* * *

Only a silent gaze followed; there was no definitive answer.

“I’m not the only matchmaker here. It doesn’t have to be me…”

“But there’s only one Yoo Junhee.”

A deep, dark voice, like a bottomless pit, sent a shiver down Junhee’s spine.

“I don’t know what you’re expecting from me, but I can’t repay the help you’ve given me.”

“I know.”

“…”

“So what?”

With nothing left to say, Junhee fell silent.

“Are you scared I’ll make you sell a kidney or something?”

“…No. I doubt it’d fetch much anyway.”

At Junhee’s deadpan response, Ki Taeryu chuckled softly.

Junhee didn’t get what was funny.

To him, it was pure sincerity without a trace of humor.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, just think of it as a favor.”

“There’s no such thing as a favor without strings attached.”

“Then think carefully about what you can give me.”

“…”

“You must have something.”

Suddenly, Taeryu’s hand drifted onto the back of Junhee’s.

‘This lunatic again.’

Driving required focus, yet Taeryu gripped the wheel lazily with one hand while the other played around.

Junhee wanted to jerk his hand away but didn’t dare, fearing it might wake the sleeping child, Bodam.

Frustration boiled within him.

This shameless alpha always seized moments when Junhee was helpless, indulging his whims like a master manipulator.

It seemed Taeryu found amusement in Junhee’s every reaction.

Fine, Junhee thought, touch all you want.

‘I’ll just sleep.’

He squeezed his eyes shut.

But the hand only grew bolder.

At some point, Taeryu unbuttoned Junhee’s sleeve and slid his fingers inside, stroking his forearm.

Junhee snapped his eyes open, his face burning.

“What do you think I am? A magic lamp? You think rubbing me will make something come out?”

“Your pretty voice does.”

“…Ha.”

Where, Junhee wondered, had this man’s personality gone so wrong?

“Let me be clear: what you’re doing right now is harassment.”

“After everything—our lips already touched—and you’re fussing over this?”

Worried Bodam might wake and overhear, Junhee quickly reached out and covered Taeryu’s mouth.

A slow, warm, damp sensation trailed across his palm.

“You’re insane…!”

“Been meaning to say, your mouth’s pretty filthy.”

“If you don’t want curses, don’t earn them.”

“Curse away. I’ll keep doing what I want.”

As they bickered, the car approached the orphanage.

Taeryu pulled over beneath a streetlight at the alley’s entrance.

For a moment, only the soft sounds of Bodam’s breathing filled the car.

This alley, familiar from Junhee’s school days, had always seemed so shabby.

But now, it didn’t look as desolate. Maybe it was the quiet air, infused with a strange sweetness.

Or maybe, it was the firm hand holding his, clouding his judgment.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Just… those days I lived here.”

“How was it?”

Summing up over a decade in a few words felt impossible.

After a long pause, Junhee spoke.

“…Most days, I didn’t think about much. Some were good. And sometimes, I wanted to disappear.”

“I was the opposite.”

“Are you saying… you were happy?”

The words made Junhee bristle, ready to snap back, when—

“Most days, I wanted to disappear.”

“…”

Junhee turned to Taeryu, whose gaze seemed fixed on the dark void beyond the alley.

The silence grew heavy.

Junhee realized how presumptuous it had been to assume Taeryu led a carefree life.

But Taeryu wasn’t like him.

He had far more than Junhee could imagine—things Junhee struggled to hold onto.

And with more to have, came more to lose.

“We should go,” Junhee said, trying to pull his hand away.

But Taeryu’s grip was unyielding.

“…Let go.”

“Why?”

“How long do you plan on holding on like this?”

“Don’t get mad. Comfort me.”

“What kind of—”

He barely stopped himself from saying nonsense.

Then he remembered: Taeryu had said something similar earlier.

‘Instead of just getting angry, try soothing me.’

Thinking about it now, it was absurd.

“You’re one to talk. Didn’t you smash Gang Heesung’s head out of sheer rage?”

“True. Should’ve wrecked it properly.”

There was no joking tone; the words sent a chill down Junhee’s spine.

What if, on a whim, he decided to crush my head too?

Junhee’s defiance wavered.

“…You’re not a thug. You shouldn’t do that.”

“Yeah, but my hands keep moving on their own.”

As he spoke, Taeryu shamelessly traced the blue veins on Junhee’s wrist.

“Then maybe, as compensation, let me kiss you.”

Junhee hastily covered Bodam’s ears with his palm.

The boy, exhausted from the day, remained sound asleep.

“Are you out of your mind?”

“With tongue?”

“Can’t you see Bodam’s right here?”

“So, if the kid weren’t here, you’d let me? Drop him off, then come back.”

Junhee felt an uncomfortable sense of relief.

‘Right, this guy’s just always been shameless.’

He had briefly wondered if Taeryu harbored deeper feelings for him. What a waste of thought.

As relief set in, it left behind a strange bitterness.

Brushing off the lingering touch of Taeryu’s thumb, Junhee carefully cradled Bodam and stepped out of the car.

Just before shutting the door, he turned back.

“I’m staying here tonight.”

Bang.

The door slammed shut, and from within, Junhee thought he heard laughter slip out.

---

“Hey! The vase fell over!”

“Where’s the cleaning stuff?”

Junhee and his team bustled around the event hall.

It was a VIP matchmaking event, run monthly by rotating teams of matchmakers.

This month, Junhee’s Team 4 was in charge of the Spring Meeting.

Usually, their team leader handled it, but since she was away on a business trip, Junhee had taken the lead.

Losing his weekend was unfortunate, but the generous overtime pay was a blessing for Junhee’s tight finances.

Besides, he could finally close the deal with Doyoung and draw clearer boundaries with Taeryu.

Overall, it wasn’t such a bad deal.

“We’re starting the meeting shortly. Everyone, check your assignments one last time.”

“Yes, sir!”

Jiyeon, one of the team members, raised her hand enthusiastically, holding something.

“Jiyeon, what’s that you’re holding?”

“Oh, this? It’s the name tag that was left on the table.”

A quick glance confirmed it was one of the names Junhee had already checked on the list.

“Is there an issue with the name tag? The event’s about to start, so it should be on the table.”

“Oh! Actually, we got a late message that this member won’t be attending due to personal reasons.”

The name had been on the list Junhee confirmed yesterday, but it seemed the cancellation was last-minute.

One fewer participant, but this kind of thing wasn’t uncommon, so he didn’t pay much mind.

The only thing Junhee needed to focus on was…

‘Partner pairing.’

For the first part of the event, where partners were randomly assigned, his sole task was to ensure Moon Doyoung and Ki Taeryu were paired up.

“Understood.”

“I’ll go check the swapped name tags again, just to be sure.”

Junhee nodded, intending to send Jiyeon off, but a chill ran down the back of his neck.

“Wait a moment, Jiyeon.”

“Yes?”

“You mentioned swapping name tags? Who with whom?”

“Oh, Assistant Manager, I left you a message about this yesterday when you were out. Since the member canceled, I quickly arranged for my member to take their place.”

At Jiyeon’s words, Junhee’s chest tightened. Her member?

The only VIP under Jiyeon’s management that came to mind was…

“Who exactly?”

Junhee asked, his voice laced with urgency.

His uneasy premonition hit the mark.

“Member Cha Yoonjae!”

---

Five minutes before the event began.

Junhee had already tried calling several times, but Cha Yoonjae wasn’t answering.

Members were steadily arriving and filling their seats.

The venue was nearly at full capacity, leaving Junhee with no choice but to pocket his phone.

While the event hired an external host for the main proceedings, Junhee was responsible for the opening remarks.

“Assistant Manager! It looks like it’s time to start!”

“…Understood.”

Standing at the podium, Junhee clenched and unclenched his hands in a vain attempt to steady his nerves.

Just then, Moon Doyoung entered with a confident stride, beaming and waving enthusiastically at Junhee.

Junhee’s heart pounded like it might burst.

‘Doyoung must not run into Cha Yoonjae…’

He didn’t want to imagine whether Doyoung, upon seeing Yoonjae, would stay discreet or spread rumors among their peers.

To make matters worse, it had only been a few weeks since Yoonjae introduced Daeheon to Doyoung at his birthday party in that wine bar.

Cold sweat dripped down Junhee’s back as the event began.

Two people had yet to appear: Yoonjae and Taeryu.

Junhee found himself conflicted—half-hoping Yoonjae wouldn’t show, but desperately needing Taeryu to arrive no matter what.

“Welcome, everyone. I’m Yoo Junhee, your couple manager from Leeum.”

After a round of light applause, Junhee delivered his pre-prepared opening remarks.

Not a single joke or light-hearted quip came to mind.

He clung to his script, afraid that if he let his guard down for even a second, he’d lose track of what he was saying entirely.

Still, his attention kept drifting to the entrance.

“As we proceed according to the order outlined earlier, I sincerely hope this becomes a meaningful opportunity for you to find your match…”

Before he could finish, the door creaked open with a gust of wind.

The air was instantly filled with a powerful pheromone that spread throughout the venue.

Heads turned in unison, like reeds swaying in the wind.

The pheromone wasn’t from just one person.

Ki Taeryu and Cha Yoonjae.

An extreme Dominent Alpha and a dominant Omega had entered together.

* * *