"He's the one who spilled the affogato on Hyunjoon's lap!" the teen exclaimed, reporting what I did to someone named Hyunjoon to the alpha in front of me.
I remember now, he was one of the teenagers who had been cat calling me at the cafe that time.
Now Seungho looked at me. Is he angry? I wasn't afraid. Folding my arms across my chest, I looked at Seungho and the teenager in turn. Please note, catcalling is a very rude act. Want to defend the teenager?
"I'm sorry, he's been a bit of a barbarian since he came to live in America," Seungho said as he bent down and wrapped his arms around the teen's neck, tight enough for the teen to squeal in pain.
"Let go!" the teen pleaded while struggling.
I smiled slightly.
Seungho did not respond. "By the way, this is Gunwoo." He introduced the teen before letting go of his arm around Gunwoo's neck. "Be polite," Seungho pleaded with him.
Gunwoo was already standing tall, though his face was downcast, his gaze looking right into my eyes. "And Gunwoo, this is Chanyeol, my future mate."
Seungho's words just now managed to make my head throb. I clenched my fist and wanted to punch him in the head. How dare he say that. I still held my fists at my sides. Even when I saw Gunwoo's reaction who was surrounded by shock with his mouth open.
"Ahaha, that's not true, Seungho was just joking," I said evasively, my eyes fixed straight on Gunwoo to see how he would react. Suddenly, I felt something touch my chest the second our eyes met. The annoyance I had been feeling instantly disappeared.
"I knew it," Gunwoo smiled wryly, giving Hajoon a somewhat sarcastic look.
Although I no longer locked eyes with the teenager, for some reason I still felt a strange feeling in my chest. A feeling that prompted me to hug him. But I failed to do so.
"You didn't tell me there were dim sum." Gunwoo quickly snatched some from Hajoon's plate.
"Yeah, I left yours in the fridge!" Seungho half-exclaimed as the teenager swallowed his dim sum.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Gunwoo hurried to the refrigerator without letting go of the dim sum Seungho had taken. The teenager, before completely disappearing from my sight, Gunwoo still managed to smile at me. The seductive kind of smile.
Gosh, these two people really made me have mixed feelings. More than that, the unfamiliar feelings that dominated my heart at the moment made my mind wander.
"Chanyeol-ah," Seungho called, breaking my reverie. I gasped and looked into his eyes. It was that voice again. Then the citrus musk I was beginning to taste pierced my sense of smell. Wanting to vomit, I reflexively closed both my mouths while holding it in. My eyes were closed, trying hard to remain calm. However, I was still unable to hide what I was feeling.
"Are you okay?" asked Seungho. I couldn't see how his expression was at the moment, but I knew he was worried, it could be heard from his tone.
I nodded. "Restroom," I said quietly, I needed to go there.
"On the left after the mini bar..."
Without waiting for Seungho to finish telling me, I immediately ran to the left of the dining room, past the mini bar, right in the corner was a brown door. That must be the restroom. I broke down the door and went in, spitting out what I had just swallowed this morning.
I washed my face in the bathroom sink after spitting out the contents of my mouth in the toilet. Staring at my rather pale face I smiled blandly. Beads of water dripped from my slightly wet bangs as the water washed my face. My breathing was a bit labored followed by a tightness in my chest. In addition, I still felt a strange feeling when I saw the teenager named Gunwoo. Even though I had only met him twice, I felt like Seungho was a stranger to me. Being around that alpha made me comfortable by his treatment and made me sick of his pheromone smell.
Not wanting to linger, I stepped out of the bathroom with a smile.
"Are you sick?" asked Seungho, the worry clearly not gone.
"No, just catching a cold." I lied, not wanting Seungho to know that it was his citrus musk pheromones that made me vomit.
Either forgetting or what, Seungho asked again. "Have you been vomiting in the morning for a few days?" He obviously forgot that I couldn't stand his pheromones.
I looked at him confused.
"Is it possible..." Seungho gave me a probing look.
Okay, his conjecture was really over the top this time.
"I'm not pregnant, you idiot."
Seungho's laughter instantly erupted, loud enough for Gunwoo to look in our direction. The teenager didn't say anything or give a meaningful response, he returned to his position and I moved away from Seungho's presence.
I took the remaining dim sum on the table and ate it right in front of the owner. Seungho didn't protest even though his laughter had died down. I didn't eat much dimsum, but it was enough to make up for what I had spit out.
"Thank you," I said, looking at Seungho briefly to say goodbye.
"Are you sure you don't want me to take you?"
I nodded.
"By the way, where you live is not far from here, right? Can I pay you a visit?"
Not answering immediately, I was silent for a while. I had never received a guest other than Hajoon before. It wasn't that I didn't want to have guests come to my house, but...
"I'll bring you something when I come." Seungho looked at me expectantly.
I nodded silently, thinking my apartment could use a visitor or two. "But not anytime soon," I told him.
"That's okay, I'll wait," Seungho said, so happy, his handsome face beaming. "I'll also wait patiently for you to accept me in your heart."
"Hahaha." I laughed a little artificially. Honestly, I was also curious as to how strong the concrete wall I had built up over the years to keep the disgusting race on earth of the alpha type from breaking through. And how much persistence this alpha in front of me had in breaking through that wall. It was only a matter of time. Along with that, Seungho's patience will be eroded. Even if this alpha finally broke through, his body would be crushed by the concrete debris. Know what I mean? Ah, I'm not as cruel as the alphas on this earth. If Seungho succeeds, I will reward him.
I turned away when Seungho said, "Come whenever you feel lonely or when you want to. This place is always open to you."
I had already turned away, raising my hand to him in response without saying anything.
"Call me, okay!"
I was already at the exit, opening the knob, behind which came the sound of footsteps approaching - Seungho's.
"Chanyeol-"
Brak!
I closed the apartment door from the outside. Standing in front of this brown-painted door, I felt cold, unlike when it was warm inside. On top of that, something in my chest felt like it was missing.
No... I shook my head strongly. The air outside was indeed cold. Immediately leaving from where I was, I slightly ran towards the elevator to go down.
Gunwoo, that kid I somehow feel a bond with. No, I shook my head strongly. It's just my feelings. Then again, all the alphas in this world are the same, cruel and heartless. Their kindness is just bait for their quarry to fall for. Giving your heart is like giving your life to them, and then you will die slowly.
*
"So, is there any progress on your mission to get close to Seungho?" Hajoon asked matter-of-factly as he usually did to start a conversation with me.
"He and I have been acquainted, exchanged phone numbers and yesterday morning I followed your advice, paid a visit to his place." I gave a brief shrug at the end of the sentence.
"What happened to you two there?" Hajoon asked again while sitting back. We were at his place, or rather his study. Sitting across from each other on a white sofa bordered by a glass table with mahogany legs.
"We had a brief chat, he gave me breakfast, let's call it that, and then asked me to let his come to my apartment sometime. I went home afterward." I didn't think it was necessary to explain in detail to Hajoon about my visit to Seungho's apartment.
"Is that all?" Hajoon wanted more information, it was obvious from his look.
"Yes," I replied, to which Hajoon responded with a languid sigh.
"Why, do you expect him to ask me to marry you right away?" I asked sarcastically.
Hajoon was passive. I was indifferent.
The enthusiasm he had shown earlier was slowly diminishing. I guessed from the start, Hajoon also objected to my mission this time; approaching Seungho to dig up information that was still a mystery. However, he had no choice to refuse, and neither did I.
We were silent for a while. Silence prevailed.
"I won't fall in love with him, I promise." I stood up as I said that. Making Hajoon have to look up to see my face. "Not with any alpha in this world."
"Including me?" asked Hajoon.
My eyes looked straight into him. In the dark irises of this alpha in front of me, I saw a speck of hope in the one thing that had long been broken in my heart, love.
"Yes," I replied. Then broke the intense gaze between us.
Hajoon smiled wryly as he chuckled. "Unfortunately, hearts don't always change quickly. Sometimes it's so slow that you don't even realize it."
I snorted. "Words can't be taken back, can they? If that happens...," Falling in love with an alpha, "I'll kill myself."
The smile etched on Hajoon's face vanished instantly. This one alpha knew me-who never messed with what I said.
I turned away from him, took a few steps away, then turned back. "No matter how much affection there is between us, there must be no love."
Hajoon did not give any response, nor did he wish to intercept me as I left.
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