Alpha Trauma Vol. 3 Chapter 7

Wooyeon hesitated, unable to reject the proposal immediately. For a brief moment, he found himself genuinely tempted by the words. After all, if Dohyeon was being this direct, could he really just let it slide? Just as he was thinking that, the classroom door swung open with a bang.

“Hey, we were the first to arrive…”

The students who rushed in halted in their tracks upon noticing Dohyeon and Wooyeon. Their wide-eyed glances exchanged between the two clearly recognized the peculiar atmosphere surrounding them. Wooyeon quickly widened the distance and turned his head away from Dohyeon.

He heard a distinct clicking sound from right beside him—it was Dohyeon, who was sitting exactly next to him. Wooyeon covered his flushed face with his palm in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

“…You said you wouldn’t ask me to date.”

“Ah… right, I did say that.”

That was where their conversation ended. Not long after, the classroom filled with students, and the professor walked in, immediately launching into the lecture. Wooyeon had to keep the rabbit plush hidden beside him throughout the lecture, making a conscious effort not to think about Dohyeon.

After class, Dohyeon couldn’t manage to catch Wooyeon before he headed home. He merely concealed his disappointment and left a lingering remark, “I’ll contact you this weekend.” He added that he liked Wooyeon, prompting Wooyeon to flee the classroom.

The plush he had unintentionally carried out was awkwardly sized for his bag. Not only did it take up space, but its long ears kept popping out whenever he tried to zip the bag shut. Reluctantly, Wooyeon found himself holding the plush awkwardly in one hand as he got into the car driven by Yoon.

“Welcome back, young master.”

The employees showed great interest in the plush Wooyeon had brought. Although no one directly asked about it, their curious glances made it clear. Ignoring their curiosity, Wooyeon entered his room and placed the plush on his desk.

“…What should I do with this?”

While it was undeniably his, it was now an awkward possession. He shouldn’t have accepted it, but he couldn’t refuse due to lingering feelings. Perhaps Dohyeon had brought it to him knowingly.

Sighing, Wooyeon leaned over his desk and glared at the plush. Its long, fluffy ears looked odd for a rabbit. The sharp tips made it seem more like a fox.

“What does this have to do with me…?”

Wooyeon pressed down on the plush and recalled the story Dohyeon had shared. It encompassed Dohyeon’s upbringing, their memories together, and various uncontrollable factors surrounding him.

“I didn’t want to be abandoned by you.”

In truth, Wooyeon regretted things too. He should have just let it go as if nothing had happened, pretended not to notice, and sought to mend their relationship, just as Dohyeon had been a comfort to him—he could have been a refuge for Dohyeon as well.

But Wooyeon was not mature enough to embrace him. Reassuring him that it was okay or apologizing required preparation that he lacked. He knew it was a selfish thought, but right now, he didn’t even have the energy to face the problems head-on.

This was one of Wooyeon’s bad habits: when overwhelmed by complicated matters, he would first avoid them. Whether being bullied, when a teacher left, or when suffering from Suhyang’s problems, Wooyeon had always waited with his eyes closed until the situations passed.

“…Huh?”

As he emptied his mind, Wooyeon suddenly noticed something and sat up. It was a tag attached near the plush’s backside. He could see a message stating the age limit for use along with the name “Fox.”

“…Fox?”

The rabbit plush had pure white fur, with only its ears and paw pads being pink. However, its oddly shaped ears seemed to resemble a fox more than a rabbit.

Upon finally spotting its long, plump tail, Wooyeon silently chuckled to himself.

* * *

Throughout the weekend, Wooyeon kept picking up and putting down his phone. Every morning, noon, and night, Dohyeon sent timely messages. He would inform Wooyeon that he had just woken up, what he had for meals, and his plans for the day.

During the flurry of messages, Wooyeon couldn’t bring himself to respond. More specifically, he had missed the chance to tell Dohyeon, “The plush isn’t a rabbit, but a desert fox.” This was a very basic issue, yet Wooyeon, who was particularly inexperienced in relationships, lacked the ability to treat Dohyeon casually while maintaining an appropriate distance.

“Ji Suhyang’s statement… ‘My son is not an illegitimate child.’”

An article was published around Sunday morning. As one story broke, a flood of articles followed, dominating the trending searches and making headlines on all three major broadcasting networks.

The content was the same as what Wooyeon had read; Suhyang had a child and that the omega he married twenty years ago had passed away prematurely. Suhyang expressed his wish to honor his deceased spouse and declared that he wouldn’t expose his precious child to the media just yet.

The issue was compounded by Wooyeon’s university entrance scandal. An allegation arose that a student had been admitted in exchange for money, naturally targeting Wooyeon as a suspect. Although Suhyang clarified that it wasn’t true, the media wouldn’t let the matter rest easily.

“Sir, you can’t get out.”

“…I can’t get out here either.”

On Tuesday morning, as Wooyeon headed to school, he sighed at the sight of reporters gathered at the main entrance. He knew he should stand tall in times like these, but seeing their eager eyes made him want to flee immediately. If he did, it would appear as if Wooyeon was admitting to the entrance scandal.

“Don’t take pictures!”

“Don’t block the way!”

Protected by the guards he had so despised, Wooyeon pushed through the noisy crowd. Fortunately, thanks to the school’s efforts to block outsiders, once he entered the building, he finally had a moment to breathe. Although the students’ gazes still lingered, it was better than having cameras shoved in his face.

“Wooyeon!”

As soon as Seonkyu saw Wooyeon in class, he rushed over. Having seen the article, he asked if Wooyeon was okay. Wooyeon nodded, glancing at his classmates to gauge their reactions. Seonkyu dramatically raised his voice, as if wanting everyone to hear.

“Hey, the entrance scandal is ridiculous, right? Who studies as hard as you do?”

Wooyeon noticed a few students flinch and close their mouths. It seemed they had been gossiping about him before he arrived. Well, Wooyeon had expected something like that, so he didn’t mind too much.

After the lecture, the two of them headed to the club room together. A bodyguard followed them from a short distance away, and Seonkyu felt quite burdened by the situation. Still, he didn’t seem uncomfortable around Wooyeon, so Wooyeon couldn’t even mention that he felt like he should quit the club as he followed Seonkyu.

“We’re here.”

As usual, Garam and Dohyeon were in the club room. While Garam was understandable, it was puzzling to see Dohyeon there on a day when he had no classes. However, upon seeing Wooyeon, Dohyeon quickly got up, which gave Wooyeon a rough idea of why he was there.

“What’s all this fuss about, seriously…”

Garam grumbled while ordering takeout. It seemed like he was occasionally looking at news articles, and among them was a photo of Wooyeon returning from the U.S.

“How on earth did they know to take this kind of picture?”

“Probably… everyone just kind of knew. I didn’t really hide it during middle school.”

The reporters must have always kept an eye on Wooyeon. Even if they hadn’t published anything, they were likely sharpening their knives, waiting for the right moment. With Suhyang openly dropping a bombshell, it wasn’t surprising that they were flocking like fish to bait.

“Still, the kids aren’t openly picking on Wooyeon.”

At Seonkyu’s words, Wooyeon quietly nodded. With the bodyguard accompanying him, it wouldn’t be easy to insult him openly. Even if Wooyeon was a thorn in their side, if they had any sense, they would hold their tongues.

“First…”

Dohyeon looked at Wooyeon and Seonkyu and slowly opened his mouth. Wooyeon, who had been unconsciously aware of Dohyeon, flinched and turned to him. Dohyeon had a serious expression, furrowing the skin around his left eye.

“Be careful.”

“…”

“There are all kinds of weirdos in the world.”

It was a rather uncharacteristic remark from Dohyeon. His worried gaze was starkly apparent, almost as if his hair were bristling. Wooyeon couldn’t respond, and Garam looked between the two with a subtle expression.

Dohyeon’s warning became a reality when they were leaving the club room after lunch. Garam went off to another lecture, and with time on his hands, Dohyeon followed them. In the midst of a subtly tense atmosphere, they unexpectedly ran into someone smoking in front of the building.

“Wow, look who it is!”

It was a large man with a fierce-looking face. The way he gnawed on his cigarette and scowled brought back memories from a few months ago.

“Should I play the knight in shining armor instead?”

“…”

He was a returning student. The same guy who had been rude to Wooyeon, only to flee after getting verbally humiliated at the MT location.

“Hey, aren’t you going to greet your Sunbae?”

“…Hello.”

Seonkyu greeted him quietly, but Wooyeon ignored him and continued walking. Since campus life had gone to hell, he had no intention of trying to make a good impression on an upperclassman. The returning student exhaled a puff of smoke, watching Wooyeon.

“Such an insolent little brat. So, you’re Ji Suhyang’s only son?”

The one who reacted to that remark was none other than Dohyeon. He had been giving off a strange vibe for a while, and as soon as the student spoke, he stopped dead in his tracks. Ignoring him, the returning student continued with a mocking tone.

“Is that why you’re acting so high and mighty? I recognized you the moment you started acting all cool.”

He looked as big as a mountain, yet his substance was no more than that of a mouse. It had been months since the MT incident, and he was still bringing it up. Perhaps it was a source of shame for him.

“A commoner like me wouldn’t even recognize a chaebol…”

His sarcastic tone was infuriating. The bodyguard was there, but he wouldn’t intervene unless cameras were being shoved in their faces or physical violence broke out. That was the original agreement with Wooyeon, and he had intended to just walk past when—

“Ah… Jinsang, seriously.”

An icy silence fell. It was the kind of atmosphere created by that same quiet and gentle voice. Seonkyu, who was beside him, and even Wooyeon, who had been expressionless, turned their gaze in surprise. The one most shocked was the returning student.

“…Hey, what did you just say?”

The returning student dropped his cigarette and blinked in disbelief at Dohyeon’s words. Dohyeon scoffed, curling his lips as if to confirm his earlier statement.

“Did you hear that? It was just a soliloquy.”

Seonkyu’s mouth fell open, and he grabbed Wooyeon’s arm. He meant for Wooyeon to try to calm Dohyeon down, but unfortunately, Wooyeon was too stunned to do anything. Meanwhile, Dohyeon scrutinized the returning student from head to toe and spat out his words.

“I thought you couldn’t understand what I was saying, but it seems your comprehension skills just aren’t very good.”

His calm voice was steadier than ever. He didn’t raise his tone or hurl insults. He merely looked at the returning student with a gaze of disdain, as if he were a bug.

“Isn’t it a bit tiresome to keep whining? I would be too embarrassed to even show my face at school if I were you.”

“…What the hell, did hanging out with Garam make you weird?”

The returning student’s face turned a mix of red and blue. He stepped toward Dohyeon and lightly tapped his shoulder. Though the returning student was bigger, Dohyeon was taller, so it wasn’t an intimidating threat.

“Say that again, what? Tiresome?”

“Sunbae, please calm down…”

Seonkyu seemed worried it would escalate, stepping toward them. The returning student shoved Seonkyu’s hand away in irritation. Seeing this, Dohyeon spoke dismissively.

“Just hit him once.”

“……”

“I’ll hit you once.”

Wooyeon instinctively took a step closer. In that moment, the returning student’s eyes lit up with excitement. With a sigh, he firmly grabbed Dohyeon by the shoulder.

“Hey… you think I can’t hit you?”

Usually, foolish people have a low threshold for anger. Even if he hadn’t intended to hit anyone, the moment he was told to, he probably lost all reason. Dohyeon must have known that, yet instead of being flustered, he smiled mockingly.

“Well, I guess you can’t. Does your house have a lot of money, Sunbae?”

It was a blatant mockery. Dohyeon neither pushed the returning student away nor backed down, maintaining eye contact. His neat lips formed words that were as polished as ever.

“If you wanted to pick a fight, you should have done it after the MT. Why are you bringing up something from months ago at your age?”

Wooyeon thought it was quite unfamiliar to see a teacher speaking so coldly. He had never seen Dohyeon angry before, and it was his first time witnessing him argue with someone. To make matters worse, Dohyeon even let out a small laugh.

“Why? Does this bother you that much?”

“……”

“Then you shouldn’t have started talking in the first place.”

People were starting to take notice. Perhaps realizing the attention, the returning student gritted his teeth and let go of Dohyeon. It seemed he understood that causing a scene in a place like this wouldn’t benefit him either.

Seeing that, Dohyeon smiled with a friendly expression.

“You couldn’t hit me, could you?”

“Ah, damn it!”

The returning student grumbled angrily and walked away. As he brushed past Dohyeon, he made sure to bump shoulders. However, Dohyeon didn’t stagger, and unfortunately, a groan escaped the returning student’s lips.

“Ugh, how unlucky…”

The one who started the trouble was acting as if he had stepped in something unpleasant. Seonkyu, a beat behind, stomped his foot in frustration.

“Wow, what a mess! Are you okay, Hyung?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go, you’re going to be late for your class.”

Dohyeon calmed the agitated Seonkyu, brushing off his shoulder. The way he had grabbed it left his clothes crumpled and messy. Wooyeon watched him walk away first and hesitantly spoke up.

“Did you really want to hit him?”

Dohyeon’s gaze returned to Wooyeon, a pleasant smile lingering on his lips, as if he were genuinely happy that Wooyeon had spoken up.

“Those kinds of people can’t hit me anyway.”

Wooyeon couldn’t ask any more questions and fell silent. What would he do if Dohyeon actually hit him? Why was he being so reckless? There were so many things he wanted to ask, but none of them came without a hint of worry.

“Isn’t that Sunbae going to pick a fight with you every time he sees you now?”

“Actually, that would be better. I’m good at scratching the surface.”

How far can one’s interest go when they’re not dating? Wooyeon pondered that line as he slowly took a step forward. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t grasp what “moderate” really meant.

* * *

Dohyeon naturally attended the class that both of them were in. He greeted the professor with an audacious smile and even brought his own notebook and pen this time. Wooyeon spent his time in a daze, unable to find any faults with him.

After the class ended, Seonkyu was the first to clear out. He shot a look that seemed to urge a reconciliation, but Wooyeon pretended not to notice, focusing on packing his bag. Dohyeon waited for Wooyeon to finish gathering his things before snatching his bag like a hostage.

“Why are you attending class together? Sunbae, you have a break today.”

Outside the building, Mr. Yoon’s car was waiting. Unlike the morning, there were no reporters pushing through, and passing students stole glances at the sleek black sedan. Dohyeon subtly scanned the surroundings, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“I’m worried.”

“……”

Wooyeon’s mouth fell shut. It felt strange since earlier, but everything stemmed from that worry. His troubled expression and restlessness seemed to derive from that.

“There’s a bodyguard with you, though…”

Wooyeon fiddled with his earlobe, staring at the ground. He was accompanied by a bodyguard, so what could there possibly be to worry about? Dohyeon looked at Wooyeon and spoke softly.

“Well…”

His voice was barely audible. The next words that followed were so quiet that they could be missed if one wasn’t paying attention.

“We should at least be together like this.”

Wooyeon lifted his head. In Dohyeon’s profile, there was a hint of bittersweetness. But before he could say anything, they reached the car parked in front of them.

“Be careful getting in.”

Dohyeon quickly composed himself and handed over the bag. When Mr. Yoon opened the car door, Wooyeon climbed in with a complicated expression.

He thought the door would close right away, but Mr. Yoon unexpectedly spoke to Dohyeon.

“Why don’t you join him?”

Dohyeon’s expression hardened. His gaze slowly shifted, wavering aimlessly. Mr. Yoon spoke in his usual blunt tone.

“The chairman asked me to bring you.”

* * *

“……”

“……”

Inside the car, there was no conversation at all. If only they could hear the sound of the engine, but the unnecessarily expensive car produced no noise whatsoever. Dohyeon, sitting beside Wooyeon in the back seat, was also staring blankly out the window.

“Are we going to the company?”

Unable to endure the awkward atmosphere, Wooyeon asked Mr. Yoon. The reply was delivered in a businesslike manner.

“No, I’m taking you home.”

He had thought they were heading to the office, but it seemed that Suhyang was at home for some reason. It was rare for someone like him, who would usually call his son to the company after four years, to be at home.

“……”

Silence fell in the car once again. Although there had never been much conversation with Mr. Yoon, it felt particularly awkward with Dohyeon being quiet as well. After a sigh, Wooyeon turned his gaze back out the window.

“Why did Mom call the teacher?”

In response to his almost mumbled question, Dohyeon turned his gaze to Wooyeon. He parted his lips, exhaling as if sighing.

“I’ll tell you in advance.”

“……”

“Actually, the day I went to get my phone screen fixed, I went to see the chairman.”

This was the first time Wooyeon was hearing this. Even yesterday, when he had heard everything about Dohyeon, this detail hadn’t come up. Dohyeon looked at Wooyeon sideways, assuring him that he hadn’t deliberately left it out.

“That day, I told him we’re dating and that I’d be keeping you at my house for a while.”

Wooyeon silently gazed into Dohyeon’s eyes. In his dark pupils, various complicated emotions mixed together. There was a hint of regret, or perhaps tension. Seeing that look, Wooyeon couldn’t help but open his lips.

“Why?”

Mr. Yoon glanced at them through the rearview mirror. Wooyeon turned his upper body to face Dohyeon directly.

“Why did you tell your mom that?”

“Because the chairman is worried about you…”

Wooyeon had expected that answer. He thought it would be followed by some sort of explanation. However, the response he received from Dohyeon was slightly different from what he had imagined.

“I wanted to get permission.”

The nuance felt strange. It was as if he had spoken not because Suhyang asked him to, but of his own volition. On top of that, the unexpected use of the word “permission” caught him off guard.

“What permission…?”

“We’ve arrived.”

Mr. Yoon interrupted their conversation. Wooyeon stopped speaking and looked around. The vehicle had already entered the garage.

“It’s been a really long time since I’ve been here.”

Dohyeon stepped out of the car with a nostalgic expression. Wooyeon followed him out only after Mr. Yoon opened the door.

As Wooyeon led the way, Mr. Yoon suddenly addressed Dohyeon.

“I apologize for a few days ago.”

Wooyeon heard those words, but he had no idea what Mr. Yoon was apologizing for. He merely averted his gaze since Dohyeon wore a look of disappointment. Dohyeon chuckled lightly and replied to Mr. Yoon.

“You know it’s too late, right?”

Today, he felt like he was seeing a lot of unexpected sides of Dohyeon. The teacher provoking others or responding with sarcasm was quite different from the calm demeanor he had been accustomed to. Over the past two days, he felt that the Dohyeon he had encountered was closer to his true self than what Wooyeon had seen before.

They followed the employee’s guidance to Suhyang’s study. Technically, it was only Dohyeon who was called, but Wooyeon chose to ignore the employee’s attempts to stop him and followed along. Perhaps it was presumptuous, but he felt certain that the topic of discussion between the two of them would be about him.

“Why are you coming in with me?”

Suhyang, dressed in a light-striped suit, was working. The burgundy-colored suit, which had a hint of red, matched well with his silk tie. His unusually bright eyes alternated between Dohyeon and Wooyeon.

“It seems you haven’t made up yet.”

“Thanks to you.”

Dohyeon replied nonchalantly as he stepped further inside. It felt completely natural for him to sit on the sofa opposite Suhyang. Wooyeon realized how often he must have had private conversations with Suhyang.

“Wooyeon, you go to your room.”

As Suhyang said this, he set down his tablet. However, instead of leaving the study, Wooyeon moved closer to the sofa and sat beside Dohyeon. Suhyang called out to Wooyeon in a stern voice.

“Seon Wooyeon.”

“If it’s not about me, I’ll leave.”

He was tired of hearing things he didn’t know about. He was open to hearing anything, but he wanted to avoid finding out things too late.

“If it’s really something that has nothing to do with me, I’ll leave without you having to tell me.”

Suhyang remained silent for a long time. He merely narrowed his eyes as if trying to gauge something. After a moment, it seemed he had organized his thoughts, and he looked directly at Dohyeon.

“You changed your phone number.”

Although it wasn’t about him, Wooyeon didn’t get up. This time, Suhyang didn’t ask him to leave either.

“The reason I couldn’t answer that day was that I was busy. I didn’t intentionally ignore your call.”

“Sounds like a convenient excuse. When has the chairman not been busy?”

Dohyeon replied indifferently, lowering his gaze. After a brief pause, he asked lightly,

“Why did you call?”

It felt as if he was saying that nothing else mattered and that he wanted to hear the real reason. Even though he wasn’t part of the conversation, Wooyeon straightened his posture. There was something unnerving about the sight of Suhyang and Dohyeon in the same space.

“Well, yeah. There’s no need for pleasantries.”

Suhyang crossed his legs and folded his arms, tilting his chin up slightly. His neatly groomed eyebrows arched upward.

“Kang Junseong said he would sue you.”

“Me?”

It was Wooyeon who asked the question again, not anyone else. He felt the weight of attention shift to him and awkwardly closed his mouth. Suhyang let out a small snicker.

“Now that I think about it, Wooyeon did ask me about this.”

Memories of the past came flooding back. He recalled worrying that his partner might be sued for hitting someone who had taken a photo. Suhyang wore an amused expression as he smiled.

“Wasn’t that an unnecessary worry? You might have just given him your lawyer’s number without knowing.”

The words didn’t immediately register. A lawyer? When could that have happened? Just as the question formed in his mind, a brief memory flashed through it.

“Just remember it.”

The eleven-digit number he had quietly recited. He had assumed it was Dohyeon’s number, but perhaps that wasn’t the case. As he realized this, a sharp question burst forth.

“Do you carry around a lawyer’s number?”

More than anything, that detail was astonishing. After all, most people couldn’t even memorize family numbers, let alone that of a legal professional. Dohyeon shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

“I’ve memorized your number too.”

That was a bold retort. Wooyeon found himself unable to ask further questions and fell silent. As soon as he did, Dohyeon casually added,

“Make sure to memorize it. It’s essential in case of emergencies.”

Why would he even need a lawyer’s number? Wooyeon didn’t go so far as to point that out. He merely raised a more rational question that he felt he ought to.

“Why would you need a lawyer, sir?”

Typically, a student wouldn’t have a lawyer hired by themselves. He had heard that Dohyeon had been adopted into a wealthy family, but he had no idea how wealthy. There was no way he had prepared ahead of time to hit Junseong.

“I got you one.”

Suhyang answered instead. His sharp gaze passed over Wooyeon and landed on Dohyeon.

“I didn’t get you one to hit someone, though.”

“If you gave it to me, I should use it.”

Dohyeon nodded nonchalantly. It was quite a cheeky gesture. Suhyang didn’t mind, and Dohyeon casually asked,

“How much did you pay for the settlement?”

“I didn’t settle. Instead, I silenced him a bit.”

Suhyang turned on his tablet and handed it to Dohyeon. As Dohyeon took the device, he casually scanned the screen. However, as he reviewed the contents, his expression quickly hardened.

“What’s going on?”

Wooyeon tilted his head in confusion. He leaned in to see the screen, but Dohyeon angled the device away so Wooyeon couldn’t see. At that moment, Suhyang spoke with a calm tone.

“It’s proof that Kang Junseong claimed Wooyeon took the photo.”

A look of dismay crossed Dohyeon’s face. It seemed he didn’t want Wooyeon to notice his furrowed brows. After a brief hesitation, he parted his lips.

“Things like this don’t need to be…”

“Sunbae.”

His tone was surprisingly firm, almost cold. Wooyeon extended his hand and spoke calmly.

“It’s my business.”

“……”

For a moment, he wanted to retract the careless words he had let slip. The gaze directed at him flickered as if it had been hurt. Dohyeon sealed his lips tightly before handing over the tablet with a resigned expression.

“Group chat?”

What Dohyeon was looking at were several photos. To be precise, it was a screenshot of a group chat that included about five people. With each photo he flipped through, Wooyeon’s face also stiffened.

“It seems there was a group chat among middle school classmates. Kang Junseong posted the photos there, and Lee Youngbin wrote a post about it in the community.”

The photos Wooyeon had seen on the internet were right there in the chat. Their faces were clearly visible, and there were quite a few of them. Of course, if that were all, Wooyeon wouldn’t feel such a messy feeling.

“This is evidence I obtained from Lee Youngbin while we were going through legal procedures. He claimed he only took one photo during the festival, but I guess he didn’t realize that distributing it was a more serious offense than just taking it.”

Kang Junseong’s words about how “she’s super pretty, but she totally plays hard to get” stuck in his mind. A few others joined in on the commentary about her appearance, but the most eye-catching statement was this one:

Kang Junseong: [They said she’s that pig bastard] 05:02pm

“……”

It felt strange. He felt both angry and oddly detached from everything. Watching the earlier compliments about his looks be overshadowed by blatant disrespect caused his mind to grow colder.

“I found out that just taking a photo isn’t enough for a lawsuit against Kang Junseong. Technically, it could be possible if he goes through the proper procedures, but it would only amount to damages.”

Wooyeon saw the message “Bring him to watch” before turning off the screen. He felt nauseous and couldn’t bring himself to read any more.

It was then that Dohyeon slowly opened his mouth.

“… So, you’re not saying that you silenced him with this, right?”

His tone suggested he hoped that wasn’t the case. But Suhyang wasn’t generous enough to give him the answer he wanted.

“Exactly.”

Bang! A loud noise echoed as Dohyeon slammed his hand down on the table. Angry pheromones filled the air, and his tightly clenched fists turned pale.

“Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

Dohyeon spat out with a voice choked with suppressed rage. The pheromones were so thick that Wooyeon instinctively recoiled, prompting Suhyang to lift his gaze.

“Add the pheromones.”

“……”

“I’m not done talking yet.”

The previously swirling pheromones settled down. Just as Wooyeon turned to look at Dohyeon, Dohyeon flinched, biting his lower lip hard.

“There was a more certain way to get something more than just a few measly damages. There’s no way I’m going to let this slide just because you want to drop one of your lawsuits.”

Only then did Dohyeon finally sit on the sofa. He was still biting his lip, but he didn’t seem as unstable as before. However, he turned his head away from Wooyeon and couldn’t look him in the eye.

“… What’s the more certain method?”

Wooyeon asked that question, managing to pry open his tight lips. Suhyang slowly shifted his gaze between Dohyeon and Wooyeon before he began to speak.

“I did some digging into Kang Junseong.”

It wasn’t exactly a straightforward thing to say. Perhaps that’s why a sly smile crept across his lips. His beautifully shaped lips held a trace of casual malice.

“His family is quite well-off.”

* * *

Wooyeon stared blankly into space. Thoughts floated slowly through his mind. Most of them were what Suhyang had said, but at the end of it all, he thought of Dohyeon.

“See you tomorrow.”

Just a moment ago, after Suhyang finished speaking, Dohyeon had left with a complicated expression. He had offered to call for Yoon, but even that he politely declined. From what he heard, everything should have gone well, but it was an utterly strange reaction.

Perhaps that’s why Wooyeon stayed quietly in the study instead of going back to his room. He mulled over what had been said, replayed the conversation from the car, and recalled Yoon’s apology, which led to a small question forming in his mind.

“What did we talk about the day I went to get my phone fixed?”

Dohyeon had said he wanted permission. Looking back now, it seemed like Dohyeon had reached out to Suhyang first, as if he was voluntarily bringing up Wooyeon’s situation, rather than being directed by Suhyang.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

The chain of thoughts abruptly broke off with Suhyang’s words. Wooyeon finally focused and slowly looked around. The study, which was decorated similarly to Suhyang’s office, still carried the faint scent of Dohyeon’s pheromones.

“I have a question I’d like to ask.”

Suhyang looked at Wooyeon, as if inviting him to speak. His eyes, which were nothing like Wooyeon’s, were bright but strangely heavy.

“Last week… I heard you met with my mother.”

“Yeah, so what?”

“Why did you meet with her?”

It was something he hadn’t questioned because it felt too obvious. The reason Dohyeon had met with Suhyang was obviously to update Wooyeon on how he was doing. But why did he suddenly want to hear about that causal relationship?

“There are things you don’t need to know.”

Suhyang cut Wooyeon off firmly. But Wooyeon’s response was already decided.

“It’s my business.”

“……”

“It’s all my business, including what we talked about earlier.”

Seeing that Suhyang didn’t refute him suggested that this time it would work. Suhyang wore a subtly complicated expression, but it was enough that he didn’t issue an outright refusal. He looked steadily at Wooyeon before quietly opening his mouth.

“He came to tell me he thought he knew who posted it. He suspects someone and said it would be faster to investigate that direction.”

The start of this was different from what Dohyeon had said. However, the following words were similar to what Wooyeon had heard before.

“He said it might be dangerous for you to be alone, so he would take you to his house for a while.”

“……”

“That’s what he meant when he said he felt sorry for dating you.”

Wooyeon felt that things were subtly different from what he had known. Contrary to his expectation that Suhyang had shared his recent circumstances at Suhyang’s request, this was purely Dohyeon’s own decision. In fact, it was far from a simple “report.”

“… Is that all?”

“No.”

Suhyang turned his head. After a brief pause, his gaze returned to Wooyeon. There was a hint of hesitation in Suhyang’s demeanor as he spoke.

“He also asked me to wait until you were ready to talk.”

There was no need to ask what he meant by waiting. Since that time, Dohyeon had only had one thing to say to him. The important part was why the person telling him the truth was Suhyang and not Dohyeon.

“But… did he speak up first?”

If Dohyeon had asked Suhyang for help, Wooyeon wouldn’t have been this hurt. There would have been no reason for Dohyeon to desperately plead, and they wouldn’t have had to go through the long, winding conflicts. While it was possible that Dohyeon remained silent, things would have at least been better than they were now.

“I only weighed the importance of the matter.”

Even after spending his whole life knowing Suhyang, he had no way of understanding his true feelings. Especially when he maintained that expressionless gaze, it was even more difficult. His transparent eyes, almost revealing what lay beneath, didn’t give away his true thoughts at all.

“If I hadn’t said anything, would you have left that kid’s house?”

“… Ha.”

He felt as if he couldn’t breathe. A shackle that had risen from the earth wrapped tightly around Wooyeon’s ankle. The creeping pressure finally reached his throat.

“No, that’s a misunderstanding, Wooyeon.”

The sensation of Dohyeon grabbing his wrist resurfaced in his memory. He also recalled the rare glimmer of desperation in Dohyeon’s eyes. Every scene played out like a panorama in his mind—from pushing Dohyeon away, turning his back, and getting into Yoon’s car to go to his family home.

Why did Dohyeon’s phone ring at that moment? What was the reason for contacting him, knowing that he was going to see Dohyeon? He hadn’t checked the caller ID, but now he felt like he knew exactly who had made that call.

“I’m sorry for a few days ago.”

“Did you do it on purpose?”

Dohyeon probably knew. If he was as perceptive as Wooyeon thought, he would have been able to figure out exactly where things went wrong. So, he must have mocked Yoon for saying it was too late.

“On purpose… to make you come back to your family home…”

Wooyeon felt dizzy. Everything around him spun, and he felt all his energy drain away. Even breathing was exhausting as a calm voice broke through the noise.

“That was the best course of action.”

It was an irresponsible statement. It wasn’t something to say after tearing someone’s heart apart.

“Wounds inflicted by people naturally heal with time. Let alone, how could you trust someone who even left bruises on your wrist?”

“Ah…”

A bruise on his wrist. As Wooyeon recalled that moment, he let out a short, repeated exhale. The ambiguous sigh, caught between laughter and tears, soon twisted into intense resentment.

“What about the wounds from my mother?”

It was just one line, but Suhyang stiffened. His usually sharp eyes became unusually hazy. Wooyeon, not wanting to give Suhyang the satisfaction of seeing his discomfort, stood up and left the study.