RACA 27

“So that cat was wagging his tail at him, rubbing against him and acting all cute?”

“Yes, that’s right! Hyung-nim!”

Bulgom answered. Jaebeom considered pointing out the nickname he’d been scolding him to change, but decided to let it slide for now.

Instead, he turned his gaze to Lee Eunsol, who sat stiffly on the sofa, stroking the furry creature. His cat had claimed Eunsol’s lap as if he was waiting for it, and Eunsol’s caressing his fur felt natural.

“Hey, Beom jongjong.”

At the name, the cat offered no reply, only lazily swaying his bushy tail. It might have meant “I’m answering you,” but to Jaebeom, it was nothing short of an infuriating response.

Who the hell has been feeding you, playing with you, and taking care of you all this time?!

“You two are practically best friends, huh?”

Lee Eunsol pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. Jaebeom could tell he was holding back something he wanted to say.

“What? Got something to say?”

His abrupt question, that sounded almost like a threat, made Eunsol’s hand stop mid-stroke on the cat.

“Um, but why is it Beom Jongjong?”

“Huh?”

“Well, you know, the CEO’s last name is Pyo. Usually, the surname follows the owner, so why is it Beom…”

Jaebeom, who had been inwardly curious about what he was getting at, now looked dumbfounded. Even Bulgom seemed puzzled by his sister-in-law’s reaction.

Eunsol, however, was too sleepy to grasp the tension. Just moments ago, when he saw Pyo Jaebeom standing at the entrance, his spine had stiffened with nerves.

But the moment he sat on the sofa, the soft, plush sensation against his knees relaxed him. Perhaps it was the fatigue from his first outing in ages, but drowsiness washed over him, clouding his mind in an instant.

Even so, he knew he couldn’t fall asleep. While petting the cat and battling sleepiness, he blurted out those words unconsciously as he called out that strange name.

“If we share the same surname, it’ll mess up the family tree, right?”

“Mess it up?”

What? Eunsol tilted his head in confusion. Just then, a ticklish sensation on his wrist made him look down. The cat, as if complaining about why the petting had stopped, was rubbing his long tail against his wrist.

His long eyes, resembling Eunsol’s, blinked as he tilted his ears forward. How could Eunsol ignore that?

“Yeah, got it.”

When Eunsol moved his hand again, the cat finally seemed satisfied, his large body going limp. Whether Pyo Jaebeom found the sight absurd or not, the atmosphere between them was peaceful.

“But you can’t be brothers with a cat. That’s why it’s Beom.”

“Ah…”

Could that really happen? Eunsol tilted his head in thought for a moment before his expression shifted to one of understanding.

“Well, ‘Beom Jongjong’ does roll off the tongue better than ‘Pyo Jongjong’.”

“Right?”

He briefly wondered why Jaebeom looked so smug about that, but shrugged it off as plausible enough.

“Haaah…”

A yawn escaped him unconsciously. Eunsol panicked and covered his mouth with his hand. He quickly glanced at Jaebeom, only to see his eyebrows, which had just relaxed, furrow again.

“What’s wrong with him? Is he possessed by a sleep demon?”

“It’s just because I haven’t been out in a while, right? And I heard this is normal during early pregnancy.”

Eunsol realized too late he’d been arguing back and quietly shifted his gaze to the cat. He really must be sleepy. Seeing how he blurts out anything without a filter. Sometimes he even forgot he was supposed to be acting.

‘Why am I like this?’

Then, suddenly, he remembered something he’d forgotten.

‘I really couldn’t act, could I?’

That was why, after years of bouncing around film sets, he never managed to establish himself. Truth is, he charged in recklessly, thinking he could do anything, unaware of his limitations. It was only when a director – or was it a writer? – shouted at him, “What can you possibly do with acting that bad?” that he finally understood.

‘So what. At least they said I’m good at action scenes, right?’

When they suggested he might as well do stunts, he actually considered it seriously, it didn’t sound like such a bad idea.

Thanks to that, he landed the delivery driver role and even got a chance to cross paths with Pyo Jaebeom.

Switching to his usual positive mindset, Eunsol gathered his courage and lifted his head again. That’s when he met the gaze of those eyes staring at him so intently.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just pondering what kind of creature you are.”

“Creature? What’s that supposed to mean?” Eunsol pouted, thinking he was starting to feel more like the cat meowing at his knees than anything else.

Regardless, Jaebeom’s gaze persistently scanned the bold omega sitting before him. His innocent, guileless appearance, devoid of any hint of cunning, kept drawing his eyes.

Eunsol wasn’t conventionally cute. His slightly wide-set eyes could give strangers a somewhat cold impression.

Yet observing him closely, his actions were entirely different from his appearance. Perhaps that’s precisely why he was so intriguing.

His thoughts drifted elsewhere.

‘I can’t touch him for a while.’

A sudden realization brought disappointment. Until now, whenever he felt aroused, he’d pull him into bed. But for the time being, even that would be difficult for his stability.

Jaebeom’s feet, crossed as he sat, wiggled restlessly.

‘Isn’t it just about not overdoing it?’

But what was the standard? Where was the line between what was acceptable and what was too much?

His smooth skin, the soft, yielding feel, the subtle sensations…

“Haaah.”

Just then, Eunsol yawned again, completely oblivious. He covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes darted in embarrassment. It was cute, but Jaebeom, who’d been agonizing just moments ago, lost all steam.

“What am I even doing with someone like that… Go. Go sleep.”

Eunsol, unaware of his true thoughts, hesitated to obey his command.

The one who reacted to his “go” was the cat on his lap. Jongjong had already leaped down, his tail swishing on the floor. His gaze, looking up, seemed to urge him to hurry.

‘Cats really are spiritual beings?’

Mesmerized by his sparkling golden eyes, Eunsol rose from his seat. Then, despite his large frame, Jongjong – agile beyond belief – began swaying as he walked.

Its destination was Eunsol’s room.

“Huh?”

Jaebeom’s lips twisted into a crooked smile.

“Did Eunsol bribe him or something?”

Bulgom, whose presence had been entirely forgotten until then, met Jaebeom’s gaze and quickly spoke up.

“No! He’s been like this since the very first time they met.”

“He didn’t give him anything special?”

“Nothing at all.”

What was there to give? In fact, Eunsol had been thoroughly flustered when the cat suddenly appeared mid-meal, rubbing against his legs.

‘Maybe Jongjong liked him because Eunsol greeted him with a bright smile?’

After seeing only bulky gangsters lately, perhaps the encounter with a delicate Omega exuding a pleasant scent had drawn the cat’s attention even more.

Though somewhat lacking in tact, Bulgom had learned through experience what words were acceptable and which were not. He waited quietly for Pyo Jaebeom’s reply.

“What the hell is that? How could he act like that?”

“Exactly.”

Pyo Jaebeom shot a disapproving glance at Bulgom, who nodded eagerly, then snorted and changed the subject.

“Did he act suspiciously at all?”

Bulgom replayed Eunsol’s behavior. He’d been distracted at times, muttering to himself occasionally, but nothing seemed particularly off.

“Nothing!”

Seeing his open the door with a faint smile actually made him consider taking another look.

“Um, CEO. Since he’s pregnant, he probably won’t run away now. How about taking occasional walks nearby?”

With that thought, Bulgom tentatively suggested. But Jaebeom frowned in displeasure, and Bulgom instantly regretted his unnecessary meddling.

“Why should I?”

As expected.

“You think having a kid gives him the right to boss me around?”

If that was really his intention, it sounded like he was threatening a stern lesson. Bulgom quickly explained.

“No, that’s not it. He just seemed in such a good mood during the drive earlier.”

“What? Did you take a bribe from Lee Eunsol or something?”

“I didn’t take anything!”

Bulgom answered even more emphatically than before, even folding his arms behind his back. Jaebeom’s lips twitched at the attitude that seemed ready to bow his head at any moment.

“Still haven’t kicked that old habit. Dammit, I told you not to act like that. We’re financial professionals now, financial professionals.”

Yet, he didn’t seem to have lost any of his gangster boss aura.

“Well, taking a walk every now and then probably won’t hurt.”

Jaebeom’s tone lightened instantly. His swaying leg seemed to mirror his relaxed mood.

“I’ll just keep a close eye on him.”

Bulgom repeated the puzzling statement.

“Is that really necessary?”

“It is. The one in his belly is my kid, isn’t it?”