Noticing that Yeonwoo had deliberately concealed his pheromones, Ho Munbeom spoke up.
“When we first met, I think I caught just a slight whiff of your pheromones. But now you’ve completely hidden them.”
“I’m usually good at managing my pheromones, but back then I was a bit nervous…”
“I wasn’t in the best condition that day either. Maybe that’s why this happened.”
Yeonwoo wasn’t sure what Ho Munbeom was thinking by saying this. At the moment, he was more concerned about Ho Munbeom practically embracing him and burying his face in the nape of his neck. As always, Yeonwoo simply replied, “Yes.”
At this whisper-soft response, Ho Munbeom raised his head and, staring at Yeonwoo’s still-moist eyes, asked:
“Is that all?”
“…Pardon?”
“Don’t you have anything else you want to say or ask me?”
“…”
Instead of answering immediately, Yeonwoo reflected on what had happened between himself and the man holding him.
Their poor conditions had led them to become physically intimate. They weren’t children but adults, so it wasn’t particularly problematic. However, Yeonwoo did have one question. He wondered if this was how Ho Munbeom always resolved things when his condition was poor and he couldn’t control his pheromones well.
Was this what Ho Munbeom wanted to hear from him?
Would it really be okay to ask that?
Yeonwoo’s lips, which had been moving slightly, finally closed like a clam. Ho Munbeom stared without blinking at Yeonwoo’s face as his gaze shifted away as usual.
Ho Munbeom seemed to know what words Yeonwoo had swallowed.
There was only one thing a newly-adult omega with clearly no experience would be curious about. Knowing this, but pretending to be considerate, wearing a mask of hypocrisy, he waited for Yeonwoo’s answer.
His own behavior felt unfamiliar, inescapably cowardly no matter how he tried to justify it, yet he couldn’t loosen his grip on Yeonwoo.
He understood why his grandfather, who had claimed any omega would do, was speechless upon seeing Yeonwoo and looked at him as if he were a beast. Beyond background or qualifications, Yeonwoo was simply too young. His grandfather had probably thought that even a casual relationship couldn’t possibly be sincere. And knowing which side would be more hurt in this relationship, he was all the more displeased.
Perhaps he shouldn’t have taken Yeonwoo to a private room at their first meeting. Even if what happened couldn’t be undone, he should come to his senses now, yet Ho Munbeom still held Yeonwoo in his arms.
As Ho Munbeom caressed Yeonwoo’s back, which was small enough to cover with one hand, he slowly tried to withdraw his hand. That’s when he heard a voice like a small whisper.
“I sensed your pheromones during our blind date.”
“…”
“It was very faint, but I smelled your pheromones, so…”
Yeonwoo was about to say that he unconsciously released a bit more of his own pheromones in response, but he closed his mouth.
Generally, releasing pheromones was easily misunderstood as “leaking,” which was frowned upon. At a blind date, not properly controlling one’s pheromones could lead to negative judgments. He wanted to explain that it wasn’t intentional, but once spoken, his words sounded like he was blaming Ho Munbeom for making it inevitable.
Realizing he had misspoken, Yeonwoo closed his mouth again, and Ho Munbeom asked:
“How was my pheromone?”
“…”
“You said you smelled my pheromone then.”
The face that asked again was calm.
Looking at the face that didn’t take his words unpleasantly, but rather seemed to enjoy them, Yeonwoo answered, “It was nice.”
“Heavy and cool, but the feeling of it seeping in was fascinating.”
“…I see.”
It had been a very long time since he’d heard about his pheromones from a third party. Thinking that it might be the first time he wasn’t uncomfortable and could calmly accept it, Ho Munbeom pulled Yeonwoo’s arm and sat him in a chair by the window. Sitting across from him with a round table between them, Ho Munbeom muttered to himself after a brief thought.
“So my pheromone feels like that.”
Ho Munbeom raised his head and looked at Yeonwoo.
Yeonwoo was frozen, as if wondering if there was a problem with what he had said. It was no different from how people usually behaved around him. Nevertheless, Ho Munbeom, disliking that it was Yeonwoo behaving this way, spoke again.
“I’ve noticed before, but it seems you hardly release any pheromones even in normal situations.”
“…When I’m alone and a bit tired, some might leak out without my noticing, but in front of others, I consciously contain them.”
“Were you educated to do so?”
“My father said that’s how it should be done.”
“He was very careful.”
It was basic to educate omega children about pheromone control. Alphas needed education too, but omegas naturally had more to be careful about. Moreover, in Ho Munbeom’s view, Yeonwoo especially had no choice but to be extra careful.
Having already looked into Yeonwoo’s situation, he knew that Yeonwoo had grown up in a small provincial town. That was fortunate. If he had lived in a more complex place, he would have suffered considerably due to his appearance. And if that had been the case, they might never have met.
“…Your father probably didn’t want you to experience the same thing he did.”
“…”
Ho Munbeom, who had been thinking about something else, raised his head at those words. Seeing Yeonwoo looking down at the table instead of directly at him, he shook his head slightly.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“…Yes, I know.”
But the atmosphere had become slightly awkward.
Feeling he had said something unnecessary, Yeonwoo raised his hand and brushed back his hair. Even that simple action caught Ho Munbeom’s attention. It had been like that from the beginning. The moment he saw Yeonwoo from behind, he sensed his pheromones and was drawn to approach him.
At that moment, Yeonwoo’s hand came to rest on the table.
While it appeared to be a beautiful hand at first glance, touching it revealed otherwise. The long, slender bones were firm, and the fingertips had calluses. It was a hand that had worked for a very long time. What kind of work could have caused such hands in a 21-year-old omega who, from outward appearances, seemed to have been raised delicately?
From what he knew, Yeonwoo had come to Seoul last year and started part-time work at the end of that year.
He had initially worked in a regular store before moving to the logistics team this year. Ho Munbeom found it hard to imagine Yeonwoo carrying large boxes or loads. But looking at his hands, he could guess that Yeonwoo was working his hardest in ways Ho Munbeom couldn’t imagine.
He must continue working part-time to hide his omega nature. But with a face like that, it seemed everyone around would know regardless of how much he tried to hide it…
During work, had there really been no one who harassed him?
Just then, Yeonwoo, who had been looking at the table the whole time, carefully raised his head. Looking at the eyes beneath the full eyelashes and thin double eyelids, Munbeom spoke.
“Isn’t the mart work difficult?”
“I used to help out at the supermarket near my home since I was young, so it’s okay.”
“You’ve been working since you were a minor?”
As the questioning voice deepened, Yeonwoo hurriedly waved his hand.
“No, not like working every day like now. I just helped when extra hands were needed. The elderly lady who owned the place had difficulty moving around, so while helping her, I received many things in return.”
He’d received wages, of course, plus side dishes, fruits and snacks that were difficult to sell, and even ice cream. He received much more than what he gave in help. For Yeonwoo, it was more than just pocket money.
And by helping at the supermarket, he naturally encountered neighborhood people. Some worried that he was working hard at such a young age, but most found it admirable. They said the two of them were living very diligently.
Although they had settled in the area around the time Yeonwoo was born, many still considered them outsiders. Thanks to the supermarket grandmother, who was practically a local fixture, they were able to exchange greetings with neighbors and blend in. Without that, they would have been confined to their home all the time.
Not knowing how to explain this, and seeing Ho Munbeom’s disapproving gaze, Yeonwoo said as if making an excuse:
“Since there was nothing around where I used to live, I enjoyed helping at the supermarket as a form of play.”
“So you work at the mart as soon as you come to Seoul. For fun?”
Hesitating, Yeonwoo closed his mouth.
If Ho Munbeom hadn’t known anything, he would have just nodded. But Ho Munbeom even knew his work schedule. There was no point in lying when he would be caught immediately. Yeonwoo fidgeted with his fingertips and began, “No.”
“I work at the mart because I need living expenses.”
“…”
“I do receive a monthly allowance, but it’s just not enough.”
Ho Munbeom had looked into Yeonwoo’s father’s company. While the company seemed to be in difficult circumstances, it shouldn’t be to the extent that he couldn’t provide for his child’s living expenses. Of course, he was also responsible for Yeonwoo’s omega father’s hospital bills, but even so, it would only be a few hundred thousand won. It wasn’t as if he was providing treatment with specialized staff available 24 hours in a better environment…
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
