Chapter 139: Shadows Between Us

Tap.

“Ha…”

After finishing his walk, Hyeon-woo returned to the hospital room.

The soft sound of the door closing echoed faintly.

His mind was still a tangled mess.

“…?”

When he lifted his head absentmindedly, he flinched.

Seung-hyuk was standing exactly where he was before they left—frozen in place like a statue.

Their eyes met, and silence hovered between them for a long moment.

Hyeon-woo asked hesitantly, confused.

“…Why are you standing like that?”

“Ah.”

As if snapping back to reality, Seung-hyuk slowly blinked.

Was he really okay?

Suspicion rising, Hyeon-woo approached him.

“Lee Seung-hyuk?”

“N-nothing. It’s nothing.”

Still dazed, he shook his head, then awkwardly asked:

“Did you have a good walk? Your stomach doesn’t hurt?”

“……”

Something felt… off.

There was a strange discomfort beneath his words.

And soon, Hyeon-woo realized why.

The pheromones drifting from Seung-hyuk felt unstable—subtly, but noticeably.

Is this… what he’s feeling?

What had been faint earlier now became distinct.

Through the shared imprint, he could sense the alpha’s quiet anxiety woven into the scent.

For someone like Seung-hyuk—who could control and mask his pheromones flawlessly—this was unprecedented.

Even when furious or shaken in the past, it was rare to feel such emotional ripples from him.

But now, because they were imprinted…

Any fluctuation in his heart leaked straight into his pheromones.

It felt strange.

I never thought I’d imprint with anyone…

Maybe it was because, after transmigrating, the first person he fell for was Seung-hyuk.

He never imagined he could bond with another alpha.

Even after regression, he expected any marriage to be political, never real.

Yet here he was—feeling Seung-hyuk’s emotions as if they were brushing his skin.

Rather than panic, he found himself quietly amused.

He let out a small laugh.

“What? Are you sulking?”

“I’m not…”

“That’s what you get for bullying Hyun-jin.”

“I didn’t bully him.”

“You sent him out in this heat to buy strawberries. That counts as bullying.”

“……”

He had no comeback.

It was unexpectedly cute.

“Aish, you’re such a kid. Don’t do that again.”

“…Yes.”

“And release some pheromones.”

“Yes.”

After he settled onto the bed, Seung-hyuk immediately nodded and released a gentle pheromone shower.

Hyeon-woo closed his eyes, humming softly.

But the peaceful days didn’t last long.

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

On the seventh day, the doctor came for morning rounds and exclaimed:

“As expected from a dominant alpha. A full week of constant pheromone output and he’s still not exhausted.”

“Haha…”

“Thanks to that, your condition has improved significantly. I may need to revise my earlier recommendation regarding the procedure.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Though you’re still leaning toward the dangerous side.”

“……”

His eyes brightened—then immediately dulled again.

Doctors always had to ruin things.

The doctor gave a sheepish smile under Hyeon-woo’s glare.

“But it’s true you’re doing much better. I think discharge could be possible soon.”

“But… I still can’t really sense my omega pheromones.”

“Your levels have returned enough. You’ll sense them soon.”

“Hmm…”

“And you’re receiving your partner’s pheromone shower constantly, so your own scent will be hard to distinguish anyway. No need to stress over it.”

“Alright.”

That made sense.

He could still feel Seung-hyuk’s pheromones clinging warmly to his skin.

In this state, perceiving his own pheromone signature would be difficult.

“I was kind of curious how my scent changed as an omega…”

“Oh, it shouldn’t have changed much. Traits do influence pheromone notes a little, but yours likely just became a bit sweeter.”

“I see…”

His pheromone had never been particularly unique—minty, slightly sharp for an alpha, but always faint.

He couldn’t even imagine what “sweeter” would smell like.

He hoped the change wouldn’t be too drastic.

He would have to live as an omega now—yet he would also have to hide it for life.

Chairman Joo would never allow it to be known.

Neither did he want to lose his position as heir because of his trait shift.

Even with anti-discrimination laws spreading, the business world was still alpha-dominated.

A revealed omega heir?

He’d be torn apart.

“For today, rest well. We’ll decide on a discharge date soon.”

“Thank you.”

“And for today as well, I’ll rely on your partner’s pheromone shower.”

“Yes.”

“Pheromone-machine” Seung-hyuk nodded solemnly.

When the doctor left, Hyeon-woo flopped onto the bed.

“Want some fruit?”

“There’s still some left?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll have some.”

He sat up immediately.

Lately, fruit appealed to him more than rice.

Morning sickness had started properly, making solid meals difficult.

No wonder apples had tasted so good.

Seung-hyuk was now an expert apple-peeler, slicing them with practiced ease.

Most pregnant people craved citrus, supposedly—

But apples were his personal weakness.

“I looked it up. Apparently Aori apples are the best this season.”

“Hmm, really?”

“Yes. Try it.”

“……”

He’d only ever eaten red apples.

The pale-green Aori looked strange.

But—

“Oh…”

It was crisp, sweet, and refreshing.

Even the slight tartness suited his morning sickness.

“It’s good.”

“Really? Then I’ll buy more.”

“Sure. Don’t make Hyun-jin do it.”

“I won’t.”

Embarrassed, Seung-hyuk grumbled.

Hyeon-woo snickered as he ate piece after piece.

It was surreal.

This Lee Seung-hyuk—normally sharp, cold, and intimidating—was sitting beside him peeling apples like a devoted caretaker.

People who knew him would faint if they saw.

Or scream.

He giggled secretly.

“The weather’s good today. Want to take a walk?”

“Hmm… sure.”

It was late August, still hot, but the hospital garden was shaded.

His body felt stiff from lying down, so he welcomed the idea.

With his belly full of apples, he stepped outside with Seung-hyuk.

Today really was beautiful.

The garden’s trees made the path peaceful and cool.

“Come to think of it, your semester starts soon, right?”

“Yes.”

“Final semester.”

“Yes. I’ll be graduating soon.”

“Hmm…”

Before the regression, around this time, he had pressured Seung-hyuk into setting a wedding date—

Even made him skip classes by filing for leave on his behalf.

They’d married in November.

It was selfish.

“In the past… I’m sorry. I kept you from going to school. This time, you can—”

“It’s fine. I’ve forgotten all that.”

“……”

Since the regression, Seung-hyuk apologized repeatedly for his past behavior—

But Hyeon-woo never had.

Because he thought he was the only one who had regressed.

He only felt shock when he discovered Seung-hyuk had regressed too.

He had never properly apologized… never sought forgiveness.

Could those memories really just disappear?

Even if feelings changed later…

There must have been many wounds.

He couldn’t pretend the past never happened.

“Seung-hyuk, I…”

He opened his mouth—only to stop when something rolled across the path and bumped into his leg.

“Huh?”

He looked down in surprise.

And met someone’s eyes.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Night Has Fallen, Mafia—Send Your Text Messages

BLDramaModern

Read Now →
Not interested