Free Web NovelHe deliberately walked a few steps behind.
The clack of dress shoes and the soft thud of sneakers mixed out of sync. Han Jinseo, who had been ahead, gradually slowed down until he was walking shoulder to shoulder with Heewon.
“You don’t like me, do you?”
The subtly probing conversation was completely unwelcome. Heewon exhaled sharply and answered disinterestedly.
“No, I don’t.”
“Yeah, you do. At first, you smiled a lot, but now you’re so cold.”
Han Jinseo leaned in with his impeccably polite face. When Heewon showed no reaction, his long eyes curved slyly. His eye-smile felt loaded with meaning.
“Was that day the problem? Did it completely wake you up?”
“Looks like it.”
“Think you can make it up to me?”
“I don’t see the need.”
Heewon’s gaze lifted. Damn, only the fourth floor. He was already out of breath. He paused on the landing, trying to catch his breath.
“You go ahead.”
He said it out of courtesy, but Han Jinseo just stood there, seemingly willing to wait, arms crossed, leaning on the wall.
“Oh, it’s fine. I was just about to take a break anyway.”
Annoying, really. Heewon frowned openly. As soon as he started walking again, Han stuck like a magnet. Not surprising. Heewon just kept looking forward.
“What’s your relationship with Executive Director Kwon?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, usually executives show up at their secretary’s house. Even on their day off, to an Omega living alone.”
“....”
“I just assumed you were lovers. But today, that didn’t seem to be the case. Oh, maybe it’s a secret office romance? But you know how it is — even secret office romances always leak.”
Heewon stopped walking. Han Jinseo, following close behind, also stopped abruptly.
“Is this fun for you?”
“Huh?”
“Does teasing me amuse you?”
Heewon’s expression hardened coldly. He looked down on Han with a chilly gaze.
“You’re free to fantasize, but you don’t have to voice it to me.”
Even Heewon was surprised at his own words. Ah... this really sounds like Executive Director Kwon. That tone had rubbed off without his noticing.
But it also showed how annoyed he was. He didn’t want to answer Han’s ridiculous questions one by one, and most of all, he didn’t want to be involved with him anymore.
Ruffling his bangs, Heewon sighed wearily.
“What do I care? Let’s just ignore each other. It’s exhausting.”
He gave the warning and stepped back onto the stairs. Now Han didn’t follow; only Heewon’s shoe taps echoed. Half a flight later, turning the corner, Heewon glanced back.
Han Jinseo was standing there, staring blankly at Heewon’s spot with a hurt expression.
Whether or not he cared, Heewon kept going but stopped after a few steps. The presence left behind was oddly distracting.
Heewon exhaled complicatedly and leaned on the stair railing, looking down.
“What’s wrong?”
“....”
“If you don’t want to say, that’s fine.”
That very faint voice stopped Heewon’s steps. As he watched, Han muttered.
“My job’s like that. I feed on people’s attention. If someone hates me, I can’t help but care.” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
“....”
“Sorry about last time. I feel bad for the unintentional mistake. Since we signed with Apex, it doesn’t feel right to be like this... I tried to ease the tension.”
His face looking up was so sad, tears about to fall — like a lead male character from a drama. Any normal person would have fallen for such a pitiful look.
Heewon stared quietly. Unfortunately, that Alpha actor’s face attack didn’t work on him. He was too used to even better faces.
“You’re quite the actor.”
“...That didn’t work?”
Han’s lips curled into a grin. He strode up the stairs with long legs, quickly catching up to Heewon.
“Wasn’t that pretty convincing? I really acted. You’re quicker-witted than I thought.”
Heewon didn’t respond. Han kept chatting beside him alone. Why was the eighth floor so far? He sighed deeply.
After getting ready for work, Heewon stood before the mirror, adjusting his tie knot and studying his face.
‘You’ve changed a lot since your heat.’
Youngjae’s words from yesterday nagged at him. But looking closely, he found no obvious difference.
His reflection looked bleak, so he smiled showing his teeth. Not bad at all? Wearing a neat suit and practicing smiles, it felt like being a new hire again.
As usual, he headed to Youngjae’s house. At 7:30 sharp, Youngjae appeared.
In his black suit, Youngjae looked particularly tall today. Heewon stepped forward and greeted him first.
“Good morning, Executive Director.”
He smiled just as practiced — clean, sincere.
“......”
Youngjae stopped mid-step and stared at Heewon without blinking.
“What is it?”
“Just trying to start the day pleasantly...”
“Seeing your forced smile doesn’t make me feel better.”
“......”
“Don’t waste your breath, get in.”
The saying about no one spitting on a smiling face didn’t seem to apply to Youngjae. What a brute. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
Heewon wiped his smile and returned to his usual expression. After Youngjae got into the car, he followed to the driver’s seat.
Pulling the seatbelt, he glanced subtly at the back seat. Youngjae sat with arms crossed, eyes fixed downward, deep in thought. Heewon decided not to disturb him.
That afternoon, Youngjae handed Heewon a list of needed materials. He also instructed him to check if the archives were accessible immediately.
“I’ve got access permission. Should I get these items?”
“Let’s go together. There are things we need to find ourselves.”
So the two headed to the 12th floor. Heewon tagged his employee card at the tightly closed iron door. With approval, the heavy door clanked open.
The archives were pitch dark, no windows inside. The stale smell of dust lingered as Heewon flipped on the lights. The space instantly brightened, revealing its true form.
Narrow aisles flanked by tightly packed metal shelves. Each compartment held books, files, CDs, paper boxes, all orderly labeled. It looked part library, part storeroom.
“I’ll start looking for what’s on the list.”
Heewon moved ahead. Expecting dust, he removed his jacket. Neatly folded it aside, he roamed the aisles clutching a sheet of paper.
While Heewon focused on gathering materials, Youngjae stood a bit apart, flipping through scrap files. Rare foreign materials not digitized had to be searched this way.
Occasionally, footsteps echoed in the silence. Heewon scurried through the aisles collecting items like a squirrel.
Before long, he reached where Youngjae was standing. Heewon, back turned, stretched his hand to a high shelf.
His arms were already full of cases. The weight made his left arm tremble. Pulling out thick books, he stacked them carefully on an empty shelf. Almost done; only CDs left to pick.
Exhaling briefly, he turned—then suddenly, the lights went out. Darkness swallowed the room; not even an inch was visible.
“Looks like a blackout.”
Heewon calmly reached out. Checking his pockets, his phone was missing. He remembered putting it in his jacket pocket.
“Executive Director, are you okay?”
“Fine.”
A familiar voice sounded just ahead, with the faintest rustle. Youngjae didn’t seem too surprised. He sighed low and shuffled briefly.
Soon, faint light from the phone screen illuminated the floor. It allowed them to roughly outline their surroundings.
“Let’s try to get out of here.”
“No use. Power’s out, so the door won’t open.”
The door was electronically controlled, so even calling for help wouldn’t open it. They were trapped.
“...Should be back soon.”
Five minutes at most? It was sudden, but unless it was a major issue, it would be fixed quickly. Heewon ran his hands through his hair and leaned lightly on the metal shelf.
His eyes adjusted slowly to the dark. Even the faint phone light showed Youngjae’s form. Like a man who decided to wait, Youngjae leaned back with one hand in his pocket. The clicking of buttons followed whenever the light dimmed.
They were just a step apart, facing each other. He thought of moving slightly but felt it would be too obvious avoidance, so he stayed still.
“......”
“......”
Waiting silently was torture. The longer the silence, the drier his mouth and colder his sweat. It felt awkward being alone with Youngjae—something that had never happened before.
Maybe it was because of all they’d been through. Being trapped alone in a confined space made his body tense automatically.
Pheromones leaked from Youngjae too. Apparently, he felt uncomfortable too.
The elegant yet strangely sexual pheromones made Heewon’s respond in kind. He swore this was never intentional; his body just reacted due to learned memories.
He exhaled deeply. It’d be nice if there was a window, but the closed space was maddening. Rubbing his cheek, he felt a warm flush. He was glad Youngjae couldn’t see his red face in the dark.
Thinking it best to get away, he turned—but his arm bumped into something hard. The precious cases stacked on the shelves crashed to the floor.
“Ah.”
He hastily reached out. Kneeling and feeling the floor, Youngjae lowered his stance, unable to help.
“Executive Director, you can just stay still.”
“......”
He silently picked up books. Depending only on the faint phone light, he searched the floor. They were way too close, close enough to hear each other breathe.
Suddenly, the phone’s light went out, plunging them into total darkness again. Reflexively, Heewon reached out and touched something smooth.
It was Youngjae’s hand.
Startled, he quickly pulled away.
“I didn’t touch you on purpose... I mean, it was unavoidable.”
Nervously, his words spilled out incoherently. Having been warned before to avoid contact, Heewon was even more unsettled.
Suddenly, a large hand gripped the back of Heewon’s neck tightly. Though in total darkness, the breath on his cheek told him Youngjae was close.
“That day...”
The fingers pressing his neck dug in. His voice came out in broken bursts, as if holding back something.
“I wasn’t with you.”
“...What?”
Before Heewon could react, Youngjae’s lips collided with his. The burning flesh filled his mouth instantly as a firm tongue curled and sucked.
Thud. Heewon sank down, knocking the books he had stacked again. The falling books didn’t matter at all as he grabbed Youngjae’s collar.
