TAF Ch 18

Yeonwoo hung up without a second thought. A new message arrived immediately.

[Are you crazy? An omega sleeping in such a disgusting place???] [Answer the phone]

He seemed shocked by the state of the accommodations. Scoffing, Yeonwoo exited the message screen.

“Oh, shit.”

Or rather, he tried to, but Chahyun called again, and he accidentally pressed the answer button.

As Yeonwoo fumbled with his phone in surprise, Chahyun’s voice boomed through the speaker.

—Hey, if you’re going to run away, at least go somewhere decent, what the hell are you doing in a dump like that? Are you out of your mind? Are you even aware that you’re an omega?

Chahyun’s harsh voice, a mixture of threats and nagging, continued without pause.

Whose fault is it?

Though he could have just hung up, Yeonwoo, now irritated, retorted,

“So I’m supposed to stay at a five-star hotel while running away?”

—Yes! Don’t you have money? Are you broke? Then just fucking use my card instead of crawling into a shithole like that?

“Do you think I’m stupid? Would you use your card if you knew you’d get caught?”

—Then why are you running away? Where are you, Hong Yeonwoo? Tell me before I lose my patience. If I get my hands on you, you won’t be leaving the house again without my permission.

Chills ran down Yeonwoo’s spine at Chahyun’s low warning. Cold sweat trickled down his back. Even though Chahyun wasn’t there, his shoulders involuntarily hunched. It was even more frightening because he knew the threat was genuine.

“Crazy bastard. Why am I running away? Because you locked me up! Because you acted like a lunatic!”

—Fuck, who said I’d lock you up forever? I was just going to keep you in until Friday, your rehabilitation therapy day.

“How am I supposed to believe that? And how can you even talk about rehab in a situation like this…? Forget it, let’s just stop. Don’t look for me. I’m hanging up.”

—Stop what? I’m not finished talking, don’t hang up.

“We’re not dating anymore, so stop talking down to me. I’m already annoyed because I have to find a new place to live thanks to you….”

—If you need a room, book a decent one. Not some…

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll handle it.”

—Don’t you know those places are crawling with alpha bastards? Just go to a hotel! Or come home. I’ll forgive you if you come home now.

Forgive? Who’s forgiving who? This was beyond unreasonable. It was a line of thinking beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person.

“Chahyun. Do you not understand what breaking up means? It means we go our separate ways. Why are you being so stubborn? The moment you chose that marriage, you betrayed me.”

Frustrated, Yeonwoo explained in an almost pleading tone.

“I’m not going back to that house, and I don’t want you to care where I am. Anyway, I don’t even have money for a hotel….”

—So use my card! You have it.

What kind of conversation was this? Yeonwoo rubbed his face in exhaustion. Chahyun was a selfish asshole to the very end.

Trying to reason with him was pointless.

“You’ll come after me if I go to a hotel. I’ll just continue sleeping among smelly alphas.”

—Are you crazy? Fuck! Fuck, no. I swear I’ll kill those bastards if you really go.

“I’m hanging up.”

—Yeonwoo! Hyung! Hyung, I won’t go. I won’t look for you, so just stay at a hotel.

Yeonwoo hesitated at the desperate plea. Chahyun quickly continued,

—I won’t go until you say it’s okay, so if you don’t want to come home, just stay at a hotel.

At the defeated tone, Yeonwoo imagined Chahyun’s expression. Was the lodging really that bad?

If he’s this upset, why doesn’t he just not get married?

The words welled up in his throat.

“Chahyun.”

But what actually came out of Yeonwoo’s mouth was something else entirely.

“…I’m sorry for forcing you to take the sleeping pills.”

In truth, he’d wanted to say this from the moment he answered the call. Perhaps that’s why he’d endured Chahyun’s unreasonable demands and continued the conversation.

“Did you…?”

He was about to ask if Chahyun was alright, if he’d gone to the hospital.

“Gotcha.”

A hand suddenly reached out from behind and grabbed Yeonwoo’s arm. A familiar grip.

Yeonwoo turned in shock to see Chahyun, breathless.

“You….”

Before he could speak, Chahyun threw himself at Yeonwoo. Not just hugged, but practically launched himself.

Chahyun squeezed into Yeonwoo’s smaller frame, pressing their bodies close.

Stunned, it took Yeonwoo a few seconds to process the situation.

“Tell me that in person.”

Chahyun whispered, tightening his hold on the frozen Yeonwoo.

“How did you…, no. Let go of me.”

Had he been following him this whole time while they were on the phone? He hadn’t heard any panting, so he didn’t think Chahyun was nearby.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Chahyun pulled back slightly and meticulously checked Yeonwoo’s face and hands.

“Stop it.”

As Chahyun’s touch registered, a wave of nausea washed over Yeonwoo, and he pushed Chahyun away.

“If you run away, you should stay alert.”

Chahyun, as if determined not to let go again, gripped Yeonwoo’s hand even tighter. Yeonwoo glanced around anxiously, seeking help.

But no one among the many people passing through the alley paid them any attention. In an area crowded with bars, couples standing close together were a common sight.

Even if he yelled for help here, Chahyun would easily drag him away.

And the realization of this reality made the nausea in his chest intensify.

“You seem fine. I’ll look at your ankle when we get home.”

“…Let go. You promised you wouldn’t come after me. You promised.”

Ignoring Yeonwoo, Chahyun gestured to someone. A man in plain clothes approached.

“Bring the car here.”

“It’s on its way.”

As soon as the man finished speaking, a familiar sedan pulled into the alley. Easily subduing the struggling Yeonwoo, Chahyun opened the car door himself.

He grabbed both of Yeonwoo’s wrists with one hand, preventing him from using his arms, and wrapped his other arm around Yeonwoo’s waist, pushing him into the back seat.

As part of his body was restrained, Chahyun’s chilling threat echoed in his mind.

‘If I get my hands on you, you won’t be leaving the house again without my permission.’

Goosebumps rose on the back of his neck.

“N-no, let go of me…”

Yeonwoo pleaded, his face contorted. Chahyun snapped coldly,

“Get in. You’re about to go into heat.”

The grip on his wrists felt like thick ropes binding him. Fear washed over him, the certainty that he couldn’t escape on his own, no matter how much he struggled.

The same helplessness he felt when confined to the apartment returned. The loneliness he felt staring at the locked door came flooding back vividly.

No. I don’t want to be locked up again.

The desperate phrase flashed in his mind. His heart raced, and his vision blurred.

‘If you get married, shouldn’t you live with her?’

‘We’ve decided to live separately. We’ll have a house together in name, but…’

‘…I see.’

‘It’s a marriage of convenience. A necessary marriage.’

Then what about me after you get married? What happens to me? Why are you forcing me to accept this? Who are you to… me?

‘Even if she doesn’t look like it now, wouldn’t an omega with a face like a fox be better?’, ‘Then she’ll follow in her mother’s footsteps.’, ‘Look at that young thing walking around with her head held high. Just like her bitch of a mother.’

Yeonwoo flinched at the whispers that seemed to be right in his ear. The cold voices and sharp glares that had faded with time became intensely vivid.

He wanted to cover his ears. No, he wanted to hide his face. But trapped by Chahyun, he could do nothing.

“Chahyun, you promised! You promised you wouldn’t come after me!”

Chahyun sat beside him in the back seat. As the car started moving, Yeonwoo cried out, a moan escaping his lips.

“Will you be returning directly to your residence, sir?”

The driver asked Chahyun as if he hadn’t heard Yeonwoo’s cry.

“No. I’m not going! You’ll lock me up again if I go there. Let… let go of me.”

As Yeonwoo’s voice faded, Chahyun loosened his grip on his wrists.

“Happy now?”

Confined within the small, enclosed space of the car, Yeonwoo felt suffocated. Even though there was no longer any physical force restraining him, his chest felt constricted.