“Oh my! You look absolutely stunning!” The designer gushed in excitement as she took in my appearance in the outfit. Feeling embarrassed, I avoided looking at the mirror and instead fiddled with the decorative embellishments on the clothes.
“I thought lighter colors would suit you well because of your dark hair, but I never imagined it would be to this extent. This outfit was made just for you, Seo-yul!”
“Th-Thank you.”
After offering an awkward thank-you, I sneaked a glance at my reflection in the mirror. Just as the designer said, the white suit complemented my dark hair well, but it wasn’t anything worthy of such excessive admiration.
‘It’s like dressing up a peacock, nothing more.’
More than anything, wearing a formal uniform again after so long felt strange. Ever since my eighteenth birthday, when I presented as an omega, I had avoided stepping out in front of people. That was also the last time I had worn something like this—not that it was a pleasant memory.
“What do you think, Vincent?”
The designer turned toward him, who had been sitting on the sofa in silence, observing the long fashion show without a word. Instead of answering, he simply smiled, his expression filled with satisfaction.
He stood up, placed a light hand on my shoulder, and gently turned me toward the mirror. Confronted once more with my reflection, I felt my cheeks heat up and pressed the back of my hand against them to cool down the flush.
“I think this one looks great. What about you, Seo-yul hyung?”
“I don’t know. They all look the same to me.”
“Then let’s go with this one.”
After pressing a light kiss to the top of my head, he turned back to the designer. As the two of them discussed the schedule, I returned my gaze to the mirror.
The Day of the Districts was only a few days away now. The reason he had gone through the trouble of calling in a designer to get me fitted for a suit was precisely because of that event—the day he could no longer keep me hidden like some shameful secret.
It terrified me to step out in front of people who only saw me as an omega. But more than that, I hated the thought of what he would introduce me as.
Would I be able to keep my composure among the Shining, who would be releasing their pheromones from all directions? And if I lost control and collapsed in the middle of it all…
“Since we’ve taken all the measurements, you may take the outfit off now.”
“Oh, right.”
The designer, having finished her discussion with him, returned and helped me remove the stifling jacket. As I awkwardly lifted my arms, her practiced hands swiftly took care of the rest of the garments as well.
After the designer left, as always, only the two of us remained in the bedroom. In the awkward silence, I was in the middle of getting dressed when he approached and pushed aside my hands as I buttoned up my shirt.
“The clothes will be ready in two days.”
“…Okay.”
“Did you not like them?”
“No, they all looked the same.”
“Maybe that’s because they all looked good on you.”
He smiled softly as he spoke. The one-sided conversation continued, but I didn’t respond, only watching his hands, which were unusually slow and deliberate.
Even after all this time, he was still awkward and clumsy when it came to buttoning shirts—just like when we were kids.
“You’ve got a mark here.”
Leaving the last button undone, he withdrew his hands and rubbed the delicate skin beneath my ear. It was the very spot he had relentlessly bitten and sucked on last night.
“Uh…”
I flinched involuntarily. When I looked up at him, his eyes, now laced with heat, had drawn close before I even realized it. Parting his lips slightly, he whispered,
“Can I kiss you?”
“No—mmph.”
Even though I had clearly refused, the heat of his lips landed on mine without hesitation. My eyes squeezed shut on their own, and I clenched my lips tightly together. In the darkness, I heard the low sound of his amused laughter.
“Open your lips.”
His voice, thick with warmth, sent a tingling sensation through my ear. He nibbled on my lower lip, then slowly licked along it, silently pleading for me to part them.
But the more he pushed, the more stubbornly I resisted.
Only after he finally pulled away did I open my eyes, and I was met with his dissatisfied gaze as he stared down at me.
“Why won’t you open your lips?”
“Because I don’t want to kiss you.”
He bent over deeply and rested his head on my shoulder. A man a whole head taller than me, pressing his weight against me as if throwing a childish tantrum, made my legs waver slightly under the pressure.
“We’re getting married soon anyway.”
“…I never agreed to that.”
“You already said this is the only way for you to stay safe here.”
“You could just send me to District 5.”
“You know that’s not an option. I don’t want to keep repeating myself. Let’s drop it.”
Cutting off the conversation unilaterally, he leaned into me even more. The heavy floral scent I had been trying to ignore completely surrounded me now. And underneath it, faint but unmistakable, there was another scent.
Where had I smelled this scent before?
“Seo-yul-nim, the coffee you asked for—”
Right then, Choi Yeo-min barged in without a shred of awareness. Clicking his tongue in irritation at the unwelcome guest, he straightened his posture and pulled away from me.
“Leave it there and go.”
Sensing the atmosphere, Choi Yeo-min quietly set the coffee cup down on the nearest drawer and exited without another word. The door clicked shut, and once again, we were alone.
“You must be tired. Should we get some rest?”
He slyly reached for my hand as he spoke. I pushed away his cool touch and walked over to the wide-open window. As always, I perched on the windowsill, watching the people moving busily below.
He stood still for a long while, staring at me as I refused to give him even a glance. Eventually, he gave up and lay down on the bed. The room was filled with an uncomfortable silence.
Time passed meaninglessly before I eventually turned to look back. He was lying still, his back facing me. At first, I thought he was just sulking, but upon closer inspection, he was truly asleep.
I crouched beside the bed, watching him as he slept with his arm tucked under his head. He must have been exhausted. He had been disappearing frequently over the past few days, saying he had work to do, and each time he returned, his expression was never good. His pheromones always felt especially thick, mixed with an odd, unfamiliar scent.
Leaning in slightly closer, I took in his scent again. Now that he was asleep and emitting fewer pheromones, I could detect that strange undertone more clearly.
It was so familiar, lingering just at the edge of my memory, but I couldn’t quite grasp it. Where had I smelled this before? I agonized over it for a while before finally giving up. It would come to me eventually.
‘Why didn’t he want me to know?’
It had been days since Choi Yeo-min told me that Se-yul was alive. Of course, I hadn’t seen him myself, nor had I received any direct contact, but for some reason, I trusted that Choi Yeo-min wouldn’t make a joke out of something like this.
And yet, I couldn’t understand why he had kept it from me. What was so difficult about telling me Se-yul was alive? I couldn’t read him at all.
‘Not that it even matters.’
Cutting my thoughts short, I let out a small sigh. The suffocating air in the bedroom made me consider taking a walk in the garden, but just as I turned, my wrist was caught.
“—Don’t.”
I turned back at the faint mumbling, only to see that he was still asleep. He must have grabbed for me instinctively in his sleep as I tried to move away.
I tried to pull my wrist free, but the more I struggled, the tighter his grip became. In the end, I gave up and sat quietly on the edge of the bed.
“What is this?”
He was lying there so comfortably, yet keeping me trapped in place. Should I just wake him up? I was seriously considering it when I suddenly heard a small, choked sob.
“—Don’t leave me.”
“…….”
“Please… don’t abandon me.”
The desperate plea was barely louder than a breath, yet it weighed heavily on my chest. A single tear slipped from his closed eyes and soaked into the arm he was resting on.
After hesitating for a moment, I reached out and carefully wiped the dampness from his lashes. Sensing my touch, he unconsciously tilted his cheek against my hand.
—”Keeping Seo-yul hyung by my side… this was the only way. So I don’t regret it.”
Human emotions were such a complicated thing. When I thought about all the people who had suffered because of him, I hated and resented him endlessly. But then, when I saw him like this—so vulnerable and pitiful—the solid walls I had built around myself began to crack.
It was just an obsession with the first affection he had ever received. Given enough time, these feelings would fade away. And yet, he truly believed this was his entire world.
If I weren’t here, he would eventually disappear, too.
I pulled my hand away from him. Carefully, I stood up, making sure the bed didn’t shift, and slipped out of the room. Only after closing the door behind me did I finally exhale the breath I had been holding.
“Are you Han Seo-yul-nim?”
I had been planning to go to the garden to clear my head, but someone called my name before I could get far.
The man standing before me was dressed neatly—clearly not one of the guards stationed around the bedroom.
Another unwelcome guest? My guard immediately went up as I took a step back. The man, however, only bowed politely before speaking.
“The District Master has summoned you.”
I still cannot forgive Vin for confining seo yul, and attempting to kill seo yul’s family.