chapter 7

No response came from Se-hyeon. Could it be that his voice didn't reach him because of the sound of water?

Shin Tae-oh turned the showerhead in a different direction, completely stopping the water from coming out. He didn't want his voice to be unheard in case Secretary Ahn needed it, so he leaned closer to his face. Sitting in front of Se-hyeon, Shin Tae-oh absorbed the sensory information that came to him.

First, his attention went to Secretary Ahn's face. His eyes were heated, with flushed cheeks and red lips. Water droplets clinging to his eyelashes fell down steadily, but for now, Shin Tae-oh set aside the intense gaze they reflected.

Secondly, he heard his breathing. The vibrant colours seemed to be drowned out by the sound of the water pouring. It captured Shin Tae-oh's ears distinctly. Or perhaps he could even imagine his breathing just by looking at him. It's memorizing.

And... the soft yet dense air that touched his skin. It was invisible, but the sticky pheromones that clung to his body stirred Shin Tae-oh's instincts.

"Secretary Ahn, you see... Ha...."

Shin Tae-oh bit his tongue, unsure of what to say.

"It would be better if you snap out of it. Secretary Ahn, you're... really..."

Up until now, he had only seen his face, and his heart was pounding so loudly that he couldn't look below. Shin Tae-oh covered his eyes with one hand and mumbled. "I won't ask what kind of pheromones are emanating from Secretary Ahn, so please get up."

The sudden switch from being a Beta to an Omega would be explained later, and it's fine to find out the reason later...

"Ugh. Haah, aah."

"Hey, Secretary, take a proper breath and get yourself together, damn it."

Shin Tae-oh cursed at the nipples he saw when Se-hyeon opened his eyes while trying to stop him. It was just because he saw Se-hyeon's wet shirt clinging to his body, revealing the definition of his muscles.

Shin Tae-oh decided that Se-hyeon was still not fully conscious and redirected the stream of water over his head Then, as he was about to reach for his phone to figure out what to do next, he suddenly noticed the wallet on the floor. If it had just fallen to the ground, it would have been nothing more than unfolding the folded parts.

However, something was different about Secretary Ahn's wallet. The cards were sticking out as if someone had hastily rummaged through them, and the money clip was open.

"Did someone steal it?"

With the door open, Shin Tae-oh showed no signs of tension as he asked if someone had come in. Nonchantly, he rummaged through Se-hyeon's wallet, examining it here and there.

Normally, he only glanced at it briefly when taking out his card, so it felt unfamiliar as he reached his hand inside. Judging by the remaining cash and the fact that Se-hyeon was in a semi-dazed state, it seemed unlikely that it had been stolen. It looked like Se-hyeon himself had torn the wallet apart in such a state...

However, Shin Tae-oh nodded his head when he discovered something tucked in one side of the wallet, as if understanding what it was. He took it out himself and realized it was a pill.

"Cycle suppressant."

Shin Tae-oh understood what kind of medication it was through the visible English abbreviation. He looked at Se-hyeon and approached him. Despite acting nonchalant until now, he had been feeling a strong and sweet Omega scent since earlier, causing his lower abdomen to feel heavy and his legs to receive an unsteady strength between them.

As the water stream was redirected to the side, filling the bathtub and creating a misty vapour, Shin Tae-oh looked at Se-hyeon's face and shook the suppressant in front of him.

"Do you need to take this?"

"Please... Yes, please."

As Se-hyeon reached out to take the pill, Shin Tae-oh lowered his head.

"How are you going to take it when your hand is trembling like this?"

It would be fortunate if he didn't drop the pill due to his shaky hand. However, Se-hyeon still reached out, indicating that he wanted the suppressant. Seeing that, Shin Tae-oh instead of dropping the

suppressant into his hands brought it to Se-hyeon's mouth.

"Open your mouth. Swallow."

Following Shin Tae-oh's words, Se-hyeon opened his mouth, and whether the pill went in or not, his Adam's apple moved, indicating that he was swallowing.

"Swallow again."

Shin Tae-oh confirmed that Se-hyeon swallowed the pill with water and tried to pick up the dropped pill from earlier to give it to him, but he couldn't find it anywhere.

"Just one pill... should be enough?."

Now, as Shin Tae-oh leaned over Se-hyeon's head, observing his condition, he suddenly turned the stream of water onto his own head. If Se-hyeon had been conscious, he would have questioned why he did that, but unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury to do so.

"Haah."

Shin Tae-oh, who had been exposed to Se-hyeon's pheromones all along, clenched his teeth so hard that his muscles bulged.

"Because you've been... hiding this pheromone all along."

He had been exposed to countless Omega pheromones before, but they couldn't compare to this. Why hadn't he sensed this pheromone until now?

He couldn't help but feel dizzy and overwhelmed by the pheromones. Shin Tae-oh tried to calm down by getting splashed with water, but as time passed, his excitement only intensified.

"It seems impossible after all."

Shin Tae-oh stood up abruptly, turned off the water, and hugged Se-hyeon. Se-hyeon

continued to exhale hot breath, pressing his forehead against Shin Tae-oh's chest. Even his nose was squashed due to the excitement, and Shin Tae-oh swallowed his rough breath.

As they headed towards the room, the splendid night view and the interior of the suite didn't register in Shin Tae-oh's mind. His gaze was fixed on the room, specifically the bed, and he took long strides with his legs, reaching it in an instant.

As if tossing Se-hyeon onto the bed, Shin Tae-oh immediately climbed on top of him. The figure of Se-hyeon, which was not clearly visible earlier when he was crouched in the bathroom, became even more vivid now.

The contrast between the dishevelled black hair on the white bed and the dark suit pants created a stark black-and-white contrast.

"Cancel the statement that you have no expression on your face."

Shin Tae-oh muttered as he looked at Se-hyeon, who had a seductive gaze.

"Let me... Ah... Uh."

"Do you want me to help?"

Shin Tae-oh leaned closer, as if about to kiss him.

"Is the suppressant not working? Do you need an alpha?"

Shin Tae-oh held Se-hyeon's chin and turned his face to look at him.

"Do you need me?"

"No..."

Perhaps echoing Shin Tae-oh's words, it seemed like Se-hyeon heard the word "need" and lowered his head even more away from him.

"I don't do one-night stands…"

'One-night stands are not my thing. It never suited me, so I've never attempted it before. But now, it feels like the standards I've built up my whole life are being shaken.' shin Tae-oh almost loosing control over his desire.

"If you're saying this will help?"

Wouldn't it be okay?

As Shin Tae-oh's dilemma seemed to be tilting in one direction, Se-hyeon's lips trembled, as if urging for a kiss.

"Water..."

"Water?"

Shin Tae-oh looked puzzled as Se-hyeon brought his mouth close to his ear, but

unexpectedly, Se-hyeon grabbed him by the collar. It was as if he was attaching his mouth to Shin Tae-oh's ear. Se-hyeon, struggling and gasping for breath, shouted out forcefully.

"Put it back in its place! Huh, huh."

However, Se-hyeon's hand quickly fell away, and he resumed breathing heavily, as if in distress. Shin Tae-oh raised his head, placed his hand near his ear, and made a clicking sound.

' It seemed like I could hear properly, but my ears might be a bit blocked.'

"If you endure getting splashed with cold water like that, you'll catch a cold. Are you trying to drive out the Heat and get sick?"

Shin Tae-oh pulled off his tie as if it couldn't be helped. Now, even he has reached his limit.

"I really don't do one-night stands..." Shin Tae-oh's muttering ended there.

***

"Ah."

As Se-hyeon regained his senses, he jerked his upper body upward, breathing heavily, and looked around. He ran his hand through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts.

"How…"

'Suddenly, the Heat cycle hit before I could take the medicine. I couldn't do anything. Then I realized my hand was numb.'

"When did this…"

I followed the line connected from my hand and discovered the intravenous drip.

"It's broken."

As Se-hyeon's voice reached his ears, he saw Shin Tae-oh entering the room.

Dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans, he seemed to have just finished washing up, as he was patting his wet hair with a towel and plopped down on the bed where Se-hyeon was, with a thud.

"What happened?" He asked.

Se-hyeon felt uneasy about the strained voice, but he decided to express his opinion until the end, as it seemed more conscious to do so. Shin Tae-oh nodded as if he expected that.

"I found out that you were in Heat and tried to cool it down with cold water. I gave you medicine from your wallet, but it didn't subside..."

As Shin Tae-oh's words trailed off, Se-hyeon nervously swallowed his saliva. The method of subduing the Heat... it was related to their relationship with Alphas, but Se-hyeon had never experienced such a thing nor had the intention to do so. But who knows? If his mind was clouded during the Heat, who knows what might have happened?

Se-hyeon couldn't examine his own physical condition while waiting for Shin Tae-oh's response.

"Um... what did I do?"

As Shin Tae-oh hesitated, his head tilting, it felt like he was deliberately tormenting Se-hyeon with his silence.

"Nothing happened. You just received first aid and slept until now. It's been two days," he explained.

Shin Tae-oh checked the date and got up from his seat.

"I'm heading to work. Take some more rest."  With a cheerful face, he waved his hand and disappeared, leaving Se-hyeon alone and bewildered.

'Two days had passed. Did that mean they extended this suite? What about Yoo Jin-ha?'

"What on earth happened?"

It was fortunate that nothing happened; Se-hyeon had been overly worried for no reason.

Shin Tae-oh's reaction was especially transparent. Se-hyeon had been pondering what was strange about it, but he realized it belatedly Shin Tae-oh doesn't know his traits.

Earlier, he mentioned the Heat so naturally. It was obvious that he had been caught in the act, but there was no question as to why he was hiding it. It seemed like Shin Tae-oh even left as

if running away, though Se-hyeon couldn't be sure of his feelings.

"This is unsettling. What on earth happened?"

Se-hyeon sighed and belatedly threw off the blanket, getting up. Perhaps his back was aching because he had been lying down for a long time.

"At least it doesn't hurt anywhere else."