Falling ill was bad enough—but Yeon Yiseo didn’t even have insurance. He simply couldn’t afford it. Anyone hearing that someone working at Dymine, let alone as the CEO’s secretary, was uninsured would probably be stunned. But Yiseo had his reasons.
What if they told him he needed to be hospitalized immediately? What would he even tell the company? He didn’t believe he brought enough value to them for them to wait around for his return. There were plenty of people with the same skill set as him. If he couldn’t perform, they’d just fire him and hire someone else.
He’d worked so hard to make it this far. He couldn’t let it all fall apart like this. He tried to tell himself it wasn’t happening yet—it was just a “what if”—but the thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. His throat felt bone dry.
None of this ever happened to Yeon Yiseo in the SickVill storyline. So what the hell was going on now? Letting out a sigh, Yiseo buried his face in his hands.
“Mr. Yeon Yiseo.”
At the sound of his name, he quickly stood and headed into the exam room.
“Mr. Yeon Yiseo? Please, have a seat.”
“Is it an illness? What kind of illness is it?”
The moment he stepped inside, Yiseo cut straight to the chase. The doctor turned his head and looked at him. For the first time, a faint smile appeared on the face that had been stone-cold until now.
“Oh, you were worried it was something serious. It’s not that. Please, have a seat.”
The doctor gestured again for him to sit. Yiseo felt a flicker of relief—but he still couldn’t let his guard down. He sat quietly, waiting for the explanation.
“It’s a manifestation.”
“…Excuse me?”
The doctor’s words left Yiseo stunned. At the same time, considering he’d prepared himself for the worst, part of him wanted to scoff: That’s all? But a manifestation wasn’t something to take lightly, either.
The fact itself wasn’t that surprising. He’d figured he’d experience it sooner or later, especially since the story was following the original game. But why now? That was the real question.
Yiseo didn’t even have time to let out a sigh of relief before replying.
“A manifestation?”
“Yes, that’s right. To be exact, it’s about to occur. In two or three days, you’ll fully manifest. You had yourself marked as a Beta in your records, but this would be considered an atypical manifestation. These cases are rare. There are instances where it’s triggered through contact with a dominant Alpha, but I’ve never seen one like this in practice. Hm… judging from your pheromone levels, I’d say you’re most likely a recessive Omega. But we’ll need to test again once things stabilize to get accurate results.”
The doctor continued, scanning the chart.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed anything odd yourself, but since this is an atypical manifestation, your pheromones may be unstable. Your heat cycle hasn’t been regulated yet either. A pheromone supplement might help, but honestly, the best solution is receiving your partner’s pheromones directly.”
“Receiving… pheromones?”
“Yes. You wouldn’t necessarily need intercourse—simple skinship would be sufficient. Especially in your case, since your manifestation seems to have been triggered by a specific individual’s pheromones. Your body will probably instinctively seek out your partner’s scent.”
Yiseo’s mind was in chaos.
In the original in-game novel, Yeon Yiseo did eventually manifest as an Omega—though not until near the end. It was such a late event in the story that he hadn’t thought much of it.
And in My Beloved Beta, the one who triggered it was Ethan. It only happened after their relationship had progressed significantly.
But now?
Yiseo stepped out of the hospital with a prescription in hand and looked up at the sky.
“…How the hell did it end up like this?”
He exhaled sharply. It had only been a one-night stand with Alexander. And now, there wasn’t a single person he could rely on—and something like this had to happen. It felt suffocating.
Still, even if he was a recessive Omega, that meant he’d be physically stronger than before. The heat cycle would be tricky, of course, but maybe he could manage a part-time job after work. He shook his head.
At least now he knew what had been making him feel so awful. That alone brought a weird sense of clarity.
He took the lowest-dose pheromone stabilizer the doctor had prescribed and returned home, swallowing the pill with mixed feelings. He’d been happy about saving on food thanks to Ethan’s pie, but now an unexpected expense had popped up. Still, it all balanced out to zero, so it wasn’t the worst thing.
The doctor said he’d crave his partner’s pheromones—but that was the real issue.
Alexander wasn’t even someone he could call a “partner.” He was just a one-night stand. And it’s not like he was someone you could easily get in touch with, either.
It looked like he’d be relying on stabilizers for a while.
Even that was hard to afford with how tight his budget already was. Seo Eunwoo’s name flashed through his mind, but this wasn’t something he could just casually talk about.
The next day at work, the first person to notice something different about Yiseo was Ethan.
“You’re not feeling well?”
“…Pardon?”
Their desks were near the executive office, so Ethan had spotted him right away and asked. Yiseo actually felt better than yesterday, so the question caught him off guard.
“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”
“Hmm. Sorry. That was an inappropriate question.”
Even as Ethan said that, he didn’t head straight into his office. He stood there, watching Yiseo carefully. Must’ve been his extreme-dominant Alpha senses picking up on something.
Come to think of it, Ethan had also watched him closely when he gave him the pie.
Maybe Ethan had subconsciously picked up on the fact that Yiseo was going through a manifestation as a recessive Omega.
If he was already this perceptive when Yiseo hadn’t even fully manifested yet… things could get messy later. Should he come clean first? He hesitated.
Once he was fully classified as an Omega, he’d have to inform the company anyway due to the heat cycles.
But what worried him more was whether Ethan would connect the dots—realize that his own older brother was the one who triggered Yiseo’s manifestation. If that got out, who knew how complicated things would get? He wanted to avoid that if at all possible.
He couldn’t undo what happened with Alexander. But of all people, it had to be Ethan’s older brother—one of the main characters.
The plot had already veered off course, and the last thing Yiseo needed was even more chaos.
***
Two days later.
Yeon Yiseo officially manifested as a recessive Omega.
He submitted his diagnosis and classification paperwork to the company, and when Natalie heard the news, her eyes went wide in shock.
“You manifested? You, Yiseo? …Oh my god. You must’ve been so exhausted lately. And you still got through all that work with that body?”
“It wasn’t so bad. I’m feeling a lot stronger now, too.”
“I mean, sure… but still. You should’ve said something if you even suspected it. Kinda hurt you didn’t.”
She pouted for a moment, but quickly returned to her usual self.
“So? Are you an Alpha or an Omega?”
“A recessive Omega.”
“Oh, got it. Just so you know—I’m an Alpha too, but a recessive one. My pheromones won’t affect you or anything.”
Yiseo chuckled at her added comment. He’d never once worried she’d harm him in any way. Still, he understood why she’d clarify—now that he was no longer a Beta, but an Omega.
“I’m still adjusting, so I might make some mistakes controlling my pheromones. If anything happens, please let me know.”
“Got it. But I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it in no time, so don’t worry. Oh my gosh—look at me forgetting. Congratulations, Yiseo.”
“Thanks, Natalie.”
He smiled as he replied.
At that moment, Ethan stepped out of his office.
“Mr. Yeon Yiseo. Are the documents ready?”
“Ah—yes. They are.”
“Then let’s head out.”
They still had about thirty minutes before their next appointment, so there was no real rush—but Ethan seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.
Still, it wasn’t something Yiseo could question. If the CEO said go, the secretary went. That was the job.
Yiseo quickly gathered the documents, picked up his bag, and followed Ethan.
Once inside the car, Ethan flipped through the papers Yiseo had handed him.
That same strange thirst he’d felt before the manifestation had returned. He tried drinking water and even a sports drink, but it didn’t help.
“Your body will instinctively seek out your partner’s pheromones.”
The doctor’s words came to mind.
Partner. That man. Would he even get to see him again? Yiseo let out a quiet breath and stared out the window.
The rustle of paper sounded as Ethan flipped through the documents.
“So. You manifested.”
“Yes, that’s right. …Ah, did I release pheromones just now? I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not that.”
Ethan’s eyes, which had been scanning the documents, turned to Yiseo.
He probably wouldn’t ask who the partner was, but Yiseo still broke into a cold sweat.
Ethan’s gaze lingered for a moment, then returned to the documents.
“It’s fine if it slips out by mistake.”
