The moment Tae-seong finished speaking, both of them fell silent—as if on cue.
This isn’t right, is it? But it was already too late.
The long summer sunlight stretched across the wooden floor, lighting it up warmly. Lush greenery could be seen beyond the window, yet the heavy stillness settling between them felt out of place. Ha-jin fidgeted with his eyebrows using his fingertips, then finally broke the silence with an awkward look on his face.
“That’s ridiculous… What are you even saying?”
“Why is it ridiculous?”
“Why do you keep… No, you’re lying, right?”
“You really don’t trust me at all, do you? Why would I lie about something like this to you?”
Ha-jin had tried to brush it off like a dumb joke and change the subject, but he suddenly found himself speechless, staring at Tae-seong in a daze. Seriously? This really belongs to him? Then the starfield last night too… Sure, nobody owns the sky, but they say there’s ownership over the best spots to look up at it.
Ha-jin, lost in a flurry of disjointed thoughts, suddenly shook his head and waved his hand.
“No! That’s not the point. Even if it’s a joke, stop saying stuff like that.”
“I’m not joking.”
“Yeah, I do like money, but only because I need it. If you keep offering me stuff like that, it makes me feel like a total sellout, like I’m just…”
Trying to explain himself just made him feel more and more pathetic. Like when that 500 million won was quietly deposited into his account and somehow became his without a fight—telling him to stop trying to buy favor with money felt pointless now.
And who even talks about giving away buildings like they’re candy…
After spending the night together, hearing about such a big gift just didn’t sit right.
As Ha-jin stumbled and failed to wrap up his words, Tae-seong’s brows furrowed sharply. Just as he looked like he was about to say something else, Ha-jin abruptly stood up. Tae-seong’s eyes followed the awkward movement.
“CEO, why don’t we head out? You said they raise sheep here, right? Maybe it’s still too hot out though.”
Trying to seize the momentum, Ha-jin swung open the wardrobe and grabbed a T-shirt and shorts that looked like they might fit. He started changing as if ready to bolt, but Tae-seong stepped in, stopping him and turning him around.
Tae-seong pressed his lips together so tightly they turned pale as he stared at Ha-jin. The way he kept dodging the conversation made it clear that Ha-jin didn’t want to talk—but Tae-seong couldn’t let it go. He could feel the tremors in Ha-jin’s heart.
“You know everything. Don’t you?”
“……”
“So why are you pretending not to?”
Their eyes locked, neither one able to move, like they were pinned in place. The only movement was in their eyes, flitting back and forth as if trying to read each other’s minds. After a moment, Ha-jin let out a soft sigh.
“Yeah… I know. Of course I do.”
Even though he’d suspected as much, Tae-seong was still shocked. The moment he read the conflict in Ha-jin’s eyes, the weight of the knotting he’d caused came crashing down. His heart dropped. He didn’t even realize he was gripping Ha-jin’s arm tightly, his eyelids trembling.
“I’m sorry.”
The expression on Tae-seong’s face was one Ha-jin had never seen before. It startled him.
“No, it’s okay. We were both involved.”
“No… I’m sorry, Ha-jin. This is all my fault. No matter what.”
“……Can you let go of my arm now? I need to change.”
Ha-jin had started taking off his robe in front of the wardrobe mirror, but under Tae-seong’s gaze, he decided to retreat into the bathroom instead. Once inside the enclosed space, he shut the door and finally let out the deep sigh he’d been holding back.
He’d been trying to ignore reality ever since he realized he was knotted—but he hadn’t even lasted an hour. And now that he’d admitted it out loud, the weight of it all felt even heavier.
Yeah, this was a mistake.
Tae-seong’s apology rubbed him the wrong way. In this situation, surely there were better things to say than “I’m sorry”…
Furrowing his brows deeply, he tried to figure out what it was he wanted to hear—but even he didn’t know. The fact that Tae-seong called last night a mistake and apologized for it didn’t sit right. Maybe he really wasn’t in the right state of mind.
***
Kwak Mari’s voice rang vividly in his head.
“Right. Even if you were swept up in the moment, don’t let your guard down. No matter how high your heat runs, don’t forget—you’re still an Omega. Even if it looks like it never happens, there are pheromone managers who end up screwing their clients.”
“Come on, why would I do something like that? Don’t you know me, noona?”
If she ever found out, Mari noona would absolutely flip.
Ha-jin sat gripping the safety bar next to his seat, lost in thought. Each time the buggy bounced over a ridge, his spine and tailbone screamed in protest, but compared to the chaos in his head, this was peace.
It’s just heat. It’ll be fine… right?
He’d sat through hundreds of hours of training about knotting and Omega pregnancy during his pheromone management days, and yet here he was, casually brushing it off when it actually happened to him.
Realistically, the first thing he should be doing is getting checked out. If one of his Alpha clients had done something like this, he’d have told them to take the Omega straight to the hospital. But now that it was happening to him, even thinking straight felt exhausting.
That “some Omega” who got knotted unexpectedly by his Alpha client… turned out to be him. What a goddamn comedy.
Without turning his head, Ha-jin glanced sideways at Tae-seong, who was sitting beside him. His eyes were on the road, hands steady on the wheel, and he didn’t seem to notice Ha-jin’s stare. Just like Ha-jin, he was wearing a plain cotton T-shirt from the wardrobe—and it looked good on him. Even with a helmet on, his striking features were impossible to hide. His scent, rich and almost floral, only added to his overwhelming presence.
“Let’s get ice cream.”
Without warning, Tae-seong turned to him and said it loudly, then shifted direction before Ha-jin could respond. He added that there was an ice cream truck near the ranch entrance for tourists, smiling as he spoke.
“If you’re okay with it… let’s talk later.”
Tae-seong had respected Ha-jin’s request to wait. He simply nodded and got changed like nothing had happened. Then he led the way outside, opened the cabin door, and helped Ha-jin onto the off-road electric buggy. Maybe he welcomed the avoidance too.
The rolling hills stretched endlessly in green. At night, they hadn’t realized it, but the cabin was located high up. It made sense—they’d watched the stars cascade from the sky. But in the pitch darkness, they hadn’t seen this breathtaking view.
Near the entrance, it really did feel like a tourist attraction. The midsummer pasture was cooler than expected, and there were more visitors than Ha-jin had anticipated. Among them, he spotted staff members in uniform discreetly watching Tae-seong. It was obvious even at a glance.
After parking the buggy, they removed their helmets and headed toward the ice cream truck. The staff greeted Ha-jin with a smile that had clearly been rehearsed.
“What flavor do you want?”
“Strawberry. You’re having vanilla, right?”
He asked with confidence, already knowing the answer, and Tae-seong’s face lit up in a wide grin. It was the kind of joy that came from someone remembering your preferences.
“Yeah, vanilla for me. One strawberry and one vanilla, please.”
“You said before you liked anything made with milk, so…”
Ha-jin threw in the explanation to keep things from sounding suspicious, and Tae-seong just smiled. After receiving the ice creams, Tae-seong casually slung his arm over Ha-jin’s shoulder and pulled him close.
Considering they’d already been knotted, it shouldn’t have made Ha-jin nervous—but he still wasn’t used to it. The corner of his mouth twitched awkwardly.
Walking along the white fence with Tae-seong, he ate his ice cream. Families and tourists lounged around on the grass here and there, just like them, and his shoulders slowly relaxed.
“Excuse me, could you take our photo?”
A hesitant voice made him turn. A couple with a child smiled shyly. Behind them, the bright blue sky was dotted with perfect fluffy clouds, but the ground was sloped, and their tripod kept tipping over.
“Oh, of course. I’ll take it for you.”
“Thank you!”
Ha-jin handed his strawberry ice cream to Tae-seong and quickly accepted the camera. Looking through the viewfinder at the family of three, he had to admit—it really was a picture-perfect moment. He clicked several shots with care.
When he returned to Tae-seong, the man’s expression was unreadable. Ha-jin took back his melting ice cream, licking it cautiously while trying to gauge the mood. Tae-seong’s brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out again.
“You two should get a picture too,” the man offered before they could walk away.
“The scenery here is just too good to miss.”
“……”
Ha-jin had agreed so quickly to take their photo, but now that the offer was reversed, he hesitated. This time, Tae-seong took the lead—he pulled out his phone, handed it over, and smiled politely.
“We’d appreciate it.”
Then he tightened his grip on Ha-jin’s shoulder, pulling him in close against the fence. A breeze swept by, ruffling his hair.
With a picture-perfect smile, Tae-seong brushed Ha-jin’s bangs back from his forehead. The ice cream in his hand melted down his fingers—click!—and the moment was captured.
