IS Vol 1 Ch 1 Part 4

“Are you okay?”

Seo Dong-eun kept nodding stubbornly, answering the same question for the umpteenth time. Once he entered a familiar space, he could finally breathe, but his cluttered mind felt like it was about to explode. Where had it gone wrong? Setting aside yesterday’s events, why was this happening again today? He wondered whether he could trust Wi Du-hong despite his doubts, but it was all the more agonizing because Wi Du-hong was the only person he had left to trust. At the very least, since his own well-being was at stake, Wi Du-hong wouldn’t handle things carelessly. Even so, he couldn’t forget Kwon Woo-kyung’s face and voice as he repeatedly called Choi Hyun-seo’s name. Kwon Woo-kyung must have known about Choi Hyun-seo’s death, yet his attitude seemed to assume that Seo Dong-eun was Choi Hyun-seo.

“Here, drink some of this.”

His thoughts continued to spiral. A warm sensation touched his trembling hands, which had been trembling uncontrollably. Seo Dong-eun stared blankly at the cup he was holding before lifting his head. Their eyes met. Ra Ju-o’s eyes reflected nothing but genuine concern for his friend Seo Dong-eun.

“……What happened?”

Ra Ju-o asked cautiously after confirming that Seo Dong-eun had managed to take a sip of water, his hands shaking. Seo Dong-eun moistened his dry lips and opened his mouth to speak.

“Just… I guess I was too sick and tired of it all. Sorry. For looking so pathetic.”

The excuse, spoken with a faint smile, wasn’t a complete lie. Ra Ju-o was one of the few people who knew his circumstances. While Ra Ju-o didn’t know everything, he knew most of the details about Seo Dong-eun: that he had a lot of debt, that he was a recessive omega who couldn’t produce pheromones, and that he had to work at Wi Du-hong’s establishment every weekend.

“Did that debt collector give you a hard time again? Tell you to pay the money back faster?”

“No, he told me not to come to the shop for a while.”

“Why? He used to call people in whenever he felt like it.”

“I know.”

As he murmured weakly, Ra Ju-o began cursing Wi Du-hong, a man he had never even met. Soon, the target of his venom shifted to his own workplace, then to a difficult customer he had encountered earlier that day. Ra Ju-o’s rambling soon became a litany of complaints about his own life; it was a tedious familiarity that felt strangely reassuring to Seo Dong-eun. It confirmed that this was where Seo Dong-eun belonged and that here he was simply Seo Dong-eun.

“No one’s picking up. What now?”

A casual conversation followed. Only then did Ra Ju-o realize that Seo Dong-eun had lost his phone. He tried calling it several times from his own device. He had already tried more than ten times, but every attempt failed. He hadn’t expected much, as it was more than likely a lost cause, but the thought of buying a new phone—which wasn’t exactly cheap—was daunting.

“That sucks. It was still usable.”

His voice was thick with lingering regret. Seo Dong-eun ran a hand over his face. If he knew where he had lost the phone, he could at least try to go back and find it. It was frustrating because he couldn’t recall when or where he might have dropped it. Ra Ju-o furrowed his brows, pretended to think deeply, then chuckled and shot him a sidelong glance.

“This is a sign from above. That piece of junk was due for a rest. Who uses a phone for five years? That’s abuse, you’re abusing it. Machine abuse.”

“Whatever.”

“Just buy a new one. I know a guy. He runs a mobile shop, and when I told him about you, he said he’d give you a discount if you came by. Let’s go together next time. Oh, since that debt collector told you not to come in this weekend, do you want to go the day after tomorrow?”

Ra Ju-o, whose mind worked quickly when it came to things like this, promptly devised a plan on his own and even contacted the acquaintance. Seo Dong-eun simply looked away, unable to stop his roommate from arranging the purchase of a new phone before he even realized what was happening.

“Now you look like a human again.”

“What else would I be?”

“I seriously thought you were going to faint earlier. You were as pale as a ghost. What would have happened if we hadn’t run into each other? You would have become a corpse on the street. That’s why I told you to eat properly, didn’t I?”

Ra Ju-o didn’t try to pry into the things Seo Dong-eun kept quiet about. Instead, he simply tried to offer comfort in his own way by talking incessantly. Seo Dong-eun couldn’t show how much he was struggling in front of such a friend. After all, Ra Ju-o was the only person in Seo Dong-eun’s life he could call a friend.

It would likely stay that way, too. Seo Dong-eun had long held a vague premonition that his life would simply drift on like this until it eventually faded away. Clad in countless secrets and silence like a suit of armor, he was unable to let anyone in or truly reach out to another person—just as he was now.

Ra Ju-o chatted for a while longer before finally returning to his own room. He was incredibly grateful to him, but he still couldn’t tell him the truth. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide it; he had no choice.

The room was silent and almost pitch-black, with the only light coming from the glow of a streetlamp. He didn’t feel like he could sleep. Burying his face between his knees, Seo Dong-eun waited for dawn to break. The night brings endless thoughts. For those harboring many secrets, such thoughts were far from beneficial.

---

The biggest consolation was that today was Friday. Since he wouldn’t have to report to Down for the time being, he might be able to spend the weekend getting some real rest. Even though he knew resting wasn’t exactly helpful given his situation, he couldn’t help but feel relieved. His physical condition was truly alarming.

In the morning, Ra Ju-o recoiled as if he had seen a ghost upon seeing Seo Dong-eun’s face. He nagged incessantly, saying it was a relief that their schedules lined up so they could commute together, because if he had been walking alone, someone would have called 119.

Ra Ju-o worked at a cafe on the building’s first floor, where Seo Dong-eun’s office was located. Ra Ju-o, a beta with many dreams and desires but only average talent, refused to settle for his current situation. Seo Dong-eun often found it fascinating that he lived with someone whose personality and tastes were the complete opposite of his own, and Ra Ju-o felt the same way.

‘Come by at lunch, I’ll give you something delicious.’

Recalling Ra Ju-o’s words before they parted in the lobby on the way to work, Seo Dong-eun let out a small smile. Perhaps it was because a day had passed, or because the sun had risen and the world had brightened. He felt that maybe all that trouble would just blow over. In fact, the whole thing might have been nothing more than an unfounded worry. As President Wi had said, Choi Hyun-seo was dead, and even if Kwon Woo-kyung had been mistaken, that fact would not change. Drawing comfort from that thought and keeping the evidence tucked against his chest like a protective talisman, Seo Dong-eun went on with his morning.

He got along relatively well with the people in the office. In the two-plus years he had been there, he had never once been severely reprimanded. Seo Dong-eun liked this company and the people he worked with. If he could, he truly, desperately wanted to be a colleague who stood on equal footing. Just like ordinary people.

“Dong-eun, are you hurt?”

On the way back from lunch, a male omega employee who had recently joined the company pointed at Seo Dong-eun’s jaw. Startled, Seo Dong-eun covered his jaw with his hand and shook his head ambiguously.

“No, just… it just happened.”

“Oh my, how? Your skin must be delicate. You can’t let it scar.”

“Why are you being like this, Team Leader?”

“It’s a waste. It’s such a shame for a handsome face to have a blemish. It’s a waste to get old, too. Even though you’re not my age.”

Everyone burst out laughing at the Team Leader’s very serious remark. Whenever people gathered like this, it was all too easy for someone to become the target of a joke. Thinking he was the target today, Seo Dong-eun laughed along. He tried not to show it, but the area around the bruise hurt. The last thing he wanted was for any trace of Kwon Woo-kyung to linger. While he wondered whether to apply some ointment, his steps naturally carried him through the lobby.

“But Dong-eun, why are you sweating so much? Are you hot?”

Although the temperature difference between day and night had increased with the changing season, it wasn’t hot enough during the day to make him sweat. The lobby felt cool enough that he didn’t understand Assistant Manager Yoo’s question. Seo Dong-eun tilted his head and touched the back of his neck.

“You’re right. Now that you mention it, you do look pale. Are you sick?”

The new employee, chiming in with Assistant Manager Yoo, also wore a worried expression.

“No. I’m fine. I think it’s just because I walked a bit.”

“Already at that age? How can a young person have such poor stamina? How old were you, Dong-eun? Twenty-five? Twenty-six?”

“I’m thirty-one.”

He felt burdened by the constant gazes directed at him. Seo Dong-eun quickly revealed his age, hoping to divert attention. However, the Team Leader, who had been holding up five fingers, dropped them and widened her eyes. Then she blinked as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Feeling he had done something wrong, Seo Dong-eun avoided her gaze. The awkward tension eased somewhat when colleagues standing beside the Team Leader nudged her and signaled for her to move along, but the embarrassment and discomfort lingered. Seo Dong-eun was well aware that he was the only high school graduate in the office. Even that qualification had been earned via the GED. People were probably wondering what he had been doing with his life up to that point. Or perhaps they thought he was pathetic. Unable to bring himself to look up, Seo Dong-eun used the excuse of going to the restroom to slip away from the group.

While crossing the lobby absentmindedly, his eyes naturally drifted toward the cafe. He could instantly spot Ra Ju-o hard at work through the cafe’s glass walls. Although Ra Ju-o had insisted he stop by before leaving work, he didn’t want to add to his workload when he was already so busy. He smiled slightly at the sight of Ra Ju-o bustling about when he turned around and their eyes met.

Recognizing Seo Dong-eun, Ra Ju-o waved his hand vigorously and gestured for him to come in for a moment. When Seo Dong-eun shook his head several times and tried to walk past, Ra Ju-o even mimed taking a phone call. It reminded him of when Ra Ju-o had used his own phone to call the lost one.

“When?”

Just as he suspected, it was about that. As Seo Dong-eun asked, Ra Ju-o pushed a takeout coffee cup toward him and took off his apron. It happened to be his break time. The two walked side by side, each with a coffee, toward the resting area behind the building.

“About an hour or two ago. I left it in the locker room, but it kept ringing, so someone brought it to me. They asked if it was urgent. When I answered, it was a woman. She said she found the phone and asked if the owner was there. I told her my roommate had lost it. She said she had things to do and could only make time in the evening.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I asked her to just send it via courier, but she said she couldn’t do that either.”

The method he had been considering was the first thing out of Ra Ju-o’s mouth. Seo Dong-eun tapped Ra Ju-o’s arm to express his gratitude.

“Still, that’s a relief. I really thought I’d lost it.”

“You call that a relief? You should have used this opportunity to get a new one.”

Ra Ju-o expressed regret as if it were his own. Seo Dong-eun simply shrugged, assuming Ra Ju-o must have really detested that old phone, given how eager he had been to replace it.

“Here, this is their number and the meeting place. I told her when you get off work, and she said you can come by any time after that.”

“That’s very kind of her.”

A few more idle jokes were exchanged. It was the kind of casual banter that would have been unimaginable in the sweltering summer heat. Lunch breaks always seemed to fly by far too quickly. Before long, the two headed back to the building together. The week seemed to be wrapping up nicely.

---

Arriving at the address Ra Ju-o gave him, he found it was a hotel. He was told that the person who found the phone was at the hotel’s basement lounge bar.

Seo Dong-eun grew flustered when the staff at the entrance asked whether he had a reservation. He didn’t know anything about the person he was meeting, not even their name. It showed how out of it he’d been to realize this only after arriving. While Seo Dong-eun was worrying about what to do, the employee observing him tentatively spoke up.

“Are you meeting someone?”

“Pardon? Ah, well… Actually, I’m here to pick something up. I don’t know the person’s name, though…”

“Mr. Seo Dong-eun?”

Someone approached Seo Dong-eun, who looked rather flustered. Judging by the way the staff member greeted him, it seemed the staff member was of high rank. Seo Dong-eun blinked and looked up at the man calling his name.

“They are waiting for you. I will guide you.”

Following him instinctively, Seo Dong-eun wondered whether Ra Ju-o had mentioned his name. He hadn’t heard anything about it, but it wasn’t impossible. Still, something felt off. He had certainly felt relieved when he learned the caller was a woman. If he had lost the phone during his run-in with Kwon Woo-kyung, there was no guarantee things wouldn’t get complicated.

Even while dismissing it as paranoia, there remained a suspicion that it could actually happen. A subtle, uneasy feeling, different from worry. After passing through a large hall, a corridor with rooms on either side appeared. He still felt strange. Seo Dong-eun suddenly stopped walking. As he began to step backward, the employee guiding him stopped as well, looking puzzled.

“Um, excuse me. I’m sorry. I… I’m just going to… make a quick phone call.”

The employee said nothing despite his sudden change in attitude and his vague excuse. He simply nodded and led him to a telephone.

He dialed the number written on the crumpled scrap of paper in his pocket. As he listened to the ringing, his heart pounded for no reason. His mouth went dry. He regretted coming all this way for an old phone. Like Ra Ju-o said, he should have just bought a new one. It was so old it wouldn’t have lasted much longer anyway. Just then, the ringing stopped.

-Yes, hello?

But as soon as he heard the woman’s voice, his wildly pounding heart finally slowed, returning to its normal rhythm. Swallowing a sigh of immense relief, Seo Dong-eun spoke.

“Ah, yes. Hello. I’m the owner of the mobile phone. I’ve arrived at the place you mentioned, but I just wanted to double-check whether this is the right spot.”

There was a brief silence on the other end after that hesitant question. Then she told him she had informed the staff and that he could come inside.

“Yes. Thank you.”

After saying goodbye and handing the phone back, the employee, who had been waiting for the call to end, continued guiding him through the hallways. Feeling awkward and embarrassed, Seo Dong-eun quickly followed behind. I overreacted. For nothing. Who do I think I am?

Before long, they reached the end of the corridor. While the previous hallway had rooms on either side, the room the employee brought Seo Dong-eun to looked like a single large hall. The employee knocked first, then signaled Seo Dong-eun to enter and stepped aside.

The door opened. Unlike the other rooms, where distinct sounds drifted out, there was only silence here. Instead, the space was filled with the soft sound of liquid pouring. It was the sound of ice clinking in a glass held by the person already seated there.

Seo Dong-eun just stood by the door. He stayed there, unable to do anything. He didn’t even notice the door closing behind him. In that moment, the man looked up.

“Mr. Seo Dong-eun?”

Kwon Woo-kyung tilted his head while looking at Seo Dong-eun.

“Aren’t you Mr. Seo Dong-eun?”

“Pardon? Ah…”

Seo Dong-eun swallowed hard, letting out a vague sound that was neither confirmation nor denial. It had definitely been a woman’s voice; the person he’d spoken to a moment ago had been a woman. Something was definitely wrong.

“I… I think I entered the wrong room. I’m sorry.”

“No. I have your phone, Mr. Seo Dong-eun. You’ve come to the right place.”

As if mocking the fact that he had dismissed his worries as paranoia, Kwon Woo-kyung tossed the phone in front of Seo Dong-eun. The old phone clattered noisily across the marble table.

“I… I thought it was a woman…”

“A woman? Is there any reason it can’t be a man? You don’t even have a polite word of thanks.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Without even registering what he was saying, Seo Dong-eun mechanically bowed and hurriedly reached out. But Kwon Woo-kyung was faster. He stood up abruptly and extended his long arm, closing the distance in an instant. As he placed his hand over the phone to snatch it up, Kwon Woo-kyung fixed his gaze on Seo Dong-eun.

“If you’re grateful, show me you mean it.”

“……Pardon?”

“If you want it back, that is.”

“If… if it’s money, I can give you a reward…”

“And how would you know how much I’ll ask for?”

Kwon Woo-kyung asked back with a subtle expression, not quite a smile but not quite neutral either. It was impossible to gauge his intentions from his expression alone. What he meant or why he was acting this way. Seo Dong-eun knew too little about Kwon Woo-kyung to decipher the meaning behind his casual words and actions.

He shouldn’t have come here. What did Kwon Woo-kyung know? Was that why he was trying to punish him? It was common knowledge that Kwon Woo-kyung was incredibly busy. Despite being a top-tier actor, he was known for taking on many projects. Even now, entertainment portals prominently featured headlines about his invitation to overseas film festivals for a movie already confirmed for release, all while he was busy filming another movie.

Was it even plausible that a man like him would go out of his way to meet a complete stranger—all for a battered old mobile phone? Seo Dong-eun struggled to speak, his throat dry and constricting.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Maybe the right thing to do was to just leave. It was best not to get entangled with Kwon Woo-kyung. Seo Dong-eun turned around abruptly. He could live without a phone; he had gone and caused himself unnecessary trouble. Seo Dong-eun cursed and berated himself again.

“It almost looks like you’re running away after seeing my face. It’s not like I’m going to eat you. I just… have some things I’m curious about.”

Kwon Woo-kyung murmured in a softer voice. His demeanor was different from when they had run into each other yesterday. Hadn’t he been the one who had been forcibly pushing Seo Dong-eun around just a day ago?

Seo Dong-eun froze, only his eyes darting around. In contrast, Kwon Woo-kyung lounged against the sofa, showing no particular reaction. Behind him, the clear sound of ice clinking against a glass rang out repeatedly. It would be unusual to simply run away from Kwon Woo-kyung without knowing exactly how much he knew. Doing so might only provoke him further. His mind was in turmoil, unable to settle on a clear course of action.

“Sit.”

All things considered, it might be better to find out what he intended to do. With that in mind, Seo Dong-eun cautiously sat in the seat closest to the exit. Kwon Woo-kyung said nothing, even as he watched Seo Dong-eun take a seat while trying to keep as much space between them as possible. He offered the alcohol he was drinking, but Seo Dong-eun chose to sit in silence, his fists clenched. Kwon Woo-kyung didn’t particularly press the issue when the offer was declined.

“Y-you said you had something to say…”

Kwon Woo-kyung remained silent for a long moment after that. He did nothing but stare intently at the old mobile phone in his hand. That was until Seo Dong-eun, unable to wait any longer, spoke up. Then, as if he had been waiting, Kwon Woo-kyung turned his head.

“Do you know someone named Choi Hyun-seo?”

It was a question he’d anticipated. Seo Dong-eun shook his head, trying not to show his agitation.

“You look like him. So much so that I wondered if that person had actually come back to life. You look so similar that it’s hard to believe you’re not the same person.”

Despite his words, Kwon Woo-kyung’s demeanor didn’t suggest he saw Seo Dong-eun and Choi Hyun-seo as the same person. It felt more like he was confirming something he was already certain was not the case. There was no agitation in his voice, even as he calmly expressed his surprise. The movement of lifting the glass to his lips was deliberate. He showed absolutely no regret or lingering attachment.

Incredibly, just watching Kwon Woo-kyung made Seo Dong-eun’s heart ache. That simple affirmation made his blood run cold. Even though it should have been enough that Kwon Woo-kyung saw him that way. Seo Dong-eun found himself at a loss, caught in a blind spot within the boundaries he had erected to protect himself. Was he disappointed? Or had he been waiting for the man to recognize him? Hypocritical, conflicting emotions were shamelessly creeping to the surface.

“That’s why I did it. Yesterday, when I got a good look at your face, I thought you were Choi Hyun-seo. I still can’t believe it. Ah, are you an omega? Or a beta?”

“…I’m a beta.”

The answer came out habitually in response to the question. In that moment, Seo Dong-eun was stunned by his own brazenness. Kwon Woo-kyung nodded with a faint smile. As if it were a mere formality, there wasn’t the slightest trace of doubt on his face. It seemed he had called Seo Dong-eun here to say something else.

“I’ll apologize. For yesterday.”

He then held the phone out to Seo Dong-eun.

“Um.”

Now that he had recovered his phone, all he had to do was leave. But Seo Dong-eun couldn’t bring himself to do so, and he was surprised by the sound of his own voice. It felt as if his mouth had a mind of its own, running wild.

Kwon Woo-kyung tilted his head in surprise. He didn’t seem to have expected Seo Dong-eun to speak either, but he soon showed interest, seemingly intrigued.

“H-how do you know my name…?”

Was this all he was ultimately curious about? Still expecting his reaction, desperate for his attention. Had nothing changed? In that brief moment, Seo Dong-eun mocked himself.

“Ah, that. I had a staff member make the call to you. They said the person who claimed to be your friend gave your name. Please don’t misunderstand. I was worried it might be awkward if I revealed it was me, given what happened yesterday.”

Perhaps he had expected a slightly more interesting story. However, upon hearing Seo Dong-eun’s trivial question, Kwon Woo-kyung answered indifferently and raised his glass again.

As expected, it was nothing. It was a misunderstanding; there was no way he would do something like that. Kwon Woo-kyung had simply felt a brief curiosity about someone who resembled the dead Choi Hyun-seo. That curiosity had surely vanished without a trace by now. Then it was all settled. Since they lived in different worlds to begin with, if he and Kwon Woo-kyung parted ways now, they could live forever without any contact, just as they had until now. That was the right thing to do, and that was how it should be.

And yet Seo Dong-eun could not stand. The hand that finally lifted the glass Kwon Woo-kyung had offered earlier trembled helplessly. To quench his dry throat, he put the alcohol he couldn’t even drink to his lips. Despite his worries, nothing happened. After a single accidental encounter, Seo Dong-eun didn’t bother to ask himself why he hadn’t just turned and left. He couldn’t. The regret was so obvious that no excuses came to mind.

“You were there this morning, too, right? At that bar.”

Kwon Woo-kyung asked Seo Dong-eun as he gulped down the tasteless, brownish liquid. With a faint exhale, Seo Dong-eun nodded. Belatedly, he felt a warm sensation traveling down his throat and pooling in his stomach. Despite being a very cold liquid mixed with ice, it was hot, sending heat through his entire body in an instant.

“What a coincidence. How strange.”

Kwon Woo-kyung said as he refilled Seo Dong-eun’s empty glass. He didn’t forget to gesture for him to drink.

“Do you work there? Your friend said it was the end of your workday. It’s different from how those establishments usually operate.”

“A-ah, no. I don’t. That’s just… a place I visit occasionally.”

There was no need for a detailed explanation, but he didn’t want to be remembered as someone who worked in a place like that. Of course, if Kwon Woo-kyung remembered him, that wouldn’t happen. It was all useless.

Seo Dong-eun had to lift the glass again because he kept getting thirsty. Kwon Woo-kyung’s steady gaze felt hotter than the alcohol in his stomach.

“I see.”

But soon, Kwon Woo-kyung looked away as if he had lost interest. After downing the drink in one gulp, he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out his phone. Was it an implicit signal to leave?

After taking one last look at Kwon Woo-kyung making a call, Seo Dong-eun stood up. Wondering why the small breath that escaped him felt heavier and thicker than ever, he bowed his head. The sight of Kwon Woo-kyung looking up at him with the phone to his ear was as stunning as if he had just stepped out of a pictorial. Feeling ashamed of himself for even thinking such a thing in this situation, Seo Dong-eun couldn’t stay here any longer.

One step, then another. Each step toward the exit felt like a thousand pounds. His vision swayed, like the dizziness that usually accompanies standing up too quickly. Seo Dong-eun touched his forehead and caught his breath. Why is this happening? The question flashed through his mind.

“…!”

The moment he realized his body was tilting, his vision flipped. He didn’t even register the pain. No, his body didn’t feel like his own. Darkness overtook him in an instant.