—Seems like you’re in a tough spot. Did I call at just the right time?
His tone sounded as if he could see exactly what was happening. Yeon Yiseo’s eyes darted quickly as he scanned his surroundings, and then he spotted Alexander standing at the upper floor balcony. That was all—but it brought him an unexplainable sense of relief. It was strange, even to feel that way.
Alexander should’ve been busy socializing, yet he’d called at the perfect moment. It was the first time they’d spoken since that day they ran into each other on the street. He could’ve ignored everything—but the fact that he didn’t, the fact that he’d reached out, made Yeon Yiseo grateful.
No, not just grateful. Happy might have been the more accurate word. It was a subtle difference, hard to explain—but that’s what it was.
“Yes. Your timing is perfect.”
—Good.
Even from a distance, Yeon Yiseo could tell Alexander was smiling.
—I’d come down immediately if I could, but that’s not possible right now. I suppose I could use the call as an excuse to slip away…
“Thank you for the suggestion. I’ll consider it immediately. Could you give me just a moment?”
Yeon Yiseo pulled the phone from his ear and looked to Tamir.
“It’s an urgent work call. I may need to return to the office.”
“I can’t let you slip away like this. My instincts are screaming at me not to.”
Just as expected, Tamir had no intention of letting him go. The mood made it feel entirely plausible that he’d try to drag Yeon Yiseo off to his suite. And if it came to that, Yiseo would resist with every ounce of strength he had. But that would be a last resort.
The Muhammad family, founders of an “oil empire,” had influence spanning the globe. Even in the U.S., their power couldn’t be ignored. If Yeon Yiseo angered or harmed Tamir in any way, it wouldn’t matter that he had no connections—he could be thrown in jail just like that.
More than anything, Tamir could easily use his pheromones to overpower Yeon Yiseo if he wanted.
No one could predict how this might escalate. But what mattered now was cutting off the momentum and escaping. And since he still hadn’t hung up on Alexander, he had to wrap this up fast.
Yeon Yiseo looked Tamir squarely in the eyes and spoke.
“لا يمكنك معرفة الشخص من لقمة واحدة، ولا يمكنك فهمه من لقاء واحد.”
He wasn’t sure if the pronunciation was right, but the meaning must’ve come through. Tamir let out a low, amused breath.
“A proverb. ‘You can’t know a man from one bite of food, and you can’t understand him from a single meeting.’ …I didn’t know you spoke my language.”
Yeon Yiseo noticed the spark in Tamir’s eyes and felt a chill. He rushed to clarify.
“Just a few phrases. That’s all.”
“Humble, too. The more I learn about you, Yiseo, the more surprises you give me.”
Yeon Yiseo didn’t respond, offering only an awkward smile.
“Yes… taking things slowly. I like that. It’s not so bad, getting to know someone at a more deliberate pace.”
Tamir’s smile deepened as he gazed at Yeon Yiseo. It wasn’t a smile of someone who’d backed off; rather, it felt like his desire had taken on a tangible weight. Yeon Yiseo had to fight the shiver crawling up his spine.
Maybe he was overthinking it—but once that unease took hold, there was no shaking it.
He tried to keep his smile from faltering as he walked briskly away. The farther he got, the more he slowed his pace, taking in a few sharp breaths before bringing the phone back to his ear.
“Thank you so much. Hello again, sir.”
—I didn’t know you could speak Arabic.
The first thing Alexander said made Yeon Yiseo flinch in embarrassment.
“No, no—barely anything. I can’t really say I speak it.”
—Did you study it?
“I picked up a few things from a kid I met during a volunteer project in high school… just enough to say hi and be polite.”
He admitted it quickly, worried that if Alexander thought he was fluent, he’d get assigned to something in that field. But instead of brushing it off, Alexander sounded intrigued.
—If a child from a shelter taught you enough to share words like that, it must mean you approached him with genuine sincerity.
That wasn’t anything worth praising. But the more they talked, the more Yeon Yiseo felt the conversation drifting out of his control. The open admiration made him fidgety and flustered. He needed to redirect the topic.
“Really… thank you again for earlier, sir.”
—Not at all. But are you sure I was really of any help?
“Sorry?”
Yeon Yiseo blinked, confused by Alexander’s question.
—I just wondered if I’d gotten in the way instead.
What he said next left Yeon Yiseo speechless.
“No—! No, absolutely not. That’s not true at all.”
He sprang to deny it. The idea was outrageous. It was so unfair he almost sputtered.
—You’re denying it so strongly, it almost sounds like you’re confirming it.
Apparently, his message hadn’t landed. Desperate to clear the misunderstanding, Yeon Yiseo pleaded his case.
“No, really—it’s not like that. You know what was happening. You saw it.”
His face twisted with earnest frustration. He just wanted to clear this ridiculous mix-up—but then, he heard it: Alexander’s quiet chuckle on the other end.
At that, Yeon Yiseo realized the man had been teasing him all along.
“…Sir.”
His voice betrayed his exasperation, laced with a hint of accusation.
—I see. So, would you like to leave early tonight, Yiseo?
“If it’s possible… I’d appreciate that.”
—I’ll let Janet know. Get home safe.
Yeon Yiseo ended the call, then practically bolted from the venue, afraid of running into Tamir again.
He had no idea if this was really the right path. Everything felt like it was spiraling further out of control.
The gap between the romance targets he’d known from his past life and the people he was meeting now was wider than he’d expected.
Sure, no one’s perfect. But this… this was too much.
If Alexander hadn’t helped today, Tamir would’ve dragged Yeon Yiseo into something irreversible. What bothered him most was how he’d had to say something insincere just to escape. He should’ve drawn a clear line—but instead, he’d left things too vague.
Still, Tamir was the type who couldn’t take no for an answer. There was really nothing more Yeon Yiseo could’ve said.
The next time they met would be the real test—and already, his head throbbed just thinking about it.
But for now, this was the best ending he could’ve hoped for. He’d dodged the worst, and that was something. For the moment, it was enough.
***
He saw Alexander again on Thursday.
Given how busy Alexander always was, and Yeon Yiseo himself barely managing to get through his days, they hadn’t even crossed paths at work.
Just as Yeon Yiseo was wrapping up for the day and stepping out of the office, he spotted Alexander emerging from inside.
“Good evening, sir.”
“Did you make it home safely that night?”
Alexander walked up to him and asked, and Yeon Yiseo immediately understood which night he meant. He gave a small nod.
“Yes. Thank you again for that.”
“It was nothing.”
“No—it really wasn’t. If it hadn’t been for you, I wouldn’t have been able to get away.”
And that was the truth. Alexander’s call had changed everything. It let him escape.
As their small talk continued, Alexander paused and gave Yeon Yiseo a long look. It was the gaze of someone observing closely.
“How have you been feeling?”
He’d expected a casual question, but what came instead was clearly about Yeon Yiseo’s pheromone stability.
“I’m usually busy on weekdays, but I should be free for a bit this Sunday. If you’re okay with it, you could come to my place again… say, around four?”
“Ah… that.”
As Alexander made the offer, Yeon Yiseo cut in with something else.
“You don’t need to provide pheromones this time.”
“…”
Alexander looked at him blankly for a moment, as if unsure he’d heard correctly. Then, realization flickered in his eyes.
“Is it that you don’t need them yet? If your pheromones are stabilizing, that’s good news.”
He was sharp, quick to catch on—but this time, it seemed Yeon Yiseo had been too vague. Looking up at him, Yeon Yiseo clarified.
“No. It’s not that. I’ve decided to receive pheromone supply from someone else.”
LOL NO SHOT HE JUST STRAIGHT UP SAID THAT
Hahahaha