Smoky Fall Chapter 14.4

He resented the man for locking him in a doll’s house, but it had all happened because he, in his foolishness, had allowed it. He was the one who chose to live with him and entered that house. It was his sin for floundering in love, not that the man was bad.

Wi Moohyeon had forced his methods on him, but he had loved Min Heewoon more than anything.

However, he did not want to be with the man on the man’s terms. That was why he had said goodbye.

If the ways they each wanted were incompatible and their paths were different, wasn’t breaking up the only option? The man would enter into an arranged marriage, as if it were an obligation given to him, and he would return to his place and live his life.

In fact, while he was traveling with his parents, he had received an email from Section Chief Lee, that is, Wi Moohyeon’s fourth secretary. The secretary’s email, how he knew where to send it was a mystery, contained a rambling explanation of the parts Min Heewoon might have misunderstood.

[ ……(excerpt)…… It is true that Director Ji, the Head Director’s mother, was arranging the marriage. However, I believe I made a mistake, not knowing that it was a one-sided action on her part.

I made assumptions and jumped to conclusions about something that was not finalized and relayed it incorrectly.

I cannot help but feel apologetic, as I believe I made a huge mistake toward Teaching Assistant Min, who must have already been anxious due to the imprinting.

Immediately after the incident, Head Director Wi himself not only affirmed that he had no intention of entering an arranged marriage, but I also confirmed the facts with Chief Choi, who assists the Head Director and supports his overall business activities, and it was not true at all.

I cannot sleep at night thinking that it is because of me that you two broke up, and especially that Teaching Assistant Min had that accident. Because I relayed incorrect information…

I am truly sorry. ……(end of excerpt)…… ]

The email continued with the opinion that the Head Director seemed to have no intention of marrying that person, along with an explanation for what Min Heewoon had witnessed at the hotel that day.

He said that he later looked into it, thinking he must have received the information incorrectly, and found that there had been a meeting in the suite. He added that he wasn’t sure what Teaching Assistant Min had seen, but that Chief Choi and many other employees were also in that room, and he even attached evidence like screenshots showing the time of the messenger group chat and photos.

So, it was an explanation that there had been some misunderstanding about Wi Moohyeon entering the room with Jo Hyena at that time, but, well. Min Heewoon thought that with an explanation from a third party like Secretary Lee, it was impossible to know the truth of that day.

It wasn’t an unbelievable story, as he had seen other employees coming and going from the space in the room that was decorated as a meeting room several times when he actually lived with Wi Moohyeon in that suite. But how could one explain the fact that the man had entered the room with the omega he might soon marry, talking about imprinting and drugs? He thought it was something no one could know unless they were the ones involved.

Furthermore, there was another problem.

His marriage.

Even if, from Secretary Lee’s perspective, it didn’t seem like Wi Moohyeon would marry Jo Hyena right away, it didn’t matter.

Min Heewoon had heard and seen it directly from Director Ji. That desperation coming from the man’s mother, who truly wanted to push for their marriage. So, it was thought that the truth of whether they would marry now or not could not be determined.

Even if they say it’s not happening now, as long as the man’s mother is alive, won’t it just happen again someday?

So, even if what he saw before was a misunderstanding, reality does not change.

In fact, looking back on it now, it just felt wrong from the very beginning.

From the first night they had impulsively gotten entangled.

The man was so incredibly attractive, and he, arrogant in his belief that he would never be addicted to anything, had wanted to have the man at least physically, just once. That was why they started seeing each other.

But hadn’t the relationship with someone from such a different world become more painful the longer it continued? A relationship where they couldn’t be together anyway, whether they met or not.

So painful, yet so beautiful, his and the man’s autumn had ended just like that.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t miss him. Min Heewoon knew he often woke up with his pillowcase soaked. He also knew who appeared in his dreams.

But now, the man would become someone else’s alpha. With an omega who could provide a more solid foundation for the man’s background. It would happen someday. He was the kind of person suited for that.

So, he planned to cherish only the beautiful memories.

As he turned the corner, a warm taco with lamb in his hand, he thought he saw a familiar silhouette in the alley. But Min Heewoon soon turned his head away. It was because the person who came to mind was someone who should be on the other side of the planet.

🚬

Before he knew it, the project was almost at its end.

“First of all, the host, Mr. Wyler, said he would sponsor 1,000 dollars with no strings attached, and Mr. Linden Kenneth said that if we do a comparative analysis with the social media market size to see if there are any similar platforms, and if we run a beta test and show him one month’s data on user growth, he would sponsor any amount necessary…”

“My god, Sean O’Brien! Are you kidding me right now? Is our project looking for some official investment?”

Sanikant, who looked particularly exhausted today, tore at his hair. The way he retorted and chided him was exceedingly irritable.

“If we were going to do it that way, I would’ve just put something together with people from my company! This wasn’t created to make money right away in the first place! If that was the case, it was wrong from the start! We shouldn’t have made it for show like this, we should have increased the code size and rewritten it from scratch!”

“Don’t get excited, Sanikant.”

A flustered Jamal held up his palms.

“I thought he was going to bring in some incredible sponsors, bragging so confidently about his high-society community, but it’s only a thousand dollars?”

“Sani.”

Tiana shook her head with a stern expression. Her tone said he had crossed a line.

But Sean was already furious. He must have been embarrassed as well. It was as if he had been utterly humiliated in front of the omega he was interested in. His skin, which must have tanned nicely in the South Pacific during the summer, was turning bright red with agitation.

“Then why don’t you go find some? Some incredible sponsors? You think finding sponsors outside is easy because you just sit there programming?”

The meeting, where everyone had gathered for the first time in two weeks, was on the verge of collapsing.

More hurtful words were exchanged between the two agitated men, and they had turned their backs on each other. Sanikant looked as if he was about to sling his heavy backpack on again and leave at any moment. Just then, Min Heewoon, who had been tapping at his laptop with an indifferent expression, let out a sound. “Huh?”

“Wait a minute. Look at this.”

He then turned his laptop around so the screen faced everyone. Of course, they couldn’t read it because it was written in Hangul, but he had done it without thinking in his excitement.

“We found a sponsor.”

Everyone’s faces, which had been turned toward each other in a mixture of irritation, anger, and fatigue, now turned toward Min Heewoon. Sanikant forgot he was about to stand up and moved closer to the desk.

“I promoted our project through my alma mater last time and officially recruited sponsors. I put a lot of effort into the promotional video, and thanks to my connections, it even made it to the main page of the university’s official website.”

It was thanks to Professor Kim pulling some strings.

“Hee-woon worked really hard all this time. He was up almost every night,” Jeong Inho, who had helped with the video production, praised him. But he didn’t add anything more, and continued his explanation with a slightly flushed, shy face.

“So, quite a lot of people and companies showed interest, and this place, the Hanmaeum Research Institute, actively contacted us.”

“Hanmaeum? What does that mean? Is it a famous place?”

“It’s just a common name used in Korea. I’ve never heard of the research institute’s name itself.”

Jeong Inho explained for a curious Jamal. In truth, it was the first time Min Heewoon had heard of it either. But seeing that it was a research institute affiliated with a major hospital well-known by name, he figured it wasn’t some completely random place and continued his explanation.

“Not only can they sponsor all the funds to service the beta version of the metaverse social media, but they also said they’ll support the cost of the suppressants to be distributed in the region where we’ll implement the donation system, as well as the transportation and handling fees.”

At that, everyone’s eyes went wide. The conditions were just too unbelievably good.

“What? Isn’t that a scam?”

“Sanikant! What are you talking about! It’s not a scam, it’s an angel!”

“No, the conditions are just so ridiculous…”

“It certainly has some suspicious aspects…”

As everyone was murmuring and sharing their opinions, Min Heewoon cut his teammates off and pointed to a part of the email.

“No. There are conditions here too. The server support is for one year, and after that, they’ll decide based on the growth trend.”

“All sponsors say the same thing.”

“Well, for them too, no matter how good the cause, they can’t just throw money into the air. Besides, we aren’t simply making a donation. The app we created is the centerpiece, so, yeah.”

“That’s true.”

“And another condition, they’ll provide the suppressants to be distributed as their own products made through their research institute. Here’s the information on the drug currently on the market. I think they’re being so proactive because of this condition. It’s a chance to promote their product.”

“Ah, if that’s the case…”

When Min Heewoon quickly searched and showed them the drug information, everyone nodded with dazed faces. It was because they couldn’t fully understand it with only the page translated into English. It was only natural that they wouldn’t know, as they were all of different nationalities and living in the United States.

However, after confirming through a few more web page searches that the drug in question was currently on the market in Korea and was the mildest omega suppressant with the fewest side effects, they were all in favor.

Everyone agreed with Tiana’s statement that they would likely never find such good conditions again, and they sent a reply immediately. It was their entry into a bigger world.

Everyone parted on good terms, as if they had never fought.

Since they had met near Tandon3) today for the sake of the perpetually busy Jamal and Sanikant, he had to cross a bridge to get back to Manhattan where his studio apartment was.

Min Heewoon, who had just finished eating dinner alone at McDonald’s, glanced down at his watch. It was only 8 o’clock, but it was already completely dark, making him feel that winter was definitely on its way.

Even though he was walking through a relatively safe and clean street in Brooklyn, the reason he somehow kept being conscious of his surroundings was because of the person walking behind him. He felt as if an alpha male with dirty blond hair carelessly grown out was constantly following him.

Maybe I should have just gone back with Jeong Inho right after the project meeting. But for him, whose range of activity was not as wide as one might think, it was a shame to just go back since he had come all the way to Brooklyn. That was why he had even stopped by the New York Transit Museum nearby.

But if he had known this would happen, he should have just skipped the hamburger and gone back when it was still a little light out. He felt a little regretful.

Thinking that repeatedly looking back and around would only provoke the other person, Min Heewoon just quickened his pace. His heavy backpack, filled with his laptop, various chargers, and a tablet, was thumping regularly against his back and bottom as he hurried.

Should I take out my phone and pretend to make a call? He was conflicted as the alpha, who had been following him with his hands in his pockets, came right up to just a few steps behind him. The alley he had to pass through somehow seemed more dangerous than before, there seemed to be no people, and the scent of tempting alpha pheromones seemed to be getting thicker and thicker. He couldn’t tell if he felt that way because the guy, who was following him while lazily chewing gum, was getting closer, or if he was really emitting it more strongly.

Just as he was thinking he really should call Jeong Inho and put his hand into his jumper pocket.

“hey, hottie.”

The alpha, who had subtly come right up behind him, made a pass at him. His warm breath touched his ear and the side of his cheek, and Min Heewoon flinched back in spite of himself. As he did, something cold and hard from inside the alpha’s leather jacket pressed against him.

“Don’t scream, and turn into the alley on the right.”

It was a gun. The small of his back where it touched seemed to stiffen.

Suddenly, his mind went blank and rigid, as if doused with ice water. A robber? Or a rapist? Maybe both. Even Min Heewoon, who had lived in a country where firearms were banned, knew what to do in a situation like this. To avoid getting shot, you must not provoke the opponent and follow their orders. That was the only way to save your life, at least. Even if you were robbed of everything you had and your body was violated.

“Go deeper in, quietly. The cops patrol around here.”

“…”

“I don’t usually do this stuff around here, hottie. But you’re just so pretty, I couldn’t help it. So go deeper, hurry!”