By Zephyria Do Yi-hyun slowly lifted his eyelids and stared blankly at the expanse of skin-colored scenery before him. Unlike usual, even after waking up, his mind was slow to return.
After blinking for a while, he realized he was lying face down on Seo Jeong-woon’s chest, having used his arm as a pillow. In short, he had slept while half-crushing Seo Jeong-woon. Although Seo Jeong-woon often slept tightly wrapped around him with his limbs, Do Yi-hyun had never once hugged him back to sleep.
Do Yi-hyun preferred sleeping lying straight without moving. Since both were naked, warm body heat was transmitted perfectly. A regular throbbing sound tickled his cheek.
‘I should get up.’
His body felt languid, and he didn’t want to move a finger. His eyelids drooped halfway again. Meanwhile, his dulled senses were coming back to life one by one.
Do Yi-hyun noticed that his pheromones were filling the spacious bedroom. It seemed he had unconsciously emitted them all night. They were particularly concentrated strongly around Seo Jeong-woon.
He tried to recall what had happened last night, but his memory was fragmented. Anyway, perhaps because they had tangled their bodies messily, the fig-scented pheromones were revealing a distinct sense of possessiveness.
‘……I should erase them.’
Do Yi-hyun slowly raised his body. He intended to spray pheromone neutralizer and erase everything before Seo Jeong-woon woke up. He had an intuition that he shouldn’t let Seo Jeong-woon discover the mass of pheromones floating in the air.
“Did you sleep well?”
But the moment Do Yi-hyun lifted his head, Seo Jeong-woon pulled him into a tight hug. Since there had been no movement, he thought Seo Jeong-woon was asleep, but it seemed he had been awake. Do Yi-hyun collapsed helplessly back onto Seo Jeong-woon’s chest.
“……Aren’t I heavy?”
“You’re as light as a feather.”
Although he had indirectly asked to be let go, Seo Jeong-woon smoothly uttered an absurd lie and buried his nose in Do Yi-hyun’s nape. He could feel the lips that lightly descended tracing a smiling arc.
“Did our Do-dam sleep well too?”
Seo Jeong-woon stroked Do Yi-hyun’s side and spoke gently. Do Yi-hyun swallowed a sigh and moved off of Seo Jeong-woon. Even upon reflection, he didn’t know why he had slept in such a strange position.
Do Yi-hyun glanced at Seo Jeong-woon, who had a clean face.
“You were the one who clung to me and wouldn’t let go.”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled with his eyes curved, shrugging his shoulders amiably. It seemed he had grasped what Do Yi-hyun was thinking from that brief glance.
“That can’t be.”
Do Yi-hyun furrowed one eyebrow. Then, the smile hanging at the corner of Seo Jeong-woon’s mouth slightly faltered.
“……You don’t remember? Really?”
Seo Jeong-woon abruptly sat up, following Do Yi-hyun. For some reason, he looked deeply betrayed.
“Yes.”
Do Yi-hyun nodded indifferently. His memory was hazy from the moment he suddenly grew feverish, and from around the time Seo Jeong-woon returned, only a lingering sense of heavy satisfaction and pleasure remained. As the overwhelming sense of fulfillment revived, Do Yi-hyun unconsciously clenched his fist.
His facial muscles relaxed slightly, and his back felt oddly tingly. If he kept dwelling on it, he’d likely get excited from the morning, so he shook off the thought.
“That’s too much. You even promised to live with me forever.”
“Don’t lie.”
Although Seo Jeong-woon pouted his eyebrows and acted wronged, Do Yi-hyun let it go in one ear and out the other. No matter how out of his mind he was, that couldn’t be true.
“It’s true.”
Seo Jeong-woon pressed his lips against Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder and repeated his nonsensical claim.
“It’s not.”
“You said you don’t remember.”
When Do Yi-hyun pushed his forehead away, Seo Jeong-woon fluttered his eyelashes disgustingly.
“Even so, it’s not.”
As if tainted by Seo Jeong-woon, he kept retorting even though he knew the conversation had no nutritional value. Do Yi-hyun averted his gaze from Seo Jeong-woon and glanced toward the door. He was thirsty and thought about going to drink some water, but his eyes were caught by the clothes messily tangled on the floor.
Seo Jeong-woon usually tidied up the house neatly before Do Yi-hyun woke up. Was he perhaps tired? Come to think of it, even though he had been called to his family home, Seo Jeong-woon hadn’t shown any sign of it.
“I told you. You clung to me and wouldn’t let go, right?”
Seo Jeong-woon continued his stubborn claims, hanging onto Do Yi-hyun’s waist. The moment he discovered the thoroughly wrinkled coat, Do Yi-hyun’s impassive expression twisted greatly. The coat, clearly expensive, was a mess, smeared with bodily fluids even from a distance.
“……I’ll compensate you.”
Do Yi-hyun muttered softly, stroking his chin. He didn’t know why he had suddenly grown unbearably feverish. Even if he could be swept away by instinct during sex, to flare up without any prior symptoms…
Even at twenty, during his first heat, it hadn’t been to that extent. Since he was carrying a child, a heat shouldn’t have come. Just as he felt intense rejection toward other Alphas’ pheromones, perhaps he was conversely greatly affected by Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones.
Until now, he had considered it trivial, but his sexual desire had definitely grown stronger day by day. If this continued, there was potential for it to become a problem.
“Huh? Ah, that?”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had been gently stroking Do Yi-hyun’s lower abdomen with his large hand, rested his chin on Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder.
“No need. If it really bothers you, will you show me again?”
“What are you talking about?”
Do Yi-hyun turned his head suspiciously. He felt very uneasy.
“Masturbating with my clothes?”
Seo Jeong-woon whispered in a suggestive tone near Do Yi-hyun’s ear.
“……Are you insane?”
“I didn’t get a proper look.”
Do Yi-hyun, taken aback, expressed genuine disgust, but Seo Jeong-woon let out a long sigh with a deeply regretful expression.
“Why would you watch that?”
Do Yi-hyun twisted his shoulder and escaped Seo Jeong-woon’s embrace. He himself was crazy for doing such a thing with someone else’s clothes, but Seo Jeong-woon, who wanted to see it, was clearly even crazier.
“Because I want to see. I can show you as much as you want, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled with his eyes curved into crescents and subtly rubbed Do Yi-hyun’s nape. The suggestive touch raised goosebumps.
“What…….”
He should have cut it off sharply, but suddenly the image of Seo Jeong-woon climbing on top of him, grabbing his erection, and shaking it came to mind. Instantly, strength gathered in his lower abdomen, and his words got stuck.
“Haha, do you want to see too, Lee Hyun-ssi? Right now, even……”
“That’s enough.”
Do Yi-hyun shook his head and got off the bed. The blanket covering his lower body was pulled away, revealing his nakedness, but this time too, Do Yi-hyun showed no sign of embarrassment.
“Ah.”
Do Yi-hyun took a step and then turned around awkwardly.
“……Where are my pajamas?”
“So that’s why you were wearing my clothes? I thought you wore them to look cute.”
Seo Jeong-woon tilted his head and grinned. Do Yi-hyun irritably parted his lips and then closed them without saying anything. If he took the bait, he’d only be teased by Seo Jeong-woon.
“I’m fine like this too.”
Seo Jeong-woon muttered to himself, wrapping his arm around Do Yi-hyun’s waist and heading toward the dressing room. For some unknown reason, Do Yi-hyun’s pajamas were neatly placed in the innermost drawer of Seo Jeong-woon’s dressing room. Unlike Do Yi-hyun’s wardrobe, they were endlessly colorful.
As he scanned them with a weary eye, Seo Jeong-woon handed him bright yellow pajamas. Do Yi-hyun frowned but obediently put them on. Seo Jeong-woon, with his arms crossed, watched Do Yi-hyun dress with a look of admiration.
He had roughly thrown on a black robe upon entering the dressing room. As expected, he hadn’t properly tied the knot, so his half-erect penis was clearly visible through the gap in the fabric.
“Give me a kiss.”
Having achieved his goal, Do Yi-hyun was about to go outside when Seo Jeong-woon suddenly thrust his head forward.
“I don’t want to.”
“Then hug me tightly.”
As Do Yi-hyun stepped back, Seo Jeong-woon spread his arms. Then he cutely wrinkled his nose.
“Why should I do that?”
Do Yi-hyun crossed his arms and showed his displeasure. Even if he kissed and pecked on his own, it was one thing, but he didn’t understand why such demands were being made of him.
“You did it without me asking yesterday.”
Seo Jeong-woon pouted and stuck out his lower lip. It was an overly adorable gesture for a large Alpha well past thirty, nearly 190cm tall. But it suited him so well it was annoying.
Do Yi-hyun bit his lip. He might have kissed during sex, but there was no way he’d have engaged in such playful kissing. It seemed Seo Jeong-woon was making things up, taking advantage of his hazy memory.
Do Yi-hyun didn’t trust Seo Jeong-woon’s words at all. But ever since hearing the request for a kiss, his gaze kept drifting to Seo Jeong-woon’s reddish lips. Perhaps because he knew how soft they were.
A strange impulse welled up, thinking that lightly kissing them wouldn’t be bad either. Forcing his gaze away, Do Yi-hyun picked up the pheromone neutralizer and was about to spray it directly on himself.
“Why are you using that?”
Seo Jeong-woon grabbed Do Yi-hyun’s wrist in disbelief. Sssst. The scattered liquid cut through the innocent air.
“Shouldn’t we stop the pheromones?”
Do Yi-hyun was equally dumbfounded. Moreover, Seo Jeong-woon was smeared all over with the fig scent. While Do Yi-hyun had a reason to be covered in Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones, Seo Jeong-woon had no reason to be carrying an Omega’s pheromones.
“It’s just you and me, Lee Hyun-ssi, what’s the problem?”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled slyly and snatched away the pheromone neutralizer. Do Yi-hyun stared at him intently. It was a very strange feeling.
“……I’m hungry.”
He had a lot he wanted to say, but not knowing what to say, he vaguely changed the subject. It also played a part that struggling with Seo Jeong-woon was meaningless. Things would flow as Seo Jeong-woon wanted anyway.
Nothing diverted Seo Jeong-woon’s attention like talk of a meal.
“Wait a bit.”
As expected. Seo Jeong-woon headed straight for the kitchen. Do Yi-hyun hesitated for a moment before following him.
Since it was Saturday, there was no need to prepare for work, nor did he have anything particular to do. Sitting at the dining table and watching Seo Jeong-woon move busily was surprisingly interesting. It was fascinating to see him skillfully chop vegetables and cook multiple dishes simultaneously.
“What did you eat yesterday?”
Seo Jeong-woon, boiling soybean paste soup that gave off a savory smell, looked back at Do Yi-hyun.
“Bread with jam.”
“……That’s all?”
At Do Yi-hyun’s short answer, Seo Jeong-woon opened his already large eyes even wider.
“Yes.”
“It’s not morning sickness, is it?”
He thought Seo Jeong-woon might say something ridiculous like he couldn’t manage without him, but instead Seo Jeong-woon examined Do Yi-hyun with a very worried expression.
“……It’s not that.”
Do Yi-hyun turned his head and coughed dryly. His palm felt itchy for no reason. Seo Jeong-woon also seemed not to believe Do Yi-hyun’s ‘I’m fine,’ observing him intently throughout breakfast.
He only relaxed after Do Yi-hyun finished off a heaping bowl of rice.
“We have to go to the hospital a bit later, right? After the checkup, shall we go see a movie?”
Seo Jeong-woon handed over orange juice and smiled softly.
“For prenatal education?”
Do Yi-hyun asked bluntly. Come to think of it, under the pretext of prenatal education, he had been forcibly dragged to the cinema before, and after that, he hadn’t even opened his mouth.
“Huh? Ahh. Right.”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had been tilting his head for a moment, chuckled.
“That method existed. Let’s go for prenatal education.”
Seo Jeong-woon sat right next to Do Yi-hyun and calmly took his hand, interlocking their fingers. His beaming smile was extremely suspicious.
‘What is it?’
Do Yi-hyun narrowed his eyes. In the past, he would have desperately refused, but he didn’t particularly feel like doing so now. Had he gotten used to doing things with Seo Jeong-woon?
‘No, more than that…….’
Do Yi-hyun, with his lips tightly sealed, chose appropriate words and glanced at Seo Jeong-woon, who didn’t know how to leave his side.
‘……Comfortable.’
He definitely felt his nerves relax when he was with Seo Jeong-woon. Conversely, when Seo Jeong-woon wasn’t there, he became unnecessarily sensitive. Yesterday was the same.
He thought he wasn’t the type to feel lonely, but once he got used to the gentle chatter and warm presence, the silence felt uncomfortable.
‘This is a problem.’
Do Yi-hyun clicked his tongue silently. He was confident he could quickly return to his original routine if only Seo Jeong-woon weren’t there. But it seemed it would take quite some time to erase Seo Jeong-woon.
Unaware of what Do Yi-hyun was thinking, Seo Jeong-woon stroked the back of his hand and smiled. Do Yi-hyun silently gazed at that smile.
***
Now somewhat familiar with the examination, it ended, and as usual, he was told the baby was fine.
For some reason, Seo Jeong-woon seemed noticeably relieved.
“Is it possible to go into heat during pregnancy?”
Toward the end of the checkup, Do Yi-hyun directly asked the doctor his puzzling question. Seo Jeong-woon, sitting beside him, held onto Do Yi-hyun’s side even tighter.
“Generally, it’s impossible, but……”
The doctor stroked his wrinkled chin and trailed off. It was because he knew well that the word ‘generally’ didn’t fit Do Yi-hyun’s traits.
“It was similar to when heat came, but the pheromones were much weaker.”
Seo Jeong-woon subtly chimed in. The doctor gave Seo Jeong-woon a displeased look and then flipped through Do Yi-hyun’s chart again.
“If the heat had hit, the pheromone levels should have changed, but they’re at the usual level. Just in case, let’s run a few more tests.”
Do Yi-hyun slowly nodded his head. However, even after completing the tests, no particular anomalies were found. In the end, it was concluded once again that Do Yi-hyun’s traits were unusual.
They said that the pheromones flaring up unpredictably were simply due to an inability to control them, not knowing how to handle pheromones, and that it wasn’t a problem. It was hard to tell whether that was fortunate or unfortunate.
“Shall we go on a date now?”
Seo Jeong-woon wrapped his arm around Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder and beamed brightly. Passersby chuckled as if watching a couple madly in love.
“A date?”
But Do Yi-hyun’s face immediately scrunched up.
“Ah, prenatal education. Did I say date? That came out wrong.”
Seo Jeong-woon smirked slyly and led Do Yi-hyun into the hallway.
“Let’s eat, go to a cafe, and then to the movies.”
While waiting for the elevator, Seo Jeong-woon listed the plans, counting them off on his fingers. Hearing it like that, it did sound like a typical date course.
“Haha, relax your expression.”
Seo Jeong-woon suddenly pressed his lips firmly against the space between Do Yi-hyun’s eyebrows.
“What are you doing outside?”
“Hmm. You’re right. We should only do this inside, but I made another mistake.”
Do Yi-hyun tried to step back with a stern face, but Seo Jeong-woon closed the distance and rubbed his cheek against Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder. It was clearly intentional, not a mistake.
“Then can we kiss when no one’s looking?”
“Is that acceptable?”
“Then it should be okay at that time, right?”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had been glancing around, planted a loud kiss on Do Yi-hyun’s cheek.
“No one saw just now. This feels like I’m secretly dating Lee Hyun.”
Seo Jeong-woon, with a dazzling smile, whispered languidly into Do Yi-hyun’s ear.
“Sigh.”
Do Yi-hyun pressed his forehead and let out a deep sigh. He wasn’t pleased about getting used to Seo Jeong-woon. Seo Jeong-woon, as if to show off, took Do Yi-hyun to a fine dining restaurant serving French course meals, a sunny cafe, and a private movie theater where they monopolized a large screen, in that order.
At the restaurant, they were seated at the spot with the best view of the Han River, and the cafe seemed to have been rented out entirely as there were no other customers. In the movie theater, snacks and drinks that Do Yi-hyun would likely enjoy were placed on the table. It seemed Seo Jeong-woon had prepared everything in advance, despite appearing to impulsively suggest going out.
In this rather extravagant situation, Do Yi-hyun occasionally looked at Seo Jeong-woon with mixed feelings. Seo Jeong-woon, fully aware that Do Yi-hyun wasn’t particularly pleased, smiled proudly and subtly aligned their shoulders. Then, after checking their surroundings, whenever he thought it was a blind spot, he would gently caress Do Yi-hyun’s cheek or subtly interlace their fingers.
If left alone, he seemed ready to kiss, so Do Yi-hyun had to push him away from his chest several times.
‘So extravagant.’
Even though they were wandering around central Seoul on a weekend, it was convenient not having to mingle with others, but there was no need to empty out every place they visited. Do Yi-hyun, slightly frowning, glared at Seo Jeong-woon, who clung tenaciously no matter how much he tried to shake him off. It seemed Seo Jeong-woon thought he could act as usual as long as they weren’t at the company.
‘…As usual?’
“Lee Hyun, try this.”
At the moment a question arose, Seo Jeong-woon poked Do Yi-hyun’s cheek to get his attention. Do Yi-hyun, who had been staring at the screen, slowly turned his head.
“It’s quite tasty.”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled faintly, fed Do Yi-hyun a piece of popcorn, and wiped the corner of his mouth with his thumb. Under the soft lighting, Seo Jeong-woon’s clear eyes looked filled with melancholy. Do Yi-hyun, his gaze fixed on the sparkling face, reflexively moved his jaw.
The soft kernel crumbled, filling his mouth with the savory scent of caramel.
“We can leave.”
“Huh?”
At the brief statement, Seo Jeong-woon tilted his head.
“You don’t seem interested.”
Do Yi-hyun grabbed Seo Jeong-woon’s wrist, which kept brushing against his lips. As always, no matter how pretty, an Alpha was still an Alpha—with a sturdy frame and well-defined muscles.
“Ahh. I’m very interested. Extremely.”
After a brief pause, Seo Jeong-woon smiled, his eyes curving into half-moons. But contrary to his words about being very interested, he still paid no attention to the screen. The protagonist’s calm dialogue flowed from the speakers, but due to Seo Jeong-woon’s constant fidgeting, Do Yi-hyun had long lost his focus.
‘He seems like he’ll disappear.’
Do Yi-hyun couldn’t easily let go of Seo Jeong-woon’s wrist. If he released his hand, Seo Jeong-woon’s hazy figure seemed like it would scatter like a mirage.
“Can we kiss?”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had gently lowered his eyes and looked at the captured wrist, cautiously asked while softly stroking the inside of Do Yi-hyun’s forearm.
“No, don’t…!”
Whether it was a perfunctory question, Seo Jeong-woon didn’t even wait for an answer before pressing their lips together. It was a light kiss that would end if Do Yi-hyun just twisted his shoulder. Hesitating, Do Yi-hyun slowly parted his tightly closed lips.
Seo Jeong-woon chuckled low in his throat. In the end, after going all the way to the movie theater, they ended up kissing a lot from the middle of the movie. If it was going to be like this, it was unclear why they bothered going out.
Do Yi-hyun pressed the back of his hand against his lower lip, which was stinging from being bitten so much. Before he knew it, the surroundings had darkened, and the wind had grown much colder. Seo Jeong-woon hurriedly took Do Yi-hyun back home.
“It’s a gift.”
After parking, Seo Jeong-woon stopped Do Yi-hyun from getting out of the car and suddenly handed over a small paper bag about a span wide.
“What is it?”
Do Yi-hyun looked at it with a suspicious expression. He couldn’t even guess what might be inside.
“You’ll know if you look.”
Seo Jeong-woon insisted on placing the paper bag in Do Yi-hyun’s hand.
“This is…”
Reluctantly checking the contents, Do Yi-hyun frowned. Inside were five quite familiar cases. They were clearly handkerchiefs containing Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones.
“Let me know if you need more.”
Seo Jeong-woon whispered meaningfully while gripping Do Yi-hyun’s knee.
“That’s enough.”
“Being with me is still better, right?”
Do Yi-hyun looked stern, but Seo Jeong-woon paid no mind, leaning in close and gently stroking his thigh. The subtle touch made his lower abdomen tingle.
“Are you going to do it here?”
Do Yi-hyun asked nonchalantly after glancing outside the car window. It was a parking spot only Seo Jeong-woon could use, so no one else would come, and it was surrounded by walls on all sides. Still, it remained a public place.
He recalled Seo Jeong-woon naturally trying to get intimate at the company.
“…I really don’t understand you, Lee Hyun.”
Seo Jeong-woon groaned and rubbed his face. Do Yi-hyun was simply curious about the extent of Seo Jeong-woon’s sense of morality. But because he showed not a hint of agitation, Seo Jeong-woon seemed to take it as meaning it was okay to do it here.
Seo Jeong-woon quickly pushed the door open, flung the passenger door wide, and reached out his hand to Do Yi-hyun.
“Come out quickly.”
He urged Do Yi-hyun impatiently. The area under his eyes was slightly tinged red. For some reason, Seo Jeong-woon seemed quite excited.
Do Yi-hyun stared intently at the flushed cheeks before firmly taking the offered hand.
***
One month, two months. Busy with work, time flew by like an arrow.
Before he knew it, there were less than five weeks left until his maternity leave. Contrary to worries, after consistently having sex with Seo Jeong-woon, the baby’s condition was so stable that he wondered if he really needed to take such a long break. The handover was proceeding smoothly, which was quite satisfying.
Although it had died down a bit, the rumors about Do Yi-hyun’s traits that had spread widely within the company still hadn’t completely subsided. They still reached Do Yi-hyun’s ears through whispers. But now he had reached a point where he could pass them off indifferently, like other rumors.
‘Lunchtime soon.’
While reviewing documents, Do Yi-hyun checked the time and picked up his phone.
[Bulgogi]
Then he sent a brief message to Seo Jeong-woon.
About a month ago, what people call ‘food cravings’ had seriously begun.
At first, Do Yi-hyun would decide the menu when going to work in the morning, but since what he wanted to eat kept changing rapidly, they agreed to leave a message about two hours before lunchtime.
[Executive Seo Jeong-woon: Our Do-dam wants bulgogi?]
Even though Do Yi-hyun had told him several times not to reply, Seo Jeong-woon always diligently added a comment each time.
Do Yi-hyun absentmindedly scrolled through the chat history. In contrast to himself, who conveyed only the essential points briefly and ended it, Seo Jeong-woon plastered all sorts of emojis and sent multiple speech bubbles. Their personalities were too different.
Do Yi-hyun, who had been tapping on animal emojis that somewhat resembled Seo Jeong-woon, pressed the back button indifferently. Then he accidentally touched the screen incorrectly.
[Colleague Lee Tae-jun: I heard Kim Cheol-ho got demoted to another affiliate company. Do you have anything to do with it?]
[Who is that?]
[Colleague Lee Tae-jun: ..Never mind. I’ll handle it well. Let’s be close friends from now on, friend.]
A message received last month floated up.
Since that abrupt exchange, Lee Tae-jun had contacted him whenever he was about to be forgotten. Still, he didn’t show up unannounced like before, which was less bothersome.
***
‘…My body feels heavy.’
Do Yi-hyun slowly pushed himself up from the desk. As his belly began to show, moving around was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. His previously perfectly fitting pants wouldn’t button, but when dressed properly, it wasn’t very noticeable.
Seo Jeong-woon, who seemed to have noticed the change earlier than Do Yi-hyun, had filled the wardrobe with new clothes. Without even measuring separately this time, he had perfectly matched Do Yi-hyun’s size by eye. Just how many people had he met to be able to guess sizes at a glance?
While heading to the elevator, Do Yi-hyun stopped abruptly while rubbing his eyes. A very familiar pheromone faintly lingered at the tip of his nose.
‘He left it again.’
The corners of Do Yi-hyun’s mouth dropped slightly. When Seo Jeong-woon had previously suggested leaving Alpha pheromones behind, Do Yi-hyun had dismissed it as nonsense, but since that day, Seo Jeong-woon had taken to secretly leaving pheromones on Do Yi-hyun’s clothes on the way to work. It was too faint to be called a pheromone shower, and because Do Yi-hyun had become overly accustomed to Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones, he often discovered it late, like now.
The first time he discovered it, he had been unusually flustered by Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones coming from himself. But no one in the company seemed to realize that the Alpha pheromones emanating from Do Yi-hyun were Seo Jeong-woon’s. Even just going near the executive office gave off a faint floral scent, and attention was still focused on the two of them—it was quite strange.
The team members with traits would stutter like malfunctioning robots whenever Do Yi-hyun approached, desperately pretending not to notice the faintly lingering Alpha pheromones.
‘He was confident it wouldn’t be discovered.’
Did he have some special method of his own? But if he kept carrying pheromones around, it was only a matter of time before someone noticed. Seo Jeong-woon wouldn’t listen even if told, but it seemed he needed to say something again today.
Do Yi-hyun stared at the rapidly changing elevator numbers while unconsciously fiddling with his sleeve.
***
“Have a snack.”
That night, after dinner, Seo Jeong-woon brought out several round macarons. Inside the tiny circles, no bigger than a finger segment or two, different animals were drawn.
“Where did you get these?”
“They’re cute, just like my darling, so I bought them without thinking.”
Seo Jeong-woon casually nodded while lifting Do Yi-hyun’s top. Do Yi-hyun habitually ignored his nonsensical jokes and swallowed a macaron in one bite. It was less sweet than expected, which he liked.
“Do-dam, I missed you.”
Seo Jeong-woon caressed the protruding lower belly and spoke tenderly to the baby. Even though no response came back, Seo Jeong-woon always managed to keep the chatter going endlessly. Do Yi-hyun, who had been intentionally half-listening to the pleasant voice, suddenly noticed the half-open bedroom door.
In the end, Seo Jeong-woon had emptied a small study to make a nursery. Unable to break his stubbornness, and since it was much better than impulsively buying a house, Do Yi-hyun reluctantly agreed.
‘How much did he spend?’
Do Yi-hyun swallowed a sigh. Once he started decorating the nursery, Seo Jeong-woon spent money lavishly. It almost seemed like he just needed an excuse to shop to his heart’s content.
Since they deliberately didn’t ask about the baby’s gender or traits during regular check-ups, Seo Jeong-woon’s shopping list doubled. Occasionally, Seo Jeong-woon would shove catalogs without prices written on them and ask for opinions, but Do Yi-hyun only replied to do as he pleased. After accidentally finding out that a single small baby bed cost tens of millions of won, he decided not to pay attention to Seo Jeong-woon’s spending anymore.
He couldn’t understand pouring that much money into a bed that wouldn’t even be used for long. On the other hand, he secretly looked into baby supplies like diapers and bottles separately. He intended to be prepared to leave Seo Jeong-woon’s house anytime.
Unlike when proposing cohabitation, Seo Jeong-woon didn’t persistently demand a definite answer, but he still wanted to live with Do Yi-hyun even after the baby was born. Seeing him occasionally boast playfully about what would happen if he weren’t around, it seemed Seo Jeong-woon thought Do Yi-hyun, accustomed to a comfortable life, wouldn’t easily leave his side.
“But why don’t you call our Do-dam by the prenatal name?”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had been whispering while kissing the lower belly, suddenly lifted his head.
“…I’ll handle it myself.”
Do Yi-hyun avoided the direct gaze. Although the meaning wasn’t particularly pleasing, he didn’t dislike the prenatal name Do-dam. Rather, he had heard it so often that he was growing fond of it.
But whenever he tried to call it, the words wouldn’t come out.
“Dad is so mean, right?”
Seo Jeong-woon exaggeratedly slumped his shoulders and gently stroked Do Yi-hyun’s rounded lower belly.
“Time’s up.”
Do Yi-hyun hurriedly pulled down his disheveled clothes and moved away from Seo Jeong-woon. If he stayed attached like this any longer, he felt he might get excited. As the number of times they were intimate increased, it became frequent for heat to surge uncontrollably just from touching Seo Jeong-woon.
There were also many days when Do Yi-hyun took the initiative first. Then, once or twice a month, his memory would become hazy as if he were in heat.
“There’s still three more minutes.”
Seo Jeong-woon pouted and pulled Do Yi-hyun’s waist closer. Through the loose collar, Seo Jeong-woon’s collarbone was visible. Faint red marks remained on the smooth skin.
Every time Do Yi-hyun lost his memory, he would bite Seo Jeong-woon. At first, it was just faint tooth marks on his fingers, but lately, quite dark bruises had appeared. He should restrain himself, but with his reason completely gone, it wasn’t easy.
“We exceeded by five minutes at lunch.”
“So cold.”
Seo Jeong-woon complained, but Do Yi-hyun cut him off sharply. Seo Jeong-woon argued that since the baby was much bigger now, they should talk more often, and had gradually increased the original 10-minute conversation time. Even though they had agreed to 10 minutes at lunch and 15 minutes at dinner, Seo Jeong-woon often subtly exceeded the time.
“Sigh. Do-dam, I think Dad dislikes Mom.”
Today, as Do Yi-hyun was being particularly firm, Seo Jeong-woon had no choice but to give up.
“Don’t say unnecessary things to the baby.”
“Then do you like me?”
Seo Jeong-woon suddenly leaned in and smiled brightly right in front of his face.
“…I don’t dislike you.”
After hesitating for a while, Do Yi-hyun admitted honestly. Even when Seo Jeong-woon made absurd, unreasonable demands, he no longer got as furious as before. In Do Yi-hyun’s own way, it was quite a generous evaluation.
“What. That’s the same as with other people.”
But Seo Jeong-woon suddenly lost his smile and sprang up from his seat. It seemed he took “don’t dislike” as meaning “not interested.”
“Jeong-woon.”
“Never mind. I’m going to bed first.”
While Do Yi-hyun was pondering whether he needed to explain, Seo Jeong-woon, who had turned his back, strode away quickly.
“……”
Do Yi-hyun blankly watched the retreating figure. It was the first time Seo Jeong-woon had gone to bed first, leaving Do Yi-hyun behind. He even went into the small bedroom and slammed the door shut, as if planning to sleep separately.
‘…What?’
Do Yi-hyun blinked and rubbed his solar plexus with his palm. As if feeling nauseous, an unpleasant churning rose near his heart. Was it unpleasant to be helplessly swayed by Seo Jeong-woon?
Do Yi-hyun sat blankly on the sofa for a while, staring at the closed door. He had thought Seo Jeong-woon would come back out soon, smiling brightly as if asking why he was so serious, but even after 30 minutes, the door to the small bedroom remained shut. Slowly rising, Do Yi-hyun headed toward the empty bedroom.
The large bed, devoid of warmth, felt utterly unfamiliar. Lying perfectly still without moving a muscle, Do Yi-hyun suddenly opened his eyes wide.
‘……I can’t sleep.’
Even though he had to go to work tomorrow, he had already been tossing and turning for over 30 minutes. Despite the air being warm, his fingertips and toes felt cold. Do Yi-hyun unconsciously groped the empty space to his right before clenching his fist.
By now, he had no choice but to admit it. He was bothered by Seo Jeong-woon’s absence.
‘Is it because of the pheromones?’
His smooth brow furrowed deeply. He used to fall asleep every night nestled in Seo Jeong-woon’s embrace, breathing in his fragrant pheromones to his heart’s content, but it seemed the faint scent lingering on the bedding wasn’t enough. Do Yi-hyun swept his hand down his face with a sense of emptiness.
It was probably just a temporary phenomenon due to the pregnancy, but the fact that he couldn’t fall asleep alone was quite shocking.
“Hoo.”
Letting out a long sigh, Do Yi-hyun slowly sat up. He thought a warm drink might help ease the chilly feeling.
‘Maybe I should just use the handkerchief.’
Tap. Placing the empty cup on the dining table, Do Yi-hyun walked toward the dressing room. If he couldn’t sleep due to a lack of pheromones, then he just needed to replenish them.
However, Do Yi-hyun came to an abrupt stop right in front of the dressing room. That handkerchief was, after all, an item prepared for emergencies. Choosing a backup plan when Seo Jeong-woon was right there was far too inefficient.
Do Yi-hyun stared blankly at the firmly closed door, just as he had earlier. Why should he resort to a scrap of cloth when Seo Jeong-woon was right beyond that door? Click.
The moment he came to his senses, Do Yi-hyun was turning the doorknob to the small bedroom.
‘What am I doing…….’
Just as he reflexively tried to step back, he spotted a figure bulging under the covers on the bed. Seo Jeong-woon was sleeping quietly with his back to the door. Blue moonlight streamed down over Seo Jeong-woon’s bright hair.
His faint, barely audible breathing made Do Yi-hyun anxious.
‘……I should go back.’
Biting his lip, Do Yi-hyun followed the wafting scent of Seo Jeong-woon’s pheromones and drew closer. Even though he made no effort to hide the sound of his footsteps, Seo Jeong-woon showed no reaction. Unlike himself, Seo Jeong-woon was sleeping soundly, which annoyed Do Yi-hyun.
Do Yi-hyun furrowed his thick eyebrows. The fact that he seemed fine without him……. An unpleasant feeling churned in his chest.
Pondering how to describe this emotion, Do Yi-hyun touched the corner of his mouth with a dry hand. He cautiously perched on the edge of the bed. Seo Jeong-woon was within reach if he stretched out his hand.
Warmth began to return to his cold hands and feet. His tired, dazed eyes slowly closed. Staring intently at Seo Jeong-woon’s back, Do Yi-hyun, who had been clutching the innocent blanket, quietly rose from his spot.
He decided to just let go of his stubbornness and lie down beside Seo Jeong-woon.
“Ugh!”
But the moment he was halfway up, his body suddenly lurched forward. His forehead lightly bumped against a warm wall, and a familiar pressure tightly enveloped Do Yi-hyun.
“Where are you going?”
In one swift motion, Seo Jeong-woon pulled Do Yi-hyun into his embrace and whispered softly by his ear. His voice was languid but showed no trace of sleepiness. It seemed he hadn’t been asleep but had been pretending.
“Let go of me.”
“No. Why did you come only now? I waited so long.”
Seo Jeong-woon whined, rubbing his cheek against Do Yi-hyun’s hair. Judging by how tightly he was wrapping his limbs around him, he seemed to have no intention of letting go. Do Yi-hyun lowered his gaze.
An uncontrollable sense of satisfaction surged at the sight of Seo Jeong-woon clinging to him. It seemed the longer he spent by the Alpha’s side, the stronger his Omega instincts became. Hesitating with twitching fingers, Do Yi-hyun grabbed Seo Jeong-woon’s clothes.
“Don’t push me away.”
As if expecting to be pushed away, Seo Jeong-woon pulled Do Yi-hyun’s waist tightly against him. His tone was so pitiful it seemed like tears might fall any moment.
“…….”
Do Yi-hyun pretended to give in and rested his forehead against Seo Jeong-woon’s chest. He secretly liked the warm body temperature and vivid pheromones.
“Haa.”
Seo Jeong-woon let out a rather satisfied sigh, tightly hugged Do Yi-hyun’s shoulders, then quickly loosened his grip. Then, he patted Do Yi-hyun’s lower back with his large palm.
“Mmm…….”
As if it were a lie that he had been tossing and turning all night, sleepiness washed over him. Half-asleep, Do Yi-hyun wrapped his arm around Seo Jeong-woon’s waist and pressed his lips against his smooth nape.
“Haha.”
A ticklish laugh caressed Do Yi-hyun’s ear.
***
The next morning, Do Yi-hyun woke up earlier than usual. Blinking his stiff eyes, he tilted his head back.
Literally right before his eyes was Seo Jeong-woon’s face, fast asleep.
“……Jeong-woon-ssi.”
Do Yi-hyun called him softly. Seo Jeong-woon had his waist tightly hugged and their legs tangled, so he couldn’t get up unless Seo Jeong-woon let go. Usually, Seo Jeong-woon would wake up when Do Yi-hyun stirred.
But today, for some reason, he showed no sign of opening his eyes.
‘Is he pretending to sleep?’
Do Yi-hyun narrowed his eyes. Having been tricked last night, he was suspicious. But judging by the steady breathing and defenseless expression, Seo Jeong-woon seemed to be genuinely asleep.
After briefly debating whether to wake him, Do Yi-hyun checked that there was plenty of time and held his breath. Since he had gone to bed late yesterday, it seemed better to let him sleep a little longer. The bluish morning sunlight shimmered brilliantly on Seo Jeong-woon’s delicate nose bridge.
Do Yi-hyun calmly traced his sharp eyes and distinct mouth corners with his gaze. He knew well how softly those eyes and mouth corners curved when looking at him. Though it was a face he saw every day, it felt newly beautiful.
Even the hair naturally tousled above his forehead accentuated Seo Jeong-woon’s beauty. Do Yi-hyun carefully lifted the arm wrapped around Seo Jeong-woon’s waist. Then, he stroked Seo Jeong-woon’s soft cheek and moist lips.
He might wake Seo Jeong-woon because of this, but he didn’t mind much.
“Mmm…….”
Perhaps the cautious touch tickled, as Seo Jeong-woon furrowed his neat eyebrows and made a sound. Do Yi-hyun continued to stroke the corners of Seo Jeong-woon’s eyes. It was quite amusing how his eyelashes fluttered each time he rubbed them with his thumb.
He thought he understood why Seo Jeong-woon kept touching his face. Seo Jeong-woon, who seemed to have realized what was happening, softly curved his reddish lips. Then, still keeping his eyes tightly shut, he clasped Do Yi-hyun’s hand and rubbed his cheek against it.
“Are you awake?”
Swallowing his regret, Do Yi-hyun tried to withdraw his hand. He wasn’t Seo Jeong-woon, after all, and couldn’t keep touching someone else’s face forever.
“I’m not awake.”
But Seo Jeong-woon stubbornly rubbed the bridge of his nose against Do Yi-hyun’s palm. Do Yi-hyun slightly furrowed his brow. He didn’t know what strange thing Seo Jeong-woon was planning to do this time.
“A beauty should be woken with a kiss.”
Seo Jeong-woon shamelessly puckered his lips and brought his face close to Do Yi-hyun’s. It seemed he was trying to play the role of Sleeping Beauty.
“Ha…….”
Do Yi-hyun let out a hollow laugh. It was almost time to get ready for work. It was better to simply ignore Seo Jeong-woon’s pointless antics and leave the bed.
But for some reason, he couldn’t move an inch. It felt similar to last night when he had unconsciously walked here.
“Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon called Do Yi-hyun as if whining. His long eyelashes fluttered. Each time he stroked Do Yi-hyun’s wrist and lower back, sweet pheromones spread through the touched skin.
Impulsively, Do Yi-hyun lowered his head. Peck. Their lips lightly touched and parted.
“That’s not a kiss, it’s just a peck.”
Seo Jeong-woon squinted his eyes and grumbled. But a clear smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
“That’s enou……”
As Do Yi-hyun tried to pull back, he suddenly grabbed Seo Jeong-woon’s cheek firmly. Then, furrowing his brow, he stared intently into his grayish-brown eyes. It was quite a rough touch, but instead of getting annoyed, Seo Jeong-woon grinned and stroked Do Yi-hyun’s hair.
“……Executive Director, is your right eye brighter?”
Do Yi-hyun asked uncertainly. He thought it might be a trick of the light, but the right iris was subtly brighter. His heart felt like it dropped.
“You only noticed now?”
Seo Jeong-woon pouted sulkily and pressed his forehead against Do Yi-hyun’s.
“Since when…….”
Flustered, Do Yi-hyun muttered something before hurriedly closing his mouth. Since when? It was a stupid question.
“Of course, it’s been like this since I was born.”
Seo Jeong-woon gave Do Yi-hyun a somewhat resentful look before biting his cheek lightly. Do Yi-hyun twitched his lips and lowered his gaze. It was a subtle difference, hard to notice unless they were this close, inspecting each other’s faces.
In a way, it could be considered unimportant information. But suddenly, his vision spun. He couldn’t stand the thought that there were aspects of Seo Jeong-woon he didn’t know.
He wanted to examine Seo Jeong-woon from head to toe right away. He suddenly wanted to know everything about Seo Jeong-woon. It was an abnormal obsession.
“Are you hurting somewhere?”
Worried by the unusual reaction, Seo Jeong-woon cupped Do Yi-hyun’s ear with a clearly concerned expression. Do Yi-hyun’s pale face was faintly reflected in Seo Jeong-woon’s clear eyes.
‘……I wish he’d only look at me.’
Do Yi-hyun was startled by his own thought. As his sexual desire grew stronger, uncontrollable possessive urges like this would suddenly pop up. Whenever that happened, his heart would churn violently.
“I’m fine.”
Muttering in a subdued voice, Do Yi-hyun buried his face in Seo Jeong-woon’s embrace. Seo Jeong-woon took a small, sharp breath and hugged Do Yi-hyun.
“Ugh. I don’t want to go to work.”
Seo Jeong-woon mumbled like a sigh, pressing his lips against Do Yi-hyun’s crown.
“Should we just take the day off?”
He asked subtly while stroking the protruding bone at the back of Do Yi-hyun’s neck. The Alpha’s pheromones, which had been swirling softly like a spring breeze, settled heavily.
“Do as you please.”
Do Yi-hyun replied indifferently.
“Really?”
Seo Jeong-woon’s eyes sparkled as he looked down at Do Yi-hyun. He was as excited as a child.
“Yes. Then I’ll get ready for work.”
Do Yi-hyun grabbed Seo Jeong-woon’s wrist and pulled it away. He couldn’t understand why Seo Jeong-woon needed his permission to use his paid leave. Was it because they wouldn’t be able to meet during lunch?
‘Is he planning to rest at home all day today?’
Or maybe he was going to meet a friend. Do Yi-hyun stopped halfway out of bed. He was curious about what Seo Jeong-woon was like when he wasn’t around, but at the same time, he didn’t want to know.
“……Are you teasing me now?”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had buried his face in the pillow, mumbled in a drooping tone. Do Yi-hyun looked back at him with a questioning gaze.
“I want to rest with you, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
“That’s…….”
It was clearly a joke, devoid of sincerity as usual. But Do Yi-hyun found himself at a loss for words. As he swept his hand over his mouth with an awkward expression, Seo Jeong-woon suddenly lifted his head.
“Are you embarrassed now?”
“No.”
Do Yi-hyun put on a serious face and left the bedroom. Seo Jeong-woon followed him, giggling.
“Why are you acting so cute today?”
Seo Jeong-woon, who was skillfully preparing breakfast, suddenly blurted out nonsense. Do Yi-hyun squinted one eye. He didn’t know how many times Seo Jeong-woon had spouted nonsense just this morning.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been following me around since earlier. Like a chick, trailing behind.”
Seo Jeong-woon smiled shyly despite Do Yi-hyun’s prickly reaction. His plump, rounded cheeks were quite cute.
‘A chick?’
It wasn’t an expression suited for a man well over 180cm. Moreover, he hadn’t been following Seo Jeong-woon around. He had just finished preparing early and was sitting at the table.
“Do you have something you want to say?”
Seo Jeong-woon brought out a round plate and sat snugly next to Do Yi-hyun. A savory smell wafted—it was a perfectly round pancake. With strawberries, blueberries, butter, and maple syrup.
It was plated with care.
“…….”
Do Yi-hyun quietly picked up his fork. He didn’t particularly have anything to say to Seo Jeong-woon, but he couldn’t bring himself to say no. Somehow, since last night, he kept repeating things he normally wouldn’t do.
“Say it comfortably. I want to hear you chat too, Lee Hyun-ssi.”
Seo Jeong-woon rested his chin lightly and gently stroked Do Yi-hyun’s ear. His attitude seemed like he would listen affectionately no matter what was said. Do Yi-hyun gulped down the cold milk.
“Drink slowly.”
“……What do you like?”
“Huh?”
Perhaps the question was too abrupt, as Seo Jeong-woon’s eyes widened. Do Yi-hyun also squinted one eye in surprise at his own question. He had wanted to know more about Seo Jeong-woon, but he hadn’t planned to bombard him with questions like this.
“Ahaha.”
Seo Jeong-woon suddenly burst into clear laughter. He rested his forehead on Do Yi-hyun’s shoulder and giggled for a while.
“Do you have some interest in me now?”
Seo Jeong-woon’s cheeks flushed red as if dyed with cherry blossoms.
“…….”
Do Yi-hyun stared blankly at the fresh smile.
“I like Lee Hyun……”
Seo Jeong-woon, who had been about to answer nonchalantly with a wink, suddenly trailed off. Then, he looked Do Yi-hyun up and down, who was staring only at him.
“……I like talking with you like this, Lee Hyun-ssi. I also like talking with our Do-dam. So, spend more time with me.”
Seo Jeong-woon crossed his arms and glanced at Do Yi-hyun. Just a moment ago, he had seemed overjoyed, but now he looked oddly sulky.
“I want to feed you. And our Do-dam.”
Then, less than 30 seconds later, he clung to Do Yi-hyun again, bringing up another ridiculous reason.
‘I told you he’s unpredictable.’
Bringing up the child made it hard to refuse. With a reluctant expression, Do Yi-hyun accepted the bright red strawberry and cut into the neatly stacked pancakes with a twisted mouth.
“Can’t you feed me too?”
Seo Jeong-woon clung to Do Yi-hyun’s side and made all sorts of demands. While doing so, he continuously stroked Do Yi-hyun’s waist.
“No.”
“That’s too mean. As expected, you have no interest in me, right?”
When Do Yi-hyun flatly refused, Seo Jeong-woon drooped his eyebrows pitifully and slowly pulled away. Suddenly, the image of Seo Jeong-woon turning away last night came to mind, making him uneasy.
“……Just this once.”
After a brief internal conflict, Do Yi-hyun gritted his teeth. He knew he shouldn’t be swayed by Seo Jeong-woon, but he didn’t want to see him sulking. Do Yi-hyun carefully fed Seo Jeong-woon a small piece of pancake.
Seo Jeong-woon stared intently at Do Yi-hyun and obediently ate it.
“Now I have one more thing I like. You feeding me.”
Seo Jeong-woon chewed on his red lips and grinned. It seemed he had fallen for Seo Jeong-woon’s trick again this time. Seo Jeong-woon leaned against Do Yi-hyun’s left arm again.
“You’re heavy.”
Do Yi-hyun gave him a bland look but didn’t shake him off.