TBM Vol 4 Part 14

While Lee Il-seo’s agency maintained silence, Sa Seung-yeon’s agency was also bombarded with calls.

Since Sa Seung-yeon was known to be close friends with Lee Il-seo, quite a few reporters asked about the circumstances. Some who crossed the line even threw questions about whether Sa Seung-yeon was the father of the baby.

Of course, they weren’t just fishing with these questions. In behind the scenes videos that were as popular as the drama itself, the two had shown chemistry beyond mere colleague actors. While that chemistry was beneficial for the drama’s success, it had now turned toxic, becoming a medium for suspecting the relationship between Sa Seung-yeon and Lee Il-seo.

Sa Seung-yeon’s agency wanted to immediately issue a rebuttal calling the rumors groundless, but Sa Seung-yeon instructed the PR team not to respond at all. Eventually, the PR team leader, on the verge of tears, sought help from CEO Hwang, who raised his voice at Sa Seung-yeon for the first time in his life.

“What the hell is going on with you, Sa Seung-yeon? When those baseless rumors came out about you and Lee Yeon-ju, you insisted we put out a statement that day. I was mortified having to smooth things over with CEO Choi.But now, what, you’re just keeping quiet?”

CEO Hwang’s voice resounded throughout the spacious executive office. Sa Seung-yeon’s expression gradually disappeared from his face; his head was already spinning from not having slept a wink, and now the CEO was badgering him. After grumbling for a while, CEO Hwang, who had been grumbling for a while, belatedly noticed Seung-yeon’s cold face and hesitated, his lips slightly trembling as he asked.

“Do you… by any chance… is there something going on between you and him?”

Sa Seung-yeon, pressing his stiff eyelids with his fingers, turned his head to look at CEO Hwang. Although CEO Hwang had a face that said, “it can’t be,” his eyes were full of undisguised anxiety. Sa Seung-yeon stared at CEO Hwang with an expressionless face and then answered.

“Yes. I r4ped Lee Il-seo.”

“What?”

“I called Lee Il-seo to my home during my rut. I r4ped him when he came to my house without knowing it was my rut.”

The words, spoken in a raspy monotone, struck like thunder. CEO Hwang, with eyes wide open, froze like ice, his face drained of blood, his lips just quivering. Sa Seung-yeon turned his head again, crossed his legs with a small sigh.

“If the child he’s carrying is mine… Then this isn’t just some passing scandal. So don’t issue statements. Don’t make it worse. I’ll handle it myself.”

“You… Ha…”

CEO Hwang held his head. The current public opinion toward Lee Il-seo was at its worst. Originally, the condition for casting the role of Haru in “Temperature of Overflow” was a Beta actor with Omega-like features. If Lee Il-seo had hidden the fact that he was an Omega and applied for the audition, it could become an issue of fairness, and with Lee Il-seo already having unfavorable rumors about sponsorship with Director Chae Geum-soo, the current pregnancy news was fueling public opinion that he was deceiving the public.

There were even rumors circulating in the industry that the advertisers of the commercials Lee Il-seo was working on were preparing lawsuits for damages. If this fire spread to Seung-yeon, he would also have to be prepared for damage to his image.

Since Sa Seung-yeon had never, not even once, caused trouble or created problems since his debut, CEO Hwang found the current situation merely absurd. But Sa Seung-yeon appeared calm, and rather than the listless and sensitive air he had shown for nearly two months, he somehow seemed elevated.

“So please let me know if you get in touch with Lee Il-seo.”

“…”

“He’s been rejecting all my calls.”

Sa Seung-yeon, keeping his legs crossed, slightly frowned as if lost in thought, then raised one eyebrow.

“Ah.”

His black eyes turned toward CEO Hwang.

“I heard there’s talk of lawsuits for damages. I’ve done quite a few advertisements with Lee Il-seo, right?”

“Plenty. It’s giving me a headache. Why?”

Long fingers stroked his sharp jaw. Sa Seung-yeon shifted his crossed legs slightly and continued, raising the corner of his mouth.

“You just need to give Lee Il-seo a reason why he absolutely has to answer my calls.”

“What?”

His black eyes remained as cold as ice. But seeing that insane look with such a broad smile that dimples appeared, CEO Hwang’s anxiety intensified. He had no idea what Sa Seung-yeon was thinking.

***

The door beeped open with the sound of a passcode. Choi Kyung-hyun who had rushed into the apartment, immediately froze. There, seated quietly on the sofa, was Lee Il-seo. He hadn’t dried his wet hair, nor was he doing anything in particular. He was just sitting in the quiet apartment with his gaze fixed on some indescribable point

Lee Il-seo turned his head slowly as Choi Kyung-hyun approached. The raising of his thin eyebrows and the curling of his lips was a deliberate, somewhat slow process.

“Did you eat anything?”

Choi Kyung-hyun’s eyes, which tried to maintain a normal tone, immediately looked toward the refrigerator. The lunch boxes and porridge he had occasionally bought, which only needed heating, were all piled up and neglected. The slightly reduced amount of milk, traces of nibbled bread corners, and the jelly wrappers piled high in the trash can made his heart sink. Though he tried not to, his voice ended up scolding.

“What are you going to do if you collapse from not eating like this?”

“I’m fine.”

Lee Il-seo’s laugh was empty. Using the sofa’s headrest for support, he pushed himself to his feet. Wearing a padded jacket that had been taken out in advance, Lee Il-seo adjusted the mask that was too big, leaving the area below his chin exposed, and asked.

“I heard my stepfather came to the company?”

“Ah, yes.”

That was why Choi Kyung-hyun had come to Lee Il-seo’s home.

Not long after news of the pregnancy broke, Kang Hyung-won had shown up at the company. After the cake theft incident, Lee Il-seo had told the company, so they initially tried to block his entry, but Kang Hyung-won glared and sneered. He said that if they didn’t let him in, he would tell the reporters everything about Lee Il-seo and himself. With reporters already swarming the building, CEO Kim had no choice but to let him in. No one could predict what that man would say next.

“He said it’s his child, right?”

“That….”

“Didn’t he say anything else? Like about money…?”

“Well, not particularly. He said since it’s his child, he would take responsibility for Lee Il-seo. He just asked where you were.”

Choi Kyung-hyun, with a devastated expression, answered without properly looking at Lee Il-seo. Lee Il-seo maintained a calm face, but his eyes looked very tired.

“I should have managed your gifts better back then…. I’m sorry.”

“How could you stop someone who’s determined to sneak in?”

Choi Kyung-hyun still remembered how hollow he’d felt after Park Jae-ho told him about Kang Hyung-won visiting Lee Il-seo’s apartment. As both Lee Il-seo’s manager and the company employee, he was supposed to protect him, not watch him get tangled up in something so vile.

He also learned that Lee Il-seo’s long-suffered claustrophobia was due to Kang Hyung-won’s violence. Kang Hyung-won had claimed to be an Alpha. Just seeing him causing a commotion at the company recently and thinking that young Lee Il-seo had been suffering from that terrible man for a long time made his heart boil.

“I’m just asking. It’s not true, right?”

At Choi Kyung-hyun’s careful question, the smile disappeared from Lee Il-seo’s lips. Despite already knowing that the baby was with Sa Seung-yeon, he was asking just in case. Worried that perhaps there had been some confusion or incident that prompted Kang Hyung-won’s visit.

Lee Il-seo clenched his fist tightly. It was deeply humiliating to have to tell Choi Kyung-hyun, who had been like a brother to him for many years, that what was in his stomach was not his father’s child. But he quickly raised the corners of his lips and shook his head.

“No. Absolutely not.”

“Alright. Let’s go then.”

It was fortunate they had moved Lee Il-seo earlier. Neither Kang Hyung-won nor the reporters knew where he was staying. Choi Kyung-hyun had used a personal vehicle to avoid drawing attention, just in case. There had been a call from CEO Kim Jin-hong asking for Lee Il-seo to come to the company with him to prepare an official statement.

Choi Kyung-hyun carefully parked in the underground garage and got out first. He parked as close to the entrance as possible, but some reporters were already peeking inside, looking at Kyung-hyun’s car with suspicion. Il-seo, wearing a mask, a hat, and a hood, went straight into the company, but he could hear the reporters murmuring and clicking their shutters behind him. Cold sweat ran down his back.

In the end, Il-seo couldn’t go into the company and stopped as soon as he got off the elevator, gagging. There was nothing coming out because he hadn’t eaten anything, but he couldn’t stand the nausea that turned his insides out.

“Ugh. Cough.”

“Are you okay?”

Choi Kyung-hyun’s eyes were full of worry as he massaged Lee Il-seo’s cold hands and stroked his back. After resting his forehead against the wall with his hand pressed against it and catching his breath for a while, Lee Il-seo finally entered the company.

“Mr. Lee Il-seo. You’re here?”

The employees greeted and welcomed him as usual. But it was hard to maintain a calm expression at the company. It was a company that had believed in and waited for him during his years as an unknown actor, and just when he thought he could finally repay them, this scandal had erupted.

He greeted them with a pale face, but somehow without raising his head, and as he entered the CEO’s office and just stood there, CEO Kim gestured for Lee Il-seo to sit down.

“Would you like some coffee… Ah.”

Remembering belatedly, CEO Kim frowned and swapped the usual offer for an instant rooibos tea bag. He filled a paper cup with hot water and set it in front of Lee Il-seo. Il-seo merely stared at the paper cup with its rising steam, not picking it up.

He wasn’t in a state to swallow anything. Just washing, opening his eyes, speaking, and standing like a normal person was already his limit. Right now, with even the flow of air on his skin feeling unpleasant, he felt like he was just one step away from collapsing. He desperately recalled the syringe in the cupboard, the source of all his troubles.

But Lee Il-seo was good at enduring. Even now, though his eyes were sunken, he spoke to CEO Kim with a relatively calm demeanor.

“The child is not my stepfather’s, sir.”

“I know. I heard he used to stalk you.”

“Yes. I’ve brought photos from that time and records of police responses.”

It was incredibly fortunate that he had followed Park Jae-ho’s advice to take photos. Lee Il-seo placed the prepared materials on the table.

There was a rumor that reporters loitering around Ondo Entertainment were going around gathering information about Kang Hyung-won’s recent presence. They needed to clarify things before more uncontrollable rumors spread.

Looking at the triangular tea bag slowly steeping in the paper cup, Lee Il-seo said quietly with a gloomy face.

“I’m sorry for all these problems. Regarding any penalty fees or damage lawsuits, I can use my settlement money first—”

“You bastard. How dare you bring up money?”

CEO Kim narrowed his eyes for the first time.

“Don’t try to shoulder what the company should handle. The company has been holding your time without giving you a penny for years because it’s an investment intending to take responsibility for your future.”

Suddenly, the inside of his nose stung. Lee Il-seo quickly blinked away the threatening tears and firmly set his lips.

“Thank you… for saying that.”

Despite his stiff response, CEO Kim saw Lee Il-seo biting his lip so hard his chin was trembling, and gently patted his shoulder.

“We need to issue an official statement, so give me the other materials quickly.”

“Ah, yes. Here.”

Lee Il-seo sniffled as he pulled the documents from his bag. He never imagined that the physical trait and STD test results he had received to form a partnership with Sa Seung-yeon would be used this way. CEO Kim, after confirming the test date proving he was still a Beta during the filming of “Temperature of Overflow,” smiled with relief. Then, as if remembering something, he raised his eyebrows and said,

“Since you brought up the compensation lawsuit first, I should mention that I got a call from the CEO of Ril Entertainment recently.”

“Ril Entertainment?”

“Yes. You’ve shot several advertisements together, right? Apparently, some advertising companies have requested to stop airing. Since Sa Seung-yeon appeared in them too, they want to discuss the compensation lawsuit.”

“Ah… Yes.”

“Strangely, he wants to meet with you.”

“With me?”

“Yes. Sa Seung-yeon wants to talk with you alone, without any accompanying officials.”

Lee Il-seo clenched his fist under the table.

“It’s a legal discussion, so they asked for contact as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

“Alright. For now, just focus on that. In case they try to pressure you when you’re alone, record everything.”

As he organized the materials, CEO Kim cursed as soon as he saw the photos of Lee Il-seo’s injuries from Kang Hyung-won, and Lee Il-seo lowered his head in embarrassment. As CEO Kim flipped through the documents one by one in silence, he suddenly asked,

“Don’t you want to tell me who the baby’s father is?”

“…”

“I see. So I’m not as close as Choi Kyung-hyun, is that it?”

Seeing Lee Il-seo’s awkward expression, CEO Kim chuckled as he continued flipping through the documents. Lee Il-seo hastily shook his head.

“It’s not that. I’m just… I’m just really worried about… causing him harm….”

Lee Il-seo wanted to be honest with CEO Kim too, but seeing how things were unfolding, it seemed impossible to prevent harm to Sa Seung-yeon. No matter how trustworthy CEO Kim was, Lee Il-seo needed to prevent Sa Seung-yeon’s name from being mentioned as much as possible.

“Alright. You said you’re going to terminate the pregnancy, right?”

He had told the company simply. That the baby was conceived by mistake. The other party wasn’t someone he was dating, and the person himself didn’t know about the pregnancy, so he asked them to understand that he couldn’t reveal who it was.

“Are you really okay? I looked it up, and apparently, a Beta undergoing trait transformation, and a person who has undergone trait transformation getting pregnant, puts a tremendous strain on the body.”

CEO Kim put down the documents and looked at Lee Il-seo. Lee Il-seo nodded while stroking the back of his neck.

“I’m fine.”

Lee Il-seo had also learned a lot through internet searches. And he understood why so many hospitals refused to perform his surgery. The risk of termination for a newly manifested person was several times higher than for normal male omega abortion or childbirth. CEO Kim scratched the side of his head and sighed briefly.

“If you need pheromone injections, let me know. I have an Omega acquaintance who is pregnant. I can get you real pheromone injections, not synthetic ones. They might not be as effective as therapy, but they’ll be less taxing on your body.”

“Pardon? Ah…. I’m fine. It’s… something I have to take responsibility for.”

“We’re not saints here. The way they’re viciously attacking you just for getting prescriptions a bit too frequently.”

The public opinion condemning and harassing Lee Il-seo seemed excessive even to CEO Kim. Watching this situation unfold, CEO Kim could vaguely guess who was behind fueling the flames of criticism against Lee Il-seo.

The first place to break the news about Lee Il-seo without consulting his agency was an online-only news outlet funded by Gu Dong-yeong’s uncle. And that news outlet was the same one that had recently exposed Sa Seung-yeon’s scandal.

“Both Sa Seung-yeon and you. The Gu Dong-yeong side seems to be making a big deal out of everything about both of you.”

“They probably hate me because of my last agency.”

“At this point, I wonder if they’ve been sabotaging your castings all along. I hope it’s just my imagination, but I can’t dismiss the suspicion.”

Recalling the castings that had repeatedly fallen through just before finalization, CEO Kim made an ‘ugh’ sound and paused briefly.

“Anyway, let’s focus on the immediate issues. Issuing multiple official statements will only diminish public interest. I’ll organize this and email it before announcing, let me know if anything is missing.”

“Yes, I understand.”

CEO Kim stacked the documents into a neat pile, tapping them once on the edge of the desk. Without looking at Lee Il-seo as he rose from his seat, CEO Kim continued,

“You’re not entirely blameless. Even though it’s your private life, you need to be more careful while working.”

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

“However, don’t blame yourself for criticism and harm beyond what you’ve actually done wrong.”

CEO Kim hesitated whether to continue, then, with a small sigh, turned his head as if avoiding Lee Il-seo’s gaze and said,

“And don’t have any foolish thoughts.”

The strength drained from Lee Il-seo’s clenched fists. The floor beneath him seemed to shift, as if some deeply hidden inner thoughts had been exposed.

It felt like his thoughts, fleeting but recurring several times a day, had been discovered, though he had dismissed them as insignificant.

But he couldn’t easily answer the question of whether death would end it all. This wasn’t something that could be resolved by his death alone. His grandmother, CEO Kim, the director, Choi Kyung-hyun, Park Jae-ho, and even Sa Seung-yeon, too many people were involved, and there were too many responsibilities he needed to handle.

“Yes.”

“Go home, clear your head, and get some rest.”

After exchanging farewells, Lee Il-seo found himself alone in the quiet of an empty practice room. Cold breath spread from his mouth as he ran his palm over his face.

He pulled out his phone. Sa Seung-yeon had called after the pregnancy article went public. Lee Il-seo hadn’t picked up. He wanted to keep avoiding him, but Sa Seung-yeon must have been frustrated because of the compensation lawsuit involvement. Though he wasn’t sure what difference meeting in person would make, Lee Il-seo dialed his number.

The ringing tone cut off shortly. Thump, his heart sank.

[Hello.]

And his heart sank once more at hearing his voice for the first time since the confession. Lee Il-seo lowered his eyes while firmly holding the phone. Though he had made the call, he couldn’t readily think of what to say first. After hesitating briefly like someone with something stuck in their throat, he parted his dry lips.

“I’m sorry for the late response.”

[Where are you?]

His subdued voice was close to colorless.

“At the company.”

Lee Il-seo lightly pressed the floor with the tip of his sneaker.

He must be angry. No, even if not furious, he must be disappointed. It wasn’t intentional, but looking at the conclusion alone, he had repeatedly done things that made him uncomfortable.

His first impression was of a pathetic person who got kicked out of his agency after filming with Gu Dong-yeong. Then he agreed to be a sex partner while pretending to be cool, but had actually hidden a nine-year unrequited love, burdening Sa Seung-yeon. And just when he said he would end things cleanly and ignored Sa Seung-yeon’s confession, here he was, entangling him again in this sordid affair.

Lee Il-seo cleared his tightening throat and barely managed to continue.

“The CEO told me to contact you about the compensation lawsuit.”

[Send me your home address. I’ll come there.]

Given the situation, there weren’t many suitable places for a private conversation. Lee Il-seo also preferred meeting at his place rather than going to Sa Seung-yeon’s.

After the call ended, Lee Il-seo sent the address by message. He felt drained, as if he had used up all his energy on that one phone call.

***

Not long after Lee Il-seo arrived home, the intercom rang at the door connecting the parking lot to his unit. Though he was wearing a mask, the presence in the blurry image with only the eyes visible was recognizable enough.

After rummaging through the refrigerator but finding nothing suitable to drink, he made instant coffee. The sweet smell spread with the warm steam. Shortly thereafter, hoping it wouldn’t get cold, there was a knock at the door, and Lee Il-seo opened it.

There stood Sa Seung-yeon. Tall, dressed in black, with dark eyes peering out above his mask. Lee Il-seo instinctively tilted his head back to meet his gaze.

As Sa Seung-yeon took a step in, Lee Il-seo stepped back and reflexively tilted his head back to look up at Sa Seung-yeon, who was taller than him.

“I can’t come in if you don’t move.”

“Ah, yes…”

Lee Il-seo stepped aside, and Sa Seung-yeon, now fully inside the entryway, removed his mask and strode in. Lee Il-seo watched Sa Seung-yeon’s broad back moving away with his wide stride, and followed with heavy steps. He felt intimidated by Sa Seung-yeon’s ambiguous atmosphere, neither warm nor cold

Sa Seung-yeon looked around the living room, saw the coffee cup on the dining table, and pulled out a chair to sit down. The dining table, though quite large for a two-person set, acquired when moving in, looked small with his large frame sitting at it. If they had been at Lee Il-seo’s old place, there wouldn’t have been a proper place for Sa Seung-yeon to sit. Lee Il-seo also pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

Sa Seung-yeon’s eyes flicked downward, toward his stomach. The gaze wasn’t warm. Lee Il-seo forcibly swallowed his dry saliva with the heart of a prisoner awaiting sentencing. The pressure was so intense that he couldn’t even reach for the orange juice in front of him

Lee Il-seo also looked down at his own belly. Though his body was gradually deteriorating, his lower abdomen remained flat. He had heard that a male Omega’s first pregnancy especially doesn’t show much, and since he was originally a Beta, it was difficult to distinguish visually. Moreover, he was now wearing a baggy hoodie, so there was no difference from usual.

“So you’re pregnant.”

Though the story was already exposed and being chewed over by the public, Sa Seung-yeon started at the beginning. Many words swirled in his throat, but all he could utter in front of him was a single syllable. Lee Il-seo replied with his gaze still lowered.

“Yes.”

“Ha, shit…”

A small sigh mixed with a curse. It was almost like talking to himself, and strangely, his voice lacked strength and wasn’t aggressive, but the displeasure it contained was conveyed. Unable to raise his head, Lee Il-seo couldn’t see what expression Sa Seung-yeon wore, but it was certainly not a simple emotion.

After a moment of silence, he fixed his black eyes directly on Lee Il-seo. Whether his gaze was too cold or not, Lee Il-seo’s trembling wouldn’t stop.

“You said you were a Beta.”

When Lee Il-seo just kept his mouth shut, Sa Seung-yeon spoke once more, raising the end of his voice.

“Lee Il-seo, answer me.”

“…I manifested late.”

“When?”

“…”

Sa Seung-yeon pressed, and Lee Il-seo consistently gave no answer or delayed responses. His frustration was conveyed through his increasingly cold voice, but regrettably, there were few things Lee Il-seo could answer. Honestly, he wasn’t even sure exactly when his manifestation occurred. If he had to pinpoint it, it could only have been during the time he was partnered with Sa Seung-yeon, when he was most affected by his extremely dominant pheromones, so it was already difficult enough not to cast blame on him.

Tap, tap. Sa Seung-yeon’s fingers slowed on the tabletop. He swept back his bangs, only for the long strands to fall back over his eyes again, shadowing his expression.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d answer straight without overthinking. We’re entangled in more ways than one.”

“…”

“The Alpha who got you pregnant. Who is it?”

Sa Seung-yeon’s expression was gentle, but his lips lacked their usual smile. Lee Il-seo felt even more vulnerable to his stomach churning at a face that seemed like it had a mask overlaid, impossible to read. And so he closed his mouth again.

“It feels like I came here for a patience test.”

“…”

“It’s okay. These days, I’ve gotten used to being patient.”

Lee Il-seo’s hands, placed under the table, trembled slightly. Whether from tension or not, blood wasn’t flowing to his fingertips, and the underside of his nails was turning blue.

“I heard a rumor. That your step-father visited the company.”

“…”

“They say he claimed to be the baby’s father.”

The corners of Lee Il-seo’s eyes twitched. So the rumors had reached even Sa Seung-yeon’s agency. Of course. With the number of reporters crowding outside, it was only a matter of time before the whole industry knew. But hearing it from Sa Seung-yeon himself, it was like an ice pick to the gut.

He hadn’t said anything about it. And now, as Sa Seung-yeon calmly laid out each fact, Lee Il-seo felt like he was psychologically cornered.

When Lee Il-seo didn’t answer, Sa Seung-yeon, whose patience had reached its limit, spoke up.

“I don’t care about rumors. What matters is whose baby you’re carrying.”

“….”

“I came here to hear it from your own mouth.”

Lee Il-seo’s eyes darkened. So… Seung-yeon had come all the way here because he wanted to hear that he had nothing to do with this messy situation before it escalated into a bigger disaster. He was waiting for the person involved to say no and draw a line, because there was a possibility that he himself could be involved in this.

From his perspective, it was understandable. But Il-seo was hurt once again by the coldness in Seung-yeon’s voice. Just as he was struggling to endure the loneliness and complicated feelings that were washing over him, a deep voice came from across the table.

“That baby. It’s my baby.”

-To Be Continued-