# Chapter 11
As the conversation was wrapping up, an unwelcome sound reached my ears. Though Choi Yunjun spoke out of concern, it only awakened my anxiety. I hadn’t even thought about it before, being too preoccupied with just surviving.
“It can’t be helped.”
Kim Yuho answered what seemed like a question directed at Cha Heegeon and Gong Junhee. His response was so indifferent that I felt a little hurt.
We had briefly risked our lives together to overcome a crisis, yet he spoke as if it had nothing to do with him.
“Then… what should we do?”
My feeling of being the only one with a sense of belonging was short-lived. Seeing Cha Heegeon’s lack of response to Choi Yunjun’s words, I asked out of concern for my own well-being.
“I’ve never gone through a rut without anything to help, so I don’t know either.”
Cha Heegeon was no different from Kim Yuho. I unconsciously bit my lip hard.
Is that how Alphas always are? Beyond being terribly indifferent, their answers sounded irresponsible, making me, the lone Omega, shrink away.
I understood that nothing could be done in this situation, but it was a difference in attitude. I alone was worried about their rut cycles, and it was eating me up inside.
“But forget the rut for a moment—Kang Jihong, what about you?”
After Choi Yunjun’s question, a cold wind seemed to blow through the room. Sensing the strange atmosphere, I glanced around. Everyone was looking at me.
“Should we try going out again tomorrow?”
They disregarded my cautiously offered suggestion as if it were nonsense, not bothering to answer.
Facing a reality with no answers, I realized once again that this moment, with the end of the world upon us, was a critical point.
If I were an Alpha like them, I’d simply endure the pain of a rut cycle, but being an Omega was a disaster.
“We’ll think about that later. Let’s organize what we brought back first.”
Cha Heegeon broke the heavy silence that hung in the air. At his words, the others, who had been slouching, began to move.
I glanced at Cha Heegeon, who was sitting on the windowsill. His pheromones had changed subtly. For me, this was nothing short of a bad omen.
By evening, we received new information through the news. The government had classified the current situation as a serious social disaster and, after meetings at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, would mobilize the military.
The purpose was to isolate infected individuals roaming the streets. Until then, people were advised to stay home as much as possible and avoid contact with the infected.
The head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, the Minister of Public Administration and Security, stated that as the crisis had occurred simultaneously across the country, it would be difficult to resolve at once, and asked for trust in the government and patience.
Additionally, experts from the new infectious disease response team cited a virus as the cause of the outbreak. They speculated that because symptoms of this unknown new virus initially manifested as mild cold or flu-like respiratory ailments, it was difficult to detect early, especially during the seasonal change.
Seeing the government’s efforts to manage the increasingly serious situation provided some relief. On the other hand, we still had our own immediate problems to solve, which was equally troubling.
“Kim Dongyoung’s condition is getting worse.”
Kim Yuho said to Gong Junhee. Their expressions were all shadowed with the same dark concern.
After resting and having dinner, they had given food to Kim Dongyoung as well. However, after barely lifting a spoonful, he quickly began retching and eventually vomited, suffering greatly.
They tried feeding him several more times, but again, he couldn’t chew properly and vomited, causing everyone to turn away and leave.
About thirty minutes had passed since then, and we could still hear Kim Dongyoung’s dry heaving and the monstrous howls of Kim Donghu, who had turned into a zombie, from behind the closed office door.
“There’s nothing we can do in this situation.”
Gong Junhee said, looking at the manager’s office. Indeed, we had no way to save Kim Dongyoung.
“But what about Hyung-nim?”
Kim Yuho’s voice dropped noticeably. With all my senses on high alert, I subtly observed Gong Junhee’s expression.
I had fallen asleep briefly while leaning against the wall after returning from outside to rest. When I woke up, Cha Heegeon was nowhere to be seen.
Since everyone else was in the office, it seemed unlikely he’d gone somewhere else, but he’d been missing for several hours now, which was making me uneasy.
“Hyung-nim is…”
After a long silence, Gong Junhee looked at me. As soon as our eyes met, he looked away.
“Well. If Hyung-nim would make a decision, we could try something, but he hasn’t said anything yet, so it’s hard for us to decide on our own.”
“Should we just ask Kang Jihong to go check on him?”
Kim Yuho’s quietly whispered words, which seemed to be conscious of my presence, caught my attention.
“If that’s not what Hyung-nim wants, there’s no need.”
“Hyung-nim’s rut cycle is longer than ours. This can only be managed with medication or pheromones.”
“I know, but he gets especially sensitive during his rut, so just leave him alone. If he wants something, he’ll take care of it himself.”
Gong Junhee sighed heavily, clearly troubled. Why do bad premonitions never fail me? I’d suspected it, and sure enough, Cha Heegeon seemed to have entered his rut cycle.
If there was any consolation, it was that Gong Junhee, who was a hundred, no, a thousand times better than Cha Heegeon, thought this way, so I probably wouldn’t be forced into anything.
It’s like saying there are levels even among bad guys. I’d been anxious whenever the topic of rut came up because they would all give me meaningful looks.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
As I was fidgeting with my fingers, pretending to be preoccupied, someone called out to me. Looking up, I saw Lee Yegang handing me a new toothbrush and toothpaste.
“If you want to wash up, do it quickly.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Accepting the toothbrush and toothpaste in confusion, I stood up and left the office. The bathroom was in the hallway outside the office. I walked past those who were already getting ready for bed, having quickly washed up.
Unlike the office, the corridor lights were rather dim, giving an eerie feeling.
The building lobby doors were locked, and infected corpses were piled up on the lower floors, so even if zombies appeared from somewhere, it wouldn’t be easy for them to reach us, but I couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling.
Feeling unnecessarily nervous, I quickly entered the bathroom, washed my hands, and washed my face and brushed my teeth. I gargled with water, startling at the slightest sound and looking around.
After rinsing my mouth hastily a few times, as if someone were chasing me, I turned to leave the bathroom when I sensed a familiar Alpha pheromone.
The scent was even thicker and heavier than what I had smelled earlier. Once I became conscious of the pheromone, each whiff made my sense of smell more sensitive.
Led by that scent, I found myself in front of the stairs leading to the roof. The owner of this pheromone was definitely Cha Heegeon. The pheromone was pointing to its owner as if it had a name attached to it.
Should I call it interest, or curiosity?
Although I knew it was Cha Heegeon’s pheromone, I couldn’t take my eyes off that place, as if my attention was drawn to something strangely appealing. I could even hear faint breathing from the dimly lit stairwell, making my hearing just as alert as my other senses. It seemed Cha Heegeon was deliberately hiding there to avoid me.
If I could sense it this strongly without being in a heat cycle, perhaps Cha Heegeon was also aware of my Omega pheromones. He must be even more sensitive than I am. The thought made me uncomfortable.
“What are you doing there?”
“Ah, nothing.”
I jumped in surprise and turned to see Gong Junhee approaching. As I awkwardly smiled and made an excuse, he spoke.
“Everyone’s settled in, so find yourself a spot anywhere.”
“Yes.”
After bowing slightly, I headed to the office. Stopping briefly, I glanced back to see Gong Junhee also looking up at the stairwell. When he turned to look at me, I quickly averted my gaze.
There was no need for me to solve this problem. Cha Heegeon didn’t particularly want it, and Gong Junhee said there was no need.
I tried to think about it coolly, but my heart was still unsettled. Cha Heegeon’s pheromones were so intense that the sensation lingered like an attachment.
My heart was racing unnecessarily, my knees felt weak, and chills ran down my spine. I was shocked that the concentration and force of pheromones could become so severe in just a few hours.
“By the way, where is Hyung-nim sleeping?”
As soon as I opened the office door, I heard Kim Yuho’s voice. Having been conscious of Cha Heegeon, hearing such words made me flinch.
“Junhee hyung-nim was also worried earlier. There’s an empty office if he really wants to stay there, but… that’s not the issue.”
Lee Yegang sighed heavily as he spoke.
“That’s true.”
Seeing Kim Yuho agreeing with him, I stood there awkwardly, and suddenly they all looked at me.
“Where are you going to sleep?”
“Ah, anywhere is fine.”
I pretended not to know when Kim Yuho asked. They finished laying out the large mat they had been setting up. Perhaps conscious of my presence, they no longer voiced concerns about Cha Heegeon.
Just as everyone was settling in, Gong Junhee entered. He called a few large-framed men and they carried out a sofa big enough for three people.
I watched them go, then lay back down and shut my eyes tight.
* * *
I woke up suddenly, not knowing when I had fallen asleep. Curled up in the corner where I had been lying, I raised my head at the sound of heavy snoring.
I could see them lying in a row behind me. The sofa had been pushed to one corner, and they were sprawled randomly across the wide office floor. After watching them sleep, I carefully raised my upper body.
The soft moonlight coming through the office window served as illumination. Seeing a few people grinding their teeth, I moved and stood up.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
