Reasonable Loss - 18

Chapter 3: A Familiar Beginning

Eunsu read the message three times in a row. It was nothing special, but given the situation, it seemed only right that he should apologize. He couldn’t figure out why it felt so touching and made him feel so good.

Back then,

[Eunsu. What are you doing?]

[We just parted, but I miss you already.]

[Can I sleep at your place? If I turn the car around now, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.]

[Eunsu. I’m in a meeting, but I can only think of you.]

[Your face keeps overlapping with Manager Park’s face.]

[Manager Park’s belly sticks out as much as Namsan Mountain.]

[You’d still look cute even if your belly stuck out.]

[Don’t you want to gain some weight?]

[I’m thinking of making a Yoo Eunsu AI.]

[It would be nice if your voice told me the weather and organized my schedule.]

[I should fire Secretary Jeong and hire Eunsu AI.]

[-Winking eye emoji]

[Eunsu. It’s not even 2 yet. I have to wait four more hours to see you.]

[Time isn’t passing.]

[Annoying annoying annoying annoying]

[-Volcano erupting from head emoji]

[Lie and say you have something to report to the director and come play.]

[I bought cookies.]

[I got the roll cake you like, too.]

[You won’t come?]

[You’re really not coming?]

[-Crying and pounding the ground emoji]

[Eunsu. Good night.]

[Eunsu. I love you.]

He used to get messages like that almost every day. To feel moved by something like this.

But had he not slept until this hour? He had been in so much pain—why hadn’t he gone to bed? Could it be that after sending me away like that, he felt sorry and had been agonizing over it ever since?

…I hoped so. I wanted him to have been thinking of me.

Eunsu’s lips twitched in a silly little dance, and Seongheon, watching from across the way, raised an eyebrow.

“Who is it at this hour?”

“Oh… it’s Dokwon.”

“Ah….”

Seongheon nodded as if he had expected that. Who else but a lover could make someone so happy upon seeing a message at dawn? Even after such a big incident, their relationship seemed to be sailing smoothly.

But wasn’t it strange? Eunsu’s condition didn’t look normal no matter how you saw it. Was Dokwon wandering alone while Eunsu was at the hospital? But the Eunsu I knew would have stuck by Dokwon’s side twenty-four hours a day. He would have taken care of everything, held his hand, and snatched naps.

Seongheon stared at Eunsu for a long time as he grinned at the message. Being like that stirred up a mean impulse in him.

I’d known Eunsu much longer. Since the moment he joined this company. How had he ended up as Dokwon’s person? It annoyed him, like giving rice porridge to a dog.

When Seongheon’s eyes narrowed thinly, Eunsu pocketed his phone and looked at him.

“But why are you still at the company at this hour, Executive Director?”

“Ah, you won’t tell me anything, but you’ll ask me?”

Eunsu turned into a startled rabbit at Seongheon’s teasing words. He waved his hands quickly.

“No, no. If it’s troublesome, you don’t have to say. Really.”

Seongheon leaned forward, elbows on both knees, at Eunsu’s lively reaction. Then he whispered softly, as if sharing a secret.

“I was stealing company secrets. To sell to a broker.”

“…Yes?”

Eunsu’s small face flushed with confusion. His pitch-black pupils scattered wildly, unable to find focus. Seongheon stared straight through them with an expressionless face. Almost like a threat.

Eunsu’s fingers fidgeted helplessly. Seongheon suddenly chuckled and clapped his hands at the sight.

“It’s a joke. Even if I stole secrets and sold them to a broker, how much would that get? I’ve felt it for a while, but you’re really fun to tease, Eunsu.”

“Ah… ah… Why do that, Executive Director.”

Eunsu let his shoulders, which had crept up to his earlobes, drop with a thud. Seongheon wrinkled his nose as if to say he had accomplished something.

“I was here handling the U.S. branch work. It’s peak business hours there right now.”

“Ah….”

“…That’s the official line. I still haven’t adjusted to the time difference. Once the sun rises, I get so sleepy I go crazy. But as an executive director, I can’t just skip work because I’m sleeping, so that’s the excuse I make.”

Eunsu let out a low laugh at the bluntly realistic words. The two chatted idly, exchanging recent updates for a while. As they did, Eunsu’s eyelids grew heavy and droopy. It was around 3 a.m. when he glanced at the time, so it made sense.

He had fought through the subway from morning, handled backlog at work after arriving, studied pregnancy and childcare after getting off, lay down to sleep, then took a taxi to the hospital at the news of Dokwon collapsing, rode in a car to Dokwon’s house only to get chased out and wander the night streets, ending up here—so it would have been stranger if he wasn’t sleepy.

Eunsu’s head was just about to flop straight down. Seongheon crossed his legs the other way and hummed from his throat. Then he tapped the sofa armrest with his index finger.

“But the more I think about it, the more amazing it is.”

“…Yes?”

“That you and Dokwon got into such a deep relationship.”

“Uh… Is that surprising?”

“Dokwon used to really hate omegas back then.”

“…Dokwon? Hated omegas?”

Dokwon and omega. The combination that couldn’t be ignored made Eunsu snap alert as if doused with cold water. Seongheon deliberately rolled his eyes toward the window at Eunsu’s captured gaze.

“No, even ‘hate’ might be too mild…. Disgust or loathing would be more accurate.”

“…Why, why? Why did he hate them?”

“It was because of some things.”

“What things?”

Eunsu probed relentlessly. His back, lazily leaned against the sofa, stiffened rigidly. His upper body tilted toward Seongheon as if pulled in.

“Should I even say this…. Well, it’s old stuff. And now he loves you, an omega, enough to risk his life for you, so it should be fine.”

Seongheon smiled faintly and began the long story.

By the time a hazy morning arrived, Eunsu left the company. He had left the box at the office. So with only his phone and wallet on him, his limbs felt heavy and leaden.

Eunsu plopped down on a bench in the subway station. Then he stared blankly up at the display showing the train was three stops away. He wished the sluggishly moving subway icon would hurry, and at the same time, since he didn’t want to get up from the bench, he wished it would move as slowly as possible.

“Haa….”

Eunsu let out a long sigh and leaned his back against the cold wall. His head was a mess. His mind was in turmoil from the unexpected story heard in an unexpected situation.

He hadn’t known Dokwon had such a past. After hearing about his dusty old history, he understood why Dokwon had opened his eyes and immediately asked if he was an omega, why he had wrinkled his nose saying the scent was gross, why he had sneered asking if what he wanted was money.

Eunsu slowly closed his eyes. It had been an excessively tiring day for both body and mind. But he had to go home, wash up right away, and head out again. It felt despairing.

Just then, the alarm announcing the train’s arrival blared loudly through the station. Eunsu winced and twisted his eyes in pain.

* * *

Eunsu caught a cold. After wandering the night streets with his frail body and letting cold sweat dry in the chill wind, it was the natural result.

Even so, Eunsu dragged himself to work. Society wasn’t forgiving enough to take sick leave for just a cold. It hadn’t been long since his vacation ended—if he got sick again, it would leave a bad impression.

If only he could take some medicine. But since he was pregnant, he couldn’t just grab any pill. He didn’t even have time to stop by the OB-GYN. He just ate his three meals diligently, forcing it down, hoping to get better soon.

Even at lunchtime, he skipped the cafeteria with his team and went alone to a porridge place near the company, emptying a full bowl. He had no appetite, but he had to eat something. For the baby in his belly.

Eunsu pulled together his listlessly drooping body and lived busily. Before he knew it, the weekend approached in big strides.

He had arranged to meet Dokwon at a Korean restaurant. It was enclosed on all sides for private talks, quiet, easy to digest, and full of good nutrients for a pregnant Eunsu.

Aside from that, the food was delicious, so it was a place he and Dokwon had frequented. Secretary Jeong must have tipped him off.

Dokwon had sent a message as if scheduling a business meeting:

[Harimjeong in Cheongdam-dong.

17th, Saturday.

Noon.

Reserved under Seodo Kwon.]

Seeing that, Eunsu remembered before they dated and chuckled briefly.

Eunsu wore a soft shirt layered over a thick hoodie and arrived at the restaurant around 11:40. Taking the subway had made it a habit to leave with plenty of time. Unlike a car, uncontrollable things happened often.

Actually, even without that, Dokwon always arrived fifteen minutes early, so he had come matching “Dokwon time.”

Five minutes passed. Fifteen minutes before the appointment, Dokwon hadn’t come.

Eunsu gave a wry smile. Thirty-year-old Dokwon apparently had no separate “Dokwon time.”

Dokwon appeared exactly three minutes before noon. His hair was half-up, and the burgundy knit with black suit pants suited him well.

“You came early.”

Dokwon said as he sat across from Eunsu. He tried to press the call bell without even looking at Eunsu. Eunsu spoke up quickly.

“I already ordered.”

“….”

Dokwon’s brow furrowed unpleasantly. He seemed annoyed at the arbitrary order without asking. It was understandable. Dokwon was very picky about food and had many dislikes.

But Eunsu knew Dokwon’s tastes inside out. They had met every day for two years, and there were many days they ate all three meals together—it would be stranger if he didn’t know.