04 – Second Romance

The surroundings were silent. It was the kind of silence one usually feels upon waking up in the morning—right before opening one’s eyes, when only the consciousness has barely awakened. But it was strangely alien.

There was a hissing sound, like smoke being emitted, and a heavy mechanical noise. And his body felt excessively heavy. As if he had overdrank the night before.

After floating in the silence with his eyes closed for a long time, Eun-soo slowly lifted his eyelids. Then—

“Eun-soo?”

A familiar voice gently tickled his ear. It was Do-kwon’s voice.

Do-kwon was right in front of him. He was sitting on a stool, tightly holding Eun-soo’s limp hand. Eun-soo gazed at him blankly. While wondering why he was next to his bed… he realized that the space he was in was not his bedroom.

The faint scent of disinfectant. A spacious area. Pale interior. A sparkling night view visible through the floor-to-ceiling window. It was a private hospital room. It didn’t seem to be the place where he had been hospitalized with Do-kwon before; it seemed to be a different hospital.

Once he recognized the location, the memories just before he fainted rushed back. Eun-soo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Does something hurt? Should I call the doctor?”

Do-kwon asked, gently brushing back Eun-soo’s bangs. Eun-soo shook his head.

“I’m… in a hospital.”

“Yes. It didn’t seem like you were hurt anywhere, but I brought you here just in case. You were in an ambulance, do you remember?”

Eun-soo shook his head again. As if relieved, Do-kwon gently stroked Eun-soo’s cheek with his thumb. Eun-soo looked at him and parted his lips.

“I’m… thirsty.”

Do-kwon stood up without hesitation. As he did, he let go of Eun-soo’s hand, but Eun-soo gripped his hand again.

“…Eun-soo?”

“…”

Eun-soo blinked slowly and looked at Do-kwon. He was thirsty. But he didn’t want Do-kwon to let go of his hand. So, so, what should he do? As Eun-soo stared blankly with a face that hadn’t fully woken up from sleep, Do-kwon chuckled.

After giving Eun-soo’s forehead a short kiss, he reached over to the other side of the bed and brought a water bottle. In doing so, his chest briefly brushed against the tip of Eun-soo’s nose. Do-kwon’s scent was strong. It was strong enough to mask the pungent smell of disinfectant.

Eun-soo secretly sniffed the scent. Meanwhile, Do-kwon poured the water and took a sip first to check the temperature. The lukewarm water was a bit disappointing, but it seemed better than cold water.

Eun-soo drank the water Do-kwon gave him. As his dry throat became moist, his mind seemed to clear.

“Want more?”

Do-kwon asked. Instead of answering, Eun-soo wiggled his body to the side. He ended up dangling off the edge of the bed. Then, he patted the wide, empty spot next to him.

“I’m done with the water, hug me.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Get up here.”

At the sudden request, Do-kwon froze, unable to even blink. Then, Eun-soo furrowed his brows deeply, letting out a pathetic air of pain.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

“Throw—throw up? I’ll call the doctor right now…”

“No, not that… my heart is still pounding. I’m dizzy, and my legs are shaking.”

“…”

“The OB-GYN doctor said so. That an Alpha’s pheromones give stability to a pregnant Omega. That it can even prevent depression. I need your pheromones right now, Do-kwon.”

At the softly spoken words, Do-kwon let out a short “Ah” of realization. Then, without a word, he climbed onto the bed. The bed in the private room was wide enough for one, but narrow for two. While Do-kwon was wondering how to fit his long limbs, Eun-soo flicked one of Do-kwon’s arms up and familiarly burrowed into his embrace.

Using Do-kwon’s thick forearm as a pillow, leaning his head against the firm chest, and wrapping his arms around Do-kwon’s waist—it was a skill he had practiced many times. Do-kwon smiled silently and wrapped his arms around Eun-soo’s back.

Thanks to this, Eun-soo could breathe in Do-kwon’s scent to his heart’s content. He didn’t know how long it had been since he had felt his scent without any worries. His body melted away like a snowman meeting a spring day.

The two of them remained like that for a while, feeling only each other without any conversation. The sound of their respective breathing, the barely audible sound of the humidifier, and the occasional anonymous footsteps passing through the hallway were all they could perceive.

Then, Eun-soo tossed and turned. He was hot. It was a common occurrence when sticking to Do-kwon, who had a high body temperature. He sat up abruptly and whipped off his hoodie. The thin short-sleeved shirt he had layered underneath was revealed. After tossing the hoodie carelessly onto the stool, Eun-soo crawled back into Do-kwon’s arms.

“…”

Do-kwon was quite surprised by Eun-soo’s action, but he endured it, fearing that showing his surprise would make the atmosphere strange. Whether he knew it or not, Eun-soo had a peaceful expression. He gently stroked Do-kwon’s abs with his index finger and parted his lips.

“About the accident in the past.”

“Yes.”

Do-kwon quickly swallowed hard and answered.

“I thought I was forgetting it little by little. I guess I wasn’t.”

“…”

“When the car came, I really couldn’t move. In that moment, I wasn’t at the crosswalk, but in that car on the day I had the accident with you. That moment when the dump truck was charging at us.”

“It was a big accident. It wouldn’t be easily forgotten.”

Do-kwon gently stroked Eun-soo’s hair. It felt ridiculous to say this when he himself couldn’t even remember it, but there wasn’t much else he could say. He had absolutely no talent for comforting people.

“Right now, it’s just a bit inconvenient that I can’t ride in a car, but I’m worried I’ll be like this later, too. I’m worried that once my daughter is born, I won’t even be able to take her on a picnic.”

“…”

“Of course, we could take the subway, but that only works once or twice. I can’t take the subway alone for every event like entrance ceremonies or graduations. And what about the wedding? What if the subway breaks down on that day? A father who is late to his daughter’s wedding. That’s the worst.”

“Isn’t that… a bit too far off?”

“It is… right? Even as I was saying it, I thought this was a bit much. But I’m really that worried…”

Eun-soo laughed as if embarrassed. As he did, he gently stroked his stomach. He didn’t want to be such a weak father. He wanted to do everything perfectly for her. In modern society, not being able to ride in a car meant too many restrictions, so his worry was great.

“I’m thinking of trying psychological counseling. I’ve had so much going on and been so distracted that I didn’t think about treatment.”

“Should I do it with you?”

“Aren’t you already doing it, Do-kwon?”

“…I don’t think it’s been that effective. I thought it might be better if I did it with you, Eun-soo.”

Do-kwon recalled the consultation he had a few days ago. The counselor had boasted a great academic background. He had a degree from some university in the US, a graduate degree from elsewhere, a famous thesis… However, academic credentials do not always correlate with skill, and there had been little progress. The session ended after they spent the entire time exchanging similar questions.

Do-kwon wanted to recover his memories as quickly as possible. He had absolutely no interest in how the president was elected or how the Korean economy had fluctuated. He wanted to know how he had loved Eun-soo and what conversations they had shared. He felt so desperate that he was almost jealous of the ‘Seo Do-kwon’ from the four years he had lost.

“Ah…”

Eun-soo let out a small sigh. He stroked Do-kwon’s chest as if petting a cat’s back, thinking deeply about something. Then, leaning halfway over and bracing his upper body with his elbows, he looked at Do-kwon.

“Do you really need to find them?”

“My memories?”

“Yes. The moment of the accident… was incredibly terrifying. I’m only able to live a relatively normal life now because you held me. I just can’t ride in cars. But you’re different. It must be a memory of immense pain and suffering. Is there really a need to bring that back?”

“I don’t want to find the memories of the accident. I want to know about… Yoo Eun-soo.”

“I just wonder if you really need to find that, too. After all, you like me now, don’t you?”

“…Excuse me?”

Do-kwon wore a blank expression, looking like someone who had been hit in the back of the head out of nowhere. At that, Eun-soo let out a giggle and traced the bridge of Do-kwon’s high nose with his index finger.

“You’re always asking to meet, you’re anxious to feed me whatever you can, and you hide me behind you when a car comes rushing toward us. How is this any different from back then?”

“…”

“You like me.”

Eun-soo whispered in a playful voice. Then, he flopped down, lying on top of Do-kwon’s body. That moderately curved chest was truly attractive. Whenever he was held here, he would sink into a petty sense of superiority, thinking that an Alpha like this was his Alpha, and that he loved him.

The current Do-kwon was the same. The intoxicating pheromones were still there, and this firm chest and thick forearms remained unchanged. So, it didn’t matter.

Eun-soo whispered, kissing Do-kwon lightly on the cheek.

“So you don’t have to find your memories. I don’t want to see you in pain.”

“…”

Eun-soo smiled brightly, meeting Do-kwon’s eyes. Just as he was about to lie back down, his waist was suddenly grabbed. His body was jerked toward Do-kwon. Startled, Eun-soo’s eyes widened. Before he could say a word, his chin was lifted. And their lips met.

Unlike before, Do-kwon pushed his tongue in immediately. The thick tongue filled Eun-soo’s mouth. Startled, Eun-soo gasped for air repeatedly.

“Nng…”

Do-kwon’s pheromones were surging violently. Why so suddenly? Eun-soo wondered if he had entered a rut, but it was very rare for it to happen so abruptly. Nor was it the right date for it.

While a flustered Eun-soo froze stiff, Do-kwon sucked on his lower lip before pulling away. Then, he rubbed his nose against the nape of Eun-soo’s neck as if pressing into it.

“Haa… I want to do it.”

“…What?”

Eun-soo swallowed hard. He wanted to do it? He tried to pretend to wonder what exactly he wanted to do, but his brain had already understood instantly.

Eun-soo swallowed dryly. Doing it wasn’t the problem. If it was Do-kwon’s body, he would welcome it anytime. However, the environment was a bit… they were in a hospital, after all.

While seeing Do-kwon, they had mixed their bodies countless times. Most of the time it was at Eun-soo’s house, then Do-kwon’s, occasionally a hotel, and very rarely… Do-kwon’s executive office. But this was the first time they were in such a completely public space.

Eun-soo swallowed again. Well, it’s a private room, it’s night, and it seems there won’t be any more visitors, so maybe it’s okay. No, still, not here… Conflicting thoughts surged simultaneously.

Do-kwon pressed his lips firmly along the line of Eun-soo’s neck and then pulled away. He rubbed his lips against the tip of Eun-soo’s chin and his cheeks. As he did, he whispered in a low voice,

“I want to touch you, Eun-soo.”

“…”

He was sexy enough to make Eun-soo’s mind go hazy. Eun-soo squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them. Then, as if telling him to look at him, Do-kwon licked longly up the corner of Eun-soo’s eye. Eun-soo’s shoulders trembled at the touch of the hot tongue.

Do-kwon chuckled softly at the sight of him looking like a frightened rabbit. Then, he nibbled gently on Eun-soo’s earlobe.

“I don’t know what kind of face you make when we have sex, how you look at me, or what it’s like inside you. Only the Seo Do-kwon I forgot knows that.”

“…”

“It’s driving me crazy with frustration.”

Eun-soo shrank his neck. Do-kwon’s low voice felt like it was scratching against his eardrums. Do-kwon didn’t stop there and gently stroked down Eun-soo’s lower abdomen.

“I’m told that I’m the one who put what’s inside here, but since I can’t remember, I feel like I’m going insane.”

“Do-kwon… Mr./Ms.

“You told me, Eun-soo. That what we did that day wasn’t just sex, but love.”

Eun-soo nodded. It was something he had said to Do-kwon on the day he was hospitalized, when Do-kwon was only picking mean things to say. It was a statement made without a shred of falsehood.

Do-kwon stuck out his tongue and licked his own lower lip. His eyes, half-covered by his eyelids, looked down at Eun-soo deeply.

“I still don’t know what that is.”

“…”

“So, let me know.”

Let me know you completely, in every detail.

Whispering that, Do-kwon slid his hand inside Eun-soo’s top.

“Nng…”

Eun-soo covered his lips with the back of his hand. He was incredibly worried that his embarrassing sounds might leak outside the hospital room. So, he stubbornly stared at the ceiling, trying to keep his composure. Just then, he felt a sharp sting on the inside of his thigh.

“Ah!”

Eun-soo jerked his pelvis and looked down.

“You should look at me.”

Do-kwon, who had moved between Eun-soo’s legs, was repeatedly sinking his teeth into the tender flesh of his thigh and letting go. Eun-soo blocked his lips even more tightly.

He had felt it countless times, but Do-kwon was almost harmfully stimulating when having sex. Between the fiercely emitting pheromones and the rough, piercing gaze, it felt as if his body was being shattered into pieces.

Do-kwon stared intently at Eun-soo while licking his thigh. Gradually, he invaded deeper and deeper. Eventually, the tip of his nose touched Eun-soo’s exposed genitals. A hot flush rose to Eun-soo’s cheekbones.

Just a few minutes ago, they had been wetly mixing their lips. While he was enchanted by those lips, his clothes had been removed one by one, and now he was lying with his legs wide open for Do-kwon, without even wearing briefs.

Do-kwon peeked his tongue out and licked longly from the base of Eun-soo’s member up to the glans.

“Ah-nng!”

Eun-soo clamped his knees inward. It was a pleasure he hadn’t felt in a long time. Since he hadn’t even masturbated since the accident, the stimulation felt incredibly raw and intense.

Do-kwon used both hands to pry open and fix Eun-soo’s knees. Then, he began to stimulate the member in earnest.

“Do, ah-ang, Mr. Do-kwon.”..”

Eun-soo shrank his neck like a turtle. Do-kwon had a large mouth. Thus, he could swallow Eun-soo’s member without any trouble. Even if he had only swallowed half and sucked, Eun-soo’s brain would have melted, but since he took it all the way to the root and sucked it thoroughly, his mind went completely blank.

“Ah-heuk, nng, nng…”

Eun-soo pressed his mouth tightly with both hands. Even so, the moans that kept bursting out only became more muffled, never fully hidden.

Do-kwon’s teeth occasionally scraped longly along the shaft. His unnecessarily hot and powerful tongue licked as if it would melt the glans, and sometimes poked deeply into the urethra.

“Ua-ang… Do-kwon, Mr. Do-kwon, stop…”

In just three minutes of being sucked, Eun-soo reached the threshold of climax. He claimed to have no memory of having sex with him, yet he seemed to pick only the things that made Eun-soo feel the most.

Noticing the tension in Eun-soo’s thighs and his impending ejaculation, Do-kwon pulled his mouth away for a moment. The member, standing stiff without a hint of shame, faced Do-kwon directly. The deep pink member was smooth without prominent veins, and the glans looked just like a glass bead.

Licking his dry lips, Do-kwon gave it a moist kiss as if it were lovely. The pheromones flowing thickly from the tip of the member were so sweet that he couldn’t bring himself to pull away.

The semen would be even sweeter. He wanted to suck and lick until his stomach was full of it.

“Huu… wait, just a moment, just a moment…”

Eun-soo pushed Do-kwon’s forehead away with one hand. He couldn’t come already. It wasn’t as if he suffered from premature ejaculation. This wasn’t his first time having sex with him, but for the current Do-kwon, it was essentially the same, and he didn’t want to leave that kind of impression.

He wanted to seem a bit more composed and mature. One might ask what kind of nonsense that was, considering he was naked with his legs spread wide. But regardless, that was how Eun-soo felt.

However, Do-kwon seemed to have no intention of cooperating with Eun-soo’s ‘composed during sex’ image.

Do-kwon grabbed the palm of the hand pushing his forehead and ran his tongue along the lines of the palm. My, Eun-soo even had pretty hands. The straight palm lines and the joints, much smaller than his own, were incredibly cute.

“Uaa…!”

Eun-soo quickly withdrew his hand. The palm is a very sensitive organ. It was sensitive in a different way than the genitals. The saliva on Do-kwon’s tongue, the slightly rough papillae, and the hot warmth were felt in excessive detail. So much so that the place where the tongue had touched felt as if it had been burned.

Because Eun-soo stared at his own palm with a possessed expression, Do-kwon was able to reunite with Eun-soo’s member.

This time, Do-kwon started with the testicles. They had been catching his eye for a while. He sucked one plump testicle, then put both in his mouth, and then pushed his tongue into the concave space between them, leaving Eun-soo feeling utterly overwhelmed.

“Aang, hng, nng!”

Eun-soo’s toes wiggled and danced, not knowing what to do. The stimulation of the testicles alone felt like it would make his eyes roll back, and Do-kwon’s hair kept tickling his erect member. The hot breath of Do-kwon scattering deep in his groin made a chill run down his spine.

Moreover, the gaze of Do-kwon meeting his over his own member was just so, so sexy. A look as if he would devour him at any moment. The glint in an Alpha’s eyes when facing an Omega was like that of a predator before a piece of meat dripping with red blood.

An Omega—an Omega who is more fragile and lewd than any other being on an Alpha’s bed—could not possibly win against that gaze and those lips.

The moment his member was thrust deep into Do-kwon’s mouth again,

“Hua-ang…”

Eun-soo ended up spraying a pale, cloudy fluid. His waist arched upward. The muscles in his thighs tightened, and he stretched straight from his knees to his toes.

Gripping Eun-soo’s buttocks, Do-kwon took Eun-soo’s member even deeper. His nose almost touched the area below Eun-soo’s navel. Then, he sucked the entire shaft vigorously. He wanted to taste more of Eun-soo’s pheromones filling his mouth. He wanted his entire internal organs to be saturated with his semen.

Terrified, Eun-soo struggled and pushed Do-kwon’s head away.

“No, stop, don’t… hiek…”

But Do-kwon didn’t budge. Rather, he even licked the junction between the glans and the shaft as if searching through it. Eventually, Eun-soo had to let out only sobbing, twisted breaths, all strength gone from his body. His body trembled.

Due to the pleasure that far exceeded the climax, his diligent member began to erect again. Around then, Do-kwon let go. Limp, Eun-soo let out short, ragged breaths.

Do-kwon whipped off his top. His magnificent naked body was revealed. Eun-soo momentarily lost himself in the firm chest and prominent abs. Then, he slowly pushed his limp body up and reached out to touch Do-kwon’s body.

“I, I’ll do it for you too. I’ll suck Do-kwon’s…”

“Next time.”

Do-kwon coldly cut Eun-soo off. Then, he slid his hands under both of Eun-soo’s knees and pushed his legs up sharply. Eun-soo’s member, smooth perineum, and secret hole were clearly exposed.

Eun-soo’s eyes widened. Was he really going to put it in right away? No matter how much of an Omega he was, and no matter how aroused he was right now—with his back already wet—he couldn’t take Do-kwon’s member immediately.

“Wa-wait, just a moment.”

Eun-soo frantically pushed against Do-kwon’s approaching chest. But he couldn’t stop the bulldozer-like Do-kwon.

As Eun-soo clawed at the pillow, preparing for the pain of being pierced, hot breath settled over his hole. It was a situation he had experienced a few times. Recalling those moments, Eun-soo’s body froze stiff.

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, thinking no way, no way, but Do-kwon’s lips touched the hole that had shrunk from tension.

“Mr. Do-kwon!””

Terrified, Eun-soo slapped Do-kwon’s shoulders in a rather frantic manner. He hit him so hard that red handprints remained on Do-kwon’s shoulders.

But Do-kwon didn’t know how to retreat. On the contrary, he seemed preoccupied with nibbling on the folds.

At the ticklish yet chilling stimulation, Eun-soo squeezed his eyes shut. To think that the reason he had barked ‘next time’ despite Eun-soo offering to suck him first was because of this. Do-kwon seemed to have been blinded by the desire to taste Eun-soo even more.

“Hwang, ah, wh-what, nng!”

Do-kwon flattened his tongue and licked the folds broadly. When the folds twitched at the stimulation, he smirked and began to thrust his tongue into the gap of the hole. His lips rubbed frantically against the folds. His breath scattered in that embarrassing place, and his high nose poked the perineum.

Tongue, tongue, tongue, licking the sensitive inner walls. Eun-soo felt his entire body grow cold. Then, as cold sweat soaked his spine, his body temperature began to boil again.

Eun-soo’s legs, thrust into the air, fluttered like tree branches convulsing in a winter wind.

“Ah-hik, I, I don’t like this. Mr. Do-kwon, I don’t like this…”

Eun-soo went from tapping Do-kwon’s shoulders to scratching them with his nails. Only then did Do-kwon lift his head. His black pupils stared intently at Eun-soo. Eun-soo instinctively lowered his gaze. It was far too embarrassing to make eye contact with their erect members between them.

But Do-kwon interpreted that in a different way. He looked alternately at Eun-soo’s waist, bent in half, and his face, flushed red with heat. Then, he obediently let go of his legs.

It was just as Eun-soo let out a long sigh, “Haa…”, and relaxed his body. Do-kwon grabbed the back of Eun-soo’s waist and his lower abdomen. Then, as if flipping a pancake on a griddle, he flipped him over.

Eun-soo blinked with a foolish expression. Then, the moment his buttocks were split wide like an apple, he realized why Do-kwon had flipped him.

“No, no-o, nng…!”

I didn’t mean the position was uncomfortable! Eun-soo tried to shout. But he shut his mouth instantly as Do-kwon buried his face straight between his buttocks.

Having set Eun-soo up for easy eating, Do-kwon sucked the back hole enthusiastically. He licked longly from the base of the testicles to the end of the valley, put his tongue in and out as if kissing the hole, and drew large circles with his tongue.

“Ah-nng, hng, aang…”

Eun-soo kicked his feet helplessly. All he could do was bury his forehead into the pillow to hide his moans.

Do-kwon sucked for a long time until Eun-soo’s back was melted soft. It was to the point where the area felt tingly. Eun-soo’s lower abdomen became wet with semen he had ejaculated without even noticing.

As Eun-soo lay limp, letting out only thin moans, Do-kwon finally withdrew his lips. He took a large bite of Eun-soo’s plump buttock and let go. He was very pleased with the clear lip mark left on the white skin.

After biting and sucking Eun-soo’s buttocks for a while, he moved up along the concave spine with his lips. And then he sucked on Eun-soo’s light pink earlobe again.

“Haa… fuck. I want to suck you all day.”

Do-kwon muttered the crude remark, rubbing his forehead against the nape of Eun-soo’s neck.

It couldn’t be helped. Eun-soo’s body was so soft and smooth. He simply couldn’t take his hands off him. Not only that, but every time he moaned, the pheromones emitting as intensely as the summer sun made his lower half not just throb, but tremble with spasms.

To think he only realized this taste now. To think he was only now inhaling these pheromones. From the moment he opened his eyes from the coma, he should have just swallowed him whole, memories be damned. He felt an immense sense of regret and emptiness that he had left this beautiful body untouched for so long.

“No, not today, later, later…”

Eun-soo subtly pushed away Do-kwon’s hand, which was kneading his chest like dough. The words ‘I want to suck you all day’ were quite terrifying. In truth, there was a precedent where Do-kwon had spent an entire day sucking every inch of Eun-soo’s body as if he were licking a piece of candy.

It wasn’t that he disliked it, but he had reached climax so many times that he couldn’t even go to work the next day. His legs had been shaking and his muscles so tight that he could neither stand nor sit.

Licking his dry lips, Eun-soo reached back. He then stroked Do-kwon’s member, which had been poking at his thigh. Despite not even being out of his pants yet, it was emitting an immense sense of volume and heat without restraint.

Eun-soo slowly stroked his lower half with his palm. As he did, he turned his head back and looked at Do-kwon with damp, glistening eyes.

“Put it… put it in.”

“…….”

“Put it in, Do-kwon-ssi…….”

“…….”

Do-kwon took a sharp breath. His already thick chest expanded even further as he froze. Eun-soo, with his bangs damp. Eun-soo, sparkling clearly with sweat. Eun-soo, begging him for sex. Eun-soo, whose cheeks, lips, and back hole were all bright red.

His reason was violently shaken. It wasn’t even his rut, nor was Eun-soo in his heat cycle, yet he couldn’t regain his composure. To think that just sex could feel like this. He even worried that if a rut or heat cycle actually hit, he might just devour Eun-soo whole.

While Do-kwon stood dazed, Eun-soo, unable to wait any longer, flipped his body over. Then, kneeling, he pulled at Do-kwon’s belt buckle with a practiced touch. He then pulled down the pants and drawers in one motion.

Thump. Do-kwon’s member sprang out. Eun-soo’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the thick piece of flesh he hadn’t seen in a while. He gripped Do-kwon’s member with both hands and shook it gently up and down.

“Ugh…….”

Do-kwon’s brow furrowed deeply. Regardless, Eun-soo continued to stroke him before lowering his upper body to give a short kiss to the tip of the glans. He even poked out his tongue to lick the shaft, where veins stood out in ridges.

“Haa…….”

Do-kwon groaned deeply. Eun-soo looked up at him, his eyes curving into a soft smile. Then, lying halfway on his side, he aligned Do-kwon’s member with his own rear.

Swallowing hard, Eun-soo rubbed Do-kwon’s glans against his folds. It had already been loosened thoroughly by Do-kwon’s tongue. No further foreplay was needed.

At the sight, Do-kwon grit his teeth. He felt as if his head might explode. The towering erection was his own, yet it felt almost foreign. But Eun-soo, holding it, seemed perfectly accustomed to it.

Watching this made a chill run down his spine. Sexual desire, lust, a petty jealousy, and a terrifying urge for destruction and conquest swirled within him.

Do-kwon grabbed Eun-soo’s slender ankle and yanked him toward himself. His member nearly pierced Eun-soo’s hole.

“Are you always this erotic?”

Do-kwon repeatedly pressed the glans firmly into Eun-soo’s hole and then pulled it away. The soft, jelly-like folds slightly swallowed the tip of the glans before spitting it back out. Looking down at that, the blood flowing through his veins accelerated twofold.

“Mmm…… I tend to be like this in bed.”

Eun-soo answered, slowly closing and opening his eyes. Then, he reached out to stroke Do-kwon’s cheek.

“You’re an Alpha, I’m an Omega, and we’re in love.”

“…….”

“What is there to resist?”

“…….”

Do-kwon grit his teeth again. He bit down so hard that the bone above his temple bulged. Eun-soo was excessively seductive. When the sun was up, he was so innocent, clear, and smiled so brightly. To think he was like this in bed.

This was cheating. It was too much. He felt resentful of whatever thought God had when creating Eun-soo this way, and at the same time, he was in awe.

He was a being that the Seo Do-kwon he had forgotten couldn’t help but be obsessed with. It was a miracle that he hadn’t given away his house, his fortune, and his very internal organs until now.

“Mmm…… so, hurry…… please? Hurry…….”

Eun-soo urged Do-kwon, swaying his hips suggestively. At that moment, Do-kwon felt everything and the entire world evaporate, and his vision turn a vivid red.

Do-kwon’s member thrust powerfully deep into his belly. Eun-soo’s thighs trembled violently as his prostate was crushed flat and his inner walls stretched taut.

Screech, creak. The bed shook with a loud noise. Half of the blanket was on the bed and half had fallen to the floor, and the smell of disinfectant that had filled the hospital room had been completely devoured by the pheromones the two were emitting.

“Haaang, ugh, mmm!”

Even though he had taken Do-kwon’s member many times, it felt new every single time. He felt as if his insides were being carved up by the thickness and length. When he entered deeply, all the way to the root, a gagging sensation rose up. Sometimes, he even felt like running away.

Perhaps sensing Eun-soo’s inner thoughts, Do-kwon embraced him fully from behind. With one hand gripping his pelvis and the other clutching his chest, he moved his hips slowly, yet deeply and obsessively. His sweat-soaked back rubbed softly against Do-kwon’s chest.

“Uang, ut, hukk, ahhh…….”

“Haa…… Eun-soo-ssi.”

Do-kwon closed his eyes tightly and buried his nose in the crook of Eun-soo’s neck. Even amidst his drifting consciousness, Eun-soo’s pheromones felt incomparably clear and strong.

Of course, he could also feel the rear tightly wrapping around his member. Every time Eun-soo groaned or gasped for air, every time he scraped the prostate or pierced the deep interior, the undulating inner walls were indescribably hot and narrow.

Do-kwon surrendered his mind entirely to desire as he rocked his body. He wanted to go deeper, deeper, and further inside Eun-soo. So, twisting his pelvis from side to side, he forced his member further and further in, bit by bit.

The tip of his member, which hadn’t been fully inserted, began to disappear. The inner walls surged, squeezing his member as if wringing it.

Eun-soo’s face turned pale.

“Ah! No, no more! Do-kwon, ahhh!”

The thickest part of Do-kwon’s shaft slammed hard against the prostate. The round, hard glans crushed and pounded the deep interior of his belly. He felt as if his stomach would burst. The inner walls were stretched so taut that he feared they might tear like a water balloon if scraped the wrong way.

Eun-soo tried to push Do-kwon’s thighs away. However, Do-kwon’s legs, hard as stone, didn’t budge. Instead, he grabbed Eun-soo’s hands, pulled them back, and drove his hips in even more forcefully.

Thanks to that, the penetration became even deeper. Eun-soo’s round buttocks were pressed so hard against Do-kwon’s thighs that they flattened.

“Too deep, ahhh, it’s too deep……. Ah! Haang, what, what do I do…….”

Eun-soo shook his head from side to side. His hair, damp with cold sweat, swayed and dropped small droplets. Some of those were tears that Eun-soo had shed.

It wasn’t that he was in pain or suffering. Although his member was dripping pre-cum like a broken faucet, that too was evidence of pleasure. The tingling in his lower abdomen and the chills running down his spine were the same.

It was just that he couldn’t adapt to the feeling of his body becoming strange. The feeling of Do-kwon’s pheromones flowing through his veins. The feeling that not only his brain but his entire body was melting away, leaving only the back hole accepting Do-kwon’s member and his twitching lower half alive and writhing—the feeling of becoming an Omega itself rather than a human—was simply overwhelming.

Sobbing mixed into Eun-soo’s groans. Then, the rhythmic thud, thud of Do-kwon’s hips suddenly stopped. He asked, gently licking Eun-soo’s earlobe.

“Does it hurt?”

“Huu…….”

Instead of answering, Eun-soo shook his head. For some reason, Do-kwon’s calm and tender voice made more tears well up.

“…….”

Do-kwon stared quietly at the back of Eun-soo’s head. Then, suddenly, he pulled his member out. Eun-soo’s hips jerked at the sensation of the edge of the glans scraping against the inner walls as it exited.

Why so suddenly? Just as he tried to look back with that thought, his body was flipped over. Do-kwon, with sweat beading on his temples, was looking down at him. Eun-soo looked up at him, sniffing.

Do-kwon leaned down and pressed his lips to the tip of Eun-soo’s flushed nose before pulling away. Then, he slid his hands under Eun-soo’s back and waist, lifted him up, and hugged him tightly in his arms.

Eun-soo froze for a moment. But it was only for an instant. He soon hurriedly hugged Do-kwon’s neck. Not stopping there, he shifted his body to press his chest and belly flush against Do-kwon.

Do-kwon gently stroked Eun-soo’s back. He whispered, planting small kisses on Eun-soo’s cheeks and chin.

“I’ll go slowly.”

Eun-soo nodded. Being pressed against Do-kwon like this, he felt like everything would be okay no matter what happened. Even if his body melted away and became as gooey as an egg yolk, he wouldn’t regret it.

Supporting Eun-soo’s buttocks with one hand, Do-kwon slowly inserted his member.

“Mmm…….”

Eun-soo groaned softly at the sense of volume slowly filling the empty, twitching back hole.

“Haa…….”

Do-kwon also let out a sigh-like groan. The inner walls wrapping hotly around his member made the back of his head feel stiff.

Do-kwon moved his hips much slower than before. When he pulled back, he lifted Eun-soo up, and when he thrust back in, he lowered him. While scattering deep groans against his neck, Eun-soo had the trivial thought that he was a truly strong man.

The two moved toward climax without being overwhelmed or rushed. Filling their lungs with each other’s pheromones, locking eyes, and occasionally mixing their lips.

How long had they been rocking their bodies? Do-kwon’s member inside Eun-soo’s belly began to throb violently. Knowing exactly what that meant, Eun-soo hugged Do-kwon’s neck tightly and inhaled his pheromones deeply. Then, Do-kwon whispered to Eun-soo with a heavy breath.

“Just a little, okay? Just a little…….”

It was a sentence without an object, but Eun-soo could easily tell what he wanted. Instead of answering, Eun-soo gave a slight squeeze with his lower abdomen. He could feel Do-kwon’s presence inside him more vividly and clearly.

“Mmm, hurry……. Hurry.”

Eun-soo shook his hips as if pleading. In response, Do-kwon exhaled a rough breath and pushed Eun-soo back to lie down. Then, he pulled his member out to the very tip of the glans before shoving it all the way to the root in one go.

“Hieuk, mmm! Ah!”

Eun-soo instinctively curled his back. The member filling his belly to the brim was excessively stimulating. His vision blurred.

Do-kwon’s movements grew faster without limit. The sharp sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the hospital room. Then, the moment Do-kwon scraped from the folds of the back hole, past the prostate, all the way to the end of the inner wall.

“Ugh…….”

Eun-soo let out a suppressed groan and poured out a stream of whitish fluid from the tip of his member. As tension surged through his entire body, his back hole tightened instinctively.

“Kuh…….”

Do-kwon’s face contorted. He forced his way through the tightening inner walls and settled in the deepest part. Then, he released his climax. Hot, sticky fluid heavily filled Eun-soo’s belly.

Eun-soo let out a long sigh. He liked the bloated feeling that brought an inexplicable sense of mental and physical stability.

Even after ejaculating, Do-kwon enjoyed the afterglow by moving his member slowly. Eun-soo smiled, gently stroking the corners of Do-kwon’s strained eyes.

Do-kwon snatched Eun-soo’s hand. He pressed his lips firmly into the palm several times. He even licked up the fingers. At the ticklish sensation, Eun-soo twisted his shoulders and laughed like a child. As he did, he unconsciously tightened his rear, and for some reason… a sense of uneasy déjà vu hit him.

Why was his rear still so tightly filled? Do-kwon had just ejaculated. The volume should have decreased to some extent.

Eun-soo looked down. It wasn’t as if he could see Do-kwon’s member inside his belly, but he did it instinctively.

Just then, Do-kwon lightly gripped Eun-soo’s chin and lifted it. He sucked on the lower and upper lips alternately. Then, brushing back Eun-soo’s sweat-dampened forehead, he whispered.

“Just once.”

“……Huh?”

“Let’s do it one more time.”

“…….”

Eun-soo blinked with a robotic expression. One more time? Do what more? He wondered, but unfortunately, he had already understood. He could feel the member growing and filling his rear very clearly.

Horrified, Eun-soo tried to escape from Do-kwon’s embrace. Just as his hand gripped the edge of the bed, his ankle was caught and he was dragged straight down. Do-kwon’s member, which had been halfway out, was shoved deep inside. Eun-soo writhed like a fish freshly pulled from the water.

“Ahhk! No, you can’t. You can’t, Do-kwon-ssi.”

Eun-soo pushed frantically at Do-kwon’s chest. However,

“Can’t…… ahhh!”

His neck snapped back as Do-kwon violently gouged his prostate. From the pale hospital ceiling, Do-kwon’s pheromones fell like a rainshower.

Do-kwon traced the smooth protrusion of Eun-soo’s shoulder blades with his fingertips. Then he stroked the concave line of his spine and touched his perfectly round shoulders. As he did, his throat went dry, and a thirst arose.

It wasn’t a thirst for water. Rather, it was that Eun-soo… just as he thought that.

“No.”

Eun-soo said, tapping Do-kwon’s brow. His voice and expression were like someone cautioning a pet dog. Do-kwon wore a blank expression for a moment, then chuckled.

“I won’t. I’m not doing it.”

Having already ejaculated three times inside Eun-soo, he had no further greed. No, in truth… if it were up to him, he’d want to rock their bodies until the sun rose, but he couldn’t because Eun-soo was pregnant.

No matter how much Alphas and Omegas were said to be matched by God from birth, it was better to be careful during pregnancy. Well, if he were criticized for three times being too much, he had no excuse.

“Really…… I can’t do more. I’ll die…….”

Eun-soo, who was half-overlapping Do-kwon’s body, let out a long groan and stretched.

The feeling of muscles that had melted softly in pleasure hardening again was not particularly welcome. It felt like waking up from a hazy, sweet dream, or like returning home exhausted after a joyful trip.

“I’m sorry. Your body is so wonderful that I lost my reason for a moment.”

Do-kwon murmured, rubbing his lips against Eun-soo’s soft cheek.

“I don’t think it was just ‘for a moment’ that you lost your reason.”

Eun-soo teased playfully. Since the time he glimpsed was approaching 2 AM, the joke wasn’t entirely a joke. At that, Do-kwon laughed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Eun-soo stared at him quietly. Do-kwon met Eun-soo’s eyes with a faint trace of a smile remaining.

“Do-kwon-ssi.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me you love me.”

“……Pardon?”

At the sudden request, Do-kwon’s eyebrows froze awkwardly. Eun-soo rested his chin on Do-kwon’s chest. Then, with a pouty expression, he persisted.

“In the past, you used to tell me more than twelve times a day.”

“…….”

“So tell me, hurry.”

“…….”

Do-kwon crinkled his nose. Twelve times a day in the past, huh. But it was true that he hadn’t said it even once recently. It was a perfectly understandable reason.

Do-kwon slid his arm under Eun-soo’s head and wrapped it around his shoulder. With his other hand, he encircled his waist. Then, locking eyes, he whispered with utmost sincerity and truth.

“I love you.”

“…….”

“I love you, Eun-soo-ssi.”

Hearing those words, Eun-soo smiled, his eyes curving beautifully. Do-kwon carefully brushed back Eun-soo’s hair.

Confessing love wasn’t difficult. Since his heart had once been submerged in Eun-soo, sinking back in was effortless, and realizing it wasn’t hard either.

However, what bothered him was…

“I’ll tell you twenty times a day from now on, so don’t miss the old Seo Do-kwon anymore.”

“……What?”

“Because I’m dying of jealousy.”

It was the fact that words referring to the past—like ‘in the past,’ ‘back then,’ ‘at that time,’ ‘at first,’ ‘originally’—appeared from Eun-soo’s mouth along with the Seo Do-kwon he had lost. He truly… hated that with a shudder.

Even though it was something he had lost like an idiot and was a being he had to find again someday.

Eun-soo also tilted his head, as if he couldn’t understand.

“That makes no sense. You’re jealous of yourself? What is that?”

“I’m currently finding myself quite fascinating too.”

Do-kwon let out a small laugh. Amnesia was a first in his life, but everything that happened afterward was also a first, so these days were very varied.

Having an Omega he loved, the fact that this Omega was miraculously beautiful and lovely, the fact that he was pregnant, that the child was a daughter, and hearing that daughter’s thumping heartbeat today.

Do-kwon had been… quite happy lately. But to think that the Seo Do-kwon he had forgotten had enjoyed this happiness for two whole years. It was impossible not to feel a bit resentful.

“…….”

Eun-soo looked at Do-kwon without saying a word. From the way Do-kwon’s expression shifted rapidly in short intervals, Eun-soo could vaguely tell what was on his mind.

Eun-soo wrapped his arms around Do-kwon’s neck and rubbed his nose against his chest. He took a deep breath of his scent and exhaled slowly.

“I love you too, Do-kwon.”

Eun-soo’s voice came out muffled and thick. Do-kwon, who had held his breath for a moment, suddenly pulled Eun-soo into a tight embrace. The small body filling his arms was achingly lovely.

As they clung to each other, radiating their love, Eun-soo suddenly lifted his head.

“In that sense.”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to go eat gopchang?”

“……Excuse me?”

Do-kwon’s lips twisted into a bizarre expression.

* * *

Assorted gopchang sizzled on a thick, hot iron plate, splattering grease. Holding his chopsticks, Eun-soo stared at it with unfocused eyes. His head began to lean toward the gopchang bit by bit, like a ripening stalk of rice.

Sitting beside him, Do-kwon lightly pushed Eun-soo’s forehead to nudge him back into place.

“It’s not going to cook any faster just because you do that.”

Do-kwon scolded him softly. Eun-soo pouted. Then, he tapped his feet against the floor. Just then, a cool spring breeze brushed past Eun-soo’s hair. Do-kwon adjusted the jacket he had draped over Eun-soo’s shoulders.

Despite the shop being mostly empty since it was dawn, the two had insisted on sitting at an outdoor table. It had been Eun-soo’s stubbornness. Do-kwon tried to persuade him, arguing that while it was spring, it was still cold at night. However, Eun-soo insisted on sitting outside, claiming the mysterious logic that he would get hot once he started eating.

After about five minutes, a server came over, wiped away the excess grease, and told them they could eat. As if he had been waiting for this moment, Eun-soo moved his chopsticks.

“Wow… it’s so delicious. Oh my god…”

Chewing on a plump piece of daechang, Eun-soo fidgeted, bouncing his knees like a young girl.

“It’s so savory. So moist. The grease just spreads through my mouth. It tastes like pure weight gain.”

Do-kwon let out a chuckle at the incomprehensible exclamations. He moved a well-cooked piece of gopchang to Eun-soo’s plate. Then, he filled the empty space on the grill with onions and chives. He didn’t forget to push the pickled garlic leaves toward Eun-soo.

Eun-soo needed to eat well. Simply eating a lot wasn’t enough.

While Do-kwon meticulously combined nutrients, Eun-soo polished off two servings in one go. Since Do-kwon hadn’t touched a bite, it was quite a large amount, but Eun-soo didn’t seem overwhelmed. He then emptied a can of cider and called the server, shouting, “Two more servings of the assorted platter!”

“Ah… if only I could have just one glass, no, one bottle of soju, I’d want for nothing…”

Eun-soo murmured, looking at a lonely streetlight standing in the darkness. Do-kwon recalled the conversation Eun-soo had with the doctor at the OB-GYN.

“You said you like alcohol. Did you drink often with me?”

“Of course. I introduced you to makgeolli, and I learned whiskey from you. We obviously drank soju, and we had wine and vodka too. We drank all kinds of things, with all kinds of snacks, at all kinds of times.”

Eun-soo had chattered with an excited face. His complexion had brightened instantly; he really did love alcohol. Do-kwon let out a low groan. There were still seven months left until the birth. Moreover, he wouldn’t be able to drink immediately after giving birth; he’d need to recover, so he wouldn’t be able to touch a drop until then.

While Do-kwon was pondering what could replace alcohol, Eun-soo suddenly leaned his face in close.

“Do-kwon, you’ve never had sex with me while I’m drunk, right?”

“…….”

“It’s so-o good. Too bad you don’t know.”

Eun-soo giggled like a child. Do-kwon’s face crumpled. A drunk Eun-soo. He would be cute. He would probably smile goofily while radiating this kind of aegyo. He would be far more proactive and erotic.

Do-kwon’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Then, he clicked the tongs sharply and warned him.

“Don’t provoke me. You’ll be the one suffering the consequences.”

“…….”

Eun-soo shut his mouth tight. Right. The consequences would be his. Eun-soo raised and lowered his palm as a gesture of apology. Around then, the additional gopchang arrived. The server placed the wide plate on the burner, lit the fire, told them to wait a moment, and left.

Eun-soo stared blankly at the sizzling gopchang and spoke.

“Do-kwon, you once came along to our team dinner.”

“……To the UI Design team dinner?”

“Yes. At first, the team members really hated it, but then you bought them something incredibly expensive, and their mouths practically ripped open with joy.”

“……Hated it?”

“Pfft, no. They loved it. Back then, you treated everyone to a beef course that cost 280,000 won per person. And drinks were separate.”

Eun-soo narrowed his eyes, looking at the distant night street as if recalling the moment.

“They really hated it at first because a company director suddenly barged in. But the menu changed from pork belly to a high-end beef course, and you didn’t ask uncomfortable questions or make them walk on eggshells. You just sat next to me quietly, so there wasn’t really anything to worry about, right?”

“…….”

“Since then, my teammates have asked every time if Director Seo is coming to the dinner again.”

Eun-soo picked up a piece of rice cake mixed in with the gopchang and put it in his mouth. Do-kwon watched him, resting his chin diagonally on his hand.

“That’s not bad.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t bad.”

“……The team members? Or you, Eun-soo?”

“The team members.”

Eun-soo spoke with an expression that asked why he was even asking something so obvious. He then chewed and swallowed the rice cake. Do-kwon tightened the corners of his mouth before relaxing them and stirring the gopchang again, when Eun-soo rubbed his cheek against Do-kwon’s forearm. Like a cat acting cute.

“And me too.”

“Ha…”

Do-kwon let out a hollow laugh. The way Eun-soo played him was truly professional. In thirty years, he had never been swayed by another person like this. But with Eun-soo, he was swayed several times a day to the point where his head spun.

While Do-kwon stood frozen holding a piece of daechang, Eun-soo used his chopsticks to take it away and put it back on the grill. He then spoke in a tone like a middle schooler.

“Of course it feels good. Like, ‘Wow, damn, my boyfriend is rich as hell. He’s freaking handsome.’ That kind of thing. Huh? Bragging about that doesn’t feel bad.”

“……Next time, I’ll look into a 380,000 won course.”

Do-kwon tightened his cheeks, swallowing a smile. Becoming a wonderful partner for Eun-soo. Having Eun-soo want to brag about him to others. Sitting beside him and making Eun-soo shine even more.

It felt quite good. He had never thought of his appearance or wealth as something to brag about. But from now on, he felt he would be mindful of them in a different sense.

The server appeared again. After stirring the gopchang and wiping away the grease, the server left after saying it was fully cooked.

A brief silence followed. This was because Eun-soo’s meal had resumed. Do-kwon silently did his part, placing the well-cooked pieces on Eun-soo’s plate and filling his empty glass with a drink.

By the time the grill was nearly empty, an excited Eun-soo began humming an unrecognizable tune. His cheeks were flushed red, unlike before. It seemed he really did ‘get hot while eating.’

Do-kwon gently stroked Eun-soo’s warm cheek with the back of his hand. Regardless, Eun-soo was preoccupied with breaking apart a crisply grilled potato with a spoon.

“Do-kwon.”

Then suddenly, Eun-soo called him.

“Yes.”

Do-kwon answered while wiping a splash of grease off the table in front of Eun-soo with a tissue.

“Our daughter.”

“Yes.”

“What should we name her for her prenatal name?”

At the sudden question, Do-kwon’s hand stopped abruptly. He looked at Eun-soo with a bewildered expression. A prenatal name. It was a term he had never once uttered in his entire life. It was so foreign that it was surprising he even understood what it meant immediately.

“A… prenatal name?”

“Yes. It seems everyone does it. Ssuk-ssuk, Teun-teun, Kong-kong, Ban-jjak, Bok-deong, Gi-ppeum. You know, things like that.”

Eun-soo listed off prenatal names he had seen on the internet. They were common names, and because they were common, they didn’t feel particularly affectionate. Shouldn’t his child be special? Just as every parent usually thinks.

“Just calling her ‘daughter’ or ‘baby’ feels… a bit boring.”

Eun-soo spoke as if to himself and pressed the call bell on the corner of the table. A server appeared shortly. Eun-soo held up two fingers and ordered two servings of fried rice.

“I suppose so. Uh… I’ve never thought about it, so nothing comes to mind immediately.”

Do-kwon stroked his chin, pondering deeply. This wasn’t just anyone; it was his daughter. He wanted to give her something very beautiful and lovely. It wasn’t her real name, but he would have to call her by it for nearly ten months.

After agonizing for a few seconds, Do-kwon’s eyebrows twitched as if a good idea had struck him.

“Couldn’t we get a prenatal name from a naming center? I should call my mother.”

“……Are you serious?”

Eun-soo, who was finishing the remaining gopchang, widened his eyes. His mouth twisted bizarrely. A prenatal name… from a naming center? Was that even possible? Could such a thing happen? Flustered, Eun-soo stammered.

“Uh… I just… well… I was thinking of something like ‘Sea Cucumber’…”

“……Sea cucumber? Sea cucumber? Are you talking about the marine animal?”

This time, Do-kwon’s face crumpled bizarrely. A sea cucumber. A sea cucumber! It wasn’t ordinary, but it was far too extraordinary. Whether he noticed the shocked Do-kwon or not, Eun-soo continued indifferently.

“Yes. When I was looking at the ultrasound earlier, she looked exactly like a sea cucumber.”

“…….”

“Is it bad? Or… Daechang? Is Daechang too plump? She was really tiny. Maybe Gopchang would be better?”

“…….”

Do-kwon let out a long sigh through his nose. No, the problem wasn’t whether Daechang was too plump. Just imagining the prenatal name being Daechang or Gopchang gave him a headache.

Just then, the fried rice arrived. While Eun-soo was distracted by the food, Do-kwon racked his brain with all his might. He had to think of a good prenatal name quickly. He couldn’t use Sea Cucumber or Daechang.

At that moment, a soft pink hue seeped into Do-kwon’s vision. It was a cherry blossom tree by the roadside. Pale pink flowers were in full, lush bloom. Whenever the spring breeze blew, dozens of petals fluttered and scattered.

It was truly, simply beautiful. It suited spring perfectly, and it also suited his own heart, which had been fragrant lately.

Looking at it, Do-kwon spoke softly.

“How about ‘Bom’?”

“Bom? That’s nice. But I like autumn more.”

Eun-soo answered while scooping a full spoonful of fried rice. At that, Do-kwon let out a wheezing laugh.

“No, I mean as a prenatal name. How about Bomi?”

“Ah… Bomi?”

“Yes. Bomi.”

Do-kwon nodded, looking at the cherry blossoms. Eun-soo turned his head to follow his gaze. The pink flowers filled his clear eyes.

Eun-soo mouthed the word silently.

Bomi. My daughter, Bomi.

He liked it. He hadn’t even repeated it a few times, but it stuck to his tongue perfectly. He especially liked how the air curled roundly over his tongue when pronouncing ‘Bom.’

“It’s nice, Bomi.”

Eun-soo smiled brightly.

“It is nice, Bomi.”

Do-kwon smiled along with him.

“Bomi. You’re Bomi now.”

Eun-soo said, tapping his lower abdomen. Then, he took Do-kwon’s hand and placed it on his belly.

“Do-kwon, you say hello too, hurry.”

“…….”

Do-kwon licked his dry lips. Then, he drank a glass of water. As if that wasn’t enough, he cleared his throat with a ‘hem.’ He looked exactly like a presenter about to give a critical PT.

After fussing for a long while, Do-kwon parted his lips with a somewhat flushed face.

“……Hello, Bomi.”

Eun-soo pulled his chin back, looking surprised. He thought Do-kwon was going to give a grand greeting since he had prepared so much. To think it was a greeting so plain it was almost boring.

Dissatisfied, Eun-soo wrinkled his nose and looked at Do-kwon. He intended to give him a piece of his mind. But looking at Do-kwon’s face,

“…….”

He couldn’t say a word. The awkwardly stiff set of his mouth, but the brilliantly sparkling eyes and the faintly flushed cheeks. Through that, he could tell exactly how Do-kwon was feeling.

Eun-soo covered Do-kwon’s hand with his own.

He thought that he was lucky that such a person was his partner, and such a man was the father of his child.

* * *

Today was the day Do-kwon returned to the office for the first time in a long while. This was because he had studied a great deal about economics and management over the past few weeks and judged that he was now prepared.

In truth, most of the people Do-kwon met were professional acquaintances, and since they didn’t exchange personal words, there was little chance he would be caught having lost his memory. Still, he made thorough preparations just in case.

He scrutinized not only economic trends but also the businesses currently being pursued, contract statuses, and progress stages. He even looked through meeting minutes and recorded meeting videos.

Do-kwon was quite nervous. He was more nervous than he had been on his first day of work long ago, when he had ridden on the coattails of his parents’ reputation. Back then, it was his first time. Whether it was business or contracts, he just had to create them in his own way. But now, he had to follow a version of himself he didn’t know, which was incredibly tedious.

Watching him from the side, Eun-soo’s nerves were also on edge.

Perhaps that was why. His stomach hadn’t felt right since morning. It felt like indigestion, or perhaps a hangover. His internal organs felt greasy, as if he had swallowed oil. On top of that, there were smells coming from everywhere.

Eun-soo realized for the first time today that so many smells existed in the world.

It had been like that since he opened his eyes in the morning. The blanket he slept under every single day suddenly smelled intensely of fabric softener. It was to the point where he wondered if someone had soaked the blanket in perfume while he was sleeping.

When he tried to drink water, the water smelled like disinfectant. You know that smell—the one from swimming pools. That smell was coming from the water purifier. Thinking the purifier was broken, he opened a bottle of mineral water. The smell was there too.

And when he opened the refrigerator to take out the water, he almost threw up. The smell of kimchi and eggs stung his nose. Because of that, he couldn’t even think about eating breakfast.

While showering, he nearly suffocated from the scent of body wash and shampoo, and while applying lotion, he gagged at the characteristic artificial fragrance.

And on the subway… he smelled things that were… truly unspeakable.

He had never thought the smell of the subway was pleasant. It’s in an unventilated basement packed with all sorts of people; it would be stranger if it smelled good.

But he had never experienced anything like today. Usually, in the morning, the mix of perfume, shampoo, and fabric softener makes the nose tingle, but it’s bearable.

However, today, the characteristic damp metallic smell of the subway pierced his nostrils like needles. Then, the smell of grease from a pot-bellied middle-aged man. The smell coming from a middle-aged woman’s bundle of luggage filled with unknown things. The smell of perfume mixed with the musty body odor of young men. The smell of cosmetics from women.

Eun-soo had to fight hard to keep his composure. Otherwise, he might have rolled his eyes and fainted. Then he’d end up on the news.

Around 8 AM this morning, a man in his 30s, ‘Mr. Yoo,’ fainted inside a subway during his commute. The reason was absurdly due to the smell of the subway. The railway company investigated whether a specific gas had leaked or if the carbon dioxide levels were excessively high, but stated that there were no abnormalities.

Recalling the monotone voice of the announcer, Eun-soo shuddered. He then pressed his palms hard with his fingernails to endure the smell.

However,

“Team Leader Yoo, you’re here.”

“Good morning, Team Leader Yoo.”

“I heard the Director came in today?”

“That’s a relief. You must be less worried now, Team Leader.”

The problems didn’t stop even after he arrived at work. Holding his breath with a ‘hup,’ Eun-soo greeted his team members awkwardly.

Most of Eun-soo’s team members were women. Consequently, they always smelled good. It was the scent of perfume or cosmetics, but also just a clean smell. In other words, most of them had a subtle, pleasant scent that didn’t bother the nose or stand out too sharply.

But today… the company itself was the problem. From the smell of the plush material of the floor tiles to the smell of printed paper, and even the smell of the computers. You know that smell—the mechanical smell you get when you enter a PC cafe.

Realizing his condition was definitely not normal, Eun-soo subtly pulled the air purifier in front of him before sitting down. It was a selfish act, but he figured this was better than vomiting all over the office.

In the end, Eun-soo went to the restroom four times during the morning. Not to relieve himself, but to gag. Even then, fearing someone might be outside, he went to the furthest stall in a restroom that people rarely used and spent his time retching up nothing but saliva.

Around then, he realized he had started experiencing ‘morning sickness.’

After rinsing his mouth and brushing his teeth at the sink, Eun-soo looked in the mirror. His hollowed face looked quite pathetic. Eun-soo gently placed a hand on his lower abdomen and murmured in a voice no one could hear.

“Bomi… I know you can’t do anything about the morning sickness, but please, let it end as quickly as possible. Okay?”

Daddy is someone who really loves eating. It’s the joy of his life.

The weak voice echoed softly through the spacious restroom.

He somehow endured the morning. Eun-soo stared blankly at the dark illustration window on his screen. Just then, his teammates approached, suggesting they go to lunch. Eun-soo was in the middle of making a vague excuse about having other plans.

Then, he caught a familiar scent. His nose, which had been stinging as if he had been crying or chewing on raw garlic, suddenly felt at ease. Eun-soo turned his head toward the scent with a bright expression. Standing there was Do-kwon, dressed in a sharp suit.

“Eun-soo. Lunch?”

Do-kwon asked with a beaming smile. Eun-soo stared at him blankly.

It had been a while since he’d seen Do-kwon like this. Specifically, the Do-kwon from when they were so-called ‘some-ing.’ The Do-kwon in a classic suit complete with a tie, hair swept back cleanly, with the company skyline unfolding in the background. Since they had met at work, he had seen this side of him often.

His nose tingled with an unexpected surge of emotion.

Eun-soo smiled back belatedly and stood up from his seat.

“Ah… yes. Let’s go.”

Do-kwon and Eun-soo walked, their arms occasionally brushing against each other. The teammates watched the two of them drift away.

“They look good together.”

“As expected, when the visual chemistry is good, it puts the viewer’s mind at ease. Right?”

“I’m a non-marriage advocate, but if the government promoted marriage with a couple like that, I think I’d actually consider it.”

Then, one of the teammates tilted their head and spoke up.

“But did the Director always call Team Leader Yoo ‘Eun-soo-ssi’?”

“No. I think he used to say ‘Eun-soo-ya, Eun-soo-ya’ in a voice so sweet it was practically dripping honey.”

“Maybe they decided to change the way they address each other because they’re at the office?”

“I don’t know. After doing that for two whole years, now?”

“What does that matter? As long as he’s still handsome, that’s all that counts.”

“True, true. That’s the most important thing.”

The teammates’ chatter didn’t stop until the two had completely left the 14th floor.

Eun-soo and Do-kwon stood before the elevator going down. Standing about half a step apart, they looked like typical office colleagues.

“It feels new seeing you at the office,” Do-kwon said, looking at Eun-soo’s reflection in the elevator door.

“It does,” Eun-soo replied with a faint smile. After the short conversation, a brief silence fell. Then, this time, Eun-soo spoke first.

“How was your day today?”

“Well… surprisingly, my body just knew what to do on its own. It’s my first time being a Director, but it felt like it wasn’t.”

“Really?”

“Yes. As if it were only natural for me to love you.”

Do-kwon turned his shoulder to look down at Eun-soo. Eun-soo froze for a moment. It was hard to process what Do-kwon had just said. No, how could he say something so romantic with such a nonchalant tone?

As Eun-soo shook his head, Do-kwon suddenly grabbed his wrist. The handsome man’s brow was deeply furrowed.

“You don’t look well.”

“Ah…”

Eun-soo quickly covered his face with the hand that wasn’t being held. But it was already too late. Do-kwon pulled Eun-soo close to him. Then, he began questioning him in a grim voice.

“Is something wrong? Is someone bullying you in the office?”

Eun-soo’s eyes widened at those words. Then, he let out a light, airy laugh.

“Pfft… who would dare bully me?”

“Dare?”

Do-kwon’s eyes sharpened at the jarring choice of words. Eun-soo shrugged.

“The Director is constantly coming in and out, and even the Chairman visits occasionally to show how much he adores me. Who would dare bully me?”

“Hmm… that makes sense.”

Do-kwon nodded as if he understood. Then, he gently stroked the back of Eun-soo’s hand with his thumb.

“So, why does your face look like that? Did you cry?”

Reddened eyes, hollow under-eyes, skin that looked somewhat dry, and slightly bloodshot pupils. There was a stark difference from the Eun-soo he had seen just yesterday.

Just as Eun-soo was about to say that he thought it was morning sickness, that he had no appetite for lunch, but that he could eat for Bomi’s sake—the elevator doors opened with a cheerful chime.

“Uh…”

“Huh?”

“…Eh?”

Eun-soo and Do-kwon let out short exclamations simultaneously. And someone inside the elevator reacted the same way. Three pairs of surprised eyes tangled haphazardly.

Do-kwon was the first to speak. His lips curled into a wide smile.

“Seong-heon hyung.”

The person in the elevator was Seong-heon. Eun-soo’s mentor, Do-kwon’s cousin, and the Executive Director of the company.

At Do-kwon’s greeting, one of Seong-heon’s eyebrows shot up.

“…Hyung?”

He repeated the word as if doubting his ears. Eun-soo tilted his head at the strange atmosphere, but Do-kwon stepped into the elevator while still holding Eun-soo’s hand. He then began a full conversation with Seong-heon.

“It’s been a while, hyung. I heard you returned from the US.”

“Uh… me too. I heard you had an accident and were coming into work today.”

“Then you should have stopped by the Director’s office. No, I should have gone to you. I’ve been out of it all morning.”

Do-kwon spoke to Seong-heon with a constant, beaming smile.

“That happens. I’ll stop by later.”

While responding faithfully to Do-kwon, Seong-heon looked at him with a peculiar gaze. Eun-soo also found Do-kwon strange.

And for good reason; in over two years, he had never seen Do-kwon treat anyone with such intimacy. Was it because Seong-heon had been away from the company for so long? Even so, if they were this close, they would have talked occasionally; why hadn’t he known?

As Eun-soo pondered, pressing his fingernails into his fingertips, Seong-heon smiled and greeted him as well.

“It’s been a while, Eun-soo-ssi. Has it been about a month since I saw you at the office late at night?”

“Ah… yes, Executive Director. I think it’s been about that long.”

Eun-soo gave a slight bow with a smile. Regardless of the relationship between the other two, Seong-heon was a good person to Eun-soo. He was also glad to see him after a while.

As the two made familiar eye contact, Do-kwon ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek.

“…You two know each other?”

“Of course. I was the one who interviewed Eun-soo-ssi during the open recruitment.”

“…Really? What a strange coincidence.”

But why didn’t I know? Do-kwon stroked his brow bone with his index finger. Eun-soo squeezed and released his hand, saying, “Why would you necessarily talk about something like that?”

Do-kwon hated it when Eun-soo was with others to an excessive degree. He hated it so much that Eun-soo worried he might have a seizure, foam at the mouth, or faint from a stress-induced fit. In particular, being with an Alpha was absolutely forbidden, no matter the circumstances.

It was a relief that there were no Alphas on Eun-soo’s team. If there had been one or two, Do-kwon might have moved them to another team without anyone noticing, or perhaps moved Eun-soo himself.

It was also a relief that Eun-soo didn’t have many friends. Having gone to university in Europe, he had naturally lost touch with his school friends; otherwise, there would have been many awkward situations.

Just as Do-kwon was glancing back and forth between Seong-heon and Eun-soo with a skewed look, the elevator arrived at the lobby. Sensing something ominous, Eun-soo quickly stepped forward, but—

“You’re going to lunch, right? It’s been a while since I’ve seen both Do-kwon and Eun-soo-ssi. Shall we eat together?” Seong-heon suggested with a pleasant smile.

The three of them entered a traditional Korean restaurant near the company. They went into a secluded room and sat with a table in the center; Do-kwon and Eun-soo sat side-by-side on one side, and Seong-heon took the seat opposite them.

“The food here is decent,” Seong-heon said, personally pouring water for them.

“If it’s a place you come to, it must be decent,” Do-kwon replied, handing a wet towel to Eun-soo. At that, Seong-heon stared intently at Do-kwon. He looked like a detective trying to dig something up, even though a faint smile remained on his lips.

“But ‘hyung’? It’s been a very long time since you called me hyung.”

“…Really? Me? Well, it happens. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen you.”

“That’s true.”

Seong-heon held up three fingers, noting that he hadn’t seen him for nearly three years. Eun-soo sipped his water while observing the two. Then, he put the glass back down due to the fishy smell of the water.

His morning sickness was severe. He had planned to whine to Do-kwon as soon as he saw him, but it seemed he wouldn’t be able to today.

As Eun-soo let out a barely audible sigh through his nose, Seong-heon clasped his hands on the table.

“But something is strangely different. It’s almost as if… you’ve developed amnesia.”

Following those words, a short silence filled the room. Eun-soo quickly lowered his head, fearing his awkward expression would be caught, and Do-kwon pressed his lips into a straight line.

It was strange. The only conversation they’d had was about it being a long time. How could Seong-heon know Do-kwon had amnesia from just that? Especially since Seong-heon had been abroad for nearly three of the four years Do-kwon had forgotten.

“It is amnesia. I’ve lost about four years of memory as a side effect of the accident,” Do-kwon stated the truth in a flat voice. His parents and Secretary Jeong had told him there was no benefit in making it obvious that something was wrong with his head, but he simply wanted to see Seong-heon’s reaction.

“…”

Seong-heon said nothing. He simply raised an eyebrow in surprise. Then, stroking his chin, he wore a look of pity.

“Ah, so that’s why…”

“Why what?”

“No, I think I understand why Eun-soo-ssi’s face doesn’t look good.”

“…”

“Both today, and that day.”

“…That day?”

Do-kwon’s brow furrowed slightly. He didn’t know that Eun-soo and Seong-heon knew each other, nor that they had met ‘that day.’ As more things he didn’t know came to light, irritation naturally surged.

Just as Seong-heon opened his lips to say something, the food arrived with a knock. The conversation was briefly interrupted.

The server finished setting the table, bowed, and left. However, no one picked up their utensils. Do-kwon waited for Seong-heon to speak, Seong-heon sipped water to moisten his throat as if preparing for a long story, and Eun-soo… was on the verge of gagging from the mixture of food smells.

“Ah, was it about a month ago? I couldn’t adjust to the jet lag, so I was at the office in the early hours of the morning. And as I was leaving, lo and behold, Eun-soo-ssi was in the company lobby.”

“…”

“With a face drenched in sweat, wearing pajamas, and standing there holding a box this big. I was so surprised, I thought Eun-soo-ssi was resigning.”

At those words, Do-kwon took a sharp breath.

Early morning. In pajamas. Eun-soo with a box. He knew exactly which day it was instantly. It was natural, as he was the one who had kicked him out at that hour.

He had wondered where he went in the early morning when he couldn’t even drive, and it turned out he had come to the office. And he had happened to meet Seong-heon.

Do-kwon loosened his tight tie. It was all his fault for being so ignorant. To think he had wandered the night streets while pregnant. It was still cold then. Carrying that heavy box. Moreover, he hadn’t even taken his suppressants.

What if he had met a thug, a crazed Alpha, or caught a cold?

Do-kwon rubbed his face in frustration. Then, Eun-soo patted his thigh under the table. It was a gesture meaning it was all in the past and it was okay. Do-kwon gently held Eun-soo’s hand in return.

Seeing the two of them, Seong-heon twisted his lips slightly.

“Since you don’t remember, Eun-soo-ssi must have suffered a lot emotionally.”

“It’s okay. Our relationship is still the same,” Do-kwon replied with a faint smile. He then began to take care of Eun-soo’s meal.

“Eat, Eun-soo-ssi.”

“Ah, yes.”

Eun-soo quickly buried his nose in his rice bowl. But he couldn’t bring himself to put any food in his mouth. He tried taking a spoonful of the plainest thing—the rice—but the metallic taste of the spoon made his skin crawl.

Horrified, Eun-soo instinctively shrunk his neck and shuddered. Immediately, worry filled Do-kwon’s eyes.

“Are you cold? It’s warm in here. Is the floor cold?”

Do-kwon slid his hand under the cushion Eun-soo was sitting on to check the temperature. He felt the warmth of the ondol floor. The air was cozy too. Yet he was cold.

Well, it wasn’t that strange. They say many inexplicable things happen to the body during pregnancy. With emotions fluctuating, there was no reason he couldn’t be cold when others were warm.

Do-kwon stood up abruptly, grabbed his jacket from the hanger, and draped it over Eun-soo’s shoulders. Not stopping there, he called the server and ordered warm water.

“Thank you, Do-kwon-ssi,” Eun-soo said with a bright smile. Do-kwon’s jacket was saturated with his scent. Perhaps that was why the foul food smells felt slightly fainter.

After hesitating for a moment, Eun-soo picked up a piece of zucchini pancake and put it in his mouth. The mushy texture and the oil seeping out were quite nauseating, but it wasn’t to the point where he couldn’t eat it.

He still had no appetite, but hadn’t the OB-GYN said so? That he had to eat even if he forced himself. He had to ensure sufficient nutritional intake for Bomi.

After that, Eun-soo continued his meal, picking only the foods that seemed to have the least smell. Earlier, just having the food in front of him felt like he might faint. But with Do-kwon’s pheromones, it felt as if a barricade had been erected.

Alphas really are amazing, he realized anew.

As Eun-soo chewed his rice slowly, almost melting it in his mouth, Seong-heon tilted his head and called out to him.

“Eun-soo-ssi.”

“Yes, yes?”

“That day, the day we met at the office. Why didn’t you tell me Do-kwon was in this state? I could have helped.”

“Ah… I was just so flustered… and, and it had been so long since we’d seen each other.”

Eun-soo stammered out an excuse. No matter how much he was Do-kwon’s lover, or that Seong-heon was Do-kwon’s cousin, he couldn’t just go around talking about such things.

Do-kwon was a sweet lover only by his side; to the outside world, he was the sole heir to a conglomerate. He was keeping the pregnancy a secret to avoid rumors, so he couldn’t mention the memory issues either.

“Hmm, that’s true, but I’m still a bit disappointed.”

At Eun-soo’s troubled expression, Seong-heon playfully crinkled his nose. Eun-soo let out an awkward laugh.

The three of them ate in silence for a while. However, Seong-heon’s utensils moved particularly slowly. It was because he was observing Do-kwon and Eun-soo. His gaze was like someone watching monkeys at a zoo. No, not that. It was more like the eyes of a scientist observing experimental results.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you and Eun-soo-ssi together like this. It’s quite fascinating.”

“What is?” Do-kwon asked back while removing the bones from a piece of fish to give to Eun-soo.

“I mean, you used to hate Omegas intensely,” Seong-heon said, poking a piece of grilled deodeok on his plate with his chopsticks. His voice was extremely monotonous and calm. However, the meaning behind that voice was far from calm.

“…”

Do-kwon’s busy chopsticks came to a dead stop.

“…Cough.”

Eun-soo choked and coughed, even though he wasn’t chewing anything. It was just a single sentence, but both Eun-soo and Do-kwon were visibly shaken. Unlike them, Seong-heon’s face remained serene.

“I really thought you’d never be able to meet anyone for the rest of your life. To the point that even the Chairman…”

“Hyung.”

Do-kwon cut Seong-heon off with his characteristic low voice. He looked at him directly and spoke.

“That’s all in the past.”

It was almost a warning. A warning that he wouldn’t stay quiet if he spoke further. But unfortunately, Eun-soo already knew everything.

That day. The day he had packed his things and left Do-kwon’s house. Because Seong-heon, whom he had met at the office, had told him a story he hadn’t wanted to know, but one he eventually had to.

Eun-soo sipped the lukewarm water, replaying the conversation he had with Seong-heon.

Of all the companies he had frequented, this one had been the quietest. The thick blanket of darkness. The confusing night road, and Seong-heon’s face, which had been a welcome sight amidst it all. And his first visit to the Executive Director’s office.

While they were exchanging pleasantries, a message had arrived from Do-kwon. After an apology, it was a message suggesting they have a meal together over the weekend. As Eun-soo stood there smiling foolishly at the screen, Seong-heon had smiled along with him. His index finger, tapping the armrest of the sofa, was quite restless.

‘But the more I think about it, the more amazing it is.’

‘……Yes?’

‘That you and Do-kwon have become so deeply involved.’

‘Uh…… is that amazing?’

‘Do-kwon used to absolutely hate Omegas.’

‘……Do-kwon did? Omegas?’

After that, Seong-heon had wagged his tongue, saying that Do-kwon didn’t just dislike Omegas, but loathed and detested them—though he added that it was in the past, and since Do-kwon loved Eun-soo enough to give his life for him, it was probably okay to tell him.

‘Back in high school, Do-kwon actually liked Omegas. Should I say he knew how to cherish them? Well, being an Alpha, liking Omegas is instinctual and natural. You were the same, right, Eun-soo?’

‘Uh, ah, yes. Yes, I was.’

Eun-soo narrowed his eyes, recalling his school days, which he barely remembered. A first love. The first Alpha he had ever met. The name and face were blurry. Just a novice love. Nothing more, nothing less.

‘Do-kwon was popular. A Dominant Alpha, handsome, and the son of a jaw-droppingly wealthy family. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was every Omega’s ideal type.’

‘Ah…… I imagine so.’

‘But one day, Do-kwon started taking a special interest in one particular Omega.’

Eun-soo nodded without much thought. A first relationship. That was fine. He wasn’t Do-kwon’s first relationship, after all. Besides, a romance from the days of wearing school uniforms felt like trivial playing house now that he was facing thirty.

‘Do-kwon was quite naive back then. Since the Chairman is who he is, he didn’t raise him recklessly like other sons of rich families.’

‘Yes, knowing his mother, that makes sense.’

Eun-soo laughed softly. ‘He wasn’t raised to be spoiled, yet he grew up spoiled on his own.’ That was something Myeong-hui had said once. Now that Do-kwon was a full adult, he had escaped Myeong-hui’s grip, but he must have faced a great deal of interference during his school years.

‘At the time, Do-kwon had fantasies about Omegas. So he put a lot of effort into his first love. He worked hard to talk to them, followed them around without being overbearing, gave gifts, and so on.’

‘…….’

How cute. That was the first thought that came to mind. Do-kwon in a school uniform. A shy Do-kwon. Until then, Eun-soo was simply pleased to learn about a past of Do-kwon’s that he hadn’t known.

‘Eventually, he started dating that Omega. It was a novice love, but it must have been an important emotion for Do-kwon at the time.’

‘I’m sure it was.’

‘Then one day, that Omega went into heat…….’

‘And?’

‘It seems they slept with an Alpha other than Do-kwon. Since it happened within the school, Do-kwon saw it.’

‘Ah…….’

Eun-soo let out a short sigh. A heat cycle. Another Alpha. It was something that shouldn’t happen, yet happened frequently. An Omega in heat is more like a beast than a human. Of course, an Alpha in rut was the same.

Heat dominates the body, the craving for pleasure consumes the brain, and the only things desired are an Alpha’s pheromones and their body. Like an obsession, like a fixation, or like a wanderer roaming the desert who goes mad with thirst and eats sand.

Moreover, during adolescence, when one doesn’t yet understand their own body, such accidents were commonplace.

But witnessing it firsthand was rare. By chance.

Sympathy clouded Eun-soo’s brow. However, regardless of Eun-soo’s expression, Seong-heon continued speaking.

‘At that moment, Do-kwon’s first relationship ended. He suffered a lot.’

‘You…… know Do-kwon quite well.’

‘Because when Do-kwon was a sophomore, I was a senior at the same school.’

‘Ah……. So…… is that why Do-kwon hated Omegas so much?’

‘Oh, no. A lot happened after that. Just because of one incident—one single event—doesn’t mean an Alpha would distance themselves from Omegas, right?’

Seong-heon laughed lowly and shifted his posture. Then, he gazed blankly into the air beyond Eun-soo. The focus of his eyes was strangely off, as if he were reminiscing about the distant past.

‘But the Omegas Do-kwon dated were strangely easy.’

‘……What?’

‘I wondered if all Omegas were like that…….’

‘…….’

Eun-soo’s face stiffened. Being an Omega himself, he had lived his life facing many such misunderstandings and prejudices. But to be viewed with such a prejudice by Seong-heon—he couldn’t possibly feel good about it.

Seeing Eun-soo’s mouth tighten, Seong-heon apologized belatedly with a look of embarrassment.

‘Uh, sorry. I wasn’t talking about you, Eun-soo. Since I’m a Beta, everything I know about Alphas and Omegas is from books. I’m just ignorant, so please forgive me.’

‘…….’

‘Anyway, even to a Beta like me, the Omegas Do-kwon dated were all strange. They were fine normally, but as soon as their heat hit, they’d sleep with other Alphas, and they’d always get caught by Do-kwon. There were countless Omegas who had other sugar daddies and clung to him for money.’

‘…….’

‘Do-kwon isn’t that gullible. But seeing it happen with every single person he met, I started to wonder if the problem was with Do-kwon.’

At those words, Eun-soo frowned deeply. A problem with Do-kwon? There was no way.

The Do-kwon that Eun-soo had known was far from problematic; he was an excessively good person. He loved him completely, was consistently tender, and Eun-soo had never been unsatisfied during his heat cycles. He was a perfect man in bed. No, he was more than perfect. There were many times when Eun-soo was the one to give out first.

Therefore, Seong-heon was wrong. It was simply that Do-kwon had been unnervingly unlucky.

Just as Eun-soo was about to refute Seong-heon’s words, Seong-heon seized the opportunity.

‘At some point, Do-kwon began to loathe Omegas entirely. It’s understandable, since every Omega he’d met became a trauma. He couldn’t trust love, and he trusted Omegas even less.’

‘…….’

‘So the Chairman was very anxious. After all, Korea has a tradition of Alphas inheriting the company. Even if it was fine up until Do-kwon, the Chairman couldn’t help but worry that the lineage would end with him.’

‘…….’

‘No matter how much of a Chairman he is, he can’t just run the company however he wants, right? The board of directors started talking. Since Do-kwon hadn’t had a single scandal since joining the company.’

‘…….’

‘He’s a Dominant Alpha. A Dominant Alpha who doesn’t meet an Omega even when in rut. A Dominant Alpha who would waste those precious genes. It’s unsettling. Rumors even circulated that maybe he wasn’t actually a Dominant Alpha.’

‘…….’

‘But I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’ve been dating Do-kwon for so long—and so well.’

The long conversation ended with Seong-heon’s pleasant eye-smile.

Through that conversation, Eun-soo could understand why Do-kwon had looked at him with such a gaze immediately after waking from his coma, and why he had treated him as an Omega rather than as Yoo Eun-soo.

“I used to hate Alphas too. But now I like Do-kwon. Very much.”

“…….”

“The past is the past.”

Eun-soo spoke as if it were a trivial matter and set down his water glass. Then, he looked at Do-kwon and smiled brightly.

Just as Do-kwon had said, it was all in the past. Eun-soo was at a very stable age of thirty, his heat cycles were relatively regular, and he always prepared for them sufficiently. He wasn’t so young that he would lose his mind over pheromones.

“……Right. It is the past.”

Seong-heon curled the corners of his mouth as he looked at Eun-soo.

The meal ended awkwardly. The food was certainly delicious and the portions were large, but no one felt full. Eun-soo even felt bloated, as if he had indigestion.

It was when the server entered the room with warm tea and simple refreshments.

“I…… I’ll be right back. I need to use the restroom.”

Unable to bear the nausea any longer, Eun-soo stood up.

“Shall I go with you?”

Do-kwon asked. He seemed worried, as Eun-soo’s complexion didn’t look great. Eun-soo shook his head. Then, he left the room as if escaping.

The restaurant restroom was spacious and clean. Small potted plants were placed here and there, and it smelled nice. Yet, his stomach still felt terrible.

Eun-soo wanted to throw up what he had eaten. But there wasn’t enough time. If he stayed in the restroom too long, Do-kwon, who was excessively fussing over him, might come rushing in, worrying that he had collapsed or been kidnapped.

So, he just washed his hands over and over. He also wiped his hot forehead with cold water. He felt a bit better.

After taking a few deep breaths, Eun-soo stepped out of the restroom. But a dark shadow was standing in front of the door. It was Seong-heon.

“Executive Director?”

“Eun-soo. Are you okay?”

“Do-kwon is…….”

“On the phone with Secretary Jeong. He was worried because you were taking too long, so I told him to stay on the phone and came instead.”

“Ah…….”

Eun-soo nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. As he let out a faint, unconscious sigh, Seong-heon looked down at him with concern.

“Is something wrong? Do-kwon seems fine, aside from the memory loss, and your relationship seems okay, but your condition doesn’t look very good, Eun-soo.”

“Ah…… uh…… I think I might be coming down with a cold.”

Eun-soo made a vague excuse. He hadn’t revealed the fact that he was pregnant, so he couldn’t say he was experiencing morning sickness.

“Oh dear……. Then shall I buy you some macarons or donuts on the way back?”

“What?”

“You like those things, don’t you?”

“Ah…….”

After staring blankly for a moment, Eun-soo soon wore a faint smile. Right. Before Seong-heon left for the US, they used to meet often and eat things like that. All the famous restaurants around the company had been taught to him by Seong-heon. Back then, he had just entered society, so everything was fascinating and many things were difficult.

It hadn’t been that long, yet it felt like the distant past.

“Then, for the first time in a while, that place that sold egg tarts, uh…… what was the name…….”

“Tarte Garden.”

“Yes! Let’s go there. Their strawberry smoothies are delicious too.”

“I’ll buy you those as well.”

Eun-soo smiled, his eyes sparkling. For some reason, he felt like he could enjoy egg tarts and strawberry smoothies regardless of his morning sickness. Just as Eun-soo was about to chatter on about how the chocolate cookies there were also delicious, Seong-heon lightly tidied Eun-soo’s disheveled collar with his finger.

“You’re finally smiling.”

“Ah…….”

“I was worried because your complexion was so bad earlier. Is Do-kwon giving you a hard time?”

“No, no. Not at all.”

Eun-soo shook his head and waved his hand simultaneously. Seong-heon nodded as if relieved.

“If Do-kwon ever bothers you, tell me. Okay? Got it?”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

Eun-soo answered energetically, as if promising to keep it in mind. Seong-heon lightly stroked Eun-soo’s hair. Eun-soo smiled like a child.

When he was with Seong-heon…… hmm…… how should he put it. It felt like being at his parents’ home. Since Seong-heon was the person who had been a reliable support during a confusing time, describing him as just a close colleague was far from enough.

The two of them locked eyes for a moment. Seong-heon was the first to turn around.

“Shall we go now? Do-kwon will be looking for you.”

“Yes!”

Eun-soo followed closely behind Seong-heon. While walking down the long hallway toward the lobby, Eun-soo gazed blankly at Seong-heon’s back. He didn’t intend to look, but since his back filled the narrow hallway, he had no choice.

Then, suddenly, he remembered the dawn when they had met at the company. The words he had said just before they parted. When the time for the first subway train was approaching and Eun-soo had stood up to say he should be going. Seong-heon had called out to him with a somewhat languid gaze, ‘Eun-soo.’

‘Yes?’

‘But…… wouldn’t it have been okay if the Omega Do-kwon found after all that struggle wasn’t necessarily you?’

‘What do you mean by…….’

‘No, it’s just that I’m on the side that thinks you’re too good for him.’

‘Hey……. Don’t say things like that.’

‘I’m serious. You shine so brightly, Eun-soo. You’re pretty, good at your job, have a great personality, know how to be considerate of others, and you’re pure.’

‘…….’

‘If Do-kwon hadn’t beaten me to it, I would have snatched you up.’

It was a very strange thing to say. He wasn’t vehemently criticizing anyone, nor was there any slang mixed in; rather, it was full of praise and goodwill, yet it felt unpleasant. When Eun-soo remained silent, unable to hide his distorted expression, Seong-heon clapped his hands and laughed.

‘It’s a joke. A joke.’

‘Ah…… a joke…….’

‘You’re really easy to fool, Eun-soo.’

At those words, Eun-soo pulled the corners of his lips ambiguously, and Seong-heon murmured while resting his chin diagonally on the sofa armrest. It sounded like he was talking to himself, but it reached Eun-soo’s ears clearly.

‘But Do-kwon seems to have a conviction that you’ll be different from the Omegas he’s met so far. Seeing how passionately he loves you.’

He had said that. Recalling that moment, Eun-soo traced the inside of his teeth with his tongue. What did he mean? Did it mean that in Seong-heon’s eyes, he looked no different from the Omegas Do-kwon had met until now? Or that, due to some catalyst, he too would abandon Do-kwon and sleep with another Alpha? Or was he just overreacting?

In truth, the latter was the most likely.

Seong-heon is a Beta. He has no idea what feeling Alphas and Omegas share. While physical relationships are very important and one can be swayed by them, in the end, they were also human. They build love based on conversation, interaction, and sharing.

It meant that a single heat cycle wouldn’t bring a change capable of flipping the world upside down.

Eun-soo shook his head to clear the thoughts. Let’s ignore it. The only thing he needed to focus on now was Bomi in his belly.

『To be continued in Volume 2』

05 The Deceitful Do-kwon

06 The Pit of Misunderstanding

07 A Stirring Past

08 A Misaligned Intersection