PIA 109

The warmth of the gathering had made a full circle, and the charcoal under the hot pot on the brazier was cooling down when someone briskly crossed the yard. It was a servant hurrying to announce a new visitor, but there was no need to ask who had arrived.

Two familiar figures appeared in the distance, even to Ji-an.

‘Honestly, I expected this.’

Like a pair of cockroaches that wouldn’t die, it would be strange if the protagonist couple didn’t join this gathering. They had to bring some kind of ending to the story, after all.

Still, because the meeting with Myeong Hyun-sook had been better than expected, Ji-an felt a surge of disappointment.

He wasn’t afraid like before. Because he had decided to be with Jeong Hee-seo.

Ji-an rose with a calm expression and bowed to greet those coming up to the pavilion. Jeong Han-joo was trying to maintain a composed face, but anyone could see he was flustered.

“I heard hyung was here, so I dropped by to have dinner together. But I see there are already guests.”

“Hello, grandmother.”

Seo Ji-hyuk peeked out from behind Jeong Han-joo’s back and greeted. With a pleasantly bright smile, he passed by Jeong Hee-young and went straight to Myeong Hyun-sook, taking her hand.

“Oh, come, sit down.”

Seo Ji-hyuk took a seat charmingly to Myeong Hyun-sook’s left. He was directly across from Ji-an. The atmosphere instantly shifted towards him.

“We should order a new hot pot. You said you liked shrimp before, didn’t you?”

Myeong Hyun-sook fussed, saying they needed to serve good food for pregnant person. Following her instructions, servants bustled about, removing the brazier and pot. Amidst the busy hands moving across the table, Ji-an and Seo Ji-hyuk exchanged glances.

What are you doing here, Seo Ji-an?

Ah, my meal got interrupted. What else? I came to eat.

…

I like shrimp too. I’ll give you half. Let’s just eat in peace and be on our way.

Quite a few gazes were fixed on Ji-an. From Seo Ji-hyuk, Jeong Han-joo, and Jeong Hee-seo too.

Jeong Hee-seo had been watching Ji-an since Ji-hyuk appeared. He was unconsciously on edge. He had imagined Ji-an’s expression when facing him at Han-joo’s engagement party, but now that they were sitting face to face in this setting, strangely, Seo Ji-hyuk bothered him more.

It irked him that the warmth and affection of the place, which had been entirely Ji-an’s, now flowed to Ji-hyuk. As soon as he realized this, Jeong Hee-seo’s mood worsened. Even when he tried to gauge Ji-an’s feelings, his expression remained clear.

“…”

Jeong Hee-seo tightly grasped Ji-an’s hand under the table. It was inexplicable why he felt so unsettled seeing Ji-an look so accustomed to having his attention drawn away.

Jeong Han-joo, who had been quietly observing the two sitting shoulder to shoulder, abruptly interjected. He seemed like he was spitting out a cough he couldn’t hold back.

“I didn’t expect to see Ji-an at our house.”

Jeong Han-joo couldn’t hide his contorted expression. Having the upper hand taken by his brother was something he was all too familiar with—he had never won once in his lifetime. He even felt anger at the thought of Jeong Hee-seo introducing Ji-an to Myeong Hyun-sook just before his own engagement. It was as if his brother was once again overshadowing him.

“When did you and hyung develop this kind of relationship?”

Jeong Hee-seo turned his gaze from Ji-an to Jeong Han-joo.

“Indeed, what a coincidence to meet like this again. Han-joo.”

“You two seem to be dating quite seriously.”

“If you already know.”

The once soft and warm atmosphere meant to comfort Ji-an was completely broken. Jeong ee-seo was unaccustomed to the tide turning and being pushed to the sidelines. But with Ji-an involved in this, his mood instantly hit rock bottom.

Jeong Hee-seo continued, raising his eyebrows crookedly.

“If you know, you should greet him politely. Because he’s someone hyung is seriously dating, show some respect. Don’t call his name so casually and speak informally.”

Ji-an turned to Jeong Hee-seo with surprised eyes. Hyung-nim, what’s wrong with you? Ji-an tried to give him a look, squeezing their joined hands, but he was unmoved.

As Jeong Han-joo’s expression suddenly hardened, the atmosphere turned frigid in an instant. Sensing the strange current, Myeong Hyun-sook looked back and forth between his two grandsons’ faces.

“What’s going on here? Instead of greeting each other nicely at this pleasant gathering. What kind of connection do you two have to create an atmosphere like this?”

“Actually…”

As Ji-an was about to speak, Jeong Han-joo cut in sarcastically.

“We do know each other. He was a younger brother I knew well since my college days. When he was young, he used to follow me around saying he liked me. Ji-an has grown up so well. I wonder when he grew up and date Hee-seo hyung.”

“Han-joo, think before you speak. This is a happy occasion, and there’s no need for either of us to make it unpleasant.”

Jeong Hee-seo openly showed his discomfort at the loaded words. His gaze turned to Seo Ji-hyuk. Feeling guilty from before, he hesitantly pulled on Jeong Han-joo’s arm.

“Honey, why bring up old things? It’s all in the past.”

“Han-joo, explain properly first. I can hardly hold my head up in front of our guests. What sort of rude behavior is this, acting like that in front of your grandmother? Can’t you both lighten your expressions?”

To make matters worse, Myeong Hyun-sook chimed in. Sensing something off, she was frowning. At her cold voice, Ji-an felt like his cushion was full of thorns.

‘First impressions are all ruined.’

Strictly speaking, the awkwardness stemmed from ‘Seo Ji-an’s’ own past, but since it was true that he had long had a crush on Jeong Han-joo, he didn’t feel any sense of injustice.

‘It’s okay. I just need to do well from now on.’

Ji-an fidgeted with his hands and turned to Jeong Hee-seo. He gently scratched the palm of the Alpha who had stiffened up in anger.

Ji-an turned his head slightly and their eyes met.

It’s okay. I’m fine.

Seeing Ji-an’s reassurance, Jeong Hee-seo exhaled softly.

Ji-an called out to Myeong Hyun-sook and said:

“Grandmother, Han-joo hyung’s words aren’t wrong. It’s true that I liked him. But as you know, Han-joo hyung had someone he loved. Now that I’ve met Hee-seo hyung, I’ve realized that my feelings back then were just lingering attachment.”

“Ji-an. You don’t need to explain such personal feelings.”

Jeong Hee-seo tightened his grip on his hand as he tried to stop him. Ji-an patted the back of his hand and calmly continued.

“I thought I had explained sufficiently to Han-joo hyung, but it seems it wasn’t enough. If the misunderstanding hasn’t been cleared up, I’d like to say it once more. As I’ve said before, I only wish for you two to have a happy marriage. And…”

Myeong Hyun-sook’s expression became subtle. She moved her lips, then gestured for Ji-an to continue as he was about to speak again.

“And I value the feelings I have for Hee-seo enough that I don’t want to apologize to Han-joo for them. I haven’t done anything I need to apologize for. I just had lingering feelings that I couldn’t quite let go of, but I don’t consider that some great mistake.”

He spoke each word forcefully, trying to appear confident, and his heart was pounding wildly after speaking without taking a breath.

A heavy silence fell over the table as if by agreement. Ji-an swallowed hard with difficulty. His lips were parched.

His mind was a bubbling mess, unsure if he’d even managed to articulate his thoughts well. If he’d been standing, he might have staggered.

Though he felt relieved after his honest confession, everyone’s expressions didn’t look good, making him break out in a cold sweat. Ji-an, who had been trembling without realizing it, turned his head towards Jeong Hee-seo as he felt a strong arm wrap around his shoulders.

With a stern expression, he looked at everyone in turn and spoke up.

“I think Ji-an, as the person concerned, has explained enough. Whatever your relationship was in the past, from today…”

Jeong Hee-seo’s low voice that broke the silence had an undeniable power. He raised his eyes and looked directly at Jeong Han-joo and Seo Ji-hyuk in front of him.

“I’d like you two to treat Ji-an the same way you treat me from today on. I’m asking for respect. If there are unresolved feelings, talk to me about it. All of it. I won’t tolerate any harsh treatment towards Ji-an.”

Even though he had spoken at length, it seemed like Jeong Hee-seo had more to say as he rolled his tongue in his mouth. He took a moment to catch his breath, then bowed slightly to Myeong Hyun-sook.

“It’s very regrettable that the atmosphere has turned out like this. I’d like to have another quiet meal together next time.”

Ji-an hastily bowed his head along with him. As Jeong Hee-seo took Ji-an’s hand and stood up, everyone’s gazes followed them.

“Please finish your meal. We’ll take our leave first.”

The once pleasant atmosphere was irreparably damaged. Ji-an let out a small sigh as he stood up with him.

Jeong Hee-seo firmly held Ji-an’s hand and led the way. He seemed to want to get him out of this uncomfortable situation as quickly as possible.

Ji-an comforted himself with thoughts like ‘They need to eat too, whether they like me or not’ and ‘If I stay here, the food will get stuck in their throats.’ There was no reason to stubbornly remain in such an uncomfortable situation.

But…

As they were leaving the pavilion, Ji-an turned his head slightly to look at Myeong Hyun-sook. He could see Seo Ji-hyuk smiling and whispering something to her, perhaps trying to lighten the mood. Without realizing it, Ji-an found himself biting his lip.

It seemed he had grown attached enough to feel regret in such a short time. Even though he thought there would be plenty of time in the future and that he could do better, he still felt conflicted. Jeong Hee-seo wrapped his arm around Ji-an’s shoulders and pulled him close.

“Let’s go home. We’ll eat something delicious on the way.”

“…”

Ji-an wrapped his arm around Jeong Hee-seo’s waist and leaned his head against him.

“That sounds good, but since we came all this way, can’t you show me the room you used to live in?”

It was a request Ji-an made to ease his disappointment. To his surprise, Jeong Hee-seo’s eyes lit up with interest, and he murmured, “That’s a good idea,” as he planted a kiss on Ji-an’s forehead.

* * *

Though Ji-an had been excited, eyes twinkling with anticipation for the room tour, it ultimately ended up being a big failure.

After walking for a long time through maze-like paths divided by low walls, they arrived at a space that seemed like a separate building. It was such a tranquil space that it seemed odd to say they had lived together in the main house. The scale was surprising – it couldn’t be called just a room, but rather an entire house.

Thinking that every tree and flower planted in the small yard was something Jeong Hee-seo had seen growing up instantly improved Ji-an’s gloomy mood.

But as soon as they took off their shoes and entered the house, Ji-an’s stomach churned. Jeong Hee-seo watched with a bewildered face as Ji-an urgently looked for the bathroom. Shaking off Jeong Hee-seo’s hand that was holding him, Ji-an rushed in, grabbed the toilet, and threw up everything in his stomach.

Unable to barge in, Jeong Hee-seo knocked on the door, and Ji-an glumly muttered:

“I thought I was fine, but I guess I was a bit nervous.”

“Can I come in? Should I rub your back?”

“No, it’s all out now. I’ll come out. I’m okay.”

After washing his face and gargling, he jokingly told him it was a waste when they faced each other, but Jeong Hee-seo only scowled. Ji-an hugged Jeong Hee-seo tightly.

“It’s okay, really. Just give me some of your pheromones.”

Saying he was fine wasn’t a lie. Despite Jeong Hee-seo’s fierce demeanor, his pheromones and touch were extremely gentle, making Ji-an melt helplessly. Ji-an relaxed completely and leaned against Jeong Hee-seo.