Chapter 17: The Body Knows

Following him out led to a dark back alley on the opposite side of the building.

It was narrow, and the air was heavy.

It was primarily a place where smokers gathered to puff away together.

Even as he followed closely behind, Chaewoo felt a surge of irritation, sensing exactly what Euigeon was about to say.

He wondered if he should make an excuse first, but he doubted the man would even believe him.

Once Euigeon confirmed they were alone, he cut straight to the point without any preamble.

“This kind of clinging isn’t my style.”

As expected.

The words were more or less what Chaewoo had anticipated.

That stiff, displeased gaze—the so-called ‘look of utter disgust.’

Chaewoo felt as if he had seen that expression somewhere before and searched his memory.

“I suppose you could think that given the situation, but… I’m not clinging to you because I like you. You’re delusional.”

Ah, he remembered now.

Those eyes.

He had seen them in the library.

The expression Euigeon had worn while looking at him holding that canned drink was a perfect match for the one he had now.

“My delusion. Is it?”

So, because of that one kiss, the jerk must have thought Chaewoo bought that drink specifically for him.

‘What absolute bullshit!’

But Euigeon already seemed convinced that Chaewoo’s participation as a minor character in this troublesome opera and his pursuit of the role of Tinto were all calculated moves to get his attention.

Chaewoo grew irritable at the voice so filled with certainty and arrogance.

“How was I supposed to know you were cast as Paolo? I’m busy enough as it is. I only ended up here because the professor pushed me, not because I wanted to. If you’re so suspicious, go ask the professor yourself.”

He explained as calmly as possible, sticking strictly to the facts.

“Then give me a firm confirmation.”

“About what?”

“That you’re not following me around because there’s any emotional lingering on your part, Senior Seol.”

‘Why should I?’

What was this guy, demanding a confirmation?

Chaewoo’s face flushed with a mixture of colors from the sheer sense of injustice.

“Can’t you do it?”

“Haah…”

“…….”

“I’m not following you because I have feelings for you. It might be hard to believe, but it’s all a coincidence. So please, drop the misunderstanding. I’ll make sure to avoid you so we don’t get entangled again.”

Though he still looked somewhat dissatisfied, Euigeon nodded, his expression slightly more relaxed than before.

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s already far too complicated for you and me to have any kind of special relationship, isn’t it?”

“Is that all you have to say?”

Chaewoo wanted to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

He didn’t know if the man was doing it on purpose, but Euigeon’s pheromones were particularly bothersome today.

They weren’t thick enough to be a problem, yet whenever he caught a scent, his spine tingled for no reason.

“No.”

“Then let’s both make an effort not to speak to each other until Saturday.”

This coming Saturday was the day of their first artificial insemination attempt.

Chaewoo also desperately wished for them to focus on their respective school lives without acknowledging each other until then.

Hoping his sincerity had been conveyed, Chaewoo left the alley first.

Only when he was far enough away that the Alpha’s pheromones no longer reached him did his taut nerves finally loosen.

It was a strange thing.

‘So he’s that worried that I might actually have a crush on him.’

Chaewoo planned to avoid him diligently until the seeds of that obnoxious delusion withered away.

Then, once the contract was fulfilled, he would settle the payment cleanly as desired and make sure they never crossed paths again.

Although there were still suspicious elements regarding whether the misunderstanding of that day had been truly resolved, time flowed by smoothly.

His part-time job and school life continued as they always had.

Since Chaewoo avoided Euigeon’s path on his own, they didn’t even have a reason to run into each other.

They hadn’t been the type to see each other often to begin with.

During the second opera rehearsal on Friday, he stayed as far away from Euigeon as possible.

For the time being, rehearsals were focused on the leads and supporting roles, while minor roles like Chaewoo just waited and participated briefly for the chorus parts.

Properly matching up with Paolo was a scene that would take place much later in the production.

The six-hour rehearsal time was a downside, but Chaewoo used his spare time to prepare for midterms or memorize his lines and lyrics alone in a quiet corner.

He had no intention of being friendly with the singers, and besides, his physical condition was exceptionally poor.

Over the past few days, his pheromones had been leaking out of their own accord once in a while, and irregular, difficult-to-control episodes had been occurring.

The symptoms had started right after the unpleasant incident with Euigeon, which made him even more anxious.

He had heard that when an Omega first comes into contact with an Alpha after presenting, their pheromones might temporarily become unstable or their heat cycle might be triggered earlier than expected.

Thinking it would stop after a few days, Chaewoo sat as far away from the others as possible.

As long as he was a little more cautious than usual, it shouldn’t be a major issue.

“Hello, Mr. Seol Chaewoo.”

At the unfamiliar summons, Chaewoo, who had been quietly memorizing lyrics, looked up.

Standing before him was Lee Yeryeong, one of the leads in the opera ‘Benigni’s Last Train.’

“Hello.”

When Chaewoo tried to stand up to greet her, she waved him down.

“Oh, there’s no need to stand. Just relax.”

“Ah, yes. Please speak comfortably to me too, Senior. But what brings you here…?”

“Then, since I’m older, I’ll drop the formalities. It’s a bit embarrassing since it’s our first meeting, but I’m curious about something. Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

What could a well-known figure in the vocal world possibly have to ask a college student?

Chaewoo tilted his head, waiting for her next words as she sat beside him.

“About Paolo.”

“…Beom Euigeon?”

Chaewoo flinched at the mention of that unpleasant name.

“Yes. Does Paolo happen to be seeing anyone?”

“…….”

In her embarrassment, Lee Yeryeong quickly added more.

“I mean, judging by the vibe, it seems like he might be. But he doesn’t seem to have anyone he’s been in contact with for long. It’s too awkward to just go and ask him directly. You know what I mean? It’s only the second day of practice.”

“I don’t really know.”

“Really? I thought you were close since you’re in the same department.”

“We’re in different years, so we don’t hang out together.”

At the blunt answer, Lee Yeryeong’s disappointment was palpable.

“…I see. You’re not just brushing me off because I’m shamelessly showing interest in a younger student, are you?”

“Not at all. Age shouldn’t matter for something like that.”

“That’s true. Anyway, thank you for your time, Mr. Chaewoo. Good luck with practice.”

Giving up on digging for information from Chaewoo, Lee Yeryeong returned to the lead team.

Only after she disappeared did Chaewoo properly scan the wide rehearsal room.

Most of the leads were clustered together, as were the supporting cast, and the room was incredibly noisy with various pieces of music overlapping.

Pre-made costumes were scattered everywhere in plastic bags, waiting to be tailored to the singers’ body types.

Finding Euigeon among the crowd wasn’t difficult.

He was exceptionally tall, and in his grey hoodie and jogger pants, he looked more like a physical education student than a music major.

Since they dealt primarily with classical music, he stood out significantly among the vocalists who generally possessed a more subdued aura.

He felt strong and solid, yet had a strange, refined quality that prevented him from appearing coarse.

Even among the other singers, unlike the students, he seemed to have less of an amateur air about him.

Part of it was likely his parents’ influence, but it also seemed to be Euigeon’s innate mood.

It wasn’t just Chaewoo who felt that way; now that he looked, quite a few people were stealing glances at Euigeon.

‘He certainly is popular.’

It was no surprise.

Chaewoo lowered his head and focused on his lyrics once more.

Before long, the second rehearsal came to an end.

Groups of people who had already grown close discussed dinner menus and left together.

Chaewoo had no desire to sit across from awkward people in an expensive neighborhood and pay for a meal, so he waited until everyone had cleared out before packing his things.

When he turned on his phone to check the time, he found a message from Park Myeong-seon.

It was a reminder of the hospital and the time he needed to visit for the first artificial insemination attempt tomorrow, Saturday.

Only then did Chaewoo check his physical condition again.

Throughout today’s practice, his body temperature had been high and he felt sluggish.

Although he had struggled with pheromone control over the past few days, today was particularly difficult.

Even if tomorrow was the expected start of his heat cycle, it was extremely rare for a dominant Omega like Chaewoo to exhibit such noticeable symptoms.

Chaewoo stood up, pressing down his anxiety.

“…….”

However, he froze in place, unable to take a step.

The moment he moved his body, his pheromones leaked out before he even realized it.

Even during a heat cycle, this was the first time his pheromones had escaped without his awareness.

Except for that time he was drunk, he had never once failed to control them.

Was this also an aftereffect of the physical contact with Euigeon?

Panicked, Chaewoo paced the empty rehearsal room.

His pheromones scattered uncontrollably with every step.

“What’s wrong with me?”

He had no control.

Even if they weren’t thick enough to be a problem yet, if he ran into anyone on the way back to his studio, the secret he had kept—pretending to be a Beta—would be in danger of being exposed.

Moreover, he didn’t want to go outside in a state where he couldn’t hide his pheromones properly.

Since he was scheduled for the hospital tomorrow, he couldn’t take suppressants.

He hadn’t brought any, and even if he had, taking them would be a clear breach of contract.

Chaewoo hurriedly searched the internet for things like ‘how to suppress Omega pheromones’ or ‘reasons for a more severe heat cycle.’

However, he couldn’t find any practical, immediate solutions other than medication.

‘Should I just leave?’

Chaewoo agonized, reaching for the doorknob.

Even if he waited here longer, there was no guarantee it would improve.

He didn’t know when the next team that had rented the room might show up, either.

As he wavered in indecision, his condition worsened.

His breathing grew ragged, and the pheromone concentration began to thicken at a terrifying rate.

It wasn’t just thick; it was starting to feel sticky.

“…No.”

At this level, it would read like a signal to every passing Alpha that he ‘needed a partner.’

The symptoms he had only seen in movies and dismissed as exaggeration were actually happening to him.

One moment he felt a flicker of control, only for it to surge back uncontrollably, leaving him flustered.

Why on earth was this happening?

While overwhelmed by his own pheromones filling the room, Chaewoo tried to think of any available options.

‘Should I take a taxi?’

But what if the taxi driver was an Alpha?

His sensitized senses even detected the faint pheromones of an Alpha passing by the building outside.

Chaewoo hurriedly let go of the door.

An Omega unable to control their heat cycle was an easy target for predatory Alphas.

Ultimately, Chaewoo concluded he couldn’t handle this on his own.

With no other choice, he called his uncle first.

– Yeah, Chaewoo.

“Where are you right now?”

– Uncle is in Ulsan right now. I think I can get a few more days of work here.

“Ah…”

– Why? Is something wrong?

“…Nothing. I just called because I was wondering how you were.”

– Really? Your voice sounds a bit hoarse. If you’re sick, go to the hospital right away and make sure you eat well, okay? And…

“Uncle. The professor is calling me, so I have to go. I’ll c-call you again later.”

After hurriedly hanging up, Chaewoo looked for Park Myeong-seon’s contact info.

However, once again, the dial tone just continued for a long time without connecting.

The escape route from this crisis was narrowing.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

His senses were raw, and his stomach churned.

It felt just like that night when he was drunk and reacted to every single one of Euigeon’s movements.

Something like that must not happen a second time.

Chaewoo tried to pull his scattered mind together.

But it wasn’t easy.

Escaping the erotic sensation spreading languidly through his body while something warm filled him from within was difficult.

It was strange.

This was definitely a reaction that had gone horribly wrong.