Bye-Bye

Translated by Springlila

Edited by Springlila

I didn’t want to move because I was so embarrassed, so Choi Sung-hoon got up to bring me water.

“I’m really sorry, but please bring pepper with you when you come.”

“Pepper?”

“I’m going to spray it on my eyes. I’m crying because of the pepper, okay? There was pepper in Choi Sung-hoon’s room. You have to secretly bring it.”

“… Yes, I understand.”

Choi Sung-hoon turned his gaze and left.

I waited for Choi Sung-hoon while hesitating from time to time. Choi Sung-hoon appeared after a while, holding a glass of water in one hand and a toy in the other. When I asked about the toy, he says that it was a pepper shaker.

“Drink water first. Seo-yu ssi, you cried so much.”

I drank water first because, as he said, I cried so much. The water was lukewarm.

After drinking it all at once, he took the empty cup. As if he was concerned about me holding a glass cup in my hand.

“Give me that pepper. I’ll take it down with me.”

“I will hold it.”

Choi Sung-hoon was wary of the pepper bottle as if it were a grenade. He explained the reason when I squinted my tired eyelids.

“I thought you would really spray it.”

What kind of image do I have in this person’s mind?

I’m not going to spray it, I just tried to put some on my eyelids.

Anyway, the plan failed, so I hid behind Choi Sung-hoon’s big body and left the room.

Choi Sung-hoon and Choi Sung-hyun were the only ones who saw me crying, and Choi Sung-hoon agreed to keep it quiet, so I was going to say that the pepper had gotten into my eyes and was stinging.

In the living room, his parents and Choi Sung-hyun sat side by side. Mother sat in the center with a strict and serious expression on her face, while the father and the immature and tactless youngest sat on either side.

“…You here?”

His mother noticed me and spoke to me a beat late. I also opened my mouth a beat too slowly.

“…Pepper.”

“…”

“I was having trouble because pepper got into my eyes and caused me to cry for a while, haha. This is the one.”

I held out the dumbbell-like pepper shaker to his mother. His mother said quietly as she looked at me.

“I don’t know why there was pepper in the empty room.”

What about pepper in an empty room… There could be…

“It was in the room. Seo-yu ssi cried because of the pepper.”

Choi Sung-hoon supported me heavily. His words had a threatening tone to them.

“Yeah, I see. Sung-hyun made a lot of fuss.”

“That’s right. Seo-yu hyung never cried so much. I was overreacting. I was never drenched in tears with a face that was saddened by the world.”

“And what if you cry? There are people here who are still crying in their sixties.”

“Honey? Are you talking about me?”

“Kim Jung-hee said she had prepared a meal in the dining room. Yu-ya, you might not have an appetite because of the pepper, but would you like to join us?”

“Yes, of course.”

I followed mother when she got up. I was relieved that they didn’t ask about or pay attention to the reason for my crying as much as I had expected.

“Seo-yu hyung, the bathroom is over there.”

Sung-hyun abruptly informed me of the location of the bathroom. I quickly covered my face with both hands and bowed my head.

Haa… Just how miserable was my face.

“There is no other reason, and you have pepper in your eyes, so you must rinse them with water.”

“That’s right, Yu-ya. You should wash the pepper with water.”

“If pepper gets into your eyes, it will sting again, so wash your face.”

My hands trembled at the consideration of Choi Sung-hoon’s family, who emphasized pepper.

As I entered the bathroom, Choi Sung-hoon followed me in.

“Why… Will you take a look?”

“I’ll just stand here. Do what you have to do.”

Choi Sung-hoon stood with his back to me.

The bathroom had a window on the front. It has a structure where you can soak in the bathtub while gazing out the window at the garden. Because it was a sliding window, so I thought it would be perfect if I opened it like this and ran away. But I gave up and turned on the sink’s water.

When I looked in the mirror, I noticed that my nose and eyes were red and swollen.

No, damn it… Is there any crucian carp in my ancestors, which explains why my face swells all the time?

It wasn’t just a swollen face with stinging tears from the pepper spray. My lips were protruding and I looked mean and ugly.

Was this really the face of a 28-year-old adult?

Choi Sung-hoon offered me a towel as soon as I have done washing my face with lukewarm water. While rubbing my face with a soft white towel, I said.

“I’m extremely embarrassed. You might be wondering if I’m really 28 years old.”

“What’s embarrassing about it? Even at the age of sixty, some people can still cry as much as they want.”

“It’s different from that. I don’t usually cry this much, so it’s strange. I’ve lived well without crying… so childish.”

“Seo-yu ssi.”

Choi Sung-hoon took the towel from me. Then, he gently and delicately wiped away the moisture on my face as if I was a baby.

“Will Seo-yu ssi think I’m childish if I cry right now?”

“No way. You can cry when you are sad.”

“But why is there a standard only for yourself.”

“It’s different for me. Because the reasons for crying are different… you shouldn’t cry over such trivial matters at this age. You’ll think I don’t act like 28 years old.”

And even complaining to Choi Sung-hoon like this.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that my actions were now childish.

“Sorrow doesn’t only come at a certain age.”

“… ”

“It’s not like we set the criteria for crying out for each situation.”

“… ”

“You can cry when you are sad. As you say.”

Choi Sung-hoon kissed my forehead after he finished speaking. As a result, my eyes became warm again, and I had to wash my face once more.

When I walked in awkwardly, his parents and Sung-hyun rushed me in as if nothing had happened. They said they were going to eat and walked down the long hallway towards the kitchen. I was bewildered by the sight of him changing into outdoor slippers, so I asked Choi Sung-hoon.

“Is there a dining room outside? Or are you talking about an eating place outside?”

“The dining room is in a separate house. It is connected to the hallway, so you can walk along it.”

“Ah… For some reason, it was strange that there was no smell of food at all.”

“When we had kids, my sweetheart had severe morning sickness and she ripped off my hair just by smelling it. It was fortunate that the building was  finished before I became bald.”

Father added an explanation.

Morning sickness…

I hope that someday when I have a child, my morning sickness will not be severe. I don’t think there will be any because I eat everything well except soondae or something like that.

“It will be difficult if you have severe morning sickness.  I’m not sure if our director Choi will have his hair gently ripped off.”

His mother casually said hurtful things to me.

I thought of Choi Sung-hoon’s hair being grabbed by another Omega, who was annoyed by morning sickness.

I wish he never met such an Omega.

If it were me, I would never be angry.

As I walked down the hallway with that thought, the smell of food began to overwhelm me. The various smells that poked my nose made me feel nauseated. I tried to walk as if nothing had happened, but my pace slowed down.

“Seo-yu ssi?”

Choi Sung-hoon, who was walking alongside me, called out to me, and my attention was drawn to him.

“Are you unwell?”

“No? Let’s go. Go quickly.”

I deliberately grabbed Choi Sung-hoon’s arm and walked forward.

“You don’t look good.”

But Choi Sung-hoon stopped me and looked me in the eyes as we stood face to face. Sung-hyun snooped around and asked about my condition. His parents were also wondering.

The restaurant’s entrance was visible behind Choi Sung-hoon. I didn’t want to go because the smells were so disgusting that it was difficult to swallow my saliva.

Is everyone okay? It smells so bad. Or am I the only one who’s weird?

His mother’s eyes narrowed when I covered my nose with my hands.

“Yu-ya, does it smell disgusting?”

I immediately lowered my hand.

“It’s not that, but maybe I’m not hungry because I just cried. I apologize.”

“Even if you don’t have an appetite, you should eat something. Your stomach must be empty.”

“My aunts set it up more lavishly than a banquet. Your appetite will come back if you go there.”

No… I might vomit if I go there.

I grabbed Choi Sung-hoon’s arm. I meant to ask for help. Choi Sung-hoon frowned and said quietly.

“You keep doing this these days. Avoid foods that you used to eat well.”

“…Are you talking about these days?”

“Yes.”

Choi Sung-hoon was not helpful.

“No way ” 

His mother muttered with a suspicious expression, and then she panicked.

“Uh, first of all, Seo-yu and Sung Hoon go back. I’m going to ask them to make it as a non-smelling food.”

I think I was surprised because Choi Sung-hoon has been called “Director Choi” by his mother so far, and suddenly she called his name in a gentle tone.

“And Sung-hoon, let’s stay for a while and talk.”

Furthermore, she told Choi Sung-hoon to accompany me to the room but then asked him to stay for a while.

I purposely put strength on the hand that held Choi Sung-hoon’s arm. I wanted to be together. My stomach nausea seemed to subside when I smelled his pheromone.

“I will be with Seo-yu. You don’t have to bring mine, but please bring something for Seo-yu ssi to eat.”

“Yeah, sure. Go quickly.”

I walked back the way I came with Choi Sung-hoon, with his mother’s permission. Choi Sung-hoon encircled my shoulders with his arms. Just the touch of his firm and warm arm made me feel better.

When I returned to the living room and sat on the sofa, Choi Sung-hoon brought a blanket and put it on my lap. I’m not even sick right now.

“I’m really sorry. What if your parents lost their appetite because of me?”

“Don’t mind those people.”

He says those people again…

“Let’s go to the hospital together on Friday. I’m worried that you still don’t have an appetite and are feeling sick.”

“Hey, there’s no one who goes to the hospital for something like this.”

“I will make a reservation in the evening.”

Choi Sung-hoon was adamant. He checked the temperature of my forehead or checked my complexion as if I had a fever.

I tilted my head pretending to be weak while not being sick. Acting like a child wasn’t all bad.

“Your parents are very sweet. They got along so well that I think I would have become independent sooner as well.”

As I smiled briefly, Choi Sung-hoon wrapped my cheeks.

“I’m glad if Seo-yu ssi like it.”

“It makes me want to be the second son.”

“That’s… would be difficult.”

That’s right. It would be difficult. Being a recessive Omega in an extremely dominant’s family.

“To your parents…”

I opened my mouth and then closed it again.

I couldn’t tell him that he should be nice to his family.

You never know when it will disappear, so take care of them. It could disappear the moment you turn around.

‘Don’t be arrogant. I told you to change that habit. The people around you were losing interest in you.’

Recalling the advice of the person who was once closest to me in the world, I buried my face in Choi Sung-hoon’s shoulder instead of saying it.

Choi Sung-hoon changed his posture and hugged me. The hand hugging me with moderate force gave me a sense of relief, and the muscles all over my body relaxed. I want to smell his pheromone more, but it would be disrespectful to the house’s alpha father and son. I closed my eyes and smelled his scent.

***

The housekeeper soon brought food of different kinds. Among them, I chose bread and jam. Choi Sung-hoon and I spread jam on each other’s bread and shared it. It was funny to visit his parents’ house and eat separately with his parents.

About an hour later, his parents and Sung-hyun came back, and the three of them looked somehow different from before. They kept smiling strangely when they saw Choi Sung-hoon and told me no need to get up.

Choi Sung-hoon also raised one eyebrow as if he felt the atmosphere had changed. But he didn’t ask why, so I couldn’t figure it out either.

Various fruits were constantly coming up on the round table. His father shaped the fruits into rabbits, flowers, and even waves… If he said he was a chef, I’d believe him. Because I could eat the fruit, I constantly picked it up and ate it, resulting in a full stomach later.

While having a snack, his father proudly told me that his sweetheart had majored in the College of Physical Education. Although his mother was tall, it was surprising that she was thin and pale overall. As I listened to my mother’s travel stories and Sung-hyun’s current tidbit story, it was time to go back.

Were we going to see each other again? Will there ever be another chance to see each other?

That thought bothered me, but his father and mother were as light as if I could see them tomorrow.

“Give me your number here.”

Even his father asked for my phone number-.

[Choi Jin-goo invited Seo-yu]

And he also invited me to a family chat room.

“Fufu… There is no chance that Sung-hoon will not read the message now.”

“…”

Next to his wickedly smiling father, Choi Sung-hoon only frowned.

“Yu-ya, give me your address.”

Meanwhile, his mother asked for my home address…

Fruits, rice, and various fruit juices were also packed in a variety, filling the trunk and rear seats. Sung-hyun also brought the bread and jam that I ate earlier with Choi Sung-hoon, saying that I eat bread well.

“Hyung, eat a lot and gain weight. You must gain twice as much weight as you currently do. Gaining weight will also improve your stamina.”

Father and mother nodded behind Choi Seong-hyun, who spoke brightly.

His father and mother called up Choi Sung-hoon, who climbed into the passenger seat and fastened my seat belt first.

Then he walked away from me and back to his house. I suppose they have something to discuss quietly.

When Sung-hyun and I were left alone, I smiled softly and said to Sung-hyun.

“Sung-hyun-ah, could you bring me that pepper shaker?”

“Pepper? Why?”

Why? I’m going to spray it on you.

“That was good. I’d like to buy it as well.”

“What do you mean buy? Take it from here. Wait for a moment.”

Sung-hyun went back to the house without saying much.

Fufu. I have to make Choi Sung-hyun cry and bounce off.

Two puppies appeared in front of my eyes, both smiling mischievously. It was a snow-white Jindo dog. They were adult puppies, but they were very energetic and bright as they have a lot of stamina.

I unbuckled my seat belt and got out of the car.

“You are chaeso and you are yachae, right? How cute.”

Woof woof.

The puppies were hovering around my feet. I stroked it because it was so cute, and it licked my hand and went crazy. The puppies played and ran toward the house with their tails wagging. I followed the puppies as they ran around the house.

“…Seo-yu, that child…”

Oh.

I stuck to the wall.

It was connected like this here.

I was startled by the sudden mention of my name. The puppies ran into the garden on their own, without waiting for me to follow.  I clutched my chest, afraid that the pounding of my heart would escape.

Because eavesdropping was not good…

I have to hide and listen.

“It doesn’t go well with you…”

”…How did you end up like that…”

I couldn’t hear them well because their voices were small, but it was clear that Choi Sung-hoon and I were not a good match. He appeared to be blaming him for how he met such a person.

I felt so bad that I felt like throwing up.

“…When are you going to get married?”

A quiet question struck me like a thunderbolt.

“It’s going to be summer.”

“Go to the hospital and get tested. You may have children.”

His mother’s voice was very sweet.

“That would be great. Because I want to make a family quickly.”

“Have you not told Seo-yu about the marriage yet?”

To his father’s question, Choi Sung-hoon said he had no intention of talking about it yet.

“Seo-yu ssi doesn’t seem to be mentally ready, so I’m going to talk about it slowly.”

I listened to it and quietly walked out.

Sung-hyun brought pepper as soon as I sat with the belt on as if nothing had happened. My desire to sprinkle pepper on Sung-hyun, who arrived with pepper in a large side dish container, didn’t even make it to my fingernails.