DOTH Volume 2 Chapter 6.1

The man leaned back against the sofa in a somewhat relaxed posture. Normally, Jung Heeyeon should have been sitting there in the office, and Director Yeon would send him out for a bit, telling him to play with the team leader. Shim Soocheon would grin widely and disappear with Jung Heeyeon. Since he had left the child in his care, the other available alphas would likely feed him something delicious and play with him to their heart’s content. Though, in reality, it would probably be Jung Heeyeon entertaining them, not the other way around.

“These are the related documents.”

Kim Jiwon, who was sitting across from Director Yeon, handed over a file folder and began speaking. Director Yeon skimmed through the contents with an expression of indifference.

“The injection that Beta administered—I looked into it. It’s a shot meant for infertile omegas.”

“Infertile?”

A shot for infertile omegas? That was a completely irrelevant term for Jung Heeyeon, who wasn’t even a recessive omega, but a dominant omega.

“Yes. It forces pheromones to accumulate in the body. The goal is solely to increase the chances of pregnancy.”

Director Yeon tapped his foot. He was well aware of Chairman Jung’s business approach, it would always come down to the omegas getting pregnant. But just because he was familiar with it didn’t make it any less repulsive.

“Technically, this type of drug is designed for recessive omegas, so it doesn’t have much effect on a dominant omega. The pheromone glands of recessive and dominant types are fundamentally different, so even if a dominant omega takes the shot, the effects are minimal.”

Kim Jiwon let out a deep sigh and paused for a moment. A detailed examination was necessary, but even with further tests, the expected results were unlikely to change significantly.

“The issue is that because of this injection, Jung Heeyeon’s body has accumulated an excessive amount of pheromones.”

“I thought you said it wouldn’t be effective on dominant omegas?”

“There’s a difference between something being ineffective and something having a minimal effect. The real problem is he received a long-term administration of the drug.”

Kim Jiwon was parched, his throat dry from uncertainty about how the man in front of him would react. He cleared his throat and took a sip of water.

“The pheromones are too densely concentrated now. When Jung Heeyeon enters heat, it will need to be released. As a matter of fact, he’ll have to go through it without suppressants. The bigger problem is… there’s a possibility he could go into shock if there’s no alpha pheromone present. It’s been a long time since his manifestation, yet his first heat was delayed due to forced suppression. On top of that, he doesn’t even know how to control his own pheromones. Since the drug forced pheromone accumulation, leaving him alone would be dangerous.”

Kim Jiwon licked his dry lips. Director Yeon’s expression hadn’t changed much from usual. Or rather, to be precise, it wasn’t much different from how he looked when Jung Heeyeon wasn’t around. It was a solid, impassive expression that, at a glance, seemed almost bored.

“He has to go through his heat with an alpha.”

Instead of responding, Director Yeon simply tilted his head. At his temple, where his fingers had touched, a sharp scar stood out. The pupils of the alpha contracted like a predator’s.

***

Jung Heeyeon absentmindedly poked the egg yolk in the bubbling stew, watching as it burst and mixed into the soup. A soft laugh came from across the table, but he remained focused, stirring the yolk into the silky tofu. The stew, packed with tofu and clams, was one of Jung Heeyeon’s current favorite dishes.

“Thank you for the meal.”

“Eat plenty, Heeyeon.”

“Yes.”

The stew in front of Director Yeon was slightly redder than Jung Heeyeon’s. As he took a spoonful of his own, he wondered when he’d be able to eat the same food as Director Yeon. The moment the warm broth touched his mouth, his body felt instantly warmer.

“Is it spicy?”

“No.”

“I added more seasoning than last time, but that’s good to hear. Our Heeyeon is still a baby, can’t even handle mild flavors.”

Even when he was confined within the walls, Jung Heeyeon had eaten soft tofu stew before. Back then, he had assumed the stew was supposed to have white broth. It wasn’t until he left that he learned red broth was the standard. The first time he saw regular soft tofu stew, he must have looked curious because Kim Jiwon had scooped some of his own portion for him. But it was too spicy to eat. Later, when he casually mentioned this, Director Yeon had simply asked, “Is that so?” and then personally made the stew for him after getting home.

As usual, Jung Heeyeon had watched from the side as Director Yeon cooked. The seasoning packet clearly said mild. Even then, it had been too spicy, and he had ended up searching for water. But surprisingly, he had enjoyed it enough to nearly finish a full bowl.

It had already been several days, yet Director Yeon still teased him about it. Truthfully, it was still a little spicy.

“I’m better at handling spice than before.”

Wondering if the teasing came from his eating habits, Jung Heeyeon hesitated slightly before speaking.

“Hmmm, is that so?”

Director Yeon chuckled softly and placed a piece of spinach onto Jung Heeyeon’s rice. Jung Heeyeon diligently gave his gratitude and said, “Thank you,” before eating it with his rice. Each time his lips moved, his fair cheeks puffed up and deflated again.

“It’s delicious.”

“Delicious?”

“Yes. Everything you make is delicious, Director.”

Jung Heeyeon smiled faintly and took a bite of the soft tofu. As expected, it was slightly spicy, but he could now handle mild seasoning without needing water. It was all thanks to Director Yeon, who carefully adjusted the spice level every time he cooked. Although he was used to eating food made by others, for some reason, the meals that Director Yeon prepared felt special. Jung Heeyeon absentmindedly fidgeted with the spoon in his hand. His palm felt strangely tingly.

“I’ll cook for you too next time.”

Considering that he couldn’t even properly use a knife, it was a bold declaration. Director Yeon, who had been listening to Jung Heeyeon’s little chatter, briefly stopped using his chopsticks. Jung Heeyeon had placed a side dish onto his rice, mirroring what he had done earlier.

Director Yeon stared down at his rice bowl as if he had seen something unfamiliar. If his memory served him right, no one had ever placed food onto his plate like this before. Not when he lived in the cages, and certainly not since he had risen to this position.

It wasn’t something that should have felt strange. After all, Director Yeon himself had never placed food on anyone else’s plate except Jung Heeyeon. If he thought about it, Jung Heeyeon was the only one he ever cooked for. But when this small omega mimicked his actions, it left him with an indescribable feeling.

Director Yeon tilted his head slightly and smiled.

“Next time?”

Leaning his chin on one hand, he posed the question. Jung Heeyeon looked at the man across from him while diligently chewing his food. Resting one’s chin at the table wasn’t proper… but with Director Yeon, everything was fine. In the end, Jung Heeyeon obediently nodded. He only responded after swallowing all the food in his mouth.

“Yes, I’ll cook for you next time.”

“Heeyeon, how long are you planning to live with this director?”

Jung Heeyeon, unaware that the man was deliberately teasing him, widened his eyes in surprise. His lips parted slightly in confusion, but Director Yeon showed no signs of jesting. Unsure of how to answer, Jung Heeyeon glanced down and looked at the dinner that Director Yeon had prepared. He had always been the one receiving. He couldn’t recall a single time when he had done something for Director Yeon in return. 

A sudden wave of worry crept in, and he carefully spoke.

“Director.”

“Hmm?”

“Am I… a burden to you?”

Still resting his chin on his hand, Director Yeon smirked. He knew Jung Heeyeon was flustered, but he found this moment rather amusing. Every time he saw those fluttering eyelashes and trembling lips, an unknown feeling stirred within him.

Jung Heeyeon was an exception, but Yeon Woobeom was not the kind of man to be gentle. The self-aware man knew better than anyone that his core nature was rooted in violence and cruelty. Teasing or flustering this soft omega was simply second nature to him. So, he brushed off the unfamiliar feeling as just another impulse.

“Heeyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Why would I find you a burden?”

Straightening his posture, he drawled his words slightly.

“I told you—I like things that need a lot of attention.”

Then, as if to prove his point, he smiled with narrowed eyes.

“But my baby should make only my hands busy, okay?”

“Yes.”

Even without understanding the full meaning of ‘make my hands busy’, Jung Heeyeon nodded. It didn’t seem like a bad thing, and more importantly, it was Director Yeon saying it, so he figured it couldn’t be harmful.

“So, Heeyeon.”

“Yes?”

“How long are you planning to live with me?”

“…Can I stay with you forever and ever?”

Hearing him repeat the word ‘ever’ twice must have been amusing, because a quiet chuckle slipped from the Alpha’s lips.

“Forever and ever?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. Stay with this director forever and ever.”

Jung Heeyeon picked up his spoon and nodded quietly. Somehow, the food tasted even better than before.

–

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Translator note: The parts will be slightly longer than usual in this chapter! And there will be heated scenes (not allowed on the site) later in the chapter, so expect to get linked to wattpad instead!

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