PIA 53

“…”

Just looking at the traces Jeong Hee-seo left behind with his lips made Ji-an feel like his body was heating up again. Even though that feeling wasn’t going away, he absentmindedly touched them before lying down on the wet grass.

If his mom saw, she’d go crazy about getting grass stains on his white t-shirt. No, if it were Ms. Yoon Ok-hee, she would just laugh and throw away the t-shirt. She probably wouldn’t even think it had grass stains. Ji-an had never shown his mother this side of him from the world he used to live in.

What should he do from now on?

No matter how hard he tried to erase it from his mindless thoughts, yesterday’s events kept floating before his eyes. Ji-an was so embarrassed that he was on the verge of death. The fact that his mom kept coming to mind showed just how tremendous the shock he received yesterday was.

[I jerked off by hand but cum too quickly, is that normal?]

He had posted that on an anonymous community at 4:44 am, and by the time he woke up briefly, there were many comments – 1/4 mocking him as a premature ejaculation loser, 1/4 expressing pity at how inexperienced he must be,1/4 disbelieving and saying who would suck a wrist, and the remaining 1/4 were ads recommending urology clinics.

He was covering his face with both hands and groaning when his phone rang loudly. Ji-an was so startled, thinking it might be Jeong Hee-seo, but the caller displayed on the screen was Jang Woo-seok.

“… What.”

– Why is your voice like that? Did you sleep outside too?

“What’s wrong with my voice, jerk.”

– Why are you getting mad? What makes you think you can act all high and mighty after ditching your friend on the street?

“Who told you to get drunk?”

His resentment lashed out at Woo-seok. This was all because he went there with this guy. If he hadn’t gone there, Jeong Hee-seo wouldn’t have come either, they wouldn’t have gone to the Han River, and he wouldn’t have suggested eating ramen…

-Ha, shit… Hey, my lips got twisted.

“You think I’ll believe you.”

-Such a stubborn chihuahua bastard.

“Get lost. It’s all your fault.”

After bickering and hanging up, the thoughts that had paused for a bit flowed back to Jeong Hee-seo again.

Ji-an thought he scratched Jeong Hee-seo’s face somewhere when he pushed him away yesterday, but he didn’t even see it because he was running away. It was indescribable to wonder how such an accident could have happened.

‘Let go…Please let me go.’

‘Please. Hyung-nim!’

‘Ugh!’

It seemed he kicked his legs up while struggling.

He didn’t want to recall what part of Jeong Hee-seo his foot had touched.

Did Jeong Hee-seo feel that he had ejaculated? He probably did. The pheromones pouring out were honest. There is no way that the sensitive Jeong Hee-seo could not sense his extremely rigid state…

“Fvck… Should I just go to the Han River again?”

There would still be a lot of water…

Ji-an recalled the moment he fled while clutching his damp crotch and felt like biting his tongue.

Oh god, how, how is he going to face him from now on?

Just imagining himself making strange noises at his touch made him automatically punch the air. As Ji-an covered his ears with both hands, trying to erase it from his mind, Yoon Ok-hee, who was watering the flowers, frowned and looked at Ji-an.

According to the “Contractual Obligation for Adhering to a Nutritious Diet for Maintaining a Healthy Body,” Ji-an had to meet Jeong Hee-seo for lunch right away, but…

“Ahhh…”

As Ji-an let out anguished groans while rolling around, a shadow fell over his body.

“It’s not appropriate for someone with a child to lie on the ground like this. Get up, the cold air is rising.”

When he looked up with wide eyes, he saw Kang Boon-nam’s displeased face.

“Grandma… ”

“Even expensive herbal tonics get wasted, why does your face look like that? Anyone who sees you will think you’re mistreated at home.”

It was a remark that was clearly conscious of Jeong Hee-seo.

“Wouldn’t it be all your fault if something happened to the child born from that family’s dominant Apha?”

The feeling of regret for dampening the elder’s spirit evaporated cleanly.

“Be careful how you carry yourself in everything you do. What I’m saying is, nurture what’s inside you as if it were a precious gem. Keep it to yourself.”

What new dissatisfaction had built up that she came to scold him like this?

“I read in a book, Grandmother, that hearing develops first. Meaning, be careful with your words since the precious gem in my stomach can hear everything.”

“Such a disrespectful brat…”

“Huh? The baby can hear? If the child I conceived from that dominant Alpha family ends up hating you for your foul mouth and lack of decorum, and tells their father all about it, what will you do? Unlike me, this one won’t be intimidated by you.”

It was something he had never dared say before. Having never talked back to his real grandmother, he found courage by leaning on the baby in the stomach and Jeong Hee-seo as his back up.

“Is getting pregnant at a young age without marriage an achievement for you?”

Ji-an was overcome with sorrow at the cold criticism.

“Grandma, do you know that?  In this regard you’re worse than someone I’ve only known for a month. Grandma has been watching me since I was born.”

“…”

“Why do you always grill me with that sharp tongue when you see me? Are you that resentful you can’t devour me?”

He used to truly believe he had committed some sin. He thought his omega nature and lack of talents were all his faults. Because he had never experienced being hugged and patted on the butt while praised for his attempts.

That’s why he felt all giddy when Jeong Hee-seo called him pretty. He had no immunity. He felt like he was acting this way because he was having an allergic reaction.

“I’m leaving. Don’t touch me. Don’t even ask. It means just treat me like a child who never existed.”

Kang Boon-nam’s angry eyes fell on Ji-an’s back as he got up and left the yard. His mother’s anxious eyes watching helplessly also felt scorching.

He worried his defiance would distress his mother. He tried to put power into his steps and walk away without looking back, but his lips were parched and his heart pounded loudly.

―How have you been doing?

“Wahh, sh1t… ”

After walking quite a distance with angry steps, Ji-an touched his forehead in the dim parking lot. His already fluttering heart felt like it was going to drop.

“You showed up to say something again…”

This voice never responded when Ji-an desperately called out to it. But this voice always seemed to appear only when Ji-an was most upset, scratching at his heart and then disappearing.

After getting hit by the ashtray, it mocked him thoroughly before vanishing. Ji-an wondered if it was like an alarm that only went off when his mood was in shambles.

Ji-an did not feel glad about its appearance at all. Where he used to just vaguely fear it as a supernatural phenomenon, now he had a more concrete dislike.

―Seems like you’re not as bad as I thought, judging by your bright tone.

He shuddered at the feigned concerned tone.

“What’s your business?”

―I want to warn you about something.

Ji-an came to an abrupt stop. The fact that this thing, which usually just picked one-sided fights before disappearing, was now issuing a warning, surprised Ji-an.

“…What are you to warn me?”

He tried to sound tough and put on airs, but he could feel his own cowering. The voice seemed to sense it too and spoke again with a mocking lilt.

―It’s about Seo Ji-hyuk. Why are you trying to change his life as you please?

“What?”

An involuntary shriek burst out. Ji-an hurriedly covered his mouth and looked around. Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any servants nearby.

―I set everything aside for a few days to watch over you…

―But no matter how I look at it, you seem hopelessly meddlesome

―Why are you worrying about things a year from now and trying to intervene?

Just then, his phone screen flickered with an incoming call. Ji-an thought it would definitely be him at this timing, but it was as expected. Jeong Hee-seo’s name appeared on the screen.

“…”

―Don’t try to interfere with their lives after you’re gone.

―Because it’s not your world.

―I mean, come to your senses. Seo Ji-an.

Ji-an couldn’t answer the phone or answer the voice.

* * *

‘Think carefully. In a year, they’ll be people you have nothing to do with’

With those words, the voice disappeared.

When Ji-an hesitated to answer, it went quiet as if giving him time to think. Appearing and disappearing without saying a word was its characteristic, but this time it felt like it had given him an extension.

Though the voice didn’t outright state it, Ji-an could sense instinctively that it was quite flustered by his attempts to change future events.

“…”

It’s not because he likes the Seo Ji-hyuk of this world. It’s because Mrs. Yoon Ok-hee would be the happiest if Seo Ji-hyuk got back to the place he lost. Would it be such a big deal to have one more desire besides protecting the baby?

When you think about it, even protecting the baby would completely change the course of events in the future.

The elevator’s ding sound snapped Ji-an out of his thoughts.