003

 

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“I think I’m going crazy.”

Junhong buried his face in his pillows and sighed happily as he remembered the details of his not-date with Yongguk yesterday.

After the movie, the alpha had brought him home, before it got too late. Junhong’s parents didn’t known where he’d gone, nor did they really care, at least until they saw Bang’s car pull up at their gate and Junhong exit his car. They had rushed down to greet Yongguk, not caring that they were interrupting the two.

Junhong was still slightly bitter about their disturbance, but Yongguk assured him that it was fine, wishing him goodnight and entertaining his parents afterwards with discussions of the contract’s progress. He assured them that it would be completed, “very, very soon.”

The omega sprawled on the couch, trying not to scream at the thought of the elder. He was just so impossibly cool, and handsome, and nice – and somehow interested in him? Junhong could tell he was rapidly developing a crush on the alpha, but he knew better than to let it form into something more. Their marriage hadn’t even been finalized yet.

Junhong ripped the pillow off his face when he heard the doorbell ring and he rushed to the door. He slapped his cheeks, trying to cool himself down before greeting the knocker.

To his surprise, a short man with a suitcase stood outside, looking visibly uncomfortable. Junhong immediately picked up that he didn’t have any alpha pheromones, but couldn’t tell whether he was a beta or an omega with complete confidence. If Junhong had to guess, he’d go with omega though – the man seemed fairly docile. He was also kind of cute, with chubby cheeks and really nice hair that fell over his forehead, almost hiding his eyes.

At the sight of the tall boy, the man’s expression turned into one of relief. “You must be Choi Junhong,” he spoke formally. “I’m Yoo Youngjae, Bang Yongguk’s secretary. I have come to deliver and discuss the marital contract.”

Junhong blinked, confused, but opened the door anyway.  Youngjae stepped in and looked around, probably expecting to see the others.

The boy explained, “My parents and my brother aren’t home right now; it’s just me…” He didn’t have any classes on Tuesdays, and although his parents had told him to expect Yongguk’s secretary, he thought the contract would just be dropped off. He bit his lip, “Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“Ah, is that so…” Youngjae said, humming thoughtfully. He offered the suitcase to Junhong, “Then, I guess, could you give this to them when they come back home?”

“Yes, of course!” Junhong wondered if that was all.

“It would be appreciated if the modified contract could be given to Yongguk’s office by this coming Saturday,” Youngjae smiled, looking as if he was about to leave when his phone suddenly rang, blasting music loudly.

Junhong recognised the ringtone as a song from a famous alpha singer – the singer’s name slipped his mind – and Youngjae’s face flared a bright red. Mumbling an ‘excuse me’ hurriedly, he took out his phone and answered the call.

Meanwhile, Junhong placed the suitcase on the dining table, wondering if it was obvious enough to his parents. He picked up a sticky note and a pen, scribbling ‘marriage contract’ onto the note and sticking it on top. Without meaning to, he listened in on Youngjae’s phone call, unable to help himself.

“Yongguk-ssi, good morning. How may I help you?” Junhong’s heart leapt at the mention of the alpha. Youngjae‘s eyes flickered to the omega, who pretended to busy himself by scribbling more on the sticky note. “Yes, I’m still at the Choi house. Mr. and Mrs. Choi are away, as is Choi Junseo… I delivered the contract to Junhong-ssi… He said he’d give it to his parents.”

Youngjae furrowed his eyebrows as he listened to his phone, “Well, he doesn’t look busy, but Yongguk-ssi…”

Junhong blinked, getting the feeling that they were talking about him.

“No, sir, sorry. There isn’t a problem. I will ask him now. Goodbye.” Youngjae said, hanging up his phone.

Junhong looked at the secretary expectantly and Youngjae sighed, in deep thought. “Junhong-ssi… My boss is wondering if you’re free for the next few hours. If you are, he’d like to take you to look at potential future residences now.”

Junhong’s mouth opened and he realised he hadn’t even thought about where he and Yongguk would live in the future. He didn’t even know if they were meant to live together.

“R-Residences?”

“Yes.”

“I-I…” Junhong looked lost and he stared at Youngjae before looking down at his attire. He had worn a baby blue sweater and shorts in the morning, thinking that he could just snuggle in bed all day. The outfit, as cute as it was, was extremely childish, and Junhong didn’t want Yongguk thinking he was immature.

As if sensing his worries, Youngjae smiled assuringly, “You look fine.”

Junhong smiled back nervously, and took his phone, “Then I can go… Let me just text my mom.”

 

Unsurprisingly, Junhong’s mother let him go without any questions as soon as she learnt it was with Yongguk. The car ride with Youngjae wasn’t awkward at all. Junhong discovered that the secretary was rather obsessed with a certain singer – the omega finally remembered he was called DAE – as all of the music playing in his car was from his most recent album.

“He has a nice voice,” Junhong commented, and Youngjae’s face lit up.

“His technique is amazing,” Youngjae was all but gushing as he drove through the suburbs and into the city. “And he sings with such passion and emotion!”

“You’re a huge fan, then?” the omega asked, and the other nodded excitedly.

“I haven’t been able to go to any of his concerts yet, but I’m saving up for first row seats,” he confessed, a sparkle in his eyes. “It might be a while until I can get there though.”

“Sounds exciting.” Junhong found the elder kind of adorable, and could tell the other was a dedicated fan. He didn’t really know much about DAE though, so he couldn’t really encourage the other to talk more.

They drifted off into a comfortable silence, before Junhong realised he was clueless about where they were.

“Oh, um, Youngjae-ssi… Where are we going?”

Youngjae’s attitude became more formal once again, as the topic changed, “I will be taking you to Yongguk’s office. From there, he’ll bring you to the three locations that are being considered as options for the future residence.”

“Thanks,” Junhong couldn’t help but feel a little giddy at the thought of both spending time with Yongguk and looking at houses together

Youngjae glanced at the younger omega, who was looking out of the window, and spoke, “You… aren’t completely averse to this arranged union?”

“Not at all!” Junhong faced the secretary. “I’m actually really excited now. Yongguk’s been really kind to me so far and I really think we could be friends…”

Youngjae was pretty surprised – not many 18 year olds he knew would agree to an arranged marriage without complaint. Even less would be excited about giving their future away. Then again, Youngjae didn’t know many 18 year olds, and he was pretty sure Junhong was one of a kind. Even though Yongguk did to charm Junhong so quickly, Youngjae had no doubts that the alpha would look after the younger well.

“I think he likes you. He left work early yesterday, and he never does that,” Youngjae informed, and Junhong’s heart rate quickened. The secretary pointed at a tall building which looked like it was only a few blocks away. “Anyway, that’s the Bang Building. Yongguk works there about three days a week? His schedule is usually flexible.”

The building was giant, towering over the other buildings in the city. The entire building was black; even the windows were tinted. It was intimidating, but Junhong supposed it matched the Bang name.

In less than five minutes, Youngjae pulled up at the front of the building and stared at Junhong expectantly.

“Do I get out?” he asked stupidly, gesturing at the door and then the entrance of the building.

“If you go in and walk straight, there’s a receptionist. She’s really nice, just ask for Bang Yongguk. Oh, and don’t forget to introduce yourself, or else she’ll definitely refuse,” the secretary instructed, and Junhong opened the car door, getting out.

“Thanks, Youngjae-ssi!” he chirped happily, and Youngjae waved before driving into the underground carpark. Junhong turned to face the entrance of the massive building, only to be surprised by two men opening the door for him. What kind of place had doormen in the 21^st century? Junhong had to admit it was pretty cool though.

He bowed at them before hurrying inside, and following Youngjae’s instructions. The lobby was huge, seeming almost like a hotel. There were even sofas. A large, intricate chandelier hung from the ceiling, coating the room in a golden glow. Junhong’s jaw dropped as he admired the layout of the room.

The receptionist greeted him nicely enough, but after he introduced himself, her entire attitude changed from someone who was just being polite, to someone overenthusiastic. “You’re Choi Junhong?! Oh my god! Guys, it’s Choi Junhong!”

She seemed to be speaking to herself though, because although there were others in the lobby, the only people who looked their way were the guards.

(Junhong’s not quite sure why there are guards, but he’d rather not think about it.)

The receptionist – her nametag was covered by her jacket – looked amazed, “You’re so tall, wow. People in the offices would love to see the boss’s boyfriend.” Junhong’s ears reddened at the use of ‘boyfriend’, but he didn’t get to clarify their relationship as the talkative receptionist kept on chatting.

“Actually, the office members and I have seen pictures of you on the internet – actually, we all follow your Instagram – and we bet on how tall you really were… how tall are you? Over 180 centimeters, definitely, but –”

“Hyerim, you’re scaring him.”

Junhong recognised the voice, but before he could turn around, an arm rested over his shoulders. “Junhongie, are you ready to go?”

The omega turned his head to look at him. Yongguk grinned at him, and he beamed back, “Hey, Yonggukkie-hyung.”

Hyerim seemed to be dying on the other side of the counter, staring at the both of them.

He waved to the receptionist before Yongguk led him out of the building, the arm around his shoulder not dropping. Junhong quietly eyed Yongguk’s outfit; he looked really professional, yet casual – and like always, attractive as hell. Strangely, the omega felt the urge to touch the elder’s shoulders, since they looked so broad in his coat.

Yongguk opened the backdoor to the car for him, “I hope you don’t mind, but I got a driver for today… parking can take a while, and you probably noticed that my driving is terrible.”

“That’s okay!” Junhong assured him. Actually, he was happier that Yongguk’s hands were free. As the car began accelerating, the younger shyly took the other’s hand in his and traced the lines on his palms. Yongguk’s hands were warm, like always.

The omega was having fun by himself, just playing with the other’s hand. He wanted to memorise every detail of the alpha, from the calluses on his fingertips to the veins on his wrist.

The long sleeves of Junhong’s sweater almost came up to the tips of his fingers, and Yongguk watched him, eyes full of adoration.

“You…”

Junhong looked up at the sound of Yongguk’s deep voice, eyes wide.

“God, you’re too adorable,” Yongguk murmured, and Junhong averted his eyes as he began to blush furiously.

“All you’re doing is proving me right.” The alpha knew he shouldn’t tease the other, but his reactions were too damn cute, how could he resist?

“Hyung…” Junhong whined quietly, trying to cover his face. Yongguk laughed and gently pried the other’s hands from his face.

Holding both of Junhong’s hands in his, Yongguk stared at Junhong’s face, the omega’s cheeks tinting with pink once again. The alpha stared at him for a while, for so long that Junhong began to feel self-conscious, before he finally spoke.

“You’re not wearing contacts?”

“Huh?” was all Junhong could say, lost. The alpha released his hands and moved back, maintaining some distance. Junhong couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed.

“On Sunday, you were wearing glasses,” Yongguk pointed out. “I thought you’ve been wearing contacts since then.”

Junhong nodded in understanding. “I don’t actually need glasses,” he admitted. “My mother thinks they make me look smart, so she told me to wear them.”

Yongguk chuckled in amusement, “Appearance doesn’t matter, Junhong.”

The omega couldn’t have thought of something more true. Yongguk appeared intimidating, with his perfect fashion and perfect manners, but he couldn’t be more kind. Apparently, he was also super wise.

Junhong’s hand curled into his own sweater as he glanced at the alpha next to him.

“We’re almost at our first stop,” the alpha said, looking out the window. Junhong followed his gaze to a high-rise apartment, and he looked back at Yongguk, blinking.

“It’s tall…” he mumbled, staring at it again.

“Our apartment will be at the top, if we decide to get it. Are you afraid of heights?” Yongguk questioned, and Junhong shook his head. “Good, that makes it easier.”

 

When Yongguk said their apartment would be at the top, Junhong didn’t think he meant right at the very top. When the alpha pressed the elevator button for level 49, it finally clicked.

A penthouse apartment.

When they reached level 49, Yongguk unlocked the door to the apartment and walked in, Junhong a few paces behind.

“Woah.”

Junhong immediately looked at the chandelier in the middle of the room, hanging low. The room was gigantic, decorated with pristine white furniture.

“It’s huge,” he breathed in awe, and Yongguk smiled at him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“Feel free to look around.”

Junhong teared his eyes away from the entrance to look at the alpha, “Isn’t there going to be an estate agent or something?”

Yongguk shook his head, causing Junhong to tilt his head. “I own this penthouse already, as well as the others. If you select one of the locations, then the other two will be rented out.”

Junhong wasn’t sure whether to be shocked that Yongguk already owned three apartments at 24 years old, or relieved that the elder wasn’t going to be buying an apartment just for him. He settled for staring at the large entrance, amazed at how high the ceiling was.

“Look around,” the elder prodded again, and Junhong nodded, moving around the large space.

The bottom floor seemed to be one big living room, but Junhong noticed, upon further inspection, that a kitchen and dining room were located towards the side. The dining table could probably seat fifteen people alone, and Junhong pictured himself and Yongguk eating dinner together, alone, on an ordinary night. He frowned to himself, thinking the image seemed rather lonely.

The omega wandered upstairs, only to be surprised by seven bedrooms and four bathrooms, as well as another living room. “Holy sh–” Junhong clasped his own hand over his mouth as he stared wide eyed at Yongguk. “Hyung, isn’t this place a bit too big?”

“Is it?” Yongguk looked around. “If you’re worried about cleaning, I usually hire a maid to come in twice a week anyway.”

“No, not that,” Junhong shook his head. “What would we need seven bedrooms for anyway?”

“We could take three each for our own purposes, and have one as a guest room,” the alpha said, but Junhong didn’t look convinced. “You dance right? One room could be your dance studio, and another could be for studying… and then one for actually sleeping.”

“But one of these rooms is big enough for sleeping, studying and dancing…” Junhong countered. The room in his own house had to be a third the size of one of these rooms, and it was already big enough. “How’d you know I dance?”

“A lot of my employees follow your Instagram account. They tell me quite a lot,” Yongguk smirked, and Junhong realised that the video he uploaded last night where he danced goofily with his dog might not have been the best decision. He looked down in embarrassment.

”And I guess that’s true. So it’s a no for this place?” Yongguk asked.

“It’s a maybe,” Junhong confirmed. Not only did he think it was too big, but the entire place seemed so… untouched. Unlived in. It didn’t feel like a home.

“It’s a really nice place though, hyung,” he said, turning back to Yongguk. “It’s pretty.”

The alpha smiled. “Well, one of the other places I was going to take us to is actually bigger than this so… I’ll just take you to one other apartment, okay?”

“Okay!”

 

The moment Junhong stepped into the last apartment, his eyes were immediately attracted to the windows – if they could even be called windows. They covered the entire wall, allowing natural sunlight to shine in.

The entire place was a lot smaller than the first apartment, but it was still pretty big. A lot of pot plants were placed around the living room, making the place seem familiar, yet fresh.

Junhong smiled happily when he realised there wasn’t even a dining table, just a counter in the kitchen. And the kitchen was so cool, with an island in the center and all the newest cooking gadgets. Junhong didn’t know how many of the tools he could use to make ramen, but he’d been planning on learning how to cook more meals anyway.

Towards the other side of the apartment, two glass doors led to an outside deck. Junhong gasped as he saw a pool, complete with slides and deck chairs. He stepped outside, dipping his feet into the water and giggling quietly to himself. Yongguk jokingly almost pushed him in, and he laughed loudly, without a care in the world.

“Do you swim, hyung? We should swim together some time.” Junhong kicked his legs in the water. He glanced at the alpha uncertainly.

“Yeah, that would be fun,” Yongguk tried not to smile too widely. Junhong’s mouth split into a grin and he played with the water for a bit longer.

After a few minutes Junhong got up, keen to explore the rest of the apartment.

The apartment only got better. A spiral staircase led them to the rooms upstairs, where Junhong finally made his decision. Like the other apartment, the rooms were also huge, but at least there were only four. Instead of just having white walls, each room had its own colour, and felt homely. Each had its own bathroom, with a large bath (which had a spa setting, much to the omega’s delight).

He sat down on a bed, sinking into its softness.

Yongguk, sensing he already loved the place, asked him which room he’d like.

“Can I have this one please?” Junhong asked, staring at the alpha from his position. The room had a walk-in closet as well as another closet with mirrored doors, and Junhong knew it would come in handy for dancing. Not to mention the walls were painted a light blue, his favourite colour.

“Of course,” Yongguk smiled, and rested an arm over his shoulders. “Are you sure you’re okay with just one room though?”

“More than okay,” Junhong answered. “I’m… I just love this place, hyung.” He sighed happily.

Yongguk’s eyes softened, “Well, we can both move in here as soon as the contract is finished.”

Junhong blinked, surprised that it would be so soon, but also looking forward to call the apartment home, and – as much as he would deny it – living with the alpha.

“Thank you, Yonggukkie-hyung,” he said shyly.

“No problem,” the elder ruffled his hair fondly before offering him a hand. “I want to show you something.”

Junhong took his hand, and Yongguk brought him to overlook the apartment.

The sun was beginning to set, rays of light painting the apartment orange and purple, making Junhong think about how maybe this marriage could be the best thing that had ever happened to him – even when it hadn’t actually happened yet. He glanced at Yongguk, watching the sunlight paint his features, and his eyes softened.

Yongguk was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and even if the marriage didn’t go through, Junhong hoped that he’d at least have made a close friend who he could look up to.

The two stood in silence, watching the sun sink beneath the low buildings in the city. Darkness began to seep into the apartment, and Yongguk checked his watch.

“Do you have to go home early? I was thinking we could have dinner together.”

Junhong couldn’t have said yes faster.

 

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find me @junhng on tumblr

so now youngjae and (kind-of) daehyun are introduced (•‿•)

himchan is coming very soon!! things r starting to kick up yo

tell me what you think about this update!!