Ch 1

1

You are you. I am me.  

Possession is possession. Life is life.  

 

One day, I found myself possessed by a side character in the 19+ BL Harlequeen novel, *Rut Partner*, which I had read on a whim. Sure, this character played a key role in bringing the main couple together, but how many people perfectly remember the details of a book they skimmed through out of boredom?  

 

No matter how the story went, Ji-an, who was too busy surviving in the moment, stared blankly at the middle-aged man sitting across from him.  

“Is there anything else you’d like to know?”  

“So, you’re telling me to be a rut partner, right?”  

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

“Why? I’m a beta.”  

“Who knows.”  

“Find someone better. Good day.”  

 

Rising from the sofa, Ji-an grabbed the iced Americano from the table and downed it in one gulp. In a world where alphas and omegas lived, as per the book’s title, such occurrences were common. But they had nothing to do with him.  

 

The character Ji-an had possessed was an unremarkable omega, with no heat cycle and, most importantly, scentless pheromones that couldn’t appeal to alphas. On paper, he was an omega, but in reality, he was no different from a beta. Ji-an, who had no interest in any of it, was more concerned about finding money right now.  

“If you do the job well, we’ll cover your surgery and aftercare. The contract fee is 5 million won upfront, and 10 million won per session. It’s not a bad deal for you, Ji-an. Of course, if the results are unsatisfactory, we won’t extend the contract, but the surgery and care part will be taken care of.”  

 

Ji-an, who was about to leave after just having his coffee, looked down at the middle-aged man sitting neatly.  

“How much do you know?”  

“Ji-an, how many scentless omegas with no heat cycle do you think there are in the world?”  

 

Ji-an tapped his thigh with his fingertips before sitting down again.  

“With those conditions, there’d be plenty of people applying, not just me.”  

“I’ll give you time to think about it.”  

 

The man placed a black business card on the table and left the café. Ji-an stared at the card intensely until the man disappeared. He knew everything about Ji-an’s situation. The man had made an offer that was hard to refuse, and now Ji-an’s frustration towards him started to boil.  

Let me die.  

 

She wasn’t even a real aunt, just a character in a novel. Yes, they’d lived together for about two years, but still, she was a stranger. Ji-an’s head ached as he thought of his aunt, Eunhee, who always held his hand tightly, saying everything would be fine and he should hurry home.  

 

It was early-stage cancer, and with surgery, she could live. But Eunhee, with no money, had given up on surgery. It was too cruel of a punishment for a character who, instead of getting married, had raised her young nephew alone after his parents passed away.  

 

With a frustrated sigh, Ji-an stood up. In his pocket was the black business card.  

And a few days later, a contract lay between Ji-an and the middle-aged man.  

“If there’s anything you’re curious about, want to change, or add, let me know now.”  

“Please don’t tell my aunt. No, I don’t want anyone to know I made this contract.”  

“We will say it’s a medical sponsorship from the Hanseong Group Foundation. And we also insist on confidentiality. Please check the penalty clause for breaching the confidentiality agreement. The contract fee will be paid upon signing, and the service fee will be paid after each of the client’s ruts.”  

 

Ji-an flipped through the contract, filled with legal jargon like ‘party A’ and ‘party B’, then picked up the ink stamp and looked at the man. Two contracts were placed side by side, and Ji-an pressed his inked thumb firmly on the section the man pointed out.  

“I hope we can be good partners.”  

 

Ji-an didn’t refuse the man’s handshake and grasped his hand after wiping his own meticulously with a wet tissue.  

* * *  

The sudden sound of a bell startled Ji-an, drawing the attention of everyone in the library. The ringing didn’t stop immediately, and Ji-an hurriedly stood up, pressing the call button as he stepped into the hallway.  

— Hello? Seo Ji-an?  

Ji-an bit his lower lip and released it as the voice on the other end spoke, filling the silence. He thought of the employment contract he had filled out, the first one besides part-time job agreements. The contract with the middle-aged man, who had patiently explained everything Ji-an was curious about, came to mind.  

 

After the contract was signed, the man had given Ji-an an old phone, capable only of calls and messages, and required him to carry it at all times and answer whenever it rang, regardless of the situation. The phone only had one number saved: the man’s. Hearing the man’s voice over the phone sent shivers down Ji-an’s spine.  

 

As soon as Ji-an placed his fingerprint on the contract, the contract fee was deposited, and his aunt, who had been in a six-person room, was moved to a private one. The specialist who said they wouldn’t have an appointment for another three months suddenly treated her that day, and expensive tests, which they hadn’t even dreamed of affording, were conducted. Before Ji-an knew it, a surgery date had been set, leaving him speechless. So, this was why money and power were needed.  

 

“…Hello.”  

 

Ji-an, careful not to let the call cut off after hesitating too long, tapped his thigh with his fingertips.  

— Ji-an, where are you now?  

“I’m at the school library.”  

— I’ll be there in 30 minutes.  

“Um… I mean, right now….”  

— I’ll see you in front of the school gate.  

 

The voice devoid of emotion belonged to Baek Sanghoon, the name written on the black business card and displayed on the phone. Ji-an bit his lower lip hard as he returned to the library, hurriedly packing up his scattered belongings. He sighed as he reached for a pen that had rolled onto the floor after being swept into the rush. His hands hadn’t stopped trembling since the phone rang.  

 

After several failed attempts, Ji-an finally picked up the pen and left the library in a hurry.  

“I must be out of my mind.”  

 

It wasn’t as if he’d been shot in the head. He had confirmed and double-checked the contract multiple times before signing. But now that the reality of the situation was in front of him, his mind had gone blank.

 

Twenty years old. Even before possession, and even now, I’ve had a few flings, but I’ve never actually dated anyone seriously. Yet in about 30 minutes, I have to engage with an Alpha in rut. That’s the contract condition. 

 

I should have just dated someone. At least tried that kiss everyone gets over with in elementary school these days.

 

I never expected that meeting a partner whose name, age, and even gender I don’t know would feel so awful.

 

“Please get in.”

 

Just like his punctual personality, after ending our call, exactly 30 minutes later, a black car stopped at the front gate, and when the door opened, Ji-an felt thirsty.

 

“Um, about the partner…”

 

“Yes.”

 

“So, uh…”

 

“I believe I’ve already told you I cannot disclose that. And you, Seo Ji-an, have also acknowledged that. The person also went through the same health check you did a few days ago. There are no illnesses that could harm either of you.”

 

As soon as Ji-an fastened his seatbelt in the back seat, the man handed him a black blindfold. Though he knew it, Ji-an still clamped his mouth shut, hoping to get some information about the partner.

 

The more they said nothing, the more anxious he felt. Surely it wouldn’t be someone over 70, right? Yeah, no way. And it couldn’t be a minor either. Yeah, no way. It better not be…

 

“Please wear this.”

 

Under Sang-hoon’s emotionless command, Ji-an stared at the blindfold in his hand.

 

“What?”

 

“It’s part of the contract.”

 

Though it was still daytime, Ji-an was suddenly engulfed in darkness.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“Well…”

 

“You remember the contract terms, correct?”

 

“I think so.”

 

With Ji-an’s answer, the conversation ended. Fear and regret about the decision he made rushed in, but the die had already been cast. His aunt’s surgery was in two days. They may have only lived together for two years, but he couldn’t just let a decent person die.

 

I mean, they’re offering a million won for one round of sex…

 

Ji-an relaxed his body and slumped. His aunt and himself—they worked hard, doing part-time jobs to barely scrape together money for the interest, not even the principal, of a debt whose origin they didn’t even know. He didn’t even bother asking for details, knowing it would only reveal more sorrowful stories.

 

Back in high school, part-time jobs were all he could manage, making things tight. But after entering college and starting tutoring jobs, he had begun paying off the principal little by little. If his aunt hadn’t collapsed while working in the factory, things might have improved.

 

With the contract money he’d already received, he covered this month’s interest and some immediate expenses. And starting with the money he’d get today, he could chip away at the principal, too. Then, finally, they could escape from this suffocating debt.

 

It was too late to tremble, panic, regret, or hesitate. Yeah, it’s just one time. If the Alpha who requested him isn’t satisfied, there won’t be a next time. But at least his aunt’s surgery and care would be taken care of.

 

After driving for a while, the car stopped, and Ji-an, relying on the hands supporting his arms, was led somewhere. He hesitated at the unfamiliar scent. The further they walked, the stronger the scent became, making Ji-an hold his breath. At first, he thought he had mistaken it, but once the scent thickened with an unmistakable pheromone, his heart began to race.

 

Once the hand holding his arm disappeared, Ji-an straightened up.

 

“Seo Ji-an, please wash up.”

 

When the blindfold, which had been covering his eyes until now, was removed, Ji-an saw that he was standing in a bathroom. Holding the blindfold in his hand, Sang-hoon’s voice was as calm and devoid of emotion as ever. This probably wasn’t the first partner he’d brought in like this. Though his speech was polite, every word sounded like an order.

 

No matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t right.

 

He wasn’t even sure how he undressed or how he took a shower. All he could feel was that the bathroom was too big and luxurious, that a man was waiting outside, and that the pheromones swirling around him felt like they were ready to devour him at any moment.

 

“Are you ready?”

 

After the shower, Ji-an swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth, clasping his trembling hands tightly as he nodded slowly. He couldn’t tell if only his hands were shaking or if his whole body was trembling. The strong scent still filling the air made his head dizzy, and he felt like he would collapse if he didn’t muster all his strength.

 

“If you want to back out, now is your last chance. Of course, I assume you remember the breach clauses.”

 

“…I’ll do it.”

 

Since being possessed, Ji-an had encountered a few people with peculiar scents. At first, he thought they were using unique perfumes, but soon realized those were pheromones.

 

Anyway, the pheromones he’d briefly sensed from others before were completely different from what he was feeling now. His mouth was dry, his heart was racing erratically, and a heat he couldn’t control was welling up from deep within, causing an unfamiliar dampness. All of this was happening regardless of his will.

 

Feelings of sexual anticipation and excitement were hiding behind fear and trembling.

 

He had learned about “rut partners” from reading books. After all, it was a concept created by the author.

 

After receiving the sudden proposal for a rut partner, he researched it again. But the rut partner contract he signed was entirely different. It didn’t take long to realize that the contract he was in was not normal.

 

A rut partner was, in simple terms, a relationship where an Alpha and an Omega met during their rut or heat period to satisfy each other’s desires. If you took suppressants, the rut or heat could last from as short as two days to as long as four. You could struggle through that period alone, or resolve it with a single encounter that ended with knotting. It was up to the individual to decide.

 

Although it wasn’t openly discussed, most adult Alphas and Omegas without partners formed rut partnerships. Many rut partners developed into strong relationships.

 

The book *Rut Partner* was also a love story between an Alpha and an Omega who met as rut partners.

 

Ji-an felt like he was getting entangled in the plot of a book that had nothing to do with him.

 

At least normal rut partners didn’t meet like this. What’s the difference between this and kidnapping? Ah, right—I agreed to it and I’m getting paid. His thoughts scattered as if he had multiple selves.

 

Unable to bear looking at Sang-hoon’s face, Ji-an stared blankly at the soft, luxurious indoor slippers he was wearing. As he heard a movement behind him, he shivered at the cold touch on his neck and shoulders.

 

“It’s to prevent imprinting.”

 

Right. I don’t want my life ruined by some Alpha I don’t even know.

 

Ji-an nodded slightly. Then, just as the contract mentioned, he received a birth control injection.

 

He was a recessive, so it was highly unlikely anything would happen, and just because you had sex during a rut didn’t mean pregnancy was immediate, but they were both making sure.

 

Finally, Sang-hoon handed him a heat inducer, which Ji-an swallowed, showing his open mouth to prove that he had taken the pill properly.

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Translator’s note:

Harleyqueen: A korean novel tag to refer to a cinderella plot.