Gi-hyeon scowled.
Standing over him, Jo Yeon-oh was grinning like an idiot. After what had clearly been a deeply satisfying night’s sleep, the Alpha looked offensively refreshed, already dressed in workout clothes.
He must have woken earlier and retrieved his things from the hotel concierge himself. Slightly damp bangs rested against his forehead. Normally, because of his thick, naturally wavy hair, he styled it carefully slicked back, but the casually disheveled look suited him annoyingly well. There was a vivid vitality about him this morning that only made him look even more handsome.
The problem was Gi-hyeon.
Because he had slept too well, he’d woken with an urgent need to piss, along with the perfectly normal morning condition every healthy Beta male had to deal with. And Jo Yeon-oh was currently blocking the bathroom entrance with a smug grin, showing absolutely no intention of moving.
“Move. Seriously.”
“Don’t want to.”
The childish refusal was obvious retaliation for yesterday’s stunt. Though Yeon-oh was smiling, the foul mood underneath was unmistakable. Whenever Jo Yeon-oh got like this, he became obsessively determined to make So Gi-hyeon suffer exactly as much irritation as he had.
Jo Yeon-oh hated it when Gi-hyeon disappeared without warning. If Gi-hyeon missed one of his calls because of work, Yeon-oh would immediately call again, then again, before finally ringing the hospital directly to track him down. Every single time, Gi-hyeon ended up having to placate the offended Alpha.
Still, after knowing each other for over ten years, Gi-hyeon found this compulsive need for petty revenge exhausting. Worse, the bastard genuinely enjoyed it. The smirk plastered across his face made that painfully clear.
“I seriously need to go. Move.”
“Then come in.”
The other day, Yeon-oh had practically fled the room just because Gi-hyeon had started taking off his pants, but now he was acting bold. Gi-hyeon knew perfectly well that if he actually walked in and opened his robe, Jo Yeon-oh would be the one short-circuiting in panic.
Unfortunately, there was one major problem preventing him from calling the bluff.
The painfully obvious erection straining beneath the robe.
It wasn’t arousal. Just an involuntary physiological reaction. Normally he would have waited for it to go away, but after all the beer he’d had last night, his bladder was reaching its limit.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?”
“I went downstairs to work out earlier, and while I was exercising, I kept thinking about the hell you put me through yesterday. Got pissed all over again. What if I die young from stress? You’ll have to take responsibility.”
“Stop talking nonsense and get out.”
Gi-hyeon glared at him with open disgust. Yeon-oh only folded his arms and laughed.
Manager Yoo had apparently packed workout clothes along with the pajamas in the overnight bag. Dressed in black training pants and a simple T-shirt with a sports logo on it, Jo Yeon-oh looked every bit like a professional swimmer. Broad shoulders, thick arms, a heavily built chest—his physique was flawless.
Normally, Gi-hyeon might have appreciated the view.
Right now, he was too busy trying not to piss himself.
In the end, he gave up and turned away. He’d just change into his clothes and use the restroom downstairs in the lobby. Somehow force everything down and pray nobody noticed.
That still sounded infinitely preferable to standing here while this asshole smirked at him.
The instant Gi-hyeon turned his back, Jo Yeon-oh burst out laughing and wrapped both arms around him from behind.
“What, are you sulking? Where do you think you’re going looking like that? Your hair’s a complete mess. Just apologize already.”
What exactly do I have to apologize for?
Gi-hyeon swallowed the words and let out a long sigh instead.
Apparently satisfied, Yeon-oh chuckled and finally stepped out of the bathroom. Gi-hyeon slammed the door shut behind him and immediately shrugged off his robe.
Trying to pee with an erection was miserable enough already.
Doing it in a hotel suite with only a thin glass wall separating him from the Alpha made it worse. Uncomfortable, Gi-hyeon turned the sink faucet on full blast before returning to the toilet. His body resisted for a moment before finally relenting.
By the time he finished, he already felt exhausted.
And it wasn’t even properly morning yet.
After washing his hands, he turned on the shower. Thanks to sleeping so deeply, his face felt unpleasantly swollen, and a hot shower seemed necessary. He’d wanted nothing more today than to lie around quietly doing absolutely nothing, but arguing with Jo Yeon-oh for barely five minutes had already drained him dry.
Since it was the weekend, Yeon-oh didn’t have work.
That alone was deeply unfortunate.
If the bastard had gone to the office, Gi-hyeon could at least have enjoyed a few peaceful hours alone.
Giving up on the thought, he rinsed himself off beneath the spray. He’d already showered thoroughly last night, so a quick wash was enough. Finally, he turned the water cold and stood beneath the icy stream until the unwanted tension in his body gradually subsided.
Earlier, when Yeon-oh had massaged him, Gi-hyeon had been mortified trying to hide his reaction. But morning erections were unavoidable. Universal. He hadn’t even bothered pretending this time.
Still, Jo Yeon-oh had not looked below his waist even once.
He had deliberately avoided it.
The realization was impossible to miss. Jo Yeon-oh had an almost frightening tendency to treat Gi-hyeon like a mannequin without genitals. Accepting the fact with bitter detachment, Gi-hyeon shut off the water and dried himself off.
Grabbing his robe, he cracked the bathroom door open.
“Jo Yeon-oh. Did Manager Yoo bring any extra clothes for me?”
Silence.
“Jo Yeon-oh.”
Still nothing.
Frowning, Gi-hyeon stepped out into the suite.
“What the…”
The room was empty.
Only silence greeted him.
Confused, he rubbed his hair dry with the towel while glancing around the room before abruptly clicking his tongue in irritation.
“Why the hell is this…”
The wall separating the shower from the bedroom was made entirely of frosted glass. From the bed, the silhouette of someone showering would have been plainly visible.
Gi-hyeon’s expression darkened.
Since he’d been alone last night, he hadn’t even noticed.
“Hah…”
A deep sigh escaped him.
Jo Yeon-oh had definitely left the room because of it.
The realization dragged him into sudden self-loathing. Pulling the robe tightly shut, Gi-hyeon collapsed face-first onto the bed.
…Whatever.
So what if he saw a silhouette?
According to Jo Yeon-oh himself, they hadn’t grown up like real brothers. Gi-hyeon had long since abandoned that illusion anyway, but Yeon-oh still stubbornly clung to it. Seeing his so-called brother naked wasn’t going to make him recoil in horror.
And even if the title of “lover” between them was hollow, Yeon-oh was at least self-aware enough to understand that being openly disgusted by your partner’s naked body was abnormal.
Gi-hyeon understood perfectly well where Jo Yeon-oh’s aversion toward Betas came from, but this situation had hardly been intentional. It wasn’t as if he’d exposed himself on purpose.
Forcing himself to accept that reasoning, Gi-hyeon simply closed his eyes.
Since Jo Yeon-oh had conveniently disappeared, he might as well take advantage of it and sleep a little longer.
He had no idea how much time had passed before something heavy suddenly landed on his head, jolting him awake.
“Put those on and come out.”
Fabric covered his face, completely obscuring whoever had spoken. Still dazed, Gi-hyeon slowly sat up. Almost immediately afterward, the suite door slammed shut.
“….”
Blinking sleepily, he pulled the fabric away.
A dress shirt and slacks.
“The clothes are fine, but couldn’t you at least buy me underwear too…”
Still half asleep, he muttered to himself just as the doorbell rang.
Frowning, Gi-hyeon dragged himself to the door and opened it to find Manager Yoo standing outside.
“Good morning, Mr. So.”
“Ah… yes. Director Jo already left?”
“Yes. He’s waiting for you downstairs at the Korean restaurant.”
Waiting for him?
Gi-hyeon’s brows rose instinctively before settling again in resignation.
Jo Yeon-oh had obviously reserved a table at the hotel restaurant and was now summoning him there. With a tired sigh, Gi-hyeon nodded.
Why couldn’t he just call?
Why make Manager Yoo come all the way upstairs for this?
Being forced to work weekends just to manage his boss’s relationship problems was honestly tragic. Gi-hyeon felt genuinely sorry for the secretary.
Not wanting to inconvenience him any further, Gi-hyeon thanked him and started to close the door. Just before it shut, Manager Yoo quickly held out a small black shopping bag.
“What’s this?”
“Underwear. Director Jo specifically asked me to deliver it to you personally, Mr. So.”
Gi-hyeon accepted the bag in stunned silence.
…Then what exactly was the point of making Manager Yoo deliver it separately instead of tossing it together with the rest of the clothes?
He already knew the answer.
Jo Yeon-oh had been so disturbed by the sight of Gi-hyeon’s silhouette through the frosted glass that he couldn’t even bring himself to hand over the underwear directly.
Suppressing a suffocating sigh, Gi-hyeon forced a strained smile, thanked Manager Yoo again, and shut the door.
Inside the bag was underwear from the exact brand he always wore.
Even in the middle of his apparent panic, Jo Yeon-oh had still paid attention to something that specific.
The thought left Gi-hyeon speechless.
…What exactly do you want from me?
Questions he had spent years avoiding rose relentlessly to the surface.
Why did Jo Yeon-oh insist on staying beside him?
Why endure so much discomfort for someone who had destroyed their friendship?
And at the same time, why cling so tightly to him—tight enough to suffocate him—while punishing him without mercy for that betrayal?
“…You fucking psycho.”
Gi-hyeon threw the shopping bag onto the bed.
Burying his face in his hands, he scrubbed harshly at his skin, but the pressure crushing his chest refused to ease.
He was tired.
So unbearably tired.