By Zephyria 
It hаd bеen four wholе уears sinсe he lаst sаw Sоо-hуаng. During that time, thеу hаdn’t exсhanged a singlе word, lеt alоne а simplе grееting, and naturаlly, nеither knew anуthing about the оther’s current lifе. Evеn if shе had heard from the еmployееs thаt hе hаd left the hоuse, shе shоuldn’t have knоwn whеre he was staуing.
And уеt, Soo-hуаng hаd sреcifiеd Dо-hyun, сalling it ‘that child’s house.’ It was а certаinty that lеaped оver fаr too mаnу steps tо be a mеre guеss bаsed оn а shirt. Naturаllу, evеrуthing сonvergеd intо a singlе соnсlusion.
“……Did you put someone on me?”
No answer came, but that was an answer in itself. Letting out a hollow laugh, Woo-yeon muttered in a self-deprecating voice.
“Right, you’re not the type to just let me go.”
He must have been dreaming for a moment. Knowing full well that Soo-hyang wasn’t someone who would simply stand by and watch, he had pretended not to notice and looked away. After entering university, he had looked only forward, consumed by the thought of seeing Teacher, without even glancing at his surroundings.
“Aren’t you sick of this?”
Woo-yeon’s primary physician, the employees managing the house, the chef who prepared his meals, and even his tutors when he was young. Woo-yeon had always, always lived within Soo-hyang’s fence. A life where every single move was reported in detail was already sickeningly familiar.
That is, provided the target was merely an ’employee.’
“I thought it ended with Daniel……”
Soo-hyang looked up at Woo-yeon. The silence that followed was, once again, an affirmation. After a long silence, she spoke calmly.
“Come back home. I have nothing more to say.”
Having said that, Soo-hyang rose from her seat. The act of straightening her clothes signaled that the conversation was over. Woo-yeon clenched his fists and grit his teeth.
“……I’m not going back.”
“Seon Woo-yeon.”
“No matter what you say, I’m not going back.”
He had absolutely no intention of doing as Soo-hyang wished. Whether he lost his place of residence to a reporter or became homeless, it was better than returning to that prison-like house. He would rather roam the four corners of the earth naked than be trapped inside those towering walls.
“Every single day in that house felt like hell.”
Woo-yeon glared at Soo-hyang with eyes full of resentment. Though no tears gathered in his eyes, for some reason, he looked as if he were crying.
“Until I went to America, I never lived a single day like a human being.”
“…….”
“Even in America, I did everything according to your wishes.”
He had realized Daniel was one of Soo-hyang’s people through very minor details. The fact that Daniel, whom he had met without any prior connection, cared for Woo-yeon excessively. The fact that he knew Woo-yeon’s dietary preferences and brought him suppressants whenever his heat cycle arrived.
Woo-yeon was sensitive to manufactured kindness. From childhood until now, Woo-yeon’s surroundings had always been filled with hypocrisy. He had been in an environment where he had no choice but to keenly perceive what the other person wanted and why they were approaching him.
‘Danny, tell Mom. The suppressants she brought last time were too weak, so tell her to send something stronger.’
When Woo-yeon first said that, Daniel didn’t panic; he just laughed. He even slyly wrapped an arm around Woo-yeon’s shoulder, asking if he had known all along. That laugh wasn’t a lie, and even knowing everything, Woo-yeon had considered him a friend.
Even the first friend he ever made had started from his mother’s hand. If so, what about these new connections he had met at university?
“Who is it this time?”
A few faces flashed through his mind. The images of them comforting him, cherishing him, and treating him with kindness still remained. But if all of that was manufactured. How on earth was he supposed to endure a situation where even the mere thought made his stomach churn?
“Who did you put on me this time?”
Soo-hyang’s expression was unreadable. She looked angry, yet simultaneously indifferent. For a fleeting moment, she seemed apologetic, but it was highly likely that Woo-yeon was imagining it.
“Just how far do you have to go to be satisfied?”
“To……”
After hesitating for a long while, Soo-hyang spoke slowly. It was the reason Woo-yeon had heard countless times.
“It’s to protect you.”
“Protect me.”
A self-deprecating laugh escaped him. Despite the situation being far from it, Woo-yeon asked innocently.
“Like you did for my late mother?”
Soo-hyang’s pheromones sharpened. It was a heavy, pungent scent, perfectly fitting for an Alpha. His lungs felt crushed flat, and his skin felt as if it were being sliced. His breath hitched, but he didn’t stop speaking.
“Like that person, whom you drove to death because of your obsession?”
Woo-yeon had another mother besides Soo-hyang. A mother who had a different genetic trait, personality, and family background—the woman who had married Soo-hyang and given birth to Woo-yeon. A pitiful Omega who had slowly withered away and died under Soo-hyang’s ‘protection.’
“That’s not called protection.”
“…….”
“It’s surveillance.”
Soo-hyang’s eyes wavered with rage. Even the slight trembling of her eyelids was a remnant of emotions she couldn’t fully express. Blinking slowly, she turned her head slightly.
“I don’t know what you hope to achieve by provoking me, but if you’re venting your anger, do it elsewhere.”
The cold, frozen face no longer held the bewilderment from before. Only the overflowing pheromones surged uneasily. With her lips pressed thin, she spoke in a chilling voice.
“If you noticed Daniel Connor, you should have known he wasn’t the first.”
His mind went blank. His vision darkened, and the surging pheromones were abruptly cut off. As Woo-yeon stood there, lips parting blankly, the cold voice spoke again.
“I’m sorry if you weren’t aware.”
“…….”
“And here I thought you liked him even while knowing.”
That was the end. As if she wouldn’t say another word, Soo-hyang passed Woo-yeon and left the office. The sound of the door slamming shut was louder than ever before.
* * *
In the car heading home, Woo-yeon stared out the window like a soul-less shell. Driver Yoon didn’t speak, and only the rapidly passing scenery blurred before his eyes.
‘Your name is… Seon Woo-yeon?’
Every scene from the moment he first met him until now passed by like a panorama. The first meeting where he was neat and mature, the memories of him always being kind and gentle.
‘I look forward to working with you, Yeon-ah.’
Looking back, there were more than a few strange things. The fact that his mother, who always hired only first-class teachers, had brought in an ordinary college student. And the fact that Do-hyun, who was simply a tutor, had been excessively interested in him.
‘I heard you were home alone, so I was worried.’
How on earth did he know Woo-yeon was alone? On the day his phone had broken, he hadn’t sent any contact to Do-hyun. Even Woo-yeon had only realized late that the house was empty.
In the end, it was the same pattern as Daniel. Do-hyun had given him affection and interest, but he never told him what that was based on. Even if the kindness he showed wasn’t a facade, it was unknown whether the beginning of it had been his own volition.
‘It’s not a very good memory, so.’
“Ha, fuck……”
A surge of profanity rose within him. His chest tightened so much that even breathing became a struggle. He leaned his forehead against the car window, but the transparent glass quickly turned lukewarm.
‘I tried to draw a line, but it wasn’t easy. At first, I was concerned, and then I felt sorry. I knew I shouldn’t do this, but I loved the fact that you liked me so much.’
He had realized far too late the reason behind the words “I treated you well because I felt sorry.” The parts he had brushed off casually had returned to him as arrows. He wanted to deny it, but no matter what words he thought of, the conclusion didn’t change.
‘I’m anxious too, Yeon-ah.’
‘I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed in me.’
‘So…… I’m afraid you’ll say you don’t like me anymore.’
Perhaps he had felt it subconsciously even then. In that moment when Do-hyun couldn’t say he wouldn’t be disappointed, Woo-yeon had instinctively realized.
That there might be something to be disappointed in. That all of this might vanish, just like a shooting star.
“Young Master, we have arrived.”
“……Don’t leave, wait here.”
Woo-yeon had always walked toward Do-hyun without looking back. Even knowing that he was hiding something, he had ignored it, intoxicated by a momentary sweetness. Not knowing that the price for all of it would eventually return like this.
When Woo-yeon pressed the doorbell, Do-hyun opened the door without making him wait long. He held a phone and car keys in one hand, and he was still dressed for going out. As soon as he saw Woo-yeon, his gentle eyes curved into a smile.
“You came quickly. I was about to go pick you up.”
For a very brief moment, a thought occurred to him. The thought that if he just acted as if he didn’t know, they could pretend nothing had happened. The absurd hope that he could maintain this relationship without breaking it.
But that thought didn’t last long. The moment his eyes met Do-hyun’s, a wave of sorrow rushed in. He blinked, and a teardrop fell from his eyes.
“…….”
Do-hyun’s expression changed. Whatever he felt, even his pheromones became unusual. Looking up at Do-hyun, Woo-yeon barely managed to open his mouth.
“……Why did you do that?”
His voice was heavily choked. Even the words he forced out were nearly buried by the surging emotions. Tears streamed down endlessly, leaving tracks on his pale cheeks.
“Why did you do that to me?”
Do-hyun didn’t answer. He didn’t ask what he meant, nor did he wipe away Woo-yeon’s tears. He simply bit his lip and lowered his gaze in silence.
Soon, letting out a shallow breath, Do-hyun uttered a short phrase.
“I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t a denial. Instead of the answer Woo-yeon had hoped for, the words he had prayed were not true came out.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“……You’re not saying it’s not true?”
His stomach churned violently. His vision turned pitch black, and the thread of his reason snapped. The uneasily wavering air mirrored Woo-yeon’s state of mind.
“You’re not even going to make an excuse and say it’s not like that?”
Woo-yeon glared at Do-hyun with resentful eyes. His face, drenched in tears, was hot and damp. After gasping for breath a few times, Woo-yeon spat out the words.
“I don’t know what’s going on in your head, Seonbae.”
Just like that, Woo-yeon turned around and left the front door. If Do-hyun hadn’t reached out, he intended to never look back. Do-hyun grabbed Woo-yeon and spoke urgently.
“I’ll tell you everything.”
He looked uncharacteristically desperate. His anxious pheromones were transmitted through the point where they touched.
“I’ll explain everything, how it happened, until you’re satisfied, so……”
He had already succumbed to such desperate pleas once before. Just as he had in the club room, his heart wavered in the wind.
“No.”
However, instead of looking at Do-hyun, Woo-yeon shook off his hand. Thud, the brushed-off hand drifted away powerlessly.
“I don’t want to hear it.”
It was a lie to think it was okay as long as he didn’t reveal his inner thoughts. Betrayal, anger. Even setting those aside, the sense of injustice at not knowing until now was the greatest.
“This isn’t you telling me; it’s you getting caught.”