Chapter 52

“Let’s go on a trip. My father has a villa in Gapyeong. You’ll come, right, Kwon Rian?” Taeju had pressed.

At Taeju’s proposal, Yoon-seok and Soo-hyun had eagerly jumped on board, agreeing that it sounded fantastic. Swept up in their excitement, Rian had found himself nodding along before he knew it. But right after that, a wave of worry had crashed over him.

Rian had never gone on a trip with friends before. How could he get permission from his brother? Once again, the dilemma weighed on his mind. How could he possibly frame it to win Yu-gyeom’s consent—or would Yu-gyeom even permit it in the first place?

Should I just tell them I can’t go? Resignation and anticipation tangled within him. A trip with friends was something he had only ever seen in movies and dramas; the realization that he actually had a chance to go made his heart flutter with excitement.

“O-Of course I have to go too. I’ll come,” Rian had stammered at the time.

In the end, he had firmly promised to join them. No, he was definitely going. A fierce surge of determination flared in his chest to extract permission from his brother, no matter what it took.

That was why, the moment his classes finished, Rian had headed straight for Yu-gyeom’s office building without even contacting him in advance.

A long time ago, he had shown up outside Yu-gyeom’s workplace once before, and he still remembered how surprised yet genuinely thrilled Yu-gyeom had been. Rian steeled his resolve, determined to please Yu-gyeom today and secure his blessing for the trip.

* * *

“Hy-Hyung?!” Rian called out in surprise.

An hour had already passed since the end of the working day. Though Rian had received a text from his brother telling him to go home first because he might have to work overtime, Rian had refused to leave, stubbornly waiting outside. That one hour soon turned into two, until the clock hands finally pointed to eight at night.

Starving to the point where his belly felt glued to his spine, Rian had bought a carton of milk from a nearby convenience store and was gulping down the last drops just as it happened.

Spotting his brother walking out of the building lobby, Rian waved his hand enthusiastically.

“Rian?” Yu-gyeom uttered, catching sight of him.

Seeing Rian from across the plaza, Yu-gyeom closed the distance with brisk strides. He was clearly dressed to head home, but walking alongside him was a pretty-looking young man. Rian glanced sideways at the stranger before fixing his gaze back on Yu-gyeom. Seeing another man standing beside his brother instead of himself felt oddly unsettling.

Yu-gyeom feigned innocent surprise, asking smoothly, “How did you get all the way out here?”

In truth, Rian had texted earlier claiming he was heading home, but when Yu-gyeom saw no sign of him on the home CCTV feed, suspicion had arisen. While stepping out on an errand nearby, Yu-gyeom had already spotted Rian waiting outside, yet deliberately feigned ignorance. Though it was obvious Rian was waiting for him, Yu-gyeom had tamped down his delight, purposely making him wait a little longer just to torment him with anticipation.

“Yeah. I was waiting for you, hyung. Because I missed you,” Rian answered earnestly.

Even as he said the words, Rian’s eyes refused to stray from the employee standing beside Yu-gyeom.

“Hello there,” the man beside Yu-gyeom greeted him warmly, stepping forward with an amiable bow.

Caught off guard by how friendly the man was being, Rian hesitated for a second before bowing his head in return.

“Hello. I’m… Kwon Rian,” Rian introduced himself timidly.

“Ah~ And what is your relationship with the team leader?” the man asked with an inquisitive smile.

The man had such fair, milky-white skin that he looked like an Omega, but because Rian couldn’t detect any pheromones, he presumed the man was a Beta. Rian had no idea why he was even mentally categorizing him as a Beta or an Omega in the first place.

“He’s my younger brother, Seon-woo,” Yu-gyeom clarified smoothly.

“Your brother, Team Leader?” Seon-woo asked, his eyes widening.

“Yes,” Yu-gyeom confirmed.

Yu-gyeom stroked Rian’s back with a tender smile.

Right, I’m his brother… Even though it was a completely obvious fact, Rian felt strangely irked, an acrid taste coating his mouth.

“I’m Kim Seon-woo. I work on the team leader’s staff,” the employee introduced himself brightly.

“He’s our team’s social butterfly,” Yu-gyeom added with a proud look.

Social butterfly? Good for him. Rian felt an unreasonable spike of annoyance twist inside him, having no idea what was prompting such a sour mood.

“By the way, Rian, did you just have milk? Well, if you haven’t eaten dinner yet, let’s all eat together, Team Leader!” Seon-woo suggested cheerfully.

In that moment, Seon-woo casually linked his arm through Yu-gyeom’s forearm, causing Rian’s pupils to dilate in pure shock. He couldn’t help his disbelief. Never had he witnessed anyone other than himself touch Yu-gyeom with such casual familiarity, nor had he ever seen Yu-gyeom accept another person’s skinship so nonchalantly.

As Rian stared dumbfounded at their locked arms, Seon-woo slid his other arm through Rian’s as well, tucking himself right between them.

“Let’s go together. That sounds good to you too, doesn’t it, Rian?” Seon-woo coaxed with an upbeat grin.

“…Hy-Hyung,” Rian stammered, casting a helpless look at Yu-gyeom.

“He’s just like a baby—so soft and delicate! Come on, let’s go together. We’re going out for pasta,” Seon-woo chirped merrily.

Had this been an arranged plan all along? After telling Rian to go home, Yu-gyeom had apparently intended to go out for a dinner date with Seon-woo.

Nodding toward the street, Yu-gyeom said, “Let’s go, Rian.”

Only after Yu-gyeom gave the nod did Rian reluctantly drag his heavy steps forward. Stuck between them, Seon-woo chattered away excitedly the entire way. He beamed with bubbly enthusiasm, chattering away, “Our Team Leader Yu-gyeom is ridiculously popular at work! Not just Omegas, but Betas too—men and women alike—everyone adores him. You’re so lucky, Rian, living with a hyung like him. Ah! Come to think of it, back when the team leader mentioned he was raising a baby at home, was he talking about you?!”

The coworker rambled on tirelessly, his chatter buzzing in Rian’s ears. Remembering that past conversation, Yu-gyeom curled the corners of his lips in an amused grin, quietly confirming the question.

“So you really meant Rian…” Seon-woo trailed off thoughtfully.

That is a really, really unusual kind of brotherly love, Seon-woo reflected to himself.

Kim Seon-woo harbored a romantic attraction toward Yu-gyeom. Every single day, he wished he had been born an Omega, constantly striving to stay near Yu-gyeom and win his affection.

“You two seem awfully close,” Seon-woo said with a soft chuckle.

Though Seon-woo giggled playfully, a shadow of bitterness lingered beneath his smile—so glaringly evident that even the least perceptive soul could have caught it.

Looking at Seon-woo, Rian became utterly convinced that this pale, pretty man who resembled an Omega had feelings for Yu-gyeom.

A strange, prickling wave of resentment washed over him.

* * *

Seon-woo sliding into the seat directly beside Yu-gyeom had caught Rian entirely off guard. While Rian had hesitated, naturally intending to take the chair next to Yu-gyeom, Seon-woo had smoothly ushered Rian to the opposite side of the table under the guise of letting him sit more comfortably.

The moment Yu-gyeom returned from the restroom, Seon-woo tugged on Yu-gyeom’s arm to pull him into the seat right next to himself. Rian’s round eyes darted back and forth, closely monitoring Yu-gyeom’s every movement.

Why is hyung letting that guy push him around like this? Watching a side of Yu-gyeom he had never witnessed in his entire life, Rian couldn’t even tell whether the pasta was going down his throat or up his nose.

Yu-gyeom placed a tender cut of meat onto Rian’s plate. “Why aren’t you eating?” He sliced a portion of steak and placed it onto Rian’s plate. There was no way Yu-gyeom hadn’t noticed Kwon Rian’s sullen expression from earlier. It was definitely because of Seon-woo. Even though Yu-gyeom knew Kim Seon-woo was blatantly wary of Rian, Yu-gyeom simply let him continue.

Seeing Rian’s face cycle through a colorful kaleidoscope of emotions was utterly adorable. Rian needed to learn that another male could muscle into the space beside the man he took for granted as merely his brother at any moment. Only then would he lose interest in pathetic Alpha bastards like Kim Taeju and keep his eyes solely on Yu-gyeom.

“My stomach just feels a bit upset…” Rian mumbled, staring down at his plate.

Yu-gyeom looked up with a gentle smile. “Why did you come to the office today? You never do that.”

“I came because I missed you, hyung,” Rian replied.

Yu-gyeom coaxed gently, “Are you sure you didn’t come because you have something to tell me?”

Taking advantage of the quiet, affectionate lull between the two brothers, Seon-woo leaned against Yu-gyeom’s shoulder to cut in.

“Team Leader, could you give me some of that steak on your side too?” Seon-woo asked in a soft whisper.

At Seon-woo’s request, Yu-gyeom portioned some steak onto his plate. Just the sight of the neatly arranged slices of meat grated on Rian’s nerves. It was an exceptionally strange, uncomfortable feeling.

Rian’s gaze tracked Yu-gyeom’s every motion without letting a single detail slip. Whether Rian realized he was doing it or not, Yu-gyeom subtly relished the boy’s jealousy.

It was quite surprising to see such a side to Rian. As for his bruised feelings, Yu-gyeom could easily soothe them once they got home by doting on him to his heart’s content.

Yu-gyeom dabbed his lips with a napkin. “Rian, should we go pick out your birthday present this weekend?” He set down his glass after taking a sip of wine. Rian appeared to ponder the suggestion for a long moment before offering his reply.

“I have plans,” Rian stated flatly.

“Plans? Ah, did we agree to do something else this weekend?” Yu-gyeom asked, puzzled.

Assuming he might have forgotten a prior promise due to his hectic schedule, Yu-gyeom looked at him quizzically. Wearing a visibly sullen expression, Rian shoved a large piece of steak into his mouth and chewed it vigorously.

Rian summoned his courage. “I’m going on a trip with my friends.”

Wondering if he had misheard, Yu-gyeom set down his fork.

“A trip?” Yu-gyeom echoed.

“Yeah,” Rian confirmed.

“What kind? A department retreat or something?” Yu-gyeom inquired.

“No. With Taeju, Soo-hyun, and Yoon-seok, to Taeju’s family villa in Gapyeong,” Rian explained.

This was not an attempt to ask for permission. Wearing an uncharacteristically stubborn expression, Rian stared directly into Yu-gyeom’s eyes, his cheeks bulging as he chewed his steak.

“For two days and one night,” Rian declared firmly.