Strategic Mating Partner Chapter 54

“Don’t tease me.”

Sejin glared at Taehyun with a trembling, indignant face, as if he’d been mocked, but despite the urge to tease him further, Taehyun considered Sejin’s sensitivity and decided to stop there.

“Alright, alright, I got it. I won’t say anything and just eat quietly.”

“…”

Sejin still looked displeased, but Taehyun didn’t mind and slathered butter and sauce generously on a piece of bread before popping it into his mouth. How could he be so cute, how… Was this just how kids his age were? Not only had Sejin opened up to him, but he’d gone even further to prepare this adorable gesture of gratitude, and it felt like it was tickling somewhere in Taehyun’s heart.

Whether Taehyun was thinking that or not, Sejin just wanted to escape somewhere. The moment Taehyun reached out to ruffle his hair, Taehyun’s upper body leaned forward, and through the loose V-neck T-shirt, his thick upper chest was fully exposed. Sejin felt guilty, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, and lowered his head to avoid looking. Did Taehyun think Sejin was offering his head to be petted because he wanted it? Taehyun kept ruffling his hair enthusiastically, and Sejin was too flustered to even tell him to stop. This felt weird. It was as if he’d become a bad kid. Why was he so hyper-aware of a guy’s chest? Even he couldn’t make sense of it.

By the time Sejin managed to calm his chaotic feelings and finish the meal, things were somehow veering in a direction he hadn’t intended.

“Can I crash here tonight? It’s not that far, but going home feels like a hassle, and I’m heading to the center early in the morning anyway.”

His training clothes were washed and managed at the center, so that wasn’t an issue. Sejin wanted to refuse immediately, but for some reason, saying no felt like it would reveal that he was overly conscious of Taehyun, so the words wouldn’t come out easily. Who cares, anyway? If he thought about it rationally, it was absurd, but right now, rational judgment wasn’t happening.

“Do whatever’s comfortable for you.”

In the end, Sejin reluctantly gave Taehyun his bed and pulled out a winter blanket to spread on the floor for himself. Taehyun insisted that, as a guest, he couldn’t let a growing teenager sleep on the floor while he took the bed, and stubbornly lay down on the blanket. Sejin argued that it bothered him more, urging Taehyun to take the bed, but it was no use.

“Why be so stubborn about this…”

Sejin was dumbfounded, but he couldn’t break the resolve of this overly friendly guy who’d already decided to stay. He’d gotten this far because he couldn’t overcome that stubbornness in the first place. Letting out a long sigh, Sejin accepted the disaster he’d brought upon himself. Don’t look, don’t think about it. After lending Taehyun a spare T-shirt for pajamas, Sejin regretted his decision within ten minutes.

“It’s a bit tight… Is it really embarrassing?”

Right before bed, as soon as Taehyun put on the T-shirt Sejin lent him for lounging, he knew instantly. This was… well… The stretchy fabric wasn’t uncomfortable, but still… The sports brand logo on the chest was stretched so tight it looked like he was wearing a skin-tight shirt, with every muscle clearly outlined.

“…!”

Sejin, who’d been trying so hard not to notice, held his breath and turned his head to avoid staring at the chest suddenly thrust in front of him. Taehyun, in turn, was shocked by the reaction. Was it that bad? He’d thought his body wasn’t exactly unattractive, but seeing Sejin react so strongly stung a little. It wasn’t that bad, was it? But with such a harsh reaction, he didn’t have the confidence to keep wearing it.

“Geez, is it that weird? Sorry, I borrowed it and all. I’ll just sleep in my own clothes.”

Then, right in front of Sejin, he yanked off the shirt. Unaware that it would shock Sejin even more, Taehyun left Sejin speechless at the sudden strip show. Taehyun’s bare torso was, quite literally, a chiseled wall of muscle. Not bulky, but perfectly toned and lean, with broad shoulders flowing into finely sculpted trapezius muscles and meticulously carved muscles beneath. His thick chest cast a shadow under the light brown nipples and areolas. For someone as sensitive as Sejin, it was an overly provocative sight.

“Alright, I’ll just sleep like this.”

Only after Taehyun quickly put his own shirt back on could Sejin finally calm his racing heart. Was he crazy? Why would he strip like that in front of someone so casually… Swallowing silent screams, Sejin realized there was nothing strange about it. Taehyun was a guy, and so was Sejin. Sure, if it was an alpha-omega dynamic, it might be a bit awkward, but people usually didn’t think that far. Unless someone explicitly revealed their traits, it was common to assume they were beta.

“I’m going to sleep. You should too.”

Unfazed by Sejin’s turmoil, Taehyun lay down on the blanket and closed his eyes as if nothing had happened. In the end, Sejin was the only one left wrestling with complex feelings through the night. Why did he have to show off like that in front of me? Was it on purpose? Or was it an unconscious act because he didn’t care about Sejin at all? As Sejin tossed and turned, overanalyzing that one small action, it was nearly dawn. He knew he needed to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t come.

“…”

It felt unfair somehow. Sejin was being tossed around and stirred up, while the carefree, oblivious guy in front of him didn’t seem to notice him at all. It was like he was just playfully teasing a neighborhood puppy. Sejin couldn’t understand why he felt so unsettled. Why? Until now, the only thing that kept him up at night was fencing—why he lost, why he reacted that way, unable to accept it. This was the first time a person had made him so restless. His stomach churned, making him nauseous.

“…”

If he went to the bathroom to throw up, he’d have to step over Taehyun’s head. After a moment’s hesitation, Sejin covered his mouth and tried to fall back asleep. Despite a few close calls, he managed to survive the night with his eyes open.

🤺

After surviving that night of crisis, Sejin no longer had to face Taehyun. Starting Monday, Sejin returned to group training, and it seemed Taehyun had resumed training with his event’s team as well. Had his ankle issue been resolved? Sejin was quietly curious but lacked the courage to ask Taehyun directly.

The new group training was slightly different from what he’d learned in France, so it took some time to adjust, but thankfully, the atmosphere wasn’t like before. Dividing the training teams by specific events was a huge help, and for some reason, everyone seemed to be making an effort to be more accommodating toward Sejin. Whether they liked it or not, they were a team bound by fate for the group event, so they were more cautious.

Had they all been scolded before he joined? Since Sejin wouldn’t clash unless provoked, he was able to train smoothly with the other athletes. In fact, after some serious practice matches, some athletes started to acknowledge his skills and approached him first.

“Wow, your hands are huge. How tall are you?”

During a break after the afternoon’s first training session, as everyone was panting, wiping sweat, and rehydrating, a female athlete approached Sejin with sparkling eyes.

“178… I think.”

Since she seemed a year older, Sejin used polite speech, but the female athlete, introducing herself as Ms. Kim Seoyoung, burst out laughing.

“Why so formal? I’m nineteen too. You can speak casually.”

It turned out she was one of only two teenage athletes, alongside Sejin, among the eight competing in the épée team. Seoyoung looked up at his head and added abruptly.

“No way, you seem taller than that.”