SPW 38

Alphas, by nature, were mostly belligerent. Even Sarang himself was a fierce dominant Alpha on the pitch. The level of excitement for an Alpha who smelled the pheromones of an Omega in heat only grew higher as time went on. That excitement manifested as violence. After all, Florian wouldn’t remember what happened during his heat.

☀️

“Cut!”

A hush fell over the set at the short shout. The director, sitting in the main seat, quickly scanned the footage and shouted again.

“Okay!”

“Good work, everyone!”

“Good work!”

As if waiting for those words, greetings erupted from all over.

“You worked so hard, sir!”

“Sir, you could change careers right now!”

“Director Seo, you’re not afraid to say something that’ll get you stoned by the entire nation, are you?”

As soon as filming ended, the assistant director rushed out and bowed deeply to Sarang, followed closely by the director and the advertiser.

“You worked very hard, Mr. Kim Sarang.”

“Yes, it was a good experience, thanks to you, Mr. CEO.”

“Haha, if it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to take a picture. Would that be okay?”

“Of course.”

The director, who had been waiting for an opportunity next to the smiling Sarang, quickly jumped in.

“Then after the CEO, you have to take one with me too, right?”

“Oh, if it’s not too much trouble, me too!”

The staff members who had been waiting behind the assistant director began to slowly form a line.

“Mr. Kim Sarang, can I have your autograph too?”

“I’ve been a fan since you were a youth player!”

“I was a staff member when you filmed the toothpaste commercial, you don’t remember, do you? Hehe.”

Even with about 100 people, including the advertiser, director, assistant director, marketing team, and other staff members, lining up and waiting, Sarang responded with a gentle smile.

“Oh, should I move to the back?”

He would playfully move to the back to make the other person’s face appear larger, then come forward again.

“May I take it?”

For a staff member struggling because of their short arms, he would ask for permission and take the photo himself, holding the phone.

“Should I write your name?”

The jersey handed to him by the staff member who claimed to be a fan since his youth days actually had the number he used back then. Kim Sarang. Sarang looked down at the jersey marked with his name and the number 98, a look of delight on his face.

“Wow… I don’t even have this one.”

“Wow, really? It’s a rare item that even you don’t have!”

Sarang’s fan service, which included taking a picture with the genuinely happy staff member, took nearly an hour.

“Thank you so much for coming all this way. I’d like to treat you to a meal myself, but I have training tomorrow. This CEO here and Neil will guide you well.”

“Oh my, oh my. What are you saying! Who doesn’t know you have an important match this week? If anything, we’re just grateful you allowed a commercial shoot on a weekday!”

The CEO of the clothing brand, who said he’d become a fan during the Asian Cup two years ago, waved his hands dismissively and cheerfully sent Sarang off.

“Whoa, kiddo, you’re a real superstar, huh?”

Allen, who had been guarding the entrance throughout the shoot, approached with a swagger.

“How does it feel to live in the same house as a superstar?”

“I’m considering a career change to a paparazzo.”

“Don’t forget to give me my commission.”

“Hahaha.”

When did he get so grown up, never losing a verbal spar? Then again, since he was young, Sarang was a kid who looked easygoing but wasn’t entirely easy.

“Home?”

“Yes, I have a massage appointment.”

“The one they call the Hands of God at Rhinoceros? Was his name Bell? Did he say he wouldn’t come work for you exclusively?”

“I don’t really want him to.”

“Why? Wasn’t it thanks to him that you handled that insane schedule without a single hamstring injury?”

Sarang, who had scored the clinching goal to win the Asian Cup and, in the same year, carried a team that had been on the verge of relegation in his debut season all the way to the Champions League, was building a solid career at just 20 years old. The trade-off was that his body had no time to rest; first and foremost, the match schedule was so tight it was insane. The fact that he could barely squeeze out time for his heat season said it all.

“You’re going to burn out like that. I hear you’re barely getting through your heats with suppressants.”

“My physical condition is perfect.”

“Bullshit. That’s rich coming from a kid who lives with bruises and muscle aches.”

“That much is…”

Sarang’s rebuttal was cut off by a door slamming shut. Allen, having put Sarang in the back seat, got into the driver’s seat.

“Don’t you know your cycle will get unstable if you don’t knot during your heat?”

It was common knowledge that every trait-holder should know.

“You groan and suffer every time your heat comes, how long are you going to be this stubborn?”

Sarang, who was used to Allen’s nagging, looked out the window with a calm expression. The rapidly passing scenery of Canton City was blurred by the rain. The fickle weather of Canton City. While playing a match on the pitch, a sky that had been blazing under the hot sun could suddenly darken and it would rain, and it was common for that rain to turn into hail or snow.

When you experienced all those weather conditions in a single match, your concentration would blur and your body would feel heavy. Still, the match wasn’t over. Sarang, the players on the pitch, had to play for the entire allotted time, without missing a single second.

‘Kim. Don’t you think it’s time to use the partner service?’

During weeks with two or three matches, recovery on his own was impossible. That’s why the majority of players focused on recovery with the help of a partner.

Alphas and Omegas could heal or help each other recover with their pheromones. They couldn’t mend a broken leg, but they could ease the pain by their side, and they could cool a body that was like a ball of fire or warm one that was like ice. They were a great help in managing one’s condition by relieving fatigue, and they could even make light bruises disappear.

This was the reason why early marriage and partner services were prevalent among players. It was also the fundamental reason why people without traits couldn’t survive in the world of professional sports. Recently, Sarang’s stats (statistical indicators of ability) had been slowly declining. It wasn’t enough for the coaching staff or the club to make an issue of it, but if he played one or two more matches in this state, the media would be the first to sniff it out and pounce.

‘You know there’s a limit. After the age of 20, you can’t suppress your heat even with suppressants, Kim. Above all, you must think about your career. If you’re not going to get a spouse, then use the current system. How long do you think you can compete with players who start every match in one hundred percent condition.’

Neil had been recommending the partner service since Sarang became an adult, but he had never been as firm as this time. In fact, more than anyone, Sarang was keenly aware of the need for a partner.

‘You like soccer, don’t you.’

Could the word ‘like’ even begin to describe it? Soccer was the only thing that had always been by Sarang’s side since the day he was born. If his physical abilities declined and his stats plummeted, no one would seek him out. Sarang liked soccer, and he was grateful to the people who liked him even though all he did was just play soccer, and he liked the adrenaline on the pitch, the sense of accomplishment after a victory. Soccer was, you could say, everything Sarang had.

‘I will arrange a meeting this weekend. The person is very experienced, so they will be a great help.’

Sarang reluctantly agreed to the partner service. No, it wasn’t reluctantly. It was out of need. He agreed to the partner service because it was absolutely necessary.

“Why did Bailey come by the day before yesterday? What did he say to turn your stomach upside down? Well, that guy has always been exceptionally talented at that.”

“How did you know Bailey visited?”

“The soundproofing in the mansion you live in sucks.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. Our bodies are already mortgaged to Wellington. They probably stamped the papers when you were still crawling around drooling.”

Allen, who said things like confidentiality were a pointless worry, turned the steering wheel. Allen’s driving style tended to change with his mood, and it seemed to be pretty decent today.

“Our young master must be seriously pissed off.”

Sarang clasped his hands tightly, tuning out the sound of Allen, whose hobby and daily routine was to mutter to himself.

‘Kim. Please be the boss’s heat partner.’

That night, Bailey had his usual business-like expression, but his attitude was desperate, and his eyes were full of worry. Sarang could tell how much Bailey cared for Florian, his boss.

‘Does Lahn know?’

‘No, Kim. The boss doesn’t even know that I visited here.’

It was the answer he had expected. Because Florian would never allow it.

‘I’m truly sorry to say this, but.’

Bailey did not hesitate to play the villain for Florian’s sake. Sarang was grateful for and fond of that Bailey. Though Bailey probably didn’t think much of him. That’s why, in order to come here, he must have gone through a conflict that Sarang couldn’t even imagine.

‘If you accept, Kim, I would like to proceed without the boss’s knowledge.’