MJ | Chapter 10

Looking at the disconnected call, Jungin laughed with a hollow expression. What have I done? But there was no turning back. The loan sharks who had promised a few more days suddenly changed their tune, and the acquaintances who had agreed to lend money were all out of contact.

Rubbing his face with both hands, he lay sideways on the bed. It was a night as quiet as a mouse. He hadn’t told his mom anything. It wasn’t like he was getting married right away; he needed to meet the person and hear them out. A contract marriage…

He hadn’t thought about marriage at all, let alone dating. Four months… It felt especially colder today. He tucked his cold feet under the blanket and tossed and turned restlessly. He couldn’t sleep. He didn’t know what the right choice was, but there was no other sharp solution.

“Marriage with an alpha…”

Kim Hajun, whom he had seen a few days ago, kept coming to mind. It was a relief to see him during such a tough time. Otherwise, he might have been quite hurt. He might have spent the night turning white, repeatedly recalling that face.

Jungin squeezed his eyes shut. Let’s not think about it anymore. It’s a relationship that’s already over.

***

“Are you really not going?”

Dooyoung looked worriedly at Hajun, who was sitting at his desk all morning, immovable. Even an hour ago, Secretary Yoon had contacted him, repeatedly asking him to make sure he arrived on time.

“Mind your own business and do your work.”

Was he really not planning to go?

“Just meet them first. If you don’t like them, you can decide then.”

“No. I don’t intend to play along with the old man’s tune.”

“Who knows? Maybe an amazing beauty will show up.”

Hajun put down his coffee and smiled.

“Then why don’t you go meet them?”

Huh? He thought it was a joke, but Hajun’s eyes sparkled. Dooyoung felt a chill down his spine. As expected, Hajun’s tone suddenly became affectionate.

“Great. You go instead.”

“Don’t joke around.”

“Just sit there. Or, cause a scene. Enough to make the other person sick of it.”

If that’s the case, the representative is good at it. He swallowed the words. Judging by the expression, he was serious. He shook his head, trying to escape, but Hajun came over, sat next to him, and took off his watch, handing it to Dooyoung.

When Dooyoung tried to return it in shock, Hajun forced it back into his hand.

“I have plans in the evening anyway. I don’t have time to go there, so you go instead.”

A Friday night dinner plan was obvious. As always, he planned to gather acquaintances for a noisy party.

“I’ll be dead if Chairman Kim finds out.”

“Isn’t it better than dying by my hand?”

“…”

That was true. He could plead with Chairman Kim, saying Hajun made him do it, but no excuse would work with Hajun. Once he started tormenting someone, he was relentless.

He looked at the watch in his hand. Twelve diamonds sparkled brilliantly. It seemed worth at least a luxury car. Having money meant he could hand out things like this. Annoying, but incredibly enviable. As he sighed, Hajun gently held his hand.

Dooyoung shuddered and quickly pulled away, sitting apart.

“You’ll go, right?”

Seeing Hajun’s considerate face, he couldn’t refuse any longer.

“I’ll just sit there.”

“Alright.”

Grumbling, he was also curious. What kind of person was Chairman Kim trying to force Hajun to marry? On the other hand, he was worried. If Chairman Kim found out, both of them might be dead. After saying he’d go, Hajun clenched his fist and cheered. It was annoying.

He left the company and drove to the meeting place. It was a hotel coffee shop often used for blind dates, and he had been there a couple of times before. Arriving first, Dooyoung took a seat inside and looked around.

There were still about 10 minutes left until the appointment time. A few people were sitting alone. Could one of them be the person? Just then, someone appeared at the coffee shop entrance. After a brief conversation with an employee, he was guided inside.

The tall man in a black suit was strikingly handsome at first glance. Watching him, Dooyoung called over the guiding employee to confirm, and it was indeed Kim Hajun’s blind date. Dooyoung watched the man’s movements in admiration.

The man sitting by the window checked his wristwatch and adjusted his tie with a tense face. His jet-black hair and skin were so pale they seemed transparent. His profile was like a painting, and his looks were comparable to the actors affiliated with the company.

The man’s face showed signs of nervousness as he drank water. As Dooyoung stared intently, he suddenly tilted his head. Why does he look familiar? After pondering, he sent a message to Hajun.

[Confirmed the face. He’s really handsome.]

As expected, there was no reply from Hajun. It was proof he wasn’t concerned after sending Dooyoung. By now, he was probably picking out clothes for the party. After checking if there might be any of Chairman Kim’s henchmen around, Dooyoung stood up.

He approached to get a closer look at the man’s face. But as he got close, his eyes widened, and he quickly turned away. Returning to his seat, he felt a piercing gaze on his back.

He hurriedly sat down, lowering his body.

“Oh my…!”

He finally remembered why the face was familiar. It was the man he had seen in the motel room not long ago. The one who had swung a fist at Hajun. It was a brief encounter, but his striking appearance was unforgettable.

Should he call this fate or a bad connection?

He took out his phone, turned on the camera, and carefully took a side profile shot of the man. Just as he was about to send it to Hajun, someone snatched the phone away. Startled, he pressed the send button and almost screamed as he looked up.

The man who had been sitting by the window was now standing in front of him, holding Dooyoung’s phone and looking down silently.

“Ah!”

With his hand in the air, Dooyoung stammered.

“Why are you taking pictures of someone without permission?”

His voice and gaze were cold. Dooyoung hesitated, not knowing what to say. Since it was an appointment, he hurriedly stood up and extended his hand.

“Hello, I’m Kim Hajun, whom you were supposed to meet today.”

He smiled shamelessly, and the man’s gaze changed subtly. Did he recognize him? No. He had worn a hat and only briefly met him, so he wouldn’t know. A few seconds of silence passed. Instead of shaking hands, the man nodded in greeting.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ryu Jungin.”

***

Hmm. Lying on the sofa, Hajun woke up, clutching his head from the persistent hangover. He must have drunk too much at last night’s party. His head was spinning, and his stomach felt queasy.

His brown hair was a mess, and his shirt was stained with lipstick marks and makeup powder. The house, now empty of people, was littered with bottles and leftover food. Hajun staggered to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and gulped it down before taking off his shirt to shower.

The scent of omegas lingered all over his body. As soon as he turned on his phone, messages started pouring in. He skimmed through messages from family, work, and several from Lee Dooyoung.

He began reading Dooyoung’s messages from the last one upward.

[Fortunately, the conversation went well. They said they didn’t want the marriage, so I agreed. See you on Monday. Drink less.]

A smile spread across Hajun’s lips. Good job, Lee Dooyoung.

[Are you still partying? I’m having dinner with him. He’s got a good personality. If you don’t meet him, should I?]

Sure, you can meet him. Laughing, he scrolled down to find a photo. Below the picture taken from afar, the words “handsome” were written. It was amusing. Handsome, huh? Without thinking, he clicked on the photo to enlarge it, and he froze.

Thinking he might have seen it wrong, he zoomed in further to take a closer look.

[Surprised? I was too. Luckily, he doesn’t seem to recognize me. His name is Ryu Jungin. Just in case, remember it. I’ll contact you again.]

Hajun couldn’t take his eyes off Ryu Jungin’s face in the photo, looking like he’d been hit. Why are you there…

Suddenly, the alcohol wore off, and the puzzle pieces started to fit together. His grandfather’s hometown. And Ryu Jungin was also a native of that place. As far as he remembered, Ryu Jungin’s father was a pastor running an orphanage. He used to joke that he had a hundred siblings when they dated.

Only then did he understand why his father was so eager to marry him off to Ryu Jungin. Without time to calm his surprised heart, he hurriedly tried to contact Dooyoung, but he didn’t answer.