AP CH 5 (First Snow)

Lee-won continued pressing him—why he was with Eun Hyeon-chae, what they talked about—but Seon-woo was just as confused. He didn’t really have anything useful to say.

With the time approaching, Lee-won had to go back downstairs. Now that Seon-woo had yet another reason to leave, he left the event hall without regret.

When he briefly checked the club’s group chat, he found it flooded with talk about the new students all day. More accurately, the conversation was all about Eun Hyeon-chae.

                                   *******

It turned out to be a good call to skip Liberty and head straight home. Lee-won, who Seon-woo thought would stay late, showed up at his place before midnight. When he opened the door, Lee-won’s sharp gaze made his displeasure clear.

“Why aren’t you answering the phone?”

“…I took a quick nap. Come in.”

Lee-won stepped in with the ease of someone entering his own place, shrugging off his outerwear in the entryway. As he stumbled slightly, Seon-woo quickly went over to steady him, catching a strong scent of alcohol and a familiar rush of pheromones.

Instinctive hostility flared as the pheromones of a fellow alpha brushed against his senses, causing the hair on his arms to prickle. Suppressing the feeling, he guided Lee-won to the couch.

“Is the gathering over already?”

“I just stepped out for a bit… I’ll have to go back.”

From the flush on his face and slightly softened expression, it seemed he’d had quite a bit to drink. Lee-won’s pheromones felt stronger than usual, making Seon-woo a bit wary. Was this because of the alcohol, or was it….

“How much did you drink? Was it a lot?”

“No, not really.”

Not really…

Seon-woo leaned slightly toward Lee-won’s neck to gauge his pheromones. Finding them manageable, he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“What about Hee-jun? You sent him home first, right?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Lee-won’s slightly bloodshot eyes fixed on Seon-woo. After staring intently for a moment, he let out a deep sigh and pushed himself up from his half-reclined position.

“…Nam Seon-woo. Don’t you have something to tell me?”

“What would that be?”

“You didn’t answer me earlier. How do you know Eun Hyeon-chae?”

The sharp question made Seon-woo’s eyebrows lift. Lee-won could ask as many times as he wanted; his answer would stay the same. With a shrug, he replied nonchalantly.

“It’s nothing. I ran into him in front of the event hall when he couldn’t find his way, so we went in together.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. Why are you grilling me like this? What kind of relationship do you two have?”

Lee-won looked at him as if trying to read his mind, then bluntly answered.

“It’s Simjin.”

“What?”

“He’s from Simjin.”

Lee-won’s response made Seon-woo frown.

Simjin was a name Seon-woo knew well—a major conglomerate group nearly as large as Myeonghyeon, known for handling the kind of work that typically operated in the shadows. But what did that have to do with anything?

“What does Eun Hyeon-chae have to do with Simjin Group… Ah.”

Realization dawned on Seon-woo, and he let out a small, impressed sound, while Lee-won slapped the sofa in frustration.

“He’s Eun Woo-yeon’s younger brother. A thug, plain and simple.”

Hearing the name that had been frequently mentioned lately, Seon-woo finally understood why Lee-won was so on edge.

If he’s Eun Woo-yeon’s brother… it’s no wonder he’s on guard.

Choi Lee-won had one aunt who had been estranged from the Myeonghyeon family. Eun Woo-yeon was her second daughter, making her Lee-won’s cousin. Which meant that Eun Hyeon-chae was also his cousin. Realizing how close the connection was, Seon-woo muttered in amazement.

“I never heard that Eun Woo-yeon had a younger brother.”

“No reason to mention it. No need to bring up a low-grade thug family.”

Seon-woo glanced at Lee-won’s cold expression, taking in his sharp reaction.

There was a particular reason why Lee-won held such strong disdain for Eun Woo-yeon. As it stood, the only person in Myeonghyeon who could realistically compete with Lee-won for the successor’s position was his older cousin, Choi Lee-ri, who was two years his senior. Until recently, Lee-won had been seen as the overwhelming favorite, the decision practically a foregone conclusion.

However, starting last year, things had begun to shift. For reasons still unclear, Choi Lee-ri had joined forces with Eun Woo-yeon, forming a close alliance. Lee-ri’s progress was notable; he was quietly building a solid track record, with one successful project after another. Just recently, he had even managed to broker a small but significant deal with Simjin, a company that had always maintained an uneasy relationship with Myeonghyeon. It was a feat that sparked widespread discussion within the group, and it was no secret that Chairman Choi held high hopes that this could reconnect the family with his once-estranged niece.

With Lee-won still a university student, unable to play a public role, he was feeling increasingly anxious as he watched Lee-ri steadily establish his foothold. Seon-woo understood the reason behind Lee-won’s unease better than anyone, though he doubted that the Chairman’s favor would shift so easily. Still, he simply tightened his grip on Lee-won’s hand, offering silent reassurance.

“What kind of scheme could that punk possibly have, joining Schuphur?” Lee-won muttered, unable to suppress his anger.

Seon-woo, who actually knew exactly what “that punk’s” scheme was, kept his tone casual, masking his discomfort. “Come on. Do you really think he joined with some kind of plan?”

“Who knows? Choi Lee-ri might’ve put him up to it through Eun Woo-yeon. No, I’m sure of it,” Lee-won replied, his voice filled with half-certainty.

Seon-woo could only chuckle in response, not bothering to argue.

When Lee-won mentioned he wanted to drink more, Seon-woo stood and headed to the kitchen. But when he opened the fridge and checked the shelves, he found them all empty—not a single can of beer left. A beta he’d had over last week had wiped out his entire stock, and he had completely forgotten to replenish it.

Yawning widely, half-asleep, Lee-won asked, “Didn’t you have plenty of drinks last time? Already finished them all?”

Seon-woo grabbed his pack of cigarettes from the entryway, glancing back at Lee-won. Although it looked like he’d probably fall asleep soon…

“Just wait here. I’ll go buy some more.”

“Mm, thanks, Seon-woo. Our Seon-woo…”

After wrestling Lee-won, who was clinging drunkenly, onto the bed and pulling the blanket over him, Seon-woo pulled his hat down low and finally stepped outside.

The alley was quiet, as it was already past midnight. Rather than stopping at the convenience store near his house, he headed toward the university district about fifteen minutes away, dialing Hyeong-jun’s number. After a few rings, a heavily intoxicated voice greeted him.

“Hey? Nam Seon-woo! The one who ditched us and ran off all by himself!”

“Yeah. You’re still drinking?”

“Of course, man. Listen, if you show up now, I’ll forgive you, so hurry over!”

“Is there perhaps…”

Seon-woo was about to ask if Jin Hee-jun was there, but instead, he just asked for the bar’s location.

“Huh? You’re really coming? Hey! Nam Seon-woo’s coming! Uh, we’re at Half Lounge. Just go past the park, then head left at the intersection…”

Listening to Hyeong-jun’s directions, Seon-woo lit a cigarette.

The moment he stepped into Half Lounge, where the afterparty was in full swing, Seon-woo understood why Lee-won had come home so drunk. The tables were a chaotic mess of empty bottles and leftover food. Sitting alone, staring fixedly at the door, Eun Hyeon-chae immediately jumped to his feet the moment he saw Seon-woo walk in.

Seon-woo pretended not to notice Hyeon-chae’s face lighting up and took a long look around the room. Ah, there he was—Jin Hee-jun.

The entire table was nodding off, seemingly filled with those who hadn’t managed to hold their liquor. As he headed over, Hyeong-jun, visibly tipsy, spotted Seon-woo and called out with a loud cheer.

“Seon-woo!!”

“Aren’t you sending them home?”

“I sent off the ones who woke up. Those guys aren’t getting up. I can’t exactly toss them in a taxi in that state, so I’m letting them sleep for a bit.”

“Can you hold up till then? You’re the one who has to keep your head straight.”

“Don’t worry. Jin-hyeong and Eun-jae barely drank at all. And hey, someone’s gotta keep the energy up here, right? I’m out here entertaining the young ones by myself, and you’re worried? This is elder abuse! Even that punk Lee-won ditched us without a word….”

“I told him not to come back. He looked tired tonight.”

“Is that so? Yeah, well, he’s probably exhausted, dealing with all that between seniors and juniors… Guess that means Nam Seon-woo, you’re filling in! Haha, you’re done for, Nam Seon-woo. Since you’re late, you’re buying us chocolate milk. And after that, you’re up for a pitcher of penalty shots!”

“Ha… fine, just try to keep it clean, okay?”

Sending Hyeong-jun back to keep drinking, Seon-woo headed over to the group of stragglers and hoisted a dozing Jin Hee-jun, who was slumped against the wall, like he was pulling up a radish. Hee-jun’s phone, which had been lying in the empty seat next to him, started ringing.

“Hello? Yes, this is Hee-jun’s sunbae. …Yes, he’s fine. We’re almost wrapping up. If you give me the address, I can… Oh, thank you, that’s a big help. Right, I’ll meet you at the convenience store by the intersection.”

“Mmm… Hyung…?”

As Seon-woo supported him with one arm, Hee-jun murmured and nestled closer, perhaps thinking he was Lee-won. Gently coaxing him, Seon-woo led him outside, noticing a large figure following them from behind.

“…Hello.”

“Yeah, hello.”

At the response, the figure quickly clammed up. Amused, Seon-woo allowed himself a moment to admire the face that looked so angelic and pretty. But as Eun Hyeon-chae’s gaze mixed with curiosity turned toward him, Seon-woo smoothly looked away as if nothing had happened.

At the convenience store’s bench where he’d arranged to meet the driver, Seon-woo seated the dozing Hee-jun and turned his gaze toward Hyeon-chae, who had followed him all the way here.

“What do you want to drink?”

“Anything is fine.”

“Alright. I’ll grab ‘anything,’ so keep an eye on him for a bit.”

Inside the convenience store, he swept up all the chocolate milk and hangover cures he could find, adding three cans of Pocari Sweat to his haul.

“Here.”

After popping open a can for Hyeon-chae and handing it to him, Seon-woo sat beside Hee-jun and tried to wake him, nudging him to drink a bit. But all Hee-jun did was curl closer to him, too far gone to wake up properly. In the end, Seon-woo let Hee-jun rest his head on his shoulder, then opened his own can and took a sip. Watching him intently, Hyeon-chae suddenly spoke up.

“Do you usually look after your juniors like this?”

Seon-woo crushed the empty can and tossed it into the trash can.

“No. I’m only looking out for him because he’s a friend’s boyfriend.”

“But sunbae, isn’t it something you don’t have to do?”

“There’s no reason not to, is there?”

At his casual response, Hyeon-chae lowered his gaze, idly fidgeting with the can in his hand. Observing him, Seon-woo couldn’t help asking something that had been on his mind for a while.

“So, why’d you stick around? I didn’t think you’d even show up to the after-party.”

“…They said it wouldn’t count unless I stayed till the end.”

“Pfft….”

Cute. Seon-woo swallowed the rest of his words and stole a glance at Hyeon-chae’s serious face.

It wasn’t as if attending the after-party was an official requirement; it was just the seniors’ way of encouraging more participation. Besides, plenty of other members had already headed home, so Hyeon-chae should’ve known it was all in jest.

Feeling unusually entertained, Seon-woo gave him a playful nudge.

“You’re not waiting for someone, are you?”

For the first time, a hint of awkwardness crossed Hyeon-chae’s usually calm expression. Watching the subtle changes in Eun Hyeon-chae’s otherwise impassive face turned out to be more amusing than he’d expected. Without realizing it, Seon-woo found himself smiling, waiting for Hyeon-chae’s response.

In his tense grip, the can began to crumple, and its contents spilled out. Without sparing it a glance, Hyeon-chae met Seon-woo’s gaze and asked quietly.

“What if I was?”

“Well, I figured you’d be happy to have seen their face.”

As those soft, pink lips twitched, momentarily lost for words, Seon-woo spotted a car pulling into the alley and rose from his seat.

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