Crazy A Married Life

#20

Idam left Taemin’s bedroom after composing himself, telling himself not to think unnecessary thoughts. Although there were some unclear aspects, what he felt from seeing the room was that Taemin preferred things to be extremely neat.

The bed sheets were straight without a single wrinkle, and there wasn’t a speck of dust on the floor or furniture. The accessories and furniture were also arranged in an orderly manner without any misalignment. It made sense and suited Taemin’s tidy appearance.

Although Idam’s rooftop room itself was old and shabby, he tended to pay attention to organization and cleaning, so he felt like he had found something in common with Taemin.

After this, he walked around and examined various parts of the mansion. It was a space so vast that it was hard to believe it was the home of a single man, and overall, it was harmoniously composed of Western and Eastern styles. As a result, it felt like an unreal space, like a mirage that he would never see or stay in again once the contracted week was over.

After looking around everything, Idam felt fatigue washing over him. He had never felt this tired even when working multiple part-time jobs, so he wondered why he felt so exhausted today. He wanted to see the garden too, but it was too large and spacious, and he had no more energy to spare.

Idam staggered into his bedroom with his tired body and lay down on the bed. He intended to rest for a moment, but his eyes closed instantly.

* * *

“Yeo Idam, why are your pheromones like that?”

“I feel like I’m going to die when I’m with you.”

“Teacher, Minhee is vomiting now. I think it’s because of Yeo Idam’s pheromones.”

During his time at the orphanage. It was despair for young Idam to see his friends suffering from exposure to his pheromones. So he tried hard to become proficient in controlling his pheromones as quickly as possible.

He voluntarily lived in isolation, ate meals alone, and then went to the kitchen late at night to clean up. During this time, Idam cried a lot. Why had he become an extreme heat omega? Why did he have a pheromone disorder? Idam, who extremely disliked inconveniencing others, felt like he was being tortured alive.

As these days repeated, one day he was returning to his room after organizing laundry alone in the laundry room.

“I’m worried. About Idam.”

The director and a teacher were talking at the entrance of the orphanage. Idam stopped walking at the mention of his name.

“Will Idam have to live alone for the rest of his life because of his pheromones? Moreover, isn’t there a significant chance that an extreme heat omega can’t have children with a beta?”

“Medically, it’s almost impossible, they say. It would only be possible with an alpha.”

“Then Idam for his entire life…”

Idam felt as if his heart was being split by a knife. Although he already knew this fact from the doctor, he couldn’t remain calm about it. He was about to pass by, not wanting to eavesdrop on what wasn’t particularly good news.

“It’s possible if Idam meets an alpha who can accept his pheromones.”

“What? There’s an alpha who can handle Idam’s pheromones?”

Idam’s ears perked up like a rabbit’s at this fact he was hearing for the first time. Honestly, he couldn’t believe it. But a desperate emotion of wanting to believe also sprouted.

“They exist, but in extremely small numbers.”

“Oh my! That’s good news. In a way, it’s like a prince on a white horse for Idam. Who is it?”

“It’s someone I know through connections. They’re from a socially prestigious family, but the problem is they’re not normal…”

Idam was fully focused on their conversation when he felt someone’s shadow behind him and breath on his ear.

“Aah!”

Startled, Idam shouted. At the same time, the director and teacher were also surprised.

“Huh? Is someone there?”

“Oh dear, I can’t believe I was discussing such important matters here…”

“I should head back to my room now. We’ll talk later.”

Eventually, the director and teacher left the building and dispersed. Having missed the crucial part of the conversation, Idam looked crestfallen. He turned around resentfully to see who had breathed on his ear.

“What are you doing here?”

It was Hayun. At the same time, the resentment Idam had briefly felt flew away, replaced by a worried expression.

“What about you? Why are you here, Anja?”

On this day, Hayun had been resting due to severe dizziness caused by Idam’s pheromones.

“I was just bored.”

“You… you’re very sick.”

Moreover, even now, pheromones were leaking from Idam. Feeling even more like a sinner, he felt uncomfortable.

“Just go back inside.”

Idam took a step back, distancing himself from Hayun.

“I don’t want to. It’s boring to be alone.”

Hayun followed closely behind Idam, but Idam ignored him. He was dominated by the thought that Hayun shouldn’t get sicker because of him. After finally shaking off Hayun, Idam entered his isolation room, locked the door, and lay down on the bed. Hayun would probably feel hurt, but it couldn’t be helped.

To think that there exists an alpha in this world who can handle his abnormal and cursed pheromones…

Even if that were true, what were the chances of Idam meeting that person? It had to be close to zero. He decided to think that they didn’t exist rather than chasing a non-existent fantasy. Young Idam tried to sleep, embracing his solitude.

* * *

“Ah…”

Idam slowly opened his eyes. He saw the darkened ceiling. Instead of the low and old fluorescent light of the orphanage’s isolation room, he saw a high and luxurious light fixture.

“It was a dream…”

He occasionally dreamed about his experiences at the orphanage, but it had been a really long time. Moreover, because it was related to his pheromones, the lingering feeling was intense.

“An alpha who can accept my pheromones… there’s no way such a person exists…”

A fairy tale-like fantasy. An illusory desire. He thought it was a vain hope engraved by the desperation of his disorder. For now, his priority was to successfully complete the married life for a week by controlling his pheromones well.

He gently turned his head to look at the clock on the wall. It was past 8 PM. What he thought would be a brief rest had turned into a long nap.

Swoosh.

The sound of rain and its distinctive smell pricked his nose, which he hadn’t noticed earlier. Puzzled, Idam got up from the bed and pulled open the curtains. Rain was pouring down from the sky.

“It must be spring rain.”

Adding the meaning of spring, he even had the illusion of smelling flower scents.

“I wonder if the CEO has returned from work.”

Being the first day and in the position of an employee, he felt it wasn’t right to be cooped up in the bedroom. Why hadn’t anyone woken him up until this hour? He thought he should specifically learn how to behave and coordinate as Taemin’s wife from now on…

Idam tidied up his clothes that had become disheveled from sleeping, then gently opened the door to check the activity outside.

At that moment, a long, large shadow fell across him.

“Are you awake?”

Taemin was in front of the door.

“Oh, you startled me.”

Surprised, Idam stepped back, his body jerking. Taemin also looked awkward.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was about to knock when you came out.”

Although it was probably a coincidence, Idam’s startled heart wouldn’t calm down. He wondered if he felt more awkward because Taemin was still unfamiliar to him.

“Ah, yes… It’s okay.”

Idam tried to appear calm after forcing himself to settle down. When Taemin apologized, he felt like he had overreacted, so he quickly adjusted his emotions and asked a question.

“Have you finished work?”

“Yes. I just got home a little while ago.”

“Ah, I see.”

He wondered if Taemin had brought his belongings from the rooftop room. He was contemplating whether to ask or not.

Growl.

A sound came from Idam’s stomach. Another untimely hunger had arrived. And it continued to growl repeatedly. Embarrassed, Idam pressed firmly on his abdomen. He thought this might stop the sound a little. Of course, this method had no medical basis, so the growling continued. Eventually, the corners of Taemin’s eyes curved like crescent moons.

“Idam. I haven’t had dinner yet, would you like to eat together?”

“What?”

Why was he asking like this when he had clearly heard Idam’s stomach sounds? Or was he being considerate in case Idam felt embarrassed? He wasn’t sure in many ways. However, he was indeed hungry, and there was no reason to refuse Taemin’s dinner invitation, so he nodded. But his face turned bright red up to his ears from embarrassment.

* * *

Dinner was Korean cuisine again.

Braised beef ribs in a soy sauce-based seasoning, japchae with various vegetables and beef generously mixed in. In addition, there were various side dishes such as stir-fried eggplant, dried radish, and soy-braised side dishes.

Idam felt a bit burdened to have another meal like a birthday feast, but it was delicious, and his chopsticks moved on their own.

The braised ribs had been simmered for so long that the meat easily separated from the bones, and it was good to chew. The japchae, generously filled with vegetables, was the same. The other side dishes also perfectly suited Idam’s taste. Even the rice had chestnuts or ginkgo nuts in it, making it feel like a healthy meal. As Idam was eating almost to the point of inhaling the food, he finally noticed Taemin eating across from him.

He was eating neatly, as if enjoying an elegant dinner. Unlike Idam who was holding the rib bones in his hand to eat, Taemin was only using chopsticks and eating cleanly without making any chewing sounds. It was the same when he ate other side dishes. He exuded elegance.

Idam suddenly felt like he might be eating too ravenously. So he tried to eat the ribs a bit more gently.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Idam, having finished his meal, touched his full stomach. Taemin also carefully put down his spoon.

Then he stared intently at Idam. His gaze was so intense that Idam looked over the table, wondering if he had done something wrong. Come to think of it, there had been 10 pieces of braised ribs. There were 7 bones next to Idam’s rice bowl. This meant Taemin had only eaten 3 pieces.

Cold sweat formed on Idam’s forehead. Despite Taemin being taller, having a larger build, and superior traits, it seemed like Idam had eaten too much. And it wasn’t just the ribs. Idam had practically decimated the japchae and other side dishes as well. Idam felt even more embarrassed, thinking he had shown excessive greed for food.

Amidst this, Taemin stood up from his chair. Then he sat down next to Idam. Idam tensed up at his sudden proximity.

Why is he suddenly doing this? Is he going to say something about my excessive appetite?

Idam was about to apologize for eating 7 ribs when Taemin’s handsome face approached him. Taemin’s shadow fell over Idam’s small face.

He stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of Idam’s mouth. At the same time, Idam’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had hit.

“There was some braised rib seasoning on your mouth, so I wiped it off.”

“Ah…”

Even so, if he had just told him, Idam could have wiped it off with a tissue or something… Idam touched the spot where Taemin’s tongue had brushed, feeling conflicted. Taemin had clearly stated that he liked alphas, so there wouldn’t be any physical relationship. But why was he doing this?

Moreover, for some reason, it seemed like a bright red flush had spread across Taemin’s cheeks. Idam was confused in many ways.