The Evolution of Species Chapter 4.2 - Fox Hunt 2

I shrugged my shoulders.

“It’s a job.”

“A job?”

“Yeah.”

I’m not an amateur, so I don’t move for personal reasons. Chasing the platform is no different.

As Kwon Sinwoo fell silent, I stroked the corner of his eye and spoke again.

“Don’t worry. It’s not a job to steal your ledger or anything like that. I just need to collect the payment.”

“Payment?”

His thick, distinct eyebrows arched, narrowing the space between them and forming a faint wrinkle. I pressed my finger firmly against that crease.

“The platform sold someone.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t just one person. But to me, one was what mattered.

“The payment is the price of that life.”

“Revenge?”

“It’s a job, I said.”

His shoulders stiffened rigidly. I slid my finger slowly from his brow, tracing the sharp lines of his temple and cheek. My hand paused at his tense jaw. The perfectly sculpted jawbone twitched slightly.

“Don’t be jealous. It’s cute.”

Kwon Sinwoo narrowed his eyes. I chuckled and slowly ran my hand down from his jaw to his neck.

As I caressed the flawless, strong, unblemished body of this fully grown Alpha, I thought about my client. A frail body, small stature, disabled, and a boy with bright, sparkling eyes.

“Just a kid. An unlucky one.”

That kid had hired me and died before he could pay.

But a true professional completes the job even if the client dies. One way or another. And I know exactly how to finish a job.

“That kid’s lucky.”

Kwon Sinwoo’s low, heavy voice broke through. I could hear his heartbeat from the chest pressed against me.

“To have entrusted his life’s price to you… isn’t that an extravagant privilege?”

Cute jealousy.

I playfully bit the tip of his nose. Kwon Sinwoo flinched, his shoulders tensing. I stroked the corner of his eye and whispered.

“Nothing’s a privilege to a dead person. So no need to be jealous.”

His grip tightened on my hand.

The dim light streaming through the front window cast fleeting shadows across the Alpha’s face. His cheeks were slightly flushed, his lips moist. With his eyes half-lowered, his flushed cheeks were shaded by his eyelashes.

My heart started pounding hard.

I grabbed his shoulders with both hands, flipped my body to the side, and climbed on top of him. His body was firm and resilient, his broad chest stable enough to hold me. I leaned down and kissed him immediately. By now, I was used to kissing. I gently pressed my lips to his, tilting my head slightly and slipping my tongue in. Slowly… as our tongues intertwined, melting into each other… sparks flashed before my eyes. My breath quickened, like I was sprinting up the Andes.

Then Kwon Sinwoo grabbed my arms, gently but firmly pushing me back.

I snapped my head up.

My ragged breaths poured through my nose.

At some point, I’d straddled his lower abdomen, legs spread.

“Why?”

I looked down at Kwon Sinwoo with hazy eyes.

His face was relaxed, too. His lips were wet, his dark eyes glistening.

“Why?”

I asked again. Our lips drew closer.

“No.”

Kwon Sinwoo tilted his jaw back, dodging my lips. Instead, my lips pressed against the side of his jaw. A soft smacking sound followed.

“I’m fine…”

I soothed him.

The space between my legs still tingled a bit, but it wasn’t unbearable. In fact, recalling the sex from an hour ago was turning the tingling into a sweet ache. My navel tightened.

But Kwon Sinwoo’s next words caught me off guard.

“There’s no condom.”

?

I tilted my head slightly, looking down at him. Then I glanced at the console by the bed.

“There’s some right there.”

A box of condoms sat tilted on the console. A few empty wrappers from an hour ago were scattered messily around it.

“We used them all.”

Kwon Sinwoo whispered in my ear, as if sharing a grand secret.

“No way…”

I could’ve sworn we just bought them…

I reached for the box and rummaged inside. My fingers only caught crinkling empty wrappers. No way. Already? Not even one left…

I turned back and glared at Kwon Sinwoo.

“Why didn’t you restock?”

Isn’t keeping condoms stocked an Alpha’s duty?

“Sorry.”

As he apologized, he slowly rubbed his lips against my earlobe. The soft, slightly textured lips grazed my ear, his breath slipping into my ear canal, sending shivers down my spine and raising the hairs on my neck. A low, rumbling breath escaped me. My lower abdomen tightened, and I felt myself getting wet again between my legs.

“I’ll use my mouth instead.”

Kwon Sinwoo whispered.

Before I could fully process his words, he placed his hands on my shoulders and flipped me over. As my back sank into the bed, my legs shot up.

Kwon Sinwoo, now holding my knees, buried his face between my thighs without hesitation.

“Hngh, uhh…!”

His lips engulfed my penis. The sensation of being sucked into his wet, hot mouth sent a jolt through my hips and abdomen, a scream escaping me instinctively.

“No, no! Ah, ah, ah, ah!”

His refined lips devoured my penis greedily. His elegant, pearl-white forehead was furrowed in focus, his eyes drooping loosely, a faint smile clashing with the lewd act. The contrast was unbearably raw. The wet, smacking sounds of him sucking echoed loudly, and at some point, he slipped a finger between my hips.

“Ahhh!”

My body tensed, a scream tearing out.

Each time his finger probed inside, a wet, splashing sound rang out, and Kwon Sinwoo sucked my penis fiercely.

A light orgasm, like being pulled up and dropped, hit repeatedly. Each time, I writhed, legs spread, thrashing.

“No, no! I want it inside, inside…!”

I couldn’t take it anymore. The Alpha with his head buried between my legs was relentless. I gripped his hair with both hands.

“Ugh…!”

Kwon Sinwoo let out a short cry and lifted his head. His face came into view, his refined cheeks and forehead smeared with my fluids. Breathing heavily, I pushed against the mattress with my elbows, flipping my body. With my other arm, I grabbed his neck and bit down hard. He exhaled in pain but didn’t push me away, instead wrapping his arms around me.

We rolled twice across the mattress, locked in an embrace. I climbed on top of him, teetering at the edge of the king-sized bed, pinning him down.

“Haa, haa…”

The space between my legs was already soaked. I was open enough below. I reached down and gripped Kwon Sinwoo’s penis tightly. It throbbed fiercely. The head was pronounced, fully erect, the shaft rigid with pulsing veins. I traced it slowly with my fingers. Each time my fingertips caught on a vein, he grimaced, breathing raggedly.

He looked up at me.

“Hakyung, not now…”

“I’ll just put it in and pull out.”

I whispered, guiding his penis to my entrance.

The blunt tip pressed against me. It was slick, slippery. It kept sliding between my hips. I struggled to take it in.

My entire body was drenched in sweat.

The Alpha beneath me writhed roughly. His chest was soaked with sweat, his lean, muscular torso glistening.

For the umpteenth time, his penis slipped out from below me. A frustrated moan escaped me, my hips twitching.

“Why, why won’t it…”

In that moment, Kwon Sinwoo let out a savage breath, grabbed both my wrists, and pulled. As my body was yanked, he sat up, shifting positions. My body fell toward the bed. We rolled another half-turn. My face sank into the soft mattress. From behind, Kwon Sinwoo pressed down on me. His breathing came closer to my ear. His hand grabbed my jaw, turning it, and his lips touched the corner of my mouth.

“Mmm…”

Our lips met and parted several times, the kiss lingering, and as I melted into its sweetness, he thrust inside me in one swift motion.

“Ah! Ah! Aaaaah!”

A long scream tore out. Kwon Sinwoo let my lips go, allowing me to cry out.

His hand gripped my penis. As he squeezed beneath the head, fluid spurted out like I was ejaculating.

“Hngh, hah, ah, ah, ah…”

His penis, now inside me, pulled back slightly before thrusting in fiercely again.

“Ah, ah! Ah!”

A scream leaked out.

It felt like being struck inside with each thrust. My penis released something again. My body clenched, hands and feet trembling. My toes curled as something like an orgasm, but more intense, overwhelmed me.

“Hah, hngh, ah, ah, no, no, ah, ah, aah…”

As I writhed, Kwon Sinwoo hugged me tightly from behind. His arms pulled my abdomen close. His penis moved inside me, the wet, slapping sounds relentless. The walls inside me clenched fiercely against the friction, my body convulsing each time he reached deep inside my navel. It was too deep, too strong.

“St-stop, stop… ah, ah, too deep…!”

His thick arms tightly gripped my chest and abdomen. In that position, he thrust hard below. Each powerful piston-like motion—thud, thud—struck my hips painfully, his penis hitting inside me. My navel ached, my body trembling. I clawed at his forearms, digging in my nails. Even as his skin tore and blood dripped, he didn’t let go.

“Ah, ahh, ahh, ahh! Ahh! Ah! Ah!”

Kwon Sinwoo, pinning me so I couldn’t move, lowered his head and buried his lips in the nape of my neck. The sensation of his lips was chillingly vivid. As they sucked my neck and his teeth bit down hard, a piercing pleasure, like an ice pick, shot through me.

Good, bad—contradictory words swirled chaotically in my mind. I wasn’t sure which, if any, I actually said.

His low groan, like scraping stone in a cave, mingled with my breaths.

At some point, he tried to pull out. My hips instinctively lifted.

“No, don’t… ah!”

I realized something was wrong a moment later. His penis didn’t come out, as if it were stuck. Panicking, I squirmed, but it only went deeper. The deep penetration loosened my knees, my tongue tangling.

“What, what’s this, ah!”

A real scream tore out.

I thrashed, trying to free myself from whatever it was. Each movement tore painfully below, but I didn’t stop. I reached back, pushing against Kwon Sinwoo’s body and biting his hand.

“Hakyung, Hakyung!”

Kwon Sinwoo called my name.

His voice was gentle.

“It’s okay. Don’t move. It’ll be fine in a moment. It’s not strange.”

He held me tightly with both arms, pressing me to the bed to stop my struggling, whispering in my ear.

“It’s okay… calm down. It’s alright.”

Strangely, his voice slowly calmed me.

“Haa, haa, haa… this…”

I barely caught my breath. As the panic subsided, my heartbeat—thud, thud, thud—filled the space distantly.

He was still inside me. His penis remained erect, and my body was so sensitive I could feel its contours and ridges.

Only then did I notice Kwon Sinwoo was also breathing heavily with excitement. His heartbeat was too loud. His sweat-slicked chest pressed against my back. And his breathing. That gentle voice whispering it’s okay…

“Is this knotting?”

It took a while for Kwon Sinwoo to answer.

“…Yes. I’m sorry.”

I didn’t say anything, just stayed still.

It felt like we were melting into one. The sound of his heartbeat from behind. His pheromones. Everything blended until I couldn’t tell what belonged to whom.

I closed my eyes. My breathing slowly steadied. The earlier panic gave way to a peace that felt almost eternal.

Despite being drenched in sweat, it didn’t feel bad. No, it felt good.

“I…”

I whispered, still a bit dazed.

“I think… I like this…”

Kwon Sinwoo didn’t respond, just buried his nose in my nape, inhaling deeply as if savoring my scent. His chest swelled, pressing harder against me. The slight pressure of an Alpha’s weight wasn’t unpleasant. His pheromones enveloped me. A dreamy, floating haze, like being high, lingered.

“Your pheromones…”

I mumbled softly.

“They’re so good…”

Are all Alpha pheromones this good? Or is Kwon Sinwoo special? Because he’s my first Alpha? Would my second Alpha feel this good? My third? My fourth? Could it be even better? Questions swirled in my mind. Some might’ve slipped out of my mouth.

I fell into a deep sleep. Or I think I did.

I had a dream, nothing too special. I rode a Stegosaurus across an emerald sky, ate three hundred servings of consomé soup, fries, and onion rings, and swam in a lake of Diet Coke. A white yacht floated on the cola lake. Kwon Sinwoo waved to me from it. As I swam toward him, waves began to crash in the cola lake. Then I woke up.

Maybe because I’d been swept by cola waves in the dream, my body felt heavy. My limbs felt limp, not my own, and I was lethargic. I didn’t want to get up. It was the first time since the morning I was supposed to go golfing with my dad at thirteen. (I hate golf, but I hate my dad’s friends’ kids even more.)

My heavy body sank deeper into the mattress.

“Hakyung.”

A ticklish, sweet voice woke me.

“Are you okay?”

A firm, soft, slightly warm hand slowly stroked my lower abdomen.

“Want to stay in bed? Should I get you something to drink?”

“Mmm…”

I barely opened my bleary eyes.

Kwon Sinwoo’s face came into view, his eyes crinkling with a smile. His face was so close. His glossy lips and soft cheeks were just a centimeter away. He lay angled beside me, one hand on my abdomen, stroking gently.

His hair smelled like coffee.

I reached out a heavy hand and brushed the strands falling over his brow. Kwon Sinwoo’s eyebrows twitched, his smile deepening.

His lips came closer. With a faint sound of membranes brushing, they pressed against the bridge of my nose and pulled away.

“Let me check your wound.”

He said, then moved away and sat up. He pulled a small first-aid kit from the bedside. His careful hands gently peeled off the bandage on my neck.

“The bleeding’s stopped, and it looks okay. Are you sure you don’t need a hospital?”

“Yeah…”

Hospital or not, I just wanted to sleep more.

My body stayed motionless, pressed like it was under heavy blankets. I was languid. I blinked a few times. A tear must’ve pooled in my eye, because as it fell, Kwon Sinwoo’s face came into sharper focus.

With a serious expression, his brows slightly furrowed, he disinfected my wound with an alcohol swab, applied a thin layer of ointment, and put on a new bandage. He was so focused, a faint wrinkle creased his brow. It was funny.

Unable to resist, I pressed my knuckle against his forehead. His eyebrows twitched. I giggled, and he sighed.

“Any pain?”

There was a slight ache around my navel, but not painful.

“Hmm… no.”

“Your stomach?”

“Fine.”

“Your back?”

“Fine.”

“Any fever? Headache?”

“Fine.”

I had to say “fine” about five more times.

Only then did Kwon Sinwoo move away.

It wasn’t over. He brought a square tray with food. A watery soup. I looked up at him intently. Very intently… for a long time… Finally, Kwon Sinwoo blinked once, then scooped a spoonful of soup and held it out to me.

I glared at the spoon this time.

“I’m not a patient.”

“Soft foods are better for you.”

He spoke kindly and gently, spouting nonsense. Anyone listening might think I’d gone through some grueling ordeal last night.

I whipped my head away and buried my face back in the pillow.

“I’d rather have coffee…”

“Caffeine isn’t good for digestion.”

“Since when did you decide to be my mom?”

“No way. If I were, I wouldn’t do this, would I?”

Kwon Sinwoo calmly slipped his hand between the pillow and my cheek, lifting my face, and planted a quick kiss on the corner of my mouth. Before I could even say “huh” and open my mouth, he swiftly slipped the spoon inside. I instinctively swallowed what entered. The soup was bland, tasteless, and even lukewarm.

“Ugh, what is this!”

As I grimaced, he laughed out loud.

“Eat more.”

“Coffee… toast… bacon and eggs…”

He kept laughing, not forgetting to keep shoveling soup into my mouth.

In the end, I finished the watery gruel. My tongue and palate felt sticky. Right on cue, a glass of water appeared. But it wasn’t just water. On a flat white plate were some pills: two in gelatin capsules and one without. What’s this? I narrowed one eye, eyeing Kwon Sinwoo suspiciously, and he answered.

“Folic acid, iron, calcium, magnesium, omega-3, and vitamin D. Oh, and of course, the capsules are all gluten-free.”

What’s he talking about?

“Folic… why do I need to take those?”

“You didn’t eat much for breakfast, so you need to supplement the missing nutrients…”

Not wanting to hear more, I pulled the blanket over my head.

“Hakyung.”

He called my name persistently.

I closed my eyes and counted to fifty, but he didn’t back off. Ugh…

“Don’t you have to go to work?”

“Should I?”

“Why are you asking me? Ask your boss.”

Instead of a reply, a small laugh came back. Annoyed, I flung the blanket off and glared at him. As if he’d been waiting, he held out the pills again.

“You’re so stubborn…”

“No way.”

Kwon Sinwoo retorted, frowning as if the idea were absurd.

“They’re not weird pills. If you’re suspicious, how about this? I’ll bring the same pills, and we’ll split them. You choose.”

“Are we filming a movie?”

I clicked my tongue.

If he were planning to slip me something weird, it wouldn’t be in suspicious folic-whatever pills but in that tasteless soup. Or maybe something tastier… a burger, chili cheese fries, a rich caffè latte, kimchi fried rice, doenjang jjigae… something like that.

“By the way, how do you think the deal’s going? That Seo guy’s selling drugs to the platform, right?”

“Yes.”

“Is he planning to hand the platform over to you… or at least tell you where they are?”

“Probably not.”

“But… why’s Seo selling drugs to the platform of all people? That’s tricky money. Is he that desperate for cash?”

Kwon Sinwoo’s eyes crinkled, holding back a laugh.

“I doubt Seo’s desperate for cash.”

“Then?”

“He knows I’m the one tracking the cash, so he must be confident he can handle it.”

Sounds like Seo’s an even bigger player than Kwon Sinwoo. I didn’t say it out loud, not wanting to bruise Kwon Sinwoo’s pride.

“The platform sure picked a good buyer. Someone who can handle the cash you’ve tied up.”

I tilted my head for a moment.

Something Kwon Youngwoo had shouted at the end flashed through my mind.

‘I’ll help with that deal! I’ll set it up, so go wild and do whatever you want!’

Hmm…

Looks like the deal Kwon Youngwoo was offering to help with was this one.

“About Kwon Youngwoo. Your cousin.”

Kwon Sinwoo looked at me.

“I think he’s the one who facilitated the deal between the platform and Seo. Am I right?”

The answer came a bit late.

“Maybe.”

It sounded like he didn’t think so.

“It’s true that Seo and Kwon Youngwoo know each other… but I don’t know how the platform connected with Seo.”

It’s not that important, he added quietly.

I pressed further.

“What about your deal?”

Kwon Sinwoo wasn’t originally targeting the platform. That was a surprising revelation from yesterday. To think this innocent guy was planning such a cunning trick… I stared at Kwon Sinwoo’s pretty eyebrow bones and kind eyes.

“If the platform wasn’t your target and you were planning to raid their deal, what’s your deal?”

“My deal’s a decoy. To distract the platform and Seo.”

He answered calmly.

“A decoy that elaborate for something so simple?”

“It’s not a simple decoy.”

His voice remained quiet.

“Catching the platform is very important to me. They stole goods from Seoran, and with those goods, they got their hands on billions in cash.”

“Goods?”

“Naturally…”

“Weapons, right?”

“Yes.”

Hmm. Stealing weapons from an arms dealer? That’s not something a sane person does.

Kwon Sinwoo whispered with a smiling face.

“I’ve recovered the goods. Honestly, I’m not that interested in the platform’s whereabouts. It’s not about revenge… like I said before, I’m after the person funding the platform.”

“Kwon Youngwoo, then.”

I blurted it out without thinking.

No need to think twice—it was obvious.

There’s some kind of relationship between Kwon Youngwoo and the platform, whether it’s cooperative or symbiotic. Kwon Youngwoo’s been messing with me, and the platform’s playing Anonymous.

“Yes.”

Kwon Sinwoo agreed without hesitation.

“But there’s no evidence.”

“You’re trying to make the platform spill the evidence?”

“With that much money moved, there’s bound to be something left. Anything.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to go after Kwon Youngwoo?”

“Haha…”

Kwon Sinwoo laughed.

“He’s my cousin… that’s not so easy.”

I get it.

I’ve got a dozen trashy cousins myself. I’d love to snap their necks, but being cousins makes it complicated.

In the brief moment I was lost in empathy, Kwon Sinwoo pushed the pills toward me again. Three pills sat neatly on the white plate.

“…You’re really relentless.”

“No way.”

Kwon Sinwoo replied for the second time.

“How about this? Take the supplements, then have coffee. And if you want, bacon and eggs too.”

“Can I eat in bed?”

“Of course,” Kwon Sinwoo whispered. I stared at him for a moment, then snatched the water glass and pills from his hand. Vitamins, folic-something, whatever. I swallowed all three. The moment I did, Kwon Sinwoo’s lips came close, planting a loud kiss on my cheek. It was so sudden I couldn’t even be surprised. I just blinked at him. His eyes, a centimeter away, were moist. His crinkled eye corners held a sweet smile. He gazed at me for a few seconds before slowly leaning in for a kiss. This time, it was slow and lingering.

After the kiss, I pushed his cheek away with my palm, slightly out of breath.

“You… really…”

Kwon Sinwoo was a very, very bad Alpha.

I held back from saying it.

“Go… get the coffee. Eggs as an omelet, bacon crispy.”

“Yes. Rest, Hakyung.”

Kwon Sinwoo gently stroked the back of my hand before standing.

After he left the room, I reached for my phone. The lock screen showed April 1st. The month had changed.

Even if there’s no time limit on this job, was I dragging it out too much? I fell into a brief moment of self-reflection.

What now? What can I do?

Kwon Sinwoo’s plan was to raid the platform’s drug deal, but because I got involved, I caught the attention of a dangerous Alpha named Seo. Now that Seo knows about me, I’d have to move more cautiously and carefully.

Things didn’t seem to be heading in an easy direction.

For one, what the platform did was bigger than I thought (stealing weapons from an arms dealer isn’t something you pull off without serious backing), and the players involved were heavyweights.

I listed the things I could do.

First, kill Seo. No good. Seo and the platform need to connect successfully for Kwon Sinwoo to raid the deal.

Second, track the platform independently. Hmm. I don’t want to think Kwon Sinwoo’s failure to find the platform so far is due to incompetence… but he’s an arms dealer, so tracking and recon probably aren’t his specialties.

Third, steal Seo’s drugs beforehand. Living in Mexico teaches you a few truths, one being that drugs are easier to find than people. Unlike people, drugs don’t move easily across borders, require sealed packaging, and are pricier. I’ve got about thirty dozen coke-specialist friends, and since the cocaine in the Philippines likely came by ship, places like Callao, Lima, Barranquilla… a few spots came to mind.

The third option seemed the best.

I decided to discuss it with Kwon Sinwoo first. He’s my partner, and after last night, I didn’t want to risk endangering him or ruining his plans.

Right on cue, he returned, bringing the aroma of coffee, crispy bacon, and an omelet. He placed the food tray beside me. Before he could start feeding me, I quickly grabbed a fork.

The bacon was cooked exactly how I like it, and the omelet was perfectly seasoned. The coffee was strong—rich enough to be an Einspänner with whipped cream and cinnamon powder. Then, as if by magic, Kwon Sinwoo said,

“Should I get whipped cream? It’s spray, though.”

I nearly kissed him but held back.

Moments later, he returned with the whipped cream spray. Instead of jumping him for a kiss, I quickly brought up work.

“So… I was thinking.”

“Yes.”

“What if we steal Seo’s drugs?”

At my suggestion, Kwon Sinwoo paused while shaking the whipped cream can. It was brief. Soon, he resumed and piled a generous amount of whipped cream on my coffee.

“No need for that.”

“No need?”

“Things are going according to plan.”

“Your plan to raid the drug deal and catch the platform? But now that Seo knows me, won’t he get suspicious?”

“No. The opposite. Seo will think I’ll hold back now.”

“Why?”

Really. Why?

Kwon Sinwoo smiled sweetly at me. That saccharine face was like the whipped cream overflowing on the mug.

“Why, you ask.”

He continued calmly.

“He’ll think I’m too afraid of you getting hurt to move recklessly.”

…

That Alpha?

“Hmm… my personal opinion? Seo wouldn’t even dream of thinking that.”

I recalled the Alpha standing in the dark, shooting at me like it was clay pigeon shooting. That annoying quarterback. Alphas like him don’t have ticklish, innocent thoughts like Kwon Sinwoo.

Well, whatever… I felt like teasing Kwon Sinwoo a bit.

I slurped the whipped cream and gave him a sidelong glance.

“So you’re saying you’re not scared of me getting hurt?”

“You won’t get hurt.”

Kwon Sinwoo answered without hesitation.

His instant reply somehow deflated me.

“Oh, right…”

“So just take care of yourself.”

I’m not a patient, so why do I need to take care of myself?

Before I could voice that, Kwon Sinwoo kissed my lips with a loud smack, smiling so deeply his dimples showed.

“Once it’s over, I’ll make sure you can handle the platform yourself. Your way.”

He added a few more words.

Don’t worry, you’ve already helped enough, and so on… He went on, but the gist was that I didn’t need to do anything more.

Before I could think further, Kwon Sinwoo gave me a suggestive smile and kissed me again. Our lips met repeatedly. The whipped cream on my mouth transferred to his lips. He wiped it off with his thumb and sucked it. It was pornographic.

“Just kissing…”

He whispered softly.

And true to his word, it was just kissing.

I spent the day as a reckless delinquent.

If sex is defined as penetration, it wasn’t sex, but it was too intimate to not call it sex, and I let the hours slip away immersed in it.

I only snapped back to work the next morning.

Opening my eyes, buried in cloud-like feather bedding, I saw a clean ceiling. Light streaming through the blinds drew straight lines across the ceiling and walls. Staring at it, my mind cleared, and my brain started turning.

‘It’s not right.’

That thought hit me at the same time.

Before I could pinpoint what wasn’t right, the door opened, and Kwon Sinwoo walked in.

The slightly flushed Alpha was still handsome. He wore a light gray dress shirt, and for some reason, no tie. That alone made him seem much more casual than usual.

With an oddly excited air, he got me up, took me to the bathroom, washed my face, combed my hair, and even brushed my teeth for me.

“What’s this? Where are we going?”

I managed to ask only after being put in the car.

Kwon Sinwoo, at the wheel, smiled at me. At the same time, the sleek, glossy black SUV shot out of the parking lot like a bullet.

We arrived at a dazzling amusement park. Balloons floated in the sky, and clowns and animal mascots sang as they roamed. It’d been seven years since I’d been to an amusement park!

We rode roller coasters all day, ate vanilla ice cream while spinning on the carousel, watched a parade of white dancers in a mishmash of Russian, American, Scottish, and Czech costumes, ate burgers, hot dogs, and Sprite for meals, and after sunset, rode the Ferris wheel to watch fireworks. A romantic kiss was a bonus.

The next day was a safari. Wearing a safari hat, I fed lions, rode an elephant, and took pictures with an anaconda around my shoulders. A talking parrot took a huge liking to Kwon Sinwoo, which was a relief since it was a female.

The third day was a coastal road drive. We drank delicious strawberry crepes and hot coffee at a café with waves lapping at our feet, got a melt-your-body-away spa at a resort with an ocean view, and drove 130 kilometers per hour along the sunset-lit coastal road.

The fourth day, we held popcorn and cola in each hand and watched a horror movie. Kwon Sinwoo suggested a pastoral love story about an elderly couple in rural Virginia, but I firmly refused. A movie about a 23-year-old Tom Cruise-lookalike psychopath homeowner dismembering intruders in a dark mansion was obviously way more exciting. Plus, the booby traps in the movie were the work of a real expert.

The fifth day…

When I came to my senses, it was April 8th.

The only reason I snapped out of it was because, instead of Kwon Sinwoo, who left early in the morning saying he was busy, an unexpected idiot showed up.

“Sinwoo hyung said you’d be bored and told me to hang out with you.”

It was Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot.

“What do you want to do? Shopping? Movie? Have you seen Hill House Psychopath? That one’s wild. They say the booby traps were made by a real pro.”

Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, strutted in, brandishing a car key with a logo dangling from his finger, swinging it proudly.

Of course, it wasn’t impressive at all. Kwon Sinwoo’s car had the same logo. From the sleek black two-seater sports car we’d driven at 130 kilometers per hour to the sturdy mid-size SUV with its solid ride, not to mention the limousine from that night…

I’d bet ten thousand pesos that not a single cent of Kwon Jaewoo’s own money went into buying the car attached to that key.

“What’re you doing?”

Kwon Jaewoo narrowed one eye and looked down at me.

Even though I was lounging on the sofa, having an idiot loom over me wasn’t exactly pleasant.

“Where’s Kwon Sinwoo?”

“You don’t call Sinwoo hyung like that to his face, do you?”

“None of your business.”

“No, it’s totally my business! I’m Sinwoo hyung’s brother!”

He bristled.

“Oh, right. Brother. Cousin brother. I’ve got about a dozen of those myself, and I’m planning to snap their necks or waists someday.”

He started to bristle again but stopped, letting out a sigh and shaking his head. Then, presumptuously,

“Stop bluffing. What are you, a kid?”

He clicked his tongue.

I was about to twist his finger to show him my words weren’t just bravado, but for Kwon Sinwoo’s sake, I held back.

“Anyway, let’s go. There’s nothing to eat here.”

He jerked his chin at me. Incredibly rude.

I ignored him and yawned expansively. A vein pulsed on Kwon Jaewoo’s forehead.

“Hey!”

Just then, my phone buzzed. I don’t save numbers, so the screen just showed an eleven-digit number, but I recognized it. I answered.

“Yeah. What?”

[Hakyung.]

A sweet voice whispered my name.

For a moment, I wanted to switch to speakerphone to let Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, hear it, but I resisted. The candy-sweet voice of a perfectly handsome Alpha was for me alone.

[Have you met Jaewoo?]

“Yeah. He’s here now.”

I glanced at Kwon Jaewoo as I answered.

“Want me to pass him the phone?”

[Please.]

He said, and a mischievous urge surged.

“Can I put it on speaker?”

Kwon Sinwoo let out a short, embarrassed laugh. I chuckled and continued.

“Alright, I’ll respect your privacy with your precious cousin.”

Then I handed the phone to Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot.

“Here.”

The idiot, still clueless, rolled his eyes.

“Why’re you giving it to me?”

“Your beloved cousin wants to talk to you.”

He clamped his mouth shut with a huff and snatched the phone from me rudely.

“Uh, hyung. Yeah, just got here. Ha, Kyung… ssi… is…”

He glanced down at me, his twitching mouth curling up.

“Doing… fine, I guess. Yeah… we’re about to go eat. Uh, of course… got it.”

Why he was checking on me through Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, when I was right here was a mystery, but watching the idiot’s mouth twitch and spasm was pretty entertaining.

A moment later, Kwon Jaewoo handed the phone back.

[Hakyung. I’ve got work today. Jaewoo said he was bored, so just for today, could you keep him company?]

“Doesn’t he have work?”

[He took a day off today.]

Taking a precious day off just to be bored?

Is it because he’s a disobedient cousin?

I shrugged.

“Got it.”

[Then please take care of him today. Make sure to eat. I’ll be a bit late tonight.]

“When’re you coming back?”

[Before ten…]

He corrected himself.

[I’ll be back before nine.]

It was 9:50 a.m. now, so he wasn’t saying he’d be back in ten minutes… That meant he was planning a twelve-hour workday. I was a bit curious about what was keeping him so busy, but I didn’t ask. I’m not the kind of Omega who grills an Alpha.

“Alright.”

I answered maturely.

The call ended.

Kwon Jaewoo was staring at me with a sullen face.

“If you’re done, get dressed.”

I was wearing cream-colored silk pajamas Kwon Sinwoo had bought me. They were so comfortable I didn’t want to change, but I needed to get dressed to go eat, so I got up. The idiot wasn’t about to start cooking here, and even if he did, I wouldn’t be thrilled. Me cooking for him was even more unthinkable.

I stretched grandly and hopped off the sofa.

I headed to the bedroom.

Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, shouted at my back.

“Hey! I said get dressed, why’re you going to hyung’s room?! The guest room’s that way! Fuck! You’re not sharing a bedroom with hyung, are you?! No way, right? Hey!”

I ignored him.

I got dressed and left the penthouse with Kwon Jaewoo. It wasn’t exactly pleasant. His five-door hatchback wasn’t either. A cute hatchback for an idiot like Kwon Jaewoo… Honestly, the silver sports car from before was way better.

“Got a new car.”

He said proudly.

“SR Hatchback C-Series, facelifted, brand new. Small but 2500cc.”

Who cares.

“They were gonna discontinue it, but I insisted. Said they had to keep making this one.”

Who cares…

Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, babbled the whole drive about how great his tiny hatchback was. A modern rebirth of the 1980s classic hatchback spirit with contemporary trim, blah blah blah…

I thought he was the car’s designer.

“Huh? Me? I’m in HR. Got promoted to deputy last year.”

From then on, I completely tuned out his nonsense.

Thanks to that, I could finally think about work again after nearly ten days.

The platform and the drug deal, and Kwon Sinwoo planning to use it.

If I just waited, Kwon Sinwoo might toss me the platform’s corpse.

It’d be efficient. But not professional.

And sitting around waiting until the case was over wasn’t my style.

I reached that conclusion just as Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, parked the car.

It was a narrow alley. Trees with fresh buds lined the sides, and Korean-style tiled walls ran along the alley. A man in a neat shirt and suit pants stood in front of an elegant traditional gate, bowing politely toward us. Kwon Jaewoo unbuckled his seatbelt first and gestured at me.

“What’re you doing? Get out.”

We’d apparently reached our destination.

I opened the door and got out.

Kwon Jaewoo tossed the car key to the man, who deftly caught it mid-air.

We crossed the high threshold and entered.

A beautifully maintained garden appeared, unlike anything you’d expect in the middle of a big city. The sound of trickling water came from somewhere, and the garden, adorned with gravel and grass, wasn’t large but long. Along it stretched elegant Korean eaves and wooden floors. Low pines and stone lanterns stood together under the wall, and the faint sound of a flute mingled with the water’s trickle.

It was Korea itself, as I’d imagined!

At the same time, I shot a suspicious side-eye at Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot. This refined, quintessentially Korean place, and he knew about it?

“This restaurant—Kwon Sinwoo picked it, didn’t he?”

I asked, and Kwon Jaewoo made a face like he was appalled.

“What… how’d you know?”

As expected.

True to Kwon Sinwoo’s recommendation, the meal was satisfying.

The only downside was that sitting across from me wasn’t Kwon Sinwoo but some Australopithecus cousin of his, a million years removed.

Exquisite porcelain dishes kept coming, filled with delicate food. The rice glistened smoothly. There were skewers, grilled deodeok, my favorite galbi, steamed skate, raw beef, stewed conch, japchae, at least ten kinds of seasoned vegetables, and five types of kimchi. White, red, green… And dazzling, beautiful dishes I didn’t even know the names of, served on elegant plates.

Thankfully, with food in front of him, Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, shut his blabbering mouth.

In the meantime, I ate heartily and worked.

I wielded chopsticks with one hand and tapped my phone with the other.

[Subject: Hey! 🙂

It’s me! By the way, did the wedding go well?

Sorry I couldn’t make it :’( I had work.]

It got a bit chatty for a business email, but we’re not exactly strangers, so a little catching up should be fine, right?

[Got a favor to ask—got time?]

Tap, tap, tap, I kept typing.

[If you’re up for it, hit me up via email or the contact below.]

‘If you’re up for it.’ 

High-class Korean.

[It’s my personal contact, so don’t spread it around >:)

I’ll be waiting.]

Spread it around, leak it… which is it?

I was mulling that over when Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, exploded.

“Hey, fuck, you’re staring at your phone with someone right in front of you? So fucking rude, man.”

With an elegant spread of food before me, I daintily raised my middle finger at the idiot swearing up a storm. He went ballistic. I ignored him and set the email recipient.

[To: YOUNG]

I tapped the paper airplane button to send the email.

At the same time, Kwon Jaewoo, the idiot, lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

“Hey, you’re not, like, seriously dating Sinwoo hyung, are you? I believe you’re not that stupid, right?”

I ignored him.

The next morning, the scent of coffee and a kiss woke me. It was so ticklish my fingers and toes curled. When I didn’t open my eyes, soft lips brushed from the bridge of my nose to my forehead, then my cheek, the tip of my eyebrow, my temple. I pushed the annoying lips away with my hand. They pressed a deep kiss into my palm. A shiver shot down my spine, the hairs standing on end.

“Alright, stop!”

I finally surrendered.

Opening my eyes, Kwon Sinwoo’s face was right there. His sharp, chiseled features didn’t look cold, thanks to his narrowed eyes and the sweet smile at their corners.

He lowered his lips slowly, meeting my gaze. I quickly turned my head to dodge the impudent lips. He gave a wry smile and sat up.

“How’s your body?”

“My body? Me?”

A baffling question.

I tilted my head.

“It’s fine. Would’ve been better if you hadn’t woken me.”

He laughed softly at my reply.

“You look fine.”

Then he planted both hands on the mattress, leaned in deeply, and kissed me. I couldn’t dodge the sudden lips this time. They pressed together, grazing the insides of our mouths.

“Mmm…”

My eyes closed instinctively. My mouth opened wider, his tongue mingling with mine. The rough yet soft tongue swept my mouth. The wet, scraping sound of tongues and palate echoed, my spine tingling again and again. The dark expanse behind my eyelids receded, my head growing hazy.

Without thinking, I gripped Kwon Sinwoo’s shoulders tightly. My fingers dug in. My breath quickened. It felt like he was entering me through my mouth. It was sex with lips and tongues. At some point, my tailbone tensed, my spine jolting.

“Ugh…!”

A short moan burst from Kwon Sinwoo.

Our lips parted slightly. Unable to resist, I gripped his shoulders and dove back in. I devoured his lips. The metallic tang of blood seeped through our intertwined tongues.

“Ah…!”

I pulled back, startled.

As our lips parted, red droplets splattered. They left spots on the white sheets.

I looked up from the bloodstains.

His long, beautiful eyes were watching me. The perfect arc of his eyebrow bone led to his forehead, temple, cheekbones, and cheeks. His cheeks were slightly flushed. Blood beaded at a tear on his upper lip, trickling along the full curve of his lower lip.

“Haa, haa, sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Panting, I hurriedly apologized.

I know you’re not supposed to bite someone during a kiss. It just happened…

At that moment, Kwon Sinwoo crinkled his eyes and smiled. It was like candy syrup dripping from the corners.

“Was it that good?”

He slowly reached out, wiping the blood from my mouth with his pristine white sleeve.

My tailbone burned again, my spine stiffening. I lunged at him.

I wrapped my arms around his torso, clawing at his back as we rolled across the mattress. His hands firmly supported my shoulder blades while his heavy chest pinned me down. In an instant, I was trapped tightly between his chest and the mattress, unable to move. In that state, he stole my lips.

“Mmm…!”

My tongue was sucked so hard it hurt. This wasn’t the soft, passive kiss from before. His tongue—or lips, whatever it was—hot, sweet membranes seeped into my mouth. At some point, he gripped my jaw tightly with one hand. My mouth opened. His long eyes greedily scanned my mouth. As a shiver ran through me, he slipped his index finger inside. A firm, calloused Alpha’s finger. The rounded edge of a neatly trimmed nail. It crept into my mouth. His thumb followed. It gently stroked the base of my tongue, my palate. His two fingers teased my tongue, rubbing back and forth. My hips jolted, my buttocks clenching.

“Ugh, mm…”

A moan, like a whimper, slipped out.

A low laugh followed, then his lips came closer. He pressed them lightly to the corner of my mouth, persistently caressing the inside with his fingers.

“Hngh, ha, hah, mm, mm, mm…!”

“Hakyung…”

A sweet, laughter-tinged voice whispered my name.

“Shall we keep going until you come?”

The words didn’t fully register.

“Can you come like this? Hmm?”

Instinctively, I bit down on his finger. His brow furrowed slightly, his firm body pressing down on me, trembling. His lips moved to my earlobe, engulfing it.

“Don’t bite…”

A sticky whisper followed.

“It’s probably hard to come just with your mouth yet.”

He kissed me again, still holding my tongue. It was a filthy kiss, fingers and tongue mingling, something you wouldn’t even see in porn.

When he finally pulled away, my limbs were drained, and I sprawled on the bed. I could only blink. My eyes were slightly teary, making things blurry.

“You’re… such a pervert…”

At my words, Kwon Sinwoo tilted his head, blinking as if it were absurd.

“No way.”

I wanted to throw a pillow at him but lacked the strength.

A moment later, he brought hot black coffee. The aroma was rich, the taste slightly acidic with a deep oak barrel note. I liked it.

Kwon Sinwoo sat close to me as I sipped coffee on the bed. He gently placed his hand over mine, sprawled on the mattress. His palm was large enough to cover my hand, his fingers long and smooth without prominent knuckles. A pretty hand. I turned my hand, interlacing our fingers. Kwon Sinwoo smiled shyly.

I wasn’t fooled.

Just ten minutes ago, he was kissing me in a way too obscene for porn…

“Hakyung.”

He spoke up.