“Seonbae’s body is not fully recovered yet, so I marked you lightly, afraid that it would be difficult if I marked too strongly. It’s just for today; my pheromones will be gone.”
“Ah… Ah…”
Do-hwa’s mouth hung open in astonishment, emitting only groans. Just marking for watching a movie… It seemed absurd. He regretted turning on the TV with his own hands.
ꕥꕥꕥ
“The theater feels like it’s been a long time.”
Min-jun entered the ticket booth, exclaiming as if experiencing something new. Do-hwa felt the same. The last time he remembered going to the movies was last spring, when he came with Woo Ji-min and Kim Soo-yeon for a project. That was the last time for Do-hwa. He regarded the cinema as a separate space from himself. Not only was he not in a good financial situation, but he also lacked interest in cultural activities. Finding himself with Min-jun at the cinema felt more than just refreshing; it felt awkward.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, the cinema was quite crowded. Most of them were couples. Do-hwa felt strangely out of place among them, as if he had become a part of their group for no reason, which made him feel quite peculiar.
A burly man brushed past Do-hwa. He looked like a dominant Alpha, emitting faint pheromones. At the same time, Do-hwa felt queasy inside.
“Is seonbae not feeling well?”
“The guy who just passed by seemed like an Alpha. His pheromones were quite strong.”
“It seems like he intentionally released them.”
“Ah…”
“I don’t know his intentions, but it’s probably best to keep our distance as much as possible.”
“Min-jun, yours is okay, but why are other Alphas so disgusting?”
To be honest, Min-jun’s pheromones were very sweet, and the more Do-hwa felt them, the more stable he felt. Min-jun’s eyes widened with a smile.
“It must be because of the marking.”
“Then, if I keep feeling the pheromones of other Alphas, it will continue like this. Can I still go into the screening room?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve prepared everything so you won’t be uncomfortable during the screening.”
Do-hwa wanted to ask what Min-jun had prepared, but his lips wouldn’t move. It was because people’s gazes kept focusing on Min-jun. He was gazing with admiration, awe, and envy; their eyes were filled with admiration and desire. It was a natural sight. Whenever he was with Min-jun, who had a glamorous appearance, Do-hwa always felt like he was in the background.
He used to think Min-jun was impressive even though he was a Beta, but now that he knew Min-jun was an extremely dominant Alpha, his beauty felt even more natural. Do-hwa was feeling diminished as he tried to discreetly distance himself from Min-jun. It was because he suspected he might be seen as a flaw in the eyes of others.
“Seonbae.”
However, Min-jun firmly grasped Do-hwa’s hand. At the same time, the gazes that were directed at Min-jun shifted to Do-hwa. It felt like arrows were piercing through him.
“Do you want to eat popcorn?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Min-jun cheerfully headed towards the snack bar. Do-hwa wanted to let go of Min-jun’s hand due to the discomfort, but Min-jun’s grip was too strong, making him feel like he was being dragged along.
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“I’ll have a popcorn combo for two. Popcorn with caramel flavor and peach Fanta for the drink, please.”
“Let?”
Ktf wfce Zlc-pec pera bgvfgfv kjr atf mbwylcjalbc Gb-tkj erejiis fcpbsfv ktfcfnfg tf mjwf ab atf mlcfwj. Pa kjrc’a rbwfatlcu tf bgvfgfv ogfdefcais, rb Gb-tkj’r qeqlir rtbbx klat regqglrf ja tbk Zlc-pec xcfk. Qtlif qjga bo tlw kjcafv ab jaaglyeaf la ab mblcmlvfcmf, jcbatfg qjga bo tlw ofia ecfjrs vffq vbkc.
The female employee warmly took the order and started moving briskly. Wherever Min-jun went, people seemed to become nicer and friendlier.
“Wow… Look at that guy; he’s really tall.”
“His nose is insane…”
“He must be mixed race, right? It’s not human to have such looks…”
High school girls in uniforms bowed deferentially towards Min-jun. Their voices were loud and obvious, so Do-hwa thought if he were Min-jun, he’d feel extremely embarrassed, but Min-jun didn’t seem to mind at all. It was natural, as if it happened frequently. After all, just going out of school attracted everyone’s attention, so why would it be any different in a cinema? Do-hwa felt envious of Min-jun’s ease in such situations.
“Me too.”
A familiar voice tapped Do-hwa on the back of his head. Do-hwa tensed up and turned around. At the same time, his complexion turned pale. Standing before him was Na Jio, slightly taller than Do-hwa, with a slender figure and cat-like eyes.
Do-hwa was startled by his sudden appearance as he tried to gently release his hand from Min-jun’s grip. However, Min-jun showed no signs of yielding.
“Are you here to watch a movie too?”
Jio’s question reached Do-hwa’s gaze, which fell on the intertwined hands of Do-hwa and Min-jun. Do-hwa subtly leaned closer to Min-jun as he sensed Jio’s observation and shifted their joined hands slightly backward to conceal them.
“Yeah, what about you?”
“I came with another guy too. He went to the restroom for a moment.”
Jio’s ‘another guy’ referred to his soon-to-be-married partner.
“But who’s this?”
Jio casually lifted his head and looked at Min-jun. At that moment, he couldn’t take his gaze off Min-jun, as if he had entered a black hole.
“Hello. I’m Cha Min-jun, a hubae from the same club as the seonbae.”
Min-jun greeted Jio with proper etiquette.
“Oh, I see… I’m Na Jio, Do-hwa’s brother. I’m studying Theater and Film at Korea University.”
Jio’s cheeks turned red. He seemed unsure of what to do or say towards Min-jun, showing signs of awkwardness. Seeing this, Do-hwa recalled a fact he had momentarily forgotten. Ever since he was young, Jio had a tendency to lose his composure when faced with handsome individuals. Moreover, being a dominant Omega with stunning looks himself, he easily attracted partners, so there had never been a moment when he didn’t have a significant other.
“I heard the name Cha Min-jun a lot, and it turns out you’re the famous Beta from the Business Administration Department.”
Jio, who had taken a leave of absence due to pregnancy, had attended school in the first semester, so it seemed he knew Min-jun.
“Wow! You’re so handsome, you don’t seem like a Beta. You seem like an Alpha.”
“I am a Beta.”
After firmly stating his response, Min-jun looked at Do-hwa.
“Then, seonbae, I’ll take care of the bill.”
“Huh? No, I’ll pay for this.”
Min-jun had used his own money to book the tickets, so it felt unnecessary for him to handle the popcorn payment as well. Even though it was his suggestion to come here, Do-hwa, not accustomed to receiving things, tried to take out his wallet. However, Min-jun quickly handed his card to the employee and proceeded with the payment. Do-hwa felt sorry, but in the end, since it was Min-jun’s suggestion to come, he decided to let it go and accept Min-jun’s offer.
In the meantime, Jio leaned close to Do-hwa and playfully jabbed his waist.
“How did you end up becoming friends with Cha Min-jun? He’s really famous, you know.”
“Um… We’re just in the same club, so naturally, we got to know each other.”
Do-hwa avoided mentioning anything about his involvement with Min-jun, not wanting to delve into those details. However, Jio seemed to be scrutinizing Min-jun while listening to Do-hwa’s response, not fully convinced.
“If I were dating someone with such a face, I’d be happy every day. Just looking at his face would be fun, you know? And I bet my appetite would skyrocket. It’s a shame. If I weren’t pregnant right now, I’d definitely try to seduce him.”
“What?”
It was puzzling to hear such words from an Omega who was soon to be married and pregnant. Before long, Jio’s expression became increasingly greedy.
“Do-hwa, can you give me Cha Min-jun’s contact information?”
“Why? If your fiancé finds out, it might lead to misunderstandings… Forget it.”
“I’m just curious. Come on, tell me, please?”
Do-hwa felt awkward. Jio’s curiosity was definitely not for professional or innocent reasons. Jio had a history of being flirtatious, but Do-hwa didn’t expect this behavior, especially with his wedding approaching. It was quite perplexing.
“What are you guys talking about?”
Min-jun, done with the payment, approached Do-hwa with the popcorn combo in hand. Jio raised his head, thinking it was a reasonable request.
“Could you give me your contact information?”
“Why?”
“I’m interested in volunteering activities. I have some questions and stuff.”
“… .”
Min-jun remained silent for a moment, then gazed at Do-hwa. Without further delay, he immediately took Do-hwa’s hand.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t give you my contact information because it’s not my cup of tea. I’m sorry. Well then…”
With that, he led Do-hwa away from the snack bar.
Do-hwa was engulfed in a complex mix of emotions. Up until now, Min-jun had been kind to everyone. Being popular, it wasn’t uncommon for him to exchange numbers with others. However, he had never refused before. Yet, there were no stories of him actually meeting or interacting with anyone he exchanged numbers with. It seemed like he quietly ended things.
Do-hwa found it puzzling that Min-jun would put up a barrier against Jio. There was no way Jio could have known about his upcoming marriage. Although Jio had taken a leave of absence, he hadn’t mentioned anything about marriage or pregnancy as the reason.
Furthermore, Min-jun had only met Jio for the first time today. It made Do-hwa wonder if there was some underlying resentment from Jio’s side. But it seemed unlikely. What was even more baffling was that Do-hwa himself didn’t mind Min-jun’s actions, which he couldn’t quite understand.
ꕥꕥꕥ
“Wow!”
Do-hwa exclaimed in awe as he entered the screening room. Luxurious sofas and crystal tables were tastefully arranged, while various frames adorned the walls. There were even chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. It felt like a mansion one might find somewhere in Europe.
“Is this also a cinema?”
For Do-hwa, a screening room meant chairs tightly packed together, a place where people directly or indirectly shared emotions. This luxurious and aristocratic atmosphere felt extremely awkward.
“This is our VIP theater. Follow me.”
Min-jun led the way and guided Do-hwa to the middle seat, gesturing for him to sit down gently. Do-hwa, with a bewildered expression, first sat down beside Min-jun. There was a lamp on the table, resembling a candlestick. Min-jun set up the popcorn combo and cola he had bought earlier. Despite the luxurious atmosphere, Do-hwa felt uncomfortable, as it didn’t seem to suit him.
The sofa was a two-seater without a middle armrest, so sitting together made them feel close.
“Isn’t this place expensive?”
Do-hwa rolled his eyes and looked around.
“Well, I only come to the theater for the VIP section unless there’s something special.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s more comfortable.”
It was a response that seemed to imply, ‘Why ask such an obvious question?’ Of course, the VIP section would be more comfortable, but from Do-hwa’s perspective, who struggled financially, it wasn’t relatable.
Gosh Jio you lusty bastard 😭😭
I love how the ML rubs on our faces how rich he is haha (╥w╥) I truly empathize with our cute mc