Chapter 51 Part 1

“Hello,” Lee Jun greeted Park Geon-u, who was at the desk as soon as he entered the Pasta Restaurant.

“Oh, you’re here? You’re on time today…?”

Park Geon-u, who was talking with the Kitchen senior, greeted Lee Jun warmly, but his words suddenly cut off mid-sentence. He quickly continued, but Lee Jun sensed the awkwardness that had arisen in between.

“Why?”

“Oh… is that a new cardigan?”

“Boss, you don’t remember all of Lee Jun’s clothes, so how is it a ‘new’ cardigan?”

The Kitchen senior, who was listening nearby, laughed and nudged Park Geon-u’s arm, saying.

“That’s true. I don’t know all of them… but it suits him well, that’s why.”

Park Geon-u looked at Lee Jun’s clothes again and changed his words mid-sentence. The Kitchen senior also looked at Lee Jun’s cardigan and nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t usually wear bright colors, but it suits him really well. Plus, the oversized fit goes well with Lee Jun’s image.”

At the Kitchen senior’s detailed explanation, Lee Jun looked down at his clothes. A grey cardigan. He usually wore dark clothes, so mentioning the color was understandable, but he didn’t know what “his image” meant when it came to an oversized fit.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You’re tall and not small-framed, so you don’t give off a delicate vibe, but there’s something subtly captivating about you.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Judging that there was nothing good to be gained by understanding something he didn’t comprehend, Lee Jun quickly cut off the conversation with the Kitchen senior. The Kitchen senior shrugged, said, “Suit yourself,” and went into the kitchen, so Lee Jun also headed to the staff room.

“Did you get it as a gift?”

As Lee Jun opened his locker and put his hand on a button of the cardigan, Park Geon-u, who had followed him, sat on the sofa and asked.

“You’re very curious.”

“It’s pretty, so I’m asking where you bought it. I want to go buy one too.”

Park Geon-u casually made a light remark as if it were nothing. However, Lee Jun knew it wasn’t “nothing” since it had been mentioned twice already, so he turned around, leaning against the locker.

“I don’t know where it was bought. I just received it.”

“From whom?”

“From the owner of this pheromone.”

“…”

When Park Geon-u fell silent, Lee Jun had no doubt that his assumption was correct. He hadn’t been curious about the cardigan, but about the pheromones on it. Pheromones that the Kitchen senior, being a Beta, wouldn’t notice…

Since Lee Jun had been so direct, Park Geon-u no longer bothered to hide his thoughts and nodded.

“Right. It’s rare to come in with someone else’s pheromones so strongly.”

The implication of carrying someone else’s pheromones was obvious. But since Park Geon-u didn’t directly mention it, Lee Jun spoke as if he had nothing to hide.

“We’re dating.”

He turned back towards the locker and began to change his clothes, and no words came from Park Geon-u. Looking at Park Geon-u’s reflection in the mirror, he seemed to be contemplating seriously.

Lee Jun knew that Park Geon-u cared for him. However, he didn’t explicitly acknowledge it because he didn’t want anything to happen between them.

Only after Lee Jun had changed into his uniform and was fully ready, did Park Geon-u, who had been silent, quietly ask.

“The man you saw… that time?”

“Yes.”

There was no need to hide it. If Park Geon-u was curious, he would simply tell him.

“Unexpected. I didn’t think you’d start dating so easily…”

“We dated and then broke up before.”

“What? Why are you telling me this only now?”

“There was no reason to.”

Lee Jun shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. It felt more unusual to tell others who he was dating.

“Lee Jun, you… you don’t talk about yourself enough.”

But Park Geon-u seemed to feel hurt. He looked at Lee Jun with lowered eyebrows, clearly wishing he would say something, but Lee Jun had nothing to add.

This morning, Chaeheon had suddenly appeared, blocked his path, and abruptly handed him the cardigan. He said he just wanted to give it, but with his pheromones emanating from it, the meaning of “just” had already vanished.

He specifically gave him the cardigan on the morning he was going to his part-time job. And it was heavily imbued with pheromones. It was obvious that he was returning the favor from when Lee Jun had worn Park Geon-u’s clothes recently, so Lee Jun thought there was even less need to hide it.

‘Though being used is not ideal.’

It was a bit much to express himself by using Lee Jun instead of saying it directly, but Lee Jun considered it payment for the ride.

“I tell you everything, so I feel hurt.”

“You, Boss, to me?”

“Yes. I tell you everything, don’t I?”

“Did you?”

Lee Jun smiled and humored Park Geon-u’s soft complaint. It was a smile he could show because Park Geon-u didn’t react with intense emotions when he said he was dating Chaeheon. Lee Jun was grateful to Park Geon-u for preventing the atmosphere from becoming uncomfortable.

“I really do tell you everything. For example… that your sister started working part-time at my parents’ Gamjatang Restaurant?”

At the unexpected mention of Haein, the feeling of gratitude silently receded.

“Welcome. Did you come alone? Then this way…”

Haein turned to guide a newly arrived customer to a suitable seat. Then she suddenly realized the customer’s face was familiar and turned back.

“Perhaps…”

“That’s right.”

Chaeheon didn’t bother to deny it. Haein was happy to see him, smiling, but also felt awkward, her eyes continuously observing him.

“How did you know I work here?”

“By chance.”

Chaeheon sat down at the table Haein indicated. It was before lunchtime, so the restaurant was quiet, with only Chaeheon and one other table occupied.

Haein hurried to the kitchen, explained the situation, and came out with a water pitcher and cups.

“You can’t expect me to believe ‘by chance’.”

“It really was by chance. This morning, after dropping off Lee Jun, I was coming back and saw you coming out. I saw you go into the restaurant and you didn’t come out. That’s how I knew.”

“I thought you had a hobby of eating gamjatang in the morning, but I guess not.”

Haein sighed as she put down the water pitcher.

“Are you going to tell my brother you saw me?”

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”