* * *

Juwan only called after he was already there.

Appearing like magic, without saying how far away he was or when he’d arrive.

He must’ve heard Sejun mention his apartment complex in passing before.

Unlike Juwan, Sejun had never been vague about himself.

Feeling a little nervous, he headed downstairs.

A luxury sedan blinked its headlights in the darkness.

Sejun instantly identified the car’s model and price before opening the passenger door.

“Did you wait long?”

“Not really. Seeing you makes me happy.”

“……”

It felt strange, sitting in the passenger seat for a change, especially in Juwan’s car—a far more expensive one than his own.

“I thought you’d come in the van.”

“The academy name’s plastered all over that. If that’s your thing, I’ll bring it next time.”

“Haha…”

Sejun had always thought of Juwan as a former athlete who failed to make it as a national representative but succeeded as a small-town business owner.

That self-perception, of being more experienced, more worldly, more accomplished than Juwan—was it wrong?

‘Maybe not…’

While he was lost in thought, Juwan leaned over to buckle his seatbelt, his arm brushing against him.

It was something Sejun had only thought about doing himself.

A familiar, yet strangely different, scent drifted over from Juwan.

“Do you always dress up like this in your neighborhood?”

Sensing his stiffness, Juwan tried to lighten the mood in his own awkward way.

Well, what man wouldn’t try to look good when he’s this attractive?

After all, Sejun was one of those who didn’t mind Juwan being a Beta.

Ignoring the faint trace of Omega pheromones lingering at his nose, Sejun smiled sharply.

“I was in bed, ready to sleep. But I got up and ran out just to see you.”

“…….”

Kwon Juwan froze in place, wide-eyed, still leaning over to fasten Jin Sejun’s seatbelt.

The rich, sweet scent of ripened peaches filled the air, as if it had been steeped in honey.

It was a fragrance often touted as the epitome of an Omega’s scent—soft, natural, undeniably someone’s pheromones.

Of course, Jin Sejun had always found Omega pheromones alluring.

But at this moment, he thought he finally understood why Omega employees despised it when someone sniffed around their pheromones.

This was why, without a doubt, Jin Sejun was defective as an Alpha.

“Do you even date Omegas? It’s rare enough to see a Beta who likes Omegas, but an Omega liking a Beta? That’s even weirder.”

Though he was aware his eyes weren’t smiling, there was little he could do about it.

This wasn’t the kind of situation where he could act cool—it was a first for him.

Yet Kwon Juwan, as if it were nothing serious, let out a light laugh and returned to his seat.

“Oh, a friend. I came out for a drink with that Omega friend I mentioned before. But their heat suddenly started, so I dropped them off at home.”

“So, you’ve already had some drinks, but you didn’t want to go home, and I’m just the backup plan?”

“Sejun, you’re really adorable.”

“What?”

When Jin Sejun snapped his head around, Kwon Juwan’s lips curved into a slight smile—different from his usual one.

‘Is it the alcohol? Looking at him like this, he does seem older….’

Still, no Alpha would feel good about being called “adorable” by a mere Beta.

Kwon Juwan’s smile shifted to something a little more awkward.

“I didn’t drink. I drove here, after all.”

‘Oh, so you brought your fancy car to escort your Omega friend, huh?’

What had once seemed charming about him now felt entirely grating.

It was even more infuriating to think that he was attracted to someone like this.

‘Yeah, he’s probably just a gym rat. A gym rat who doesn’t date much.’

Juwan didn’t even seem confident in his looks.

If Sejun threw him a compliment or two, he’d probably fall for it right away.

Having made up his mind, Jin Sejun reached out and stroked Juwan’s hair firmly.

He could feel the subtle flinch under his hand, which instantly improved his mood.

Still stroking Juwan’s hair, Sejun gently turned his head forward.

“Let’s go. But if the drinks there are bad, I’m leaving.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

The bar Kwon Juwan drove them to was fifteen minutes away on a quiet road.

The city lights visible from the windows weren’t much different from the view from Sejun’s living room, but it wasn’t a bad change of pace.

‘All I want is to lose my V-card to a good-looking Beta who doesn’t understand pheromones. I’m not looking for a marriage prospect.’

With that thought, the anger he’d felt toward Juwan’s lingering pheromones seemed to fade, like it had all happened yesterday.

“If the drinks were bad, I was planning to make you pay, but they’re pretty good. I might have to treat you instead.”

“Oh, I was planning to pay from the start.”

“What kind of Alpha lets their fling buy them drinks?”

Teasing, he threw in a playful jab, and Juwan’s eyes widened.

As always, looking into Juwan’s eyes left Sejun with an odd feeling.

Even under the bar’s dim lighting, the calm gray of Juwan’s irises gleamed sharply, like a storm waiting to roll in.

Juwan, who had looked momentarily startled, poured him another drink before wrapping a piece of cheese with nuts from the platter and offering it to Sejun.

“If we argue about who’s paying, the drinks will get warm. Let’s eat and talk, okay?”

“Sounds good.”

Accepting the bite, Sejun licked Juwan’s fingers mischievously.

The way Juwan’s eyes darkened in response only improved Sejun’s mood further.

He downed another glass.

The whiskey was apparently high-end.

Though Sejun didn’t know much about drinking, he liked its aroma.

Juwan might not fit his ideal type—he’d hoped for someone more naïve and less qualified—but there was still something appealing about him.

After several rounds, Sejun rested his chin on his hand, leaning his weight heavily on the table.

“So… I have this allergy to love triangles.”

It had been a while since he’d had such an intimate drinking session—probably not since his mid-twenties.

At first, he’d been nervous, but the alcohol had melted all his tension away.

He gazed up at Juwan with a slightly delinquent air due to his posture.

“Whenever I like someone, they’re never into me. And whenever someone likes me, they’re never my type. Not that I’m saying Alphas have been chasing me or anything—just, you know, on a human level.”

When was the last time he’d thought about this?

Sejun had once sincerely fallen for someone, hoping to experience a love that was pure and long-lasting.

That was before his pheromone issues and before he’d lowered himself to chasing Betas for hookups.

Back then, he’d even dreamt of marrying the right Omega after a long, steady relationship.

But a strange jinx had followed him: the people he loved always ended up hating him.

The last time he got his heart broken, he’d screamed about giving it all up and going to seminary, only to be kicked to the curb by his eldest brother.

It was a long time ago, of course.

Now, even his taste in Omegas had grown clinical—he’d categorized them into types and dated them accordingly.

But by then, his pheromone issues had already begun.

‘Yeah, I used to want true love. Now? I just want a warm body. Or rather, I’ll settle for wanting a warm body.’

It was a pitiful, shameful desire, but it was what it was.

He envied those who could live alone, indifferent to loneliness.

* * *