Eat Me Up If You Can

Dominic stared at the man with an expressionless face. Unlike him, the smiling man spoke in a gentle tone.

“I didn’t expect to run into you in a place like this at this hour. What brings you—ah.”
Juliet, only now noticing the gauze covering one side of Dominic’s forehead, looked momentarily flustered. But it was too late to pretend he hadn’t seen it and walk away. After a brief hesitation, Juliet resumed his smile as if nothing had happened.
“Are you heading home? If you were waiting for a taxi, would you like a ride instead?”

Dominic continued to stare silently. Normally, people in this situation couldn’t resist asking the usual questions—what happened, how bad was it—but this man chose not to. He didn’t ruin the fragile rapport they had by showing unnecessary curiosity. So it seemed his head wasn’t just for decoration.
“Believe it or not, I’m a flawless driver. Never had an accident. Safer and quicker than a taxi.”
He added confidently, like he was trying to win trust. It wasn’t a bad offer. Easier and faster to use the man in front of him than to call the Secretary and wait. Dominic slowly slid his phone back into his jacket pocket.

“The car?”
At his quiet voice, Juliet immediately moved.
“I parked right over there. I’ll bring it around.”

Smiling, he disappeared in one direction. His slender figure swayed in the cold night air, then vanished. Dominic stood for a while, looking toward where Juliet had gone.
The road was still empty. As promised, Juliet’s driving was decent. And the car was tolerable—though it didn’t block out noise and vibration the way Dominic’s did.
“Why were you at the hospital?”

After some time, Dominic suddenly spoke. Juliet seemed startled by the break in silence, but answered casually.
“Meeting a client.”
“At this hour?”

Dominic chuckled. Juliet nodded and replied.
“Small fry like me sometimes have to chase down clients. People in accidents—emergency rooms—they’re potential leads.”
Just as Dominic had suspected. If he’d been handed such a large task, it likely meant he was forced to take on what others didn’t want.

Maybe this man was struggling, trying to get results no one expected of him.
“So, how’d it go?”
At the detached question, Juliet let out a soft laugh.
“It was a great success. I met you, didn’t I?”

He joked lightly. Dominic didn’t smile. He just looked at Juliet without expression. Juliet seemed to realize and awkwardly cleared his throat. Silence returned. The light changed, and Juliet stopped the car. There wasn’t another car in sight, but he still followed traffic laws to the letter.
“You’re the first person I’ve seen who actually follows these.”
Juliet replied to the cynical comment,

“Didn’t think you’d want to get into two car accidents in one day.”
It was meant as a joke, but Dominic didn’t appreciate it.
“How did you know?”

His quiet voice settled into the silence. Juliet seemed to register the mistake—but it was too late. He sighed, then admitted,
“There aren’t many reasons to be at a hospital at that hour… and I saw the wound. Looked fresh.”
He’d put it together quickly. Fitting for someone who came to the hospital targeting people like that. But instead of mocking him or brushing it off, Dominic made a different choice.

“You guessed right.”

He answered curtly, then fell silent. The reason he didn’t embarrass the man like usual was simple—fatigue had crept over him. Dominic closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, the car was still moving steadily. After blinking a few times, he recognized the familiar streets.

“Awake?”
Juliet’s timing was precise. Dominic glanced over. The man was still focused on the road as he asked,
“I was worried you might’ve lost consciousness. Are you okay?”

He had completely forgotten about the wound. Apparently, it was more visible than he thought. Dominic replied coolly.
“I’m fine. Just close to rut.”
Juliet glanced at him, then said,

“Sounds like your Pheromone levels have built up.”
He spoke like he knew what he was talking about, but of course, he didn’t. He didn’t even know what Pheromone meant, much less rut.
“What kind of party do you think I went to?”

Dominic asked with a sneer. Juliet hesitated, then replied, almost sheepishly,
“…A Pheromone Party?”
“You know it well.”

His tone was indifferent, but laced with clear sarcasm. Juliet looked embarrassed, and after a moment, confessed:
“I’m sorry. I don’t really know anything about that kind of thing.”
Naturally. It had nothing to do with this man.

Ever.
Suddenly, Dominic was tired of the conversation. Were they far from arriving? He checked the time on his watch. Just then, Juliet murmured something.
“That must be hard.”

Dominic paused. His hand stopped over his watch. Then, slowly, he turned to Juliet.
“…What?”
His voice was low. Not curious, not amused. But Juliet didn’t notice. Still looking ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) ahead, he continued softly.

“To have to regularly extract Pheromones like that… it must be really hard…”
He stopped speaking, as if realizing his mistake—but it was already too late. A new tension, one that hadn’t been there before, settled into the car along with the silence. Juliet looked visibly flustered, then gave up and let out a long sigh.
“I’m sorry. That was rude.”

Dominic stared at his profile in silence, weighing the simple, polite apology. Juliet kept his mouth shut, waiting for Dominic to respond first.
“You are.”
Dominic finally spoke. He asked quietly, just as Juliet was straining to hear him.

“You’re a Gamma, aren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
Juliet answered, glancing over as if trying to read his expression. Dominic already knew the answer—he was only confirming it aloud. Unexpectedly, he let out a short laugh. Juliet blinked, surprised by the reaction, and Dominic looked at him and said:

“You can’t even imagine how someone like me lives.”
A life where you could have anything was the same as having nothing. When you could achieve everything, there was no desperation. Just a monotonous, joyless existence.

“I don’t know.”

Dominic, staring out the window, heard Juliet’s reply.
“You can’t even imagine how someone like me lives, can you?”
Dominic frowned and turned to look at his profile. Juliet was still smiling—even knowing that gaze was filled with cold disbelief.

“Mr. Miller, aren’t you curious about a new experience?”
“If you mean experiencing your pathetic life, then no.”
Dominic rejected the suggestion without hesitation.

“Not in the slightest.”
“Oh, what a shame.”
What was a shame? For some reason, it felt like those words held more than one meaning—but Juliet didn’t elaborate. He stayed quiet the rest of the ride, all the way to the condo.

As they pulled up to the entrance and Juliet began to slow the car, Dominic suddenly asked,
“Isn’t a Gamma more vulnerable to Pheromone exposure?”
Of course, only under extreme exposure. But he deliberately left that out.

“Yes. That’s why I was about to leave.”
Juliet smiled as he turned to him, clearly intending it as a polite goodbye.
Dominic smiled too, but it wasn’t genuine.

“No.”
Juliet blinked, confused by the calm voice. Dominic repeated himself to the man who looked like he was about to ask what he meant.
“Don’t go.”

Juliet looked startled and began to say something, but Dominic cut him off.
“Didn’t you say you’d do anything?”
Quick as expected. Dominic was almost amused. Juliet didn’t answer—just hesitated—until Dominic wordlessly gestured and led him toward the residents-only parking garage.

As soon as they stepped into the foyer, the lights flicked on brightly. Dominic walked through the living room without turning back. Behind him, the sound of hesitant footsteps followed.
“Um.”
Juliet finally spoke as Dominic climbed the stairs without a glance behind him. Only then did Dominic stop. From below, Juliet tilted his head back and asked,

“What am I supposed to do now?”
The reply came without pause.
“Wait.”

As if giving a command to a dog. Then Dominic continued up the stairs.
He didn’t reappear until late the next morning.
Whether it was thanks to a long and extravagant night or something else, his mind felt clouded even after waking. Dominic let out a soft groan and sat up. The memories of the night before came easily enough.

He glanced at the clock, then threw a robe over his bare body and headed downstairs.
Crossing the hallway, he sensed no movement. No presence.
Did he leave?

Dominic scoffed to himself. Of course he did. He thought, so much for doing anything. Barefoot, he walked to the bar, opened the cabinet, and took out a familiar glass. He poured himself a drink and raised it to his lips—
“You’re drinking this early?”
He froze mid-motion.

Uncharacteristically startled, he frowned and turned toward the voice.
There, a few steps away, stood the man he thought had already vanished. As always, wearing a polite smile.