By Zephyria 
The moment I thought that, my vision suddenly cleared.
“……Cough!”
Oxygen rushed in, causing me to cough violently. Just like when he had been strangling me, he had suddenly let go. I slid down and collapsed onto the floor. He still stood tall before me as I desperately inhaled the smog-filled air, leaving me to gasp for breath painfully, tears and saliva streaming down my face.
My mind was blank and barren, incapable of thought. I was simply sucking in oxygen with all my might. I don’t think I had ever tried so hard to live as I did in that moment.
“……cause, ……thing, ……is…….”
Until now, it seemed only my hearing had survived, but now all my senses except hearing were flashing wildly and screaming. Belatedly, the muscles throughout my body cried out. With each breath, even the farthest reaches of my body sharply awakened to their existence. On top of that, one of my eyes burned painfully, making it impossible to open.
“Ugh…….”
As I groaned through my parted teeth, I could barely make out several shadows around Nathaniel in my blurred vision.
Someone had come.
I vaguely recalled. I was leaning against the Jaguar, crumpled and panting, and my senses were returning very slowly, one step at a time. As I blinked blankly, my hearing was the slowest to return. To be precise, it was the function of my brain to analyze the noise coming through my ears that was returning.
“……Then we’ll take care of the aftermath.”
It was a woman’s voice. I realized that one of the people in black suits standing there was a woman. Nathaniel moved. It seemed he glanced at me. Or maybe not. To him, someone like me was probably less than an empty can rolling on the floor. His obvious contempt made me feel even more pathetic. After he disappeared in another car, the woman who had spoken turned to me.
“How are you feeling? Can you get up?”
She asked politely, extending her hand, but I couldn’t detect any scent from her. Was she a Beta? I wondered, trying to get up without her help.
“Be careful!”
She shouted sharply as I staggered. I barely managed to lean against the car and balance myself. I thought I had enough oxygen now, but my head was still ringing. The burning pain in my eye was still there. She watched me for a moment as I stood there, covering one eye and catching my breath, then she spoke.
“My name is Alice Martin. I’m Miller’s executive assistant and bodyguard.”
“……Chrissy Jin.”
After a short cough, I barely managed to introduce myself in a hoarse voice.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
She added a businesslike smile. I inadvertently gave her a dumbfounded look. She must have seen me being strangled, so how could she say that? As if she had noticed my thoughts, Alice spoke in a still-flat tone.
“You’re not broken or crippled, are you? You were really lucky. If we hadn’t arrived in time…….”
She shook her head as if she didn’t want to think about it. I felt the same way. Alice continued briefly.
“We’ll come separately to take care of the accident. Have you contacted your insurance company?”
I silently took out my phone. My fingers trembled as I searched for the saved number, and I accidentally called the wrong number several times, quickly hanging up. After finally connecting the call, I exchanged a few words and was assigned a representative. As soon as I finished the call, Alice, who had been waiting, spoke.
“I’m about to leave work, would you like me to take you home?”
She glanced meaningfully at the wrecked car behind me. I hesitated for a moment at her blatant gaze. The service in this damn country was a mess, so the waiting time in this case was close to infinite. I was in no condition to drive, nor did I have the energy to catch a taxi. Should I just give up on this piece of junk? I stared at the broken-down car, feeling an overwhelming temptation.
But I had to keep my wits about me, especially at times like this. How could I trust that man’s employees and leave? I politely declined.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
It would be a problem if they filed an unreasonable claim for damages against me.
That man seemed capable of anything. Recalling him strangling me without hesitation, I suddenly felt a chill. I unconsciously hunched my neck, then shook off the annoyance and relaxed my shoulders. But my body was stiff and creaking, and it didn’t work as I wanted.
I should have just smiled and agreed to a settlement.
That’s what I would have done normally. Why did I reveal my true feelings so unfiltered?
Perhaps it was because my nerves, which had been on edge since meeting my stepfather, had not yet calmed down.
And that man’s Pheromone had played a part too.
I took out a cigarette from my pocket and put it in my mouth, when she suddenly offered me a lighter.
“Thank you.”
After a brief greeting, I lit the cigarette, and Alice also put one in her mouth.
For a while, we stood there silently smoking. It was already past midnight, and the street was quiet. In the silence, I wondered why she wasn’t leaving.
Ah.
Perhaps because of all the incidents, my senses had become dull. I glanced down and met Alice’s eyes as she was stealing glances at me. Only then did I realize at once why she had offered to take me home and why we were standing here together.
“I’m sorry, I’m gay.”
With a smile of apology, I apologized briefly, and she coughed violently as she inhaled the cigarette smoke. I waited for her to calm down and added.
“I’m sorry if I’m mistaken.”
Alice turned to me, barely catching her breath. I could tell from her expression that I wasn’t mistaken. I just gave a bitter smile at Alice’s face, which was full of disappointment.
“I was only worried about whether you were an Alpha or an Omega, I never even thought about gay.”
She muttered to herself and sighed. I said again.
“I’m a Beta.”
She turned to me with an incredulous look. I felt embarrassed and sorry, so I added.
“You wouldn’t have smelled any Pheromone, didn’t you know?”
She readily answered my question.
“Ah, I’m a Gamma.”
Only then did I understand, but I couldn’t help but be surprised. It was the first time I had actually met a Gamma. Gammas were the rarest of the four Traits and therefore the least numerous, so there was very little information available about them, and therefore the content covered when learning about Traits in the curriculum was also the most basic.
Of the four Traits—Alpha, Beta, Omega, and Gamma—Gamma was the only Trait that could not smell Pheromones. Therefore, they were not affected by any Pheromones.