“Yiseo!”
“Hello, Natalie.”
“Wow, seeing you again after so long—even though we used to see each other every day—it’s so good to see you! Have you been well? You look like you’ve been doing well. Your complexion is totally different!”
“Is it?”
Yeon Yiseo greeted Natalie with a warm hug, returning her unfiltered joy, then quickly placed his order so they could keep chatting. The conversation flowed effortlessly from how they’d been during their time apart to recent updates in their lives.
“It’s crazy busy, but once you accept that it should be busy, it’s hard to complain. I mean, I’ll never be able to love the endless mountain of paperwork, but still. The person who replaced you finally got the hang of things, so it’s been good to work with them.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“But honestly, working with you was the best.”
Their food arrived. When Yiseo ordered an omelet, Natalie insisted that the bagels here were a must-try. But since it was still early in the morning and he didn’t have much of an appetite, he stuck to his choice.
With a note of regret, Natalie ordered a pastrami lox bagel—upgraded to an everything bagel. It came deconstructed, requiring her to assemble it herself. Once the cold brews arrived and the table was set, Natalie snapped a quick photo.
“My friend asked me to send one. Well… still a friend, for now.”
That pointed addition—“still a friend”—was a subtle hint that she was hoping the relationship would develop into something more. Yiseo took a bite of his omelet while Natalie tapped away on her phone, saying she was done once she set it down.
The omelet, filled with mushrooms, cheese, and spinach, suited his taste quite well. As he chewed, Yiseo found himself wondering what Alexander was doing. Would Alexander be wondering the same about him? With the thought lingering, he snapped a photo of his omelet and sent it.
— (Photo) Are you awake? I’m having breakfast with a former coworker.
Ding.
No sooner had he set the phone down on the table than a message came in.
— (Photo) An omelet, huh? Funny coincidence—I’m having the same thing.
Alexander’s reply included a photo, and the moment Yiseo saw it, he couldn’t help but chuckle for no particular reason.
“Who is it? Your boyfriend?”
If it hadn’t been for Natalie’s question, he might’ve kept staring at the photo for a while.
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Oh wow. Look at you! New job, new boyfriend! You must be in that honeymoon phase. I’m so swamped I can barely find time to meet this guy, let alone move things forward. But our CEO has been going full throttle lately, so I can’t really help it.”
“The CEO? Hasn’t he always been like that?”
Ethan had always been the ambitious type. If he hadn’t been, there’s no way Dymine would’ve reached the level of success it had. But if Natalie was saying this much, it meant he was taking on even more than during Yiseo’s time there.
“Ah—true. He’s always been like that, but lately it’s gotten way worse. I mean, I know he’s an extreme-dominant Alpha, but I have no idea when he sleeps. Watching him up close is something else. He’s lost weight too, and he’s been really on edge. I figure it’s from sleep deprivation, but still, it makes work pretty exhausting.”
“Really? Since when?”
When Yiseo asked, Natalie glanced upward, trying to recall the timing.
“…Let’s see. Since right after you left. So… more than a month now? About two months, maybe. Jeez. The fact that I’ve lasted this long is a miracle. I’m telling you, it was such a blessing you left when you did.”
Yiseo simply nodded at Natalie’s lament. The timing coincided with his resignation. He didn’t know what to make of that. Could it really be because he rejected Ethan? …No way.
It had to be just a well-timed coincidence. Besides, Ethan was constantly surrounded by people. There were surely tons of people better than him, with more to offer. There was no reason Ethan would cling to someone like him. No reason at all.
Pushing the thought aside, Yiseo refocused on what Natalie was saying.
“So how’s the new job? Everything okay? Though I’m sure you’ve adjusted just fine.”
Maybe it was because they hadn’t seen each other in so long, but their conversation never hit a lull. They talked for almost two hours before parting—only because Natalie had other commitments. She’d already mentioned it when they’d first made plans. She insisted on meeting as many people as she could while she had the time, and said goodbye, adding that she still had two more appointments that day. Watching her leave, Yiseo even felt a bit of admiration.
He felt bad for Natalie, but he hadn’t been fully present during their meeting. Some part of his heart kept tugging him toward Alexander. It was strange. They saw each other every day, and yet he missed him this much just from a short separation.
He wanted to go see him right away, but he had a hospital appointment today and couldn’t. Thankfully, they accepted weekend appointments. He hadn’t told Alexander. There was a chance Alexander would offer to come with him, and Yiseo didn’t want to make a fuss over something like this.
After checking in, Yiseo waited in the lounge until his name was called. Blood work was done, and he sat down with his doctor to go over the results.
“Everything looks good. Your pheromones have stabilized, and there are no unusual values. Typically, it takes more than six months for a rare manifestation to normalize, but you’ve made very fast progress. You mentioned your partner is an extreme-dominant Alpha? That likely played a part. You’re in the clear, but feel free to return if any issues come up.”
As Yiseo got up, the doctor added one more thing.
“Your body has now fully transitioned into that of an Omega. That means pregnancy is possible. Just something to keep in mind when considering your future.”
It was a simple, clinical comment, but it caught Yiseo off guard. He walked out of the consultation room in a strange mood. It was a word he’d never thought applied to him, and even the possibility of it unsettled him—despite knowing it would never come to that.
Stepping outside, Yiseo took a deep breath and looked up at the sky.
More than uncertain possibilities, what mattered most right now was the one certainty—he could go see Alexander. Checking the time, he realized it was already nearing 3 p.m., having spent longer than expected at the hospital.
Maybe it was because he was eager to see him, but his feet naturally moved faster. He didn’t message Alexander; he wanted to surprise him. He figured he’d text once he got in the elevator.
At the condo, Yiseo gave a nod of recognition to the now-familiar security guard, Freddy, and entered the building.
Ding.
Just as he pressed the elevator button, a message alert sounded. It was from Alexander.
[When are you coming? I was thinking of meeting you downstairs.]
Watching the elevator descend, Yiseo tapped out a reply.
[What a funny coincidence. I was just about to get up.]
The elevator arrived quickly, the doors sliding open to reveal a person stepping out. Yiseo hit send and stepped inside.
Without pressing a single button, the elevator began to rise, as if it already knew its destination. He waited quietly, half-expecting to play a game of chance with where it would stop. It went all the way up—82nd floor, the penthouse.
When the elevator stopped, that familiar dizziness hit him, and the doors opened—revealing Alexander.
He’d been looking down at his phone, just about to step in, when he spotted Yiseo and his eyes widened.
Ding.
Yiseo’s phone chimed again.
[Can you send me the address?]
A soft smile played on his lips as he read the message.
“Want me to send it to you?”
“Yiseo…!”
Alexander stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. For a moment, the pressure took his breath away—but soon, he settled into the comfort of it, inhaling deeply, soothed by Alexander’s scent.
Yiseo was about to suggest they step out of the elevator, but Alexander scooped him up and carried him straight inside without missing a beat.
Only after entering the apartment did Alexander finally set him down. Yiseo was getting used to being lifted like this, and though it didn’t startle him the way it once had, it still made him bashful. As he cleared his throat and fiddled with his hair, Alexander asked,
“How did you get here so fast?”
“Well, I actually finished my meeting earlier in the morning… but I stopped by the hospital, so I got here just now.”
“The hospital?”
The moment Yiseo said it, worry immediately appeared on Alexander’s face.
“It’s nothing serious. I just went to check if my pheromones had stabilized. The irregular levels from the rare manifestation are back to normal. They said I’m fine now.”
“You went alone?”
