By Zephyria Seo Jeong-woon was wearing only light white shirts over navy blue slacks as if he wasn’t cold. Today’s attire also lacked weight for an executive of a company. Do Yi-hyun briefly glanced at Seo Jeong-woon and lowered his gaze.
To make matters worse, there was no one else in the elevator. Whenever Seo Jeong-woon came during lunchtime, Do Yi-hyun would inwardly criticize whether the executive had nothing to do. But he couldn’t possibly be that free.
As Seo Jeong-woon said, running into each other in the elevator was purely coincidental. For Do Yi-hyun, it was bad luck. Do Yi-hyun, who had only nodded appropriately, entered the elevator with reluctant steps.
Although not much different, he leaned against the corner as far away from Seo Jeong-woon as possible. Seo Jeong-woon didn’t seem to mind Do Yi-hyun’s insincere greeting much. Despite being an executive, Seo Jeong-woon wasn’t authoritative.
He was widely praised for being free-spirited and not confined to conventions. It was one of Seo Jeong-woon’s great strengths, but unfortunately, for Do Yi-hyun at the moment, it came across as a weakness.
“You know what? Today’s Friday.”
“……”
Far from pointing out the disrespectful attitude, Seo Jeong-woon turned his body toward Do Yi-hyun and spoke affectionately. But Do Yi-hyun didn’t even pretend to listen. He just held his breath and pressed his thumb firmly against his brow.
‘Annoying.’
His condition was already ruined and his nerves were on edge, and with Seo Jeong-woon constantly poking around here and there, his temper seemed to be getting worse. Seo Jeong-woon, who had been looking down at Do Yi-hyun from a distance with his head tilted, suddenly stepped forward. His stride was so wide that Seo Jeong-woon reached right in front of Do Yi-hyun’s nose in just two steps.
“……What is it?”
Do Yi-hyun, who had raised his eyes, slowly opened his mouth while being careful not to inhale. Do Yi-hyun’s eyes, which had contained no emotion other than faint irritation, were mercilessly distorted. He had felt it before—Seo Jeong-woon had an unusually close personal space.
He really was someone he couldn’t get close to in many ways. Despite openly showing displeasure, Seo Jeong-woon twisted his lips mischievously and placed his hands on the walls on either side of Do Yi-hyun. Suddenly, Do Yi-hyun was in a position as if trapped in Seo Jeong-woon’s embrace.
Though he didn’t want to admit it, Do Yi-hyun felt a strange pressure. Feeling psychological discomfort from others was a very unfamiliar experience for Do Yi-hyun.
‘This feels weird.’
He couldn’t tell if it was unpleasant or what. His solar plexus churned as if he were motion sick. But it was a different sensation from morning sickness.
Do Yi-hyun glared at Seo Jeong-woon.
“Now you’re looking at me.”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled brightly and tapped the elevator wall with his fingertips. It was near Do Yi-hyun’s ear. Do Yi-hyun reflexively clenched his teeth.
Even though he hadn’t directly touched him, goosebumps rose along his earlobe. It was strange since he wasn’t particularly ticklish.
“Please move aside. It’s uncomfortable.”
Do Yi-hyun frowned deeply and directly expressed his dissatisfaction to Seo Jeong-woon. To exaggerate a bit, they were so close that if Do Yi-hyun bowed his head, it would touch Seo Jeong-woon’s shoulder. If Seo Jeong-woon weren’t his superior, he would have pushed him away long ago.
To make matters worse, because Seo Jeong-woon kept talking to him, he was gradually running out of breath. Do Yi-hyun had no choice but to take a shallow breath. According to Do Yi-hyun’s experience, he should have felt nauseous from the densely packed pheromones of unspecified individuals inside the elevator.
There had never been a single exception until now. But this time, strangely, he felt nothing at all. All he could sense was the vibrant floral scent lingering around Seo Jeong-woon.
‘Is it not perfume but a pheromone neutralizer?’
Do Yi-hyun narrowed his eyes. Someone like Seo Jeong-woon probably had more than one or two Omegas shamelessly clinging to him, so it made sense he’d frequently use a pheromone neutralizer. Perhaps the scent was more subtle now than when he’d smelled it in the managing director’s office.
This time, a cluster of white flowers came to mind.
‘An unusual preference.’
It was quite a peculiar scent for an Alpha nearly 2 meters tall to use. Do Yi-hyun wasn’t the type to be swayed by prejudice, but he found it intriguing. To be honest, Do Yi-hyun rather liked the scent.
Perhaps it was his mood, but the nausea from morning sickness seemed to calm down a bit.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?”
Seo Jeong-woon blinked, deliberately putting on a hurt expression even though he clearly knew Do Yi-hyun was uncomfortable around him. The world had never seen such shameless audacity.
“Yes, you are. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t involve yourself with me outside of work.”
Do Yi-hyun seized the opportunity to lay his feelings bare. It might have been a bit excessive, but if he didn’t do this, it was obvious Seo Jeong-woon would keep pestering him.
‘I don’t have the luxury to spare energy on pointless things.’
Do Yi-hyun was already overwhelmed enough with worry about the child.
“I want us to be in a position to involve ourselves with each other. You and me, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
“You’re already my superior.”
Do Yi-hyun curtly brushed off Seo Jeong-woon’s nonsense. Seo Jeong-woon, who kept approaching no matter how much he was pushed away, was starting to become grating.
“……You seem quite adept at drawing lines, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon, seemingly annoyed, narrowed his fine brows and pouted, grumbling. He looked quite displeased. Seo Jeong-woon lowered his gaze, which had been fixed on Do Yi-hyun’s face, further down.
For some reason, his grayish-brown eyes persistently scrutinized the area around Do Yi-hyun’s wrist. Judging it wasn’t worth a response, Do Yi-hyun pressed his lips tightly together. He was already poor at understanding others, but Seo Jeong-woon was even more incomprehensible.
“Strange. Was I that bad? That can’t be.”
Seo Jeong-woon tilted his head, stroking his own chin. It was unclear what exactly he meant by ‘that bad,’ but his confidence was certainly remarkable. Ding.
Just as Do Yi-hyun’s patience was nearing its limit, the elevator arrived at the parking lot. Do Yi-hyun took advantage of the moment Seo Jeong-woon unconsciously looked back to slip out of his embrace.
“I’ll be going now.”
Do Yi-hyun offered a formal farewell and quickly walked away. But Seo Jeong-woon trailed closely behind him.
“Since we’ve met, why don’t we have dinner togeth……”
“I have a prior engagement.”
Do Yi-hyun cut him off before he could even finish the sentence. Hearing another bothersome invitation after lunch made fatigue surge over him like a tidal wave.
“With whom?”
“Please respect my privacy.”
Even as Seo Jeong-woon kept hovering nearby, Do Yi-hyun stared straight ahead and replied stiffly. It had been barely a minute since he’d asked not to be involved outside of work. Was he not understanding, or was he deliberately ignoring it?
Either way, it was unpleasant. Do Yi-hyun swallowed a sigh. He hadn’t had many complaints about work life, but of all times, an unexpected obstacle had appeared during the most crucial period.
“Hmm.”
Seo Jeong-woon crossed his arms crookedly.
“Are you going there again today?”
He asked subtly while gazing intently at Do Yi-hyun. However, because he vaguely lumped together the most important object of the question, Do Yi-hyun couldn’t understand what Seo Jeong-woon was talking about. More accurately, he didn’t want to make the effort to understand the question.
“Yes.”
Do Yi-hyun nodded indifferently. Whether he was going to the hospital or home, he was going somewhere. Since Seo Jeong-woon asked vaguely, a vague answer should suffice.
“Is that so? Then I’ll wait.”
In response to Do Yi-hyun’s insincere nod, Seo Jeong-woon returned a cryptic remark. Not stopping there, he suddenly shoved his face into Do Yi-hyun’s line of sight, lowered his long eyelashes, and gave a peculiar, suggestive smile.
“I don’t want that.”
Do Yi-hyun flatly refused and got into his car. This wasn’t some Zen dialogue; he had no idea what this pointless act was about. Seo Jeong-woon, perhaps knowing the bare minimum of manners, didn’t recklessly get into Do Yi-hyun’s car.
***
“……This won’t do. It’s dangerous.”
The Doctor, having thoroughly checked Do Yi-hyun’s condition, shook his head with a serious face.
“Is it very bad?”
Do Yi-hyun, sitting slightly reclined on the bed, looked up at the Doctor.
“You need to eat something……”
The Doctor trailed off, his worried gaze sweeping over Do Yi-hyun’s noticeably sharper jawline compared to a few days ago and the thick needle inserted into his firm forearm. Concern settled under the Doctor’s eyes. Do Yi-hyun was only 8 weeks pregnant.
Yet, the morning sickness was already severe. Taking anti-nausea medication had little effect, and the symptoms were worsening over time. Whenever his condition was poor, Do Yi-hyun stopped by the hospital for IV fluids.
Thanks to that, he could manage daily life normally for now, but the problem was from here on out. There were limits to enduring on IV fluids alone.
“Still no thoughts of bringing the baby’s father?”
“I am the baby’s father.”
“Who doesn’t know that? I mean the other father. Or is it the mother?”
“…….”
Do Yi-hyun pressed his lips into a straight line and lowered his eyes. Frustrated by Do Yi-hyun’s stubborn silence, the Doctor slapped his own chest with his palm.
“It’s not easy for an Omega to give birth alone without an Alpha. Especially since your Omega traits are weak, it’s even more dangerous. You know that too, Lee Hyun.”
Putting down the chart, the Doctor earnestly tried to persuade Do Yi-hyun. A pregnant Omega needed an Alpha’s pheromones. Without sufficient Alpha pheromones, the Omega’s physical condition would deteriorate rapidly, and the risk of premature birth would skyrocket.
Generally, if an Omega was healthy, it was extremely rare for major problems to occur for the fetus solely due to a lack of Alpha pheromones. But Do Yi-hyun was such a unique case that the prognosis was hard to guarantee. No matter how robust Do Yi-hyun was, comparable to an Alpha, leaving things as they were could lead to severe aftereffects after giving birth.
Or, in the worst case, he might miscarry.
“Think about it again.”
The Doctor urged him. Though seemingly indifferent, he was a smart guy and must clearly understand his situation. Yet, his continued frustrating behavior made the Doctor’s temper flare.
“You’re not going to spout nonsense like as long as the baby is fine, you don’t care what happens to your own body, are you?”
As if the words were urgent, the Doctor spoke faster. Every time Do Yi-hyun came to the hospital, the Doctor tried every method to coax him.
‘How can I bring someone whose identity I don’t even know?’
Do Yi-hyun quietly closed his eyes and forcibly swallowed the retort that rose to the tip of his tongue. Separate from not wanting to get entangled again with a man whose face he didn’t know, Do Yi-hyun was willing to seek his help for the baby’s sake. The problem was there was absolutely no way to find out who that man was.
They definitely met at a bar, but since he’d been drinking heavily elsewhere before moving locations and meeting him, he couldn’t remember which bar it was at all. Since the man paid for everything, there were no remaining records in his possession. He knew which hotel they stayed at, but it was obvious the staff would be reluctant to disclose the personal details of someone who visited a room together nearly two months ago.
Tsk tsk. The Doctor clicked his tongue and studied Do Yi-hyun’s pale, drained face for a while. It seemed he had no intention of breaking his stubborn resolve to have the child alone.
“……This won’t do. Let’s at least get a pheromone prescription. Or give up the child.”
The Doctor reluctantly proposed the last resort. Pheromone prescription was a treatment designed for Omegas like Do Yi-hyun who, unavoidably, had to give birth without an Alpha’s help. Through various tests, the Alpha pheromones with the best compatibility were selected, and the Omega was exposed to those pheromones for a set period.
The procedure was simple, but pheromone prescription carried very high risks. For one, finding well-matched Alpha pheromones was difficult enough, and if an Omega was carrying an Alpha’s child, exposure to another Alpha’s concentrated pheromones alone could cause weakness. It was a method rarely used unless the fetus was in critical condition.
It was already a controversial treatment with many issues, and for an Omega like Do Yi-hyun outside the normal range, what side effects it might cause couldn’t be guaranteed. Moreover, currently, Do Yi-hyun showed strong aversion to other people’s pheromones. It was as clear as day that his body would be ruined if he received pheromone prescription.
Nevertheless, the Doctor had no choice but to recommend it to Do Yi-hyun. Pheromone prescription was particularly effective for severe morning sickness. If treatment was combined for a set period until the morning sickness subsided, both Do Yi-hyun and the child could be saved.
Do Yi-hyun placed his hand on his stomach. It almost felt like the sound of the baby’s fast, strong heartbeat was transmitting through his palm.
“Of course, your body will be significantly dama……”
“I’ll do it.”
The Doctor, about to emphasize the side effects of pheromone prescription, was left speechless by Do Yi-hyun’s appearance, showing not a hint of hesitation.
“There are limits to receiving donated Alpha pheromones through the institution. Finding one with good compatibility for you……”
“It’s fine. I’ve prepared myself for this.”
Do Yi-hyun calmly swept his hand over his lower abdomen.
“……Isn’t the situation different from back then?”
The Doctor muttered bitterly, wiping his face. Since Do Yi-hyun had long been firmly determined to have a child, the Doctor had planned to find several top-compatibility Alpha pheromone candidates in advance before performing the in vitro procedure. No matter how good the compatibility was numerically, the result couldn’t be known until directly exposed to the pheromones.
They had to test one by one until they found a well-matched pheromone. Testing while healthy and testing while pregnant were worlds apart.
“Just what kind of bastard is he that he doesn’t even show his face while you’ve ended up in this state?”
The Doctor grumbled loudly, pretending to talk to himself. Do Yi-hyun, having quickly completed the pheromone compatibility test, waited briefly and then entered the round capsule as instructed by the Doctor. Perhaps made for an average Omega’s physique, the space was a bit tight.
Mr. Do Yi-hyun, we will begin the treatment. A Nurse’s voice flowed from the speaker inside the capsule. Soon, a strange Alpha’s pheromones began to seep up from the floor.
“Ugh……”
Even though it was an Alpha pheromone the Doctor had carefully selected, nausea rose immediately. A rejection reaction surged from deep within. His hands and feet trembled finely.
Are you okay? If it’s too difficult, press the red button. You mustn’t overexert yourself.
A worried voice came through, but Do Yi-hyun dug his nails into his palms and forced himself to endure. For the baby, there was nothing he couldn’t do.
***
‘I’m tired.’
Monday morning, even after arriving at work, Do Yi-hyun couldn’t easily get out of his car. After receiving his first pheromone prescription on Friday, his morning sickness worsened sharply over the weekend, forcing him to urgently visit the hospital again. Since his condition didn’t improve with just IV fluids, Do Yi-hyun had to receive two more pheromone prescriptions.
Before getting out of the car, Do Yi-hyun checked the mirror. His already pale skin was deathly white, devoid of any color. Whether due to his unique constitution or poor compatibility with the Alpha’s pheromones, Do Yi-hyun couldn’t feel much difference even after the pheromone prescription.
The morning sickness remained, to the point where even when thirsty, he couldn’t drink water freely.
“Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Do Yi-hyun, walking slowly, halted his steps at the low call. Standing in front of the elevator was the person he least wanted to meet at the company. It was Seo Jeong-woon.
“Good morn……”
Seo Jeong-woon, approaching Do Yi-hyun with a bright smile, suddenly withdrew it. With the smile gone, his naturally sharp eyes were fully revealed.
“It’s not just one.”
Seo Jeong-woon, eyes narrowed to slits, scanned Do Yi-hyun up and down while muttering to himself. One might find Seo Jeong-woon’s unusual attitude puzzling, but Do Yi-hyun silently nodded and pressed the elevator button. His expression showed no emotion whatsoever.
“Lee Hyun-ssi, why didn’t you come? I waited so long.”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled brightly as if he’d never been serious. Then, slowly sweeping his bangs aside, he leaned his shoulder toward Do Yi-hyun in a highly deliberate manner. Following Seo Jeong-woon’s gesture, a rich, thick floral scent settled low to the ground.
Do Yi-hyun unconsciously touched the tip of his nose. Due to his peculiar morning sickness, not just pheromones but strong smells often gave him headaches or nausea. But strangely, the scent wafting from Seo Jeong-woon didn’t bother him much.
Do Yi-hyun furrowed his brow and looked up at Seo Jeong-woon sideways. Seo Jeong-woon had a strange habit of omitting subjects or objects. Every time he conversed with him, it felt like playing an uninteresting game of twenty questions.
“I clearly said I didn’t want to.”
Do Yi-hyun cut off Seo Jeong-woon’s nonsense with a tone as sharp as his cold expression. Despite having no interest in relationships, since childhood, people had flocked around Do Yi-hyun. It seemed his unusual personality attracted public attention.
Among them, those who took a liking to Do Yi-hyun largely fell into two categories. Admiration or desire. The former only watched from afar and spoke once or twice, so they didn’t require much attention.
The latter, however, were quite bothersome. They usually started by touching Do Yi-hyun out of simple curiosity, but later became desperate to gain even a little attention. There had been more than one or two people like Seo Jeong-woon who picked fights over trivial matters and caused a scene.
Thanks to that, Do Yi-hyun was accustomed to ignoring baseless arguments. For those who didn’t understand rejection, not reacting at all was best. But strangely, it was difficult to maintain composure with Seo Jeong-woon.
Even setting aside their special relationship as superior and subordinate, this was very rare for Do Yi-hyun. It seemed his poor physical condition left him with little mental leeway. Do Yi-hyun blatantly turned his head away.
He didn’t want to be dragged into Seo Jeong-woon’s pace any longer. Even though Do Yi-hyun clearly expressed his refusal, Seo Jeong-woon deliberately moved to face him directly.
“Alright. Keep pushing me away. Let’s see who wins, then.”
Seo Jeong-woon playfully winked.
“By the way, you must have been very busy over the weekend, Lee Hyun-ssi. It’s not that I don’t understand, but going so often…… Ah, but I’m still not in a position to involve myself with you, right?”
Seo Jeong-woon meaningfully lowered his voice, then deliberately put on a hurt expression. His assertive tone suggested he knew exactly what Do Yi-hyun did over the weekend.
‘……How does he know?’
Do Yi-hyun warily took a step back from Seo Jeong-woon. It was unlikely Seo Jeong-woon, of all people, was stalking him. Did he secretly have someone tailing him instead?
A momentarily suspicious question arose, but remembering the pallid face reflected in the rearview mirror made it all fade away. Do Yi-hyun calmly brushed his cheek.
‘I must look unwell.’
The Doctor jumped up every time he saw Do Yi-hyun, exclaiming about the state of his face. Seo Jeong-woon visited Do Yi-hyun daily and showed considerable interest. Perhaps Seo Jeong-woon understood his condition more accurately than Do Yi-hyun himself.
Even if Seo Jeong-woon were a stalker, it wasn’t something for Do Yi-hyun to concern himself with.
‘As long as it doesn’t harm the baby, it doesn’t matter.’
Do Yi-hyun raised his right hand and covered his lower abdomen. He had never spoken about his trait within the company, yet somehow the rumor that Do Yi-hyun was an Alpha had spread widely as an established fact. Even if he were caught frequenting an omega-only hospital, no one would imagine it was due to pregnancy.
‘There’s no way Alpha pheromones would remain.’
Do Yi-hyun briefly furrowed his brow. The Doctor had carefully selected the Alpha pheromones to prescribe to Do Yi-hyun, but unfortunately, the compatibility wasn’t good. In the end, he had to receive prescriptions for pheromones from three different Alphas.
The doctor handed over a strong pheromone neutralizer after each treatment. This was because alpha pheromones could repel each other, and Do Yi-hyun showed a rejection reaction to pheromones. Therefore, no matter how sensitive Seo Jeong-woon’s senses were, detecting alpha pheromones from Do Yi-hyun was impossible.
Even if, by any chance, he detected a faint pheromone, he would likely mistake it for Do Yi-hyun’s.
“I won’t let it interfere with my work.”
Do Yi-hyun clearly drew the line. While managing one’s condition is part of work ability, it doesn’t warrant excessive interference from a superior. Seo Jeong-woon stared intently at the cold Do Yi-hyun before slowly parting his red lips.
“You’re amazing. Lee Hyun-ssi, even that day…”
Ding. But before Seo Jeong-woon could complete a full sentence, the elevator arrived.
“Hello, Executive Director.”
An employee in the elevator recognized Seo Jeong-woon and bowed slightly.
“Yes, hello.”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled brightly and greeted warmly. The employee’s already flushed cheeks turned even redder.
“Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon turned his upper body to make way and politely raised his right arm. Do Yi-hyun twitched his eyebrows as if displeased. A simple “go ahead” would have sufficed, but Seo Jeong-woon always had to be unnecessarily complicated.
Instead of pointing out his excessive kindness, Do Yi-hyun held his breath and headed to a corner spot. Seo Jeong-woon glanced around the elevator interior before standing quietly in front of Do Yi-hyun. Do Yi-hyun naturally looked up at Seo Jeong-woon’s messy back of the head with a sense of discomfort.
It felt like being surrounded by walls. He had expected Seo Jeong-woon to cling closely to his side, annoyingly pressing shoulders, but this was somewhat unexpected.
“Oh my, Executive Director. Long time no see.”
“Indeed.”
Employees boarding the elevator one after another beamed and spoke to Seo Jeong-woon. Do Yi-hyun leaned against the wall, half-listening to the meaningless chatter. No matter how early one arrives, elevators during commute hours are always crowded.
But with Seo Jeong-woon standing firmly in front, the space felt not just ample but comfortable. It seemed no one dared to push past an executive director even if there was no room. Ding.
Finally, they reached the floor with the accounting team office. Do Yi-hyun slipped out of the elevator amid the rushing crowd. Tap.
As he brushed past Seo Jeong-woon, he felt a light touch on his sleeve, but Do Yi-hyun didn’t even glance at him.
***
Do Yi-hyun, who had been carefully reviewing documents, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
He felt nauseous to the point of having a throbbing headache. When Do Yi-hyun slowly opened his eyes, a head suddenly appeared in his view.
“Team Leader, Ji-eun-ssi said she’ll buy coffee after lunch. Should I get an iced Americano?”
A team member playfully winked. Do Yi-hyun ignored the cheerful smile and immediately checked the employee ID. Though the lanyard was twisted, showing only the back of the ID, the bright yellow rabbit character sticker on the corner revealed who it was.
It was Kim Yu-min. Do Yi-hyun absentmindedly glanced at the team members huddled together. The team members peeked at Do Yi-hyun before hurriedly turning their heads away.
When accounting team 2 members needed to speak to Do Yi-hyun outside of work, they often asked Kim Yu-min to do it.
“It’s fine.”
When Do Yi-hyun flatly refused, Kim Yu-min’s eyes widened.
“It’s free coffee, you’re really not going to have any? It’s a rare chance to get something from Ji-eun-ssi!”
“I’m not a cheapskate.”
At Kim Yu-min’s joke, Park Ji-eun grumbled from afar.
“Oh, come to think of it, I haven’t seen Team Leader drink coffee lately? Did you quit caffeine?”
Kim Yu-min exaggeratedly acted surprised, as if he had witnessed Do Yi-hyun smiling brightly.
“For the time being.”
Do Yi-hyun nodded indifferently. Like most office workers, Do Yi-hyun used to drink strong Americano like water. But now, aside from restraining himself for the baby’s sake, just smelling the bitter aroma of coffee made him nauseous, so he couldn’t drink it.
It felt like just yesterday he wanted to gulp down a cool Americano, but his condition changed day by day.
“That’s unbelievable.”
Kim Yu-min, scrutinizing Do Yi-hyun with a disbelieving expression, noticed the fruit lunchbox placed beside the square bag.
“Gasp, are you skipping meals again and only eating fruit? And you don’t even like sweet things… I heard you haven’t been going to the company cafeteria lately? The cafeteria auntie was worried. You’re not dieting, are you? Where does Team Leader have any fat to lose? You’re already sharp enough to cut with your jawline.”
“Yes.”
Do Yi-hyun cut off Kim Yu-min, who kept firing questions, in a familiar manner.
“Do you want to have lunch with me today? What if you collapse like this?”
Kim Yu-min asked with a somewhat desperate tone while gauging Do Yi-hyun’s reaction.
“No.”
“Ah, Team Leader-nim.”
Kim Yu-min mumbled without giving up, but seeing no sign of acceptance from Do Yi-hyun, he slumped his shoulders and returned to his seat. Another colleague laughed as if expecting this and patted Kim Yu-min’s back. Do Yi-hyun glanced at the neatly arranged fruits in the rectangular container.
Since he couldn’t starve himself just because he felt unwell, he tried various foods. Among them, fruits suited his taste somewhat, but even then, he could only manage a tiny bit of sweet fruits like watermelon or melon that had no sourness. Three minutes left until lunchtime.
Suddenly, murmuring sounds were heard around.
“Why did Executive Director Seo come here?”
Do Yi-hyun, who was holding back nausea while touching the corner of his mouth, shifted his gaze toward the office entrance following the team members’ whispers. Beyond the square partition stood a tall man dressed in comfortable clothes.
“Lee Hyun-ssi.”
The man called Do Yi-hyun affectionately and approached with light steps. Due to the unique form of address, Do Yi-hyun couldn’t help but recognize who it was, even if he didn’t want to. This was a very unfamiliar situation for Do Yi-hyun, who had prosopagnosia.
Do Yi-hyun looked at Seo Jeong-woon, who wore a sweet smile as usual, with discomfort. Team members who had been slowly getting up to go for lunch awkwardly stopped and alternated curious glances between Do Yi-hyun and Seo Jeong-woon. Do Yi-hyun slightly frowned as he looked at the team members.
Normally, they would have all scurried out of the office, but as if they couldn’t miss the interesting sight of Do Yi-hyun and Seo Jeong-woon together, their eyes sparkled as they sat back down. This was unlike people who hated being even a second late for lunch.
“Did I come a bit early?”
Seo Jeong-woon made an awkward expression at the unusual reaction of the team members. Do Yi-hyun tightly pressed his lips together and secretly glared at Seo Jeong-woon. Seo Jeong-woon couldn’t have been unaware that suddenly seeking out Do Yi-hyun during work hours would cause a stir.
His act of pretending to be troubled was truly detestable.
“Are you two close?”
One of the team members who had been watching cautiously bravely spoke up. It was Kim Yu-min again. Contrary to rumors circulating in the company, seeing Seo Jeong-woon’s friendly attitude toward Do Yi-hyun seemed to have piqued his curiosity.
“We’re not close.”
Do Yi-hyun flatly denied it without leaving any room for doubt. He absolutely hated causing troublesome misunderstandings.
“Then let’s say we’re people who will become close in the future.”
But Seo Jeong-woon shamelessly placed a hand on Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder and smiled amiably.
“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of doing so.”
“It hurts my feelings when you say that.”
Despite repeated rejections, Seo Jeong-woon didn’t back down an inch. His smooth, drawn-like smile was unbearably irritating.
“Let’s go for lunch, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon slightly bent his waist and extended a hand to Do Yi-hyun. Though the posture could have looked ridiculous, perhaps due to Seo Jeong-woon’s uniquely relaxed demeanor, it appeared elegant.
‘Did he think I wouldn’t refuse in front of others?’
“No.”
Do Yi-hyun didn’t even blink despite the numerous gazes. Rather, at Do Yi-hyun’s tone, several times colder than usual, gasps erupted from all around. Being entangled with Seo Jeong-woon since morning had put his nerves on edge, putting him in a terrible mood.
“……”
Seo Jeong-woon stared intently into Do Yi-hyun’s pitch-black eyes. A heavy silence fell between the two.
“Haha, we’ll go have lunch and come back!”
As the atmosphere turned chilly, Kim Yu-min quickly said goodbye and led the team members out of the office. In an instant, only Do Yi-hyun and Seo Jeong-woon were left alone in the spacious office.
“If you don’t want lunch, how about dinner?”
Seo Jeong-woon leaned on the edge of Do Yi-hyun’s desk and looked down at him obliquely.
“I have prior plans.”
“Then how about tomorrow evening?”
“I have plans tomorrow too.”
“…What about the day after?”
“I’ll probably have plans the day after too.”
Do Yi-hyun refused Seo Jeong-woon’s proposals repeatedly without a moment’s hesitation.
“Do you have plans on weekends too?”
“I need to rest on weekends.”
As the comedic conversation continued, the smile on Seo Jeong-woon’s lips faded.
“Really?”
Seo Jeong-woon finally expressed doubt.
“Yes.”
Do Yi-hyun nodded indifferently. He had hospital appointments scheduled every evening. To work normally at the company, he had no choice.
This itself was a hard-won compromise with the doctor who strongly recommended hospitalization.
‘I need to stabilize my condition before year-end.’
Do Yi-hyun clenched his fist with determination. Even if, by any chance, he didn’t have hospital appointments, he would never have time to have dinner alone with Seo Jeong-woon. Absolutely not.
“Who are you meeting?”
Seo Jeong-woon persistently asked, as if never tiring.
“I have no obligation to report my personal life to you, Executive Director.”
“…Do you hate having a meal with me that much?”
Seo Jeong-woon put strength into the hand resting on the desk and narrowed his eyes. It seemed his persistence was gradually turning to anger.
“Yes.”
Do Yi-hyun answered insincerely. To be precise, there was simply no reason to have a meal with Seo Jeong-woon, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain in detail.
“Look at me, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had stepped closer, suddenly brought his face near. Do Yi-hyun almost reflexively pulled his head back but straightened his back and held his ground. He didn’t want to show any reaction to Seo Jeong-woon’s actions.
“I’m not someone with a face that falls short anywhere.”
Seo Jeong-woon fluttered his long eyelashes and tilted his head slightly.
“You’ve never seen anyone more handsome than me either, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon stated plainly, as if stating an obvious truth. It was tremendous confidence.