SPW 55

Without realizing it, Florian gently took the tips of Sarang’s fingers with his other hand, his blue eyes as serene as the deep sea.

“They passed away in a car accident. Seventeen days after I was born.”

Sarang, who carefully held Florian’s hand that was gripping his fingertips, had a faint smile on his lips.

“Is that the reason for your jersey number 17, Sarang?”

“Yes. It’s also the day Colin became my dad.”

“With number 17, it probably wasn’t difficult to secure the jersey number.”

“That’s right. Since it’s not a special number, I’ve been able to wear the same number since I was young until now.”

The fingers that had only touched at the tips began to intertwine with each other.

“Was Colin in Korea as an international student?”

“Yes, he said he happened to meet my parents, who lived near the university campus, at a hamburger joint. My parents found Colin passed out like a homeless person, dead drunk, and took him home to sleep, and that connection led to them becoming friends.”

“Hmm. Your parents must have been people who had great trust in others, Sarang.”

“Haha. You mean to say they were careless, right?”

Instead of answering, Florian observed Sarang, who was laughing defenselessly in front of him.

The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, the dimples that formed on his high cheekbones, his thick hair that was in disarray from being tousled and caressed by him all night, his untroubled laughter. This very Sarang-like appearance gave a glimpse of the people who had protected and cared for him. It was clear that he had grown up receiving a lot of love from good people.

“My parents and Colin both had no choice but to leave me, but soccer wasn’t like that, Rian.”

Florian firmly held Sarang’s fingers, which were stealthily applying pressure to their intertwined hands.

“Soccer will always be by my side as long as I don’t let go.”

“Then why don’t you actively use me? Sarang.”

“You and I agreed to fulfill our duties as heat cycle partners, Rian.”

“What do you think the duties of a heat cycle partner are, Sarang.”

Sarang, lowering his dense eyelashes, thought deeply.

“To fulfill our roles and obligations during each other’s heat cycles to stabilize our pheromones and heat cycles.”

“You know well.”

A cool and moist fig scent emanated from Florian as he rubbed the back of Sarang’s tightly held hand with his thumb and released his pheromones.

“Why didn’t you mention the league schedule when we were drafting the contract?”

“I was having a hard time because of the suppressants. The suppressants weren’t working well, and the heat fever was becoming unbearable, so I was in a lot of pain. So that was enough for me. It’s enough that you spend my heat cycle with me, Rian. I’ve learned how to get through the season without pheromones. I’m good at adjusting to time differences now, and I can control the post-game fevers well.”

Sarang, choosing his words for a moment, smiled brightly.

“I don’t always need you, Rian.”

“For someone who says that, you were suffering quite severely last night, Sarang.”

“That much is…”

“A pain you always live with.”

“…Yes.”

Florian, who had been silently staring at Sarang as he nodded, tightened his grip on their intertwined hands. Sarang, who did not resist the pulling force, was drawn in, his face buried in Florian’s chest. Florian, who had already relaxed his posture and was holding Sarang in his arms, released a stronger pheromone. Sarang, without realizing it, took a deep breath. His mind, which had been so refreshed it couldn’t possibly get any clearer, became crystal clear, and his body felt much lighter.

“How is it?”

Having asked, Florian pressed the back of Sarang’s round head, making him bury himself deeper into his embrace, and asked.

“Do you really think you can do without it?”

“…”

“You’ve become such an excellent player without the pheromones that everyone else uses. How do you think it would be if you used me?”

“But…”

Sarang, who had been hesitating, gently pulled away from Florian’s embrace. Florian, who did not force Sarang to stay, looked into his black eyes.

“We can’t be together forever, Rian.”

For a moment, Florian was at a loss for words. To be more honest, he felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

“Because we’re not really married.”

Sarang was right. It was a relationship with a predetermined end.

“We agreed to maintain the marriage only until your pheromones stabilize and your cycle becomes regular, Rian.”

Florian couldn’t help but look at Sarang with new eyes. Sarang was far more rational and realistic than Florian had thought he knew.

“So I can’t get used to your pheromones, Florian.”

“…”

“I can’t help it during the heat cycle, but I can’t be like that all the time.”

Sarang, who had slightly lowered his dark pupils, discreetly moved back and sat down.

“If I become unable to live without your pheromones, Florian, how will I live after we break up.”

“You can just find another Omega, Sarang.”

The pupils that had dropped returned to their place, capturing Florian’s tall and handsome face.

“We’re not a real couple, so we won’t imprint on each other.”

Florian, as if shaking off the warmth left by Sarang’s cheek on his bare chest, buttoned up his shirt one by one.

“An unimprinted individual can share pheromones with another partner at any time, Sarang.”

It was the most basic of basic knowledge, something even found in elementary school textbooks.

“It’s not like you love me, Sarang, and it’s not like I love you, Sarang, either.”

Sarang’s black eyes did not waver as easily as they used to.

“Is there any reason to have such worries, Sarang.”

Florian, who had buttoned his shirt all the way to the end, neatly tidied even his disheveled hair with a single sweep of his hand.

“The reason we got married is because of the heat cycle. For me, it’s because your pheromones are at least not repulsive and are comfortable. For you, it’s because you didn’t want to meet a stranger solely for the purpose of a heat cycle. Our needs just happened to match.”

It seemed certain, yet the reason was somewhat flimsy. But both Florian and Sarang pretended not to notice. Because Florian’s goal had been to marry Sarang, and because Sarang hadn’t wanted to spend his heat cycle with anyone other than Florian.

“I don’t think there’s a need to worry about what happens after the divorce, Sarang.”

“…”

“Above all, I hate being indebted for no reason. From now on, whenever you need my pheromones, tell me immediately. I also don’t know when my heat cycle will hit. This means you might be called in during a game, Sarang. I’m not interested in sports, but I know how significant it is for a player to leave in the middle of a game. So you should also take as much as you’ve been disadvantaged by me. A contract should be as fair as possible, not altruistic, Sarang. It is the result of a process of trying to gain the maximum benefit. You are too soft, Sarang.”

Florian, who had already gotten off the bed, looked down at Sarang as he drew the canopy curtains.

“You should tidy up your appearance too, Sarang. We need to start the day.”

Florian, who had put on the wristwatch he had left on the bedside table, put on his jacket and coat as well.

“See you after the game tomorrow, Sarang.”

Only Florian’s fig scent lingered in the bedroom as he opened the door and left. Sarang, left all alone, tidied his clothes as Florian had said and headed for the bathroom. Traces of Florian’s touch from the night remained all over his body and skin, and the sensation of their contact was still vivid. Above all, his body truly felt so incredibly light. The pain he felt every morning when he opened his eyes felt like a lie.

I shouldn’t get used to this feeling. It was a thought that had been unconsciously engraved because he hadn’t thought about what would happen after he and Florian separated. Florian was right. After they divorced, Sarang could just share pheromones with another Omega. We, after all, neither love each other nor will we imprint.

Sarang, who had only a simple recovery training session scheduled for the afternoon, left the lodge earlier than planned. Allen, who had already taken a seat at a table, stood up when he saw Sarang entering the dining hall.

“The Boss left a while ago.”

“Yes, Allen.”

Allen, who clicked his tongue after seeing Sarang pick out only the necessary food for his diet and place it on his plate, ostentatiously grabbed five sandwiches.