Flower Fiancé Chapter 60

Ji Yeonwoo’s circumstances were no different. Ever since meeting Choi Moohyuk, Ji Yeonwoo had been in a state thoroughly soaked in the Dominant Alpha pheromones that Choi Moohyuk had marked him with. It was to the point that other trait-carriers could recognize at once that he was a body with a lover.

Then could it be, is he reacting to the Dominant Alpha’s pheromones?

But the idea that Ji Yeonwoo, who had a pheromone deficiency, would react to a Dominant Alpha’s pheromones couldn’t be explained theoretically. Even assuming that Ji Yeonwoo’s pheromones were in the process of recovering, evidence was lacking. A prime example of this was his pheromones.

If it were a symptom appearing as his pheromones recovered, he should be able to sense pheromones, however faintly, but right now, even the remaining scent of the bath salts had almost completely faded from Ji Yeonwoo, leaving only his characteristic skin scent.

Then was it really just fatigue accumulation?

Choi Moohyuk furrowed his brow even more and looked at Ji Yeonwoo. Leaning back as he sat, Ji Yeonwoo rubbed his eyes with his fingers, looking miserable. As if his words about being tired weren’t empty, the rims of his eyes were red and bloodshot.

“You seem very tired; we should just sleep. Is it alright if I don’t massage the other leg?”

“Yes. You can stop, it’s fine. Aren’t your arms sore, Managing Director?”

Watching Ji Yeonwoo nod in agreement, Choi Moohyuk wore a dubious expression. It was regrettable to say about Ji Yeonwoo, but he didn’t have 100% faith. Ji Yeonwoo had a gentle personality to the point of saying everything was fine no matter what situation he faced, so he didn’t easily show his pain. That such a person was proactive in bed or displayed feelings of jealousy was also a curious thing, though.

“But until when do you intend to call me Managing Director?”

Ji Yeonwoo’s two eyes, which had been drowsily closed, went round. When their gazes met, the hand that had been kneading the soft flesh above the crook of the knee moved a little higher and grasped the inside of the thigh. When the bathrobe was lifted because his leg had been raised, only then did Ji Yeonwoo flinch in surprise and hurriedly pull the gaping bathrobe down.

“Ah! Wait, wait a moment, Managing Director.”

“You’re saying Managing Director again.”

Expressing his displeasure by raising one eye, he shifted the position of his hand a little higher. About one knuckle of the finger that had been kneading the tender flesh of the inner thigh slipped past the edge of the drawers.

“…Heut!”

Letting out a breath between his parting lips, Ji Yeonwoo urgently closed his legs. If the hand holding his thigh went up just a little further, it was poised to touch his center.

In the end, Ji Yeonwoo seized his wrist with both hands and stopped him.

“Th-then what should I do? What should I call you?”

His face, heavy with fatigue, was flushed red. Choi Moohyuk grasped the tender flesh of the thigh firmly and leaned his body toward Ji Yeonwoo.

“You said it earlier. Why are you pretending not to know?”

“Which one? Are you talking about when I said Mr. Moohyuk?”

“You know well.”

“Managing Director, at that time….”

“Seup.”

Hearing the familiar form of address slip out from habit, he drew in a small breath and frowned. Flustered, Ji Yeonwoo just opened and closed his mouth, looking up at him right above.

“I was so out of it at that time…. Please give me a little time. Managing… no.”

Ji Yeonwoo, who had almost called him Managing Director out of habit without realizing it, stopped abruptly and stammered.

“Mr. Moohyuk, the new form of address needs time to become familiar and settle in.”

“Then shall we arrange for you to stay at this house until the form of address is sorted out?”

Hearing the deal proposed as naturally as a sly snake slithering over a wall, Ji Yeonwoo finally closed his mouth and glared at him.

“No, really, why are you like this.”

“What did I do for you to say that.”

“Then, Manag— no, Mr. Moohyuk, why won’t you answer who the person in that photo is?”

Ha, so you’re changing the subject like this?

“That… didn’t you say earlier that I didn’t have to explain?”

“I changed my mind. I want to hear it.”

Ji Yeonwoo answered firmly, uncharacteristically. Watching this Ji Yeonwoo, Choi Moohyuk slowly straightened his body up.

“I absolutely must know why there’s a photo of an Omega taken with snow in the background in a book belonging to Mr. Moohyuk, who supposedly dislikes snow, and who that person is.”

The tables had turned in an instant.

Sitting up accordingly, Ji Yeonwoo spoke as if having made some great resolution and fixed his gaze.

“What will you do if it’s an ex-lover, since you keep asking?”

Hearing Choi Moohyuk’s voice speaking as if somewhat troubled, tension spread across Ji Yeonwoo’s face.

“It doesn’t matter. But…. Even if that were the case, I trust that you would at least tell a white lie.”

Watching the changing expression, Choi Moohyuk let out a small, hollow breath.

“It’s not a face that doesn’t matter at all.”

About to say something, Ji Yeonwoo pressed his lips tightly shut and glared. That gaze was somehow full of resentment.

“Isn’t that obvious? Even if we didn’t go all the way, if right after quasi-intercourse you answer that the person in the photo is your ex-lover, you’re really bad. You know that, right?”

“Ha, are you determined to make me a real bastard?”

Choi Moohyuk, who had been listening, laughed as if dumbfounded. As if he truly was curious, Ji Yeonwoo looked at Choi Moohyuk without scattering his gaze once.

Choi Moohyuk continued speaking as if at a loss.

“Didn’t you find it strange when you saw the photo?”

Strength entered the pupils of the acutely tense Ji Yeonwoo.

“Strange… you say?”

“For example, that there’s a strong resemblance, or the location of the mole is similar, something like that.”

Blinking his two eyes and lost in thought, Ji Yeonwoo was soon able to grasp the meaning.

Only then, realizing that he had finally caught on, a bitter smile appeared on Choi Moohyuk’s face.

“If my mother had known that seeing her photo makes a lover jealous, she would have liked it—it’s a shame.”

“Y-your mother?”

It was an answer he hadn’t expected at all. Ji Yeonwoo asked again as if he still couldn’t believe it.

“Tha-that’s a lie. She looked incredibly young?”

“She also liked hearing that she looked young. And in fact, she did look remarkably young for her age.”

“…Is it really true?”

“I’ve heard quite often from people around me that I resemble my mother. So I was a bit taken aback seeing Mr. Ji Yeonwoo being jealous. I assumed you would have recognized her naturally.”

“I… I never even imagined it could be your mother.”

Continuing to speak with a calm expression, he carefully stroked the cheek of Ji Yeonwoo, who had frozen as if greatly shocked.

“If she were still alive, I often thought that she would have maintained a good relationship with Mr. Ji Yeonwoo. Though her upbringing environment was a bit like that, she was a cheerful person and resembled Mr. Ji Yeonwoo a lot personality-wise.”

Darkness fell over Choi Moohyuk’s face, but only for a moment. Choi Moohyuk soon returned to his usual demeanor.

Receiving the touch stroking his cheek, Ji Yeonwoo, who had been staring blankly at Choi Moohyuk, carefully opened his mouth.

“But then why….”

“Because she didn’t fit in with the household in many ways. She was someone who merely gave birth to a Dominant Alpha, and neither her upbringing environment nor anything else was ever acknowledged.”

“Ah….”

“In the end, it turns out I couldn’t protect my mother even with the trait of a Dominant Alpha.”

“….”

“I still can’t really fathom how she must have felt, having to let go of everything and leave. But since she passed while watching the snowfall she liked so much, I think perhaps it was a little easier for her.”

Ji Yeonwoo remained blankly frozen, unable to rashly add words. The disappearance of the traces of someone blood-related was clearly a sorrowful thing, but thinking of how much time he must have spent in pain to speak of it so calmly, no words of comfort came to mind.

“Well, it’s all in the past now.”

Seeing the corners of Ji Yeonwoo’s eyes habitually droop, he changed the subject. Having removed the bathrobe, which had become loosely undone, and placed it down below the bed, Choi Moohyuk layered his body over Ji Yeonwoo, who was gazing plainly at his face, and lay down on the bed.

“It’s very late; I think we should sleep now.”

Choi Moohyuk stretched out his arm, turned off the light, and slid it under his head to support it. The other arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him into his embrace.

“Close your eyes now. If you’re still not feeling well after this weekend, let’s go to the hospital together.”

“Okay.”

Ji Yeonwoo leaned more comfortably against the arm supporting his head and answered in a drowsy voice. He had thought sleep had completely fled while having this and that conversation, but thanks to the warm body heat enveloping him, drowsiness washed over him hazily in an instant.