Alpha Trauma Vol. 5 Chapter 6 - Special Extra (6)

“…Annoying.”

Wooyeon lifted his knees onto the bench and rested his forehead on them. Curled up like that, he looked like a pill bug—something Seongyu might have teased him about if he were here. But Seongyu was off in the military, leaving no one to make such remarks.

Closing his eyes, Wooyeon took a deep breath. Just five minutes, he thought. Five minutes to pull himself together and make the call.

As he was gathering his thoughts, his phone vibrated in his hand again.

[♥Hyung♥]

“…Really?”

How could he always call at the perfect time? If there were a god of timing, they must surely favor Dohyeon.

“Haah…”

Wooyeon sighed lightly, closing his eyes tightly before opening them again. This was the third call—ignoring it any further felt unfair. He hadn’t planned on acting this stubborn in the first place.

He pressed the answer button and brought the phone to his ear, but there was only silence at first. After a moment of faint rustling, a soft, familiar voice called out to him.

―Yeon-ah.

“…”

Ah, it’s him. That kind, gentle voice that always reached out to him so earnestly.

― Where are you?

“I’m…”

Wooyeon faltered for a moment, his voice catching in his throat. He swallowed hard, resting his chin on his knees and lowering his gaze before he could finally reply.

“I’m sitting on a bench.”

― A bench?

“Yeah, in front of the humanities building…”

― Got it. I’ll be there soon.

He didn’t even ask why Wooyeon was there. Dohyeon simply left those words and hung up. His tone was calm as always, though there was a hint of urgency.

* * *

The wait wasn’t long.

Wooyeon, who had been absently watching the hands of his watch tick by, didn’t even finish his five-minute self-reflection. He heard footsteps approaching before long.

“…”

Hyung, he didn’t need to call out to him. Both of them recognized each other at a glance, their expressions shifting accordingly.

Dohyeon, seemingly warm from the walk, had taken off his jacket and was wearing just his shirt. Loosening his tie as he quickened his pace, he stopped directly in front of Wooyeon and bent slightly to catch his breath.

Then he rested his hands on his knees, leaning down to meet Wooyeon at eye level.

“That student earlier—he’s an Alpha.”

“…”

Wooyeon’s eyes widened at the abrupt statement. Dohyeon blinked his mild eyes and calmly continued.

“He wasn’t asking for my number out of personal interest. He didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives. He’s just interning at our company, so I had no choice but to give it to him.”

“…Oh.”

The explanation finally clicked. Dohyeon had always been perceptive, and it was clear he’d pieced together why Wooyeon had stormed off, why he was sitting on the bench now, and why he hadn’t picked up his calls.

“You can check all the messages if you want. I’ll make sure you have nothing to worry about.”

It was the most reassuring thing Dohyeon could have said. Wooyeon already knew he wasn’t the type to do anything questionable. Logically, his mind understood that, and his heart, too, softened at the reassurance.

Still, he couldn’t help but pout.

“…How can you be so sure he wasn’t interested?”

His tone wasn’t accusatory or upset, but it was enough to make Dohyeon soften his expression, clearly expecting more.

Wooyeon lowered his gaze briefly, then peeked up at him with a hesitant look.

“Then…can I give out my number too?”

“…”

“To, you know, a guy. Maybe an Omega. Is that okay?”

While it was common for Alphas and Omegas to form bonds, there were plenty of relationships that crossed those lines freely. In fact, some of the people interested in Dohyeon weren’t just Omegas or Betas.

“No.”

As firm as ever, Dohyeon shook his head. His serious gaze locked onto Wooyeon’s, and he repeated Wooyeon’s own words back to him.

“How would you know if they’re interested or not? Anyone who asks for a number right away has personal motives.”

“…”

Wooyeon blinked. Wait—didn’t he just say that student wasn’t personally interested?

“I’d know too,” Wooyeon retorted, his tone slightly indignant.

Dohyeon let out a small laugh, not out of mockery but in disbelief at the absurdity of the conversation. Raking his hand through his hair, he straightened up and responded with a tone that left no room for negotiation.

“Even so, no. Why would you need to give your number to anyone?”

“…”

A pang of injustice welled up in Wooyeon. You gave your number away earlier, didn’t you?

“What if I have a reason?”

“What reason could you have?”

“I might teach a lecture or something too…”

Wooyeon knew how petty this sounded. After all, his club members already knew his number, and making an issue of something so trivial wouldn’t benefit anyone.

“So you can do it, but I can’t?”

“I’m good at turning people down.”

“So am I! I’ve never given my number to anyone before.”

But you did today, didn’t you? Wooyeon stared at Dohyeon with a mix of reproach and frustration. His earlier ease had dissolved, giving way to a sulky, childish stubbornness.

“I don’t even go around smiling at everyone like you do.”

“…”

Dohyeon froze momentarily, his words catching in his throat. Then he let out a faint chuckle, followed by a more subdued voice tinged with a hint of exasperation.

“Then why did you do that to him?”

“Huh?”

Wooyeon couldn’t understand what he was referring to. As he blinked in confusion, Dohyeon spoke with a slightly emotional tone.

“Knowing that he was interested in you…”

Dohyeon didn’t finish his sentence and swallowed his words. With a regretful look on his face, he turned his head, covering his mouth.

“…No.”

“…”

“No, it’s not like that.”

The sense of discomfort he had been feeling suddenly surfaced. Whenever Dohyeon was kind, or when Wooyeon had gotten irritated but hadn’t been able to say anything, and when Dohyeon seemed to avoid asking him anything, all those moments came back to him.

“Sorry, I misspoke.”

Dohyeon’s apology, which was completely unexpected, served as the trigger for emotions that Wooyeon had been unknowingly holding in. All the feelings that had quietly accumulated suddenly crumbled and fell apart.

“…It’s not like that.”

Once, Jina had said that it annoyed her when her older brother kept apologizing. She said it wasn’t being a good brother, but just setting boundaries. She said it wasn’t about being nice, but about him finding her bothersome.

Now, that same Dohyeon was setting boundaries with Wooyeon. The discomfort Wooyeon had felt was when Dohyeon swallowed his words, and that unease always came with a sense of anxiety. The Dohyeon who used to show everything so openly now seemed to keep a subtle distance from him.

Just like now, when he had something to say but swallowed it instead.

“Why are you acting like this lately, Teacher?”

The question, asked with a hint of sadness, made Dohyeon flinch slightly. Wooyeon avoided his gaze and muttered quietly, pushing aside all the unspoken words.

“You said that if you keep things inside, it’ll fester.”

“…”

“You told me not to hide anything if I had something to say.”

It was during the time they first started dating. On the day they sold cotton candy at the festival, Dohyeon had taught him that. If he felt jealous, it was okay to say so, and that Wooyeon could always talk to him, as Dohyeon had personally reassured him.

“So, if you have complaints, why do you hold them in and not say anything?”

“It’s not that I have complaints…”

Dohyeon, who had slowly opened his mouth, sighed in frustration. He hesitated for a long time, as if choosing his words carefully, then answered in a quiet whisper.

“I don’t want to get angry.”

His self-deprecating tone struck Wooyeon like a shock. If Dohyeon didn’t want to get angry, that meant there must have been things that made him angry. Wooyeon hadn’t known, and now he was realizing that he had passed by those moments without understanding. What would have happened if all those feelings had built up and exploded one day?

‘You don’t need to say everything.’

Wooyeon recalled Dohyeon’s words in his muddled mind. The cold feeling he had experienced at that moment was not a misunderstanding. He had thought it was just a moment of irritation, but if those were long-held grievances, then…

“…So you’re going to make a slip of the tongue again?”

At his sudden words, Dohyeon’s eyes widened. Wooyeon clenched his hands tightly and added with a biting tone.

“You said it was okay to say everything, but then you got frustrated with me for not saying everything.”

He didn’t mean to argue, but he had a feeling that if they left things as they were, that situation would repeat itself. It wasn’t just a matter of words; what if Dohyeon, one day, was really fed up?

“I wasn’t frustrated.”

“You were frustrated.”

“…”

“I know that much.”

Actually, it didn’t bother Wooyeon too much. After all, it was Dohyeon, and a little frustration like that was fine. In the past, he would have been more cautious, but now he knew that such things wouldn’t affect their relationship. While it did sting a little, he knew that just talking it out with Dohyeon would solve the issue.

But now he realized that this was only his misunderstanding. Dohyeon, the one who was supposed to be the cause of it all, had just been holding back because he didn’t want to get angry. And because he hadn’t properly addressed it, those feelings had been suppressed and accidentally slipped out.

“…Hah.”

The short sigh wasn’t from Wooyeon, but from Dohyeon. Dohyeon, as if losing his mind, ran his hands through his hair and bit his lower lip. Then, with a slightly more intense tone, he spoke up.

“Yeah, I was frustrated. Wooyeon, it wasn’t you, it was me who was frustrated.”

“…”

“It pissed me off that I couldn’t handle my jealousy, and that I couldn’t keep my expression in check.”

It was the first time Wooyeon had seen him like this since they started dating. When was it? Back then, when Dohyeon had begged to spend the night, his eyes were filled with betrayal and sadness, just like now.

“But you understand, right? Yeon-ah.”

“…”

“You said you wouldn’t misunderstand me.”

It was something Wooyeon had said, and naturally, he couldn’t answer. Once Dohyeon started, he couldn’t stop the emotions, and quietly, he said one more thing.

“So, was that why you came back late without contacting me that day?”

“…Huh?”

His voice wasn’t even angry, but Wooyeon found himself speechless for a moment. Was it because Dohyeon looked so upset, or was it because the topic had taken him by surprise?

“Why are you bringing that up?”

Wooyeon reflexively asked, but he quickly realized that it was his own question that had led them to this point. He couldn’t really blame Dohyeon for bringing it up, as he had been the one to start the conversation.

“It wasn’t even 9 o’clock back then. What’s late about that?”

“Dinner was supposed to be at 5.”

Dohyeon shot back without hesitation, looking calmly at Wooyeon. His slightly furrowed brow seemed to show how much he was bothered by that incident.

“If you were going somewhere and would be late, you should’ve let me know. I waited, thinking you were running late, but is it a secret who you met?”

“That’s…”

Well, I thought you were working. I didn’t even think to bring it up because I didn’t get a reply until we got to the café. I didn’t notice the message notifications when we were talking at the café.

“…You contacted me when you were on your way home.”

Wooyeon blurted out the worst excuse out of all the many excuses he had. It was a burst of frustration, unable to hold back the feeling of unfairness.

But did Dohyeon catch that sharp tone? He replied with a sharp tone of his own.

“Five minutes before you arrived?”

“…”

“Wasn’t there a moment during those three hours you were at the café where you thought to contact me?”

“I thought you were working that day…”

“Even if I was working, I could’ve left a message.”

“If there was no message, you could’ve just called.”

“I didn’t want to disturb you…”

The conversation, which had been finding fault with each other, stopped when Dohyeon trailed off. Dohyeon, who almost raised his voice, took a deep breath and turned his head.

“…”

“…”

There was a moment of silence. Both of them, Wooyeon and Dohyeon, breathed quietly without saying anything. As Wooyeon looked at Dohyeon’s neck, the prominent muscles in his throat moved up and down.

“…For now.”

“…”

“Go home first.”

“…”

“Let’s talk after we get home.”

The car ride home was as quiet as the chilly wind blowing through the windows. Neither of them said a word, and the sound of occasional sighs was the only noise that broke the silence. Dohyeon putting on his seatbelt seemed almost absurd in the stillness.

When they arrived home, Wooyeon took off his shoes and entered the house ahead of Dohyeon. He thought maybe the mood would settle down with some time, but for some reason, his feelings only seemed to get worse. His mind was all over the place, and his agitation was not calming down.

Dohyeon seemed to feel the same way. His face, which had gradually lost its expression, had turned completely cold by the time they reached the house. Wooyeon had never seen him look like this before, and the more he faced Dohyeon, the more his sense of hurt grew.

“Yeon-ah.”

“…”

But then, Dohyeon, who had followed him into the living room, suddenly called his name in a tender tone that drained all the tension from Wooyeon. Wooyeon, still in a daze, looked back at him, and Dohyeon exhaled a small sigh, then spoke.

“Who did you meet that day?”

This was how it started. Wooyeon had been mischievous without realizing it when Dohyeon asked who he had met.

“…I met Minjeong unni and Seongjae Hyung.”

For once, Wooyeon admitted the truth without hesitation. He hadn’t wanted to explain why, but he had no intention of hiding the people he met. At this point, it had become awkward to hide the reason too.

“I didn’t see the phone notification while we were talking. That was my mistake… But it was only that day. You know I usually stay in touch, right?”

Without a doubt, they had never fought over contact issues before. Wooyeon, who would always message whenever they moved places during drinking sessions, and Dohyeon, who knew this about him, didn’t usually mind if he forgot a message now and then. After all, there was no suspicion of him doing anything foolish, and whenever it was late or dangerous, Dohyeon was always with him, so it was fine.

“I was going to tell you that day. I was going to tell you after I finished washing up, but…”

Wooyeon almost blurted out that it just slipped by, but stopped himself before his frustration boiled over. However, the slowly building sadness burst out the moment he locked eyes with Dohyeon.

“…It was because of you that I met them.”

Wooyeon’s voice trembled slightly as he tried to hold his ground, but he lowered his head, unable to meet Dohyeon’s gaze. He couldn’t even see Dohyeon’s slight flinch when his voice cracked.

“I didn’t want to upset you by talking about how I was working with Hyung.”

“…”

“I didn’t know how much to share… so I met with them for advice.”

As he spoke, the frustration started to well up again. He had met them for advice, but perhaps it would have been better if he hadn’t done that. Maybe if he had just been honest from the start, this feeling wouldn’t have been lingering.

“You told me to tell you everything later, so I did. But now you’re saying I shouldn’t say everything. What am I supposed to do?”

He almost wished Dohyeon would just tell him how many times it would be okay to mention things. He didn’t want to make Dohyeon anxious, and he didn’t want to upset him either. The guilt was growing, and as time passed, Wooyeon felt like he was becoming such a poor partner.

“I know I just made a mistake. I know you don’t hate me for it… But in the end, you were still upset.”

The words spilled out before Wooyeon could hold them back. Dohyeon didn’t reply, and honestly, Wooyeon hadn’t given him the chance to respond.

“What’s the point of holding it in if you don’t want to get mad? You held it in just now, but still… Why did I even give him my number, who is he to me?”

If you’re going to be jealous, then be fully jealous. Why stop halfway and make me the bad guy? After getting frustrated over just a phone number, Dohyeon had tried to console him while suppressing his own feelings.

“You told me to tell you everything, but why don’t you say anything about things like this? I’d rather hear it all from you. When you’re upset with me…”

Wooyeon stopped mid-sentence, realizing something startling. Dohyeon had so many people interested in him, yet he had never once heard anything about it from Dohyeon.

“…Hyung.”

Wooyeon suddenly lifted his head and looked at Dohyeon. Dohyeon, listening with complicated eyes, met Wooyeon’s gaze. Slowly, Wooyeon asked.

“Do a lot of people ask for your number?”

“…”

Dohyeon’s eyes narrowed just slightly. That was all, but it was enough to understand what it meant. Wooyeon, stunned as though betrayed, couldn’t hide the tremor in his eyelids.

“Then why don’t you tell me about it?”

“…If I tell you, it’ll just upset you.”

The answer was clear, but completely unconvincing. Naturally, Wooyeon retorted with a voice full of anger.

“You told me to say everything!”

The feeling was indescribably miserable. It was absurd, ridiculous, and even embarrassing to the point where Wooyeon couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it sooner.

“How could you do that? I don’t want to find out later either.”

“There was nothing. I rejected everyone…”

Only then did Dohyeon hastily begin to make excuses, but they were so ridiculous they didn’t even feel like proper excuses.

“Anyway, the people at the company all know that I’m seeing someone. You don’t need to worry about it…”

“Did you have people like that at work?”

“…”

It was exactly the kind of expression that said, “Oh no.” Before Wooyeon could snap at him, Dohyeon quickly shook his head again.

“There weren’t that many. It wasn’t worth mentioning.”

Dohyeon was being clever. Didn’t Seungjae say it? You learn those things through experience and intuition. Although Wooyeon didn’t have that experience, Dohyeon clearly had both, so he was trying not to create anything to upset him.

“Anyway, there were some, right?”

Still, Wooyeon was upset. He knew he was nitpicking, but this time he couldn’t hold it in. His insides were boiling, and he couldn’t calm down at all.

“… Yeah, a few. There were a few.”

It seemed like Dohyeon was in the same state. His usual calm tone had become impatient and frantic.

“It’s not like I’m seeing someone five times a week like you. Just a few people.”

“What’s that supposed to mean…?”

“Yeon-ah, do you think I’m not bothered by it?”

Dohyeon replied in a restrained voice, covering his eyes with one hand. The air between them, charged with both turmoil and pheromones, was palpable. Dohyeon continued in a calm, controlled tone.

“If I get jealous about everything, you won’t be able to handle it.”

“Why are you the one deciding if I can handle it or not?”

Wooyeon already knew Dohyeon was a jealous person. He’d known him for years, after all. They’d been together for over two years, sharing their lives and their hearts. But more than anything, this was what frustrated Wooyeon:

“They’re not interested in me.”

“…”

Dohyeon’s hand, which had been covering his eyes, slowly slid down. His dark eyes seemed to ask, “What do you mean?”

Wooyeon’s voice trembled as he forced himself to explain.

“They just think I’m easy. They just see me as someone they can mess with.”

“…”

“They just think I’m that kind of person from the articles they’ve read.”

“How do you…”

“I can tell the difference. I’m not stupid.”

Wooyeon replied firmly, clenching his fist. Whether it was anger or sadness, it all mixed together and roiled inside him. Talking should have made him feel better, but instead, it only left him feeling worse.

“Out of those people, only a few actually had real feelings. No one who would make you jealous.”

Wooyeon was already used to such attention. There had been many people trying to flirt with him since he was in the States, and Daniel was there to deal with it. Most of them weren’t serious, so a simple rejection would send them running. But…

“But you’re different.”

“…”

“There were a lot of people who liked you back in school, right?”

To Wooyeon, the people who approached Dohyeon were different. Just like how Wooyeon had fallen for his kindness, there were people who seriously liked him because of it. Dohyeon had said Wooyeon wouldn’t be able to handle his jealousy, but if that’s the case, Wooyeon had a lot to say about it.

“But you never told me about any of them…”

The more Wooyeon spoke, the more it felt like he had swallowed thorns. The emotions inside him weren’t just anger or sadness; they were something deeper.

“If I hadn’t seen it today, you wouldn’t have told me, right?”

“…”

“You wouldn’t have told me about giving your number to that person either.”

Wooyeon knew that he didn’t have a right to demand Dohyeon tell him everything. By that logic, Dohyeon would have to tell him about every work-related contact. He understood this in his mind, but why did it still make him feel upset?

“I tell you everything, and even though I’ve upset you, you just bottle everything up. What’s the point of holding back like that?”

“… Yeon-ah.”

Dohyeon, who had come closer, grabbed Wooyeon’s arm. His touch was clearly meant to calm him down, but Wooyeon slapped it away with a loud noise, covering his face with both hands as tears welled up in his eyes.

“Don’t call me like that.”

Why was his mood so completely shattered? He had all these biting words to say to Dohyeon, yet he couldn’t find the right way to express them. He wondered if he would end up saying something that shouldn’t be said, something that might truly hurt Dohyeon.

“Yeon-ah, look at me.”

Seeing Wooyeon in such a state, Dohyeon reached out again. Wooyeon reflexively lifted his head, but as soon as he saw Dohyeon’s face up close, his expression contorted in pain. The tears that had been gathering in his eyes fell down his cheeks.

“…”

Through his blurred vision, Wooyeon could see Dohyeon’s expression harden. He slapped Dohyeon’s hand away again and quickly covered his face, desperately trying to wipe away the tears that had already started to flow. But the sobs didn’t stop.

“…”

Wooyeon hadn’t intended to cry. He wanted to have a mature conversation and resolve things, but now he had no idea where things had gone wrong or how to fix them.

It felt like the conversation was going in circles. There was no resolution, just an endless cycle of picking at each other’s faults. For Wooyeon, who had never really fought with anyone except for the bullying he endured, he didn’t know how to resolve this situation.

“… I’m going.”

And so, Wooyeon, still hiding his face, turned and walked past Dohyeon. He feared that if he stayed any longer, he would drive Dohyeon away with his hurtful words, pushing him to say something unforgivable.

“Where are you going at this hour?”

However, as soon as Wooyeon took a step, Dohyeon firmly grabbed his arm. Wooyeon nearly stumbled, shaken by the strength of Dohyeon’s grip. As Dohyeon loosened his hold in confusion, Wooyeon turned his body in the opposite direction.

“It’s not that late yet.”

“It’s late; it’s dark outside.”

A lot of time had passed since their argument, and it was already pitch dark outside. Of course, when asked if it was late, that wasn’t exactly true. When they had group meetings, they would drink even later than this. It was clear that Dohyeon was just saying anything to hold on to Wooyeon.

“I’m going… I can’t be with you, Hyung.”

But as desperately as Dohyeon was, Wooyeon was equally desperate. With tears welling up, Wooyeon spoke, causing Dohyeon to halt his movement. Then, with a soft voice, barely audible, he asked,

“…You don’t want to be with me?”

“….”

This time, it was Wooyeon who hesitated. He had just wanted to cool off, but it seemed like his words had been misunderstood by Dohyeon. Before he could explain that it wasn’t true, that it was a misunderstanding, Dohyeon let out a heavy sigh.

“I’ll leave.”

With those words, Dohyeon immediately began to walk away. Wooyeon had no chance to stop him or clarify anything.

As Dohyeon brushed past him, he didn’t even look back and left Wooyeon’s side.

* * *

They had been together for two years, from when they were twenty to twenty-two. It wasn’t a short period, and it had been enough time for Dohyeon and Wooyeon to get to know each other. Over the time, Wooyeon learned what Dohyeon liked, what he disliked, what annoyed him, and what he enjoyed.

They never had a serious fight, and their relationship was always good, without any jealousy. The bond they shared felt closer than it appeared on the surface. It made Wooyeon think that the stories about couples fighting all the time were just a media fantasy. The perfect teacher was also the perfect partner for him.

But then Dohyeon left the house. The only message he sent was a brief notice that he would be staying at Jina’s house for the time being. Even after Friday night passed into Saturday, and as Saturday was nearing its end, Wooyeon received no other communication from Dohyeon.

He repeatedly turned on his phone, hoping to ask when “for the time being” would end, but each time he only checked the contacts, then turned it off again. At first, he thought Dohyeon would come back soon, but once the date changed, even that expectation shattered. He wanted to call first, but every time he tried, an overwhelming feeling of injustice prevented him.

“Ugh…”

How could he just leave? How could he go somewhere else on his own? Even if they fought, even if he said something bad, even if anger had built up and exploded.

Wooyeon couldn’t eat properly, nor sleep well. He would cry endlessly, feeling hunger only when the tears flowed without stopping. Sometimes, he would lie on the couch and fall asleep in exhaustion. He knew he should go to his room, but he didn’t want to lie on the empty bed, so he stayed motionless.

It felt like when he and Dohyeon had broken up. The time when he learned the teacher was friends with his mother and locked himself in his room crying all night. He couldn’t bear the feeling of being abandoned in the world.

But then, he suddenly began to question.

Why did they fight?

The thought came out of nowhere. After crying until there were no more tears, he started reflecting on the argument. Thinking back on the words he had blurted out in anger, then slowly going over what Dohyeon had said, he began to feel regret.

“Earlier, he’s an Alpha.”

He should have just said he understood, calmed down, and not acted childish. The teacher had tried to comfort him first, so why had he said those hurtful things?

He wanted to make up, but he didn’t know how. The simple solution of apologizing didn’t even come to mind. He typed the message, “When will you come back?” multiple times, but the courage never came.

Why couldn’t he do anything?

Why was he so foolish?

Why couldn’t he control his emotions and ruined everything?

He didn’t know how many times he blamed himself. Dohyeon could do everything perfectly, but here he was, still stuck, angry at himself. He was ashamed to the point that it hurt that he hadn’t said anything nice to Dohyeon.

“…”

So, on Sunday morning, Wooyeon sat on the couch with a puffy face. He tightly gripped his phone, fully charged just in case. Exhausted from crying, he took shallow breaths and blinked his blurry eyes.

‘What if he breaks up with me?’

The thought, unbidden, was enough to make his tears flow again. Wiping his damp eyes, Wooyeon buried his face in his knees, feeling as though he could do anything if only he could turn back time.

Before long, his phone started ringing. The loud, basic ringtone he had never changed rang out through the living room. Wooyeon, startled, checked his phone and saw a familiar name on the screen.

The caller was [Jina].

* * *

A little later

Wooyeon had arranged to meet Jina at a café where he once met Daniel. It was a famous franchise café, with a wooden sign and large glass windows showing the inside clearly.

Since he had only roughly washed his face and thrown on a hat, Wooyeon arrived earlier than the scheduled time. Despite it being a weekend, there were still a few tables available. Wooyeon ordered something random and sat in a quiet corner to wait for Jina.

“Did you come alone?”

After some time, a woman approached Wooyeon and spoke to him. The brim of her hat hid her face above the waist, but Wooyeon didn’t even look up and answered indifferently.

“I have a girlfriend.”

“Hey, don’t say that. Give me your number.”

“I can’t. Sorry.”

He responded mechanically, but the woman still sat down across from him. Normally, people didn’t act so forward, but this woman did. Wooyeon was about to say something when she smiled brightly.

“You don’t even look before rejecting me?”

Her smile was reminiscent of someone. Her eyes, which ended in a droplet shape, curved gently. Wooyeon blinked in confusion, and the woman winked playfully.

“Doesn’t Oppa get jealous? Do you get hit on often?”

“…Jina.”

Wooyeon’s tense expression softened. “What kind of joke is this?” He said, almost reproachfully, but Jina simply shrugged. She leaned over to look more closely at Wooyeon’s face.

“Look at your eyes, they’re like a fish.”

Tsk, tsk, Jina clicked her tongue and pulled out her phone, holding it up to Wooyeon’s face. She clicked a photo before Wooyeon could block the lens with his hand.

“Don’t take it.”

“I already did.”

Jina casually replied and touched her phone screen before placing it face down on the table. The phone was the same model as Dohyeon’s, with a flashy rhinestone case. After taking a sip from her tumbler, Jina suddenly asked Wooyeon,

“So, what’s going on?”

Her habit of getting straight to the point had not changed. Even two years ago, when she had pulled him out without asking, she had questioned him like this.

“What do you mean… you called me.”

Wooyeon answered, thinking that if someone calls you, what else is there to say? Jina raised an eyebrow, as if to ask if he was pretending not to know.

“Oppa, you’re at my house.”

“…”

Wooyeon already knew the short explanation, and he was glad Dohyeon hadn’t gone anywhere else. But if he had stayed so close yet still didn’t come back, was it something to be angry about?

“You two seem to have fought…”

Jina narrowed her eyes and quietly stared at Wooyeon. Even without hearing from Dohyeon, the situation was clear. After all, Wooyeon had arrived at the meeting place with a face that was clearly swollen from crying.

“I don’t know why you did it, but you should make up quickly and take him back. Because of you, I can’t bring my boyfriend home.”

“…You have a boyfriend?”

It was an out-of-place question, but Wooyeon asked in shock. After all, they still kept in touch occasionally, and he’d never heard a word about Jina dating anyone.

Jina nodded readily and picked up her phone again.

“It’s recent. Want to see a picture?”

“You’re thinking of bringing a brand-new boyfriend home already?”

You can’t do that. That’s what Wooyeon meant, but Jina shot him a bewildered look, as if questioning whether he had any right to say that. Then, without showing the promised photo, she abruptly stood up.

“Wait here.”

What Jina did next was go to the counter and buy a sandwich. Wooyeon figured she must be hungry, but Jina unwrapped the sandwich and held out a piece to him.

“Eat.”

“…?”

Caught off guard, Wooyeon blinked as he took the sandwich. He assumed she felt awkward eating alone, but Jina pushed the other half toward him as well.

“You eat it all. I’ve already eaten.”

“Out of nowhere? I’m not hungry.”

“Eat anyway.”

Click. Jina snapped a photo of the sandwich. Or, more precisely, Wooyeon’s hand holding the sandwich.

“…Why do you keep taking pictures?”

“There’s a reason.”

What kind of reason could that be?

Wooyeon had a lot of questions but lacked the energy to ask. He opened his mouth to say something but sighed instead, deflated. Jina waved a hand at him.

“Let’s talk while you eat. Why did you two fight?”

“…”

Wooyeon’s appetite, which wasn’t there to begin with, completely vanished. When he put the sandwich down, Jina looked slightly disheartened, but Wooyeon didn’t notice. Slowly, he began to speak.

“I….”

Where should he even start? As he tried to piece things together, a wave of sorrow welled up again. His vision blurred, and his voice grew thick with emotion.

“I said something harsh to Hyung.”

Tears rolled down his blinking eyes and fell rapidly. Jina, looking unusually flustered, widened her eyes at the sudden torrent of tears. Wooyeon covered his face with one hand, mumbling through his sobs.

“He must be fed up with me.”

It was a thought he’d been dwelling on, but saying it out loud made it hit harder. Dohyeon hadn’t come home for two days, clearly angry with him. And now, it seemed they might not even reconcile.

“I took out my frustration on him…”

“…”

“And now he’s mad too.”

Every word he spoke felt like a stab to his chest. Ever since their fight, Wooyeon had felt like he was carrying a heavy weight, and his emotions swung between anger and sadness.

“…But how could he leave home like that?”

When Wooyeon said he was leaving, he’d only meant to step out and cool off for a bit. He never imagined Dohyeon would disappear for two whole days. Wooyeon knew Dohyeon would worry, and truthfully, he missed him.

“I was planning to come back quickly…”

He felt both wronged and heartbroken, which made him angry at Dohyeon. But as much as he was angry, he also missed him, and the fear of being unwanted loomed large.

“He hasn’t contacted me since. He says he’s staying there for now. I don’t think he’s coming back to me.”

Tears continued to stream down, unstoppable. Once they started, they wouldn’t stop easily. Wooyeon wiped them away clumsily with his hand, prompting Jina to hand him a handful of tissues from the tray.

“Hey… Don’t cry. Stop it. I’m terrible at comforting people who cry.”

Jina, who normally didn’t get flustered easily, looked like she was at her wit’s end. She didn’t care about the other café patrons sneaking glances their way, but Wooyeon’s tears made her feel guilty, as if she’d done something terrible.

Wooyeon’s naturally striking features weren’t diminished by crying, but the sorrow etched on his face made Jina feel bad for teasing him earlier. The tears hanging from his long lashes fell like raindrops whenever he blinked.

No wonder Dohyeon’s so smitten.

Jina sighed internally and got up to fetch more tissues and some water for Wooyeon. There was a drink in front of him, but it looked like an Americano—not something Wooyeon would enjoy.

When Jina returned, Wooyeon still hadn’t lifted his head. She handed him fresh tissues.

“Enough crying. It’s like the world’s ending.”

“…”

Wooyeon nodded and took the tissues, closing his eyes tightly. Not that it helped stop the tears—he just didn’t seem to know how to calm himself down. Judging by his red, chapped eyes, he must’ve been crying like this for a while.

‘Dohyeon’s going to faint when he sees him.’

Jina sighed, thinking of her brother, who’d been holed up in his room. If Dohyeon saw Wooyeon like this, he’d probably rush over and beg for forgiveness. After all, Dohyeon hadn’t left because he was angry.

“Did Oppa say he’s fed up with you?”

“…No.”

Wooyeon shook his head at the question, which Jina had asked rhetorically, knowing the answer. Despite crying so hard he could barely see, he obediently answered every question. His sincerity was both amusing and endearing, making Jina chuckle softly.

“Then why assume that? Don’t jump to conclusions.”

If only you weren’t Oppa’s boyfriend… Jina thought, trying to suppress her rising sympathy. She softened her tone as much as possible, knowing Dohyeon would faint if he overheard her thoughts.

Initially, when she’d called Wooyeon out, Jina had just planned to cheer him up and send him back to Dohyeon. She knew how much her brother adored Wooyeon and figured this was just a minor spat. Maybe Wooyeon was just sulking a bit.