Chapter 5
by BrieChapter 5
There was no way he wouldn’t know.
An omega, who wasn’t a hiker or a traveler, and didn’t look like someone involved in “that kind of work,” suddenly showing up at a motel in the middle of nowhere, surrounded only by mountains and a stream?
No way.
It made no sense.
There was definitely something shady going on.
Even so, there was a faint scent that subtly got on his nerves.
It was absurd how deliberate the pheromone release was.
Like a perfectly ripened, sweet cherry rolling toward him.
So eager to give himself away.
Daesik briefly considered playing along and toying with him.
But he dismissed the thought just as quickly.
Now wasn’t the time for that.
Suppressing the rising impulse, Daesik turned his gaze away from Yoon Heeseong.
He moved to turn his body, but once again, his sleeve was grabbed.
When he looked back, Yoon Heeseong was watching him nervously, full of tension.
“U-um… Could you… lend me some money…?”
“…Ha.”
What the hell was this?
Daesik was so dumbfounded, his mouth hung open.
Then he burst into laughter.
This guy was completely nuts.
What kind of approach was this?
Heeseong had no idea what Daesik was thinking.
He was just clinging to what felt like the only lifeline.
In a place where he didn’t know a single soul, this man was his only option to get money.
He didn’t know who the man really was, but that didn’t matter now.
What mattered was finding a way to get the money.
“If I lend it to you, how are you going to pay it back?”
“I-I can work here! If you just hire me part-time…”
“I don’t need any part-timers.”
“I… actually don’t even have money for the room… or transportation… I don’t have anywhere else to go… But if I work here and earn enough to pay for the stay, would that… work, maybe?”
Seeing Heeseong fidget nervously and watch his reaction carefully, Daesik raised an eyebrow.
Well, well.
He’s not even trying to hide it anymore.
Daesik couldn’t believe this guy.
The approach was so sloppy, it was almost impressive.
If it were anyone else, he would’ve dealt with it by now.
But for some reason, Yoon Heeseong just made him laugh.
Daesik covered his eyes and laughed for a while.
Heeseong anxiously watched him, fidgeting with his fingers.
Just then, the man dropped the hand that had covered his eyes.
He might’ve muttered “unbelievable” under his breath.
With a smirk tugging at one side of his mouth, he tilted his head.
“Alright then. Go ahead and do that.”
Heeseong’s face, previously filled with tension, brightened in an instant.
Thank god.
He bowed with hope blooming in his chest.
The man’s eyes gleamed sharply, but Heeseong, who had always been told he was terrible at reading people, didn’t notice a thing.
“Thank you.”
He didn’t forget to show his gratitude.
This man had already helped him several times.
Heeseong decided to lower his guard just a little—he wasn’t just a scary gangster.
He was still scary, yes, but now that fear was slightly masked by gratitude.
The man chuckled like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
Shaking his head, he started toward the counter, then paused and asked suddenly,
“The thing you’re looking for—it’s a suppressant, right?”
“Huh? Y-yeah…”
Startled, Heeseong hesitated before answering.
The tension that had eased tightened right back up.
Did it show?
He thought he’d done a decent job suppressing his pheromones.
Maybe it hadn’t worked.
“I’ll get it for you, so do the job properly. Got it?”
Yes!
Heeseong nodded like a soldier standing at attention.
The man laughed at that and waved him off.
“Take today off. Come here at 5 a.m. tomorrow.”
Surprisingly, the man seemed generous toward his new part-timer.
Once again, Heeseong realized he shouldn’t judge people by appearances.
Without meaning to, he reflected on his own prejudice and lowered his head slightly.
“Yes, understood. Thank you.”
Ignoring Heeseong’s overly formal reply, the man turned and walked away.
On his way back to his room, Heeseong’s footsteps felt noticeably lighter.
Daesik glanced at Heeseong, who scurried away like a little puppy, then finally stepped into the counter area.
He was curious to see what this kid would do next.
Back in the room, Heeseong finally felt some relief at the thought that he could now secure some money.
The tension and anxiety that had tightened his shoulders gradually melted away.
Thank goodness.
As long as he could get some money, he could buy suppressants and also earn enough to cover his lodging.
If he wanted to approach the person the gangsters had mentioned, he’d have to stay here for a while anyway.
They said that person was somewhere around here—maybe he’d run into them soon.
They said he was an alpha… how was he supposed to approach him?
That worry crept in quietly, but Heeseong quickly shook his head.
For now, he should rest.
He shot up and opened the small motel room window.
A cool breeze fluttered in, brushing across his face as the orange sunset glowed behind it.
Yeah, if he had to do it anyway, somehow it would work out.
Heeseong decided to keep it simple.
Even if something was hard, approaching it with a light heart made it a little easier—so he would.
Enjoying a rare moment of rest, Heeseong watched TV.
He yawned like a lazy cat, stretching out.
Just then, knock knock—there was a knock at the door.
He shot up and opened it to find the man—now officially his boss—standing there.
“Here.”
It hadn’t even been that long, but the man, no—the manager—had already gotten the suppressant.
The pharmacy was almost two hours away by car.
Did he already have it on hand?
Whatever the case, it was a relief to have it.
As Heeseong held the suppressant in his hand, a deep wave of relief washed over him.
It was even one of the better brands of suppressant available on the market.
This one’s expensive.
With the tension lifted, Heeseong’s face lit up with relief.
“Thank you.”
He bowed his head again.
As he looked up, his glasses—slightly bigger than his face—slipped down.
He adjusted them, still smiling brightly.
“Have you eaten?”
The man’s casual question came as his gaze slid past Heeseong and scanned the room.
Then he frowned slightly.
Heeseong, puzzled by the expression, answered,
“I was just about to.”
“Ramen?”
“Yes.”
Heeseong answered enthusiastically.
“That’s not a meal.”
If ramen isn’t a meal, then what is?
It was a strange thing to say, but Heeseong nodded anyway.
Daesik’s expression shifted slightly as he looked at him.
So he really wasn’t lying about not having money.
At least one part of the story was true.
So he’s not a complete scammer.
Or maybe he’s just good at lying.
Well, it’s none of my business anyway.
Daesik had planned to let it go and stop thinking about it, but then, on impulse, he plopped a heavy arm down on Heeseong’s shoulder.
Heeseong’s shoulders sagged under the weight immediately.
“You think that’s enough?”
Daesik grinned slyly as he led Heeseong toward the elevator.
He quickly called Kyunghoon and told him to get the car ready.
Being pulled along, Heeseong looked up at him with a puzzled expression as the call ended.
“Uh… where are we going?”
Trailing after him like a piece of gum stuck to his shoe, Heeseong adjusted his sliding glasses and asked hesitantly.
His voice trembled a bit—he sounded scared.
Or maybe he was just pretending to be scared?
Was he acting innocent to lure him in?
Daesik narrowed his eyes and stared hard at Heeseong’s face.
“To eat.”
“Oh.”
Heeseong let out a soft breath and relaxed.
Then, glancing sideways at his boss, he asked timidly,
“A-are you… treating me?”
“Who else would?”
Raising an eyebrow, Daesik replied flatly, and Heeseong’s face instantly brightened.
He even swallowed nervously—it looked like the idea of being treated to a meal had excited him.
It was obvious he was thrilled.
Simple as a goldfish, really.
Daesik chuckled briefly and looked down at the smaller man beside him.
Even though he was openly being observed, Heeseong didn’t seem to notice or care what was going on in that small head of his.
Daesik smirked and stared at him intently.
Now that he looked more closely, those thick lips and those dull, wide eyes really did make him look just like a goldfish.
Totally a goldfish.
And being a goldfish probably meant he’d be easy to manipulate.
That meant it wouldn’t take long to figure out what his real motive was behind all this.
As for Heeseong, he didn’t care what his boss thought of him.
The only thing on his mind was that he’d finally be eating a proper meal instead of ramen.
He had gotten the suppressant, been allowed to work after begging recklessly, and now he was even getting fed.
He couldn’t help but reflect on his previous assumptions.
He had unfairly judged the man for being a gangster, but now he realized—this guy was actually a pretty decent boss.