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Ra-on let out a deep sigh.
It had already been three hours since the practical exam began.
Finally finding a moment to rest, Ra-on sat down on a chair with a weary expression.
“Huu…”
The sky was still dim. It seemed the heavy rain from earlier that morning hadn’t been enough—dark clouds continued to loom overhead. Muttering to herself that it might finally snow this time, Ra-on pulled out her phone during the brief break.
While she was at the school assisting with the practical exam, Hye-sung had gone to the hospital for his pheromone test.
Three hours had passed, so even if the appointment had run late, he should be done by now. Since he hadn’t contacted her yet, it seemed he hadn’t returned home.
Assuming as much, Ra-on pressed the speed dial for his number.
But just then—
“Excuse me!”
Turning her head, Ra-on saw a student who had spotted her staff badge around her neck. The student looked delighted as they approached her.
“Yes, what is it?”
Putting her phone away reluctantly, Ra-on asked. The student hesitated before asking for help.
After being occupied with various tasks like this, another hour had slipped by unnoticed. Just one more hour of effort, and her role as an assistant would finally come to an end.
“Senior, you’ve worked hard!”
“…I still have one more hour left. Does this mean I can leave now?”
“Ahh, no, not at all.”
The department head, who had requested her help, shook their head vigorously while smiling sheepishly at Ra-on’s teasing remark.
“Just bear with it a little longer, please.”
“But—”
Ra-on glanced around as she voiced the question that had been on her mind since the start.
“Why does it seem like I’m the only fourth-year student here?”
“Uh…”
“…Am I really the only one?”
At the awkward reaction, Ra-on stared at the department head skeptically. The latter blinked repeatedly.
“No, no! All the other seniors outright refused, but you were the only one who readily agreed—”
“I don’t remember agreeing willingly. You called me two or three times a day—”
“Aiggh, never mind that! Anyway, we’re having a beef dinner tonight! Professor Park Eun-tak gave us his card!”
“…”
Ra-on’s eyes fell on the card in the department head’s hand.
Waving it enticingly, the department head coaxed her.
“You’ll come, right?”
“…I’ll think about it.”
Slightly swayed by the mention of beef, Ra-on nodded, leaving room for consideration.
“Alright, I’ll let the others know that you’re coming to the after-party too, Senior!”
“Sure.”
Just then, someone called out for the department head.
Realizing their brief break was over, the department head turned around with a gloomy expression. Their voice, now devoid of the energy they’d shown while talking about beef, sounded drained as they waved, still clutching the card firmly.
“See you in a bit, Senior.”
“You’ve worked hard.”
As Ra-on stared at the retreating figure of the department head, she leaned her waist back to stretch—when suddenly:
“…?!”
The face that came into view as she tilted her head back made Ra-on’s eyes widen in shock. She swayed unsteadily as she tried to straighten herself.
“Careful…!”
Startled by her reaction, Hye-sung quickly reached out and grabbed her shoulders, barely managing to steady her before she fell. He let out a relieved laugh.
“That was close.”
“…Hey, you.”
“Sorry, Ra-on. I didn’t think you’d react so strongly.”
Glaring at Hye-sung’s sheepish grin, Ra-on straightened herself and rubbed her shoulder as she asked:
“When did you get here?”
“Hmm.”
Hye-sung’s gaze shifted behind Ra-on.
“When that person over there was tempting you with beef?”
Turning to look where he was pointing, Ra-on spotted the department head just entering the auditorium.
Unlike Ra-on, who had become well-acquainted with people from the business school thanks to Ji-an and Hye-sung, Hye-sung wasn’t particularly close with anyone from the painting department. As for Ji-an, her naturally outgoing personality meant she was practically friends with everyone, so that went without saying.
Leading Hye-sung into the makeshift waiting room being used as a lounge, Ra-on asked:
“How was the hospital? Did everything go okay?”
“Yeah.”
“And your pheromones on the way there? Were they manageable?”
“They gave me an inhibitor at the hospital beforehand, so I took it before leaving. No need to worry.”
“And on the way back? Did any troublemakers approach you?”
At Ra-on’s rapid-fire questions, Hye-sung burst into laughter. Gently pressing his fingers against her furrowed brow, he reassured her:
“I was with Ji-an the whole time—on the way to the hospital and even coming back here.”
“Ji-an?”
“Yeah.”
“But you said you wouldn’t go with Ji-an.”
Indeed, during their call last night, Hye-sung had declined her suggestion to go with Ji-an, citing his fear of accidentally losing control of his pheromones due to his inexperience.
But he went with Ji-an anyway?
Rubbing his cheek awkwardly, Hye-sung explained:
“She was waiting for me in front of my house this morning.”
“…Ji-an did that?”
“Yeah.”
So that was why Ji-an had been unusually active early in the morning. If she was planning to go, she could’ve at least given some warning.
As Ra-on frowned, thinking about how Ji-an hadn’t mentioned anything, Hye-sung added:
“Ji-an told me to tell you before you left. Didn’t you hear her?”
“Before I left? Oh.”
Now that he mentioned it, Ra-on vaguely remembered Ji-an shouting something from behind as she hurriedly opened the door, almost running late. But the cold wind had whipped against her ears, and the door slammed shut with a loud bang, drowning out whatever Ji-an had said.
There hadn’t been enough time to reopen the door and ask what she’d said.
So she had assumed that if it was urgent, Ji-an would have contacted her later, but it seemed the words muffled by the door slamming were about Ji-an going to the hospital with Hye-sung.
As Ra-on pieced this together, she suddenly glanced outside the makeshift waiting room.
“Then where’s Ji-an? Didn’t you say she came with you?”
“Ah, well…”
Hye-sung lowered his gaze awkwardly and gently scratched the back of his neck as he replied:
“It seems Ji-an’s mother found out.”
“About what? The study abroad plans?”
“Yeah.”
Ra-on shook her head with a resigned expression, as if to say this was bound to happen.
“I told her to mention it beforehand instead of stubbornly keeping it quiet for no reason.”
“Do you think it’ll be okay?”
“Hmm… I guess I’ll have to call my father later and ask him. That’s the only way I’ll know for sure.”
No matter how kind her aunt usually was, this situation wouldn’t pass by so smoothly. After all, it wasn’t just any ordinary matter—it was about Ji-an going abroad to open an art studio, something completely unrelated to her future. Her aunt would likely be furious.
[You probably don’t realize this, but managing an art studio is a form of business too?]
Thinking back to Ji-an’s carefree laughter as she said those words, Ra-on let out a deep sigh. Pushing thoughts of Ji-an aside for now, she asked:
“What did the hospital say?”
Hye-sung, who had also been worrying about Ji-an being summoned back home, shrugged.
“They said I’m fine. My pheromone glands seem more stable than expected.”
“That’s good news. What about the rest?”
“They still don’t know about my heat cycle yet, but they said it’d likely be irregular since I’m recessive.”
For a typical Omega, the heat cycle—also known as “heat”—arrives at regular intervals. If it was irregular, it could strike suddenly, even in the middle of a normal day while walking down the street.
Seeing Ra-on’s worried expression, Hye-sung quickly added:
“But since I’m recessive, the concentration of pheromones released during heat will be weaker. As long as I take my medication on time, there shouldn’t be any major danger.”
“Medication?”
“Yeah. It’s a pheromone suppressant, and it seems to help regulate cycles too.”
“Do you have to take it every day?”
“Hmm…”
Hye-sung nodded slightly in response.
Ra-on eyed him with disapproval and removed the staff badge hanging around her neck.
“Ra-on?”
“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”
“Huh? No, I just came by to see your face before heading off. You should stay here and join the after-party. Aren’t you going to eat beef?”
Ra-on snorted softly.
Though he said that, Hye-sung had likely come to invite her to dinner.
There was still about an hour left before everything wrapped up, but she had already done more than enough for the day.
Patting Hye-sung’s shoulder, Ra-on said:
“My friend is more important than beef. Wait here. I’ll drop this off and come back, then we can go eat.”
Watching Ra-on briskly turn to return her staff badge, Hye-sung lowered his hastily extended hand in bewilderment. There hadn’t even been time for him to protest—it all happened in an instant.
After spotting the department head, who had earlier tempted Ra-on with beef, nodding regretfully in acceptance, Hye-sung rubbed his cheek, suddenly wondering if he had made a mistake by coming here.
“Let’s go.”
“Ra-on, I told you I’m fine going home alone.”
“I’m not fine with that.”
Grabbing Hye-sung’s hesitating hand without warning, Ra-on pulled him along.
“Lately, it hasn’t been very safe around the school.”
Loan sharks who smiled while beating people up, or Alphas who didn’t care whether their victims were Omegas or Betas when drunk—these thoughts lingered in her mind.
“Huh?”
…Isn’t that why you’re the dangerous one? A small, incredulous voice trailed behind him.
Turning back with a look of confusion, Hye-sung laughed helplessly.
“Even though I’ve manifested as an Omega, I’m still 180 centimeters tall, Ra-on.”
“So what?”
“That means if anyone needs protecting, I’m supposed to protect you.”
At those words, Ra-on paused mid-step as she was about to lift the tent flap and turned back to look at him.
His soft smile, framed by a face prettier than most girls’, greeted her.
…So what if he’s 180? He’s still pathetically weak.
Thinking back to how Hye-sung had always been prone to illness as a child, Ra-on shook her head. With feigned reluctance, she retorted:
“Sure, whatever. You protecting me is a future concern. For now, let’s just go.”
Sighing with a wry smile, unable to resist Ra-on’s stubbornness, Hye-sung followed her out of the makeshift tent. In the brief time they’d been inside, the dim sky had begun sprinkling snowflakes.
“It’s snowing.”
Hye-sung spoke with newfound wonder, extending his free hand—the one not holding Ra-on’s.
Only then did Ra-on realize they were still holding hands. Flustered, she glanced at Hye-sung, but the moment passed quickly. Seeing his calm, thoughtless expression, she dropped his hand and looked away.
What had she been expecting? Ra-on chuckled bitterly and reached out her hand like Hye-sung had.
The sleet melted instantly upon touching her palm. Rubbing it absently, she glanced at him—he was still gazing up at the sky as if marveling at something extraordinary.
“You must have seen enough snow to last a lifetime while you were in Cheorwon. Do you still like it?”
Hye-sung chuckled softly, his shoulders trembling slightly.
“There, it used to pour down so heavily it was almost scary. But here, it’s falling so beautifully—it feels poetic.”
Ra-on gave him a light laugh and playfully nudged his shoulder.
“Come on. We’ll catch a cold if we stay out here.”
Just as Ra-on turned her head to lead the way, a familiar voice arrived at her ear in an all-too-familiar pattern.
“Hello.”
The loan shark, who smiled while beating people up, stood there waving his hand lightly as he alternated his gaze between Ra-on and Hye-sung.
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