Chapter 4

Seo Kyo-Shin looked at the freesia bouquet suddenly thrust in front of him and covered his face with one hand.

“I may not have much ability yet… but I’ll work hard to make you happy!”

Shin-Yeon tried his best to appear solemn and reliable, pushing the bouquet forward even more.

The fragrant scent of freesia tickled Kyo-Shin’s nose, and the absurdity of the situation nearly made him burst into laughter.

To make matters worse, every customer in the restaurant was staring at them through the glass windows.

Even the server in charge of their room stood frozen outside, staring in shock.

“Hmm… Thanks for the flowers. But for now, how about getting up?”

Kyo-Shin took the bouquet, set it on the table, and reached out to help Shin-Yeon up.

With tears welling up in his eyes from embarrassment, Shin-Yeon mumbled,

“…I have a cramp in my leg.”

“Pfft… Ah, a cramp, huh?”

No wonder he had discreetly switched knees while proposing.

Finding the ridiculous situation amusing, Kyo-Shin easily lifted Shin-Yeon into his arms.

“Oh my…!”

Gasps of admiration echoed from outside.

Ignoring them, Kyo-Shin set Shin-Yeon down on a chair and grasped his trembling leg.

As Kyo-Shin’s large hands massaged his thin calf, Shin-Yeon bit his lip, trying not to scream in pain.

“I think the muscle is loosened now.”

Feeling how small and fragile his leg seemed in Kyo-Shin’s hands, Shin-Yeon was suddenly overwhelmed with an odd sense of indecency.

Blushing, he lowered his head and rubbed his eyes—only to freeze when a warm hand touched his cheek.

Kyo-Shin’s hand, big enough to cover his entire face, gently wiped away his tears and cupped his cold cheek.

“Why did you run here? Do you like running that much, kid?”

“I thought I was going to be late… And I didn’t want the flowers to wither in the cold.”

“Next time, if you’re running late, just text me and walk slowly.”

Kyo-Shin stroked Shin-Yeon’s pale cheek, then tugged lightly at the corner of his lips with his thumb.

“Mm…?”

“Your mouth is small.”

“It’s not! I can eat half a hamburger in one bite.”

Shin-Yeon made a tiny hamburger shape with his hands, proudly showing off his ‘feat’ with innocent eyes.

Kyo-Shin let out a low chuckle.

“That’s impressive.”

Settling back into his seat, Kyo-Shin watched as Shin-Yeon finally removed his coat and scarf, handing them to the server.

His sharp eyes trailed down the elegant line of Shin-Yeon’s neck to his straight shoulders and lean back. The distinct omega curves of his figure made him look exceptionally attractive.

The ivory knit sweater he wore made his skin appear even fairer. As he absentmindedly tidied his tousled hair, he accidentally locked eyes with Kyo-Shin.

Flushing red, Shin-Yeon quickly averted his gaze and, after a moment of hesitation, awkwardly looked up at the ceiling.

“Uh, uh… What kind of restaurant is this?”

“Italian. I heard kids like it. Do you have any food you don’t eat?”

Shin-Yeon shook his head, saying he had no allergies or particular dislikes.

“You must’ve been exhausted preparing for college entrance exams. Eat as much as you want. So, did you buy something nice for yourself with the allowance I gave you?”

“Ah… About that… Hyung… Um. He told me… to save it. So, I put it in my savings.”

Ah, so Kim Shin-Hee ran off and even took his little brother’s allowance?

Kyo-Shin narrowed his eyes, watching Shin-Yeon sweat nervously, and flashed a deep, knowing smile.

“So, why did you propose to your soon-to-be brother-in-law?”

“……”

“And in such a public place, no less.”

Though smiling, his sharp black eyes gleamed dangerously.

Gulping, Shin-Yeon clenched his fists.

Even if a tiger takes you away, as long as you stay sharp, you’ll survive… Right?

Caught off guard by the direct question, Shin-Yeon’s mind went blank, and he blurted out whatever came to mind.

“Because you’re totally my type! I couldn’t let my brother take you! There’s only one Seo Kyo-Shin in this world, after all.”

“Hm… Only one, huh?”

“W-Well… excluding people with the same name.”

Throwing out every flirting technique he’d learned from the internet, Shin-Yeon grew increasingly anxious at Kyo-Shin’s unshaken composure.

What if he rejects me…?

‘I don’t want to be homeless… I don’t want to be ruined.’

“Executive Director Seo, don’t you think you’re shining too brightly today?”

At the sudden remark, Kyo-Shin glanced outside at the overcast sky with fluttering snowflakes.

“…In this weather?”

“You were so dazzling today that I thought there were two suns.”

Even as he said it, Shin-Yeon cringed at himself. But with teary eyes, he shamelessly met Kyo-Shin’s gaze.

Embarrassment is temporary. Having a home is forever. He have to endure this.

Kyo-Shin, who seemed frozen like a statue, looked out the window with eyes that had lost their cold edge and spoke.

“So, the kid prefers cloudy weather.”

That’s not true! He actually love bright, sunny days!

“Well… because it’s cold, I can ask you to hold my hand.”

Shin-Yeon, trembling in embarrassment, was met with an exasperated look from Kyo-Shin.

“I don’t even know where to begin correcting you… kid, if there were two suns, most life on Earth would go extinct.”

…Like I don’t know that!

“Sniff.”

Feeling wronged and upset for no reason, Shin-Yeon sniffled softly and avoided eye contact.

At that moment, Kyo-Shin quietly stood up, took off his jacket, and draped it over Shin-Yeon’s shoulders.

“You dressed too lightly. Should we switch seats if you’re cold?”

…This is my chance!

Shin-Yeon rolled his eyes around before carefully extending his hand and whispering.

“C-Can you… hold my hand?”

“Well, a hand is no big deal.”

As Kyo-Shin’s large hand wrapped around his, Shin-Yeon’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

He hesitantly lifted his gaze to look at Kyo-Shin.

Standing at a towering 197 cm, Kyo-Shin’s physique was nothing like an average person’s.

His broad shoulders and the muscles clearly visible beneath his dress shirt were almost intimidating.

Gulp.

His thick wrists, the veins running down his large hands, and the strong forearms visible even through his sleeves captivated Shin-Yeon’s attention.

“If you’re done staring, give me your other hand too.”

“…I-I wasn’t staring.”

“You swallowed your spit. That’s not something an innocent kid would do.”

Shin-Yeon carefully took Kyo-Shin’s other hand, unable to hold back his admiration.

“Wow… Your hands are really big and cool.”

He rubbed his fingers over the firm palm, then traced the thick bones of Kyo-Shin’s wrist.

Just then, two large fingers slipped beneath his sweater sleeve, lightly brushing against the soft skin of his wrist.

This kid is fearless.

Kyo-Shin silently observed Shin-Yeon, who was so engrossed in feeling his hands.

Shin-Yeon had just turned twenty, practically a kid with soft, delicate features.

And yet, as he explored Kyo-Shin’s hands, Shin-Yeon unknowingly drew Kyo-Shin in even more.

Kyo-Shin lifted his gaze, locking eyes with those warm brown irises.

What do I do if this kid grew up prettier than Kim Shin-Hee?

Shin-Yeon bit his red lips and gripped both of Kyo-Shin’s hands tightly before speaking.

“Marry me.”

“…Let’s eat first and think about it.”

“Yes…”

Kyo-Shin slowly ran his fingers over the soft, pale hands holding his and smirked.

When Shin-Yeon pressed the bell to call the server, their private dining room’s attendant entered.

The server presented the menu options from Kyo-Shin’s pre-arranged course and asked about the steak’s preferred doneness.

“I’ll have it medium.”

“The same. kid, what about wine?”

“Um… I haven’t had alcohol before.”

“Oh, really?”

Kyo-Shin ordered a non-alcoholic drink for Shin-Yeon and, while still lightly stroking the soft back of his hand, asked,

“When do you plan to drink for the first time? You’ll probably drink a lot once you enter university.”

“Probably before that? Either with my parents or when my friends and I gather.”

Kyo-Shin’s eyes narrowed slightly as he released Shin-Yeon’s hand.

“You must have a good social circle. Are your friends Dominants? Or Betas?”

“There are Betas, Omegas, and even some recessive and dominant Alphas. I get along well with everyone.”

Shin-Yeon answered honestly and continued chatting about his friends’ personalities and the universities they had been accepted into.

Unlike Kim Shin-Hee, this one has nothing to hide.

Kim Shin-Hee, who had gotten engaged to Kyo-Shin at twenty, had always been dissatisfied with the arrangement and had plenty of secrets.

But he never skipped their scheduled meetings.

After all, he could enjoy fine dining and shop freely with a black card.

Kyo-Shin had never paid much attention, considering it just a business engagement. He thought of it as a fair trade.

Kyo-Shin reached out and gently brushed against Shin-Yeon’s cheek and the corner of his eye before asking in a soft voice,

“So, did you have a favorite Alpha? Maybe a first love?”

“Wait, among my friends? Ugh…”

Shin-Yeon scrunched his face in disgust and rubbed his arms as if the thought repulsed him.

“Even if they’re Alphas, they’re absolutely not romantic prospects. And…! I-I fell for you, Executive Director Seo.”

Realizing what he had just blurted out, Shin-Yeon blushed and tried once more to flirt.

I’m not really sure if I should use baby or kid for this 아기, for now I’ll stick to Seo Kyo-Shin calling him kid

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