OCMG chapter 33

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“No, no. You collapsed suddenly, and I was startled. I was looking around, thinking I might need to call an ambulance, but I found some medicine and thought it might just be because of your rut cycle. So, I only did what I could to bring your fever down before I left.”

Half of what he said was a lie, but the other half was true enough that the words came easily.

Maybe that’s why con men are so smooth with their lies.

• It’s not the rut yet, but it seems like stress made my pheromones go haywire.

“…Stress?”

It was strange to hear that word come out of Ki Taeryu’s mouth, as it didn’t seem to suit him at all.

Was it even possible for someone like him, who seemed to do whatever he wanted, to experience stress?

• I think it’ll fully hit around the weekend. You’ll have to take care of me then.

That was more of an order than a request.

• Come to the hotel by 3 p.m. today.

The line went dead. Ki Taeryu had hung up after delivering his command.

Junhee clenched the phone in his hand and bit his lower lip hard.

---

“Thank you for the meal. It was delicious.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Are you heading straight back to headquarters now?”

As they left the restaurant, Junhee gave a quick nod.

“Yes, I have to prepare for the seminars at the other branches, and there’s also a lot of work waiting for me at the head office.”

“I wanted to treat you to dessert, but I guess that’ll have to wait. Let me at least drive you to the station.”

“No, it’s alright. I know you’re busy too. I don’t want to trouble you any further—you already picked me up on the first day.”

Junhee politely declined the offer with a courteous tone, causing Cha Junwoo to stop in his tracks and chuckle softly.

“You must really dislike being indebted to others.”

This was the second time Cha Junwoo had tried to guess Junhee’s personality without any real basis.

“…If you ever come to the head office, I’ll be sure to treat you to a meal.”

“Alright, then.”

Though it was an indefinite promise for a distant future, Cha Junwoo agreed easily with a nod.

It wasn’t until his car had fully exited the parking lot that Junhee pressed firmly on his wrist.

‘I should probably go to the hospital.’

Despite his optimistic hope that time would heal it, his wrist was clearly getting worse.

Junhee hated hospitals, with their sterile smell and pale colors everywhere he looked.

He had been frail as a child and spent far too much time in hospitals.

Though he had gotten stronger as he grew older, reducing his trips, the mere thought of going back made him uneasy.

‘…I can’t believe I hurt my wrist so badly from just one fall.’

Frustration bubbled up inside him.

If it hadn’t been for Ki Taeryu, he wouldn’t have had to come to the branch, wouldn’t have needed to steal that profile, and wouldn’t have fallen in the first place.

His mother, the director, had always lectured him about how blaming others wasn’t a good habit, but at this moment, Junhee couldn’t stop those thoughts.

It was all that damned Alpha’s fault.

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“Wow, you’re carrying quite a load.”

The moment Junhee opened the backseat door after loading the trunk, Ki Taeryu’s dense pheromones hit him.

He had come right when Ki Taeryu called, but unlike yesterday, Ki Taeryu wasn’t alone.

“…It’s a gift.”

Junhee nodded briefly to Yeo Daeyoon, the driver and Ki Taeryu’s personal secretary, before getting into his seat.

“Just for a short business trip, and you’re already buying gifts? Who are you taking such good care of?”

Junhee could feel Ki Taeryu’s gaze lingering on him, slowly tracing over him.

Junhee swallowed the words that rose in his throat, something along the lines of, ‘It’s not for you, so don’t worry about it.’

After lunch, Junhee had stopped by the department store.

First, he entered a moderately expensive men’s suit store and bought a suit.

Since Ki Taeryu had come all this way, there was no room to escape.

‘I had no choice but to accompany him on the schedule, like it or not.’

For that, he had to go shopping to “maintain dignity.”

The clothes were much cheaper than the last time, but the total still exceeded Junhee’s salary by a long shot.

His hand trembled as he completed the purchase.

“How would you like to pay?”

“With a card.”

“Yes, sir. I’ve received the card. Would you like to earn points as well?”

“…No.”

“How would you like to divide the payments?”

The staff looked up at Junhee with a polite voice.

At that moment, Junhee remembered the crooked smile of Ki Taeryu, who had once called this kind of money “pocket change,” and his trembling stopped.

“I’ll pay in full, please.”

After changing into the new suit, the next stop was the first floor of the same department store, where a famous bakery was located.

The moment he entered, the rich and sweet smell of bread filled the air.

Since the team had more than just a couple of mouths to feed, he packed plenty.

As he kept adding more, he thought of Siwon.

After choosing something for Siwon, he started thinking of his siblings, and before he knew it, both hands were full of bags of bread.

“…It added up while I was trying to get something for the office and my siblings.”

“And what about mine?”

It would’ve been better if he had driven instead.

Then at least his mouth wouldn’t have to open so often.

But sitting together in the backseat, Ki Taeryu kept making unnecessary conversation.

“…Do you like desserts?”

“If you’re offering, I’ll eat them.”

“I’ll pack some for you when we get out later.”

“So, you didn’t originally plan to get me any.”

Ki Taeryu openly looked Junhee up and down.

‘As if to say, you buy clothes with my money, but you give gifts only to other people?’

Junhee, as usual, avoided his gaze and clicked the seatbelt into place.

It was just past three o’clock, but he felt as exhausted as if it were three in the morning.

---

He had barely closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them, the surroundings had darkened.

He blinked slowly, but it stayed dark.

He realized it wasn’t just dark; he couldn’t see anything in front of him.

Startled, he tried to sit up.

“Had a good nap?”

A heavy voice slid into his ear, pressing down on his eyelids.

“…Director?”

It wasn’t that he couldn’t see. Ki Taeryu’s hand was covering his eyes.

“If you were going to sleep on my shoulder, you should’ve stayed over last night too.”

Junhee’s ears flushed red.

That’s when he realized he had been using Ki Taeryu’s shoulder as a pillow.

Hurriedly pushing Ki Taeryu’s hand away, he replied in a mild tone.

“I dozed off for a bit.”

“Do people call three hours of sleep a ‘doze’?”

“…I slept well.”

The seat was too comfortable, he added quietly, averting his eyes.

Ki Taeryu let out a small, deflating laugh.

“Honesty is a good trait.”

As Junhee turned to look out the window, a quiet, residential hill came into view.

Just a moment ago, he thought they were somewhere in the suburbs, given the steep slope they’d just passed.

‘…Is that the Han River?’

Recognizing a familiar bridge, Junhee rubbed his eyes.

Only then did he realize they were still in the middle of Seoul.

“Where are we?”

“My family’s house.”

Junhee hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now that he thought back to their earlier phone conversation, it seemed there was mention of his grandfather.

‘His grandfather…’

That meant this wasn’t just an event—it was a family gathering.

Junhee had assumed it was another external engagement, never imagining he’d be accompanying Ki Taeryu to a family event.

He wondered what he could possibly contribute here, or if there was any role for him at all.

But it was too late to reconsider now.

Still, he hesitantly asked, just in case.

“Is it alright for me to attend?”

“My grandfather is more gentle around strangers.”

“…Are you going to get scolded?”

The moment he said it, it sounded odd.

Someone who could actually scold the mighty Ki Taeryu.

Given that this was a family event, there might be more than one person capable of that.

“I’m not a kid. It’s not scolding. Just some nagging. I’m bringing you along so it’ll be short.”

Junhee replied with a soft, almost imperceptible nod.

‘Ki Taeryu’s family… somehow, I can’t picture it.’

Instead of people, images of tigers or goblins floated in his mind.

---

Could a place like this really exist in the middle of Seoul?

Junhee’s mouth fell open as he stared at the greenery unfolding before him after passing through the main gate.

If Taesan’s building had been like a fortress for soldiers, this place felt like a nobleman’s hidden villa.

“Get out.”

Ki Taeryu’s voice snapped Junhee back to his senses.

After getting out of the car, they walked along a stone path.

It felt like they were strolling through a botanical garden, surrounded by nameless flowering trees and neatly trimmed flowerbeds.

“Stop gawking. You’re not an elementary school kid on a field trip.”

Ki Taeryu, who had been walking ahead, threw a comment Junhee’s way.

Junhee immediately averted his gaze and muttered a small reply.

“Of course you wouldn’t care since you’ve lived here your whole life.”

“My whole life? Not quite.”

“…But this is your family’s home.”

Ki Taeryu didn’t respond.

Before long, they reached a grand traditional Korean-style mansion, and a table in the outdoor garden caught Junhee’s eye.

Several people were already seated there.

Seeing their backs, Junhee unconsciously tensed, and sweat began to form on his palms.

As his pace slowed, Ki Taeryu overtook him.

His broad back and straight posture felt like a shield.

Not that Junhee was relying on him, but having his view blocked made him feel somewhat calmer.

“Taeryu, you’re here?”

“Yes.”

A woman with an elegant voice was the first to greet Ki Taeryu.

“Who’s that behind you?”

Several pairs of eyes naturally turned toward Junhee.

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