By Zephyria 
“If it’s really alright… could I continue to stay here?”
After a moment of hesitation, Haon spoke, putting strength into every single word. The corners of his mouth, pulled up in an attempt to hide his nervousness, seemed to tremble. He still had so much to say; this was bad.
“Even if it’s not for a full year and a half, if you could just let me stay for a few months, I’ll do everything I can to help out.”
If it was housework, he could do it whenever the man wanted. To be honest, he wasn’t the best at cooking, but he made a mean kimchi fried rice. Seong-gu hyung had even said it was a taste he wouldn’t get tired of even if he ate it every day.
Clink.
The man, who had lifted his coffee cup only to set it back down, showed no particular reaction. Had he changed his mind in a single day? Even if he had, Haon felt it was only natural. He was grateful enough just to have been allowed to stay over the weekend. He felt no resentment or regret. Sincerely.
“Or, if you prefer, I can just leave today—”
“Why?”
In-ho, unconsciously clenching his fist, asked urgently. To say he wanted to stay and then suddenly change his words as if flipping a palm. The mood, which had been soaring toward the ceiling, felt as if it were about to crash back to the floor.
“You said you wanted to stay longer. Why are you changing your mind?”
“No, it’s just… because you didn’t answer…”
Was that so? In-ho thought he had answered. In his effort to react as calmly as possible, he had ended up only saying it in his head. He only realized it after Haon spoke.
“Make yourself at home. You can stay for the full year and a half if you want, so just be comfortable.”
Repeating similar words, he smiled and picked up his coffee cup again. If he continued to say everything that came to mind, Haon would surely get overwhelmed and run away. In-ho blocked his mouth with coffee to settle his excited mood. Strangely, he could no longer taste the bitterness.
“But, there is something I need to tell you.”
Haon lowered his hand beneath the table and rubbed his thigh. His palms were sweating. It wasn’t exactly something to be nervous about, but as he continued, his body kept stiffening.
“My… heat cycle is irregular.”
“I don’t mind. I’m not very affected by pheromones.”
As a dominant Alpha, In-ho’s reason didn’t easily cloud even in the presence of an Omega’s pheromones. He was at a level where he wouldn’t even blink if an Omega in heat threw themselves at him completely naked.
“If it’s uncomfortable for you, Haon, I’ll step out.”
Or, he could solve it for him. Swallowing the latter thought, In-ho watched Haon’s reaction and waited for the next words. Still maintaining a bright smile, Haon hesitated, swaying his upper body slightly back and forth. Was there something he was conflicted about?
“I first manifested as an Omega last year.”
Haon lowered his gaze and shared his story. He couldn’t quite hide the tremble in his voice. However, thinking he had hidden it well, he shrugged and spoke as if he were nonchalant.
“Because my manifestation was late, my heat symptoms are a bit different from others. As you might have seen… I feel a lot of hunger.”
This was only the third time Haon had confessed his symptoms to another person. But this time was the hardest to bring up. He was worried about the reaction he would receive.
“I’ll probably try to eat anything I see.”
Haon only hoped that the man would not find his heat symptoms amusing, as others had. If he did, it felt as though a bruise much larger than any he had received before would remain in his heart. He had a feeling that a wound inflicted by this man would be greater than any other.
“I’m telling you this because I’m afraid you might be surprised when you see it later.”
He had heard he was very unsightly. While most Omegas in heat looked erotic and beautiful in their flushed state, he was told he was hideous because he would crawl on the floor and try to eat things others had thrown away.
All the Alphas Haon had encountered said similar things. They emphasized that they had helped him out of pity because no one else wanted to be near him. Strangely, everyone was like that.
Hearing those words, the naive Haon had thanked them every time. He didn’t know what else to say, and he truly felt grateful. They had made him feel that way.
“What would you like me to do?”
The man, who had been listening quietly, asked. At this, Haon’s gaze, which had been fixed on his empty plate, returned to him.
“Should I leave the room?”
The man was not smiling.
“Or should I stay with you?”
The dark-colored eyes looking at Haon were calmly cooled. However, they didn’t feel cold. There was no way a person saying such kind words could feel cold.
“I’ll do whatever makes you most comfortable, Haon.”
To the man who was asking him to tell him everything, Haon answered faintly in a tiny voice. Is it really okay to do this? he wondered inwardly.
“Please… stay with me.”
At that, a hint of a smile touched the corners of the man’s eyes.
* * *
Since starting his life in Seoul, Haon didn’t remember a single day of proper rest. Except for the days he lay motionless due to illness, he spent almost all his time at work. He had lived by doing nothing but working tirelessly, and he intended to continue doing so.
Recently, a big change had occurred in Haon’s daily routine.
Rolling around on the bed, Haon patted his thin stomach thump, thump and looked for the TV remote. Since he had nothing to do, he thought he’d watch a drama.
It felt strange to be turning on the TV on a weekday afternoon, a time when he would normally be in the middle of working. Now in his seventh day of staying at the man’s house, Haon was diligently enjoying his leisure.
Originally, he had planned to look for a new job during the week. Even on the day he took the man’s car to move his things out of the gosiwon, Haon had been checking his phone constantly to find a short-term part-time job. He scoured job apps until his eyes were sore, searching for weekday short-term work, but found nothing suitable.
‘How about working at my house?’
The man, who had been secretly watching Haon, had casually brought it up.
‘What kind of work…?’
‘The house is large, so it was hard for me to clean it alone.’
‘Ah, I’ll just do all the cleaning.’
He had intended to do all the housework even if he wasn’t asked. Since he wasn’t paying rent, it was only natural that he should handle the cleaning. However, the man shook his head very firmly.
‘No, please do it properly and take payment for it.’
When Haon said he could do it well without pay, the man told him to take the pay and do it even better, hiring Haon on the spot. An hour later, he even produced a contract, thoroughly defining the working hours and the scope of the housework.
The official working hours written in the contract were from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, but he said Haon could leave freely once the work was finished. However, he added a small recommendation that Haon let him know via text if he intended to go out or had plans.
Since the man said this was a request as a cohabitant and that he could refuse, Haon promised he would definitely leave a message. He could easily agree to that much.
With a salary this high, it was only natural.
Haon, who had been lying down comfortably, suddenly sat up. It was because the numbers deposited in advance into his bank account came to mind. It was an amount that made him feel like he shouldn’t just be lying around, so he left the bedroom to do something.
It was only three in the afternoon. There was still time left in the agreed working hours, but since he had already finished all the work, he had nothing to do.
The man had told him to clean the floors only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Other than that, it was just simple dusting, grocery shopping, laundry, and dishwashing. Except for the two days of floor cleaning, everything was finished before two o’clock.
Although he was told he could leave once the work was done, Haon had a conscience. He was receiving more pay than when he worked full-time, so idling like this left him feeling uneasy.
“I need to do something.”
Muttering quietly, he walked into the living room and headed toward the sofa as if drawn by a magnet. Leaning his hips slightly against the wide sofa, he looked around the spacious house. Since it wasn’t his own home, he was cautious about looking for work to do.
Leaning against the high back of the sofa, Haon’s body gradually relaxed. He thought it was a bit hard when he first leaned back, but after sitting a few more times, it quickly became comfortable.
It would be even more comfortable if I lay down.
Draping his body over the back of the sofa, Haon buried his face in the soft fabric. Perhaps because it was a place where the man often lay down to sleep, the sofa smelled of him. Haon reached out and poked the top of the sofa where the man would have lain with his fingertip. He didn’t have the courage to actually lie down.
Just then, his phone notification sounded.
“Ah, you scared me…”
Startled by the short message alert, he bolted upright. Even without checking the text, he could guess who it was from.
[Is there anything you want for dinner?]
As expected, it was a text from the man. He sent texts with similar content at this time every day. Even though Haon replied every time that there was nothing in particular, he asked the same question consistently.
[How about Western? Pasta or steak.]
When Haon said he couldn’t think of any food today as well, the man suggested a menu he had already thought of, as he always did.
“Pasta, steak…”
Haon rolled his round eyes, reading the man’s text. Even though he didn’t have much of an appetite, he found himself licking his lips. It was all thanks to the man’s excellent cooking skills.
Haon ate dinner with the man almost every day. A week had passed since his heat ended, and he could now eat food. Although he didn’t eat a large amount, he didn’t just pick at it. He ate enough to moderately fill his stomach.
The man did all the dinner preparations. Haon’s role was to enjoy the food he had carefully prepared. Thanks to his outstanding culinary skills, Haon was performing his role without any trouble.
I wonder how delicious the food will be today.
With a subtle sense of anticipation, he grabbed a dishcloth and headed for the kitchen table. He imagined the man skillfully prepping ingredients and taking out tools while diligently wiping the already clean table.
It was a sight that remained fascinating even after seeing it every day.
In dramas, people who lived in such grand houses mostly ate food prepared by others. Surprisingly, he seemed very accustomed to cooking. To the point where Haon wondered if he worked at a famous restaurant.
Haon still knew almost nothing about the man. He didn’t know his age, his profession, or the environment he grew up in.
Perhaps because he lacked information, Haon found himself thinking about the man more often since he started living in his house. To the point where he spent most of his time alone thinking of him.
What kind of work does he do? Why does he live alone in such a large house? What about his family? Is it really okay for him to live in one house with an Omega like me?
“There’s no way it’s okay…”
Lost in complex thoughts again today, Haon folded the dishcloth neatly and moved to wipe the cabinet. In truth, cleaning was just an excuse; he had approached to look at the frames inside. He had already seen them all, but his eyes kept drifting toward them.
Inside the small frames were children even smaller than he was.