Thick wavy beige hair and delicate features.
Cha Narin, wearing a light pastel-toned dress, was objectively a beautiful person.
The distinctive omega scent was a bit difficult, but whether she was suppressing it to the maximum, it was bearable even up close. It was thanks to Haram warning her in advance.
“I’m Baek Gunho. Through Haram’s introduction…”
“Wow! Seeing you in person, you’re really much, much, mu~ch more handsome!”
Sparkling eyes looked me over from all angles.
“This is my first time meeting such a cool alpha, I’m so nervous. What should I do!”
While Cha Narin cupped both cheeks with a flushed face,
Haram muttered with a shadow-covered face and narrowed eyes.
“Are you really Cha Narin? The Cha Narin I know was a beast who scratched her belly, burped, and slurped down cup ramen…”
“Haha! Lee Haram! Why is my friend here?”
Cha Narin smiled brightly and said to Haram.
“If you arranged the meeting, wouldn’t it be right to leave so we can spend some cozy time together?”
“I came to mediate in case you two felt awkward.”
“No. Not awkward at all. Thanks for coming, now go home.”
“No. Don’t mind me, you two talk.”
“No. I do mind.”
“No. I’m going to monitor.”
“What do you mean monitor?”
“Monitor whether you’re doing anything inappropriate to Gunho hyung.”
“Hey! Are you trying to introduce us or stop us! Pick one! …Oops!”
She who had raised her voice covered her mouth and smiled shyly.
“O-oh my, I’m sorry! I don’t usually act like this, rea~lly…!”
The rough voice she had in front of Haram now suddenly transformed into a soft, gentle voice that seemed like it would come out of a melodrama.
Seeing that, I thought.
‘This person isn’t simple…’
My adoptive father Park Jaeseo, elementary school classmate Lee Yeongwoo, and Cha Narin over there.
Somehow all the omegas around me were strong-willed without exception.
“Do you usually make that nasal voice in front of partners too? I’m shocked…”
“What are you saying? I’m always this lovely.”
I asked the two who were bickering.
“You two must be very close.”
“Ah! He and I aren’t in any special relationship!”
“You seem as friendly as real siblings. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Perhaps realizing it was a light question thrown out for ice-breaking, Cha Narin calmed her excitement and spoke in a comfortable voice.
“I’ve known Haram since elementary school. Back then, the alpha kids in our class really bullied me and other omegas. That’s when Haram helped us.”
Elementary school days. I could naturally imagine little, cute Haram’s dignified appearance.
“You might not know, but at the time, Haram was more delicate and pretty than most omega kids. Everyone didn’t know he was a taekwondo dan holder and would act up, only to get immediately subdued—it was so funny. It was really satisfying.”
In elementary school, it was the period when he swept all kinds of martial arts competitions, so his martial prowess must have been incredible.
“But. He was only cool back then, once we actually became friends, what a klutz…”
“What about me.”
“No, you’re cool~”
“Let’s get to the main point quickly. For Gunho hyung, every minute and second is precious.”
At Haram’s urging, Cha Narin shrugged her shoulders.
Then she clasped her hands together and rested her chin on them.
“I heard briefly from Haram. That pheromone control is difficult for you, you have a sensitive constitution that gets intoxicated easily, and this is essentially your first rut?”
Suddenly the atmosphere changed. Weight settled over what had been light speech.
When I reflexively nodded, Cha Narin took out a tablet from her bag and began recording something.
“You seem to have a hyperdominant alpha constitution. But the pheromone amount isn’t weak like a recessive either. Interesting. When is your scheduled rut?”
“The doctor said within a month. He showed me some strange numbers too…”
“A month? Then the numbers must be ROPI. When did the results come out? What was written?”
“Five days ago, and it was 95, 97? There was a plus attached too. Right, hyung?”
I nodded blankly and listened to Cha Narin and Haram’s conversation.
The college-age girl suddenly gave off a professional atmosphere.
“That’s incredibly high. Since you said this is your first rut, you won’t have previous cycle data, so comparing the average recessive and hyperdominant alphas’ first rut cycles and patterns by physique with ROPI… Just a moment. I heard your age in advance, so what’s your height by any chance?”
“The last time I measured at a physical exam… it was about 188.”
“Then probably 3 weeks. There’s a high possibility rut will come within 20 to 22 days. Though this is just my speculation.”
Cha Narin showed me the tablet screen she’d been tapping with her pen.
A medical journal site in English and a calculator were open simultaneously.
“This might sound a bit much, but. I’m a professional. Double majoring in omega medicine and pheromonology.”
And she shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
“And I’m also a pro when it comes to dating! Haha.”
“……”
“Don’t worry! I’ve even met with recessive alphas three times. Male, male, female—three like that. I know rut patterns inside and out!”
…I see. When I said I was looking for a partner, this was why Haram immediately recommended Cha Narin.
With medical knowledge and abundant experience, this omega would be more than qualified as a rut assistant.
For someone twenty-two years old, the aura of a dating expert with depth created a slight cognitive dissonance.
“Cha Narin. You’re only helping once and that’s it.”
“Why do you get to decide that? It’s up to Gunho-ssi.”
Cha Narin returned to a light tone and sidled up to me.
“Gunho-ssi. Can I call you oppa? Since it’s come to this, we…”
“That’s gross. Don’t.”
“Ah, seriously. Why do you keep deciding! Gunho-ssi, what do you think of me?”
Cha Narin asked me while lightly pushing away Haram’s hand.
‘What do I think…’
To be honest, appearance-wise, she’s close to my type.
The national actress Kim Ina I liked during my school days in my previous life. She resembled that round, cute face quite a bit.
But strangely, my heart wasn’t particularly moved.
She was just Haram’s friend—no interest or romantic attraction beyond that arose.
Then suddenly.
For some reason, Baek Seolheon’s face came to mind.
“Hmm…”
Honestly, really, coldly speaking.
Baek Seolheon is much prettier than Kim Ina.
This isn’t flattery or rose-colored glasses because he’s my hyung.
Objectively, from a universal aesthetic perspective, he overwhelmed the national actress who dominated an era in my previous life.
Additionally, Haram over there, he’s the same.
I roughly understood the reason.
‘There are so many beauties around me that I’m full.’
For someone like me to have high standards. It was absurd but a reasonably plausible theory.
While I was lost in thought alone like that, Cha Narin said.
“Then shall we tentatively book 20 days from now, for 2 nights and 3 days?”
“Excuse me? Book what…”
“A hotel.”
…What incredible initiative.
“Considering the margin of error, 3 or 4 nights would be good too. It’s right before finals so submitting an absence form is a bit awkward, but it should be fine!”
“Wh-what?! A hotel?!”
At this, Haram’s jaw dropped as if speaking for my heart.
“H-how can you so, so, so easily…!”
“Hey, Lee Haram. You asked me to help. If you’re going to keep interfering, go somewhere else.”
“Something… something feels off… Two people I know, doing this…”
I understood Haram’s feelings too. It would be awkward, like witnessing two close friends entering a motel.
Rather, Haram’s reaction cleared my head.
“It’s necessary.”
That’s right. This was unavoidable.
I gently grasped Haram’s shoulder and said.
“Thank you, Haram-ah. And thank you too, Narin-ssi. To help a stranger’s rut, it must have been uncomfortable, but you readily accepted, and you’re even providing medical support so I feel reassured. Ah, is it okay if I call you Narin-ssi?”
“Y-yes! Just speak comfortably in banmal! And I’m the one who should be grateful for providing me with such a precious experience!”
“Precious…?”
From the beginning she seemed to welcome Haram’s proposal, but to be this happy about it…?
“Reservations, preparations! I’ll take full responsibility for everything! You just need to sit back and ride the bus!”
Watching the beauty snorting with enthusiasm, rather than seeming sexually open, she looked like an enthusiastic and pleasant group project team member.
Thanks to that, the stone that had been weighing on my heart felt slightly lighter.
Perhaps it might not be bad.
Having my first relationship in this body with that person.
“……”
Around that time,
I felt a gaze.
“Haram…?”
Haram was looking at me.
Green eyes, slightly darker than usual, rippled.
At the same time, I sensed a faint sweet scent.
Haram’s pheromones, which he always suppressed to the extreme in front of me, were leaking out little by little.
“Haram-ah, what’s wrong?”
Just then, a ringtone rang loudly and our gazes broke.
It was Haram’s phone.
“…Just a moment. I’ll take this quickly and come back.”
Haram gestured an apology to Cha Narin and me, then went out through the back door of the nearby cafe.
Haram’s expression visible through the glass window looked a bit dark.
“Yes, hello?”
Even though he was outside, Haram’s voice came through the glass window completely.
“The glass here must be really thin. I can hear everything.”
Just as I was about to say something to Cha Narin, feeling like I was eavesdropping unintentionally, a stiff voice was heard.
“I told you I’m not doing it. …What?! How can you decide that on your own!”
His voice rang out loudly.
Not just us, but even some customers sitting at nearby tables turned their heads this way.
Since his voice seemed to be getting louder, I quietly opened the back door and approached Haram.
“Haram-ah, your voice…”
“Ah, seriously! I said I’m not doing idol stuff!”
“…?”
Idol?
“I can’t act either! I’ve never acted once in my life! If it were modeling maybe, but actor… Ah, I can’t model either!”
Actor? Model?
My hand reaching toward Haram stopped, suspended in mid-air.
“Anyway I’m busy so I’m hanging up… Ah.”
When our eyes met, Haram also stopped mid-motion lowering the hand holding his phone with a thud.
That’s when I saw it.
[Baekil Enter Department Manager Park]
The text displayed on the phone screen.
* * *
WS Entertainment.
Commonly known as Baekil Enter.
Department Manager Park of the Entertainment Planning Headquarters’ New Talent Development Team put down his phone with eyes reddened from burst blood vessels.
“Did you push a bit?”
“For now.”
He immediately shifted his gaze to the monitor.
“The kid is soft and nice, so if we push a bit more, I think he’ll come over.”
On the screen, a blonde mixed-race handsome man was posing while wearing trendy styling.
Whether it was his first time modeling, his movements were quite awkward, but his face was so good it more than covered for it.
“This bastard’s even done his military service? Where did you discover such a gem?”
“I didn’t discover him. I was merely drawn to a brilliantly shining rough gem…!”
“That’s the same thing, man.”
The section chief sent a dazed look, but Department Manager Park didn’t care and clenched his fist tightly.
“This kid will definitely make it big.”
Such a gem—if you let your guard down even for a moment, the crows would obviously snatch him away in an instant.
He had to catch him before he became more famous.
“We have to catch him no matter what. No matter wha~at!”
