#75

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Kwon Jung-hyun had arrived at the Suwon Ice Arena a bit late. It was because he had left the office late after dealing with a backlog of work and approvals.

Since the first period had already begun, he expected the lobby to be quiet, but for some reason, the general manager and front office staff were running around in a flurry.

One of them spotted Jung-hyun, and their face brightened as if they had found a savior.

“CEO, you’ve arrived.”

“Why is everyone out here? Is something wrong?”

“The Vice President of Korea Aviation visited suddenly without any prior notice. We weren’t prepared for the protocol, so everyone is in a panic. I’m sorry.”

Jung-hyun’s expression immediately hardened.

“…The Vice President is here?”

“Yes. He is currently watching from the VIP section.”

Why was Kwon Ki-hyuk here? Jung-hyun tried to calm his heart, which had begun to beat anxiously, and headed toward the VIP section.

The VIP section, separated from the general seating by a glass wall, was warm thanks to the heaters running at full blast.

In the center, Kwon Ki-hyuk sat with his back turned, wearing only a shirt and a vest. It was a stark contrast to the general spectators, who were wrapped head-to-toe in padded jackets and scarves.

On the table stood a line of coffees and various drinks that the front office staff seemed to have bought in a rush. Every single one had a cup holder from a brand not found in the vicinity, and not a single one looked like it had been touched.

Offering a silent prayer for the front office staff who had suffered while catering to Kwon Ki-hyuk’s whims, Jung-hyun quietly sat beside him. Ki-hyuk spoke without sparing a single glance toward where Jung-hyun sat.

“Has my little brother arrived?”

“Vice President.”

“This is my first time watching ice hockey, and it’s more interesting than I thought.”

As if those words were true, Ki-hyuk’s eyes remained fixed on the rink. The Blue Wolves were playing a match against the Tohoku Winterbore. Neither team had scored yet.

“What brings you all the way here?”

“Why so cold to a brother you haven’t seen in a while, hm?”

“…….”

“I heard my little brother likes it, so I became interested and came. Could there be any other reason?”

As he spoke, Ki-hyuk gave Jung-hyun a beaming smile.

It was a lie. After their grandfather died, Kwon Ki-hyuk and Kwon Myung-chul had rejected everything that Jung-hyun personally sponsored or took an interest in, as if they held some deep-seated grudge.

Among those was the skating discipline, which their grandfather had put particular effort into. Therefore, there was no way he had come because he was actually interested in ice hockey.

Jung-hyun stiffened his face and fixed his gaze on the rink. He saw number 86 gliding across the ice.

“By the way, my little brother has become quite gaunt since I last saw him.”

Jung-hyun flinched in surprise and turned his head. Kwon Ki-hyuk had reached out and stroked Jung-hyun’s cheek. A creepy sensation, like a snake crawling, rose from where the hand touched.

When Jung-hyun looked at him with only his eyes, Ki-hyuk stared quietly at Jung-hyun’s face with a smile on his lips. It was as if he were observing his reaction.

He wanted to slap the hand away immediately, but he swallowed hard and endured in silence. There was nothing to be gained by acting out in front of a hunter waiting for a reaction.

“Have you been suffering from a severe fever?”

“…I heard the flu is going around. I hope you take care as well, Brother.”

“You too.”

Kwon Ki-hyuk smiled, his eyes curving, and slowly withdrew his hand. Just then, the whistle blew, signaling the end of the first period.

Jung-hyun stood up as if he had been waiting for that moment. He had no intention of spending the fifteen-minute break with Kwon Ki-hyuk.

“Will you continue watching, Vice President?”

“Yes. I told you, it’s actually quite fun.”

“…Yes, then I will step away for a moment.”

With those words, Jung-hyun left the VIP section. He felt a slight stiffness in his shoulders, perhaps because he had been unconsciously tensing his body.

In the locker room, Jung-hyun greeted the players, whom he was seeing for the first time in three weeks, with pleasure. Choi Yong-su informed Jung-hyun that the Red Falcon Hokkaido match, which had started an hour ago, ended in a draw. This was good news for the Blue Wolves.

The point difference between the Red Falcons, who had firmly held second place since the start of the league, and the Blue Wolves was only two points. In other words, if the Blue Wolves won today’s game, they would take three points and swap rankings.

Jung-hyun responded with a smile and glanced toward the back of the locker room.

“By the way, where is Coach Peter? …And I don’t see Mr. Ho-jae.

“Ah, they’ll be in the referees’ room together. Because of Ho-jae’s PST.”

“PST?”

“Yes. A simple pheromone level test. There was a complaint from an opposing player during the first period.”

As Jung-hyun was momentarily speechless at the unexpected news, Yong-su replied with a reassuring face, as if telling him not to worry.

“These things happen often when players’ rut periods overlap. He said he’s been taking his suppressants properly, so there shouldn’t be any issues with the levels.”

“Ah…. Then there’s nothing wrong with Shin’s body, right?”

“Of course. Honestly, I couldn’t really tell Ho-jae’s pheromones. I think the opposing player was just nitpicking. If the PST level comes out high, he’s automatically suspended from today’s game. In a way, it’s a strategy.”

Jung-hyun fell deep in thought as he left the locker room. As a Beta, Jung-hyun’s knowledge of ruts was very fragmentary and narrow.

The only Alphas close to him were Kwon Ki-hyuk and Peter, and both were the type to intentionally avoid suppressants during their rut periods.

While Peter tended to find a specific partner and immerse himself in heat sex, Kwon Ki-hyuk committed crimes using the rut as an excuse. Most of the sexual harassment cases by Kwon Ki-hyuk that Jung-hyun had taken the fall for occurred during his rut periods.

Of course, Shin Ho-jae was different from both Peter and Kwon Ki-hyuk. That was evident from the fact that he suppressed his instincts with suppressants and maintained a condition good enough to participate in matches without difficulty.

After hesitating, Jung-hyun turned his steps toward the referees’ room. Peter was just opening the door and coming out. Upon spotting Jung-hyun, he immediately gave him a light, welcoming hug.

『Phew. When did you get here?』

『During the first period. I heard you did a PST. The result?』

『No abnormalities.』

That was a relief. Just as Jung-hyun’s expression relaxed slightly, Peter finished the hug and tilted his head.

『Did you meet someone?』

『Hmm? Our players.』

『No. Not our kids.』

『Huh? Why?』

『I just thought there was a nasty smell clinging to you.』

At those words, Jung-hyun instinctively lifted his wrist and smelled himself. He could only faintly smell his own perfume. But since he always wore perfume, it didn’t seem like Peter was referring to that scent.

When he looked puzzled, Peter lightly patted Jung-hyun’s shoulder.

『Never mind. Don’t worry about it. It’s very faint, so unless someone gets close, they won’t notice.』

『What kind of smell is it exactly?』

『How should I put it… a bit like burning rubber… Ah! Shoot, the break is almost over. I’m heading back. Tell Ho-jae to come to the locker room when he’s out!』

Without waiting for an answer, Peter waved his hand and hurried back toward the locker room.

“CEO.”

A voice called out. Jung-hyun turned his head immediately. Shin Ho-jae was just closing the door as he stepped out of the referees’ room.

Perhaps he had been called away as soon as the first period ended without even having time to change his shoes, as he was wearing skates with covers and holding his helmet in one hand. Because of this, his eye level was significantly higher than usual.

His complexion wasn’t drastically different, but his strangely sunken eyes and tightly set mouth were noticeable. It must be because he had undergone the PST. Since human rights issues for players were often raised even with doping tests, he figured PST wouldn’t be much different.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“…….”

“Peter told you to come straight to the locker room… Mr. Ho-jae?”

Suddenly, Shin Ho-jae’s face lunged closer. As Jung-hyun reflexively took a step back, his arm was caught.

Shin Ho-jae lowered his head deeply and pressed his nose against Jung-hyun’s cheek. Their eyes met at a distance of less than a hand’s span. For a moment, the fine hairs on Jung-hyun’s cheek stood on end.

“What are you doing?”

“…I smell pheromones.”

“What?”

Since they were near the lobby, the buzzing noise of fans could be heard from a distance. He saw someone spot Shin Ho-jae and lift their phone. Jung-hyun pulled Shin Ho-jae to the opposite side.

There was a wall leading to the emergency exit where they could hide. Shin Ho-jae followed Jung-hyun’s lead obediently. After confirming there were no eyes on them, Jung-hyun spoke in a lowered voice.

“Don’t act strange in front of the spectators.”

“You said you didn’t meet that writer anymore.”

“What?”

“Then whose is this?”

Jung-hyun looked up at Shin Ho-jae with a furrowed brow. It took a moment for his words to fully sink in.

From Shin Ho-jae’s comment about ‘smelling pheromones’ to the ‘nasty smell’ Peter mentioned earlier, and then to Kwon Ki-hyuk’s action of suddenly touching his cheek.

A sigh escaped him first. He thought Kwon Ki-hyuk was acting strange; so he had been rubbing pheromones on him. But even knowing that, if it was something Kwon Ki-hyuk did, he couldn’t even express his dissatisfaction.

“It’s nothing for Shin to worry about.”

“Why shouldn’t I worry about it?”

“Because there’s nothing you can do even if you do worry, Mr. Ho-jae.”

“Because I’m a third party?”

“What?”

“…….”

Shin Ho-jae shut his mouth tight and dropped his gaze. His masseter muscle bulged and then subsided, and instead, the veins in his neck stood out.

Jung-hyun let out a long sigh and looked at Shin Ho-jae. Shin Ho-jae had reacted particularly sensitively to pheromone issues back when it was Kyung Seung-hee, too. Had he said that rubbing pheromones on someone without consent was a crime?

However, as is the case with most pheromone-related crimes, it wasn’t easy to actually reach a punishment unless the damage could be proven. This is where the difference in perception between the Alpha, Shin Ho-jae, and the Beta, Kwon Jung-hyun, occurred.

Because Jung-hyun couldn’t feel or smell the pheromones at all.

“It’s not like anything happens just because some pheromones are rubbed on. If it’s Alpha pheromones, I’d actually be grateful. You know that.”

Jung-hyun said with a smirk. Between this and the previous phone call, it was troublesome if he kept acting jealous.

So, he said it to mean that he should stop doing things that could be misunderstood. Shin Ho-jae’s eyes blazed with a sharp blue light. A suppressed voice flowed through his thin lips.

“……Then it means it doesn’t matter if I do it too.”

It was merely the color of the uniform reflecting off the helmet, but for some reason, Jung-hyun froze as if captured by his eyes.

Soon, the five-minute warning before the game echoed through the lobby. Only then did Jung-hyun snap back to his senses and look again at the lobby, which was starting to empty, and Shin Ho-jae, who was still standing there looking down at him.

Looking back at the actions of Kwon Ki-hyuk and Kyung Seung-hee, it seemed pheromones could only be transferred through direct contact, but Shin Ho-jae had not touched him.

“It’s five minutes before the game. Let’s stop the useless talk and go in.”

“Will you say it for me?”

“Say what?”

“’I wish,’ that one.”

Jung-hyun blinked at the abrupt request.

……Maybe today’s game hadn’t been going well.

Perhaps his overreaction to the pheromones on him was simply because his nerves were frayed due to the match. Plus, he had to deal with a complaint and a PST.

Jung-hyun’s expression softened, and the corners of his mouth lifted. He could say something like that a hundred times.

Mr. Ho-jae. I wish you all the luck.”

At that, Shin Ho-jae’s stiff face relaxed slightly.

“If you win today, you’ll be second in the league. Take all my luck and use it too.”

He spoke lightly, but if he could, he truly wanted to pull all his luck and give it to him.

He didn’t know how much it would help someone whose very name meant ‘good news,’ but that was the heart of someone cheering him on.

Shin Ho-jae nodded slightly.

“I’ll win.”

“Yes. I believe in you.”

“If I win today.”

Shin Ho-jae paused for a beat before speaking again.

“Let me do it until the end.”

Jung-hyun looked at him with wide eyes. His mind processed the words slowly. Was what he just heard actually what he thought it meant?

Shin Ho-jae glanced at Jung-hyun’s face and immediately turned around. As if what he had just said was not a request for consent, but a declaration.

Jung-hyun simply stood there until the other man was completely out of sight.

“Did my little brother come back?”

Jung-hyun sat near Ki-hyuk’s seat with an expressionless face. It would have been better to answer something, but just managing his expression was overwhelming.

By the time he returned to the VIP section to calm his flushing face, five minutes had already passed since the start of the second period. A fierce battle between the two teams was in full swing on the rink.

Jung-hyun watched the rink with an entranced gaze. He saw Shin Ho-jae on the bench fastening his helmet strap and gripping his stick.

Then, following Peter’s signal, he sprinted onto the ice. From where Jung-hyun was, he could see his back. Number 86. A lucky number.

Shin Ho-jae, together with Yuk Du-min, shook off two defenders and charged forward. The Blue Wolves had wasted several shooting opportunities since the first period. The faces of the spectators, who had been bored because goals weren’t scoring, began to liven up.

And when 6 minutes and 30 seconds had passed since the start of the second period, the two-on-one pass finally created an unmarked situation. The noise of the crowd grew louder. Jung-hyun instinctively stood up from his seat.

It was then that Ki-hyuk, sitting with his chin resting on his hand, muttered to himself. It was a sound too small to reach the ears of Kwon Jung-hyun, who was staring intently at the rink.

“……It smells like the ocean.”

Ki-hyuk curled one corner of his mouth into a sneer.

“I wondered why he suddenly acquired such a cheap club.”

BWOOOOOONG—!

The sound of a foghorn shook the stands. Almost simultaneously, the cheers of the crowd erupted. It was the first goal of today’s match, and a perfect clean-hit goal by Shin Ho-jae.

Shin Ho-jae did not look at the teammates embracing him, but instead lifted his head toward the stands. It was the moment their eyes met.

76 – Puck Drop