[CONTENTID1]Him and his worries[/CONTENTID1]

[CONTENTID2]Jisoo started to drive away from the store after Jihoon settled beside him inside the car. “What happened? You look pale.”

“Did I cause a big trouble to you and your friend yesterday?” Jihoon asked trying to steer the topic away. Jisoo exhaled.

“A bit but not that much. Because of your disappearance, the manager decided not to pay you. But my friend is able to persuade him a bit, so you got half of the pay at least. It’s with me. Other than that, there’s some issue at the party but it’s not that relevant. Won’t you tell me what happened? You’re not a type to suddenly disappear from your work. Plus, you take nothing with you. Oh yeah, your stuff is at the back.” Jisoo said. Jihoon glanced back and nodded.

“Thank you…”

“I need the explanation, Jihoon. I even lied to your parents telling them you’re staying over at my place in case they’re getting worried.” Jihoon bit his lips. Jisoo turned a bit to Jihoon, finally looking properly at his junior. He then gasped. “Jihoon, is that?”

Jihoon finally remembered the mark and he instantly palmed it. Jisoo frowned. He then pulled over his car at the side and turned to Jihoon. “Hey, what happened last night? You… are marked? That is a mate mark, right?” Jisoo asked. Jihoon bit his lips and nodded. Jisoo was about to feel happy for Jihoon getting a mate but looking at Jihoon’s miserable face he frowned deeper. “Jihoon?”

“I… It’s not on my consent. I… This Alpha marked me without a consent.” Jisoo gasped at Jihoon’s words.

“What?! Who is it? Oh my god…” Jisoo was left speechless when Jihoon answered him.

“I don’t know. I don’t know him, only his name.”

“Is it from the party?” Jihoon nodded and startled to tell the things that happened yesterday. He only told what he could recall as some things are blurry to him because of his light-headed condition yesterday. He didn’t even remember at what point he was marked. But while he tried to remember, Jihoon realized how peaceful he was feeling with the tiny pieces of memories he remembered of how Seungcheol was treating him. Minus the unconsented marking, he’s angry about that. Jisoo just listened to him patiently.

“Are you really confirmed that he used his Alpha power to make you submit to him? Because you’re a Beta, Jihoon. You won’t be affected by the pheromones from Alpha, unless that Alpha forced using his Alpha aura.” Jihoon turned silent. Jisoo exhaled. “But that aside, he’s still forcing you anyway. You have the right to report this as a harassment, plus he marked you without a consent. Even though that’s a minus point as you know being marked is permanent.”

Jihoon sighed heavily. “I know…”

“And you didn’t reject him when you noticed the mark, right?”

Jihoon shook his head. “I know the consequences. I hold myself before I said the word. Plus, the mark burns from just when I said I hate him.” Jihoon hissed again when the word ‘hate’ came out from his mouth. Jisoo nodded in understanding.

“Maybe it’s a fresh mark that’s why it burns when you said that word.” Jisoo commented. Jihoon shrugged. “Oh, and you haven’t told me the name. Who is this jerk?”

“I don’t know him for sure. His name… Seungcheol?” Jihoon said not so confident. Jisoo frowned. That name familiar… he thought before he gasped at realisation.

“No way in hell…”

“Sunbae?”

“If that’s the name, then it’s true he’s missing. Because he took you away.” Jihoon frowned.

“What you’re talking about?” Jisoo looked at Jihoon in anxious.

“Remember that yesterday is a birthday party for the wife of a rich family, the Choi?” Jihoon nodded. He knew that much. “The party yesterday is also a party for their one and only son to find a suitor. And that son rumoured to be missing in the middle of the party, so the party was cut short because the main purpose of the party was for the son. Even though the official announcement they made is the party was cut short because the wife is not feeling well.” Jihoon definitely didn’t like the way Jisoo’s story was going.

Jisoo seemed to detect that Jihoon was connecting the dot. “Yes, the son’s name is Seungcheol. Choi Seungcheol. Wait.” Jisoo took his phone and searched on something. “Is this him?”

Jihoon looked at the picture Jisoo showed and he suddenly felt scared. He nodded timidly. Jisoo sighed. “Oh my god…”

“He…”

“You really don’t know him?” Jihoon shook his head. “His family is famous for being successful and rich. And their faces are in the media from time to time. How you’re not…” Jihoon looked down. Jisoo shook his head. “No, that’s not the point. Oh gosh… I don’t know if this is good or bad news for you. For sure now, it will be hard to report on him given he’s rich. Oh, Jihoon…” Jisoo didn’t know what to say that he just gathered Jihoon into his arms when he realized Jihoon was crying.

“I’m scared, sunbae. He could do anything…”

Jisoo exhaled and just said some soothing words as he patted Jihoon’s back. He also didn’t know what he could do to help Jihoon.

Jihoon was lucky when Jisoo sent him home, his parents weren’t in. He then made sure to stay in his room and didn’t show himself to his parents that day. He’s not sure how to tell his parents about his situation and he opted to hide it, at least until he knew what to do. Everything happened too fast, Jihoon couldn’t think properly. From the anger he felt for being marked without his consent, to knowing who is his mate, Jihoon didn’t know what to do. Not to mention, Jihoon somehow ran away from his mate without exchanging any contact or so. For now, he hid his fresh mark with concealer and needed to decide what he’s going to do next.

“Jihoon?” Jihoon startled when his classmate tapped his shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“Class already done.” Jihoon looked around.

“Oh… thanks.” Jihoon just said and quickly gathered his stuff. He couldn’t focus at all in his class today because his mind was figuring out what to do. He walked out from his class to go to the library to wait for his next class, while walking he was lost in his thought again.

He had few choices. But most of it would only be his loss or pain. One, reject his mate, in which the consequence is he will be mate-less for his whole life because he’s marked and now, he belonged to his mate for the rest of his life. Also, the pain after rejection would affect him as well. Two, accept his mate, in which he’s scared of doing so given their social status and he knew nothing about his mate. That brought him to the third choice, meet and give a chance to his mate to know each other before deciding. But he didn’t know if he wanted this or able to let another person into his life because he’s used to be on his own circle. Plus, his mate is a Male