Act like this is your first life.
Ha-jin took a deep breath and approached the man. The guy didn’t even seem aware that he was sneaking around—he stood tall and unashamed, even after spotting Ha-jin.
“Do you have some business with this patient’s room?”
Ha-jin had to swallow the anger bubbling up inside to keep his tone calm. Yushin was a patient with high pheromone sensitivity, and the room was strictly off-limits to Alphas. Yet the man standing before him was clearly an Alpha. Not a dominant one, perhaps, but potent enough for his pheromones to be sensed. Like most Alphas, he also lacked the ability to properly suppress his scent.
Ha-jin glanced over the man’s shoulder but, conveniently, didn’t see any hospital staff nearby. It was obvious he was moving with the privileges granted to someone from Cheon Tae-seong’s family.
I haven’t even spent enough time with Tae-seong to be considered trustworthy—so what is he here to ask? How much has he found out about me? Did that pheromone disruptor even exist this early in the timeline…?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in that brief moment, but the man greeted him with the same polite attitude as in his previous life.
“Good afternoon. I came to pay my respects to the patient in this room, but I found the door sealed—it said Alphas aren’t permitted. So…”
As he explained his purpose, the man held out a basket of fruit. Ha-jin didn’t budge. He just stared, eyes fixed on the gesture, until the man seemed to realize he’d misstepped and bowed again.
“My apologies. I’m with—”
He took a business card from his inner pocket and offered it.
“My madam has taken a keen interest in Lee Yushin.”
Ha-jin’s brows shot up as he glanced down at the card.
Yushin?
When he looked back up, the man smiled slightly, perhaps mistaking Ha-jin’s expression for a positive reaction.
“Are you family? If it’s not too much trouble, could I ask you to pass along this fruit and a greeting from the madam?”
“By ‘madam,’ you mean…?”
“The mother of CEO Cheon Tae-seong.”
“Ah, of course. That was a dumb question.”
The card identified the man as Kang Sung-oh, executive secretary in Strategic Planning. Right below that was the logo for Chunwoo Group, the parent company of I&CH Holdings and headed by Chairman Cheon Han-jo.
So this part is the same as before…
“She wants to meet Yushin?”
“Yes. She said once he’s recovered, she’d like to have tea with him, perhaps even arrange a meeting.”
“What on earth would a woman like that have to say to Yushin?”
“It’s nothing bad, I assure you. She simply wanted to thank him for how well things are going with CEO Cheon. Just a gesture of appreciation.”
“Ah.”
Ha-jin idly rolled the business card in his palm.
In his past life, she had approached him in exactly the same way. She’d thanked him for taking care of Tae-seong and asked to meet over tea. Then she’d asked him to make sure her son took his supplements, since he never listened to his mother, and tried to enlist Ha-jin’s help.
It was the exact same story and the same intent—but the target had changed. Now it was Yushin.
If they’re suddenly showing up with fruit baskets, maybe she doesn’t even know about Yushin’s condition…
No—more likely, she simply didn’t care.
She’d probably ordered her secretary to scout Yushin out based on the limited information they had, confirm his condition and appearance, then decide how to proceed. His actual health status wasn’t even a factor in her plan.
But why Yushin?
Ha-jin looked down at the fruit basket in the man’s hands and silently scoffed.
She must’ve mistaken Yushin for Tae-seong’s close Omega…
That thought hit like a flash. Ha-jin quickly schooled his expression. This, too, was a shift in the timeline.
“In any case, Alphas aren’t permitted in this ward, so I’ll have to ask you to step outside.”
Ha-jin gestured toward the corridor and turned. He meant for them to talk while walking, and Kang Sung-oh caught on, following beside him. As they walked toward the elevators, Ha-jin explained,
“As you can see, Yushin is in no condition to receive visitors. Alpha pheromones are toxic to him. For now, it would be best to refrain from any visits.”
“Understood. Then how should I report back to the madam? May I have a contact number?”
“I’ll give you my card.”
When Kang Sung-oh took Ha-jin’s business card, his eyes briefly flickered with interest. Seizing the moment, Ha-jin added,
“I’m currently managing CEO Cheon Tae-seong.”
Kang Sung-oh’s furrowed brows made it clear he was now scrambling to piece things together.
Ha-jin hoped he’d quickly realize he’d made a critical miscalculation. Smiling faintly, he waited as Kang Sung-oh tucked the card into his jacket and gave a series of polite nods.
“I see. I’ll relay the message to the madam.”
“I’ll make sure the fruit basket is delivered properly.”
With a smooth smile, Ha-jin accepted the basket from Kang Sung-oh’s hands. Even after handing over the card and having the fruit effectively confiscated, the man still lingered like he had more to say. He licked his dry lips several times, but Ha-jin pressed the elevator call button without hesitation.
As the elevator doors lit up and the downward arrow began flashing, Ha-jin gave a casual nod in farewell. At last, Kang Sung-oh found the nerve to speak again.
“One last thing—madam wishes for this matter to remain private. She hopes no one will find out about this meeting. She wants it to happen quietly, without drawing attention.”
Ha-jin didn’t bat an eye. He’d heard that line before and didn’t bother feigning surprise this time.
“Of course. There’s no reason for me to bring it up with CEO Cheon. You don’t need to worry. I don’t want to complicate things either.”
In his past life, he’d kept his mouth shut and suffered in silence, terrified of stepping out of line and losing his job. He’d cowered and bowed to those with power, convinced that disobedience would ruin him.
Kang Sung-oh now wore that exact same expression of cautious submission. Still, he seemed to take comfort in thinking he had achieved something here. His face was far more relaxed than when they first met.
“I’ll be in touch.”
“Take care.”
The elevator opened, and Kang Sung-oh stepped inside. Ha-jin gave a polite bow and kept smiling until the doors were fully closed.
As soon as the elevator descended, Ha-jin looked again at the business card, then immediately took out his phone and dialed Cheon Tae-seong.
His heart pounded so violently he had to set the fruit basket down and clutch his chest.
He paced the quiet hallway, waiting for the call to connect. Ten seconds passed before the low voice finally came through the receiver.
– What is it?
Maybe it was the tension, or maybe the surprise—but Ha-jin felt a strange relief just hearing Tae-seong’s voice. As he struggled to gather his words, the man on the other end didn’t wait.
– Did something go wrong during the test?
“N-no, it’s not that.”
– Then what is it?
“Your mother. Madam Cheon came to the hospital. To Yushin’s room.”
Ha-jin blurted it all out, his voice full of urgency. Tae-seong was silent on the other end. Since this was a completely different choice from his past life, that pause felt agonizingly long.
What’s he thinking?
Fear. Excitement. It felt like a first-time rebellion. Ha-jin’s heart thundered like it might burst.
– I don’t have a mother who walks around on her own.
Tae-seong let out a soft laugh.
Ha-jin blinked, caught off guard by the laugh, and rushed to clarify.
“No—she didn’t come herself. It was her secretary. He gave me a card. His name’s Kang Sung-oh. It says he’s an executive secretary in Strategic Planning for Chunwoo Group.”
Ha-jin rambled, then suddenly sensed something off. No mother who walks around on her own? What did he mean by that? He wasn’t sure, but it didn’t feel right to ask.
– So you’re saying someone claiming to be my mother’s secretary came to see your brother.
“Yes, that’s right.”
– …Why your brother?
“Maybe they misunderstood.”
– Misunderstood what?
“Well… you gave him a VIP room, covered his hospital bills, and even called in the medical staff at dawn. That’s enough to make anyone misunderstand.”
Even to Ha-jin, it sounded like a reasonable assumption. The entire hospital had been turned upside down in the middle of the night for one Omega.
“I think she assumed you and Yushin are in a relationship. That’s why she wants to meet him.”
– Right. She probably thought I did all that because we were dating.
Tae-seong accepted the logic easily. Perhaps the situation annoyed him. After a pause, his voice came again, a bit quieter.
– Ha-jin.
“Yes?”
– My heart’s suddenly racing like crazy.
“…Your heart? Why?”
– Beats me. Maybe it’s stress? I think it’s because you’ve been gone too long.
Ha-jin glanced once toward Yushin’s room before putting the phone back to his ear.
“I was just about to head over anyway. I have something to tell you. But…”
– But what?
“Can you make sure no one else visits Yushin’s room from now on? Just now, someone almost got in. He’s a sensitive patient.”
– Yeah. Dae-hong’s heading over with some guys now.
“…Thank you.”
Ha-jin had only expected him to notify the hospital—but this went further than that. In his past life, Tae-seong had shown kindness toward his team, but not quite to this degree.
“I’m coming back now.”
– Okay.
“Just wait a little longer, Tae-seong.”
What I love about this story is that Ha-Jin. Isn’t dumb. I can’t wait until they find out they both regressed