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The next day, Raon sighed deeply as she pressed her weary, sleep-deprived eyes. Dark circles were evident beneath them.
Thanks to winning the bet with the Sculpture Department, her assignments had been replaced by her graduation project, which meant her workload was lighter. Yet, for some reason, she felt more restless and unable to sleep than when she was buried under piles of tasks.
The cause of her insomnia was clear. There was no need to think about anything else.
“Hey, we’re going out for coffee. Want to join?”
A tap on her shoulder accompanied the question. Raon shook the venti-sized cup she had set aside earlier. Lost in thought, the condensation-soaked cup still held more than half its coffee.
Her gesture alone served as an answer. The classmates who had invited her waved goodbye after saying they’d be back soon, leaving the studio. Watching them leave, Raon slumped forward, burying her face in her hands.
“I’m so tired…”
Her vision blurred from accumulated fatigue.
Should she take a nap?
If she lay down now, she might get some decent rest. And since her classmates would likely make noise when they returned from the café, she wouldn’t even need to set an alarm—she’d wake up naturally then.
Staggering slightly, Raon made her way to the makeshift cot tucked away in the corner of the studio. Wrapping herself in an unfamiliar blanket, she blinked slowly, feeling her vision waver as drowsiness washed over her.
Just as she began to drift off into a light doze, a faint sound reached her ears—thud, thud —like footsteps.
The buzz of voices woke Raon, who rubbed her still-drowsy eyes groggily.
She must have fallen into a deeper sleep than expected. Her classmates, who had gone to the café, were already back at work.
“Oh, you’re awake?”
One classmate peeked over their easel, standing near the cot.
“How long have you been back?”
“For about thirty minutes.”
“Ah.”
That meant she had slept for around forty or fifty minutes.
Waking up in the warm spring air left her body feeling heavy and lethargic. As she yawned repeatedly, her friend burst into laughter before suddenly exclaiming,
“Oh! By the way, someone came looking for you while you were asleep.”
“Huh?”
Someone?
Raon tilted her head quizzically as she sipped her coffee to shake off the remnants of sleep.
“You know, that handsome guy who visited last time.”
“What?”
Instantly wide awake, Raon’s hand slipped, nearly dropping the cup.
“Careful!”
At her friend’s alarmed shout, Raon barely caught the cup just in time, letting out a shaky breath. She had almost spilled coffee onto a painting nearing completion. Her heart raced wildly at the narrow escape.
“Wow, wow… My heart can’t take this…”
Her startled friend clutched their chest, but Raon ignored their words and asked,
“Wait, who came?”
The answer came from another classmate who had gradually wandered closer amidst the chatter.
“The extreme Alpha from the Business Department!”
“I never imagined I’d see such a famous face up close.”
“But didn’t we see him before?”
“That was before we knew he was an extreme Alpha.”
“Oh. So that guy was Han Do-kyung from Business?”
The classmate who first mentioned Do-kyung seemed to realize his identity only now. Raon reflexively glanced toward the studio door.
Unaware of her stunned expression, the floodgates of conversation opened wider among her classmates.
Then—
“Come to think of it, he came before too.”
“Ah, during the festival?”
“He came looking for Raon, but she wasn’t there.”
“Yeah, I forgot to tell you because things got hectic.”
“…Festival?”
Raon interjected hesitantly, struggling to keep up with the flurry of dialogue.
“Yeah. Not long after you left with your friend, he came looking for you.”
“At first, I thought he came all the way to our department to find Hye-sung.”
“Is that rumor true? Is Han Do-kyung really dating Hye-sung?”
“If not, why would pictures of them together be circulating on social media?”
The murmurs turned toward Raon.
“Why don’t we ask Raon instead of speculating among ourselves?”
“Right. We’ve been gossiping like crazy when the answer is right here.”
“So… Is it true?”
“…What are you talking about?”
Raon narrowed her eyes uneasily at the sudden barrage of attention. Then, amidst the chatter, an odd question reached her ears.
“Is it true that Han Do-kyung from Business is dating your friend Hye-sung?”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Her sharp denial and furrowed brow provided enough of an answer. Disappointed, her classmates turned away.
“Well, it makes sense. An extreme Alpha wouldn’t date a Beta. I almost believed those social media rumors.”
“Social media always exaggerates everything anyway.”
As her classmates prattled on, assuming Hye-sung was a Beta, Raon lowered her gaze.
It was impossible for an extreme Alpha to date a Beta.
Which explained why Do-kyung’s repeated visits hadn’t raised suspicions. Before her manifestation, she had been considered a Beta—someone unworthy of being seen as a romantic interest to an Alpha.
Though she knew this well, her chest inexplicably tightened with a strange ache.
Forcing herself to ignore it, Raon asked,
“What was that earlier? What did you mean, Han Do-kyung came by?”
The classmate who first mentioned it replied casually.
“When we got back from the café, he was leaving the studio. He said he had business with you but saw you sleeping and decided to leave.”
“…”
At that moment, Raon realized the footsteps she had heard before drifting off hadn’t been her imagination.
He came looking for me? Han Do-kyung?
After what happened yesterday?
Raon’s mouth hung open, momentarily speechless. When she finally spoke, her voice sounded strained.
“And… what’s this about the festival?”
“Oh, that.”
Another classmate jumped in.
“It’s exactly what it sounds like—he came looking for you. But when he heard you went out with Hye-sung, he froze up.”
“It was kind of scary.”
“That must have been the pheromones of an extreme Alpha~”
“How can you talk about extreme Alpha pheromones when you don’t even know what pheromones are?”
“We’re just saying…”
No matter what her classmates were discussing, Raon tuned them out entirely.
‘Why did he come?’
She pulled out her phone and lit up the screen.
Han Do-kyung
Let’s eat.
11:52 AM
Do-kyung’s last message remained unanswered since she ignored it yesterday. There were no new texts or calls.
[Your pheromones are unbearable, and so are you.]
After hearing that, what could possibly bring him back?
“…”
Her reflection on the darkened screen felt unfamiliar. Her expression defied explanation or definition.
“Ha.”
Closing the phone and brushing it out of sight, Raon rubbed her face. Absentmindedly, she pinched and released the tip of her nose, recalling the nauseating scent of Do-kyung’s pheromones from the festival.
Han Do-kyung’s pheromones.
For a fleeting moment, the stench that made her stomach churn.
…Ironically, it was that very scent that allowed her to recognize him amidst countless others.
Tuning out her classmates’ noisy chatter, Raon turned her gaze to the window. The verdant hues outside scattered summer’s coolness across her vision.
“Huh?”
A few days later, Raon turned at a surprised exclamation, only to freeze upon seeing a towering figure among her classmates returning from the convenience store. He stood at least half a head taller than the tallest person in their group.
Curious gazes locked onto his radiant smile, seemingly waiting for eye contact.
‘This guy’s insane.’
To make matters worse, his massive frame—easily over six feet—waved enthusiastically with both arms raised high. Raon slapped a hand over her face in exasperation before abruptly standing up.
“Follow me.”
“Okay.”
Grabbing his arm, she tugged him along, and his delighted grin resembled an excited puppy eager for a walk.
The suspicious stares boring into her back from her classmates were unmistakable.
Raon led Do-kyung to the stairwell leading to the rooftop—a secluded spot where the door was usually locked and rarely visited. The air carried a chill as they arrived.
Without hesitation, Raon released his arm and ran her fingers through her hair.
“What exactly are you doing here?”
Repeating the same question she had asked recently, Raon watched as Do-kyung twitched his nose thoughtfully. He tapped his nostrils with his fingertips before replying.
“Are you mad?”
“Mad… Ha!”
Her incredulous look prompted Do-kyung to lean down slightly, gauging her reaction.
Closing the distance between them, he flashed a dazzling dimpled smile.
“If I must give an excuse for coming here—I wanted to check on the progress of my painting.”
“Painting?”
“Yes. My painting.”
His matter-of-fact tone left Raon baffled.
“Where exactly is your painting in this building?”
“It’s here.”
With both hands in his pockets, Do-kyung tilted his head innocently, blinking as if nothing were amiss.
“Am I being painted well, Raon?”
At that moment, an image flashed in Raon’s mind—the large, unfinished canvas abandoned in the corner of the studio. It had nagged at her like a splinter under her nails every time she passed it.
Struggling to mask her surprise, she snapped sharply,
“Why would I paint you?”
“Oh. So you haven’t been painting me?”
The cheerful dimples vanished, replaced by a sorrowful droop of his eyebrows. A melancholy aura enveloped Do-kyung instantly.
Even in his sadness, his striking features radiated admiration, leaving Raon’s pupils trembling. Somehow, she felt like a criminal—an obvious culprit anyone passing by would point fingers at.
Shifting gears, Raon redirected the conversation.
“It’s unpleasant when you show up unannounced like this. So,”
“Then should I call next time?”
“Stop showing up like this… What?”
Interrupted mid-sentence by his excited tone and glowing face, Raon stared at Do-kyung uncertainly, wondering if she had misheard.
So now he claims he showed up unannounced because she told him not to contact her?
…Since when does he listen so well?!
Too absurd to be angry, Raon let out a bitter laugh instead.
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