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Join the ServerA few days later, just as I had anticipated, Jae-hyun came to find me. I had expected him to rebuke me for leaving without a word, but to my surprise, he offered condolences upon hearing the news about my mother.
Though I felt no particular sadness, I adopted a somber expression to preempt any further questions and quietly accepted Jae-hyun’s comfort.
“So you lost your phone then too?”
“Yes, I was rushing to get back. I think I lost it at the airport.”
Completely taken in by my brazen lie, Jae-hyun offered to buy me a new phone and took my arm, suggesting we go together.
I tried to resist, preferring to avoid going out if possible, but I couldn’t overcome Jae-hyun’s persistent whining. Ultimately, I agreed to accompany him to a nearby department store.
“Let’s get some fresh air.”
The moment I stepped into the car, the heavy scent of pheromones gave me a pounding headache. Jae-hyun grumbled, asking if I wasn’t being too harsh, yet he still opened the windows to air out the vehicle.
Though we managed to get through that initial hurdle in the car, the real problem lay ahead.
While the department store was ventilated, it was a place where scents easily lingered. Consequently, the pervasive smell of pheromones from every direction churned my stomach.
‘The smell is too intense.’
Covering my nose and mouth with my sleeve proved futile, so I eventually stopped at a nearby pharmacy and bought a mask. Even this was only a temporary measure, but it was better than nothing.
I also instructed Jae-hyun to keep at least three hand-spans of distance from me. He protested, claiming he had already suppressed his pheromones as much as possible, but seeing my face grow pale, he obediently moved away.
“Are you going into heat soon?”
“Perhaps.”
Indeed, it had previously seemed imminent but never materialized, so there was a high probability that a proper heat cycle would finally arrive this time.
We decided I would take my medication once we returned home, but for now, we proceeded to a store that sold my old phone model.
It didn’t particularly matter what I bought, but I thought something familiar in my hand would be preferable. Fortunately, the department store had that specific store.
I expected to be in and out quickly, but we were forced to linger longer because Jae-hyun’s eyes lit up at the sight of a newly released phone.
‘A phone or a watch, they’re all the same. What’s the difference?’
Having no particular desire for gadgets, I couldn’t discern any difference between the old and new models.
However, Jae-hyun, who had a strong materialistic desire for technology, had eyes that sparkled more brightly than ever.
While a salesperson, clearly targeting a definite buyer, clung to Jae-hyun and offered various explanations, I called over another employee, picked out the first phone I saw, and requested it be packaged.
“Jae-hyun, your card.”
“Huh?”
“Give me your card.”
“Oh, here.”
Jae-hyun pulled his wallet from his pocket. From the few cards inside, I selected one and handed it to the waiting employee.
“How would you like to pay? In installments?”
“A one-time payment, please.”
Even after the transaction was complete and I had the receipt in hand, Jae-hyun was still engrossed in the salesperson’s explanations.
“Here’s your wallet. I paid in full, no installments.”
“Good job. Just a moment, I’ll be buying mine soon too.”
Handing Jae-hyun his wallet, I stood beside him, watching the two with bored eyes.
Just as I was about to urge Jae-hyun to hurry up and leave, a familiar scent wafted from somewhere.
It was faint, yet distinct enough for me to be certain that its owner was in the same space as I was.
‘That can’t be.’
My unsettled gaze was already searching for the source of the scent, drawn towards it. I tried to deny it, but there was no way I could mistake this particular aroma.
It was Han Jung-woo’s pheromones.
“Did you hear? Director Han Jung-woo is here.”
“Suddenly? He doesn’t usually come here, does he?”
“I don’t know, but because of it, all the higher-ups are being called in, and it’s a mess.”
Just then, I overheard the hushed whispers of nearby employees. The moment I heard the three syllables of Han Jung-woo’s name, another forgotten fact resurfaced.
‘Right, this place…’
I belatedly realized that this was a department store operated by Daejin Group. I had come to the closest one to my house out of sheer laziness, never considering this crucial detail.
I should have been more careful.
“Jae-hyun, let’s go.”
Growing desperate, I tugged at Jae-hyun, who was still browsing products. A flustered Jae-hyun asked why, but I had no time to explain.
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
Jae-hyun clearly wasn’t ready to leave yet. He still needed to hear the rest of the explanations about the new products.
As much as I wanted to abandon him and leave, I unfortunately hadn’t brought my wallet, intending only to buy the phone and head straight back.
“Can’t we just leave for now? You can come back another time.”
“Just a moment. I’ll be done soon.”
Contrary to his words, Jae-hyun couldn’t easily make up his mind. Meanwhile, the scent grew progressively stronger, and my patience was wearing thin.
“You can just come back by yourself later and buy it!”
Unable to hold back, I snapped, and the bustling surroundings fell silent for a moment.
Though the noise quickly returned to normal, Jae-hyun and the surrounding employees stared at me with wide, astonished eyes.
‘This is precisely why I wanted to avoid coming out.’
Unlike before, when our residences were right next to each other, the chances of encountering Han Jung-woo in Korea, where our paths didn’t even cross, were incredibly low.
Yet, as always, no one could predict when an accidental encounter, like this one, would occur.
That was why I had been trying to limit my outings as much as possible. Of course, Han Jung-woo wasn’t the sole reason, but he remained the most significant one.
“Sorry, for shouting suddenly.”
At my belated apology, Jae-hyun looked bewildered but said it was fine for now. Sensing my urgency, he reluctantly bid the salesperson farewell, promising to return another time, and then we left the store.
As we headed towards the parking garage to get into Jae-hyun’s car, the scent grew even stronger there.
Reaching out to stop Jae-hyun, I spotted a group of people in suits walking in the distance. The moment I saw him standing at their center, I froze.
‘…It’s Han Jung-woo.’
Encountering him after nearly a month, he seemed to have lost weight. His already sharp eyes appeared even more intense, giving him a sensitive look.
Each time someone standing close to him spoke, his brow furrowed conspicuously. With every furrow, pheromones laced with clear displeasure emanated from him.
As a result, the faces of the omegas following him were uniformly grim. Yet, he made no effort to suppress his pheromones.
“Seo-jin, aren’t you going?”
Jae-hyun, calling out to me as I stood frozen, tilted his head. Judging by his reaction, he hadn’t noticed Han Jung-woo yet.
Casually changing my expression, I grabbed Jae-hyun and headed in the opposite direction. He looked puzzled but obediently followed me.
As we tried to take the elevator down to the parking lot, the doors opened to reveal a packed interior. It was full of people who had boarded on the upper floors.
“Should we take the next one?”
“No, I think we’ll be late if we wait.”
Eager to get down as quickly as possible, I squeezed into the crowd with Jae-hyun. Soon, the doors closed, and the elevator began its descent.
‘Just bear with it a little longer.’
Once inside the confined space, breathing became even more difficult. My nausea had intensified, and my vision blurred, then cleared, in a dizzying cycle.
It had never been this severe before. This wasn’t something medication alone could fix; it was serious enough to warrant a hospital visit.
“Are you really okay?”
Jae-hyun, who had been watching me, asked. Ordinarily, I would say I was fine, but my condition was genuinely poor, so I honestly shook my head.
I wanted to ask Jae-hyun to take me to a hospital instead of home, but I held back, fearing I would vomit the moment I opened my mouth. I couldn’t risk creating a disaster in such a cramped space.
Fortunately, just before things could escalate, the elevator stopped at the first floor. As the doors opened and people streamed out, the stuffy interior became less crowded.
Leaning against the wall, I pulled down my suffocating mask and gasped for air. Though the people were gone, the scent still lingered, yet it was undeniably better than before.
“Jae-hyun, can you take me to the hospital instead of home?”
“Yes, looking at your condition, that’s probably best.”
Jae-hyun, who had started to support my swaying body, paused. He suppressed his pheromones once more, then gently gripped my shoulder as I leaned against the elevator wall, telling me to just hold on a little longer.
Although I dry-heaved a few times, I had no choice but to lean on Jae-hyun and move. We descended to the parking lot, got into his car, and changed our destination to the hospital.
“Just hold on a little longer, we’ll be there soon.”
Jae-hyun wiped the sweat from my forehead as he spoke. I nodded weakly, and he buckled my seatbelt for me before starting the car.
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