Only after hearing those words could Ha-jin finally be honest with himself.
A year had passed since his return to life, and Ha-jin was gradually hitting a wall in his work as a pheromone manager. Every Alpha he met through his job became a problem in one way or another. Granted, part of it was because he had stopped restraining himself as much. But blaming them alone wouldn’t fix the fact that he was losing clients and opportunities one after another.
What about the other managers, then? He had asked around, but there weren’t any cases like his—managers who ran into issues with every client they met. He couldn’t just write it off as bad luck anymore. Even repeated pheromone tests still showed the same thing: his pheromone levels were zero.
With no clear explanation, he began to wonder—should he just suck it up and live like he did before his regression? If so, how far could he push himself for the sake of making money? Could he hold out until a new treatment came along, until Yushin could finish his therapy?
In the midst of all that uncertainty, Ha-jin realized—perhaps subconsciously—that Cheon Tae-seong’s existence had given him a sliver of hope. A proven Alpha who didn’t go into rut around him.
It meant he wasn’t broken.
It meant maybe he could keep going.
But then came the pheromone reaction. Tae-seong had crushed that fragile hope in an instant—and said even worse things. As if it wasn’t enough to lose his last emotional refuge, the man had so casually suggested that his body had changed.
“Is it possible that my body’s changed somehow?”
“Sorry?”
“Could it be?”
The question was so unexpected that Ahn Se-hyung blinked in surprise. She pushed her glasses back up her nose and clarified.
“Wait—you mean your body, not Yushin’s?”
“Yes. Lately, I think… something feels off with me.”
“Off how? What kind of symptoms?”
Given how pale Ha-jin looked, Ahn Se-hyung had assumed he might be considering giving up on Yushin’s pheromone gland removal surgery. She’d seen plenty of guardians crushed under the weight of medical bills. She thought that was what this conversation would be about.
She had walked with him from the ward hallway to the garden bench, wondering how best to approach the subject. But now that he was talking about his own condition, she couldn’t help but show how thrown off she was.
“I know it probably sounds crazy, but even though the pheromone scanner doesn’t detect anything, I feel like something’s changed.”
Ha-jin furrowed his brow so deeply it made his round forehead cave inward.
“I think… my body’s reacting to Alpha pheromones. Or even… triggering them.”
“Triggering them?”
“I mean… it’s like my body is producing pheromones.”
Ahn Se-hyung went momentarily speechless before snapping back into focus.
“Whoa, okay, hold on. Let’s sort this out.”
“Yes, please.”
“You’re saying… you feel like your body has changed. As an Omega. That you’re reacting to Alpha pheromones, and that it’s causing your own Omega pheromones to respond?”
He didn’t say anything out loud, only nodded. Ahn Se-hyung’s expression immediately brightened, and she took both of Ha-jin’s hands in hers.
“Then why do you look so down about it?”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you once tell me you just wanted to live a normal life? I remember that clearly.”
It was a few years ago, back when Yushin’s treatment had dragged on. A new drug had come out and the prognosis looked promising. One night, Ha-jin had confessed it to her in the hallway:
“Once Yushin gets better… once he’s well enough to live normally again, I want to move out to the countryside where my grandmother lives. It’s this beautiful village with a huge old tree. I’d fix up her house real nice and settle down. Start a family like any ordinary person would. Of course… only if Yushin wants that too.”
Ha-jin wasn’t the type to speak at length, so she remembered the moment well, even though she’d been exhausted at the time.
“Did I really say that?”
“You did. You looked so sincere when you said it. I even thought to myself, ‘If I were an Alpha, I’d want to date this guy.’”
When Ha-jin finally cracked a smile, Ahn Se-hyung laughed heartily, saying her ideal type was someone domestic and down-to-earth. Then, perhaps a little embarrassed, she patted his shoulder hard enough that it stung.
“Anyway, what I’m saying is—it sounds like good news, so why the long face?”
It was a fair question, coming from someone who didn’t know the full story. But that didn’t make it any easier to answer. Ha-jin hesitated, then mumbled.
“I guess I’m just… overwhelmed. I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
“Understandable. Well then, should we schedule a test? You’re not the first case I’ve seen like this, you know. I’ll talk to one of the professors for you.”
Startled, Ha-jin looked up. Not the first case—hearing that made his heart drop.
“The test itself isn’t difficult. And it’s covered by insurance, so no need to worry about the cost.”
“…Alright. Please go ahead.”
Ahn Se-hyung seemed to misread his dark expression and smiled kindly, trying to reassure him. Ha-jin, realizing her intentions, forced a small smile and nodded.
When faced with a change he didn’t welcome, keeping a level head was proving to be much harder than expected.
After parting with Ahn Se-hyung, Ha-jin wandered aimlessly through the hospital. Tae-seong had told him to come back once the Chairman had left, but his feet refused to move.
Partly because he still hadn’t “sorted out his thoughts.”
Sitting on a bench near the administrative office, he blankly watched people exit the hospital, then dug through his pockets—only to be reminded once again that he didn’t have his phone.
“……”
In the pockets of his new clothes, all he found were leftover cash and a receipt from his earlier purchases. Seeing the shopping bag looped over his wrist, he let out a bitter laugh.
He’d picked out his clothes and shoes, only to realize at the register that he had neither his wallet nor phone. He’d just stood there, dumbfounded, wondering what to do. That’s when a man dressed in black had approached and handed him money. Said Tae-seong had sent it.
That moment made him feel guilty for even thinking of going home without a word. Jaw clenched, Ha-jin stood up and turned his steps toward the VIP suite on the top floor.
The hallway outside Tae-seong’s room was quiet. A line of bodyguards in black suits stood like statues, but Kim Dae-hong was nowhere to be seen. A strange thought crossed Ha-jin’s mind: Maybe it’d be better if he were in there with Tae-seong.
Ha-jin bowed politely to each guard, one by one, before entering the room.
Beyond the door, the pheromones still lingered thick and heavy. The atmosphere was silent. He pressed his palm lightly over his heart. It felt calm—just like always. But still, something gnawed at him. Like the ticking of a clock that, once noticed, couldn’t be unheard.
He set the shopping bag down near the entrance and walked toward the bed. Past the partition wall dividing the space, he saw Tae-seong lying there with his eyes closed.
Is he asleep?
Ha-jin tiptoed toward the sofa, only to jump when Tae-seong suddenly clicked his tongue.
“Was that seriously the only thing they had in the store?”
“……”
As Tae-seong opened his eyes and tried to sit up, Ha-jin rushed over and adjusted the bed’s backrest. Tae-seong let out a low groan, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Why’d you buy something so damn sexy?”
“It’s just a basic tee and jeans.”
Despite everything on his mind, his mouth reflexively snapped back at the nonsense. Their eyes met for a second before Ha-jin quickly looked away—but it was already too late. Standing beside him, he could clearly see the large bandage on the back of Tae-seong’s head, and his shoulders unconsciously tensed.
“You’re not the only case like this, Mr. Ha-jin.”
Thoughts sorted, his ass. His head was still a mess. What now? Even looking directly at Tae-seong gave him no clue what the man was really thinking.
Nothing was confirmed, and the guy was… well, him, so naturally Ha-jin’s mind went to the darkest places.
“Ha-jin.”
“Yes?”
He looked up at the sound of his name and saw Tae-seong with a faint smirk tugging at his lips. Before Ha-jin could even guess what he was about to say—
“Feed me.”
“……”
He blinked, confused, then followed Tae-seong’s gesture. A shopping bag from a porridge shop sat nearby. Ha-jin walked over and opened it—it really was porridge inside. Clearly, someone had brought it earlier.
He pulled up the over-bed table and began laying out the food, glancing skeptically at the man in bed. Porridge for a concussion?
“I had a fever all weekend. Didn’t eat a thing. My stomach’s a wreck.”
Tae-seong volunteered the info before Ha-jin even asked. As he peeled the lids off the square containers of porridge and side dishes, Ha-jin stared at him, baffled.
The guy looked way too healthy for someone who hadn’t eaten in two days… All he really confirmed was that Tae-seong was annoyingly good-looking.
He arranged the bowls for easy access and unwrapped the spoon, only for Tae-seong to open his mouth with an expectant “Ahh.”
“You’re supposed to feed me.”
Ha-jin just stared. Tae-seong added, as if it needed explanation—
“……”
“Well? What are you waiting for?”
Ha-jin let out a helpless laugh, temporarily forgetting even his serious worries.
“Your hands work just fine.”
“Even small movements make my head spin. Migraine’s killing me.”
“……”
“I’m serious.”
Ha-jin studied him for a second, then sighed and began stirring the porridge. Might as well feed the guy first. Jumping straight into conversation felt overwhelming with everything already on his mind.
As he stirred the bowl, letting it cool a bit, his eyes kept getting caught on Tae-seong’s mouth—his slightly parted lips, his tongue.
“Hold on a second. It’s still hot.”
The unnecessary comment slipped out before he could stop himself. Tae-seong just grinned with an of course expression.
