UR Chapter 74

Chapter 74

Across the street from Happy Bunny, under a lamppost, a foreign car was parked—and standing beside it was a tall, model-like man with strikingly good looks.

Somi’s eyes lit up; she had a deep interest in cars.

“Wow.”

The old lamppost flickered erratically, but in Somi’s eyes, it was nothing more than a spotlight meant to illuminate the kind of luxury car she’d only ever seen in magazines. Tugging on I-bom’s sleeve, she spoke excitedly.

“That’s the NWX7 high-end model from last year’s Perira lineup! Wow. Oppa, look at that. I’ve never seen anyone driving one in Korea.”

“…Huh.”

I-bom froze mid-step. A moment ago, he had been walking around absentmindedly, but now he suddenly looked flustered, slipping his bag off his shoulder to hide his face.

“That car debuted at last year’s Italian Motor Show. Not only is it beautifully designed, but its engine performance is amazing—oh? Oppa, what are you doing?”

Somi stared at him curiously as he covered his face with his bag and began to inch backward.

“S-Somi. Can you go on ahead? I think I… left something in the shop and need to go back in.”

“…Huh? All of a sudden? But the door’s locked now—you’d have to call the manager. What did you forget?”

They’d already gotten off work late because of overtime, and now he wanted to call the manager back to open the shop? That was the worst. Somi stopped walking, pouting in protest.

“…My, my phone?”

She’d sensed he had something on his mind lately, but this was a ridiculous excuse.

“Oppa, you were literally using your phone just a second ago.”

And almost immediately after she said it, the man standing under the dim lamplight turned his head sharply toward them.

The bag hiding I-bom’s face was pointless—through the small gap between the bag and his cheek, their eyes met squarely.

Gulp.

He swallowed without thinking, tension running through his body. The noisy surroundings suddenly fell silent, as if the world itself had stopped. The man, who had seemed far away, began striding toward them.

“Hello, Mr. Kang I-bom.”

I’m doomed. I-bom screamed inwardly. With his long legs, the man closed the distance in just a few steps, close enough for I-bom to make out the sharp lines of his face.

“Ha… ha-ha….”

I-bom hunched his shoulders, his voice coming out small and shaky. As he lowered his bag, his head tilted downward.

“…Uh, h-hello.”

He forced out the greeting, fighting back the urge to just collapse on the spot. Maybe for a week. No, that’d be too long—he wouldn’t want to miss out on a short-term job. A day, then. A single day of blissful unconsciousness.

“It’s been a while,” the man said with a gentle smile. Unlike I-bom, who was clutching his bag awkwardly, the man looked perfectly at ease—almost dizzyingly so.

“I… don’t think it’s been that long,” I-bom murmured quietly. Time felt slower than ever. His head drooped even further, heels lowering back to the ground.

He knew his name without being told, which meant the man had come looking for him deliberately. But why? I-bom kept his gaze down, mind spinning.

“I feel like you have something to say to me.”

A pair of sharp, polished dress shoes entered his line of sight, a stark contrast to his own worn-out sneakers with frayed sides and scuffed toes. They were the kind of shoes that had probably never touched dirt, only spotless marble floors.

If those shoes kicked him, it would hurt.

…Should I run?

If he was going to, now was the time—while the other Happy Bunny employees were still within ten meters, while there were still people glancing between the gleaming car and the two of them. While Somi was still watching from beside him, eyes wide in disbelief. If the man lashed out, someone could intervene.

I-bom was a decent runner—he’d been a relay racer back in school. He was just about to use that one skill to make a quick getaway when—

“What? Planning to run? Where to?”

Warm—no, hot, solid fingers closed around the back of his neck. The heat of that touch sent a shiver down his spine. Like prey caught in a predator’s grip, I-bom squirmed.

“Did you know tigers are incredibly fast runners?”

“…….”

…How does he know?

The man extended one long leg, placing his polished shoe right against the toe of I-bom’s old sneaker. It felt almost like being herded into a corner. His chest thudded harder and harder with fear.

“You said you weren’t afraid before. Why so tense now?”

“W-What? N-No, I’m not scared now either.”

I-bom fidgeted with his fingers, trying to act unaffected, but cold sweat was already forming. Being face-to-face with this man was far from comfortable—especially considering that, in a way, he’d scammed him.

“Then why avoid my eyes?”

“…….”

I-bom slowly lifted his head, eyes darting nervously.

“Don’t tremble. Look at me when you speak.”

From where he stood—so far above I-bom—his face was all kindness. But that kindness made I-bom’s chest sting.

“…Because I feel sorry,” I-bom whispered.

He didn’t know why the man had come after him. As an executive of a major company, he had to be busy. Did he hate him enough to wait outside his workplace? Or… was this about medical bills?

“Your words and actions don’t match. If you’re sorry, why try to run?”

“I just… it’s really late, you know…?”

“Then I’ll take you home after we talk.”

The man spoke politely, blocking I-bom’s way without budging. I-bom shifted uncomfortably, glancing toward Somi.

“…….”

Time slowed. Her expression was strange—mouth slightly open, the corners of her lips twitching upward as if holding back a laugh. Her brows were raised in that look people get when they think they’ve just seen something amusing. Meeting his eyes, she slowly gave him a thumbs-up.

Ah, no, that’s not it.

She had the wrong idea, but all I-bom could think about was getting out of this situation. He couldn’t have this conversation about a blind date in front of everyone.

Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he said cautiously to the man,

“T-Then… let’s just talk for ten minutes.”

“Alright.”

“But… could we go into that alley over there?”

He pointed to a narrow side street next to the shop, just out of the lamplight. He only wanted to talk somewhere less conspicuous, but the man covered his mouth with his hand, looking distinctly troubled.

“…In a place that cramped?”

* * *

Vrrr—

The narrow alley, rarely frequented by people, was bitingly cold. It was as if the wind, unable to escape toward the mountain path, only swirled around and around, pooling in the alley like a stubborn ox wind.

“…….”

Eun Beom-ho slowly looked down at Kang I-bom standing across from him. Pressed close within the narrow space, I-bom’s pheromones began to drift toward him. The pheromone compatibility between them, heightened by the Prusten effect, always made the scent thicker when they were close. Especially from his faintly pink cheeks and soft-looking earlobes, a sweet scent wafted through the air.

“…”

To erase the dark thoughts filling his head, Beom-ho shifted his gaze. His eyes lingered on I-bom’s pale neck. For some reason, the exposed skin there caught his attention.

‘I noticed it last time too… he dresses far too lightly.’

As for himself, he never felt the cold, so even in midwinter, he could walk around in just a short-sleeved shirt without any trouble. His naturally high body temperature kept him from ever catching colds. But the man before him… his winter coat was far too thin.

Instead of the coat he had called his favorite, Kang I-bom wore a flimsy quilted jacket. His slender, white neck was bare, making him look cold just to behold. On top of that, he had no gloves, fur-lined shoes, or hat. The tips of his fingers, trembling ever so slightly, were flushed red. The way they stayed stiffly curled drew Beom-ho’s attention. He carefully reached out, intending to warm those cold hands.

“Sorry!”

I-bom quickly clasped his hands together and bowed his head as he shouted. Beom-ho’s outstretched hand brushed through empty air.