By Zephyria 
Someone’s voice abruptly intruded, shattering Hui-won’s thoughts. He turned his head to see a tall, blond man pointing to the seat next to him.
“Ah… yes. You can sit there.”
He quickly gathered his jacket. The man thanked him, took off his coat, and perched on the tall bar chair. He seemed to have just come in from outside, radiating a chill.
“I heard this seat has the best view.”
“It’s even better for someone who’s alone.”
Just then, Hui-won’s wine glass was empty. The bartender, who had been diligently checking Hui-won’s glass, refilled it with a sense of timing and offered water and a menu to the guest next to him. As night fell, the bar was definitely getting busier.
“How is that wine? I’ve heard a lot of good things about it.”
The man, who had been scanning the menu, asked. Hui-won casually swirled his wine glass and said nonchalantly, “I like it. If you like Sauvignon, you’ll probably enjoy it.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll order a glass then.”
Hearing his pondering, Hui-won stared at the wine bottle he had ordered. It was a bit much to drink alone. Maybe it was because he hadn’t had it in a while, but he felt like he might get drunk if he finished the whole bottle.
“Would you like a glass?”
At the unexpected offer, the man’s eyes widened in surprise. Hui-won smiled and made a request to the bartender.
Now, the same wine was placed in front of the man as well. Having become acquainted at the bar, the two shared occasional small talk as they spent their time. One hour, two hours. As the night deepened, Hui-won became pleasantly intoxicated.
“Is this your first time in Boston?”
“This is my third time. I’ve come on business trips every time, so I’ve never been able to do any sightseeing. I was hoping I could this time, but the weather is terrible…”
“Snow in April is a bit much.”
Hui-won smiled in agreement.
The man glanced sideways, his wine glass near his lips. His gaze naturally fell on Hui-won’s left hand. There was no ring on his clean, neat fingers.
“I’m curious about what you do. May I ask?”
“I’m just an ordinary office worker.”
“I know you don’t look very ordinary.”
Hui-won chuckled softly. Resting his chin on his hand and tilting his head slightly, his eyes met those of the man who was staring intently at him.
“Well, maybe it’s because I’m a foreigner? My accent must be unique too.”
“I think your accent is wonderful. Your voice is soft and pleasant to listen to. It’s like walking on the moon.”
“Thank you.”
Typical foreign kindness. Hui-won knew that they had a habit of praising even the smallest things with flowery language, so he laughed it off lightly.
The man turned his body completely. A full-fledged conversation began.
“Do you like wine?”
“Rather than liking it, I tend to buy it often. So, I’ve come to know a lot about it.”
“Related to work?”
“…Something like that.”
Hui-won shrugged. He was reluctant to reveal his personal details to someone he had just met at a bar, so he kept his words to a minimum.
On the other hand, the man had revealed his name, occupation, and even the reason for his visit to Boston in detail. The man, who said he worked as a lawyer in New York, had an attractive British accent, and he was also staying at this hotel on a business trip.
“How long will you be staying?”
At the repeated question, Hui-won’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You seem very interested in me?”
“Yes, actually, that’s why I sat here on purpose.”
He had only intended to tease the man, but he had been drawn in instead. Hui-won stared at the man, momentarily stunned. He prided himself on being quick-witted in that area, but he hadn’t noticed at all. Was he already drunk?
Hui-won asked to confirm.
“…You said you were a Beta, right?”
“Yes. What about you?”
“…….”
“I’m usually good at guessing traits, but you seem like an Omega and an Alpha at the same time, so I’m a bit confused.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard I seem like an Omega. I’m usually mistaken for an Alpha.”
The man looked at him with curious eyes. Hui-won took a sip of wine and sighed softly.
“My boss, who I work with, is a Dominant Alpha. His pheromones rub off on me, so I often get misunderstood.”
“Ah, I see what you mean. That must be a definite difficulty.”
The man nodded. Then, his green eyes lit up brightly.
“Are you perhaps in a special relationship with that Dominant Alpha boss?”
Hui-won’s expression soured.
“That’s unimaginable.”
“Then how about with me?”
Now, the man didn’t hide his sexual undertones. Hui-won quietly swallowed his wine.
“I’ve never slept with a man before.”
“Sometimes it’s good to have a different experience.”
He didn’t particularly have any aversion to relationships with men. Discriminating between heterosexual and gay and looking at them through colored glasses was something from decades ago, and these days it was just considered a sexual preference.
It just so happened that everyone he had met had been a woman. When was his last relationship? Six, seven years ago?
He had given up on so many things in his busy life that he felt a slight sense of reality hitting him. Hui-won rested his chin on his hand and turned his face sideways.
The man was tall and handsome. He had also had a drink, and since he had met him in a foreign country, he felt a slight stirring in his heart. Hui-won poured all the remaining wine into his glass and said, “Then can I top?”
The man smiled awkwardly.
“I could let you if you want, but wouldn’t it be better for someone skilled to lead?”
“That sounds like you’re very confident.”
“I’ll be amazing, I promise.”
The atmosphere flowed appropriately erotically, and Hui-won didn’t avoid the hand that was subtly touching him from the side. It was only natural that the man’s face was gradually tilting closer.
Wouldn’t a one-night stand be okay? They weren’t going to meet again anyway.
Just as their noses were about to touch, Hui-won’s phone, which was on the table, vibrated loudly.
He felt as if he had been splashed with cold water and his mind snapped back to reality.
Before he could even think, his hand reached out, and the moment he saw Executive Director Kwon’s name on the screen, Hui-won’s face turned pale.
This was the last person he should be getting a call from. It was already time for his rut, and Executive Director Kwon should be busy rolling around right now.
The call quickly ended, but the missed call remained as evidence. A chill ran down his spine. Hui-won hurriedly jumped up from his seat. The sound of the chair scraping back drew attention.
“Are you okay?”
“No, something urgent came up… I have to go!”
Hui-won left the lounge bar without looking back. As he rode down in the elevator, all sorts of thoughts ran through his head. Could the call have been a mistake? But he had a secretary’s intuition. Something had definitely happened.
When he arrived in front of the room, the rut partner he had let in earlier was standing in the hallway.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
The rut partner hesitated and couldn’t easily speak. When Hui-won pressed him, he finally revealed the truth.
“He said I smelled like an Omega and kicked me out.”
“What are you talking about? You’re a Beta.”
“Actually… Omega pheromones act as an aphrodisiac for Alphas in rut. So, I thought it might help with the relationship, so I put a very small amount on my body…”
“So, you’re saying you put on Omega pheromones without permission?”
Hui-won asked sharply. The rut partner was crestfallen and couldn’t even lift his head properly.
“I… I didn’t know he would hate it that much.”
“…….”
“It was a very small amount! Besides, it’s artificial pheromones, so it disappears quickly.”
As Hui-won’s expression became serious, the rut partner became increasingly intimidated. He added that most Alphas liked it, that they would get excited and run wild, none of which was helpful.
Hui-won rubbed his face roughly. He couldn’t help but sigh. He was going crazy. Why would he do something like that?
“This is a breach of contract. Do you know how big of a mistake you’ve made?”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Go back. The contract is off. We’ll discuss the penalty later separately.”
Hui-won notified him coldly. He was angry, but there was nothing he could do. Right now, it was more urgent to deal with the accident.
He immediately took out his phone and called the second rut partner. Fortunately, the call was connected right away, and Hui-won asked if he could come right away, moving up the schedule, making a difficult request.
It’s difficult right now. Even if I hurry, I think I’ll arrive around tomorrow morning.
The second partner expressed his difficulty due to the distance. He managed to get a promise that he would hurry as much as possible.
Now, all that was left was to go inside and deal with Executive Director Kwon. Wow, he couldn’t even guess how angry he would be. He was so nervous that his hands kept sweating and his mouth felt parched.
Hui-won took a long, deep breath and tagged his card key. With a click, the lock opened, and he gently turned the doorknob.
The spacious room was as quiet as a mouse. Hui-won listened to the sound of his shoes and scanned the surroundings thoroughly.
Executive Director Kwon was sitting on the living room sofa. He was wearing a bathrobe, and the ends of his hair were dripping wet, as if he had just showered.
His forehead was covered, so his face was not clearly visible. A half-empty whiskey bottle was on the table. Had his rut not started yet? Hui-won was a little puzzled by the unexpectedly calm reaction.
“…Executive Director, are you alright?”
As he approached and spoke cautiously, Kwon Young-je slowly turned his head.
He had a face he had never seen before. The changed appearance was immediately apparent. The reddened eyes and the pupils, which were enlarged like those of a feline beast, were undoubtedly symptoms of the rut.
He was more like a wild animal than a person.
Hui-won had only seen the prodromal symptoms, so it was his first time seeing him in full rut, and he couldn’t help but be momentarily flustered. As he felt the ominous energy, he involuntarily took a step back and hurriedly contacted Professor Hong in Korea.
“Professor, this is Kim Hui-won. The rut has started, but the partner will be a bit late due to local circumstances. What should I do?”
Oh no, how did that happen! Are you sure the rut has started?
“Yes, I’m sure. But he hasn’t shown any particular symptoms yet. Is it okay to just watch him like this…?”
It’s only a matter of time before he loses his reason. No matter what happens, never use the suppressant, and if the situation gets serious, there’s an injectable among the medicines I prescribed that doesn’t have a sticker on it. That’s a tranquilizer, use it.
“If I give him the tranquilizer… will he fall asleep?”
No, but it will slow down his movements.
There was no other solution right now. He engraved Professor Hong’s instructions in his mind.
“I understand. If there’s a problem, I’ll contact you again…!”
Suddenly, his phone flew far away. From the phone, which had crashed to the floor, Professor Hong’s voice was desperately calling out, “Hello? Secretary Kim!” repeatedly.
Hui-won was so surprised that he froze. Kwon Young-je had approached silently and snatched his wrist.