* * *
Just in case, he had taken more suppressants than the recommended dosage, yet even the faintest whiff of pheromones brushing past his nose made his stomach churn.
A chill swept down his stiffened back.
‘…No way.’
Even on a day like this, the damn misfortune attached to him made its presence unmistakably clear.
It hadn’t been long since his last heat cycle. It shouldn’t be possible. But if—by even the slimmest chance—it was happening again…
‘Absolutely not.’
He could run out to a pharmacy, but there wasn’t enough time.
“The real event starts after the ceremony, Yoo Junhee.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if it started before the engagement? That way, it’s more certain.”
“A little disgrace and a scandal might keep him in check for a while.”
Hong Yeong-gyeong had said that as she handed Junhee a spare key.
As he stared down at the key back then, Junhee had briefly wondered—perhaps the countless rumors surrounding Ki Taeryu had also been orchestrated by Hong Yeong-gyeong.
His fingers brushed against the small, square object inside his pocket, and a wave of anxiety rushed in.
‘I need to find medicine, fast—anywhere.’
Just as he was about to slip out of the hall to find a hotel staff member, someone blocked his path.
“Oh? Junhee? What brings you here?”
“…Yoonjae?”
Junhee looked at Yoonjae in surprise, then recalled the message he had received from Kim Daeheon just before coming here.
[Junhee, Yoonjae reached out to me.]
Along with that message, Daeheon had sent a screenshot of Yoonjae’s reply.
But he hadn’t had the time to check it.
Even though Yoonjae’s sudden appearance caught him off guard, he had already considered the possibility of running into someone he knew.
“I’m here… representing the company. Both of them are our members, after all.”
Yoonjae’s gaze lingered on Junhee’s face for a moment before he flashed his usual easygoing smile.
“Ah, I see. I actually just came with my mom.”
Junhee knew well that Yoonjae’s mother, Cha Haetsal, had connections with Hong Yeong-gyeong.
“You know how my mom is. She probably dragged me here to check out any decent Alphas.”
Junhee considered bringing up Daeheon but decided against it.
Now wasn’t the time, and whatever was between them was for them to settle.
“I see. Well, then, I should—”
Unlike Yoonjae, who seemed eager to talk, Junhee didn’t have the time.
Even Yoonjae’s pheromones, which he usually didn’t even notice, were making his stomach churn.
If he lingered any longer, things would spiral out of control. Just as he hurried to leave—
“Hey, Junhee.”
“Yes?”
“You don’t look well at all. Is something wrong? Can I help?”
Behind Yoonjae’s concerned voice, the emcee’s voice echoed from within the hall.
The final toast. The ceremony was ending.
Feeling an overwhelming sense of urgency, Junhee hesitated, his mind struggling to keep up.
Yoonjae already knew he was an Omega.
And he was an Omega himself.
That meant—
“Yoonjae… Do you have any suppresants? Could you spare one?”
As the ceremony ended, guests began to file out of the hall.
Junhee stood in an inconspicuous corner, steadying his breath.
Watching the numbers on the staff elevator count down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was staring at a ticking time bomb.
Thump. Thump.
His heart was pounding.
He wasn’t sure if it was because of the overdose or simply nerves.
At least, after taking the pill from Yoonjae, his body had relaxed somewhat—his nausea had subsided.
In the distance, he spotted two familiar figures.
Cha Haetsal and Yoonjae.
The mother and son stood among the crowd, arms linked, cheerfully waving at someone.
Junhee’s gaze naturally followed theirs—only for his eyes to widen in shock.
‘…Team Leader Cha?’
Cha Junwoo was standing there.
With his tall height, he was impossible to miss.
It was a face Junhee saw every day—there was no way he was mistaken.
Ding.
The elevator’s arrival chime snapped him back to reality.
Only when the doors were about to close did he hurriedly step in.
Clunk. The doors reopened as he barely made it inside.
“I’m staying with family in Seoul for now. When I have time to look for a place, I’ll move out.”
“My family situation is complicated, too. It’s a remarried household.”
“…Shit.”
Leaning against the wall, Junhee pressed a hand to his forehead.
There wasn’t a single thing similar between the two of them.
‘Then… the person who told Cha Junwoo that I’m a recessive Omega…’
‘…was Cha Yoonjae?’
A sharp sting spread from the back of his head.
‘Did he plan to deceive me from the start? No, that’s—’
Jumping to conclusions would be reckless.
Yoonjae had done nothing to harm him.
But it was also unsettling to dismiss it as pure coincidence.
“Hah…”
Still lost in confusion, Junhee barely managed to pull himself together as the elevator reached its destination.
There was no time to think about anything else now.
The moment these doors opened, he had to erase Cha Yoonjae and Cha Junwoo from his mind—no matter what.
A lingering trace of pheromones clung to the floor like a carpet, following the path Ki Taeryu had just taken.
It had only been a few minutes—no, perhaps mere seconds ago.
Even with his eyes closed, he could follow the trail with ease.
The pheromone scent that wrapped around him was so intoxicatingly sweet, it felt as if it would melt his insides.
‘…He’s waiting for me there.’
The one who held hands with him, cut the cake, exchanged rings, and whispered vows amid blessings.
‘Everyone else had given their blessings, so would it be too much for me alone to wish for misfortune?’
‘If I could be selective about suffering, I would have never even tasted it.’
‘But unfortunately, life didn’t work that way.’
‘So I swallowed it all down by myself, again and again.’
Junhee’s shadow stretched long as he stood before the door.
Slowly, he pulled out the card key and held it up.
The door unlocked with ease.
Click. He pushed it open and stepped inside.
The scent that filled his lungs as he took a deep breath wrapped around him, as if even his soul was being bewitched.
His eyelids trembled.
Ki Taeryu was there, as always, drinking alone in the same spot.
Seated with his back turned toward the floor-to-ceiling window, he made no move to turn around, even though he must have heard the sound of footsteps.
Junhee wanted to ask him—
Do you even know what’s in that whiskey you’re gulping down so carelessly?
Are you really not afraid of anything?
Because I’m terrified of everything.
As Ki Taeryu tilted his glass, he twisted his lips in a bitter smirk.
“Did you miss me so much you couldn’t hold back? Or…”
Was it that you hated me so much you couldn’t stand it?
His voice was a murmur, like someone already deep in intoxication.
The moment his voice poured out, thick with pheromones, Junhee’s senses began to dull.
He realized something was wrong when Ki Taeryu slowly turned toward him.
“You said you wanted an ordinary life, Junhee.”
“…….”
He spoke as if he had known from the very beginning that Junhee would come here.
Not a trace of surprise flickered in those pitch-black eyes locking onto him.
“I think I gave you more than enough chances.”
Ki Taeryu stood up.
Screech—
The chair scraped against the floor with a chilling sound as it was pushed back.
The shadow he cast loomed high, stretching all the way to Junhee’s feet.
“If you were going to slap my hand away, you shouldn’t have held someone else’s.”
The rough scrape of his voice sent a shiver down Junhee’s spine.
His gaze, his voice, his pheromones—everything held Junhee bound, trapped.
The scent that seeped through the narrow space between them scratched insistently at his insides.
Something inside him stirred, eagerly drinking in that scent.
It felt as if every pore in his body was opening, preparing to receive it.
“This was your last chance.”
When Junhee blinked, Ki Taeryu was already right in front of him.
A thin line stretched from his fingertips—Junhee’s tie.
It took him a moment to realize.
A leash wrapped around his throat, Junhee was helplessly pulled forward.
The distance between them shrank—just a fingertip away.
From Ki Taeryu’s body, a slow heat radiated.
“Junhee.”
His fingers clenched tighter around Junhee’s jaw.
His head was forced back until his neck ached, his cheekbones pushed up under the pressure.
His lips parted under the force.
Then, suddenly—
A tongue invaded, stealing away his breath.
Their lips stuck together, sharp canines grazing against soft flesh.
The kiss was brief but intense, colliding and retreating just as quickly.
Ki Taeryu’s dark, heavy gaze bore into Junhee’s half-lidded eyes.
“Fuck… why do you taste so sweet?”
This time, Ki Taeryu cupped Junhee’s cheeks with both hands and dove in.
Junhee stared, dazed, his half-closed eyes watching as Ki Taeryu bit and sucked at his tongue, unrelenting.
His gaze—
It was the look of a beast determined to devour him whole.
Just like in that dream from long ago, when he was swallowed into darkness.
Ki Taeryu kissed him without restraint—ravaging, delving deep, biting and licking until he had torn Junhee’s rationality apart.
Rip. Rip.
His sanity was shredded, piece by piece.
When Junhee reached up to wrap his arms around Ki Taeryu’s neck, the sound of the door opening echoed in the room.
But the wet sounds between them were louder.
Junhee only pressed himself closer, locking tongues again.
He needed to taste more, just a little longer—before he melted away completely.
Ki Taeryu let out a silent chuckle, as if pleased with how eagerly Junhee clung to him.
Just as their tongues tangled once more, there was a sudden crashing noise—something breaking, a strangled gasp.
“Ki Taeryu, what the hell are you—!”
With a sharp tug, Ki Taeryu pulled at Junhee’s lips one last time before breaking away.
“Can’t you tell just by looking? Get lost. I’m busy.”
As the footsteps retreated, Ki Taeryu pressed loud, smacking kisses onto Junhee’s flushed cheek.
“That interruption is over with.”
He tightened his arms, lifting Junhee with ease and settling him onto his firm hips.
Junhee clung to him tighter, and in response, a hot breath brushed against his ear.
“Now, I just have to finish my business with you.”
* * *
