Cinnamon Candy

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Episode 10

A hand on my shoulder snapped me out of my daze. Mr Kim Kim, sitting across from me, looked at me with concern. Han Seon-joo made a soft noise and rubbed his dry face with his hands.

“What’s the matter? Is something wrong?”

“No. I’m just a bit, well, tired.”

The day ended later than expected yesterday. The regular, who came occasionally, had something to vent, so she poured out a lot of liquor. Time flew by as she vented about her bastard boss who kept placing all blame on the regular.

It wasn’t until late in the morning that I managed to keep my word to stop by Inchul’s house. All I could think about was the conversation we had.

“Okay, take a break, I’ll take care of everything.”

However, cars were coming in one after another. It was not a self-serve place, and it looked like it would be hard for Mr Kim to handle all those cars on his own. Han Seon-joo got up from his seat and put service items into his pockets.

“You should rest.”

“How are you going to do all those cars on your own? I’m fine, I just haven’t had much sleep.”

Kim clicked her tongue as Seon-joo rubbed his eyes. In his old days, he also was nagged a lot for trying too hard.

“Then go on. Be careful.”

“All right. How about meat for lunch? Gamjatang* from last time was especially good last time, should I order it again? I will ask to add noodles as well.”

“Sounds good. We’ll have to order in advance. Let’s add some sujebi noodles**. And fried rice?”

“It would be sad if there is no fried rice in gamjatang.”

Mr Kim’s eyes lit up as if he’d been worried about something. Seon-joo came outside trying to keep up with Mr Kim. His eyes kept closing, so he slapped his cheeks and stepped closer to the car in front of him.

When I saw the figure in the window, I couldn’t help but snort. It was a familiar face.

How many cars does he have? Are you a dealer or something?

“Why does your face look like that every time I see you? Last time you got beaten up, this time you’re like a dog that didn’t get any food.”

Kwon Hee-seong made a bold statement. The last time I looked in the mirror, I had bags under my eyes and crusty white patches on my lips. Instead of answering, Seon-joo rubbed his face with one hand and closed and opened his eyes.

“I couldn’t sleep. How much do you want to put in?”

Still, I was less hesitant now maybe because I received some ointment and bandages from him, or maybe because I saw his face a few times. The voice that spoke to me was not the same as before.

“Full. Did you work last night? Where?”

The question was subtle. Seon-joo’s eyebrows twitched, then relaxed. Without a word, I took the card and pressed it firmly against the monitor.

“It’s not Kim Soo-chan, is it? Who is it?”

“You are very interested in my business. I’m not accepting men anymore.”

In case Mr Kim could hear me, I whispered, lowering my voice. Kwon Hee-seong, who understood why i was talking that way, smiled brightly.

“Yes, I’m interested. I am curious as to why Kim is so obsessed with you. I have never had a crush on a man before.”

“Hopefully you don’t get carried away. And the reason he’s obsessed with me is simple. He is crazy.”

I put my index finger on the side of my head and rotated it, in response to this Kwon Hee-seonng burst out laughing. It was so loud that it could be heard outside the car. Even Mr Kim stuck his head out, wondering what was going on. Han Seon-joo quickly stuck a gun in the tank as if nothing had been said.

“…”

My cheeks burned with a strange tingling sensation and I looked away, but my eyes met his gaze in the rear-view mirror. I tried to dodge him, but he was staring right back at me. A weak smile floated on Kwon Hee-seong’s lips.

“Why.”

I was the first one to look at him, and it was a bit of a surprise. He didn’t want to lose to him.

“Why do you keep looking?”

“Do I have to pay to look?”

I really wanted to say “yes, pay”. I glanced at Mr Kim and pushed words that were floating in my head.

“Stop looking at me.”

“Nope.”

“You’re not even Kim Soo-chan.”

“Wow, that’s too much. How can you compare me to that dick-obsessed little shit? I feel offended.”

When he mentioned Kim Soo-chan, Kwon Hee-seong frowned. His brow furrowed as if he was deeply offended. His eyes, visible through his dishevelled hair, turned ferocious for a moment.

“Oh, sorry.”

Seon-joo shrugged his shoulders in a way that said he wasn’t sorry at all. Whether he was sitting on the couch as a spectator or jumping on me to suck my balls, it almost made no difference for me.

Kwon Hee-seong stared as if observing at Han Seon-joo who was preoccupied with refuelling after throwing an apology that didn’t look like an apology. His gaze was as persistent and intense as the one that stuck in the nape of my neck that day…. Not wanting to be caught in the same mood, Han Seon-joo didn’t mind a silent battle. 

As a result, Kwon Hee-seong’s appearance caught my eye. With drooping eye corners, dense eyelash curls, and freely drawn dark eyebrows, he looks as innocent as a small puppy. I didn’t notice it in the room because I wasn’t paying attention, but in the daylight, his eyes are clear brown. Just like a cinnamon candy… The sharp contrast with his black pupils is enough to draw attention.

If their first meeting had been pleasant, he might have made a good impression based on appearances alone. He was very handsome.

‘Hyung, I’m omega.’

I flinched while holding a gun. A sobbing and shaking voice echoed in my head. Maybe it was a coincidence that the man in front of me was an Alpha.

‘What should I do now?’

In-cheol’s situation was worse than expected. His cheeks and eyes were sunken, as if he hadn’t had a single sip of water, and the nape of his neck was like a dry twig. He felt so nauseous, he couldn’t even eat a spoonful of porridge and had to hold onto the toilet seat.

It was considered an after-effect of the manifestation. In-cheol confessed in a dying voice he manifested later than everyone else,  he also had to go through getting IV treatment at the hospital.

‘What do you mean what should you do? You’ve been through worse, right? Just because you’re an Omega doesn’t mean you’re any different, just live with it. Look at good things. It’s going to make your skin look better, it’s going to make you smell better, it’s going to make you more popular.’

‘No! It’s not good, it’s terrible!’

In-cheol shouted in response and wrapped his shaky arms around his stomach. He could barely get a short sentence out and still feel a little nauseous. With a grunt, In-cheol raised his head. His face was wet with tears.

‘I can smell things everywhere, and I’m afraid I’ll run into an alpha if I go outside for a second. And…..!’

‘Calm down. With inhibitors, you can live a normal life. It’s going to be fine. Just fine, In-cheolah. It’s not much different from the usual. The last time I looked at wage averages, omegas make more than Betas and live better. Okay, do you want something to eat? I will buy it. Shall I get you some tangerines? I know you love them.’

Trying to somehow reduce an enormous frustration to the size of a pea, Han Seon-joo spat out random words. But instead, In-cheol’s lips trembled as tears fell like a waterfall. His dry lips opened and closed.

‘Hyung, I’m pregnant.’

‘…what?’

In-cheol jumped to his feet and rummaged through the trash like a possessed man. A rough hand toppled the bin, sending several elongated pregnancy tests flying to the floor. In-cheol picked up one of them and handed it to Han Seon-joo. Two clear lines on the white background.

‘I couldn’t say anything to Yeong-ho hyungnim. But it said that I’m having a baby.  I don’t know what to do, I’m scared. Hyung, what should I do?’

‘What the hell.’

‘Hyung, I heard that omegas give birth much faster than normal women. It takes only eight or seven months to have a baby. It’s only been a week for me but I’m already like that. Does this…does this make any sense?’

In-cheol snatched up the tester and threw it on the floor as if it was a dead bug. This time, Seon-joo was left speechless. He didn’t know what to say. He stood there with his mouth open. However, he quickly regained his senses and grabbed In-cheol’s shoulder.

‘What about the baby’s father?’

‘…’

In-cheol’s eyes wavered in response. He turned away and bit his lip. That reaction was enough to tell me what was going on.

‘Then remove it. As soon as possible, before it’s too late.’

It was a chilling voice even to my own ears. It was the most feasible option for In-cheol. A lump of cells that no one was welcoming was better off disappearing before it got its ears. In-cheol’s eyes widened at such a blunt suggestion…

However, I woke up from my flashback to the sound of the car door opening. Kwon Hee-seong was watching Seon-joo with his arm resting on the car window.

“What are you thinking about?”

“…no clue.”

“Ugh, I kept looking at you, but were you spacing out?”

Kwon Hee-seong shakes his head, his eyes are curved in the shape of a crescent moon. Instead of answering Han Seon-joo shook the rattling gun and took it out. When he handed Kwon Hee-seong the bottled water and candy he had packed, the man refused water but accepted the candy.

“If you have any problem, let me know. I’ll listen.”

“There is none. The refuelling is over, so hurry up. Customers are waiting behind you.”

As Kwon Hee-seong looked up, cars were pulling into the area where Mr Kim was standing. Seon-joo had to hurry up to send off Kwon Hee-seong, to help Mr Kim.

“What’s the rush?”

Kwon Hee-seong peeled off the lollipop’s wrap as if pretending not to notice that Han Seon-joo was in a hurry. The owner of the car behind him pulled down his window and stuck his head out to see what was going on.

“Stop interrupting business. Go quickly.”

“Technically, I’m a customer, too. How much do you think I have spent in this place?”

Kwon Hee-seong chuckled softly and looked at the candy wrap. When Han Seon-joo opened his mouth to comment, Kwon Hee-seong took advantage and shoved the lollipop in.

*Gamjatang is a spicy Korean pork bone soup. It is made by simmering pork bones for a long time then the strained milky bone broth is seasoned with Korean special condiments such as gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) and gochujang (Korean chili paste).

**Sujebi is a Korean style pasta-broth noodle soup that can be both warming and filling. The noodles are soft and chewy, the broth is rich with umami, and it is often served with as little as kimchi.