Reasonable Loss - 17

Then, his heel caught in the elevator gap, and his body swayed. The box he held lurched greatly, flinging its contents backward. Among them, the light wireless mouse and USB fell to the floor with a clatter.

Seongheon grabbed Eunsu’s arm to steady him. And he even bent down personally to pick up the fallen items from the floor.

“Did you resign?”

He said in a surprised voice.

“No! I didn’t resign!”

Eunsu replied in an even more startled tone.

“Then what’s all this?”

“Ah, it’s not stuff I’m taking out—I’m bringing it to store.”

“At this hour?”

“Yes. At this hour. I wanted to drop it off right away.”

“……In pajamas?”

Seongheon nodded subtly toward Eunsu’s outfit. The clothes visible under his coat were clearly pajamas. The same dark green top and bottom with a fluffy texture. And sneakers on his feet.

Coat, pajamas, sneakers—none matched. Eunsu, who had a good fashion sense befitting a design major, coming to work at this hour in such attire. It was excessively odd.

Under the gaze full of questions, Eunsu squeezed his eyes shut then opened them. Then he mumbled in a barely audible voice.

“Just…… can you not ask anything……”

“What…… yeah, okay. But I’ll ask one more thing.”

“……What?”

“You’re in a situation where you need help right now, right?”

At the kind voice, Eunsu nodded faintly. Seongheon smiled gently and took the box from Eunsu’s hands with a swoop.

Eunsu entered Seongheon’s managing director office. Going in and out of the chairman’s office, director’s office, and now even the managing director’s. What kind of fate was this?

“Latte?”

Seongheon asked. Eunsu shook his head quickly side to side.

“No. Just water, please. Warm water.”

Seongheon said he understood and left the office. Seongheon didn’t know about Eunsu’s pregnancy. Because Dokwon had said to tell only the parents for the time being.

He had said announcing the pregnancy to outsiders would just bring annoyances. Rumors about whether the life growing in Eunsu’s belly was a boy or girl, alpha or omega, when they started dating, when they planned to marry, or if there was another lover— all sorts of gossip would attach and gnaw at Eunsu.

Recalling that time, Eunsu let out a long sigh.

Even just talking about it had made him happy then. He had thought Dokwon really cherished him and the baby.

But now, not telling about the pregnancy was a relief in a different way. If Dokwon’s memory loss got out, all sorts of pity and attention would pour on him.

Eunsu kneaded his calves, sore from walking the night streets. The muscles had already stiffened tightly. His neck ached too, and his eyes felt dry.

Whether it was the aftereffects of the car accident or because of the pregnancy, his stamina had noticeably dropped lately. Even as an omega, he wouldn’t have felt fatigued from something like this.

Well…… there had been too many things today to dismiss as “something like this.”

‘If you just disappear from my sight, it’ll be fine. So get out.’

As he recalled Dokwon’s voice boiling with frustration, Eunsu let out a long sigh through his nose. The door opened, and Seongheon entered. He set down a mug of water steaming with white vapor in front of Eunsu.

“Thank you.”

Eunsu wrapped both hands around the mug. The warm temperature brought a smile to his lips unbidden.

Seongheon sat quietly on the opposite sofa while Eunsu drank about half the water, asking nothing. But though he didn’t speak, he stared piercingly at Eunsu, urging silently.

“It’s, uh, been a while, Managing Director.”

Eunsu smiled awkwardly and gave a belated greeting.

“Yes, it’s been a while. Eunsu.”

Seongheon echoed Eunsu’s tone with a smile. Eunsu lifted the corners of his mouth diligently. If they had met in normal clothes at a normal time, he would have jumped for joy at seeing him. He resented the situation that prevented it.

“Things have been hectic lately, right? With Dokwon sick.”

Seongheon asked.

“Ah…… well…… just……”

Eunsu trailed off haltingly. Myunghee and Kiho had asked him to keep Dokwon’s injuries and current condition strictly secret. Especially the memory issues. Revealing it would only stir up the company atmosphere.

But Seongheon was Dokwon’s relative, so maybe it was okay to tell him. He would probably advise, as always, on how to endure and navigate this.

But the fact that he didn’t know yet meant the family, including Myunghee, hadn’t told him anything.

So Eunsu decided to keep quiet about Dokwon’s condition too.

“The surgery went well, and he’s recovering.”

“Well, he’s an alpha, after all. He’ll heal fast. Still, it’s surprising. Guess Dokwon is human after all.”

“……Pardon?”

At the oddly strange words, Eunsu tilted his head. Then Seongheon chuckled softly and shrugged.

“No, he’s a dominant alpha. I don’t know, I thought he’d walk away without a scratch even if hit by a car.”

“Ah……”

Eunsu let out a meaningless exclamation. Right, Seongheon was a beta. Betas who didn’t know what alphas and omegas were like often treated them like a different species. It was less so for omegas, but the prejudice was strong for alphas.

Handsome looks, sharp minds, healthy bodies. They were objects of envy and easy targets for jealousy.

“Still, it’s good you’re unharmed, Eunsu. You didn’t get hurt badly, I see.”

“Thanks to Dokwon.”

“……Thanks to him?”

“Yes. When the accident happened, Dokwon hugged me tight, so I was fine, but he got hurt a lot.”

“……Dokwon did?”

Seongheon’s eyes widened. He blinked his eyelids rapidly. It was an expression that didn’t suit his refined image at all. He seemed that shocked by something.

After dozens of seconds of silent admiration, he punctuated it with a low laugh.

“Wow……. I only heard rumors while in the States. Dokwon must really like you, Eunsu.”

“Yes. Seems like it.”

Eunsu nodded with a wry smile. Just an hour ago, he had been chased out by Dokwon, yet here he was smiling about it. Pathetic, sure, but what could he do about the real fondness.

The two years they had built together were precious down to the minute, so he had no thought of resenting or hating him over words the “real Dokwon” hadn’t said.

As Eunsu tapped his knee with his fingertips, the phone he had tossed into the box clanged noisily against the mug, rattling on. Eunsu picked it up with a puzzled face. Who could it be at this hour……

The sender was completely unexpected.

[Is this Yoo Eunsu’s phone?]

[Did you get home safe?]

[Sorry about today.]

[I’ve never been sick in my life, so I’m not immune to headaches.]

[Let’s have dinner this weekend.]

It was Dokwon.