Love Me More

Episode 3

For a while, the deliveries were handled by Kwon Yuwon. Whenever I tried to take over, even for a moment out of frustration, Kwon Yuwon would jump back as if I had set off a fire, stopping me with a stern warning. I was told not to move an inch until the boss’s interest completely faded.

Feeling embarrassed about living off of my friend as a jobless layabout, I thought I should find another part-time job. Finally, an opportunity came for Si-yul. It wasn’t something anyone had ordered.

“This is really bullshit. I don’t even want to be an Alpha. I just wish I could live as a Beta.”

Kwon Yuwon grumbled, stuffing five jelly-like suppressants into his mouth all at once and chewing angrily. This was something that happened every two months, sometimes even three.

When the so-called heat period hit, Kwon Yuwon would suffer from a mild fever for three to four days and would moan all night. One night, he couldn’t take it anymore and stormed out of the room. He returned less than an hour later, shoulders slumped, saying he’d rather bite his tongue and die.

“I can’t cancel this.”

“I’ll go.”

Si-yul raised his hand eagerly. Kwon Yuwon, lying on his side facing the wall, twisted his head. His feverish eyes were filled with disbelief. Si-yul straightened his back like a job applicant and smiled with confidence.

“No way.”

Even with a smile that hurt his cheeks, the answer was firm. Si-yul pouted for a moment but quickly recovered and faced Kwon Yuwon.

“You can do it. It’s not complicated. You just have to drop it off and come back.”

“Still, no. You got caught last time just dropping it off.”

Si-yul rolled his eyes for a moment. In truth, he had been tipsy from the club atmosphere and had ended up sightseeing and having a drink after finishing the job. Who would have thought that beer with a slice of lemon could taste so sweet and delicious?

“That was two weeks ago. The boss probably completely forgot about it. And this time, it’s not even that club.”

Pretending that such an incident had never happened, Si-yul earnestly persuaded Kwon Yuwon that he could do it. Kwon Yuwon initially ignored him, pulling the blanket over his head, but when Si-yul started to wiggle around like a dog or a cat, he reluctantly poked his face out from under the blanket. He seemed to want to solve this himself, but his body wouldn’t budge an inch from the bed.

“Then just drop it off and come right back. Don’t go anywhere else, don’t do anything else.”

“Just leave it to me.”

Si-yul thumped his chest with his fist, urging him to trust him. Kwon Yuwon still looked dissatisfied, even after agreeing. Watching Si-yul happily head to the bathroom, he crawled back under the blanket, thinking, “Whatever, I don’t care.”

“He’s an adult too, but he’s going to get into the same trouble again. It’s not even the same place…”

How many clubs are there in this area? Kwon Yuwon muttered, hearing the sound of humming and water behind him. It was a word thrown out to reassure himself, but the anxiety was impossible to hide.

How long had it been since I last went out?

Si-yul couldn’t hide his excitement. After living in a cramped room and only going to the nearby convenience store, he was finally free. He couldn’t help but feel thrilled. The joy bubbling up from deep inside almost made him want to dance in the middle of the street.

Instead of dancing, he hummed a tune and pulled up his hood. He put on round, gold-rimmed glasses with no prescription and covered half of his face with a black mask just in case. He combed his messy bangs with his fingers and stood in front of the club. It was a different place, with a different sign, completely unlike the last time.

As soon as he came out of the shower, Si-yul checked his fortune for the day. The fortune index was high at 87%, with the lucky place being a club, the lucky item being alcohol, and the lucky color being purple. Wearing a purple-tinged hoodie was a big part of that.

He planned to just have a little fun and leave if it seemed okay. Kwon Yuwon’s nagging to come back right after work echoed in his ears, but Si-yul didn’t want to waste the freedom he had finally seized. Even so, Si-yul wasn’t the type to drink heavily and dance wildly. He was too timid for that; he would just nod his head a little to the beat from a corner.

After waiting in a long line, he finally entered the club. It was a Friday night, and the place was packed with people. The bass thumped in time with his heartbeat, and the people swayed to the music, while the dazzling lights matched the rising atmosphere, making Si-yul’s sparkling eyes dart around.

The warning from Kwon Yuwon evaporated the moment he stepped into the club, like an ice cube melting on summer asphalt. Si-yul, moving as if in a trance, suddenly stopped, shaking his shoulders. He slapped his cheeks twice, telling himself to get a grip, and turned on his heel.

Even when having fun, one should finish their work first. He was no longer an amateur. If he was going to be a pro, he had to act like one.

His destination was the bar. Si-yul checked the bartender’s name tag and sat nearby. The bartender handed a drink to someone across from him and then turned to Si-yul.

“One one-way ticket to Santorini, please.”

Si-yul raised his hand and ordered skillfully, like a regular. In reality, that drink wasn’t on the menu at all. It was just a code he had prearranged for the customer he was about to meet.

Without showing any surprise, the bartender naturally replied, “Yes,” and handed Si-yul a beer with a slice of lime. Si-yul took out a bill sandwiched between salt packets from his wallet and slid it across the table toward the bartender.

That was it. In fact, it was something even a child could do. At first, he had been cautious, worried that he might get caught and end up in jail, but after doing it a few times, he had gradually become bolder and handled it with relative ease.

Of course, like last time, his life could be in danger, but that would only happen if his luck took a nosedive. The odds were lower than getting struck by lightning.

The bartender finished his task and turned back. Si-yul grinned and took a swig of his beer. Even though it was the same drink, the taste of beer bought from a convenience store and the beer consumed in a place like this was worlds apart.

With work done, Si-yul sipped his drink and looked around. Kwon Yuwon wouldn’t say anything about having a little fun. If he started nagging, Si-yul planned to charm his way out of it, so he jumped down from the high stool.

After moving away from the bar, he flipped his coat inside out. The inconspicuous black coat quickly transformed into a shiny navy blue. He took off his mask, stuffed it into his pocket, and casually swept his hair over his forehead.

Just as he was about to move to a decent spot, believing in his fantastic fortune for the day, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. He turned around to see who it was. The first thing he noticed was a solid chest wrapped in a suit right in front of him. With a shirt so tight, he wondered if the buttons would pop off…

“Uh.”

The club’s dazzling lights fell on the man’s head, casting shadows on his eyelids, nose, and cheekbones. The face he wanted to forget, but couldn’t shake from his mind, was right there. The man who had simultaneously given him admiration and fear was holding onto Si-yul.

“You.”

Si-yul gasped, swallowing hard. Why was this man here? No matter how small this industry was, it was still too vast for them to meet at the same place at the same time in South Korea. If it was a coincidence, it was divine mischief, and if it was intentional, it was malicious. Si-yul’s heart raced louder than the music.

“I feel like we’ve met before.”

Si-yul cursed inwardly. The man’s keen eyes had recognized him instantly in this crowded place. But there was still hope. He had his glasses and hoodie on. If he had worn a mask too, he might have been safe; that was the only regret.

Am I really going to die?

Si-yul almost turned to flee but held back. No. There’s an old saying that if you keep your wits about you, you can survive even being bitten by a tiger. Si-yul quickly hid his true feelings and composed his expression.

“No. This is my first time seeing you.”

First, he boldly denied it. The man didn’t smile. He looked down at Si-yul with a blank expression. Si-yul tugged at both sides of his hood, hoping to cover at least half of his face.

“What did I say I’d do if we met again?”

Amidst all the noise, the man’s voice pierced through Si-yul’s eardrums. Gripping Si-yul’s neck firmly to prevent him from escaping, the man tilted his head. Despite being dressed in a suit and having a massive build, his movements were surprisingly fluid.

“That’s not me.”

Si-yul protested, slightly lifting his round glasses. Cold sweat trickled down his back. His forehead and temples were damp, causing his hair to stick to his skin.

However, once he said it, it felt strange. It sounded as if he had met the man before. Si-yul panicked and quickly added, “I mean, I’m meeting you for the first time.”

He hoped it would pass. His imagination ran wild, picturing the way the man had warned him about digging his own grave last time. He would end up in a drum, concrete poured over him, rolling into the sea at some dock.

If he had known this would happen, he should have left a will. The warmth under his eyes felt like tears were about to spill. He bit his lip to hold it back.

“First time? Bullshit.”

The man scoffed, laughing derisively. There was no way such a clumsy lie would work. Now that he had been caught, he should have come up with a different excuse.