AOA 22

Before the regression, even though I had taken English conversation lessons from Lee Jeongwook for over a year, we had never contacted each other outside the academy. As one might expect from a renowned private tutor, he was a smooth talker, but he drew a clear line with me. I figured that was just his personality, and I hadn’t tried to get closer either.

Still, even after just ten days apart, our exchanged greetings were polite.

“Oh? Jeong Minchae, you’re an omega?”

The classroom was small. Lee Jeongwook, who had just taken a seat across the large central desk, asked as he sat down.

Since manifesting as an omega last week, I had been taking stabilizers four times a day. But since it was still right after manifestation, even with the meds, my pheromones were hard to control. It wasn’t something I could hide, so I simply nodded.

“Ah. Yes, I’ve manifested. You must be an alpha, then?”

“Haha. If I can recognize an omega, that means I am. So, you went on your honeymoon and came back as an omega. That’s… rather suggestive.”

“Well, I guess it is.”

Having started working before I even finished high school, I immediately picked up on the sexual nuance behind his faint smile, but I ignored it. Reacting to things like that would only wear me out.

Just as I was opening my book, a strong scent suddenly hit me. I instinctively knew it was alpha pheromones. I looked up, puzzled, and Lee Jeongwook was smiling.

“You can smell it, can’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Can you tell me what kind of scent it is? Everyone perceives scents a little differently. I’m curious how it comes across to you, Minchae.”

“It smells like cosmetics. Um… like the skin lotion my dad used?”

While wondering how to describe the sharp cologne-like smell, it suddenly hit me, it was similar to my father’s aftershave.

Lee Jeongwook’s smile faltered slightly, as if he wasn’t pleased with my answer. But I had nothing else to offer, so I just let it pass with a smile.

The small talk ended, and class resumed as usual. Over the past six months, my English hadn’t improved much. I could manage some short daily conversations, but real dialogue was still difficult. However, after the regression, my level had clearly changed.

“You’ve improved. But your pronunciation is still off, right? You know that better than I do, Minchae. Nuance comes from native-level pronunciation, so you really need to focus on it, okay?”

Being told my pronunciation was poor was nothing new, I’d heard it throughout the two years I studied with Lee Jeongwook. I’d had a couple of frustrating experiences because of it before the regression, so I’d been keeping that in mind.

“Did you know, Minchae? Your pheromone scent is sweet, like cotton candy.”

Class ended around 6 p.m. I had just said goodbye and was packing up my bag when Lee Jeongwook, who was about to leave the classroom, turned around and said that.

“Is that so?”

“Usually, people can’t smell their own pheromones. You have to be told by someone else. Take care on your way home.”

He waved lightly and disappeared after saying his piece. Left alone, I tilted my head.

It was odd for Lee Jeongwook to strike up such a friendly conversation after class, he usually left without a word. And his tone was strange. It wasn’t overtly sexual like earlier, but it felt… different.

“Do people normally say things like this?”

I didn’t know whether this kind of pheromone comment exchange was typical among manifested types. I hadn’t even realized until now that I couldn’t detect my own scent.

I had definitely smelled wood from Baek Mugyeong.

The memory of that night popped up, and my cheeks burned. When the conditions were right, my body responded to even the slightest stimulation.

“Jeez…”

Rubbing my flushed cheeks with both hands, I let out a low groan and stood up. It was time to go home.

*

In my nightmares, Jeong Guhyeon always appeared. I would flail helplessly, as if being strangled to death, suffocating.

Then I’d realize it was a dream and thrash desperately until I woke up.

“Gasp.”

I inhaled sharply. Blinking fast, I tried to figure out where I was. A room both unfamiliar and familiar, it was Baek Mugyeong’s house. Once I realized that, I could finally hear the pounding of my heart.

“Haah…”

I let out a long breath of relief. My body, drenched in cold sweat, quickly cooled, leaving me shivering.

Since the regression, I had nightmares nearly every other day. In about one out of three of them, Jeong Guhyeon would appear and strangle me. I wasn’t losing my mind, but the disrupted sleep was exhausting.

I slowly sat up and checked the time. The clock on the wall showed it was well past 10 p.m.

I had returned home around 7 p.m. after my English class. Baek Mugyeong hadn’t come home by then, so I ate dinner alone. I’d been working on my project plan in the bedroom when I lay down for a short rest. I must’ve fallen asleep without realizing it.

I hadn’t done much today. At the gallery office, I mostly sat. A blood draw at the hospital was nothing, and the English lesson was just two hours long.

Still, the overwhelming drowsiness might’ve been due to my recent omega manifestation. I’d heard many times that your condition is unstable until your pheromones settle.

“No fever.”

Before the regression, I had suffered through fevers. I touched my forehead, my temperature was normal. But my throat was parched.

I headed to the first-floor kitchen for water. The housekeeper, Kim Juhyun, had already left for the annex.

Guided by the soft lighting in the house, I opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. After finishing it, I grabbed another and turned to leave the kitchen.

Beep—

The sound of the front door opening froze me in place. Only one person could be coming home at this hour.

Sure enough, moments later, Baek Mugyeong appeared. Dressed in a deep gray suit, he paused when he saw me.

“Jeong Minchae?”

“Oh, hello. I just came down to get some water.”

Flustered, I held up the water bottle in my hand. I’d woken up late this morning and hadn’t seen him leave for work. I hadn’t expected to see him return, either.

Before the regression, the first time I saw Baek Mugyeong after our honeymoon was the weekend. And even then, it was just a glimpse of him leaving the house, saying he had an appointment.

I had never imagined I’d run into him like this. The timing was uncanny.

“Got it.”

He answered indifferently and walked through the living room. I waited until he started climbing the stairs.

But then, halfway up, he stopped and turned back to me.

“Jeong Minchae.”

“Yes?”

“You… never mind.”

The lighting inside the house was dim, so I couldn’t clearly see his expression as he looked down at me. But I understood what his sigh meant, disdain, disappointment, indifference, annoyance.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

I hesitated only a moment before summoning my courage. My voice trembled slightly, but not so much that he wouldn’t understand.

“I have nothing to say.”

“Baek Mugyeong.”

I called out, hoping he might respond, but he didn’t. He just continued up the stairs. A soft click echoed through the house as the bedroom door shut.

I frowned, still holding the water bottle. Even before the regression, I’d barely had proper conversations with Baek Mugyeong. If he was dissatisfied with something, he would just furrow his brow or sigh and turn his head away.

Back then, I was too out of it due to the medication to care. But now, it really got to me.

Even though we had agreed to stay out of each other’s business, I figured we needed to at least be able to talk rationally if I wanted a smooth divorce.

If something’s wrong, say it. That’s how things get fixed or explained.

On Saturday, he had also just said his piece and walked off. It pissed me off. It felt like he didn’t even see me as someone worth talking to.

It was true that I had practically been sold off for a high price. Maybe he thought I wasn’t in his league.

Looking back at his behavior before the regression, that wasn’t entirely off base. Back then, he didn’t ignore me to my face, but he treated me like I didn’t exist.

“Damn it…”

So this is what it feels like to have your self-esteem shattered. My biological father, stepmother, and half-brother never treated me like a person. They used me, resented me, even tried to kill me. Baek Jaehan and Baek Jinseok saw me only as a tool.

I already knew this was how I’d be treated. I tried to ignore it, tried not to fall into negative thinking.

Still, every time it hit me again, it hurt like hell. My eyes burned, but I didn’t cry. If I broke down over this, I wouldn’t survive what was coming.

“Let’s think good thoughts.”

Some self-help book once said: “Fate becomes what you imagine it to be.” I chose to believe that. In moments like this, positive energy was essential. Talking to my younger brother would’ve helped most, but it was too late to call him.

I quickly went upstairs. The best way to recover my mental state was healing videos. Dogs and cats worked best.

I decided to figure out what to do about Baek Mugyeong later.