AOA 28

“Are you alright?”

With a stiff expression, Baek Mugyeong turned to me and asked.

“That was… I mean, that was pheromones, right?”

I could tell Baek Yeongseop had used pheromones. But I had no idea why. Whether alpha or omega, releasing pheromones at an official event was incredibly ignorant and rude.

“Yes.”

“Is this okay?”

I looked around as I asked. Strangely, no one else seemed to have reacted to Baek Yeongseop’s pheromones.

“Some alphas can concentrate their pheromones on a single person. Baek Yeongseop only released them toward you.”

“That’s possible?”

“Yes.”

“That’s kind of amazing.”

It was surprising that pheromones could be used on a specific target rather than dispersed indiscriminately. After realizing I’d been manipulated by Lee Jeongwook, I had diligently researched information about trait carriers, but I’d never come across anything like that.

“Baek Yeongseop’s behavior was the same as your English teacher’s. Except this time it happened in a crowded banquet hall, making it all the more malicious.”

Baek Mugyeong bared his teeth in visible anger as he condemned Baek Yeongseop. He really did seem furious.

I frowned as well. It was well known that alpha pheromones stimulate omegas, more precisely, they drive them mad with desire to have sex.

Most omegas take suppressants just in case, but that alone isn’t always enough. Omegas supposedly react in some way no matter what.

So if, as Baek Mugyeong said, Baek Yeongseop had used pheromones in a room full of people, he really was insane.

“He’s a psycho.”

When I cursed Baek Yeongseop, Baek Mugyeong stared at me. His expression hardly changed, but he did look slightly surprised.

“He is a psycho. What, do you not like me insulting your cousin?”

Before the regression, Baek Yeongseop had openly shown his dislike for Baek Mugyeong, and Baek Mugyeong had coldly ignored him.

I knew they had a bad relationship, but still, I asked just in case.

“…You’re right.”

Surprisingly, Baek Mugyeong faintly curled the corners of his lips. It seemed calling Baek Yeongseop a psycho had pleased him.

There are many ways to bond with someone. Sharing food is one of the most effective. On site, people built camaraderie during breaks with snacks like bread, rice cakes, or fruit. And nothing forged bonds faster than trash-talking someone over snacks.

I wanted to say even more about what a lunatic Baek Yeongseop was, but there was something more urgent right now.

“Do I smell? Do you think it’s okay for me to go back out there like this?”

Considering what it meant for an omega to carry an alpha’s pheromones, the situation wasn’t ideal. Rather than walking around the banquet hall with Baek Yeongseop’s scent on me, it might be better to fake being ill and leave.

They said pheromones could be washed off in the shower. But I couldn’t exactly shower and change clothes here, so my only option was to go home.

It was Saturday, and a driver was waiting outside. I could leave quietly, letting Baek Mugyeong stay behind.

“It’s not too strong, but…”

Baek Mugyeong frowned slightly, clearly displeased by the situation. Alphas were said to dislike the scent of another alpha’s pheromones, so that reaction made sense.

“Please give me your hand for a moment. I’ll cover it with my pheromones.”

“You can do that?”

“Yes.”

I’d never heard of anything like pheromone layering. But Baek Mugyeong said it so confidently I had no choice but to believe him. Besides, I’d take my spouse’s scent over Baek Yeongseop’s a hundred times out of a hundred.

“But… it doesn’t hurt, right?”

I asked, just to be sure, and Baek Mugyeong gave me a look like I was being ridiculous.

“I mean, I’ve heard that when alpha pheromones clash, it can cause problems… Pain I can handle, but I need to be mentally prepared.”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

His voice was firm, so I held out my hand. Baek Mugyeong gently took it.

Soon, I caught the scent, a clean, refreshing aroma.

Lee Jeongwook’s and Baek Yeongseop’s pheromones had smelled like sharp, pungent cologne. But Baek Mugyeong’s was different.

It smelled like rain-soaked wood and flowers, with a crisp musk. Just like in Cebu, it wasn’t just a fragrance, it felt like something wrapping around me.

This is seriously weird.

Just as I was thinking how ticklish and awkward it felt, the intense memory of having sex with Baek Mugyeong in Cebu suddenly surfaced. Heat flushed through my body.

Warmth surged to my lower half, and I felt my legs and waist go weak.

Startled, I quickly yanked my hand back from Baek Mugyeong.

“Jeong Minchae?”

“No, it’s… I mean…”

I couldn’t possibly tell him that his pheromones had made me hard. The heat simmering through my body wouldn’t subside. I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

I had no idea what kind of expression I was making, which made me more anxious. I was probably a mess.

“I’ll just-just step outside for a bit.”

I blurted something out and turned away, fleeing the banquet hall. Well, not exactly running, I couldn’t, with an erection. I walked quickly instead. I hadn’t felt this desperate since that time I got food poisoning and had to find a bathroom in a rush.

It was one of those nights where you just wanted to cry and ask the world why this was happening to you.

The terrace steps leading out from the banquet hall were brightly lit. It offered a view of the whole garden, but with it being winter, no one was outside.

I found a quiet spot in the corner and rested my head against the wall.

The December wind was freezing, but it didn’t cool my burning face. My painfully stiff erection now hurt, and I wanted to rip my hair out.

In all my life, I had never gotten hard in public like this. I’d been warned endlessly that alpha pheromones were dangerous for omegas, but I never imagined it would be like this.

I took an emergency suppressant from my pocket and popped it in my mouth, then desperately recited multiplication tables in my head. That usually helped calm sexual arousal.

“Jeong Minchae.”

I was taking deep breaths, on the verge of tears, when I heard Baek Mugyeong’s voice behind me. My brain froze, I had no idea what to say.

“It’ll settle down after a little while. So… would you mind stepping aside for now?”

“It won’t settle down. I’ll get your coat. I’ll tell Grandfather that you’re not feeling well and going home. I’ll be back soon.”

“Huh?”

I turned to Baek Mugyeong, startled. He gave me a small nod and went back inside.

Now alone, I stood there in a daze, then finally felt a wave of relief. Usually, deep breathing and distraction helped calm arousal. But my overheated body still wouldn’t cool down.

I just wanted to go somewhere safe and take care of it. I considered going to the bathroom but stopped myself. If word got out that I’d masturbated in the art center bathroom, I’d never live it down.

I recited multiplication tables and hummed the national anthem. Still, the erection didn’t go away.

I wanted to tear my hair out. Just then, I heard the door open. I turned, thinking it might be Baek Mugyeong, but it was a man I didn’t recognize.

He looked to be in his late thirties, with a sleazy face, flushed from drinking, and reeking of alcohol.

“Oh? Another lonely soul, just like me?”

He grinned lecherously as he walked over, wearing some strange cologne that I quickly realized was an alpha’s pheromones.

What the hell is today?

First Baek Yeongseop, now this guy, how many alphas think it’s okay to release pheromones the moment they see an omega? I felt like a bug trap attracting pests. It pissed me off. No way I was going to speak politely.

“Get lost.”

“Aw, why so cold? Huh? Aren’t you feeling lonely? You’re the one giving off pheromones like that. What’s your name?”

I’d already met all the important people tonight and made my rounds. Before the regression, I’d memorized most of the big names in the business world and their families.

This guy, grinning like a clown, wasn’t in my memory. Which meant I didn’t have to hold back.

“Come any closer, and I’ll hit you.”

“Ooh, scary.”

The man exaggerated his movements, but still came closer. He clearly thought he had the upper hand.

“Fucking hell. You don’t get it unless someone spells it out, do you?”

The heat in my body remained, and my erection still hadn’t gone down. That just made me feel worse.

Avoiding people like this was usually the smart move. But based on my experience before regression, guys like this never backed off.

As the man approached, I closed the distance in one step and kicked him hard in the shin. It was a move Jeong Guhyeon often used. Something I’d seen a lot back at the factory where I used to work.

When you get kicked in the shin, you instinctively bend at the waist. That’s when you go for the face, but I didn’t. Instead, I grabbed him by the collar and shoved him back. The man staggered and fell on his ass.

Looking down at him, bewildered, I kicked off my shoes. I’d always lived timidly around my biological father’s family for money, but fighting, I was used to that. I’d never cared much for studying, so instead of cram school, I’d gone to a boxing gym.