Chapter 8

The downtown district was packed with weekend crowds.

After getting off the subway, Yi-seon wove through the crowd toward a large commercial building. He smiled throughout the walk, talking on the phone with the aunt who had raised him in Jeju.

“How’s newlywed life? Happy?”

—“Of course! Super happy! Your aunt’s living in total luxury these days.”

Yi-seon’s aunt, Jeonghyun, had recently moved to France after falling in love with and marrying a foreign man she met in Jeju. Once she left to build a new home in her husband’s country, Yi-seon had been alone in Jeju, which ultimately prompted his return to Seoul.

Naturally, his aunt had urged Yi-seon to come along to France, but he had declined.

The first reason was that he refused to be a burden to her.

The second reason was that his legal parents resided right here in Seoul.

And the third reason was…

As his thoughts reached that point, his aunt sighed through the receiver.

—“Though honestly, I kind of miss living with our Yi-seon. My husband’s a bit… dog-like.”

“Dog? Like, a woof-woof dog?”

—“Yeah. You were like a cat, Yi-seon. You’d keep quiet by yourself, then come over and give me a sweet smile… and before I knew it, you’d wander off to read a book on your own.”

“Ahhh…”

—“My husband isn’t like that at all. It feels like having a puppy that needs constant playtime and affection. You always moved as if you could read my mind. Like comfortable air.”

The fact that Yi-seon could feel like ‘comfortable air’ to his aunt was no accident. He had worked at it deliberately.

To protect his aunt’s peace, Yi-seon had trained himself to read the room. He made no unnecessary noise and kept chatter to a minimum so he would not disturb her screenwriting. He appeared when needed, handled chores, and otherwise moved through the house like a diligent little household spirit.

From the moment he moved to Jeju, Yi-seon’s daily life had been an exercise in quiet restraint.

He never wanted to become unnecessary weight in the life of someone he loved. The thought of ‘Ryu Yi-seon’ becoming a burden to anyone again made him sick.

—“It’s frustrating when things don’t go my way. I never realized living with another person would be like this.”

“That’s what marriage is, isn’t it? Naturally it’s inconvenient, but you have to love someone enough to embrace that inconvenience.”

—“…That’s true. Here I am learning from my Yi-seon again. When did you grow up so much?”

“My growth spurts are long behind me.”

—“Ah, right! Didn’t you say you were visiting the hospital today? Did you go?”

“I actually just arrived right in front of the clinic. Aunt, I have to head in now so I’ll hang up. Let’s talk again later.”

—“Alright.”

After ending the call with Aunt Jeonghyun, Yi-seon rode the elevator to the Trait Medicine Department on the fourth floor.

Today’s visit was a routine consultation and checkup. Alphas and Omegas underwent periodic evaluations, and this was Yi-seon’s scheduled appointment.

While such tests were generally conducted once or twice a year, Yi-seon was in the early post-awakening phase and visited monthly to manage his pheromone baseline.

Yi-seon gave his name at reception and waited on the sofa for about ten minutes before he was called. In the consultation room, he sat across from the genial specialist and rested both hands neatly on his knees.

“Hello, Doctor.”

“Hello. Have you been well?”

After the greeting, the doctor silently studied the test results on his monitor.

The trait specialist, Seo Jinwoo, was an older acquaintance of Yi-seon’s brother, Ryu Yi-jeong. When Yi-seon first manifested as an Omega, a worried Yi-jeong had introduced them. Seo Jinwoo had an easy, gentle manner that put patients at ease.

“Trait stability and activity levels look good… Pheromone levels remain comparable to your initial awakening baseline… Response metrics are stable… Nothing particularly concerning in this round either. Let’s run one final check next time, and after that, we can transition to standard periodic checkups.”

“Yes, Doctor.”

The lab results were remarkably stable. Because Yi-seon was a Recessive Omega, his trait activity showed no abrupt swings and there was no concern about pheromone hypersecretion.

“Patients usually suffer quite a bit during the early awakening stage because regulation is difficult, so this is a relief.”

“Because I’m recessive, I got off easy, right?”

“Precisely. The more dominant the trait, the harsher the shock of awakening. In that regard, Young Master Yi-seon is fortunate.”

Seo Jinwoo nodded and offered his own experience as an example.

As a Dominant Alpha, Seo Jinwoo had suffered considerably during his own early manifestation, and he shook his head at the memory. As the consultation drew to a close, Yi-seon ventured a cautious question.

“Doctor… do I give off pheromones? Can people smell them when they get close?” he asked, recalling the humiliation Mugyeol had subjected him to.

“Your pheromone concentration is far too weak for external projection.”

“Is that so?”

“Do you wish you emitted a scent? I’ve heard synthetic pheromone sprays for betas are circulating on the market, but they’re harmful to the nervous system, so I strongly advise against them.”

“No, it’s not that. A friend of mine told me I smelled and warned me to control my pheromones. He’s a Dominant Alpha, so I was wondering if he actually picked up on something.”

“Mmm. It’s far more likely your friend’s sense of smell is malfunctioning.”

“Right? Even a Dominant Alpha can’t smell a scent that isn’t there, can they?”

“Barring an active heat cycle, instances of a Dominant Alpha reacting to a Recessive Omega’s pheromones are practically nonexistent. Especially with baseline figures as low as yours.”

The doctor gave his conclusion after one more look at Yi-seon’s chart.

“Thank you for clarifying. There’s no chance of me experiencing a heat either, right?”

“Based on your metrics, none at all. It might feel disappointing, but you should consider it a blessing. Suppressants carry frequent side effects, and failing to take them regularly can lead to untoward incidents. You see it on the news all the time.”

Assuming Yi-seon was disappointed by his weak trait, the doctor tried to reassure him. Male Omegas often married Beta women, he explained, and living as a Recessive Omega without pheromone complications could be much easier than dealing with a typical Omega cycle.

Yi-seon, of course, was not disappointed in the slightest. He was thrilled. Knowing the doctor might mistake his relief for denial, however, he merely nodded. “Thank you. I’ll see you at my next appointment.”

“Take care on your way back.”

After leaving the consultation room, Yi-seon followed a nurse from one testing room to another, having blood drawn and sliding in and out of large diagnostic machines.

Once the tests were finished, Yi-seon sat on the waiting-room sofa to wait for billing and pulled out his phone. Without hesitation, he called a number he had not touched since sixth grade.

The line rang three or four times before the recipient picked up.

—“…Yeah.”

“Hey, you son of a bitch!”

Yi-seon launched straight into screaming at Mugyeol.

It did not matter that this was his first call to Mugyeol in five years, or that Mugyeol had probably deleted his number long ago and had no idea who was calling.

All that mattered was that Yi-seon, an Omega who could not even project pheromones, had been cornered and humiliated by a bastard whose nose apparently could not tell one smell from another.

“The doctor said I don’t emit pheromones! If you misidentified a scent, you should blame your own defective nose! Why the hell are you taking your shit out on me?”

Into the silent line, Yi-seon unleashed a one-sided barrage of abuse.

“I just got tested, and they said I won’t ever have a heat in my entire life, so external scent projection is physically impossible. You know what that means? It means a so-called Dominant Alpha fucked up smelling Omega pheromones and threw a baseless tantrum! Got it?”

—“…”

“Keep your manners to yourself. Stop acting like an asshole. If you pull that shit again, you’re the one who’s gonna die! Seriously!”

He had been stewing over that ridiculous incident for days. He had even worried that pheromones were leaking without his knowledge, exactly as Mugyeol claimed.

Yi-seon’s heavy breathing gradually eased. Once he had vented his anger and cooled his head, reality set in.

…Come to think of it, he probably doesn’t even have my number saved.

The context probably made his identity obvious by now, but being called from an unknown number and immediately showered with obscenities would confuse anyone. Just in case, Yi-seon belatedly introduced himself.

“Ah, right. It’s Ryu Yi-seon. Same school. Same club.”

—“…Haah…”

Mugyeol let out a long, low sigh that sounded dangerously close to losing patience. “You know me, right? We used to be friends…”

—“Cut the bullshit, fuck.”

Mugyeol’s voice came rough and dangerously low over the line, like someone who had just been dragged out of sleep.

—“You called just to pull this crap? After five whole years?”

“Yeah.”

—“And the very first thing out of your mouth was what? Son of a bitch?”

“Because you acted like a son of a bitch. Anyway, get some rest. Not sorry.”

Click.

Yi-seon hung up on him.

Now that feels better.

A smug smile spread across his lips unbidden.

Of course, feeling refreshed did not mean he had forgotten his vow to get revenge on Mugyeol one day. Absolutely not.

The call had relieved his pent-up fury.

A few days ago, Yi-seon had suffered under Mugyeol’s pheromones, but because it had been meant as a warning rather than a sustained attack, there were no lingering physical effects. In the end, the whole thing had started with Mugyeol misidentifying a scent. Calling it an idiot’s tantrum and letting the matter rest here seemed fair enough.

Yi-seon was still the one who had come out worse. He had suffered actual physical distress; Mugyeol had merely endured a few insults over the phone. The comparison was obvious. Mugyeol had no grounds to complain.

Then again… does he actually have something to say?

Bzzz, bzzz— His phone had been vibrating almost nonstop. Naturally, Mugyeol was calling back.

If I answer, who knows what curses he’ll spit.

Yi-seon tapped the decline button and headed toward the payment counter. Just as he reached for his wallet, a familiar voice drifted from behind.

“I told you I’d wait at the first-floor cafe.”

Huh? Hyung?

It was the voice of Yi-seon’s older brother, Ryu Yi-jeong.

Yi-jeong had introduced Yi-seon to this clinic, so seeing him here was not completely inexplicable. Still, why would a Beta be in the Trait Medicine Department? And his university was in another province—what was he doing in Seoul today?

Then the voice that answered Yi-jeong’s stopped Yi-seon cold.

“If I want to see my busy lover’s face, I have to stick with you even here. Why did you have to come up today of all days? It’s your exam day, so we barely have any time together.”

…Mugyeol’s… hyung?

The voice that followed belonged to an older brother as well—not his own, but Yeon Hangyeol, Yeon Mugyeol’s older brother.

“Complain when I come, complain when I don’t. I’m not coming next time.”

“Did I say don’t come? I’m just saying it’s a shame! A shame…!”

Yi-seon spun around, eyes wide. Ryu Yi-jeong stood there with Yeon Hangyeol’s arm draped casually over his shoulders.

What are they?

Seeing his ‘busy lover’s face’?

The sight genuinely stunned Yi-seon. Only then did Ryu Yi-jeong and Yeon Hangyeol notice him, and both their expressions changed at once.

“Yi-seon-ah!”

“…Uh, hyung.”

“What are you doing here? Is today your checkup?”

“Yeah. What about you, hyung?”

“I had some free time today, so I came up for a bit. I just tagged along for a friend’s examination. You know Hangyeol, right? Your friend Mugyeol’s hyung. You saw him when you were little.”

“Yeah. I saw him when I visited Mugyeol’s house back then.”

Back then, you were insanely obnoxious. And thoroughly rude, too.

Swallowing everything he wanted to say, Yi-seon bowed politely. “Hello,” he greeted, but Yeon Hangyeol merely gave a curt, displeased nod. Ryu Yi-jeong looked Yi-seon over from head to toe.

“Did they say your test results were alright, Yi-seon-ah? No problems?”

“Yeah. No problems. I’m recessive anyway, so there’s no reason for pheromone irregularities.”

Listening from the side, Yeon Hangyeol shrugged. “What’s there to worry about? If he’s recessive, he’s practically a Beta. You don’t even need to bother, Yi-jeong.”

“…Recessive or not, isn’t he still an Omega? People get tested at hospitals because problems can happen. Are you a doctor, Hangyeol?”

Ryu Yi-jeong brushed Hangyeol’s arm off his shoulder with a cold glare.

Watching this, Yi-seon’s eyes widened.

Hyung, that Yeon Hangyeol guy has a nasty temper. If you talk to him like you’re picking a fight…