VLA | Chapter 1.7

Cha Sooha smiled and waved goodbye to Kwon Ram. As Kwon Ram walked away, he turned back briefly, but Cha Sooha just waved silently. Kwon Ram didn’t come back and disappeared in the direction of his home.

❀ ❀ ❀

Returning home, Cha Sooha found Ha Kangji waiting for him at the door.

“What?”

“Why was your phone off?”

“Oh, it died because I didn’t charge it.”

Normally, he should have asked Kwon Ram if he got home safely as soon as he arrived. When Cha Sooha replied nonchalantly, Ha Kangji’s face twisted.

“Did you sleep with him?”

“No.”

Ha Kangji looked at him with a bewildered expression for a moment. Then, as if coming to his senses, he asked again.

“…After going like that?”

“Dude, I said I had an assignment.”

Cha Sooha answered a bit irritably and stood at the door. Ha Kangji stuck close behind him, continuing to ask.

“Are you taking the same class?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Why, damn it? Do you think I asked Kwon Ram to take it with me? He was just there when I went in.”

Cha Sooha punched in the door code with an annoyed gesture. Unfazed, Ha Kangji continued.

“You said you’d sleep with him?”

“Damn it, even my mom doesn’t care this much about me. Seriously?”

“Hey, Cha Sooha.”

“What now!”

Ha Kangji’s persistence was really annoying today. When he shouted without holding back, Ha Kangji grinned and said.

“How much was your credit card bill this month?”

“…”

That shut Cha Sooha up. He realized it was almost time to pay the bill. Maybe his bad mood was because the due date was approaching?

Honestly, Cha Sooha didn’t have a penny in cash. He had lost all his cash dabbling in coins and stocks recently. Suddenly, he felt overwhelmed. As his expression darkened rapidly, Ha Kangji quickly whispered.

“I’ll lend you some. How much?”

Hearing that he’d lend him money, the annoyance he felt towards Ha Kangji melted away. But Cha Sooha hesitated to answer.

“…It’s quite a lot.”

“Isn’t it always?”

When Ha Kangji grinned and put an arm around his shoulder, Cha Sooha replied with a slightly embarrassed face.

“I’ll pay you back soon.”

“It’s fine. Pay me back when you have it. Don’t push yourself.”

Naturally, Ha Kangji followed him inside. As he released his arm and took off his shoes, he said.

“Shall we order delivery?”

At that, Cha Sooha hesitated for a moment. He had planned to relax alone at home, but now it seemed he’d be with Ha Kangji until morning.

But since he offered to lend him money, he couldn’t just kick him out. Cha Sooha nodded, and Ha Kangji smiled broadly.

❀ ❀ ❀

“Did you quit drinking?”

Ha Kangji asked while eating some bossam. He hadn’t quit drinking. He just hadn’t been drinking lately because he was focused on someone. But he didn’t want to confess everything to the nagging king, Ha Kangji.

“I almost died from throwing up last time, so I cut back.”

“What’s gotten into you? You never listened when I said it.”

“People only realize when they’re screwed.”

“True.”

“You should drink less too. You’ll end up dead.”

“Hey, are you worried about me?”

“If you die, who’s going to cover my credit card bill?”

“You materialistic jerk. If I were broke, you wouldn’t be friends with me, right?”

“Why ask when you know? You’re just hurting yourself.”

Cha Sooha replied without taking his eyes off the TV. With the credit card issue resolved, his mind felt lighter. Naturally, he thought of Kwon Ram.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that he missed an opportunity that was right in front of him today. After pondering, he got up and picked up his phone. It was fully charged, but there were no messages from Kwon Ram.

Well, the proud prince wouldn’t send the first message.

Feeling a bit dazed, Cha Sooha searched for Kwon Ram’s name in the messenger. Kwon Ram always had the default profile and had never seen it change. But today, there was a red dot indicating an update.

Cha Sooha immediately checked the profile. It was a picture of the sky. He had no idea if there was any special meaning behind the sudden change. He stared intently at the sky photo. Then he noticed a building slightly visible in the corner and zoomed in as much as possible.

“…!”

Realizing what the building was, Cha Sooha straightened up. It was definitely the sky in front of the cinema. The red building slightly visible in the photo was the one in front of the cinema.

Did Kwon Ram want to record watching the movie with him?

Or was he just reading too much into a single photo?

Cha Sooha wanted to ask Kwon Ram about the profile picture. But instead of messaging him first, he changed his profile to a photo of himself wearing the belt Kwon Ram had given him. It would show up for Kwon Ram too.

What would Kwon Ram think seeing him wearing the belt he gifted? Cha Sooha hoped Kwon Ram’s mind would be as tangled as his own.

❀ ❀ ❀

It was just a bad habit. Drinking made his libido sneak up on him. Even though Cha Sooha was a recessive omega without a heat cycle, alcohol always stirred his desires.

He hadn’t planned on drinking, but Ha Kangji kept pestering him, so he reluctantly opened a can.

One can turned into two, and beer wasn’t enough, so they opened some soju too. As he started to feel tipsy, his mind wandered. Should he go out and find someone, or call up one of his past flings?

With a slightly flushed face, Cha Sooha scrolled through his phone contacts. Watching him, Ha Kangji spoke up.

“What are you doing?”

“Just looking.”

Ha Kangji smirked as if he knew what Cha Sooha was thinking.

“Sending out texts again?”

When he was too lazy to meet someone new, Cha Sooha would text a few people from his contacts asking if they were awake, then meet the first one to reply. Being called out on it made him feel embarrassed. Feeling a bit deflated, Cha Sooha put his phone down.

“I was just browsing.”

“Yeah, right.”

Without responding, Cha Sooha took a sip of his beer. With no answer, Ha Kangji casually mentioned.

“Thinking of settling down?”

“Settle down? We’re not in our 40s.”

“…”

Ha Kangji seemed like he had something to say, but Cha Sooha, familiar with that look, ignored him. They got along well when partying, but sometimes Ha Kangji would say things like an old man. The irony was that he was single himself.

“Why don’t you settle down first?”

Cha Sooha downed the rest of his beer and said. Ha Kangji’s expression darkened at that.

“So, is Kwon Ram just for fun?”

“Wow, you’re really interested.”

“You’ve never been this serious about anyone before.”

“Are you interested in Kwon Ram?”

Cha Sooha asked, genuinely curious. It would be a problem if that were the case. He could give way to anyone else, but not Kwon Ram. He was Cha Sooha’s lottery ticket. The man he’d bet his life on.

“What if I am?”

Ha Kangji’s smirk made Cha Sooha raise an eyebrow. It felt like a provocation, but then he remembered Kwon Ram’s expression when talking about Ha Kangji.

Kwon Ram didn’t like Ha Kangji. He liked him more.

Remembering that made Cha Sooha feel at ease.

“Then go ahead and try. First come, first served.”

“…”

“But Kwon Ram’s an alpha too. You okay with that?”

Unlike him, Ha Kangji was a dominant alpha. Relationships between alphas were rare, and dominant alphas usually kept their distance instinctively. Even the free-spirited Ha Kangji had never been involved with another alpha. Ha Kangji’s smirk faded quickly, losing interest. Watching him, Cha Sooha said.

“Are you worried I’ll date someone without you?”

“…You haven’t been hanging out with me lately. It’s all Kwon Ram this, Kwon Ram that.”

“Seriously, are you jealous of Kwon Ram?”

Cha Sooha was taken aback by the jealousy in Ha Kangji’s words. He couldn’t explain why he was pursuing Kwon Ram, so it was frustrating.

“Trust me, I’ve got my reasons.”

“What are they?”

“I’m just trying to have some fun. Stop asking so many questions. And stop talking about Kwon Ram.”

He didn’t want to discuss Kwon Ram with Ha Kangji anymore. Whether Kwon Ram liked it or not, he planned to have a child with him. He didn’t want to feel like he was mocking the future father of his child.

Ha Kangji still looked curious, but when Cha Sooha turned away, he didn’t bring up Kwon Ram again.

Cha Sooha picked up his phone again. As he fiddled with it, a vibration signaled a message. He checked the notification bar to see who it was from.

[Did you finish the report?]

It was Kwon Ram.

Cha Sooha used the excuse of buying more beer to leave the house. If he told Ha Kangji he was going to meet Kwon Ram, he’d definitely make unnecessary comments.

He quickly checked his reflection on his phone screen. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the alcohol. He couldn’t miss the opportunity since the prince had reached out first. He complained about not being able to write the report because Ha Kangji was over and asked if he could come over to work on it together.

Surprisingly, Kwon Ram, who seemed like he’d refuse, invited him over. Grabbing only his phone and wallet, Cha Sooha hopped into a taxi. The address Kwon Ram sent was in a wealthy area near the school.

Cha Sooha thought to himself, of course, he’s a golden spoon. Thanks to the taxi, he was standing in front of Kwon Ram’s house just 20 minutes after they exchanged messages.

The house was on a hill, hard to reach without a car. It was a standalone house, so calling it a “studio” felt off. The thought of Kwon Ram living alone in such a big house made him envious.

The door opened as soon as he rang the bell, as if he had been waiting. As Cha Sooha cautiously entered, he saw a garden. The well-maintained garden looked like it was tended by someone. It wasn’t Kwon Ram’s handiwork; he probably had someone managing the house.

Looking up, he saw Kwon Ram standing at the entrance. Cha Sooha quickly checked out his outfit. It was a bit too neat and well-fitted to be casual.

Was this how he usually dressed at home, or did he choose something nice because he was coming over?

“Did I surprise you by coming over suddenly?”

“…If you can’t concentrate, it happens.”

Kwon Ram seemed unusually understanding. It was clear he didn’t like Ha Kangji. But why? Was it because of him? Because he hung out with Ha Kangji often?

Cha Sooha wondered how to probe Kwon Ram about it.

“Can I come in?”

Kwon Ram nodded slightly and opened the door. As he stepped inside, Cha Sooha was sure he was the first outsider to visit. The reason was simple. There was only one pair of slippers at the entrance.

If guests came often, there would be extra slippers. Kwon Ram naturally offered his slippers to Cha Sooha.

“Wear these.”

“What about you, sunbae?”

“I’m fine.”