Song Hae-seop pushed a glass of water toward Seo Jeong-won, who was hurriedly swallowing his food, and nagged with concern, telling him to eat slowly—as if he were an older brother.
“Thank you…….”
“Drink some water too. It’s good to see you eating well.”
Looking at Seo Jeong-won’s loosely covered body that stirred a protective instinct, it was obvious how Kwon Tae-hee must have treated him during the entire rut.
It was also impossible not to notice that Kwon Tae-hee treated Seo Jeong-won differently from how he treated him.
Jeong-won had come out of a bedroom that had never been permitted to him—not even for a moment—wearing an innocent face, as if he knew nothing.
The reason he became wary of Seo Jeong-won was entirely due to Kwon Tae-hee’s behavior.
Watching Seo Jeong-won mindlessly chewing on pasta, he couldn’t help but worry—what if he really did take his place?
Had he popped the champagne too early, thinking he had finally secured the peaceful life he had always wanted?
The worries piling up in front of him felt like mountains.
“Aren’t you eating more, hyung?”
“I already finished. I was just eating slowly so you wouldn’t have to eat alone, but I guess it was more than I thought. I’m full.”
Touched by the intentionally kind remark, Seo Jeong-won’s expression softened.
Honestly, wasn’t he the perfect person to drag down into the mud of life?
He wondered if Kwon Tae-hee harbored the same feelings toward Seo Jeong-won—wanting to break him.
Maybe Tae-hee even had more affection for him than he ever had.
“Eat slowly. You might get indigestion.”
“You can get up first if you’d like……”
“It feels lonely. I really hate eating alone. It makes me feel lonely and miserable. Since I hate it so much, I’m sitting here. Don’t worry about me—just eat comfortably.”
“…Okay.”
His small head nodded slightly. His fair skin, tinged with light pink, turned a bit redder.
Maybe because he was so naive, it was easy to win his favor.
But it would be a problem if being a little nice made him like someone.
That would make it just as easy for him to like Kwon Tae-hee.
That’s why he wanted Seo Jeong-won to find this house increasingly uncomfortable, to feel awkward in this situation and not develop any other feelings for Tae-hee.
Even if he did, he wanted to make sure guilt would keep him from ever trying to take his place.
“Jeong-won, have you ever dated before?”
“Me? Ah… No, I haven’t.”
“I’m a bit older, and I’ve got more experience in that area. I’m just saying this because I’m worried.”
“Yes.”
Seo Jeong-won even put down his fork and started listening intently.
That attitude made Song Hae-seop feel like he was someone above him.
He was swept up in a smug feeling.
“You don’t have feelings for Tae-hee, do you? Treat me the same way you treat him. Don’t get the wrong idea. If you do, you’ll end up like that person.”
“…Huh?”
“The one who thought he was special, got the wrong idea, and ended up getting kicked out. The person who used to be in my spot.”
Seo Jeong-won’s face stiffened.
Song Hae-seop described Seo Gyoo-won as foolish and pitiful.
“He thought he was special and misunderstood things, ended up getting hurt, and was eventually abandoned. I’m scared you’ll end up the same. You’re so kind and naive…”
Song Hae-seop deliberately chose words that would hurt Seo Jeong-won.
The emotional collapse was written clearly across his innocent face.
“If you mistake kindness for affection, you’re the only one who’ll get hurt.”
He drove the nail in.
He had already tested the waters earlier and confirmed that Jeong-won was clearly different from him.
In fact, he had never even properly had sex with Kwon Tae-hee.
Tae-hee drew a firm line, saying he avoided meaningless relationships.
He only gave pheromone showers when he had taken rut-inducing pills, but if nothing progressed, he would leave without hesitation—hurting his pride more than once.
Yet he acted completely differently with Jeong-won, a beta.
Not only did he soak him in pheromones, he even spent the rut with him.
If only he had called him, the omega, if he had even once given him a proper knotting, he would’ve gone into heat immediately.
“That’s why misunderstanding things only ends up hurting us. Mixing emotions into a relationship built on money makes it messy. Like that person before me. It ends miserably.”
“…Okay.”
“Thinking you’re special is the worst thing you can do. Got it? Don’t give your heart to anyone. If I’m your hyung, I’d be really upset to see you like that.”
“…You’re right.”
Song Hae-seop put on a regretful expression and sighed deeply, as if truly upset.
“All the good people I know always end up losing.”
“But Tae-hee said once we get married, these kinds of relationships won’t continue. You’ll be free soon. Just hang in there a little longer, okay?”
The naive Seo Jeong-won didn’t fully understand that this meant his role was different.
He sat there with a constantly blank and innocent look on his face.
***
The meal, though somewhat enjoyable, wasn’t entirely comfortable.
Seo Jeong-won suppressed the urge to go back right away.
Tae-hee had said he was on his way, so it seemed like he had to wait.
But being in the same space as Song Hae-seop still made him uncomfortable.
Song Hae-seop sat on the living room couch, humming a tune.
Jeong-won felt awkward about going into the bedroom and leaving him alone.
So he dragged his aching body outside and, out of habit, grabbed the long hose to water the plants.
Just standing was exhausting, and his legs trembled. Pain pulsed from his waist.
As he bent over and tried to catch his breath, he occasionally glanced back and saw Song Hae-seop standing by the living room window.
Each time, he sighed.
Hae-seop held a mug in his hand and watched him.
Whenever their eyes met, he smiled more brightly than the sunlight.
Somehow, it made Jeong-won’s heart flutter.
Taken individually, they all might be good people—but when together, wasn’t the whole relationship just strange?
Song Hae-seop and Kwon Tae-hee.
Seo Jeong-won and Kwon Tae-hee.
Song Hae-seop and Seo Jeong-won.
The three of them getting along was the weirdest part of all.
But it seemed like he was the only one who thought that way.
If Kwon Tae-hee found it strange from the beginning, he wouldn’t have allowed them to keep running into each other like this.
Maybe even Song Hae-seop didn’t find anything strange because Tae-hee acted so naturally.
“…Am I the only one who finds this weird?”
Just being looked at kindly by Song Hae-seop made Jeong-won feel guilty.
It wasn’t wrong for him to be here, but it still felt like he was committing a sin against him.
“…Haa.”
As the sound of rushing water poured out, he became lost in thought.
It was hard even to take a step, but he stubbornly stood his ground just because he couldn’t be in the same space.
He hadn’t brought his phone, so he had no way of checking the time.
He kept watering for a long while, moving slowly, when he sensed someone approaching from behind.
“Seo Jeong-won.”
“Hu…!”
Startled, Seo Jeong-won twisted around.
Unfortunately, he still had the hose in hand, and the water ended up spraying not the garden, but Kwon Tae-hee.
“Ah!”
He was so shocked he didn’t even think to release the switch or lower his hand.
As he fumbled, Tae-hee wiped his wet face with his hand and reached out.
“You’re up and walking. I thought you’d still be lying down.”
“I-I’m so, so sorry.”
“The cardigan looks good on you.”
“I… I borrowed it without permission. I’m sorry.”
Seo Jeong-won, who had just taken his finger off the switch, lightly tugged on the cardigan as he apologized. Kwon Tae-hee just smiled without saying much.
“Why are you out here?”
“I just felt a bit stuffy inside.”
“Let’s go back in.”
“Um… Director.”
As Kwon Tae-hee gently tried to guide him back by wrapping an arm around his shoulder, he stopped at Jeong-won’s cautious call.
“I closed the greenhouse for a long time again… I’m worried the plants might’ve died.”
“It’s not quite cool out yet, so even skipping a single day can dry out the leaves. And the fish haven’t eaten in days.”
He swallowed dryly. Seo Jeong-won lowered his gaze to avoid the obvious stare that reached him.
“So… would it be okay if I went back to the greenhouse? I’m not so unwell that I can’t move, as much as you’re worried. The IV helped me feel a bit stronger, honestly…”
Though it was a bit of an exaggeration, it wasn’t entirely untrue, as he did feel slightly better.
More than anything, he felt that he absolutely should not go back home with Kwon Tae-hee.
Glancing at him carefully, Seo Jeong-won walked over to the water tap.
He neatly coiled the long hose and limped back to stand in front of Kwon Tae-hee.
“Would you let me go, if I asked…?”
“Then I’ll take you there.”
“That’s… thank you.”
Seo Jeong-won had been about to decline, but quickly closed his mouth and bowed his head.
“I’ll just grab my bag real quick.”
“Why don’t you leave it? You’ll be coming back anyway.”
“Should I…? But I really could go just like this. Even the pants I’m wearing are yours, Director.”
Seo Jeong-won couldn’t imagine Kwon Tae-hee wearing them, but cautiously brought it up, thinking he might want them back.
“Take them off at home.”
“Ah, okay. I’ll do that.”
“Let’s go, then. I heard you already had a meal. Was it good? I’ve been too busy to check.”
“Yes, my hyung came and we ate together. It was good.”
As they walked across the garden, Kwon Tae-hee suddenly stopped, reacting to a certain word.
“Hyung?”
He had been informed that Song Hae-seop had come by, but hearing the word directly from Seo Jeong-won’s mouth was not only puzzling—it was unpleasant.
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