Chapter 95 - Sir, Do You Like Alphie? (2)

Alpheus' cheeks reddened after he said that. He fidgeted nervously and slowly slid his chair closer to Sir Junshik Hyung, "Um… S—Sir, do you— by any chance— have a feeling for me? M—Maybe we're soulmates since you're searching for me when you get charmed by a vampire, right?"

CLANK!

Cha Junshik's spoon dropped when Alpheus suddenly asked that question. 

He looked at Alpheus as if he was looking at a ghost, while Alphie lowered his head shyly, feeling hot on his face.

Cha Junshik was just too speechless to even say anything right now. How could this dog suddenly say that Cha Junshik liked him?! That was unscientific! 

"Um… Sir?" Alpheus asked. "I—I'm just asking, Sir…."

"H—How could that be?" Cha Junshik replied.

"Huh?"

"How— I mean, how could I fall in love with you? What makes you think like that?"

"Because Sir Junshik Hyung came to Alphie when you got charmed by the vampires, Sir…." Alpheus replied shyly whenever he imagined Sir Junshik Hyung actually took a liking of him. 

Alphie wished that would be true, and his excitement behind that shyness was shown through his tail that wagged almost like a fan. 

Cha Junshik felt his heart was beating faster, a trait that was almost impossible to happen after he broke up with his ex years ago. 

'Am I in love with Alpheus?' Cha Junshik asked himself in his heart. 

He wasn't sure either. He also wasn't sure of his opinion about Alpheus.

Were they friends? But they eat, bathe, and sleep together, to the point of almost having sex. 

Were they master and pet? That would be possible, but Cha Junshik also treated Alpheus as more than just a pet.

Were they friends with benefit? That was the most plausible answer… but why would his heartbeat be so fast right now? 

'No, don't think about love, Cha Junshik. Alpheus is not from this world, and he is also not yours.'

'He has a mate. You can't be the one who ruined everything for Alphie and his mate. You can't claim him,' Cha Junshik tried to rationalize his own heart. 

He couldn't be swayed by his own feeling because it was usually just a temporary fondness that would disappear after a while, just like in every relationship.

But Alpheus was different, he had a mate he was yet to find, and his life would be spent with that mate until his death. 

Cha Junshik took a deep breath and replied, "Alpheus, I think you're reaching too far now. I don't have any feelings for you, at least not in a romantic way. I saw you as a temporary tenant in my house, and also… well, a buddy, a friend."

"A… friend?" Alpheus couldn't believe what he had just heard. He thought Sir Junshik Hyung had a bit of a fondness to him. 

His tail stopped wagging like a fan, and he kept staring at Sir Junshik Hyung. There was a spark of hope in his eyes, hoping that Sir Junshik Hyung would say more than just a friend.

"Sir, but you're taking care of me so well…" Alpheus said. "We… we also did intimate things—"

"—That's because we're friends with benefit! Stop thinking more than that!" Cha Junshik raised his voice, much to Alphie's surprise. 

Alpheus had never heard of such a term before, "What is friends with benefit, Sir?"

"That means we're friends who also intimate in bed, but we're not in love, understand?" Cha Junshik started to get impatient because the more Alpheus stared at him with his hopeful gaze, the more Cha Junshik felt that his defense was crumbling down. 

"But Sir… the vampire charm—"

"There is no such thing as vampire charm or vampires in general. At least not in this world. This world is only filled with regular humans. I might've been drugged by someone unknowingly. That's the most logical answer," Cha Junshik tried to dispel any chance of Alpheus having romantic feelings for him. It was also a way for Junshik to deny the voice in his heart. 

"But, Sir… I think you've been charmed by a vampire—"

"FOR FUCK SAKE! STOP THINKING ABOUT THAT. WE'RE NOT IN THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP, UNDERSTAND?!"

Alpheus was shocked that Sir Junshik Hyung suddenly raised his voice and yelled at him. The same goes for Cha Junshik. He was also surprised that he could raise his voice to yell at Alphie so harshly. 

Alpheus lowered his head slowly, his wolf ears drooped down, and he went silent instantly. 

Cha Junshik got even more distressed now. He didn't mean to yell at Alpheus like that, he was just stressed about how Alpheus kept on trying to push the idea that he had been charmed by a vampire, and he went to Alpheus because Cha Junshik was in love with Alphie. 

He also was unsure if he should apologize right now because he just didn't want Alpheus to think of love other than his mate. 

It was a way for Cha Junshik to help him as well. He bet Alphie would thank him later once Alpheus found his mate. 

…

…

Cha Junshik continued eating in silence while glancing at Alpheus, who still hadn't touched his food. 

"Why don't you eat yours?" Cha Junshik asked.

Alpheus looked at the food for a moment. Obviously, he was starving right now, and Sir Junshik Hyung's food was always the best.

But he was afraid to fall harder if he kept eating Sir Junshik Hyung's cooking because the way to a wolf's heart was through his stomach.

"Sir, Alphie… Alphie doesn't want to eat anything. I don't want to…."

"You need to eat. You're still recovering from the core vaccine. Do you want something else? I can cook it for you," Cha Junshik offered.

"Sir, why would you cook for me if you hate me? It's not fair because I love your food so much…."

"Huh? Who said that I hate you?"

"But you don't like me..."

Cha Junshik put his spoon again, he grabbed Alpheus' arm, but Alpheus suddenly distanced himself. 

…

"Come here. This is an order," Cha Junshik commanded.

Alpheus glanced at Sir Junshik Hyung, and with one look, Alpheus felt weak all over. He couldn't defy Sir Junshik Hyung's order. He quietly sat beside Sir Junshik Hyung again and looked down weakly.

He didn't know what Sir Junshik Hyung would do, but by the look of it, it seemed that Sir Junshik Hyung just wanted to scold him some more for saying ridiculous things. 

He heard the sound of steel utensils hitting the plate. He thought that Sir Junshik Hyung was still eating right now.

But then, he saw bite-sized meat that was offered for him.

"Alpheus heads up."

"Sir, I—"

"Heads up, I say."

…

Alpheus obediently raised his head, 

"Open your mouth. You need to eat."

…

Alpheus opened his mouth and ate the food offered by Sir Junshik Hyung.

Cha Junshik spoon-fed Alpheus with bite-sized meat from Alphie's plate, much to Alphie's confusion.

He thought Sir Junshik Hyung hated him. Of course, he didn't budge when someone disliked him in his original world because Alpheus never had a friend. He was a lone wolf because everyone saw him as a monster since the day he was born, including his parents. 

But when Sir Junshik Hyung said he had no interest in Alpheus, Alphie felt his heart was pinched, and he almost cried—In fact, his 

eyes were pooling with tears right now.

"Sir—"

"Shut up and eat first. If you want to talk about something, you should do it when your belly is full. I don't want you to get sick," Cha Junshik said.

Thus, Cha Junshik personally spoon-fed Alpheus until his plate was empty.

Alpheus was staring at Sir Junshik Hyung the whole time. He was unsure of Sir Junshik Hyung's intention. After drinking a glass of water, he finally asked, "Sir, what does this mean? Why did you feed me?"

"Because you're my responsibility, you're living in my apartment right now. And I've accepted you as my housemate," Cha Junshik sighed. He patted Alphie's head gently, "Do you not understand why I can't like you and why you can't like me?"

Alpheus shook his head gently. He didn't understand why Sir Junshik Hyung pushed him away even though they were already intimate.

"Alphie, you're the wolf prince. Didn't you tell me once that you will have to find your mate, the one whom you will spend your entire life with?"

Alpheus nodded, "We, the wolves, will have to find our one and only mate. I haven't found mine, Sir…."

"That means your love is reserved only for your mate. I don't want to take something that's not mine," Cha Junshik said. "I don't want to be the third party who would hinder your love with your mate in the future, understand?"

…

Alpheus was grieving in his heart whenever Sir Junshik Hyung mentioned about mate because he couldn't control it, nor did he know where his mate was right now.

The only clue he had was that… his mate was a male.

"But Sir, do you actually love me?" Alpheus asked.