Pheromone Off Chapter 40

Kwon Sabin thought that way as he scrolled through the upcoming advertisements displayed on his tablet for which he was set as the model. If he likes it that much, I could plug him into another one…

“…Sabin.”

Then he’d be dead from gratitude all over again, seriously. Kwon Sabin was snickering to himself, scrolling down continuously without any meaning.

“…Sabin.”

But if he’s that grateful, shouldn’t he at least buy a meal or something?

“Kwon Sabin!”

Kwon Sabin, who had been deeply lost in other thoughts for a while, opened his eyes wide at the sudden loud voice and looked straight ahead. Only then did he realize that the lights in the meeting room were on and everyone was staring at him.

“What, what. What.”

“…Cough. Then, may we take it that the actor has accepted the concept?”

When the client, who had been waiting for an answer, asked cautiously, Kwon Sabin, who hadn’t heard a thing, just nodded roughly.

“Uh, well. Uh.”

The manager next to him let out a short sigh at the half-hearted reply from Kwon Sabin, who had failed to focus. Along with Kwon Sabin’s answer, the meeting came to an end, and after exchanging light, polite greetings, many people filed out of the meeting room.

Following behind them, the moment Kwon Sabin also tried to raise his body, the manager asked wonderingly.

“Are you really going to be okay?”

At the sudden question, Kwon Sabin asked back with a sullen face.

“With what.”

“The concept.”

“What concept.”

“I knew it. What on earth were you thinking about during the entire meeting?”

“What are you going to do even if you know.”

“The level is a bit intense.”

“What?”

At the words the manager threw out with concern, Kwon Sabin’s eyes grew large with a start.

“The sexual concept is strong. The level of physical contact is also intense.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. You hate that kind of thing. You hate other people putting their hands on your body.”

“…If it’s work, it can’t be helped.”

“I thought for sure you’d cut it out saying you hated it.”

Kwon Sabin swallowed his dry saliva quietly at the unexpected talk.

“They say there’s something like a kiss scene too. If you hate it, they’ll take it out for you.”

“…No matter if I’m a top star, asking them to take this out or leave that in like that is an abuse of power.”

“…Since when were you someone who had such commendable thoughts?”

“I must be growing up too.”

Kwon Sabin shot back slickly and examined the meeting materials again. Looking over it roughly, it was an advertisement with a sexual atmosphere under an Alpha-Omega concept. It had a quite dark atmosphere, with numerous scenes highlighting sexual charm.

“…Is he okay with it?”

“Him?”

“Him. I mean him.”

“Ah—. Seong Hajin Mr.? As for that person, well, if they tell him to do it, he does it.”

“…”

“He’s not in a position to say he likes it or hates it.”

The manager continued speaking casually. Well, it was a correct statement. He was a sub-model anyway, and that too was a spot that he and Kwon Sayoung were plugging him into. He was a complete rookie whose name didn’t exist and whose face the public didn’t know, so it was a matter of course. He himself naturally thought that way too. But why was irritation creeping up bit by bit above his pit of the stomach? Kwon Sabin, his face filled with irritation in the meantime, whipped the bundle of papers toward the manager.

“Ah! Hey, you son of a—.”

“What are you glaring for. Just get the car on standby.”

The manager stared at the papers scattered on the floor with a dumbfounded look, but Kwon Sabin didn’t even spare a glance and instructed roughly. Then, through the window of the meeting room, he stared intently at Seong Hajin, who was talking with his manager. Looking at his face which was slightly flushed, he seemed to still be in a good mood.

“You said you were grateful.”

Then, he slipped closer to Hajin and tossed those words out suggestively. At the appearance of Kwon Sabin drawing near stealthily, Hajin’s manager seemed to hold a questioning look. Hajin requested his manager to leave them for a moment, purposely sending him far away, and only then did he speak up.

“Do you have something to say?”

At the appearance of the serene Hajin asking wonderingly, Kwon Sabin puckered his brow and tossed out.

“Is saying thank you with an empty mouth all there is?”

Hajin let out a short sigh at his business. It was a face as if he hadn’t even thought about it. At the same time, a question of what on earth he was supposed to do then was contained in it. Kwon Sabin gave a cough, clearing his throat in vain, and added words.

“Well… buy a meal or something.”

Hajin let out a sigh once more. It was a face that had finally realized his business. Hajin nodded his head and responded.

“Sure. Is there something you want to eat?”

“Just go to a place you know.”

“Really?”

“Then is it fake? Just go roughly.”

Hajin glanced at him as if telling him not to regret it. Then, he placed the hat he was wearing onto his head.

“What are you—!”

“A top star isn’t even going to cover his face?”

“…”

“Let’s go. To eat a meal.”

Hajin smiled lightly and led him. A meal was nothing, at least once. Although it was a matter of nepotism, it was unexpected that Kwon Sabin had helped him. He was a light person. One whose mood easily turned good at a person’s goodwill and who became purely glad. If he could work on anything, he was glad and happy. He knew he wasn’t of that caliber and was vastly lacking, but it was impossible not to be happy with the opportunity given. Because it was an affair entangled with Kwon Sayoung and connected to the group, it weighed on his mind, but he wasn’t in a position to refuse saying he hated it either.

And with Kwon Sabin, somehow he felt like they had gotten closer after entering Doseondang. Before that, he was an existence where he thought it would be best not to get entangled, simply thinking of him that way. But now, he was the only one among the people around him of the same age, and perhaps because they worked in the same occupation, he seemed to gradually become comfortable. And Kwon Sabin was continuously looking out for his convenience while pretending not to. Keeping the secret with Kwon Sayoung was likewise something to be grateful for.

The place they headed to like that was a gukbap restaurant near their high school. Perhaps because the lunch hour had passed, there were few people, but it was a place that overflowed with people once the peak hours arrived, and it was also a place where Hajin had worked part-time for a short while when he was a student.

“The student is here? It’s been a long time?”

As they took a seat and sat down, the owner greeted him gladly, recognizing him. Hajin bowed his head in greeting and conveyed that it had been a long time. Kwon Sabin, who had his hat pressed down deeply, could not hide his dumbfounded air and scoured the inside of the restaurant several times. It was an ordinary restaurant that was moderately old and wafted a moderate smell of greasy food. However, it was a working-class restaurant that Kwon Sabin hadn’t even had the chance to look at.

“Is the place you brought me to with much effort here?”

“You told me to go where I go.”

“No, even so, still—!”

“The customers here are mainly elderly people, so there won’t be anyone who recognizes you.”

“Ha, who because of that kind of thing….”

“It’s delicious. Really.”

Hajin guaranteed it, his eyes shining brightly. Kwon Sabin mashed his eyes for a moment suspiciously at that confidence.

“Next time I’ll buy you something else too.”

Hajin continued speaking casually as he put the kimchi and kkakdugi into empty dishes.

“Because there are many things I’m grateful to you for.”

“…”

“Though I haven’t earned enough money to buy you something extremely expensive yet…. Still, I’ll buy it for you several times.”

“…”

“Both today’s matter and keeping the secret, I’m truly grateful.”

Hajin, who had been moving without a moment to rest, even set a water cup in front of him and looked straight at him. They were eyes filled with sincerity in every single letter.

“…What are you so grateful for. Don’t you remember me tormenting you?”

As Kwon Sabin tossed those words out as if asking whether he didn’t even remember him picking fights in vain and ignoring him throughout their school days, Hajin let out a faint laugh.

“How is that tormenting.”

“…”

“You never beat me.”

“…”

“And you never made a demand that crossed the line.”

There were many times he had acted like a jerk, but by Hajin’s standards, those things were not torment. Compared to Seong Suhyun, it was merely at the level of a baby’s prank. His torment had always occurred at home, not at school.

Kwon Sabin shut his mouth tightly at Hajin’s nonchalant words.

A fellow who truly had no pride. Kwon Sabin knitted his brow and looked at Hajin pathetically. No matter how much it was so, it wasn’t a false statement that Kwon Sabin had tormented Hajin. Picking a fight with a fellow who was staying quiet, ignoring him because he was a Beta, putting him to shame in front of people, and making him a bread shuttle—it was fittingly correct that he had tormented him. But Hajin’s appearance of dismissing it as that much of a thing was even more to Kwon Sabin’s dislike. How much must they have made the kid unable to live in that household for him to consider that level ridiculous.

He knew. The extent of Seong Suhyun laying a hand on Hajin. But because that was their family matter, he had stayed as quiet as possible. His grandfather, Chairman Kwon, also used to shut his mouth occasionally because it was a family matter. Even while doting on Hajin that much.

But like the words he heard from Hajin’s mouth not long ago, Kwon Sabin had absolutely not known that their torment would be of that level. Although Seong Suhyun’s behavior was detestable and obnoxious, he always pretended to be gentle in front of the Kwon family. Seong Yeonwoo was also a good-natured hyung who knew how to look after his half-brother moderately.

“How is it, it’s delicious, right.”

Hajin swallowed a sip of broth and asked with slightly expectant eyes. Kwon Sabin, who was in the middle of other thoughts, only then picked up his utensils. He had eaten gukbap at a Korean restaurant before. It wasn’t a food he was eating for the first time. It was just that this kind of restaurant was a first. Kwon Sabin put a bite into his mouth nonchalantly.

Even if it’s like that, what could be different about it. He snorted lightly as if Hajin’s expectant appearance was absurd, but the moment he swallowed the broth, Kwon Sabin’s eyes grew large for a moment.

“See. I told you it’s delicious.”

Hajin, who detected that minute reaction, smiled lightly and continued speaking. It was delicious, certainly. There was no gamey smell or foul odor, and a moderately savory and salty taste spread inside his mouth. But his surprise at that taste lasted only for a moment; Kwon Sabin blankly had his gaze stolen by Hajin.