DOTH Volume 2 Chapter 5.5

“But I’ve never been upset with you, Director…”

“Then why were you drinking with someone else, Heeyeon?”

Jung Heeyeon blinked, clearly confused by the question. His eyes were faintly red.

“We decided your first drink would be with me, remember?”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

The unspoken promise he had made with Director Yeon came to mind. Feeling as though he should offer an excuse, Jung Heeyeon mumbled in a small voice

“But Haejin hyung said what I drank wasn’t really alcohol…”

As he fiddled with his fingers and looked up at Director Yeon, the alpha raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Lee Haejin is not ‘sir’, but ‘hyung’?”

“Pardon? Yes.”

Unaware of the subtle shift in the alpha’s expression, Jung Heeyeon hastily made a promise.

“From now on, I’ll only drink with you, Director.”

Director Yeon slowly lifted the arm around Jung Heeyeon’s waist. He gently cupped Jung Heeyeon’s flushed—more than usual— cheek, his hand warm against the omega’s softened skin. He had no intention of isolating the omega in his arms. He understood that there were things Jung Heeyeon needed to rely on another omega for, and Lee Haejin was a good one. There were things that an alpha like him couldn’t provide, but an omega like Lee Haejin could.

“It’s fine. You can drink with him if you want.”

“It’s okay to drink with Haejin hyung?”

“Yeah.”

Director Yeon whispered the words gently, betraying his true feelings.

The rational response had nothing to do with the alpha’s deeply rooted possessiveness. If Jung Heeyeon were a more socially adept omega, Director Yeon wouldn’t have said it was fine. However, Jung Heeyeon was still an omega with limited social experience, someone who needed to learn about the world through different connections. Director Yeon was merely exercising patience. He didn’t want to raise Jung Heeyeon just like when he was confined within walls.

“But, Heeyeon.” 

“Yes?”

“Don’t drink in front of other alphas.”

As he spoke, Director Yeon gently stroked Jung Heeyeon’s soft cheek, deliberately narrowing his drinking partner to the omega, Lee Haejin. His patience could only stretch so far; he was, after all, born an Alpha. When it came to other alphas, there was no way Director Yeon would allow them to see Jung Heeyeon drinking alcohol—it was beyond what his tolerance permitted.

“Yes.”

Jung Heeyeon nodded. As Director Yeon’s hand left his cheek, he rested his head against the man’s chest once again. The arm loosely wrapped around his waist tightened slightly. Was the other uncomfortable? Jung Heeyeon tilted his head and glanced up at Director Yeon, only to meet his gaze.

Director Yeon’s slow smile appeared relaxed, but there was a sharpness to it that made Jung Heeyeon feel strange. Jung Heeyeon lowered his gaze, his fingers fidgeting. His eyes naturally drifted to Director Yeon’s clothes. He hadn’t noticed before, but now that he looked closer, he realized the man had changed outfits. Slowly, Jung Heeyeon shifted and pressed his nose to the crook of Director Yeon’s neck.

“Director.”

“Yeah, Heeyeon?”

There was a faint but unfamiliar scent. It seemed like he had taken a shower before coming.

“Did you take a shower?”

“Yeah.”

The man had indeed washed up, unwilling to let Jung Heeyeon see him in his bloodied state. Stroking Jung Heeyeon’s round head gently, Director Yeon answered with a warm tone. However, despite his seemingly calm voice, his jaw was tightly clenched. His expression was so sharp that it was fortunate the omega in his arms couldn’t see it. With the soft body constantly squirming on his lap, it was becoming difficult to keep his expression in check.

“Why?”

“I had to meet someone.”

Why would he need to shower after meeting someone? A scene from one of Kim Jiwon’s dramas flashed through Jung Heeyeon’s mind.

Although Jung Heeyeon wasn’t particularly interested in electronics like phones, he occasionally watched videos with Kim Jiwon. Recently, they had been watching clips from a drama in which an alpha’s infidelity was exposed. The alpha’s partner had confronted them, saying, “Who did you meet that you came home after showering? This isn’t the shampoo I use.”

Recalling the scene, Jung Heeyeon’s brow furrowed slightly. Of course, this wasn’t the exact same situation. Even if it were, he and Director Yeon weren’t in a relationship, so it couldn’t be called infidelity. Yet, the thought of Director Yeon meeting another omega left a sour taste in his mouth. Hesitating, Jung Heeyeon sniffed Director Yeon’s neck again.

Because of Jung Heeyeon’s pheromone issues, Director Yeon would occasionally release his own pheromones. It was under Kim Jiwon’s prescription. Normally, Jung Heeyeon was indifferent to others’ pheromones unless they were deliberately released, but he had become particularly sensitive to Director Yeon’s scent, a result of frequent exposure. 

However, at this moment, he couldn’t sense any scent at all. It was likely because Director Yeon hadn’t released his pheromones, but also because the shower had likely erased any lingering traces.

“Heeyeon.”

Director Yeon’s hand gently smoothed the round head still pressed to his neck. The owner of that name couldn’t see the veins standing out sharply on the back of his hand. He had taken a suppressant after seeing blood, but with Jung Heeyeon constantly fidgeting on his lap, his patience was wearing dangerously thin.

“Yes?”

“If you don’t want to get scolded, behave and go to sleep.”

“Are you going to scold me?”

Hearing the unexpected words, Jung Heeyeon’s eyes widened as he sat up straight. Director Yeon’s brow furrowed deeply. Noticing the tightness in Director Yeon’s jaw and the frustration etched on his face, Jung Heeyeon blinked rapidly. This Director in front of him had never looked at him that way before. The alcohol-induced haze lifted immediately.

“Why am I getting scolded?”

What should I do? Jung Heeyeon thought. It was one thing to be reprimanded by the butler or the chairman, but he didn’t want to upset Director Yeon. He had never cried from punishment before, but he felt he might if Director Yeon scolded him.

“Are you going to hit me…?”

“What?”

Director Yeon let out a dry laugh.

“Why would I hit you?”

“Because scolding means hitting…”

At the mumbled words, Director Yeon’s expression hardened further, though for an entirely different reason. Clearly, he would have to deal with Lee Yootae again.

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

“I see…”

Director Yeon reached out and softly ruffled the back of Jung Heeyeon’s head. He gently pushed him to rest against his neck once more, a faint sigh escaping his lips.

“The baby deserves to be pampered.” 

Jung Heeyeon closed his eyes. Beyond the shared warmth, he could hear the steady rhythm of Director Yeon’s heartbeat. Since earlier, there was somehow a faint discomfort beneath him, but a sudden wave of drowsiness erased it.

He felt as though he could fall asleep right away.

–

Slender fingers busily worked to fasten the buttons on his pajamas. The deep navy fabric sharply contrasted with his flushed skin, reddened from the hot bath. Jung Heeyeon’s mind still felt hazy. He thought he’d sobered up during the car ride back, but evidently not. Perhaps he had spent too much time in the hot tub, leaving his body languid and heavy.

Biting his lips in thought, cheeks puffed out slightly, Jung Heeyeon mulled over a question: Why had Director Yeon taken a shower? Was the person he met an Omega? Normally, he would have dismissed such a thought as rude and buried it. But tonight, his curiosity was relentless, perhaps fueled by alcohol—or maybe by Lee Haejin’s earlier question about whether he wanted to sleep with the Director.

Letting out a deep sigh, Jung Heeyeon stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom. The thought of Director Yeon being intimate with another omega left him feeling uncharacteristically depressed. As he moved to climb into bed, he paused with one knee on the mattress. Despite being told to shower and sleep, he doubted he could fall asleep.

Would Director Yeon be in the living room? On any other day, he might have told himself not to act childish and forced himself to stay put. But tonight, the desire to see him kept welling up.

Blaming the alcohol, he left the room and peeked into the living room. There, he saw Director Yeon sitting on the sofa. The man was fiddling with a cigarette case before pulling out a single cigarette. His movements were so unhurried they bordered on lazy, as though he had no intention of getting up. Leaning back against the sofa, Director Yeon began rolling the cigarette between his fingers.

It occurred to Jung Heeyeon that this was about the time Director Yeon usually smoked. Why hadn’t he lit it yet? Curious, he walked to approach the man.

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