“Wow…”
Cha Juheon’s house, which I arrived at with a somewhat excited heart, was beyond my imagination. No, it was at a level I couldn’t have imagined in the first place, and as soon as I saw that tremendous house, such a corny exclamation flowed from my mouth. I realized how much I didn’t know about how the world works, having thought until now that all houses people live in are pretty much the same.
But even without thinking like this, anyone would have shown the same reaction as me if they had seen Cha Juheon’s house. Of course, people who were in a similar environment to him wouldn’t… Anyway, I now understood what he meant when he said the house is a bit spacious so there wouldn’t be any inconvenience living there.
First of all, I didn’t understand what Cha Juheon meant when he said there’s an elevator in the house. I just answered yes, yes, and moved on. Since I’d never seen a house with an elevator until now, I didn’t even know what he was talking about.
“This is really a house I’ve seen in dramas…”
“Is that so? It’s modest but a house decorated to my taste, so I’m glad you seem to like it.”
“…Modest?”
“Then shall we look around now? You need to know the house structure.”
Following his guidance, I looked around the house in earnest. The total 5-story house, from the 2nd basement floor parking lot to the 3rd floor above ground, consisted of the parking lot on the 2nd basement floor and 3 floors above ground. The elevator was connected from the basement to inside the house, and it was such a scale that it would be stranger not to have an elevator.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a spacious garden and even an annex—this is really a house where one person lives alone? The management fees must be tremendous too… But I shouldn’t worry about a chaebol’s concerns.
“Since you’ll be staying here for a few months, you should know where everything is. Feel free to use everything.”
Having said that, Cha Juheon took me to the 1st basement floor. In the dark space, only subtle accent lighting was giving off light. It felt like I’d entered some secret space, making it fun for no reason.
“If there’s a movie you want to watch, watch it here.”
“Wow! It’s a theater?”
It was a place that looked like a movie theater had been transplanted as is. From the large screen to the comfortable sofas you can only see in movie theaters… It wasn’t just a room decorated for watching movies, but a movie theater itself. Really, it looked like a theater shrunk down small.
Cha Juheon seemed to find my surprised appearance funny, as he even laughed softly and looked at my face. I was a bit embarrassed then, but it was true that those were honest feelings. After looking around that place a few more times, I walked straight down the hallway following Cha Juheon and entered another room.
“I made this place to listen to music. I thought I made it for nothing since I can’t listen that often, but thinking about it, I made it well. You listen to classical music often, right? Eunwoo-ssi, find and listen to any piece you want to hear. The sound quality won’t be bad to listen to.”
“This place is really cool…”
I don’t know much about sound systems. But even to my eyes that know nothing, I could tell that the speakers and sound systems here were not ordinary. This person is really serious about his hobbies.
“Over there is where you play screen golf, which will be good for Eunwoo-ssi to exercise lightly. There’s a separate fitness room outside, but use this if you want to move around lightly.”
While riding the elevator to the 1st floor, Cha Juheon explained various places in detail. I’m grateful for the consideration, but unfortunately, I’ve never even properly held a golf club, so I’d better be satisfied with walking for exercise. When I entered the house, what greeted me was Cha Juheon’s pheromone scent.
It wasn’t a strong, artificially spread scent, but his scent that naturally permeated daily life. At that refreshing and soft scent, my mind stabilized without me realizing it. Amazing… Should I say it’s a refreshing feeling like my nose is being cleared? This feeling of cool water permeating my body was something I was experiencing for the first time in my life.
Wow… so this is being affected by pheromones? Is this why the doctors told me to smell alpha pheromones? Just the pheromones permeating the house make my mind this comfortable, so I was even curious what it would feel like to properly receive pheromones.
“Eunwoo-ssi? Are you tired?”
“What? Oh, no. I was surprised because the house is spacious.”
“You can see the house anytime, so tell me if you’re tired.”
Seeing Cha Juheon’s face looking at me with a worried expression, my face heated up for no reason. He’d be surprised if he knew what state I’m in now and what feelings I felt. He probably can’t guess that my mind was stabilized by his pheromones spreading subtly. In needless embarrassment, I rubbed my belly and followed him inside.
As expected, this place was also a space so wide it couldn’t be taken in at a glance. The inside of the house with high ceilings was extremely huge. The window was made of one large pane of glass, through which the garden scenery could be seen refreshingly at a glance.
Moreover, on the wall in another direction, a stream of water was flowing down luxurious black marble. The water flowing entirely on one wall definitely caught my eye. Seeing the sparkling water reminded me of the small waterway that also flowed on his office terrace. Does this person like water? Thanks to his taste, my eyes also had a feast.
The stream of water shining under subtle lighting on the wall shining blackly was beautiful, so I stared at it for a while. Cha Juheon looked at me staring blankly at the stream of water with an unreadable expression once, then looked at the stream of water together. Seeing Cha Juheon quietly waiting for me, I had that thought.
In this spacious house, Cha Juheon has been alone the whole time. I definitely know that he prefers living alone. I know well that he lives separately because it’s comfortable, but I felt a bit sorry for him who must have been alone in such a big house without even knowing he was lonely. Of course, I’m not in a position to feel sorry for anyone. Especially for a chaebol…
“Then, shall we look at this side now? That area is entirely where I use everything.”
“Ah! I’ll remember it well.”
Cha Juheon quietly told me the places he mainly uses. I listened attentively more than ever, trying not to miss his words. It was so I wouldn’t make mistakes since it’s where Cha Juheon stays. I definitely confirmed which side his room is on and where the study is, so I wouldn’t make the mistake of entering unknowingly.
But when we went to the places he mainly uses, Cha Juheon’s pheromone scent became thicker. At that moment, I took a deep breath without realizing it. As if storing his pheromones or something.
Usually, omegas exposed to alpha pheromones get excited, and if they can’t control it, they go into heat. But I didn’t.
Rather, I felt good along with mental and physical stability. Not wanting to lose that, I breathed deeply to feel his pheromones even a little more. Strangely, I couldn’t stop this action.
It was the moment I reacted to alpha pheromones for the first time in my life and realized I was an omega. Then, finding my appearance too unfamiliar, I used fatigue as an excuse and asked Cha Juheon to show me where I’d be staying.
Cha Juheon, who observed my appearance, hurriedly took me up to the 2nd floor. My space where I’d be staying for the time being was wider and more luxurious than I thought. It’s not like a high-rise apartment, but it’s located on high ground, so it was impressive that I could see a refreshing view.
“The piano is in the bedroom, so check it out. There’s a small terrace over there. It’ll be good to go out briefly and get some air. If you’re curious, look later.”
“Executive Director, but what is that building?”
I pointed to the annex I’d been curious about and asked him.
“Ah, that’s where I exercise. There’s fitness equipment, a swimming pool, and a sauna room, but we couldn’t go there today because we haven’t cleaned the pool yet. Let’s go soon. But saunas aren’t really a good place for pregnant people, so Eunwoo-ssi, just exercise or swim.”
“Can I use that too?”
I asked cautiously of him who recommended I use it too in such a natural voice. Then Cha Juheon looked at me with a puzzled face.
“Of course. There’s nowhere in here that Eunwoo-ssi can’t enter. You can use everything here. You don’t have to ask me separately.”
“But… if we use the same water, I was worried Executive Director might be uncomfortable…”
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have asked Eunwoo-ssi to come into the house. Don’t worry about that and use everything.”
There was no lie anywhere in Cha Juheon’s expression or tone. Actually, even for people without germaphobia, letting an outsider into your home isn’t an easy thing. Although there are various circumstances between us, it wouldn’t have been easy to let me into his house. Nevertheless, his appearance of considering me as much as possible contained sincerity.
“I can’t do things outside, so I’ve equipped it as similarly as possible without inconvenience. Even with this tendency, I like movies and exercise. There’s nothing missing, so Eunwoo-ssi, please use it comfortably.”
His appearance, even showing a gentle smile, seemed quite mild. Somehow I had a feeling that I’d get along quite well here.
I was also confident it would be different from that time. A good feeling that my mind at least would be comfortable, unlike at Kang Gyuho’s house. Because here there’s Cha Juheon, not Kang Gyuho…
***
Juheon’s heart strangely pounded after returning to his room. Even when successfully finishing a project, his heart didn’t beat this much. It was an unknowable pounding that gave a strange excitement and sense of stability at the same time. This was a phenomenon that occurred after feeling the pheromone scent flowing from Eunwoo the moment he entered the 1st floor.
He already knew that Eunwoo’s behavior changed at his pheromone scent. He noticed that it gave Eunwoo comfort, and from then on, he deliberately spread pheromones very weakly. Then a fragrant green grape scent began to come from Eunwoo’s body. Eunwoo seemed not to be aware of it. It was definitely pheromones coming out unconsciously, whether his mind was comfortable.
When the subtle and fresh fragrance brushed past the tip of his nose, Juheon was flustered. This was the first time for such pleasant omega pheromones. It was completely different from the disgusting omega pheromones that poured out desire toward him. Eunwoo’s fragrant and sweet pheromones gave him some kind of stability.
He doesn’t know if the word stability accurately fits this situation, but the moment he felt that scent, his heart beat while his mind and body became comfortable at the same time. Juheon was certain that the short cohabitation with Eunwoo would be better than he thought.
After entering Cha Juheon’s house, strangely I couldn’t sleep, whether it was because I was nervous. It was something I chose because it would make Cha Juheon comfortable too and was necessary work, but I couldn’t sleep because the environment became unfamiliar.
Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I went down to the 1st floor to go out to the garden to get some air. But soft lighting was visible on the 1st floor.
“Executive Director?”
What was visible between the soft lighting was Cha Juheon’s back. He was sitting at the kitchen table. The side profile slightly visible was a bare face without a mask. Cha Juheon was turning over documents with a face without a trace of laughter. Should I just go back up? I didn’t want to break his comfortable time with needless presence.
I was turning my body so footsteps wouldn’t sound as much as possible when I saw Cha Juheon frown and close his eyes. It was an appearance that seemed uncomfortable somehow. Is he sick somewhere? The way he slightly pressed the side of his head with his hand and moved his neck seemed like his head hurt.
“Eunwoo-ssi?”
Oh no… He must have heard the rustling sound from behind.
“Why aren’t you sleeping? What brought you down at this hour?”
Like someone caught doing something bad for no reason, I scratched my forehead and laughed awkwardly. I could see Cha Juheon, still with his hand on his head, examining me here and there.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I was going to get some air briefly. But…”
I couldn’t say ‘But you looked uncomfortable somewhere, so I was looking for a moment.’ I just stood there smiling wordlessly, neither going back to my room nor approaching Cha Juheon. Toward me who was only showing an awkward smile in an awkward posture, Cha Juheon let out a short sigh.
“It would be uncomfortable with the house changed. I understand. But that outfit is too cold. Your clothes are too light. It’s the middle of the night now, so it’ll be even colder.”
“That’s why I was going to just enter my room, but Executive Director looked uncomfortable somewhere…”
It was something I said with courage, but I trailed off because it could be seen as needless interference. Cha Juheon, who heard my words, opened his eyes wide as if a little surprised and smiled briefly.
“It’s nothing much, just a migraine I usually have. If you can’t sleep, don’t go out in the cold and come here for a moment?”
With a tone that was affectionate as if indifferent, Cha Juheon tapped the chair next to him with his hand.
