Alpha Trauma Novel (Completed) - Chapter 103. Side Story 5. Guardian (5)

Daniel came out to the living room a long time later. Having changed into comfortable clothes, he said he was tired today and wanted to rest at home, and immediately asked to order delivery food. Dohyun readily offered his phone and helped him choose what he wanted to eat.

Daniel chose a lunchbox and tteokbokki, and he said he had heard about tteokbokki from Wooyeon often and really wanted to try it. Dohyun, considering Wooyeon’s empty stomach, postponed the tteokbokki for dinner and first ordered a Korean-style lunchbox. Fortunately, the food tasted good, and Daniel seemed satisfied.

The day spent like that was not as bad as he expected. It was amusing to see Daniel surprised by the variety of delivery food, and it was fascinating to see him marvel at how quickly the delivery arrived. It was a bit annoying when Wooyeon and Daniel had conversations only they understood, but it was almost cute when Daniel acted boastful, as if deliberately trying to make Dohyun listen.

“You want to go to the university?”

And the next morning. Daniel, who met Dohyun in the living room, immediately asked to be shown around the school. There was no greeting like “Did you sleep well?”, nor did he ask if Wooyeon was still asleep.

“Yeah, I was curious about the school Wooyeon attends.”

Was he shameless, or just friendly? Dohyun trailed off ambiguously, looking at Daniel’s disheveled blonde hair.

“That’s not difficult, but…”

He thought he had met all sorts of people, but Daniel was a strange kind he had never seen before. He treated people like they were invisible, openly tried to provoke jealousy, and then today, he was friendly.

Dohyun was quite accurate at reading people. Sensitive to others’ gazes and emotions, he noticed within just one day that Daniel did not see Wooyeon romantically. Firstly, Daniel didn’t seem “jealous” of Wooyeon’s physical contact with Dohyun, and secondly, there was nothing more than friendship in his eyes when he looked at Wooyeon.

If so, why was Daniel being so capricious with him?

He didn’t want to say it himself, but Dohyun’s first impression was by no means bad. His gentle eyes, neat and well-defined features—he had heard compliments, never criticisms. (Taegyeom was the only exception.)

Yet, Daniel had looked at him with an unkind gaze from the moment he entered the cafe with Wooyeon. Even when they shook hands and greeted each other, he intentionally cut his words short. However, since it didn’t feel like he disliked Dohyun, Dohyun simply observed him calmly.

In any case, that meant Daniel’s hostility towards him was not directed at ‘Kim Dohyun.’ In fact, he had even spoken to him casually yesterday evening, which was also a contradiction.

“Then I’ll take you after breakfast. It’s not far from here.”

“Oh, there’s something I want for breakfast.”

“What do you want to eat?”

Actually, the original Dohyun wouldn’t have cared in the slightest how Daniel evaluated him. He had already realized it was difficult to be loved by everyone, so he wouldn’t have needed to care about a foreigner who would soon return to his home country.

Yet, he was seriously considering it because Daniel was Wooyeon’s friend and the only person who had looked after Wooyeon when Dohyun wasn’t there. It was clear that Daniel was a precious connection to Wooyeon, too important to sever out of jealousy.

Or perhaps it was sympathy for a relationship that had started off on the wrong foot, like his own.

“‘Kimchi jjigae’ isn’t available for delivery?”

“It is. Do you want to eat that?”

“Not delivery… I want homemade food. Can’t you cook?”

Dohyun chuckled, looking at Daniel’s openly annoying request. He didn’t know what Daniel was thinking, but it was clearly an attempt to bother him while Wooyeon wasn’t around. He could tell by the way Daniel asked him to make it, with a look that clearly said, “You probably can’t cook.”

“I’ll make it.”

So, this much mischief was cute.

“Sit and wait. If you have nothing to do while waiting, look up what you want to do today.”

Regardless, Dohyun wanted to keep Daniel on his side if possible. He wanted to be acknowledged as a suitable partner for Wooyeon, and furthermore, he wanted to hear how Wooyeon had been doing in America. He would be happy to confirm what kind of life Sun Wooyeon had lived without him, and if his absence hadn’t been too significant.

“…Are you really going to make it?”

“Yes.”

He had made simple stews for Wooyeon a few times. Since that picky young master had eaten it deliciously, it would be better than delivery food. He wasn’t exceptionally good, but he wasn’t exceptionally bad either.

Dohyun left Daniel standing blankly and entered the kitchen. As he took out kimchi from the refrigerator, Daniel, who had followed him, peered into the refrigerator. There was nothing much to see in the refrigerator filled with side dishes and drinks, but a strange light appeared in Daniel’s blue eyes.

“Korean beer! I like this!”

Daniel pointed at a blue can like a child who had found a toy. It was similar to how Wooyeon’s eyes had sparkled when he saw an arcade once. They were indeed friends, sharing strange similarities.

“I guess I know why the two of you are friends.”

Dohyun mumbled and closed the refrigerator door. Daniel blinked a couple of times and smiled brightly with an innocent face. His head was tilted to the side.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

It would be good to add ham or tuna, but unfortunately, there were no canned goods left. The only reason there were side dishes was because Wooyeon had been staying with him. He couldn’t feed someone who had only eaten good things at home outside food every day.

“Are you going to stand there? Wait in the living room.”

“I want to watch you cook.”

This was why Daniel’s intentions were confusing. Normally, one wouldn’t even want to be in the same space as someone they didn’t like, but he maintained an excessively unreserved attitude. As long as Wooyeon wasn’t mentioned, he just seemed like a curious tourist.

“Kimchi? Did you make this yourself too?”

“No, I bought it.”

“I thought Koreans made kimchi every winter…”

“It varies from house to house. These days, many people buy it.”

Dohyun took out a pot and skillfully began to stir-fry the kimchi. A savory smell and a sizzling, delicious sound filled the air. Daniel sniffed and wrinkled his nose.

“I love the smell of kimchi.”

His voice was quite moved. He had shown a similar reaction when he ate tteokbokki yesterday. He liked Korean beer, and he liked the smell of kimchi. Perhaps he might even like traditional Korean houses.

“But is Wooyeon still sleeping?”

“…”

Thud, he was speechless. He could have just said yes, but he felt a pang of guilt. After all, about 80% of the reason Wooyeon was sleeping in late was his fault.

‘Hmph… Hyung, just a moment…’

‘Shh, don’t make a sound.’

Last night, Wooyeon, as always, squirmed in Dohyun’s arms, saying he couldn’t sleep. His body was warm, and pheromones wafted. The act of kissing Wooyeon without hesitation, who was openly flirting, was the beginning of everything. Although he had refrained from penetration out of conscience, even light petting seemed to have been too much.

“…He must be tired.”

Dohyun replied vaguely and poured water into the stir-fried kimchi. It was his fault that Wooyeon’s sleep had been reduced lately, but he deliberately ignored that part. Although he might have started it, it was always Wooyeon who ignited the flame first.

“Really?”

Fortunately, Daniel didn’t ask anything further and hummed a tune. He seemed to be in a good mood thanks to the fragrant kimchi jjigae. The appearance wasn’t bad either, so it seemed right to wake Wooyeon when it had boiled down to a thick consistency.

After that, a casual Q&A session ensued. Daniel asked if Dohyun could make all the foods he knew, and Dohyun replied that it was possible if he knew the ingredients and methods, and then made rolled omelets.

Wooyeon woke up around the time Dohyun thought he should wake him. Turning his head at the familiar pheromone, he saw Wooyeon stumbling out. He rubbed his eyes, looking at the two people in the kitchen as if he couldn’t believe it.

“…Since when were you two so close?”

It was indeed a very strange scene. Two people who had just met yesterday were gathered cozily, making kimchi jjigae. It was no wonder he was puzzled.

“Danny said he wanted kimchi jjigae.”

“Danny…”

Wooyeon, with a sleepy face, looked back and forth between Daniel and Dohyun. “Since when did you two meet…,” his mumbled words were clearly audible to Dohyun.

“Wooyeon, have you tried kimchi jjigae? It smells really good.”

“I have. More importantly, if you’re awake, you should wake me up, not bother my lover.”

Dohyun secretly swallowed a laugh at the word ‘lover.’ Though it was probably due to a lack of a suitable title, from his perspective, it was only sweet. Daniel’s eyes widened, and he asked with an innocent face.

“What, are you jealous?”

Wooyeon’s face immediately pouted. He took out water from the refrigerator and replied curtly.

“No.”

He knew it was just infatuation, but Wooyeon’s English had a somewhat sexy feel to it. Was it because he had just woken up? It was even more so because his voice was low. Even just one syllable felt quite alluring.

“You two…”

Wooyeon fiddled with the water bottle and subtly opened his mouth. His sullen face still watched Dohyun. Dohyun barely suppressed a laugh, understanding the reason for Wooyeon’s twitching cheeks.

“You two look like newlyweds.”

Wooyeon, who didn’t know how to beat around the bush, would always reveal his jealousy when he felt it. His expression would change, his eyes would be different, and his tone towards Dohyun would become thorny. Compared to the past when he simply endured, it was a huge improvement.

“Yeon ah.”

At times like these, Dohyun knew exactly how to soothe his mood. Since he wasn’t angry but merely sulking, the method of appeasement was simple.

“Come here.”

Wooyeon obediently approached Dohyun. He held the half-opened water bottle in his hand. Dohyun took the water bottle, opened the cap, and then caressed Wooyeon’s disheveled hair.

“Why did you wake up already? I was about to wake you.”

After just a few strokes, his sharp eyes softened. The corners of his mouth, which had drooped, curled up again. Wooyeon mumbled, looking as if he was about to purr.

“I woke up because the spot next to me was empty.”