Ah… it was because of pheromones.
Now I understood why Baek Woojin had mentioned sexual harassment. This novel’s world has omegas who can get pregnant even though they’re male, and alphas who can impregnate such omegas. Chae Seungyeon was an omega and had given birth to his deceased ex-husband’s son.
That was the unique worldview of this novel… I think I was thinking too comfortably about it while paying attention to other things. Moreover, now that I knew that man was an alpha… I should be careful from now on.
“Don’t tell me, you didn’t know he was an alpha?”
Then Baek Woojin asked me. I was startled, but decided to confess the truth.
“No, I didn’t know…”
At my deflated words, Baek Woojin looked at me with worried eyes.
“Don’t tell me, the fact that you yourself are an omega…”
“Yes, I know that I’m an omega. But actually… I had completely forgotten until just now…”
“……”
When I muttered, Baek Woojin seemed to fall into thought for a moment, closed his mouth, then asked.
“That would be because of the possession, right?”
“Yes…”
Honestly, that was it. It hadn’t been long since I possessed Chae Seungyeon’s body, and being an omega didn’t feel particularly different from being a regular person. I was puzzled. No, if it was going to be like this, why bother creating the three traits of alpha, omega, and beta…
“Then you probably didn’t know I was an alpha either.”
Then Baek Woojin made a shocking confession.
“Gasp! Woojin-ssi, you’re an alpha?!”
I asked in surprise, then quickly closed my mouth. Baek Woojin was sighing and looking at me with worried eyes.
Just yesterday it seemed like he was feeding me fish like a baby bird… but today it felt like it was completely the opposite.
“Then you had no awareness that hugging was part of marking either.”
“Marking…?”
It was the first time I’d heard the term. Do I need to study the worldview separately…? My head was complicated, but I decided to state my opinion with conviction.
“But the hug… both that person and I really accepted it as a gesture of gratitude.”
“Gratitude?”
Baek Woojin, who was listening, made an incredulous expression.
“Then in Chae Seungyeon-ssi’s world, is it okay to hug just anyone when you’re grateful?”
I got bristled at the sharp question. Especially at that “just anyone” part.
“Y-yes! As long as there’s mutual consent…! Oh, and don’t you do things like free hugs on the street here? It’s done with good intentions?”
“We don’t do that.”
Baek Woojin said curtly.
Ah, I see…
I was momentarily startled, but I kept wanting to make excuses.
“But… but that person did it out of gratitude… Anyway, when I saw him then, he didn’t seem like a bad person. I think he also meant it purely as gratitude…”
The longer my rambling explanation went on, the more Baek Woojin’s expression gradually hardened. His complexion, which usually looked pale anyway, was now completely ashen. I belatedly realized I had made a mistake and closed my mouth. But it was already too late.
“Then does that mean I can hug you too when I’m grateful?”
“What…?”
I was a little surprised. Baek Woojin didn’t seem like the type to hug people when he was grateful… Something seemed suspicious, but I nodded for now.
“Yes, if it’s that kind of hug, it would be fine…”
Then Baek Woojin’s expression instantly brightened and he raised the corners of his mouth.
“Good. Then from now on, I’ll hug Chae Seungyeon-ssi whenever I’m grateful.”
…I think I got caught in something wrong.
*
Although some complicated things happened in between, the two of us were able to return home safely anyway. It was a bit early for lunch, but since I needed to take medicine, I briefly ate the porridge we had brought back and headed to the guest room.
“Woojin-ssi, thank you so much for everything… I think I’ll be fine after sleeping for a bit. Don’t worry about me and you can go to work now…”
Since it seemed like I had taken up too much of his time because of me alone, I repeatedly said I was fine and tried to quickly send Baek Woojin outside. But Baek Woojin straightened his back as if he had no such intention at all and handed me the pills and water cup I was to take.
“I’m going to watch until Chae Seungyeon-ssi takes the medicine and lies down in bed.”
Why does he insist on watching…?
But even if I said that, from my experience, Baek Woojin would obviously do as he pleased, so I swallowed the pills without complaint and gulped down the water he handed me.
“…Is this enough now?”
When I finished taking the medicine in one go, Baek Woojin looked a bit surprised.
“There’s one more thing left.”
“One more…?”
Eat, take medicine… if I did that… Ah, does he mean lie down?
I immediately lifted the blanket and prepared to lie down.
“No.”
But Baek Woojin pulled the blanket while saying.
“A hug.”
“……?”
For a moment I thought I had misheard. But the black eyes staring at me didn’t move a muscle, as if those words from before were sincere.
“Well… Woojin-ssi…”
Something… was dangerous. I needed an escape route.
“If it’s a hug… only when expressing gratitude…”
If I wasn’t mistaken, I clearly remembered him saying that… Just in case, I spoke carefully, but Baek Woojin swept the blanket aside and sat on the bed.
“I’m grateful that Chae Seungyeon-ssi followed my words so well…”
“Pardon? No, that’s…”
Didn’t you act like I had no choice but to do that…?
I felt somewhat wronged and wanted to say that, but I quickly gave up. My energy was quite depleted from dealing with the robot-like Baek Woojin, and a hug would be much simpler to resolve than taking medicine.
“Yes, I understand…”
I placed the glass I was holding on the bedside table and spread my arms wide.
Just one hug should be fine…
“Please be comfortable.”
Saying that, Baek Woojin quietly lowered my outstretched arms and very slowly embraced me while looking into my eyes.
Is it because of the fever… Strangely, his gaze felt hot.
“……”
Swoosh, I heard the sound of our collars brushing against each other by my ear. I felt solid arms and chest colliding, and before I knew it, I had slipped completely into his large embrace.
“Oh…”
I opened my mouth slightly and raised my head. But Baek Woojin’s shoulders were too high and broad, so I couldn’t hold out any longer and had to rest my cheek against him.
Still, unlike the hug with that bear-like man earlier, Baek Woojin’s touch as he embraced me was careful and… gentle.
“…Is this enough?”
That’s when Baek Woojin asked me. Perhaps because our bodies were pressed closely together without any gap, my cheek vibrated whenever he spoke.
“Yes, it’s fine but…”
I was muttering quietly when I glanced back and was surprised.
Is this what they commonly call mannered hands…?
Baek Woojin left empty space even though his two arms could overlap and more, like someone hugging for the first time. In other words, he made it so his arms didn’t embrace my lower back area, leaving it completely empty.
What’s this? Just at the pharmacy earlier, didn’t he grab my waist without hesitation and practically kidnap me…?
Laughter escaped at his completely different behavior.
“Woojin-ssi, you can hug me comfortably. It’s fine to hold my back or waist with your arms.”
When I pointed this out and taught him, Baek Woojin looked unexpectedly a little surprised.
“But… if I embrace you any tighter… it seems like Chae Seungyeon-ssi would break…”
What? Break…?
A snicker escaped. No matter how slender Chae Seungyeon’s frame was, he wasn’t that fragile of a human… Though I did feel like I might break when that bear-like man at the pharmacy hugged me earlier.
“It’s fine…”
I muttered quietly and buried my face completely in his broad chest. Was it because of the medicine? I felt drowsy and all the strength drained from my body.
“Are you sleepy?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
