The guys who had been chattering nonstop suddenly fell silent. They clammed up, exchanging nervous glances instead of speaking. Seeing their reaction, Yu-jin became certain of his suspicions.
No way.
It felt like his world was collapsing. Winston had slept with someone else. While he had been waiting so patiently, devoted only to his Winnie. How could this happen?
“Uh, well… Winston can’t help it because of his condition.”
One of them cautiously broke the silence, and as if given permission, the others quickly chimed in.
“Yeah, if he doesn’t release pheromones, his head starts messing up.”
“Nobody wants to go insane and die, right? Anyone would do the same in that situation.”
“If sex is a way to get rid of pheromones, then honestly, it’s a good thing.”
“Yeah, that’s what you call efficiency. Avoiding a huge risk without much effort—”
Yu-jin let their words pass in one ear and out the other, keeping his head down.
They were right. It wasn’t like Winston wanted it; it was just a necessity because of his condition. Some people can’t drink milk because of their body’s intolerance—this was no different. Up until now, Winston had only ever kissed him, so he must have needed another way to release his pheromones.
Yu-jin forced down his emotions and smiled as if nothing was wrong.
“It couldn’t be helped, right? It’s fine. He doesn’t need to go anymore.”
It’s fine. From now on, I will take care of his pheromones. There’s no way Winnie would go back to a place like that now that he has me.
As if trying to convince himself, Yu-jin silently added the thought in his mind. Seeing his reaction, the guys hastily tried to recover from their mistake by talking over each other.
“Yeah, exactly. Just let it go.”
“It’s not a big deal. If you’re dating an Extreme Alpha, this is just something you have to accept.”
Every word that came out of their mouths was infuriating. And they called this comforting him? Yu-jin was about to sharply call them out when another voice cut in first.
“It’s not like you two were going to last long anyway. Winnie’s going to marry Evelyn in the end.”
Yu-jin’s mind went completely blank. His frozen smile remained on his face as another person echoed the sentiment.
“Yeah, exactly. It’s not like Yu-jin was thinking seriously about this. Right?”
“You’re just having fun while it lasts. No need to get too deep into it.”
“Yeah, it’s all temporary anyway.”
They laughed and clinked their beer bottles together like it was some kind of celebration, but Yu-jin just stared at them blankly.
“…What did you say?”
His voice came out as little more than a stunned whisper. The ones who had been carelessly joking around paused, their gazes turning toward him. Yu-jin’s eyes were still wide, his expression dazed. The mood shifted as they noticed his reaction, the laughter vanishing from their faces, replaced by uneasy expressions.
“Uh… wait… you didn’t know?”
One of them hesitantly broke the silence. Seeing Yu-jin’s blank expression, another guy stammered,
“M-M-man. We thought you already knew…”
“It’s not like we meant any harm. It’s just… you know, it is what it is…”
They kept talking, but Yu-jin couldn’t hear a single word. Their voices just echoed in his head.
‘Evelyn… he’s marrying Evelyn?’
That was all he managed to force out. His voice trembled, making the guys shift uncomfortably, glancing at each other as if unsure how much more they should say. After an awkward pause, one of them finally stepped forward, gathering his courage.
“They’ve been friends since childhood, and their families are close. They’re already engaged.”
“Dude, did you really have to say that?”
Someone tried to stop him, but another just shook his head.
“It’s too late now. No point in hiding it after all that.”
At that, the rest seemed to give in as well, their expressions softening into reluctant acceptance. One of them continued,
“Everyone knows they’re getting married. It’s been decided for ages. Nothing’s going to change that.”
“Winston has to continue the family line. Who he marries is important.”
“Hey… sorry. We shouldn’t have talked about this…”
“It’s fine.”
Yu-jin barely managed a hoarse reply.
“Thanks for telling me. I… I needed to know.”
That was it. He didn’t know what else to say. He just stood there, staring off into the distance, completely dazed. He had tried so hard to act like it was nothing, but it was all for nothing. Just the thought of Winston being with someone else had already knocked the wind out of him, and now this—this was the final blow.
Yu-jin was down for the count.
And then—
“Yu-jin.”
Winston’s voice suddenly called out from behind him. Before he could react, strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him in. Yu-jin collapsed weakly into Winston’s embrace as the other man buried his nose into Yu-jin’s hair, inhaling deeply. One arm remained around Yu-jin’s waist while the other casually lifted a cold beer toward him.
“Here. Sorry I’m late. Took a while to find something cold.”
His voice was as gentle as ever. But it did nothing to warm the ice spreading through Yu-jin’s chest.
The others took the hint, quickly glancing at each other before making excuses and slipping away one by one. By the time they were gone, Yu-jin still hadn’t moved or spoken. He just stood there, frozen in Winston’s arms.
“Yu-jin? What’s wrong?”
Noticing the strange atmosphere, Winston frowned slightly, puzzled. But for some reason, Yu-jin couldn’t bring himself to respond. Maybe the shock was just too much. He had no idea what to say or even how to start. His mind was stuck on repeat, the same thoughts playing over and over.
Winston sleeps with so many people.
He never planned to marry me.
I was just something to pass the time before he marries Evelyn.
Was it a lie when he said he loved me, too?
…I don’t know.
A sharp sting pricked at the tip of Yu-jin’s nose, hitting him belatedly. He tried desperately to hold back his tears, but it was no use. Biting down on his lip, he fought against the rising emotion, but the moment he blinked, a heavy tear rolled down and fell.
“Yu-jin, are you crying? Why?”
Winston immediately noticed, his voice rising in alarm. But Yu-jin couldn’t answer. He only rubbed his eyes hastily with the back of his hand, trying to wipe the evidence away. Winston hesitated for a moment, seemingly at a loss, before realization dawned on his face.
“Did those bastards do something while I was gone?”
Yu-jin had been alone with them while Winston stepped away—it wasn’t hard to guess. Winston lowered his voice, softening his tone so he wouldn’t startle him.
“What did they say to you? Or… did something bad happen? It’s okay, Yu-jin. Just tell me. I’ll take care of it, I promise.”
He kept trying to soothe him, but it only made things worse. The gentle voice, the worried gaze—it all made the pain cut even deeper. Yu-jin sniffled, his shoulders trembling, before he finally broke down in quiet sobs.
That was the moment Winston completely lost it.
***
Hoo…
Yu-jin let out a shaky breath, forcing himself to take deep inhales. The tears had stopped long ago, but the occasional hiccup still escaped. He wiped at his sore, swollen eyes, trying to calm himself as he sat on the bed.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Of course, the person who entered was none other than Winston.
“You okay?”
Winston had brought in a towel soaked in cold water. Striding over to him, he looked down with concern. Yu-jin muttered a quiet, thanks, taking the towel and pressing it to his face. The cool, damp fabric soothed the heat on his flushed skin.
“What about your friends…? Did they all leave?”
“A while ago.”
Winston kept his reply short, but Yu-jin already knew. He had seen it himself—Winston shouting furiously as he drove them out.
“You didn’t have to pull a gun on them…”
Yu-jin mumbled under his breath, but Winston only shrugged.
“They wouldn’t have left otherwise. I should’ve done it sooner.”
Even the police had shown up because of it. If not for the Campbell name, he might’ve been arrested on the spot. While Winston had calmly explained to the officers that it was just an accidental discharge, Yu-jin had anxiously sat on the bed, waiting. In a way, the chaos had helped him—giving him time to stop crying and compose himself.
But still, that kind of reckless behavior wasn’t good.
“Don’t do that again. It scared me… You could get hurt. Or arrested.”
“Alright.”
Winston agreed without hesitation, reaching out to stroke Yu-jin’s hair. His expression remained filled with worry.
“…So, why were you crying?”
Yu-jin suddenly felt like something was lodged in his throat. A heavy silence settled between them.
