Episode 13

 

The burger, which had been going down smoothly until just now, felt like it had lodged itself firmly in his throat. Tae-seo wiped his hands, stained with sauce, hastily and grabbed the water glass. It went down refreshing enough, but there was no fizzy sensation characteristic of carbonation.  If he had known it would be like this, he would have just ordered a carbonated drink.

 

No, he should have just sent Kang Se-heon away instead of just sitting there watching him. When Tae-seo clenched his fist and tapped his chest a few times, Kang Se-heon clicked his tongue.

 

“It wasn’t out of concern, I knew from the moment you started slurping it down that it tasted good.”

 

“It’s not because of the burger, it’s because of the weird stuff you were saying. Why are you saying that?”

 

“You always smile so nicely at Mi-rae.”

 

“Why are you saying that now? Are you asking me  if I’m going to confess to her because of that?”

 

When Tae-seo looked at him with an incredulous expression, Kang Se-heon spoke as  if reprimanding him.

 

“Omegas don’t smile like that just for anyone. It leads to misunderstandings.”

 

“Forget the fixed idea that all omegas have to be pretty. What era are you from? Can’t you adapt to social life?”

 

Tae-seo chuckled as if amazed and looked at Kang Se-heon as if he were strange. Why is omega coming up here? Could it be… Is it an extension of that thing last time when he said he couldn’t sense my pheromones? He doesn’t think I’m pretending to be beta, does he?

 

‘No, but whether I pretend to be beta or not.’

 

Tae-seo’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. He prodded, wondering  if he was pretending and then feeling weird emotions after sleeping together.

 

“Or are you jealous? Worried that I might confess to Mi-rae?”

 

 

“But why does it matter… You’re really talking weird.”

 

Misunderstandings? What misunderstandings? The real misunderstanding is that people think there’s something strange going on between Kang Se-heon and me. Tae-seo, whose appetite had disappeared, stood up from his seat without hesitation.

 

There was nothing much to gain from staying here any longer; going home was the best option. Although it wasn’t particularly pleasant, Kang Se-heon had seated himself out of consideration for him, so Tae-seo politely nodded his head to him.

 

“Goodbye.”

 

Kang Se-heon waved his hand towards Tae-seo as  if getting up slowly. Tae-seo, feeling uncomfortable with Kang Se-heon’s characteristic nonchalance, turned away with a displeased look. But then a belated thought struck him, and he turned back to face Kang Se-heon.

 

“It feels weird that we only seem to meet at hotels.”

 

For Tae-seo, there was no discomfort in frequenting this hotel, but it was an exception for Kang Se-heon. Despite pretending otherwise all along, it was also the place where they shared a connection. While others saw themselves as betas, Kang Se-heon always saw himself as omega. That lingering doubt about whether this could lead to even stranger feelings for himself couldn’t be erased.

 

“If there’s ever a next time, I’ll just come to you.”

 

“Is this how you arrange our next meeting?”

 

“Why are you like this, really?”

 

What should I do with this person who interprets and concludes things as they please? Tae-seo regretted bringing it up and wished he had just left. As Kang Se-heon got up from his seat and approached Tae-seo, the familiar sense of intimidation that always came when facing him made Tae-seo furrow his eyebrows. Even though he wasn’t short, he felt incredibly small in front of Kang Se-heon. Brushing off that feeling, Tae-seo squared his shoulders and looked at Kang Se-heon. Yeah, just because he’s bigger doesn’t mean I should be scared.

 

Seeing Tae-seo like that, Kang Se-heon smiled as  if finding him cute, then handed him two business cards. One was an official business card related to KH Electronics, and the other contained only an address and contact information.

 

“Is this… your home address?”

 

“If you ring the bell and run, you’ll be in trouble.”

 

Kang Se-heon ruffled Tae-seo’s hair, then turned and left. Someone who seemed to be his secretary followed him from afar. Left alone, Tae-seo looked down at the two business cards he held in his still unwashed hands. The business card emitting the smell of grease clearly displayed Kang Se-heon’s name.

 

“Why on earth did that crazy guy give me his home address? Seriously, this guy is confusing.”

 

***

 

“I think it would be better to go to the hospital for a thorough examination.”

 

The repercussions of the uncomfortable encounter with Kang Se-heon continued even after returning home. After meeting him, there was always a residue of concern about his own characteristics. Yeah, I did say I hit heat. So even though I look like a beta, I’m still an omega. But it’s not like Kang Se-heon mistakenly thought we… had that kind of relationship…

 

But still, I couldn’t sense anyone else’s pheromones.  If it was just a vague concept that I couldn’t perceive while smelling it, I could understand, but not knowing anything at all was a bit severe. More accurately, it was that I couldn’t sense anyone else’s except Kang Se-heon’s.

 

“I didn’t sign up to be exclusively Kang Se-heon’s favorite.”

 

To have a pleasant scent only around Kang Se-heon… It seemed like there might be a problem.  If the scent I’ve been smelling all along is pheromones, then I definitely needed to get tested.

 

“Let’s go for now.”

 

Since the decision was made, executing it wasn’t difficult. Tae-seo grabbed his coat and opened the door. As he did, he met the gaze of a man who had been about to knock on his door.

 

“One of the secretaries? What’s going on?”

 

“The chairman is looking for you. You need to go see him urgently.”

 

“My father?”

 

It had only been a day since their lunch together. Tae-seo wondered what could be so urgent to call him suddenly, but since it was urgent, he quickly changed course to the designated destination.

 

“Then let’s go see my father.”

 

The engine of the car that had just cooled down after returning home started up again. Tae-seo couldn’t help but think,  If I had known this would happen, should I have stayed a bit longer at the hotel? He glanced out the window at the passing scenery and then turned his head forward. Then, as  if looking at something beside him, he glanced at the room mirror and met the gaze of one of the secretaries.

 

It felt like their eyes kept meeting in the room mirror. The suspicion turned into certainty when their eyes met for the third time.

 

“Do you have something to say?”

 

“Aren’t you curious why the chairman called you?”

 

“Of course, I am. Do you know the reason?”

 

The secretary remained silent at Tae-seo’s question. Judging by their expression, they seemed to know something, but their reluctance to speak suggested it wasn’t a trivial matter. What could it be?

 

“Is it about the engagement with Kang In-hyuk?”

 

They might not even know he’s an omega yet.  If it’s a concept of making arrangements first because it’s difficult to wait for the change in characteristics, it wasn’t entirely impossible. There were combinations of beta and alpha in families. However,  if they were insisting on an engagement even though a male beta couldn’t produce offspring, then the engagement must be truly necessary for the household.

 

“Is it about In-hyuk?”

 

“It’s not about that. Actually… it’s about something that happened at the founding party years ago, involving the young master.”

 

“Something I did? Oh…”

 

Surely not.

 

“I’m sorry. The chairman was adamant about your immediate presence, so I couldn’t keep it secret any longer.”

 

Tae-seo recalled the events leading up to that day. It was one of the secretaries who had procured the drug to feed Seo Da-rae. That’s how his actions were exposed. He had overlooked that until now, thinking it would quietly pass since nothing happened. Tae-seo couldn’t help but feel flustered.

 

“How… how did you find out?”

 

“He found out about that day’s events from his separate sources and called for me.”

 

That meant Tae-seo had been caught procuring the illegal drug to induce heat in Seo Da-rae. His parents were not the kind to simply overlook such a thing. So rather than blaming Seo Da-rae even after Tae-seo’s death, hadn’t they already humbly apologized for their past sins?

 

“Would a simple apology bring peace?”

 

Tae-seo pondered his future, chewing on his lips. He realized he would have to bear the consequences of Yoon Tae-seo’s actions, but the extent of it was… ultimately…

 

“Excuse me, Secretary Han, could you please stop for a moment?”

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

“I think I’m feeling unwell due to the burger I had this morning. I’ll just go buy some antacids.”

 

“Please wait here. I’ll go get them.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Watching the secretary park the car to one side and quickly head towards the pharmacy, Tae-seo got out of the car as soon as he disappeared from sight. Then, he ran in the opposite direction from the secretary. He didn’t have a destination in mind. He just wanted to put as much distance between them as possible, so the secretary wouldn’t find him.

 

“Not yet.”

 

This incident was the catalyst that led Yoon Tae-seo to his demise. Even  if Seo Da-rae hadn’t taken the drug that day, the fact that Tae-seo’s actions were revealed ultimately led to his downfall. He couldn’t bear to face what would happen afterward. It wasn’t about the suffering itself.

 

“After all the twists and turns, the fact remains that it was my doing, and there’s no way I won’t pay the price with my life.”

 

The burden of the consequences was too heavy to bear. After all the effort to twist the original story, to end up dying as fate dictated?

 

Gasping for breath, Tae-seo finally stopped and rested his hands on his knees, his breath ragged. He felt the gazes of people passing by, sensing their strange looks, but he couldn’t immediately calm down as  if nothing had happened. After bending over and regulating his breathing for a while, Tae-seo slowly straightened up.

 

The vibrating phone in his pocket made Tae-seo slowly take it out. With “Secretary Han” displayed on the screen, it felt like the phone was demanding him to return immediately. Tae-seo pressed the side button of the phone to turn it off.

 

With the silenced phone in his hand, Tae-seo looked around. It was a unfamiliar street. Standing in the middle of the road, Tae-seo felt lost.

 

“Where should I go?”