“I doubt such people will ever find a partner, be it male or female.”
“Of course not,” the man said, slapping a cushion. Jiheon figured he’d been rejected several times for being tall and muscular.
“That’s strange. The first thing I thought when I saw you was how beautiful your body was,” Jiheon said.
“What? Me?”
“Yes.”
The man slammed the cushion again.
“Oh, come on. I don’t need your pity.”
He was grinning anyway, clearly pleased despite his words.
“I mean it,” Jiheon said.
He did mean it. The way he saw it, this man had a figure that was plenty slim and pretty. It seemed many men, however, disliked even a body like this.
“How tall are you?” Jiheon asked.
“178 centimeters. 178.3, to be exact.”
“That’s perfect. Not too short, not too tall.”
If even someone who's 178 looks too tall to them, then someone like Jiheon—who's even taller—would probably put them off just by walking up to them. He smiled faintly, cigarette hanging from his lips.
“Maybe you’re just into people like me?” the man said.
Jiheon thought for a moment. Then he blew out a stream of smoke.
“Uh, no. I don’t actually have any preferences.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Jiheon didn’t care whether his partners were male or female, tall or short. All that mattered was that they wanted him. If someone asked him out, he seldom turned them down. That was his approach to dating—so when it came to one-night stands, he was even less picky. There was no knowing what strengths a person might be hiding under their clothing. It worked the other way around, too. People who seemed desirable on the outside could turn out to be quite different once their clothes came off.
And if he was disappointed? It never lasted long. In bed, Jiheon was quite accommodating. He let his partner choose the position, and was fine with most kinks—so long as it wasn’t extreme BDSM and a condom was used.
Luckily for him, he had never run into anyone that bizarre just yet. Besides, he’d only really let loose during his final year of college, and stopped after that.
“Huh, you can have anybody you want, is that it?” the man said with a pout, hugging the cushion. Jiheon didn’t bother to correct him. He could think whatever he wanted. After this smoke, I’m going to shower. Jiheon was smoking silently when the man suddenly lay back on the sofa and nudged Jiheon’s thigh with a foot.
“So you’re into everyone, right? Since you have no preferences.”
Jiheon just gave him a quiet look. The man seemed a little shy as he asked.
“Then what about me?”
Jiheon paused, pretending to consider it for a moment—just to be polite.
“Casual sex here and there is fine. I don’t want to date you, though.”
“Why? Are you already seeing someone?” the dancer asked.
Jiheon was taken aback.
“God, no. Do you really think I would have slept with you last night if I were in a relationship?” Jiheon said, laughing.
“Who knows?” the dancer said. “There are plenty of men who have a wife and children and still sleep around.”
A bit later, he went on.
“You just didn’t strike me as that type. That’s why I asked.”
“I am not in a relationship. And I don’t plan to change that anytime soon. That’s why I slept with you last night, even though I only met you yesterday.”
Jiheon’s voice was calm and direct.
“Hmm. Is there a reason you don’t want a relationship?”
“Dunno. Just not my thing. I was in a few as a student, but they just didn’t seem to work for me,” Jiheon said, exhaling smoke.
He didn’t feel the need to explain his dating history to someone he’d only met yesterday. And since he’d already turned the guy down, explaining further seemed unnecessary. Still, the vagueness only seemed to make the other man more suspicious.
“You sure you aren’t just saying that because you don’t like me?”
He clearly thought Jiheon was just making up an excuse to turn him down.
“I don’t even know you. How do I know if I like you or not?”
Jiheon laughed as he flicked ash from the cigarette.
“All I know about you right now is your appearance and your job.”
And honestly, I kind of like both, he thought, just about to say it out loud, the man cut in.
“And you know that I’m a beta.”
“What... does that have to do with it?” Jiheon asked.
He can’t mean what I think he means, can he?
Jiheon turned out to be right.
“Alphas usually want an omega,” the man said, sounding as though he was stating a proven fact. Jiheon let out a short laugh, the cigarette stub between his lips.
“Do I look like an alpha to you?”
“Huh...? You’re not?” the man said, his eyes wide. Then, just like before, he nudged Jiheon’s thigh with his foot, as if trying to get a straight answer.
“Hey, no joking around. You are an alpha, aren’t you?”
“What makes you think that?”
“Your build, I guess. And the vibes you give off.” Jiheon stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and asked again.
“Then what do you think my blood type is?”
“What? I don’t know. O, maybe?” the man said casually.
“Alpha male, type O blood... figures,” Jiheon muttered with a smile.
It was a common misunderstanding that many alpha males had either type O or type B blood. According to popular belief, they were often a Leo or a Sagittarius, too. Jiheon wasn’t sure why. He simply figured it was the kind of combination people thought sounded masculine and wild.
Sure, some guys probably fit the stereotype. But in real life, Jiheon had only one alpha who checked all three boxes. That person was now on TV, cutting through the water like a painting come to life.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” the man asked, watching Jiheon’s face expectantly.
Jiheon stood with his cup in hand.
“Wrong on all counts.”