Two days after meeting Baek Jeongwoo, today arrived.
I took my medication as usual and headed out to school.
Taking medicine after meals is a routine I’ve maintained for over 10 years, so I rarely forget it.
However, from the moment I got out of the car and stepped foot into the university building, I began to break out in cold sweat from the foul stench stabbing at my nose and the pressure bearing down on me.
‘……Ah, it’s probably nothing serious.’
The moment I carelessly entered the lecture hall with that complacent attitude, one of my knees buckled on its own.
‘Gunho-ya! Are you hurt somewhere?!’
‘Gunho sunbae! Should we call an ambulance?’
‘N-no. I’m fine. I’ll handle it myself…….’
Despite everyone’s attempts to stop me, I stubbornly called a taxi by myself and headed straight to my primary care physician.
And that graph is the result.
“Can we try increasing the dosage…….”
“Up to 3 pills is abuse, from 4 pills onward is addiction. I can’t take responsibility for the side effects after that.”
“Will I die?”
“You won’t die, but you’ll be sent back to the era before medication existed.”
“So I’ll die…….”
I’m screwed.
Memories from elementary school came flooding back.
That dominant omega friend I had…… Lee Yeongwoo, was that his name.
Just because I briefly came into contact with that friend’s pheromones, I was bedridden for several days, so realistically speaking, I’d have to live my entire life like a severe patient unable to function in daily life.
I need to find a solution somehow.
“……For now, Doctor. Please keep this matter secret from my mother and family as well.”
“Gunho-ssi. Just how long are you planning to keep this secret from the CEO? There’s no telling when new medication will be developed. It would be better if you honestly explained the situation and asked for cooperation…….”
“Even so, please. I don’t want to worry them right now.”
My health is important, but I’m more worried about my family.
‘Especially Seolheon……. If he finds out about this, all hell will break loose.’
What kind of nagging would fly my way—I was more worried about that than my own future.
Especially this upcoming year is such an important time for Seolheon right now.
Between Baekil Group matters, Baek Jeongwoo, and even my constitution. Why does everything have to go wrong at this exact moment? My head hurts so much it’s gone beyond painful to the point where I can only let out an empty laugh.
Just then, my primary care physician carefully opened his mouth.
“It’s not like there’s absolutely no solution.”
“Wh-what is it?!”
I tried to remain as calm and composed as possible, but at that one ray of hope that came from the doctor’s mouth, my face completely relaxed.
“First, the first method would be to recuperate in a sparsely populated countryside area with no Alphas or Omegas until new medication development is complete.”
“That won’t work.”
Setting aside when the medication will be developed, who would take care of Baek Seolheon living at my place in the meantime?
Of course, if he returned to the main house where my adoptive parents are, it would be fine, but a sudden environmental change could be a huge source of stress for a high school senior.
So I’d prefer that method to be used after Seolheon at least becomes an adult and proudly enters the Group.
“The second method is…… it’s a difficult path, but.”
“Please tell me.”
“You learn pheromone control techniques.”
“Control?”
I stared blankly at my primary care physician at this answer I hadn’t imagined at all.
“As you already know, Gunho-ssi’s pheromone secretion level is at an extremely minimal level. Your body, which suffers from VIPS Syndrome, recognizes even its own pheromones as a threat, so you’re unconsciously suppressing them. Thanks to that, you don’t suffer from pain caused by your own pheromones, but the rut cycle that you should naturally experience as an Alpha isn’t appearing either.”
“That’s not a problem for me at all though.”
Rut cycle. Heat cycle.
In this world, the heat periods of Alphas and Omegas are supposedly physiological phenomena bestowed by nature…… but to me, they’re truly words I hate even hearing.
While it’s unavoidable that pheromone allergies cause difficulties in daily life, I was so grateful that thanks to it, I didn’t have to degrade into a beast.
“It is a problem. For example, what happens if air keeps getting pumped into a balloon?”
“What? It pops.”
“Yes. It pops. You should think of yourself as being in a state like a balloon that could pop at any moment, Gunho-ssi.”
“What happens if it pops……?”
“It won’t end until someone dies.”
As I kept staring with an expression that said ‘what on earth does that mean?’, my primary care physician carefully opened his mouth.
“The pheromones that have accumulated until now will explode and either you’ll die from shock…… or someone else will be sacrificed.”
“Sacrificed……?”
“Some Omega who gets caught up in your excessive sexual desire, most likely.”
Excessive sexual desire?
Omega?
Sacrifice?
In that moment, thunder and lightning struck in my head as a certain line of dialogue descended like divine revelation.
[Haa, Lee Haram.]
[Ugh, huk…….]
[You’re eating it up so deliciously.]
[Stop…….]
[You haven’t lost your mind already, have you? It hasn’t even been half a day yet.]
[Please…….]
[You gonna keep whining? How cute.]
“Fuck–! What’s cute about that!”
“Gunho-ssi?”
“Ah, ahh. I’m sorry. I was so shocked I just…….”
“Ah, no. It’s perfectly understandable to be shocked.”
“I’m truly sorry…….”
This is an emergency. Air raid sirens are blaring in my head.
‘Baek Gunho,’ that bastard. As expected of a gwangong rival, his sexual desire was formidable. Only now do I remember there were quite a few scenes of him doing it while in rut.
‘And he did it to Lee Haram coercively too……. What a criminal!’
Curses flew out on their own. This wasn’t the time to be happy about being a defective Alpha without a rut.
At this rate, I’ll end up in handcuffs too.
‘I’d rather die from shock alone in that case. This is seriously driving me crazy.’
Crime is worse than death, but still, survival is better than death.
I barely held onto my reason and asked my primary care physician.
“That balloon, how do I handle it before it pops?”
“As I mentioned earlier, you need to learn pheromone control techniques now. Until now I was hesitant to recommend it, worried it might strain your teenage body, but now that you’re an adult with built-up stamina, you can try it.”
My primary care physician adjusted his glasses and continued speaking.
“This is my personal opinion, but I believe the fact that pheromones have accumulated internally is also one factor in the graph’s rise. Therefore, I believe that normally discharging pheromones will definitely help improve your constitution.”
Discharge. The connotation is a bit much.
“Th-then if I learn pheromone control techniques, without doing that discharge thing…… can’t I prevent the rut from coming?”
“Absolutely impossible.”
“Ab-absolutely?”
“Yes. 100%. Impossible.”
My primary care physician stated definitively.
“A human who can control their cycle at will? For that to be possible, you’d need to be able to control pheromone concentration down to the 1ppb, 1ng/L unit, and the only things capable of that are supercomputers or gods.”
“Gods…….”
“If an Omega or Alpha could control their rut, they could live essentially the same as a Beta. Since that would mean their pheromone leakage is infinitely close to 0.”
“Beta…….”
“Of course, it’s as absurd a story as a man being able to transform into a woman’s body in 5 seconds just by deciding to. There’s no way such a human exists in this world.”
“No way…….”
So to become the Beta I so desperately wished for, I’d have to surpass a god?
Once again, the weight of life grew heavier.
“The method of controlling it……how can I learn that?”
“By any chance, Gunho-ssi, do you have an Alpha acquaintance nearby who’s skilled at pheromone control? It would be good to get help from someone around you and gradually pick up the knack for it.”
“The knack, you say?”
“In Gunho-ssi’s case, for over 10 years since manifestation you haven’t even had the experience of being aware of and controlling your own pheromones, so the only method I can suggest is learning by tackling it hands-on with your body.”
“Can’t I learn from you, Doctor?”
“I’m a recessive Alpha with sparse pheromones, so it would be better for you to learn from a typical Alpha who manifests pheromones at a significant level.”
“Then what about connecting me with rehabilitation…….”
“Unfortunately, rehabilitation medicine related to pheromones doesn’t exist. Originally, if you’re an Alpha, you instinctively master control techniques around your early-to-mid teens when your traits manifest.”
A wave of sadness washed over me as someone with a rare constitution.
My primary care physician said while reading my mood.
“If there’s no one suitable, shall I introduce you to a pediatrician? They sometimes conduct elementary pheromone education for youths…….”
“I-I’m fine.”
The moment I imagined a strapping man in his 20s (187cm, military service completed) sitting in a pediatric chair and being called ‘Baek Gunho, little boy~’, my mind went dizzy.
‘An Alpha who could teach me…….’
I hurriedly tried to think of people around me.
My adoptive mother? I can’t burden someone who’s already busy with work even more.
My adoptive father? He’s an Omega, so he’s out. In the first place, thinking about how he screamed and made a huge fuss when giving me driving lessons, I don’t think he could teach me properly.
School classmates or university peers? It’s not like I don’t have Alpha friends, but it becomes a headache since I’d have to explain my constitution first.
Then…….
‘I guess it has to be that guy after all.’
* * *
“So Haram-ah. I’m asking you.”
“Huh? Huh?”
Lee Haram, who had just woken up with disheveled hair and wearing sky-blue baby bear character sleep pants, blinked his eyes with a flustered expression.
Baek Gunho, who suddenly showed up at his studio apartment at night, had his hair stylishly set as usual and wore neat, sharp clothing without a speck of dust.
Such a wonderful person who showed not a single gap was asking Lee Haram for help in a deflated voice.
“The only person who can help me…… is you.”
“……!”
“Would that not work?”
Life returned to Lee Haram’s green eyes that had been full of bewilderment.
“O-o-of course I should help you! I don’t know what it is, but leave it to me, hyung!”
“Thanks, Haram-ah.”
“But what should I do first?”
“First, try spraying your pheromones on me.”
“……?”
“Right now.”
“…….”
Lee Haram.
Decided as pheromone teacher!
