* * *

I stood by the door for a moment before approaching the nearby window in a familiar manner.

Just like every morning in the past, I pushed open the heavy glass.

The cool breeze brushed my fingertips, stealing away my body heat.

To freshen up the stale air inside, I opened a few more windows.

I looked down at the vast cityscape, the massive forest of buildings, and the nearby Han River, slowly reminiscing about the past.

The first thing I did after quitting was pack up.

I only had one suitcase to begin with, so there wasn’t much to sort out.

I left Doha’s place and settled into a temporary accommodation.

Since I didn’t have my phone with me, I had to get a new one.

There was no way I’d crawl back to the company I’d quit just to ask for that.

Everything else happened quickly.

I sorted through the emails I had forwarded beforehand, picked out a few agencies, and scheduled meetings.

I had long mastered the art of smiling and making empty small talk in front of others.

I signed an exclusive one-year contract with the agency offering the best terms and plunged into work, dragging Chae Chiyeon out of her unemployed state to make him my manager.

I even made time to visit the hospital regularly for pheromone regulation.

Normally, this would have started manifesting during childhood and become a natural part of breathing, but in my case, the order was reversed.

I comforted myself, thinking it was better to fix it now, and continued my hectic daily routine.

Despite her unexpected role as a manager, Chae Chiyeon still insisted on taking care of my health, constantly handing me various supplements and unfamiliar vitamins.

Even on the busiest days, he made sure I ate something.

Sometimes, she’d sigh after glancing at my stomach, making me worry if I had gained weight.

But of course, he brushed it off with a laugh.

Four months passed in what felt like a week.

People say there’s no money in fashion modeling, but with low commission fees and a focus on photo shoots, the income wasn’t bad.

I could understand why celebrities flocked to commercials and photoshoots.

With money piling up like that, it seemed like an obvious choice.

On the day my signing bonus hit my account, I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief at the number on my bank statement.

My long-term plan of 20 years had concluded in just eight years as a secretary and four months as a model.

I still had to repay the amount I owed Doha, but that could be handled slowly—it was a lifetime interest-free installment plan, after all.

Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was almost time for the secretarial team and Doha to arrive.

Lately, photos of him at Daewon Group had been making the news frequently; would he not be coming to Reed Construction today?

That would be a problem…

As I was pondering this, the door opened.

Click—

“I’ll stay until the morning, then head over to the main group office in the afternoon. And…”

He was speaking to someone who had followed him in, but then he noticed the presence in the room and looked up.

Our eyes met briefly.

“Understood. I’ll adjust the schedule accordingly and submit the paperwork.”

“…….”

“CEO?”

“Stop calling me CEO. Get out.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, get out. Stay outside. Don’t come in.”

Doha, who had no semblance of composure, pushed the man out and stepped inside.

The heavy door closed, cutting us off from the outside world as if we were in a different dimension.

I quietly observed him.

He looked thinner than in the photos I had seen recently.

His sharp jawline stood out, and the dark circles under his eyes revealed his exhaustion.

He looked more fragile than I remembered—almost pitiful.

“Hello.”

“…….”

“Would you like to sit down? I have something to tell you.”

Despite being the owner of the room, Doha stood near the door in silence, while I, the mere visitor, awkwardly gestured for him to sit.

He didn’t move.

“Then, please listen from there.”

I pulled out a couple of sheets of paper from my coat pocket and placed them on the desk.

The white paper shone even brighter under the sunlight.

Once I realized my feelings, I missed him every second.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Sometimes, I’d tear up without any reason.

On late nights, curled up under the blankets, I’d feel his touch like a lingering memory.

But I had to hold back, convincing myself it wasn’t the right time yet.

How could I stand by his side?

He was a conglomerate heir, and I was just an ordinary person.

Now I bore the rare label of an Extreme Dominant Omega, which made things even more complicated.

Before I could stand in front of Doha, I needed to be worthy.

Leaving my job as a secretary was easy, but leaving him was not.

What did I need to be by his side?

I couldn’t become a conglomerate heir overnight.

Winning the lottery dozens of times wouldn’t change that, so I was left with only one option.

The most valuable asset I could obtain—the one thing that could be proof of our time together.

“I paid a lot of taxes, so there’s a pretty big hole in my bank account, but I bought a place. It’s big enough for two people to live comfortably, considering the taxes I paid. So… Han Doha, would you come live with me?”

---

Wow.

I never imagined I’d end up holding a real estate contract like this.

I fiddled with the edge of the paper a few times before finally lifting my head.

Doha was still standing by the door, unmoving, his expression so unreadable that I couldn’t guess what he was thinking, trapped in the shadows like that.

He didn’t change his mind, did he?

Why did I quit being his secretary then?

If he’d even considered it for a moment, Doha shouldn’t act like this.

Or maybe now that he’s become the chairman of Dawon Group, he no longer has anything to lose.

Suppressing the leap of my thoughts, I tugged at my lips into a soft smile.

“I’ll tie your tie perfectly and make you fried eggs every morning. You handle the bread, Doha.”

He took a step forward.

A slow, deliberate step, then another.

He approached me until he was precisely two steps away.

The gentle morning sunlight draped over his shoulders. I traced it with my eyes and cautiously met his gaze.

“I’ll wake you up every morning with a kiss, so you don’t feel like you’re pining away.”

It was something he’d said a long time ago in a hotel room.

Something about the absurdity of marriage and the feeling of abstinence.

He’d been saying it over the phone, but I knew it was as much a message to himself as it was to the person on the other end.

He must’ve been so desperate back then.

It was as if he’d truly spent all this time by my side, feeling like he was abstaining.

“So, how about living together? I brought the house, so you bring the ring.”

Before I could even finish speaking, Doha pulled a small velvet box out of his jacket pocket.

It was clear he’d been carrying it around, ready for this.

He flashed a playful smile and added with a natural ease,

“Then I guess we can start living together today.”

His response, without a hint of hesitation, made me leap into his arms.

Doha caught me effortlessly, as if my weight was nothing.

When I buried my face into his chest, he briefly hugged me tightly and then began patting my back gently, slowly.

A wave of his pheromones washed over me—a warm, comforting scent, like a tender caress with no ulterior motive.

Doha’s hand lifted to ruffle my hair, the familiar warmth of his large hand seeping through.

In that moment, I realized something.

No matter what happens in the future, even if Doha hurts me or turns cruel someday, I won’t regret this choice of being in his arms.

“Doha.”

There wasn’t a trace of resentment or blame in his gaze as he looked at me.

He was a man who could have dragged me back and done anything he pleased, yet he quietly waited.

His patience, his care—it was overwhelming.

This man, who had everything, had been watching over only me for so long.

Could I ever repay all that love?

It would likely take a long time.

It might be a first love feverish and all-consuming.

But one thing I was sure of—I’d spend my future with Doha.

He respected every choice I made, and the thought of spending each day together naturally came to mind.

Looking into Doha’s hazel eyes, filled with the warmth of summer, I opened my mouth.

It was what he always said after weekends ended.

“I missed you.”

The corners of Doha’s eyes softened.

He lifted me up effortlessly, aligning his gaze with mine.

I held onto his neck and cheek with both hands, moving close enough that our lips almost touched, and gave him a brief kiss.

Peck.

He returned it with a playful peck of his own. Peck, peck.

Me too.

Though he didn’t say it out loud, it felt like I’d already heard his reply.

I rubbed my nose against his like a child and laughed.

Peck.

He kissed me back, whispering like he was sharing a secret.

“You said you’d forgive me for just one thing, remember?”

“Yes.”

“Well… I…”

Doha’s barely audible words left me wide-eyed.

He had been going to the hospital for pheromone control, but I never expected to hear this.

Did I just hear him right…?

My belly had seemed a bit round lately, but I thought it was just from poor dieting.

Then, what was all that healthy food Cha Chiyoung brought me…?

My face went pale.

When exactly?

In the hotel?

Or was it back at that beach…?

“I really did my best at work, you know.”

“I was planning to come for you after four months. You came right on time.”

“Wait… before that…”

“Four months was my limit. Yul-ah, without you, I might’ve gone insane.”

Seeing my shocked expression, Doha smothered me with kisses, giving me no time to react.

Fine. We’ll deal with this issue later.

It was a worry-free, laid-back thought, but I decided to put it on hold for now.

A cool breeze slipped in through the open window.

It was a chilly spring breeze, even colder in the early morning.

Under the sunlight that wrapped us warmly, I embraced the person who held me even more warmly.

Unlike the solitude of my past, now there was a happiness that came from being together.

Through the faintly floating dust, the spring breeze danced its way in.

Feeling the cold air brush my cheek, I instinctively nestled closer to Doha.

I could smell his familiar scent through the fibers of his clothes.

Lifting my head from his shoulder, I met his gaze.

The bright morning light filled the space where we stood.

Doha, who had once belonged to the night, had finally stepped into my daylight.

It was spring.

---

Side Chapters will be posted soon if there is more interest from readers. It will be 19 chapters of Side Stories.

* * *