OCMG chapter 31

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He couldn’t be dead…

Could he?

From just one punch?

Maybe the blow hit a nerve, causing permanent damage…

A thousand thoughts raced through Junhee’s mind in the brief moments that followed.

He extended his trembling hand and placed a finger beneath Taeryu’s nose.

“Ha… Thank god.”

Taeryu’s limp arm dropped onto the pillow with a soft thud.

Fortunately, he wasn’t dead. But something was definitely off.

His eyelids, once vibrant with life just minutes ago, were still, as though he had been switched off entirely.

Junhee slapped both sides of his face with a sharp clap.

“Get it together, Yoo Junhee.”

His pale cheeks turned red from the force, but at least it helped clear his mind a little.

After falling for Taeryu’s provocations and trying to fight back, a simple press of the lips had been enough to set him off.

His fist had reacted before his brain, something that hadn’t even happened in his reckless teenage years.

He found himself torn between two thoughts: ‘Thank god he’s not dead’, and ‘It’s unfortunate he didn’t die.’

Smack!

He slapped his cheek again.

He still wasn’t fully sober.

“This is insane.”

Junhee cautiously checked Taeryu’s jaw first.

It seemed fine. If anything, Junhee’s own cheek hurt more.

Taeryu’s jaw was straight and unmarked, without a single scratch.

Next, he brushed the back of his hand across Taeryu’s forehead, where strands of hair had fallen.

“…Why is his head so hot?”

He touched his neck and wrists, only to find they were burning as well.

It wasn’t just his imagination—Taeryu’s body was boiling.

And yet, despite being unconscious, Taeryu’s pheromones had filled the room so thickly that it was almost suffocating.

It was odd that he hadn’t noticed until now.

‘Fever, overwhelming pheromones, unconsciousness…’

Junhee’s more rational mind, now somewhat calmer, pieced together the answer.

“…Rutting cycle.”

The realization sent a shiver down his spine.

Fragments of Ki Taeryu’s past words echoed in his mind, mixed with his ragged breathing.

‘I’m expecting to get sick sometime next week.’

The voice became clearer, the one that had said: ‘But you’re a beta, so it doesn’t really matter, right?’

“Shit…”

As a recessive omega, Junhee experienced heat cycles without warning, but for dominants, the signs were obvious and distinct.

Pheromones would slowly build up, giving their body’s owner time to control it gradually.

It was said that dominant alphas and omegas could manage their daily life without medication during the early stages of the cycle, relying only on control.

So either he hasn’t fully started yet or he’s just entered the very beginning…

The alcohol had weakened Taeryu’s control, leading to this result.

The pheromones, which were already twice as strong as usual, now filled the air, four times as thick, suffocating the room.

Junhee finally understood the heat in Taeryu’s gaze earlier.

At the same time, he felt relief.

‘If I hadn’t knocked him out, I would’ve been in serious danger.’

Looking back, it was self-defense. Junhee sighed in relief, stepping away from the bed.

He was about to leave the bedroom when he stopped and glanced back at Taeryu.

“…Hah.”

After taking a deep breath, Junhee disappeared from the room, only to return moments later with a cold, damp towel in hand.

He moved quickly, turning on the air purifier, opening the windows, and gently placing the towel on Taeryu’s forehead.

‘Hopefully, this will help lower the fever.’

Though he knew it was unnecessary, Junhee couldn’t just leave.

It reminded him too much of the time when he had suffered alone not long ago.

As he searched the room just in case, he found a bottle of suppressants.

Of course, it was full of medication.

‘To think he had the sense to bring this with him. Why did he come here in the first place?’

Junhee couldn’t understand Taeryu at all.

Then again, trying to understand a man like him was probably a foolish endeavor.

Facing such a dangerous creature, he had babbled on about nonsense, complaining about what might happen to him.

It was hard to chalk it all up to the drunken haze, as there was still an uncomfortable feeling left behind.

His usual sense of control, the one he believed he had over himself, seemed to crumble whenever he was around Taeryu.

Don’t let him sway you.

Though he’d repeated it to himself countless times, Junhee swore again.

---

Junhee paused in front of the branch office building’s entrance.

8:10 AM.

Leaving early to avoid traffic had worked, giving him plenty of time.

Instead of entering the building, he veered off toward another alley.

“Welcome.”

Thankfully, the door was already open. It made sense, given the busy business district, that they would open early.

“One Einspänner… No, make it two. For takeout, please.”

He sat by the window, waiting while the café staff prepared his order.

Though his encounter with Taeryu had passed like a whirlwind, his thoughts kept returning to another person now that morning had come.

‘…Team Leader Cha Junwoo.’

By the end of today, he probably wouldn’t see him again.

Still, that didn’t erase the guilt he felt.

‘I should at least invite him to lunch.’

Originally, his plan was to finish his morning tasks at the branch, enjoy a relaxed lunch on his own, stop by the bakery Jiyeon had mentioned, and then catch the train.

“Your two Einspänner coffees are ready!”

Junhee stood up and approached the counter.

As he was about to pull out his wallet to pay, another person stepped in.

“Let me cover this.”

It was Cha Junwoo.

“…Team Leader?”

“I’m just paying you back for yesterday. This much is fine, right?”

Before Junhee could react, Cha Junwoo had already accepted the coffee and handed one cup to him.

“…Thank you. I ordered one of them for you, so please, take it.”

“Oh, really? Thank you.”

Cha Junwoo smiled as he wrapped both hands around his cup.

With identical coffee cups in hand, Junhee and Cha Junwoo ended up walking to work together, something neither had planned.

Junhee, who had been wondering how to bring up yesterday’s incident, was preempted by Cha Junwoo.

“Was that client issue resolved yesterday?”

“…Yes. Since it was my mistake, I had to resolve it quickly. I’m sorry again for canceling our dinner plans so suddenly.”

“I’m just glad it worked out. Let’s have lunch together to make up for it?”

“Yes. I was going to suggest that myself, actually. I’d love to have lunch with you, Team Leader, if you’re available.”

Though Junhee had worried about Cha Junwoo’s reaction to yesterday’s events, it turned out he was more understanding than expected.

He wasn’t as petty as certain others.

“You work hard, Junhee.”

Cha Junwoo lightly patted Junhee’s shoulder.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Wasn’t the executive meeting your last task for the morning? After that, we can head straight to lunch.”

Junhee nodded as they arrived in front of the elevator.

Fortunately, it was already on the first floor.

Even though I bought coffee and came back, the elevator was once again just the two of us, perhaps because it was still early.

Inevitably, the memory of yesterday surfaced, along with that mysterious name.

‘…Yoon Geonju, was it?’

Who exactly had they mistaken him for that had stopped Ki Taeryu?

Could someone with an impression similar to Ki Taeryu be that common?

Not at all.

Junhee swore he had never met anyone who even remotely resembled Ki Taeryu.

He had a face so rare it was almost like looking at a Roman sculpture you’d find in a foreign museum.

Still, Junhee thought of asking just in case, but decided against it.

It wasn’t a particularly pleasant memory, and he didn’t want to stir things up unnecessarily.

Whoever they had confused him with, or even if Ki Taeryu really was that person, it wasn’t Junhee’s concern.

With a voice announcing “6th floor,” they exited the elevator.

Naturally, Junhee followed Cha Junwoo.

“You can stay in my office until the meeting starts.”

Cha Junwoo stopped walking.

Junhee glanced at the sign next to the door and asked again.

“…Your office?”

“Why, is there somewhere else you want to go?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Junhee’s eyes darted around.

He hadn’t forgotten the reason he was here on this business trip.

Even though he hadn’t managed to complete his task yesterday.

“Uh, Team Leader. I’d like to take a look at the branch matching program as a whole, if that’s okay? I heard the settings differ slightly from branch to branch.”

Of course, if it’s not too much trouble.

Junhee politely added, and Cha Junwoo, staring at him for a moment, chuckled.

“Sure, go ahead. My desktop is inside; feel free to use it.”

“Thank you.”

Junhee bowed, his hair falling softly over his forehead.

After unlocking the door, Cha Junwoo motioned for him to enter first.

As Junhee stepped inside, he heard footsteps from behind.

“Team Leader Cha!”

Cha Junwoo turned around.

A staff member, looking somewhat distressed, gave a quick bow and jumped straight to the point.

“Sorry to bother you so early, but this is urgent. Can you check this right now?”

Nodding, Cha Junwoo glanced at Junhee before speaking to the employee.

“Let’s go to the consultation room and take a look.”

“Yes, Team Leader!”

“Assistant Yoo Junhee, make yourself comfortable here. I’ll be back shortly.”

“Ah… okay.”

Junhee, who had expected to be kicked out of the room, was momentarily taken aback and answered awkwardly.

The door clicked shut, leaving Junhee alone in the office.

It finally started to sink in.

‘Is this what they call luck?’

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