I Tried to Avoid Him… But I Can’t Run Anymore

“Then go inside and rest now.

You’ve worked very hard.”

“Not at all.

Thank you for being so considerate.

I’ll see you again at the studio later.”

Haeyoon politely bid farewell to the person leaving first.

The person greeting him with a kind face was Ju Hayoung, the exhibition manager overseeing the overall preparations for Haeyoon’s first exhibition.

They had just met to share the current progress and coordinate future schedules.

Hayoung, sitting in the driver’s seat, paused before pulling away and spoke through the window.

“Above all, you know your health is the most important thing, right, artist-nim?

Since you said your piece is almost finished, take it easy.

I was surprised today because your complexion looked so pale.”

Haeyoon, looking sheepish, lightly brushed his wind-blown hair back with his hand and nodded.

“I will.

Thank you.

Get home safely.”

“Okay, I’ll contact you again!”

With a bright answer, Hayoung rolled up the window and slowly drove away.

Usually, it was the manager’s role to see the artist off, but Haeyoon had insisted so firmly that she couldn’t be more stubborn.

His logic that he should leave first because his studio was closer to the meeting place was absurd, but the earnest face with which he had argued it had made her nod without thinking.

“He’s secretly kind of cute, the artist-nim.”

Glancing at Haeyoon’s reflection in the side mirror, Hayoung muttered, a hint of laughter in her voice.

His first impression was of a rather cold and aloof beauty, so she had braced herself for the possibility that he might be difficult to work with.

During meetings, he was silent and expressionless, so she thought that first impression had solidified.

Hayoung had met quite a few people who worked as so-called ‘artists.’

Among them were certainly admirable and respectable individuals, but there were also plenty who looked down on others and treated their managers poorly because of their name value.

Those who gained sudden fame or were called ‘star artists’ tended to have this tendency more strongly.

So, to be honest, she hadn’t had high expectations for Haeyoon either.

But after meeting him a few more times as the exhibition progressed, Haeyoon was a completely different person from his first impression.

He was still quiet, but not cold, and far from being rude.

“If things go well, this could be huge….”

Hayoung, lost in thought, muttered.

Her instincts were telling her so.

The charm of the person ‘Seo Haeyoon,’ not just ‘artist Seohae,’ only truly revealed itself when interacting with fans.

Even now, Haeyoon was an artist with an unusually large fanbase.

If, through the exhibition, this side of his personality were to be revealed more to the public?

A quiet, shy, yet serene and kind beauty like a calm lake—it was almost impossible for such a person not to be loved by the public.

Hayoung knew this better than anyone.

Hayoung resolved to suggest modifying the plans so that Haeyoon could interact with fans more closely during the exhibition.

Since Haeyoon himself didn’t seem to shy away from approaching fans, it was a good opportunity.

If she could imprint Haeyoon further on the public through this exhibition, it would not only be good for him but also serve as a catalyst for significant growth in her own career.

She had a strong premonition that this exhibition would be a great success.

Deciding that she should manage Haeyoon with a little more care and maintain a good relationship going forward, Hayoung drove off smoothly.

* * * *

“Hoo….”

Returning to the studio, Haeyoon sank deep into the sofa and let out a long sigh, then suddenly blushed again.

Because he remembered how they had clung to each other like beasts on this very sofa.

That day, Jeongha had taken the blanket that must have been a mess, saying he would wash it clean, and he had also taken care of any remaining traces on the sofa before Haeyoon woke up.

So Haeyoon hadn’t seen the evidence of their lovemaking with his own eyes, but strangely, whenever he came to this spot, the memory of that day kept surfacing, making his body grow hot.

The armrest, broken by Jeongha’s grip, shamelessly testified to how intense they had been.

As he exhaled breaths that were neither sighs nor something else, his phone vibrated at that moment.

Speak of the devil—it was Baek Jeongha.

“Yeah, Jeongha.”

– Are you done with your errand?

“Yeah.

I’m at the studio now.”

Haeyoon answered calmly, trying his best to act as if nothing had happened, as if he had never once recalled those lewd memories.

There was nothing particularly noticeable in Jeongha’s voice from the other end either; unlike himself, Jeongha seemed truly composed, which made him feel strange.

– Then… I can come over around the right time, right?

But Jeongha’s next voice was incredibly cautious.

It felt like he was gauging Haeyoon’s mood.

When he was composed, it made him anxious, and when he was cautious, it also made him uneasy.

What beat was he supposed to dance to?

Even though it was his own heart, it was utterly bewildering.

Haeyoon rubbed his palm against his thigh repeatedly and answered.

“Mm-hmm, yeah.

Come carefully….”

This time, he couldn’t pretend to be natural very well.

Still, it was the best he could do.

After a final word of concern to stay warm because it was cold, they ended the call, and Haeyoon lay down on the sofa, closing his eyes.

The moment he could no longer avoid had finally arrived.

Today was the first time he would see Jeongha after having s*x with him, right here.

Because Haeyoon had been subtly avoiding him.

He had his excuses.

The day after sleeping with Jeongha, Haeyoon had barely been able to move.

It had been a long time since he’d had s*x, and on top of that, a Beta’s body with an Alpha, and even knotting—there was no way he could be fine.

It was Haeyoon who had firmly refused Jeongha’s attempts to come take care of him.

He told Jeongha he was too tired and just wanted to be alone and sleep, but he couldn’t deny that he had also wanted to avoid him, even for a little while.

He had promised not to disappear without a word, but when faced with the thought of meeting him again, taking that first step was incredibly difficult.

Baek Jeongha probably noticed how he felt.

Even knowing that, Jeongha didn’t show any sign of being hurt; he just worried about him.

In the evenings, he would buy porridge and medicine, leave them in front of Haeyoon’s door, and go.

Saying that if needed, he could come anytime, so if it was too hard, he should call, but he never once pressed for a reply to his small messages of concern.

Haeyoon’s avoidance was carried out safely over the next few days, thanks to Jeongha’s consideration.

“I’m really a bad person….”

Haeyoon opened his eyes, which he had closed for a moment, and stared at the ceiling, muttering.

After days of such obvious avoidance, until his body was fully recovered, all that remained was deep self-loathing.

For the first time, Haeyoon realized that he was filled with such endless contradictions.

Because it felt like facing Jeongha, whatever it was, would force him to conclude this relationship.

While avoiding him, he kept reading optimistic signals from Jeongha’s kindness and feeling relieved.

He had no idea what he was doing.

“On top of being bad, I’m a coward too….”

Haeyoon eventually raised both hands to cover his face, letting out stifled sobs.

Thinking of the feelings Jeongha must have endured alone while he buried his head in the pile of leaves made him feel suffocated.

He shouldn’t have done that.

No matter how scared, no matter how afraid of defining the relationship, he shouldn’t have run away like this.

By turning away from his own share of worries and fears, Haeyoon had forced Jeongha to bear his share as well, several times over.

And yet, Jeongha had never blamed him or pushed him for anything.

Haeyoon covered his face and recalled the night he returned home after sleeping with Jeongha.

That night, for the first time in a very long time, he had finished showering leisurely and calmly.

Until he stepped into the bathroom, he had been obsessed with scrubbing away any remaining pheromones that might be on his body.

But the moment he let his body soak in the warm water, Baek Jeongha came to mind.

His touch, which had caressed every corner of his body, his hot breath, even the feeling of his large, hard cock splitting him open and filling him up.

Then, surprisingly, the obsession that had plagued him for so long gradually faded.

It felt as if the ghost-like trauma Oh Jaeyeol and Ahn Seonwoo had left on him had been washed away by Jeongha’s affection.

He didn’t even feel the urge to scrub his body until his skin was raw.

For the first time since breaking up with Jaeyeol, Haeyoon relaxed in the warm touch on his skin, gently washing himself and enjoying the time.

These were all things Baek Jeongha had given back to him.

“…….”

Haeyoon lowered his hands from his face and steeled his resolve.

He couldn’t avoid Jeongha any longer.

Having received so much, he couldn’t be any more shameless.

Whatever the outcome, he had to face Jeongha properly and talk to him.

Surely, the Seo Haeyoon of the past had been someone who didn’t hesitate to trust and love another person.

Gazing sadly at his current self, changed beyond his will, Haeyoon clenched his fists.

Getting hurt and changing was his own burden to bear.

He couldn’t push it onto Jeongha anymore.

Estimating the time Jeongha would arrive, Haeyoon got up from the sofa and stood in front of the canvas.

He couldn’t just waste time being stupid.

Haeyoon planned to focus on his work until Jeongha arrived, to shake off his complicated thoughts.

His hand holding the brush trembled with unease, but he decided to pretend not to notice.