Confined Pheromone

“……Sanho.”

Siwoo slightly turned his head towards Sanho, who was still leaning completely against the seat. His closed eyes opened just a bit. Sanho, who was almost stuck to the opposite car door, looked back at Siwoo with a somewhat sharp expression.

“Don’t… release your pheromones.”

Sanho bit his lip, looking a bit flustered. The faintly scattered Omega pheromones slowly permeated the air. Sanho’s lips fluttered slightly.

“I’m sorry…”

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

“It’s just… because of the smell of other Omegas.”

Huh? Siwoo asked back, slightly squinting his eyes. Ah, that’s right. There must have been a lot of other Omega pheromones from the Omega club. Siwoo could still feel the lingering scent of that Omega, who had been clinging and releasing pheromones. Siwoo spoke.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you very uncomfortable?”

“…….”

“I didn’t… think about it.”

“…….”

“If it’s too uncomfortable, we can go home….”

“No, it’s fine.”

Siwoo, who had been looking at Sanho for a moment, smiled brightly. Sanho’s expression and tone were sharp, but the content was completely different. Why? The desire to tease him again surged up.

“Do you dislike the smell of other Omegas on me?”

As Sanho stared at him, Siwoo smiled even wider, his eyes narrowing playfully.

“Do you just dislike the smell of other Omegas, or do you dislike that I smell like another Omega?”

He was a bit taken aback by his own mischievous question. However, seeing Sanho’s prickly expression made him want to tease him even more. With a smile still on his lips, Siwoo slowly closed his eyes. His words came out lazily.

“If you dislike it, I’ll be careful from now on.”

“…….”

“If you dislike it, I won’t get the smell of other Omegas on me-.”

“Why?”

Sanho’s tone was sharp again, and Siwoo opened his eyes. Sanho’s small face was directed at him. What expression was on his face… was he angry? Or perhaps…

“Why do you say you won’t get the smell of other Omegas on you? That’s just your preference.”

Siwoo slowly and deliberately opened his mouth.

“Well….”

“…….”

“Because you dislike it.”

Siwoo himself thought it wasn’t a logical answer. But it wasn’t a lie either. Ah, maybe he was more drunk than he thought. Siwoo pressed around his temples and blinked at Sanho.

“I had a wish I wanted to ask you to fulfill.”

“What now-.”

“But, I just used that wish. I told you to cancel our plans for today.”

Sanho briefly closed his mouth. Soon, he asked in a small voice.

“…So?”

“But the wish I wanted to ask you to fulfill… I really hope you’ll grant it.”

“…….”

“For that, I need to do one more thing you want.”

As if it were obvious, Siwoo spoke about an equivalent exchange, and Sanho stared at him blankly.

“I won’t meet other Omegas. Instead, you grant my wish.”

It was a somewhat forced statement. A brief silence settled between them. Perhaps it was a bit longer than expected. Feeling a buzzing sensation in his head, Siwoo lifted his eyelids. Finally, Sanho slowly opened his mouth.

“What’s the wish…?”

Ah, is he going to grant it? Siwoo’s eyes curved like a crescent moon. He slowly began to speak.

“Don’t meet Alphas, don’t go on dates, and things like that…”

Sanho’s mouth closing was faintly visible. He thought about wanting to pat Sanho’s head, but his hand felt heavy. It was as if a weight was tied to his fingertips; in fact, even if his hand wasn’t heavy, it was something he shouldn’t do. He had promised not to touch. Instead, Siwoo lightly brushed his face.

“Why…? What does that have to do with you?”

Siwoo brushed his face again. His touch was slightly rougher than before.

“Because it’s dangerous.”

“…….”

“Things like that are dangerous.”

“Then why? What does it matter to you whether I’m in danger or not?”

When will that prickly demeanor of his soften? Haven’t we gotten a bit closer now? Is he still very uncomfortable with me? Siwoo blinked at Sanho. The soft curve of his eyes, the warm brown pupils within, were hazy in Sanho’s view.

“You’re my junior. A precious junior.”

“……junior.”

“Yeah, junior.”

Siwoo closed his eyes again. He didn’t see Sanho’s distorted face as he bit his lips hard.

***

It was late. Inhye was lying on her bed, reading a book. It was a mystery novel she had been engrossed in for days, but today, it just wouldn’t catch her eye.

“…….”

Thoughts filled with distractions briefly crossed her mind, and she thought of Siwoo. Today, Siwoo looked incredibly handsome. He was dressed neatly, but like a typical student, he wore casual clothes, yet today he was in a perfectly tailored suit. He mentioned having a difficult appointment. Balancing work and school sometimes led to such situations.

If someone showed up at school in a three-piece suit, it would feel quite out of place, but not for Siwoo. Of course, he drew attention. But Siwoo had always been someone who attracted people’s gaze. What was she thinking? She wasn’t a fan of a celebrity. Inhye shook her head slightly.

“…….”

Inhye didn’t like Siwoo in a rational way. It would be a lie to say there wasn’t a shred of rational affection, but it was closer to admiring a wonderful person. Or perhaps it was a sense of kinship with someone of his kind.

Inhye had long thought that Siwoo would know she was an Omega. It wasn’t because of Siwoo’s background, but because of the aura he exuded. His meticulously crafted and graceful appearance, his tall stature, and well-groomed physique all contributed to that. Just as Inhye thoroughly hid her identity as an Omega, perhaps Siwoo was also hiding the fact that he was an Alpha.

Of course, unlike herself as an Omega, he probably didn’t want to face troublesome situations and thus avoided discussing his traits.

At that moment, Inhye’s phone suddenly vibrated. She absentmindedly glanced at the phone screen. Upon seeing the alarm that popped up, she scrunched her face.

“Ah, not again….”

It was an illegal messenger. A messenger typically used by lowly individuals engaging in shady activities. Like the dark web, it was an illegal network that gave law enforcement headaches. These messages would automatically download onto phones like a computer virus, or even more insidiously. Even if deleted, they often reappeared. And this wasn’t new for Inhye, being an Omega.

“What….”

She had no way of knowing where her personal information had been leaked. There were countless routes to consider. The illegal buying and selling of personal information was a well-known secret. Among them, Omega information fetched the highest prices. Such sold information was often used to send filthy messages like the one she received.

[Recruitment: Omega (any gender) 1,000,000 won for a date]

Who spends a million won on a date? Inhye nervously gripped her phone to delete the virus-like messenger. At that moment, her phone vibrated again.

[You’re a student at H University, right?]

Inhye frowned and checked the newly arrived message again. The account that sent this message was unfamiliar to her. It was the same account that had just sent the filthy advertisement.

She knew how detailed the information of the few Omegas was sold, but it was rare for someone to directly ask about her identity. Before discomfort, a sense of fear washed over her. I need to report this quickly…

[Don’t be scared]

While Inhye was staring at her phone, more messages arrived.

[I just want to chat]

[H University Business Administration xx class, Baek Sanho. You know him, right?]

It was a name and content she had never expected. As she looked at her phone, which was receiving messages one after another, Inhye’s expression gradually stiffened.