By Zephyria Even after fleeing from Seo Jeong-woon’s house, not much had changed. He went to work early in the morning, had lunch with Jeong-woon and shared a brief kiss, handled afternoon work, and had dinner with Jeong-woon after leaving the office. The same daily routine repeated like a spinning wheel.
Instead, Yi-hyun treated Jeong-woon as professionally as possible. It was because whenever he faced him, those harmonious scenes kept reviving. Even when Jeong-woon wore a bright smile, it reminded him of holding a small child and laughing heartily.
He wasn’t particularly imaginative, but the images were unnecessarily vivid. It was an undeniable fact that, due to unavoidable circumstances, Yi-hyun was dependent on Jeong-woon.
‘Dependent.’
Yi-hyun rolled the unfamiliar word around in his mouth. It was clearly the Omega instinct mistaking things after consistently receiving pheromones from an Alpha. Certainly, whenever Jeong-woon acted devotedly toward the child, his feelings became strange.
For the time being, he needed to maintain physical distance from him and regain his composure. Yi-hyun strolled through the garden to get some air. At some point, it had become routine to take a 5-minute walk once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
A cool, gray breeze swept past the tall Yi-hyun. As mid-November approached, the chill was slowly beginning. It seemed he would have to stop the walks soon.
He was about to head in when his mother called.
“Yes, Mother.”
Have you been eating well?
Since hearing the news of the pregnancy, his mother had asked about his well-being once a day. It was already the fifth day.
She didn’t show it much, but since his trait wasn’t typical, she seemed inwardly worried.
“Yes.”
Yi-hyun fiddled with his phone and replied bluntly. They hadn’t called frequently originally, but after his mother remarried, the frequency had decreased significantly. Partly because his mother was busy in many ways, but also because Yi-hyun couldn’t bring himself to call first.
He felt like an intruder in ‘Mother’s family.’ He lowered his dark eyes.
Family was the only entity with whom Yi-hyun exchanged pure affection and the only thing he coveted. He was aware that his interpersonal relationships were abnormally skewed, but it hadn’t been a big issue until his mother remarried. Yi-hyun sincerely wished for his mother’s happiness.
But because of that, the family that had been his solid support dissolved. A sense of loss different from when he lost his father surged like a tidal wave. In a way, the sudden appearance of the child had filled that great sense of loss.
‘My family.’
Yi-hyun swept his palm over his lower abdomen. He wanted to have a complete, unbreakable family. In contrast, all of this was just child’s play to Seo Jeong-woon.
Since he was someone who would leave forever someday, Seo Jeong-woon should not exist within the new boundaries Yi-hyun would build. It was only temporary confusion due to their special relationship as the child’s other parent. Yi-hyun clenched his fist.
After the short call, Yi-hyun returned to the office. In the midst of being busy, his phone screen lit up.
‘Is it Seo Jeong-woon?’
Yi-hyun stopped checking the documents and immediately picked up his phone.
[Choi Seon-woo: Hyung, hello! Long time no contact hehe]
But it was a not-so-welcome message. Yi-hyun sighed as he looked at the screen with a hint of unease. Then he slowly moved his fingers.
***
“Look up, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon lightly tapped the tip of Yi-hyun’s chin with his thumb and whispered. His soft voice was full of laughter.
“I don’t want to here.”
Yi-hyun turned his head to the side and firmly refused. Currently, Yi-hyun was unwillingly sitting on Jeong-woon’s desk. Even kissing within the company occasionally made him feel uncomfortable.
But to insist on kissing in a work-related space when there were plenty of other suitable places… Yi-hyun found it utterly unacceptable.
“Is that so? I like it.”
Jeong-woon giggled and stroked Yi-hyun’s collarbone. The subtle touch made Yi-hyun’s waist tingle.
“Lunch break will be over at this rate.”
Jeong-woon playfully brushed his lips over Yi-hyun’s eyelids. He seemed determined to kiss him on the desk no matter what. Yi-hyun gritted his teeth.
Each time those rosy lips touched and left his skin, his solar plexus felt unsettled.
‘It’s better to just get it over with quickly.’
Yi-hyun closed his eyes and raised his head. Faint wrinkles formed between his brows, and his thick eyebrows were thoroughly furrowed.
“Haha.”
Seeing the expression that laid bare his inner thoughts, Jeong-woon let out a bright laugh. Then he cupped the back of Yi-hyun’s neck.
“Mm…”
Jeong-woon promptly nibbled on Yi-hyun’s lower lip. Disliking the tingling sensation, Yi-hyun tried to turn his head away, but Jeong-woon persistently followed. Tapping Jeong-woon’s chest to tell him to stop was useless.
At this rate, his lower lip would swell up. Yi-hyun stuck out his tongue and touched Jeong-woon’s upper lip. Only then did Jeong-woon release the lower lip and began kissing him in earnest.
“Ah, hmm.”
The deeper Jeong-woon delved into his mouth, the more Yi-hyun’s upper body leaned backward. To keep his balance, he stretched out an arm to brace against the desk, but something caught on his fingertips and fell. Yi-hyun reflexively tried to turn his gaze, but his head stopped midway.
Jeong-woon cupped Yi-hyun’s cheek and bit it reproachfully, but not hard enough to hurt.
“Focus on me.”
At the strangely sweet voice, Yi-hyun unconsciously closed his eyes again. Jeong-woon stroked the back of Yi-hyun’s neck as if praising him.
“Haa, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Jeong-woon tilted his head and kissed him more deeply. The firm tip of his tongue poked Yi-hyun’s soft palate.
“Ah.”
Yi-hyun let out a low sigh. The suffocating, stifling sensation and the thrilling sexual arousal that made his hair stand on end arose together. Kissing every day, Jeong-woon had figured out exactly where and how to touch to get a reaction from Yi-hyun.
He deliberately disrupted Yi-hyun’s breathing.
“Hah, huff.”
Yi-hyun’s breathing grew rough. Each time he gasped for air, the intense pheromones piercing his nostrils made his head fuzzy. Yi-hyun’s thighs, which had been gripping Jeong-woon’s firm waist, gradually spread apart to the sides.
Jeong-woon, as if waiting for this, pressed inward and brought their stomachs together. Yi-hyun slowly lifted the arm bracing against the desk. The arm wandering in the air touched Jeong-woon’s shoulder.
He wanted to hug him like this.
“…That’s enough now.”
But instead of clinging to Jeong-woon, Yi-hyun pushed against his solid shoulders. Any more would be dangerous.
“Just a little more.”
Jeong-woon didn’t let go easily. He planted kisses around Yi-hyun’s mouth and subtly whined. Yi-hyun frowned.
Strictly speaking, he should be the one begging for kisses, but somehow the roles were reversed.
“The time for pheromone absorption is much shorter than last week.”
Jeong-woon glanced at Yi-hyun as if scolding him. Yet he didn’t keep his hands still for a moment, affectionately stroking Yi-hyun’s ears.
“I’m worried about what will happen if the pheromone rejection syndrome gets worse.”
Jeong-woon, who had enveloped Yi-hyun in fragrant pheromones, grumbled. He seemed concerned that it might harm the child.
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t affect the child.”
“The child is important, but…”
Jeong-woon, who had been muttering softly, trailed off and pouted.
“Please move aside now.”
Yi-hyun squinted one eye. Because Jeong-woon was blocking the way, he couldn’t get down from the desk.
“Hmm.”
Jeong-woon, seemingly reluctant to move aside obediently, smiled with a strange glint in his eyes.
“It’s Friday, want to go for a drive outside the city in the evening?”
Instead, he made a new proposal. The implication was that if Yi-hyun agreed to go for the drive, he would move.
“Not today.”
But Yi-hyun refused flatly.
“Why?”
As if he hadn’t expected Yi-hyun to refuse, Jeong-woon looked down at him sideways. Then he grabbed both of Yi-hyun’s wrists. It seemed he wouldn’t let go until he got a satisfactory answer.
“I have plans.”
Yi-hyun told the truth. There was no reason to lie.
“…Are you going to the hospital? Is something wrong? Should we go right now?”
Jeong-woon stroked Yi-hyun’s cheek and checked his complexion. He looked ready to carry Yi-hyun and rush to the hospital immediately.
“It’s not the hospital.”
When Yi-hyun shook his head, Jeong-woon let out a sigh of relief. It felt strange that he seemed worried about Yi-hyun, not the child. No wonder he kept having strange imaginations.
“Then are you meeting your mother? Or that special person you mentioned?”
“Neither.”
“Then what plans do you have?”
As Yi-hyun repeatedly denied, Jeong-woon briefly frowned.
“…Just meeting someone I know.”
Yi-hyun brushed it off vaguely. He didn’t know how to explain who Choi Seon-woo was.
“Are you close with that person?”
“No.”
“You’re making time for someone you just know? Abandoning me?”
Jeong-woon blinked his big eyes. He wore a hurt expression, as if his lover had cheated on him.
“It hurts that I prioritize you, Lee Hyun-ssi, but you don’t do the same for me.”
When scolding didn’t work, Jeong-woon whispered pitifully with his eyelashes drooping. And with his thumb, he rubbed Yi-hyun’s palm in circles.
“Isn’t that natural?”
But Yi-hyun’s face looking at him was utterly indifferent. What Jeong-woon prioritized wasn’t him but the child, and although he was receiving Jeong-woon’s help, he didn’t need to prioritize him. Surely, even this hurt feeling was just an act.
“In times like this, you should comfort me by saying I’m your top priority.”
As expected. Jeong-woon quickly changed his expression and glanced at Yi-hyun.
“I don’t want to lie.”
“Ah, that’s too harsh. I’m really hurt this time.”
Jeong-woon grumbled and leaned his forehead against Yi-hyun’s shoulder. But when he raised his head again, a faint smile lingered on his face. Yi-hyun pressed his lips into a thin line.
He was clearly toying with him again.
“Alright. Have a good time.”
Instead of probing further, Jeong-woon nodded magnanimously. Yi-hyun squinted one eye. He didn’t like the feeling of needing Jeong-woon’s permission.
***
7:30 PM. Having left work a bit late, Yi-hyun walked slowly through the lobby. Choi Seon-woo had said he would wait at a cafe near the company.
‘Strange.’
His lower abdomen felt like it was cramping slightly. Even his upper stomach felt a bit tight. But it wasn’t throbbing painfully.
Feeling uneasy, Yi-hyun shortened his stride more than usual. A distance that should take 5 minutes took 10 minutes to cover. Upon entering the cafe, the rich aroma of coffee beans wafted by.
Perhaps because, as Jeong-woon said, his pheromone absorption had decreased, it smelled slightly unpleasant. Yi-hyun stood near the entrance and casually scanned the interior. The fairly spacious cafe was about half full.
Among them, five tables had a man sitting alone.
‘Where is Choi Seon-woo?’
He couldn’t tell which of those people was Choi Seon-woo. He tried to recall Seon-woo, but couldn’t remember any distinctive features.
“Lee Hyun Hyung!”
Just then, a boyish-faced man raised his arm energetically. It was the table Yi-hyun had just passed by without a second glance. Yi-hyun gave a slight nod and sat across from the man.
“What is the matter.”
Yi-hyun got straight to the point. He had come because Seon-woo asked to meet, but he didn’t want to spend a long time with him.
“You can speak comfortably, you know.”
Despite Yi-hyun’s bluntness, Seon-woo acted very warmly. Seon-woo didn’t hide his eagerness to become close with Yi-hyun.
“This is comfortable for me.”
But Yi-hyun drew a line, polite yet cold. Choi Seon-woo was Yi-hyun’s stepbrother. In a way, he was the person who had taken his mother away from him.
It wasn’t that hostility welled up, but he didn’t want to accept a complete stranger as family.
“Hyung, congratulations.”
Seon-woo, who had been fidgeting, suddenly offered congratulations and then stealthily pushed forward a paper bag he had placed beside him.
“…What is this?”
Yi-hyun looked at it calmly without accepting the paper bag.
“Ah, it’s nothing special, just a baby gift. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard Mother on the phone and found out. Thinking I have a nephew, I couldn’t just sit still.”
Seon-woo smiled shyly. He genuinely seemed filled with anticipation.
‘Nephew?’
Yi-hyun couldn’t hide his awkward expression. Of course, legally that would be the case, but he had never thought his child would become Choi Seon-woo’s nephew.
“Thank you.”
Yi-hyun took the gift Seon-woo offered. Then he immediately stood up from his seat.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
“Uh…”
Seon-woo shifted uncomfortably. He seemed to want to talk more with Yi-hyun but hesitated, unable to force him to stay. He looked like a dejected puppy.
Do Yi-hyun swallowed a sigh. Knowing that Choi Seon-woo wanted to get close without any ulterior motives made it awkward to coldly push him away.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes, no!”
When Do Yi-hyun asked, Choi Seon-woo answered blankly before hurriedly shaking his head. It was an ambiguous answer, unclear whether he had eaten or not.
“Hyung, can’t we go eat together? I’m hungry…”
Choi Seon-woo, who had been fidgeting anxiously, looked up at Do Yi-hyun with the most pitiful expression he could muster. Compared to the smooth-talking Seo Jeong-woon, it was utterly clumsy.
“I’ll go get the car, so wait.”
“Yes!”
In the past, this wouldn’t have worked at all, but Do Yi-hyun impulsively nodded. This was also because of Joo Na-hye’s question about whether he was lonely. I am fine with just the child.
But a worry suddenly surfaced: what if the child isn’t like that? If the child takes more after Seo Jeong-woon’s personality, they might want to interact with many people. Choi Seon-woo may never become my younger brother, but he could become the child’s uncle.
“Team Leader Do?”
As he was about to leave the cafe, someone called Do Yi-hyun in a hesitant tone. Do Yi-hyun glanced sideways. Judging by the ‘Team Leader Do’ address, it must be someone from the company, but even looking at the face, he couldn’t tell who it was.
“Ah, it is you. Are you off work now?”
“Yes.”
“You were sitting over there, right? Who was the person with you? They looked really young.”
The unidentified employee smiled faintly and chattered away. Curious eyes darted busily between Do Yi-hyun and Choi Seon-woo.
“Just someone I know.”
Do Yi-hyun unilaterally ended the conversation and went to get his car. Then he took Choi Seon-woo to a suitable restaurant for dinner. Overjoyed, Choi Seon-woo chattered nonstop at the slightest nod from Do Yi-hyun.
Do Yi-hyun listened half-heartedly to the endless chatter and briefly furrowed his brow. No matter how he thought about it, becoming close with Choi Seon-woo seemed like a distant prospect.
***
After spending a normal weekend, a rumor had spread widely within the company that Do Yi-hyun had gone on a date with a young, handsome Alpha.
‘…Was Choi Seon-woo handsome?’
That was Do Yi-hyun’s first thought upon hearing the rumor. To Do Yi-hyun, Choi Seon-woo looked just like everyone else. More precisely, except for Seo Jeong-woon, there was no one particularly dazzling.
“Ah, Team Leader Do. Did you have a good date?”
He didn’t know why such an unfunny rumor had spread so widely, but everyone who encountered Do Yi-hyun mentioned it. Of course, no one took the word ‘date’ seriously. Do Yi-hyun and an Alpha in his early twenties.
It was just an amusingly mismatched combination. Some even joked, asking to be introduced to the ‘young, handsome Alpha.’
On the other hand, Seo Jeong-woon hadn’t contacted him all morning. Given how he subtly displayed possessiveness, Do Yi-hyun thought he’d have something to say, but it seemed he really had no interest in him aside from instinct. Just before lunchtime, a single message arrived, telling him to come to the managing director’s office.
Do Yi-hyun knocked formally and entered.
“You’re here?”
Seo Jeong-woon approached with his usual friendly smile, no different from usual. Then he suddenly grabbed Do Yi-hyun’s shoulders firmly.
“Ugh, what are you doing all of a sudden?”
“Confirmation.”
Seo Jeong-woon forcibly pulled the struggling Do Yi-hyun into his embrace. Then he buried his nose in Do Yi-hyun’s neck. Even though there was no way pheromones would come out like that, Seo Jeong-woon rubbed the bridge of his nose against Do Yi-hyun’s nape and took a deep breath.
“Hhuut…”
A strange sensation made Do Yi-hyun’s spine tingle, and he reflexively hunched his shoulders. He almost lost strength in his legs and staggered. Seo Jeong-woon wrapped his arms around Do Yi-hyun’s twisting shoulders, suppressing his resistance.
Then he began freely groping Do Yi-hyun’s lower back. It wasn’t the usual subtle caress but an irritating, probing touch as if interrogating him.
“Managing Director, please stop.”
Do Yi-hyun frowned and tried to stop Seo Jeong-woon.
“It would be better for you to stay still, Lee Hyun-ssi. Before my patience runs out.”
But a sharp voice returned. Seo Jeong-woon seemed to be in a bad mood. Do Yi-hyun stopped moving as Seo Jeong-woon said.
There was nothing to gain by provoking him.
“Is it because of the rumor?”
Do Yi-hyun paused briefly before asking calmly. The last time he saw Seo Jeong-woon was Sunday afternoon. Even when he stayed over at Seo Jeong-woon’s place and left, Seo Jeong-woon had seen him off with his usual bright smile.
But in just one day, Seo Jeong-woon was acting out of character. If not for the rumor circulating in the company, there was no explaining Seo Jeong-woon’s eccentric behavior.
‘So he does care.’
Do Yi-hyun licked his parched lower lip with his tongue. Somehow, it was a relief. Seo Jeong-woon reacting so sensitively meant his interest in the child wouldn’t diminish anytime soon.
Yes, that was why.
“Should I give an explanation then?”
Instead of denying it, Seo Jeong-woon asked back with a tilt of his head and lightly bit Do Yi-hyun’s neck. The spot was quite high above the shirt collar, a place impossible to hide if any mark were left.
“Not there.”
Do Yi-hyun urgently turned his head.
“Then somewhere else is okay?”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had slightly raised his head, pressed his forehead against Do Yi-hyun’s. There was no trace of a smile on his face. Do Yi-hyun swallowed dryly.
The glossy grayish-brown eyes seemed to pierce right through him.
“……”
At a loss for words, Do Yi-hyun only hardened his expression. He should say no, but his mouth wouldn’t open.
“You drive people crazy in the strangest ways, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Swish. Seo Jeong-woon’s expression relaxed slightly as he neatly tugged on Do Yi-hyun’s perfectly tied tie.
“Wait…”
“You said somewhere else is okay.”
Do Yi-hyun tried to stop him, but Seo Jeong-woon grabbed his wrist. Pop. Pop.
Seo Jeong-woon skillfully undid the shirt buttons with one hand. Instead of actively pushing him away, Do Yi-hyun observed Seo Jeong-woon. He seemed genuinely twisted inside.
It was an excessive reaction if it was just because of the rumor.
“Kgh.”
In the moment Do Yi-hyun glanced at Seo Jeong-woon’s face, he finally bit Do Yi-hyun’s collarbone. A dizzying pain, distinctly different from the bite on his neck, surged. Simultaneously, a fragrant pheromone erupted like a tidal wave.
“Ah…”
A sigh escaped through Do Yi-hyun’s tightly sealed lips. It should only hurt, but a strange sensuality arose. A vivid tooth mark quickly imprinted on Do Yi-hyun’s pale skin.
Still unsatisfied, Seo Jeong-woon slowly licked along the straight collarbone bone. Fortunately, the sharp intensity had subsided a level. Since Do Yi-hyun had preemptively blocked Seo Jeong-woon’s subtle advances every time last weekend, such intense skinship was the first in nearly a week.
‘I don’t understand.’
Do Yi-hyun, in an awkward posture, offered his neck to Seo Jeong-woon and looked down at his neatly arranged hair. Moments later, Seo Jeong-woon finally raised his head. Do Yi-hyun’s collarbone was a mess of red and purple tooth marks.
“What on earth is this…”
Do Yi-hyun let out a disbelieving laugh, taken aback. In that short time, so many marks had formed that it was hard to recognize the original skin. He suddenly remembered the morning after their one-night stand.
Back then, not only his chest but also his wrists, inner thighs, and back were covered in red marks. Do Yi-hyun unconsciously swallowed dryly. The skin suddenly exposed to the air felt tingly.
“Pretty.”
Seo Jeong-woon looked proudly at the marks densely covering Do Yi-hyun’s collarbone and pressed down on them with his thumb.
“Why are you doing this?”
Do Yi-hyun pushed Seo Jeong-woon’s arm away, straightened his clothes, and shot him a sharp look.
“How could you go to another Alpha when you have me?”
Seo Jeong-woon stuck out his lower lip and interfered with Do Yi-hyun trying to fasten the buttons with his long fingers.
‘Ah.’
Do Yi-hyun looked Seo Jeong-woon up and down. It was possessiveness, sure, but more than that, it seemed his pride was hurt. Pride.
In a way, that was the root cause of his entanglement with Seo Jeong-woon.
“I’ll do it for you.”
Seo Jeong-woon narrowed his eyes and grabbed Do Yi-hyun’s tie. It wasn’t giving poison and then medicine; it was a nasty habit to personally tie the tie he had undone.
“……”
Do Yi-hyun silently handed over the tie and pondered his words for a moment. Not being eloquent, no clear way to explain about Choi Seon-woo came to mind.
“Was that person’s pheromone okay?”
Meanwhile, Seo Jeong-woon, having tied the tie, fiddled with Do Yi-hyun’s collar and asked subtly.
“I don’t know.”
Do Yi-hyun took half a step back and answered briefly.
“What does that mean?”
Seo Jeong-woon immediately followed, frowning.
“It means exactly that. I didn’t smell it, so I don’t know.”
Do Yi-hyun swallowed a sigh and took another step back.
“Really?”
As if displeased with Do Yi-hyun moving further away, Seo Jeong-woon grabbed Do Yi-hyun’s hips with both hands.
“There’s no reason to lie.”
Unlike Seo Jeong-woon, who lied as easily as breathing, Do Yi-hyun disliked unnecessarily complicating things by lying.
“I’ll believe you.”
Only then did Seo Jeong-woon regain a faint smile. Do Yi-hyun felt relieved inwardly. Then he felt puzzled by his own belated relief.
“Is that person also someone special?”
Seo Jeong-woon tilted his head slightly and asked insinuatingly, coming close as if to kiss. Do Yi-hyun shot him a displeased look. Seo Jeong-woon seemed surprisingly resentful.
“If I had to say, it’s an uncomfortable relationship.”
“Then if you’re not close and it’s uncomfortable, why did you meet?”
“……”
Struck by the pointed question, Do Yi-hyun closed his mouth. Mother hadn’t forced anything, but Do Yi-hyun was inwardly bothered by Choi Seon-woo’s existence. He didn’t want to force himself to be friendly by suppressing his personality, but he also didn’t want to deliberately build a wall.
“When I asked you to dinner, you refused, saying you had prior plans. Wasn’t having dinner with me a prior plan?”
Seo Jeong-woon grumbled with a pout. Do Yi-hyun revised his assessment of Seo Jeong-woon. Seo Jeong-woon was quite resentful.
“It’s a personal matter.”
Do Yi-hyun lowered his gaze and firmly gave his word. Complicated family matters weren’t something to blab about to others.
“Don’t meet that person anymore.”
Seo Jeong-woon made another unreasonable demand.
“That’s difficult.”
“Even if I dislike it?”
When Do Yi-hyun shook his head, Seo Jeong-woon rubbed his forehead against Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder. It was as if he was whining.
“Yes.”
But Do Yi-hyun’s answer didn’t change. He couldn’t accommodate everything just because Seo Jeong-woon disliked it.
“From now on, just don’t make any plans at all. Every time you have a plan, Lee Hyun-ssi, how much I…”
Seo Jeong-woon muttered and trailed off. His slumped shoulders looked quite pitiful. Do Yi-hyun ran his rough tongue over the roof of his mouth.
He was curious about what Seo Jeong-woon was going to say, but he didn’t want to pry.
“I’m hungry, though.”
Do Yi-hyun blatantly changed the subject. If they stayed like this, the uncomfortable conversation would likely continue.
“Haa. You’re so consistent, it’s hateful, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon shook his head flusteredly, wrapped his arm around Do Yi-hyun’s waist, and led him to the conference room. Do Yi-hyun knew it well too. That he wasn’t Seo Jeong-woon’s type.
Their relationship continued solely because of Seo Jeong-woon’s curiosity and the existence of the child.
‘Hateful?’
But at the word ‘hateful’ that came out like a joke, Do Yi-hyun’s expression stiffened rigidly. It was an involuntary reaction. It was just fortunate that Seo Jeong-woon wasn’t looking at him.
“Stay at my place tonight.”
When they finished lunch and even a brief kiss, Seo Jeong-woon whispered softly into Do Yi-hyun’s ear. It was an absurd demand. Do Yi-hyun glanced at the firmly closed door.
He wanted to ignore it and leave the managing director’s office, but trapped between Seo Jeong-woon’s arms, pushed into the corner of the sofa, he couldn’t escape.
“Today is a weekday.”
Do Yi-hyun refused tactfully. Staying overnight at Seo Jeong-woon’s place was agreed to be once on weekends.
“It’s punishment for breaking the contract.”
Then Seo Jeong-woon wrinkled his nose and bit Do Yi-hyun’s lower lip without hurting him.
“I haven’t broken it.”
Do Yi-hyun pushed against Seo Jeong-woon’s chest and pursed his tingling lips. He recalled the contract terms one by one, but he hadn’t broken any of them.
“We promised not to see other Alphas.”
“…’Not seeing’ doesn’t mean that, does it.”
The word ‘see’ had many meanings. The contract clause naturally referred to seeing someone with romantic feelings.
If even simply meeting was not allowed, both of them would have no choice but to stay quietly at home.
“If I’m upset, it’s practically the same as breaking it. And you even said you’ll keep meeting them in the future. If you don’t want to come to my place, I’ll bite your cheek right now. Which is better? You choose, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Do Yi-hyun objected, but Seo Jeong-woon stubbornly insisted.
“Let’s talk about it later.”
Do Yi-hyun let out a sigh. He needed time to devise a plan to refuse both.
“No. Decide now.”
But Seo Jeong-woon persistently pursued Do Yi-hyun’s gaze. There were about 15 minutes left of lunch break. It was clear that Seo Jeong-woon wouldn’t let Do Yi-hyun go until he got the answer he wanted.
“…Alright.”
Do Yi-hyun reluctantly agreed. No matter what, he couldn’t return to the office with tooth marks on his cheek. He was trying hard to create distance to regain his composure, but Seo Jeong-woon’s obstinacy kept ruining it.
Seo Jeong-woon very easily pinpointed where Do Yi-hyun was vulnerable.
‘Maybe it’s for the best.’
In a way, it might be a good thing. It was much better than before, but he was starting to be bothered by other people’s pheromones again. The only change was gradually reducing kiss time, but he hadn’t expected the effect to wear off this quickly.
“Okay, good thinking.”
Despite Do Yi-hyun clearly showing his reluctance, Seo Jeong-woon smiled brightly. Then he suddenly opened his mouth and thrust his head forward. His neat teeth touched Do Yi-hyun’s cheek.
“Managing Director!”
Rarely greatly flustered, Do Yi-hyun grabbed Seo Jeong-woon’s cheeks with both hands and pushed him away. Seo Jeong-woon obediently pulled his head back.
“Ah, wasn’t it this?”
Fully aware that Do Yi-hyun wouldn’t choose the tooth mark unless he was crazy, Seo Jeong-woon shamelessly smiled with his eyes crinkled.
“Haa…”
Do Yi-hyun let out a long sigh. If he had been even a second late, a clear tooth mark would have been left on his cheek.
“What a pity.”
Seo Jeong-woon shrugged and rubbed his cheek against Do Yi-hyun’s palm. Do Yi-hyun bit his lower lip tightly. He couldn’t understand what merit tooth marks had that made him so obsessed.
He probably would never fully understand Seo Jeong-woon even in a lifetime.
‘Not that I’ll have to see his face for a lifetime anyway.’
Do Yi-hyun clenched his fist tightly. Instantly, his mood calmed down.
“I should go.”
Do Yi-hyun lowered his eyes and tried to get up.
“What do you mean? There’s still time left.”
But Seo Jeong-woon pressed Do Yi-hyun’s shoulders, making him sit back down. Then he tapped Do Yi-hyun’s full lower lip. It was a gesture asking for more kisses.
“That’s enough now.”
Although his physical condition was worsening, since he was going to Seo Jeong-woon’s place tonight anyway, there was no need for more kisses right now.
“Liar. Lee Hyun-ssi, I know your complexion has gotten bad again lately?”
Seo Jeong-woon looked down at Do Yi-hyun with a worried expression. Do Yi-hyun awkwardly touched his own cheek. Even though he looked in the mirror every morning, he didn’t feel any particular difference.
“I’m naturally pale.”
“It’s different.”
Seo Jeong-woon poked Do Yi-hyun’s cheek with his index finger, looking stern. It was unclear whether it was really noticeable outwardly or if Seo Jeong-woon was just being willful.
“Just 5 minutes more.”
Seo Jeong-woon rubbed the corner of Do Yi-hyun’s mouth and smiled gently. The very coquettish expression made Do Yi-hyun hold his breath for a moment. Do Yi-hyun’s body was already stimulated by the strong pheromones and explicit kisses.
Even the insignificant gesture of stroking his cheek made the corner of his mouth tremble slightly. There was no way Seo Jeong-woon, with his fingers touching him, missed that change. Seo Jeong-woon looked at Do Yi-hyun thoroughly with a very pleased expression.
Do Yi-hyun furrowed his brow. It seemed Seo Jeong-woon genuinely enjoyed unsettling him.
‘I must not let my personality become like Vice President Seo’s.’
The more he learned about Seo Jeong-woon, the more he realized the man had a twisted personality.
“Isn’t it better to start early and finish early?”
Seo Jeong-woon tilted his head with a faint smile.
“……Please.”
Do Yi-hyun knew it was nothing more than sophistry, but he had no other choice.
“Close your eyes.”
Seo Jeong-woon beamed brightly. Do Yi-hyun obediently closed his eyes. Expecting a kiss immediately, he was surprised when Seo Jeong-woon gently stroked his neat eyelashes with his thumb.
“We don’t have ti— Mmph…!”
Only when Do Yi-hyun, his patience finally worn thin, urged him did Seo Jeong-woon finally press their lips together.
“Hng, ah…!”
Seo Jeong-woon immediately thrust his tongue deep into his throat. Do Yi-hyun threw his head back. Try as he might to hold back, moans escaped him unbidden.
Each time a whimper leaked from Do Yi-hyun’s lips, the corners of Seo Jeong-woon’s mouth lifted.
“Haha.”
Soon after, Seo Jeong-woon let out a soft laugh, scattering it lightly, and tickled the soft roof of Do Yi-hyun’s mouth with the tip of his tongue. Do Yi-hyun squeezed his eyes shut and tensed his stomach. Even so, he couldn’t stop his waist from jerking intermittently.
‘Has it not even been five minutes yet?’
Do Yi-hyun, gripping Seo Jeong-woon’s forearm, panted heavily. Each second felt like an eternity. Every time their tongues tangled, a wet, sticky sound was heard, stimulating Do Yi-hyun’s ears.
Warmth transmitted through their pressed-together chests. In his darkened vision, Seo Jeong-woon’s grinning face floated hazily. It felt as if all his senses were being filled by Seo Jeong-woon.
Whether he knew of Do Yi-hyun’s prayers for the kiss to end quickly or not, Seo Jeong-woon persistently rubbed against the prominent collarbone visible through his shirt and bit his bloodless lips. However, contrary to the promise of only a five-minute kiss, Seo Jeong-woon didn’t let Do Yi-hyun go until just before lunch break ended. It was a huge problem, as it would take at least one or two minutes just to erase Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones with the pheromone neutralizer.
‘Liar.’
Do Yi-hyun glared at Seo Jeong-woon as he frantically sprayed the neutralizer. Seo Jeong-woon sat leisurely on the sofa, smiling innocently with a blameless expression. Fortunately, Do Yi-hyun managed to get to the office just in the nick of time.
‘I was a fool for trusting Seo Jeong-woon.’
Do Yi-hyun gritted his teeth even after starting his work. Thoughts of Seo Jeong-woon stubbornly refused to leave his head.