TATMFL - 22

10 PM. After locking up the café and stepping outside, Ra-on glanced around her surroundings. 

Under the glow of the streetlights, the crimson-hued streets were sparsely populated with a few pedestrians hurriedly passing by, their collars pulled tight against the cold. 

But among them, the car that once drew attention by parking nearby was nowhere to be seen. 

“He’s not coming again tonight.” 

Do-kyung, who had promised to pick her up every night at 10, hadn’t shown up for several days now. The last time she saw him was two weeks ago on the day of her practical exam. 

It wasn’t as if she was waiting for him. But regardless of Hye-sung’s situation, she couldn’t help but feel curious about his sudden disappearance without any contact. 

“So why did he come that day?” 

It seemed too coincidental that he just happened to pass by. The place where she had been standing was quite secluded. 

Clearly, he had come knowing she would be there—but even setting aside how he found her, why go through the trouble of seeking her out instead of simply contacting her? She couldn’t shake off the question. 

Lost in thought, murmuring her unresolved doubts, she absentmindedly fiddled with her phone when its screen suddenly lit up after being silent all day. 

A faint smile tugged at Ra-on’s lips as she checked the caller. 

“Yeah, Hye-sung.” 

―”Ra-on, are you done?” 

“Yeah. I heard you had late classes today. Are you finished?” 

Hye-sung had recently started tutoring. As soon as he became adept at controlling his pheromones, he jumped into it as if he’d been waiting for the opportunity. He was tutoring a Beta high school senior, and it seemed teaching suited him well. 

Thanks to the parents’ satisfaction with his diligence, they had referred him to another student—a lucrative gig he had just started a few days ago. Today was one of those high-paying tutoring sessions. 

―”I just got off the subway.” 

“School?” 

―”Yeah. It was just a quick test and a meeting with the parents today, so it ended earlier than expected.” 

The slight rise at the end of his sentence betrayed his excitement, and Ra-on chuckled softly. 

―”Let’s meet up. Ji-an texted me saying she wants to eat tteokbokki.” 

“Did she contact you again?” 

Her incredulous tone prompted a soft laugh from the other end of the line. 

Two weeks ago, Ji-an had been summoned back to her family home and returned with all her credit cards frozen by her mother. Her “little aunt” had been furious upon discovering that Ji-an had planned to study abroad without informing her parents, despite receiving a generous allowance. 

But even under such strict measures, Ji-an continued preparing diligently for her studies abroad and was scheduled to board a flight in just a few days. 

“…And you’re broke.” 

―”This much is fine, Ra-on.” 

Fine? She knew perfectly well that he barely managed one meal a day—usually just a cup of instant ramen and a triangle kimbap. And more often than not, he skipped dinner altogether. 

And yet, tteokbokki? 

Ra-on opened a delivery app as she spoke. 

“I’ll order takeout for the tteokbokki, so just come carefully. We’ll grab it together.” 

―”Ra-on.” 

“We’ll see each other in a bit.” 

Though she heard Hye-sung’s voice trying to dissuade her, Ra-on pretended not to hear and hung up first. 

Hye-sung arrived looking sulky just as she was finishing up the order at Ji-an’s favorite shop. 

“I shouldn’t have said anything to you.” 

As soon as he saw her, Hye-sung blurted out those words, his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

Ra-on pressed firmly on the wrinkles between Hye-sung’s brows, giving him a playful wink—a subtle way of telling him to stop with the unnecessary complaints. 

Ignoring his earlier grumbling, Ra-on asked casually, 

“How was the lesson?” 

“…It wasn’t bad.” 

Hye-sung let out a deep sigh and gently pulled her hand down, narrowing his eyes slightly. 

“And I got paid today, Ra-on.” 

“Mm. After paying off your debts, make sure you eat proper meals instead of wasting money like this. Let’s go pick up the tteokbokki.” 

Giving his hand one firm squeeze before letting go, Ra-on started walking ahead. 

On their way back to Ji-an’s place with the tteokbokki, Hye-sung suddenly came to an abrupt halt while they were chatting amiably. 

Ra-on turned to look at him. 

His face had gone unnaturally pale, even visible under the dark shadows of the buildings. 

“Hye-sung?” 

“…Ra-on.” 

His voice carried a strained effort to steady himself as he called her name. After taking a short, deep breath, Hye-sung forced a faint smile. 

“I need to go home for a bit.” 

“Suddenly?” 

“Yeah. Come to think of it, I have a lot of stuff to take care of, and I need to grab that curry container Ji-an made for me last time.” 

“…” 

“I think I should go.” 

Ra-on’s gaze sharpened, but she nodded in understanding. 

“Be careful. I’ll make sure Ji-an doesn’t touch the tteokbokki until you get back.” 

“No, you guys go ahead and eat first. I’m not hungry anyway.” 

A lie. Ra-on barely managed to bite back the word that almost slipped out, tilting her head slightly instead. 

His soft, lowered eyes blinked curiously before he turned away with a quiet “I’ll be back soon,” his fists buried deep in his coat pockets. 

It was an old habit of Hye-sung’s—something he did whenever he lied. 

Whether it was to hide the restless movement of his fingers or to conceal the cold sweat soaking his palms, she didn’t know. But whenever he lied, he always hid his hands—whether in his pockets or clasped behind his back. It was such a stark contrast to his usual relaxed demeanor that it was impossible to miss. 

And now, as he hurriedly walked away as if chased by something, his hands remained stuffed into his coat pockets. 

“…” 

Ra-on glanced around. 

The only things visible were the crimson glow of the streetlights and the occasional passerby wandering through the neighborhood. There was nothing in sight that could explain why Hye-sung had suddenly fled the scene. 

After a brief moment of silence and deliberation, Ra-on sighed and turned her body. The rustling sound of the tteokbokki packaging crinkled softly as she began walking—not toward Ji-an’s place, but in the direction Hye-sung had disappeared. 

──────────── 

“Hey there, Ji Hye-sung~” 

At the rough voice calling his name, Hye-sung flinched and whipped around sharply. The gentle expression that had once made Ra-on sigh in frustration when he acted out was now stiff and frozen. 

Ever since he’d been with Ra-on, he’d felt an overt wave of pheromones directed at him—cheap, unpleasant, and utterly repulsive. Worried it might affect Ra-on, he had hastily excused himself, only for two Alphas to appear as if they’d been lying in wait.

They were familiar faces. 

“I heard you manifested as an Omega—guess it’s true, huh? The way you spotted us from afar and slipped away like this proves it.” 

Kikik, kikik. A frivolous laugh echoed through the alley. Their dialect and standard speech clashed awkwardly. 

Finally stepping fully out of the shadows, one of the men smacked his lips and tilted his head cockily. 

“Well, this makes things easier. Right?” 

“…I still have plenty of time left before the repayment deadline.” 

Hye-sung’s voice came out strained, almost like a suppressed groan. In response, the hulking figure shrugged threateningly. 

“The deadline isn’t the issue. We’re just worried you might try to run off. Plus, we’ve got something to tell you.” 

The sleazy-looking man hummed casually as his gaze traveled slowly from Hye-sung’s head down to his feet—a sinister leer in his eyes. 

“These Omega bastards borrow money and then vanish without a trace. It’s such a headache. If they’d just spread their legs for a few rich clients, they could pay off a year’s worth of interest overnight. Hell, not just the interest—the principal too. You’d be set.” 

Hye-sung clenched his fists tightly as the vulgar remarks continued to pour in. 

“I’m not running, and I’m not spreading my legs like you want. So leave. I’ll deposit this month’s interest on time.” 

“What about the principal? Paying just the interest won’t clear the debt. Even with a generous deadline, it’ll be tough. You’re supposed to be smart, but you’re slow when it comes to this kind of math. Why take the hard way out? Come on, stupid. Huh?” 

The thug reached out and grabbed Hye-sung’s arm. 

Though Hye-sung wasn’t particularly short, the man loomed slightly taller. Leaning his face close to Hye-sung’s, he flared his nostrils. 

“Hey, since we’re meeting, why don’t you let out some pheromones? Let me get a whiff of how potent yours are.” 

As he groped himself lewdly, the other man standing beside him snickered crudely. 

“Who knows? If you play your cards right, I might even pay off half your principal. How’s that sound? Pretty sweet deal, huh?” 

Humiliated and flushed red with shame, Hye-sung tried to shake off the man’s grip when suddenly— 

“Ji Hye-sung!” 

A voice that shouldn’t have been there cut through the tension. Hye-sung’s head whipped around sharply. 

Ra-on, who should have already gone home, stood there with a sharp glare, her eyes darting between Hye-sung’s face and the arm held captive by the thug. 

And— 

“What kind of scene is this, Joon-ah?” 

Inside the black sedan, Do-kyung asked innocently, like a child marveling at something curious. 

Joon, who had driven the car from the airport and volunteered as Do-kyung’s chauffeur, leaned his face against the steering wheel and replied. 

“It’s a familiar sight.” 

It was obvious what was going on—loan sharks. Men in cheap suits, flexing their muscles aggressively. 

“Looks like Yoo Ra-on’s friend borrowed money from some loan sharks.” 

“But why is she standing there like that? Isn’t it dangerous? Getting involved in situations like this isn’t really her style…” 

Do-kyung frowned as he stared at the scene, prompting Joon to finally glance in the same direction. 

The reason Do-kyung had come straight to the school after arriving from his busy schedule of consortium meetings and business over the past two weeks lay right there. 

Amidst the three men surrounding her, one figure stood out—much smaller and more delicate in comparison. Her long, carelessly tied brown hair hung loose, and she clutched a crinkled white plastic bag tightly in one hand. 

There she was—Yoo Ra-on—standing fearlessly between Hye-sung and the thug.