My left eyelid twitches as I stare at the man in front of me.
"This crazy man," I say in disbelief.
"Why?" Jaehyun asks, feigning cluelessness, "You woke me up at midnight to...to cook?" I ask, trying my best to keep my rapidly rising temper leveled and cool.
"After all you won that cooking competition at school when we were kids" Jaehyun says with a smile that looks almost boyish, a look I have never seen on him before.
Shaking my head, I draw in a deep breath, "do you want to die?" I ask through my teeth.
"Hurry up Choi, I am really hungry" Jaehyun says, and I swallow down my irritation, reminding myself that I am both indebted to him and that I am at his mercy.
Anger boils underneath my skin and I want to punch him in the face to add another injury to his annoying face.
"Pot" I say grimly as I snatch the bag from him, Jaehyun turns with the excitement of a puppy, something unexpected from a man of his stature and status.
And still wearing that infuriating smile, he bounces over to me carrying a stainles steel small pot with him. "So annoying" I mutter under my breath, cursing his with my eyes and my thoughts.
While I try my best to focus on the cooking, Jaehyun keeps hovering over me with that aura of happiness I could have termed cute if he wasn't my enemy.
"Really, I feel like I am going to lose my mind if you..." my sentence is stopped by him suddenly leaning into my space and sniffing my neck.
"What is wrong with you…" I swat at him, "I can't smell you" he murmurs and I inch away from him, "Of course not, my scent patch is on" I his, flushing red at his sudden invasion of my space. "Why?" he asks, tilting his head to the side.
"Why not?" I snap, turning away from him to add the noodles into the boiling pot of water, "you realize that being an omega is one problem, then being a male omega is another problem" I point out before shifting to look at him.
"Is that why you pretended to be an alpha all through?" Jaehyun asks and I sigh, "Hwang Jaehyun, tell me…if it has been a known fact that I am an omega…what do you think will happen to my family?" I ask him and his eyes drop to the floor.
I scoff at his expression, "You can't answer because you already know…look at us" I gesture to both of us, me standing close to the hot stove and him towering over me, "you know and you are using me like everyone else will…"
"I am not like those people" Jaehyun growls at me, "I can't answer because I am worried about you, you are asking what will happen to your family when you should be worried about what will happen to you" he says with so much weariness that my hard expression eases up.
"I already know will happen to me Jaehyun-ssi" I say softly as I try to catch his eyes, but he wouldn't look at me.
The playful atmosphere in the kitchen has shifted into heaviness as we delve into the bitter truth of our real lives.
"I see it every day…omegas being sold as slaves to be broodmares" I say and turn my back from him, giving my attention to the noodles.
"It is done" I say, gesturing to the steaming pot, "lets eat" Jaehyun says quietly as he brings out two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.
The act sparks concern in me, "why am I here, Jaehyun-ssi?" I ask, drained and ready to leave, unfamiliar with the domesticity he is comfortably displaying.
I don't belong here.
"I just want someone to eat with, come on Jun-ah, you made it yourself" Jaehyun says, and I sigh for the hundredth time in less than an hour of leaving my bed, "Yujun is my name".
"Jun-ah, Junnie…they are cute like you" Jaehyun says, wearing a duller version of his previous excitement.
"Come over" he calls from his living area and places the beers on the table. I carry the noodles to the table and wordlessly we both dig into our meal.
"Do you think Kang is done making attempts on our lives?" Jaehyun asks me and I look up, "Hmmm that man doesn't give up" I say and Jaehyun nods thoughtfully.
"Why? do you have a plan for him?" I ask him and he hums.
"If I do have a plan, do you think I would tell you" Jaehyun asks with a teasing smile, "you are still an enemy aren't you?" he adds and I shake my head. "you're annoying" I say smiling slightly, "is that the only word you know?" Jaehyun rolls his eyes.
"You can take off your scent patch if you want" Jaehyun says casually and I eye him suspiciously. "Why are you obsessed with my scent?" I murmur, and he shrugs, "I should leave" I say as I eye the wall clock .
"We meet again tomorrow, this time around for real business" Jaehyun says as I get up to leave. I Ignore him and I wear my hood securely, before leaving.
Arriving at my family home, I see my father waiting outside the house with his guards.
"F-father" I stutter, "Where were you?" he asks darkly, tilting his head to eying from head to toe. "I birthed a bastard" father clicks his tongue.
"Is sneaking off this what you do?…are you a mole now?" he asks, I stand frozen in fear.
"I…I.."
"Take off his scent patch" father orders.
"father...wait" I plead as his men approach me with menacing looks on their hard-set faces.
"No..no…" I say, my breath coming out heavily I step backwards in fear.
No matter how many times I have been in this same position…I just cant get used to it...pain.