Bae Joohyun is a weirdo. Seungwan thought she had already known this ever since it was super hard for her to make Joohyun realize that she actually likes her. 

Turns out, that was nothing compared to this one.

Today is going to be their first date, and Seungwan decided to keep it simple by inviting her to have lunch at her home. She has made a plan on what to bake and order for their first lunch together. 

Seungwan has even organized her home to give off a romantic aura that will make their first date run perfectly. A lit candle on top of the dining table, using the prettiest collection of tableware that she owned, and taking the most expensive silverware out of the shelves. She even prepared a vase secretly, in case Joohyun bought her a bouquet of fresh flowers.

She realized that she might have hoped for too much at this point, but a girl must always be prepared.

The actress is just done plating everything on the dining table—excluding the dessert she baked herself—when she heard her bell rang. The sign that Joohyun has arrived. Seungwan quickly ran towards the front door, checking her own appearance on the wall mirror in a quick detour before she opened the door to welcome her date.

Joohyun dressed up so casually compared to the one that she wore during the time when she was building her house. She only wears a white t-shirt and blue jeans that somehow looks so damn good on her petite figure. Her long hair is done in a ponytail, showing off the soft feature of her gorgeous face. The usual safety shoes are being replaced with slip-on Vans. So far, Seungwan liked this casual appearance of Joohyun.

“Hi,” greeted Seungwan with a huge smile after shamelessly checking out the alpha in front of her from head to toe.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Son,” greeted Joohyun formally with a nod of her head, before she realized her slip-up as she went into a whole pause. “I mean—Seungwan.”

“Please, come in,” Seungwan said as she made space for Joohyun to go through, giggling from her mistake. She giddily waited for the architect at the front porch to take off her shoes before leading her inside the home Joohyun built for her. Her eyes easily spotted the black plastic bag inside her grasp. “Did you buy something?”

“Oh, yes,” nodded Joohyun once again as she handed her the plastic bag along with scratching the back of her head. “These are the spicy rice cakes that I like. I bought it on my way here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“More food, the merrier,” chuckled Seungwan to lighten the mood, and to make Joohyun less stiff for today’s date. But her resting deadpan expression stayed on her face. Seungwan almost gave up if only her brain didn't remember that today was their first date. “Are you hungry?”

Her date only gave her a light shrug of her shoulders. If this someone is not Joohyun, she would already express her annoyance by yelling in front of their face. “I also brought you something.”

“What is it?” asked Seungwan after she tried her best to mask her frustration in case it was shown on her facial features. She saw Joohyun take a box out of her huge tote bag and hand it immediately to her. There is an odd gaze inside Seungwan’s eyes, such a contrast to Joohyun’s excited one. “Uh, what is this?”

“Lego,” stated Joohyun, like it’s the most obvious thing in this world and Seungwan should have known that. “Flowerpot.”

Seungwan raised her eyebrows in surprise as she weighed the box of Lego inside her grasp and her eyes landed on the print of flowers at the surface of the carton. “They don’t sell fresh flowers anymore?”

“Oh,” reacted Joohyun before she awkwardly scratched the back of her head once again. “I just remember that I have that box in my apartment. I didn’t check the florist.”

She blinked her eyes as she stared at the unopened box of Lego with a perplexed gaze. This isn’t the kind of flowers she expected Joohyun to give her. It is supposed to be the kind of flowers that she can put inside the vase she has prepared on the coffee table in the living room. Not the kind of flowers that needs to be built with her own hand. Seungwan put the box on the kitchen island before flashing Joohyun a forced smile. “Thank you for this. Why don’t you wait at the dining table while I prepare the spicy rice cakes?”

Joohyun once again only gave her a simple nod before she walked towards the dining table that had been filled with a bunch of food Seungwan had ordered. 

Ever since the time they have spent together during the making of her home, Seungwan has always known that Joohyun is not much of a talker, and only speaks when she needs to explain something regarding the building process. But the architect was almost going to spend their whole date in absolute silence if only Seungwan didn’t ask her a bunch of questions.

And the actress was able to find out certain things about Joohyun. 

Purple is her favorite color. Spicy rice cakes—especially the one she just bought for today’s date—is her favorite food. She is allergic to chicken, and Seungwan patted herself on the back inwardly for choosing to order beef and pork dishes for today’s lunch. She hates animals to guts, especially the small dogs her sisters’ own. She is the second child out of four siblings. Joohyun is three years older than her, Seungwan unable to hold back her smirk when she calls her unnie for the first time and saw her face turned into a deep red as her reaction. 

The architect is very adorable in her own way.

They are about to eat the chocolate molten lava cake Seungwan baked herself while watching the drama she is currently into when Joohyun stops by the island. “Are you not going to build the flowerpot, Ms. So—Seungwan?”

To be honest, Seungwan is completely not in the mood to do something with the Lego her date gave her. But she doesn’t want to appear rude, and Seungwan came up with a good idea as she flashed her a smirk. “I actually don’t know how to play with Lego. Do you mind showing it to me and teaching me?”

It’s not a complete lie. Seungwan has never played with Lego before, and she will never play with one.

“Oh,” Joohyun blinked her eyes as she looked at the box of Lego in her grasp. For the second time, Seungwan spotted pure excitement inside her brown orbs. “Sure.”

Seungwan made an empty space at the edge of the long coffee table as a place for Joohyun to start building the Lego and ‘teach’ her how to do it. She allows herself to be comfortable on the sofa while watching Joohyun opening the box of Lego and pouring out a bunch of blocks onto the table to build the flowerpot.

“It’s actually pretty simple,” Joohyun started her lesson as she wore the glasses that she took out from her tote bag. “You just need to put these blocks together in their respective places.”

“Really?” Seungwan faked her excitement before she ate a spoon of her cake. “Sounds fun.”

Joohyun affirmed her answer with a nod as she became silent while focusing on building the Lego with utmost focus in her eyes. Seungwan watches her separating the blocks and start building it with a victorious smirk on her face, before leaving Joohyun alone to do her business with the Lego. 

It’s going on for quite long to the point Seungwan almost forgets about the existence of someone else in her home when Joohyun breaks her silence after she was done with the first episode of the drama.

“Done.”

She turned her head to find a beautifully assembled flower made from Lego. Joohyun is still having her emotionless expression on her face—with the glasses already gone from resting at the bridge of her nose. But Seungwan can easily notice the pride oozing out from her gorgeous eyes as she looks at the flower she just finished building from scratch.

“For you,” murmured Joohyun softly while she pushed the flower closer towards Seungwan, who almost didn’t catch her words because it was close to a whisper.

“Wow,” responded Seungwan as her eyes landed on the flowerpot made from Lego. It was made from a toy, Seungwan knows this. But she can’t help but to feel happy that Joohyun is making her this with the thought of giving it to her. “Thank you. It’s really beautiful.”

The blush is back on Joohyun’s face, and Seungwan inwardly coo from the adorable sight in front of her. She certainly didn’t miss the tight-lipped smile on her beautiful features. Seungwan will count that as the first genuine smile Joohyun has ever given her. “I-it’s nothing.”

A smirk is back on her face for making Joohyun stutter with her own words. She noticed that the older woman was avoiding looking at her in the eyes, probably feeling shy from the compliment. Seungwan took the flowerpot in her hands to inspect them closer, starting to like the toy Joohyun gave her. “Do you have any advice on where to put this?”

Joohyun hums as her eyes quickly scan around her home before her index finger pointing towards somewhere. “You can put it on, uh, that desk.”

Her head turned around following the spot where Joohyun just told her and easily found the place. It was a desk near the huge window that overlooked the beach. The perfect place for Seungwan to put the flowerpot because they will bask under the natural light and never fail to remind her about the first ‘flowers’ Joohyun has ever bought her. “Great answer.”

She blushed again and Seungwan couldn't help but to laugh from her reaction before she left the sofa to put the flowerpot made from Lego on the desk. 

Once she felt satisfied with the position and the way it appeared, Seungwan turned around to go back and couldn't help but to chuckle when she found Joohyun still sitting on the floor awkwardly.

“Come sit here,” invited Seungwan as she patted the empty space on her comfortable sofa. “I want to show you one of my favorite movies.”

The alpha only stared at the empty spot Seungwan signaled for her to sit on before she nodded her head and left the floor to move on the sofa. Seungwan placed the cake that Joohyun had yet to eat in front of her on the coffee table before searching through the catalog of her Netflix. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Joohyun take a bite of her chocolate molten lava cake that had grown cold. “This is really good.”

“Thanks,” grinned Seungwan in pride as she started the movie, liking the way the tip of Joohyun’s ears reddened from her reply. She continued eating her cake while ignoring Seungwan’s teasing gaze. “I took pride in my baking skill.”

Joohyun only nods her head before her eyes land on the TV screen that has started the movie she chose for today. “What is this about?”

“It’s about someone who can time travel if he enters a wardrobe and thinks about where he wants to go,” answered Seungwan as the movie finally started. “It’s a really good romance movie, by the way.”

There’s a frown on Joohyun’s face when she turned around to look at her. “But that’s impossible. There’s no real evidence that someone can time travel.”

“It’s a movie, Joohyun,” snorted Seungwan in disbelief from how logical her answer was. “This is fiction. Anything can happen in fiction.”

She only scratched the back of her head before Seungwan rolled her eyes and put her attention back on the movie. They just reached her favorite part when the male lead proposed to the female lead while she was asleep. Seungwan was about to tell her that this is her favorite part when she turned her head to find Joohyun already asleep on her couch.

This is the first time Seungwan ever saw her calm expression. Her head rested on the backrest of the couch, causing her cheek to bunch up. She looks so innocent in her sleep, with her arms crossed above her chest and slightly parted lips. 

Seungwan can’t help but to coo from the cute sight, before she paused the movie to fetch a blanket from the guest bedroom. She carefully draped the blanket over her body, trying to not wake Joohyun up from her slumber. Seungwan doesn’t know whether she was too tired from work yesterday or the movie is too boring for Joohyun, but she decided to not disturb her and just let her enjoy her sleep peacefully.

The movie just started to roll the credits when Joohyun woke up from her quick slumber. “Is it over?”

“Yeah,” answered Seungwan as she brought the dirty tableware to the dishwasher and started the machine. She flashed her a playful smirk. “You really sleep well.”

“Sorry,” a deep blush bloom on her cheeks with one of them got an imprint of her sofa, the sign that tells everyone that she was really deep in her slumber to the point she doesn’t even change position. “Did you, uh, put this blanket on me?

“Yeah, because you look so comfortable in your sleep. And it’s okay,” assured Seungwan as she couldn't help but to find her cute from being embarrassed that she just fell asleep in the middle of the movie. She pointed her eyebrow towards the big window with the beach presented as the main view. “The sun has started to set. What do you think of ordering dinner and having it together with me here?”

Joohyun silently stares at her before she answers with a nod. “I will pay this time.”

let out a chuckle from how eager Joohyun appeared in fetching her phone and being the one who ordered food this time. She probably wanted to mend her mistake for falling asleep when Seungwan stated she was perfectly alright with it. But she just let her, and completely trusted Joohyun’s choice for their dinner tonight.

On their second date, it’s Seungwan’s turn to visit Joohyun’s apartment this time.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Joohyun lives in a high-end apartment building. From the extravagant entrance to the luxurious lobby, Joohyun continues to surprise her with the way she lives her life. Not to mention her black sedan that she knew is not affordable for everyone. She can’t help but to wonder how much money Joohyun makes from being an architect, especially when she can afford this kind of lifestyle.

Only top actors and actresses can afford to live at this kind of place too. And that says a lot.

“Hi,” greeted Seungwan with a huge smile when Joohyun opened the front door of her apartment after she rang a bell to announce her arrival.

“Hello,” greeted Joohyun back, a level-up compared to the ‘good afternoon’ she got during their first date. She made a space for Seungwan to walk inside her apartment. “Come in.”

Seungwan nods as she stops at the front porch to take off her flat shoes before walking inside her place. The scent of jasmine tea with a hint of lavender welcomes her like a warm embrace, Seungwan can’t help but to bask in the good smell. “I brought you flowers, by the way.”

“Oh,” reacted Joohyun as her eyes landed on the bouquet of fresh flowers Seungwan had kept hidden behind her back. “Thank you. You don’t need to.”

“Nonsense. I want to,” giggled Seungwan, liking the way the tip of her ears reddened when she expressed her gratitude. “Do you have anything where we can put these flowers?”

“Right,” Joohyun blinked her eyes, slow to realize that they can’t just let those flowers sit inside the bouquet. She quickly turns around and walks towards the kitchen, probably trying to find something that can work as a vase. Seungwan let Joohyun take her time in searching for a vase as she took this chance to look around the space the architect calls home. She brought her attention back when she heard the sound of her steps. “Does this work?”

She turns around to find a glass that is tall enough to be an emergency vase inside Joohyun’s grasp. Seungwan chuckled as a teasing smirk slowly bloomed on her face. “You might want to fill the glass with water if you want to make it work.”

“Oh, you are right,” replied Joohyun with a prominent blush on her cheek this time. She ran back to her kitchen to fill the glass with a little bit of water. “Sorry for being, uh, totally unprepared. No one has ever been here except my family and myself. You are my first ever guest.”

“Really?” smirked Seungwan as she enjoyed the sight of flustered Joohyun in the comfort of her own home. “That’s a nice way to make a girl feel special.”

Her blush deepened as it covered almost the entirety of her face. Joohyun is too shy to the point the only thing she can do is fidgeting on her spot and trying to evade her eyes. Seungwan can’t help but to find this whole thing adorable. “Uh, do you want a tour around my apartment before we have our lunch?”

“If you don’t mind,” Seungwan flashed her a smile. Joohyun only stared at her for a second before she got her tight-lipped smile as her way to tell Seungwan that she didn’t mind.

And her apartment is such a contrast compared to the lavish style of the whole building.

The first thing that comes into Seungwan’s mind when she takes her first step inside her apartment is home. Joohyun really did her magic to turn this place into a space of comfort. She can see some specks of purple on each corner of the apartment, but not too overwhelming to make it look like Joohyun is a maniac of purple. 

Her date keeps everything simple and organized, Seungwan really appreciates the way she designed the interior.

Joohyun installed several wooden boards on the wall as a place for her to put a bunch of dioramas made from Lego that she built herself. Seungwan realized at that moment that Joohyun probably likes Lego a little bit too much. She even spotted a racing car made from Lego bricks being installed on the wall. Seungwan dares to bet Joohyun actually knows nothing about the sport, and she only bought that because it’s Lego.

It’s not like Seungwan knows anything about the sport either.

“Do you play with anything else besides Lego?” asked Seungwan out of curiosity. Although she can’t help but to feel like she will not fancy her answer.

“Um,” Joohyun scratched the back of her head. “I got the sudoku app installed on my phone.”

See? Nothing surprising.

At the far end of her living room, there is a big cupboard with the top part touching the high ceiling, and it’s completely filled with a collection of books. Both thin and thick. From the quick scan of her eyes, they are all related to the job Joohyun is doing or science, and no fiction novel in sight.

Glad to know that her date is a total nerd.

There is nothing special about the rest of her apartment as Joohyun seems like she wants to keep it simple. Nothing extravagant, nothing that looks like they’re out of place. Everything works well together in their own quirk way. Joohyun really has an eye for aesthetics and she proves it with her apartment.

They are having lunch after Joohyun takes her on a tour around her apartment. It’s roast beef with a side of sauteed vegetables and french fries as the menu for their lunch today. Joohyun claims she cooked it herself, and Seungwan can’t believe it.

“This is absolutely delicious!” exclaimed Seungwan in disbelief after she took a bite of her roast beef. The meat just melted inside and there is no way Joohyun is cooking this. “No way you are not ordering this!”

“I made it this morning,” responded Joohyun lightly as she calmly ate her lunch, and Seungwan missed the reddened tip of her ears. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Oh, this is beyond like. I’m loving this!” exaggerated Seungwan, causing the blush to make a comeback on Joohyun’s face for being praised over her cooking skill. “What you can’t do, honestly?”

“Um,” her blush deepened. “Dating?”

Seungwan let out a loud laugh. She doesn’t expect Joohyun to answer her question with that. “No need to be super honest with me, Joohyun. We both know that.”

Joohyun can only clear in embarrassment before she drinks her glass of cider.

Once they are done with their lunch, Seungwan wants to know more about Joohyun. Something that she hasn’t found out yet. That’s why she asks Joohyun if she likes to watch something that is able to make her feel interested. 

Turns out, Joohyun loves to watch home improvement and real estate TV shows during her free time. Those kinds of shows are always helpful to help her be inspired if she got stuck with creativity in the middle of making the design concept. She also loves to watch shows that explain the history behind the greatest buildings mankind ever made.

Safe to say, everything that is related to her job. Seungwan finds it super boring.

And yet, it makes Joohyun more intriguing in her eyes. Seungwan probably got influenced with the ‘I can fix him’ propaganda, but she can’t help to think that maybe Joohyun can change from being a serious and boring person into someone who is more fun. She is not that confident in turning Joohyun into a fun person, but at least she will be a much better person than she was right now if she keeps trying hard to win her heart.

A good-looking alpha who is also exactly her type really is Seungwan’s biggest weakness.

On their third date, Seungwan decided to step up their game by going out. Today, a cute and secluded café in Ikseon-dong is a place that Seungwan picks to be the best spot for their next date.

Like every famous person who wants to go out, Seungwan decided to be lowkey with her appearance to not gather a lot of attention from everyone around her. She keeps her outfit casual—an ed checkered shirt, black tank top and dark jeans—topped with a simple make-up and mandatory black cap to cover her face. 

Joohyun is also wearing simple attire for today’s date. Her white t-shirt is topped with a dark blazer and dark pantsuit. She looks so hot, if Seungwan needs to be honest. Especially when she let her long hair loose instead of styling it in her usual ponytail. She can’t help but to be overprotective and warn every omega who is walking past them with her sharp glare to let them know that Joohyun is off the list.

Well, they are not yet a couple but Seungwan is on her way to make sure of that!

Seungwan decided to order iced Americano and a slice of Basque cheesecake. Joohyun decided to order iced strawberry lemonade and two chocolate chip cookies. They haven’t discussed yet whether they will split the bill or one of them will just pay for everything. But when Seungwan is about to take her wallet out from her purse, Joohyun beats her to it and surprises her in doing so.

Because Joohyun is paying with a black American Express card, the most elite card known to mankind. 

Only the people who got invited by the bank can own the black card. Not even all of the top artists in the country have acquired the black card in their grasp. Seungwan has been working hard for years, and she still hasn't gotten the invitation. 

And here is Joohyun, casually having the black Amex card tucked inside her wallet.

She wants to ask, really. How the hell does an architect like Joohyun manage to get her hand owning the damn card? But Seungwan doesn’t want to come off as annoying in front of Joohyun. That’s the kind of conversation they can have once they are in an official relationship. Right now, Seungwan needs to keep it low with her questions.

“I’m surprised you didn’t order coffee,” Seungwan decided to start the conversation when she saw Joohyun taking a sip of her lemonade.

“I don’t like coffee,” replied Joohyun with a grimace on her face while she stirred her lemonade. “It’s bitter.”

Seungwan nods her head. She really can’t hold back herself to not ask the question that has been resting at the tip of her tongue. “You have a black card?”

The alpha blinked her eyes in confusion. Seungwan immediately referred to the card she used to pay their orders earlier. Joohyun scratched the back of her head like usual before she answered. “Um, yeah. They gave me one.”

Her eyebrows got raised in surprise. She wants to pester her with more questions but Seungwan is too afraid to ruin their nice date. That’s why she only nodded her head and decided to change the topic by telling Joohyun everything that has happened during the whole week.

To be honest, Joohyun is a really good listener. She always listened to everything Seungwan said and somehow always remembered it, to the point she casually brings it up during their conversation and surprised her because she doesn’t even remember she ever told Joohyun about it. Like when Seungwan is mulling over the idea of doing a karaoke after their date in Ikseon-dong, Joohyun encourages her and even asks if she can come along with her because she remembers that Seungwan loves to sing and do karaoke alone.

For Joohyun to remember that little fact about her, causing her heart to flutter and burst into something more for the nonchalant alpha.

And Joohyun is also sweet in her own way. She brought several plys of tissues when Seungwan forgot to take them earlier for her to use. She offered her arm for Seungwan to link it with her own as they walked through the alley together, although there was a blush on Joohyun’s cheek when she did that. Seungwan chuckled as she linked her arm with Joohyun and kissed her cheek, causing the blush to spread all over her face.

At each date, their relationship becomes closer, and slowly grows into something more.

---

It’s been months since Seungwan confessed her feelings to Joohyun. And their relationship remains stagnant even after a few more dates.

There’s no one to blame, Seungwan knows this. She is still in the middle of filming her drama, and it requires her utmost focus as more days tick away. Seungwan can’t help but to accept there is nothing she can do regarding this matter.

But it’s not Seungwan if she doesn’t find a way to compromise.

Out of shared conversations with Joohyun, Seungwan finds out that the place where she filmed her drama is actually near Joohyun's architecture firm. She utilizes the short distance by asking Joohyun if she can pick her up when the filming is over and matches the time of when she goes back home. Joohyun’s answer to her request is a nod, and Seungwan has been coming home together with the alpha ever since.

And boy, it feels so good to be a passenger princess.

Being a passenger princess means Seungwan can watch Joohyun drive her home everytime she picks her up. Joohyun has a habit of putting both of her hands on the steering wheel. She will put on her serious expression mask on her face during the drive, and she looks absolutely hot when those street lamps bask her in their warm light. 

Joohyun doesn’t mind when Seungwan connects her phone to her car with bluetooth so she can play her late night drive playlist. Seungwan will sing along to the song while Joohyun will occasionally glance her eyes towards her whenever she thought the omega wasn’t noticing when she always is. Sometimes, Seungwan will ask her to sing along too but Joohyun always says no to the idea because she doesn’t know the lyrics of the song. She does hum along to the melody if she likes the song, and Seungwan will smile from the gesture like she just won the world.

Sometimes, they will stop by the Han river and sit on the riverside with a shared bowl of instant noodles and two cans of coke—zero sugar for Seungwan and regular for Joohyun. Seungwan will tell Joohyun about how her day went and the architect will listen to every word she says, just like how it usually is.

Occasionally, there are nights when Seungwan is too tired to even have her eyes stayed open during the drive back home. Joohyun is a really good driver, and the smooth trip just easily caused her eyelids to become heavy and make her fall asleep. 

Whenever she wakes up once they arrive at her home, she will find Joohyun’s coat draping over her body. The act that Joohyun did while she was sleeping just to keep her warm. Seungwan would snuggle her face into the thick material, allowing herself to bask inside the scent of the alpha before she let Joohyun drive back to her apartment after dropping her home.

Nights like this are romantic. Nights like this are precious. Nights like this are perfect.

Their schedule matches again, and Seungwan currently waits for Joohyun to pick her up. Usually, Joohyun will arrive at the filming site at nine o’clock. But it seems like she will be late tonight because fifteen minutes has passed and Seungwan still has not yet seen her.

Well, it’s not like she’s worried. Joohyun probably needs to take care of some business back at the firm, nothing much.

Seungwan kicked some pebbles and hummed on her favorite song to kill her boredom while waiting for Joohyun to arrive. Most of the crew and the cast have gone back to their places. Even Sooyoung has left the filming site after Seungwan forces her to go home.

“Are you sure?” asked Sooyoung, a bit unsure. “Joohyun hasn’t arrived yet. We can wait together.”

“I’m sure,” nodded Seungwan, trying to assure her manager that she will be fine if she leaves her alone. “I’m a fully grown adult, I can take care of myself.”

“And unmated omega,” snorted Sooyoung as her eyes landed on the white choker around her neck.

She rolled her eyes from the unwanted jab before patting her shoulder as she tried to reassure Sooyoung. “Go back home, Sooyoung. You deserve your rest.”

Sooyoung can only let out a defeated sigh and remind her to stay safe before she bids her goodbye and leaves her to wait for Joohyun alone. Seungwan might be waiting for the architect a bit far from the filming site, but she still can hear some of the crew cleaning and packing the tools behind her. The white noise is enough to accompany her in the middle of darkness.

“Oi, Son Seungwan!”

The called one turned around to find one of the crew she rarely saw during the filming. He looks drunk based on his staggered walk and the strong stench of alcohol coming out from him.

“You are not going home yet?” he asked with a hiccup. He doesn’t give Seungwan a chance to reply as he continues. “We are currently having a drink. Why don’t you join us?”

Seungwan flashed him a polite smile after she gave him a bow. “I’m okay, sir. Thank you.”

He let out a loud scoff from her answer before chugging down a good amount of soju into his system. “So the rumor was right. International stardom really turned you into a cocky brat of an actress.”

That brought her into a halt. “Sorry?”

“You might be famous, Son Seungwan, but you are still a ing omega,” sneered the unknown guy as he throw away the empty of bottle soju and causing it to crash on the ground. “An omega should know their place against an alpha like me. Do you really think just because you are famous you can ing talk back to me like that?”

Everything Sooyoung told her on that day immediately rushed back into her mind.

There is a reason why Sooyoung was originally against the production of this drama. There’s a rumor that one of the crew members abused his status as an alpha to gain advantage on every omega at the filming site, doesn’t matter if it’s a production crew or a cast member. 

“Why do you think only managers like me know this kind of rumor?” explained Sooyoung further, because Seungwan thought it’s probably just a stupid rumor. “Because this thing has happened a lot but there is never any real action to prevent this any further. Your success is important, Seungwan, but that doesn’t mean I will put your safety any less than the recognition you will get.”

“You are just thinking too much, Sooyoung. We are already in a modern time. That kind of thinking doesn’t exist anymore,” chuckled Seungwan as she patted the shoulder of her manager to assure her. “Nothing will happen.”

Turns out she’s wrong, and there is no Sooyoung to protect her from this kind of alpha.

“Look,” Seungwan cautiously took a step back, only for the guy to take a step forward. Her heart beats like crazy underneath her ribcage. She doesn’t remember the last time she ever felt this scared before. Seungwan doesn’t even realize her hands are shaking and she has been stressfully releasing her pheromone, when she knew it was a bad idea to do this in front of a drunk alpha. “I wasn’t trying to disrespect you, Sir. I’m just-”

“What the ? You don’t even ing know my name!” yelled the guy before he spat on her like she was worthless. “You are only a ing omega who would just ing spread their legs on every alpha they encountered! You are nothing special, so how dare you talk back to me like that?”

When the guy stumbled on his own steps, Seungwan took her chance to run away as far as she could. She ignored his yell, calling for her name to come back. She can listen to the sound of his steps coming from behind her, gradually getting closer and closer like he was already beside her. Seungwan closed her eyes, praying to whoever up there to help her be safe-

“Oof!”

“Seungwan?”

The familiar voice broke Seungwan out of her fear. Slowly but surely, she picked up the smell of the scent she has remembered ever since their first meeting. The scent of bergamot and spices that always manage to bring her comfort. Seungwan looks up to find her familiar face and her warm eyes who is currently staring at her with their usual nonchalant expression.

“Joohyun?”

“I’m sorry I was late,” apologized Joohyun truthfully. “We were having a quick talk about the project my team is currently handling right now because our client is asking for some adjustment. That’s why I’m late.”

Seungwan can’t find the strength in her to form a reply. All she can do is grasp the front of Joohyun’s shirt with her trembling hand and tug her closer. She can’t even bring herself to look at her in the eyes as the only thing Seungwan can do is to bury her face inside the comfort of her warm shoulder.

“Seungwan?” Joohyun calls for her. She noticed the confusion in her voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Oi, Son Seungwan!”

Both of them jump from the loud yell of her name. The grasp she got on Joohyun’s shirt tightened, hoping that the architect would notice and start to bring her back to her car. But Joohyun is growing more confused, something Seungwan doesn’t really need right now. “Who is that man, Seungwan? Do you know him?”

She could only shake her head before she buried her face deeper inside the crook of her neck. Seungwan is so scared right now, she doesn’t want to be here any longer.

“Bring yourself here, you ing useless omega!” the man screamed louder as her ears picked up another sound of something being thrown and shattered in an instant. “I am still the ing alpha! You need to learn your place as a damn omega and ing listen to me!”

“Is he bothering you?” asked Joohyun softly as she whispered right beside her ear. Although Seungwan can pick up the way her voice hardened when she asked her the question. “Are you okay?”

Seungwan shook her head again, but she didn't clarify for which question her answer was. She really just wanted to leave this place, she doesn’t want to be here anymore. 

Sooyoung is right, she shouldn’t have accepted this drama project in the first place. She should have trusted her manager when she knew about a bad rumor circulating around this drama even when it hadn't been produced yet. 

Now she has pulled Joohyun into this problem too, and the only thing Seungwan wants is to keep her safe.

“Son Seungwan!”

Suddenly, she felt something warm and slightly heavy being draped over her shoulders, followed by Joohyun’s scent that has become stronger and filled her system with her pheromone in an instant. Turns out, Joohyun has taken off her coat and wrapped it around her trembling body to keep her warm. Seungwan looks up to find Joohyun looking at her with her warm eyes.

“Stay here,” whispered Joohyun softly while tightening her coat around her body. “I will take care of this.”

“Joohyun, no,” begged Seungwan as she stopped her before Joohyun could leave her. The hold she got on her shirt stays tight. “You don’t need to do this. Let’s just go home.”

“But I want to, Seungwan. No need to worry about me,” assured Joohyun as her fingers reached the strand of hair covering her face and gently tucked it behind her ear. “Everything will be fine. Trust me, okay?”

She really doesn’t want to let go of Joohyun, but the hold that she got on her shirt loosened because she knows that man will never leave them alone. Joohyun flashed her a tight-lipped smile before her expression turned into something Seungwan never saw once ever since their first meeting as she walked past her.

For the first time, Joohyun actually looked like an alpha.

“Son Seungwan! I’m talking with you!”

“You better go back to your drinking friends instead of yelling in the middle of the night like this,” interrupted Joohyun as she walked towards the drunk guy until there was a safe distance between the two of them. “She rejected your invitation. She said no.”

“I ain’t talking with you, midget,” scoffed the guy with a -eating smirk before he spit on Joohyun. “I’m talking with that useless and cocky omega right there.”

“And she doesn’t want to talk with you either,” stated Joohyun, unimpressed with the way he acted in front of her. Seungwan tightening the coat around her body when the man pointed her finger towards her, using the remaining of Joohyun’s scent on the thick material to help her calm down her fear. “Turn around and leave her alone.”

The man let out a boisterous laugh that echoes through the place they are at. “And who the are you for telling me around?”

“Me?” Joohyun asked. “I’m her girlfriend.”

Seungwan widened her eyes from the claim she didn't expect to come out from Joohyun’s mouth.

And it seems like her answer was also a surprise for the guy because he let out a judgmental snort. “I know a lie when I see one, midget. That girl ain’t your girlfriend because she still got her goddamn choker around her neck!”

“Our relationship is none of your business,” answered Joohyun while she clenched both of her hands into a fist. “I’ve said this once and never again. Go back.”

“Or what?” smirked the drunk guy as he took a step closer, but Joohyun didn't flinch the slightest. She stays rooted in her spot while the man keeps trying to taunt her. “You know I can ruin her career in an instant when I tell the reporters who are thirsty for her information that the top actress in this country is currently dating someone, right?”

Her body froze from the words he just said. Until her nose picks up a stronger scent of pheromone coming from Joohyun. “Excuse me?”

“Come on, who doesn’t love gossip about her, really,” grinned the man as he walked closer towards Joohyun who had completely expressed herself that she’s angry, but still held her composure in front of him. “Son Seungwan, a top actress who never had a scandal before, suddenly has one.”

“Is that a threat?” gritted Joohyun while her scent grew stronger.

“What else? It’s so easy to ruin her life, you know?” he smirked victoriously this time as the distance between the two alphas is only several inches away. “Why? Are you scared of my threat?”

“Scared?” scoffed Joohyun as this time she is the one who took a step closer towards him. “Why should I feel scared when I can ruin your life far worse than that?”

To say that the man was stunned with her answer is an understatement. “What do you mean?”

“Why? Are you scared of my threat?” Joohyun repeated what he said earlier with a lot of confidence in her voice. “I can ruin your life in the way you can’t imagine. I can make you lose your job and get you blacklisted by everyone in the industry. You don’t want that, do you?”

He gritted his teeth while taking a step back away from Joohyun who has started to dominate him and his presence. “Who the are you?”

“Oh, you don’t want to know who I am.”

The next thing Seungwan knew, Joohyun pulled him forward by his collar and whispered something into his ear that caused his expression to change from being confused to being scared as hell. As soon as Joohyun released her hold on him, he immediately ran away and left them alone in a rush.

Seungwan was stunned by how things were unveiled. She doesn’t expect Joohyun to be easily scaring him and make him run like he got his tail between his legs. Hell, she doesn’t even expect Joohyun to do anything at all because the alpha never shows this side of her in front of Seungwan before. She held her stance, remained composed in front of him and was able to scare him with her dominance.

“Come on,” Joohyun said once she was already in front of her again and fixing her coat that is still on Seungwan’s body. She held her hand afterwards, something that she never did before. “Let’s get you home.”

---

The whole ride back to her home is filled with complete silence. Joohyun actually tried to have a conversation with her by asking whether she was feeling hungry or if she wanted something to eat. 

But Seungwan stays silent as she stares at the window that overlooks the night scenery of the city from her black sedan. Joohyun only lets out a defeated sigh once she realizes that she will never get her answer before playing the radio in low volume.

Joohyun doesn’t let the silence continue once they arrive at her home and she walks her to the front gate. “I already told Sooyoung about what just happened earlier, including sending her a video that I secretly recorded when I talked with him. Turns out, that guy is one of the editors for the drama. She said she will make a statement the first thing in the morning with the company along with reporting him to the officials so they can send him to jail. You are safe now, Seungwan.”

She still didn’t say anything to all the things Joohyun just explained to her. And it seems like she caught it in the wrong way because her eyes are full of guilt.

“I’m really sorry for being late tonight,” apologized Joohyun before she pulled Seungwan into her embrace. Another action Joohyun did that continues to surprise Seungwan because this is the first time she ever hugged her. “You must be so scared.”

No. She no longer felt scared as soon as Joohyun stepped up to defend her from that man. Everything that is in her head right now is confusing because Seungwan doesn’t understand why Joohyun is doing this to her. She is too stunned with her affection to the point she can’t even make up a reply to say a word to her. 

The alpha looks at her with somber in her eyes the moment she releases her hug. She flashed a tight-lipped smile while fixing her coat that is still on Seungwan’s body. “I understand if you want to be alone right now. You can keep the coat with you for a while if it makes you feel safe.”

That’s the only thing Joohyun told her before she turned around to go back to her car. Seungwan scoffed in disbelief from her action and stops her from walking further in one sentence. “That’s it?”

Joohyun confusedly looked at her once she said that. “Huh?”

“What?” snorted Seungwan as she took a step closer to the architect in front of her. “Are you really forgetting what you said back there?”

There is a thick furrow between her two eyebrows. “I don’t understand.”

“You said you were my girlfriend,” hissed Seungwan annoyance, reminding Joohyun about her slip-up during her confrontation with the man. “Are you not going to say anything about that?”

Her signature move of scratching the back of her head is back. “What do you want me to say?”

“Really, Joohyun?” scoffed Seungwan in disbelief before she clicked her tongue in frustration. There is no way Joohyun thought of that sacred word so lightly like this. “Months, Joohyun. I’ve spent months trying to make you like me back. I’ve spent months trying to win your heart and I honestly thought that everything I did was not going to be in vain. But here you are, lightly throwing the word ‘girlfriend’ in front of someone else. What do you think it makes me feel?”

This time, it was Joohyun’s turn to stay in silence. All she can do right now is staring at Seungwan with her wide eyes as she was unable to move and say something to her.

Seungwan hollowly chuckled from the bitter fact she just got. She can only look at her in disbelief while listening to the sound of her heart slowly broken from an unrequited love. Somewhere deep in her heart, she really expects all of those dates they have been doing and late night shenanigans at the riverside of Han river are going to do something to Joohyun’s heart. 

Turns out, Joohyun feels nothing. And it hurts.

“Whatever,” sighed Seungwan defeatedly as she turned around when she could feel tears starting to pool inside her eyes. She doesn’t want Joohyun to see her cry because of her. “Just go back home and never bother me anymore, Joohyun. We are do-”

Before she could finish her words, Seungwan got yanked by someone pulling her arm. And before she could lay her protest, she can see her face being so close to her and she can feel her lips pressing against hers.

One sentence. Joohyun is the worst kisser Seungwan has ever encountered.

It feels so stiff because the only thing Joohyun does for this kiss is pressing her lips against hers and doing nothing. Seungwan noticed her eyes were closed during the kiss and the grip she got on her arm was strong enough to keep her rooted in her place. Joohyun basically doesn’t allow Seungwan to move in the middle of their ‘kiss’.

When Joohyun pulls back, Seungwan stares at her with wide eyes. “What was that?”

“Does that make you understand now?” asked Joohyun instead of answering her question as her eyes looked straight into her orbs to make a point. “I like you, Son Seungwan. I like you so much it enrages me to see someone disrespecting you like that. I like you so much I drove like a mad man when I knew I was late in picking you up from work. I like you so much to the point I can only think about you everyday.”

She can only look at her like Joohyun just grows another head out from her neck. 

Her brain has been repeating her confession over and over, Seungwan feels like she can recite all of it at once without making a mistake. She smacks her lips while her eyes move down to stare at Joohyun’s own pair. “That’s not how you kiss someone.”

Joohyun blinked her eyes. “What?”

The actress clicked her tongue. “Watch me and learn,” whispered Seungwan before she tugs her forward by the collar and pressed her lips against Joohyun in another kiss.

Seungwan shows her the right way to kiss someone. She moves to start caressing her lips softly with her own and hopes for Joohyun to follow her lead. Seungwan is about to pull back when it looks like Joohyun will not do anything about it when she kisses her back after taking notice of her own movement. She throws her arms around her neck to pull Joohyun closer, wanting to deepen the kiss. She can feel Joohyun resting her arms on each side of her waist awkwardly, like she doesn’t know what to do with her own hands but there is this urge in her to touch Seungwan.

Their kiss is a lot better now, and it feels so innocent and raw Seungwan can feel her knees becoming weak from the connection alone.

They broke apart once their lungs begged for a new batch of air. Their forehead connected with each other as they can feel their warm breath fanning against their lips. Both of them don't want to create any more distance between the two of them and Seungwan likes it so much.

“So,” Seungwan can’t help but to smirk as her mind reminds her about the kiss they just shared and the confession Joohyun just told her. “You like me?”

“For a while now,” whispered Joohyun in honesty, along with a nod.

She can’t help but to bite her bottom lip as her palm carefully touches Joohyun’s cheek that has turned color into red. When Joohyun leaned closer to her touch, Seungwan let her palm rest on the side of her gorgeous face. “Since when?”

“I don’t know,” answered Joohyun with a frown. “I’m just—starting to like the thought that I will spend more time with you whenever we are going to meet each other.”

A chuckle slipped past as Seungwan no longer held back her smile from fully blooming on her face. Seungwan likes this too much; she doesn’t want this to end. “Are you not going to ask the question?”

Joohyun frowned again. “What question?”

“Be my girlfriend, yadda yadda,” Seungwan rolled her eyes. Joohyun is still as dense as ever. “I’m the one who confessed first. It will only be right if you are the one who asked me this time.”

“Oh,” Joohyun cleared as her blush made a comeback on her face. “I don’t know how.”

“Just say what you think right now and then ask me the question,” explained Seungwan while she can’t believe she just gave a full-on tutorial to Joohyun on how to confess to someone you like: for dummies.

The architect took her time in saying what she wanted to say and Seungwan gladly gave her all the time she needed to gather her words. When Joohyun is ready, she looks her straight in the eyes and Seungwan can’t help but to feel nervous over what she is going to say.

“Son Seungwan,” started Joohyun softly. “You annoys me so much during our first meeting to the point I keep thinking about the day when I will give you your key because that would be the last time we met each other.”

Seungwan scowled in annoyance because Joohyun decided to start like that. But she held back and let her continue her words.

“But as we spend more days together and I started to learn about the reason why you want your home to be built near the beach, your presence starts to feel—bearable,” admitted Joohyun gently as her eyes didn’t waver from looking straight into her orbs. “When you said that you like me, I really didn't know what to do because it was my first time to have someone confess to me and ask me out on a date. I’m afraid you will be disappointed in me because I have no experience in doing things like this.”

Joohyun reached for her hands afterwards, and Seungwan guided her to lace their fingers together instead of holding it casually.

“I started to know you more as we grew closer. I started to like listening to your stories and knowing how your days went. I started to like your smile and wanting to always make you happy. I started to like your presence near me as we spent our day together. I started to like your voice when you sing along to the music you played in my car. I started to like our late night talks as we sat by the riverside. I started to like seeing my coat on you when you sleep, and when you feel cold.”

She bit her bottom lip to prevent her tears slipping out from the corner of her eyes. Seungwan encourages Joohyun to say more by tightening the grasp she got on her hands.

“I like you so much, Son Seungwan, and I can feel this feeling starting to grow into something more than just a mere like,” admitted Joohyun with honey dripping out from her voice. “I really like you, and I want to stay by your side. Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Yes,” grinned Seungwan as she let a drop of tear fall into her cheek and allowed Joohyun to be the one who wipes it away. “Yes to all of that, Joohyun. Yes!”

For the first time, a small smile appeared on Joohyun’s face. She looks so beautiful with that small smile and Seungwan can’t help but to fall much deeper with her feelings for Joohyun. “Can I kiss you again?”

“No need to ask, silly,” chuckled Seungwan softly before she pulled Joohyun closer and let their lips meet for the third time that night. 

Both of them smiled at the kiss which resulted in their teeth clashing against each other and it was the messiest kiss Seungwan has ever done in her life. But it was the sweetest, and Seungwan will never ask for something more.

“I’m hungry,” admitted Seungwan once they broke the kiss.

Joohyun chuckled for the first time as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Shall I order something for us? Or shall we drive somewhere? Or do you want me to cook you something?”

“Let’s just order something,” giggled Seungwan while she tugged Joohyun’s arm to bring her inside her home. “I want a cuddle.”

Her new girlfriend gives her another small smile and she just lets Seungwan pull her into her home to spend the rest of their night together. 

“For your note, let’s make tomorrow as our anniversary. I want to forget everything that has happened tonight. Everything except your confession and admitting that you are head over heels for me.”

“Anything for you, Seungwan.”

---

AND THEY ARE TOGETHER

sorry for such a long wait. i fell sick for days and im unable to do things but to suffer in my own misery. i just started to write this once i feel slightly better, that's why this update took such a lot of time (plus the fact that turns out this is becoming long af)

plus, i feel like they kinda need a big drama to just snap, you know? i'm sorry if it making you guys feel uncomfortable or some sort.

anyway, please leave a comment and let me know what you think about this story so i can use it as my motivation to start writing for the next one! if you want to interact with me, you can find me on twitter (just follow, i will accept)! feel free to also buy me a coffee!

i think that's all from me. thank you for reading, i hope you enjoy and like this, and see you in the next chapter!