Yoonwoo stared blankly at the backs of the two people disappearing side by side.
He felt as if all the strength had drained from his body and he were sinking beneath the earth.
A cold wave of betrayal washed over his tattered heart.
How could this be?
What was that desperate gaze, the one that asked me to see him as Kim Dojin, all about?
Were his promises to protect me, his sincerity—was it all a lie?
He recalled the things Dojin had said to him before.
“The Chief being in high spirits is my greatest joy and happiness.”
“It’s a hundred times better to be by your side than to send you off alone.”
“I’ll handle the seducing. So… Chief, just… please see me only as Kim Dojin.”
All those words now felt like hollow lies. Old wounds throbbed with pain.
‘I was a fool to believe him again…’
He hung his head, suppressing a hollow laugh that threatened to burst out from the overwhelming sense of betrayal.
The despair of being left alone again brought tears to his eyes.
He felt completely sapped of energy.
Just then.
Bang!
With the sound of the office door being thrown open roughly again, he heard hurried footsteps.
Before Yoonwoo could even look up in surprise, someone grabbed him from behind—rough, yet at the same time, desperate and affectionate.
“Hic…!”
Yoonwoo gasped at the familiar scent and the solid chest pressed against him.
“Chief…!”
The person whose voice alone made one ache. It was Kim Dojin.
“…Please, don’t make that face.”
With his face buried in Yoonwoo’s shoulder, Dojin whispered in a voice so stiflingly urgent and desperate.
“If you make that face… how am I supposed to leave you? I feel like I’m going crazy because I can’t bring myself to walk away.”
His low voice was trembling slightly.
Hugging Yoonwoo tighter, Dojin whispered desperately into his ear.
“Just one week… please, just wait for me for one week.”
“…Yes?”
Yoonwoo asked back, still unable to grasp the situation.
“I… I have a way to fix everything. So… please, just trust me. Okay? Just one week… don’t ask anything and please just wait.”
There was a sense of conviction, even a sense of grim determination, in his voice.
Yoonwoo stood there, dazed, caught off guard by the solid arms wrapped tightly around him, the hot heartbeat he felt against his back, and the desperate voice ringing in his ear.
He didn’t know what to believe or how to react.
However, he could not turn away from the desperation and sincerity contained in his words.
Before he knew it, he nodded very slightly.
“…!”
Dojin relaxed his hold, seemingly relieved by Yoonwoo’s small movement.
Then, he gripped Yoonwoo’s shoulders, turned him around, and looked deeply into his eyes.
A complex gaze mixed with worry, apology, and affection.
Very carefully, but without hesitation, he pressed his lips to Yoonwoo’s forehead.
Chu.
A short, yet warm and soft kiss.
Startled by the sudden forehead kiss, Yoonwoo held his breath.
His face turned bright red in an instant.
“I’m sorry. I have to go now. Let’s definitely have dinner together next time. I’ll prepare something delicious.”
Leaving those last words behind, Dojin hugged him tightly once more as if it were too regrettable to let go, then, as if cutting off his lingering attachments, he turned and hurriedly left the office.
Left alone, Yoonwoo still couldn’t calm his racing heart, and he awkwardly touched his forehead where Dojin had kissed him.
The sensation of his warm lips and his desperate, earnest gaze remained vivid on his forehead and in his mind.
His face was still flushed, and his head was filled with a confusion that he couldn’t possibly sort out.
‘What on earth… is happening?’
Standing stock-still in the middle of the empty office, Yoonwoo retraced the words Dojin had just said.
His request to wait just one week.
The mysterious remark that he had a way to solve it. And above all, his desperate plea to trust him.
Why one week, of all times?
Did he have a plan?
And what on earth was his relationship with Minjae?
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but he couldn’t find a clear answer.
Yoonwoo was anxious. An Alpha
. In the end, Dojin was also an Alpha.
An Alpha who could be conquered by an Omega’s pheromones.
Had he also fallen for Minjae?
After being devastatingly betrayed by Joowon, he had sworn to himself countless times never to trust a secondary gendered person—especially an Alpha—again.
He now knew too well the instincts hidden behind their gentleness, and hearts that could change at any moment.
But… Dojin’s gaze, the unwavering gaze with which he looked at him, was clearly filled with sincerity.
There was deep affection for Yoonwoo, and a strong will to somehow resolve this situation and protect him.
From the moment they first met in Jeju Island until now, Dojin had always stood by Yoonwoo’s side with a consistent demeanor.
He had cradled Yoonwoo’s wounds, given him the courage to stand back up amidst despair, and become his ally without any conditions.
Even though Yoonwoo had pushed him away and hurt him so much, he had never once turned his back on him.
‘If it’s just one week…’
Whatever it was that he was trying to do, Yoonwoo decided to stake everything on his trust in the person that was Dojin.
He slowly returned to his seat and picked up his phone.
Then, he opened the chat window with Dojin.
After hesitating for a long time, he sent a very short and concise message.
[I’ll wait. Make me believe in you.]
After sending the message, strangely enough, he felt his heart calm down a little.
The anxiety was still there, but he felt as though he had at least escaped the feeling of being lost and drifting without direction.
Yoonwoo slowly packed his bag.
This office space, which had been filled with despair until just a moment ago, felt a little different now.
He looked out the window at the dark night sky for a moment.
The future was still opaque and frightening, but he was no longer alone.
Yoonwoo let out a deep breath and stepped out of the studio door.
The cold night air brushed against his cheeks.
But it didn’t feel as biting as it had before.
After hearing Dojin’s promise, Yoonwoo thought he couldn’t just sit still, so he started crazily gathering evidence that his design wasn’t plagiarized.
Original files containing his work process, past sketches, reference materials, and even personal notes where he had recorded the atmosphere or conversation details during the meeting with Minjun in detail.
He stayed up all night organizing the data, struggling desperately to prove his innocence.
During this time, Company C finally sent an official proof of content to Studio Yeon. The content was as expected.
[Submit official supporting materials regarding the plagiarism allegations within 2 weeks. If the allegations are not resolved or if plagiarism is confirmed to be true within the deadline, Company C will invalidate this bid, seriously reconsider future contracts with Studio Yeon, and may hold you responsible for the tangible and intangible losses caused thereby.]
A note was added at the bottom stating that they had requested the same supporting materials from CS Design as well.
Seoyeon, holding the proof of content, turned pale with fury.
“These people really…!”
She couldn’t contain her rising anger as she slammed her fist onto the desk.
“So they end up playing it like this in the end. Because of that bastard Han Jiwon’s schemes, the company we built with our blood and sweat is about to go under overnight!”
She immediately called Assistant Manager Kim Minjun of Company C.
“Assistant Manager Kim, I have received the proof of content. Our Studio Yeon is innocent, and two weeks from now, we will visit Company C in person with our official stance and rebuttal materials. Please have all relevant personnel from CS Design attend as well. We will make it perfectly clear on the spot who the real plagiarist is.”
Her voice was filled with a firm determination not to allow any compromise.
Listening to Seoyeon, Yoonwoo felt anxious, but at the same time, he was grateful and sorry to her for trusting him until the end.
When Yoonwoo was sitting at his desk with a heavy heart, blankly staring at his monitor after hearing Seoyeon’s phone call, Lee Minjae stealthily approached him.
Leaning his body carelessly against Yoonwoo’s desk, he glanced around once, confirmed that no one was listening, and spoke in a voice full of mockery.
“Chief.”
His voice was dripping with blatant ridicule.
“Honestly… why don’t you just stop now? Even if you make pathetic excuses, it will only make you look more miserable.”
“…….”
Yoonwoo didn’t even feel it was worth responding to Minjae’s low-level provocation and remained silent, but his hands under the desk were trembling with rage.
“Haah….”
Minjae sighed deeply and exaggeratedly as if he found Yoonwoo’s reaction amusing, then looked around sinisterly once more, leaned close to Yoonwoo, and whispered in a low voice.
“Chief, I’m only saying this because I truly… feel bad for you.”
He acted with a hypocritical expression as if he were genuinely worried about Yoonwoo.
“Just admit it. You did… plagiarize, right?”
