11 – Pandora’s Box

“Excuse…… me-e…….”

Eun-soo said hesitantly as he took off his shoes. Although he had known Seong-heon for a long time, this was his first time visiting his home.

Once you reach a certain age, no matter how close you are, visiting someone’s home is a very, very rare occurrence. Perhaps for an event like a housewarming party, but staying for a long period like this was also rare.

Even as he slid his feet into the home slippers, Eun-soo thought about eight times, ‘Ah, should I just go back home?’ But since he had already packed all his things from home and had come here in awkward silence with Seong-heon on the subway, the thought of repeating that process made his whole body shudder.

“Come this way. I specifically chose a room without a window for you.”

Seong-heon, carrying Eun-soo’s luggage, tilted his head as if telling him to hurry inside. Eun-soo let out a sigh-like breath and entered the hallway.

Seong-heon’s house was spacious and clean. In some ways, it was similar to Do-kwon’s house, but with wood mixed in here and there, it felt a layer warmer. There was also a subtle scent of a diffuser.

Furthermore, there wasn’t a separate second floor; instead, it spread out wide in all directions. It was so large that the silly thought occurred to him that he might get lost wandering the hallways.

Seong-heon opened the door to a room near the living room. The room was like a high-end hotel suite. It was spacious and clean. There was a plush-looking bed and a desk, and a large storage cabinet was visible. A large TV was mounted, and a small sofa and an elegant mood lamp were arranged.

Although there were a series of projection windows on one side, compared to the floor-to-ceiling window in Eun-soo’s bedroom, they were like mouse holes, making it difficult to lose oneself while looking outside.

How should he put it? To jump from there, he’d have to fold and cram his body so much that he’d have to throw his arms and legs out first and shove his head in last. In any case, it was a window far removed from any suicide attempt.

“Wow…… did you decorate the guest room like this?”

Eun-soo entered the room with a small exclamation of admiration.

“No. I completely overhauled it because I heard you were coming.”

Seong-heon said playfully, shrugging his shoulders. Interpreting it as a joke, Eun-soo giggled. Seong-heon smiled along.

“The bathroom is opposite. I use the one near my bedroom, so you don’t have to worry about me coming in.”

“Okay.”

“Then get settled and come out. Let’s have dinner. Is there anything you want to eat?”

At the word ‘dinner,’ Eun-soo’s eyes sparkled. He happened to be hungry. He also had a menu in mind. But he felt a bit embarrassed to suggest it rashly. Eun-soo hesitated.

“Uh…… well…… there is something.”

“What is it?”

“Jajangmyeon.”

“……Jajangmyeon?”

“Yes. When I was discharged from the hospital, I thought about eating jajangmyeon when I got home. But, uh, if the Executive Director wants something else, that’s fine too. I’m not picky.”

Eun-soo added quickly. He felt it was a bit odd to eat jajangmyeon with Seong-heon. He had eaten with him countless times, but they had always gone to clean traditional Korean restaurants or luxurious dining establishments. Because of that, he felt self-conscious suggesting a bowl of jajangmyeon that cost 5,000 won.

It felt like…… suggesting commoner food to a tycoon.

Eun-soo looked at Seong-heon with a nervous expression. It was hard to predict Seong-heon’s reaction. He even worried if he would get angry, asking why he’d suggest eating something like that.

But Seong-heon’s lips curled into a smile.

“Jajangmyeon sounds great. Should we order tangsuyuk too? Or maybe kkanpunggi?”

At those words, Eun-soo’s expression brightened instantly. He shifted his heels and rattled off a list of menu items.

“Great! Then can we order tangsuyuk and cream shrimp? Ah, I want fried rice too. No, should I have jjamppong-bap…….”

Eun-soo groaned, furrowing his brows. At that sight, Seong-heon burst into loud laughter. After laughing for a while, he said something quite gallant, telling him to just say the word and he’d order everything he wanted.

Eun-soo looked as if he wanted to shout ‘Hooray!’

The dining table at Seong-heon’s house was very wide. There was a separate dining room like the ones seen abroad, large enough for about ten people to sit. And large plates characteristic of Chinese cuisine filled that table.

Seong-heon didn’t order from a common delivery shop; he spoke separately with the owner of a famous specialty restaurant and had the food delivered to the house in actual platters. It was a very ‘Executive Director’ thing to do, so Eun-soo gave him two thumbs up.

And so, not only jjamppong and jajangmyeon, but fried rice, tangsuyuk, kkanpunggi, and even cream shrimp. On top of that, other unknown dishes Seong-heon had ordered were added, creating a magnificent feast.

Eun-soo ate combatively. He cleared the plates in front of him and finished off with the few remaining fried items, crunching away.

It was a truly satisfying meal. Since hospital food was bland, he had been craving these salty, sweet, and spicy foods.

“As expected, jajangmyeon is the way to go on moving day.”

Eun-soo said, sipping through the straw in his cola. Seong-heon, who had been watching Eun-soo eat while resting his chin on his hand, tilted his head.

“Moving day?”

“Ah, well, it’s a bit much to call it ‘moving,’ but I moved my things, my sleeping place changed…… so it’s not that different from moving…….”

Eun-soo said with an ambiguous smile. Seong-heon gave a light nod of agreement. Then, the moment Eun-soo put down his utensils to signal he was finished, Seong-heon handed over the pre-portioned medications. They included nutritional supplements for pregnant Omegas and suppressants.

Eun-soo stared at the suppressant. The suppressant, which had been the size of a middle finger nail, was broken in half. This was because the hospital had suggested reducing the dosage of suppressants during times when he wasn’t socializing—specifically, before bed or while at home.

Although Seong-heon was right in front of him, he was a Beta, so it didn’t matter if he took a bit less of the suppressant. It worked out well.

After a brief word of thanks, Eun-soo tossed the pills into his mouth all at once with water. Meanwhile, Seong-heon began cleaning up himself. Having swallowed the medicine, Eun-soo followed him to help.

“It’s okay. Just stay seated. I bought a roll cake in the fridge. Eat that.”

“Aw, how can I just stay seated?”

“Why not? I brought you to stay at my house specifically to do this for you.”

“I didn’t come to the Executive Director’s house hoping for this. But a roll cake is tempting, so I’ll eat it later.”

Eun-soo winked playfully. Seong-heon let out a laugh as if he couldn’t help himself. The two of them helped each other finish cleaning up.

“Have you decided on a name for Bomi?”

Seong-heon asked while washing the water glasses. At those words, Eun-soo’s shoulders stiffened while he was wiping the table.

“Uh…… not yet, not yet.”

He hadn’t thought that far. It would be more accurate to say he hadn’t had the leisure to think about it. Since he hadn’t even called the prenatal name ‘Bom’ many times, he hadn’t considered another name.

Eun-soo’s face immediately became serious. A name. A name……. He was not creative in that regard. When he chose the prenatal name, hadn’t he brought up things like gopchang or sea cucumbers?

Should he go to a naming center? Or maybe go see a fortune teller?

After contemplating for a while, Eun-soo gently rubbed his stomach and spoke.

“Bomi. Is there a name you want?”

‘If there is, let me know. I’ll actively accept your opinion.’ As the gentle words continued, Seong-heon laughed with his mouth wide open. Eun-soo giggled along, when suddenly, his stomach twitched.

“…….”

Startled by a sensation he had never experienced in his life, Eun-soo froze stiff. His breath stopped, and his eyes widened.

How many seconds passed? His stomach was motionless again, as if nothing had happened. Just as Eun-soo tilted his head, wondering if he had imagined it, something moved inside his stomach again—a twitch.

It felt as if a small, soft cherry tomato had pushed outward from the inside and then curled back in, blocked by the skin of his belly.

Eun-soo blinked rapidly. What is this? What is this feeling? As he pondered, it suddenly clicked.

It was fetal movement. Bomi had finally moved.

“It just, it just moved!”

Eun-soo shrieked. Startled, Seong-heon dropped the water glass. Fortunately, it fell into the splashing sink and didn’t break, but he was genuinely shocked.

“What, what did?”

Before Seong-heon could even wipe the water dripping from his hands, he hurried over to Eun-soo. In response, Eun-soo pulled his baggy t-shirt tight against his stomach, revealing his roundly swollen belly. Then, he let out another shout.

“Bomi did it! Bomi just moved like this!”

Eun-soo stretched one hand upward, as if mimicking Bomi. Then, he murmured with a serious expression.

“No, was it a foot? If it was here, where would that be?”

“What does that matter? The point is that they moved,” Seong-heon said with a chuckle. At that, Eun-soo widened his eyes and nodded vigorously.

“Exactly! Anyway, one of the arms or legs moved!”

“Congratulations. Bomi must be in a good mood today.”

Seong-heon lightly stroked Eun-soo’s cheek with the back of his dry hand. But for some reason, Eun-soo’s expression began to dampen. Startled, Seong-heon hurriedly withdrew his hand. However, Eun-soo’s face quickly became soggy, like a piece of wet tissue.

“…I guess so. They must be in a good mood.”

“Eun-soo.”

“If I had done a little better, they would have moved a long time ago. To think they’re only stretching now… How frustrated must they have been all this time?”

Eun-soo stroked his belly with a crestfallen face. He didn’t know how to make up for his past shortcomings. At this rate… even if he gave birth to a beautiful baby, would he be able to raise them properly? Would he be a decent father? He was plagued with worries that he might do something wrong or make a mistake that would hurt Bomi.

It would be great if they could speak from birth. Daddy, I’m hungry. Daddy, I need the bathroom. Daddy, I’m sleepy. Daddy, it hurts. Daddy, I’m uncomfortable. If they could just tell him that, he really, really could do a good job.

As Eun-soo sank deeper into his worries, Seong-heon lightly stroked his elbow.

“It’s a happy occasion, so just be happy. From now on, they’ll be moving so actively that you’ll find it hard to sleep deeply.”

“Still…”

Eun-soo couldn’t easily shake off his anxiety. Seong-heon let out a low hum from his throat. Then, with his long legs, he strode toward the refrigerator.

“Shall we have some roll cake? There’s lemonade too.”

“…”

“Bomi will like it more if you eat something delicious. They might even move more vigorously, thinking, ‘If I move, Daddy gets to eat something tasty.’”

Eun-soo laughed softly at the adorably phrased words. Seong-heon was a mature person. Kind and attentive. He thought that whoever ended up starting a family with him in the future would be truly happy.

“Executive Director.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you, really. It’s thanks to you that Bomi moved.”

“Hmm… those words are more than I deserve, but it does feel good to hear,” Seong-heon said with a shrug. Just as Eun-soo was about to argue that it wasn’t too much at all, a black shadow traced a soft arc and hopped onto the dining table. It was a shadow like a sleek pigeon.

“Aaah!”

Terrified, Eun-soo clutched his belly and flopped down into his chair.

“Eun-soo!”

A startled Seong-heon approached, still holding the knife he had been using to cut the roll cake.

“What is it? What happened this time?”

“There’s a pigeon—no… a cat? It’s a cat!”

Eun-soo’s eyes widened as he pointed at the black shadow. A black cat with sleek fur and a slender body was staring at Eun-soo, blinking its characteristic yellow eyes.

“Nabi. You shouldn’t appear so silently.”

Seong-heon laughed lowly and gently stroked the cat’s head. The cat responded with a “meow,” licked its lips briefly, and leaped down from the table. It then stepped up onto a nearby pantry and lay down.

Eun-soo stared blankly at the black cat. The glossy cat looked as if it had jumped straight out of a fairy tale. Once he recognized its presence, the cat tower standing in one corner of the living room and the water bowls placed throughout the house finally caught his eye.

“You… have a cat?”

“Yes.”

“But how could you not mention that you have a cat until now?”

He had seen Seong-heon more often lately than before. They had spent long hours together at the hospital. They had eaten meals, drunk tea, and shared trivial conversations. Yet, he had no idea that Seong-heon owned a cat.

“…Is it necessary to mention it?”

Seong-heon tilted his head slightly. At that, Eun-soo widened his eyes in horror.

“Of course! Someone who has a cat but doesn’t tell people they have one is a truly scary person!”

“Why does that… make someone a scary person?”

“Because they don’t brag about something so cute!”

Eun-soo pointed to the cat, which was lazily flicking its tail. Even so, Seong-heon looked as if he had no idea what Eun-soo was talking about. While Eun-soo was pouting, feeling inexplicably wronged, Seong-heon placed the roll cake and a fork in front of him.

Even then, Eun-soo couldn’t take his eyes off the cat.

A cat. A cat of all things.

He had desperately wanted one, but he had never dared to get one because he didn’t feel confident in his ability to fully care for it. And yet, he was meeting one like this.

“Is its name Nabi?” Eun-soo asked.

“Yes,” Seong-heon nodded concisely.

“…”

Eun-soo’s mouth twisted strangely. Nabi… Calling a cat ‘Nabi’ was like naming a human ‘Cheol-su.’ He wondered if there was a special reason, but it seemed unlikely.

Seeing Eun-soo’s peculiar expression, Seong-heon asked, “Why that face?”

“No. Just… I thought you named it in a way that’s very ‘you,’ Executive Director…”

Eun-soo replied with a dry laugh. While Seong-heon continued to look at him with a confused expression, Eun-soo chewed on the roll cake and rested his chin on his hand. Then, with a face lost in deep thought, he murmured.

“This is… a great environment for recuperation. Your house, Executive Director.”

“Pfft, recuperation?”

“Yes. The interior, the delicious food you provide, the fluffy bed, and now there’s even a cat. This is practically heaven.”

At those words, Seong-heon laughed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He found Eun-soo’s choice of words—recuperation, heaven—to be cute.

“That’s a good thing, right?”

“Of course. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve had dinner without any worries.”

Eun-soo murmured, savoring the roll cake that crumbled softly in his mouth. Seong-heon smiled warmly at Eun-soo’s relaxed face.

“Eun-soo.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s have dinner without any worries tomorrow, too.”

At Seong-heon’s low voice, Eun-soo blinked slowly. Then, his eyes curved into a soft smile.

“…Yes. Tomorrow’s dinner, too.”

Without worries. Just like today. With a smile.

* * *

Eun-soo rushed into the company lobby. There were exactly five minutes left of lunch break. The lobby was crowded with employees returning to work.

Checking his wristwatch, Eun-soo took deep breaths to steady himself. After straightening his disheveled clothes, he greeted the security guard warmly and tapped his employee ID on the gate.

Eun-soo had stopped by the hospital to meet an Alpha. It was for pheromone therapy. Today marked the seventh session. Having received it two to three times a week, it had already reached seven times.

During this time, Eun-soo’s pheromone levels had been steadily declining. According to the doctor, after another three or four sessions, they would drop back to completely normal levels. It was wonderful news.

That was why today, he and Seong-heon had decided to have a course of Hanwoo beef at a nice restaurant for dinner. Of course, Eun-soo had firmly insisted that he would be the one paying.

Pressing the elevator button, Eun-soo looked inside the plastic bag in his hand. In his rush, he had bought a sandwich, cookies, and a drink from a sandwich shop, but he wasn’t sure if he’d have a moment to scarf them down in the breakroom.

Eun-soo had been consistently receiving pheromones from that college student he first met. This was because he really hated the idea of getting acquainted with another person.

He couldn’t keep asking the busy Seong-heon to accompany him to the hospital every time. He had to go for treatment alone, and the thought of meeting a strange Alpha every time was incredibly uncomfortable.

So, he stubbornly insisted on that one college student. The student had readily agreed, but since a college student isn’t exactly free all the time, coordinating schedules was a bit difficult. Today, he had rushed there because the student said it would barely be possible during lunch.

Consequently, eating a full lunch became impossible, but since the treatment was far more important, it was fine.

Looking into the bag, Eun-soo organized his plans in his head. I’ll work while eating the sandwich in between. Do I have a meeting this afternoon? Are there drafts I need to review? How much time is left for that project deadline? I want to leave work early today. I want to eat beef soon. Just light plans like that.

Just then, with a ding, the elevator doors opened. Eun-soo only confirmed that the doors in front of him had opened and looked back at the sandwich in the bag. Then, he stepped forward. Once inside the elevator, he spun halfway around, pressed the 14th floor, and looked ahead.

But for some reason… a familiar scent brushed past the tip of his nose. It was a scent he could recognize instantly, no matter where or how he smelled it. A scent he could never forget. A scent he would likely remember for the rest of his life.

It was Do-kwon’s pheromone.

Eun-soo snapped his head up. Beyond the dull elevator doors, he saw a cold-faced Do-kwon and a flustered Secretary Jeong.

Eun-soo unconsciously swallowed hard.

No wonder. He had thought the elevator was excessively quiet. He had noticed that although there were plenty of people waiting for the elevator, there was a lot of empty space inside.

Eun-soo furrowed his brow in dismay. The elevator, which had just started ascending, was only passing the 3rd floor. Eun-soo’s fingers fidgeted. He desperately wanted to press the 5th floor and get off halfway. But that seemed ridiculous, so he didn’t dare try.

Eun-soo stared quietly at Do-kwon’s reflection in the elevator door. This was the first time he had seen Do-kwon since the day he entered the director’s office to inform him that Myeong-hui had called.

Do-kwon hadn’t changed one bit. Though, how much could a person change in a few weeks? His half-tied hair and his neatly tailored suit were the same.

Ah, now that he looked closer, there was a bandage on one side of his forehead. What kind of bandage was it? Did he trip? How?

Eun-soo bit his lip. No, no. He was completely finished with that man. They were, as they say, worse than strangers. Even if something happened to Do-kwon, there was no need to care.

But still, was it okay to just stay like this? Their relationship had ended, but he was still a director of the company. Should he greet him? No, would that be even weirder?

Ah… he shouldn’t have taken this elevator. He should have come up a bit more slowly. Or faster.

Eun-soo took a deep breath. It wasn’t intentional. It was more like preparing to sigh. However, Do-kwon’s scent rushed fully into his lungs. Just as Eun-soo quickly cut off his breath…

Thump. His stomach surged.

Bomi had moved. And the movement was very large. They had moved a lot before, but this was the first time it had been this significant. It felt as if they had stretched their limbs wide in a star shape.

“Ah…”

Startled, Eun-soo clutched his belly with both hands and let out a faint moan. The sandwich bag he was holding dropped to the floor with a thud. In that instant, Secretary Jeong, eyes wide, rushed to support Eun-soo.

“What is it, what is it, Team Leader Yoo? Is your stomach hurting?”

The inside of the elevator suddenly became noisy. Flustered, Eun-soo quickly shook his head.

“Ah, no. Bomi suddenly moved, so I was just a bit surprised. It’s not the first or second time, but I still haven’t gotten used to it.”

At Eun-soo’s gentle explanation, silence filled the elevator. Do-kwon’s pupils froze stiffly. Secretary Jeong, whose eyes were already wide, widened them even further, as if they might pop out.

“Bomi… Bomi is moving?”

“Yes. It’s been a few weeks.”

“My goodness. To think Bomi is moving…”

Secretary Jeong murmured with a face soaked in emotion. Eun-soo, getting excited along with him, began to chatter about Bomi.

“Lately, they stretch and flip their body. It feels like bubbles are popping inside, and sometimes I can even feel Bomi’s heartbeat.”

At those words, Secretary Jeong looked down at Eun-soo’s belly lovingly, as if he were looking at a newborn baby rabbit. Eun-soo smiled brightly and stroked his belly. Then, remembering his actions belatedly, his cheeks flushed. Bragging about his child already. It was a bad habit.

As Eun-soo bent over to pick up the sandwich bag, the kind Secretary Jeong quickly picked it up for him.

“Thank you,” Eun-soo expressed his gratitude.

Secretary Jeong shook his head. “It’s nothing. But is this your lunch? Or a snack?”

“Ah… lunch.”

“Why are you making do with something like this? Were you busy with work?”

“No, the hosp—no, I just had an appointment… so…”

Eun-soo, who had almost reflexively said he had been to the hospital, quickly changed his words. He felt there was nothing to gain from broadcasting the fact that he was ill. Do-kwon knew he had suffered pheromone shock, but he didn’t want to let him know how he was living these days.

Why? You know that feeling. When you accidentally run into an ex-lover on the street, you want to look great. I’m living well without you. I’ve become even more wonderful. That childish desire to show off.

Eun-soo couldn’t bring himself to look Do-kwon straight in the eye and just fidgeted with his hands. The plastic bag he held made an unpleasant crinkling sound.

Just then, with a ding, the elevator doors opened. Eun-soo quickly stepped out. As Do-kwon’s scent faded, he felt as if he could finally breathe. In the past, he had felt anxious when his scent was gone. Now, smelling it made his heart pound uncomfortably, as if he had consumed too much caffeine.

Turning halfway back, Eun-soo gave a polite bow to the closing elevator. Secretary Jeong bowed back. Then the doors closed.

“Haaa…”

Eun-soo let out a long sigh. Watching the numbers on the elevator display climb steadily, he felt his strength suddenly drain away. He had been hungry when he entered the company, but now he didn’t even want a sip of water to pass through his throat. Whatever he ate, he would surely get indigestion.

As Eun-soo rubbed his face and turned around, three team members were staring at him with wide eyes. Under their overwhelmingly sparkling gazes, Eun-soo stepped back, uttering an “Uh…”

Regardless, the team members swarmed toward him.

“Oh my, Team Leader. Were you with the Director?”

“I thought the Director hadn’t been coming to the 14th floor much lately, but some things never change.”

At those words, Eun-soo wore an ambiguous smile. He hadn’t told his team members yet that he had broken up with him.

It felt ridiculous to gather everyone and say, I have broken up with Director Seo Do-kwon. He figured his perceptive team members would figure it out on their own over time. But it seemed this coincidence would extend that time a bit longer.

While Eun-soo was pondering what to say, fortunately, one of the team members spoke first.

“Well… the Director is incredibly busy these days. I heard he’s taking full charge of completely overhauling the Philippines factory. Apparently, the factory owner there embezzled a huge amount of money, which is why so many defective products were made. I heard they even received a warning because the wastewater treatment was a mess.”

“What? The Director is doing that? Why would the Director…”

“Who knows. There was originally a separate management team, but I heard the Chairman specifically picked the Director for it. Maybe he’s planning to remodel the entire factory?”

This was news to Eun-soo. He knew the factory in the Philippines was problematic, but he hadn’t known Do-kwon was in charge of it. He had heard it was a headache because it involved an organization that was selfish, difficult to communicate with, and of poor quality. So Do-kwon had taken it on.

Since Myeong-hui had specifically picked him, Eun-soo suspected it was a form of punishment. It was a tedious and cumbersome task that wouldn’t particularly help his career or reputation.

Eun-soo nodded with a serious expression and hid the sandwich bag behind his back. If the team members saw it, they would only suspect things like, ‘Didn’t you just have lunch with the Director? Then why the sandwich…’

Entering his office, Do-kwon irritably tugged at the knot of his tie. The reason for his annoyance was, of course, Eun-soo. It was always Eun-soo who threw stones into his calm and indifferent emotions.

From the Eun-soo he met today… there was the scent of an Alpha.

It was the scent of a stranger, and it wasn’t just a hint; it was wafting strongly from his entire body. He had almost gagged right then and there.

It wasn’t because of Eun-soo’s scent, but because of the scent of some unknown Alpha bastard mixed in with it.

He had said it was an appointment. What kind of appointment was so important that he would skip lunch while pregnant? And why, of all people, was the party to this appointment an Alpha?

Hadn’t he and Seong-heon become… that kind of relationship? Was he perhaps having an affair, even while with Seong-heon?

Once his thoughts reached that point, his eyebrows, the space between them, and even the corners of his eyes furrowed deeply. Do-kwon, who had been standing rigidly in the middle of the room—unable to bring himself to sit at the desk or on the sofa—strode toward the intercom. A few seconds after he pressed the call button, a knock sounded, and Secretary Jeong entered.

“Yes, Director.”

“About Yoo Eun-soo.”

Do-kwon cut straight to the chase, bringing up Eun-soo’s name immediately.

“……Yes.”

Secretary Jeong answered, leaning his head back slightly.

“Find out what he’s doing and where he’s going.”

Do-kwon commanded, completely undoing the tie he had previously loosened. At this, Secretary Jeong’s expression twisted subtly. About ten minutes ago, after Eun-soo left the elevator, he had noticed that Do-kwon’s state was unusual. But to give an order like this.

As it was, he was already handling all sorts of dirty work because he was in Myeong-hui’s bad graces. He hadn’t left the office before midnight for several weeks. Was Do-kwon still not in his right mind, still hitting on Eun-soo? If Myeong-hui found out, he might actually be kicked out of the company this time.

He wouldn’t listen to a single syllable of the past that the secretary so desperately wanted to tell him, yet now he was asking him to dig into Eun-soo’s background.

Secretary Jeong was on the verge of fainting from frustration. If it were up to him, he wanted to tie Do-kwon to a chair and brief him on what had happened during the four years he had forgotten, how he should treat Eun-soo, and scold him that if he continued to act like this, he would eventually wish he were dead.

Of course, he couldn’t actually do it. If he did, he might be thrown out the window of the director’s office.

“…….”

Secretary Jeong glared at Do-kwon with narrowed eyes, as a poor substitute for his frustration.

“What?”

Do-kwon countered that strange gaze, arching one eyebrow crookedly. Secretary Jeong slid his eyes to the side and mumbled.

“No, it’s just… since you said things were over with Team Leader Yoo, asking me to look into him is a bit, yes, a bit strange, shall we say…….”

“…….”

Do-kwon’s mouth clamped shut in a straight line. His eyes turned cold, and dissatisfaction swarmed across his handsome, straight forehead.

Secretary Jeong shuddered. The pressure characteristic of a Dominant Alpha enveloped his entire body. Although he had served Do-kwon for a long time because he admired an intimidation that was rarely experienced, he could never quite get used to experiencing that oppression firsthand.

“Ye-es, I will look into it immediately.”

Secretary Jeong curled the corners of his mouth into a smile and bowed. Then, he hurried out of the office.

Since Secretary Jeong had said he would find out ‘immediately,’ Do-kwon received the report on Eun-soo that evening. However, it wasn’t the information he wanted.

While Do-kwon was reading the text that filled the A4 paper, Secretary Jeong entered with a knock. Do-kwon glanced at him to confirm his presence and then lowered his gaze back to the documents. Then, he suddenly looked up again. It was because Secretary Jeong’s face looked unusual.

Secretary Jeong was a smooth, playful person who was easy to approach, but his interior was not like that. That was evident from the way he handled all sorts of gloomy tasks by his side with a calm expression without a single complaint. Therefore, he rarely felt flustered or surprised by ordinary matters.

Yet, the face he wore now was a very rare sight—one of both bewilderment and surprise.

Do-kwon placed the fountain pen he was holding neatly on the documents. He was preparing himself to calmly accept whatever bombs the secretary was about to drop.

Secretary Jeong came and stood near Do-kwon’s desk. After catching his breath for a moment, he spoke.

“I investigated Team Leader Yoo’s recent movements.”

“Yes.”

“It’s difficult to track him.”

“……What did you say?”

Do-kwon’s thick eyelashes shot upward. He had been guessing what kind of tragic information it might be, but he never expected the words ‘there is no information’ to come out of Secretary Jeong’s mouth.

Secretary Jeong dropped his gaze, looking troubled or perhaps as if he had no excuse.

“The thing is… there’s no search result at all. It seems someone has blocked it so that hospital records or card statements cannot be found through illegal routes.”

Do-kwon slowly chewed over Secretary Jeong’s words. No search results. Unable to find. Someone blocked it. Who was Yoo Eun-soo? Wasn’t he just an ordinary office worker?

“……Did Yoo Eun-soo join the National Intelligence Service without me knowing?”

Do-kwon spoke sneeringly.

“I… don’t think so, but anyway. So, I gave up on finding Team Leader Yoo’s information and instead looked for who was blocking that information.”

“And you were able to find that?”

“As you know, illegal acts are easy, but blocking those illegal acts isn’t something just anyone can do, right? There are only a few companies in the country capable of blocking every single route used for so-called background checks, so I just scoured them all.”

“So you found them.”

Do-kwon bit the inside of his cheek and then let go. Who could it be? Someone who had to block Eun-soo’s information. Or someone with the ability to block it.

“Is it perhaps Mother?”

“No. Someone else.”

Secretary Jeong shook his head. Seeing the darkness in his eyes, Do-kwon could immediately tell who this ‘someone else’ was. If it had been Myeong-hui, Secretary Jeong wouldn’t be this gloomy. He would have whined, ‘The Chairman is protecting Team Leader Yoo, so I couldn’t find anything. I don’t want to do this. I’ll die if I get caught.’

That left only one person.

“……Seo Seong-heon?”

“Yes.”

At Secretary Jeong’s affirmation, Do-kwon let out a short, mocking laugh. Look at these two. They’re having quite a bit of fun.

The reason Seong-heon blocked Eun-soo’s information was obvious. He probably made a preemptive strike fearing that Do-kwon would do something foolish. It felt strangely disgusting. It was because he felt as if he had become some kind of shameless existence to Eun-soo.

From Eun-soo’s perspective, that might be true, but why Seong-heon? Ah, because he knows the details of Eun-soo’s situation and everything that happened between Eun-soo and him?

Do-kwon ground his teeth. He felt his hands curling, and veins bulged on the backs of his hands. He was already stressed to the limit by annoying work. Now, his eyes were burning with rage.

He felt like a thorough second-place finisher. He was clearly the one who abandoned Eun-soo, so what was this filthy feeling? He couldn’t understand himself either.

“…….”

Secretary Jeong took a sharp breath at the chill creeping out around Do-kwon. He still had more to report. He was nervous because it was even worse news. He felt like just pretending he didn’t know and leaving.

But he couldn’t do that. If it came out later, it might become even more uncontrollable.

“And…….”

“What. There’s more?”

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“Since no information was coming up, I put a person on Team Leader Yoo as a last resort.”

“And?”

Secretary Jeong swallowed hard. He licked his lips once before finally opening his mouth.

“Team Leader Yoo didn’t take the subway and went in a different direction. So I wondered who he was meeting, and he entered a luxury apartment near the company. The destination was…… Executive Director Seo’s home.”

“……What?”

“Since the two of them were originally close, I thought it was just a visit, but it was strange that Executive Director Seo had blocked Team Leader Yoo’s information, so I made inquiries.”

“…….”

“I’m told they’ve been… living together… for a few weeks.”

“…….”

At those words, Do-kwon felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck the top of his head.

So, right now. Seong-heon and Eun-soo are cohabiting. Was he hearing this correctly? Did he understand properly?

The air tangled in his throat. He couldn’t breathe. It was something he had truly not expected, so not only his brain but all his internal organs came to a halt.

Do-kwon remained frozen for a long time without even blinking. Cohabiting. Yoo Eun-soo. With Seo Seong-heon. Even when he and Eun-soo had played at a sweet romance for two months, they hadn’t lived together. Hadn’t they met when the sun was up and parted when the sun set? But how long had it been since he broke up with him, and he was already living with Seong-heon?

The bewilderment soon turned into rage. Do-kwon clenched his teeth. The bone above his temple bulged. His eyes turned ice-cold, and his lips twisted grimly, like the statues of the Four Heavenly Kings guarding a temple.

Secretary Jeong quickly added.

“There must be… another reason. I looked into it, and it’s not that Team Leader Yoo put his own house on the market. It seems he’s staying at Executive Director Seo’s house temporarily; perhaps it’s because of the commute? He can’t go back and forth for two hours by subway every time while pregnant.”

“…….”

“Executive Director Seo’s house is large and must have many rooms, so I think he’s living there like a tenant in one of them, like a share house or something.”

It was a desperate attempt at persuasion and defense. Even so, Do-kwon’s expression did not soften. Secretary Jeong swallowed hard. Maybe he shouldn’t have reported it. Maybe it would have been better to keep quiet and pretend he didn’t know.

Secretary Jeong clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly until Do-kwon commanded him.

“Get out.”

It wasn’t a big deal, but Secretary Jeong felt as if his heart had dropped. He spoke again.

“But still…….”

“I won’t do anything.”

Do-kwon frowned and cut Secretary Jeong off.

“I won’t do anything to Yoo Eun-soo, so stop whining and get out.”

Do-kwon swept his palm up his forehead. Another headache was coming. His skull was throbbing violently. His brain felt like it was being kneaded by a powerful grip. He felt as if the wound on his forehead, which had been healing quickly, was bursting open again.

“…….”

Secretary Jeong’s mouth hung open. How can I believe that? You’ve already done too many things to Team Leader Yoo. He wanted to say that, but he couldn’t bring himself to utter it.

Bowing his head, he reluctantly left the office.

Left alone, Do-kwon picked up the fountain pen. He looked at the thick pile of documents. The white paper and the sharp corners felt exceptionally prominent. The papers seemed to dance and sway. They repeatedly came close to his nose and then drifted far away. He knew it was a momentary hallucination, but his stomach churned as if he were motion-sick.

Unable to endure it any longer, Do-kwon irritably threw the fountain pen. The shiny pen clattered and rolled across the floor.

Do-kwon snapped his head back over the chair and covered his entire face with his large hands.

Then he muttered lowly.

“Ah… fuck…….”

To think he had to do nothing. To be in a position where he could do nothing.

This is fucking bullshit, seriously.

Do-kwon ground his teeth. How much time passed like that? The phone on the desk vibrated urgently. Do-kwon lowered only his eyes to check the caller.

Eun-soo’s number was on the screen.

* * *

Eun-soo tapped his card key on the door lock of Seong-heon’s house and stepped inside. He had planned to have dinner with Seong-heon today, but since Seong-heon’s meeting was running a bit late, he decided to wait at home first. Seong-heon had been so apologetic. Eun-soo had to repeatedly reassure him that it was fine and that work was more important.

On his way, Eun-soo bought some tteokbokki and fried snacks. He was very hungry because he had barely eaten lunch.

After washing his hands and quickly changing his shirt, he sat straight down at the dining table. One serving of tteokbokki, one serving of fried snacks, and one serving of sundae. It was three servings in total, but since they were separate, it was effectively one serving, so it was fine. If anyone asked what kind of nonsense that was, he had no rebuttal, but regardless, it was one serving to Eun-soo, so it didn’t matter.

In fact, if he hadn’t made dinner plans with Seong-heon, he might have ordered two servings of each and bought every kind of gimbap available.

His appetite had increased so much lately. Why was his stomach so diligent? Whenever he had a moment, food came to mind, and as soon as he finished eating, he was hungry again. Even after eating this, he would be fully capable of having another meal with Seong-heon.

Eun-soo excitedly opened the packaging. He loved eating. Not because it tasted good, but because it felt like Bomi was eating well. Like Bomi was growing steadily.

Lately, Eun-soo had been doing quite well. He slept well, ate well, worked hard, and consistently attended his hospital treatments.

He didn’t know if it was because Seong-heon took such good care of him, or if, as Seong-heon said, the change in sleeping quarters had stopped the nightmares.

Anyway, a good thing is a good thing.

Perhaps that was why he wasn’t greatly shaken even after encountering Do-kwon in the elevator today. He didn’t hide in the emergency exit and cry like before, nor did he spend time in a daze.

He ate a sandwich, worked with his team members, and stroked his belly from time to time. He felt proud of himself for this.

With a serious face, Eun-soo snapped the wooden chopsticks and moistened his throat with water. Then he put a piece of tteokbokki in his mouth.

The chewy, spicy, and soft rice cake was so-oo delicious.

Eun-soo’s shoulders bounced as he dipped the sundae in salt and brought it to his mouth. He also added the cabbage hidden among the tteokbokki. The salty salt, the chewy sundae, and the crunchy cabbage. It was ecstatically delicious.

Just as Eun-soo, who had been focusing on the tteokbokki for a while, was about to pick up a fried snack with his chopsticks.

Jump.

Nabi, who had been prowling around, lightly leaped onto the dining table using the chair.

“Hi, Nabi?”

Eun-soo gently rubbed the tip of Nabi’s chin with his fingertip. At that, Nabi let out a thin ‘mya.’ The yellow pupils folded softly and then revealed themselves again. Unable to handle the cuteness, Eun-soo grabbed the back of Nabi’s head and rubbed his cheek against it.

“Aww, so cute. How can you be this cute? Who is it? Who told you to be this cute?”

The docile Nabi waited for Eun-soo’s fussing to end without once extending a claw. Eventually, Eun-soo pulled his cheek away.

“Nabi, did you eat? What about water? Should I change it for you?”

Eun-soo poked his head out and scanned the living room. But the house was so large that he couldn’t see the state of Nabi’s food bowl. It was just as Eun-soo pushed the chair back to stand up.

Nabi snatched a large piece of fried squid and bolted away like an arrow.

“Uh… uh-oh…….”

The surprised Eun-soo froze. Then, seeing the fried snack glimpsed over the black back of the cat’s head, he snapped back to his senses.

“Nabi! No! You can’t eat that!”

Eun-soo quickly chased after Nabi. However, it wasn’t easy to catch a fast-moving cat. Nabi darted in and out of the furniture so quickly that Eun-soo couldn’t even touch him.

With a distressed face, Eun-soo leaned against the wall and breathed heavily, and Nabi passed between his legs and entered the hallway. Eun-soo stopped catching his breath and followed Nabi.

Nabi wandered around the house here and there and then vanished instantly at the end of the hallway. Eun-soo let out a groan of hesitation. This was Seong-heon’s territory. In other words, where Seong-heon’s room was.

While staying at Seong-heon’s house, Eun-soo tried his best not to invade his territory. After all, he was ‘mooching’ off him. He hated the idea of Seong-heon feeling even a tiny bit uncomfortable because of him.

His own room was spacious enough, there was a bathroom right in front of it, and since he had to pass through the living room and kitchen to get here, there was no need to come.

Also, on the first day he came to Seong-heon’s house, Seong-heon had asked him not to enter his room, so he had been strictly adhering to that.

“Ah…….”

But this situation was a bit serious. Could Nabi eat fried squid? Fried squid is heavily seasoned. And it wasn’t just any fried squid; it was a giant squid fry, as long as his palm.

Eun-soo bit his lip and agonized. What should he do? What should he do?

Then he decided to save Nabi first. If Nabi ate the whole thing, he might get a severe stomachache or vomit. When weighing the gravity of briefly invading Seong-heon’s territory without his knowledge against Nabi’s health, the latter was obviously more important.

With a determined expression, Eun-soo looked at the three doors nearby. He began to open them one by one. The first door was locked. The second door was open by a hand’s width, and it was the bathroom.

……Do cats go into the bathroom? Don’t they hate water?

Looking into the dark bathroom where the lights were off, Eun-soo left the door half-open and turned the handle of the last remaining door. That one was also locked. Which meant that Nabi had gone into the bathroom.

Entering the bathroom, Eun-soo clicked on the light. The bathroom wasn’t much different from the one Eun-soo used. It was spacious and clean. The only differences were the presence of a cat litter box and the various traces of Seong-heon scattered about—things like a razor sitting in a blue-lit sterilizer and electric toothbrushes lined up neatly.

While they weren’t as intimate as underwear, they were personal items nonetheless, making him acutely aware that he had entered Seong-heon’s domain.

“Nabi-yaaa. You can’t eat that—.”

Eun-soo called out for Nabi, drawing out the end of his words. However, Nabi was nowhere to be seen. He wasn’t in the bathtub, nor behind the toilet or in any of the corners. Then, he spotted another door left slightly ajar.

Eun-soo looked back. The door he had entered through was over there. What was this door?

Tilting his head in curiosity, Eun-soo peeked through the gap. It was too dark to see anything. As he pushed the door open with his elbow, the light from the bathroom seeped inside.

It was a dressing room.

“Ah…”

It was a layout common in large houses—where the bathroom is positioned so that one side leads to a hallway and the other leads to a dressing room or the master bedroom.

Sensing that Nabi had gone in here, Eun-soo stepped inside. He felt along the wall and found the light switch. Click. The switch was pressed, and the room lit up brightly.

“Oh…”

Seong-heon’s dressing room was wide and tidy. Suits were the most numerous, and ties and shoes were organized in neat rows. Do-kwon’s dressing room was similar, though the arrangement and color palette differed. Eun-soo’s own dressing room tended to be a bit more colorful.

Eun-soo didn’t browse the room. This was clearly Seong-heon’s private space. His only goal was to snatch the fried squid away before Nabi finished eating it.

“Nabi. Where are you? Hmm? Where are you…”

Eun-soo searched everywhere, calling for Nabi anxiously. After some time, he heard a cute munch-munch sound coming from somewhere. He also heard the sound of fried batter crumbling.

Eun-soo’s eyes sparkled. Found you.

Following the sound, it wasn’t hard to find him. Nabi was hiding under a chest of drawers where dress socks were rolled up and organized, happily eating the fried squid. Curled up in a gap about two spans wide, munching away with excitement, he looked incredibly cute.

Giggling softly, Eun-soo reached under the chest of drawers and grabbed Nabi’s torso. He felt the soft, smooth fur. Eun-soo pulled Nabi out.

Losing hold of the fried squid, Nabi let out a myaaa—. Then, a skritch sound followed. It sounded as if something had been deeply scratched by Nabi’s claws.

Eun-soo’s shoulders flinched. A sense of anxiety washed over him. For a moment, the grip in Eun-soo’s fingers loosened. Not missing the opportunity, Nabi twisted his body and slipped away. Leaving the fried squid behind, Nabi exited the dressing room without a sound.

Watching the black tail disappear outside the door, Eun-soo let out a faint sigh. Then, he reached under the drawers again.

“What did you tear into…?”

Groping the floor, Eun-soo discovered something hard deep inside. It didn’t move easily even when nudged with his fingertips; it had a fair amount of weight to it. He pulled it out with both hands.

A black box revealed itself.

The box was thick. At a glance, it looked like a box used for packaging luxury shoes or bags, but there was no logo on it. And on top of the box, there were concave scratch marks from Nabi’s claws. There were also grease stains from the fried squid here and there.

“Hmm…”

Eun-soo hesitated for a moment. Should he pretend he didn’t see it and put the box back? Or should he open it? The latter was incredibly tempting. It wasn’t for a conscientious reason—like needing to tell Seong-heon the truth if the contents had spoiled—but purely out of curiosity.

What is this? How precious is it that Seong-heon hid it so deeply in a corner? Is it a limited collection from a famous luxury brand? Or a collection of expensive jewelry? No, probably not. Given Seong-heon’s personality, he’d likely use a flashy safe for that.

What else could it be? Did he put something in here and forget about it? Is it a gift from someone?

It was just an ordinary box, but strangely, he couldn’t take his eyes off it. It felt as if some kind of aura was emanating from it. He had a strange intuition that he absolutely had to open it. He felt like Pandora standing before Pandora’s box.

While he agonized over it, Eun-soo’s hand was gradually opening the lid. And soon, the lid opened, revealing the contents.

“…”

Inside the box were white medicine bottles. Some had spray-style caps, and some contained sloshing liquid. But every single one of them lacked a label. There were no instructions either. They were just plain white.

Squinting, Eun-soo picked up one of the bottles. It seemed the weight of the box was due to these. Eun-soo shook it for no reason, looked at it up close, and then from a distance. Not that doing so would reveal its identity.

“…Cleaning supplies?”

That was the most likely possibility. After all, there were many expensive things in the dressing room, and one would be reluctant to use general detergents or bleach. Having reached that conclusion, Eun-soo was about to put the chemical back in the box when a vinyl material lining the bottom caught his eye.

It was a garment like a rain jacket. What is commonly called a windbreaker. Eun-soo let out a low groan. Why is there sportswear here…? Does he wear this to clean? Seong-heon himself?

Eun-soo lifted the garment. The broad shoulders and generous fit were definitely Seong-heon’s. As he shook the garment back and forth, a faint scent brushed past the tip of his nose.

Eun-soo shuddered.

The clothes… smelled like Do-kwon. It wasn’t just a general body scent or perfume; it was the smell of pheromones.

It was unmistakable. He was certain. Since he had happened to meet Do-kwon this afternoon and had smelled his pheromones, he was capable of discerning whether it was his scent or not.

But why did Do-kwon’s scent linger on these clothes? Were these Do-kwon’s clothes? Had he left them behind during a visit to Seong-heon’s house? But why keep them with cleaning supplies?

Confusion filled Eun-soo’s eyes. Nothing made sense.

Eun-soo buried his nose in the windbreaker and took a deep breath. Do-kwon’s scent rushed in fully. But something was strangely off.

It was Do-kwon’s scent, but it wasn’t Do-kwon’s. It was a bit stifling, and it seemed to have an artificial smell of ointment. It was musty and cloying, different from Do-kwon’s pheromones, which made his body feel at ease the moment he smelled them.

Rather, how should he put it… ah, yes. It was like the fake Do-kwon pheromone scent… that had come from the man he met at the hotel…

As he realized this, the color drained from Eun-soo’s face.

He rubbed the fabric vigorously with his palm. This texture. It was definitely similar to the clothes that man had been wearing. Back when he had mistaken him for Do-kwon. He had wondered why Do-kwon was wearing a raincoat.

“…”

Eun-soo held his breath for a moment. A bizarre thought pierced through his mind. It can’t be. Surely, surely, could that man and Seong-heon be related? Could Seong-heon have been that man? He then shook his head violently.

It was an absurd imagination. Wasn’t Seong-heon the only one who helped him at the time? Seong-heon was the one who tracked the man’s whereabouts and the one who told him the man had gone to prison.

…But did he actually go to prison?

Eun-soo still knew nothing about that man. What his name was, how old he was, or which prison he was held in. Seong-heon had certainly told him various things, but there wasn’t a single piece of information that could specifically identify the man’s identity.

In other words, there was nothing Eun-soo could verify. He simply had to believe whatever Seong-heon told him.

“…”

Eun-soo’s heart began to beat heavily—thump, thump, thump. It echoed loudly enough in his ears.

Eun-soo dropped the vinyl garment as if throwing it away. Then he picked up the medicine bottles. One bottle of pills. Two spray bottles of liquid. Eun-soo opened the bottle of pills first.

The pills were a common shape. White and long ovals. They looked as if sugar or salt had been softly ground and clumped together. But there were no markings on them.

He couldn’t tell what they were like this. Nor could he put one in his mouth to find out.

After staring into the pill bottle for a long time, Eun-soo had no choice but to close the lid. Then he picked up a spray.

Eun-soo wasn’t stupid enough to actually spray it. He opened the cap slightly and looked inside. But even before he could,

“Cough…”

An incredibly pungent smell rushed out. It was as if undiluted perfume had been poured directly into his nostrils. The tip of his nose tingled, and his eyeballs felt hot.

Eun-soo coughed heavily, as if trapped in a chemical gas chamber. Frowning as hard as he could, he quickly closed the spray cap.

He rubbed his nose vigorously with the back of his hand. With his other hand, he waved the air rapidly, trying to repel the scent that was so strong he couldn’t even identify what it was.

Is this some kind of poison that can kill a person through their respiratory system?

Eun-soo let out a sound of disgust and tried to set the spray down.

At that moment, as the scent faded slightly, he felt a familiar sensation.

“Uh…”

It was Do-kwon’s pheromone scent. It was a far more distinct and powerful scent than the one he had smelled on the vinyl clothes. It was so strong that he could almost see blurry hallucinations of Do-kwon all around him.

But it wasn’t Do-kwon’s actual fragrance. It was as if someone had created a perfume that mimicked Do-kwon’s pheromone scent. If that were true, it was chilling.

These days, perfumes targeting Betas that claim to smell like Alpha or Omega pheromones are released on the market, but they don’t mimic a specific person’s pheromones like this. Who on earth would do such a thing, and for what purpose…

As he thought that far, Eun-soo looked at the vinyl clothes strewn about. Then he looked at the spray, and then back at the clothes.

…He sprayed Do-kwon’s fake scent on the clothes and pretended to be Do-kwon.

Eun-soo bit his lower lip hard. Then, with quick movements, he picked up the other spray. This one didn’t have a distinct smell. It was just a musty medicinal scent. After contemplating with his eyes moving busily, Eun-soo reached out and sprayed it in the opposite direction.

With a pssh sound, the chemical scattered like powder. As Eun-soo glared at it with half-closed eyes, the moment the shimmering chemical touched his eye, his vision blurred into a hazy white. It was as if he had put in eye drops, or as if the area was filled with steam.

“Ah!”

Startled, Eun-soo braced himself with his hand and scooted backward on his buttocks to the corner of the dressing room. Then he rubbed his eyes vigorously with both hands. Fortunately, his vision cleared quickly. It seemed a tiny amount of the chemical had entered his eye.

Pressing his back against the wall, Eun-soo breathed heavily. In that short time, he recalled many things he had forgotten.

Yes. That man, who reeked of Do-kwon’s scent, had entered the restaurant and sprayed something in the face of Eun-soo, who was sprawled on the floor in the throes of a heat cycle. It had been such a brief moment that he had forgotten. He had thought the reason his vision had blurred so much was because his mind was hazy due to the heat cycle, or because his memory was unclear.

That wasn’t it. That man had prepared everything meticulously. To perfectly mimic Do-kwon. Since he couldn’t mimic the face, he blurred Eun-soo’s vision.

“…”

Eun-soo looked at the pill bottle whose identity he hadn’t discovered.

Then that… must be that.

On the day he was diagnosed with pheromone shock, the obstetrician had said something.

‘Mr. Omega. You’ve taken medication.’

‘…What?’

‘Medication. A drug that could be called a hormone agent, or a heat inducer.’

Eun-soo rubbed his face hard. Then, another brief memory flashed back. That day. After finishing the meal with Seong-heon at the hotel, he had tried to drink some water. But the water had a strange smell. So he told Seong-heon.

‘The water… smells like medicine.’

‘Medicine?’

Seong-heon had asked back with a surprised face.

‘Yes. It didn’t smell like that before.’

When he nodded, Seong-heon had said,

‘Really? I can’t tell,’

and drank the water. Despite clearly hearing him, he hadn’t even smelled the water once. As if it were naturally fine, he drank the water immediately. Almost as if to show him.

When drinking water at the same restaurant, isn’t it natural to be hesitant if the other person says the water smells strange? It would be right to put one’s nose to the glass to see if it really smells. Could someone swallow the water without a moment’s hesitation?

Eun-soo scanned the things tangled on the floor. The pill bottle. The sprays. The vinyl clothes. Do-kwon’s scent.

There was only one conclusion.

“Ah… aaah…”

That man was Seong-heon.

Eun-soo hurriedly felt his body. He found his phone in his pants pocket. He had to let him know. He had to tell Do-kwon. That everything was Seong-heon’s doing, that it was because of Seong-heon, that they became like this because of him, and that Seong-heon was truly a bad person. He had to assert his innocence.

With trembling hands, he turned on the phone, found Do-kwon’s number, and rapidly tapped the call button. He pressed the phone tightly to his ear.

Ring, ring. The signal went through. Eun-soo’s heart spasmed along with the ringing. Though he hadn’t been running, he was breathless. His lower lip, which he had been chewing on, stung, and his palms, which he had been pressing with his nails, were covered in painful crescent marks.

However, Do-kwon did not answer. Normally, the operator’s voice saying, ‘The customer you are calling is not available—’ should have played, but it just cut off in the middle.

Do-kwon had hung up.

At the electronic click, Eun-soo felt a sense of despair as if a lifeline had been severed. He could never build an immunity to Do-kwon’s rejection. Every time he experienced it, a part of Eun-soo’s world continued to warp and collapse.

Closing his eyes tightly and opening them again, Eun-soo dialed Do-kwon’s number once more.

“Please…”

Please, please, Mr. Do-kwon. Please. Just answer once. Just once.

Ring, ring. The sickening signal continued again. The hand gripping the phone turned white. He applied more and more pressure. If his grip had been stronger, the screen would have shattered.

The signal continued relentlessly. Eun-soo’s pupils twitched left and right. There was no time for this. Seong-heon would return home soon. He had to leave before then. If Seong-heon found out he had discovered these things, he might change from the Seong-heon he knew into the man who had assaulted him.

His mind kept drifting. As time passed, he could more clearly perceive who had deceived him and how, and what the current situation was.

A deep terror constricted Eun-soo. It had been a long time since he felt such anxiety and fear, making it even harder to bear.

Just as Eun-soo gave up on the call and tried to lift his heavy body from the floor, the long signal suddenly stopped. Do-kwon had answered. Eun-soo quickly brought the phone to his ear.

“Do, Do-kwon… sir?”

…

Do-kwon didn’t answer. With an anxious expression, Eun-soo asked again.

“It’s Do-kwon sir, right?”

You’re the one who called me, Mr. Yoo Eun-soo.

Do-kwon answered irritably. A low voice. A slightly husky tone. It was definitely Do-kwon. At the familiar voice, his eyes instantly grew hot. His breath constricted his airway, and his voice trembled. Emotions surged.

“It, it was Executive Director Seo. Everything was done by Executive Director Seo.”

What are you talking about?

“That day. The hotel. At the hotel, that… was Executive Director Seo. That man, the Alpha, wasn’t someone else… I didn’t know. I didn’t know, but now I know. There are drugs, drugs in a box here.”

Eun-soo rambled. Words and syllables failed to find their place and became jumbled. Sentences started but never ended. In short, it was a mess.

Eun-soo was aware that he was speaking in what sounded like a foreign language, but he couldn’t correct it. He kept inhaling as if he were hyperventilating. His consciousness scattered like a haze.

Sigh… Speak clearly so I can understand.

Do-kwon’s long sigh flowed through the receiver. Eun-soo leaned against the wall and sank to his knees. Then he took deep breaths—whoosh, whoosh.

Eun-soo tried to speak as clearly as possible. He moved his mouth slowly and suppressed the intermittent sounds of his breathing.

“I’m sorry… I mean, that day at the hotel. The hotel where… where my heat cycle started… The Alpha I met then was actually….”

Eun-soo barely managed to continue in a trembling voice when—click. The sound of a door opening echoed.

“…….”

Eun-soo’s breath hitched. The door opening meant someone had entered. Unless Nabi had the ability to open and close doors, the person who had walked in was….

Eun-soo slowly lifted his head.

Seong-heon was standing sturdily in the doorway.

“Ah… ahhh….”

Eun-soo’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. His body shuddered in spasms. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. At Eun-soo’s sudden silence, Do-kwon repeatedly called his name through the phone.

—Mr. Yoo Eun-soo.

“…….”

—Mr. Yoo Eun-soo?

“…….”

—Yoo Eun-soo.

“Mr. Eun-soo.”

Seong-heon called out to Eun-soo with a thin smile. Do-kwon’s voice could still be heard beyond his. The two overlapping voices pierced sharply through Eun-soo’s temples.

Loosening his tie, Seong-heon approached Eun-soo. With the light behind him, Seong-heon looked exceptionally massive. He looked so huge that he felt like a monster.

Terrified, Eun-soo stumbled backward. Just then, Seong-heon snatched the phone from Eun-soo’s hand. Checking the number on the screen, a fishy smile played on his lips. Then, without hesitation, he pressed the end call button.

“No, no…. You can’t….”

Coming back to his senses too late, Eun-soo tried to snatch the phone back from Seong-heon’s hand. But there was no way Seong-heon would give it back. He flung the phone far away. Thud, clack. Hitting the hard floor, the phone’s screen shattered as it slid under the dresser. Eun-soo stared at it with hollow eyes.

“Mr. Eun-soo.”

Seong-heon crouched down in front of Eun-soo. The smile remained on his lips.

“I told you not to come into the room.”

He murmured lowly and let out a long sigh. Eun-soo felt as if the edge of that breath had sliced his throat. He had to get out of here. He had to run. Whether it was to find Do-kwon or go to the police station, he just had to leave.

Pressed flat against the wall, Eun-soo stammered.

“Ah… Executive… Executive Director…. I, I didn’t see anything….”

“…….”

“I came in because of Nabi. Nabi was trying to eat something strange… so….”

“Really?”

Seong-heon asked in a gentle voice. Eun-soo nodded vigorously. With that movement, the tears clinging to his eyelashes fell in droplets.

At that, the expression vanished from Seong-heon’s face in an instant. It was as if he had taken off a mask. Or as if a smile painted on his face had been washed away by water.

“Mr. Eun-soo, you really… can’t lie.”

Seong-heon’s large hand reached toward Eun-soo’s face.

* * *

“Haa, haa….”

Eun-soo sprinted down the emergency stairs. The floor beneath his bare feet was freezing. With every step down, his heels throbbed from bearing his weight, and his ankles felt as if they would snap at any moment.

Due to the constant movement, his swollen belly pulled painfully. His vision blurred and cleared repeatedly as tears welled up and fell.

What floor is this? How much further to the lobby? Gripping the railing tightly, Eun-soo stopped for a moment to look around. He soon spotted the sign indicating the floor. 8th floor. Not much further to the lobby.

Biting his lip hard, Eun-soo began descending again. His trembling knees felt like they would buckle, but he endured stubbornly. With one hand on the railing and the other clutching his heavy belly, he moved his feet as fast as he could.

It was just as Eun-soo was moving from the 8th to the 7th floor. A loud thump! echoed from above, followed by the heavy clank of the emergency exit’s steel door opening.

“Mr. Eun-soo! Wait!”

It was Seong-heon’s voice.

About three minutes ago, Eun-soo had sprayed the spray directly at Seong-heon. It was the spray that messed up one’s vision. While Seong-heon, panicked by his clouded sight, waved his hands around, Eun-soo had pushed him. Seong-heon had tumbled backward helplessly.

Eun-soo had rushed out of the house. But the elevator was too far. He felt as if Seong-heon would emerge any second, panting like a tiger to tear his throat out; the elevator was too distant, and the emergency exit was the only choice Eun-soo had.

But Seong-heon had entered the emergency exit. With those healthy, long legs, he might catch up to Eun-soo by covering a whole floor in a single stride.

Terrified, Eun-soo moved his legs even faster. However, excessive tension stiffened his body. His once supple muscles contracted, and his smooth joints creaked and twisted like those of an eighty-year-old.

Eventually, Eun-soo missed a step and plummeted downward.

“Agh!”

The protruding edges of the stairs whipped across his thin back. It felt as if his bones were shattering like crackers. His body spun. His vision shifted between the ceiling and the floor every second, crushing him.

Eun-soo clutched his belly and curled his body as much as possible.

Not Bomi. Bomi… Bomi must be okay.

Eun-soo tumbled down an entire flight of stairs. Then, he slid and slammed hard into the wall. The violent impact made it feel as if his internal organs were surging up into his throat.

“Ugh….”

Eun-soo let out a thin groan. His entire body ached. His shoulder blades felt crushed, his spine felt fragmented, and it felt as if his shoulders and elbows had pierced through the skin. His wrist, visible for a moment, was twisted grotesquely.

A ringing sound echoed in his ears, as if he had been caught in a heavy bombing. His vision was blurred, and his head, which had hit the wall, buzzed so loudly that he couldn’t tell if this moment was reality or a dream.

He just wanted to give up on everything. He felt that if he closed his eyes and opened them again, it would all be over. His life was one where nothing ever went according to his intentions anyway. He wanted to leave everything to others and time, and throw himself into a long, deep sleep.

As Eun-soo trembled and shed tears,

“Mr. Eun-soo! Stop! Please, just listen to me! Mr. Eun-soo!”

Seong-heon’s voice echoed from afar. At that, Eun-soo snapped back to his senses. The distant reality rushed back. Eun-soo grit his teeth. Then, using his broken wrist, he braced himself against the wall and floor to push himself up.

His body swayed violently. Though he had stood up on two legs, it felt as if the ground were attached to the ceiling. His sense of position and direction were in shambles.

Despite this, Eun-soo forced himself to take a step forward. However, his body, already exhausted beyond limit, would not follow his mind. He felt himself tilting to the side, repeatedly bumping into the wall and the railing.

“Ugh….”

Eun-soo closed his eyes tightly and opened them. I have to stay focused. Stay focused. Concentrate. I can’t fall again.

Shedding tears, Eun-soo moved his rattling knees. Hearing Seong-heon’s presence drawing closer, his mind became miraculously clear. It was as if his clouded, sticky brain had been scrubbed clean in ice water.

With his mouth clamped shut, Eun-soo stepped again and again down the stairs that felt like they lasted an eternity. A glimpse of a sign showed he was now on the 2nd floor.

Eun-soo thought.

Maybe, just maybe, Do-kwon is outside. Since the call cut off like that, wouldn’t he feel something is wrong? Knowing I’m in a difficult situation, wouldn’t he come to get me? Even if we broke up, we were lovers. I’m even pregnant. Wouldn’t he be worried?

If I just get out of this building, wouldn’t Do-kwon be standing there? Like in dramas, wouldn’t he appear at the decisive moment and save me? Could we clear up all the misunderstandings, and I could end this story with a happy ending in his arms?

He knew it was a pathetic hope, but Eun-soo desperately craved that pathetic hope. He couldn’t do this alone. He needed help.

He soon reached the 1st floor. A faint warmth rose to his pale face. It was because he felt he had come one step closer to hope.

Eun-soo tried to grab the handle of the emergency door. However, his grotesquely twisted wrist would not move as he wished. Ignoring it, he opened the door with his healthy opposite hand.

The heavy steel door opened with a creak, and air gentler than that of the emergency exit rushed in.

Eun-soo quickly stepped out of the exit. He moved fast and urgently, as if escaping a pit of fire. Then, he looked around.

“…….”

There was nothing, no one, in the lobby. The wide, empty space mocked Eun-soo heartlessly. The overly luxurious chandelier seemed to giggle, pricking Eun-soo’s eyes.

Eun-soo slowly closed and opened his eyes. The tears filling his eyes fell like hail.

How many times had he been struck by such futile hope? He felt frustrated and foolish, but he had to be this way to survive. Look at him now. Hadn’t that hope led him to drag this broken body out of the emergency exit?

Eun-soo was lost in thought for only a few seconds. It was a mere instant.

But.

Clatter.

“Mr. Eun-soo!”

In that instant, Seong-heon opened the emergency door and stepped out. His bloodshot eyes stared at Eun-soo as if he wanted to tear him apart. Terrified, Eun-soo ran outside without even being able to scream.

“Mr. Eun-soo, wait! Don’t run! I have something to tell you! Mr. Eun-soo!”

Seong-heon shouted loudly. His voice echoed through the vast lobby. Eun-soo felt as if he were being beaten by the voice bouncing off the walls.

Eun-soo’s bare soles patted the floor. He managed to cross the lobby and get outside without being caught by Seong-heon.

Since it was early evening, there were quite a few people. Seeing them, a sigh of relief escaped through his teeth.

One of them will help me. They’ll stop Seong-heon from doing something cruel to me. Even if they can’t actually lend a helping hand, they’ll at least report it. He felt that relief.

Still, he couldn’t stop running. It felt chilling, as if a starving predator were chasing him, dripping saliva from behind.

With a limping gait, Eun-soo cut through the crowd of people staring at him strangely. The moment he reached the main road, Seong-heon gripped Eun-soo’s wrist forcefully.

“Why do you keep running….”

“Agh!”

Eun-soo flinched violently. His knees buckled helplessly. Surprised by the extreme reaction, Seong-heon let go. Then, he belatedly noticed Eun-soo’s twisted wrist. Appalled, Seong-heon approached Eun-soo with a worried face.

“My god, Mr. Eun-soo. Your wrist….”

“D-don’t come near me!”

Eun-soo shrieked. The sharp, loud voice drew the immediate attention of the people around them. Seong-heon frowned slightly. There was nothing good about drawing attention this way. He let out a long sigh through his nose.

“Sigh…. Mr. Eun-soo. It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Do I look like a fool? I saw everything, how can you call it a misunderstanding….”

“I’ll explain everything. First, calm down….”

“How can I calm down!”

Eun-soo glared at Seong-heon with bloodshot eyes.

“If it weren’t for you, if it weren’t for you… things wouldn’t have ended up like this with Do-kwon!”

At those words, Seong-heon’s expression turned cold. A chill flowed so strongly that Eun-soo unconsciously held his breath.

“Ah… Seo Do-kwon again. Do you still have lingering feelings for that fucking piece of shit?”

Seong-heon said, twisting his lips crookedly. He gripped both of Eun-soo’s elbows firmly and yanked him forward. Eun-soo’s thin body was pulled helplessly.

Bringing his face right in front of Eun-soo’s, Seong-heon spoke in a low voice.

“You should be grateful to me, Mr. Eun-soo. Huh? You don’t know what that bastard was thinking when he approached you, do you?”

“Approached… what do you mean by….”

“Mr. Eun-soo. Seo Do-kwon doesn’t have a shred of emotion for you. From the beginning until now, he has never loved you once.”

At those words, Eun-soo’s eyes went dry.

“What… are you talking about?”

Eun-soo glared at Seong-heon with wide eyes, like a cat. A shred of emotion. From the beginning. Until now.

It was a strange thing to say. Anyone hearing it would think Do-kwon’s love for him was a lie. Although things had turned out this way due to a series of coincidences, before he lost his memory, Do-kwon had loved him sincerely. Eun-soo, who had felt that affection every day, couldn’t possibly not know that.

Seong-heon is trying to do something cruel again.

As Eun-soo tried to twist away from Seong-heon’s grip, Seong-heon pulled him even closer.

“You know Seo Do-kwon has a hatred for Omegas, right?”

“…….”

“I told you. Every Omega he dated a long time ago cheated on him, so Seo Do-kwon hates Omegas.”

“You were the one who told me that!”

“That’s right. I told you.”

“But! So what!”

“Listen carefully. I am the one who made Seo Do-kwon hate Omegas.”

“……What?”

Eun-soo’s brows furrowed. Made him? Made him hate Omegas? How? Did he hypnotize him? As Eun-soo repeated the incomprehensible words in his head, he remembered the box he had found in the dressing room.

Vinyl clothes, heat inducers, spray to block vision, and Do-kwon’s scent. It was a chillingly thorough set of supplies. With those, Seong-heon could become Do-kwon in front of any Omega.

“Don’t tell me… all this time….”

“Yes. All this time. Continuously. I did the same things to other Omegas that I did to you. Not me personally, but I hired other Alphas to do it. Rolling around in the dirt isn’t my taste.”

“…….”

“Omegas are so easy once you feed them heat inducers. Every single one of them drools and shakes their hips; I didn’t even need to spray fake pheromones to pretend to be Seo Do-kwon.”

Eun-soo gasped. Psychopath. That word filled his head. Seong-heon looked like a demon.

“Why, why would you do such a thing….”

“Just because.”

“Just because?”

“I just did it because I was annoyed. Because I hated Seo Do-kwon. Because that bastard, born with everything, was so irritating.”

Because he’s the Chairman’s only son, an Alpha, and that easy-going smile makes me want to kill him. Because I hated that no matter what I did, I was always one step behind that bastard.

Seong-heon murmured in a low voice, as if possessed by something. Seeing this up close, Eun-soo’s lips trembled. He hadn’t known he was this kind of person. He truly hadn’t known he was someone so consumed by defeat and jealousy.

The Seong-heon he knew was always composed, kind, gentle, and mature. But how, how did it come to this….

Eun-soo’s face turned stark white. Just then, one of the citizens who had been glancing at Eun-soo and Seong-heon gathered the courage to approach. At that, Seong-heon spoke quickly to Eun-soo.

“Tell them you’re okay. Then I’ll tell you everything.”

“I don’t want….”

“You know it too, Mr. Eun-soo. Think about how he treated you after he got amnesia. He clearly hates Omegas, so why was he so affectionate toward you from the start two years ago? Isn’t that strange?”

“…….”

Eun-soo’s eyes froze. Yes, he had thought it was strange. When he first faced Do-kwon after he woke up in the hospital, he wondered how a person could change so much, even with amnesia. After Seong-heon told him about Do-kwon’s past, he had thought it was a miracle that someone who didn’t just dislike but loathed Omegas had fallen in love with him.

But there was another reason for it.

He was curious. He wanted to know. The thought that there was something about Do-kwon and himself that he didn’t know made him feel like he was going crazy with curiosity.

But he couldn’t. He couldn’t trust Seong-heon. After all, isn’t the devil’s whisper always the most seductive? Just as Eun-soo’s lips pressed into a firm line,

“Excuse me, are you okay? Do you need help?”

The citizen asked Eun-soo. Disheveled clothes, bare feet, a face smeared with tears and sweat, a wrist that looked seriously injured at a glance, and a pregnant belly. Eun-soo looked like someone no human could possibly ignore.

Just as Eun-soo was about to ask the citizen for help, Seong-heon urgently threw out one last truth he had been keeping tightly wrapped.

“I love Mr. Eun-soo.”

“……What?”

“It’s been a long time. Seo Do-kwon knew that and approached you to get revenge on me.”

“…….”

Eun-soo stared intently at Seong-heon. Seong-heon stared back at Eun-soo. The citizen standing between them swallowed hard. A peculiar silence lingered. The one to break that silence was Eun-soo. Looking at the citizen, Eun-soo spoke with an expressionless face.

“I’m okay.”

“But still….”

“I’m really okay. Thank you for your concern.”

Eun-soo’s voice was firm. There was no tremor of fear, nor was it laced with tears. Faced with an expression and voice that were perfectly rational, the citizen had no choice but to step back. Still, they didn’t disappear entirely, watching the two from a distance.

Seong-heon let out a small sigh. He looked down at Eun-soo’s twisted wrist with a worried face.

“Eun-soo, first, let’s go to the hospital….”

“Tell me. Now.”

“Then, once we get home….”

“No. Tell me here. Since you might try some trick, I need to make sure I have a way to escape. Whether it’s screaming or running.”

Eun-soo spoke as if growling. His wide, glaring eyes were filled with anger, irritation, and confusion. Seong-heon chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment before letting go. Then, he spoke obediently.

“Sigh…. A long time ago, Seo Do-kwon didn’t know I was doing those things behind his back. He probably couldn’t have imagined it. I treated him like a close younger brother. I gave him advice when he needed it and helped him with work. Seo Do-kwon followed me well, calling me ‘hyung’ quite often.”

“…….”

“I thought I could keep doing those despicable things forever. But then, I happened to be in an interview and met you, Eun-soo. To put it in common terms, it was love at first sight. Back then, you were sparkling.”

“…….”

“The way you answered questions clearly, your fluent English, the portfolio you attached—everything was impressive.”

Eun-soo didn’t respond, merely listening to Seong-heon’s words. He focused with everything he had, judging whether there were contradictions in Seong-heon’s sentences, whether arrogant lies were hidden, or if the beginning and end didn’t align.

“I was completely infatuated with you. Once that happened, I didn’t even hate Seo Do-kwon anymore. I didn’t have enough emotion to waste on such things. My mind was entirely on you.”

“…….”

“Then one day, I mentioned you to Seo Do-kwon in passing. I told him I had someone I liked, and that they were an Omega. That they truly sparkled. That they were a wonderful person. That I wanted to meet them. Things like that.”

Seong-heon licked his dry lips. He had never intended to confess like this, not even in the slightest. The situation unfolding unexpectedly felt stifling and shameful. A faint sense of irritation and anger came as a bonus.

He had vowed that someday, in the distant future, he would tell Eun-soo everything, but not here on the street. He had planned to tell him when he was the only one left for Eun-soo. When Eun-soo couldn’t survive without him. That was when he intended to speak.

Brushing back his disheveled bangs haphazardly, Seong-heon looked at Eun-soo again.

“But shortly after, Seo Do-kwon found out everything. It seemed he met the Alpha I had hired—the one who had fed the heat inducer to the Omega. When I stopped looking for that Alpha, he approached Seo Do-kwon for money.”

“…….”

“I was anxious. I was afraid Seo Do-kwon would go around blabbing about it. The Chairman hates it when dirty rumors like that spread. Treating an Omega carelessly. Playing with people. Acting against morality. He truly detests it.”

“…….”

“But Seo Do-kwon didn’t say a word. He simply ignored me; he didn’t get angry or report it to the Chairman.”

“…….”

“So I wondered what he was thinking. It turned out Seo Do-kwon, just as I had done, tried to screw me over by using the person I loved.”

Eun-soo, who had been listening to Seong-heon without blinking, suddenly tightened his eyelids.

“So… you’re saying Do-kwon met me just to screw you over?”

“Yes.”

At Seong-heon’s affirmation, Eun-soo sneered. My god, what a childish and trivial reason. To speak of it so confidently and seriously. It gave him the creeps. The mature and dignified Seong-heon now felt like an immature child.

“You expect me to believe that now….”

“There’s nothing to believe or not. It’s simply the truth.”

Seong-heon’s calm tone was incredibly irritating. If he had been excited or angry, Eun-soo could have easily laughed him off. But because he spoke so peacefully, Eun-soo found himself being swayed.

Eun-soo rubbed his eyelids harshly with the back of his hand. He was tired. It had been too long a day. He felt as if he had spent the whole day on a terrifying rollercoaster, soaring into the sky and then plummeting to the ground; his mind was dizzy.

Covering his eyes with his hand, Eun-soo murmured in a powerless voice.

“You said you liked me, Director. But when Do-kwon approached me like that, you just stayed still? I think your contact became sparse around that time.”

Eun-soo asked back, recalling a past that was now a blur. To this, Seong-heon replied with a bitter smile.

“Because I’m not an Alpha. You’re an Omega, and biologically and socially, it’s true that you suit Seo Do-kwon much better. As you might feel, I have an inferiority complex about being a Beta. It’s also true that I did those things because I envied Seo Do-kwon for being an Alpha.”

“…….”

“Also, at the time, I didn’t have the confidence to win if I fought Seo Do-kwon. He knew exactly what I had done, and if I stood up to protect you, I didn’t know what Seo Do-kwon might do.”

“…….”

“So I thought it would be better to just go abroad. I thought if there was no one to witness that childish revenge, Seo Do-kwon wouldn’t bother approaching you. It was cowardly, but in my mind, it was the best option.”

“…….”

“But I was wrong. It seems Seo Do-kwon intended to go all the way. He probably thought it would be great to get revenge on me, win the Chairman’s heart by dating an Omega, and satisfy the shareholders who might hope for an Alpha heir.”

“…….”

“At that time, I had no way to save you from Seo Do-kwon. By then, you already… sincerely loved Seo Do-kwon….”

Seong-heon’s explanation was long. It was understandable, as he had to recount everything that happened over four years. Eun-soo felt the strength leaving his legs. He didn’t want to hear any more of Seong-heon’s words.

The truth—if such a thing as the truth truly existed—he wanted to postpone facing it as long as possible. He felt that if he heard any more, he would collapse to a point where he could never return, never rise again.

How had he endured until now? He had barely escaped that hellish nightmare and the pheromone shock. He had finally reached a point where he could breathe.

Just as Eun-soo opened his mouth to tell him that enough was enough, a vivid madness suddenly flickered in Seong-heon’s eyes. He gripped Eun-soo’s forearm tightly and locked eyes with him.

“However, however, God helped me. There was a car accident, and Seo Do-kwon forgot everything. What I had done, the fact that he approached you, and even the reason why. Everything.”

“It hurts…. Let go.”

“Eun-soo. This is fate. God, who saw everything, gave me another chance. What else could it be if not a sign that your relationship with Seo Do-kwon was wrong!”

The thick voice hammered relentlessly into Eun-soo’s ears. Eun-soo frowned as hard as he could. His brain felt shaken. He already felt nauseous and his vision was blurry, and he hated Seong-heon for constantly throwing stones and shaking the ground beneath him.

Seeing Eun-soo’s face increasingly distort, an impatient Seong-heon fired off his words even faster than before.

“I was trying to save you. I admit the method was a bit, a bit extreme, but I had no bad intentions. You remember, right? I stopped immediately once I found out you were pregnant.”

“…….”

At those words, Eun-soo froze. He remembered how, in what voice, and how desperately and miserably he had begged that man—no, Seong-heon.

‘No, you can’t…. Please stop….’

‘I’m pre—pregnant.’

‘I’m pregnant…. In my belly, there’s a… sob, a baby….’

‘So please… stop….’

Knowing it wasn’t Do-kwon, he had pleaded desperately. But now, Seong-heon was using the fact that he had stopped as a defense for himself.

So what? Was he supposed to say thank you? This wouldn’t have happened in the first place if he hadn’t done such a thing.

The more Eun-soo listened to Seong-heon, the more he felt his blood run cold. If only he were larger, if only his nails were longer, if only he were stronger, he wanted to rip those chattering lips wide open.

Seeing Eun-soo’s cold expression, Seong-heon widened his eyes and kept talking.

“Seo Do-kwon didn’t love you. He had nothing but a desire for revenge against me.”

“…….”

“The way he appeared after losing his memory is Seo Do-kwon’s true self. He was always that kind of bastard. You were just used.”

“……Liar.”

Eun-soo murmured softly.

That Do-kwon didn’t love him? That everything was a lie?

It was a lie. It had to be a lie. This was the man who had done terrible things to him and torn him and Do-kwon apart. There was no way he could believe the words of such a person.

As Eun-soo twisted his shoulder to escape Seong-heon’s grip, Seong-heon gripped his forearm even tighter. It felt as if his fingertips were piercing through the skin.

“I said it hurts!”

Eun-soo struggled violently. Then, Seong-heon spoke gloomily in a trembling bass.

“Did Seo Do-kwon tell you where or how he first saw you? Didn’t he know you too well from the very beginning?”

“…….”

“How could Seo Do-kwon suddenly show interest in you? What reason would a company director have to run into a design team leader?”

Eun-soo’s light brown eyes wavered like silver grass fluttering in the wind. It was a precise point. When he first met Do-kwon. Even when Do-kwon was frequenting the 14th floor and showing interest in him, it was a doubt he had felt dozens of times a day.

Where and how did he see and know me? I’m just a team leader; is it okay to meet a company director, and the Chairman’s only son, like this? Wouldn’t it look awkward to others? Why is Do-kwon so aggressive?

However, that doubt didn’t last long. After falling in love with Do-kwon, he had never doubted his intentions or feelings. There was no room for it, nor any need.

Because Do-kwon always centered his life around him, adjusted himself to him, and was always kind and gentle.

That was why he couldn’t believe Seong-heon’s words at all. Or rather, he didn’t want to believe them.

But, there was something that had been bothering him for a while.

‘Sparkling.’ Every time that word came out of Seong-heon’s mouth, his ears tingled.

Seong-heon had uttered that word twice today.

‘To put it in common terms, it was love at first sight. Back then, you were .’

‘I mentioned you to Seo Do-kwon in passing. I told him I had someone I liked, and that they were an Omega. That they truly .’

And a long time ago. The day he was kicked out after going to Do-kwon’s house to clear away his traces right after Do-kwon lost his memory. Seong-heon had said something similar when they met at the company.

‘It’s true. You , Eun-soo. You’re pretty, good at your job, have a great personality, know how to be considerate of others, and you’re pure.’

Sparkling. It’s a common word. But the reason it kept grating on his ears was that whenever he occasionally asked Do-kwon how he came to know him or when he started liking him, Do-kwon had answered like this:

‘I just liked you so, so much from the start, Eun-soo. You were beautiful, and different from anyone else. You .’

Was it a coincidence? It must be a coincidence. Usually, ‘sparkling’ is used to describe objects like glass, stars, or light, but it’s not unheard of to use it for a person, so it could be that.

But neither Seong-heon nor Do-kwon were the type of lyrical people to use such a word frequently. In the first place, they were people who rarely used adverbs when expressing things.

Why did it overlap? Why did they both use that specific word to describe him?

Was it because Seong-heon was there when Do-kwon first came to know him?

Eun-soo slowly closed and opened his eyes. Sensing an unhappy future, a thick stream of tears rolled down his cheek. By the time those tears gathered at the tip of his chin, Eun-soo wiped them away with his hand. Then, taking advantage of a brief moment when Seong-heon’s grip weakened, he broke free from his hold.

Turning around immediately, Eun-soo strode across the rough pavement. A startled Seong-heon quickly caught up to him.

“Where are you going? If you’re going to the hospital, I’ll….”

“I’m going to ask Do-kwon too.”

Eun-soo spoke while looking straight ahead. It was a ten-minute walk from here to the company. He could get there quickly. He was just going to ask. Whether what he had just heard was true.

At that, a vein bulged and then subsided on Seong-heon’s temple. He violently snatched Eun-soo’s arm.

“That bastard can’t even remember anyway, so how exactly are you going to ask him?”

“I’m still going to ask.”

With a snap, Eun-soo brushed off Seong-heon’s hand and stubbornly stepped forward. His soles, scraped from descending the emergency stairs, and his ankle, swollen from a hard fall, hurt, but he didn’t care.

At this utterly foolish sight, Seong-heon glared like a demon and criticized Eun-soo.

“What are you going to do there? You know Seo Do-kwon doesn’t remember! Why are you acting so stupidly!”

“I’m still going to tell him the truth. If he doesn’t know, I have to tell him. I have to make him remember. I can’t end it like this.”

“You’ll only see something unpleasant if you go. You’ll be turned away at the door.”

“…….”

Eun-soo didn’t respond. He just kept walking forward. He seemed to have decided to ignore Seong-heon. Seong-heon followed him, hurling sharp truths at Eun-soo.

“Think carefully. If Seo Do-kwon truly loved you, would he have cast you aside like that just for a brief affair? That’s all you were to Seo Do-kwon.”

“…….”

“Even if you know that the situation at that hotel was created by me, nothing will change. Then or now, Seo Do-kwon does not love you.”

At those words, Eun-soo widened his bloodshot eyes. Then, he screamed as if the world were ending.

“No! That’s not true! Don’t say that when you don’t know anything!”

How much we loved each other! How that man looked at me! How much he loved me! There’s no way that was a lie!

It was a desperate struggle. A struggle to escape this horrific reality. A struggle to survive.

Tears fell incessantly from eyes filled with venom and malice. With his skin and even his lips turned pale, Eun-soo screamed shrilly, which truly didn’t suit him. One could vividly feel how messy Eun-soo’s current state was, and how completely he had broken down.

Seong-heon was on the verge of fainting from frustration. He pulled Eun-soo’s arm toward himself and screamed back.

“You’re the one who doesn’t know anything, Eun-soo!”

“Let go!”

“Don’t go. Going in that state….”

“I said let go!”

“Yoo Eun-soo!”

Meaningless shouting went back and forth. Seong-heon held Eun-soo tightly, and Eun-soo resisted, twisting his whole body.

To any observer, it was a serious situation. Not from Seong-heon’s perspective, but from Eun-soo’s. The citizens who had been watching from around began to approach again. Because although Eun-soo had said he was okay about five minutes ago, he didn’t look okay at all.

“Hey. What are you doing to a pregnant person?”

“……Get lost before I kill you.”

Seong-heon warned with a fierce glare. However, the citizens did not back down.

“I’m calling the police.”

“Calling them? Go ahead. You fuckers, do you know who I am?”

Seong-heon glared at the citizen with a flushed face. The citizens murmured and began taking out their phones. As Seong-heon ground his teeth and turned his upper body to stop them, Eun-soo didn’t miss that moment and slipped out of Seong-heon’s hand. Then, fearing he might be caught again, he ran as fast as he could.

A team member had said so. That Do-kwon was busy these days with some troublesome tasks. It was a bit late, but it wasn’t even 10 o’clock yet. He would definitely be at the company.

He had to ask. He had to ask if what Seong-heon said was true. If he didn’t remember, he would ask and ask again until he did. He had to confirm it.

That Do-kwon had loved him. That it was sincere. That there wasn’t a shred of a lie in their relationship. That the long two years had not been a mistake. That Bomi, in his belly, had indeed sprouted from their love.

Eun-soo needed confirmation. He had the duty and the right to do so.

“Haa… haa….”

Eun-soo ran, staring straight ahead. Then.

“Eun-soo! Wait!”

Seong-heon’s voice reached him. Eun-soo glanced back. Seong-heon was running toward him, shaking off the citizens who tried to stop him.

Terrified, Eun-soo moved his legs even faster. He looked back frequently. Seong-heon was closing in with long strides. Gritting his teeth, Eun-soo kicked the ground with all his might. Even so, Seong-heon grew closer and closer.

Eun-soo’s vision blurred.

He was so scared. He was terrified. Of this situation, of reality, of the truth. It had long since exceeded the range of what he could handle.

Half-out of his mind, Eun-soo ran and ran. The night air brushing past his ears felt stinging. The gazes of the people were like thick knitting needles, and the asphalt scratching his feet felt too hard and blunt.

Uh… asphalt…?

Eun-soo flinched, his body freezing.

Asphalt? Not sidewalk blocks? Why asphalt… Eun-soo stared blankly down at his feet. He was standing on the road.

How did he end up here? Just as Eun-soo turned his head to check the path he had taken.

BEEEEEP—

A sharp horn blast violently struck his eardrums. Blinding headlights occupied his vision, and the murmur of people and Seong-heon’s voice shouting, “Eun-soo!” sounded muddy.

What the situation was, how it had come to this, what he should do right now—Eun-soo knew nothing.

Eun-soo slowly closed his eyes. And the moment he opened them again, the car with the flashing headlights pierced through his retinas and entered his eyes.

With a thud, his body soared into the air as if bounced. The glaring light of the headlights vanished from his sight, and the glittering buildings characteristic of Seoul drew near. The dark sky, without a single star, also came right before his nose. A chilling wind penetrated every corner of his body.

It felt like he was flying.

It was truly romantic and ecstatic.

It felt as if the world had stopped.

The tears that had been streaming down escaped gravity and floated as droplets. It felt as if the sky were wiping away his tears.

But that illusion was momentary. Before a few seconds had even passed, the sky began to distance itself again. The dull wind rushed quickly through the gaps between his fingers. His body bent into an arch, and his hair shot upward.

Soon, a blunt sensation of pain was felt along his spine. He felt as if something was snapping and breaking all over his body. It was truly agonizing.

However, that pain did not last long. The asphalt slamming into his entire body felt like a soft cloud. His body sank further and further down. Though he was already stuck to the ground like wet tissue, he passed deeper down, into another dimension that was not the mortal world.

Eun-soo did not try to stop his consciousness from dying. He simply accepted it.

In truth, he wanted to rest, even if it were like this. He wanted to ignore everything and just leave.

Another car. At this point, he wondered if the accident that happened that day—the day he was in the car with Do-kwon on the way to the OB-GYN—was some kind of revelation.

He should have died that day. His lifespan had already run out. He had struggled and clawed his way to survive. Perhaps that was why he had incurred the wrath of God. Perhaps that was why it hurt so much.

Eun-soo wrapped his twisted and torn hands around his stomach.

Still, Bomi is innocent. It doesn’t matter when or how his own life is cut short, but please, let Bomi live.

Eun-soo opened his mouth slightly.

Death was approaching at a rapid pace. He couldn’t tell if that death was targeting him or Bomi.

Eun-soo’s eyes distorted.

Bomi, I’m sorry. Daddy is sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you. I’m sorry for making you suffer.

It was a helpless apology. It was also an apology that was already too late.

His mind and body began to fall into a deep abyss. Eun-soo prayed earnestly to God. That the death which had overtaken his body would take both him and Bomi together.

Eun-soo slowly closed his eyes. A single tear that the sky couldn’t quite wipe away fell, pitter-patter, along the corner of his eye.