“But I mean it. If something like this happens again, I will get mad.”
“Got it.”
So this wasn’t him being mad?
Yeon Yiseo shuddered to think what it’d be like if Ethan really lost his temper. He hoped he’d never find out.
“But how’s your body feeling? I mean, what caused the manifestation so suddenly? None of the romance targets have progressed far enough in the story yet. Was it just a natural occurrence?”
Yeon Yiseo debated whether to tell him the truth, then ultimately decided to come clean.
“It wasn’t natural, and it wasn’t with anyone from SickVill either.”
“Eh? Wait, what? Then who? Someone else?”
Yeon Yiseo gave a small nod. He hoped Seo Eunwoo wouldn’t push to know exactly who it was, but that wasn’t like him—he wasn’t the type to let things go unfinished.
“Who was it? Who? There was someone like that? If you manifested as a recessive Omega, then the other person had to be an Alpha, right?”
“Yeah, kind of.”
“‘Kind of’? Why won’t you just tell me?”
“It’s just… someone else.”
Yeon Yiseo kept dodging the question, and Seo Eunwoo’s expression turned serious.
“Is it someone you don’t want to talk about?”
Yeon Yiseo nodded silently.
“There’s a reason. …But we’re not dating or anything.”
“What? Then does he not know about your condition?”
“Mm.”
Yeon Yiseo gave a vague response, and Seo Eunwoo ran a hand over his forehead.
“You’re not even dating, and it was just… during rut?”
“What? Rut?”
“I mean, it wasn’t forced or anything.”
Yeon Yiseo rushed to clarify.The sharp edge in Seo Eunwoo’s eyes softened.
“Ah… mm. Hhh… I mean, still… Look, I know it’s your choice, and it’s not really my place to say anything, but… shouldn’t you at least tell the other person? No, wait. I don’t know anymore.”
Seo Eunwoo scratched the back of his head, clearly conflicted. His reaction wasn’t unreasonable.
After a moment of quiet grumbling, he continued.
“You said you weren’t going to get close to all the romance targets, right? But if they’re all dominant Alphas, and you’re an Omega now… that’s gonna be hard.”
It was a valid point. When he was a Beta, he could at least pretend he didn’t notice the pheromones. But now, as an Omega, he was naturally more susceptible to Alpha pheromones.
He hadn’t really considered that back when he got involved during Alexander’s rut—an oversight on his part.
“Well, whoever it was, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You’re an adult.”
Seo Eunwoo said it like he was wrapping up the conversation. And he was right—no matter what he said, it was up to Yeon Yiseo whether he’d listen.
The choice was his, and so was the responsibility.
“But let’s get one thing straight. No matter what you decide, I’ve got your back. And if you ever need my help, just call me. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“…Why would you go that far?”
Yeon Yiseo finally asked the question that had been bothering him. He didn’t understand Seo Eunwoo’s kindness. No one had ever shown him this kind of one-sided goodwill before, and it made him suspicious.
“Because we’re friends, obviously.”
Yeon Yiseo froze at that unfamiliar word.
“Friends?”
“Look at this guy. You didn’t know? Wow. I’m shocked.”
“…”
“Yiseo?”
“Mm. I see.”
Yeon Yiseo nodded with a soft smile. There was no need to argue.
It wasn’t that no one had ever called him a friend before. But whenever someone did, Yeon Yiseo was never their first priority. If the time came when they had to choose between him and someone they truly cared about, they’d choose that person without hesitation.
Of course they would. A friend is a friend—not someone precious. That gap, that distinction, had always stung too much. So eventually, he just started smiling and letting it go.
“Yeah. Got it.”
“You sure you get it?”
“Of course.”
Seo Eunwoo kept eyeing him suspiciously, but Yeon Yiseo just smiled again. It was the only thing he could do.
At least the ride home was comfortable, thanks to Seo Eunwoo’s car. When they were a block away from his place, Yeon Yiseo asked to be dropped off. Seo Eunwoo seemed puzzled, but did as he asked, telling him to be careful on the way in. Yeon Yiseo thanked him and stepped away.
He watched the red tail lights of the car fade into the distance, then started walking.
He didn’t want Seo Eunwoo to see where he lived. Whether it was Ethan or Seo Eunwoo, people like them came from worlds where big, beautiful houses and drivers were just normal.
Even within the game’s novel, Yeon Yiseo’s character was written to be poor. But this went beyond that. He didn’t want them to see what “poor” really looked like—what it meant to live in a place like this.
Seo Eunwoo would probably say something like, “What’s the problem?” and tell him it was fine. But to Yeon Yiseo, it was a problem.
The familiar, worn-down exterior came into view. His home. The edge of exhaustion was finally within reach. He climbed the steps, eager to collapse and rest.
***
On the way to work the next morning, Yeon Yiseo was feeling conflicted. It was all because of what Seo Eunwoo had told him about Ethan the night before. How was he supposed to face Ethan now? Of course, he knew he had to act normal. Ethan wouldn’t bring up anything in the office, either.
“Good morning, Natalie.”
“Morning.”
As they exchanged greetings, he glanced toward the CEO’s office. Natalie shook her head, silently letting him know Ethan hadn’t arrived yet.
It was odd, considering what Ethan had been like before. Maybe he was just overthinking everything. Even though he knew worrying about things that hadn’t happened yet was pointless, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about it.
“Good morning.”
Ethan’s voice sent Yeon Yiseo’s nerves into overdrive. But the moment Ethan greeted him and walked into his office like nothing was wrong, all of Yeon Yiseo’s imagined worst-case scenarios burst like bubbles.
There was nothing strange about Ethan’s behavior. He was exactly the same as always.
In fact, Natalie even asked Yeon Yiseo if something was wrong with him. He shook his head and said everything was fine—which, to be fair, was true. All of it had just been in his head.
Ethan didn’t leave his office the entire day. Not even during lunch, when he usually had meetings or appointments. He only gave instructions through the messenger, asking Yeon Yiseo to cancel a scheduled lunch engagement.
Yeon Yiseo agreed, still slightly dazed. Only then did he start to wonder if something was off.
But before that thought could go too far, he convinced himself—again—that he was overthinking.
Maybe he just had an inflated sense of self-importance.
SickVill, My Beloved Beta—they were all just stories born of someone’s imagination.
There was no way someone like Ethan would randomly fall for someone like him in real life.
Something like that couldn’t possibly happen… and yet…
***
Like always, it was another late night at the office, and Yeon Yiseo was heading out to pick up something for dinner. He stepped into the elevator, then noticed someone approaching and held the door open.
“Oh—Mr. CEO…?”
The person entering was Ethan.
He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Yeon Yiseo was already inside but said nothing as he pressed the button for Basement Level 3.
Even with a fast elevator, descending over 20 floors took time. No one else got on, and the silence between them was so thick you could hear them breathing.
It was suffocating.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. There was no reason for it—just a baseless sense of unease
Maybe I’m just uncomfortable sharing this space with him.
Just as he was about to dismiss the feeling…
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“Pardon? Oh—no, not at all. Of course not.”
Ethan’s sudden question caught Yeon Yiseo off guard, but he smiled and replied.
There had to be a reason Ethan asked that. He wouldn’t just say something like that out of nowhere—not as a boss.
“Did I do something to make you uncomfortable without realizing it? If so, please let me know. I’ll correct it.”
“No, that’s not—”
Before Ethan could finish, the elevator jolted and came to a halt. The impact sent both of them sprawling to the floor. The lights flickered above them.
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, yes. I’m fine. Are you alright, sir?”
“I’m fine.”
“Please hold on a moment. I’ll contact the elevator maintenance team right away.”
Yeon Yiseo started to stand, moving toward the panel, but another slight tremor made him freeze. Honestly, he was scared. He slowly looked up at the ceiling. He could’ve sworn he heard a faint creaking sound.
Suddenly, a scene from SickVill popped into his mind.
The elevator event. But that was supposed to be something that happened between Ethan and Seo Eunwoo, the main character of SickVill. An event where Ethan saw a vulnerable side of Seo Eunwoo for the first time—and it became the trigger for him to start recognizing his feelings.
