Ch 9

Ji-an’s eyes widened as he felt a familiar yet unfamiliar sharp pain. His large eyes, filled with anxiety, darted around the room. Although the blackout curtains were drawn, he could distinguish his surroundings through the small gaps of light, causing the corners of his eyes to droop slightly.

Without hesitation, Ji-an bit his lips tightly and cautiously sat up. The interior was similar to the hotel room he usually stayed in, but it felt slightly different. Spotting his belongings on a table in one corner of the room, he hurriedly approached them.

After quickly getting dressed, Ji-an looked around once more. It seemed there was no sound of anyone outside. Chewing on his lower lip, he emptied all the cash from his wallet and placed it on the table.

Room 1302. After returning to his room without meeting anyone, Ji-an opened the suitcase he had set aside and quickly stuffed his belongings back inside. It took him less than 30 minutes to wake up, check out, and leave the hotel.

When he finally regained his composure, Ji-an found himself sitting on a sofa in the airport lounge. It was both his first and last trip. The open ticket he had kept, intending to visit all the places he wanted, now had the date and time filled in.

“This is crazy.”

As Ji-an slumped into the plush lounge sofa, his voice barely emerged clearly. His voice was hoarse, prompting the tour director to quickly secure a first-class seat out of concern for his health. Although it was December, he was relieved to find a seat available, as it wasn’t during a golden holiday, which made Ji-an smile bitterly.

Raising his hand to cover his face, Ji-an slowly inhaled and exhaled. What had he done last night? Could it be that the strange and erotic feeling had truly been a heat?

Damn it, the omega pheromones should have mostly faded away, so there shouldn’t have been any heat. That’s why he decided to be a beta. But regardless, who had he shared a bed with?

He remembered getting into a man’s car. That man had a woody scent. He could distinctly recall that… So what was that musk scent? The one that filled the room and lingered throughout was definitely musk.

If the man had a woody scent, then it couldn’t be him. But could he have shared the room with someone else? There was no guarantee he would have had the hotel room alone; did he have a companion? What the hell! What on earth was going on?

As he continued to ponder over the person he had been with, vague memories of a novel started to surface in his mind. However, the fatigue that came rushing in made Ji-an stop thinking.

One thing was certain: the man who seemed like his destined partner had a woody scent, so it wasn’t him. Regardless of everything, as long as it wasn’t that man, it was fine. They wouldn’t meet again anyway. That’s it! No more thinking!

Moving in time for his flight, Ji-an sank into the comfortable first-class seat and closed his eyes. When he opened them in response to someone calling his name, he found himself not in Paris, but in Korea.

* * *

“Why are you calling me?” Ji-an said with a grumpy voice as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his thin padding and plopped down into a chair at the restaurant.

“Let’s hang out.”

“I’m busy.”

“What’s keeping you busy? You’re not even working part-time anymore because you’re preparing for a job.”

“Seo Ji-an. How was your trip? Did you get any gifts?”

What had started as a casual meal turned into a noisy gathering with several of his classmates, making his head throb.

“Gifts? What gifts…?” 

It had only been a short trip of three days. He had lost the Santa-clad puppy doll, the snow globe, and the colorful candies he hadn’t even tasted.

Taking a sip of the soju in front of him, Ji-an raised his hand to order more side dishes. He hadn’t been able to enjoy himself during the trip, so he figured he might as well indulge now.

“Hey~ Seo Ji-an. You always say you’re struggling; you seem to have more free time now?”

“It’s all about making a living, but it’s frustrating not being able to eat what I want.”

“Ji-an, it’s gotten a bit easier since your aunt passed away, hasn’t it…?”

Could the others hear that? As he muttered in a soft voice that seemed only for him, the touch of Haneul’s hand on his back made Ji-an glance at him. 

If he had seen it in text, it could have led to a subtle misunderstanding, but the caring tone and that touch made the corners of Ji-an’s lips curl up slightly.

“Have you heard from the places you applied to?”

“With my grades and qualifications, big companies are out of the question. I’m looking into startups, though…”

Since most of his peers had either graduated or were about to graduate, the conversation naturally flowed toward job hunting. Except for Haneul, who was diligently texting someone beside him, everyone else was just regular betas…

As they bantered back and forth, the effects of the alcohol began to weave their way into the conversation. Ji-an stared blankly at his empty glass before pouring himself another drink, looking at Haneul, who was smiling brightly for some reason.

“Can you just wander around by yourself?”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Omegas… don’t they need a guardian or something…?”

“How do you know about that? You’ve never seemed curious before.”

“Just heard someone say it.”

“Anyway, I think my guardian is coming to pick me up soon, so I should head out.”

Haneul, who didn’t put down his phone, clearly had a reason for it.

“Do you have to go?”

“What?”

“Guardian…”

Ji-an’s lips trembled slightly at Haneul’s explanation. The vague knowledge he had and the detailed description of a well-loved omega seemed to highlight the differences between him and others. The biggest weaknesses of alphas and omegas were their pheromones.

What did it matter if everything else was superior to betas? When faced with pheromones, they were no different from beasts. While everyone took suppressants or regulators and tried to be careful, not every alpha or omega followed their own rules.

Most importantly, when exposed to such situations, omegas could become vulnerable in many ways from the moment they manifested. From family, society, and those they formed relationships with, they received varying degrees of consideration and protection.

Until high school, his parents picked him up from school and tutoring, and since coming to college, he either drove himself around or relied on friends and family who knew his schedule. Ji-an raised the soju bottle to refill his glass.

“Hey! Why are you being so harsh to someone next to you?”

As Ji-an brought the full glass to his lips, he saw Haneul shoot a playful retort at him before quickly clinking their glasses together to share a drink. Ji-an chuckled softly.

“Do those kinds of people find partners?”

“How would I know? A partner isn’t just someone you randomly grab off the street. It’s between people who have some level of mutual affection. Like living together, for betas?”

“If you did that, you’d get kicked out, right?”

“You’d probably get beaten up and end up locked in your room with your head shaved.”

Right. He had done that kind of thing before. There was a significant difference between vague knowledge and facing reality. Feeling the alcohol gradually spreading its warmth through his body, Ji-an slowly stood up. It felt stifling, and he thought it might be better to step outside for some fresh air to ease the buzz.

“Where are you going now? Planning to sneak off and pay the bill on your own again like last time?”

“I’m going to get ice cream. Why?”

“Bring me a Melona.”

Tsk.

Ji-an clicked his tongue at Haneul, who winked and threw a heart gesture at him. He slipped into the padded jacket he’d left draped over the chair and walked out of the restaurant. The cold winter wind instantly cooled his flushed body. 

The old down jacket, which had lost most of its fluff, did a poor job of blocking the chilly air. With his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his upper body slightly hunched, Ji-an quickened his pace toward the nearby convenience store.

Though it was late at night, the bustling streets were packed with people celebrating the end of the year. Ji-an, humming along to the music that added to the winter night’s atmosphere, suddenly came to a stop. A man, noticeably taller than everyone else, caught his eye.

Last time, he was wearing dark gray. Today, it was a brown coat, but the man’s stride didn’t stop like his did. As the distance between them narrowed during Ji-an’s hesitation, he slowly turned his gaze toward the street.

He won’t recognize me, right? Or will he?

Ji-an wasn’t sure. This man had seen him at his worst and had shown him kindness. Approaching him first didn’t feel right, but running away wasn’t an option either. He could only bite his lower lip and stare at the passing cars, hoping the man would walk by without noticing him.

But contrary to Ji-an’s hopes, the towering figure came to a halt right in front of him, blocking his path. A sigh slipped from Ji-an’s lips.

“Sorry,” he muttered, bowing his head and offering an apology.

“You’re alone again.”

“Huh?”

Hearing the man’s low voice, Ji-an instinctively looked up, only to quickly avert his eyes again when they met his.

“You’ve been drinking too.”

“Ah, yes. I really apologize for last time. I only had that much cash on me, but if you want, I can pay you back for the room right now…”

“The room?”

“I must have been out of my mind. I mean, with your companion… but when I woke up, no one was there. Anyway, I assume you couldn’t use the room that night because of me. If you let me know the exact amount, I’ll transfer the money immediately.”

“The room that night. Are you apologizing for acting like a dog in heat with a companion on my hotel bed?”

Even with ten mouths, Ji-an couldn’t find a word to say. He simply nodded slightly, the scent of wood emanating heavily from the man.

“A companion, huh… so there was a companion. Fine, we’ll leave that aside. But how will you compensate me for the emotional damage? If you want to settle this, you need to do it thoroughly.”

“Huh?”

What more does he want? Ji-an snapped his head up at the man’s matter-of-fact tone, only to meet his arrogant gaze, complete with a raised eyebrow.

Is the buzz from the alcohol returning? Ji-an’s vision blurred as the man mentioned “emotional compensation,” and he quickly shook his head to clear it. The room had been much larger and fancier than the one Ji-an had stayed in, so he figured the bill would cost him around ten million won. But now, on top of that, the man wanted compensation for emotional damage?

How do you even measure that? And how much is he asking for?

Never in a million years did Ji-an think he’d have to spend his hard-earned money on something so absurd…

Since he had already promised to settle it, Ji-an took out his phone from his pocket and opened the banking app. He looked up at the man again, asking how much he wanted.

“You plan to transfer it right now? What if I ask for a few hundred million?” The man’s voice had a hint of amusement, his arms crossed as he leaned slightly to one side. Ji-an’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing at the man’s playful tone.

“Just tell me,” Ji-an said.

“Your name.”

“I don’t have one to give you.”

“Are you a student?”

“Look, we’re discussing compensation right now.”

If Ji-an were in his right mind, he would never have spoken so sharply, but the man standing before him looked blurry, as if there were two or three of him. Hurry up and tell me. I’ll pay whatever you ask, just let’s never meet again. I need to get this over with so I can go buy ice cream.

“Even if we settle my room and the emotional compensation now, how are you going to apologize to the companion?”

Oh…

A dumb sound slipped from Ji-an’s lips.

“They seemed more eager to talk than I was.”

Wasn’t that a mutual fault? Was I the only one who enjoyed it? They must’ve liked it too; otherwise, they could’ve pushed me away. They were bigger and stronger than me. Couldn’t they have handled me? Anyway, they accepted everything. Sure, I was in heat, but they weren’t in a rut, and when I asked for more, they were the one who actually initiated the knotting…

Countless arguments swirled in Ji-an’s head, but none of them made it past his lips. Instead, his mouth opened and closed uselessly like a fish.

“Your name.”

“Seo Ji-an!” 

Wait. I didn’t say that. And that wasn’t my voice either.

Hearing his name from behind, Ji-an spun around, not just his head but his entire body, and stared blankly at Haneul, who was waving and running toward him.

Crap… I was going to blurt out anything, and now this!

Haneul’s hair fluttered lightly, his face slightly flushed, and his bright smile looked like something straight out of a teen movie. Watching him, Ji-an clicked his tongue.

“You two know each other?” the man asked.

“Uh… well… sort of…” Ji-an shut his eyes tightly for a second before opening them again. So, they *are* the main characters. But, Haneul, this guy doesn’t seem like he has a great personality. Sure, he’s got the looks, but still…

“I said I’d come pick you up. Why did you come out?”

“I wanted some ice cream. I also sent Ji-an a message with everyone’s orders, but he didn’t check.”

Ji-an watched the two converse comfortably, as if they were already good friends. He subtly took a step back.

“Ice cream?”

“Yeah, one of Ji-an’s drinking habits is craving ice cream. He didn’t come back after saying he was going to buy some, and he didn’t even check what we wanted, so I followed him.”

Ji-an’s eyes darted around, trying to gauge the situation. As he took another cautious step back, hoping to distance himself further, he flinched as a hand grabbed his wrist.

“You let someone who’s drunk go get ice cream alone?”

“I came right away becau—”

Before Ji-an could free his wrist, the man suddenly turned and started walking, pulling Ji-an along with him. Stumbling to keep up, Ji-an hastily grabbed the man’s wrist in return.

“Um… excuse me…”

“You said you wanted ice cream, didn’t you?”

“Oh, uh, yes… I do want ice cream, but…”

I think you’ve got the wrong person here. You’re dragging me, not Haneul! 

Ji-an watched in disbelief as Haneul followed, replying to the man’s comments, while Ji-an wiped his face with his free hand. Before he knew it, they had arrived not at a convenience store or a discount shop, but at an ice cream parlor, standing in front of the display case. None of this was what Ji-an had intended.