Something felt off. Suddenly, Cheon Tae-seong felt unfamiliar. Had he ever seen this kind of expression on him before?
“…You picked up the medication I told you about in advance, right? Where is it?”
“The sedative? I’m supposed to take that first, huh. If it’s that one, Dae-hong probably left it in the bedroom.”
Before Cheon Tae-seong could get up, Ha-jin moved first. He offered to go get it and casually asked where the bedroom was, prompting a simple answer. Ha-jin gently slipped his hand out from under Tae-seong’s and quickly headed that way.
As Tae-seong had said, there was a medicine pouch sitting on a table in the corner of the bedroom. Inside were two pills: one small white tablet, no bigger than half a pinky nail, and one slightly larger blue capsule.
It was a medication used as a supplement to help dominant Alphas control their pheromones as rut approached. Ha-jin was familiar with it. But seeing it now, in Cheon Tae-seong’s bedroom, stirred something different.
It would’ve been a lie to say he hadn’t felt anything strange when he’d received that so-called “nutritional supplement” from Tae-seong’s family. The only reason he’d been able to brush aside his suspicions and mix it into the prescribed meds was because of the five hundred million won—and the fact that the client was Cheon Tae-seong’s family.
He now knew those were just excuses.
The moment Cheon Tae-seong’s trust in him shattered, it became painfully clear that no amount of money—no matter how large—was worth more than that trust. A realization that only came at the cost of death. A steep price to pay.
When he had presented the suspicious new pill for the first time, Cheon Tae-seong’s reaction had been disarmingly simple.
“That’s a new one. Haven’t seen that before.”
“Ah… yes….”
“You should get yourself checked out, Ha-jin. You look awful.”
He had focused more on Ha-jin’s complexion than the unfamiliar red pill in his hand. When he raised his large hand near Ha-jin’s face, Ha-jin had flinched instinctively—but Tae-seong had only pressed his palm gently to Ha-jin’s forehead.
“You’ve got a fever.”
Even as he said that, his eyes never left Ha-jin’s face. Then, without a second thought, he tossed the pill into his mouth.
Was it that nonchalance? Ha-jin’s heart plummeted. A high-pitched ring echoed in his ears, and his vision spun. It felt like a stone was lodged in his gut, making it hard to breathe.
His face twisted uncontrollably. Without even thinking, he reached out, grabbed Tae-seong’s jaw, and pried open his mouth, using his fingers to fish the pill out. Only once he had scraped it free and out of Tae-seong’s mouth did he finally breathe again.
Startled, Cheon Tae-seong looked at him with an expression Ha-jin had never seen before.
“…What the hell was that?”
He could’ve raised his voice. But instead, Tae-seong asked calmly. Ha-jin almost wished he’d gotten angry. That calm only made his throat tighten. The pill, soaked in Tae-seong’s saliva, was melting into a sticky mess in Ha-jin’s palm. Fearing he might try to take it back, Ha-jin clenched his fist so tightly it crushed the tablet into paste.
“I-It was my cold medicine… I think I gave you the wrong one. I’m really sorry.”
“You could’ve just told me to spit it out.”
“I thought you’d swallow it before I could say anything… I panicked. I’m really sorry, sir.”
What kind of look had Tae-seong had in his eyes when he stared at him then?
Lost in thought, Ha-jin flinched as a sharp smack! sound rang out in front of his eyes. Snapping back to reality, he saw Cheon Tae-seong watching him with his head tilted. In his other palm lay only the sedative—no red pill this time.
“What are you doing, Ha-jin?”
“Ah, here’s your water. Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.”
Just like in his previous life, Cheon Tae-seong didn’t hesitate. Without a trace of suspicion, he took the pill Ha-jin handed him and swallowed it.
“You don’t even check the packaging before taking a pill?”
“Why would I?”
Was it that same pill, the one he’d destroyed in his previous life, that Tae-seong somehow found and took later—ending up poisoned? Ha-jin’s eyes tightened involuntarily.
“Most people check before taking medication. Especially pills like these.”
“You already checked it.”
“What about when I’m not around?”
“Are you planning to quit?”
Cheon Tae-seong’s eyes glinted with something unreadable as he locked gazes with Ha-jin. His light-colored irises often gave off a warm hue that was hard to describe. People who knew him wouldn’t believe it, but Ha-jin had always thought so.
As Ha-jin hesitated, lost for words, Tae-seong continued.
“So now I just need to soak you in my pheromones. Right, Ha-jin?”
At the same time, Tae-seong leaned in much closer. The distance between them, seated diagonally on the L-shaped sofa, vanished in an instant.
“There’s no need to get this close.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Rut is largely psychological, so if you just release your pheromones nearby, that’s enough. It creates a sense of safety that helps you get through it.”
Rut was a kind of seizure.
Like animals driven to mate by sheer instinct, ignoring even their own survival, Alphas had to impregnate a partner for the episode to safely pass.
So the idea was to trick the body—just a little. A small dose of sedative, and an Omega who could absorb the Alpha’s pheromones deeply. Someone who could mimic the state of pregnancy and stay composed. Like Tae-seong had said, soaked in it.
During that process, some Alphas would grind against him like dogs in heat. Some would grope him. Some would sniff every inch of his body, desperate to catch a scent that wasn’t even there.
In his past life, Ha-jin had believed the only answer was to endure it.
But in this life? He’d broken their limbs. All of them.
Cheon Tae-seong, though, had always been the exception—docile and easy to manage.
He remembered their first session like it had been yesterday.
“Oh? So it’s that simple, huh.”
After that, Ha-jin’s job had been to monitor his condition daily, check his pheromones morning and night, and stick close to him like a shadow.
Remembering those days, Ha-jin calmly explained again, shifting his weight to subtly scoot a hand’s width away.
“You’re a dominant Alpha with unusually strong pheromones. So even just being in the same room with you is—”
“Psychological stability, huh. Can’t say I feel any of that.”
He used to be so calm…
“That’s only because we’ve just started.”
“Think it’ll be better tomorrow?”
“Most likely. Every day should feel—”
As Tae-seong inched closer again, Ha-jin bit down on his lip. He had no more room to retreat. The armrest pressed into his back—he’d reached the end of the sofa. He raised his hand and placed it against Tae-seong’s chest. The thudding of his heart was vivid and strong.
“Shouldn’t you tell me how to release my pheromones, Ha-jin?”
“Just do it naturally… the way you usually release pheromones.”
“Like when I have sex?”
Ha-jin didn’t move. He just blinked, frozen. Tae-seong let out a sly laugh.
“Oh? Is that a contract violation?”
“…”
“Did I screw up with you, Ha-jin?”
“…Actually, I only have pheromone glands. I don’t produce pheromones myself, so I wouldn’t know how it’s done.”
You know that already. I don’t even have a scent…
At this distance, where he could see the intricate patterns of Tae-seong’s irises, Ha-jin mumbled anything to fill the silence. It was true—if Tae-seong wanted to, he could argue breach of contract and cancel everything.
But instead, he just seemed… disarmed. Like someone who’d lost all their edge.
“With how soft-hearted you are, how’re you supposed to survive in this cruel world?”
Tae-seong let out a quiet chuckle and ruffled Ha-jin’s hair with the hand resting on the sofa.
“Relax. I’m just teasing.”
Just as quickly as he’d leaned in, Tae-seong pulled away and leaned back against the sofa, sinking deep into the cushions. He let out a slow, languid breath. Maybe releasing his pheromones was stimulating even to himself, because his brow knit slightly in discomfort.
Watching this beautiful man close his eyes and exude his scent… somehow made Ha-jin’s cheeks flush.
He brought the back of his hand to his face without thinking. It wasn’t his imagination—his skin was burning hot.
Was he getting sick? Or just flustered by Tae-seong’s teasing?
Ha-jin couldn’t tell.
He sat there like a statue, just watching Tae-seong. Until… those long lashes fluttered, and the man opened his eyes.
His breath drifted toward Ha-jin—slow and warm.
“Is this part of your job, too?”
“Sorry?”
Tae-seong’s gaze slowly dropped downward. Confused, Ha-jin instinctively followed his line of sight. He hadn’t even noticed before—he’d been too distracted by Tae-seong’s face.
“…Ha.”
Tae-seong let out a heated sigh, dragging his hand across his groin. His erection was visibly outlined beneath his robe. His lips, flushed red with arousal, parted as he licked them slowly.
“I’m gonna jerk off. You gonna let it slide?”
“…No?”
Startled, Ha-jin sprang to his feet. Tae-seong laughed, clearly amused.
Ha-jin had faced plenty of Alphas acting lewd before and never even blinked. But for some reason, this time, his face burned with shame.
