RACA 26

Oh! Really? Great!

Eunsol, thrilled to have achieved his goal in an instant, hopped into the car.

Bulgom, who’d briefly thought he resembled a country mutt, shook his head vigorously.

‘Of course not, not to my sister-in-law.’

Eunsol knew he had an optimistic nature. When his dad told him at age ten he’d have to live with his grandmother from then on, he’d been gloomy for about ten minutes before quickly settling in, cherished by the village elders.

When his terminally ill grandmother found him a home in Seoul and asked him to live there alone, Eunsol cried for thirty minutes, shook it off, and stayed by his grandmother’s side until the end.

Even when a role vanished overnight, when the assistant director took it out on him, when he discovered a trusted colleague had been sowing discord, he’d sigh once, then smile again.

“But this is too much.”

No matter how hard he tried to think positively, suddenly transmigrating in a drama and even getting pregnant was a bit…

‘Of course, it’s not that I disliked what I did with Pyo Jaebeom…’

He admit it. Even though he became a slave to pheromones, he enjoyed it too.

‘What else could I do?’

With his dazzling looks, Pyo Jaebeom was moving around while pumping out pheromones like crazy.

‘How could I not fall for it?’

His face flushed instantly, and Eunsol waved his hands frantically like a fan.

“Huh?”

“No. I wasn’t talking to you, Bulgom-ssi.”

Startled, Eunsol quickly added before glancing out the window. Bulgom, driving, glanced at him through the rearview mirror, but he didn’t notice.

‘Come to think of it, how did I end up possessing this character?’

He finally recalled the reason he should have pondered long ago.

‘I was waiting on set.’

Long waits were commonplace, so that day too, he’d been observing the actors immersed in their roles to make the most of his time.

When someone delivered a line, he’d mumble along. Sometimes he’d mimic an actor’s movements or expressions. When the PD gave direction, he’d listen intently, not wanting to miss a word.

That drama was particularly renowned for the director’s exceptional skill in drawing out the actors, so he was paying even closer attention.

‘Then I think I heard that Pyo Jaebeom had arrived.’

Given his hectic schedule, he usually arrived on set only when his own scenes were about to begin. Yet he always apologized for being late and greeted every staff member warmly and courteously, instantly transforming the atmosphere the moment he appeared.

The PD, who had just finished filming, also suggested taking a short break and left his seat to chat with Pyo Jaebeom. Eunsol subtly followed with his gaze.

‘He’s got such a great physique, and his face is so small. His proportions are perfect… He mentioned having a pictorial shoot, so he seems to have put more effort into his fashion than usual.’

Admiringly circling the area, he then stood in a corner of the set to avoid interrupting when filming resumed. While muttering Jaebeom’s lines under his breath, Eunsol’s turn soon arrived.

His role was a delivery driver. He had to zip past Jaebeom on his motorcycle and that was it. The crucial part was skimming dangerously close to him.

Then came the scene where Pyo Jaebeom would hurl a torrent of curses at him. Because the documents in his hands would be sent flying into the air because of him.

It was a rather important scene in its own way, requiring him to gauge the distance between them perfectly and calculate the timing of the papers flying just right.

‘Delivery standby! Actors, appear in the alley and start riding immediately.’

At the AD’s call, Eunsol quickly mounted his motorcycle and positioned himself at the starting line. His gaze fixed on the alley where Pyo Jaebeom would appear.

Shortly after, Pyo Jaebeom emerged, delivering his lines. He strolled along, accompanied by his henchmen.

Thinking back, even then he looked the part of a gangster boss. The form-fitting black suit accentuated his broad shoulders, and the hint of waistline peeking through was undeniably sexy.

So that’s what a dominant alpha looks like. It was then he truly realized it.

He held documents in his hand, and for a moment he wondered pointlessly if those long fingers could ever let them slip.

‘Delivery start!’

Eunsol sprang into action. Though it was just a single scene, he calculated within seconds how quickly he needed to reach Pyo Jaebeom and mentally recalibrated the distance he should maintain.

‘Huh?’

His subordinate feigned surprise, uttering the line. But he couldn’t turn around because he’d locked eyes with Pyo Jaebeom.

In that instant, the A4 papers in Pyo Jaebeom’s hand scattered in all directions. It was unfortunate that one of them happened to block his vision.

Because of this, Eunsol missed the minivan that suddenly emerged from another alley due to a misjudged turn.

CRASH…!

Amidst screams and shouts, the motorcycle collided with the car. Instantly, he felt his body lift off the ground, followed by his consciousness fading away.

“Right!”

That had happened.

‘What happened after that?’

His memory was hazy. He vaguely recalled someone speaking to him as he writhed in pain…

“Yes?”

“No. Nothing.”

Eunsol shook his head at Bulgom’s questioning voice, trying harder to recall the moment.

But he couldn’t remember a single thing that happened after the accident.

Only one possibility came to mind.

‘Did that incident cause me to transmigrate?’

The circumstances pointed to it. But then, what happened to Pyo Jaebeom? From what he could tell, he seemed to be in a similar situation.

‘Or maybe not?’

His current appearance fit the role too perfectly for that. He’d felt it while acting, but now he truly seemed like someone who’d lived this life his entire life.

‘I need to check on Pyo Jaebeom first.’

How exactly to proceed still needed more thought. Eunsol looked down at his lower abdomen. Ultimately, this was all for the baby.

Whether to give birth or not wasn’t something he could decide. So he had to focus on what he could do right now.

“The weather’s nice!”

Thinking clearly just wasn’t his strong suit. After straining his brain for the first time in ages, his temples throbbed. He rolled the window down further.

Perhaps because summer was nearly over, the breeze was refreshing. Outside, the sky was perfectly clear, not a cloud in sight. The car was passing through the spacious Yeouido Park.

‘That would be a nice place to walk…’

Would that day ever come? As he licked his lips in anticipation, they passed the intersection and finally entered the underground parking garage.

“We’ve arrived.”

It was a pity the outing ended so abruptly, but he quickly let go of any lingering regret. He kept his mouth shut the entire elevator ride up, and he could feel Bulgom’s glances darting his way.

When Eunsol looked over, wondering if he had something to say, he’d quietly avert his eyes, so maybe not.

Ding.

Just then, the front door opened. Without a second thought, Eunsol trailed right behind him inside.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of something charging echoed through the hallway, and before he knew it, a fluffy cat slammed into Eunsol’s shin.

“Ouch.”

Eunsol let out a groan, more from surprise than pain. The cat seemed to sense it, rubbing his head against Eunsol’s forehead before gently nuzzling his torso with his body.

His white fur with black stripes made him look just like a white tiger, yet his actions were endearing.

Meowwww. Meow!

As Eunsol looked down at the cat, which seemed to be greeting him as if to say, “You’re finally here,” a stunned gasp escaped from Bulgom.

“Wow… I’ve never seen Jongjong act like this before.”

To him, the sight of the boss’s cat expressing such delight toward Eunsol was more astonishing than the Seven Wonders of the World.

Regardless, the cat covered Eunsol’s pants in fur before raising his front paws, signaling for a hug.

Meow, meow!

Seeing Jongjong whine pitifully with those round eyes, it seemed that was indeed the case. Just as Eunsol bent down to lift the cat, which was nearly as tall as his own torso,

“You shouldn’t do that.”

A large shadow suddenly fell over his head, and in an instant, the big furball vanished from sight.

Thud.

Simultaneously, a heavy thud echoed through the room.

“Ahh!”

Startled by the cry, Eunsol snapped his head up. Before his eyes unfolded a standoff: a cat bristling with caution and a Bulgom clutching his jaw.

More precisely, Bulgom was frowning, while the giant cat kept meowing at him accusingly.

“Look at this. That little brat acts like that, yet… his attitude toward you is completely different. It’s fascinating.”

Watching the cat, its ears pinned back and fur bristling with anger, ran into the living room, Bulgom sighed.

“Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know.”

They looked at each other, tilting their heads in confusion.

As if that would yield an answer.

Their blank stares simultaneously shifted toward the front door. A cheerful chime had just sounded as the door opened. Through the doorway stood an Alpha, impeccably dressed in a suit that never failed to inspire admiration.

“What’s up? Why are you all huddled here?”

Pyo Jaebeom raised his eyebrows as he saw Eunsol and Bulgom standing awkwardly right as he stepped inside.