Strategic Mating Partner Chapter 76

Oh. At that moment, Taehyun felt like his patience had finally snapped, and he exploded.

“You call that an answer? If I’d known you’d pull this, I never would’ve agreed to this!”

Taehyun glared at Sejin as if he’d grab him by the collar, but Sejin’s face had somehow calmed. The guy who’d been nervously watching Taehyun’s reactions moments ago had turned eerily composed after being caught, sending a chill down Taehyun’s spine. The response that followed was even more outrageous.

“I knew it would turn out like this.”

“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Taehyun’s heart was racing so fast that the world seemed filled with the deafening thud of his heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump. The overwhelming noise, far from reassuring, felt like it was squeezing his chest. Sejin looked at Taehyun with an unfamiliarly calm expression and said.

“I knew you wouldn’t just use me as a tool to manage your condition.”

Hah, Taehyun scoffed immediately.

“What nonsense. You’re really running your mouth.”

The fact that the word “dildo” came out of Sejin’s mouth was shocking in itself. Sure, now he casually talked about Taehyun’s cock or fluids, but when they first got together, Sejin was too shy to even say “cock.” Taehyun was thrown into confusion, unsure how much of the Sejin he knew was a lie and how much was real. Trying to sound tough, he shot back, but Sejin suddenly laughed. Staring at Taehyun’s face, he curved his eyes like a fox and smiled.

“…!?”

Before Taehyun could process his shock, Sejin spoke.

“Didn’t I do pretty well for my first time?”

What is this lunatic saying? What’s so funny? Taehyun almost recoiled as he retorted.

“Why are you suddenly talking crazy?”

“You have no choice but to love me, hyung.”

“What…”

Taehyun’s mind reeled at the incomprehensible words. What kind of nonsense was this guy spouting? Where was this confidence coming from? When did he become this weirdo? Was this some kind of rut aftermath? Questions swirled chaotically in his head, but there was no way to find answers. As Taehyun spiraled into panic, Sejin looked at him with a smiling face. The expression, dripping with affection as if looking at a lover, sent another chill through Taehyun.

“No one knows what you like, what you hate, what annoys you, what you need, or what your problems are better than I do. I can solve everything you need.”

Taehyun was dumbfounded. Who asked you to do that? Who said I needed you? He immediately snapped.

“No matter what, I’ll never feel the same way, so stop talking nonsense.”

But Sejin didn’t back down, standing firm. It was like his cock when he was still unsatisfied, clinging to Taehyun.

“No. You came here because you’re worried about me. You’re upset because you’re shaken by me, aren’t you?”

Taehyun was speechless again. Seizing the moment, Sejin quickly covered Taehyun’s mouth.

“But you can’t reject me, hyung. Go ahead and compare me to others. I’m your best choice. I’m good at waiting. I’m not asking for an answer now, so you can think it over slowly. We can keep things as they are, and you can answer later. Preparing for the competition is the priority, right?”

“…….”

Taehyun was truly at a loss for words. His mind went blank from the barrage of shocking statements. So, this was all a trap aimed at him from the start. He couldn’t understand why Sejin was so obsessed with him. It all just felt bizarre. Why? Joo Sejin could surely find someone much better, so why?

Moreover, Sejin already knew all about Taehyun’s family situation. He knew about the father who’d cling to Taehyun like a lifelong curse, and that unless that father died in some accident, Taehyun would never escape that anxiety. Knowing all that, why? Taehyun’s blood ran cold at the plausible fear that if his father learned Sejin liked him, he might try to extort or blackmail Sejin. That couldn’t happen.

That was why Taehyun, despite his past lovers—public figures themselves—wanting to flaunt dating the “everyone’s lover” Sung Taehyun, had adamantly refused public relationships. He feared his cursed family ties might not end with him and could harm those around him. Knowing how much Taehyun dreaded that, how could Sejin claim to be his best choice? Was he sane? A flood of thoughts churned in his mind, and then Sejin’s earlier words resurfaced.

Compare me to others. In the midst of all this, was that even important? But that one line was so absurd and grating that Taehyun couldn’t help but ask.

“…You really think I can go meet someone else?”

Sejin, who’d been smiling smugly like a victor, instantly lost his grin.

“Sorry, that was a lie.”

The sudden shift was so ridiculous that Taehyun burst into hollow laughter. If you’re going to lie, at least stick to it. Why admit it so quickly? It was so absurd he could only laugh. Taehyun, half-crazed, laughed and cried, clutching his head.

“I really don’t know what to do with you. I don’t even know what’s happening anymore.”

Sejin glanced at Taehyun cautiously and replied.

“You could just try dating me, like a practice match.”

A practice match, my ass. Taehyun covered his face with his hands, screaming internally. Why did this happen? How did it come to this? Damn it, I should’ve known this guy wasn’t just any lunatic when he started spouting nonsense like “you’re the best omega, hyung.” I should’ve run away instead of coming here. I should’ve ignored whether Sejin ruined his training or the Olympics, left it to his own fate, his own life.

But Taehyun knew himself better than anyone. As Sejin said, he wouldn’t have done that. And he didn’t. He came here on his own to check if something was wrong because of him. Knowing full well Sejin was in rut, he still thought “he’s kind of cute” and went along kissing him. It was all his own indecision. He should’ve rejected Sejin back in that hotel room as a mating partner, saying this kind of crazy stuff wasn’t good for either of them! It was so humiliating and embarrassing to think he’d been naively thinking “haha, we really get along well haha.” Am I an idiot? There’s no bigger fool than me. Taehyun practically screamed.

“I don’t care! I can’t accept you. Go ahead and pine alone. Keep digging your own grave without a goalpost.”

Just then, the delivery bell rang, and Sejin, instead of answering, quickly threw on clothes and left the room. He returned with a pizza box, still addressing the naked Taehyun with another outrageous comment.

“Eat the pizza and think again. You need carbs to make rational decisions, hyung.”

Who’s he calling a carb junkie? Taehyun burst into incredulous laughter. Sejin seized the moment to explain.

“You know, hyung.”

“What.”

“Carbs break down into sugars with digestive enzymes, making you feel good. The human brain is pretty simple—it adapts to respond to consistent stimuli when you’re feeling good. If you eat tasty food with me, you’ll form a positive impression of me.”

Taehyun was stunned again. That was a direct quote from a paper he’d presented in his junior year, in a lecture called “Healthy Diet Management and Effective Diet Guidance.”