His eyes were obedient, and with his tongue poking out like a child showing how he really felt, he seemed almost innocent. Watching him now, I couldn’t believe this was the same person from earlier.
This morning, his eyes had turned wild as he pinned me down, collapsed in a pool of blood, then cornered me like I’d conned him. And now? He’s sitting there with puppy-dog eyes, begging for food… No wonder people say a single day can feel endless.
Ha-jin swallowed a sigh, making sure it didn’t show.
“Here. Say ‘ah—’.”
Blowing on a spoonful of porridge to cool it down, he held it out. Cheon Tae-seong opened his mouth obediently and accepted the bite like a well-trained pup. Ha-jin had worried it might still be a little hot, but Tae-seong didn’t even flinch. He stared blankly as the man’s cheeks hollowed, throat bobbing as he swallowed.
Then Tae-seong licked his lips, eyes flicking toward Ha-jin as if to say next.
“Uh, right… here.”
Where was that guy who said he felt sick? Tae-seong scooped porridge from the container and ate like a man possessed. It disappeared into his mouth at lightning speed—as if he were deleting it from existence, not eating it.
Porridge for a guy his size? It wouldn’t even scratch the surface of his hunger. Watching Tae-seong open his mouth like a baby bird, Ha-jin bit his lip.
The first container was emptied in seconds. Setting it aside, Ha-jin pulled another from the shopping bag. So that’s why I bought two, he realized. Meanwhile, Tae-seong popped open a water bottle and rinsed his mouth.
“That one’s yours, Ha-jin.”
“I’m fine.”
“Eat. It’s already past lunch. Or… did you go out and eat without me?”
“No, I didn’t…”
Not just lunch—looking outside, the sun was already setting. Through the fully drawn windows, the sky was tinged with dusk.
“Do you hate porridge? Want me to get something else?”
“No, I’ll eat it.”
Right on cue, his stomach growled loud enough to echo. Must’ve been from watching someone eat right in front of him. Ignoring the heat rising to his cheeks, Ha-jin quickly cleared away the empty container and unfolded the table.
He grabbed his share and walked over to the sofa. Tae-seong chuckled, then got down from the bed and sat right next to him. It didn’t really make things more awkward—they’d already seen enough of each other for one very long day.
In just half a day, more had happened between them than in the entire two years they’d spent together before the regression.
Ha-jin murmured a quiet Thanks for the meal and started eating.
“Do you need to head home?”
Tae-seong caught him sneaking glances at the wall clock.
“…No.”
“Don’t give me that.”
Crack! The empty bottle crumpled noisily in Tae-seong’s grip. He handed Ha-jin a fresh one after seeing him set his spoon down. Earlier, he’d said even the slightest movement made his head spin… Now he claimed porridge had fixed him right up. Honestly, the man was impossible to pin down. And sharp as a blade.
No wonder he’d figured things out even before the regression. Would things have changed if I’d just been honest? Whether he sensed Ha-jin’s thoughts or not, Tae-seong just watched him quietly.
“Let’s talk now.”
Knowing this was coming, Ha-jin gave a small nod, and Tae-seong dove right in.
“Have you ever reacted to another Alpha’s pheromones besides mine?”
“What? Uh, I—what?”
“Yes or no?”
Ha-jin had planned to discuss what happened today as calmly and rationally as possible, but his brow furrowed at the ridiculous question. Tae-seong had a real talent for provoking people. Even now, he looked totally unbothered, despite how inappropriate the timing was.
“No. I mean… honestly, you’re the one claiming I reacted. I’m not even sure myself.”
“How about now?”
Before the sentence even ended, Tae-seong released his pheromones. Seeing no reaction from Ha-jin, his expression soured, one brow lifting in annoyance.
“I feel nothing.”
“…”
There was no way he was faking.
Tae-seong had felt something when their lips touched. Unless he’d been out of his damn mind. A strange heat flared in his chest—it was pride, plain and simple.
“Just be honest and bring Lee Ha-jin to the hospital.”
He remembered Song Jae-hyun pushing him over and over. If this is really nothing, then you should get tested, find the cause, and break the imprint. You’re going to regret this otherwise.
Maybe he had imagined everything—mistook Lee Ha-jin’s pheromones for something more than they were.
But Tae-seong vividly remembered the scent on Ha-jin’s hand when he wiped sweat from his forehead and took his temperature. His mind had been foggy with fever, but he knew it wasn’t a hallucination.
If this was a side effect of one-sided imprinting, then he should still be able to detect that scent.
So why had that intoxicating presence vanished without a trace?
“So strange… Ha-jin, huh?”
Tae-seong reached over and ruffled Ha-jin’s hair. The way the man flinched away stung a little. He had to admit it now—he was completely at this guy’s mercy.
Twisting a few strands of Ha-jin’s hair between his fingers, Tae-seong smirked.
“Someone hit you?”
“I was just surprised… That was a reflex.”
Ha-jin clasped his hands tightly in his lap, then suddenly turned to glare at him. His eyes were round enough to turn square, his expression determined.
“Just so you know, I’m not going to do whatever test you want me to do to prove something.”
Tae-seong looked slightly caught off guard, then grinned, baring his canines.
“You look like I just touched something filthy.”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“Then what?”
“Honestly, this whole thing? It’s your fault.”
He hadn’t meant to pick a fight, but now that the words were flowing, his voice only got firmer.
“This whole ‘you reacted to my pheromones’ claim? That’s just your interpretation. The kiss? That was you doing whatever you wanted. And even now, I feel nothing from your pheromones. So maybe…”
“‘Maybe’ what?”
“Maybe the whole thing was just your misunderstanding. That’s what I’ve been thinking. Yes. That’s what I believe.”
Tae-seong, who had been quietly listening, suddenly grabbed Ha-jin’s chest.
“Then what’s this?”
Their faces were suddenly inches apart, and Ha-jin gasped. His heart pounded so hard it was audible. Tae-seong, feeling every beat through his palm, broke into a victorious grin.
“Th-this is…!”
Ha-jin shoved him away with both hands.
“This is because it—! It was my first kiss, okay?!”
“…”
“I was just caught off guard! I’m still not used to it, so if you suddenly do something like that, I—I don’t like it.”
Tae-seong narrowed his eyes. Being pushed like that sent a jolt to the back of his head—he couldn’t tell if it was from his stitches or from the surprise of Ha-jin’s touch. Seeing his bright red cheeks and tightly shut eyes, even a normal guy might’ve been tempted to tease.
Feeling parched, Tae-seong reached over and snatched the water bottle Ha-jin had been drinking from, gulping it down without hesitation. Ha-jin stared, wide-eyed, but he didn’t care.
“So you’re saying it’s not your pheromones, huh.”
“…Yes.”
God, I hope so. If it was his pheromones, things would get far more complicated.
“So are you going to get tested?”
“Yes. If there’s any risk, I should check.”
Even so, Ha-jin was determined to do the right thing. Maybe dying once made a person like that. He’d never go back to the path of lies, especially not with Cheon Tae-seong.
Tae-seong let out a short, dry laugh at that firm reply.
“Ha-jin… are you stupid?”
He stood up as if he didn’t need to hear anything else. This time, he really was pissed off.
He’d lived with Ha-jin at his side for two years. At first, he’d seen this so-called pheromone management thing as nothing more than alternative medicine. But having him around turned out to be surprisingly effective. Lee Ha-jin, his soft-spoken, round-eyed manager, had started to feel like a nice little bonus in his life. That’s how he’d let his guard down and caught feelings without even realizing it.
What pissed him off wasn’t even the betrayal over money—it was that Ha-jin had never asked him for a dime.
“If I were you, I would’ve just played dumb. Said, ‘You were imagining it, sir—must’ve been your heat messing with your head.’”
Talked some nonsense about how big money comes with big risks. But this guy, who knew exactly what Tae-seong was worth, took money from some stranger instead?
Apparently, all those feelings—loyalty, affection—had been one-sided from the very beginning.
And this damned imprint was no different.
Returning to the bed, Tae-seong sat on the edge, back turned to Ha-jin still sitting on the sofa. His face, now devoid of expression, looked like it was lost somewhere two years in the past.
The face of Lee Ha-jin from back then.
“You need money.”
The voice that finally broke the silence was cool and sharp.
“…”
Ha-jin didn’t answer right away. The hospital room was thick with tension.
In that question, You need money, don’t you?, Ha-jin realized Tae-seong knew about his younger brother Yushin’s illness. But he couldn’t bring himself to snap, Did you dig into my family too?, because he still couldn’t quite read the reason behind that piercing tone.
What does he want from me?
His emotions had been on a rollercoaster all day. All he could do now was stare at Tae-seong’s back and wait for what came next.
It was Tae-seong who finally broke the heavy silence.
He turned back toward Ha-jin and, with an unreadable expression, said firmly:
“Just do it.”
The tone was so casual that Ha-jin didn’t catch the meaning at first.
“…Do what?”
“Keep working as my manager.”
Tae-seong walked over and shoved a folder into his hands. Inside was a revised contract. When had he even put this together?
Just like that first day they reunited—when Tae-seong had flooded the room with dangerous pheromones and pressured him into signing—he was smiling again. And just like back then, Ha-jin’s brain short-circuited at the sight of it.
Tae-seong added one more line.
“But you’re not allowed to leave after work.”
…What?
Ha-jin perked up his ears, thinking he misheard. But Tae-seong’s face was as calm and serious as ever. Completely, shamelessly bold.
