PM Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Heeseong’s lips trembled slightly as he finally took a bite of the madeleine, his heart pounding.

Almost immediately, his vacant face flushed red. It was sweet, unbelievably delicious. Heeseong was genuinely shocked that food this good could exist in the world.

Seeing Heeseong’s eyes widen, Daesik let out a quiet chuckle.

While Heeseong ate the tasty snacks in portions no bigger than bird feed, the car had already arrived at the motel. Hugging the paper bag full of snacks to his chest, Heeseong bowed deeply to Daesik once more before heading inside.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Alright. Go on in.”

Once he returned to his room and was left alone, the corners of his mouth that had lifted enough to form dimples slowly fell again.

Worry stabbed at his chest more and more painfully. The kinder and more generous Daesik was, the worse it became. The self-loathing over what he was planning to do weighed heavily on his heart as well.

The better Daesik treated him, the larger that feeling grew.

I have to do it for my brother…

It’s the only way to save him…

Even knowing that, he didn’t want to do it. He felt sorry toward Daesik, and he didn’t want to harm him. Inside his chest, the feeling of not wanting to do it tangled tightly with the feeling that he had to.

In the end, Heeseong began to sob, tears spilling over. Even while changing clothes and washing up, even after lying down on the bed, the tears from his large eyes wouldn’t stop.

* * *

As soon as he saw Heeseong off, Daesik left the motel again. Kyunghoon immediately took the driver’s seat, and Daesik stated the destination briefly.

“To Cheonhwawon.”

The car started smoothly and drove on for a while before stopping in front of a massive hanok that looked as grand as a palace. A nameplate hung above the large gate.

Cheonhwawon.

Just like its name, meaning a garden of a thousand flowers, it was a members-only resort where visitors could enjoy various forms of rest. At the same time, Cheonhwawon was famous for services tailored to the secondary genders of its members.

Following a guide into one of the halls, Daesik leaned back in his chair and tilted his head up. The high ceiling and ornate lighting made his vision swim.

“Hah….”

Not long after, the door opened and omegas entered. Straightening his head, Daesik saw that every one of them was a beautiful, alluring dominant omega.

A thick, tempting pheromone scent filled the air, one that any alpha would find irresistible. The stimulating scent made Daesik’s brow crease slightly.

“……”

The moment the omegas came close.

Daesik abruptly stood up and walked straight out of Cheonhwawon.

Kyunghoon, who disliked Cheonhwawon and had been waiting in the car, straightened when he saw Daesik.

“Let’s go.”

Kyunghoon was internally surprised at Daesik’s words, but he kept his expression under control.

To be honest, he had already been surprised when Daesik said he was going to Cheonhwawon in the first place. For a dominant alpha who was usually so clean and controlled, it was unexpected. Daesik had never given in to the countless omegas sent his way by Choi Younggi or other organizations, and even during rut, he made sure there were no aftereffects.

So for him to come to Cheonhwawon at all was strange. Kyunghoon tilted his head, and before he knew it, he thought, What about Yoon Heeseong?

Startled by his own thoughts, he hurriedly waved his hand to dismiss them.

In any case, seeing Daesik enter Cheonhwawon only to come right back out left Kyunghoon confused. Even if Daesik usually resisted temptation, surely it would be different if he came here himself.

But Daesik came out immediately, his clothes perfectly neat.

Though puzzled, Kyunghoon wisely didn’t show it. Instead, he unconsciously thought that this was just like Daesik, then rationalized it with a simple answer.

Because Yoon Heeseong is around.

Only Daesik, chuckling belatedly to himself, found his own actions strange.

* * *

In the end, Heeseong slept poorly from all the sobbing. At dawn, he woke from a light sleep and hurriedly got ready for work with heavy eyes.

Rushing into the bathroom to wash his face, Heeseong startled when he looked in the mirror. His lips, nose, and eyes were all swollen like steamed buns.

“What is this….”

It looked so ridiculous that he burst out laughing at his reflection.

Smiling again as if he’d never cried, Heeseong splashed his face with cold water to reduce the swelling. After washing with water cold enough to numb his hands, he checked the mirror again.

“……”

It didn’t seem to help at all.

Thinking it couldn’t be helped, he put on his glasses, wore the same clothes as yesterday, and left the room. Maybe because he’d cried so hard without realizing it, his body felt a little sore.

After going down to the first floor, Heeseong walked straight to the counter. He grabbed the door handle and turned it, but it stopped abruptly.

The door was locked. His fan-like eyelashes fluttered as his eyes trembled.

“Uh….”

Blinking in confusion, Heeseong glanced at the black digital clock hanging above the counter window.

It was six o’clock.

Come by seven tomorrow.

He had come out a full hour early. Daesik had even pushed back his start time, but he’d completely forgotten. He could have slept more. What a waste.

Blaming his poor memory, Heeseong let out a long sigh.

Letting his shoulders droop, he rummaged through his pants pocket and took out the phone Daesik had bought him. He slowly tapped in Daesik’s number.

Just as he was about to press the call button, his thumb froze.

“……”

Hey, you crazy bastard! Why are you calling in the morning?!

The angry shout of the kimchi factory team leader suddenly came back to him. He’d called back then because he’d been vomiting all night and needed to stop by the hospital before work. It had been six in the morning then too, about an hour before his shift.

And he’d gotten chewed out mercilessly.

When he told his brother about it later, his brother had warned him that calling people in the morning was usually rude. They might be sleeping, or busy getting ready, and it could ruin their mood.

Quietly, Heeseong slipped the phone back into his pocket. He didn’t want to ruin Daesik’s mood for no reason, and he didn’t want to wake him up if he was sleeping.

I’ll just wait.

His legs hurt a little, but he’d spent entire weeks standing all day before, so an hour was nothing. It was also far better than being locked underground for months without seeing anything. At least he could watch the sky slowly brighten through the glass doors.

Heeseong nodded faintly to himself as he blankly stared through the glass at the parking lot and the scenery beyond.

How long had he been staring like that?

As bright sunlight began to pour in, it passed through the glass doors and spilled across the lobby floor. Heeseong’s gaze drifted down to the sunlight illuminating the tiles.

The light was so dazzling that even the dust floating in the air and the dust settled on the floor stood out clearly.

“Cough….”

Letting out a small cough, Heeseong suddenly thought that he should clean. Turning his head quickly, he spotted a long, old broom lying near the glass doors.

Picking it up, Heeseong immediately started sweeping the floor.

As he swept diligently into every corner, clumps of dust rolled out. Before he knew it, beads of sweat formed across his face.

It was midsummer, and even the morning air was humid. As the day grew brighter, the sunlight beating down only became stronger.

When he flung open the glass door, a wave of heat rushed in. Heeseong swept the dust outside, flicking it away.

“What are you doing?”

A familiar voice suddenly spoke while he was focused. It was Daesik.

“Oh, hello. Sir.”

As Heeseong bowed to greet him, his chin was abruptly grabbed. Lifted like that, Heeseong blinked his heavy eyes.

“…What happened to your face?”

Daesik’s hardened expression was fierce.

“Which bastard did this?”

Daesik had just come up from the basement, smiling faintly as he approached Heeseong holding the broom. But the moment Heeseong turned around, his face was a mess.

What kind of bastard did this shit?

Is the security fucking garbage?

Seeing Heeseong’s face made his blood boil, so much that he forgot there hadn’t been any visitors the night before.

Heeseong didn’t understand what Daesik was saying and simply rolled his eyes in confusion.

What bastard was he talking about?