UR Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“Um….”

A gentle, ticklish breeze brushed against Eun Beom-ho’s cheek, carrying a sweet spring-like warmth.

He instinctively turned his chin toward the source of that warmth—a sensation both curious and unfamiliar.

“…What would you like to buy?”

Through the dark tinted lenses of his sunglasses, his gaze locked onto a pair of soft, light brown eyes staring straight at him.

Younger than expected, yet his energy was steady and unwavering.

Under that earnest gaze, Eun Beom-ho’s mind went blank, as if someone had emptied his thoughts all at once.

“…….”

His lips parted slightly.

‘A dog beastman?’

It would have been rude to blurt out “What kind of beastman are you?”

But he wanted to ask.

He was curious.

Yet, since it was considered bad manners, he held back and instead let his imagination wander.

It would be perfect if those round, fluffy ears suddenly popped up from that head.

If only he could lay a hand over that small one, press his lips against it, taste it with his tongue.

Why did he smell so sweet?

He wanted to inhale it all, to savor every bit of that scent—or perhaps, devour him whole.

Eun Beom-ho clenched his fists and rubbed his fingertips together.

If he didn’t control himself, he might impulsively reach out and do something reckless.

“…….”

A sharp sting pulsed in his chest, as if his heart had been sliced open.

It couldn’t be Conscience Fever—he had already driven away that obnoxious man.

Then what was this ache?

Could it be… because he had just imagined swallowing someone whole?

Clatter. Bang.

Outside, the wind howled violently, shaking the convenience store doors as if trying to tear them off their hinges.

Yet, strangely enough, between him and the young man, the air was filled with a gentle, spring-like warmth.

Thump. Thump.

His heartbeat felt light, almost giddy.

Calm down.

“Do you have energy drinks?”

Forcing himself to suppress his presence, Eun Beom-ho smiled as kindly as he could.

A tiger’s natural aura wasn’t something that could be easily controlled.

It made calm people tense, made crying children wail louder, and made the weak tremble.

If the brown-eyed beastman in front of him couldn’t handle his energy, if he fainted or started crying, it would be a terrible first impression.

“What flavor do you want?”

But the young man simply tilted his head, his curious eyes filled with warmth.

No fear.

No unease.

He should have been overwhelmed by the heavy presence of a pureblood predator, just like the man earlier.

But instead, he was smiling, his eyes shimmering like a lake under the moonlight.

Ah.

Their gazes slowly aligned.

Two pairs of eyes, meeting at the perfect angle.

Eun Beom-ho swallowed down a groan, his body momentarily freezing in place.

The dull ache in his chest grew sharper, like a bare body being tickled relentlessly.

This was strange.

He had never felt this way before.

He had simply walked into a store and encountered someone he had never met—and yet, he couldn’t look away.

Bzzzt.

His smartwatch vibrated against his wrist.

A soft glow blinked on the screen, but he couldn’t even glance at it.

What mattered right now was what lay beyond the black tinted glass—

A fresh, intoxicating presence that he couldn’t stop staring at.

It had been a long day.

The morning had been spent at his grandfather’s company event, surrounded by tiger beastmen, forced into constant power struggles.

Every interaction had been a calculated game of tension—some beastmen watching him warily, others trying to gain his favor.

He had endured it all, knowing that tonight, he would cleanse his energy at Manwol Mountain.

And yet—

Was it exhaustion?

Was that why he couldn’t look away?

「Are you falling for him? Wow. This is the first time I’ve seen you stare at someone like that. Is he a beastman? He must be, right?」

A breeze slipped through the ventilation gap, whispering mischievously into his ear.

“…….”

Normally, he would have ignored the wind’s chatter without hesitation.

But now, he simply stood there, blankly, as if his secret thoughts had been exposed.

「Should I ask him if he has a lover? Or if he’s a beastman?」

He didn’t want the wind to ask that question.

But he knew why it had.

He had been staring far too blatantly.

“Oh! This is buy one, get one free starting today!”

A smile as light as the wind itself.

Even a mountain lord would be overwhelmed by such radiance.

“Is that a good thing?”

“Yes! It’s a great thing! Buying one and getting another feels like receiving a gift, doesn’t it?”

Through the dark lenses of his sunglasses, Eun Beom-ho studied him carefully.

And then, he glanced at the name tag.

Asking for someone’s name outright would be too blatant, too human-like a way of flirting.

And he didn’t want to do that.

[Kang Soo-hyun]

Swallowing the tension in his throat, he hid the faint glow of his golden eyes behind the black tint of his lenses.

‘Not a pureblood beastman.’

He was certain.

Not quite human, but not a full-blooded beastman either.

He made a mental note to subtly ask his secretary, Eun Sung-jun, about ordinary beastmen later.

“A gift, huh. Can I ask what flavor you like?”

“Strawberry! I love anything strawberry-flavored.”

Strawberry.

A convenience store.

Kang Soo-hyun.

A charming, radiant smile.

Eun Beom-ho found himself staring, taking in every little movement.

His small, round lips never stopped moving, constantly chattering in a soft murmur.

So plump, so soft-looking.

His pinkish lips, so delicate and delectably smooth, made Beom-ho inadvertently take a deep breath.

“…I see.”

His response was gentle.

Most humans wouldn’t have been able to handle his presence—

Let alone speak to him like this.

It was said that when a tiger roared, the heavens would shake and humans would feel such terror that their bodies would freeze.

That was the nature of the tiger.

Yet, the king of predatory beastmen found himself softening his aura.

Because, for some reason, he didn’t want the person in front of him to be afraid.

“Then, one Monster Energy Classic and one strawberry-flavored drink, please.”

He kept his voice smooth, casual—not commanding, not rigid.

Would he be startled if I touched him?

His mind drifted to his nephews, those fluffy baby tigers tumbling across the floor, rolling around with him.

A cub.

But he wasn’t a baby tiger….

A baby student, then.

Yes, baby student seemed like a fitting nickname.

“The strawberry one is for you, baby student. A gift.”

It was meant to be playful, a little tease—

Because the way he eagerly promoted the drink was just too cute.

But then, those big, round eyes widened.

Already large, they blinked rapidly, anxiously, as if he was about to cry.

“Th-that…! I… I mean, I—”

A gentle breeze stirred between them, making his heart pound even harder.

The thudding in his ears grew louder.

“I’m not a baby student….”

His voice wavered, a strange mix of embarrassment and protest.

At the same time, a subtle scent of pheromones drifted through the air.

An untrained, inexperienced scent.

A pheromone unsure of its direction, uncertain of how to pull someone in.

Clumsy.

Like a youngling’s first attempt at showing affection.

Bzzzt—.

The moment their gazes locked again, his phone vibrated, breaking the moment.

A long vibration.

A call.

Still dazed, Beom-ho slowly pulled his phone from his pocket, his steps reluctant as he turned away.

The moment he pressed the answer button—

“Hello?!”

A voice, flustered and a little too loud, rang through the receiver.

“Mm.”

—President, where are you?

The question came immediately after the urgent hello.

Calmly, Eun Beom-ho replied.

“Sung-jun. What’s wrong?”

—President, are you wearing the watch Ji-ho gave you?

“I am.”

—Are you sure it’s on properly? It’s linked to my system, and I keep getting alerts—it’s acting weird right now.

“…Weird how?”

Only then did he glance down at his wrist.

Now that he thought about it—

His watch had been vibrating non-stop while he was talking in the store.

But he had ignored every single alert, too preoccupied staring at the guy behind the counter.

—Your heart rate is completely out of control.

“…….”

Tapping the screen of the now warm-to-the-touch watch, he saw the red flashing alert covering the display.

[⚠WARNING! Heart rate exceeded safe limits!]

[Are you engaging in strenuous physical activity? If this persists, please visit a hospital.]

“…….”

Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

The smartwatch strapped to Eun Beom-ho’s wrist blinked rapidly, pulsing with short, insistent vibrations.

He exhaled slowly, pressing his thumb against the watch face as if that alone could calm the wild thudding in his chest.

“Sung-jun.”

—Yes, President.

A pause.

Then, in a low murmur—

“You know my grandfather wants me to go on a blind date.”

—Yes.

“Put it on hold.”

“For now.”

Without waiting for a response, Eun Beom-ho ended the call.