AOA 151

Side Story 1

‘If you come at 4 PM, I will be happy starting at 3 PM.’

It was a passage from The Little Prince. Some said it was a symbol of taming, while others said it indicated that one is a special being.

I thought it was excitement and anticipation.

I was excited even before entering the arrival hall of Los Angeles International Airport, which has the most flight routes in the world.

It was the first time I had been in a proper relationship in well over 20 years. It was an extremely long-distance relationship traveling back and forth between the U.S. and Korea, but the romance was sweet.

Of course, as is always the case in life, not everything was entirely smooth. We had different personalities and tastes. The meeting of two intelligent beings with independent selves inevitably led to conflict. Humans were the kind of people who argued over the simply choice between pouring the sauce over the food or dipping it.

Of course, there was nothing serious. I tried my best to respect the other person’s opinion. In particular, I often added long explanations to prevent misunderstandings.

For example, Baek Mugyeong strongly urged me not to come to Korea. It was for safety reasons. He said I needed to be careful because my biological father and half-brother held a grudge against me.

I countered that it was too much overprotection. I argued that it was just as dangerous in the U.S. I put forward the logic that it was more efficient for me, who was practically unemployed, to travel back and forth to Korea than for Baek Mugyeong, who was busy with work, to travel back and forth to the U.S.

After compromising right up until the very end, it was decided that if I went to Korea, I would meet Baek Mugyeong in Incheon instead of Seoul.

Like that, twice or three times a month.

It had been a little over half a year since we confirmed our feelings for each other. I hadn’t even met Baek Mugyeong twenty times so far.

Maybe that is why waiting for Baek Mugyeong at the airport made my heart flutter with joy and happiness. I once looked up the advantages of a long-distance relationship on the internet, which was that being far apart makes the bond even more tender.

“The plane has arrived, right? It’s that one.”

Rob, who had come to the airport with me today, pointed to the electronic display board in the arrival hall. It showed that the plane carrying Baek Mugyeong had arrived.

“Yes that’s right.”

Excitement, thrill, joy, and freneticness surged endlessly. Just like the puppy waiting for its master that my younger sibling once used to tease me about, I looked back and forth between the electronic display and the door through which people were exiting.

The plane had only just landed, so it would be a while before Baek Mugyeong appeared. Even though I knew it in my head, my heart raced at the thought of meeting the man soon.

“Who are you waiting for?”

I heard an unfamiliar voice. When I turned to the left, an unknown man was smiling. A faint alpha pheromone wafted from the brown-haired, angular-faced white man.

This happened every time I waited for Baek Mugyeong at Los Angeles International Airport. Alphas of various ages and races would strike up a conversation without hesitation.

“My boyfriend.”

Usually, when I answered like this, they quietly backed away. They never spoke a second time, especially if Rob, who had a scary face, glared at them. It was the same this time. The man, having withdrawn his pheromones, wished me good luck, waved his hand, and disappeared.

“That guy has no courage.”

I laughed when Rob said something while looking at the man’s back. Not long ago, I had a hard time waiting for Baek Mugyeong alone at the airport after encountering a strange alpha. Since then, Rob had accompanied me to the airport.

Even as I was chatting with Rob about this and that, people kept coming out of the arrival gate. I kept my eyes fixed, afraid of losing sight of Baek Mugyeong, when I spotted a familiar face. It was Jang Hoyeon, whom I had studied with at the language academy. He recognized me as well and approached me with a look of delight on his face.

“What? Why are you here?”

“Ah, because there is someone I am waiting for.”

“I was surprised because I thought you were waiting for me. I just came back from Korea. It was my sister’s wedding. Are you going to Taehyun’s birthday party? Didn’t you say you had a prior engagement that day?”

“Yeah. I have a prior engagement.”

Jang Hoyeon was very sociable and had a wide network of acquaintances. When I first started attending the language academy, I received a lot of help from him and got to know many friends. Park Taehyun was one of them. Just as Jang Hoyeon said, I was invited to Park Taehyun’s birthday party, but I declined because it happened to coincide with the day Baek Mugyeong was coming to the U.S.

A familiar silhouette flickered behind Jang Hoyeon, who had said it was a shame but still hoped I would attend. Suddenly, I snapped back to reality.

“Just a moment. The person I’ve been waiting for has arrived. I’ll contact you later.”

“Uh… yeah.”

I knew Jang Hoyeon was flustered, but I couldn’t pay attention to it. I had been waiting so long, yet I didn’t even notice Baek Mugyeong coming out of the arrival gate while we were talking.

A smile naturally appeared on my face as I met Baek Mugyeong, who was already looking in this direction. The man, dressed in comfortable clothes rather than a suit, shone brightly even amidst the crowd.

While feeling the pounding of my heart linked to affection, I saw a woman approaching Baek Mugyeong. To be precise, the woman held out a cell phone to Baek Mugyeong.

The distance wasn’t far, but I couldn’t hear what was being said. Just as I was wondering what was going on, Baek Mugyeong said something with a stiff face and pointed at me. The woman looked back and forth between Baek Mugyeong and me, then shrugged her shoulders and turned away.

My bewilderment lasted only a moment. A wry smile appeared on my lips as I realized what was going on. I wasn’t particularly surprised, as I had seen this happen occasionally before. Instead, a slight sense of crisis appeared. I knew Baek Mugyeong wasn’t the type to stray, but it still made me uneasy. Having such an outstanding lover meant I couldn’t let my guard down.

“Minchae-ssi.”

Baek Mugyeong came toward me without even looking at the woman walking away. A smile not only on his lips but also in his eyes.

The joy and delight of seeing my lover after a long time pushed away the sense of crisis. My legs moved before my head could think.

“You’re here?”

We video-called every day, but it had been three weeks since we last saw each other in person. I wanted to express my joy at seeing him more, but I hesitated, unsure how to do it. I spoke to Baek Mugyeong as usual. However, Baek Mugyeong walked over and suddenly gave me a tight hug.

I was startled because it was unprecedented behavior. I wondered if something had happened on the plane.

“Mugyeong-ssi? Are you sick? Shall we go to the hospital?”

“I missed you.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the sudden confession. It was surprising and delightful to see a man who was so dignified outside of bed acting like this. I hugged Baek Mugyeong, saying that I had missed him too. But then, I suddenly felt a faint warmth spreading from beneath his clothes.

There was only one reason why Baek Mugyeong had a fever. I immediately came to my senses. I released my arm and looked up at Baek Mugyeong. A faint flush had risen on his face.

“Are you in rut by any chance?”

“No.”

“You have a fever. Your face is a bit red, too.”

“There is still over a month left.”

“It could be a sudden one.”

“That probably isn’t the case.”

We had experienced both sudden heats and sudden ruts. Baek Mugyeong’s rut cycle was fairly regular, but unexpected situations could occur due to various factors. However, if Baek Mugyeong himself denied it, then it wasn’t.

“Then what is it?”

“Maybe….”

Baek Mugyeong, who had been hesitating to answer, subtly averted his gaze. The atmosphere suggested he didn’t want to speak because he had done something wrong. He had worn a similar expression before, when I was groaning in pain and unable to get out of bed after being tormented by Baek Mugyeong during his rut.

I wondered if Baek Mugyeong had made a mistake toward me. Could he have given me incorrect stock information, perhaps? Other than that, nothing really came to mind.

“What is it?”

“……I have a slight cold. I’ll get better soon.”

I understood what was meant a beat late. A cold meant he was sick. Apart from accepting that, the very fact that Baek Mugyeong had caught a cold was surprising. He was a man who boasted iron-like stamina and never got tired when it came to sex.

“Are you feeling very unwell? What about your medicine? Did you take any? Do you have any cold medicine at home?”

“I took my medicine.”

“Then go rest right away.”

“It’s okay.”

For some reason, Baek Mugyeong seemed to be blushing. His cheeks, which had been faintly flushed, turned red. Powered by my infatuation, it looked cute, so I laughed.

“Let’s go to the hospital.”

“It’s not that serious.”

“We should prevent it in advance. By any chance, do you dislike getting shots?”

“I only have a slight fever.”

I wanted to drag him to the hospital right away, but since he said he was fine, I wanted to respect his feelings. I saved today’s event in a corner of my mind for when I might not want to go to the hospital later.

“Then let’s go.”

The wealthy man with a home in Los Angeles came practically empty-handed, without much luggage. So I was able to easily pull him by the hand.

We didn’t have much on our schedule today. After dropping off his luggage at home, we decided to go watch a baseball game. In the past, I used to go watch baseball often, dragged along by my father. While video calling with Baek Mugyeong, the topic of watching baseball in the country where it originated came up.

I’ve traveled all over Los Angeles with my younger sibling and Baek Mugyeong, but this was my first time at a baseball stadium. I planned to eat the famous hot dog and buy a uniform and a cap.

“Minchae-ssi.”

I was walking side by side with Baek Mukyeong, keeping a slight distance from Rob, when I heard someone calling my name. Jang Hoyeon was waving his hand from quite a distance away.

“I’ll call you later. Have a great date.”

“Okay. Be careful on your way.”

Confused by the sudden greeting, I replied with a smile. As Jang Hoyeon continued on his way, Baek Mugyeong, who was standing beside me, looked interest.

“Who is it?”

“Hoyeon. I think I’ve mentioned him a few times. He’s a friend I met at the language academy. I ran into him by chance today. He said he just returned from Korea. I think you were probably on the same flight.”

“I remember hearing that he had a wide network of connections.”

“Yes that’s right.”

“Are you close?”

“We just keep in touch, that is. Since I quit the language academy, the opportunities to see each other have dropped significantly.”

Jang Hoyeon, being sociable, originally had many friends. However, after quitting the language academy where we used to see each other every day, there was no longer as much reason to contact each other as before.

“Is that so?”

“But why Hoyeon?”

“I’ve heard the name a lot, but this is the first time I’ve seen him in person.”

“Ah, I see.”

The conversation shifted from Jang Hoyeon to the sunny weather. Baek Mugyeong asked if I had prepared a hat since the baseball stadium was outdoors. I replied that I would buy one at the stadium merchandise shop, completely forgetting that I had met Jang Hoyeon.