“Pardon?”
“Actually, you’ve been giving off a really nice scent since we met today. Kind of like… fruit blossoms.”
A nice scent.
If it was a scent an Alpha could smell from an Omega, there was only one thing it could be.
“Could it be that your cycle is starting…?”
Hyowoo took a startled step back. Seeing his face turn deathly pale, Lee Seohee apologized with a troubled expression.
“It’s natural to be surprised and uncomfortable hearing this so suddenly, I’m sorry. But if it’s ‘that time,’ it could be dangerous, so I thought it would be better for you to get home quickly.”
Though it was words of genuine concern, not a single word reached Hyowoo’s ears.
‘Heat… cycle? That can’t be… I checked several times today too…’
Could it be because he was with a Dominant Alpha? But he didn’t feel any heat in his body at all.
While he was confused by the incomprehensible situation, the murmuring around them grew louder. He could hear clicking sounds from here and there, as if people were taking pictures.
‘I… I need to get out of here first…’
When Seohee said he should escort him home after all, Hyowoo sharply retorted, “I’m fine!” Right now, Hyowoo didn’t even have the luxury to care about Lee Seohee’s goodwill or feelings.
Fortunately, a waiting taxi had an ‘Omega Safe Taxi’ sticker on it. Hyowoo hastily got into the taxi, even forgetting to say goodbye.
“Driver-nim, please take good care of this person to their destination.”
Unlike his frantic self, Lee Seohee made the request to the taxi driver in a relaxed tone. The driver, who recognized him, seemed surprised for a moment but soon nodded, saying he would do so.
“Get home safely, Hyowoo-ssi.”
After leaving that affectionate farewell, he personally closed the taxi door.
“Where shall I take you, customer?”
“Munjeong-dong Song… no, please take me to Apgujeong OO Department Store…”
Instead of heading home, Hyowoo changed his destination to a department store near here. It was because of his anxiety that reporters might follow.
Through the side mirror of the slowly departing taxi, he could see his figure. Watching him looking this way with no intention of moving, Hyowoo muttered to himself.
“It’s cold, he should go inside quickly…”
As the taxi left the hotel premises and entered the main road, Hyowoo took out a thermometer from his pocket. Normally he would never take his temperature in front of other people, but now wasn’t the time to worry about his surroundings. If his temperature had risen even slightly, he needed to take suppressants immediately.
Beep. As soon as the thermometer’s notification sound rang, he checked the result. However, the number displayed was 36.2 degrees. The same as when he had just arrived at the hotel.
Thinking there might be an error, he took his temperature several more times, but the result was the same.
‘How… is this happening?’
A heat cycle was supposed to be accompanied by a rise in body temperature. Pheromones were also only secreted when there was enough heat to make the whole body burn. In Hyowoo’s case, the temperature at which pheromones came out was 38.8 degrees. They were never secreted before exceeding that number.
If the thermometer was working properly and this number was accurate, it meant that currently, far from being in heat, he hadn’t even reached the temperature at which his normal pheromones came out.
‘But then how did that person smell a scent from me…?’
Could it be that this damn Peculiar Constitution had evolved? If not, there was no explanation for the current situation.
‘Then wouldn’t going to the department store be dangerous?’
Even though it was a weekday afternoon, that was the department store with the most customers in Seoul. Among them would naturally be Alphas too.
‘Should I just go straight home instead?’
He pondered for several minutes whether to ask to change the destination, but in the end, Hyowoo decided to go to the department store as planned.
If his temperature hadn’t risen significantly, even if pheromones were secreted, it would be an extremely small amount. If it was that much, even if an Alpha noticed, it wouldn’t be to the level of losing their mind and rushing at him. Moreover, places where many people gathered, like department stores, had ‘Omega Protection Centers’ prepared for emergency situations. If he found himself in a dangerous situation, it wouldn’t be too late to evacuate there and take suppressants.
He put the thermometer in his pocket and anxiously bit his thumbnail.
‘What if… what if my constitution has changed… If pheromones come out regardless of temperature…?’
Then it would mean even suppressants were now useless. At the thought that even ordinary daily life would now be impossible, a chill ran down his spine.
To accurately check his constitution, a university hospital’s detailed examination was essential. However, even if he made an appointment today, the earliest he could get tested would be a week later. After that, he’d have to wait another 2-3 weeks for the results.
‘I can just stay home until the test results come out, but… what should I tell Mom and Dad…?’
His heart ached thinking of his parents who hadn’t had a single comfortable day worrying about their second child.
‘Noona and Gyeonwoo will worry too…’
For the past few years, the whole family had gone through difficult times because of him alone. He couldn’t help it if his life became painful due to a constitutional change, but the thought of his family’s pain repeating was unbearably agonizing.
‘Why is this happening again…?’
He covered his face with both hands.
‘That day… it would have been better if I hadn’t been found… I should have just stayed there that day…’
The self-blame he had struggled to hide came flooding out like a bursting dam. These negative thoughts were like a bottomless swamp—once you fell in, it was impossible to get out.
‘…If I had died…’
His existence only brought unhappiness to his family. If that was the case, it would be better to die—it was then, as his mind was helplessly sinking into a dark swamp.
Thud. The shopping bag he had placed on the seat next to him fell over. Was it because of that sound? The bad emotions that had been endlessly tangling and connecting in his head were suddenly cut off.
Hyowoo removed his hands from his face and stared blankly at the shopping bag. Then he recalled Lee Seohee smiling affectionately, telling him to get home safely.
He reached out and picked up the shopping bag. He untied the ribbon and looked inside the shopping bag to see a round white box.
He took out the box and opened the lid, and a sweet chocolate scent spread subtly. He quietly gazed at the inside of the box filled tightly with three types of chocolate truffles—milk, dark, and white—then picked up a dark chocolate placed in the very center. He put it in his mouth and slowly rolled it with his tongue, and the outside melted slightly, spreading a sweet and bitter taste throughout his mouth.
“…It’s delicious.”
As the sweetness spread in his mouth, his confused emotions were gradually washed away. And when he had calmed down to some extent, Hyowoo realized he was doing something he would never normally do.
‘Was I… always someone who acted this impulsively?’
Opening packaging and eating food inside a taxi. Moreover, this was clearly a place of business. Eating food without permission was behavior that violated etiquette. Yet for some reason, he couldn’t help wanting to eat the chocolate.
“Um… I’m sorry, driver-nim. I shouldn’t eat food in the car…”
“Oh my, it’s fine. You must have been very hungry. My grandson is exactly your age, and he can’t stand being hungry either.”
The benevolent face of the elderly driver appeared in the rearview mirror.
“But customer, you need to eat more. You’re tall but so skinny, what will you do, young person.”
“Haha, yes…”
“And don’t worry. It doesn’t look like any car is following.”
The experienced driver seemed to have already noticed the anxiety he had been secretly worrying about someone following.
“And even if someone asks, I’ll never tell them where you got off. I may not look it, but I’m someone who keeps their mouth shut.”
At the driver’s bold declaration to put his worries to rest, Hyowoo smiled faintly.
“Driver-nim, would you like a chocolate?”
“Oh my, no thank you. I have diabetes so I can’t eat sweet things.”
Either there was an accident or the road started to get congested from the middle. Saying it would take some time to arrive so he should relax, Hyowoo buried himself deep into the backrest.
He blankly watched the city scenery flowing by outside the window. With the gentle music flowing from the radio and the lingering sweetness of chocolate remaining in his mouth, his heart gradually found stability as well. However, what ultimately helped was, in the end, ‘Lee Seohee.’
‘He’s really a mysterious person…’
Just because he called his name. Just because he recalled his smiling face. That alone made the fear and pain that had been crushing his whole body disappear like snow melting on a spring day.
‘What exactly is that person…?’
While asking himself a question with no answer, Hyowoo picked up another chocolate and put it in his mouth.
