Cherry Cake Chapter 10.1

“Why not?”

Soohyun, who had been fuming, finally gave up on opening the door. If the doorknob was broken, it should have opened more easily, but the door wouldn’t budge. It seemed the man had skillfully destroyed it. Soohyun wondered if such a thing was even possible, but considering the man was more accustomed to confining others than being confined himself, it was probably within his capabilities.

“…”

A gloomy feeling washed over him, perhaps due to exhaustion.

Seo Soohyun hadn’t just been lying on the bed. As soon as he grasped the situation, he got off the bed and struggled for hours, twisting and turning the doorknob, trying to get out. But after exhausting all his energy trying to unlock the door, his spirit seemed to weaken as well.

“Damn it…”

With a stinging sensation in his nose, he clenched his jaw and walked towards the bed. Instead of heading to the bathroom to wash up, he lay down directly on the bed and burrowed under the covers.

Even though he lived in the countryside and the weather was getting warmer, the thick winter comforter filled with cotton should have already been put away in the wardrobe. But today, he longed for its heavy weight.

Seo Soohyun wriggled like a caterpillar, turning his body towards the door. As he stared at the unyielding door, a stinging sensation began in his eyes, not just his nose. It felt like more than just staring without blinking; a surge of emotion welled up in his chest.

“Sniff.”

He wrinkled his nose to prevent himself from crying, but the emotions that had erupted were difficult to calm down.

On the contrary, the more time passed, the more feelings of resentment flooded in.

He believed that communication was the most important thing in relationships. No matter how well you could grasp someone’s true intentions through their expressions, tone, or voice, it was impossible to be certain unless they were you. Therefore, the best way to resolve any misunderstandings in a relationship was through honest conversation.

That’s why, even when the man came to him drugged and treated him carelessly, he decided not to get angry outright, but to talk to him when he woke up. Although that resolution had evaporated because Gi Taeyeon didn’t remember that day, he could consider the matter settled since he received an apology after the heat.

But this time, it wasn’t something that could be easily resolved. Conversation was absolutely necessary. He needed to ask if Seo Jeonggyun had indeed borrowed money using his grandmother’s land as collateral, and if so, why he hadn’t told him. He also needed to ask why the man had lied about bringing Seo Jeonggyun to him, and he needed to hear the answers directly from the man’s mouth.

If he had misunderstood based on assumptions, he needed to clear up the misunderstanding.

“But the Director…”

He bit his lip, feeling a sharp pain.

Even though he had secretly met with Lee Chanseo, he thought it was more important to talk with the man, so he ended up chattering about pointless things. Yet, the man, ignorant of his consideration, only got angry about the fact that he met with Lee Chanseo.

That was what made him feel hurt and upset. It felt like he was the only one who liked the Director, and that’s why he was being so lenient with him.

“Ugh…”

As his emotions took shape in clear words, the hurt swelled rapidly. Despite trying not to cry, tears finally burst forth.

“Sob.”

Seo Soohyun burrowed back under the covers, as if he had never stared at the closed door.

“Waaah.”

Sorrowful cries leaked out from within the soft mound.

🍑

Soohyun quickly recovered, as if he hadn’t cried at all. He was always the type to shake things off quickly, no matter how hurtful they were, so he could handle this much on his own. Of course, resentment and frustration still lingered deep in his heart, but his heart wasn’t so fragile that he would wallow in those feelings and become depressed.

Perhaps the fact that the door had opened had something to do with it.

“Uh…”

He was pondering how to get out when he lightly knocked on the door with his fist. As if it had never been locked, the closed door silently opened.

Why did it open? His last memory was falling asleep, exhausted from crying. He hadn’t realized it until now, but he must have been so drained that he couldn’t even hear the sound of the door being fixed.

After a moment of hesitation, Soohyun cautiously stepped out. He didn’t know why the man changed his mind and opened the door, but he couldn’t just stay in the room doing nothing.

The house was silent.

Did he go to work? Seo Soohyun cautiously made his way to the living room.

“…”

The strawberry cake he bought yesterday was still where he left it. The cherry blossoms scattered on top still looked vibrant.

A wave of emotion surged, but Seo Soohyun swallowed, pushing the feeling down. He gently touched a still-pink cherry blossom petal before picking up the cake and heading to the kitchen.

“Oh…”

A familiar-looking lunchbox sat on the dining table. Soohyun easily spotted the note placed on top.

Eat

It was definitely Gi Taeyeon’s handwriting.

Is he not angry anymore? Seo Soohyun put the cake in the refrigerator and returned to the dining table.

Instead of throwing Gi Taeyeon’s note in the trash, he quietly placed it next to the lunchbox and sat down. He had said not to step out of the room, but perhaps his anger had subsided, considering the door had opened and he left a lunchbox.

“But why did he order a lunchbox…?”

Soohyun muttered to himself as he opened the lunchbox.

He was grateful for the lunchbox, as he lacked the energy to cook anything. Even though he enjoyed cooking and took good care of his meals, it was never easy to cook when he was completely drained. Moreover, it was important to eat well at times like these, and since it took energy to prepare a proper meal, eating something someone else made wasn’t bad for now.

Like last time, the lunchbox was extravagant. Besides spicy stir-fried pork with lots of vegetables and white rice, it was filled with fish and seasoned vegetable side dishes. There were plenty of leafy vegetables for wraps as well. Not to mention the still-warm soybean paste soup.

“Let’s eat first. I need to regain my energy.”

Seo Soohyun said aloud, as if comforting himself, and brought a spoonful of the warm soup to his mouth. Just as the elders said that soup was essential for a proper meal, he felt a bit more alive after swallowing the soup.

He then picked up a lettuce leaf, placed some stir-fried pork on it, added a small scoop of rice with his chopsticks, and wrapped it all up to eat. He diligently moved his jaw, chewing the food, unconcerned that his cheeks puffed out like a hamster with sunflower seeds hidden inside.

He had to eat a full meal, especially when he was feeling sad and drained. That way, he could gain the strength to fight those emotions.

‘Is he really not angry anymore…?’

He wondered if the reason the man left for work without waking him was because he felt awkward apologizing. There were quite a few people who got angry first and then, after calming down, realized their mistake and felt embarrassed.

I should be the bigger person.

He thought he should try to talk to him when he got home from work.

Seo Soohyun busily chewed his food, his eyelids still puffy from crying. Although he wasn’t feeling his best due to yesterday’s upsetting events, his mood gradually improved as his stomach filled. He would feel much better after talking with the man in the evening.

“Where is it…?”

Seo Soohyun scurried around. He was looking for his phone.

He had left it with the cake in the living room yesterday, so it should be there, but strangely, it was nowhere to be seen.

Did I leave it in the room? No… He even searched the room just in case, but it was nowhere to be found, as if it had vanished overnight.

If this continues, I can’t contact the Director.

He didn’t need his phone immediately. He rarely used it for anything other than calling, and since he had developed a habit of finding other things to do when he was bored, he could easily pass the time even without the palm-sized device.

However, the problem was that without his phone, he couldn’t receive calls from Gi Taeyeon. Since there was no landline in the house, any contact would come through his phone, and without it, receiving calls was impossible.

“But if he calls, the ringtone will go off, so I’ll be able to find it, right?”

He was a bit worried about whether he could find it before the call ended, as the house was quite large, but since he couldn’t find it no matter how hard he looked, relying on this method was his best option for now.

“Let’s go grocery shopping for now.”

In the end, Seo Soohyun gave up on finding his phone and moved on to his next plan.

He had just checked the refrigerator after lunch. There were some ingredients, but he thought it would be good to go to the supermarket for a change of pace. He also needed to stop by the field to water the plants on his way back.

Although his mood had improved considerably after eating, he wasn’t entirely fine. However, he felt that his condition would improve somewhat if he went to the field, breathed in the smell of the damp soil, and basked in the sunlight.

“Where is it?”

As if to add insult to injury, his car keys were also nowhere to be found. Since he hadn’t driven yesterday, he couldn’t recall exactly where he had put them.

“That’s strange, I usually put it here…”

Since it wasn’t where he usually kept it, he must have put it somewhere else, but he hadn’t seen the car keys when he was looking for his phone either.

Let’s just take the subway for a change. Seo Soohyun opened the front door without much thought.

“Huh?”

Click.

The door, which should have opened, didn’t budge.

What’s going on? As he struggled with the front door, he heard a suspicious noise from outside, and the door suddenly swung open without warning. Seo Soohyun stumbled back in surprise. Anyone would be startled to see someone dressed in black standing there with their back turned.

“Do you have any instructions?”

“…Who are you?”

It was a voice he had never heard before.

“The Director sent me.”

Why did he send another guard instead of Uncle Jiphil? Seo Soohyun finally calmed his racing heart and stepped out.

“I was just going out for a bit. I’m going to stop by the supermarket and then water the Director’s other garden.”

“Do you need anything specific from the supermarket?”

However, the person standing outside showed no intention of moving. If he pushed the door open, it would clearly hit the man’s back, so Seo Soohyun couldn’t apply any more force and stopped where he was.

“I was going to look around and buy… “

“If you tell me what you need, we’ll procure it for you.”

“No? I can just go myself. It won’t take long.”

He frowned, sensing something strange about the situation.

“The Director told me to tell you not to even think about going out.”

“Huh?”

“If you have any instructions, please press the intercom. Excuse me.”

Stunned by the unexpected words, he stood there blankly as the man finally turned around, bowed briefly, and closed the door without hesitation.

“Uh…”

Seo Soohyun blinked, staring at the closed front door.

‘Don’t you dare step out of this house.’

The low, threatening voice echoed in his head.

He heard the front door open. Soohyun, who was sitting on the living room sofa hugging his knees, listening intently for any sounds, quickly got up and ran towards the entrance.

“Ah.”

But there was no sign of anyone. Only a lunchbox with a different design than the one he had at lunch and a paper bag he had never seen before were left on the floor.

Is he working late? After some thought, Seo Soohyun pressed the intercom.

“Director, are you not coming home today?”

— He might not be able to leave work due to a heavy workload.

The curt reply left him speechless. If it had been Kim Jiphil, he would have tried to talk a bit more, but it was difficult to say anything further to a stranger. He must have intentionally sent someone other than Kim Jiphil.

“Yes. Thank you…”

Even he could hear the dejection in his own voice.

Seo Soohyun trudged to the kitchen with the lunchbox. The fighting spirit only burned when there was a will, but thinking that Gi Taeyeon might not come home today drained all his energy.

“I can’t even call him…”

He felt like the person outside would relay a message if he asked, but hearing something through a third party and having a direct conversation were worlds apart.

Is he that angry? But why is he angry? I’m the one who should be angry.

The question that had been plaguing his mind ever since he realized he was completely confined to the house resurfaced. He couldn’t understand Gi Taeyeon’s actions at all. Why was he going to such lengths?

If they were really in a romantic relationship, it would be a different story, but they weren’t even in that kind of affectionate relationship. So he couldn’t fathom why the man was so angry about him meeting another person, let alone why he went as far as confining him.

“Sigh…”

Seo Soohyun opened the lunchbox with a sigh. Unlike lunch, the main dish seemed to be seafood, boasting extravagance once again. Although he had no appetite, Soohyun picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the plump abalone.

The abalone, grilled in butter, was clearly a nourishing dish, but strangely, it didn’t give him energy.

“If you’re going to lock someone up, you should at least come see their face…”

That way, he could at least get angry or question him.

Seo Soohyun picked at his food and then closed the lunchbox, which was still more than half full.

He simply didn’t want to eat.

Being alone made it even worse.

🍑

This isn’t right.

Seo Soohyun was tending to the lettuce, which was growing well even in water, when he suddenly came to his senses. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t sudden. It was closer to the thought he’d been having constantly resurfacing.

This really wasn’t right.

Soohyun hadn’t stepped outside the house for nearly four days.

“I’m suffocating.”

If Gi Taeyeon had at least come home, it wouldn’t have felt so stifling. He would have said something, whether it was asking why he was so angry, or questioning the conversation with Seo Jeonggyun. Even if it led to an argument, it would have been fine.

But Gi Taeyeon hadn’t come home a single day since confining Seo Soohyun. And it was only after a day of realizing his confinement that Seo Soohyun had a hunch that Gi Taeyeon wouldn’t come.

‘Director, aren’t you coming home today either?’

— That’s something I can’t tell you.

Even though it was a voice heard through the intercom, he wasn’t so insensitive as to not notice the change in voice. Moreover, it wasn’t changing just once a day. It seemed to change at least four times a day. This meant that the person guarding the front door was constantly being replaced.

‘Let me meet the Director.’

‘…Please don’t touch me.’

The day before yesterday, he had waited near the front door around the time the lunchbox usually arrived. As soon as the door opened, he grabbed the arm that appeared. He was met with a stiff response and a pale face, forcing him to let go immediately. The pale man hurriedly closed the door after handing over the lunchbox. The man’s suddenly frightened face looked so pitiful that Soohyun felt bad, making it difficult to ambush him again while waiting at the front door.

“I need to water the field too…”

Seo Soohyun let out a deep sigh and looked up at the sky through the veranda.

The weather was bright and sunny because it was spring. The breeze that gently blew in through the fully opened windows was cool and refreshing. On days like this, he should be tending to the field, watering and caring for the plants, but being stuck inside made both his mind and body feel constricted.

It might have been better if he lived in a detached house, but the fact that it was a high-rise apartment building made him feel even more suffocated. He suddenly felt nauseous, although it shouldn’t be possible, and patted his chest.

“I can’t even sneak out.”

Fiddling with the lettuce, he paced around the veranda, lost in thought. Perhaps because he was bathed in the sunlight and the breeze, he could think more rationally than yesterday.

But no matter how hard he racked his brain, finding a way out of this house seemed impossible.

Seo Soohyun considered as many possibilities as he could. Breaking through the door was the first hurdle. Even with the stamina he had built up from working in the fields and his considerable strength, it was impossible to push aside the bulky alphas.

Even if he had his phone, it would have been better.

Then he could at least talk to Gi Taeyeon.

Of course, Seo Soohyun knew that getting his hands on his phone was also close to impossible. He didn’t have the knack for stealing things without the owner knowing. Pickpocketing was something only experienced people could do; he would hesitate and miss his chance, or get caught immediately.

“Ah.”

As if he had never been restless, Seo Soohyun stopped in his tracks. A brilliant idea suddenly flashed through his mind.

“I can just make the Director come.”

If he couldn’t go outside, he had to lure the man inside.

Should I really do this? Hesitation crept in. He felt guilty, as if even uttering such words was wrong, even though he had no real intention of carrying them out.

“Sigh…”

But no other clear method came to mind.

Seo Soohyun agonized over whether this was the best course of action until the very last moment.

The more he thought about it, the clearer the answer became.

First, he had to meet Gi Taeyeon. He intended to talk to him face-to-face, come what may. He didn’t know what words would come out of his mouth once he actually faced the man, but he couldn’t just stay locked up in this house, doing nothing day after day.

He wanted to go for walks, see the flowers, and visit the field to water the deodeok and doraji.

“Bokshil, hyung doesn’t mean it. Okay?”

Seo Soohyun called out to Bokshil to calm his pounding heart. He thought he had made the right decision to leave Bokshil at the charnel house instead of bringing him here. Bokshil would be playing with his dog friends by now, so he wouldn’t hear the terrible words he was about to say.

“This can’t fail.”

If he uttered the threat half-heartedly, it might backfire. Therefore, he had to treat this as his first and last chance and succeed.

Staring at the white porcelain cup in his hand, Soohyun closed his eyes tightly and pressed the intercom.

— Yes.

A stiff voice answered. It was a voice he hadn’t heard before.

“Can you relay a message to the Director?”

— …He’s not in a position to receive messages.

The delayed response was suspicious, but he had no intention of backing down.

“Please tell him anyway.”

— I’ll have to report to the manager first…

Before the person could finish, Seo Soohyun threw the cup in his hand. He had deliberately chosen a sturdy and expensive-looking one, so the shattering sound was quite loud.

“If the Director doesn’t come by today, I’m going to kill myself with this.”

He threatened the person firmly. His voice sounded remarkably resolute, even to his own ears.

A not-so-insignificant noise vaguely woke him. Seo Soohyun struggled to open his heavy eyelids. He had gone to his bedroom a few hours ago, feeling dejected that there was no reaction after his threat, thinking he had failed. He wasn’t sleepy, but perhaps his body was tired from racking his brain over various issues for four days straight, causing him to fall asleep without realizing it.

As the approaching footsteps grew louder, he blinked blankly, unsure if he was dreaming or awake. At the increasingly clear sound of footsteps, Seo Soohyun jolted awake. As soon as his feet touched the floor beside the bed, Gi Taeyeon approached with a frightening intensity.

“You’ve gone mad, haven’t you?”

“Ah!”

Seo Soohyun was practically dragged off the bed by the hand gripping his arm. His body swayed precariously as Gi Taeyeon moved his hand roughly, seemingly trying to examine him from head to toe.

“Baby. Was it fun tricking an adult?”

Only after Gi Taeyeon meticulously checked his face and even his heels did Seo Soohyun finally get a chance to look at him. Whether he had come in a hurry or had just finished work, Gi Taeyeon looked disheveled. This wasn’t just about his clothes. His hair was tousled, his exposed chest was damp with sweat, and the hand gripping his arm felt strangely hot.

“Why, threaten to kill yourself again. Do you think I haven’t heard those kinds of threats before?”

Only after hearing the sarcastic, muttering voice did Seo Soohyun fully come to his senses. The emotions he had suppressed in his sleep burst forth.

“Did you come because you were worried about me?”

He couldn’t quite define the emotion. It seemed like a mix of relief, resentment, anger, and a bit of anticipation.

“Should I let you make a mess in my house?”

The sharp retort caused all those emotions to swirl together.

Seo Soohyun raised his voice, mirroring Gi Taeyeon’s tone.

“Why are you being so harsh? You came because you were worried about me, didn’t you? You haven’t shown your face all this time, but you came running because you were worried I would actually kill myself when I said I would.”

“Ha.”

He felt the grip on his arm tighten, almost painfully. The heat wasn’t just his imagination; the temperature where their bodies touched was definitely hot.

“And why did you lock me up? Are you doing this because I said I’d meet another alpha?”

“I don’t have the refined hobby of sharing holes.”

He frowned at the crude remark. He knew the man had a habit of speaking that way, but he couldn’t understand why he was being so defiant.

“Then you can just meet another omega!”

Despite countless resolutions not to be emotional, an emotional response took precedence. Seo Soohyun fumed, even though he knew Gi Taeyeon was openly scoffing. He didn’t want to say these things, but whenever the man treated him like a mere sex partner, his inner thoughts sharpened, and words he didn’t mean blurted out.

“You’re pushing it… You, damn it, I’m…”

Gi Taeyeon gritted his teeth, running a hand roughly through his hair as if suppressing his anger. He turned his head to the side, revealing a throbbing vein in his neck. Seo Soohyun sensed that he was holding something back, but he was too agitated himself to consider the man’s state.

“Why are you cursing? You’re not in a position to be angry with me, Director. I’m the one who should be angry.”

The words he had bottled up since the day he overheard the conversation between the man and Seo Jeonggyun came pouring out.

“I know you lied to me, Director.”

Seo Soohyun looked Gi Taeyeon straight in the eye as he spoke.

“I heard everything you said to that man in the office that day. He brought my grandmother’s land to you, didn’t he? You lent him money using that land as collateral. I might not know much, but I have enough sense to figure that out.”

Gi Taeyeon didn’t even look surprised. He simply stared down at Seo Soohyun with a cold gaze, as if he had expected it all.

“But why did you tell me you’d catch him and bring him to me? You’ve already gotten everything you wanted, so why did you lie to me like that? If he’s gambling, it’s obvious he won’t be able to pay you back, and in the end, you’ll have my grandmother’s land without any loss. So why did you promise to return it to me?”

He still couldn’t understand why the man had made such a promise.

“Did you do it because you thought I would beg you for help? But, Director, even if you had told me honestly, I wouldn’t have begged you. I would have been angry and frustrated, but I would have just accepted it, even if it was upsetting, because it wasn’t something I could solve.”

“You would have?”

Gi Taeyeon smirked, the corner of his lips lifting.

“No, baby.”

“…”

“You would have run to that brat, not me.”

After a brief moment of confusion, Seo Soohyun realized that “that brat” referred to Lee Chanseo.

The mention of a third party entirely unrelated to their conversation brought a fresh wave of frustration. He didn’t even hear Gi Taeyeon’s words about him going to Lee Chanseo instead of him.

“Why are you bringing up Chanseo hyung again? It’s the same with why you’re angry this time. When I met Chanseo hyung, I didn’t tell him about what happened between you and that man. I was going to ask you directly because I thought I might have misunderstood the conversation. In the first place, the reason I met hyung…”

After briefly biting his lip, Soohyun shouted with a defiant look.

“It’s because I like you, Director!”

“What?”

Gi Taeyeon frowned as if asking what he was talking about, but Seo Soohyun decided he had to speak his mind, pouring out everything that had been bottled up inside.

“I’m furious that you lied to me, Director, but at the same time, I realized I like you, so I wasn’t sure how to bring it up, and that’s why I went to see someone I knew. I wanted to talk to someone. But hyung is a beta, and since he doesn’t know about me and you sleeping together, I thought he wouldn’t understand no matter what I said, so I didn’t even ask him about it and just rambled on about useless things.”

Talking about that day reminded him of the strawberry cake he had put in the refrigerator. The cake, which he hadn’t touched, intending to share it with Gi Taeyeon, might have gone bad by now.

“I didn’t even ask about the land because I wanted to have a calm conversation with you… And I even bought a cake to eat with you, but you just got mad at me.”

The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. It felt like he was the only one with feelings, making him the weaker one.

But instead of letting the tears welling up in his eyes fall, Seo Soohyun glared at Gi Taeyeon.

“Don’t you have any interest in me at all, Director?”

Since things had come to this, he was determined to confront him.

“You must have some interest, right? That’s why you got angry when I talked about another alpha, and you came running because you were afraid I would really die when I threatened to kill myself. It’s the same with what you said earlier about me going to Chanseo hyung. You were jealous because you were afraid I’d go to him instead of you if I knew what happened between you and that man.”

It could be that he truly didn’t have the hobby of sharing alphas and omegas, but if he didn’t have even the slightest interest in him, he wouldn’t have come rushing over in such a disheveled state.

“Even if you’re not interested, please try to be.”

Gi Taeyeon let out a scoff at his shameless demand, just like he always did.

“I don’t have anything better than you, Director, but…”

Despite the man’s obvious look of disbelief, Seo Soohyun stubbornly searched for the right words to say.

“At least I’m younger.”

He had to put something forward.

“No matter how great you are, Director, you can’t meet someone as young as me.”

“Are you messing with me?”

Seo Soohyun had blurted that out because age was the only thing he could think of to boast about, but Gi Taeyeon scoffed. However, Seo Soohyun retorted boldly. He wasn’t going to back down now.

“I’m not messing with you; I’m stating a fact. Honestly, there’s no one your age who meets someone as young as me.”

“Ha, Seo Soohyun.”

He felt a bit intimidated by the drawn-out sigh and tone, but he didn’t back down.

“I make a living doing unscrupulous things, you think I wouldn’t see younger people?”

Is that so…? Hearing that there were people around him who saw younger people made him lose some confidence. Seo Soohyun pouted. He glanced sideways, feeling a gaze on him, and his eyes met Gi Taeyeon’s.

“If you tell me another lie like that, you won’t get away with it.”

He wanted to ask what he would do if he didn’t get away with it, but the man’s glare was so menacing that he swallowed his words.

“Damn it, to see this, I took suppressants, which I normally don’t even…”

“…Did you come from work?”

They spoke almost simultaneously, their voices overlapping.

Gi Taeyeon narrowed his eyes and pulled Seo Soohyun closer by the arm he was holding. Seo Soohyun instinctively placed his hand on the man’s thigh.

“Uh…”

He hadn’t noticed because he was only looking at the man’s face, but his penis was fully erect inside his pants.

Why was he erect? No matter how hard he thought, there was no reason for it.

As he retraced his steps, he remembered his first encounter with Gi Taeyeon earlier. The hot hands, the emanating heat, the disheveled appearance – it all pointed to something more than just coming from work.

Could he have been with another omega? Having just confessed his feelings, the thought made him gloomy.

“There you go again, racking that tiny brain of yours.”

“Why are you erect?”

He decided it was better to ask directly, and upon hearing the question, Gi Taeyeon furrowed his brow and smirked.

“Soohyun, don’t you know about rut?”

“Rut? But I don’t feel your pheromones, Director…”

“That’s because I took suppressants. I came all the way here because someone threatened to kill themselves.”

Why would he take suppressants? Seo Soohyun couldn’t understand.

He had safely gone through his heat thanks to the man, so he felt responsible for the man’s rut as well. He wondered if Gi Taeyeon hadn’t mentioned it because they had both gotten flustered during their last conversation, but regardless, that was then and this was now.

Not many people would be cold-hearted enough to turn away someone experiencing bodily distress, even after a big fight. At least, Seo Soohyun wasn’t like that.

“Why did you take suppressants when I’m here? We went through my heat together. …Is it because I’m a recessive? But as you know, Director, I have good stamina. I can handle you, even if you’re in rut.”

Speaking in a firm voice, Soohyun subtly tightened his grip. It was the hand resting on the man’s thigh. As if feeling the slight pressure, the hard, erect penis twitched noticeably, as if about to burst through the fabric. The suppressants didn’t seem to affect its function.

“Let’s do it.”

Seo Soohyun looked directly at Gi Taeyeon and moved his lips.

“I like you, Director, so I want to be with you during your rut, too.”

Even under the bright light, the man’s face seemed cold.

“So I can handle it all. I don’t want you sleeping with another omega besides me. I’ll get jealous… Ah!”

Before he could finish, his body was pulled forward. A finger entered his parted lips, roughly rummaging inside his cheek and crushing his tongue.

“Our Soohyun is still so innocent.”

“Ugh…”

“And fearless too.”

He’d never thought of the man as scary before, but the blatant rubbing against his thigh made his fuzz-face stand on end.

“Just try running away.”

“Run, ah, I won’t…”

“I’ll shatter your ankles so you can’t walk at all.”

“Huh…”

Gi Taeyeon buried his nose in Soohyun’s t-shirt, inhaling deeply the scent clinging to it. The owner of the t-shirt, however, seemed oblivious to his clothes being in another person’s hands or to being thrown back onto the bed.

“Haa, huu…”

With his mind completely blown and his eyes unable to focus, it was perhaps natural that he couldn’t pay attention to such trivial matters.

“Baby.”

The man leaned down and tapped Soohyun’s flushed cheek with his finger. As he thrusted deeper, Soohyun moaned again and wriggled. Despite being repeatedly penetrated, perhaps due to his small frame, his entrance remained tight.

“You said you could handle it.”

As if momentarily brought back to his senses by the gentle tap on his cheek, Soohyun met the man’s eyes. His tear-filled face was alluring as always.

“Ugh, Director, every, ugh, time you, move…”

“Yes, every time I move, what?”

Gi Taeyeon echoed Soohyun’s words as he continued his slow thrusts. Thanks to the copious amount of semen, the tight entrance allowed for relatively smooth movement.

“Something, keeps, ugh, coming out…”

Soohyun fumbled, bringing it hand between his buttocks.

“Something keeps coming out? That’s called cum.”

He was in the middle of experiencing his rut raw, without an omega for the first time ever, when he received Seo Jihwan’s report about Soohyun’s suicide threat and rushed over immediately. He couldn’t even remember what he was thinking; there was no way he would have been mindful enough to grab a condom.

The reason he hadn’t come home despite confining Soohyun was purely because of his rut. It had erupted unexpectedly, disrupting his usual cycle.

It was extremely rare for a dominant’s cycle to be disrupted. The cause was also unclear. Pheromone disruption due to medication, one-sided imprinting, imprinting side effects, excessive stress, or hormonal clashes caused by emotional changes were the few known causes.

He briefly scoffed at the realization that his cycle had been disrupted. Dealing with the rut was the priority.

Even though Seo Soohyun was a recessive, he was still an omega, and his rut could be easily resolved by bedding him. However, the reason he hadn’t come home was because Gi Taeyeon knew best that sex became violent when he was in a foul mood. It was practically impossible for Seo Soohyun to handle rough and merciless sex alone.

The problem was, he wasn’t interested in calling a skilled omega. Because of his rut, his body was burning with excitement, but strangely, he had no desire to have sex with any other omega. That’s why he had been holed up in a hotel room, taking suppressants he usually avoided, when he received a call from Seo Jihwan.

— Director, I’m telling you this after much deliberation… Seo Soohyun said that if he doesn’t see you today, he’ll…

‘He’ll what?’

— …kill himself.

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

— He said he wouldn’t stay still if anyone else came in, so the guys couldn’t check on him directly. …And you had given orders not to make eye contact either.

‘Sigh…’

Gi Taeyeon ordered more suppressants to be delivered, quickly dressed, and got moving. Since he didn’t usually take suppressants, the over-the-counter kind he had taken wasn’t very effective. He wasn’t desperate enough to grab any omega and fuck them, but the burning heat showed no signs of subsiding.

‘Director, if you wait just ten minutes…’

‘Who has time to wait, Seo Jihwan?’

Ignoring Seo Jihwan’s words about calling a beta driver, he drove himself.

He popped different brands of suppressants, procured by his loyal subordinate, into his mouth one after another. He couldn’t even count how many he had swallowed, grabbing and taking them as soon as they appeared. He probably wouldn’t need to knot, but judging by his persistent erection, it wouldn’t end easily either.

“Ugh, pull, pull it out… Ah!”

“Pull it out to do what? It’s just going to keep leaking anyway.”

Gi Taeyeon grabbed Soohyun’s hand, which was fiddling with his lower body. Then, he guided the hand to wrap around his penis as it slipped out of Soohyun’s entrance with each thrust. Every time the fluid-coated shaft rubbed against his soft palm, whitish, sticky semen clung to his fair hand.

“Haa, uh, hhht!”

“Huu…”

The man finally came, his face buried in the nape of Soohyun’s neck. His cock was buried deep, the pubic hair brushing against the plump buttocks. He was aware of the hand that had been stroking his cock losing its way and being crushed between their bodies, but Gi Taeyeon didn’t care. Instead, he relentlessly nibbled on the bite-marked nape, inhaling the scent.

Despite the suppressants, his heightened senses immediately picked up the faint cherry scent.

“Damn it, so tempting…”

Seo Soohyun’s pheromones were nothing special for an omega.

Whether alpha or omega, pheromones served two purposes: to attract and arouse the opposite sex, or to dominate, regardless of sex.

And Seo Soohyun’s pheromones didn’t fall into either category.

They were too faint to be considered attractive to alphas; only dominants with particularly sensitive senses could detect them. And they were too weak to be used for domination.

Well, he’s a recessive, so it can’t be helped.

The fact that this unremarkable scent was driving him crazy was something only he needed to know, so he was rather satisfied.

“Huu, heuk, haa…”

After thoroughly licking the fresh bite mark, the man slowly withdrew. So much semen had been released that as his large penis slipped out, clumps of white fluid spilled out. The wrinkles were soaked and glistening with a mixture of precum, semen, and lubricating fluids, and the surrounding area was flushed crimson.

I need to pull out a bit more to keep fucking. Gi Taeyeon roughly brushed back his sweat-drenched hair and reached out with his other hand, probing the entrance that was trying to close.

“Ahh, h, hhh…”

Even that seemed to be a stimulus, as the pale stomach trembled. As the buttocks clenched reflexively, he could feel the entrance contracting tightly, almost biting his fingers.

“Soohyun, relax your hole.”

His cock was enough of a biter.

“Haht, uh, I, I’m, gon, na…”

“You said you wanted the cum out. Do you want another spanking?”

“Ah, no… Heuk!”

Seo Soohyun shook his head slightly. He could feel his own ragged breath as he panted with his hand covering his mouth. He tried to breathe slowly, fearing he might hyperventilate, but it was difficult to calm his body. It wasn’t just the multiple orgasms; the man’s fingers spreading his inner walls apart as his penis withdrew seemed to be triggering a natural response.

“Huuht…”

It felt different from when he was being stretched for penetration. Every time Gi Taeyeon scraped his fingers inside, he could vividly feel something thick being pulled out. His waist twitched, his whole body tensing. His buttocks clenched reflexively, his inner walls clamping down on the hard fingers.

“Director, huh…”

Suddenly gripped by fear, Soohyun called out to Gi Taeyeon, worried about what would happen if his entrance didn’t close.

“What if it doesn’t close, uh, what should I do…”

“What’s not going to close?”

“My hole…”

Now that the thick fingers were inside, he didn’t feel the gaping sensation, but he clearly remembered how it felt before the man inserted his fingers.

As the previously unimaginable worry washed over him, his voice became laced with tears. Perhaps it sounded even more pitiful because of his ragged panting.

“What do you mean, what should you do if it doesn’t close?”

“Ah!”

“We’ll just have to…”

As he rotated his fingers, a thick, viscous sound echoed, like stirring dense honey.

“…put a plug in our Soohyun’s…”

He wasn’t sure what a plug was, but hearing the words “put in his hole” gave him a rough idea of its purpose. At the horrifying thought, Seo Soohyun burst into tears.

“Ugh, no… I don’t want to…”

“Hmm, no?”

His voice unconsciously softened, as if coaxing a child.

“Yes, yes… No…”

“Then should I plug it with my cock?”

“Heuk, yes… I, I don’t, uh, want any, plugs…”

Even though Gi Taeyeon’s voice was laced with amusement, Seo Soohyun, his mind muddled with pleasure, didn’t realize he was being teased and innocently gave the answer the man wanted.

“Haha. Damn it, a ‘plug’.”

Gi Taeyeon chuckled softly. He knew he wasn’t supposed to find it arousing, but Seo Soohyun’s innocence always stirred his sadistic tendencies. It was a situation he couldn’t have imagined when he first met the young man who called him “Mister.”

“Soohyun, haa, if I plug you with my cock, will you listen to Mister?”

“Ugh, heuk, yes. Don’t, don’t put anything, weird, in…”

“Then give me your hand.”

At the short command, Seo Soohyun extended a trembling hand, palm up, as if offering something precious. Gi Taeyeon stared at the hand, let out a short breath, and grasped both hands with one of his own. Immediately after, Soohyun’s t-shirt, which had been lying around, was used to tie his slender wrists together.

“Why, why are you tying me up…?”

Even in his dazed state, Soohyun blinked his tear-blurred eyes, a question forming in his mind.

“Because I want to.”

Gi Taeyeon smirked, pulling the body beneath him up into his lap.

“Ah! W-wait! Director! I, heuk! I think I’m going to fall!”

“I tied your wrists so you wouldn’t fall, Boss.”

The man deliberately used the term Soohyun occasionally used for him at the supermarket and lowered his lips to the bite-marked nape.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding Soohyun in his lap. As if startled by the sudden lift, Soohyun floundered for a moment before seeming to understand, wrapping his arms around Gi Taeyeon’s neck. As if still uneasy, he pressed his stomach against the man’s chest.

Gi Taeyeon habitually nuzzled his nose against Soohyun’s neck and slipped his hand under the pale buttocks. As he kneaded the swollen flesh, which had been spanked several times, Soohyun flinched and tensed his thighs, seemingly feeling a slight pain.

“Soohyun, does it hurt?”

“Huu, uh, yes…”

Judging by the moans escaping his lips, it wasn’t just pain he was feeling.

“It’s going to hurt even more when I shove it in here, but you can’t even handle this…”

“Ahh! Huh…”

The moans intensified as he slowly moved his fingers, rubbing the tightly closed entrance. Despite his innocent appearance, he was incredibly sensitive.

“Soohyun’s hole wants to be plugged by Mister’s cock, right?”

He lifted Soohyun slightly, his nose moving from the nape down to the collarbone. Gi Taeyeon nibbled on the protruding bone, then raised his gaze to meet Soohyun’s. Their eyes locked.

“What should we do then?”

He asked gently, his eyes crinkling at the corners. With one hand, he gripped his erect penis, rubbing the thick tip against the delicate folds of Soohyun’s entrance. After a moment of hesitation, Soohyun bravely twisted his hips. Whether it was due to the precum or the mixture of semen and lubricating fluids leaking from the entrance, the glans slid, poking the soft perineum.

“Hht! Ahh, huh… D-Director, p-put it, in… P-please… I can’t do it, alone…”

“If I put it in, will you swallow?”

Gi Taeyeon slapped his cockhead against Soohyun’s perineum and entrance, eliciting broken moans from him, but Soohyun nodded vigorously nonetheless.

“Don’t be rude and just nod your head.”

“Ah, no, heuk, I’ll, swallow… Ah!”

“God, you’re such a cock-hungry slut.”

Even though he knew Soohyun hadn’t been with another alpha, Gi Taeyeon felt a surge of irritation whenever he was explicitly asked for. He loosened his grip on Soohyun’s buttocks. The glans, the size of a child’s fist, slowly wormed its way into the entrance, loosened by their previous lovemaking.

“Haa! H, uhh…”

That was all. Gi Taeyeon didn’t let go of Soohyun completely, nor did he thrust. He simply inserted the glans.

“Haa, baby.”

As if aware that he was being addressed, Soohyun met his gaze.

“Move on your own.”

“Huh?”

“You’re good at squatting. Try squatting.”

Remembering Soohyun’s habit of squatting whenever he saw soil, he instructed him to do the same. Seo Soohyun hesitated for a moment before slowly lowering his body. With his knees still on the bed, it seemed relatively easy.

“Agh…”

Each time the dark red cock disappeared between his white buttocks, Soohyun tightened his grip on the man’s shoulders. Due to their significant size difference, even though he was exerting force, his upper body collapsed rather than pulling the man down. He was practically leaning entirely on the person sitting on top of him.

Gi Taeyeon chuckled and licked the pitifully swollen nipples, lightly slapping the inside of Soohyun’s pale thighs. As if understanding the cue, Seo Soohyun tightened his arms around his neck and carefully lifted his right knee.

“Ahh…”

As his right buttock lifted, the cock slipped out with a squelching sound. Unfazed, Gi Taeyeon persistently nibbled and sucked on Soohyun’s nipples, which should have been hidden inwards.

Gripping the pale buttock with his left hand, he kneaded the flesh as he pleased, while his right hand roughly rolled the protruding nipple. As he pulled the beautifully erect nipple, urging Soohyun to move, Soohyun let out a low moan and lifted his left knee as well.

“Good boy, our baby.”

Gi Taeyeon praised Soohyun like a child, lightly kissing his nape, chin, and cheeks.

“Now bounce a little.”

“Haa, h, huh…”

After a brief hesitation, Seo Soohyun rested his forehead on Gi Taeyeon’s broad shoulders and began to move his lower body, bouncing in place as if doing duck walks.

He had already been thoroughly fucked to the point of producing white foam, so his softened insides readily sucked the penis in and out. Gi Taeyeon let out a slow sigh and nuzzled his nose against the slender nape. He wanted to thrust his hips and mercilessly pound the delicate walls, but Soohyun’s clumsy attempts to find the right angle were endearing, so he decided to wait a little longer.

“Ha, ahh, h, huh…”

Only when the moan, heavily mixed with cries, took on a subtly excited tone did he laugh aloud.

In fact, Gi Taeyeon didn’t prefer this style of sex. To him, sex was simply an act to satisfy his own desires, not the omega’s. He had only slept with skilled individuals, so they always knew how to satisfy him, but he had never enjoyed observing his partner’s reactions so closely.

He knew he was being incredibly lenient with Seo Soohyun. Otherwise, he would have had him thoroughly tailed and controlled every situation before Seo Soohyun had even met that brat secretly. The reason he had called Kim Jiphil to the company after telling Soohyun to stay home was also because of this.

Perhaps he was intrigued. Intrigued by when Seo Soohyun would lie to him, what he would do after lying, who he would meet if he met someone, where they would meet, and what they would do.

He simply hadn’t expected to be this bothered by the fact that Soohyun had lied to him.

“Huh, Director…”

Seo Soohyun wriggled and managed to raise his head. Since he was still clinging tightly to his neck, their faces were close.

“I, I want to kiss you. Huh, uh…”

“Huu, want to suck my tongue?”

“Yes, yes…”

Gi Taeyeon stuck out his tongue invitingly. Seo Soohyun, without hesitation, poked his tongue out and gently rubbed it against the tip of the offered flesh before sucking it into his mouth. He then began sucking the tongue as if drinking water.

“Haa, uh…”

Soon, he felt a wet sensation on his stomach. Seo Soohyun had come while kissing.

Fuck.

A dizzying sensation shot through Gi Taeyeon, and without a moment’s hesitation, he thrust his hips.

Thwack!

“Ah! Ahh! Agh!”

As the startled Seo Soohyun flinched, his inner walls contracted, greedily sucking the cock in.

“Ha, baby. Did you want to suck my cock with your hole too? You should have told me.”

“Ah, st-stop! Huh, uh! Ahhh! T-too fast… Ahh!”

Gi Taeyeon knew better than Seo Soohyun himself that the body in his arms couldn’t escape. He had tied his wrists precisely to prevent him from running away.

“Huh! Ah, ahh…!”

The rough, relentless thrusting finally caused their position to collapse. Even though he knew Soohyun’s squatting thighs had given way, Gi Taeyeon continued to mercilessly pound the soft walls. The supple flesh clung to his alpha cock, then spasmed repeatedly.

“Haa, fuck…”

The man cupped Soohyun’s cheeks, which were lolling against his shoulder. He lowered his head, thrusting his tongue into Soohyun’s mouth as if claiming him.

“Huu, uh…”

It was a fierce, possessive motion, oblivious to the scratching nails on his back or the knot of the t-shirt rubbing against his skin.

Gi Taeyeon didn’t reject any of Seo Soohyun’s actions.

He simply, desperately, devoured the body clinging to him.

Making him whisper “I love you” until his voice, a mixture of moans and cries, completely gave out.

🍑

Seo Soohyun groaned and wriggled. He dreamt that Bokshil, whom he was holding preciously, had suddenly grown a hundred times larger, and he was struggling to push away the warm, house-sized body he was trapped under. After much groaning, he opened his eyes to find himself held not by Bokshil, but by the man.

“Phew…”

He finally managed to slip out of Gi Taeyeon’s embrace, sighing as he patted his lower back. He wanted to keep sleeping, but his throat was so dry that he had to get up.

His whole body ached as if he had spent hours weeding in a squatting position on a gardening stool. Seo Soohyun groaned and kept patting his lower back as he sat blankly. His lowered head captured the sleeping man in his view.

“Oh.”

Gi Taeyeon was sleeping face down. Every time the man breathed, the rippling muscles on his back created the illusion that the snake tattooed there was alive and moving. As he stared, fascinated, he noticed red nail marks. Naturally, they were marks left by Seo Soohyun.

It must hurt… Soohyun carefully reached out and touched the man’s back. He might not react much, being the type to brush off even a knife wound, but being scratched by nails was quite painful. He had never been scratched by human nails, but he had experienced Bokshil’s claws many times, so he knew how much it hurt.

Should I put some medicine on it?

Among the first-aid supplies he had brought from home was a healing ointment.

Thinking he’d feel better putting some ointment on it, he was about to move his heavy body when he suddenly felt something strange. Avoiding the nail marks, Seo Soohyun touched Gi Taeyeon’s bare skin. He always ran hot, but he was even hotter than usual today.

“Director.”

Seo Soohyun knelt and shook Gi Taeyeon. Contrary to his worries that the man wouldn’t wake up, Gi Taeyeon furrowed his brow and opened his eyes. Then, he suddenly reached out and wrapped his arm around Soohyun’s waist.

“I thought I had a bad dream… What are you doing sitting there?”

His voice, muffled against Soohyun’s neck, tickled his shoulder.

“I woke up because I wanted water.”

“Did you drink some?”

“Not yet.”

“Drink it later.”

“When?”

“When I wake up.”

“Are you going to sleep more?”

“Yes, I’m going to sleep more.”

He liked the weight of the man’s body pressing down on him, reminiscent of sleeping under a cotton comforter in winter, but it was a very difficult request at the moment. Seo Soohyun was truly thirsty.

I should have drunk some as soon as I woke up.

“Director, we should eat breakfast too.”

After a brief deliberation, he added another excuse. It was unclear whether it was morning or afternoon, but it was definitely daytime. The sunlight streaming through the undrawn curtains tickled his cheek.

“We’ll go out to eat later. I’ll buy you something delicious.”

“But I think you should wake up… Aren’t you busy?”

He didn’t want to wake the man up if he wanted to sleep more, but Gi Taeyeon was so heavy that it would take a while to get out from under him.

“Soohyun, your Director doesn’t remember how many suppressants he took yesterday.”

Gi Taeyeon sat up slightly, a frown etching between his brows, annoyance evident in his tone.

“So just stay like this for a bit. I’ll take good care of you.”

Something seemed to be bothering him.

“And. Are you hungry? That’s strange. I fed you plenty with your lower mouth, so you should be full.”

Even in this state, he continued his sexual harassment while kneading his buttocks.

“Well, you’re still a baby, so you’re growing.”

He had been talking about his lower mouth as if assessing something, but now he was grinning, treating Seo Soohyun like a growing child. Then, he pulled the omega beneath him back into his embrace, burying his face in his neck.

“Ugh.”

A groan escaped his lips at the weight.

It couldn’t be helped. Seo Soohyun finally gave up on waking Gi Taeyeon and waited for him to fall asleep. It happened much faster than he expected, much to his embarrassment.

Thanks to that, Soohyun was able to wriggle out of bed after another long while.

It was only after his third glass of water that Seo Soohyun replayed his conversation with Gi Taeyeon in his mind.

“Are there side effects from suppressants or something?”

Seo Soohyun pondered as he set down the glass.

Suppressants were similar to painkillers for betas. He thought that like any medicine, taking too much couldn’t be good.

“I think you should go to the hospital…”

On the other hand, he also felt optimistic, thinking that Gi Taeyeon, being a dominant, would be fine.

I’ll just have to wait and see.

Seo Soohyun made a light resolution and filled his glass with water again.

Is he really okay? After pondering for a long time, Soohyun carefully stepped out of bed. His buttocks, which had been spanked several times, were sore, and the area between them stung, but he felt a bit better after soaking in the hot water. He felt bad that he had washed up first and considered washing Gi Taeyeon – just like the man had done for him before – but it was obviously impossible. He felt strangely uneasy checking on Gi Taeyeon’s condition.

“Just in case…”

Seo Soohyun picked up Gi Taeyeon’s pants, which were scattered on the floor. As he suspected, the pockets were empty.

Should I tell his guards…? After confirming that there was no phone, he slowly walked towards the living room. Since the man’s condition seemed strange, it would be better to inform his guards or Secretary Seo.

‘It’s not like it’s really strange, but…’

It was odd that the man, usually so sensitive to any presence, was just sleeping soundly. He didn’t seem too worried, but he thought it would be better to tell them just in case.

Unfortunately, Seo Soohyun didn’t have the strength to carry the much larger man to the hospital. He had a strong back from carrying fertilizer bags, so he could probably manage it somehow, but that was only if Gi Taeyeon was conscious and he himself was in good condition. Carrying a sleeping person with a sore back was close to a miracle.

“Oh.”

As he was about to go out to the entrance, he noticed a phone lying nearby. Whether the man had dropped it or thrown it as he came in, the screen was cracked, but when he pressed the home button, the screen lit up.

“It’s my phone, not the Director’s?”

Instead of opening the front door, Seo Soohyun opened the internet browser on his phone and returned to the bedroom. Gi Taeyeon was still asleep.

Listening to the man’s breathing, Soohyun gently sat on the edge of the bed. He opened a portal site and typed in a search query.

Q Alpha suppressant side effects

Several articles appeared. After careful consideration, Seo Soohyun clicked on a post written by the most credible person. The nickname was SmartPharmacist.