Yeonwoo went down to the first floor, returned to the café, and tied on his apron. The part-timer, who had just been making a drink, acknowledged him.
“You’re back early.”
“……”
“Boss?”
“Huh?”
“Did something happen? Your face…”
The part-timer, standing near the POS terminal, stepped closer after noticing how stiff Yeonwoo looked.
“No. It’s fine. Just do what you were doing.”
“We just sent out a drink order, so there aren’t any customers now anyway. But are you really okay?”
“……”
He should say something to brush it off, but no words came to mind. Everything that had happened felt surreal, like something out of a dream. He even foolishly wished it had been a dream.
The part-timer, taken aback by Yeonwoo’s unusually muted demeanor, hovered awkwardly nearby. Even though Yeonwoo told him several times not to worry, the reflection in the glass made it clear—he looked completely out of it.
“Haa…”
He closed his eyes slowly, then opened them again with a deep breath. He couldn’t keep standing around in a daze like this. It was time to pull himself together and focus on work.
Yeonwoo started wiping down tables with a dry cloth, just to get his body moving.
***
Click. Slam.
The sound of the front door opening and closing made Yeonwoo—who’d been sitting in the dark—rise from his seat. He walked straight over to where Chahyun was now stepping into the house after work.
“Call it off. The marriage. Even now—it’s not too late.”
Yeonwoo spoke first, before Chahyun could say a word.
He’d thought about it over and over after closing the café and coming home. No matter how many angles he considered, this was the only conclusion he could reach.
Baek Chahyun was his boyfriend. They’d been together for four years.
His feelings hadn’t faded. So getting married to someone else made no sense. Asking him not to go through with it—was, from Yeonwoo’s perspective, a completely natural request.
“You know how my family is.”
Chahyun replied calmly, flipping on the living room light.
“What, because your family’s rich, arranged marriage is just a given?”
“It was decided a long time ago.”
“So that means you have to marry someone else, huh?”
Seeing how shameless and detached Chahyun sounded made Yeonwoo tremble.
“Yeonwoo.”
“When exactly were you planning to tell me? After the wedding date was set? The night before?”
“I was going to explain.”
“Explain? What were you going to say? ‘I’m getting married now, so we should break up’?”
Yeonwoo’s voice rose. Chahyun, hearing him out, furrowed his brow like he found the outburst irritating.
“What? I never said I was breaking up with you.”
“You’re getting married, though.”
Yeonwoo stared at him in disbelief, repeating the words he’d just heard.
“That’s why you’re mad? Getting married doesn’t mean I’m breaking up with you.”
Chahyun’s expression softened, like the misunderstanding had finally been cleared up. And Yeonwoo found himself speechless.
“…What the hell…”
“I might be busy for a while, but nothing else is changing. This place will still be here, and I’ll still live here.”
“What are you even saying? You’re marrying someone else but still plan to be with me? And that person’s okay with it?”
“She has a boyfriend too. So if you’re worried we’ll break up—don’t be.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about.”
Unable to take any more of this absurdity, Yeonwoo cut him off.
“Whether she’s okay with it or not—I can’t be with someone who’s married.”
He didn’t even know why he had to explain something so obvious.
Something felt deeply wrong. The very basic logic that being legally married meant you couldn’t be in another relationship—it didn’t even register to Chahyun.
“Why not? Nothing about us changes just because I get married.”
“You’re seriously…!”
Yeonwoo almost shouted, but ended up speechless instead. The conversation wasn’t going anywhere—it was both infuriating and overwhelming.
A kind of confusion he’d never experienced before began to flood him.
Who even was Baek Chahyun, the person he thought he knew? A man who could marry someone else while still keeping a lover on the side—and say it was no big deal. Who kept it a secret the whole time, deliberately.
…How had he only now realized what kind of person Baek Chahyun truly was? They shared the same space every day. Slept in the same bed.
Sure, he’d always known Chahyun was selfish—but not this much of a piece of shit.
Deciding there was no point in continuing the conversation, Yeonwoo stared daggers at him, then turned around without hesitation.
“Fine. Get married.”
Yeonwoo walked straight into the room with the wardrobe and pulled out a backpack.
“Hong Yeonwoo.”
Chahyun followed a beat later, watching as Yeonwoo stuffed things into the bag.
“I don’t think I have any reason to stay in this house anymore.”
“What are you doing. What’s all this.”
“Let’s break up, Baek Chahyun.”
“…What?”
Yeonwoo quickly packed what he needed, then opened the drawer to check if there was anything else to take.
“We’re not done talking yet.”
“I am.”
“You can’t just break up unilaterally.”
“If you’re going to get married, we’re breaking up. Is that so hard to understand?”
Chahyun yanked the backpack out of Yeonwoo’s hands.
“Give it back.”
Yeonwoo reached out to snatch it back, but Chahyun, even among alphas, had an especially large build. Yeonwoo, as an omega, couldn’t even begin to compete with his grip. No matter how hard he pulled, the backpack didn’t budge in Chahyun’s grasp.
“I get it—it hurts your pride, even if it’s just a formal marriage. But I promise, nothing will change.”
“How could nothing change? I have changed. Give me my bag!”
“I’ll make up for the damage to your pride. I’ll compensate you.”
Yeonwoo scoffed.
“So you think you can make up for me finding out my boyfriend is suddenly becoming someone else’s groom? I’d love to know how.”
“What do you want?”
Even though he knew Yeonwoo didn’t really mean it, Chahyun replied seriously.
After a pause, he offered,
“Ah, should I put this apartment under your name? That officetel’s too small, right?”
The officetel he was referring to was where Yeonwoo had lived before moving in with him. When Chahyun found out Yeonwoo was about to downsize to a cramped one-room due to rent issues, he’d transferred the lease to Yeonwoo’s name.
“…Ha.”
Yeonwoo let out a short laugh again.
Between him and Chahyun’s mother—what was it with that family and trying to throw apartments at him? Was it some kind of hereditary instinct? He’d never even asked for one.
Given the café, the car, the officetel—maybe trying to soothe him with money was just to be expected.
“I don’t want anything. Just give me my bag. I don’t want to wrestle with you anymore.”
“No. You think I’m joking?”
Chahyun growled, gripping the bag tighter. The veins on the back of his hand bulged. Seeing that, Yeonwoo gave up trying to yank it away and muttered mockingly,
“Oh, right. You bought this too, so it’s yours. I’ll just leave empty-handed, like when I first moved in.”
“Hong Yeonwoo!”
Chahyun threw the bag down and grabbed Yeonwoo’s arm. His grip was so strong it hurt. But by now, Yeonwoo’s emotions were too charged for pain to matter. He struggled with all his strength to shake him off.
But Chahyun’s hand didn’t budge. In fact, he held Yeonwoo tighter, pulling him closer.
“Let go!”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“You think I’ll stay just because you say so?”
“No. I know you’ll try to leave.”
“Then let go!”
“I said you’re not going anywhere.”
His voice, so calm despite Yeonwoo’s shouting, sent chills down his spine. The look in his eyes was cold—completely at odds with the intensity of the moment.
“……”
“……”
A beat of silence passed between them. As Yeonwoo, panting, slowly relaxed his body, Chahyun finally let go of his arm.
“I’m not going to let you go.”
Chahyun met his eyes and spoke slowly, every word cold and deliberate.
“Don’t be ridiculous…”
Yeonwoo was about to say that was bullshit—when he froze.
The alpha’s pheromones had surged—almost overwhelmingly so.
Yeonwoo felt his whole body go rigid. Pheromones could be used for seduction—but also to dominate and suppress. The latter happened often when those of the same designation clashed.
Especially in someone like Chahyun, whose body and scent were stronger than most alphas, it was enough to impose complete dominance in any situation. Releasing that much pheromone without restraint—it was no surprise Yeonwoo felt terrified.
“You fucking psycho…”
It might have made sense between two alphas—but for him to do this to his own lover?
Yeonwoo clenched his fists, forcing strength into his fingers. His back tingled under the sheer pressure.