112
Pheromones? Imprinting?
Words he hadn’t expected passed through the doctor’s lips. While Yeon Ji-ho was in a daze, Set answered calmly, not looking particularly surprised.
“Will releasing a lot of pheromones put strain on Ji-ho’s body?”
“Not at all. The mother-to-be has been lacking pheromones, so it’s best to release as much as possible. Of course, I don’t mean to the point where it’s too much for you, sir.”
Set nodded, listening attentively to the doctor’s words. The doctor also shared plenty of positive news with Yeon Ji-ho, though he did mention that Ji-ho needed to increase his food intake.
Just as the doctor was about to leave after finishing his brief rounds, he seemed to remember something and spoke to Set rather than Yeon Ji-ho.
“Would you like an imprinting test for the two of you? We can just take a blood sample from you, sir, and get the results right away.”
“Ah, no!”
Yeon Ji-ho spoke up faster than Set. Set still didn’t have an official identity, and although they could process it as non-insured, it might leave unnecessary traces. Yeon Ji-ho made up an excuse to the doctor, saying that Set was a foreigner so the test wouldn’t be necessary.
The doctor nodded at the mention of a foreigner and soon left the room. As silence fell over the hospital room, Yeon Ji-ho looked at Set sitting beside him.
“…Did you know by any chance?”
Set slowly shook his head at the question. Yeon Ji-ho let out a sigh.
“To think Set is really an alpha…”
“I’m not sure if I’m exactly an alpha. I just belatedly noticed a strange energy in my body. It turned out to be ‘pheromones’.”
“That’s what an alpha is. And this scent…”
Yeon Ji-ho’s nose twitched repeatedly. He now realized that the faint burnt smell lingering in the room was Set’s pheromone scent.
Set, watching Yeon Ji-ho from beside him, knew that he was focusing on smelling his pheromones. Hesitating to say something, Set finally spoke in a somewhat uncertain tone.
“…It’s not a very pleasant scent.”
“What? Your pheromones, Set?”
“It smells burnt, doesn’t it? There’s a somewhat acrid smell. Ji-ho, I hope this burnt smell isn’t having a negative effect on your body. The doctor did say to release my pheromones…”
Set mumbled, sounding somehow unsure. Yeon Ji-ho then realized that by this world’s standards, Set was no different from adolescent alphas who had just presented, with no idea about their traits or pheromones.
Remembering when he first presented as an omega, Yeon Ji-ho could relate even more to Set’s uncertain tone. Hadn’t he thought the constant acacia scent at the tip of his nose was dizzying? On the day he first went to school after presenting, Yeon Ji-ho had walked with hunched shoulders, worried his friends might smell his scent.
After organizing his thoughts, Yeon Ji-ho suddenly leaned his face against Set’s shoulder. He buried his forehead in Set’s chest and gently rubbed his face, as if acting spoiled.
“These pheromones allow me to breathe.”
“…”
“Without them… even breathing was a struggle every day.”
This wasn’t just something nice to say; it was the truth. Yeon Ji-ho was now realizing why he had such difficulty breathing. His sensitive body had detected the absence of these pheromones, Set’s scent, which had always lingered by his side.
“After I’m discharged, should we throw a second gender party for you, Set?”
A second gender party was a recent trend. It was a party held to celebrate those who had presented as alphas or omegas. Of course, Yeon Ji-ho, who had presented at too young an age, had never had such a party either.
As Yeon Ji-ho spoke jokingly, Set’s expression, which had looked heavy, lightened somewhat. Set gently shook his head at Yeon Ji-ho and said,
“Whether I’m an alpha or beta, that’s not really important to me. I come from a place where such things don’t exist.”
“Ah, um…”
“But I’m glad I can release pheromones for you, Ji-ho.”
Set chuckled and gently stroked Yeon Ji-ho’s hair. If he hadn’t become an alpha… The thought alone was terrible. Ji-ho’s condition, as the doctor had told him while Ji-ho slept last night, had been extremely serious.
However, for some reason, Yeon Ji-ho’s expression turned somber at Set’s words. Set was looking at him with a puzzled face when Ji-ho spoke.
“Set, do you know what imprinting is?”
Imprinting.
Yeon Ji-ho realized that Set had come from a world without alphas or omegas, and had become an alpha without knowing anything. Moreover, he had essentially imprinted with Ji-ho as soon as he became an alpha.
“…Imprinting?”
At Set’s quiet question, Yeon Ji-ho’s lips parted slightly. He didn’t know. He didn’t know what imprinting was or how it was done.
Unconsciously, Yeon Ji-ho gently touched the back of his neck. To imprint, one needed to bite the back of the neck, but Set didn’t know this. …Was he really imprinted with Set?
“In this world, there’s a way for those with traits to promise each other a lifetime. That’s imprinting.”
“…Promise a lifetime?”
“Yes, when you imprint, those with traits can’t find stability without each other’s pheromones.”
That’s why if one of them dies, the other person lives an unstable life forever.
Set closed his mouth at Yeon Ji-ho’s subsequent explanation. He had heard from the doctor that he and Yeon Ji-ho had imprinted, but he didn’t know it had such a meaning.
“How is imprinting done?”
“By biting the back of the neck… Of course, not all bites are successful. I don’t know the details, but they say the mental aspect is important.”
“The back of the neck.”
Set, who had muttered softly, fell into thought for a moment. Meanwhile, Yeon Ji-ho was pondering whether he should tell Set about Hadad or not.
If he did, where should he start? The reason why Hadad kept following him? That Hadad might be an alpha? That Hadad had bitten his neck once? Whatever he said would be unpleasant for Set to hear. This made Yeon Ji-ho hesitate.
“Ji-ho.”
“…”
“Ji-ho?”
Yeon Ji-ho only raised his head after Set called him a couple of times. Set was looking at him with worried eyes.
“Ji-ho, it’s past your nap time.”
“Ah, no… I’m not a child, there’s no set nap time.”
“You need to be more careful than a child, Ji-ho.”
Before he knew it, the pillow supporting his back was removed, and Yeon Ji-ho found himself lying down on the bed again. As Set gently patted his chest, surprisingly, sleep began to overtake him. His eyelids felt heavy.
“…Set…”
“Yes, Ji-ho.”
“Don’t… go anywhere… without me…”
Even with sleepy eyes, Yeon Ji-ho’s fingers twitched, searching for something. As Set quietly watched, Ji-ho’s fingers soon touched Set’s sleeve. Yeon Ji-ho tightly grasped the sleeve he had barely managed to catch and fell asleep.
That desperate touch seemed to convey Yeon Ji-ho’s anxiety. Set’s expression turned heavy as he sat by Yeon Ji-ho’s bed, neatly arranging Ji-ho’s hair.
How long had it been like this? When a peaceful silence fell over the hospital room, Set, who had been fixing his gaze on Yeon Ji-ho with lowered eyes, spoke quietly.
“Isn’t it time for you to come out?”
There was no expression on Set’s face. He had simply called out to someone else who was here, while keeping his gaze fixed on Yeon Ji-ho.
At that moment, a presence appeared behind Set, as if distorting the picture. It was Hadad, neatly dressed in a purple suit.
“Hmm, as expected, it’s not easy to deceive Set.”
“You weren’t even trying to hide in the first place.”
If he had intended to conceal his presence and attack, he would have moved as soon as he entered instead of just watching. Moreover, Set was in a position to protect Yeon Ji-ho, so he might have been even more cornered.
However, Hadad didn’t seem to have such intentions. His neatly dressed appearance in a modern suit seemed more suited for negotiations than fighting.
Hadad walked over steadily and stood close behind Set, reaching out his hand. Placing his hand on Set’s shoulder, Hadad looked down at the sleeping Yeon Ji-ho with a smirk.
“Set, my poor friend.”
“…”
“Do you really think Ji-ho has imprinted with you?”
His whisper was extremely malicious, and also…
“What you desire has never come true, has it?”
Seductive.
