Juheon stared intently at the man emanating his pheromone scent as if enchanted. Feeling his own pheromone scent from another person’s body was truly strange.
Moreover, a smell that permeates secretly without anyone knowing…. This is definitely an unfamiliar experience. Right now, other than Juheon, there’s probably no one who can smell that pheromone scent.
There’s a period when a pregnant omega’s body emits the scent of the partner alpha’s pheromones. That’s a different phenomenon from an alpha marking with their pheromones, and it’s one of the characteristics that appears in early-pregnancy omegas.
It’s not something others can smell like a pheromone shower, but a unique characteristic that only the partner who caused the pregnancy can feel. If he felt his own pheromones from an omega, it means that omega is the very person pregnant with his child.
The feeling of smelling his own alpha pheromones from an unfamiliar omega’s body was indescribably strange. For Juheon, who was born with germaphobia, this was something he thought he’d never experience in his life and had somewhat given up on.
But as he got older, he needed a child. He absolutely needed his own bloodline to lead the leading corporation that wasn’t just any ordinary household.
After his father, who was vice chairman, suddenly died, the anxiety of being left alone grew. If he didn’t even have a child, who knows what disadvantages might arise later. He desperately needed a child to solidly support his position within the family, but he had no confidence in having a child through normal methods.
That really makes his stomach turn just imagining it. Seeing another person’s face is already disgusting, but to have to embrace and roll around with them, getting covered in the other’s bodily fluids and having to smell fishy odors….
Juheon had absolutely no confidence in enduring that horrible time. On top of that, putting a part of his body inside the other person’s body? Even disinfecting and wiping for a whole week wouldn’t be enough.
It was something he’d tentatively given up on, but as time passed, he desperately felt the need for an heir. With no method and needing a child, when Juheon was in a sensitive state, his grandfather suggested a different alternative. Surrogacy. Whether female-type or male-type, it was a method of having a child by finding an omega with excellent genes.
It was a good method, but the omegas listed on the official site weren’t satisfactory. It’s national law that information about omegas who applied for surrogacy can’t be known except for the minimum. The law is the law, but Juheon could sufficiently investigate their information behind the scenes. Naturally, none caught his eye, and Juheon was annoyed and tired, so he left everything to his grandfather.
But surprisingly, he found a dominant omega from somewhere. He was a bit curious about what kind of person it was, but since it was Grandfather’s work, how thorough must it be—he didn’t even look at the materials containing his personal information. He knew nothing except that he permitted the work for his mother who had health issues. He didn’t know he’d unexpectedly meet in his territory the person he knew nothing about.
“Come to think of it, I think I heard he works here. Was it the company cafeteria?”
Juheon tried to trace his location that he’d heard roughly, but couldn’t remember. I should go up to the office and look through the documents right away. There was quite a difference in emotion between knowing there’s an omega doing surrogacy and actually meeting that omega.
Thinking he should look for the documents when he goes up to the office, he walked a bit more toward that omega. Little by little, a bit closer. He tried to approach just a little more, but it seems he got too close. Before he knew it, Juheon ended up standing right behind the omega who had received items from the delivery truck and turned around.
As he turned around, startled by Juheon standing right there behind him, he looked up at Juheon. Because of that, Juheon also came face to face with the omega’s face right in front of his nose. The omega’s face was flushed red, with sweat beading on his forehead and his bangs slightly damp. The two were standing very close, close enough to feel his slightly rapid breathing.
Light brown hair disheveled from running, and reddened cheeks. Juheon thoroughly examined the white skin without a single pore where sweat slightly flowed. Glass-bead-like sparkling brown eyes didn’t avoid Juheon’s gaze.
“Ah, I didn’t know you were standing behind me and turned around, so we almost bumped into each other. I’m sorry. Thank you for holding the box. Otherwise, I would have dropped it.”
This person doesn’t show much teeth when talking, he was thinking when he realized he was holding the box the omega had been carrying. It seems he inadvertently caught the box that was about to fall down the moment he turned around. And because of that, he also confirmed that Juheon’s hand was overlapping on top of it.
Recognizing the terrible situation of contact with another person’s skin, Juheon hurriedly withdrew his hand, and the omega also adjusted his hold on the box, greeted him, and ran into the company building. In the passing breeze, along with a fragrant scent, Juheon’s pheromones scattered profusely. It was truly something that happened in an instant. At the absurdly coincidental meeting, while blankly following his retreating figure, this thought suddenly occurred. But why is that person still working? He should have received money, right?
“…I’m sure the contract said not to do strenuous work, so why is he running while carrying boxes like that? Isn’t that a contract violation? Especially since they said he should be careful in early pregnancy….”
Thinking of the omega who disappeared into the building, Juheon stared at his own palm that had overlapped with his hand. Even seeing the face with sweat flowing, he didn’t feel nauseous. The breath he felt fully in the short conversation wasn’t disgusting either. The feeling of the skin that slightly touched wasn’t unpleasant.
It truly can’t not be strange. Is this phenomenon also because of his own pheromones in his body? Juheon tilted his head in bewilderment. Aside from the average standard of appearance, when facing a person at that distance, nausea would rush in from how dirty it was…. Juheon fell into thought with incomprehensible questions and stared at his palm for a while.
***
I carefully arranged cakes in the showcase and was about to enter the kitchen when I felt a presence from somewhere again. I quickly turned around and looked around, but there was no one watching me. Ah…. Why am I like this? Did I get pregnant unexpectedly and even my mind became strange?
For the past few days, I’ve been feeling a strange gaze. But the problem is I can’t tell if it’s really directed at me or if I’m imagining it alone. I definitely feel a gaze, but when I turn around, there’s no one looking at me. This is really driving me crazy. I can’t even tell anyone…. They say you become sensitive when pregnant—is that why I’ve become a bit strange?
“Is this also a pregnancy symptom? There was no such content in the book…. That’s strange?”
It’s approaching 5 weeks now, but there’s no sign of symptoms like morning sickness that should appear at this week, only this sensitivity that’s not even in books. But this is also really tiring.
At first, I briefly suspected whether the Chairman was monitoring me, but since I received his permission to work for the time being, there was no problem. So it’s not the Chairman. I went into the café while rubbing my lower abdomen with an unsettled feeling.
“Eunwoo, does your stomach hurt again? You keep rubbing your stomach these days?”
“Ah, no, it’s okay again now.”
As I entered while rubbing my stomach, Jay hyung, the café owner, looked down at my stomach with worried eyes. Jay hyung doesn’t know I’m pregnant right now, so my behavior must seem strange.
After artificial insemination, I developed the strange habit of rubbing my lower abdomen. At first, I started rubbing it just because it felt strange. It was because of a feeling like ‘A baby really formed here?’
Next, I touched it because it was amazing that there was an embryo inside, and now I’m just stroking it like a habit. Perhaps because my rubbing my stomach bothered him, hyung keeps showing an apologetic expression. It seems he feels sorry for continuing to hold onto me when I said I’d quit because I was sick and he hasn’t found anyone.
“Sorry for continuing to hold onto you when you said you’d rest because you’re sick. I’m looking for someone, so wait just a bit longer. You said you could do two more months, right? It’s fine time-wise to find someone and have them bake cakes exactly as you make them, but I’m reluctant to let you go.”
“Hyung, I’m sorry. You’ve helped me so much, but I’m quitting so suddenly like this. Still, I’ll work hard for the remaining months.”
I wanted to stay until someone was found and the new person became familiar with this place. Then by that time my belly will be showing somewhat, so it’ll be appropriate to quit. According to the contract, I should quit immediately so there’s no strain on my body, but there’s such a thing as loyalty—can a person do that? After saying my body hurts, I’m not overdoing it by not lifting anything heavy as much as possible and adjusting my hours to be shorter.
.
.
“Hello. Baek Eunwoo-ssi. Are you leaving work now?”
“…Yes?”
Just as I was about to leave the café and exit the company building, someone called me. A woman in neat attire, as if courtesy was ingrained in her body, approached me. And of course, I didn’t know who she was. I stopped walking and turned toward her with curious eyes.
“I’m sorry for suddenly stopping you. If you’re not busy, could you spare a moment?”
“A moment?”
I’m not busy, but I couldn’t tell where she wanted me to spare time, so I sent her a guarded look.
“I’m late with introductions. I’m Executive Director Cha Juheon’s secretary in charge. The Executive Director is waiting for Baek Eunwoo-ssi. I’d appreciate it if you could spare some time. The Executive Director wishes to see you.”
“What? Who?”
Even though I definitely didn’t mishear, I asked again. I couldn’t help but be surprised when an unexpected person appeared and mentioned an unexpected person’s name.
