NB | Chapter 21

When Seo Woohyun discovered Seo Minhyun’s message and dashed out of his house, all he had in his hand was a single phone.

Even the clothes he was wearing weren’t his. His clothes and belongings, including his underwear from the previous day, were probably still there. It seemed like someone had taken care of him all night, but he had really just left his clothes and ran away.

Before Team Leader Kim could ask more questions, Woohyun mumbled evasively.

“It’s nothing. Really, I just left something behind…”

He barely held back a sigh, but couldn’t hide his self-deprecating expression, which made Team Leader Kim let out a curious hum. Woohyun covered his eyes with one hand, pretending not to notice him. Sensing Woohyun’s discomfort, Team Leader Kim changed the subject.

“You know there’s a mock performance this weekend, right? Are you prepared?”

“Ah, yes. Sejin hyung is helping me with the other role and giving me advice, but usually, I’m alone, so I practice my lines in front of the mirror. I’ve never looked in the mirror this often in my life…”

“If I had Woohyun’s face, I’d be checking the mirror every 10 minutes.”

Team Leader Kim joked and laughed. It wasn’t that Woohyun wanted compliments on his looks; he just wanted to show how hard he was working. But he was grateful that Team Leader Kim had tactfully changed the topic, so he awkwardly laughed along.

“Still, it seems like Sejin is taking good care of you. I heard you even went to a photo shoot studio with him recently. Did you greet the photographer there?”

“Yes.”

Woohyun briefly recalled meeting Kang Jiwon at the studio that day. As an outsider visiting the site, he intended to stay unnoticed, but it was Executive Director Kang who took him to the photographer and introduced him.

The photographer, upon hearing that Woohyun was a rookie actor from Newon, thoroughly examined him from head to toe. Especially his face, which he turned at various angles before silently giving a thumbs up. Fortunately, it seemed he was quite pleased.

“You did well. That person is skilled. Later, they’ll also do your profile shoot, so it’s good to make an impression early.”

Woohyun nodded, remembering that Executive Director Kang had said something similar. Team Leader Kim checked the time on his wristwatch and, as if wrapping up the conversation, crumpled his paper cup.

“You shouldn’t keep the executive director waiting any longer. You should head up.”

Without much time to prepare himself mentally, Woohyun was sent off by Team Leader Kim. He pushed away the faint fear rising within him as he stepped into the elevator, feeling quite heavy.

Unfortunately, Park Sejin was absent today. At first, Woohyun thought he might be sleeping in due to a hangover, but now he wondered if something had happened. He had planned to ask Sejin what happened to him yesterday when they met in class.

The idea that Kang Jiwon could answer all his questions was only valid before he lost his underwear. The more he thought about waking up in a strange bed with his clothes changed, the more his spine tingled.

There was a memory from yesterday that he couldn’t recall no matter how hard he tried. It seemed he had released quite a bit of pheromones while drunk, but what exactly happened…?

Could it be that the reason Park Sejin was absent today and the reason he, an alpha, had to inhale the same type of pheromones were the same? He was more anxious because he didn’t know what mistake he had made with whom.

At least he could take comfort in the fact that Kang Jiwon would no longer mistake him for an omega.

The elevator quickly took Woohyun to the 15th floor. Around that time, in his imagination, Kang Jiwon was smiling brightly, telling him to take his forgotten clothes and a lawsuit with him.

The charges were for disturbing the peace by not wearing underwear and for the audacity of teasing a fellow alpha with excessive pheromones.

The receptionists working near the doors noticed Woohyun and stopped him in front of the door. Knock, knock. The low sound of knocking felt like the departure signal of a train to hell. Soon, as if they had been waiting for him, the door opened from the inside.

“Hello, Executive Director. I came because you called.”

Recalling the saying that it’s better to get scolded first, Woohyun politely bowed. He intended to make up for the disgrace he showed yesterday with his upright posture, but there was no reaction from above. Tsk. Woohyun clicked his tongue inwardly and straightened his bent waist.

When he lifted his head and met Kang Jiwon’s gaze, he saw a slight smirk on his lips. However, his eyes weren’t smiling at all, making it seem like a sneer.

The voice of Manager Kim, who had said that Executive Director Kang didn’t seem to be in a good mood, echoed faintly in Woohyun’s mind. This wasn’t the time to be clicking his tongue…

Soon, Kang Jiwon stepped aside, holding the door open for him to enter.

“I don’t smell much of my pheromones on you. I thought I had left quite a strong scent.”

It was no wonder that Woohyun’s steps faltered at the words he heard from behind as he headed towards the sofa.

Oh my god… Did I really do something stupid with my pheromones?

Woohyun felt like biting his tongue. This confirmed his suspicion that he had released his pheromones recklessly while drunk, and Kang Jiwon had gotten them on him while trying to stop him.

“Sit down.”

While Woohyun stood there dazed, as if he’d been hit on the back of the head, Jiwon, who had already walked over to the sofa, invited him to sit.

Woohyun swallowed dryly, and his mind began to race. With only half of his memory intact, he didn’t have the confidence to outsmart Kang Jiwon. Moreover, in a situation where it was a given that he had made a mistake, using the excuse of not remembering felt incredibly pathetic to him.

“I’d like to apologize first…”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember well, but I think I did something disrespectful to you while I was drunk yesterday.”

Woohyun hung his head low. He thought about how he used to click his tongue and avoid drunks sprawled on the street, and now he was no different from them.

Jiwon looked down at Woohyun’s crown, where his hair was densely grown, and murmured.

“I expected there would be aftereffects.”

It wasn’t a hangover, but the word “aftereffects” didn’t quite conjure the image of a drunk person. Still, Woohyun decided to be grateful that Jiwon’s expression seemed to have softened a bit.

“So, how much do you remember? Do you remember me releasing my pheromones?”

“Yes. I remember from there. You even asked me if I had eaten something.”

So, he doesn’t remember anything before he regained some of his senses. Jiwon crossed one leg over the other and pondered for a moment.

According to the report that came in the morning, the drug Seo Woohyun consumed at the party was a type of pheromone enhancer in the clinical stage.

It was rumored to be more effective than the pharmaceuticals available on the market, so it wasn’t officially distributed yet. It was said to relax muscles, allowing people of the same type to enjoy sexual relations without discomfort.

However, Park Sejin probably didn’t mistake Seo Woohyun for an omega. It’s easy to mistakenly think that omegas are only in the receiving position with alphas, but he wasn’t that typical.

He probably intended to use the side effect that muddles the mind to pin Seo Woohyun down and make him think they had consensual relations.

Jiwon knew that Seo Woohyun was the clear victim in this incident. Didn’t he even tell him to run away because he didn’t know what he might do to him? Thinking about it now, that statement was laughable.

Lost in thought, Jiwon suddenly noticed Woohyun’s desperate gaze. He seemed confused, not knowing what to make of Jiwon’s sudden chuckle after a long silence.

By his own words, Seo Woohyun seemed to be on the verge of going crazy with curiosity about what disrespectful act he had committed. In that case, he should tell him, right? Watching Woohyun’s clear eyes tremble blankly from up close, Jiwon slowly began to speak.

“You probably don’t remember at all, but you mounted me like a dog.”

“…What?”

At that moment, the expression Jiwon saw was close to a supernatural phenomenon of a person’s soul leaving their body. Even when he apologized earlier, his expression hadn’t crumbled this much, but this face was quite fresh.

“…Please, just say I threw up on your clothes instead. I’ll pay for the cleaning and apologize.”

“That would be difficult too. Do you know how much my clothes cost?”

“A hundred, a hundred thousand won?”

“It seems the most expensive clothes you can imagine are only that much.”

“…”

He had vaguely realized that Kang Jiwon would wear expensive clothes, but he hadn’t expected them to be worth a hundred thousand won. Even without mentioning the exact amount, his hands were already trembling. Woohyun clasped his hands together and sighed as he apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, how about reviewing one more contract?”

The unexpected words came right after. When Woohyun looked up, a contract he hadn’t noticed before was held out in front of him. Even as he looked at Jiwon with a questioning gaze, he obediently took the paper.

“I need a young and pretty alpha.”

Young and pretty? Just as he was wondering if that meant him, Jiwon added.

“Let’s call it a lover, to put it nicely.”