AP CH 8 (First Snow)

“Hello, noona.”

“Seon-woo, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? This is Nam Seon-woo. He’s Nam Jun-woo’s younger brother and has been friends with Choi Lee-won since they were kids.”

“Ah, Nam Jun-woo?”

“He’s a good kid.…Hey Seon-woo, this is Eun Woo-yeon from Simjin.”

The woman in the dress standing beside Choi Lee-ri fixed her sharp gaze on him. Her soft, light brown hair and eyes, long, dense eyelashes, and defined nose. She bore an uncanny resemblance to someone he had been seeing far too often recently.

Today’s gathering was an unofficial banquet to celebrate the launch of a new subsidiary by Choi Lee-ri’s mother, Hwang Seon-mi, who was one of the directors. It was natural for members of the Myeonghyeon family, as well as representatives from other companies, to attend such a significant event. But Seon-woo hadn’t expected people from Simjin to show up.

This was the first time Choi Lee-ri and Eun Woo-yeon had made a public appearance together. It was practically a declaration of intent for their future endeavors. If Lee-won, who hadn’t arrived yet, saw this…

Seon-woo swallowed his concern and bowed politely.

“Hello, I’m Nam Seon-woo.”

Eun Woo-yeon, who acknowledged his greeting with a slight glance, wasn’t particularly friendly. It was quite surprising how someone who looked so much like the adorable Eun Hyeon-chae could exude such an icy aura.

Hopefully, Eun Hyeon-chae isn’t here, too.

Even as he bowed in greeting, Seon-woo’s eyes scanned the banquet hall. The motion of his gaze must have been noticeable because Choi Lee-ri chuckled and asked,

“Are you looking for someone?”

“Haha. Sorry, I thought I saw someone I know. Must have been my mistake.”

“Isn’t it a bit rude to be looking around when you have such a beauty in front of you? This is your first time meeting Woo-yeon, right?”

Though her tone was playful, there was an undertone of rebuke, as if she were scolding him for investigating the connection between those two. The veiled reproach made Seon-woo respond with feigned lightheartedness.

“Of course! I’m doing my best to make a good impression, noona. You’re too harsh.”

“I’m just joking.”

“I’ll be heading off now. Have a great time. See you next time.”

As Seon-woo stepped out of the banquet hall, he aimlessly wandered around the lobby and the main entrance. It wasn’t until he stepped outside and felt the biting cold air that he realized he had been searching for someone among the crowd of people. Someone who might not have even been there.

It was as if he had been bewitched. With a self-deprecating laugh, Seon-woo ran a hand roughly through his hair and turned back toward the entrance.

But before he could take another step inside, someone grabbed his arm from behind.

“Nam Seon-woo! What are you doing here?”

“…Ha Seung-bin?”

Recognizing the familiar voice, Seon-woo turned around to see the face of the guy who was supposed to be in America. Momentarily blinking in surprise, he asked, confused.

“When did you get back to Korea? And what are you doing here?”

“Not long ago. About a week, maybe? I was going to reach out, but you changed your number.”

“Ah, yeah, that was a while back.”

“Man, you should’ve at least let me know when you changed it. Anyway, let’s not just stand around here. Let’s grab a seat and talk.”

Ha Seung-bin had been Seon-woo’s classmate from elementary school all the way through to high school, until he suddenly left for the U.S. to study abroad. Seon-woo had heard he was pursuing music, but he had no idea what had brought Seung-bin back to Korea—let alone to this kind of event.

Letting Seung-bin lead the way, Seon-woo sat across from him at a seating area off to the side. Over a light glass of champagne, Seung-bin filled him in on everything—why he had returned to Korea, how he had been dragged to this event by his uncle, and everything else that had happened recently.

“When are you going back?”

“I don’t know. I just dropped everything and came. Hah… Should I just quit everything altogether?”

“You didn’t want to work for the company, right?”

“I’m stuck. I can’t come up with anything, and I feel depressed.”

“There’s no need to rush. Take your time.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that. I’m going to make up for all the fun I missed out on in Korea before I leave. You better hang out with me if I call. Don’t just stick to Choi Lee-won. Oh, by the way, can I crash at your place for a few days? I came here secretly without telling my sister, so I’ve got nowhere to go.”

“My place? You’d have to leave at night, though. Think you’re okay with that?”

Seon-woo’s teasing remark made Seung-bin shake his hands in mock disgust.

“Forget it. Enjoy yourself as much as you want.”

“You’re still welcome to come.”

“I said no!”

Smiling faintly, Seon-woo brought his glass to his lips. But when Seung-bin suddenly stood up, he raised an eyebrow. Then, at the words that followed, he nearly spat out the alcohol he had been holding in his mouth.

“Hyeon-chae! What are you doing here? It’s so unlike you to show up at a place like this!”

Turning around, Seon-woo saw Eun Hyeon-chae standing there with a startled expression. At the sight of his face, a sudden surge of joy caught him off guard. He instinctively wet his dry lips with his tongue as Hyeon-chae walked over, looking slightly dazed and greeted him.

“…Sunbae. Hello.”

“Sunbae? Sunbae? Oh, right! You’re both at Hanguk University? Same department, even?”

Before Ha Seung-bin’s chatter could spiral further, Seon-woo shoved an empty glass into his hands.

“Seung-bin, get us some more drinks.”

“You’ve already finished? Hyeon-chae, you want something too, right? I’ll bring the same for both of you.”

As soon as Seung-bin left, Seon-woo turned back to Eun Hyeon-chae.

Standing so close now, Hyeon-chae’s eyes seemed to glimmer under the light. The way he quietly stood there, as if an invisible tail was wagging behind him, stirred a faint, teasing smile on Seon-woo’s lips.

Without missing a beat, he asked with playful amusement:

“Did you follow me all the way here?”

At the abrupt question, Eun Hyeon-chae flinched and hastily shook his head.

“No, I didn’t. I’m here for family business. Really.”

“…….”

“Sunbae…”

Seeing him fidget so nervously, Seon-woo couldn’t help but laugh.

“I was just joking. I know you’re from Simjin. I even greeted Eun Woo-yeon earlier.”

Hyeon-chae, who had been staring fixedly at Seon-woo’s smiling face, parted his lips slightly.

“You already knew. About our family…… and my sister too.”

“How could I not know?……You didn’t seriously think you’d kept it hidden all this time, did you?”

If so, that might be a bit shocking.

Fortunately, Hyeon-chae shook his head slightly.

“No, I didn’t think that… It’s just, you’ve never said anything about it until now.”

As he fiddled with the napkin on the table, he stole a glance at Seon-woo and whispered softly.

“To be honest, I was a little hopeful before coming. Thinking maybe I’d see you here.”

It was no surprise to Seon-woo that Eun Hyeon-chae had already investigated everything about his family and their connections to Myeonghyeon. Staring steadily at him, Seon-woo finally spoke.

“Same here.”

“What?”

“I was hopeful too. Wondering if you’d be here.”

“……What do you mean by that?”

Watching the subtle flush spread across Hyeon-chae’s cheeks and the way his bright brown eyes sparkled, Seon-woo admitted it to himself. That he was drawn to the alpha in front of him. That if it was Eun Hyeon-chae, he might just be able to take the leap.

But today wasn’t the day for it. Spotting Seung-bin returning with drinks from the corner of his eye, Seon-woo leaned back and shook his head.

“It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Sunbae…!”

“What are you two talking about?”

Seung-bin’s cheerful voice interrupted them as he set the drinks down, sliding naturally into the space between the two.

The two had met through mutual acquaintances during their time studying abroad in the United States. Unlike Seon-woo, who hadn’t even known that Seung-bin had returned to Korea, Eun Hyeon-chae seemed already aware of it, which suggested they were closer than he had initially thought. Though Hyeon-chae remained mostly quiet, Seung-bin was undeterred, chattering away as if used to it, while Seon-woo responded with casual remarks to keep up the flow of conversation.

When Seung-bin learned that Hyeon-chae and Seon-woo were senior and junior in the same club, he looked at Hyeon-chae in surprise.

“You joined Schuphur?”

“Yes. I’m interested in skiing.”

Seon-woo smirked at the all-too-familiar excuse. Hearing the soft chuckle, Hyeon-chae’s ears seemed to perk up as he darted a glance at Seon-woo, trying to sneak a look at his smiling face.

Seung-bin, aware of the complicated ties between Myeonghyeon and Simjin, tilted his head curiously.

“The club president is Choi Lee-won, isn’t it?”

“And what about it?”

Hyeon-chae’s completely indifferent tone left Seung-bin scratching his head awkwardly.

“Well, never mind if it doesn’t matter. But don’t you guys have some kind of training camp or something?”

“Yeah, a ski camp. We’ll spend about three weeks at a ski resort.”

Seung-bin’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Then I’m coming too! I was just wondering what to do this winter, and that sounds perfect.”

“Outsiders aren’t allowed.”

“Whatever. Who said I wanted to join the camp? I’ll stay at a nearby villa and get private lessons. Once your schedule is over, we can hang out together.”

“…Do what you want.”

Seon-woo, knowing that trying to dissuade Seung-bin was pointless, gave up on arguing altogether. As he reached for his drink, his eyes caught sight of Choi Lee-won approaching from a distance. Their gazes locked briefly.

The strained expression and flushed face. A faint sense of danger crept in as Seon-woo frowned, his instincts on edge. The moment he sensed the uncontrolled pheromones emanating from the approaching Lee-won, he shot to his feet.

“Lee-won-ah.”

“What are you doing here?”

Lee-won’s voice carried a sharp edge, his anger unmistakable. Seon-woo stayed calm, analyzing the situation, but before he could respond, Ha Seung-bin, oblivious to the tension, also stood up, greeting Lee-won cheerfully.

“Choi Lee-won! Where have you been? I was just talking about your ski camp—”

“Nam Seon-woo. Come with me.”

Cutting Seung-bin off mid-sentence, Lee-won glared at Seon-woo before abruptly turning on his heel. The force of his departure left Seung-bin bewildered as he glanced between the two.

“……Huh? Did you two have a fight?”

“I’ll call you later. I’m leaving first.”

Patting Seung-bin’s shoulder, Seon-woo turned and followed Lee-won.

Lee-won didn’t stop until they reached the garden outside. Only then did he come to a halt. Even though he must have known Seon-woo had followed him, he didn’t turn around. Watching Lee-won’s tense back, Seon-woo let out a quiet sigh before calling his name.

“Lee-won-ah.”

“What about Eun Hyeon-chae? Why the hell is he here? And you—what are you even doing?!”

“…….Eun Woo-yeon ssi^[1] is here too. Looks like Lee-ri noona invited people from Simjin’s side.”

“Damn it, Choi Lee-ri!”

Choi Lee-won stomped his foot with a growl, his frustration boiling over. The anger that had been simmering now turned on Nam Seon-woo.

“If you knew about this, you should’ve come to me first! Do I really have to watch you laughing and chatting with that guy while I’m out here looking for you?”

His raised voice began to draw attention. Alarmed by the scene he was causing, Seon-woo grabbed Lee-won’s arm and pulled him into an embrace. The dense pheromones emanating from him were suffocating, but Seon-woo kept his composure, slowly rubbing Lee-won’s back to soothe him.

“I didn’t contact you because I thought you were with Hee-jun. Calm down.”

“Do I look like I can calm down right now?! You can’t stay in college forever. How long are you going to pretend you don’t see what’s happening? Once Myeonghyeon steps in… once Choi Lee-ri has her way, do you really think you’ll be safe? Nam Jun-woo and even Director Nam won’t be spared when she’s done.”

“I know. I know that, Lee-won. But…your sister is here. The president is here too. You need to calm down. Rein in your pheromones.”

He continued rubbing Lee-won’s back, his voice softening with each word. The tense rise and fall of Lee-won’s shoulders gradually eased. The thick cloud of pheromones in the air dissipated, and the labored breaths against Seon-woo’s shoulder settled into a more regular rhythm. Only then did Seon-woo allow himself to exhale, relaxing slightly.

Lately, it seemed to be getting worse……. Maybe he should say something.

His thoughts raced. Just as he let out a quiet sigh, his gaze caught sight of someone peeking out from behind a nearby pillar and their eyes met. It was Eun Hyeon-chae. The large frame of his body was poorly hidden behind the column. 

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