Reasonable Loss - 11

Eunsu, resting his chin on the bed, let out a groan from his throat. Dokwon’s scent wafted faintly from the sheets. It was so good. Surely Dokwon felt his scent as fragrant in the same way. Strongly? He found the man who picked only mean words irritating.

“Bear with it, then.”

“……What?”

“I said bear with it. This is the maximum I can suppress. I’ve done what I can, so the rest is up to you, Dokwon-ssi.”

“Ha……”

Dokwon let out a short, incredulous chuckle. Eunsu ignored it and focused on inhaling Dokwon’s scent.

Dokwon must find it absurd. An omega he was seeing for the first time shoving his face into his clothes, and then telling him to bear with the scent he hated. With the memory loss already confusing enough, this constant prodding would just annoy and bother him.

However, Eunsu had every right to say things like this. They had been lovers for two years, and his belly held Dokwon’s child sprouting within. And toward a lover who had forgotten him overnight, Eunsu was just as baffled as Dokwon.

Up until now, the shock of Dokwon forgetting him had made him waver at every word and expression from him, but not anymore.

Eunsu was determined to reclaim the old Dokwon somehow. And with him, himself, and the baby in his belly, they would form a happy family.

After visiting the OB-GYN yesterday, he had vowed that, and made that promise with the baby.

Eunsu looked at Dokwon with a resolute expression. Dokwon met his gaze directly. The two locked eyes like that for a while. Then Dokwon spoke first.

“You said earlier you smelled my scent every day. That means we met every day. Was that just talk, or did I really meet you every day?”

“We met every day.”

At Eunsu’s firm answer, Dokwon’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was the look of someone who couldn’t believe him. It was understandable. Dokwon was an incredibly busy person. As an executive and Myunghee’s only son, his schedule was always packed tight, divided into hourly slots.

To think he met an unremarkable omega every day amid all that. It was natural to find it strange.

But Eunsu continued as if he saw nothing odd about it.

“We ate lunch together, and dinner too. You refused all meal-meeting invitations just to eat with me, which gave Secretary Jeong a real headache.”

Dokwon chuckled again. No matter how enchanted he might have been by an omega, he wouldn’t have blurred the lines between work and personal like that. Just hearing Eunsu, it sounded no different from a dog with flipped eyes.

Dokwon closed the newspaper with a snap. It was data on the four years of economic trends that had evaporated from his mind, selected by Secretary Jeong to fill the gaps, and he needed to read it quickly. To do that, he first needed to get Eunsu out of his sight.

Dokwon crossed his legs casually and stared at Eunsu.

“According to Mother, we met at the company.”

“Yes.”

“So you knew who I was, whose son I was.”

“Yes. As a team leader, I naturally had all the executive info memorized.”

“Memorized?”

“I had a duty to greet you warmly even if I ran into you by chance.”

“……”

“Actually, even if I weren’t team leader, I would have known. Anyone with even a little interest in business knows you’re the only son of which company.”

Eunsu said flatly. He wasn’t particularly interested in Dokwon’s background, so talking about it didn’t sit well. Instead of wasting time on this, reciting memories they shared would help him recover his memory much more.

But unlike Eunsu, Dokwon’s eyes flashed. He tapped the sofa armrest with his index finger: tap, tap, tap.

“By any chance, is what you want money?”

“……What?”

Eunsu asked back as if he’d misheard. He was stunned. The words froze his already complicated mind solid.

At Eunsu’s popping reaction, a sly smile bloomed on Dokwon’s lips. It seemed he’d hit a sore spot. Dokwon rubbed his chin and glanced at Eunsu.

“So you got pregnant before marriage? Mother and Father were totally smitten with you too. Guess you’re good at that sort of thing.”

“……”

Eunsu blinked slowly. For a while, he said nothing. He just stared blankly at the empty space beyond Dokwon’s shoulder. It looked like he was sorting his thoughts.

To Dokwon, it only seemed like a cunning ploy to wriggle out of the situation. He thought this was a chance to shake Eunsu off. So he opened his mouth again, but suddenly Eunsu shot up from his seat. Then he strode toward Dokwon.

Eunsu’s shadow, with the light at his back, fell over Dokwon.

“Dokwon-ssi. I have a lot of money.”

Eunsu said softly.

“Pfft, what?”

Dokwon let out a hollow laugh. A lot of money. A lot of, money. He didn’t look it. Maybe he won the lottery or something. Even if it were true, to say it to his face. It was beyond absurd; it was laughable.

But Eunsu continued without a care.

“Of course, less than yours, with your trillions in assets, but enough to buy what I want and eat what I want.”

“……”

“I have a house in Seoul, a car too. I invest and save diligently. To you, it’s probably nothing, but to me, it’s plenty.”

“So right now-”

“Yes. I don’t need your money.”

Eunsu’s voice was resolute. After finishing, he let out a long sigh through his nose. Then he looked at Dokwon quietly. Even in those lounge-like hospital clothes, Dokwon was still, damn, so handsome. The softly tousled hair, unlike at the office, was exactly Eunsu’s type.

Eunsu reached out toward Dokwon’s face. Dokwon’s eyebrows twitched. He thought Eunsu was about to slap his cheek. But unexpectedly, he gently caressed it softly.

“I might have said yes if you’d asked if what I wanted was your handsome face or body.”

“What?”

“I like your face, Dokwon-ssi. I like your body, and a whole lot of other physical parts too.”

Eunsu’s thumb stroked Dokwon’s jaw. The thumb, tracing the smoothly angled jawline, headed toward the plump lower lip. Lips that parted wide with a cool smile to reveal even teeth. Always warm and soft lips.

It had been over two weeks since these lips hadn’t touched his. Before, they had met dozens of times a day. There had even been times he skipped meals, rubbing lips in the executive office all through lunch break.

Eunsu’s thumb was just about to touch Dokwon’s lips. Dokwon irritably swatted his hand away. Eunsu withdrew obediently. He straightened the waist he had bent to touch his face.

“And unfortunately… the one who approached first, sought me out, bought me meals, bought me drinks, sent messages putting in all the effort—that was you.”

“……If you’re acting first and thinking later because I can’t remember, you’ll be really embarrassed later.”

Dokwon rubbed the cheek where Eunsu’s hand had been, as if annoyed.

Eunsu looked down at Dokwon’s deeply furrowed brow with a dry gaze. In two years of dating, he had never seen Dokwon raise his voice, get angry, let alone show irritation.

Lately, he had seen that twisted face far too often. Even if this Dokwon wasn’t that Dokwon, the bitterness was unavoidable.

Eunsu clenched his hand, feeling the faint remnant of Dokwon’s warmth on his palm. Then, in a voice without ups and downs, he said.

“No. You’ll be the embarrassed one.”

“Me? What would I have to be embarrassed about?”

“Saying that to me.”

“What?”

“Treating me roughly. Treating me like some money-grubber. Seeing me as a brainless omega spewing pheromones. You’ll regret it big time later.”

At Eunsu’s words pouring out like thunder, Dokwon’s lips twitched. He stared at Eunsu’s hardened expression. Then suddenly, he burst into laughter. As if it were so funny and amazing, he even clapped his hands.

“Wow, so I loved you that much, that you can say things like that?”

“You did.”

“And you’re certain that even after I fully recover my memory, I’ll keep loving you?”

“Yes. I am.”

There was no gap in Eunsu’s answer. It was like a sturdy, solid wall. Dokwon swallowed dryly without realizing it.

Eunsu folded his knees and squatted in front of Dokwon. Dokwon flinched at the suddenly close face. Fortunately, Eunsu didn’t come closer. But the thick pheromone scent poked at Dokwon’s whole body like needles.

Dokwon wrinkled his nose bridge in displeasure. It was a deliberate show. But even seeing that face, Eunsu showed no sign of backing down. Boldly, he even grabbed Dokwon’s hand. Dokwon tried to shake off Eunsu’s hand right away.

But,

“You know we were in the same car when the accident happened, right?”

The sudden talk of the accident made him miss the timing. Dokwon’s pupils darkened.

“I heard from Secretary Jeong.”

“But you were in a coma for weeks with such severe injuries, so haven’t you ever wondered why I’m perfectly fine?”