One Day, a Dark Shadow Fell on My Closet

08

However, as always, the goddess of fortune did not raise Set’s hand this time either.

“Then would you like to come in and eat together? There’s a lot.”

“Uh-huh, I wonder if that’s okay.”

“And there’s a guest inside. My friend.”

The sound of a man clumsily taking off his shoes outside could be heard. Set was still fixated on the steaming bowl of banquet noodles.

“Set, it’s sudden, but would you like to say hello? This is Mr. Seon-rok, who lives nearby… not next door.”

“Nice to meet you!”

It was then that Set, who had been bowing his head, slowly lifted it. He deliberately did not hide his odd eyes and showed them to the man. Since he was a child, he had always avoided situations like this, clicking his tongue or frowning.

Set, who had been looking forward to a meal alone with Yeon Ji-ho, wanted to chase the man away, even if it meant doing so in this way. Even though this was not his home, he felt uncomfortable as if his nest had been disturbed by the arrival of another.

“Huh? A foreigner? Hello, hello. How are you, I’m fine, thank you, and you?”

“…Mr., this person speaks Korean well.”

However, the plump man did not seem particularly surprised by Set’s odd eyes. Instead, he immediately reached out his hand and asked for a handshake.

Set, glancing at Yeon Ji-ho, eventually stood up and approached to shake his hand.

“….”

“This young man is quite taciturn, huh? Wow, there’s quite a feast going on here! I know well about Ji-ho’s cooking skills.”

“You can sit over there, Mr.”

Yeon Ji-ho offered the seat that had been prepared for himself, which had the banquet noodles. Seon-rok, who was shorter than Yeon Ji-ho, hurriedly went to the seat.

Set quietly stared at the bowl placed in front of him. The dish made from the ingredients he had cut for the first time was about to enter that man’s mouth. The thought deepened Set’s gloom.

At that moment, Yeon Ji-ho suddenly approached. While Seon-rok was momentarily looking down at the banquet noodles, Yeon Ji-ho came close, lifted his heels, and pressed his mouth to Set’s ear.

Set, who tensed up in an instant, even held his breath.

“I’m sorry for the suddenness. If I don’t eat now, I have to go to your uncle’s house for dinner. I know you’re shy, but please bear with me a little.”

His voice was ticklish. Yeon Ji-ho’s whisper seemed to burrow into his ear, then travel down his veins, directly tickling his heart.

Set, who had never closed the distance with someone so quickly except when it was harmful, squeezed his eyes shut. The bad mood he had just felt vanished completely with Yeon Ji-ho’s simple apology. He felt like he was going crazy.

“Hey! What are you both doing! The noodles are going to get soggy!”

“Yes, we’re going!”

Set obediently returned to his place, following Yeon Ji-ho. However, he found himself staring blankly at the food in front of him, unsure of how to eat it.

Yeon Ji-ho, who had just taken his own bowl, headed to the seat next to Set at the square table. Set’s body flinched.

Yeon Ji-ho had always sat in front, but this was the first time he was sitting right next to him. Set straightened his back and unconsciously took a deep breath. Yeon Ji-ho’s scent rushed into his nostrils.

“Mr. Seon-rok, aren’t you putting in too much sauce? It’s not good to eat it salty.”

“Hey, don’t you start too. I always eat bland at home.”

The sauce placed between the three of them was floating with chives and sesame seeds, and Seon-rok took half of it. Then, Yeon Ji-ho naturally took a spoonful of the remaining sauce and poured it into Set’s bowl, saying,

“Now you can mix it well and eat.”

“What? Is your friend having banquet noodles for the first time?”

“Yes, it’s my first time in Korea.”

“Huh. But you speak Korean well? What a fascinating friend.”

Set picked up his fork and awkwardly twirled the noodles. Then, he diligently glanced at Yeon Ji-ho eating next to him.

Soon, the only sound at the table was slurping. Set was trying to eat the noodles without making any noise. Yeon Ji-ho, who caught a glimpse of that, kindly said,

“You can make noise while eating. Everyone does it here.”

“Oh, you’re eating so carefully. Just grab a bunch and eat heartily, okay? Like this.”

As Seon-rok chimed in with Yeon Ji-ho’s words, Set briefly lifted his head, then began to eat while making a little noise, feeling somewhat more at ease. Of course, compared to the slurping Seon-rok was making, it was very small.

Making noise while eating was something impossible in the Gongjak family. In his childhood, he had once been immediately kicked under the table and whipped by the duke for accidentally making a clattering sound when he put down his fork. It was just a habit formed from that experience.

“The broth is really refreshing. Huh.”

“Still, you have a long way to go to catch up with Mr. Soo-cheol’s skills.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t bring that person up. We fought about the heat cycle issue since this morning.”

“…What?”

Yeon Ji-ho’s voice momentarily faltered. The conversation had taken an unexpected turn.

Seon-rok was an omega, and it had been a long time since he had lived with his bonded mate as a couple. Thanks to that, he had no qualms about discussing the heat cycle that made Yeon Ji-ho embarrassed.

“About the heat cycle, I said I just wanted to get through this one with medicine…”

“Ah, yes….”

“What does that kid say!”

Seon-rok, with a genuinely angry expression, clenched his fist and waved it in the air. Even so, it was a small and plump fist, so it was not threatening at all.

As Yeon Ji-ho continued to give lifeless responses, he suddenly turned his head at the feeling of a gaze from the side. And he met it. Set’s odd eyes were looking at him with a lot of curiosity.

“That kid thinks he can just have a baby. Huh? Is it that easy to just say it? Anyway, alphas don’t know how hard it is to get pregnant.”

“Mr. Soo-cheol loves you so much… yes.”

“Are you not going to side with me too, Ji-ho? How hard is it for a male omega to get pregnant? Ugh!”

Yeon Ji-ho’s face began to turn bright red. The more it did, the more Set’s gaze became intense. It was understandable; the night before, Yeon Ji-ho had told Set that he was an omega but had skipped over the explanation.

Even if he knew nothing, he would have some idea after hearing Seon-rok’s story. Yeon Ji-ho’s heart was pounding fiercely.

“By the way, is Ji-ho’s friend an alpha? With that physique and atmosphere, he looks just like a dominant alpha!”

“Th-that’s not it.”

“Really? Then is he a beta? Wow, I’m jealous. Jealous. A beta without a cycle is the most comfortable.”

Set still said nothing. Yeon Ji-ho hoped he would remain silent. If he said even a word, the uncle would rush in.

And if it were discovered that he was someone who didn’t know about the traits… Yeon Ji-ho shook his head. Set was smart enough not to say anything that would get him caught.

And at that moment, Set spoke in a heavy voice.

“Do I… look like a beta?”

“Oh! You speak Korean really well, right? I would believe you were Korean!”

Instead of asking, “What is a beta?” he asked, “Do I look like a beta?” It seemed that Set had realized, as expected, that he should not be asking such questions.

Meanwhile, Seon-rok was not particularly interested in his words; he was simply fascinated by the fact that Set was “a foreigner who could speak Korean.” He had now forgotten that Yeon Ji-ho was there and began to chatter away at Set.

“No, no. Your friend looks more like an alpha than a beta. You know, like the male alphas that smell like they just came out of a drama.”

“Male, huh.”

“Ugh, until middle school, I prayed every day that if I was going to manifest, I would become an alpha.”

Yeon Ji-ho soon put down his chopsticks and raised both hands to cover his face. He had no idea how far this conversation would go.

Fortunately, Seon-rok’s cellphone saved him. The sound of his old basic ringtone began to fill the living room.

“Me? It’s Ji-ho’s house!”

-……!

“Ugh, I’m coming! I’m coming! Can’t you wait a moment?”

-…….

“Ugh, really. Fine, I’m going.”

Although he couldn’t hear the other person’s voice, it was definitely Mr. Soo-cheol. Seon-rok, who had already finished his broth, jumped up from his seat.

“Ji-ho, I have to go now. Soo-cheol is making a fuss because I didn’t come for lunch. It’s so annoying.”

Seon-rok shook his head in disgust but slowly headed toward the living room. He left the house in an instant.

As soon as one person disappeared, the usual silence returned to the house. Yeon Ji-ho could not bring himself to lift his head and was quietly staring down at the banquet noodles that he had barely touched.

How should he explain this from where?

The ripples caused by Seon-rok spread endlessly. Yeon Ji-ho had no confidence to look at Set’s face.

“Um, Set, that is….”

“An omega refers to a male who can get pregnant.”

At those words, Yeon Ji-ho reflexively lifted his head. In that moment, Yeon Ji-ho’s bright red face met Set’s close gaze.

“….”

“And Ji-ho, you are…”

This time, Set also briefly closed his mouth and fumbled for words. Then he said,

“Are you… an omega?”