Omega Complex Novel (Completed) - Chapter 94

This was a disaster of the worst kind. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have cared, but I didn’t want to show Lee Yoonwoo to Lee Junseok. If he looked at him with even a hint of judgment, I wouldn’t be able to speak kindly, colleagues or not. But it was an awkward situation to hide him.

“…I’m late with the introductions.”

I slowly stepped back to Lee Yoonwoo’s side. When I gently placed my hand on his back, Lee Yoonwoo smiled with an embarrassed expression. Since he had shown such a side on our first meeting, he probably wanted to hide in a mouse hole.

“This is the person I’m dating.”

“Oh, I’ve heard a lot about him!”

Yeona quickly stepped forward. With a cheerful expression, he nudged Lee Junseok, who was standing next to him.

“Assistant Manager Choi has bragged so much about his lover. Right, Junseok-ssi?”

“…Ah, as you said, he’s really… handsome.”

Even while drunk, Lee Junseok mumbled in response to Yeona’s words. I was prepared to get genuinely angry if he said anything foolish, but it seemed he didn’t have the courage to be rude in front of the person himself. My unpleasant mood relaxed considerably.

“This is Assistant Manager Yoo Seungji, who I mentioned before, and Song Yeona-ssi, and Lee Junseok-ssi.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you. Taegyeom… this person has been indebted to you.”

My lips tingled at the naturally changed honorific. It was the face Lee Yoonwoo made when he met people from the publishing company. I knew it was infatuation, but his business smile had a cute side that made my stomach tickle. Especially the way he completely hid his shy nature.

“Oh dear, it seems you came to pick up Taegyeom-ssi, and I was so tactless to say hello.”

Assistant Manager Yu said that and clumsily checked his phone. He also helped support Lee Junseok, saying they didn’t have time for this as they had to go to the second round. Assistant Manager Yu subtly looked between me and Lee Yoonwoo, then quickly nodded his head.

“Go home safely, Taegyeom-ssi. Introduce us properly next time.”

Lee Yoonwoo and I didn’t even have time to say goodbye. With the words, ‘Well then, we’ll be going now,’ the three disappeared like the wind out of the alley. Only Lee Yoonwoo remained, eyes wide, looking at me.

Lee Yoonwoo was a person who rarely drove. He had gotten his license long ago, and his skills weren’t bad, but it was due to his inherently lazy personality. Well, if he had his own car, it might be different. His job was remote work, and if he needed to, he had my car, so there was no need to get one.

Naturally, he drove less and less. Unlike Lee Yoonwoo, I didn’t dislike driving, and I usually took the wheel on dates. Lee Yoonwoo only sat in the driver’s seat in two cases: when he had to go far alone, or when I had been drinking.

“Mmm…”

So, it was natural that I abruptly kissed him when I saw him putting on his seatbelt. Was it true that a man driving was sexy? Lee Yoonwoo adjusting the rearview mirror was so captivating that my eyes felt like they would roll back.

“Ah, wait… a moment…”

His neat eyelashes fluttered. Lee Yoonwoo, who had placed his wrist on the steering wheel and cleared his throat, slightly pulled his lips away. Was it because of the tie tightening his neck? I kept feeling thirsty.

“Why are you suddenly so excited?”

Lee Yoonwoo spoke in a gentle tone. He gently stroked my cheek and lightly kissed me as if to calm me down. Of course, whether that actually had a calming effect was unknown.

“I’m always like this when I see you.”

I roughly loosened the suffocating tie. I wasn’t a teenager, nor had we been dating for a short time, but whenever I saw Lee Yoonwoo, I felt restless. I wanted to touch him, kiss him, and cover him in my pheromones, swallowing him whole.

Lee Yoonwoo watched me, anxious, and leisurely curved his eyes. Normally, his breathing would have quickened too by now. But today, his reaction was unusually calm.

“I don’t know how you go to work like this.”

“Don’t even mention it. I just want to quit and stay home.”

Lee Yoonwoo probably thought it was a joke, but for me, it was sincere. When I left Lee Yoonwoo behind for work in the morning, he was on my mind all the way to the office. Whether I was working, eating lunch, or at a company dinner like today, Lee Yoonwoo never left my sight. Parents dropping off their children at kindergarten probably weren’t this bad; it was a severe case.

“Then quit your job. I’ll support you.”

“Wow… I’m a little flustered.”

I gently rubbed my nose against Lee Yoonwoo’s cheek. His soft skin felt so good that I even bit it lightly. He let out a surprised “Ah!” and pushed my face away.

“We’re in the car.”

His words were sharp enough to prick my conscience. I was doing this because we were in the car, but perhaps it was better to hold back in many ways. I smiled playfully, watching Lee Yoonwoo shift gears.

“Why, you liked it, didn’t you?”

Lee Yoonwoo’s gaze turned towards me. His rolling eyes were stained black. How could a person be so white and so black? The contrast in colors made him even more appetizing.

He winced at my sinister smile.

“What?”

“Car sex.”

Was it the fall two years ago? There was a time when Lee Yoonwoo and I went to the beach without any plans. The sunset beach was beautiful, but he was sensitive to the cold, so we couldn’t get out of the car. When we had seen enough of the sea, our eyes met, and we did it in the car, despite there being a hotel just 5 minutes away.

‘Tight… Hmph, tight…’

His body was red up to his neck. Suppressed moans escaped through his teeth. The rattling car body and the trembling Lee Yoonwoo.

‘Can’t… Ah, hmph…’

It was cramped, uncomfortable, and had many limitations, but I liked the fact that he had to move himself. When I reclined the seat and cupped his head with my hand to prevent it from hitting, he shyly but meekly nestled into my arms.

“You really…”

He blushed just like back then and silently turned the steering wheel. It seemed he chose silence because it was embarrassing to say he liked it, and he couldn’t say he didn’t. Judging by the pheromones subtly emanating, it seemed the memory of that time was vividly clear to him.

Should we go to the beach again?

Car sex aside, I was interested in going to the beach with Lee Yoonwoo. When the sparkling, crashing waves were reflected in his dark eyes, I felt like I wanted to give him the entire ocean.

It would be too hot to go in the summer, so after the heat subsides, I should dress him warmly and take him to the night sea. If not, we could just watch from the car like last time.

Location, transportation, and a hotel. I meticulously planned the trip while watching ‘Lee Yoonwoo driving.’ He quickly composed his expression and returned to his characteristic impassive face. His eyelashes fluttered with each rise and fall of his thin eyelids.

“How’s your body?”

Fortunately, he seemed to be in a good mood, but I needed to hear the details from him. When I kissed him, his fever wasn’t high, and his complexion wasn’t bad.

“I’m fine. I’m all better.”

“Did you take your medicine?”

“Just, well…”

His tone was casual, but I definitely sensed hesitation. It was similar to what I felt at the cafe. Was he not going to tell me this time either? Should I press him further, or wait until he told me? As I pondered, Lee Yoonwoo lightly began to speak.

“That person earlier, you know.”

He’s changing the subject.

I quietly leaned my head against the window. Watching his lips twitch, my wavering mind leaned towards the latter option. I was worried, but if he didn’t want to talk, I was willing to wait patiently.

“He seemed interested in you.”

“Who?”

I slowly repeated the question, my lips curving upwards. When I let out a languid laugh, pretending not to understand, Lee Yoonwoo let out a small scoff.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

He had no interest in his own affairs, but when it came to mine, he was unnecessarily sharp. It would be great if he could filter out people who hit on him with the same sensitivity he used to weed out people who were interested in me. Even thinking this, it would probably be impossible even after 10 years.

“As soon as that person saw us, he looked like the sky was falling.”

Really, did he?

He was so cute when he was flustered that I didn’t even look at Lee Junseok. I didn’t care if he looked like the sky was falling, the ground was sinking, or if his face was crumbling. What right did he have to make such a face in front of Lee Yoonwoo in the first place?

“Did he confess?”

Lee Yoonwoo asked without looking at me. I felt a pang of regret at his gaze, which was solely fixed forward.

“No.”

“Then?”

“Just coffee.”

His neat eyebrows twitched. He tapped the steering wheel, and for a moment, he seemed annoyed. While I was trying to gauge his reaction, I didn’t want to make him anxious, so I didn’t drag it out and blurted out the rest of my sentence.

“Strictly speaking, I didn’t receive it. He unilaterally left it, and I threw it away.”

I didn’t remember drinking the coffee Lee Junseok gave me. It had pheromones on it, and anyone could see it was an object filled with ulterior motives. I either gave it to Assistant Manager Yu or threw it away without drinking it. I completely ignored and crumpled up any sticky notes attached to it.

Lee Yoonwoo stared at me silently. After a brief silence, a short question burst out.

“Since when?”

“I don’t remember exactly, but around the time the project started…”

I stopped speaking mid-sentence and closed my mouth. A chill ran down the back of my neck. I narrowed my brows and looked directly at Lee Yoonwoo.

“I’m not interested in that person.”

“…Of course not.”

The atmosphere was unusual. His deepened voice made the air heavy. Tap, tap, Lee Yoonwoo repeatedly tapped the steering wheel and spoke in a small voice.

“Why,”

“…”

“Didn’t you tell me?”

Honestly, I thought, “Oops.” It was a common occurrence, and he was someone who would disappear if ignored. I wasn’t trying to hide it to avoid upsetting him, nor did I feel it was unnecessary to mention. I simply hadn’t thought that far.

“He was so insignificant that I didn’t think I needed to tell you.”

I knew that one apology was better than a hundred excuses. I had been with Lee Yoonwoo for five years, and I had known him my whole life, excluding the five-year gap. If I offered a proper apology, he would understand.

“I’m sorry.”

But he didn’t answer and just stared straight ahead. Only his already subdued pheromones clearly showed his mood. The slowly declining pheromones suppressed the words that were about to come out.

For a long time, no words were exchanged. Only the sounds from outside the car window stubbornly pierced the quiet air. What should I say? Should I apologize more? Or should I naturally change the subject? My mind was utterly complicated.

It shouldn’t have turned out like this.

I glanced at Lee Yoonwoo. He had his lips tightly pressed together and was concentrating on driving, his brows furrowed. Seeing his chest rise and fall significantly, it seemed he was trying to be rational in his own way.

“Yoonwoo.”

“I’m sorry, but…”

A faint sigh escaped. It was from Lee Yoonwoo, not me. He opened his tightly closed lips and spoke in an extremely stiff voice.

“Let’s talk about it at home.”

His tone was so low that my heart sank. So much so that I unconsciously cut off my pheromones. Lee Yoonwoo added in an annoyed tone to my blankly blinking eyes.

“It’s because I don’t think I’ll say anything good.”

We returned home radiating a cold atmosphere. Lee Yoonwoo, who said we’d talk at home, left me in the living room and went into the bedroom. When I finished showering and came out, he was covered up to his neck with the blanket, eyes closed.

“…Are you sleeping?”

His bangs were wet, so it seemed he had washed in the bathroom attached to the bedroom. His breathing was even, so he might have already fallen asleep. I couldn’t shake him awake and tell him not to sleep, but just letting him sleep felt uncomfortable. It was a completely new situation, so I couldn’t figure out what to do.

I got onto the bed and carefully snuggled next to Lee Yoonwoo. When I put my arm under his head and wrapped it around his shoulder, he nestled into my arms without a word. His soft breathing gradually calmed my anxious heart.

“Lee Yoonwoo.”

I saw his eyelids flutter. I narrowed my eyes and stroked his hair, and he rustled and buried his face. I knew he was pretending to sleep, but I couldn’t point it out. Instead, I began to speak in a very small voice.

“I’m sorry.”

I gently stroked his back. It had dried in the meantime, and I could feel his hard bones through his clothes. His bones were already clashing during sex lately. He doesn’t even see the sun, and he’s getting thinner, so I’m incredibly worried.

“Don’t be angry.”

I lightly pressed my lips to his forehead. There was no answer, but his pheromones slowly softened. With each pat on his back, his breathing also slowly dispersed. And soon after, he truly fell into a deep sleep.

In the future I envisioned, Lee Yoonwoo was always with me. A year from now, two years from now, and even five or ten years from now, Lee Yoonwoo was by my side. I didn’t know about him, but I had always been that way.

Of course, I knew that Lee Yoonwoo’s opinion was not reflected in such thoughts. We only realized each other’s feelings now, but when I was imagining a future with him, Lee Yoonwoo probably had no such intentions.

“Ring…”

I need to give it to him.

I had wanted to get married for quite some time. Even without concrete plans, I had imagined it, and whenever I had time, I would choose rings that would suit Lee Yoonwoo. I just kept postponing it, saying ‘a little later,’ ‘a little further down the road,’ until I suddenly bought the item.

Tap, I touched the luxurious case. The velvet case was small enough to fit snugly in one hand. The ring, which I had slowly chosen since the day I first thought of marriage, was planned to be formally presented at a nice restaurant soon.

“Haa…”

But I never imagined it would get this complicated.

This morning, before heading to work, I hesitated for a long time over the soundly sleeping Lee Yoonwoo. Should I wake him up, or not? Normally, I would have left contentedly after letting him sleep well, but today, I somehow wanted to cling to him. It was because Lee Yoonwoo’s face kept lingering in my mind from last night.

‘It’s because I don’t think I’ll say anything good.’

It had been exactly five years. At a time when others experience a rut, we had dated without even a common argument. Our physical intimacy hadn’t decreased, we hadn’t kept secrets, and we hadn’t grown to dislike each other’s habits.

But for the first time, Lee Yoonwoo had gotten angry. To be precise, it was irritation, but to me, it wasn’t much different. That cold voice, and the sigh he let out, chilled my head.

‘…I’ll be back.’

In the end, I secretly stole a kiss and went to work. For the past few days, Lee Yoonwoo had tied my tie for me, so tying it myself felt awkward. I left a message saying I’d come home early and to eat well, but there was still no reply.

“Phew…”

“Taegyeom-ssi, aren’t you eating?”

Tap, tap, Assistant Manager Yu’s hand tapped my desk. When I looked up with a frown, the short hand of the clock was pointing to 12. I wiped my face with one hand and got up from my seat.

“…I should eat.”