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The venomous curse muttered under his breath caused Hye-sung’s pupils to widen briefly before settling back into calm.
Low-level curses were nothing new to him, thanks to his experiences with loan sharks. The only reason he flinched was that the person uttering them was Do-kyung.
Until he learned of Do-kyung’s true identity, the man had always acted like a gentleman—positioning himself as Hye-sung’s savior, rescuing him from danger.
“…”
Hye-sung turned his attention to the professor who was explaining something and deliberately ignored Do-kyung. He no longer wanted to exchange words with him or get entangled in his affairs.
There was no need to ask why Do-kyung wanted to meet Raon.
As Hye-sung recalled the lingering scent of Do-kyung’s pheromones on Raon’s body, he tightened his grip on the pen in his hand.
Every weekend, when Raon claimed to be busy, it was clear she had been meeting Do-kyung. The faint but unmistakable traces of Alpha pheromones designed to stimulate an Omega’s senses left behind on her skin were proof enough.
Fortunately, the concentration of pheromones was subtle enough that only someone very close to her would notice. Even then, he was grateful that Raon didn’t have any Manifestors among her closest acquaintances.
If she did, rumors about Raon being involved with an Alpha might have spread far and wide.
‘Ha…’
Hye-sung let out a heavy sigh, lowering his gaze and clenching his lips shut.
He knew full well that interfering further in Raon’s affairs, even as her childhood friend, was overstepping boundaries.
Still… despite that awareness, he couldn’t help but wish Do-kyung and Raon wouldn’t meet again.
From where he stood, Do-kyung didn’t seem to be having any positive influence on Raon.
Recalling how Raon had appeared somewhat absentminded these past few days, Hye-sung mechanically copied the words on the board into his notebook.
Raon rarely showed much change in expression, but recently, she often seemed withdrawn and quiet.
At first, he worried that she might be struggling with the shock of becoming an Omega, but it quickly became clear that wasn’t the case.
True to what Professor Yang had said, Raon was largely insensitive to pheromones, whether from Alphas or Omegas. Occasionally, though, she did sense them, and those moments seemed to make her acutely aware of her own manifestation as an Omega.
Thus, the confusion Raon exhibited over the past few days couldn’t be attributed solely to the sudden physiological change.
Which left one remaining cause…
“…”
Hye-sung glanced sidelong at Do-kyung before quickly averting his eyes. Or rather, he tried to look away but hesitated, turning back again.
Do-kyung clearly had no intention of paying attention to the lecture. On his otherwise empty desk lay a single phone, which he stared at with a faint smile. The screen displayed a childhood photo of Raon that Hye-sung had reluctantly sent him upon request.
Back when he still believed in Do-kyung’s sincerity toward Raon, Hye-sung hadn’t hesitated to share the photo. Naively, he had trusted that Do-kyung harbored genuine feelings for her.
But now…
Hye-sung looked at the photo of Raon, illuminated by Do-kyung’s soft smile, with conflicted eyes.
[...Raon probably doesn’t want to see you.]
He had said those words half-defiantly, expecting them to hold true—but was that really the case?
Thinking of his lunch plans with Raon, Hye-sung reflexively swallowed a sigh that threatened to escape.
11:52 AM
I’ll wait for you at the café.
After sending that message to Hye-sung, Raon sat on the café terrace, resting her chin in her hand and spacing out. The sunlight pouring down was already growing intense. Summer had arrived in the blink of an eye.
As the faint, ticklish scents wafted past her nose, Raon slowly closed and reopened her eyes. They were all cheerful, pleasant scents, brimming with excitement.
It was fascinating.
How a person’s mood could be so vividly expressed through pheromones alone.
But this heightened awareness only occurred because she was paying close attention. Normally, such scents were indistinguishable from ordinary perfumes.
That made her think again.
About the nauseating pheromones emitted by Do-kyung.
And… the ones she’d sensed during the festival.
“Ha.”
Her languid, relaxed expression abruptly darkened with unease.
She couldn’t understand why she kept thinking about Do-kyung so much.
Why should she care about the man responsible for turning her into an Omega—a man who brought nothing but trouble to her life? She should hate him, resent him, not dwell on him endlessly.
“Why do I keep…”
Raon rubbed her face with both palms, mocking herself bitterly.
Ending their relationship should have left her feeling lighter, freer. So why did thoughts of Do-kyung consume her every day?
Anyone watching might think she harbored feelings for him. For a fleeting moment, she wondered if she unconsciously liked him after all.
But that couldn’t be true.
If she liked Do-kyung, she would feel tenderness toward him, just as she did for Hye-sung. Yet there was no trace of warmth or affection in her heart when she thought of him.
On the contrary, whenever Hye-sung smiled without a shadow of sadness, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness.
But when she thought of Do-kyung, it was different.
Irritation, resignation, discomfort—these negative emotions dominated her mind. There was even a growing anger toward him for altering her very nature.
And most decisively… though she was trying to let go of those feelings, she realized she still cared for Hye-sung.
So it wasn’t affection that made her think of Do-kyung.
Rather, it was the sheer weight of the presence he had occupied in her life over the past few months. As the saying went, you don’t notice how much space someone takes up until they’re gone.
“…”
Pressing her fingertips firmly against the tightening ache in her chest, Raon exhaled deeply.
Just then—
“…Raon.”
A cautious voice tapped her on the shoulder.
Startled, she turned her head to see Hye-sung standing there, wearing an awkward smile.
Lost in thought, she hadn’t realized it was already time for him to finish class.
“You’re here?”
As she asked absently, her gaze drifted behind him—and froze. Standing there, casually trailing after Hye-sung, was a man who looked painfully familiar.
Towering over six feet tall, with slicked-back hair exposing his forehead, he cut an imposing figure. His meticulously drawn eyebrows arched straight and sharp, while his nose sloped elegantly downward.
And then…
Without realizing it, Raon gasped softly, her trembling eyes unable to tear away from him.
An eerie sensation gripped her, as if she were prey cornered by a predator. She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.
His pitch-black eyes, like black holes, stole the air from her lungs.
His smirk revealed a deep dimple carved into his cheek.
In that moment, Do-kyung tilted his head slightly, his right hand tucked into his pocket. He still wore a crisp black shirt.
“Hello, junior.”
The déjà vu-inducing greeting finally broke the dam holding back Raon’s breath, and it spilled out in a rush.
“…”
Hye-sung’s pupils darted back and forth rapidly. To his left sat Do-kyung, and to his right, Raon. This situation was unbearable.
Ten minutes of suffocating silence had settled over the table.
Raon remained tight-lipped, while Do-kyung continued to grin at her. And caught between them, Hye-sung squirmed guiltily, glancing nervously between the two.
‘…Damn, getting caught with that text.’
Holding his phone tightly in both hands, Hye-sung swallowed a sigh.
He had checked Raon’s message about waiting at the café just as class ended and he was filling out the group assignment sheet handed out by the professor.
Looking around in vain for another partner, he saw everyone else happily writing down each other’s names and submitting their papers. Those seated together were already close friends—it wasn’t something he could change, no matter how much he wanted to.
Distracted, he absentmindedly stared at the blank paper until Raon’s appointment came to mind, prompting him to pull out his phone—a mistake.
Of course, Do-kyung, who had been patiently waiting for Hye-sung to write his name down, saw the message too.
[Perfect. Let’s discuss the exhibition while we eat lunch together?]
And so, here they were, locked in this awkward standoff.
‘I tried my best to shake him off…’
Glancing at Raon’s stoic face, Hye-sung regretted not being firmer in driving Do-kyung away. Even if Do-kyung’s stubborn nature meant resistance was futile, Hye-sung couldn’t help but sulk.
Finally, Do-kyung broke the silence. Still staring intently at Raon, he tilted his head playfully, cupping his hands together.
“So, are you not going to say hello?”
“…”
“Hmm? Raon.”
At the sound of Do-kyung’s overly familiar tone, Hye-sung twitched involuntarily, his shoulders tensing. His shifting pupils rolled over to check Raon’s reaction.
It was then that a short breath escaped Raon’s tightly sealed lips.
“Ha.”
Moments ago, she had been grappling with her tangled emotions over Do-kyung, but now, faced with his unexpected appearance, Raon brushed her face irritably, as if nothing was amiss.
“What do you want?”
Her blunt question carried an unmistakable edge, causing Do-kyung’s expression to flicker momentarily. But as quickly as it appeared, his smile returned.
“My business isn’t with Raon, but with this guy.”
Though his words addressed Hye-sung, Do-kyung’s eyes never left Raon. He gestured toward Hye-sung with a nod of his head.
“We’ve been paired together for the group assignment.”
Group assignment?
Raon’s puzzled gaze shifted to Hye-sung. Oblivious to Do-kyung’s displeasure, she asked innocently,
“What kind of group?”
“I started this conversation, yet you’re asking someone else, Raon?”
“…”
Hye-sung, who had been about to answer, instinctively closed his mouth at Do-kyung’s interjection. Raon, who had deliberately avoided looking at Do-kyung, now turned her exasperated gaze back to him.
Her eyes held disbelief and frustration.
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