TATMFL - 86

In the car heading home, Ra-on let out a sigh as she pressed her hands to her head.

“Are you really coming with me?”

“You said to come, so I’m coming. Plus, you threatened to tell Father if I didn’t.”

Despite his words, Do-kyung’s expression was far from threatening—he was smiling brightly.

The sullen look he had worn after asking about their relationship had completely vanished.

Ra-on sighed again and gazed out the window. The scenery rushing by outside was clear and sunny, without a single cloud in sight.

[Well...]

That was Ra-on’s answer to Do-kyung’s question.

Resting her elbow on the window frame and covering her mouth with her palm, Ra-on quietly stared at Do-kyung’s profile reflected in the glass.

She liked him.

Though she wasn’t sure exactly when it had started, she wasn’t so oblivious as to not realize her feelings for him.

Compared to how she had felt about Hye-sung, this emotion was surprisingly intense and passionate—it had just taken her longer to recognize it.

But liking someone and pursuing a relationship were two different things.

Sure, her pheromones might appeal to him now, but what if someday an omega better than her came along?

‘What then?’

Ra-on bit her lower lip and looked down.

When that day came, would she be able to let him go without regrets?

...Right now, it seemed possible.

Realizing her feelings for him and accepting that she liked him didn’t mean she was ready to stake everything on those emotions.

But still... if these feelings grew deeper over time, what then?

At that moment, the image of her father falling apart after losing her mother flashed through her mind—an unavoidable thought.

“...”

Ra-on smirked bitterly, newly aware of just how cynical she truly was about love.

And then—

Screech!

The sudden emergency stop startled Ra-on, who turned to Do-kyung with wide eyes.

Do-kyung, who had been smiling pleasantly just moments ago, was now frowning at her.

“...What’s wrong?”

“That’s what I want to ask you.”

“Huh?”

Do-kyung clicked his tongue and reached out.

Tucking her disheveled hair behind her ear, he studied her closely.

Ra-on’s pheromones were fluctuating anxiously. Sensing fear mixed into her scent, he had no choice but to pull over to the shoulder quickly.

“Should I not go?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Her mood had dropped shortly after getting into the car, so perhaps it was because she wasn’t thrilled about him visiting her cousin.

If that was the case, he was prepared to drop her off at home and leave quietly.

“...”

Under his concerned gaze, Ra-on hesitated, opening her mouth slightly before clamping it shut.

After a long pause, Ra-on finally spoke when her phone buzzed with a new message notification.

It was Ji-an pestering her about when she’d arrive.

The brightness of the screen faded as Ra-on stared at her own reflection for a moment. She sighed and turned her gaze back to the window.

“Let’s go for now. It’s not that I’m uncomfortable going with you.”

________________________________________

“Yoo Ra-on!”

The moment the front door opened, Ji-an lunged toward Ra-on, only to have her hand swatted away by Do-kyung.

The reflexive motion carried enough force that Ji-an stumbled backward with a sharp gasp.

“What... what’s this?”

“Ji-an, are you okay?”

Hye-sung rushed to steady a shocked-looking Ji-an, whose eyes were wide with disbelief. Used to overpowering others, Ji-an was clearly flustered by being pushed back.

Her pupils darted between Do-kyung, who had swatted her hand away, and Ra-on, who now stood protected in his embrace.

“Eh, eh?!’” Ji-an’s eyes widened comically as she pointed accusingly.

“Han Do-kyung?!”

“I guess I’m famous. People recognize me wherever I go.”

Do-kyung chuckled and released Ra-on, who finally snapped out of the situation with a sigh.

“How many times have I told you not to pounce every time I open the door?”

“Heh.”

Normally, Ji-an would have retorted with something like, “Are you my mom?” But she was still too stunned to close her gaping mouth.

Then—

“You punk!”

“Hey, Yoo Ji-an!”

“Ji-an!”

“Whoa.”

In the blink of an eye, Ji-an grabbed Do-kyung by the collar.

Startled, Ra-on and Hye-sung scrambled to hold Ji-an back, while Do-kyung simply laughed, seemingly amused.

As an alpha himself, Do-kyung was well aware of their aggressive tendencies and had fully anticipated this kind of reaction.

Shielding Ra-on behind him to protect her from the flood of alpha pheromones, Do-kyung lazily waved his hand dismissively.

Though his gesture did nothing to dispel the pheromones, it was deliberately meant to assert dominance in this territorial clash. He was essentially saying, “You’re laughable—there’s no need for me to even release my pheromones.”

True enough, Ji-an’s face flushed red as Hye-sung pulled her away.

Still seething, Ji-an collapsed onto the couch, panting heavily. She ran her fingers through her hair, rubbed her face, and eventually began shaking her leg restlessly.

All the while, she glared daggers at Do-kyung, who was casually playing with Ra-on’s hair beside her.

His calm demeanor, as if her pheromones posed no threat, only fueled her frustration.

By this point, Ra-on had already half-resigned herself to the situation, pinching the bridge of her nose under Ji-an’s piercing gaze.

She had expected Ji-an to lash out at Do-kyung without hesitation, but witnessing it firsthand made her head throb.

Even Hye-sung could do little more than sigh awkwardly and offer a strained smile.

“So...”

Ji-an’s voice dripped with menace.

“This Han Do-kyung is the alpha Ra-on’s been seeing? Not Hye-sung?”

“...Why am I even part of this, Ji-an?”

Hye-sung muttered under his breath.

Furrowing her brow, Ji-an jerked her chin toward him.

“There were rumors at the start of the semester that you two were dating. So the real one was him all along?”

Ra-on swallowed hard under Ji-an’s sharp gaze, pressing her eyelids shut tightly.

While they hadn’t officially defined their relationship yet, explaining the nuances would be complicated, so she chose to remain silent.

‘...To be honest, I’m just too tired to explain.’

Her weary expression settled as she conserved her words.

She wanted to wrap up the situation quickly and rest. Her muscles, already overworked from days of strain, ached painfully, leaving her feeling stiff and sore.

Massaging her shoulders, Ra-on asked,

“So, what exactly did you want to say? There must be a reason you called us here.”

Ji-an let out a hollow laugh at Ra-on’s nonchalant tone and tilted her head sarcastically.

“Why do you think? I wanted to see the face of the guy who triggered your omega manifestation. If he turned out to be worthless, I planned to beat him to a pulp right then and there.”

Ji-an internally grumbled as she gave Do-kyung a disdainful once-over, from his polished face to his immaculate attire.

She knew exactly who Han Do-kyung was.

Her mother, who worked in the fashion industry, never missed sending birthday and holiday gifts to influential families—including Do-kyung’s household. Ignorance wasn’t an option.

Add to that the fact that he was one of Korea’s few ultra-dominant alphas.

‘I never imagined she’d end up entangled with someone like him.’

Even when rumors of his romance with Hye-sung surfaced earlier, it was shocking—but this situation with Ra-on felt even more unbelievable.

Fixating her glare on Do-kyung, Ji-an turned to Ra-on.

“What are you planning to tell Grandfather? You do know his birthday is the day after tomorrow, right?”

At the mention of her father, Ra-on’s previously composed expression faltered for the first time.

Unlike her, who had accepted her transformation relatively calmly, her father—who had barely regained normalcy after her manifestation—might collapse under the shock again.

Finally tearing her gaze from Do-kyung, Ji-an stared at Ra-on with deadened eyes, clicking her tongue and waving her hand dismissively.

“Fine, whatever. Technically, the adults at home are betas, so if you, me, and Hye-sung keep our mouths shut, we can hide your status for now. Let’s postpone dealing with this issue.”

Surprised by Ji-an’s unexpected pragmatism, Ra-on blinked. Even Hye-sung, sitting beside Ji-an, widened his eyes in astonishment.

Annoyed, Ji-an glared at Do-kyung as she spoke.

“The damage is done. Arguing or getting angry won’t change anything. What else can I say here?”

“Huh?”

Her cheerful tone and gestures were so different from her earlier hostility that Ra-on looked utterly bewildered.

Watching her reaction, Ji-an jerked her chin.

“So. What’s the plan moving forward?”

No, wait. Ji-an whipped her head back to glare at Do-kyung.

“You answer. What are you planning to do about our Ra-on?”

“Why are you asking him?”

Interrupting, Ra-on tilted her head quizzically. Ji-an’s expression shifted to one of exasperation.

“Because he’s the root cause of all this! Who else should I ask?”

“Fair point. Our cousin knows best.”

Do-kyung, who had already been considering marriage with Ra-on, smiled contentedly and nodded.

Leaning forward slightly, he rested his chin on his hands and turned to Ra-on.

“So, what do you think?”

“Hah.”

“Hmm? Ra-on-ah.”

Given the atmosphere, vague answers like “Well...” were clearly unacceptable, prompting a nervous laugh to escape Ra-on.

Only then did she understand why Do-kyung had insisted on meeting Ji-an.

From the start, he had never agreed with her ambiguous replies.