Pheromone Off Chapter 17

“Sahui is said to arrive soon too, so lightly take care of your business and cross over to the dining room. Ah, Sayoung, you follow me first.”

Madam Shim gestured toward Kwon Sayoung and left that place first. Only then did Kwon Sayoung let go of his arm and follow behind her, and Butler Ahn also followed behind that. Hajin immediately realized that only the two of them, Kwon Sabin and himself, were left, and subtly read his countenance.

“…I asked you to keep it a secret.”

As he carried on words softly as if he could barely be heard, Kwon Sabin snorted.

“I told you. I said I’ll keep it a secret only if you hand over something worthy of that.”

“…Where would I have anything to give.”

“Think about it carefully.”

“I don’t have money.”

“Do I look like someone who needs money?”

“…It’s hard. Replacing that, what exactly do you want?”

“That’s what I mean. What exactly is the reason you try to marry Kwon Sayoung, even while asking like that of a counterpart who will purposely shut his mouth?”

“…”

“Even though he says he won’t even break up with his lover. Completely the wife separately, the lover separately. Intentionally stepping forward to do this kind of marriage—.”

“You are the one.”

“What?”

“You are the one, what is the reason you are paying attention like this?”

“…What?”

“You don’t like me very much.”

“…”

“Even at school, you needlessly tormented me, and disliked me while saying mean words.”

“…Th—that’s why. Because having something like you enter our house, I dislike it—.”

At Hajin’s words thrown directly, Kwon Sabin had a temporarily flustered look, then hurriedly countered.

“…It’s temporary anyway.”

“…”

“Because seeing a disliked face won’t be long either… until then, just keep it a secret.”

“…”

“It’s a favor.”

Hajin carried on words indifferently with a resolute face. Kwon Sabin, who had been tossing words out, hesitated for a moment at the appearance of Hajin who addressed words quite seriously, and in an instant, the corners of his eyes contorted.

“What do you mean temporary?”

At that time, Kwon Sabin, who hadn’t heard the full conversation between Seong Yeonwoo and Kwon Sayoung, did not know at all that this engagement was a short-term contract. At that time when Hajin was hesitating to answer, a sign of a presence was heard from the side of the front door. Whether the words of Madam Shim saying Kwon Sahui would arrive soon were right, a voice in the middle of a phone call began to draw near. Casting his gaze toward the side of the front door, Hajin threw words in a low voice toward Kwon Sabin, who was waiting for an answer.

“…Talk about the rest later.”

“Hey, later my foot—, talk now!”

At the receding back of Hajin, who disappeared after saying only his own words, Kwon Sabin wrinkled the corners of his eyes as much as possible.

He is always like that.

The Seong Hajin that Kwon Sabin knows is always like that.

A face without a single shred of interest. That receding back turning around without a single lingering regret, despite having nothing. It was a familiar sight in Kwon Sabin’s eyes. Whether during school days or now, seeing that receding back that turned around easily, Kwon Sabin suddenly recalled the past days.

‘That guy is him, right? The Seongsan concubine’s child.’

The guys who knew by word of mouth all knew. That Seongsan Group’s ugly duckling was Seong Hajin. That on top of being born from a concubine and entering, he was a child of a clumsy bloodline that didn’t inherit the traits at all. Because the things chaebols were crazy for were only family background, money, bloodline, blood relation, traits, and things like that, Seong Hajin was naturally a presence that couldn’t be welcomed within that. On top of being a concubine’s child, a Beta without pheromones or a superior bloodline.

‘Sabin, don’t you know well since the families are close?’

On the entrance ceremony day, Kwon Sabin intently looked at Seong Hajin, who was beautifully dressed in a school uniform, diagonally from behind. Although the friendship with Seongsan Group was deep, Seong Hajin didn’t come out to every gathering. Whether because of the reason that he was a concubine’s child or because of the atmosphere of not being welcomed even in the house, he would only reveal his appearance once in a while. If it wasn’t that, seeing him because of Grandfather.

Every time they ran into each other once in a while, Seong Hajin had grown. Therefore, it was also the first time seeing him in a long time at the high school entrance ceremony, but every time seeing him in a long time, it was a bit strange. Something that was neither an Alpha nor an Omega gave off a strange atmosphere. Still, whether he was right about being of the Seongsan bloodline, his appearance was passable. Somewhere he also looked to resemble Seong Yeonwoo, who was a tremendous beauty, but then again, he was also an appearance of the exact opposite.

Although the presence called Seong Hajin hadn’t been felt that greatly until before that to Kwon Sabin, still, if he were to make an appreciation, he thought there was a slightly unpleasant aspect. A expressionless face that seemed to have no big blow even while always hanging a wound somewhere, an appearance like an inorganic doll that seemed to have no emotion. That appearance without any particular reaction even when nudged was utterly unpleasant. Implicitly, there was a strange something that poked at a person’s nerves one by one.

‘His face is fair. Is this to say he’s Seong Yeonwoo’s younger brother?’

‘Really? Then a hookup possible?’

‘Well, to that extent. But they say he’s a Beta.’

‘If he were an Omega, I think he would be just perfect as about a substitute for Seong Yeonwoo.’

Roughly, wherever he went, this kind of treatment was the majority for Seong Hajin. Seongsan Group’s concubine’s child. That famous Seong Yeonwoo’s younger brother. Celebrated in its own way, but trivial treatment. Someone whom nobody welcomed wherever he went. Kwon Sabin was also a similar appreciation. It was like that, but….

‘Hey, I’m asking if you’re close, Kwon Sabin?’

‘Close my ass, fuck. Why are you constantly throwing a fit?’

‘If you’re close, it’s troublesome.’

‘What’s troublesome.’

‘For a Beta, he’s born quite pretty.’

‘Pretty? Isn’t he on the handsome side?’

‘He has a bit of a strange corner.’

Anyway, the bastards called Alphas are all in this shape. If they think someone is easy to touch, if they think someone catches their eye a bit, reacting from the crotch first. In a world where anything was forgiven solely for the reason of being a child of a tremendous house and possessing tremendous genes, the majority of Alphas were literally living as they pleased.

‘That guy is a Beta. Even when he has no pheromones, do you get such thoughts?’

‘Anyway, the implicitly innocent Kwon Sabin bastard.’

‘What?’

‘A Beta is also quite fun.’

The counterpart laughed deceptively and made a vulgar hand gesture. Kwon Sabin scanned the counterparts pathetically.

‘Meet with a woman instead.’

‘He’s a male fellow who isn’t an Omega, but if he’s to that extent, it’s really passable, I tell you.’

‘…’

‘And the sight of his pride getting hurt is also extremely fun. In their own way, glaring their eyes with a start.’

The surrounding packs laid out low-grade words and let out snickering laughs. A few nodded their heads while laughing significantly as if agreeing. With an expressionless face, Kwon Sabin popped a reply.

‘Even if they say he’s a concubine’s child, that guy is Seongsan’s youngest.’

‘It doesn’t matter anyway. Wasn’t he famous? They say he’s the ugly duckling in Seongsan. Suhyun hyung completely shudders at just hearing that guy’s name.’

Not knowing a single thing about what kind of words they were saying regarding him over here, Kwon Sabin watched Seong Hajin’s profile from afar as he just remained composed. Whether the entrance ceremony was somewhat tedious, he also looked blank, and a stupid appearance of being gone to another world by himself, whether he was in the middle of other thoughts. For no reason, Kwon Sabin’s chest was tightly blocked. A idiot-like fellow who gets slighted wherever he goes, gets beaten, and despite that, can’t even make a squeak. A stupid bastard who gets this kind of treatment everyday wherever he goes.

‘It’s right that you aren’t close, right?’

‘Close my foot, fuckers. It’s been over 10 years since we’ve lived looking at each other’s faces, you pieces of shit. Do you not know that Seongsan and our family are fucking close?’

‘No… ah, didn’t you say no earlier.’

‘Originally, I don’t have a fellow I’m close with. You, are you close with me?’

Needlessly raising his voice, Kwon Sabin glared askance at the counterpart. At his words, the counterpart flinched, then stuck out their lips awkwardly. In an instant, the snickering sounds of laughter subsided. Kicking his tongue once in annoyance, Kwon Sabin shoved a hand into one side of his pocket and approached Seong Hajin in a swaggering manner. The pack’s gazes headed toward Kwon Sabin’s back, and he stood in front of Seong Hajin, who was hanging a wound today as well.

‘…Hey.’

I fucking hate it, but I’ll help you just this once. With the intention of showing an acquaintance once in front of them, Kwon Sabin struck up a conversation first. He hated it to death, but well, what can you do. Still, because there was a time they lived looking at each other’s faces since childhood, inevitably, really inevitably even if it was hated to death, in a manner of overlooking with his broad generosity, Kwon Sabin looked down at the counterpart with an unsupportive face.

But the counterpart was silent. Did he not hear? Wrinkling his eyes more in annoyance, Kwon Sabin kicked at Seong Hajin’s feet tap-tap and tossed words again.

‘Hey. Fuck, are human words not audible to you?’

‘…’

When touched directly, only then did the counterpart slowly turn his head and look at Kwon Sabin. An indifferent gaze. Unconsciously, Kwon Sabin wrinkled between his brows more. He disliked that gaze especially. He had those kind of eyes all through his childhood as well. An indifferent pupil that didn’t particularly have a wordless expectation or vitality either.

‘Know how to be grateful. Me first—.’

‘Who are you.’

‘…What?’

But at the unexpected reaction, Kwon Sabin’s speech was completely blocked. With a dumbfounded face, he burst out a dumbfounded breath.

‘Is this thing crazy….’

When Kwon Sabin continuously burst it out without hiding his absurd signs, Seong Hajin, who had been pretending not to know, quietly carried on words.

‘Even if you pretend to know me, there’s nothing good, right.’

‘What?’

‘Let’s live pretending not to know.’

Thinking that needlessly pretending to know a celebrity was a tiresome matter, and also Seong Hajin, who hadn’t thought it was a matter Kwon Sabin wished for either, judged rationally. Anyway, it wasn’t that he was close with Kwon Sabin, and because Kwon Sabin was also one of those who regarded him unsupportively, Seong Hajin thought it was natural. But whether it differed from his thoughts, Kwon Sabin’s face gradually hardened chillingly.

‘An amusing bastard, this one.’

‘…’

‘By whose permission?’

With a fully distorted gaze, Kwon Sabin looked down at Seong Hajin.

‘If someone pretends to know you, you should know how to be thankful, where do you get off dictating this and that?’

Whether his mind was firmly twisted, or whether his goodwill being rejected at a single stroke touched his pride, Kwon Sabin carried on words with his characteristic arrogant face. But far from shrinking back, the counterpart passed by Kwon Sabin, who was working up a full fever, while dropping a soundless sigh.