Hyeseong slowly lifted his heavy eyelids. His vision was hazy as if covered in fog. Just from the soft touch of the blanket, he could easily tell this was his room. But it took quite some time for his mind to return.

 

“Ah…”

 

Yesterday, he had hurried home from the mart because of the sudden heat. And he lay in bed after taking the medicine he got from the hospital, but as expected, it had no effect and he suffered. What happened after that?

 

Hyeseong rubbed his disheveled face with his hand as he gradually recalled yesterday’s events. Strangely, he couldn’t remember well what happened after he lay in bed and started groaning. 

 

Did he lose consciousness? Whenever he tried to remember something, the memory flashed faintly, making it frustrating. 

 

“Ugh…”

 

As Hyeseong slowly tried to get up, an excruciating pain struck his body. Especially his back hurt as if it would break, so Hyeseong collapsed back onto the bed.

 

Is it usually this painful after going through heat? Is it normal to get muscle aches? But even so, it was too severe.

 

Hyeseong hurriedly searched for his cell phone. Since he was planning to go to the hospital today anyway, it seemed he should call and make an appointment first.

 

But strangely, the cell phone was nowhere to be seen. He looked around, moving his extremely heavy body, but for some reason, the cell phone had fallen under the bed. It must have fallen while he was tossing and turning yesterday.  

 

Hyeseong managed to pick up the cell phone with difficulty. Since his whole body was screaming as if gravity had doubled, Hyeseong frowned and pressed the hospital phone number he had memorized by now.

 

“Yes, I’d like to make a same-day appointment. My name is Cheon Hyeseong…”

 

After successfully making the appointment, he was about to turn off the phone when his eyes caught the call history that naturally popped up.

 

“What’s this? Why…”

 

There was a record of a call with Ihyeok. The time was late last night. When he couldn’t even keep his mind straight because of the heat.

 

Hyeseong racked his brain, trying to recall yesterday’s events. Come to think of it, it seemed Ihyeok had called him last night.

 

He definitely said something about a text. Hyeseong quickly opened the messenger. Then Ihyeok’s messages asking if he ate, saying it’s a Japanese restaurant and he’ll buy something, dizzily filled his eyes.

 

The more he furrowed his brows, the more yesterday’s events seemed to come back little by little. Of course, they were fragmentary pieces, not continuous, but Hyeseong remembered Ihyeok calling out of concern when he didn’t respond to the texts.

 

He recalled Ihyeok asking what he was doing, mentioning food again, and saying he would drop by. The more he thought about it, the more wildly Hyeseong’s heart began to pound.

 

Until then, he had also kept his mind and made all sorts of excuses to Ihyeok, telling him not to come, and Ihyeok said okay. Then, as his heartbeat gradually calmed down, a sense of relief came.

 

Hyeseong endured the excruciating pain, opened the bedroom door and went out to look, but the usual unfamiliar emptiness greeted him. There were no traces of Ihyeok or anyone else having been there, not in the living room, kitchen, or anywhere.

 

“Haa.”

 

Hyeseong let out a deep sigh standing in the living room. Since he was already out, he walked to the bathroom thinking of washing up a bit. His back and legs were shaking so much that it seemed to take an eternity just to get to the bathroom. 

 

Although it was his first time experiencing heat, if it was like this every time, it honestly seemed like it would be tough. While thinking that, Hyeseong expressed respect for omegas, alphas, hybrids. To endure this pain and go through heat every time.

 

Hyeseong shook his head and took off his clothes, when suddenly he noticed his reflection in the mirror. Looking closer, there were several reddish marks here and there on his upper body. Hyeseong tilted his head.

 

Why are these marks here? 

 

Is this also one of the symptoms of heat? He would know if he had experienced it, but heat and mating cycles were such an unknown territory to Hyeseong that everything was new and difficult.

 

That wasn’t the only strange thing. Yesterday he definitely sweated buckets because of the fever, but strangely his body was fluffy all over. 

 

“How strange.”

 

Shaking his head, Hyeseong quickly washed his body and immediately got ready to go to the hospital. He lost count of how many times he went back and forth to Seoul because of the hospital, but this time, the matter was too serious to be left alone.

 

Arriving at the hospital, Hyeseong quickly checked in. After being informed that there may be some waiting since he suddenly made a same-day appointment, he sat in the waiting room chair. Hyeseong fiddled with his phone, agonizing over whether to contact Ihyeok.

 

But what would he ask if he called? If he came to his house yesterday? Isn’t it a bit unnatural to contact him the next day to ask that? As Hyeseong was scratching his head in worry, two men slowly walked in.

 

“Honey, I’ll go check in and come back. Wait here.”

 

“Okay. Got it.”

 

Hyeseong instinctively knew. The person sitting in front of him was also an omega like himself. Then is that person an alpha?

 

The well-built man who came back after checking in sat next to his partner and was busy continuously checking on his condition. The sight of him stroking the other’s hair and holding hands kept catching Hyeseong’s eye.

 

Hyeseong suddenly glanced to the side. At the empty seat where no one was.

 

He was used to coming to the hospital alone. Whether it was for a health checkup or when suffering from minor illnesses, Hyeseong always visited the hospital by himself. When he was young, and when he became an adult and started taking care of himself. And even now, having become an omega due to an incident.

 

The usually insignificant empty space felt particularly large today. Hyeseong turned his eyes away from the lovey-dovey couple in front.

 

“Cheon Hyeseong-ssi, please come in for the examination first.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Hyeseong got up and followed the nurse into the exam room. As expected, it seemed best not to contact Ihyeok.

 

* * *

 

Hyeseong wasn’t the only one fiddling with his phone. Ihyeok was also sitting at his desk with a somewhat complicated expression, staring at the black screen of his phone.

 

Just as he reached out his hand as if he had made up his mind, Secretary Yoo knocked and entered from outside.

 

“CEO, I have something to report.”

 

Ihyeok nodded and Secretary Yoo approached.  

 

“It’s not work-related, but it’s regarding what you instructed before.”

 

Secretary Yoo sharply pushed up his glasses. If it was something he instructed, only one thing came to mind.

 

“Are you talking about how I went into rut during the business trip to England?”

 

“Yes. That’s right. At that time, you said you went into rut, medical staff was dispatched, you received a suppressant shot and appropriate treatment, correct?”

 

Ihyeok nodded. Actually, that was what he heard from Hyeseong rather than his own memory. Because when Hyeseong was asked if anything happened that day, that was all he said.

 

“I checked with the hotel you stayed at then, and among those who used the hotel medical service that day, your name was not there.”

 

“…What?”

 

Secretary Yoo said he contacted the hotel they stayed at then and asked the medical team inside about the matter. At first they didn’t disclose it citing personal information, but he found out by appealing that the person in question was the CEO of Taesung and that he was his secretary.

 

“I asked them to check several times, but they said no medical staff went up to that room that night. So I considered the possibility of medical staff coming from outside the hotel, but that doesn’t seem to be the case either.”

 

In the first place, that hotel was quite renowned for its medical services, so unless it was the patient’s personal doctor, there weren’t many cases of separately calling from outside.

 

“Are you sure about that?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Secretary Yoo spoke firmly. Then does that mean Hyeseong lied to him? But Hyeseong would have no reason to hide what happened that day. If Ihyeok had lost his reason and touched another omega, that wouldn’t be a reason for Hyeseong to lie either. Rather, if that was the reason, Hyeseong would have definitely taken action or informed him.

 

Ihyeok became lost in thought. 

 

It was the last day of the business trip to England. He clearly attended a party alone late in the evening. Since Hyeseong seemed too tired to get up, he didn’t bother waking him.

 

It was a private party anyway and Ihyeok also intended to just show his face briefly before leaving, but his body started feeling strange. Instinctively sensing it was rut, he went up to the room, and after that his memory was blank.

 

After returning to Korea, he was examined by Professor Moon, who said his rut cycle was probably pushed forward from being exposed to someone else’s pheromones for a long time and his body being overworked, but that there were no major issues, which was a relief.    

 

Still, since he had no memory of it, he felt uneasy and asked Hyeseong, but why did he lie like that?

 

“Were there any signs that I touched another omega or let them into my room?”

 

“No. I asked the hotel staff about that too, but they said the only one who entered the CEO’s room then was the secretary who was with you before.”

 

Ihyeok became even more perplexed. It was clear something happened that day for sure. A premonition arose that Hyeseong knew something and intentionally hid it.

 

Ihyeok loosened his tie as if stifled. Whenever he saw the traces of Hyeseong trying to hide things from him one by one, he felt hurt and unknown emotions boiling up.

 

“Should I look into it more?”

 

Ihyeok shook his head.

 

“No need. Let’s just wrap up this issue.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Secretary Yoo said he understood and left the room.

 

If Hyeseong was hiding something, he could just ask the person directly. In any case, it didn’t seem like he caused an accident by touching another omega, so it seemed this matter didn’t need to be minded.

 

More than that, Ihyeok had a bigger problem to solve now. He licked his lips as he recalled last night.

 

“Cheon Hyeseong.”

 

Ihyeok spoke Hyeseong’s name in a low voice. If Hyeseong had no intention of untangling the twisted threads, Ihyeok now thought he would have to step up himself.

 

Ihyeok picked up his phone and called without hesitation. The recipient was Hyeseong.