Despite the thought that things would get better, Hyeseong’s condition only worsened as time went on. At first, it seemed like the medicine was taking effect so he thought it would be alright, but that wasn’t the case at all. As if mocking his complacent judgment, the rising fever and tingling sensations only intensified. 

 

He considered going to a nearby hospital to get suppressants, but Hyeseong crumbled helplessly in the face of the sensations he was experiencing for the first time. It had been a long time since he had any strength in his body.

 

Heated breaths kept leaking out of his mouth and he could feel his face burning up as if it would burst. He thought if he just lay down and suffered a little, it would get somewhat better so he would endure it somehow.

 

“Haa.”

 

He could go to the hospital later. Hyeseong squeezed his eyes shut and pulled the blanket over his head. Enduring wasn’t that difficult. Overcoming sickness on his own was something Hyeseong was used to. 

 

It was the same when he was young. Thinking he shouldn’t inconvenience his aunt as much as possible, he would hide it whenever he was sick. Then one time he got scolded by his aunt for getting so sick with a cold that he was bedridden, asking why he didn’t ask for help.

 

After seeing his aunt cry for the first time that day, Hyeseong decided he shouldn’t hide it anymore, but that wasn’t easy. Even after going to college and living independently alone, that habit continued.  

 

Even when sick, he wouldn’t tell anyone. He would just wrap himself tightly in a blanket on the bed in his empty studio and suffer alone. 

 

Just like now. It was something he had done countless times before. Unless it was a fatal illness, if he endured, his body would gradually get better. It wasn’t too late to find a solution after getting through this crisis.

 

It was while making such a resolution. He felt a long vibration from the cell phone placed by his pillow. It had rung briefly before but he was too out of it to think about checking it. Hyeseong’s hand limply extended out from under the blanket.

 

Fumbling with the blanket, he found and picked up the phone. 

 

[CEO]

 

Upon seeing the caller, Hyeseong was so surprised that he threw off the blanket. Just from seeing a name, it felt like his heart plummeted. 

 

Hyeseong agonized for a moment. In this state, it would be best not to answer, but then there was the possibility that Ihyeok might stop by this house on his way home from work. Hyeseong answered the phone, clearing his throat as much as possible.

 

“Hyeseong-ah.”

 

It was a voice that was always nice to hear. Hyeseong barely suppressed the tingling sensation below as he replied. After that, as always, Ihyeok asked the usual things. Hyeseong bit his lip, trying not to let his ragged breathing be noticed.  

 

Just from his low voice, Hyeseong felt his body heating up even more. He clearly remembered this happening before – getting hard while on the phone with Ihyeok.

 

He didn’t remember exactly what was said, but startled by Ihyeok’s words that he would drop by, Hyeseong made excuses. After firmly telling Ihyeok that he would go to bed early so not to come, Hyeseong collapsed back onto the bed. Trying to ignore his slowly stiffening lower body, Hyeseong squeezed his eyes shut.

 

Now it was difficult to even open his eyes because of the fever. It had reached the point of making him delirious. It seemed like he heard some noise from outside but he couldn’t even think about it.

 

It was in that moment.

 

“…Seong-ah!”

 

The cool warmth caressing his cheek, the urgent voice ringing in his ears. Hyeseong struggled to open his eyes but couldn’t see well. Only that a huge shadow was pacing back and forth in front of him.

 

Rationality had long disappeared. The string he had barely been holding on to was on the verge of snapping. He now understood why hybrids paid such close attention to and managed their heat cycles.

 

What filled his head now wasn’t things like “Endure, find a solution.” Only desires kept coming to mind like “It’s hard and painful, I want to let it out.”

 

He didn’t know if he was dreaming, but he wanted to entrust everything to the hands touching him. Perhaps that was why. For the first time ever, Hyeseong uttered words he had never spoken before.

 

“…Please help me.”

 

* * *

 

Ihyeok boldly opened the door and immediately frowned. The room was filled with an omega’s pheromones. Ihyeok barely kept his mind together. Looking at the bed, he saw a bulging shape wrapped in a blanket. Ihyeok hurriedly approached and lifted the blanket.

 

“Hyeseong-ah!”

 

There lay Hyeseong, breathing rapidly. His pale face was blushing red like a ripe apple. Despite the gushing pheromones, Ihyeok gritted his teeth and stroked Hyeseong’s cheek. It was an incredible fever.

 

‘Is it heat?’

 

These suffocating pheromones had a different texture. Ihyeok instinctively knew. That this was something emitted by an omega in heat.

 

“Hyeseong-ah, can you hear me? Did you take suppressants?”

 

Hyeseong’s eyes flickered open for a moment then immediately closed again. He didn’t seem to be in a state to come to his senses. Moreover, his body was burning up as if he would get burned. Things didn’t look good.

 

Ihyeok immediately searched all over Hyeseong’s house. With the feeling that meticulous Hyeseong would regularly go to the hospital, and remembering the medicine pouches he had seen before. 

 

Then, in the very bottom drawer of the living room cabinet, he spotted a pamphlet with the Yehyun University Hospital logo and suppressants scattered around.

 

Two pills were already missing from the medicine pack.

 

“He took suppressants but why…”

 

Why was his fever so high? Far from subsiding, the pheromones were becoming more intense. Ihyeok quickly returned to the bedroom. The raging pheromones were agonizing for Ihyeok as well. But now was the time to hold on to his reason more than ever. What he saw wasn’t a heat-struck omega, but a sick child. 

 

So he couldn’t leave him like this. It seemed he needed to take action quickly, whether moving Hyeseong to his car or calling an ambulance.

 

“…”

 

But he hesitated. Would doing that really be for this child’s sake? For some reason, Hyeseong was hiding that he had become an omega. Seeing as he hadn’t breathed a word even to Park Dohyun, let alone to Ihyeok, he must have a reason he wanted to hide it.

 

But was it really right to take Hyeseong to the hospital now? Although there was a sick person in front of his eyes, strangely, it wasn’t easy to act right away. Heat cycles usually gradually subside after a certain amount of time passes.

 

When hybrids go into heat, it was common to spend it stably with a partner or suppress it with medicine. But when unavoidably unable to use either method, there was no choice but to just endure while embracing all the sharpened senses without doing anything.

 

Just like Hyeseong now. A heat cycle wasn’t a fatal illness, and if you endured it somehow, you could return to normal. That was probably the method Hyeseong chose. So he wanted to respect that method. But he absolutely could not leave the child groaning in pain like this.

 

Ihyeok briefly left the room. After some deliberation, he called someone. As the call connected, he went to the living room and opened a window. Hyeseong’s pheromones were affecting him as well after all.

 

“Professor Moon, it’s me.”

 

“Yes. CEO. What is it?”

 

He was Professor Moon Sungjin, considered the top authority in the hybrid field and also Ihyeok’s attending doctor.

 

“I have something to ask. It’s about omega heat.”

 

“Omega heat?”

 

Professor Moon’s surprised voice came through. It made sense for him to find it strange for an alpha, and one who doesn’t even have a partner, to suddenly ask about heat.

 

“Heat came but suppressants aren’t working either. There’s no partner. What’s the best thing to do in this case?”

 

“The most reasonable method would be to have a doctor directly examine the body’s condition at a hospital and administer appropriate suppressants, but the fact that you called me means going to the hospital isn’t feasible, right?”

 

“Right.”

 

Professor Moon hummed for a moment as if pondering.  

 

“As a doctor I don’t recommend it, but just leaving it be and doing nothing is also one method. Usually the average heat cycle lasts about 5 days. During about 2-3 days of that, pheromone levels rise excessively, accompanied by fever and arousal, but once that period passes, the body will gradually stabilize.”

 

Professor Moon added that it’s best if the blanket isn’t too thick and to ventilate the room about once an hour. Above all, he emphasized not to put the person together with other hybrids but in an independent space.

 

“But the fever is too severe. Is a heat cycle usually like that?”

 

Ihyeok knew well from experiencing rut. That a fever rises when a heat cycle hits. But Hyeseong’s body was strangely burning up like a fireball.

 

“The fever is severe? Usually during heat or rut, heat-induced fever does occur, but for it to be severe… CEO, is it perhaps that person’s first heat cycle?”

 

Ihyeok paused for a moment. 

 

“Usually during the first heat cycle after hybrid manifestation, fever often spikes. Moreover, if the heat cycle hits when the pheromone glands haven’t stabilized yet, it can be even more so.”

 

First heat cycle. Although he didn’t know since when Hyeseong had manifested as an omega, or why the child who was a beta ended up like that, the severe fever could all be explained if it was his first heat as the professor said.

 

“In such special circumstances, I recommend going to the hospital after all. I want to go myself but I’m overseas for a seminar… In any case, if the fever rises, it will greatly impact the body, aside from the heat.”

 

Ihyeok clenched his fists. He felt powerless, as if there was nothing he could do for the sick Hyeseong.

 

“I told you. Can’t go to the hospital.”

 

Ihyeok dry washed his face.

 

“Hmm, if suppressants don’t work either, there’s nothing left but to relieve the aroused state. But you said there’s no partner, so for now, doing your best to bring the fever down like I mentioned earlier would be optimal.”

 

Ihyeok hung up and went back to the room.

 

“Haa.”

 

A stifled sigh unintentionally burst out. But he didn’t know if it was from powerlessness or because of Hyeseong’s pheromones.

 

“Hyeseong-ah.”

 

Ihyeok crouched in front of Hyeseong and stroked his cheek. It looked so hot and painful, but he had no idea what to do. The words about relieving the aroused state came to mind, but Ihyeok shook his head vigorously. 

 

To lay hands on a child who can’t even come to his senses because of heat. He absolutely couldn’t do that. For now, he planned to at least wet a cold towel and bring it. He would try to bring the fever down somehow, and if that really didn’t work, then it seemed best to take him to the hospital then.  

 

As Ihyeok slowly rose from his spot, he felt a hot touch on his wrist. Looking down, Hyeseong was slowly opening his eyes and grasping Ihyeok’s hand.