Yunhui stopped just a step in front of him, forcing Ian to tilt his head slightly to meet his eyes. Ian was over six feet tall himself, but Yunhui looked to be nearly six foot three. They had been about the same height in high school, so Yunhui must have grown taller after leaving for the United States. Ian rarely had to look up at anyone, and the angle felt strangely awkward.
"You'd better forget everything about the past."
Yunhui's voice had dropped noticeably, his words carrying a warning.
Ian held his gaze, unable to say anything.
Perhaps he had allowed himself to get the wrong idea today. Ever since they had visited his mother, Yunhui had been acting so much like his old self that Ian had briefly entertained the possibility that they might be able to get along the way they used to.
"All right."
He answered as he took a step back.
"Then tell me what I'm supposed to do from now on."
He had assumed that his duties would involve general secretarial work, but if Yunhui needed assistance twenty-four hours a day, perhaps helping him with his daily routine was part of the job as well.
Ian had asked because he wanted to establish the exact scope of his responsibilities. For some reason, however, the corner of Yunhui's mouth curled in what looked like displeasure as he stared at him, then settled back into place.
"If you don't want dinner, go take a shower."
Yunhui gestured toward the bathroom with his eyes.
Even without directions, Ian knew the layout of the house well. He had visited often when they were younger.
Still, he had asked what he was supposed to do, only to be told to take a shower. Unable to make sense of the answer, he stood there blankly until Yunhui tilted his head.
Only then did Ian let out a quiet "Oh" and head toward the bathroom.
It was not until he had closed the bathroom door that a huge question mark seemed to appear in his mind.
Come to think of it, everything was strange.
Yunhui had claimed to be so busy, day and night, that he needed someone to help him with his work. Yet he had spent the day accompanying Ian and his mother to the hospital, and now, instead of giving Ian anything to do, he had asked whether he wanted dinner and told him to take a shower.
Is he going easy on me because it's my first day?
There were so many things he could not understand.
In any case, he needed a shower. He had started undressing when he realized he had not brought a change of clothes into the bathroom.
After spending the entire day out and about, he had no desire to put the same clothes back on once he was clean.
Fortunately, a search of the bathroom turned up a neatly folded bathrobe in one of the drawers. He took it out and checked the size. It appeared to belong to Yunhui.
After a moment's hesitation, he hung the unfolded robe on the towel rack.
He won't complain just because I borrowed this for a few minutes, will he? I'll change into my own clothes as soon as I get out.
He would soon discover that this, too, had been a careless assumption.
When Ian emerged from the bathroom after his shower, Yunhui was sitting on the living room sofa, looking at a tablet.
"Which room should I use?"
The suitcase containing Ian's clothes was still standing in the middle of the living room. He needed to unpack it to get changed, which was why he asked.
Yunhui looked up from the work he had been doing on his tablet. His gaze settled on Ian, and his brows drew together slightly.
"Oh, sorry I put this on without asking. I forgot to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom. I'll change right now and wash it for you."
Yunhui let out a shallow breath at Ian's apology.
"So you're really that oblivious to me."
Ian heard him mutter the words, but he had no idea what they meant.
Oblivious to whom? Who was supposed to be conscious of whom?
Surely Yunhui could not mean that Ian was supposed to be conscious of him.
The entire statement seemed to have its subject and object backward. That only made it harder to understand.
"Take it off."
The brief command came without warning.
Ian stared at Yunhui, blinking.
"Didn't you hear me? I said take it off."
"I heard you. I'm going to change, so just tell me which room I should—"
"Take it off. Right now, in front of me."
What on earth was he talking about?
Ian could not fathom Yunhui's intentions and could only stare at him.
Yunhui rose from the sofa and approached him. Stopping directly in front of Ian, he caught hold of the belt around his bathrobe.
As Yunhui moved to pull it loose, Ian recoiled in alarm and grabbed his hand.
"What are you doing?"
"I told you. Take it off."
Was Yunhui really making such a fuss simply because Ian had borrowed his bathrobe without permission?
It was absurd.
"I said I'll change!"
"You still don't understand."
Yunhui muttered the words under his breath.
Then he gave the belt a hard tug.
Because Ian was still gripping it, the pull dragged his entire body toward Yunhui.
Yunhui's face was suddenly right in front of his.
The distance between them was so small that Ian instinctively turned his head away. Yunhui tilted his own head slightly and brought his lips close to Ian's ear.
"You don't need to change into anything. I said take it off."
His low voice brushed against Ian's ear.
"What the hell are you—!"
Startled, Ian tried to push Yunhui away by the chest, but he would not budge.
"Do you still not understand?"
Yunhui whispered into his ear again.
He was even closer than before, and his lips brushed Ian's earlobe with each movement.
The sensation sent a shiver through Ian, making his shoulders hunch involuntarily.
"I told you to be mine. That was the condition for me not getting engaged to Han Yudam."
At those words, Ian felt as though all the blood in his body had turned cold.
He had considered Yunhui's demand from every possible angle, trying desperately to find some way to make sense of what he meant by be mine.
Now, at last, he understood exactly what those words meant.
But understanding did not make them any easier to accept.
"Have you forgotten? I'm an alpha!"
He shoved Yunhui's shoulders hard with both hands.
Fortunately, Yunhui allowed himself to be pushed away this time.
"Don't be ridiculous! How could I possibly—"
"Why?"
Yunhui tilted his head as he asked the question.
"Why is it ridiculous?"
"What?"
The question was so absurd that Ian was momentarily speechless.
"Because you're an alpha? So what?"
Apparently, the common sense that told Ian an alpha could not belong to another alpha meant nothing to Yunhui.
"Kang Yunhui..."
"I agreed to let Han Yudam go in exchange for having you. You're the one who accepted those terms. So you'll have to do everything Han Yudam was supposed to do."
Ian could scarcely believe what he was hearing.
How could he possibly take Yudam's place?
"That's ridiculous. It's impossible."
"Whether it's impossible or not, we'll find out soon enough."
Yunhui took a step toward him.
The distance Ian had managed to put between them vanished again.
He felt an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him. For a moment, he wondered whether Yunhui was releasing alpha pheromones, but that was not it.
Yunhui's face drew to within a handspan of his own.
He was close enough that Ian thought he might actually kiss him, and Ian instinctively pulled his head back.
Yunhui paused at the reaction.
"You can refuse if you want."
Ian was just beginning to feel relieved, thinking that perhaps Yunhui did not intend to force himself on him after all, when Yunhui continued.
"I'll just bring Han Yudam here instead."
Ian clenched his teeth and glared at him.
Yunhui, who had been gazing steadily down at Ian, let the corners of his mouth curve into a faint smile.
"Choose. You or Han Yudam."
His expression suggested that he already knew Ian's answer without needing to hear it.
"Why...?"
Ian barely managed to speak, and even then, his voice cracked.
His thoughts were in such turmoil that he had no idea what to say.
"Why are you doing this? I don't understand."
In the end, that was the question occupying his entire mind.
No matter how hard he tried, Ian simply could not understand why Kang Yunhui was behaving this way.
Yunhui was not someone who did pointless things without a reason.
At least, the Kang Yunhui Ian knew was an exceptionally rational person who never wasted his time on anything frivolous.
"Did I do something wrong?"
He had even begun to wonder whether Yunhui was angry with him about something and had decided to take it out on him.
But that explanation was hardly convincing either.
Even if Yunhui wanted to vent his anger, this was a bizarre way to go about it.
"Think about it yourself."
Yunhui tilted his head and leaned closer.
When Ian made no move to avoid him, he stopped just short of their lips touching.
"Have you made your choice?"
He wanted an answer to the choice he had demanded Ian make.
"It won't work."
Even if Ian did not refuse, there was no way it could work.
If Kang Yunhui genuinely tried to take him, Yunhui would start releasing alpha pheromones. There was no way Ian could withstand that.
During sex, the pheromones of another alpha would only be repulsive to him.
Perhaps Yunhui's demand was nothing more than a threat intended to force him into submission.
"We won't know until we try."
Yunhui raised a hand and took hold of Ian's chin.
Ian had been doing his best to avoid looking directly at him, but Yunhui tightened his grip, leaving him no choice but to meet his eyes.
Ian could see his own face reflected clearly in Kang Yunhui's jet-black eyes.
And the look in those eyes was unmistakably one of desire.
He's serious. This bastard really intends to take me.
Ian still had no idea why, but there was no longer any room for doubt about Kang Yunhui's intentions.
Should I run away while I still can?
He was clenching his fist, considering whether to punch Yunhui, when Yudam's words echoed in his ears.
Yudam had said he would rather die than get engaged to Yunhui.
If Ian pushed Yunhui away now, their engagement would undoubtedly proceed as scheduled.
Kang Yunhui had still not canceled his engagement to Yudam.
There had never been a choice to begin with.
"Looks like you've made your choice."
Yunhui murmured the words as he watched the strength drain from Ian's clenched fist, his fingers slowly loosening.
The moment he finished speaking, Yunhui seized Ian's lips in a kiss, devouring them as though he meant to swallow him whole.