3 – HR 8 (2)

“You’ve arrived. It seems you haven’t achieved pheromone release…”

The attending physician, who had come to greet him, hastily changed his words as soon as he saw Ryle’s complexion. Because of this frustrating patient who couldn’t achieve pheromone release even after imprinting, he had been staying up all night searching for recent papers.

“I can’t right now due to circumstances. Is there no other way?”

“I have repeatedly told you that the direct approach is the safest for pheromone release.”

“I know. But sometimes, unconventional methods are necessary.”

Seeing Ryle’s bitter smile, the attending physician sighed. He didn’t know what the circumstances were, but he wouldn’t budge. It was the same when he contacted him by phone out of concern over the past few days.

So, he had no choice but to search through all the foreign cases to find a solution.

“Would you be able to at least sit in the same space?”

“…Perhaps.”

Ryle answered uncertainly, as he had been refused a face-to-face meeting just this morning. The attending physician, looking at him with heavy eyes, said firmly.

“There is no other way beyond this. Once you’ve imprinted, other medications are useless. Perhaps even drugs that forcibly release pheromones may no longer work.”

“……”

Imprinting was an extremely rare occurrence worldwide. It was a unique bond that only occurred between Alphas and Omegas, not Betas. Some even called it a soul bond. It was the reason it appeared so often in romance movies and books.

He didn’t know if souls existed, but the attending physician agreed that it was an inexplicable phenomenon that science couldn’t fully explain.

Imprinting didn’t cause significant changes in daily life. Both the person who imprinted and the person they imprinted on could still sense the pheromones of all other people as usual.

However, the problem was in cases like Ryle’s, where the imprinting was unilateral. The one who imprinted could only engage in physical bonding with the imprinted person for pheromone release. Moreover, even if pheromone release wasn’t the goal, the body’s cells would slowly die off without regular exposure to the other person’s pheromones.

In short, it was an undeniably destructive bond for the person who had imprinted.

“Sit in the same space and receive a pheromone shower. You must do it for at least one hour a day.”

Putting down the paper he was holding, the doctor rubbed his tired temples. If imprinting were even slightly more common, laws would surely have been enacted to protect those who had imprinted. Because if the imprinted person refused to provide pheromones, they would quickly wither and die.

The mechanism of how imprinting occurred was still largely unclear.

“Hmm… Is that possible even with an inferior gene?”

“It should be possible. If not, you must at least have continuous contact with positive pheromones. It’s only a temporary measure.”

A pheromone shower with positive pheromones. What a predicament. Ryle narrowed his eyes, wondering how he should tell Hae-jin about this outrageous proposal.

“The best thing is still to actively engage in pheromone release.”

Although he wasn’t being listened to, the attending physician repeatedly emphasized it to fulfill his duty as a doctor. As expected, Ryle didn’t listen and asked about what he needed.

“By any chance, can the other person tell that I’ve imprinted on them?”

“Surely you haven’t told them yet?”

“Just answer the question.”

The fact that he was an inferior gene made it even clearer who Ryle’s imprinted person was. Faced with an increasingly absurd situation, the doctor was seized with a sense of duty to make him aware of the seriousness of the situation.

How was he going to survive without even telling the other person about the imprinting?

“They won’t know if you don’t tell them. However, it will be difficult to hide it anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“The person who imprinted, that is, Mr. Vermouth, will develop blind feelings for the other person. Because it’s such an intense sensation, it will become increasingly difficult to perfectly conceal your pheromones in front of the other person.”

“……”

“Moreover, the pheromones that you can’t conceal will come out with very primal emotions. It’s said to be difficult to fabricate them on purpose. So, the other person will inevitably feel a sense of unease that something is wrong.”

“I see.”

So that’s what it meant to be unable to hide it. Ryle began to suspect that his mother might have known this fact. As if she wanted to reveal her feelings for his father without any misunderstanding.

Anyway, what was important now was enduring the increasingly difficult situation. After all, pathologically concealing pheromones was something Ryle had been doing well.

Now, he had to deal with the most important part of today’s visit.

“First of all, I’d appreciate it if the attending physician would also keep his mouth shut from now on.”

The atmosphere of Ryle, who had been quietly listening to him until now, changed abruptly. Even without releasing any pheromones, a huge sense of pressure poured out towards the attending physician.

Just as he thought he even saw madness in his eyes, the doctor barely managed to nod. After all, his life and career were at stake. He had been secretly investigating imprinting without revealing it.

“I… I understand.”

The attending physician suddenly thought that Ryle, who had been suppressing his Dominant trait all his life, had recently become quite Dominant.

Ryle dreaded waking up in the morning these days.

He would dream of Hae-jin’s endlessly sorrowful face, and when he opened his eyes, he would be filled with fear. Yes, it was fear. Ryle had naturally come to understand that he was afraid of seeing that face again in reality.

Every time, he would try to suppress his longing as he prepared to go out. Still, he didn’t realize that he was almost running by the time he headed towards Hae-jin’s room.

Ryle, holding the bell, repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist in nervousness. What should he do if he didn’t respond to his request again?

“Yes.”

Fortunately, a reply came from inside.

Hae-jin, who was sitting in the drawing room, turned to look at Ryle, who entered expressionlessly. He was wearing pants that were wide and looked comfortable. Judging by the fact that the top and bottom were the same color, it seemed to be a set of clothes.

He carefully examined Hae-jin’s complexion, intently watching the wide pants that concealed the cast. He wondered if he had opened the door because he had contacted him in advance about something important to discuss, or if he could have breakfast together as usual.

Ryle decided to say what he needed to say first.

“Can I sit for a moment?”

“Yes.”

As he carefully sat down across from Hae-jin, the distance became a little closer. It was only one step, but his body wanted to leap with joy.

Calmly feigning composure, Ryle carefully chose his words. Gauging how uncomfortable Hae-jin would be with the proposal he was about to make.

“First of all, I intend to pay the compensation stipulated in the previous contract immediately.”

“……”

The gaze that looked at him silently still contained the question of ‘why.’

Ryle, who had closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them, deliberately faced Hae-jin directly. The proposal he had reviewed all day yesterday was nothing more than an attempt to answer his question.

“You can think of it as compensation for the favor I’m about to ask.”

Hae-jin’s question was natural. Ryle had been unilateral all along. When he brought him back to this mansion, and when he imprinted alone. So, he wouldn’t understand the fact that Ryle needed Hae-jin more than anything now.

So, Ryle was trying to create an excuse. So that Hae-jin could find a reason for his proposal. So that he could find an opportunity to make amends by his side, even if only a little.

He wanted to know more about him. He just wanted to face him. And he wanted to give him even a trivial reward. He couldn’t understand it, but the excuse of imprinting allowed him to postpone many thoughts.

“I heard you were a great help during my rut.”

He had been very surprised to see Hae-jin next to him when he opened his eyes. So, as soon as he came to his senses, he found out the whole story. He was worried that he might have gone to Hae-jin again and treated him roughly.

Fortunately, although he had shown a somewhat foolish appearance, he didn’t seem to have done anything irreversible. In particular, Hae-jin had taken the initiative to come to his room and bestow pheromones upon him.

“…What does that have to do with this compensation?”

“I’d like you to do something similar to that time. It’s a method I found as an alternative to pheromone release.”

Hae-jin’s eyes narrowed at the mention of pheromone release. As if trying to gauge the true meaning of those words. Ryle steadfastly accepted that gaze.

Soon, with a faint sigh, Hae-jin asked.

“I think I need a detailed explanation.”

“……I want to ask for a pheromone shower. About an hour every day. I think that would eliminate the need for other release.”

Even as he spoke, Ryle couldn’t hide his embarrassment and slightly twisted his head. A pheromone shower was, as the name suggested, an act of enveloping the other person with pheromones. It was usually used as evidence of affection and was also used as a means of marking, depending on the emotions contained in the pheromones.

In any case, it meant that it wasn’t an action that Ryle could dare to ask of Hae-jin, so he waited patiently for a response. With the feeling of waiting for a sentence.

He couldn’t be more relieved that the imprinting he had done arbitrarily had no effect on Hae-jin.

“Is it because of the compatibility of the pheromones?”

“Yes.”

He had already been caught during the previous examination that his and Hae-jin’s pheromones were compatible. He wished he could hide that too, but since it had come to this, he intended to use it as an excuse.

He agreed, but he was still silent. He was suddenly terrified that he was worried about a possible accident. After much deliberation, he carefully offered a countermeasure for this as well.

“……If you don’t trust me, you can tie me up.”

“……”

Ryle’s slightly lowered eyelashes sparkled gold in the morning sun. Hae-jin, who had been looking at that brilliant appearance indifferently, had to frown again in bewilderment.

The more kindly the servants treated him, the more attention Ryle paid to him, the more uncomfortable Hae-jin felt. After all, they were all things he had to let go of. He had never wanted such warmth in this mansion in the first place. No, he had once had it, but that expectation had long been washed away by the heavy rain.

He didn’t want much. It would be great if he could leave right away, but if that was difficult, he would say goodbye to this mansion as soon as the contract period ended. But Ryle kept hovering near the line that Hae-jin had drawn. Like the day he was out of his mind during his rut and wandered around his room.

If he didn’t solve this body problem, he had a strong feeling that it would cause a major disruption to the plans he had made after the contract.

And frankly, it wasn’t that difficult. He had been waiting in anticipation because he had something to say, but unexpectedly, an unexpected proposal came. Especially since Hae-jin didn’t properly understand the social meaning of a pheromone shower, what was the big deal about going in front of Ryle and scattering some pheromones?

I have no choice.

“There is one condition.”

Of course, Hae-jin had no reason to accept this proposal. Especially considering the wrongs he had done to him.

However, he decided to try it for a cleaner finish. Especially since the rewards that Ryle was offering would make things quite troublesome if they came to him now.

“That compensation you said you would give me in advance.”

“Yeah.”

Even if he needed several times that amount, Ryle was ready to nod. But Hae-jin made an unexpected condition.

“I want the payment to be made after the contract ends, as originally planned. Not now.”

“……”

It might have made more sense if he had said to take away the compensation. At this moment, Ryle was enveloped in a strange sense of unease.

However, Hae-jin came out strongly, saying that he would not agree if this was not accepted. In any case, Hae-jin’s words included the intention to stay here during the contract period, didn’t they? It wasn’t a bad thing, so Ryle nodded for now.

However, that strange sense of unease continued to plague Ryle for a long time afterward.

Ryle, who had been pacing anxiously in the drawing room, realized that he was circling the room too pathetically and sat down on a chair. Even sitting down, he couldn’t take his eyes off the door.

It was almost time for Hae-jin to come.

Every evening after he got off work, they would meet in Ryle’s drawing room for an hour. Ryle still couldn’t believe that he had agreed to his proposal. Was he perhaps already out of his mind and seeing illusions?

Moreover, the words that Hae-jin had made as a condition bothered him too much. After coming out of that room and regaining his senses, he realized that he had made a negotiation with Hae-jin that would not benefit him again.

He had done something stupid. He had been so caught up in being aware of the small breaths directed at him and that white face that he hadn’t acted properly. He had simply been captivated by the scene of that head nodding up and down. If Hae-jin came, he would have to firmly ask him again what he wanted.

Then, the bell rang outside.

Hearing the bell, he even felt his mind clear up. With a subtle feeling, Ryle jumped up and opened the door. It felt strange that Hae-jin was coming to find him.

“Ah……”

Hae-jin looked a little surprised when the door opened without delay. He looked at him with an uncomfortable feeling, with a cast and crutches. He would rather have gone to him, but for some reason, Hae-jin had chosen to meet in Ryle’s drawing room.

While naturally looking around inside, Hae-jin slowly moved inside. Ryle watched the scene with an anxious feeling.

This was also the place where Hae-jin had been forced to take heat cycle drugs. So, he wanted to go to him as much as possible, but he was adamant.

Perhaps he didn’t want his pheromones to remain in his space.

Hiding the thoughts that naturally came to mind, Ryle guided Hae-jin to the sofa. It was a sofa that he had changed to a more comfortable material as soon as he decided to meet Hae-jin here.

“……Are you really okay with this place?”

“Yes.”

Hae-jin, who was briefly surprised by the large sofa that wrapped around his body, answered with an uncomfortable feeling.

It was because it was not a situation he had expected. There was a reason why he insisted on coming to Ryle’s room.

After Ryle released his absurd pheromones to him, his tension kept dulling. It’s not that he had any feelings of affection or that his uncomfortable feelings had disappeared. However, instinctively, his body, which used to be tense, was no longer afraid of Ryle from some point on.

This was not right. When he recalled what he had gone through, he would often feel a surge of sorrow. But strangely, the barrier had disappeared without him even knowing it.

So, he deliberately said that he would come here. To remind himself of the fear that used to dominate him naturally.

It was a dangerous thing to do. But he still didn’t have the courage to go directly to ‘that room.’ So, Hae-jin impulsively blurted out that he would come here.

In fact, he had almost no memory of the day of the heat cycle. After struggling to get to Ryle’s room, his memories were sporadic. He didn’t even remember the process of opening his eyes the next day and returning to his room.

Still, he thought he would feel a little uncomfortable if he came here. He felt strange because he felt like he was here for the first time, which was surprisingly strange.

Hae-jin bit his lip slightly, but soon stopped. It was only now that he realized that he was putting his heart and soul into things related to Ryle. He closed and opened his eyes slowly once and then skillfully managed his emotions.

Inward, further inward. Until he didn’t feel anything.

“It seems like the proposal I made in the morning wasn’t enough, do you perhaps want any more conditions?”

“It’s okay.”

Ryle was watching closely the moment when Hae-jin, who had been contemplating something, changed back to an expressionless face. If he was in pain because of his past memories, he was planning to move the place right away.

But as always, he didn’t show his true feelings well. If he read his pheromones, he could definitely feel a slight embarrassment, but what was going on?

Anxiously touching his lips, Hae-jin only repeated mechanical words to the words he barely managed to utter. Had he ever so desperately wanted him to get angry?

“It was a condition that wouldn’t benefit you. I have to give you something more.”

Only after looking at him earnestly for a long time did Hae-jin frown slightly. He could feel pheromones that seemed to indicate that he was in trouble again.

“……I’ll tell you when I need it.”

In the end, Ryle’s gaze also fell to the floor. Perhaps it was a difficult thing to give him something itself.

As he fell silent, a faint sigh was heard. Reflexively, Ryle snapped his head up, and Hae-jin’s face, staring straight at him, came into view.

“So, what should I do?”

“……First of all, a conversation…….”

As the stammering, foolish words flowed out, Hae-jin’s eyes narrowed slightly. That slight, crack-like trace had the power to tear Ryle’s body apart.

“Do we really need to have a conversation?”

“…….”

His lips were parched, stuck together and refusing to part. Desperate pheromones threatened to leak out due to the anxiety that made him feel like he was withering away inside. Ryle took a subtle deep breath, hiding his condition.

“Have you ever given a pheromone shower before?”

“No. ……Isn’t it the same as what we did during the previous rut?”

“It’s similar.”

The faint pheromones that had rushed towards him when he had barely regained consciousness back then resurfaced in his mind. But Hae-jin, who was right in front of him now, had been emitting only a faint sense of rejection since a while ago.

Anyway, after seeing this reaction, Ryle could understand why he had readily agreed to this proposal. He hadn’t accurately recognized what a pheromone shower meant.

Ryle could no longer overlook this situation, which was unfair to him. This, too, must be the aftermath of imprinting.

“Jin. A pheromone shower isn’t something you can just give easily. ……I overlooked the fact that you might not know what it means.”

“I looked it up. I don’t really mind.”

Contrary to his expectations, however, Hae-jin knew what a pheromone shower was. He had searched for it before coming here.

Usually, people with traits experienced pheromone showers from the time they were infants. Alpha and Omega parents would envelop their children in pheromones to help them feel secure.

This experience of pheromone showers naturally extended to their Omega or Alpha partners when they grew up. The emotion of affection was adjusted to the situation and expressed to the other person. If it contained excessive possessiveness, it became marking.

However, Hae-jin, who had grown up with Beta parents, couldn’t find any emotion in the text that described it as affectionate. Besides, the pheromone release he had been doing with Ryle until now hadn’t been normal either, so there was no point in attaching meaning to such social nuances.

Ryle stared at Hae-jin, who nonchalantly said he didn’t mind, with an unreadable look. Then, he slowly nodded.

“……Then, for now, do as you did that morning.”

Hae-jin, recalling that morning when he had done something a little clumsy, awkwardly smoothed his hair a little. Remembering that time, he released his pheromones for the time being.

But honestly, he didn’t know what emotions to put into it right now. As a result, pheromones filled with only confusion headed towards Ryle.

“The reason I said let’s have a conversation is because it’s easier to control if you think of things you’re comfortable with. After all, the pheromones you release unconsciously are more natural.”

“Ah.”

Hae-jin had often had the experience of his unconsciously evoked emotions being released externally. In those cases, he conveyed much more natural and clear emotions than the pheromones he was awkwardly emitting now.

Watching Hae-jin, who was deep in thought, Ryle lowered his gaze again. He was an Alpha who had rarely lowered his head in his life. Yet, in front of him, he naturally looked at the floor. At the floor where his faint pheromones were listlessly scattered.

He couldn’t bring himself to say that he needed positive pheromones in this situation. Wasn’t he supposed to be grateful even for awkward pheromones filled with rejection?

Besides, there wasn’t a suitable topic of conversation to ask Hae-jin about. The first topic that came to mind as something he would like the most was family. And that was a story that Ryle couldn’t dare to bring up first.

“So, just say anything you want. I’ll listen.”

“Even if you suddenly say that…….”

“If it’s difficult, even trivial things like your favorite food or a book you’ve read are fine. The important thing is to evoke unconscious emotions.”

At his long explanation, Hae-jin let out a faint sigh. The sigh was definitely faint enough that it couldn’t be heard well. But every time that sweet breath trickled out, Ryle was tormented by the urge to strangle himself.

Just as he was about to give up, thinking it was enough now.

“……When I went to the study the other day, I read a fairy tale for the first time in a while.”

“…….”

Hae-jin’s tone, which flowed out calmly, was quite dry.

“It was a book with a lot of animals in it.”

Ryle was captivated by the sight of his face as he frowned and recalled the contents of the book.

Hae-jin kept picking up on really trivial and useless things. As if reluctantly telling the story. Yet, with those pheromones that had become a little more natural than before, Ryle felt something welling up inside him.

“I definitely remember reading it all day when I was young, but I was surprised that the book was shorter than I thought.”

Listening to that soft voice, Ryle fell silent without realizing it.

As if this dreamlike situation would disappear as soon as he opened his mouth.

The day Hae-jin had to go to the hospital again arrived.

Ryle was even more thorough than before in keeping his movements in mind and had instructed the hospital to prepare. Thanks to this, the hospital was bustling with preparations for the first time in a long time.

His heart was pounding with the desire to hug him and take him to the car like last time, but he couldn’t touch him carelessly. Ryle was looking for an opportunity to intervene if he showed any signs of difficulty. He heard that he had refused Mark, saying that it would be too much trouble to even ride in a wheelchair.

But as Hae-jin walked out of the room, something strange caught his eye. The clothes Hae-jin had chosen as his going-out outfit today looked familiar.

It was the same outfit he had worn the day Ryle had gone to him to ask for a favor. Comfortable clothes that were loose both top and bottom.

Maybe it was a misunderstanding. But once he was aware of it, he couldn’t help but worry about it.

“……Is everything ready?”

“Yes.”

Hae-jin couldn’t understand why Ryle was picking him up again to go to the hospital, even though he was going to the hospital. But it wasn’t a situation where he could ask about it. After all, no matter what car he rode in, it would be Ryle’s property.

Besides, Hae-jin was just trying to dispel his doubts. Whenever he thought of the question of why, the small box he had hidden in his heart would swell up as if it would burst. Since he didn’t have the energy to pick up the emotions that had burst out, it was better to pretend not to know.

“Let’s go.”

Hae-jin said he didn’t want to eat breakfast because he had no appetite at the thought of going to the hospital. Thanks to this, Ryle was in a very edgy state. He was determined to check the amount he ate after he returned safely from the hospital.

Maybe that’s why he was more concerned about the clothes he was wearing.

“…….”

“…….”

An awkward atmosphere lingered between them as they walked to the car. The air touching his skin seemed to have become completely cold now, so Ryle looked at Hae-jin’s clothes again.

Come to think of it, why was he wearing such thin clothes?

“Do you have something to say?”

Hae-jin turned his head and asked, perhaps because his gaze was persistent. Ryle, who reflexively turned his gaze away as if burned, had to choose his words very carefully in a short moment.

He had to be careful not to show anything strange if he showed too much interest.

“……No.”

“…….”

Even at his clumsy excuse, Hae-jin turned his head forward again indifferently. In the silence that dominated them again, Ryle swallowed his saliva silently.

For the next few days, they had to spend a very awkward time like this. One hour every evening, a time that Ryle had barely allowed. If he was lucky, he could have breakfast with him.

In the meantime, Hae-jin was busy choosing useless topics of conversation, and Ryle was trying to provide him with anything he could.

However, the things he brought out from time to time were all things that Hae-jin didn’t need. It was even more difficult because he had never seen a person who didn’t need buildings or cash. He couldn’t force him any further when Hae-jin said he didn’t like it, so he was just troubled.

So, this time again, he had to quietly take Hae-jin to the hospital.

While signing the documents, he suddenly thought of Hae-jin again. To be exact, the clothes he was wearing.

It seemed like the same clothes he had seen a while ago. In fact, it wasn’t that strange to wear the same clothes twice in a normal situation. Unless it was an order that Ryle had specifically made.

When Ryle realized that Hae-jin hadn’t even received proper clothes, he had ordered that clothes be provided more than necessary. So that he would never have to wear the same clothes twice again.

He had also told Mark to wash the clothes that Hae-jin had worn once, but to put them away elsewhere. So that he could freely find new clothes to wear.

But why was he wearing the same clothes?

From the moment he thought about it again, he could no longer postpone this question. Could there be something wrong with the items being given to Hae-jin again? Or did he not like the clothes being given to him?

Unlike him, Hae-jin had lived a life where wearing the same clothes twice was nothing. So it could be a trivial matter.

But now, he couldn’t bear it because he felt so strange that he couldn’t concentrate.

“Prepare to go to the mansion.”

He immediately pressed the intercom and called the Secretary. At his sudden order, the Secretary quickly rushed into the office. He seemed to have guessed that something big had happened.

“Did you say the mansion?”

“When will Jin’s treatment end?”

“I was told that it will take about two more hours.”

“I’ll have to go to the mansion in the meantime.”

With a bewildered look on his face, the Secretary calmly had the car waiting. He knew that he didn’t need to organize his schedule for today because he said he was going and coming back.

As he quickly returned to the mansion with a hurried heart, the surprised servants ran out. Mark had accompanied Hae-jin to the hospital.

“Call the servant who manages Jin’s closet.”

“Yes, Master.”

While making bewildered faces, the servants moved busily. Not wanting to give them a chance, Ryle headed straight to Hae-jin’s room. Just as he arrived at the reception room of his room, one of the servants was rushing to find him.

Ryle, who passed him without hesitation, burst open Hae-jin’s closet.

“What’s wrong, Master?”

“…….”

Ryle barely managed to hold back the sigh of relief that was about to come out. It felt like the vision that had been dyed red was finally returning. Unlike his worries, Hae-jin’s closet was in a normal state. When he entered unexpectedly, the servants were diligently cleaning Hae-jin’s reception room.

“Jin was wearing the same clothes today.”

Was it his misunderstanding? Just in case, Ryle asked the servant who managed his clothes.

“Ah.”

“Do you know why?”

“It seems that it’s difficult for him to choose clothes to wear these days because of the cast. The clothes he wore today were washed and put away a while ago, but he found them and I brought them back to him.”

“……I see.”

The anxiety that had subsided for a moment quickly consumed him again. How foolish. Shouldn’t he have paid more attention to it sooner? What must Hae-jin have been thinking while worrying about not having clothes to wear?

What if he thought I was mistreating him again?

The sudden worry made him breathless. Ryle was barely able to give an order to the servant who was looking at him strangely.

“Order more clothes. Put in more comfortable clothes similar to what Hae-jin wears. Make sure he doesn’t have to wear the same clothes twice.”

“Yes, Master.”

“……And add about two more closets. So that you can replace them all every week and rotate them right away.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Although he had a slightly embarrassed look on his face, the servant busily entered his orders into his head. Even though everything was going according to his orders, Ryle couldn’t shake off his uneasy feelings.

As if these things wouldn’t be enough for Hae-jin’s eyes.

Strangely, everything was lacking and lacking.

The next morning, Hae-jin forced his heavy eyes open.

He was quite tired after going to the hospital yesterday. He wasn’t physically tired, considering he was spending his time so leisurely. The heavy thing was probably his mind.

Yesterday, he didn’t have to see any needles, so he was able to endure it. When he scanned his feet with a large machine, he closed his eyes and endured it as if he were dead.

He said that his leg was recovering well. Of course, even if it recovered completely, he wouldn’t be able to do any strenuous exercise anyway because the bone had been broken into pieces and then reattached. But Hae-jin was relieved because it was enough for him to be able to walk slowly on two feet.

Today, Hae-jin slowly went out to the reception room to spend another day. After simply washing his face to wake himself up and going to the closet, something caught his eye.

“…….”

A set of clothes that he could wear was neatly placed in the middle of the closet. It was on the table where he temporarily put small items.

Hae-jin picked them up without any suspicion. They were loose pants that he had been looking for recently because of the cast, so he readily reached for them.

While slowly changing his clothes, Hae-jin thought that Mark had prepared these without much thought. However, it was a little strange that he faintly felt Ryle’s pheromones.

“Did he wear it?”

“Yes. He said he put it on as it was.”

“……Didn’t say anything else?”

“No.”

Hae-jin couldn’t wake up until quite late because he was tired from going to the hospital yesterday. Thanks to this, Ryle had to wander around in front of his room endlessly before going to work.

“Tell him to make sure he eats.”

“Yes.”

“……Don’t tell him that I picked out the clothes.”

“I’ll make sure to tell the mansion.”

It was a very impulsive thing to do. He had time because he wasn’t getting up, so his body moved on its own. It wasn’t even related to Hae-jin’s health, so it was a very unnecessary thing to do.

As a result of the urgent order yesterday, a large number of clothes similar to what Hae-jin was looking for were placed in the mansion. While personally selecting one of them and coordinating it, Ryle tried to control his pheromones. In case he felt bad.

He was worried that he would notice something strange and refuse, but fortunately, Hae-jin didn’t seem to notice. Hae-jin wouldn’t know that these favors and considerations came from Ryle in the future, but it didn’t matter. The important thing was that he was in a better environment.

“Can I continue with the report?”

“Speak.”

“Ten of the fired employees have applied for loans. They seem to be moving to hire a lawyer.”

At the report that made his head cold, Ryle narrowed his eyes.

Some of the guys involved in Hae-jin’s case were trying to withdraw from the lawsuit, which was bound to be lengthy. As if they had keenly noticed that the end would be futile.

So Ryle planted people to investigate around them. To find people who would give them the illusion that this lawsuit was very unfair and that there might be hope for them.

First of all, they found hope because Hae-jin was not the clear subject of the lawsuit. The charges Ryle had filed against them seemed a little less serious than that in the first place.

Ryle had already blocked the individual sources of funds in various ways. So some of them had to take out loans to raise money to hire a lawyer.

It was one of the many loan companies he owned that approached them. Especially those where it was well hidden that the business was owned by him.

“Make sure the loans are approved as much as possible.”

“I understand.”

Ryle used to use them when he was plotting situations that violated the law from time to time. They were things he had prepared since he was young so that even his relatives wouldn’t know. He had planned to use them effectively if his position was threatened.

Ryle, who lightly declared the ruin of someone’s life, turned all his attention back to Hae-jin. After all, their ruin was something they had brought upon themselves. Just like Ryle was experiencing now.

Thinking calmly that he should check if he had eaten well at the right time, Ryle focused on his work again.

* * *

The greenhouse was finally completed. It took a little longer than initially expected. As construction progressed, the scale became much larger than originally planned.

But it wasn’t a sight that pleased Ryle. The greenhouse was definitely well-equipped and neat, but it felt a little stuffy, as if it was limited by the interior.

Ryle, who had prepared breakfast there, invited Hae-jin.

Hae-jin, who slowly followed Mark into the outer garden, wore a surprised expression. This area, not visible even from the mansion entrance, had been abandoned. It felt to him as if a new building had sprung up while he was leisurely spending time in the main building.

Sleek black steel frames crossed the sky. Beneath them, vibrant plants, unseasonal, exuded moisture. The moment he crossed the threshold of the greenhouse, Hae-jin felt bewildered by the rush of warm air.

As he looked around, Ryle carefully led him toward the table. His hand naturally reached out to take the thick coat Hae-jin was wearing.

Unconsciously handing over his coat, Hae-jin felt a little awkward only after sitting down. He realized he had treated Ryle too casually. Ryle, however, seemed unfazed, tidying up his coat as if nothing were amiss.

Let’s not do this.

“A greenhouse has been built.”

“Yes. I thought you might feel stifled if you only stayed in the dining room, now that it’s getting colder.”

To divert the attention, Hae-jin deliberately spoke up. But Ryle’s reply sounded as if he had built this large greenhouse just for Hae-jin, making him feel even more awkward. He swallowed a sigh and composed himself.

Fortunately, silence soon fell as the meal began. The sound of the sprinklers occasionally caught his attention, and his gaze naturally wandered around the greenhouse.

No matter how much he resolved to suppress his feelings, he couldn’t resist new stimuli. Since becoming an adult, Hae-jin’s life had been excessively colorless.

The freshness of the greenery kept intruding into his vision.

“Do you like it here?”

“……It’s my first time dining in a greenhouse.”

Ryle asked Hae-jin as if it were nothing special. His gaze remained fixed on the main dish in front of him. Nevertheless, Hae-jin carefully chose his words, feeling tense.

In this mansion, he wanted to have as little meaningful conversation as possible. He believed that was the way to erase his traces. But continuing empty conversations was more difficult than he had imagined. Hae-jin realized this as he sat facing Ryle for an hour every day.

Even explaining about books or articles he had read soon reached its limit. Eventually, their conversations gradually included Hae-jin’s preferences.

Favorite foods, colors, preferred books, or interesting machines, and so on. Of course, Hae-jin never directly revealed that he preferred these things. He merely used them as topics. So, if the mentioned items suddenly appeared before him, he intended to stop immediately.

Fortunately, Ryle didn’t try to change things, as if respecting the line he had drawn. Perhaps his only purpose really was his pheromone. Wasn’t it ironic that he was pleased by that indifference?

“I see.”

Barely managing to keep his gaze fixed on the floor, Ryle replied curtly. He struggled with his head, which kept turning toward Hae-jin.

The greenhouse, which he had thought was stifling, strangely felt bright and awakened the moment Hae-jin entered. When his pheromone touched his skin, a greenhouse was created inside Ryle as well. The blue foliage, miraculously blooming in a place that had been barren, created a gentle breeze in harmony with his scent.

As time passed, his greed only grew, which was a big problem. Hae-jin tried to answer calmly, but Ryle keenly noticed that his gaze kept drifting toward the green plants and flowers.

He would have to build an even bigger greenhouse. So big that one wouldn’t even realize it was indoors. He would use this one for the winter and rebuild it in the summer.

So that Hae-jin would find at least one thing he liked about this mansion.

“Are there any flowers you’re allergic to? If so, I’ll have them removed.”

“……No.”

Hae-jin, who had been gazing at the flowers as if entranced, narrowed his eyes at the question. He had tried to maintain a distance, but he couldn’t help but answer. It was inevitable that he would ask, as allergies were dangerous. However, he couldn’t shake off a strange feeling, and his expression naturally hardened.

Ryle, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned, and just as he was feeling embarrassed, his cell phone rang briefly.

Ryle frowned slightly as he read the message. This time, his gaze turned directly to Hae-jin, and he asked cautiously.

“……Mark says he has something to tell me. Would it be alright if he came in for a moment?”

“Yes.”

Feeling strange again, Hae-jin had to nod. He had been so sensitive during meal times that it was understandable that he would ask.

What was this feeling? It was different from the faint anger he had felt before, and he was confused.

“Young Master. I came because I have something urgent to discuss regarding the construction. I thought it would be better to discuss it when you’re both here. Mr. Bright, is that alright?”

“It’s alright.”

Looking at Mark’s wrinkled eyes, Hae-jin tried to suppress a bitter smile. He showed a cautious demeanor, always worried that Hae-jin might be afraid of him. But in reality, he had long grown accustomed to that worried gaze.

It was a pity.

“It seems the construction will cause a lot of noise and dust. Mr. Bright’s room situation has become a bit ambiguous.”

“…….”

At the unexpected news, Ryle cast a troubled glance at Hae-jin’s hand on the table. It was an unconscious action.

The installation of the elevator was eventually postponed. The preparations to replace the mayor were going smoothly, but this time, a group obsessed with cultural heritage had contacted them. He could have ignored them, but they happened to mention the risk of the old mansion collapsing, so Ryle couldn’t let it pass.

Currently, he had commissioned a detailed survey of the mansion’s structure to assess any potential risks. He didn’t want to endanger Hae-jin, who might use it.

“We’ll have to temporarily move Mr. Bright’s room, but as you know, that’s the only guest room in the main building, and the exterior will gradually become chaotic as well.”

Even if the exterior was fine, Ryle had no intention of sending Hae-jin there. He remembered Hae-jin standing in front of his secluded room, soaked in the rain.

That wouldn’t do.

As Ryle considered a better room in the main building, he suddenly thought of one place. A rather impulsive suggestion blurted out before he could stop himself.

“In my reception room, which you come to every day, there’s actually another bedroom connected to it.”

Hae-jin’s gaze, filled with an unknown meaning, turned to him. Reflexively suppressing his pheromone even more, Ryle met his gaze. He was captivated by the way his eyelashes reflected the sunlight, as if bewitched. In this greenhouse, made so green, Ryle could only see his black hair.

“……Coming here every day is too much of a hassle and dangerous, so I was wondering if a closer place would be better.”

Ryle used the room that the owner of the mansion used. Therefore, the couple’s bedrooms faced each other, separated by the reception room.

His parents hadn’t shared this room amicably either, so its meaning had long faded. However, even as he spoke, he hoped that Hae-jin wouldn’t realize his brazen suggestion.

“…….”

Whether he knew his inner thoughts or not, Hae-jin’s gaze bounced back and forth between Ryle and Mark’s faces. The longer the silence stretched, the more Ryle’s palms became drenched in sweat.

As it became increasingly difficult to control his urgent feelings, Ryle tried to mention the part that had been bothering him since the last time. There were many things near the room that coincided with his intention to install an elevator.

“And there’s a library near that room. It’s the largest in this mansion, so it’ll be useful this time.”

Ryle’s behavior, which seemed a bit obsessed with the library since the last time, was strange, but Hae-jin didn’t think much of it. Instead, he recalled the scene he had encountered on the way to this greenhouse.

He had somehow gotten the impression that the inside of the mansion was a bit bustling. There were more rooms open than usual, and the people coming and going seemed busy. It seemed that some major repairs were needed somewhere.

Having stayed here for over five years, Hae-jin knew that this old mansion required a lot of attention. Perhaps this time, the area near his room was the problem.

Unaware that all this commotion was because of him, Hae-jin could only continue to think that it was troublesome.

“I understand.”

However, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was getting too close. His distance from Ryle.

Of course, it was true that the path to his room had been difficult. He had to climb the stairs with crutches, and this mansion was a very inconvenient structure for someone with a leg injury.

Going to Ryle’s room with a group of servants following him anxiously brought him a different kind of trouble. At first, only one or two people had followed him to help, but before he knew it, there were too many people chasing after him whenever he tried to move.

Besides, the owner of this mansion was asking him to change rooms temporarily because repairs were needed, so what more could he say?

“……Thank you.”

The strange feeling had continued since earlier. It was even more so when he heard Ryle’s quiet greeting. Something was definitely off, but Hae-jin couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Just a nod of his head had caused so many people to move diligently. Hae-jin, who had nodded, was obediently confined to the bedroom and couldn’t move.

He had tried to help by packing his luggage, but the servants strongly dissuaded him. In the end, he seemed to only be hindering their movements, so he was sitting quietly on the bed.

By the way, it’s just a temporary move, so do I need to bring all my luggage?

“How was the greenhouse? It’s my masterpiece, and I put a lot of effort into it.”

Then, Mark, who had briefly left for other business, rang the bell. The mansion was busy inside and out, and he must have had a lot to do, but he still came to check on Hae-jin’s condition about once an hour.

It might have been a situation no different from surveillance, but it was hard to feel alert. When Mark’s wrinkled eyes curved into crescents, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was what it would be like to have a Grandfather (Paternal).

Hae-jin didn’t have grandparents. The Bright couple who raised him had both lost their parents early. He had no close relatives, and Hae-jin, who had barely been incorporated into a family, was pushed back into society alone after the accident.

“It was wonderful.”

Mark boasted that he had personally taken charge of the entire greenhouse arrangement. Along with the fact that it had been bothering him all along because it had been desolate. So Hae-jin had no choice but to express his honest impressions.

It was definitely the first time he had seen such a wonderful greenhouse in his life. Using such a place as a dining area was probably an experience he would never have again. It was all in the past anyway. Hae-jin tried hard not to give it any meaning.

Even as he unconsciously told Mark that the blue arched entrance inside the greenhouse was particularly wonderful.

“It will be finished soon. You should be able to have dinner and move in about two hours. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

“No. Anything is fine.”

Unless he wanted his mother’s star soup, Hae-jin had never specifically asked for anything. Knowing this, Mark never stopped asking him about his preferences at meal times.

“By the way, I’m worried you might not sleep well because your sleeping place has changed. Would you like some wine tonight? It should help you sleep.”

“Ah, wine……”

“Hmm……. The test results show that your health has improved a lot, so I heard it’s okay to have a little alcohol. Do you enjoy any other alcohol besides wine?”

Hae-jin had expected Mark to back down as usual when he said he didn’t want anything to eat. Instead, he asked something unexpected, and Hae-jin couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

“I’ve never, uh, had alcohol before.”

“Oh, I see.”

Mark was just as unable to hide his embarrassment. It was as if he had never imagined that he had never drunk alcohol at all.

He had entered the mansion as soon as he became an adult. He had never had the time to relax and drink alone, so he had never drunk alcohol. He remembered his Hyung often drinking and affectionately clinging to him when he was in a good mood.

Mark, who had been deep in thought with a serious face for a moment, smiled brightly again. It was because he was conscious of Hae-jin’s gaze, which was looking at him cautiously as if he had done something wrong.

“Then let’s try it this time.”

“Ah……”

“I’ll specially choose a good wine with a low alcohol content. Of course, you don’t have to drink it if you don’t want to.”

Mark boasted that there were a lot of good wines hidden in the mansion. Mark had been acting more sociable since Hae-jin had become a little more familiar with him.

In the end, Hae-jin nodded dazedly.

“Yes……”

“Then I’ll come to pick you up again. Please contact me anytime if you need anything.”

“Thank you.”

Mark left with a warm smile again, never forgetting to say goodbye.

It was as if a storm had suddenly passed. Wine, he was going to experience something he had never even thought of. Still, he must be getting better, Hae-jin tried to bury this situation.

Without even knowing who he was hiding it from.

The car heading to the mansion seemed unusually slow today. It was always this time of day when there was chronic traffic congestion in the city, but Ryle couldn’t bear his impatience and kept looking out the window.

He had heard in the afternoon that Hae-jin’s move had been completed without incident. He had been worried that he might change his mind in the middle, but he had moved more willingly than he had expected. He said that he had felt awkward when he actually entered the bedroom.

Hearing that news, Ryle was consumed with the thought that he should have done this sooner. In the first place, he shouldn’t have been so attached to the guest room, but should have given him a good room. Besides, Hae-jin’s room was too far away.

There were still so many things he wanted to give him, but time was just passing by.

“Is Jin here?”

“He’s in his room. He’s probably waiting for you.”

As soon as he arrived at the mansion, Mark answered his question with a kind smile. It was the same words as usual, but he felt a new emotion. The room he was talking about today shared the reception room with Ryle.

Thanks to that, his legs moved as if they were flying. His reason was shouting that it was a useless expectation, but he couldn’t help but feel impatient. It was hard to believe that he was so happy just because the room he was staying in was a little closer. He was reminded of how scary imprinting was.

Ryle, who was about to open the door to the reception room in a hurry, stopped for a moment and carefully rang the bell. A low reply was heard from inside.

As he entered, he felt Hae-jin’s pheromone a little more strongly than usual. He was sitting on the sofa in the reception room, looking at something the size of his palm.

“Jin.”

“You’re late.”

Ryle, who had entered with a slightly excited feeling, stopped abruptly. He was a few minutes late than the promised time. Feeling a pang of regret, he hurried to his seat and examined Hae-jin’s complexion.

Was he upset because he was late without permission?

“I’m sorry. The car was delayed today. I’ll try to move a little more diligently next time.”

“……No, not that far.”

Ryle was probably the busiest person in this city. On the other hand, he was bored at home with nothing to do. Now, even the bedroom was right next to him.

In this absurd situation, he had to look at Ryle with a sullen face. His serious face looked very serious. Surely, he didn’t mean it seriously.

As Hae-jin’s expression became subtle, Ryle became anxious. The mansion was so far out of town that it took a long time to get there. He would have to do something about it soon.

“How’s the room you moved to? Please tell me if there’s anything missing.”

“…….”

Hae-jin’s face became even more serious at the following words. Ryle’s request was nothing short of an insult to the new bedroom.

Even to Hae-jin, who was an amateur in art, he could tell that the objects used in that room were unusual. There was a painting on one side of the bedroom that he seemed to have seen somewhere, and even the doorknob had intricate patterns engraved on it, which was quite surprising.

Besides, the size of the bedroom was so vast that it was said to be vast. He wondered why the bedroom was connected to the reception room in an awkward way, but he was mistaken. This reception room was just a passage, and the space allocated to the other side was independent and vast.

It didn’t seem like a room a mere passing guest should be using, no matter how I thought about it.

“The room is too much for me. I’ll vacate it as soon as the construction is finished.”

“…No. Make yourself comfortable.”

Hae-jin was already thinking of leaving only a few hours after arriving here. The longing that had been endlessly nagging at him since the traffic jam was gradually driving him. While controlling the pheromones that kept trying to run wild on their own, Ryle decided to change the subject.

He planned to distract him first and then try to keep him here a little longer. He knew he shouldn’t be greedy, but seeing Hae-jin in this room kept making him want him.

This close distance.

“By the way, what were you looking at?”

“Ah… It’s a family photo.”

However, an unexpected topic was lurking where he had tried to change the subject.

Ryle, who had been clumsily swallowing his greed, widened his eyes and tensed his spine. His heart began to race anxiously as if it were about to burst.

An awkward silence heavily pressed down on the reception room. Hae-jin’s pheromones also had a faint gloomy aura.

Ryle, who inwardly cursed himself for being prematurely greedy, took a deep breath. Every time he felt the heavy pheromones weighing down on him, it felt as if heavy weights were pouring down on his whole body.

Just then, the bell rang outside at the right time. Mark opened the door after hearing Hae-jin’s reflexively uttered response. He was pushing a tray with some food on it.

“This is the wine you mentioned during the day. It seems like the right time.”

“Ah…”

Since it was something he hadn’t been informed about, Ryle sent Mark a strong look without Hae-jin noticing. Mark simply chuckled and accepted the look, as expected.

At first, it certainly wasn’t this bad. But recently, Ryle had been trying to check every single drop of liquid that went into Hae-jin’s mouth. Considering his extreme attitude, he would have rushed to the mansion the moment he heard someone say they would give Hae-jin wine.

Mark also prioritized Hae-jin’s health. However, after several visits to the hospital for checkups, the results showed that his body was recovering well. He had also heard a doctor’s opinion that a glass or two of wine would be fine.

So, around this time, Mark felt that he needed to give him a new interest. If he only created a healthy environment without any fun, wouldn’t it be very boring for a young man of his age? He didn’t intend to make him addicted to wine, but he hoped this would be a small catalyst.

Of course, he didn’t want to create any unnecessary misunderstandings between them over this matter, so he didn’t forget to bring it while he was with Ryle on purpose.

“Mark. Why suddenly alcohol?”

As expected, when his gaze was ignored, he rubbed his forehead slightly and spoke. His eyes, slightly turned away from Hae-jin, were quite fierce. But Mark, having something to rely on, shrugged his shoulders once and continued.

“Mr. Bright said that he hasn’t experienced alcohol even once. The doctor said it’s okay too.”

Mark, who had quickly arranged the wine and snacks that went well with it between them, replied nonchalantly.

Hae-jin bit his lip slightly, feeling as if he had requested the alcohol. Ryle and Mark both knew that he wasn’t the type to make such a request.

Mark, having emptied the tray, disappeared out of the room without any regrets. Now, only silence and an unfamiliar wine bottle remained between them.

“…Is this your first time with wine?”

“It’s my first time with alcohol.”

“Ah.”

Ryle was very surprised by the unexpected information Mark had thrown out. Not just wine, but alcohol itself was a first.

Then he suddenly remembered that Hae-jin had come to this mansion as soon as he became an adult. Until then, he must have been too busy raising money for his family to even think about alcohol.

His heart grew heavy again in an instant. Wasn’t it Ryle who ultimately made it impossible for him to even consider a glass of wine for so long?

He couldn’t control the bitterly twisted corners of his mouth. Rather than trying to hide it, he chose to reach for the wine.

He suddenly felt like he wanted to fill Hae-jin’s experiences that he had taken away as much as possible.

“…It’s not bad wine, so try it.”

He also knew. That Hae-jin’s physical condition, except for his legs, had now improved.

It was the result of everyone in the mansion carefully paying attention to his diet. His physical condition had been recovering since Hae-jin drew blood himself to take a pregnancy test before. The doctor said it was okay, so a glass of wine or so would be fine, right?

However, even knowing all this, he was strangely worried. While calmly uncorking and pouring the wine, Ryle finally uttered a word that resembled concern.

“If you don’t like it, you can spit it out.”

He lightly ignored the fact that this one glass of wine was worth a month’s salary for an average office worker.

“…”

Hae-jin, who hadn’t shown it but had been following Ryle’s gestures with curious eyes, quickly came to his senses and lowered his gaze. Even so, he couldn’t help but be captivated again by the scene of the clear, grape-colored liquid flowing into the glass.

From uncorking the cork to transferring it to a large glass bottle, Ryle’s movements seemed skillful. Hae-jin briefly glanced at the thick-knotted hand that was now transferring the wine into the glass. His attention was drawn away by the faint aroma of wine, and the glass came close to him.

The aroma of the wine smelled quite delicious than he had expected.

“You don’t have to force yourself to drink it.”

As he was just looking at it, Ryle’s hand hesitated and reached for the glass again. As if he were going to take it back.

Hae-jin reflexively grabbed the glass with both hands. A heavy-looking watch was slightly visible on Ryle’s hesitating wrist.

It was clear that it wouldn’t taste good. The aroma was plausible, but it wouldn’t suit his taste. Hae-jin had always been curious about the wine that his mother and father often drank, which always seemed like grape juice. His family would always tease him, saying that it was definitely not the taste he was thinking of.

“Ah…”

The first wine he tasted was definitely not grape juice, as his family had said.

Yet it was very delicious.

“…How is it?”

The pheromones flowing from Hae-jin changed rapidly. Ryle, who noticed the cozy scent even before Hae-jin did, asked reflexively. He couldn’t take his eyes off the dazed expression on his face for some reason.

“…It’s delicious.”

The slightly bitter taste unique to grapes enveloped his tongue. It was definitely an unfamiliar taste that he had never experienced before, but it went down well. The grape scent burst out from within with each breath he exhaled. Hae-jin unknowingly shuddered, feeling as if he had become a giant grape.

“That’s a relief.”

Mark had chosen a wine with a low alcohol content and a strong sweetness. He had probably considered Hae-jin, who was drinking wine for the first time. Of course, the fact that he had run away while preparing the wine probably meant that he knew well what Ryle was worried about.

He really liked the taste, and he took another sip of wine. The white hands holding the glass clumsily went well with the red grape color. The subtly adjusted lighting in the reception room glistened on his slightly pink fingertips.

Feeling a strange thirst, Ryle also filled his glass with a little wine.

“It’s unexpectedly sweet.”

He had once imagined that it would be very sour and unpleasant, as they said it was definitely not the taste he was thinking of. In fact, his Hyung would lie down as if he were dying the day after drinking alcohol and vow never to drink again.

Compared to that imagination, it was a little astringent but very sweet.

“He prepared a particularly sweet one.”

Ryle pointed to the label and said. It seemed that the taste of wine varied depending on the type. He took another sip to feel the sweetness that clung to the tip of his tongue again.

“Eat some of these too.”

He had heard that he had eaten dinner well, but Hae-jin kept drinking alcohol, so he frowned involuntarily. He pushed the cheese platter in the middle closer to Hae-jin. He unknowingly thought that he should prepare another snack if he refused.

Unexpectedly, Hae-jin obediently picked up one of them. The most yellow-looking cheese looked appetizing.

Hae-jin emptied half a glass of wine in an instant.

Only then did Ryle panic and subtly pull the decanter bottle filled with wine towards him. It seemed that Hae-jin’s gaze was firmly fixed on the transparent bottle filled with wine.

“…Don’t drink too fast.”

“I’m okay.”

“You never know.”

He was looking at the wine glass with his head bowed so deeply that the top of his head was visible. The act of intently observing the liquid inside was refreshing. He looked his age now.

While strangely feeling a slight throbbing in his heart, Ryle tried to divert Hae-jin’s attention. He was drinking wine again, but wasn’t the speed a little too fast?

“Have you been to the study yet?”

Whether it was effective or not, Hae-jin’s gaze immediately turned to Ryle. His eyes, slightly more furrowed than usual, contained a strange emotion. Ryle, wondering if he had made a mistake with the unexpected reaction, broke out in a cold sweat inside.

“…No.”

Was there something he had to do in the study? Hae-jin calmly rolled his eyes because of Ryle, who was strangely obsessed with the study. Then the wallet he had placed on his lap came into view. It was still open, so the faces of his family were visible.

Unexpectedly, two things came into his head at the same time, and unintended words suddenly flowed out of his mouth.

“About that fairy tale book.”

“Fairy tale book…?”

Ryle, who was asking back even though he was saying obvious things, felt a little frustrating. His throat seemed a little dry when he tried to start a conversation. So he took another sip of wine and continued.

“Yes. The one I mentioned on the first day, the one with a lot of animals.”

“Yeah.”

Ryle remembered every single thing he said. If he knew how meticulously he paid attention to every little thing Hae-jin said, he would probably run away in disgust. It was getting harder and harder to pretend not to care about it.

Ryle, who quickly realized what book he was talking about, nodded and focused. Even with the sudden words, he recalled the title of the fairy tale book and the publishing company that owned the copyright in his head.

Then, a calm ripple arose as if a stone thrown from somewhere had fallen on the surface of the lake.

“When my mother came to volunteer at the orphanage where I was, it was the first book she read to me.”

Ryle couldn’t say anything for a moment. He could only send his gaze to Hae-jin, who had opened his mouth calmly. Unlike his expressionless face, Hae-jin’s pheromones were filled with sad emotions without filtering.

The sadness struck his whole body fiercely. Yet the pheromone temperature was so warm that Ryle could only realize the pain even more.

“…”

He swallowed a sip of wine to hide his trembling hands. It was the wine that Hae-jin had been drinking continuously, saying it was sweet, but for some reason, it tasted bitter.

“I didn’t think she would come soon. Because many people do that.”

Hae-jin, who had picked up the wallet on his lap, looked down at it as if he were seeing the photo for the first time. Ryle watched Hae-jin while even being careful with his exhaled breath.

The cheeks that had quickly turned red brought vitality to Hae-jin’s face after a long time. Ryle clearly remembered that he had said that he had read the fairy tale book for a long time when he first brought it up.

Instead of answering, he listened quietly. It was because he unconsciously realized that what Hae-jin wanted now was to pour out the stories that had been piling up inside.

“By the time I finished reading that book, my mother had returned to the orphanage to volunteer. Until she adopted me, for several years.”

However, Ryle couldn’t stop the pheromones that were flowing out without him being able to control them. He couldn’t figure out how to define this surging emotion.

As if responding to Hae-jin’s sunshine-like pheromones that warmly enveloped his body, Ryle’s pheromones also slowly filled the reception room. He wanted to erase his presence so that he wouldn’t disturb the speaking man, but it wasn’t something he could do as he pleased.

“I had forgotten about it since then, but it happened to be stuck at the entrance of the study.”..it was amazing.”

Hae-jin must have felt it too, but he continued to speak in a soft voice without saying anything. The fairy tale books he had seen were probably placed there for the young Ryle. In fact, he quickly lost interest in fairy tale books and didn’t even open them.

“…”

Leaving him in silence, Hae-jin continued to speak for a long time after that. He even repeated the contents of the fairy tale book several times. It was easier than he thought to just say anything and everything. As if he had become familiar with it in the few days since he started talking in this reception room.

He would have controlled himself, thinking that he shouldn’t do this normally, but Hae-jin didn’t. A warm energy rose from his stomach, and his head became a little dazed. The wine he kept drinking was so sweet that it kept making him thirsty.

From some point on, he felt Ryle’s pheromones strongly, but that was okay too. It was so strange that his pheromones weren’t unpleasant than he had thought. He had quite disliked all the Alpha’s pheromones that he had met after his heat because they were rough and disgusting.

Come to think of it, Hae-jin suddenly recalled that even though he was scared of Ryle, he had never felt his pheromones that way. It was probably because he had hardly ever felt his pheromones in the first place.

The pheromones he occasionally felt had the impression of being heavy, but not to the point of feeling unpleasant. As if the saying that they had good compatibility wasn’t a lie.

So he carelessly thought that Ryle’s warm pheromones were quite good right now.

He must have been drunk from drinking the wine too quickly.

* * *

The next morning, Hae-jin had to recall his Hyung desperately for the first time in a while. It was because he had a hangover.

He could realize why his Hyung, who had become an adult earlier than him, had been so miserable the day after drinking alcohol. He felt nauseous. If he lifted his head even a little, it felt like the world would spin around.

It was different from the nausea he felt due to mental problems. This time, it was difficult because it was a dizziness accompanied by physical pain. It was a strange state where he was clearly in pain and struggling, but he didn’t know exactly where. It was like the taste of wine, which was quite different from what he had thought.

When he thought of wine, he suddenly felt nauseous again.

“Jin. …Are you okay?”

“Ugh…”

Hae-jin writhed in pain, forgetting his manners and distance. The fluctuating pheromones spun around on the bed like a drunken person.

Ryle was restless as he watched the scene. He had been planning to wake him up to have breakfast as usual, but he was surprised by the groans he heard from inside and rushed in.

Mark quickly grasped the situation and ran over with foods that were good for hangovers, but it was useless. Ryle strongly rebuked himself for not refusing Hae-jin’s request for another glass yesterday. It was only two glasses of wine, but it was clear that it had happened because his body wasn’t in good condition yet. Mark was also hovering around the bed with an unusually uneasy face after seeing Hae-jin’s condition.

“Can you get something down? Tomato juice will make you feel better.”

At the pleading voice, Hae-jin barely turned his gaze. His pale face gave a more pitiful impression than usual. Ryle felt a strong impulse when he saw the bangs of the man, who were slightly disheveled with sweat. Soon, he became disgusted with himself for feeling this impulse.

“That won’t work, call a doctor.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Hae-jin grasped the situation with his head not working. He was scared because his body hurt more than he had thought, but in the circumstances, it seemed like just a hangover. He felt uncomfortable because he was going to see a doctor from the morning.

“I’m okay…”

“Jin. The doctor will be here soon. Just in case, okay?”

As he was about to refuse as a habit, Ryle knelt on one knee and said, matching his eye level. The moment he met the blue eyes, Hae-jin couldn’t finish his words and remained silent.

His instincts felt a sense of crisis. He didn’t want Ryle to look at him with those eyes. He didn’t want him to emit pheromones that were so warm that they were nauseatingly kind.

“That’s right. Young Master, I’ll go down and prepare and then come back.”

Mark was the same. For fear Hae-jin would have another fit just from seeing a doctor, he went down ahead of time every time a doctor visited and meticulously made preparations.

He also wished he wouldn’t do that. He wanted him to stop acting so considerate, as if reminding him of a grandfather he didn’t even have.

“Do that.”

Even as he answered, Ryle never took his eyes off Hae-jin. The pheromones swirling around him surged like they were hit by a wave every time he even blinked.

Please, don’t do this.

“If it’s too hard, just go to sleep. You’ll be alright when you wake up.”

Thinking Hae-jin’s distorted face was a sign of suffering, Ryle couldn’t hide his anxiety and spoke to him again. After Mark left, a servant brought a damp towel. The servant also didn’t forget to look at Hae-jin with worried eyes as they placed it by the bed.

Ryle naturally took the damp towel and hesitantly, yet steadily, wiped Hae-jin’s forehead. The careful touch was almost ticklish.

The slight coolness barely managed to get his head working again. At that moment, Hae-jin finally realized what the unsettling feeling he’d been experiencing was.

He was uncomfortable with himself for relying on their natural warmth.

It was clumsy and foolish. Hadn’t he resolved to leave this mansion without a trace? Yet, the warmth surrounding him was so comforting that he resented his own weakness for unconsciously relying on it.

He barely managed to put strength into his body and pushed the damp towel away. Yet, Ryle didn’t stop looking at him with worried eyes. He was annoyed by Ryle constantly shaking him like this. To the point of feeling wronged.

“I’m okay. I’ll be okay soon.”

So, Hae-jin chose to escape into sleep.

A few more days passed, and the day to finally remove the cast arrived.

Having something heavy attached to one side was more uncomfortable than he’d imagined. Bathing was also quite a chore because of the cast, which he had to wear longer than expected. The servants wanted to help in any way they could, but that was Hae-jin’s last bastion. It was his will to not rely on them any further.

“Let’s go.”

“……”

Seeing Ryle naturally trying to accompany him to the hospital, he couldn’t answer. He was more surprised at himself for unconsciously knowing they would ride in the same car than he was puzzled by Ryle constantly following him.

Slightly embarrassed, he even averted his gaze, but Ryle steadily approached him. As if wanting to support him if necessary.

Feeling a tickle on the back of his neck for no reason, Hae-jin casually touched his hair. Now that he thought about it, his hair had grown quite long and it was time to trim it. Mark had helped him last time, so he should ask him again.

As he was thinking naturally, Hae-jin abruptly stopped walking.

“What’s wrong?”

Hae-jin inadvertently met Ryle’s gaze at the question that came out almost without a gap. His eyes seemed to waver as he frowned without realizing it.

Not wanting to know it in detail, Hae-jin simply chose to walk forward again. He felt like the cast had become strangely heavier.

Then, Ryle asked in a careful voice.

“Is there anywhere you want to go after the appointment?”

“……Anywhere I want to go?”

Was he asking with some intention? Forcibly creating suspicion, Hae-jin looked at Ryle. Wanting to find some hidden intention.

“Now that you’re getting the cast off, it’ll be easier to get around.”

However, all he found was his pheromones. Even those were so soft that they scattered as soon as they touched his skin. The moment Hae-jin noticed that, he nonchalantly gathered his pheromones again. Then, without showing any sign, he walked towards the car beside him. Hae-jin suddenly realized that his pace was slow enough that he could keep up with his cast on.

The pheromones were completely gathered, but a lingering scent remained. He felt like he’d been sensing that forest-like pheromone more often lately. It was as if someone who had been controlling it so well that it wasn’t obvious he was an Alpha was finding it difficult.

“Jin?”

Sensing something was off, Hae-jin urgently met Ryle’s eyes this time. He deliberately didn’t avoid his gaze and observed him intently. Then, Ryle’s pheromones faintly brushed against the tip of his nose again.

Again. Again, this warm pheromone.

“……I want to see the lake.”

So, Hae-jin blurted out impulsively. He was clearly going to reject that unnecessary offer, but it flew out before he could stop it.

“The lake?”

“Yes.”

Ryle nodded without difficulty, even though an unexpected place came out. He naturally suppressed the rising question of why it had to be the lake.

“I couldn’t control everyone completely because I came in a hurry.”

“……Control?”

“Yeah. It’s owned by our family, but it’s usually open to the public.”

Hae-jin anxiously bit his lip at Ryle’s tone, as if he was sorry about that. He shouldn’t have acted impulsively after all. It was when he saw the massive security force surrounding them that he thought something wasn’t right. He felt uncomfortable even hearing that this place belonged to Vermouth.

The lake before his eyes was a masterpiece. He was well aware of this lake, the most famous in Heavy Rain. It was his first time visiting, though. But to think it was owned by Vermouth.

The calm, wide lake was meticulously managed. In the center, a single artificial fountain soared into the sky. The promenade was neatly maintained so that people could walk along the lake. People were spreading out picnic mats and lying down to bask in the sun on the clean lawn without any bare spots.

It was definitely a much better-maintained and nicer sight than the lake he knew. But strangely, he didn’t think it was pretty.

“Don’t you like it?”

“It’s pretty.”

“……”

Hae-jin’s answer was rather lukewarm. His expression was still serious, but his pheromones, which he hadn’t fully concealed, showed that he wasn’t interested. Suppressing his anxiety after seeing that was now a familiar act for Ryle.

Hae-jin had been a little strange since drinking the wine. He had originally been aloof, but his pheromones seemed particularly rough and unstable.

He had refused the offer to have dinner in the greenhouse several times. He didn’t refuse to go to a regular restaurant, so he was carefully watching how much he ate.

He could do anything for Ryle, but he had also become estranged from Mark and the servants, with whom he had been getting along well. He had checked all the CCTV cameras in the mansion while sweating, but no one had acted strangely. So, this change was probably created by Hae-jin.

It felt like he was trying not to become attached to everything in the mansion, which made him feel anxious.

Anyway, did he like the lake? His expression as he looked at the lake now was indifferent, but there must have been a reason why he mentioned this place. Ryle carefully pondered whether he should buy a few more lakes.

“Chairman.”

Then, the bodyguard who had been controlling the surroundings returned and reported the situation. It seemed difficult to completely block the attention after all. This place was Vermouth’s private property, but it was open to the general public as part of social contribution, so it was even more so. If he had a little more time, he would have completely controlled the surroundings.

Hae-jin had said he wanted to do something for the first time in a while, so he was very anxious. However, after arriving and seeing the crowds, he couldn’t believe how foolish he had been to be so reckless.

The bodyguards were preventing people from taking pictures nearby, but they couldn’t stop the attention from being focused on them. It would be a problem if Hae-jin’s face was leaked to the media for no reason. He gestured to the bodyguards in the back again to shield Hae-jin from people’s eyes.

“Jin. It’s better to wear this.”

The bodyguard handed Hae-jin the sunglasses and hat he had brought with him. It would be difficult for Hae-jin if people found out he was the person next to Ryle. It was necessary for his safety.

Even if that wasn’t the case, he felt strangely nauseous at the thought of Hae-jin’s face being broadcast.

“This is……”

Hae-jin looked at the sunglasses and hat in his hand a little awkwardly, but soon wore them without complaint. He had already felt very burdened by the attention he had been getting since earlier. There should have been an option to come to the lake alone in the first place. However, when he said he wanted to come to the lake, Hae-jin was clearly aware that Ryle would be coming with him.

It was as if something had seeped in.

“Even if it’s uncomfortable, please bear with it for a moment.”

“……”

Hae-jin’s hair, which was covering his hat without a word, seemed to have grown a little longer. Ryle’s hand, which was unknowingly reaching for the hair sticking out on the back of his neck, barely stopped before it touched it.

However, his gaze remained fixed on the boy’s white neck, which was still exposed. Hae-jin was wearing thick clothes suitable for the weather, but it was hard to bear because he looked somehow empty.

“It’s better to wear this too.”

So, he impulsively took off the scarf he had only draped around his neck. It had been hanging long inside his coat.

“……”

Hae-jin pondered briefly as he looked at the thin scarf. But soon he reached out his hand. He didn’t want to expose his face as much as possible either. Ryle put the scarf around his neck himself, making the outstretched hand meaningless.

He immediately regretted it. The warm warmth clung to his skin without mercy. Ryle’s pheromone scent was felt too strongly as his face was buried deep in the scarf.

“I’ll return it as soon as I get to the mansion.”

Hae-jin said almost frantically.

“There’s no need to do that.”

“No.”

The stiff tone was etched in his ears. Ryle couldn’t see what Hae-jin’s expression was because his face was almost completely covered. However, the faintly flowing pheromones had a huge sense of rejection.

There were many of Hae-jin’s belongings in the mansion. However, Ryle knew that Hae-jin didn’t think of them as his own. He could tell by the way he spoke so firmly to avoid receiving even a little more.

It seemed that all of that was a will to not stay in this mansion, so Ryle felt pain.

“Okay. Do that.”

A rudely firm tone popped out, but Ryle answered without caring. Rather, he reached out his hand once again and straightened his scarf even more.

Hae-jin thought it was fortunate that his entire face was covered.

“……”

Hae-jin needlessly swallowed hard once before sitting down by the lake. A cold air rose from the makeshift chairs placed in front of them. He saw Ryle hesitating next to him, wondering if there was anything else to prepare, but he just ignored it.

He lowered his head slightly, and the surface of the lake came into view. Ryle sat quietly next to him without suggesting anything else.

It wasn’t that Hae-jin wasn’t comfortable with these treatments. Rather, if he recalled the past five years he had created out of sorrow, he couldn’t deny that it was a sunny time.

He had always been starved for people’s warmth. It was his fault that he hadn’t somehow gotten out of that mansion sooner, even though he knew he would seep in so easily.

It was one of the few warm environments in his life. The family who wrapped him in love without exception, the others in the mansion.

“Tell me if you’re cold.”

And Ryle.

He was someone who shouldn’t be like this. Hae-jin couldn’t understand from what point the distance with Ryle had become so close.

A sense of rejection suddenly rose. But on the other hand, he even felt the urge to settle down. He shouldn’t be doing this.

So, Hae-jin kept his gaze fixed on the lake. He pondered as he looked at the calm waves with an artificial scent.

It’s okay. There’s only about a month left anyway.

You can’t come to a deep conclusion if you don’t think deeply. Hae-jin, who didn’t have proper social experience, decided to get through this situation with a shallow method.

“……”

“……”

After that, the two of them stared at the lake waves without a word for a long time. To be exact, Hae-jin’s gaze was always directed at the lake, and Ryle’s gaze wandered elsewhere before finally stopping at Hae-jin’s face.

He felt like the sunlight reflected on the surface of the water was strangely concentrated only on Hae-jin. Ryle was desperate to turn his face to the other side with great difficulty because he couldn’t openly look at the brilliant sight.

Nevertheless, Ryle’s gaze occasionally followed the black hair fluttering in the wind. Then, it went to the tips of his tapping feet. The tips of his feet, which looked light and airy without the cast, wriggled and played on the grass.

He turned around the lake once again and looked at Hae-jin’s face again. That’s how Ryle realized a new fact.

Was his face always this pretty?

As always, Ryle’s morning was busy. He had to prepare for his own work, but he also had to take care of Hae-jin’s schedule.

It would have been easier if he could have gone and taken care of it himself, but it was cumbersome because he had to go through Mark or another servant. Still, he chose the roundabout method without caring. He was just being careful that the boy wouldn’t feel repulsed and want to run away again.

So, early in the morning before Hae-jin even opened his eyes. He quietly entered the place used as the boy’s dressing room.

It wasn’t easy to figure out the boy’s preferences for clothes. Until now, he had to choose clothes that were comfortable even with the cast on, so there were fewer options, but today was different. It was the first clothes he was wearing after removing the cast, so Ryle had been agonizing since last night about what to choose.

The more he thought about it, the more he remembered the boy’s brilliant face he had seen at the lake. It was all the more strange that he had such thoughts even though Hae-jin was covering his face in every way possible at that time.

However, Ryle had to stop walking as soon as he entered the dressing room.

“……”

A worn-out carrier was neatly wrapped in one corner that was easy to see as soon as he entered. It wasn’t something he would have ordered to be placed. The old, low-priced carrier had childish stickers that a child would put on it.

Ryle, who was sensitive to everything about the boy, noticed that some of the items near the carrier had also disappeared. Clearly, Hae-jin’s personal belongings were conveniently placed here and there.

“He packed his bags late last night.”

“……”

Mark, who had entered with him to assist him, said carefully. Ryle took a step back from the carrier as if he had seen a fire and ran his face.

Why did he pack his bags already?

It was fortunate that he had been agonizing over the clothes to put on Hae-jin until late at night. The moment he saw that old carrier, it became difficult for Ryle to think of anything else.

“Daniel Vermouth has contacted the Secretary’s office to make an appointment.”

“What’s the matter?”

“He said he has something to say about this merger, but he didn’t specify exactly.”

“Hoo……”

It seemed that his uncle had finally admitted that he had to make an appointment in advance to meet him. After being ‘escorted’ out of the building by security guards three times.

However, he was still as selfish as ever. His uncle couldn’t forget the days when he had briefly acted as his guardian and treated Ryle comfortably as if he were a young nephew.

Even after he had directly pulled his uncle down from that position and put him in a minor post. Perhaps he was deliberately ignoring it.

“When is there time? Make it as short as possible.”

“There is a short time available this afternoon, but what should I do?”

“Make it then, and have the security team on standby.”

“I understand.”

The Secretary immediately manipulated the tablet he was holding. It was to deliver the schedule to the secretarial team outside. Ryle rubbed his forehead once and tried to focus on the documents again.

Every time he saw black letters, he thought of Hae-jin.

“……”

A sharp pain occurred in the heart area for a moment. It wasn’t just a simple feeling, but an actual chest pain. Ryle looked at the area once in doubt and leaned back in his chair and picked up the documents. But the letters were blurry and shaking.

“……”

The moment he casually rubbed above his eyebrows, Hae-jin’s old trunk crashed into his head.

“……Ugh.”

Ryle groaned through his teeth at the momentary surge of pain. He wouldn’t have felt this pain even if he had been hit in the head. He bent over and dropped the documents on the floor as if his whole body was splitting.

“Chairman?”

“Close the door.”

The Secretary, who was opening the door and going out, looked back in doubt. He didn’t forget to quickly close the door so that the inside couldn’t be seen from the outside at the sharp voice.

“Are you alright?”

The Secretary, who had rushed over urgently, approached Ryle. The Chairman, who had clearly been fine just moments ago, now had beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead after Ryle had simply turned his back for a moment.

“You need to go to the hospital.”

“No.”

Without needing to see a doctor, Ryle knew exactly what was causing his headache. It was simply that the pheromone congestion he had become accustomed to enduring had become a little more severe.

And it was because Hae-jin was preparing to leave.

As the afterimage of the trunk flashed through his mind again, Ryle couldn’t help but press his hand to one side of his forehead. The pain he usually managed to conceal while sitting in this chair was impossible to hide today.

“Chairman! I’ll make sure the hospital keeps things quiet, immediately…”

“Take me to the mansion.”

“But…”

He was resolute. If Hae-jin’s pheromones were sufficiently present, it would be resolved. Even if he went to a doctor, the prescription would be the same, so going to the mansion was the quickest route.

Even if Hae-jin wouldn’t be by his side as much as he wanted.

“Just take me to the mansion. Cancel all afternoon appointments, and make sure word doesn’t get out about my health issues.”

“…Understood. I’ll have the car ready immediately. Call me before you come out.”

The Secretary, doing his best to maintain composure, calmly left the office. Ryle slowly ran a hand through his hair, trying to endure the pain enough that it wouldn’t be noticeable to outsiders.

It was almost absurd how the pain began to subside the moment he decided to go to the mansion.

He didn’t know how he managed to return to the mansion in one piece. What mattered was that the moment he reached the mansion and sensed Hae-jin’s pheromones, he felt somewhat better.

Of course, this was a lingering scent close to an illusion created by Ryle. Still, he slowly moved his heavy feet toward the room. He could go straight to the bedroom, but he deliberately chose the drawing room adjacent to the boy’s room. He wanted to feel even a little more of the traces Hae-jin had left here.

Unexpectedly, however, Hae-jin was sitting in the drawing room. Since he usually spent this time in the bedroom, Ryle hadn’t rung the bell.

“Mr. Vermouth?”

“…Jin, you were here. I assumed no one would be here…”

He hadn’t even been able to inform him that he had returned to the mansion, let alone ring the bell. Both the Secretary and he had been too busy dealing with the gathering attention.

Seeing Hae-jin so suddenly, he couldn’t hide his agitation and began to falter. If Hae-jin showed any aversion to him in this situation, where the pain was so severe, he might not be able to endure it, he thought.

He was about to stop his pathetic attempt to gather even the lingering scent of pheromones and quickly enter the bedroom when Hae-jin tilted his head slightly and asked,

“Are you in pain somewhere?”

“…A little.”

He couldn’t lie. His instincts simply didn’t have the capacity to hide anything from Hae-jin anymore. Feeling the terror of imprinting anew, Ryle examined the boy’s complexion.

Had he noticed something strange, as the doctor had said?

“Is it pheromone congestion?”

“Yes.”

Fortunately, Hae-jin recalled the symptoms he had been seeing all along. He was the one in this mansion who knew Ryle best when his headaches became severe.

“Shall I give you a pheromone shower now?”

“…Would that be alright?”

“Yes.”

Rather, Hae-jin didn’t understand Ryle’s cautious attitude. They were already scheduled to meet here in a few hours anyway. It wasn’t a big deal to move things up a bit when he was in so much pain right now, with such a pale face.

Yet Ryle hesitated, approaching the chair opposite him with the expression of someone committing a great wrong. Seeing him up close, his complexion was even worse. He couldn’t help but offer so casually.

“…Why don’t you lie down over here? There’s no need for both of us to sit anyway.”

“…”

The sofa Hae-jin pointed to was longer. Enough for four people to sit comfortably.

The headache was quickly subsiding the moment he saw the boy’s face. Only the pheromones, which felt so intense to Ryle alone in this world, contained a hint of concern.

Ryle didn’t dare to get his hopes up. The object of Hae-jin’s concern was surely not him. It was far more likely that he was worried about himself, who might be threatened if his pheromone congestion worsened. Pheromones contained many nuances and emotions, but it was impossible to know the full story.

However, since he was indeed feeling unwell, Ryle carefully moved his body. He simply felt a desire to get even one step closer to Hae-jin. Without realizing it, he leaned his head closer to Hae-jin, but the boy didn’t say anything.

“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

“I already got a prescription.”

“Ah…”

Now that he looked, there was a book on the table. He must have come to the drawing room because he needed a chair. Ryle almost instinctively checked what book it was. It was an expression of his desire to know even one more thing about the boy.

However, the title of the book was not easily visible. The blurry letters were just like Hae-jin’s inner thoughts.

He would normally have maintained his composure as much as possible, but it was even more difficult today. As if he were truly being swayed by his emotions, his imprinted body kept turning toward Hae-jin.

So Ryle couldn’t control the desire that spilled out of his mouth like a sigh.

“Tell me about you.”

His frustrated feelings, caused by his uncooperative body, were all twisted up, creating a quagmire. The floor was like a garden after heavy rain. Ryle took squelching steps there, trying to get closer to Hae-jin somehow.

However, his reason kept trying to stop him in place. To resist his instincts and only do this much. It was quite a pathetic sight, so it felt like Hae-jin would soon disappear from before his eyes. Then the splitting headache would assault him again.

In the end, Ryle lay down and raised one arm to cover his face, as if he were blinded by the light.

Perhaps his actions really did look bad, because the boy simply asked back in confusion. Thanks to his obscured vision, the voice pierced his ears more clearly.

“About me?”

“Yes. Anything.”

Hae-jin always pretended to objectively pick and choose topics, but Ryle had meticulously grasped that the boy’s preferences were embedded within them. Even if he couldn’t show it outwardly, he engraved them one by one in his mind without exception. It happened naturally, without much effort.

He could tell even better because Hae-jin’s pheromones would change slightly when he said such things. Although Hae-jin’s pheromones were inferior and poorly controlled, Ryle could grasp them more keenly than anyone else in the world.

It was all because of imprinting.

“Hmm…”

Hae-jin, who had suddenly been asked to start a conversation, turned his gaze away with some difficulty. Fortunately, Ryle had covered his face with his arm, making it easy to turn his gaze away.

He carefully looked at his reclining figure. The generous, large sofa was filled as if it had been tailored to his height when he lay down. He always dressed impeccably when going to the company, and he looked perfect today as well.

However, his slightly disheveled hair and haggard complexion were noticeable today.

Having deliberately averted his gaze from him, Hae-jin now turned his attention to the book he was holding. He had gone to the study out of boredom and picked one at random. The study was magnificent, as if there was a reason Ryle had told him to go there several times. It was on a much grander scale than the one he had gone to before.

The book he had picked happened to be a common romance novel. It was about people who found their destiny in high school and ended up together at their graduation party.

The reason he kept reading it was none other than because one of the main characters, the school’s top heartthrob, reminded him of his Hyung.

His proud Hyung, who had always been his idol.

“Hyung was a huge celebrity at school.”

“…”

Ryle didn’t answer, but he could tell that he was focused on Hae-jin’s words. He had always been like that since starting this strange conversation here.

At first, he thought it was just because he was focused on Hae-jin’s pheromones. Clearly, the things Hae-jin unconsciously said didn’t newly appear or change.

He would barely nod or answer once for every hundred words. So, he couldn’t explain his attitude with what was generally called interest. Yet Hae-jin could instinctively tell that he was listening to his words.

It was an ironic feeling for Hae-jin, who had been coldly hurt by Ryle’s indifference all along. If he had told his past self that Ryle would be so focused on him in the near future, he certainly wouldn’t have believed it.

“He was also the captain of the football team, and his grades were excellent. When I looked at Hyung, I thought he was like the main character in a high teen romance.”

Even knowing that, Hae-jin had become accustomed to pouring out the stories inside him. Sadly, Hae-jin no longer had anyone left to hold onto and discuss family memories with.

It was a little sad that no one in this world remembered his family, who were like sunshine. Someone might occasionally recall the kind Bright Family, but that was still not enough.

Of course, it was ironic that the object of his stories happened to be Ryle. But on the other hand, he also thought that he had an obligation to listen to Hae-jin’s words like this.

Was he simply making these rationalizations because he needed an excuse to talk about his family? Just wanting to grab someone and pour out the memories that had been piling up inside him?

“I might have been subjected to a lot of discrimination otherwise. But everyone was kind because I was Hyung’s younger brother.”

Once he opened the floodgates, all sorts of words came out. Seeing his state, Hae-jin bitterly twisted his lips. He had clearly been determined to leave this mansion while looking at the lake, as if there was nothing there.

But it was okay. There was only about a month left anyway. Since he had decided not to think deeply, all of this had no deep meaning.

The thought that it was okay to pour everything out to a place he was leaving soon even dominated him. Ryle’s faintly flowing pheromones were so warm that they seemed to give him absolution for these selfish thoughts.

“Hyung took such great care of me, worried that I would be subjected to racism, that at least no one acted strangely in front of me.”

Rather, because of his Hyung’s overprotectiveness, Hae-jin couldn’t make friends with whom he could deeply interact. Right after being adopted, he couldn’t adjust well to elementary school because he was worried that his existence would be a burden to his Hyung. After that, he was able to go to school with a smile, but he still couldn’t find a friend who suited him, so it was the same as not adjusting in the end.

After all, Hae-jin couldn’t help but be wary of people who approached him first, a small Asian adoptee. Unlike his Hyung, they weren’t family.

“Hyung even took me to his graduation party because I couldn’t adjust at all. He said he would definitely make me a friend before he graduated.”

Pheromones filled with longing filled the drawing room. It was the most comfortable and bright pheromones Hae-jin had shown so far. Thanks to that, Ryle had to feel a floating sensation that made him feel faint.

The boy continued to talk in a soft voice for a long time. It was the first time he was telling such a personal story, so Ryle was careful even with his breaths.

He suddenly regretted the posture of raising his arm to cover his face. If he had revealed his eyes, he could have at least stolen a glance at what kind of expression Hae-jin was making as he said these words.

“He forcibly dragged me along, telling me to at least make a girlfriend, but… it was a more fun place than I thought.”

However, Ryle felt his body stiffen completely at the sound that suddenly reached his ears.

Come to think of it, Hae-jin had lived almost his entire life as a Beta. The sound of “girlfriend” therefore felt even more like a rational nuance. Just the fact that such a word came out of Hae-jin’s mouth made his stomach feel twisted. It felt like his entire stomach would melt and be absorbed into the quagmire that had formed inside him.

Slowly enough not to startle the boy, Ryle raised his body. He couldn’t steal a glance at the face he had so desired. Hae-jin was simply staring at him in surprise as he suddenly moved.

Even so, he was captivated by the boy’s wide eyes.

“Who was your first kiss?”

Graduation party and girlfriend.

Ryle also knew clearly what happened in high school. Hae-jin’s Hyung’s school life, which he said he admired, was not so different from Ryle’s life. So, when he heard about a school party full of energetic young dogs, he lost his mind.

It was as if he had forgotten what self-control was just because he had a slight headache. There was no reason to be jealous, but at this moment, he was curious and opened his mouth. He didn’t know how this body, which had lost its self-control, would react if he heard it.

However, Hae-jin showed a very embarrassed face at his words.

“Th, that’s…”

Following the gaze that fell down as if in trouble, Ryle’s heart also fell. Clenching his teeth, he wanted to trample on his muddy heart without regard. There was a limit to stupid actions.

He tried to open his mouth to quickly fix things, but it wasn’t easy. He barely managed to control his surging pheromones.

“No, forget that question. I asked a very rude question.”

“…It’s not that, I’ve never done it before.”

However, Hae-jin’s answer, with a frown, was beyond expectations.

“…Never?”

“I presented right before my graduation party, so I couldn’t go to my party. That’s why.”

Ryle had expressed surprise when Hae-jin said he was drinking alcohol itself for the first time, not just wine. So Hae-jin thought this question was an extension of that surprise.

Hae-jin had never even made a girlfriend, let alone friends, despite his Hyung’s efforts. In the first place, friends weren’t made through that kind of overprotection. Moreover, Hae-jin, who was on the smaller side, wasn’t very attractive to Beta women.

He was embarrassed after speaking as if making an excuse, as if he was embarrassed that he had never kissed anyone, or if he was embarrassed by the unnecessary excuse.

Anyway, Hae-jin tried to pretend to be nonchalant, turning his head away. He would have been able to ignore it normally, but he was provoked because Ryle happened to say the same thing as his Hyung.

“…I just didn’t have the opportunity.”

Because of his sudden presentation, he couldn’t go to his once-in-a-lifetime graduation party. Naturally, his family tried to comfort him a lot.

The dinner out on the day of the accident was an extension of that comfort.

“…”

Unlike Hae-jin’s misunderstanding, Ryle asked that again for a different reason. Clearly, they had kissed during the heat cycle that Hae-jin had experienced under the influence of drugs.

But he had never had any experience.

Reflexively, Ryle covered his mouth. Otherwise, it felt like harsh curses would come out. He wondered if he would only stop acting so stupidly if he really shot himself in the head with a gun.

It seemed that Hae-jin didn’t have much memory of his heat cycle. Only Ryle clearly remembered how beastly he had kissed every part of the boy, intoxicated by his pheromones.

No, even if he remembered, he could say that. It couldn’t have been a romantic kiss for him, so he could easily pretend it didn’t happen.

At the sudden assumption, Ryle felt a cold rain flowing through his body instead of blood. Pain recurred in the chest area where he had felt pain earlier. Leaving that throbbing sensation alone, Ryle had to remain stiff, still covering his mouth.

Yes. It didn’t matter to him whether he remembered it or not. It would have been an experience that was worse than nothing.

“I see.”

Realizing that fact to the bone, he was only able to answer calmly after a long time.

The doctor’s words that positive pheromones were effective seemed to be true. Even though they had a conversation yesterday that made him want to strangle himself, his condition had improved somewhat.

Thanks to that, Ryle was able to spend the morning without difficulty. Thanks to the fact that his entire afternoon schedule had disappeared yesterday, he had a mountain of pending work. The secretary’s office was suspicious of the fact that the chairman had suddenly canceled all his appointments and disappeared, but he had managed to smooth things over.

However, it was a mistake to have made an appointment with his uncle Daniel right before he felt that pain yesterday. Instead of awkwardly making excuses, Ryle simply chose to quickly reschedule. It would be troublesome if he started sniffing around about his condition.

Daniel Vermouth, who had to come to see Ryle despite the notification that was close to a notice, already had a flushed face the moment he entered the office.

“Ahem. Why did you suddenly cancel our appointment yesterday?”

“Something more important has come up. Did you bring the data?”

He calmly met his uncle’s gaze, who was looking around as if trying to sense something. Even if he looked with such probing eyes, he wouldn’t be able to guess his condition. After all, Ryle always looked the same on the outside.

After a long, fruitless argument, Uncle Daniel finally left. Ryle couldn’t understand why he couldn’t forget the glory of the past. Moreover, wasn’t the ‘glory’ that Daniel thought of something he had quickly snatched up when his father died?

Ryle watched with cold eyes as he stomped out of the office, unable to get what he wanted.

He hardened his resolve to get rid of all those who relied on Vermouth’s name and rushed at him. He was already distracted by Hae-jin’s matter, and this was too much to bear.

“Hoo……”

He leaned back on the sofa he was sitting on, and the brightly lit ceiling came into view. Now, when Ryle saw something shining, he could easily think of Hae-jin. He kept thinking of the moment when the sparkling blue of the lake’s surface flickered on the guy’s face.

After spending a hectic time since coming to work, it was already afternoon. As the end of the year approached, all sorts of settlement issues were coming up. Ryle, who would normally work overtime to get the job done, was in a dilemma.

Because he wanted to return to the mansion.

A splitting headache assailed him again. He was glad he was able to get away with it in front of Uncle Daniel. He couldn’t let it be known to the outside world that he had such a chronic health problem.

Ryle, who had been subduing the pain inside him with his head bowed for a moment, soon made up his mind. He thought he should go back to the mansion early today. He couldn’t let something happen that would suddenly express his pain to the outside world like yesterday. It was just a precaution.

As he made up all sorts of excuses, Ryle tried to look away. He was just rushing because he wanted to see Hae-jin’s face.

“Ugh……”

“Mr. Bright. You don’t have to overdo it from the beginning.”

“……Yes.”

Hae-jin was walking along a small promenade in the courtyard. It was a smoothly paved road, with nothing to trip over, as if it had been newly laid.

The doctor said that now that the cast was off, he needed rehabilitation exercises. He didn’t have to do anything grand, just take a walk regularly and carefully. Mark told Hae-jin, who was wondering if he should walk inside the mansion building, that there was such a place.

It was as if he knew that he would need such rehabilitation exercises and had made it. Hae-jin, who had been to the courtyard several times, wondered if there was such a place, but he just let it go. The inside and outside of the mansion were all bustling now. It wouldn’t be strange if they made another road like this while they were doing construction.

As he was walking with a crutch in one hand, he heard the sound of shoes in front of him.

“The young master has arrived.”

Ryle had contacted him in advance while returning to the mansion. Hae-jin thought he had returned earlier than usual, but he only nodded to Mark, who was telling him the news.

He indifferently swallowed the thought that he didn’t need to be informed every time he came home. He wondered if it was just to let him know since they met in the drawing room every evening.

Hae-jin stood still and watched Ryle approaching, as it was already difficult for him to step properly. He was heading straight for Hae-jin with a hurried pace, as if he had something to say.

Ryle was still in his suit, as if he had come straight from the mansion. He seemed to have something urgent to do. Hae-jin’s gaze lingered for a moment on his complexion, which wasn’t very good, like yesterday.

Strangely, he seemed to be approaching slowly. Perhaps it was because the afternoon sun was warm today. Ryle’s blond hair, which rippled with his hasty steps, reflected the sun particularly well.

As he met Ryle’s eyes right in front of him, Hae-jin suddenly felt that his blue eyes were like a winter lake.

“Jin. Were you taking a walk?”

“Yes.”

“……I see.”

Waiting for him to continue, Ryle glanced at the floor with a look of dismay. It felt like he had rushed over without even preparing what to say. As if he had come to see Hae-jin first, without thinking about anything else.

It could just be hesitation to say something difficult, but it was a strange feeling. At that moment, his pheromone was faintly felt on his skin.

Wasn’t he here because he had something really urgent to do?

“Jin, how was your lunch……”

What Ryle blurted out after a long hesitation was truly absurd. Yet, the pheromones that were subtly revealed contained desperation. How could he spill such emotions while asking about lunch?

It was his pheromone that he had become accustomed to. His emotions, which gave the feeling of being in the middle of a forest, were gentle and warm.

Because he had talked about Hyung for a long time yesterday, the latch that Hae-jin had filled in his heart was loosened. He vaguely realized that it was easier to loosen it up than to keep it tightly wrapped up.

His gaze was fixed on Ryle’s hair, which was like golden thread swaying in the wind. His gaze faltered, like his limping leg, to his smooth, sculpted nose and deep eyes. Ryle was frowning in trouble with such a perfect face. As if he was nervous about Hae-jin’s reaction.

Thanks to that, Hae-jin couldn’t stop one of the resentments he had hidden inside from popping out. The more his pheromone gently penetrated his skin through the winter air, the more so.

“It seems you still find it annoying to call my name.”

Even with such a kind face, why still.

“What……?”

Ryle’s eyes widened at the guy’s strange words. As soon as he arrived at the mansion, he heard where Hae-jin was and rushed over without even thinking. His body just moved that way on its own. But at such an unexpected remark, his inner thoughts welled up without giving him a chance to make excuses.

Annoying to call the guy’s name, that couldn’t be.

He was sweating coldly as usual. The winter wind was cold, as if it was only caressing his back. Something was wrong. What misunderstanding had he made the guy have again?

Then, an old memory painfully flashed through his head as he desperately searched for the cause.

‘What an annoying name. Just call him Jin.’

Ah, it wasn’t a misunderstanding.

Thanks to the Butler, who had moved out of the way as soon as he arrived, the two were able to face each other alone. On the garden path that was made only for Hae-jin, his indifferent words, like the winter wind, sounded in his ears as if it were yesterday.

Ryle had to shrug his shoulders without realizing it. It was because he had taken too big of a breath. Hae-jin’s pheromone ruthlessly penetrated his body along with his breath.

Something welled up in his chest. The very passionate emotion roughly stirred his insides as if it would break his ribs one by one.

Why had he been calling him by this kind of title all along? What must the guy have been thinking every time he called him Jin? How long had he been suppressing it until he suddenly blurted out such resentful words?

The moment he realized that, he could no longer control the emotions that continued to overflow.

This was a relationship that had gone wrong from the start. No matter how hard he tried to erase the mistakes of the past, it seemed that he would never be able to narrow this gap. He didn’t deserve it, as he was too busy hiding even why he wanted to approach the guy.

He had forgotten what he had to do to start over.

It might already be too late. Thanks to that, frustration was grabbing his ankles like a huge shackle. Ryle slowly lowered his head as if he was digging into the ground. As he lowered his head like a large beast crouching, Hae-jin’s shoulder touched his forehead.

Even on such a clear day, Hae-jin’s pheromone, which contained the scent of rain, enveloped him.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

“I’m, sorry.”

Hae-jin quietly observed the sensation of his shoulder touching him. It was an unexpected situation, but he just left his shoulder, which felt moist, alone.

Ryle’s forehead, which barely touched his shoulder, was surprisingly weightless. His hands, which were holding his arms, were soft because he was barely giving them any strength. But they were shaking terribly.

And Ryle’s pheromone, which he couldn’t control at all, surrounded Hae-jin.

The pheromone, which contained deep despair and apology like the Abyss, was flowing out so heavily that Hae-jin couldn’t ignore it. He remembered the forest behind the mansion that he had headed to in the rain one day. He had ended up not reaching it and returning, but he felt like this was what it would have felt like if he had arrived there.

Hae-jin closed his eyes while being enveloped in all of that. As soon as the resentment popped out of his mouth, he regretted his rash action. Hadn’t he been trying to keep it tightly clenched without a trace? He resolutely checked the latch of his slightly shaken heart again.

But wasn’t this a good result?

He was a little dazed, but Hae-jin didn’t rashly comfort him. Thanks to Ryle supporting him, his arms, which had already let go of the crutches, were drooping slightly.

Instead, Hae-jin was just calmly telling him, who was constantly trembling.

“Since my name is all that my family left me, please call it properly.”

Hae-jin liked it when the servants called him Bright. Because now Bright was the only one left in this city. That was why he didn’t bother to correct those who approached him so intimately to call him Hae-jin.

But it seemed that at least one person could call him by the name ‘Hae-jin’ that his family had given him.

Ryle’s pheromone violently fluctuated following his every word. Even though Ryle’s body, which was bowing his head on his shoulder, was frozen like a stone statue.

It was amazing how it felt like each word he said had such a big meaning to him. Just like when he sat in the drawing room and listened to all his words.

So he hoped that Ryle, not anyone else, would call his name.

“……Okay. I will.”

Ryle, who barely uttered a sigh-like answer, couldn’t move for a long time after that, holding onto Hae-jin.

“Hoo……”

He had done something embarrassing. Ryle, who was lying in his bedroom, evaluated the events of the afternoon that way.

Hae-jin awkwardly said goodbye to him and disappeared. Ryle, who barely returned to his room, couldn’t bear how pathetic he was from beginning to end. Even the headache, as if he was ugly, had retreated for a while and didn’t approach.

In the midst of all this, he was shamelessly excited by the fact that Hae-jin, who had poured out his resentment on him, had used a comfortable tone. As if the name he had only heard once had been called.

‘Ryle.’

Ryle roughly wiped his face repeatedly because he looked so clumsy. He reflexively tried to make excuses for the imprinting, but he covered his mouth as if he had done something bad.

“……”

Only after lying alone in the dark room did his head turn a little. First, Ryle soothed his endlessly growing greed. He still had a long way to go to grab Hae-jin unconditionally.

However, his heart was pounding when he recalled the softly flowing scent of rain. Although most of it was pain, the pulsation gently vibrated throughout Ryle’s body. When he thought about it, it hadn’t been long since Hae-jin had stopped being afraid of him.

The afterimage of the trunk that had hurt him was still there, but he could only hope that something would change in the remaining time. He wanted to get closer to Hae-jin somehow. At this moment, Ryle honestly recalled it without throwing away any excuses. Then, someday, he would be able to realize why he had become like this.

But when he inadvertently recalled the guy’s old trunk, one natural question came to mind.

Why was Hae-jin’s luggage so small?

It was a question he should have thought of a long time ago. He had been so obsessed with the fact that the guy was going to leave that he had missed the most important question.

He knew that the guy didn’t consider the things Ryle gave him to be his own, but even considering that, the luggage Hae-jin had was too small. Even if the house itself that his family owned was used to pay for hospital bills, the things that were in it should have remained.

When he searched his memory, he remembered that the guy had only brought that one trunk when he first came to this mansion. Lately, the memories he had with Hae-jin in the past had become clearer, but Ryle hadn’t had any big questions.

Was there a place to store his family’s belongings separately? He didn’t seem to have any rented warehouses in the guy’s property records.

Following the suspicious traces, his thoughts naturally flowed to the cause. The original cause of why Hae-jin came to this painful mansion in the first place.

How was that accident that made the guy unhappy handled?

“……”

If there is an accident, there is a perpetrator who caused it. Just like the former servants that Ryle was now putting all his efforts into making pay for their crimes.

Why was the guy wandering around so desperately without even receiving compensation for his hospital bills?

Ryle, who had sprung up, slowly organized the endlessly flowing questions. These were things he had been avoiding because there was no reason to do so until now.

As he belatedly reflected on the contents of Hae-jin’s file, he narrowed his eyes and pondered.

It was so clear during the day, but the weather, which had changed its mind in the meantime, had created a cloudy night sky. Hae-jin, who had been sitting by the window because he wanted to see the moon, spent time watching the passing clouds as a last resort.

As the night grew deeper, he strangely couldn’t fall asleep. It was strange even though he had exercised, which he couldn’t do during the day. But because he felt refreshed, he couldn’t close his eyes, so Hae-jin decided to let this night pass. It wasn’t like he had insomnia.

But why did Ryle’s figure, who had been soaking his shoulder, come to mind even though he had only been looking at the clouds?

A slightly awkward and dazed feeling naturally continued. It certainly wasn’t a resentment he had spat out hoping for an apology. But things had turned out strangely.

It didn’t seem like a bad feeling. There was a time when he thought he would be angry even if Ryle apologized. It was strange because he felt something completely opposite to that expectation, even relieved.

So Hae-jin just shrugged his shoulders. The promise he had made not to think deeply was so convenient. However, when he moved his shoulder, he felt like one side was still wet even though he had changed his clothes.

He felt so refreshed that he could sleep for days if he fell asleep like this. But he still couldn’t fall asleep.

Hae-jin hunched his body a little while looking at the clouds that were just flowing by again. It was a little chilly because he had been sitting by the window for a long time.

Soon this year would be over. While thinking about the waning year, Hae-jin quietly closed his eyes.

By the time he left this mansion, winter would be coming to an end.

The next morning, Ryle, who had woken up earlier than usual, paced around the drawing room.

Yesterday, he had just apologized endlessly and came in, so he couldn’t correct the important name. He properly repeated Hae-jin’s name all night to prevent himself from doing so by mistake in the future. Then, he couldn’t wait for the moment when that word flowed out of his lips.

He didn’t know why it was such a big deal to just correct his name, and he had even dressed perfectly from the morning. It should have been a normal thing that should have happened to Hae-jin a long time ago. So he shouldn’t give it such a big meaning either.

While scolding himself like that, he continued to anxiously check for signs of life from the guy’s bedroom.

While retracing the guy’s past, Ryle was tormented by a strange feeling. Was it because the emotions he had poured out yesterday had such a long-lasting effect? Strangely, the things that had happened since the moment he first met Hae-jin regained their vitality one by one and came to mind.

Ryle, who had been rummaging through his head with a strange feeling, suddenly raised his head. It was because he heard a small sound from inside the bedroom. Hae-jin’s pheromone, which had been overflowing into the drawing room, also fluctuated slightly for a moment.

He moved his steps towards the door of the guy’s bedroom as if possessed. The hand that rang the bell was hasty. He had intended to wait until the guy woke up and came out on his own, but he couldn’t sit still anymore.

As soon as he heard a small voice from inside, Ryle carefully opened the door. He had only opened one door, but Hae-jin’s pheromone covered him completely. He felt like he was breathing rain instead of oxygen.

Hae-jin was staring blankly at the door, as if he had just woken up. The cloudy sky that had started yesterday evening was still there today. Ryle was troubled, wondering if he should turn on the light, as he was unhappy with the still-dim interior of the other man’s room.

Feeling the gaze steadily directed at him, Ryle swallowed hard.

And then, he called out to him.

“Hae-jin.”

He was definitely planning to follow up by asking if he could turn on the light. However, Ryle uttered only that one word and froze in place.

Hae-jin’s lips, drawing a faint arc, were the first to catch his eye. Then, his eyes, bent a little more, were imprinted in his vision.

The room, which he had thought was only dark, was no longer dark. Ryle, seeing the other man’s radiant smile, was once again unable to say anything, foolishly.

The moment of realization, now even familiar, shook Ryle. Why had he been so hasty with the imprinting? Why did the doctor say that imprinting was a combination of emotions and pheromones?

Seeing Hae-jin’s smiling face, Ryle finally found the answer. The reason why he had been so concerned about the other man’s thin body for so long.

Even if there had been no imprinting, he would have harbored feelings for Hae-jin. Even if pheromones hadn’t shaken him, Ryle would have surely approached Hae-jin and taken his hand.

Pheromones are half a beat too fast.

Ryle perfectly realized that all of this was just a matter of time.