Alpha Trauma Novel (Completed) - Chapter 117. Side Story 19. Outsider (9)

His kindness was so sweet it made his mouth tingle. Wooyeon, who particularly liked sweet things, found it difficult to escape once he was addicted to it. No, he didn’t even intend to escape anyway.

Instead of going into the restaurant, Wooyeon stood beside it and waited for Dohyun. He was worried about Jinah, whom he had left inside, but he had made sure she was lying down properly, so she would be fine.

He looked at the sky, then checked on Jinah through the glass door, and even jumped up and down to get rid of the smell, waiting for Dohyun for about 10 minutes. An familiar car parked on the roadside next to the alley.

“…”

Dohyun got out of the car and looked at Wooyeon with an expressionless face. His upright walk seemed a little hurried. Wooyeon waited for him to come closer and then smiled sweetly.

“Hyung…”

“…”

“I missed you.”

He spread his arms and hugged Dohyun’s waist. He told him to go inside because it was cold, but Dohyun himself was in a short-sleeved shirt without even a coat. As he rubbed his face against the thin T-shirt, Dohyun’s unique pheromones wafted sweetly.

“Haa…”

Dohyun let out a small sigh and hugged Wooyeon tightly. He rested his chin on Wooyeon’s head and rubbed his hand under the hood of his hoodie. The warmth from his large hand made his heart feel at ease.

“You smell like meat.”

“I know.”

“You know, huh.”

His usual gentle voice was laced with concern. Thump, thump, his heart seemed to beat a little faster than usual. Dohyun hugged Wooyeon tightly once and then released him from his embrace.

“Jinah?”

“She’s inside.”

“Go to the car.”

Dohyun handed him the car key and went into the restaurant. Wooyeon walked to the car parked on the roadside and got into the passenger seat. Soon after, Dohyun was seen walking, supporting Jinah.

The door clicked open, and Dohyun laid Jinah in the back seat. He didn’t say anything until he walked around the car and got into the driver’s seat. He simply fastened Wooyeon’s seatbelt and silently started the engine.

“…”

“…”

A quiet silence filled the car all the way home. Wooyeon fiddled with his seatbelt and turned his head to check the back seat. Jinah, completely drunk, was sleeping very comfortably.

“…Hyung.”

“Hmm.”

Dohyun replied in a blunt voice. Usually, he would speak gently even for a single word, but now a cold wind was blowing. Wooyeon rolled his eyes and subtly asked.

“Are you angry?”

“…”

It took quite a while for an answer to come. Tap, tap, Dohyun touched the steering wheel and quietly parted his lips. “A little.” His voice still sounded stiff as he said that.

“Can’t we… talk face to face?”

“I’m driving.”

“Oh.”

Perhaps due to a little alcohol, his perception of his surroundings was slow. He wasn’t drunk, but it was true that he was a bit tipsy. As Wooyeon lowered his head with a crestfallen look, another sigh was heard.

“…I thought if I saw your face, my anger would subside.”

His voice was much softer than before. Wooyeon, relieved by that fact, leaned his head against the car window. Dohyun, seen from that angle, looked neat and handsome even in profile.

“I’m sorry for making you angry.”

Dohyun’s chest slowly rose and fell. He seemed to be catching his breath, perhaps to control his anger. Dohyun checked the back seat in the rearview mirror and subtly began to speak.

“Then tell me.”

“What?”

“Exactly what you’re sorry about.”

Wooyeon made a troubled expression, like someone who had encountered an unprecedented difficulty. He lowered the corners of his eyes and diligently organized his thoughts. He had to speak well now to appease Dohyun’s anger.

“I’m sorry for not listening to you and leaving…”

“…”

“And for meddling in your family affairs without permission…”

“…”

“…And for telling you to come pick me up when you were angry?”

He was watching him intently, and Dohyun let out a small chuckle. He stopped the car at a traffic light and reached out his hand towards Wooyeon. The approaching hand interlocked with his left hand and then returned.

“All wrong.”

Dohyun casually said that the last one was even something to be praised for. Then he sighed, and he looked relieved. Wooyeon, after much thought, guessed one more reason.

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“…”

Fortunately, this time it seemed to be the right answer. His expressionless face, which had been rigid, softened as if he couldn’t resist. Dohyun sighed once more and continued in his usual soft voice.

“If you left like that, you should have at least contacted me.”

“…”

“I didn’t know what you were doing all day, and I couldn’t reach you, and the sun was setting, and it was getting dark outside…”

His gaze briefly met Wooyeon’s. It was a brief moment, but Wooyeon knew he had checked his complexion.

“You’re not feeling well, so why are you wandering around like that?”

“…”

His face flushed instantly. The only reason Wooyeon wouldn’t feel well was their intimacy. He had been suffering from a sore back all day because the restaurant chairs were uncomfortable.

“Next time, at least tell me where you are. You have ways to contact me, don’t you?”

“Yes… I’m sorry.”

His voice came out weakly. Wooyeon fiddled with his earlobe and turned his head to look out the car window. The passing scenery was very familiar. It was the way to Dohyun’s house, not Wooyeon’s.

While he was thinking if Dohyun was going to let Jinah stay at his place too, Dohyun entered the apartment complex. Then, while parking, he suddenly frowned.

“Ah, out of habit…”

His large hand swept across his face. Dohyun let out a deep sigh and looked at Jinah in the back seat. He probably hadn’t thought about Jinah and had just brought her home as usual.

“I’ll take a taxi home.”

“…It’s dangerous at night.”

Dohyun finished parking and shifted the gear to P. As Wooyeon was about to get out of the car, Dohyun spoke first.

“Kim Jinah, stop pretending to be drunk and go upstairs. The password is 0626.”

“…”

Naturally, Jinah, who was already asleep, didn’t answer. Seeing her silent, Dohyun sighed again. If his sighs could bore holes in the ground, he would have reached the other side of the earth today.

“Kim Jinah.”

“…”

“Hyung, how can a drunk person get up if you say that?”

As Wooyeon calmly spoke, Dohyun’s eyes twitched. He looked back and forth between Wooyeon and Jinah, his lips parting as if to speak. Eventually, having organized his thoughts, Dohyun unbuckled his seatbelt first and got out of the car.

“I’ll take her up and be back. Wait here. Lock the car.”

“I’m really fine…”

“You said you were sorry for making me worry, Yeon ah.”

“…”

His ability to make him speechless was top-notch. Dohyun effortlessly picked up Jinah and disappeared into the apartment. Wooyeon obediently locked the car door and comfortably leaned back in his seat.

‘I wish Oppa could be more comfortable at home too.’

Jinah’s words kept replaying in his mind. Dohyun, who had drunk all night and was upset, also clearly appeared afterwards.

Thanks to Dohyun, Wooyeon had pulled out a thorn that had been stuck for a long time. Although the wound hadn’t fully healed, it was almost completely better. Now, even being in the same space as Soohyang didn’t feel suffocating like before.

‘I wish Hyung felt that way too…’

He knew how greedy this thought was. If Dohyun drew a line and told him not to interfere, he was willing to back off. He was more immature and knew less than Dohyun, so he was unsure if he would truly be helpful.

‘Still…’

But even so, Wooyeon worried about Dohyun. The voice that said he had two sets of parents when others had none felt excessively bitter. He didn’t know the comfort a family provided, but precisely because he didn’t, he wanted Dohyun to have it.

Knock, knock.

Dohyun, who had already come down, tapped on the driver’s side window. Wooyeon unlocked the door and nodded at Dohyun. Dohyun quickly got into the car and fastened his seatbelt.

“Shall we go to the officetel?”

The car, starting smoothly, headed towards the officetel along a familiar road. Dohyun always took on the role of Wooyeon’s driver, so there was no need to set the navigation. Wooyeon leaned his head against the seatbelt and playfully spoke.

“Fighting and drinking are the same for siblings, huh.”

“Well… everyone does that.”

Dohyun didn’t deny the reason for his drinking. That was so like Dohyun that Wooyeon barely managed to pull down the corners of his twitching mouth. He was about to say something important, so he couldn’t just laugh aimlessly.

“I heard why you fought.”

Again, Wooyeon didn’t know how to beat around the bush. When he abruptly brought up the topic, Dohyun glanced at Wooyeon.

“Why did you get angry about her looking at your phone when you were going to apologize right away anyway? You were the one who drank all night, Hyung.”

Wooyeon understood that he didn’t like his privacy being invaded. He himself felt suffocated when Soohyang monitored his every move. But Dohyun’s anger towards Jinah seemed to be of a different nature.

“I wasn’t angry because she looked at my phone.”

Dohyun gently corrected Wooyeon’s misunderstanding. Then he added, almost inaudibly.

“I was angry because she asked all sorts of things about you.”

“Is that not allowed?”

“It’s not that it’s not allowed, but…”

Dohyun trailed off and turned the steering wheel. The teacher driving always looked so cool.

“It would be troublesome if Mom and Dad found out about you. I told them I was seeing someone, but I didn’t tell them it was the heir to Seonjeong Group.”

“…”

“Mom and Dad are quite interested in Seonjeong, you see.”

Dohyun frowned, looking troubled. Wooyeon, recalling the reason for his adoption, parted his lips. I’m fine. He was about to say that, but Dohyun was faster.

“I don’t like it.”

His voice was so firm that the words he was about to say flew far away. As Wooyeon blinked silently, Dohyun spoke in a serious tone.

“I don’t like Mom and Dad treating you with other intentions, and I don’t like you acting as if it’s nothing. Relationships shouldn’t be a purpose or a means.”

He was probably worried that his relationship with Wooyeon would be used as a business tool. Even if it wouldn’t actually be used, such a gaze might not be welcome.

“Actually, I didn’t need to be like that to Jinah, but I was a bit sensitive.”

His nerves were on edge, Dohyun added, awkwardly moving his eyebrows. The next words that flowed out were embarrassing even for Wooyeon to hear.

“I was sexually frustrated.”

“…”

“Because I hadn’t touched you for too long.”

Heat slowly began to rise to his face. Dohyun usually didn’t speak so directly, so he was clearly still sulking. That’s why he was lowering his voice, knowing Wooyeon would be embarrassed.

“Anyway… that’s just the reason. I was on edge, and Jinah was just playing around as usual.”

“…”

“The problem is how my apology was perceived by her, though.”

Wooyeon’s eyes widened. Surprisingly, Dohyun had accurately pinpointed the reason for Jinah’s anger. Just as Jinah had understood Dohyun.

“Jinah told you, didn’t she? Why was she angry at me.”

Dohyun asked in a casual tone and turned on the turn signal. Just one more turn here would lead to the entrance of Wooyeon’s officetel.

“…You knew that too, Hyung?”

“How many years have I seen Jinah? Of course, I’d know that much.”

Dohyun chuckled, closed his eyes, and then opened them. His neat eyelashes seemed to tremble somehow.

“Yeon ah.”

Wooyeon didn’t know why his gaze, directed straight ahead, felt so pathetic. He just gripped his seatbelt tightly after hearing the words that followed.

“I still remember the people who gave birth to me.”