PIA 60

“… I.”

When Secretary Yoon spoke up again without any intention of leaving, Jeong Hee-seo glanced up.

“What exactly happened between you and Mr. Ji-an that day?”

There was a slight tension in the corners of Hee-seo’s eyes. Hmm, he shouldn’t have asked. Secretary Yoon already regretted the question before it hit the ground, but since he had already sparked the flame, he couldn’t just retreat without any gain.

“W-Well… There’s nothing Mr. Ji-an could have done…”

“…”

“I’m not really in a position to give advice on… relationships. But you know, the longer you let something fester, the harder and more awkward it gets.”

“Leave. Just leave.”

Jeong Hee-seo snapped irritably, throwing another glance towards where Ji-an was sitting.

“Yes. Understood. Then…”

Secretary Yoon awkwardly retreated while stifling a laugh. Geez, he’s being so dramatically lovesick. While Secretary Yoon didn’t know the details of how they met, Seo Ji-an had been quite unconventional from the moment he appeared, and Jeong Hee-seo’s response was no joke either – finding every excuse to bring his young lover to the office.

The fact that his boss seemed soft made him also unwittingly become a little defiant. This situation clearly needed some discipline in many ways.

Jeong Hee-seo could neither be angry nor smile as he watched Secretary Yoon open the door and leave. This was because Ji-an looked towards the wide open door. Thanks to this, their eyes met perfectly.

Ji-an was clearly startled mid-motion as he was about to put a cherry tomato in his mouth, freezing up.

If the door closed and he was out of Jeong Hee-seo’s sight, Ji-an would likely let out a sigh like a rabbit peeking out of its burrow before relaxing again. Since that’s how he always was in the office together, it wasn’t hard to imagine.

“Haah…”

Jeong Hee-seo was left alone in the empty conference room. He felt awkward returning to his seat and occupying his own office space. It wasn’t just Ji-an being on edge – it felt like his territory had been invaded. Jeong Hee-seo sank deep into the chair, covering his face with both hands as a long sigh escaped through the gaps.

The face he saw in that brief moment the door opened was vivid in his mind, lingering even when he closed his eyes. The red cherry tomato at the edge of those lips was inexplicably distracting.

“Oh, that’s really…”

Jeong Hee-seo licked his lips with his tongue without realizing it. He reflexively recalled the moment he lost control. From the second he saw Jeong Han-joo touching Ji-an and felt a scorching heat rise to his crown, to the moment he sensed their intermingled pheromones and something inside him snapped.

He knew he had suddenly and without permission crossed the line Ji-an was struggling to maintain. That’s why all his efforts dissipated into nothing, reducing them to this stiff relationship. Perhaps gracefully enduring while firmly upholding the caring elder brother image would have been better.

Who knows, maybe he couldn’t have endured to the end anyway.

“Haa…”

Did he cause an accident? No, more like he got into one himself.

The sensation of their kiss and the feeling of their mingled pheromones – more than anything, Ji-an’s hauntingly vivid expression.

* * *

Ding ding! Ding ding!

Ji-an, who was lying down watching a video on his iPad, rolled his eyes. His carelessly discarded phone on the side table had been ringing intermittently whenever he got bored.

“What does he have so much to say?”

The messages from Jeong Han-joo coming day and night must have accumulated to over 100 by now, even though Ji-an never read or responded. On average, at least 10 came per day. Ji-an counted on his fingers.

“No, it’s probably over 200. Why is he doing this, seriously?”

With an annoyed expression, he reached over and pressed the pause button on the screen before getting up. There was a red circle above the message app icon on the phone, and the number was 8. Without opening it, the last visible message was [Let’s meet once. Hyung will buy you something delicious.]

It had been over two weeks of ignoring the messages this way, but Jeong Han-joo wasn’t getting tired of it.

“Is he crazy?”

Jeong Han-joo should be loving the main character Seo Ji-hyuk, so why is he doing this? Did the character really change this much because of Ji-an? But it doesn’t seem like Ji-an had that big of an influence on him.

If there’s someone Ji-an influenced enough to change, it would be Jeong Hee-seo.

Ji-an glared at Jeong Hee-seo’s inactive message window.

“…Hmph.”

It was laughable that he was hoping for contact, but…

Ji-an tossed his phone aside and flopped back down. As he pressed play again, the video made a crisp, meaty slapping sound.

[How dare you insult my son!]

[That person is not your son. I… I’m your son!]

[What… What did you say? You expect me to believe that?]

Even in the midst of the melodramatic scene, the man who was slapped with a soapy rubber glove by the middle-aged woman, maintained a determined look in his eyes. When he suddenly unbuttoned his shirt and revealed his chest, a large, oddly shaped mole appeared.

The middle-aged woman began to tremble.

[Per, perhaps… Min-… Are you Min-su?]

Without any further verification, the two rushed into a tight embrace. Their eyes alone conveyed everything. Scientific proof wasn’t needed. Once the moment of realization comes, they just know. Before that, even if DNA test results showed a 99.8% match, people usually didn’t believe it.

Just then, the front door creaked open, and a middle-aged man appeared. Mistaking the relationship between the undressed young man and the wife, he contorted his face in disgust. As someone with a low boiling point, he should have clutched the back of his neck and collapsed at this timing.

[Honey!]

Soon the screen froze and solemn music played as the credits rolled.

“…”

With his chin propped up, puffing out his cheeks, Ji-an blankly stared at the ending credits screen for a while. Then came a soft knock as the door opened slightly. It was his mother Yoon Ok-hee, bringing snacks.

She waved off Ji-an’s attempt to get up and sat on the edge of the bed. On the plate resting on her lap were neatly cut watermelon pieces. Yoon Ok-hee speared one with a fork and handed it to Ji-an as she spoke.

“What were you doing? Watching a drama?”

“No, I was studying about life. A kind of strategic learning? Preparing for the future? Making plans. Something like that.”

“…I see.”

Yoon Ok-hee smiled wryly, taking her gaze back from the screen.

“It’s true. I’m seriously studying.”

When Ji-an added jokingly, Yoon Ok-hee scrutinized his complexion with a discerning eye. Her gaze traveled from his forehead, over the bridge of his nose to his cheeks, wavering slightly when meeting Ji-an’s eyes. She let out a small sigh.

“How have things been with that person lately? What did you decide to do?”

“…Nothing much, really. I haven’t decided anything.”

“How’s your body? Is the morning sickness okay? Any other symptoms? Pheromones?”

Ji-an sat up abruptly.

“Mom, I’m really okay. I’ve been eating well, and Hyung-nim has been very considerate, so there’s no problem. I don’t miss taking my vitamins and tonics either. You don’t have to worry.”

“…”

Yoon Ok-hee seemed to hesitate for a long time, then stretched out her arm and gently took Ji-an’s hand.

“Why did you grow up so much? You know, son… It may sound strange, but Mom feel a bit unfamiliar with you? It’s natural for a child to grow up.”

Ji-an’s eyes widened. More than anyone else, seeing Yoon Ok-hee like this pricked his conscience deeply.

When he couldn’t say anything, she withdrew her gaze first. Taking the empty fork from Ji-an’s hand, she poked another watermelon piece and handed it to him.

“Do you still need that person’s pheromones a lot?”

“Yes. How was it for you, Mom?”

“…You were docile.”

The expression on her face remembering the past was not very good. Seeing her eyes clouding over, Ji-an bit his lip. She was undoubtedly thinking of her lost firstborn, Seo Ji-hyuk.

After a brief silence, Yoon Ok-hee placed the watermelon plate on the side table and stood up.

“It’s nice out. Since it’s the weekend, why don’t you go for a drive somewhere nearby? To the beach, perhaps.”

“It’s too hot. I prefer under the air conditioning.”

“And about the pheromones… You should try to find another way. It’ll be uncomfortable at every meal, so how will you manage the next few months?”

After gently chiding the sprawled Ji-an like an old person, Yoon Ok-hee left the room. Once she closed the door behind her, Ji-an also began to think more. The ‘uncomfortable pheromones’ referred to the handkerchiefs Ji-an treated like treasures from Jeong Hee-seo.

He had requested them for the weekend, finding it awkward to see Jeong Hee-seo’s face. Of course it was uncomfortable to watch him cover his nose at every bite at the dining table. Even Grandma Kang Boon-nam skipped meals, not wanting to see that sight – which Ji-an actually enjoyed.

Ding ding!

Unrelentingly, Jeong Han-joo sent another message. Ji-an scratched his cheek. As his mother said, he should try to find another way. For Jeong Han-joo and Jeong Hee-seo.