Define The Relationship Novel - Chapter 3

The monthly rut was tiresome. He wished he could just take suppressants and get through it, but even that wasn’t entirely within his control. Karlyle closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them.

While it was still difficult to decide on the subject of penetration, Luther’s words weren’t wrong. With an Alpha or Beta, there wouldn’t be as much to worry about as with an Omega.

His desire to have sex, going to such lengths, was close to zero, but… if these symptoms continued, it would indeed be problematic in the long run. Errors should be corrected early to prevent future problems. He had to make a rational judgment. Pride and personal preferences had no place in the current situation.

“…Understood.”

“I thought Karlyle would quickly agree.”

Silence hung in the air for a moment. He understood that he needed to meet an Alpha or a Beta. But where would he find such a person?

“Are you wondering where to find such a partner?”

Luther had an uncanny knack for noticing things. Sometimes, he was annoyingly quick-witted. Karlyle nodded slightly.

“By the way, your partner should be someone sexually experienced, a very skilled person.”

“…Does it have to be?”

“Don’t you think such a condition is necessary to offer a new experience?”

“I’ll have to have someone look for them.”

It was absurd again. He had to find someone who was very good at sex. His time in London was tight due to several ongoing projects. Having to carve out time for such a ridiculous matter felt like a waste of effort. Luther shrugged at Karlyle’s words. Then he stood up.

“I think I can help you with that part.”

Karlyle raised an eyebrow. Luther?

“It seems there’s someone in our circle who knows such people well.”

“Did you say ‘our’?”

Karlyle questioned the word that referred to both him and Luther. Luther smiled and picked up another file from the desk. Following Luther, who pushed his chair back and moved, Karlyle also stood up. Karlyle straightened his chair and followed Luther. Luther stopped at the door.

“It’s someone Karlyle knows well. Coincidentally, the next appointment is with that person. Well, it seems fate has intervened.”

Luther said mischievously and opened the door. Beyond the wide-open door, a hallway was visible. Two people sitting in the waiting area of the hallway were also visible. First, a man with a face similar to Karlyle’s appeared. A handsome man with neatly swept black hair and a pale face was his brother, Kyle. And next to him…

“Kyle, Nicholas. You’re early.”

Karlyle, who was momentarily surprised by the two faces he hadn’t expected to see here, soon realized who Luther was referring to as “that person.” He meant the blond handsome man sitting, holding Kyle’s hand. Kyle’s lover, and now his spouse, Nicholas White.

Karlyle had known Nicholas for a long time. It was Nicholas who had rescued the kidnapped Kyle. Since then, his brother, who had loved Nicholas, had recently finally ended his sixteen-year-long unrequited love and gotten together with Nicholas.

It was something to celebrate. Kyle, who had gone through terrible things during the kidnapping, couldn’t open his heart to anyone but Nicholas.

But, to suddenly be introduced to someone by Nicholas White…?

Karlyle quietly recalled information about Nicholas. Come to think of it, Nicholas had met countless people before dating Kyle. Knowing how much his brother had suffered watching that, it wasn’t a very pleasant piece of information. But he vaguely guessed what Luther was implying. Since he was experienced, did that mean he knew such people well?

Karlyle’s lips tightened as he understood the meaning. A faint bewilderment seeped onto his stoic, closed lips.

“Ash, I’m coming in.”

The door to the private office at the very end of the studio was knocked. Ash looked up. The rectangular office, made of glass on all four sides, allowed people to see each other from outside and inside, so he could identify the visitor just by looking up. It was Olivia from the HR team.

Ash’s studio, Unexpected, which targeted clients in advertising, publishing, and cultural institutions for general graphic design work, was a medium-sized studio with 40 employees. Olivia was the head of the two-person HR team.

“Come in.”

Closing the window where he had been reviewing a recent collaboration project proposal from Magma Books, Ash leaned back in his chair. Olivia, with a subtle smile, entered.

Olivia, as always, subtly scanned him the moment she saw him. This was an action she had performed without fail every day for the past three years since she joined the company, so he no longer even paid attention to it. He had long grown accustomed to the blatant gazes at his face or body. It was because he had experienced it since he was young.

“Today is Daniel’s probation end date, so I came to ask for a review.”

“Time flies. Can you schedule a meeting for me in an hour?”

Olivia stood in front of his desk. A smile remained on her face as she leaned slightly closer and looked down at him. Olivia was a Beta, and even though she knew Ash only dated Alphas, she periodically asked him to do things together. It was a long unrequited love.

Even with people around him saying his heart should be swayed by now, Ash had never once met Olivia privately. No matter how beautiful she was, if she wasn’t his type, she just wasn’t. Ash Jones was firm on this point.

“Yes. Then, will Daniel proceed with the M&S project as planned?”

“Mr. Nielsen should be helpful in competing with GTF. Please proceed as is.”

Olivia placed both hands on the desk. Ash looked at the cobalt-blue nail polish on her fingers, then shifted his gaze to his phone placed next to it. A text message had arrived. Excuse me. With a word of apology, Ash picked up his phone.

And the message that appeared on the screen was from someone he had never even guessed.

[Ash, have you been well?]

The owner of the number, which he still hadn’t deleted, was a past acquaintance he had thought had forgotten him.

His unrequited love, which had ended in utter failure, had contacted him.

Ash blinked. He silently moved his finger to unlock the phone. The message history, which he hadn’t deleted and left as it was, scrolled up. The last message was from eight months ago, well over half a year. After that, a new message had just arrived.

Swept up in the complex emotions this fact presented, Ash quietly stared at it. The sender’s name was Nicholas White.

The man was an Omega Ash had been introduced to. He was also an Omega Ash had fallen in love with at first sight, easily surpassing his rule and preference of only dating Alphas. Nicholas White had a unique constitution, having changed from a Beta to an Omega, and perhaps that played an additional role.

But the outcome was not good. It was the first time in his life he had failed in a courtship with such bitter feelings. The other person had an Alpha he had given his heart to. The feelings he himself hadn’t even known about, the other person realized while meeting Ash. It ended up only benefiting someone else.

Yet, it wasn’t easily forgotten. Even though it was a brief encounter, it was so intense. But now, just as the memories were slowly fading…

“Ash, is something wrong? Are you okay?”

“Ah.”

He had been staring at his phone in silence without realizing it. Ash looked up at Olivia and smiled. Olivia momentarily looked dazed at his eye-smile, which gently folded into a curve.

“I’m sorry. I got an urgent call. Would you mind leaving me alone, please?”

“Yes, of course.”

At his polite request, Olivia quickly nodded and left. Ash frowned slightly and sank into his chair. He had a lot of work to do, but he only felt like his mind was completely blank.

Logically, it was right not to reply to such a message. They were over, and meeting again would only complicate his feelings.

But people often make foolish choices even when they know the answer.

Ash sighed and picked up his phone.

Nicholas replied quickly. Exactly 10 minutes later, Ash accepted Nicholas’s proposal to meet this evening.

“It’s been a long time, Ash.”

Nicholas White, whom he met again after a full eight months, had lost weight since their last encounter. Ash smiled as he looked at the handsome man with sharp jawline, dark golden-brown eyebrows, and warm green eyes beneath them. He faintly caught the scent he had missed. It was a bright scent, like soft sunlight, as radiant as the man’s hair.

“It has, Nick.”

Ash habitually called Nicholas by his nickname. Nicholas didn’t correct him. They were at a cafe in Covent Garden, where Ash’s company was located. It was a Costa not far from the station.

As soon as he saw Nicholas in a suit, a wave of longing washed over him. It was a pathetic lingering attachment. When he thought about it, they had only met for a few weeks, yet he still harbored such feelings. He found it ridiculous that he, at this age, still couldn’t easily let go of someone he had once cared for.

Ash swallowed a self-deprecating laugh and rested his chin on his hand. His grip on the coffee cup tightened quietly.

“Have you been well?”

“Yes. And you, Nick?”

Nicholas paused. Ash thought he knew why. It was probably because of the ring on Nicholas’s finger, which held a red coffee cup. Right.

“…I’ve been well.”

Nicholas also looked down at his finger, where Ash’s gaze rested. It was something he had guessed. At the same time, he hadn’t.

“Ash.”

With a troubled expression, Nicholas’s face hardened. A voice full of apology emerged, then Nicholas shook his head.

“I think I made a mistake asking to meet. Even when I received the request, I really didn’t want to… Perhaps it’s best to pretend this conversation never happened. I apologize.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Ash said quietly. It hurt. It hurt, but… he was also okay. It was what he had expected. He just hadn’t thought he would get married so quickly.

Ash quietly picked up his coffee and took a sip. The coffee had a bitter taste. Nicholas waited for him in silence. Ash, having composed himself, finally spoke with a smile.

“I agreed to it, didn’t I? It’s good to see your face after a long time.”

“…Are you saying that even knowing why I asked to meet?”

“Of course.”

Ash shrugged and set his coffee down.

“Why would I dislike it if Nick remembered me and had a favor to ask?”

“Even if the request is a bit strange?”

“I’ll decide after I hear it.”

He hadn’t accepted the meeting to make Nick feel sorry. He just wanted to confirm. How his feelings still were, and if the person he used to like was still happy. He just wanted to know those things.

“Alright.”

Nicholas nodded. Ash smiled. He liked that side of Nicholas. The way he became resolute once he made up his mind.

“Then let me ask you this first, Ash.”

“Yes.”

Ash smiled faintly and rested his chin on his hand. Nicholas, who had been hesitant, rubbed his forehead and asked him a question.

“Are you seeing anyone right now?”

“That’s a question I didn’t expect.”

Ash tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

“Did you miss me after getting married, Nick? If you want, I’m okay with a married man. They have a mature flavor.”

“No.”

As Ash chuckled softly, Nicholas sighed and continued.

“I know I’m an idiot for asking such a question.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s pitiful.”

“Believe me, Ash. I really didn’t want to do this.”

“I was joking just now, Nick. So keep talking.”

Perhaps relieved by the word “joking,” Nicholas hesitated and spoke again.

“So… if you’re not seeing anyone, I have a deal to propose.”

“A deal?”

“I’ll pay you as much as you want, Ash. Introducing you to desired work is good, or if you want money, it’s someone who can offer as much as you ask.”

Ash lowered his eyes at the unexpected turn of events.

“What kind of work is it?”

“It’s nothing strange.”

Ash nodded. After all, the person in front of him was a lawyer. It wouldn’t be anything illegal.

“Would you be willing to be someone’s sex partner for a month or two, Ash?”

With a determined expression, Nicholas asked seriously. Ash quietly gazed at the man in front of him.

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t miss me, Nicholas?”

“I’m asking about someone else, not me.”

Ash chuckled, finally understanding the clear intention. So that’s why he felt sorry. The situation was indeed strange. Coming to a person he had dated, someone he had even rejected, and asking if they would be willing to be a temporary sex partner for someone else. If Nicholas was asking for this, the subject of the request must be quite important.

“You have every right to feel sorry.”

“I’m truly sorry.”

“I think I’ll have to meet him to know.”

Because I have my own preferences too. Ash said. Nicholas nodded as if it were obvious. Then he placed his phone in front of Ash.