Seo Jeong-won burst out laughing.
Anyone listening might think he was a hired hand, not the owner of the apple orchard.
As he grabbed an empty basket and walked away, Kang Da-hyun trailed closely behind.
He examined each apple Seo Jeong-won picked and kept striking up conversation.
“Want to eat? Or not?”
“Not eating. Taking a break.”
“Aw, come on. Then at least have dinner with me.”
“No can do. Some ladies said they’d come by the flower shop, so I have to head over there right after I finish up here.”
With such a firm refusal, Da-hyun couldn’t press further and stepped back.
“Then at least let me give you a ride.”
“You just said forget dinner. And it’s kind of far to walk, but not worth wasting money on a taxi either.”
“Thanks. Let’s save the drinks for after the harvest, okay?”
When Jeong-won reluctantly gave in, Da-hyun smiled.
He decided that by then, he’d make some effort to change things between them.
Maybe a bit of sexual appeal, or some physical closeness—something like that.
“But hey, when are you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“About the pheromones.”
“Oh… that, later. I’m still not sure how to explain it. I haven’t sorted it out in my head yet.”
Instinctively, Seo Jeong-won raised a hand to cover his neck.
He smiled awkwardly, as if apologizing, while checking the spot hidden under a handkerchief.
He’d been quite drunk that day too, but hadn’t let slip even the smallest truth about Kwon Tae-hee.
“You have to tell me.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Back then, Da-hyun became certain that something had definitely happened with the man who had come.
After encountering the source of the pheromones, impatience began to stir inside him.
He felt anxious, like the plan he’d carefully crafted to stay by Jeong-won’s side and naturally grow closer was falling apart.
Seo Jeong-won had said there were no feelings between them, but even friendship was a kind of affection.
That meant it could change.
From friends to lovers—it was a pretty romantic development, wasn’t it?
“Do betas really not feel pheromones?”
“Yeah, nothing at all. By the way, this season turned out well, right? The apples are big and have beautiful color.”
“Oh? Ah, yeah. It didn’t rain much this time. It was really hot too. When it’s dry, fruit tends to be sweeter. A lot die off, though.”
“You better get back to work too. You said we’re having lunch now. Acting like a real boss, huh? Just supervising since you’re the one paying.”
Da-hyun realized those words, said jokingly, were actually a subtle request to give him some space.
He was tempted to linger, but straightened up from where he was leaning against a tree.
“I’ll come back when we eat the snack.”
“Okay.”
Seo Jeong-won climbed the ladder, snipping the stems of apples as he went.
He’d already picked all the ones on the lower branches and was now reaching for the higher fruits.
He took off the straw hat that had been shading his eyes and held his breath with each snip of the stem.
“Whew…”
He moved the basket, checking to make sure none of the picked apples were bruised.
Occasionally, he stopped to check his phone.
Still no message.
Deep down, he knew that no message was probably the best outcome for him, but the strange feelings wouldn’t leave him.
The turmoil in his heart felt unfamiliar.
While sorting the apple basket, he rubbed at his chest and looked up when he sensed someone approaching.
“Oh, hello.”
“Well, Jeong-won, there you are.”
Kang Da-hyun’s mother approached with a cheerful smile.
“I brought snacks. I was just going around telling everyone. Got here faster than I thought, huh?”
“Da-hyun should be over there. Where the other ladies are.”
At his low voice, she slightly furrowed her brows.
Every time Seo Jeong-won moved, a mix of her son’s pheromones and something foreign lightly spread in the air.
“By the way, it’s been a while, hasn’t it, Jeong-won? You’ve been busy, even closed the flower shop. Are you finally taking it easy now?”
“Ah…”
“Back then, those strange thugs came and were causing a scene, right?”
Just remembering it made her shudder.
“The neighborhood felt so dangerous. Is everything all resolved now?”
Not really knowing what had happened, she expressed concern for how much he must have suffered.
Seo Jeong-won gave an awkward nod.
“It’s resolved. Back then… the flowerpot you left—I brought it inside. I figured you brought it to repot, but I wanted to ask first.”
“Yes, that’s right. I need to go pick that up too. My head’s a mess these days. I’ve been so busy trying to get Da-hyun married, you know? With farm work, it’s best to settle early.”
“Right.”
She grabbed Seo Jeong-won’s arm and led him gently, chatting and making fun of Da-hyun along the way.
“You know how surprised we were when he said he wanted to marry you? I told him not to joke like that. Of course, we’d be so grateful to have someone like you, but your traits just don’t match. You understand, right? Even if it’s a shame, we have to find the right match.”
Seo Jeong-won listened quietly to her voice, which was filled with concern and tinged with faint regret.
“Who gets married just to help out a friend? You two are way too close.”
“Da-hyun’s just kind, that’s all. Don’t worry, ma’am. He wasn’t being serious.”
“Really? I was worried because he’s such a serious kid.”
“You really don’t need to worry.”
Only after that firm assurance did her expression finally relax.
She mentioned that the cold soybean soup had turned out delicious and the kimchi seasoning was just right, and they walked together.
As they crossed the orchard, they could see a group sitting and starting their meal near the entrance.
“You came with Mom? I was just about to go look for you.”
“Yeah.”
“Come sit down. You must be hungry.”
His red-flushed face softened.
Seo Jeong-won avoided Da-hyun’s gaze and sat down among the gathered women.
“I’ll eat here. Ma’am, thank you for the food.”
“Sure, Jeong-won—eat up, take your time.”
Seo Jeong-won held up the bowl with his palm.
He dipped the noodles, topped with cucumber and cherry tomatoes, into the broth and took a big bite.
The savory taste made him sigh with satisfaction.
As he ate the spicy and slightly sweet kimchi, he found himself smiling back reflexively every time the ladies laughed.
In his head, he fiercely debated whether he really had to pick apples while pretending not to notice everyone’s discomfort, just to earn a day’s wage.
Even then, Seo Jeong-won was only thinking about Kwon Tae-hee.
He didn’t remember the warning not to do anything else—he had completely forgotten.
***
The work didn’t finish until after 4 p.m.
Maybe because the weather was nice, they kept picking longer than they had planned that morning.
Seo Jeong-won rubbed the back of his stiff neck, sore from holding his head up toward the sky all day, and walked over to Kang Da-hyun.
“You worked hard.”
“I didn’t even pick that much.”
“At least you know that. I put a little extra in your envelope.”
Kang Da-hyun leaned in, raised a flat hand to Seo Jeong-won’s ear, and whispered softly.
At the end of his words, he added a caution to keep it a secret from the ladies.
Winking, Kang Da-hyun slung an arm over Seo Jeong-won’s shoulder and started walking as he said, “Let’s go.”
He got into the truck parked in front of the orchard first, hummed along with the radio, and adjusted the volume.
“It was hot during the day, but after four, the breeze feels cool.”
“Right? Still, turn on the A/C. It’s way too hot.”
Seo Jeong-won took off the straw hat he had been wearing and brushed back his sweat-matted hair as he made his request.
Kang Da-hyun, who had his window all the way down, quickly rolled it up and pressed the A/C button.
As he adjusted the settings, he stepped on the gas.
“For someone picking after a year, you haven’t lost your touch.”
“You were scolding me earlier for not picking enough. Make up your mind, boss.”
At Seo Jeong-won’s jab, Kang Da-hyun burst into laughter.
The orchard and the flower shop weren’t far apart—what would’ve taken 20 minutes on foot, they reached in 5 minutes by car.
“Ah, they say it might rain tomorrow. I’ll check the weather in the morning and let you know, so don’t come out too early. I’ll pick you up from home. If it rains, let’s have some savory pancakes and makgeolli.”
“Feels like the whole universe is setting up a drinking party for us. You know what I mean?”
Seo Jeong-won didn’t respond to the excited voice that came with a bounce of the shoulders.
Instead, he brought his face close to the vent blowing cool air and quietly closed his eyes.
The cool breeze dried the heat on his cheeks and the damp strands of his hair.
“Hey, looks like we have a visitor.”
“Huh?”
Seo Jeong-won, who had been looking out the window half-heartedly, suddenly opened his eyes wide when he spotted a familiar sedan.
He quickly looked down to check his appearance—his shoes were a mess of dirt, and his clothes weren’t any better.
He was completely covered in sweat and dust from picking apples all day, and of all times, someone had to show up now…!
“They’re even waiting. There are only so many flower shops in this neighborhood.”
“Stop the car. Quick.”
“Well, you have to sell at least one. I was being too laid-back. Your older brother is still lying in bed, after all.”
Scratching the back of his head, Kang Da-hyun pulled over a little ways away from the sedan.
Seo Jeong-won shot out of the passenger seat as if spring-loaded.
Kang Da-hyun, without turning off the engine, got out of the driver’s seat and grabbed the apples loaded in the truck.
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