"I figured if we were going to eat dinner anyway, we might as well eat together, so I didn't tell you separately."

It was a bit absurd, but not incomprehensible.

"Ah, I see."

"Yes."

Jeong Haejun responded dryly to my words as I brushed off the absurdity, then turned his gaze back to the front.

"So, what do you want to eat?"

"I haven't thought about it, so I don't know."

"Then let's go to a place I know."

"Okay, do whatever you want."

I answered while looking at Jeong Haejun's profile. I had heard about it and seen it a few times, but looking at his face as he stared straight ahead while driving, I realized all over again how handsome he was. Usually, no matter how handsome someone is, if you look closely, you’re bound to see at least one flaw, but Jeong Haejun had none of that.

"What is it?"

"Huh?"

"Is there something on my face?"

"No."

At Jeong Haejun's words, I realized I had been staring too intently at his face and looked away in embarrassment.

"Hyung, you're a recessive, right?"

"Yeah, an extreme recessive."

"Ah, extreme recessive. I knew you were a recessive... then you probably don't have much of a pheromone scent either."

"That's right. Honestly, you could practically consider me a Beta."

"That must be convenient."

"Yeah, there's not much to worry about compared to the dominants."

Jeong Haejun nodded while driving. As an extreme dominant, he likely experienced severe ruts.

I was an Alpha in name only; I only had a rut once or twice a year, if that. Most of the time, if I felt the signs and took medicine, it would pass like it wasn't even a cold. I had heard that in the case of extreme dominant Omegas or Alphas, hormones often couldn't be controlled even with medicine, so they sometimes filed health reports and skipped school during those periods.

"Were there any Alphas in your family?"

"No, none at all."

"You're like a mutant."

"……I suppose so."

I felt a bit offended by his blunt comment about being like a mutant, but I endured it. Our positions were clear. Jeong Haejun was the 'Employer' who would give me a job, and I was his 'Employee'. Depending on how Jeong Haejun spoke about me to his aunt, the high-paying tutoring position was on the line.

"Actually, there's something I haven't told you yet, Hyung."

"……What is it?"

I was asking cautiously, feeling a bit uneasy at Jeong Haejun's words, when the car pulled into a hotel.

"Get out. I'll tell you while we eat."

I followed Jeong Haejun awkwardly into the hotel lobby. Jeong Haejun habitually boarded the elevator held open by a hotel staff member. I tried not to, but I kept hesitating. Being in a hotel like this was very awkward for me.

"The night view here is great."

Whether Jeong Haejun knew how I felt or not, he was treating me the same as usual, but I felt embarrassed as if I were acting like a country bumpkin for no reason.

"Ah."

Whether the night view was good or not, wasn't this a place far beyond me? I thought so and smiled awkwardly.

"I think I know what you just thought, Hyung."

"What did I think?"

"You don't know why we're coming to a place like this, right?"

Jeong Haejun, who had accurately pierced through my thoughts, smiled and stepped out of the elevator as it opened. I hurriedly followed him out.

"I like the Chinese restaurant here. There's no other meaning to it."

"What other meaning could there be? I just didn't expect to come to a hotel, that's all."

"I see."

I tried to tone down my statement after the fact, but Jeong Haejun smiled as if he knew everything, making me feel that it was already too late.

A waiter guided us to a seat with a good view of the night. At first, they said the window seats were all reserved, which I expected, but it became possible after the manager checked Jeong Haejun's face and hurriedly changed the seating.

"The staff here seem to know you?"

"I told you it's a restaurant I like. It's just because I come here often."

Jeong Haejun spoke as if receiving a prime seat that had been set aside for reservations without even having one was just an ordinary, unremarkable part of his life.

"What do you want to eat?"

Then he handed me the menu, asking what I would have. Since Jeong Haejun bought the last meal, I felt like I should buy this one today, but the prices, which were on a different level from the Chinese restaurant near my house, almost made my eyes pop out.

"……I'll just have the usual Jajangmyeon."

The problem was that even the 'usual' Jajangmyeon cost 15,000 won, but since Jajangmyeon, the national dish, was the cheapest menu item, I had no choice.

"Should we get a dish too? The dishes are good here."

"A dish?"

"The Kanpunggi is decent, and the Menbosha is delicious."

After hearing Jeong Haejun's words, I checked the prices of the Kanpunggi and Menbosha first. It would depend on what Jeong Haejun ordered, but at this rate, the total would easily exceed 50,000 to 60,000 won. I wondered if I was spending too much money before I even secured the tutoring job, but I thought if it went well, I could certainly afford to treat him to this much.

"Sure, shall we order both?"

So, I pushed myself a little.

"You said you were a little hungry earlier. Were you actually very hungry?"

"No, well…."

"Okay, since both are delicious, let's get both."

After Jeong Haejun finished speaking, he simply looked up from the menu, and the waiter, who had been watching only us, immediately approached our table.

"Two Jajangmyeon, one Kanpunggi, and one Menbosha, please."

I didn't know if I should call it a relief, but it seemed Jeong Haejun was going to eat the same Jajangmyeon as me. As soon as he finished speaking, I calculated the price of the food in my head. It was as if nearly 100,000 won was being spent on a single meal.

My heart ached, but thinking of it as an investment made me feel a little better. It was a relief that there was more than 100,000 won in my nearly empty bank account.

"Since it's a restaurant, it's not on a very high floor, but the night view from this hotel is good. Among the restaurants in this hotel, this Chinese restaurant has the best view."

As Jeong Haejun spoke, he looked out through the glass window. I followed his gaze and looked out the hotel window. The red sun, which hadn't completely set yet, was dimly sinking. Some buildings had their early lights turned on one by one. The scenery, where the city lights and natural light blended strangely, was beautiful, just as Jeong Haejun had said.

"It is."

I didn't list all the emotions I felt, but simply shared a brief impression.

"Do you live alone, Hyung?"

"Yeah."

"In a studio?"

"Yeah."

"What about your family?"

"I don't have any."

I figured that answering straightforwardly would make me look less pitiful than hesitating or lying and having him find out later. Usually, if I spoke like this, people would feel sorry for a moment and then quickly change the subject, so it was a tactic I often used because I didn't want to talk about my family.

"Why?"

However, contrary to my expectations, Jeong Haejun asked a question that a normal person wouldn't ask.

"Why?"

"Yes. Did they pass away? Or because of money?"

"……."

I was silent for a moment. There wasn't a trace of pity in his expression. Since he asked so casually, I didn't feel much emotion either, but it was a situation so far from my expectations that I couldn't easily open my mouth. I had never told anyone my messy family history at length before.

Jeong Haejun was waiting for my answer with an unwavering gaze. Only after wetting my dry lips with my tongue did I slowly open my mouth.

"They got a divorce."

"When?"

"I think it was when I was in my second year of middle school."

"You were young."

"That's right."

"But didn't anyone take you with them?"

"I lived with my father, but he wasn't much help."

After finishing my sentence, I drank a whole cup of water. For some reason, my throat felt parched.

"What about your mother?"

"She remarried."