* * *
Wookyung blinked. Alpha pheromones?
He had never noticed anything like that before, nor had he ever thought about it.
He lifted his arm to his nose.
All he could smell was a faint trace of fabric softener.
“That won’t work. It’s not about the scent; it’s about the feeling. That’s why Betas usually don’t notice it.”
Assistant Manager Oh wrinkled his nose as he spoke.
Just moments ago, he had been sniffing around like a bloodhound, and now he was acting all matter-of-fact.
Instead of arguing, Wookyung simply lowered his arm.
“That’s how it is. Alphas and Omegas can sense each other’s pheromones because of… well, the aura, or maybe the atmosphere they create.”
“You mean their presence.”
“Ah, yeah, you could put it that way.”
As Assistant Manager Oh nodded, Wookyung recalled the scene he had just witnessed.
The drunk Alphas trembling and collapsing under Saheon’s steely gaze.
The Omega male who continued to shudder even half-conscious.
It definitely wasn’t just about the scent.
He had never experienced it himself, so he couldn’t fully understand, but just looking at their reactions made it clear.
“If they’re a dominant Alpha, how strong would it be?”
“Hmm? It depends on the situation, really. Why? Do you know a dominant Alpha—oh, you mean Director Min?”
Assistant Manager Oh seemed to have answered his own question, shifting his gaze toward Director Min, who was glaring daggers at Manager Shin.
Whatever conversation had taken place in that brief moment, the tension between the two had only intensified.
Saheon was trying to defuse the situation smoothly, but it didn’t seem to be working.
“Honestly, I just don’t get Manager Shin.”
When Wookyung turned his gaze toward Assistant Manager Oh, he lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.
“I mean, come on. They’ve been dating for fifteen years, but they’re still not married, and Manager Shin keeps refusing to bond with him. From an Alpha parent’s perspective, it’s understandable that they’d start thinking differently.”
Wookyung sighed internally at the relentless flow of words.
That was a prime example of Alpha supremacy thinking.
Manager Shin had his own life.
Maybe his job was more important than settling down and starting a family right now.
And even if they were bonded, the burden would fall heavier on the Omega.
Why was it that, even in moments like this, the Omega had to bear the brunt of unfair treatment?
From what Wookyung had observed, the real problem in their relationship wasn’t Manager Shin.
It was Director Min’s indecisiveness and lack of responsibility.
A relationship should be about mutual respect and care.
Was it truly a healthy relationship if one side was expected to sacrifice everything while the other simply took?
‘Even if they are the protagonists…’
In a novel, they would eventually reach a happy ending, living together forever.
But this wasn’t a story.
It was the real world, where they had to live out their entire lives.
Did it really make sense to stay in a relationship where only one person was expected to keep giving?
Just then, Wookyung’s eyes met Manager Shin’s.
The man shot up from his seat and strode straight toward him.
“Huh? Manager Shin?”
Assistant Manager Oh’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden approach.
Judging by his reaction, he had at least some awareness that what he had just said might have been offensive.
But Manager Shin didn’t even spare him a glance.
“Assistant Manager Gil, let’s go.”
“Huh?”
Before he could process what was happening, his wrist was grabbed, and he was suddenly being pulled along.
Of course, he could shake free if he wanted to.
But then he caught sight of Manager Shin’s face—on the verge of tears.
How could he coldly push someone away when they looked like that?
And to make matters worse, Director Min, despite his disgruntled expression, sent a look that clearly said, ‘Please take care of him.’
‘No, deal with your own problems!’
How long was he supposed to be stuck between these two?
Wasn’t it time they figured things out themselves?
But no matter how much he screamed internally, it was pointless once he was already being dragged away.
The place they ended up was a convenience store about thirty meters from the dinner venue.
“Ugh, seriously!”
Manager Shin let out a frustrated exclamation, almost like a curse.
Then he grabbed a drink and downed it in one go.
With a clank, the empty can hit the table.
“Now they’re even interfering with me meeting an old classmate? Do you think that’s normal?”
“A classmate?”
“Yeah. We ran into each other by chance. He said this place had a nice atmosphere and invited me to drop by with a friend, so I did for a bit.”
But just as he was about to step inside, Director Min had followed him in.
And for whatever reason, he got the wrong idea, flew into a rage, and started yelling before Manager Shin could even explain.
‘I don’t care.’
So what?
This kind of thing happened all the time.
Wouldn’t the best solution be for Manager Shin to just break up with him?
Judging from how often they fought about this, Manager Shin seemed halfway out the door already.
“No matter how much they acted that way due to a misunderstanding, if they later realize they were wrong, they should at least apologize properly. But instead, they turn it around and blame me for making them misunderstand. How do you think that makes me feel?”
“The manager was completely in the wrong.”
“You know what’s even more ridiculous? They know they messed up. But their pride won’t let them admit it.”
That was the biggest problem with Director Min.
He was aware that he was in the wrong, but he refused to acknowledge it.
‘Honestly, wouldn’t Saheon fit the role of the protagonist better?’
Wookyung still remembered Saheon looking him straight in the eyes and saying that liking someone had nothing to do with their traits.
That it was simply because he had become interested in Wookyung, felt drawn to him, and, little by little, that interest had deepened.
That sincere yet cautious approach had gradually loosened Wookyung’s guard, and in the end, he had impulsively agreed to it.
“You’re right. Director Min’s problem is that he’s not honest. And this isn’t just about the two of them anymore. They’ve been together for 15 years now—shouldn’t it be his turn to do more for him?”
Wookyung recalled a conversation he had overheard on his way to work a few days ago.
The reason why Manager Shin and Director Min had a big fight at the office was because of CEO Choi.
“Haha… Seriously. I don’t even know what to do anymore. Just now, Kyowon was saying the same thing. He told me that if things keep going like this, I should just do as his mother says and have a child. That way, I wouldn’t have to feel this uncertainty anymore.”
Wookyung glanced at Manager Shin with a pricked conscience.
After all, he had once made a similar suggestion.
But judging by Manager Shin’s expression, he had completely forgotten that.
“Can you believe it? I mean, sure, his mom says that kind of stuff, but how could he repeat it to me word for word? He doesn’t even understand what I want.”
Wookyung had never really paid much attention to their relationship.
He had simply hoped that they would sort things out on their own.
But the reason why he was now listening so seriously was…
‘Because this could happen to me too.’
Of all people, it had to be Saheon that he ended up in a situationship with.
Who knew what would happen next?
‘His family might act the same way too.’
If Manager Shin, a dominant Omega, was treated like this, then what about him?
Of course, Saheon was different from Director Min, so they wouldn’t end up like the main couple in the novel.
Still, Wookyung, who wasn’t even officially dating Saheon yet, found himself worrying too soon and suddenly spoke up.
“Manager.”
Manager Shin, who had been crumpling an empty can as if it were Director Min, turned his head at the call.
“Have a serious talk with him first. Ask him honestly what he really wants. You two haven’t actually sat down and talked recently, have you?”
“You can’t have a conversation with Min Kyowon. He always acts like everything is my fault.”
“Even so. Try properly this time.”
“And if that doesn’t work?”
Manager Shin looked uncertain.
Well, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried before.
He must have attempted to talk things out at some point.
And yet, if things still weren’t resolved…
“Then you need to figure out if there’s any hope of fixing this. More importantly, whether Director Min can stand by your side without being swayed by CEO Choi.”
“And if he keeps acting the same way?”
No matter how he looked at it, Saheon was the better choice over Director Min.
At the very least, he was someone who took responsibility for his actions and inspired trust.
“In that case, Manager, you need to make up your mind.”
“…I need to make up my mind?”
Manager Shin tilted his head, not quite understanding.
“What do you mean, make up my mind?”
Wookyung didn’t answer.
He just stared at him in silence.
But in that silence,Manager Shin must have realized something.
“Ah… Ahh… Yeah. You’re right. We should have been more honest with each other. If we had, we wouldn’t be fighting like this, unable to understand each other. Or at the very least, if I had known what kind of person he really was…”
As he sighed and crumpled the empty can once more, Wookyung thought to himself.
He should have been more careful in bringing the two of them together.
In his haste to return to reality, he had rushed things.
So now, he needed to fix it.
* * *
