Strategic Mating Partner Chapter 32

“Te es….”

Muttering something incomprehensible again and abruptly throwing open the door, Taehyun quickly lowered the door stopper at the bottom of the door and wedged his cast into the gap. It was a device designed to withstand even a car tire rolling over it, as long as it wasn’t sawed through. He wasn’t about to be defeated by a mere door. Taehyun grinned at Sejin, who was staring at him with a bewildered expression.

“Fancy seeing you again so soon? It bothered me that I didn’t properly introduce myself yesterday.”

He added, holding onto the doorframe with one hand and the door with the other. He was confident in his grip strength.

“I’m Sung Taehyun, and I’m here at the request of Manager Shin Hoyong to help you adjust to Korea.”

Informing Sejin that he had come at the company’s request, just in case he was reported to the police and to prevent being charged as a stalker, made Sejin flinch. His face still showed vigilance, although he seemed to understand. This kid understands Korean perfectly fine. Taehyun was certain after seeing Sejin’s reaction. Judging by his face, full of hostility towards a stranger, it seemed he had no idea who Taehyun was or what he did.

Hoyong had said he explained everything, from his sport to his reputation. It seemed highly likely that Sejin either listened with one ear and let it out the other, or Hoyong simply sent a text message and Sejin didn’t bother reading it. Regardless, Taehyun put on a brazen smile. Sejin tried to push Taehyun away and close the door, pulling the doorknob inwards, but his efforts were clearly visible as he struggled with the unmoving door, surprised by Taehyun’s strength.

“Qu’est-ce que….”

As soon as Sejin started babbling again, Taehyun calmly interrupted him.

“Sorry, but I can’t understand anything unless you speak Korean. Anyway, I just came to give you this, so you don’t have to be so wary. I was worried you weren’t eating properly, so I came by.”

Before Sejin could refuse, Taehyun thrust the lunchbox into his arms. He had specifically requested a proper insulated lunchbox instead of disposable containers to keep the contents warm, so it was sure to still be steaming hot. Taehyun spoke to Sejin again with his brazen smile.

“That bread is from a really famous bakery. Something like a bakery on the Champs-Élysées, I think. Anyway, it’s super famous, so I thought it might suit your taste. I won’t ask for money, just make sure you eat it all.”

Similarly, without giving Sejin any time to protest, he finished what he had to say.

“I’ll see you at the center tomorrow.”

Simultaneously, he lifted his toes to release the door stopper and let go of the doorknob. With a bang, the door slammed shut from the force Sejin had been applying. Taehyun hurried down the stairs before the stunned Sejin could regain his composure. His gait was clumsy because he couldn’t use one foot, but fortunately, Sejin didn’t follow him.

Pant, pant. After finally catching his breath and making his way outside, Taehyun looked up at where Sejin’s window should be. Sure enough, a shocked Sejin was glaring down at him from behind the window. When Taehyun brazenly looked up and waved, the curtains abruptly closed. Taehyun burst into laughter at the comically predictable reaction.

Ah, he’s a funny one. It was hilarious how he was hissing like a stray cat wary of strangers. Of course, he understood that it was Sejin’s way of expressing his anger and stress, but it was amusing how Sejin stubbornly spoke French even though he clearly understood Korean (probably trying to drive him away by pretending not to understand), and how he was picking only the most hostile reactions with his defenses up. It was all a clear indication of how scared and lonely he was, which made Taehyun laugh even more.

‘For a child’s tantrum, it’s… a bit much.’

It wasn’t like there weren’t others who acted similarly. And Taehyun had a rather wicked enjoyment of handling such people. Just as he had been in his younger days, he liked believing in people’s potential and the moment he was rewarded for it. People could change. They could learn and transform through others. Of course, there were also those who didn’t. But at least until he gave up on them, he wanted to extend a hand. Precisely because his own life had been changed by such insignificant acts of kindness.

So, this time as well, he wanted to do what he could.

‘Well, even the governor of Pyeongyang can’t force someone to like him.’

Humming a tune, Taehyun called a taxi. He could have walked home from there, but since he had already exerted himself climbing the stairs, he thought it best to rest. In any case, he casually hoped the food would suit Sejin’s taste and returned home.

°❀•°❀°•❀°

And the next day, Taehyun headed to the private training room at the time he was told Sejin would be there. Since it was a solo training session due to internal disciplinary action, with no coaches or supervisors present, he figured slipping in wouldn’t disrupt any team schedules. Though Sejin himself might be annoyed. Regardless, Taehyun boldly entered Sejin’s training room without even knocking. The moment the door burst open, Sejin frowned and glared at him.

“Hi. Fancy seeing you again?”

Sejin was taken aback by the casual greeting, as if they had bumped into each other on the street, when Taehyun had just walked into the room. He reacted as if he had never met such a brazen, thick-skinned person in his life. However, Taehyun wouldn’t be swayed by such a reaction. You might have seen me for the first time in the last few days, but I see myself in the mirror every day when I wash my face. He looked at Sejin with an utterly confident expression and sat down in front of the door, blocking the exit.

“…….”

Sejin was about to say something in French again, but abruptly turned his head as if he didn’t even want to look at Taehyun. Taehyun didn’t provoke him further and simply sat by the door, observing him. Sejin kept glancing at Taehyun, conscious of his presence, then, as if deciding he couldn’t just do nothing, he sat back in front of the machine and started to get into position.

“…….”

In the ensuing silence, Sejin seemed to have finally succeeded in ignoring Taehyun and silently pulled the barbell, lifting it. Only then could Taehyun quietly observe how Sejin used his body.

It was obvious at a glance, but Sejin had a long, lean physique. It wasn’t just his height; his whole body had a sleek feel to it. He had a broad frame, but his muscles were lean and not bulky, giving him a slender, almost thin appearance. It wasn’t the gauntness of someone who didn’t eat well, but rather the physique of a fit, good-looking model. He wasn’t as heavily built, a distinct contrast to Taehyun, who was somewhat far from slender.

‘Since reach is important in his sport, it’s natural for him to have long limbs.’

Taehyun recalled the standoff with Sejin from the previous day, separated by a single door. Sejin’s eye level had been just slightly lower than his. Taehyun was around 183cm tall, so Sejin seemed to be in the late 170s or around 180cm. At eighteen in Korean age, he was still growing. He could potentially grow to the mid or late 180s by adulthood. He’ll really look like a model when he’s fully grown. Taehyun continued to observe Sejin intently, lost in thought.

How much longer did he watch? Sejin silently lifted weights until he emptied his water bottle. He gradually increased the weight, carefully adjusting it to avoid straining his muscles, looking like he was used to training alone. Yawn. Getting bored, Taehyun yawned widely and stood up. While he generally liked people, he didn’t have the hobby of blankly watching someone else exercise without doing anything himself or interacting with them. It had been somewhat interesting at first, but since he wasn’t assisting Sejin and couldn’t do his own workout, he quickly lost interest and his eyes started to glaze over.

That’s enough for today. Taehyun stretched his stiff body, dusted off his pants, and stood up. As Taehyun, who had been blocking the entrance like a gatekeeper, rose from his spot, Sejin glanced at him, his face still full of suspicion.