The Bruises He Was Never Supposed to See

It wasn’t even our first meeting, but I felt strangely uneasy.

As Haejin awkwardly greeted him, Beomwoo held his hand in silence and stared intently.

Unreadable dark eyes scanned him from head to toe, staring fixedly.

Just facing him made his heart tremble, but now holding hands too.

The persistent, fixed stare made Haejin’s heart flutter even more.

It was as if, no matter how hard he tried to turn away, he would end up liking him again.

…But not this time.

In this life, he had decided to meet someone who would like *him*, not someone *he* liked.

Haejin forcibly withdrew his hand and spoke.

“Sh-shall we sit and talk first…?”

“…Sure.”

Beomwoo had been staring at him strangely, but thankfully, he sat down as asked.

Even after letting go and sitting, the pressure and trembling from his gaze didn’t subside but rather weighed heavier on his chest.

Haejin averted his gaze, trying hard to ignore it, and conveyed the same words he had told his brothers.

“You might have already heard, but… I have no intention of marrying.”

“……”

“I don’t want to hold up a busy person and waste more time, so I’m telling you directly.”

Though phrased nicely, Beomwoo truly disliked wasting time.

Even if he wouldn’t like anyone, he was so busy he measured time in minutes, so cutting it short would be better for him.

So, trying to speak more firmly than he did to his brothers, putting strength in his voice to convey his intent, Beomwoo’s lips pressed into a hard line.

Considering he never showed interest in him in his past life, this wasn’t even that cold…

So why did his heart feel pricked as if he had done something wrong?

Unable to look at him due to discomfort, Haejin stared at the innocent water droplets on his cup.

Beomwoo spoke in a monotone voice.

“I heard you don’t want this marriage. But don’t you want to leave that house? I understand you’re being abused.”

“……”

His voice was cold and dry, making his earlier concern about hurting him seem pointless.

He wanted him not to be hurt, but… seeing him unfazed by his refusal felt strange.

As he thought, Beomwoo knew he had refused the marriage in the previous meetings.

And just like in his past life, he also knew about the abuse.

In his past life, he had been shocked at how he knew, but having experienced it once, it wasn’t surprising now.

Come to think of it…

‘He used those same words to persuade me in my past life too…’

Back then, the promise to get him out of the house was so sweet.

Part of why he considered the marriage positively after feeling something special upon first seeing Beomwoo was because life there was so terrible he felt he could do anything to escape.

Back then, he fell for that reason and even married.

But not now.

He resolved not to do that in this life.

He decided to meet someone who would like him.

He realized there were more important things in life and marriage shouldn’t proceed that way.

So he knew he should refuse outright… but after being brutally beaten by his aunt and uncle again, he couldn’t even falsely say he didn’t want to leave that house.

The long-forgotten fear of abuse gnawed at him.

Refusing marriage was easy, but saying he wasn’t being abused and would stay there was difficult.

A brief silence fell because of this.

Haejin tried to remain calm and expressionless, barely managing a reply.

“I don’t understand why you’re concerned about that. I’ll handle my own affairs.”

“Doesn’t seem that way.”

“…Pardon?”

“The bruises on your body, they’re not old.”

“……”

His gaze fell to Haejin’s hands on the table.

Following his gaze, Haejin looked down.

His sleeves had ridden up slightly, revealing bruises on his wrist and arm.

A few days ago, after saying he wouldn’t marry, his uncle beat him, leaving blue and yellow bruises everywhere.

His uncle usually hit areas that could be hidden by clothes, but that day, perhaps enraged by his defiance, he struck everywhere except his face.

When Haejin raised his arms in defense, bruises formed on his forearms.

He wore long sleeves to hide them, but they were slightly exposed, and Beomwoo saw.

Haejin hastily pulled down his sleeve, but it was too late.

This was the first and last time meeting him in this life, so it shouldn’t matter what he showed, but he felt ashamed, as if exposing a disgraceful secret.

Moreover, he was retorting: how could he say he’d handle it well when he couldn’t even protect himself now?

So it was more embarrassing than just showing the bruises.

At a loss for words, Haejin bit his innocent lip, then belatedly mumbled a response.

“…It’s not like that.”

“……”

Even as he said it, Haejin sighed, knowing it was an obvious lie.

It was so shameful he wished he hadn’t answered at all.

As Haejin sat with his head deeply bowed like a criminal, Beomwoo let out a small breath and spoke.

“That’s good to hear then. Anyway, I’m saying this because it’s not a problem you can solve alone. You know being stubborn like a fool won’t help, right?”

“……”

Even though his lie was likely transparent, since he denied it, Beomwoo dropped the subject, though with a knowing look.

Instead, in his own way, with a kind voice, he persuaded him: even if those marks weren’t from abuse, he should escape that place.

Leaving alone would be difficult, but if he married him, he could escape.

To others, his voice was still dry and firm, but Haejin, having spent years by his side, sensed he was speaking kindly in his own way.

Knowing that subtle difference, a choked feeling welled up in Haejin.

It wasn’t because he was moved that Beomwoo was considering him—he wasn’t really considering him at all.

Seeing his face, looking at him with a pitying expression, speaking in a tone he never used with the Haejin of his past life, made him choke up.

Haejin looked at him with a coldly composed face, clenching his jaw, forcibly suppressing the urge to cry, and spoke.

“A-anyway… you’re thinking of getting the inheritance by marrying me, so there’s no need to pretend to care about me.”

Once the marriage is done, it’ll be over, and you won’t even care…

He wanted to speak coldly, but since it was his first time speaking to him like this, his voice trembled.

Truthfully, the current Beomwoo before him hadn’t done anything wrong.

It was natural for him to eye the inheritance.

His resentment was for things that happened in his past life.

But in his past life, before marrying, Beomwoo said he’d try to love if Haejin wanted love, yet never showed any affection afterward—he couldn’t help resenting that.

Even if the Beomwoo before him now wasn’t at fault, it was obvious he’d become the same after marriage, so he couldn’t help disliking him.

Creating an Omega list right after his infertility diagnosis, saying he’d have a child with another Omega…

The vivid memory of his face—treating him as a nuisance, asking why he was making him repeat what was already said—made his eyes well up.

Tears brimmed, blurring his vision, but Haejin roughly wiped his heated eyes with the back of his hand and stood up abruptly.

“I believe I’ve conveyed my intention, so I’ll take my leave. Goodbye.”

“Jeong Haejin-ssi…!”

As Haejin tried to leave coldly, Beomwoo, sitting across from him, pushed his chair back and stood up urgently.

He quickly followed, grabbing Haejin’s wrist, forcing him to stop.

Haejin didn’t want to stop just because he was grabbed, but the hand gripped the bruised area tightly, and the pain made him halt.

Wincing reflexively from the pain of the pressure on the bruise, Haejin looked at him.

Beomwoo looked at him with a hardened expression and spoke.

“Even if you don’t need me, I definitely need you. So sit back down.”

He could feel strength in the hand gripping his wrist, as if he was tense while speaking.

Forcing him to stay as he tried to turn away, speaking—it was still demanding and high-handed, wanting his own way.

But the energy was different from before.

In his past life, he had proposed it like a transaction, emphasizing mutual benefit and that Haejin had no reason to refuse.

Now, he was the only one clinging on.

His lips beneath his serious eyes trembled slightly, as if from anxiety.

This was a stark contrast to the simply arrogant man from his past life.

He couldn’t understand why his attitude had changed or what he was thinking.

It felt different from back then, but Haejin, after a moment of puzzlement, dismissed it.

His own attitude and the situation were different from his past life, so it made sense.

Beomwoo must be desperate to maintain the marriage, hence his anxiety.

Although the sight of his anxious self was unfamiliar, Haejin steeled his heart once more and shook his head.

“I don’t need this, so let me go.”

He would not repeat the nightmare of his past life in this one.

He would not repeat the nightmare of his past life in this one.

Haejin spoke to him firmly, then grabbed the wrist that was holding him and pushed it away.

As he tried to coldly release the hand and turn his body, he saw Beomwoo’s face.

His eyes were wide and blazing, his brow furrowed as if stung by the sharpness hidden beneath what had seemed round and dull.

It was a face he had never seen before—one that looked hurt.

He felt as if he had done something he shouldn’t have.

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, his conscience pricked him.

But Haejin couldn’t bring himself to look back at him.

He had been hurt and suffered much more than by these few words, so saying this much should be okay.

Even though the Beomwoo before him now wasn’t at fault, doing the same would only repeat his past life.

Haejin walked forward without stopping, turning his back to him.

He was already someone hard to forget, that hurt face he saw last would likely be unforgettable until death.