Strategic Mating Partner Chapter 12

It was kind of funny, wasn’t it, to reach out first after dodging the issue like that. But considering Taehyun had once unilaterally cut off all contact and gone silent, if Sejin had tried to reach him during that time, he would have been met with a string of messages saying the number was temporarily out of service, which would have left a strong impression. Sejin might even think Taehyun had changed his number for good. As Taehyun anxiously tapped the bezel of his phone with his fingertip, the darkened screen suddenly lit up with a pop.

“Oh!”

He hurriedly unlocked the phone and opened the screen, only to feel his excitement deflate. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the message he had been waiting for.

An Jimin

What’s up, hyung? 2:54 PM

At the fitness center now? 2:54 PM

It was from a rower who was giving his all to boost his performance ahead of the national team’s training camp. His name was An Jimin, wasn’t it? Four years younger than Taehyun, he had gone to the same university, though in a different department, and they had a friendly rapport. Without corporate sponsorship, Jimin had competed under a district office’s amateur team until last year’s World Championships, where he stood out among domestic athletes with exceptional results, earning significant attention. Thanks to his tall, striking stature and handsome appearance, he had built a sizable fanbase despite being in a less popular sport. His name had been somewhat known even before his breakthrough, but after narrowly reaching the medal range at the World Championships, he was now hailed as a next-generation rookie with high expectations.

The world of sports is, after all, a part of show business. Visibility matters, and anything that stands out becomes either an asset or a liability. Outstanding performance, personal charm—whatever it is, if you have a noticeable talent, it naturally helps. Appearance is no exception. Jimin constantly complained that people only ever talked about his looks, but was it fair to grumble when those looks drew attention and landed him advertising deals to make a living? The situation was a bit different, but Taehyun had been the original poster boy for attracting attention with his appearance, so perhaps Jimin felt some camaraderie and frequently reached out.

2:54 PM

Yup

With a sigh, Taehyun sent a reply, and Jimin responded almost immediately.

An Jimin

I’m almost there too 2:54 PM

Wanna do some intervals together? 2:54 PM

Unfortunately, Taehyun had already finished his cardio for the day. 2:55 PM

Nah 2:55 PM

Just gonna stretch and head out

Maybe if the timing lined up, they’d run into each other briefly. Taehyun replied casually, and when the screen went dark, it lit up again shortly after. Was Jimin going to whine about sticking around until Taehyun joined him? He wasn’t some kid who couldn’t go to the bathroom without a friend, yet at twenty-four, he was nagging to do basic training together—what a laugh. Taehyun was about to send a curt “Nah” no matter what Jimin said, but then he noticed the notification at the top wasn’t from the messaging app but a text message.

Oh, right, this was what he’d been waiting for. Another notification popped up, indicating a new messenger message, but Taehyun ignored it effortlessly and opened the text.

Training ends at 7 2:56 PM

Thankfully, it seemed Sejin had figured out exactly who it was. Or maybe he’d already gotten Taehyun’s number through the agency. Taehyun mentally grumbled about how the agency hadn’t even told him who the other party was, despite their confidentiality protocols, before snapping back to focus. Seven o’clock… Taehyun checked whether his personal training routine would be done by then and sent a reply.

2:56 PM

Then I’ll swing by your place around 9

Since it wasn’t exactly a wholesome conversation they’d be having, it would be better to talk at Sejin’s house or in a car rather than a public place like a café. Time crawled by as Taehyun anxiously awaited a response. One minute, two minutes… then three. The clock at the top of the screen kept ticking, but no reply came from Sejin. What was going on? Was he training and unable to check his phone? Taehyun didn’t know what Sejin was up to, but as someone expected to “obviously” secure a gold medal, he was surely engrossed in training at this very moment.

‘Well, what can you do.’

It’s not like Sejin could cling to his phone while in the middle of intense focus. Taehyun took a deep breath and wiped the long-cooled sweat from his body with a sports towel. Starting training with muscles stiffened from slight tension was a recipe for injury. He needed to warm up again quickly. Just as he was about to leave the meeting room, the screen lit up.

Sure. Call me when you’re nearby 3:09 PM

Taehyun let out a wry smile at the hard-won message. The stiff, almost inhumanly formal tone was so quintessentially Joo Sejin.

3:10 PM

Got it

With confirmation secured, it was time to focus on stretching again. As he shoved his phone into his pocket and headed toward the fitness center’s stretching room, a voice interrupted.

“Whoa! What the heck, why aren’t you checking your messages?”

A familiar face, beaming with a cheerful grin, slung an arm around Taehyun’s neck. Recognizing the person who had suddenly pounced on him, Taehyun laughed and shrugged off Jimin’s arm.

“What do you mean, what? You’re just gonna whine about me running with you again. I’m done with cardio for today. I’m just gonna stretch and head to my event training.”

If it were the national team’s group training, Taehyun could spar one-on-one with assistant athletes, but right now, with event-specific training camps approaching, he was preparing for competitions on his own. Practicing individually to refine his posture and master movements—faster, more accurately, without wavering, aiming for the target—was what he needed to do now. Taehyun waved his hand dismissively, and Jimin placed a hand on Taehyun’s shoulder, asking,

“Want me to help? Stretching’s better with two people than alone, you know.”

Having a partner wouldn’t hurt, but Taehyun didn’t need one right now. He brushed Jimin’s hand off his shoulder and said,

“Nah, I’m good. My foam roller’s enough for me today. Go focus on your intervals before I tell Coach Kim.”

At Taehyun’s playful response, Jimin yelped in mock horror and stepped back. Even if their events were different, there were countless ways to build connections in the sports world. Same university, same municipal team, same agency, or even just happening to share the same floor in a training dorm due to overlapping schedules—the opportunities were endless. It was the same with Jimin’s coach, Coach Kim In-sik. A bond could form just from being at the same event or waiting together for a team disbandment ceremony. Likely the most well-connected athlete among active competitors, Taehyun’s teasing threat made Jimin jump back in exaggerated panic.

“Ugh, that’s low! Fine, but next time, we’re running together.”

As if it made a huge difference whether someone was next to you on a treadmill, each set to your own settings. Taehyun let out a scoff and waved his hand. Soon, other athletes still focused on their individual training began trickling in, and Taehyun gave a quick wave before heading to the stretching room.

The firm yet cushioned mat on the floor supported his feet solidly. As he bent into position and slowly released the tension in his running-strained muscles, his body began to warm up. Targeting the points of discomfort, he carefully massaged the muscles from his toes up to the inner thighs, and his body gradually loosened.

‘Alright, that’s good.’

As Taehyun finished warming up, stood, and raised his head, he caught sight of Jimin—who should have been focused on his own running—staring at him through the transparent window. Ugh. Taehyun scrunched his face as if to say he’d really tell on him for not focusing, and Jimin hurriedly turned away, flustered.

Was it because Jimin was an alpha? Taehyun had been taking suppressants to lower his pheromone levels to competition-acceptable limits until today, so there was no way Jimin could have sensed he was an omega through pheromones. Whether it was instinctual attraction or just Taehyun misinterpreting Jimin’s personal reliance, it was starting to get on his nerves.

‘Maybe I should change my gym hours.’

Since his ideal routine was waking up early and sleeping early, he couldn’t shift his waking hours, but finding a private facility or reducing contact might be the way to go. Even though Taehyun kept his messenger replies as dry as possible, Jimin was increasingly crossing boundaries, seemingly fixated on something.

Plenty of people had feelings for Taehyun beyond mere acquaintance. With or without stellar competition results, a handsome, good-natured guy who dominated commercials and variety shows, financially secure and physically fit, was bound to be popular wherever he went. Add to that a personality that couldn’t stand to see others struggle and often stepped in to help, and it was inevitable he’d get caught up in unintended misunderstandings.