Chapter 4

Episode 4

As Seo Taecheon and Lee Jiwoon entered Seo Taecheon’s suite, they kicked off their shoes and lay down on the bed.

Seo Taecheon propped a pillow under Jiwoon, who could barely keep himself upright, and then lifted a camera with one hand.

“Taking the shot.”

“Zzz…”

“Jiwoon?”

When Taecheon glanced over, Jiwoon was already fast asleep.

“…Snoring…”

He fell asleep that quickly?

Taecheon shook Jiwoon to wake him, but he didn’t budge.

With a sigh of disbelief, Taecheon snapped a photo of the sleeping Jiwoon and uploaded it to his documentation app.

Meanwhile, Jiwoon, under the influence of alcohol, was deeply asleep, unaware of his surroundings.

As dawn broke, Jiwoon woke up, feeling a deep warmth.

“Ah… it’s hot.”

‘Why is my whole body so hot? I want to drink some cold water.’

The room was dark, and in his half-asleep state, everything seemed blurry.

His breath was heavy, his forehead was hot, and even his hands and feet were burning.

‘What’s happening to me? I’m burning up.’

This didn’t feel like a typical hangover.

It wasn’t just thirst or a headache; it felt like a deep, intense heat from within his body.

‘I’m thirsty. I want something cool to drink. Something ice-cold to take away this heat inside me.’

His consciousness faded in and out.

Jiwoon drifted between dream and reality before falling back asleep.

Soon, a surprisingly cool, moist touch brushed his cheek.

“Ah…”

Even in his dream, the sensation was incredibly vivid.

It felt like a hand holding an enduring chill, pleasant and soothing.

“So cool…”

Jiwoon placed his hand over the mysterious hand and rubbed his face against it.

A sharp scent wafted up, tickling his nose, a scent so delightful and intoxicating it was indescribable.

“…More…”

The mix of cold touch and intoxicating scent only intensified his thirst.

How wonderful it would be if he could absorb this sensation into his body.

As he thought this, a coolness touched his lips, soft and moist.

“Mmm…”

He felt breathless for a moment, then a refreshing sensation spread through his mouth.

‘A kiss. Who am I kissing?’

Even with his hazy mind, Jiwoon knew what he was doing.

But the mix of alcohol and the dream’s surrealness was too strong to think rationally.

Engulfed in a light, heady sensation, Jiwoon felt like he was floating.

It felt like flying, with electric tingles in his fingertips and toes, and his heart pounded whenever he touched the other person.

“Stay still.”

A low voice, very close, instructed him as his wrist was pinned, and his body was pressed into the bed.

Jiwoon, with his hands restrained, could only breathe in the icy sensation and intoxicating scent invading his lips.

“Haa…”

Every time their lips parted, a sigh escaped.

As the heat inside his body slowly dissipated, a new, peculiar sensation took its place.

His body felt itchy and subtly sensitive.

As his partner’s body pressed down on him, Jiwoon’s wrist, cheek, and earlobe felt ticklish.

“That’s enough.”

The deep voice echoed near him, and his body suddenly felt lighter.

…What an incredible dream.

Jiwoon drifted back into unconsciousness.

***

Sunlight streamed into the room.

Squinting against the summer light, Jiwoon struggled to open his eyes.

Blinking, he realized he was lying in an enormous bed, looking around at a spacious room and a distant sitting area.

“Where am I…?”

This wasn’t the room he remembered unpacking in.

It was just a small, cozy room, wasn’t it?

But this room could fit thirty people rolling around in it.

Holding his throbbing head, Jiwoon sat up.

He heard a sound from the sitting area, and soon, Seo Taecheon appeared.

“You slept well.”

“Huh? Is this your room, Director?”

“Yes.”

“Why am I… here?”

“You fell asleep while taking a selfie. Don’t you remember?”

Sitting on a sofa next to the side table, Taecheon replied.

Jiwoon slowly pieced together the fragmented memories of the previous night.

He had drunk a lot and was brought here by Taecheon.

He fell asleep right after taking a photo…

‘Wait. Didn’t I have a weird dream? I kissed someone cool in the middle of the night while burning up. Someone who smelled like the forest. It was a mystical sensation, like no other scent in the world…’

Jiwoon touched his forehead. It wasn’t hot at all.

His body felt perfectly normal. Hard to believe he was burning up like a furnace.

“Must have been a silly dream.”

“What?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Then take your time and have breakfast.”

“Breakfast?”

The clock on the wall showed 8 AM.

Even if he hurried down to the staff cafeteria, it would be tight to get a meal.

“I don’t think I have enough time.”

“Room service will arrive soon.”

“Huh?”

“I forgot I have a meeting with the executives and ordered it. The menu is hangover soup. You should eat it.”

“Really?”

Scratching the back of his head, Jiwoon blinked.

‘Lucky me? No need for a hangover cure.’

“Then let’s keep up the good work today, pretending not to know.”

“Same here.”

Taecheon, inspecting his perfectly ironed shirt in the mirror, left the room.

“Wow, a weird dream followed by free food. Is this a sign of good fortune today…?”

‘Not sure, but my body feels light, and there seems to be no pheromone problem. Good.’

Jiwoon sniffed around but detected no pheromones at all.

‘Skipping the suppressant for a day doesn’t cause any problems. Yeah, it’s nothing to worry about.’

Lee Jiwoon thought everything was perfectly fine, but there was one possibility he hadn’t considered.

When an omega’s pheromones are disturbed and released externally, they can be neutralized by close contact with alpha pheromones.

In simple terms, skin contact with an alpha can prevent the pheromones from leaking out.

Jiwoon didn’t think of this second possibility at all and waited for room service happily.

***

“Today’s highlight! The teamwork boasting sports event!”

Manager Kim, who was hosting, heated up the atmosphere inside the gymnasium.

The 60 participants were divided into six teams, enthusiastically cheering and shouting slogans.

Lee Jiwoon and Ki Hyunjin were on the same team.

The two showed great teamwork in group games like tug-of-war and ball rolling, leading their team well, and even won first place in mini soccer, making a significant impact.

“Team 1 is doing great. At this rate, they might win! But the last game is still left. It’s the three-legged race! Winning here could turn the tables!”

“Wow!”

The employees clapped and cheered.

“Manager Ki and Assistant Lee, you should go! You two work well together!”

“Yeah, yeah. If you two go, the win is guaranteed.”

The employees unanimously suggested that Ki Hyunjin and Lee Jiwoon team up.

Jiwoon also thought that teaming up with Hyunjin would increase their chances of winning.

“From Team 1, Manager Ki and I will compete.”

Jiwoon went to the headquarters to register.

However, the staff member shook his head.

“Oh, that won’t work.”

“Why not, Manager?”

“For Team 1, the Director has to be included. It’s the finale, it needs to be memorable. Didn’t you hear earlier?”

Jiwoon was taken aback by the employee’s words.

Seriously?

Even if this is just a show, this is too much.

What’s the point of having an executive participate in the sports event?

“Understood. Then Manager Ki and the Director will run.”

“No, I will run with Assistant Lee.”

“Huh?”

Before he realized it, Seo Taecheon had approached, standing confidently with his arms crossed.

“No. You want to run with me?”

“Why not? I saw you perform well in all the events earlier.”

“Uh… that’s true.”

“Come on, no time to waste. Director! Assistant Lee! Please head to the starting line.”

The staff hurried the two to the starting line.

Jiwoon was dragged there without a chance to argue.

Taecheon swiftly tied their ankles together and put his arm around Jiwoon’s shoulder.

“Do we start with the left foot or the right foot?”

“Let’s start with the inner foot.”

They started practicing lightly.

But each time they synchronized their steps, they moved perfectly in unison.

What is this? Why are we so in sync?

It didn’t feel good or bad, just strange.

The image of the instructor saying, “If these two work on a project together, they’ll do very well,” during a personality type test flashed before his eyes.

Could that test have been real?

Jiwoon pouted.

Ugh, it’s annoying. It feels like the whole world is trying to pair me up with this guy.

Their three-legged race ended with a dominant first place.

Applause poured in for Jiwoon and Taecheon as they reached the finish line.

“Amazing! The Director and Assistant Lee made it to first place together. The prize is… a hotel voucher!”

“Wow! I’m jealous!”

“Well done!”

Jiwoon received the hotel voucher from the affiliated company.

‘Seriously? It’s just a hotel we can use at a discount anyway. This coupon doesn’t make me happy at all… But I have to pretend to be happy, right?’

A photo captured Jiwoon, bewildered, and Taecheon, looking relaxed.

***

The trip back after the eventful 1-night, 2-day trip coincided with rush hour traffic.

As they entered Seoul, the traffic jam worsened, and Jiwoon dozed off in the slow-moving car.

“Mm…”

Ah, this is nice.

Jiwoon found the unknown object his head was resting on very comfortable.

It had just the right cushion and firmness for a good sleep.

“Ah… it’s so puffy.”

He reached out and squeezed the cushion. It had great elasticity and didn’t lose its shape even when he pressed and patted it.

What is this made of?

When he opened his eyes, he found Seo Taecheon staring at him with a disdainful look.

“Uh. Sorry.”

“…More than touching it, I’m worried about you drooling on my shoulder.”

“I didn’t drool, okay?”

Jiwoon quickly moved away from Taecheon’s shoulder and checked his face in his phone’s reflection. Thankfully, there was no sign of drool.

“We’re at Gangnam Station. Please be careful getting off.”

The car finally stopped.

Jiwoon got off first and pulled his suitcase from the trunk.

While doing so, he scanned the crowd of dozens, searching for Taecheon.

But he was nowhere to be seen.