and pretty.”
“Isn’t the tank a bit too small?”
Compared to when they met at Kwon Tae-hee’s house, Song Hae-seop seemed to be in an unusually good mood.
Seo Jeong-won stepped back, creating a bit of distance.
As he moved one step away, Song Hae-seop’s eyes followed curiously.
“I asked how you’ve been.”
“Ah, yes. I’ve been doing well.”
“Did I startle you? Was I too sudden? I was planning to come sooner, but… something came up.”
“No, no. You came at a good time.”
Trailing off as if watching his words, Seo Jeong-won replayed the words he hadn’t said.
I don’t think Tae-hee would like you visiting like this.
If that warning wasn’t meant just for him, he should tell him.
But he didn’t know how to say it.
His dizzy mind spun with thoughts.
“I hit the jackpot.”
Flicking a dewy leaf, Song Hae-seop whispered like he was sharing a secret.
Then, carefully observing Seo Jeong-won’s noticeably haggard face since the last time they met, he smiled.
“Huh?”
“I couldn’t think straight for a few days. Maybe because I’d waited for that moment for so long, I didn’t want it to end. Even the pheromone shower felt different. Really… how should I say it—ecstatic?”
Are you supposed to congratulate someone on that?
Is he telling me this expecting congratulations?
Seo Jeong-won couldn’t hide his confusion and just nodded.
“I see,” he murmured, forcing an awkward smile.
“So I really need some luck now. They don’t sell that here, right? Like four-leaf clovers?”
“Luck… There’s a lucky bamboo.”
“Then I’ll get that. ‘Lucky bamboo’—the name itself sounds lucky. I like the vibe. Feels like I’ll just get pregnant somehow, like some baseless confidence.”
Stretching his arms toward the ceiling, Song Hae-seop continued.
“Tae-hee’s traits are good, so I can’t help expecting. That person’s dominant, right? He’s seriously something. I thought I was going to go crazy. The rut—how intense was that?”
So he’s dominant.
As he blushed and smiled shyly, Seo Jeong-won avoided looking at him.
It was hard to maintain eye contact.
Casually touching Seo Jeong-won’s shoulder, Song Hae-seop asked quietly,
“Was the rut like that for you too? It would’ve been better if it had been with me, not you. During a rut, dominant or recessive doesn’t matter—either way, you get pregnant, right?”
“I… I don’t really know,” Seo Jeong-won mumbled, awkwardly shifting his body.
He walked aimlessly and, stopping somewhere, picked up a few small succulents before returning.
“These days, we give out a free succulent when someone buys a plant. I’ll give you one too. You don’t need to water them often. They love sunlight, so just put them somewhere bright. Also…”
“How do plants live without frequent water?”
“When the surface looks dry and shriveled, just give it a little. That’s enough for this one.”
Staring curiously at the heart-shaped succulent, Song Hae-seop gently touched the surface, murmuring how pretty it was.
Even someone not interested in plants would get greedy here, he muttered to himself.
“Does this one have a name too?”
“It’s called Hoya Kerrii, but it’s more commonly known as Heart Hoya. Because of the shape of the leaf.”
“How is that a heart? Really doesn’t need water? What if it dies? Will you give me another one if it dies?”
“I’ll give you another. And… it doesn’t die easily. This way, please?”
With an embarrassed smile, Seo Jeong-won led him.
He placed Song Hae-seop in front of a bunch of tiny pots and told him to pick as many as he liked.
“Just pick one?”
“They usually go for 2,000 won each, but I’ll give these to you too.”
“Really? Is that okay? Aren’t you losing out? The succulent is free too, right?”
“It’s fine. Succulents look nicer when you have several together. So look around and take whichever you like. You can take as many as you want.”
At that, Song Hae-seop laughed in disbelief.
He said he’d feel too guilty to come back here again, getting all these without paying.
Seo Jeong-won’s smile straightened into a flat line.
It seemed like Kwon Tae-hee only got angry with him and not with Song Hae-seop.
There must not have been any warning to stay away from him either.
That made sense, since Song Hae-seop was Tae-hee’s best choice.
But Seo Jeong-won couldn’t help feeling a bit resentful and bitter.
Still, he was relieved that he didn’t dislike Song Hae-seop despite Tae-hee’s favoritism.
“Oh, I saw that some people grow these in water. Can I do that too?”
“The lucky bamboo? Yes. Some people grow it hydroponically on purpose. Just fill a wide vase with enough water to cover the roots and place it somewhere with good sunlight.”
“But at the bottom… about this much? Put in some large pebbles so the wood doesn’t touch the bottom directly. Otherwise, the roots might rot.”
“Doesn’t sound that hard.”
Every time Song Hae-seop walked, nodded, or waved his hand, his pheromones gently spread.
It was the same sweet scent Seo Jeong-won had smelled at home, but strangely, it didn’t contain Tae-hee’s scent.
“Are you… dominant? Is that rude to ask? I’m not really familiar with these things.”
“What’s rude about that? Didn’t notice at home, but here at the flower shop, you really look like a kid, Jeong-won.”
Rising from where he was picking pots, Song Hae-seop reached out.
His long, slender fingers gently stroked Jeong-won’s smooth hair.
Looking at his delicate face, compliant under his touch, Song Hae-seop continued, “I’m recessive. A recessive omega, but with an unusually strong pheromone. So strong it gets mistaken for a dominant’s. I was exhausted and asked the doctor—apparently, people like me aren’t uncommon.”
“Putting aside the strong scent, the heat doesn’t trigger well. It’s kind of… defective. But Tae-hee doesn’t know about this. It’s our little secret. You have to keep it, okay?”
After finishing his sentence, Song Haeseop picked out more flowerpots.
He selected six of them, in different colors and shapes, and held them out to Seo Jeong-won.
“That’s why this heat is so moving, you get it? It finally happened.”
Song Haeseop crinkled his nose as he laughed. Seo Jeong-won nodded while taking a shallow breath.
“Pray for me, okay?”
“Yes.”
“Thanks, thank you. Even if I get married and Tae-hee ends things with you, let’s still meet up from time to time, yeah? It feels like I’ve gained a younger sibling, and I really like it here—it’s so beautiful.”
As he followed behind Seo Jeong-won, he stopped in front of the daffodils where fresh green shoots had started to sprout.
“Where do you plant things like this?”
“You can grow them in pots or plant them in a garden. They’re hardy enough to survive winter too.”
“That’s amazing. I should buy some when I make a little flower bed in the garden. It’d be nice when the baby’s born. Not for me, but emotionally good for the kids. I want to do everything that’s good for them.”
Listening to Song Haeseop’s voice, which didn’t bother to hide his excitement, Seo Jeong-won gently took a succulent and transferred it to a new pot.
In no time, the little box was full.
“I’ll carry it for you.”
“What, are you trying to make me leave quickly? I was a bit worried I might be intruding, but are you saying I really have been cluelessly overstaying?”
“No, that’s not it. Of course not… it’s just…”
When Song Haeseop looked genuinely hurt, Seo Jeong-won waved his arms vigorously and said no.
Even though he offered the excuse that there wasn’t much left to see here, Song Haeseop didn’t hide his disappointment.
He handed over his card with a pout for the payment.