PO 7

“Then I will come for you later.”

Joo Yeongmo opened the door for Woojeong and gave a polite bow. Woojeong greeted him and stepped inside. His eyes widened as he looked around the interior.

Woojeong hesitated for a long time at the entrance of the empty living room, and then he headed toward the bathroom. He turned on the warm water and washed his cold hands for a long time.

Even after he washed his hands, Woojeong couldn’t leave the sink. His eyes trembled as he peered through the slightly open door toward the living room.

The man’s pheromone scent filled the living room. From the entrance, the scent was so thick that it made his breath catch. Even though the man wasn’t in the living room, the scent was so vivid that it startled him.

What was happening? Woojeong had encountered the man’s pheromones before, but he had never smelled pheromones this thick, so his nerves grew tense.

“……You are here?”

At the sight of the man standing at the door, Woojeong stepped back without thinking. He still found himself startled every time he faced him.

And on top of that, the man wore nothing but a white bathrobe over his bare body. Because the belt was loosely tied, the gap at the chest was open and revealed his firm torso. Water droplets slid down his neckline from the wet ends of his hair, and Woojeong awkwardly turned his eyes away.

“Ah, hello.”

The man tilted his head carelessly as if he didn’t care to receive the greeting. Then he raised one hand against the doorframe, and he blocked the way with his broad shoulders as he stared down at Woojeong.

“If you need to use the bathroom, I will step out.”

“I have no intention to use it.”

“Then why……”

Woojeong faltered again. Maybe because the wet hair covered his forehead, the man’s look seemed very different from before. Perhaps it was because of the loose bathrobe instead of the neat suit and tie he always wore. His eyes were half lowered, and he seemed relaxed.

“I am watching to see if you are doing what you are supposed to do, Woojeong.”

Placed in a situation that felt like confrontation with the man, he felt cold sweat trickle down his back. In that moment, his pheromone scent seeped into the bathroom, pushing away the artificial fragrance of body wash. The man’s scent slowly spread and asserted its presence.

Woojeong couldn’t understand why he was doing this. Woojeong thought maybe his eyes were red because he was drunk, but he couldn’t smell alcohol. When their eyes met, Woojeong lowered his gaze and tried to hide his fluster.

“I am making the effort.”

The man didn’t look as though he planned to step aside. After all, this place was his house. Whether he drank or whether he blocked the bathroom door, he had no reason to be careful.

Woojeong stared at the narrow gap beside the man’s body that blocked the doorway. Could he slip out through that space? He lowered his head slightly and squeezed between the man and the doorframe.

Just when he was feeling relieved that he had escaped, the man dropped his arm and blocked the way. He wrapped his arm around Woojeong’s shoulder. Before Woojeong could lift his head in shock, the man turned him around. Standing right against his back, the man placed his hand on Woojeong’s shoulder and leaned slightly.

“You mean you took the medicine there and fell asleep in that corner.”

Because the man stood too close, if Woojeong moved even slightly, his back would touch his body. Woojeong straightened his spine awkwardly and nodded. The man’s voice that came from beside his face and the weight of the hand on his shoulder only weighed him down more.

“You could have taken water from the refrigerator. It must have been that urgent?”

“…….”

“What are your usual symptoms during heat cycle? Omegas are different from alphas, right? Do you get high fever, or do you collapse if you don’t satisfy your urges immediately?”

Woojeong blushed without lifting his head. The slow, deliberate tone seemed meant to provoke him and test his reaction.

Even if all of this had started because of his mistake, such questions felt rude.

“I thought of the word heat cycle. If we talk like this, maybe you will be lucky and remember. You said you weren’t drunk that day? But you claim you remember nothing, and honestly, that is hard to believe.”

“……I am sorry. If I were in your place, I would have had the same suspicion. I will find the answer no matter what.”

Because his words were not wrong, Woojeong bowed his head and answered like he was reflecting. At that, the man’s hand slid away from Woojeong’s shoulder. While Woojeong stepped aside, the man leisurely put his hand into his pocket. Then he pulled something out and held it before Woojeong.

“Is this medicine yours?”

On the man’s palm was a familiar white pill bottle. It was what Woojeong had lost that day in this place.

“……Yes. I think it is mine.”

When Woojeong tried to take it, the man pulled back the hand holding the bottle. Then he looked down at it and spoke as if he found it strange.

“Why did you take this medicine? The dosage is low, so it could not have been effective.”

The man asked indifferently and grabbed Woojeong’s wrist. Woojeong tried to pull away in surprise, but the man slowly pushed the bottle into his hand. Covering Woojeong’s hand with his large one, he warned.

“That is why such things happen. Change your medicine. Throw away what is useless.”

After letting go, the man ruffled his wet hair and turned away. He sat in the middle of the living room sofa, pressed his hand to his chest, and picked up his phone.

“That is enough for today, you should take him back. I am a little tired. ……Yes, come up now.”

Joo Yeongmo soon arrived. When Woojeong turned to give a farewell, Han Jaegang was already gone from the living room. He left behind nothing but his pheromone scent and the half-filled bottle in Woojeong’s hand.

•••

On a day when snow had fallen since morning and continued quietly into night, Woojeong was summoned again to Seoryeongchae.

Because the roads were blocked, he arrived later than usual, and Seoryeongchae was already covered completely in white snow. Snow piled on the branches in the garden as well as on the building, and it bloomed like snow flowers.

While Woojeong stared blankly at the sight, a car stopped at the small entrance. Joo Yeongmo approached with a large umbrella and opened the car door.

“The snow is heavy. You had trouble coming, right?”

By now, Woojeong had grown used to the path to Seoryeongchae, and Joo Yeongmo’s manner of receiving him had also grown softer. The two spoke about the falling snow as they headed to the third floor.

“The Executive Director will arrive later. Since snow is falling, would you like some hot tea?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“I will bring it soon.”

Whenever he entered the man’s space, Woojeong always sat quietly at the end of the sofa. Although he had been told he could use anything in the house, he had no reason to touch other things.

But today, Woojeong passed the sofa and went straight to the window. He pulled aside the closed curtains, and the scenery outside filled his view.

The widely spaced streetlamps dimly lit the mansion’s surroundings. Snow-white trees encircled Seoryeongchae, and it felt as if he were in a deep mountain lodge. Even the slowly drifting snowflakes felt warm.

Was that why this place was named Snow Reflection? Woojeong placed his hand on the window sill and leaned his forehead against the cold glass.

Maybe because the place had become a little familiar, he felt a little more relaxed. Woojeong gazed blankly out the window and forgot the reason he had come here.

Snow fell without pause. When the snow piled higher and he began to worry about returning home, the sound of the entrance door opening reached him.

At the sight of Han Jaegang stepping in, Woojeong couldn’t hide his startled eyes. The man, who had been caught in the snow, laughed as if he knew how he looked. Holding things in both hands, he could not brush off the snow and extended one hand.

“If you are not busy, could you take this cup?”

Woojeong, frozen in surprise, hurriedly came and received the mug. The sweet scent of hot chocolate rose from the warm cup. The man shook water from his hair and clothes with his freed hand and spoke.

“That is from Secretary Joo, he told me to give it to you.”

“……Thank you.”

The man roughly swept back his damp hair and lifted the shopping bag.

“Did you have dinner?”

Before Woojeong could answer, the man carried the bag to the sofa. He set down packaged hamburgers and takeout cups on the table and stuck straws into them.

“Come here, let’s eat together.”

It was late for dinner. The man, seemingly hungry, unwrapped a hamburger and took a big bite. When Woojeong sat across from him, he set the half-eaten one aside, unwrapped another, and pushed it toward Woojeong.

“Do you dislike hamburgers?”

“No.”

“Then take it.”

The man devoured the large hamburger in only a few bites, then opened a cup lid and drank cola.

Even after finishing his simple meal, he didn’t leave. As if waiting for Woojeong to finish eating, he sat leisurely and gazed out the window.

“…….”

Perhaps Woojeong’s eating looked strained, because the man pushed his drink cup toward him. The veins stood clearly on the back of his hand as he wiped his fingers with a wet tissue.

“The snow won’t stop any time soon. ”

“……Yes. I think so.”

“If it gets later, the car may not be able to move. Why not sleep here tonight?”

Woojeong shook his head in alarm.

“No, I have to go home.”

“Why so startled? If you don’t go home, who will lie awake waiting for you?”

It was likely just a thoughtless comment on his part, but Woojeong felt as if it had struck a sore spot. There was no one who waited for him to come home. If he was not back at the set time, someone might get angry, but that wasn’t out of concern for him, only control.

“That is not it, but my parents would worry.”

“A dutiful son.”

Woojeong wrapped up the hamburger and set it down. After hearing the man’s words, the thought that he had to hurry home made the food hard to swallow.

“Your pheromone scent is unusual, Woojeong. Do you know that?”

Woojeong couldn’t answer. He didn’t know what his pheromone smelled like. The man sat upright, clasped his hands together, and continued.

“Once caught, it is a scent that is not easily forgotten.”

Kang Eonju and Lee Doyoung disliked Woojeong’s pheromone scent. They called it unpleasant and creepy, and from childhood they forced him to manage and conceal it.

Woojeong also tried to follow that advice as much as possible, but he couldn’t stop the scent that slipped out sometimes without his awareness. So he became more cautious, and he was always busy concealing and hiding.

“I am sorry. I will be careful.”

Had he let his pheromones escape without knowing? Woojeong tensed up, but the man curved his lips smoothly into a smile.

“Why do you take it like that? I meant it in a good way. Has no one ever told you that?”

“…….”

“It is a scent that suits you well, Woojeong. It is clear and refreshing, and at the end it has a strangely desolate feeling. So it makes people focus more, and it keeps making them think of it.”

The Snow Reflection Residence still felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable, but strangely, the time Woojeong spent here wasn’t only distress. As he grew accustomed to this atmosphere, he slowly started growing curious.

The man before his eyes was what stirred Woojeong’s curiosity. At first, he had thought him nothing more than a cold and harsh person, but he was courteous in his words and his demeanor, and at some moments it even felt like he was considerate.

That courtesy and kindness slowly broke down Woojeong’s guard. Even at words and gestures that seemed minor, Woojeong found himself unconsciously looking back at him.

“……I don’t really know.”

“You might not know. You are still young and clumsy in this matter. You never know who might approach you from now on, but don’t lower your guard.”

“…….”

“It’s human nature to covet good things.”

Woojeong stared at the man, unable to understand the meaning of those words. The man toyed with his phone for a moment, then set it down on the table.

As if he had more to say, he stared at Woojeong, then reached out his hand and stroked his hair. While the startled Woojeong held his breath, the man slowly ran through his hair and plucked something away.

“Something was stuck. Stay about thirty minutes more, then go back. Unless you plan to spend the night here with me.”

With those words, the man went into the bedroom and closed the door quietly. Woojeong looked at the shut door, as if it was meant to block pheromones, and he mulled over the man’s words again.

It’s human nature to covet good things? Did that mean his pheromones were good enough to covet? But Woojeong, who had heard nothing but that his scent was unpleasant and revolting, couldn’t believe him.

As the man said, after about thirty minutes passed, there was a knock on the door. It was time to leave before the snow bound him there.

The snow had blocked the roads, but fortunately the return home was not much later than usual. Since it was an hour when people slept, Woojeong silenced his steps and climbed the stairs. Just as he reached the second floor, Woojeong stopped with startled eyes. At the end of the hall, the light in his room was on.

“…….”

Alarmed, he hurried to the room, and he saw Lee Doyoung standing inside. At the sound of the door opening, he turned briefly, saw Woojeong, and went on rummaging through the drawer without care.

“Hyung. What are you doing?”

Workbooks, notebooks, and stationery were scattered across the desk. He reeked of alcohol. Lee Doyoung shoved away Woojeong’s arm as if it was bothersome.

Woojeong’s room had few possessions. He rarely bought anything new, and he never owned anything that might be a problem if seen by others.

Yet whatever had seized him, Lee Doyoung yanked open every drawer and searched inside. When he acted so recklessly, trying to stop him was useless.

Woojeong, who stood blankly with his hands down, suddenly gasped in realization. He remembered the money hidden deep inside the drawer, the money he had received from Joo Yeongmo.

“Hyung, why are you doing that, huh?”

Though he had accepted it, he hadn’t decided what to do with that money. He thought he might have to return it, so he had left the amount untouched, and it wasn’t small. Fearing it might be discovered, Woojeong grabbed Lee Doyoung’s arm.

Even drunk, he rifled through the last drawer, and in the end, he found the envelope.

“……Hyung.”

“Hey. What is this?”

Lee Doyoung checked inside the envelope and asked. After checking the contents he shoved his hand in without hesitation and pulled out the cash. Holding several fifty-thousand-won bills by the fingertips, he flapped them loudly.

“What is this?”

“Just… I saved the money from working at the convenience store.”

“Convenience store wages?”

“……”

“How much could you possibly earn from that kind of job, yet you saved this much?”

Was he asking because he already knew that Woojeong quit the store? Woojeong grew restless and couldn’t answer right away. At least it was fortunate that he had divided the envelopes and hidden them in other places as well.

He had found something to pick at, Lee Doyoung stopped rummaging through the desk. He roughly counted the bills in his hand and then twisted his lips upward.

“You aren’t doing something shady, right?”

“What shady thing would I do…?”

“I heard there are jobs that use pheromones, with Alphas as clients.”

Lee Doyoung often nitpicked Woojeong’s pheromones and treated him with contempt. Even though he knew full well that Woojeong couldn’t change or erase his own natural scent, he often cornered him as if he was doing something wrong.

“Don’t stare at me pretending to be that innocent. Kids like you, it is obvious what they get up to behind everyone’s back.”

“Hyung…”

“Well. Your mother was that type too. I heard it was her fault that the marriage broke down. You heard the rumor, that during her heat she didn’t care who it was?”

“Stop it, don’t talk recklessly.”

Unable to endure any longer, Woojeong stopped him. Lee Doyoung never missed a chance to mention Woojeong’s mother in front of him.

Lee Doyoung knew nothing about Woojeong’s mother. He only knew from an early age that if he insulted Woojeong’s mother, he would suffer.

“What is reckless about it?”

Lee Doyoung chuckled and stepped closer to Woojeong. His threatening advance made Woojeong back away until he collapsed onto the bed.

“Woojeong. Has life been easy for you lately? You act so cheeky toward me like this.”

There was a big difference in their size when they were children because of the age gap, but now it was different. Even before reaching adulthood Woojeong had caught up in height, and now he was even a little taller. But the long-trained fear made him shrink back in an instant and unable to resist.

Lee Doyoung, who had been laughing as if it was all fun, suddenly frowned. Confronting his alcohol-soaked and savage-looking face, Woojeong’s eyes wavered with anxiety.