DOTH Volume 2 Chapter 4.11

Jung Heeyeon set the teacup down and absentmindedly fidgeted with his nails, out of habit. The pink nails turned pale under the pressure of his fingers. He wondered, Would the director dislike it if he stopped taking suppressants for a while? Perhaps, as Lee Haejin suggested, it might be better to stay apart from the director for the time being. 

Although he didn’t like the idea, he also didn’t want to do anything that might displease Director Yeon. Carefully, he asked.

“Then can I ask the director and decide after that?”

“Of course. You don’t really have to stay with me. Take your time to think it over.”

“Yes.”

Lee Haejin glanced at the cardigan Jung Heeyeon was wearing. His coat would have been taken and stored by staff when he came in, so he clearly wasn’t wearing just this when he arrived. The cardigan was oversized—large enough to make Jung Heeyeon look as though he were wrapped up in it like a cocoon. It was undoubtedly Director Yeon’s clothing.

Although the alpha pheromones weren’t overtly detectable, if one got close enough, you could likely catch a hint of his natural scent. At that moment, Lee Haejin realized the fact that Jung Heeyeon would never end up staying with him. A strong intuition told him that Director Yeon wouldn’t let Jung Heeyeon out of his care.

Were they in that kind of relationship? It didn’t seem likely; there was no hint of pheromones coming from Jung Heeyeon that would suggest an intimate bond. Director Yeon wasn’t the type of man to overwhelm someone with a pheromone shower either. Yet, if they were in that relationship, Director Yeon wouldn’t have left him so defenseless. He had the omega wore his clothes, and yet he didn’t give him a pheromone shower?

“Heeyeon, do you like Director Yeon?”

Lee Haejin asked the question casually, without much thought.

“Yes, I like the director.”

Jung Heeyeon answered honestly, his response so harmless that it made Lee Haejin pause to consider whether they even meant the same thing by like. After all, liking someone could take many forms, and whether it held a sexual connotation or not was a significant difference.

“In that sense?”

Lee Haejin sipped his now lukewarm tea, keeping his tone light.

“In what sense?”

Jung Heeyeon blinked, wondering if there was another sense to liking someone. His soft expression became even gentler with the subtle widening of his eyes.

“Do you want to sleep with him?”

Jung Heeyeon blinked slowly, as if processing the question. The phrase sleep with him seemed to carry a meaning he hadn’t fully grasped yet. A memory of a dream he’d had not long ago flickered through his mind, making his chest flutter as if a hiccup might come out.

“How do you stop having strange dreams?”

He blurted out the random question.

“Dreams?”

Lee Haejin, who was drinking his tea, tilted his head at the unexpected change in topic. Why dreams, suddenly?

“Yes. I had a dream where the director appeared… and, well, he wasn’t wearing any clothes…”

Jung Heeyeon’s pale fingers fidgeted more restlessly than before. But in contrast to his nervously twitching hands, Jung Heeyeon’s face appeared calm, almost serene.

It was Lee Haejin who looked taken aback. The 20-year-old Jung Heeyeon spoke as though this was his first time having such a dream, but considering his sheltered upbringing, it might actually be true. If he’d never been sexually stimulated or aware of someone in that way, it made sense for him to be only having his first wet dream.

Something definitely happened between him and the director, Lee Haejin thought. Jung Heeyeon didn’t seem like the type to have such dreams purely out of sexual curiosity.

“So, you like Director Yeon.”

“I already told you that I do…”

He likes that man? Lee Haejin sipped his tea, trying to collect his thoughts. He felt parched from just worrying about this innocent omega being drawn to Director Yeon, out of all alphas out there. He didn’t know what to tell Jung Heeyeon. Lee Haejin didn’t even need his own disdain for Alphas to see that Director Yeon was a risky figure.

“Does Director Yeon know about this?”

“He knows. I told him…”

Lee Haejin wondered if Director Yeon had interpreted his feelings as something romantic or sexual between an alpha and an omega.

“No, what I mean is—does he know you want to sleep with him?”

“Sleep with him…? Does that have another meaning?”

“Yeah, sex.”

Ah, so there was another meaning. Jung Heeyeon’s lips parted slightly. He wasn’t naïve enough not to know what sex was.

“If you like someone, it’s natural to want that.”

The early hours of New Year’s Day flashed in Jung Heeyeon’s mind.

Snow falling, fireworks bursting, the bitter scent of cigarette smoke that had brushed against his lips, stirred his senses. When he had heard the name Yeon Woobeom, he’d become fully aware of his emotions. Perhaps his feelings of admiration were the real reason he’d had that guilty dream, not just because of the kiss.

“When you like someone, do you start having dreams like that?”

“Not always, but it can happen.”

Lee Haejin tried to explain it in a way Jung Heeyeon could easily understand.

“I thought there was something wrong with me. I assumed only alphas or betas had those kinds of experiences…”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. Omegas experience the same thing.”

Lee Haejin gave a bitter laugh at Jung Heeyeon’s innocent statement. Sitting across from another omega who’d grown up in a similar environment, Lee Haejin suddenly felt the thirst for alcohol. While he pressed the call button to order something from a staff member, Jung Heeyeon sat quietly, lost in his own thoughts.

It was only after the staff member had left that Jung Heeyeon responded to Lee Haejin’s earlier question.

“I’ve never told the director I like him in that way…”

“Why?”

“He never asked me about it…”

“And if he does ask?”

“Pardon? Yes, I’d tell him. Am I not supposed to?”

Lee Haejin felt a bit conflicted. He doubted Director Yeon would immediately pounce on Jung Heeyeon just because of a confession, but the latter’s innocence made it difficult to know how to advise him. 

Eventually, Lee Haejin decided to respond based on what was typical.

“Well, people usually don’t say that kind of thing outright. Most of the time, people hide their sexual desire to be with someone. Those kinds of conversations usually happen after becoming a couple.”

“Ah, I see.”

So, he shouldn’t mention it carelessly to the director. As Jung Heeyeon processed this newfound information, mentally organizing it, a staff member slid open the door and entered with a tray. The tray held light snacks and the soju that Lee Haejin had requested. Jung Heeyeon stared blankly at the soju bottles and the cute little dishes now filling the table.

“To learn how to manage your pheromones, we’ll need to match our schedules, so you should discuss it with Director Yeon later. If you stay with me for the time being, there’s no need to adjust your schedule. Otherwise, we’ll have to figure that out.”

The elegant man, who looked like he’d only ever drink wine, opened the soju bottle with practiced ease and reiterated the purpose of their meeting.

“Yes.”

Jung Heeyeon nodded while staring curiously at the unfamiliar bottles. Whether Lee Haejin noticed the curiosity or not, he glanced at the time and muttered to himself.

“It’ll probably take some time for Director Yeon to arrive.”

This wasn’t a simple task, after all.

“Have you ever had alcohol before?”

Lee Haejin poured soju into a mug and asked casually.

The drink he handed to Jung Heeyeon was a lemon-flavored beer. He’d intended to drink alone if Jung Heeyeon declined, but the younger man didn’t outright refuse. Though he was worried about getting scolded by the director if he drank the alcohol, he was easily coaxed into trying it when Lee Haejin likened it to soda.

“It’s good…”

Jung Heeyeon sipped the lemon beer, finding it pleasant despite a slight bitterness. It resembled a lemon soda enough that he drank it easily. He rationalized that it should be fine to drink more since the director had never reprimanded him for eating or drinking anything before. As he nibbled on the prettily arranged fruit, he convinced himself it was okay. Though his head felt slightly dizzy, the feeling was pleasant.

“Why do you like Director Yeon?”

Lee Haejin broke the silence, drinking his soju as though it were water. His expression remained calm, unaffected.

“The director is pretty.”

The sincerity in Jung Heeyeon’s response made Lee Haejin frown without realizing it. He finally looked like someone who had actually been drinking soju.

Director Yeon, pretty? While the man was undeniably handsome, describing him as pretty felt very far off the mark. With his imposing physique and aura, he seemed more intimidating than anything else.

In fact, Director Yeon had always been a dangerous man. Like a well-trained fighting dog, he had been involved with organized crime since his late teens. When the organization transitioned into a security company around the time Director Yeon was sold off, he continued working under that label, though the nature of his work hadn’t changed much.

About five years ago, Director Yeon had killed his former boss, severed all ties to the gang, and transformed the group into its current company, Jiwoo. Although it operated publicly as a security firm, its main business was arms dealing—dangerous work, no matter how you looked at it.

“Director Yeon is… pretty?”

Lee Haejin had never thought soju was bitter, but for the first time, he found the soju bitter as it slid down his throat.

“Yes, the director is pretty…”

Lee Haejin continued drinking without giving any response.

“And he’s gentle.”

Perhaps from the alcohol, Jung Heeyeon’s cheeks had turned a faint red. The closed lips finally formed a soft, relaxed smile for the first time.

That man was gentle?

Lee Haejin thought of Director Yeon. No matter how he considered it, gentle was the last word he’d use to describe him. Calling him pretty might have been easier to believe.

---

Become a member in my ko-fi to get early releases!

Make me feel happy and supported by leaving a comment!

---