TL | Chapter 21 | Did You Know?

Seowon, opening the front door, glanced at the empty interior and took a shallow breath. He wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed that Iden wasn’t back yet.

Originally, he had intended to hide his trip to the memorial park from Iden. He figured Iden wouldn’t appreciate it, so he thought it wasn’t necessary to mention it. But what he saw there today felt like something Iden should know too.

If Iden had been home, and asked where he’d been, Seowon planned to answer honestly. But since Iden wasn’t home yet, he pondered how to bring it up.

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There was no reason not to tell him, so why was he feeling uneasy? Just mentioning Ha Seowon around here felt uncomfortable, as if it touched some sensitive nerve. He couldn’t understand what Iden felt when he heard that name, which only made him more cautious.

Seowon slouched onto the living room sofa and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. This unfamiliar space was likely full of memories of “Ha Seowon” and Iden. And here he was, not Ha Seowon. So it made sense that Iden would sometimes overlap him with “Ha Seowon.”

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Thinking about that left him feeling low. What Iden was looking at, what he wanted, wasn’t really him. Iden was just trying to fill the empty space in his heart with someone new. Though they both shared the pain of loss, their ways of dealing with it were worlds apart. The more time he spent with Iden, the clearer this became.

The door lock beeped, snapping him back to reality. Iden entered, glancing at Seowon as he took off his shoes and walked into the living room.

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“Did you go out somewhere?”

It was a casual question. Seowon noticed his gaze linger on his jacket, and he sighed softly, realizing he hadn’t taken it off yet. His outfit gave away his recent outing. If he’d wanted to keep it a secret, he should have changed clothes right after coming in. But he had no intention of hiding it.

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“I went to the memorial park.”

At his calm response, Iden’s eyes narrowed slightly. He didn’t react as much as Seowon expected—he thought Iden might be upset, but surprisingly, he wasn’t.

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“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“I think I can guess.”

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Iden replied as he sat across from Seowon. “I didn’t expect you to be honest about it, though.”

Swallowing a small sigh, Seowon realized he was right. If he hadn’t seen that suspicious person tampering with the ashes, he wouldn’t have said anything.

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“There was something strange going on.”

He didn’t explain why he went to the memorial park. Iden didn’t ask, seemingly having guessed his reason. Knowing that his actions were so easy for Iden to read was an odd feeling. It might have been obvious to “Iden hyung,” but this Iden wasn’t him. Even so, there were times Iden would remind him of him.

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“A suspicious man stole ‘Ha Seowon’s’ ashes.”

After saying it out loud, he wondered if he should’ve provided more details, but Iden didn’t seem particularly shocked.

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“Did you already know?”

It was ‘Ha Seowon’s’ ashes, after all. Yet his reaction was so calm, as if he wasn’t surprised someone had tampered with them.

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“We’ve been monitoring the memorial park’s CCTV from our side too.”

“Oh…”

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Seowon let out a low breath and frowned a beat late. It wasn’t surprising that Iden was keeping an eye on the place where “Ha Seowon’s” ashes were. He thought it was a bit much, but then again, for a mafia man like Iden, such measures were probably routine. But if Iden had been watching the CCTV from the beginning, he must’ve already known that he had been there. Yet he’d still asked where he’d been as soon as he walked in.

“You’re really a piece of work.”

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As Seowon muttered with a scowl, Iden smirked and let out a small laugh.

“If you hadn’t told me the truth, I would’ve just pretended not to know.”

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They had both tried not to say anything, so there wasn’t much else to add. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Iden completely; he himself hadn’t fully accepted Iden either. Since he wasn’t “Iden hyung,” but a man raised as a mafia heir, Seowon had been drawing a clear line between them. So, he had no reason to feel hurt by Iden’s lack of trust.

“Do you know who stole ‘Ha Seowon’s’ ashes?”

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If they’d gone as far as hacking the memorial park’s CCTV, it wouldn’t be strange to suspect they knew someone might attempt to break in. But Iden shook his head.

“We’re going to find out.”

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His easy response left Seowon wondering what exactly he knew or suspected.

“Did you hack the CCTV because you thought someone would come?”

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When Seowon asked, Iden chuckled. Not understanding why he was laughing, Seowon stared at him, and Iden turned his head to meet his gaze.

“I had a feeling someone might.”

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Iden’s gaze fixed on Seowon’s face. He realized the “someone” Iden mentioned was him.

“It’s not surveillance; it’s protection. I lost someone right in front of me once, and I don’t want to go through that again. I thought you’d understand.”

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Before Seowon could react, Iden added to his words. Hearing him say that, Seowon couldn’t criticize him. He would’ve done the same if he were in Iden’s shoes.

“Why did they steal it?”

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Not wanting to linger on the topic of “protection,” Seowon changed the subject. Why would someone need “Ha Seowon’s” ashes? It wasn’t just anything—they had stolen his ashes. Maybe to provoke Iden? That seemed too childish.

“Maybe they wanted to confirm something.”

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“Confirm what?”

“That Ha Seowon is truly dead.”

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Seowon pondered that statement, frowning after a few seconds.

“Are you talking about a DNA test?”

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Instead of answering, Iden quietly watched Seowon. He didn’t need to ask why a DNA test would be necessary. Remembering Iden’s words about him being a vulnerability helped him piece things together.

“Well, in a way, this is good. Once it’s confirmed that Ha Seowon is dead, they’ll stop targeting the ‘fake’ you.”

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Even though he understood what Iden meant, hearing the word “fake” made his heart sting a bit.

“Still, just in case, it’s better if you avoid going out alone.”

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At Iden’s concern, Seowon nodded quietly.

“I’ll find them as soon as I can, so hang in there.”

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Iden seemed to think Seowon was feeling frustrated, so he tried to reassure him.

“I don’t mind. But you’re the one who should be careful. If the one who stole the ashes is the same person who tried to snipe you, you’re the one in danger.”

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In the end, Seowon was sure the target wasn’t him but Iden. Iden watched him intently as Seowon expressed his concern, then smiled softly. Though he nodded as if to reassure Seowon, his smile felt full of hidden intentions, which made Seowon uneasy.

“I’ll go freshen up.”

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Wanting to end the conversation, Seowon stood up.

“Ha Seowon.”

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As he was about to turn, Iden called out. When he looked back, Iden tilted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowing.

“What?”

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“…No, it’s nothing.”

He seemed like he wanted to say something, but quickly shook his head with a small smile. Although it bothered him, seeing that casual smile made Seowon decide not to press for answers and head to the bathroom.

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Click. As the bathroom door closed, Iden’s smile faded. With his expression neutral, his eyes appeared colder than before.

That scent from before…

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Recalling the faint scent that had briefly reached him, Iden’s brows knitted together. The rut from a few days ago must have been triggered by his own pheromones. If it was an external factor causing the rut, his normal heat cycle might begin soon. At this rate, it seemed doubtful he’d manage until Choi Jian got him the suppressant.

Did Ha Seowon know? Since Seowon’s heat cycle tended to be regular, he might have anticipated it, which would explain why he’d asked Choi Jian for the suppressant.

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What should he do? Should he get a suppressant just in case? Or pretend not to know?

Neither option was entirely satisfying. After all, Iden didn’t want Seowon to rely on suppressants to get through his heat cycle, especially when he was his perfectly compatible Marked Partner.

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‘I’m not the Ha Seowon you knew.’

Understanding what Seowon meant by those words, Iden had tried to keep his distance as Seowon wanted, but…

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Even if he wasn’t the same Ha Seowon he’d once loved and who had loved him back, Iden had no intention of letting him go. Did he want him as a stand-in for his lost lover? He hadn’t thought of it that way.

Right in front of him, Seowon was alive, moving, speaking, and even getting angry with him. He’d like to see him smile too, though he sensed Seowon’s heart was closed off.

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Just like when he first met “Ha Seowon,” he felt a strong pull, an inexplicable certainty. This person was his. So how could he claim he wasn’t Ha Seowon?

Perhaps he should keep observing for now.

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A faint smile briefly appeared and then disappeared from Iden’s face as he gazed at the closed bathroom door.