TPG 1
by Cherry“Three Americanos, one latte, and one lemonade, please. And, what’s this cake here? Carrot? I’ll take one of those too. And…”
As Lee Si-woo was entering the customer’s order into the POS, the customer behind them, seemingly bored, picked up their phone. They looked around and nudged their companion’s elbow.
“Han Soo-hyeok is getting married.”
The hand pressing the POS stopped. A name Lee Si-woo hadn’t forgotten for a single moment echoed in the air.
Who is he marrying?
Lee Si-woo’s hand hovered over the POS, unable to touch it. The person in front waved their hand.
“Are you not taking my order?”
“I’m sorry.”
Lee Si-woo hurriedly finished the order, but the news of Han Soo-hyeok’s marriage had completely shaken his mind.
After taking all the orders, Si-woo went to the corner behind the wall facing away from the hall during a short break and took out his phone. Upon going online, a news article about SH Group’s Han Soo-hyeok’s marriage was decorating the main page without even having to search for it.
“It’s real.”
Han Soo-hyeok was someone who had said he had no intention of getting married when he met Lee Si-woo on a blind date. Si-woo, who had wanted to escape from the cage-like home, had been disappointed, but he had no justification to hold onto him. After they broke up, Lee Si-woo had met Han Soo-hyeok again on the day he was marrying his next arranged partner.
When he was at his lowest.
‘I thought you were a precious treasure, but it turns out you were just a business investment…’
The Alpha, who had followed Lee Si-woo into the bathroom, had said this while looking at him in the mirror. Si-woo would have been happy with anyone if it meant escaping reality—but was that the downfall?
‘Nothing will change even if you marry me.’
Lee Si-woo had felt nauseous at the Alpha’s bitter smile.
‘Just wait for me quietly, come when I tell you to, and go when I tell you to. Live like a dead mouse. Who knows? Maybe I’ll let you go if I devour Tae-seong.’
He had been breathless at the Alpha’s true colors, which had been so kind until the day before.
‘I wanted to have a good life with you. Not now, but as we live, with trust in each other…’
‘How naive. Where does that exist in an arranged marriage?’
Lee Si-woo had stumbled backward as the Alpha approached.
‘We joined hands out of necessity. We’re just legally attached to suck each other dry.’
His back hit the wall, and as there was no room left to retreat, the Alpha had scanned Si-woo’s body.
‘You’re not my type, but maybe I’ll like you once I strip you down.’
Lee Si-woo had gotten goosebumps when the Alpha’s hand touched his neck.
‘Don’t touch me…’
Lee Si-woo had pushed his hand away, but his face had turned from the stronger force. His cheek throbbed, and his lips stung.
‘Tsk, why did you reject me? I wonder if makeup can cover up the tear.’
Overwhelmed with a sense of futility, Lee Si-woo had watched the Alpha, who was only concerned about going to the wedding without caring about the pain. The Alpha had an unconcerned smile.
‘Smile. Or should I make you smile?’
Lee Si-woo had been horrified by the pheromones emanating from him.
‘You’ll feel good if you smell an Alpha’s pheromones. If you behave, I’ll treat you well. If you’re better than the guy I’m with now.’
His eyes gleamed dangerously as he grabbed Lee Si-woo’s clothes. Si-woo had wanted to escape, but the pheromones pressed down on his body, making it hard to breathe. Terrified, unable to even remember where he was, Si-woo had only realized the intangible pressure had disappeared once he could breathe again.
Cough.
He didn’t immediately realize what had happened because he was catching his breath. When he came to his senses, a back he’d never seen before was standing protectively in front of him, and the Alpha was groaning on the floor.
‘Even trash like this gets married.’
The man who had been looking down at the Alpha with his hands in his pockets turned around, revealing his face.
It was Han Soo-hyeok.
‘Why did you help me?’
‘Well…’
He had been as relaxed as ever. In addition, the woody-scented pheromones emanating from him comforted Lee Si-woo’s shrunken body.
‘Let’s just say it’s the generosity of a brother I know. What are you going to do? Are you going to go into the wedding hall?’
Lee Si-woo had looked at the Alpha, who was still groaning, and shook his head.
‘No.’
‘Then should I take you to your father?’
‘I don’t want to. I just…’
Knowing that fate wouldn’t change even if he returned to his father, Si-woo’s calmed heart had started beating anxiously again.
‘I want to run away.’
He had barely managed to utter his true feelings.
‘Please help me.’
It had been impudent to ask someone who had already helped once—but he asked. There were many people his father had planted, so it was difficult to move around without being seen.
Han Soo-hyeok had taken out his wallet and given Si-woo all the cash he had.
‘I’ll clear the employee passage for you, so go out that way.’
Lee Si-woo had ruthlessly stuffed the wad of cash into his pocket, suppressing the emotions welling up inside.
Han Soo-hyeok wouldn’t know.
What his help meant to Si-woo at that moment.
Holding back the lump in his throat and looking up, Si-woo had heard Han Soo-hyeok’s small mutter.
‘If I had known this would happen…’
His last words were drowned out by the sound of someone knocking on the bathroom door.
‘Let’s get out of here first. Where are you going to go?’
‘I…’
Lee Si-woo couldn’t think of a place to go.
‘I’m alone anyway, so I can go anywhere. I’m going to go far, far away.’
Han Soo-hyeok had seemed bothered by the word “alone,” so he first went to the door, grabbed the handle, and turned to look at Si-woo.
‘Call me hyung when we meet next time.’
That was Si-woo’s last meeting with Han Soo-hyeok. He still remembered his face clearly, but it had already been several years.
Lee Si-woo clicked on another article.
「Han Soo-hyeok to celebrate his marriage at the SH Marriott Hotel」
He skimmed through a few short lines of the article.
It detailed where he was getting married and who his partner was. In the photo, Han Soo-hyeok was gazing at the man next to him with a soft smile.
“SH Marriott Hotel…”
Lee Si-woo murmured as if whispering.
This was the very place where he had helped him. Si-woo remembered the broad back that had protected him, the warm voice that hadn’t matched his sharp eyes, and how he had helped him. He didn’t know how he ended up running into him that day, but suddenly wanted to see him.
Lee Si-woo’s actions were faster than his impulsive decision. However, upon seeing the reporters and crowds camped out in front of the hotel, fear of running into someone familiar overtook courage.
As the bodyguards blocked the path in an orderly fashion, Han Soo-hyeok and a man walked out hand in hand from afar. The sight of the two of them walking shoulder to shoulder was as gentle and warm as the day he had helped him.
“He looks happy…”
The words that came from Lee Si-woo’s lips were so soft, he was surprised himself.
For some reason, the world beneath his feet seemed to stop for a moment at the sight of the happy face of the person he was grateful to. As he turned around and took a few dazed steps, a metallic warning sound suddenly rang out.
“Get out of the way!”
Before the bodyguards’ shouts could reach him, the headlights of a black car flashed in front of him. Si-woo froze in an instant between the warm memory and the cold, sharp reality of the impending collision.
Crash!
With a strong impact, his whole body flashed with hot pain, and he fell straight onto the cold, rough asphalt. He was breathless, his chest stuffy and constricted, and opaque lights flickered here and there in blurry vision.
Is this… the end?
Swallowing the breath that had risen to his throat, Lee Si-woo recalled the warm gaze he had given him last.
Just before consciousness faded, he closed his eyes and whispered.
“I haven’t said… thank you yet.”
At that moment, what echoed in his ears was not the shouts of the bodyguards or the sound of car horns.
It was his low voice.
“Lee Si-woo!”
With a subtle tremor running through his body, Lee Si-woo gave a final greeting.
‘Thank you for that time…’
When Lee Si-woo opened his eyes, everything was different.
Instead of the cold winter wind, the warmth of indoor air enveloped his skin, and instead of car horns, the soft melody of a piano echoed.
And instead of the bitter smell of blood, the subtle scent of coffee brushed the tip of his nose.
What unfolded before his eyes was a high-end restaurant.
In a moment of utter bewilderment, he heard a voice right in front of him.
“Mr. Lee Si-woo.”
When his name was called after so long, Lee Si-woo lifted his head like someone about to stop breathing. In front of him stood a man who was not unfamiliar.
His black, sleek hair was neatly arranged without a single strand out of place, and his dark gray eyes aimed at people like the barrel of a gun. With his firm jawline, broad shoulders, and the luxurious woody scent he exuded—it was Han Soo-hyeok.
Even if it was a dream, it was fine. Just seeing the face he had missed even in the moment of death made his heart flutter. Tears welled up and his throat tightened, but Lee Si-woo froze for a moment between reality and unreality.
Is this really a dream?
The last memory was of that cold, merciless moment on the asphalt just before death. But the Han Soo-hyeok in front of him was so vivid.
It’s not a dream. I’ve definitely… woken up.
His heart raced like crazy. Lee Si-woo took a deep breath and slowly began to grasp the situation. This was not a hospital room, nor the accident scene. Furthermore, it wasn’t the lobby of the hotel where Han Soo-hyeok had been getting married.
Lee Si-woo had faced Han Soo-hyeok so few times that only one situation came to mind.
It was the place where they had first met.