Ch 30

<30th Episode>

 

One Month Before That Day (2)

 

As Yoonjae entered his office after arriving at work, Chief Yoon followed closely behind him as if he had been waiting. He was holding a file quite seriously, so Yoonjae took it without asking and checked the contents. Soon, his brow furrowed, and his sharp gaze turned to Chief Yoon.

 

“The finance team reported an issue with equity changes. A Second’s shareholder equity has been unusual since last month.”

 

A Second, huh.

 

He turned on the monitor and searched for related information, but as it was a foreign investment company, it was difficult to find detailed information like in Korea. He checked their website and foreign company research sites, but there seemed to be no special issues other than Asian real estate investment and U.S. bond and real estate investment.

 

“They’ve been gradually buying up shares from shareholders with around 1% stake until last month, bringing it to 3%, but yesterday, FN Holdings transferred all of its 2% stake in A Second through a block deal, bringing the total to 5.1%. In terms of stock proportion, it’s the sixth highest.”

 

Yoonjae pondered whether this had happened before he returned in time. But he had never heard of A Second before.

 

“Ah……”

 

Come to think of it, back then, a construction company had bought the shares instead of A Second. He searched for the construction company in the top group of shareholders, but its name was nowhere to be found. It was a new variable that had arisen since he returned in time. He didn’t know why, but the situation had changed.

 

As Yoonjae ran his finger along his chin, Chief Yoon, who was standing next to him, took a step back.

 

“And, I have a media scoop investment meeting with CEO Han in an hour. I’ll report to you separately after I come back.”

 

There was more to Chief Yoon’s tone than just reporting his schedule. Yoonjae smiled and nodded at the unspoken look in his eyes, which seemed to say he would go and spy.

 

“Thank you, Chief Yoon.”

 

Chief Yoon, who left the office with a smile, found Eunho with gray bands wrapped around both hands as soon as he entered the Secretary’s office. Judging by the way he was typing on the keyboard, it didn’t seem like his ligaments were strained, but he couldn’t help but wonder why he was like this.

 

“What’s wrong? Did you hurt your arm?”

 

“…Ah, well… I bumped into something and got a bruise.”

 

Eunho made up an excuse, but he doubted Chief Yoon would believe it. He moved his fingers as if playing the piano, saying that there was no problem with his work, and Chief Yoon, who narrowed his eyes, told him to be careful and looked at Eunho’s laptop screen.

 

“You’re going into the 10 o’clock Yoosung Funding Group No. 17 formation conference call.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Send it to me as soon as you write it. I have to go to the media scoop investment meeting with CEO Han, so I can’t go in.”

 

“Yes, I understand.”

 

Chief Yoon’s steps were light as he patted him on the shoulder and left the seat.

 

Eunho copied the list of conference call participants from the organizational chart, sent an email, and got up from his seat. It was necessary in many ways to get caffeinated with coffee to focus on work before going into the meeting. Eunho was leaving the Secretary’s office when his eyes were caught by the office at the end of the hallway. He was so grateful yesterday, but he didn’t even express his gratitude properly. Many emotions crossed Eunho’s eyes as he looked at the door.

 

“He must be tired because he took a nap yesterday… I wonder if he’s okay.”

 

Eunho sighed softly and turned to enter the pantry.

 

Yoonjae, who appeared at the Yoosung Funding Group No. 17 formation conference call, checked the number of investment participants and the average amount per person while checking the briefing by the head of the Strategic Planning Division. As the brand reputation has improved recently, the number of high-value investors has increased, and it was closed in the shortest time since its establishment. There were many waiting customers who wanted to invest in No. 18, which was scheduled to be formed at the end of this year, so the date was scheduled to be moved up.

 

Eunho, who wrote the minutes of the meeting, sent an email to the board of directors, including Yoonjae, and Chief Yoon as soon as the conference call ended, and got up from his seat.

 

‘It’s already lunchtime.’

 

His stomach clock should have rung first around this time, but when he thought about it, he remembered that he had eaten breakfast, which he usually didn’t eat.

 

Ah, he went to work from Executive Director’s house. He couldn’t refuse the seven-course meal prepared by the housekeeper, so he ate it all, and his stomach was still full. Still, he thought he should buy a sandwich or something because he would be hungry around 3 or 4 o’clock if he didn’t eat. Eunho looked around the empty Secretary’s office, put his laptop on his desk, and hurried out.

 

Eunho, who bought a Madeleine and a sandwich at a bakery near the company, found a health supplement store right next to it and stopped walking. He silently stared at the famous celebrity advertisement attached to the glass wall, trusting only his recognition, and opened the door. The manager in the store kindly approached and asked, as if he knew that Eunho, who had been standing outside the glass door for a long time, would come in.

 

“Are you looking for anything?”

 

“Um… which multivitamin is the best?”

 

There were so many complicated things. He had never bought health supplements before, so he didn’t know what was good, so he asked about a simple multivitamin.

 

“Is it for you?”

 

“No. I’m going to give it as a gift. It’s for a man. In his 30s.”

 

The manager, who smiled lightly at the words “man in his 30s,” picked out two products from the display and showed them to Eunho.

 

“This is a bestseller, and it’s most effective when taken with Omega-3. It’s 90 tablets, so it will be helpful if you take it steadily for three months.”

 

“Please wrap it.”

 

Eunho readily took out his card at the word “bestseller.” He wanted to browse through the best health food store in the department store and buy the best one, but he didn’t have time because he was with him every weekend these days.

 

It would be okay if it was a product that was constantly on TV commercials. Eunho received the beautifully wrapped gift bag and came out feeling good.

 

Familiar pheromones approached Eunho, who was waiting for the elevator in the lobby. A cool and deep woody scent that he could recognize without turning around. Eunho turned around, greeted Yoonjae, who was with the board of directors, lightly, and took a step back. Yoonjae’s gaze, which scanned him from head to toe, stopped at the bakery plastic bag in Eunho’s hand.

 

Just in time, the elevator door opened, and Eunho stepped back further, taking care of the board of directors first, and waited for the next elevator. His face was burning as if it would burn at Yoonjae’s unwavering gaze until the door closed.

 

Eunho bundled the global real estate report and related infrastructure report from the Alternative Investment Division into one, put Choi Yoonjae in the email recipient, Yoon Director in the reference, and got up from his seat.

 

Now? Or after work? Eunho, who was contemplating while looking down at his desk, picked up the gift bag and headed to the office.

 

*Knock knock.* 

 

After knocking, he took a deep breath and opened the door, and he turned his head, standing by the window. The dark gray suit that fit perfectly on his broad shoulders suited his body well, as if a tailor had worked on it with care.

 

“There’s a report from the Alternative Investment Division. I’ve organized the list of Asian real estate investment selections and related infrastructure reports and uploaded them just now, so please check them.”

 

He, who had been crossing his arms, released his arms and strode over. He grabbed one of Eunho’s wrists without hurting him, opened the wristband strap, and checked the bruise. His wrist had turned dark brown in just one day, and the range was wider than last night. Yoonjae narrowed his eyes and looked around his wrist, and Eunho looked at him with an embarrassed expression.

 

“I’m okay now.”

 

“Okay, my foot.”

 

He tightened the band again without hurting him and urged him in a displeased tone.

 

“You have to eat lunch properly, not a sandwich.”

 

“Sandwiches are more filling than you think. Oh, and.”

 

Eunho lightly pushed the gift bag, which he had forgotten for a while, to his chest. Eunho, whose face was flushed with a puzzled expression asking what this was, threw it out in an indifferent tone.

 

“I thought of it on the way. Put it on your desk and make sure to take it.”

 

Yoonjae, who lightly tore off the packaging that was tied with a pretty ribbon, checked the contents and twitched his lips. If it wasn’t for the company, he would have kissed Eunho, but there were restrictions on the place to do so. Yoonjae lowered his head with a face full of regret and met Eunho’s eye level.

 

“A reward for treatment?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Eunho, who understood the meaning, opened his eyes wide and shook his hand strongly, saying no, but Yoonjae’s facial muscles were already rippling with laughter.

 

“Just kidding, just kidding.”

 

“……”

 

“Thank you. I’ll take it well.”

 

He opened the lid in front of Eunho, took out a pill, walked to the desk, picked up a cup, and swallowed it with water. He felt proud that he had gladly accepted the gift as if to show off. Eunho quietly smiled and left the office.

 

***

 

When he opened his eyes, the feeling that his nape was more stiff and taut than usual was unusual. Yoonjae got up from his seat to relieve his body, emptied a bottle of mineral water, and entered the fitness room. He sweated for more than 30 minutes on the treadmill while listening to overseas economic news, but strangely, he didn’t feel like his body was being relieved.

 

Last night, Eunho made Yoonjae feel sullen by saying that he wanted to clean up his house before moving out and headed to the officetel. In fact, it’s not that he doesn’t understand Eunho’s feelings. He wouldn’t have felt comfortable staying at his boss’s house for a day or two, leaving his own house intact.

 

Hyunjun was beaten badly by strangers and abandoned in the front yard of his parents’ house, and he had been staying out of contact for two days. It seemed that he was shocked that they knew his parents’ house address, and someone knew all his personal information, and even the person who hit him seemed to be a gang. Thanks to this, Yoonjae took Eunho home and returned home with peace of mind, but he couldn’t completely let go of his guard.

 

After taking a shower and eating breakfast, his body was not refreshed and he felt stiff somewhere. Yoonjae opened his cell phone and checked the rut cycle, but there were still four months left.

 

There have been several times in his life when the rut cycle has been pulled forward. But they all moved within a month, and there had never been a time when it was brought forward by four months. But the cycle may have changed because he was often in close contact with Eunho. Yoonjae went into the room, took out the pheromone tester, and checked it on the pheromone glands on his neck.

 

“……”

 

It was not in the danger stage, but it was in the caution range. Usually, in this state, the rut came as early as 2-3 days, and at the latest within a week. Yoonjae checked today’s schedule, wondering if he should safely stop by the hospital around lunchtime to get an inhibitor shot.

 

Just in time, Eunho opened the front door and came in. As soon as Eunho opened the door, he noticed that the pheromones, which were more dense than usual, were thinly sinking to the floor.

 

Is he not feeling well? While Eunho was picking up a spare shirt near the entrance, Yoonjae walked out with his briefcase. Eunho bowed his head and glanced at him once, then turned around. He didn’t seem to have slept well last night, but he looked a little uncomfortable somewhere.

 

Eunho was leisurely tapping the steering wheel and looking up at the sky outside the car window when Yoonjae, who opened the car door and came in, touched his neck as if to clear his throat and asked casually.

 

“Are you having a hard time or feeling burdened?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“……Pheromones.”

 

Ah. Eunho, who understood the meaning, took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders, brushing it off as if there was no problem.

 

“It’s a little heavier than usual, but I don’t mind it much. Don’t worry.”

 

“That’s a relief.”

 

Eunho, who pressed the start button and left the parking lot, checked Yoonjae in the rearview mirror. The light shining from outside the window sparkled on his jacket top and chin, creating a halo.

 

Come to think of it, the pheromones seem to have gotten a little thicker. He wouldn’t notice a big difference unless he paid attention to the smell, but because of what he said, it somehow felt more sensitive than usual.

 

“Your rut… is the period approaching?”

 

Yoonjae, who was checking his email on his cell phone, raised his eyes straight. As his eyes met through the rearview mirror, he frowned slightly and nodded.

 

“It should have been a long time later, but it’s a little strange.”

 

It was the first time that four months had been pulled forward, so even Yoonjae was doubtful. Yoonjae, whose rut cycle was relatively regular, reacted a little more sensitively because he had never made a mistake. Yoonjae, who was groping his forehead with his fingertips, felt relieved that Eunho, who was nearby, didn’t care much that his pheromones had become thicker, and continued to scan the contents of the email.

 

In the morning, Yoonjae continued a relay discussion on the third-quarter investment roadmap with the head of the Investment Division, but as time went by, his expression hardened, and he eventually got up from his seat first. Although most of the division heads in the conference room were alphas, so the pheromones were mixed and stable enough not to pick up his scent, he was somehow anxious.

 

Eunho finished writing the minutes of the meeting and returned to his seat after the meeting to select the email distribution list.

 

The cell phone in his pocket rang briefly and stopped. Eunho rummaged through his right pocket. His movements were unnatural, perhaps because his wrist was still stiff.

 

[I’m going to go to the hospital, so cancel all of today’s afternoon schedule. 11:44 AM]

 

Eunho read the message over and over again. Why would he go to the hospital, leaving the Omega right next to him? Is he saving it for the chaebol marriage connection, as Hyukpil Sunbae said? Dating separately, marrying separately… something like that? As he was blankly unaware that the monitor had turned off due to power saving, Secretary Han, who got up from his seat saying it was lunchtime, approached him.

 

“I’m going out to eat, what about Secretary Yoo?”

 

“…Ah, please go ahead and eat first. I think I have to drive.”

 

“Executive Director Choi?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Secretary Han, who had his arms on the partition, returned to his seat, brought crackers and drinks that he had stored, and put them on Eunho’s desk.

 

“Take this and go out.”

 

Secretary Han, who patted Eunho on the shoulder, disappeared from his seat with the other family members. Eunho stared blankly as the Secretary’s office was emptied, then got up from his seat as if he had made up his mind.

 

He knocked on the office door and went in, and was confronted by Yoonjae, who had finished preparing to go out, wearing a jacket.

 

‘Ah, it’s gotten thicker.’

 

He didn’t know in the conference room, but his pheromones were definitely clearer and thicker than in the morning. The omega’s instinct seemed to have realized that the rut was approaching, as his heart was pounding in response.

 

“I’ll drive.”

 

He stubbornly insisted on driving, even though he was going alone. In fact, Eunho wanted to ask why. He started his relationship and sexual experience with Hyunjun, and the experience he had accumulated became the average and the standard.

 

Unlike that guy who was busy calling him to come whenever the rut came, Yoonjae was trying to avoid Eunho. Was he too used to Hyunjun? From Eunho’s point of view, who was so natural to give his body to his lover when the rut returned, it was difficult to understand Yoonjae, who was trying to endure with medicine instead of having a relationship.

 

Whether he was stubbornly managing his pheromones, the pheromone concentration felt weaker than in the office a little while ago, even though it was in a closed car. He hesitated at his expression that wouldn’t loosen easily, but Eunho wanted to hear the answer he was curious about from Yoonjae.

 

“Executive Director.”

 

He, who had been sitting in the back seat and stiffened without saying a word, reacted to Eunho’s voice. Eunho, who cleared his throat with a dry cough, hesitated for a moment and carefully opened his mouth.

 

“Am I burdensome…?”

 

“What does that mean?”

 

Yoonjae tilted his head and met his eyes to understand what it meant. There was suspicion and some resignation mixed in Eunho’s eyes, who was looking straight without avoiding it.

Did you forget that I’m an omega? An inhibitor shot with me here? Eunho didn’t say it directly, but he was making a somewhat absurd expression. Yoonjae hesitated, not knowing how to explain the situation. Eunho was greatly misunderstanding something.