TATMFL - 20

Startled, Ra-on instinctively took half a step back, and Do-kyung’s gaze dropped downward as if drawn to her movement. 

Rather than the pitiful sight of her trying to shield someone much larger than herself, it was her immediate aversion—despite him not having done anything yet—that made him think he should live up to her expectations and do something mischievous. 

“Hmm.” 

Do-kyung looked at Ra-on again and smiled faintly. However, his meaningful smile wasn’t directed at her but rather at Hye-sung, who stood behind her. The scent wafting from Hye-sung felt oddly familiar. 

“So, this is the owner of that pheromone, huh?” 

At Do-kyung’s muttered words, Ra-on reflexively tensed, her shoulders trembling slightly as she stepped further in front of Hye-sung. Though his voice was low, Do-kyung’s distinct, resonant tone seemed to vibrate directly against her eardrums. 

But more than that— 

‘Pheromones?’ 

Without thinking, Ra-on reached back and grabbed Hye-sung’s hand. Ironically, the warmth of his hand brought her some comfort amidst the tension. 

Peeking over her shoulder, Ra-on whispered: 

“Is your pheromone control failing right now?” 

Matching her hushed tone, Hye-sung subtly shook his head in response. His chestnut-brown eyes, staring at Do-kyung—who was significantly taller than him—were tinged with confusion. 

This was the first time he had ever seen Ra-on display such blatant defensiveness. 

“No, I even got an inhibitor shot at the hospital, so there shouldn’t be any pheromones leaking out…” 

“Really?” 

Then what was it? Wasn’t he talking about Hye-sung? 

Ra-on, who had instinctively shielded Hye-sung from Do-kyung’s presence, softened her gaze slightly as she looked at him again. But then her shoulders twitched in surprise. 

Do-kyung’s eyes were fixed on her every move, as if dissecting her actions piece by piece. His gaze was quiet and calculating, like a predator silently stalking its prey, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. 

When their eyes met, Do-kyung gave a harmless-looking smile. However, he didn’t bother to hide the way his gaze lingered on Ra-on, almost licking her with his eyes. 

Her usually languid expression had frozen with tension, and her frantic attempts to protect the man behind her were quite entertaining to watch. 

It seemed the danger she was shielding him from was none other than Do-kyung himself. 

Classified as a threat without having done anything, Do-kyung narrowed his eyes halfway in amusement. 

He had treated her fairly gently these past few days, or so he thought. Yet, it seemed she still harbored a significant amount of wariness toward him. 

Was it because of that man? 

Do-kyung’s gaze shifted to the man standing behind Ra-on, blinking in confusion. 

‘So that must be Hye-sung.’ 

At that moment, Do-kyung’s eyes caught Ra-on’s shoulders flinching as if startled by his lingering gaze. 

“…?” 

His gaze, which had been focused on Hye-sung, shifted back to Ra-on. 

A face unfamiliar in its panic met his eyes—lips pressed tightly together, eyelids trembling, mouth slightly agape, and eyes darting around uncertainly. 

Taking in the entire scene, Do-kyung’s gaze slowly drifted downward. 

And finally, his eyes landed on the large hand gripping Ra-on’s fingers as if they were a lifeline. 

‘Hmm.’

Do-kyung’s face tilted slightly, his expression darkening as he squinted faintly, looking somewhat displeased. 

But that lasted only a moment. He stared intently at Ra-on’s slightly flushed lips and licked his own, savoring the sight. Her subtly heated cheeks made her look even prettier than he had imagined, and it brought an amused smile to his face. 

Meanwhile, Ra-on, completely unaware of how Do-kyung was observing her, could only manage to swallow hard, her throat dry. An involuntary groan threatened to escape past her tightly clenched lips, pressing against her vocal cords as if seeking release. 

Though she had been the one to lightly grasp Hye-sung’s hand first, she hadn’t expected him to hold onto hers in return. Even knowing it was meant as reassurance, her heart still sank momentarily with a thud. 

A wave of nausea rolled through her chest, as if indigestion were flaring up. 

However, Ra-on quickly steadied her trembling breath, tapping Hye-sung’s hand lightly with her thumb in response. Then, gently pulling her hand away, she clenched it into a fist. Her palm was slick with cold sweat from the tension. 

Looking at Do-kyung, Ra-on asked, her voice thankfully calm and steady as usual: 

“What brings you here?” 

The place they were standing in was the auditorium next to the fine arts building. Unless he had business here, there was no reason for him to come to such an out-of-the-way spot. 

Clearly, he had come looking for her, but there was no apparent reason for Do-kyung to seek her out at this time. The agreed-upon 10 p.m. was still six hours away. 

Which meant there had to be another reason. Watching Ra-on’s gaze stiffen with tension, Do-kyung tilted his head slightly and hummed thoughtfully. 

“I was just passing by and decided to stop for a moment…” 

His narrowed eyes shifted toward Hye-sung. 

“And who’s this behind you? A friend?” 

“…Yes.” 

Ra-on answered reluctantly, then quickly added more, her tone tinged with urgency. It was clear she wasn’t thrilled about Do-kyung showing interest in Hye-sung. 

But Do-kyung was quicker. 

“Introductions?” 

Ra-on’s eyes narrowed slightly. 

“We’ve met like this, so it’s only natural to exchange names, right? Don’t you think, Ra-on?” 

Watching Do-kyung’s peculiar obsession with names and fate, Ra-on hesitated for a brief moment before a hand suddenly emerged from behind her. 

“My name is Ji Hye-sung.” 

“Hye-sung-ah.” 

“It’s just a name—what’s the harm? It’s fine, Ra-on.” 

Hye-sung gently patted Ra-on’s shoulder and looked up at Do-kyung. 

Though Hye-sung himself was no small figure at 180 cm, Do-kyung towered over him by at least half a head. His height and build left no doubt that he was an Alpha. 

Perhaps this was why Ra-on had hesitated to introduce him. Now that she was no longer a Beta but an Omega, it made sense. 

Her protective instincts, already strong to begin with, had grown even more sensitive—especially when faced with a man whose lighthearted smile masked an unsettling, chilling aura. 

But still. 

Standing slightly ahead of Ra-on, Hye-sung looked down at her. 

Even now that he had manifested as an Omega, it didn’t change the fact that he should be the one protecting her, not the other way around. 

‘Our Ra-on still sees me as the little brother she needs to protect.’ 

Hye-sung gazed at Ra-on, who was a full head shorter than him, then turned back to Do-kyung with a gentle smile. 

Do-kyung’s lips formed a round “Oh,” his eyes gleaming as he looked at Hye-sung. 

He extended his hand. 

“I’m Han Do-kyung. Nice to meet you, Hye-sung-ah.”

Hye-sung stared at Do-kyung for a moment, who had casually used informal speech despite their first meeting. However, he soon accepted it as normal and shook hands with him. Since coming to university, Hye-sung had learned that many people would speak informally upon first meeting, simply because they were older. 

Assuming Do-kyung was one of those people, Hye-sung was about to let go of his hand when— 

Do-kyung leaned past him and whispered into Ra-on’s ear: 

“I thought so back then too—your pheromones are fine.” 

“…!” 

Ra-on’s expression froze instantly, and she pulled Hye-sung’s hand, tugging him behind her as if to shield him. 

“Ra-on?” 

Ignoring Hye-sung’s confused voice, her movements were now entirely focused on protecting him from Do-kyung. 

Her gaze, brimming with intense wariness toward him, rendered all her previous efforts futile. Watching this, Do-kyung smirked. 

“I haven’t done anything.” 

“…” 

“If you react so sensitively, even someone who didn’t have any thoughts might start having them. Isn’t that human nature, Ra-on?” 

Pretending to look annoyed as he furrowed his brows, Do-kyung grinned broadly. Without forgetting to lick his lips while glancing at Hye-sung, he gave a subtle wink. 

Seeing Ra-on’s face harden further, her eyes trembling slightly, Do-kyung took a step back, thoroughly entertained. The intensity of emotion in her eyes was far more amusing than he had expected. 

Deliberately turning his attention to Hye-sung, Do-kyung said: 

“See you later, Ra-on? And Hye-sung, maybe we’ll meet again if the opportunity arises.” 

With a casual wave, he began walking away. Hye-sung watched him leave, looking somewhat bewildered. 

Turning back to Ra-on, he asked: 

“What did that guy say to you, Ra-on?” 

“…Huh?” 

At her delayed response, Hye-sung looked at her with concern and gently brushed her cheek. 

“You don’t look well.” 

Ra-on grabbed his hand, pulling it away from her cold cheek, and asked: 

“Didn’t you say your pheromones weren’t leaking?” 

There was something more important than the fact that Hye-sung was touching her. 

“Huh? Oh, right. I did say that.” 

“…Then why—” 

As if he had caught a whiff of Hye-sung’s pheromones— 

Ra-on muttered, her gaze fixed on the direction where Do-kyung had disappeared. 

Come to think of it— 

[Pheromones…?] 

Ra-on now had an inkling of what Do-kyung meant by “back then.” 

It was the day she had guided him to the business department. She had eaten lunch with Hye-sung and Ji-an, and afterward, she had sent Hye-sung home early because he wasn’t feeling well. 

And then— 

[Are you not feeling well?] 

[…Huh?] 

[Guess not.] 

Only now did Ra-on begin to understand the meaning behind Do-kyung’s cryptic words that day. 

She had heard that shortly before manifestation, some pre-awakened individuals could emit trace amounts of pheromones as a kind of precursor symptom. However, these were so minuscule that even machines could barely detect them—practically negligible amounts that no ordinary person could possibly notice.

But Do-kyung had detected it—the pheromones clinging to Ra-on’s body, not Hye-sung’s. 

That was why he had asked her if she wasn’t feeling well—perhaps suspecting that she might be on the verge of manifesting as an Omega. 

Ra-on looked up at Hye-sung, recalling the strange expression Do-kyung had worn that day when he seemed to sense the trace of pheromones. 

Hye-sung, who had been watching her with concern, broke into a gentle smile the moment their eyes met. 

[“Your pheromones are fine.”] 

Do-kyung’s whisper echoed in her ears, resonating like a persistent hum. 

At the same time— 

[“It’s way better than any Omega pheromones I’ve smelled before—enough to make your head spin.”] 

She remembered Ji-an brushing her reddened face awkwardly after making that remark. Ji-an, who rarely reacted to ordinary pheromones, had spoken so highly of Hye-sung’s scent—it was more than enough proof of how alluring his pheromones were. 

So… 

‘That man wouldn’t be any different.’ 

Ra-on furrowed her brows, vaguely piecing things together. She recalled Do-kyung licking his lips as he glanced at Hye-sung, and the thought left an unpleasant taste in her mouth.