ICYM Ch 5

Episode 5

No matter how enthusiastic they were, with pheromones that strong, it was dangerous. Instead of watching any longer, I stepped into the restroom and chewed down the suppressant without water. The face reflected in the mirror was pale.

“Crazy bastards.”

Maybe I was more on edge than I thought. Cold sweat was trickling down my forehead.

Only after catching my breath was I able to leave the restroom.

“Huh?”

As soon as I stepped out, the oppressive feeling from earlier had vanished, and I let go of the tension in my body. The potato squad was already gone.

The only person left inside was Kendrick, still sitting in the same spot, sipping his tea. Every window was wide open, letting the breeze drift through the café.

They’re already gone?

For a moment, I considered stepping out for a bit but eventually sat down.

The potato squad had already left, so there was no real reason to leave and look for another place.

If I run into them again for no reason, it’ll just be a hassle.

I didn’t want to risk bumping into the potato squad just to avoid Kendrick.

He was at the same café but sitting at a different table, and it wasn’t like something was going to happen just because I sat here for a few hours.

Still, just in case, I casually placed my bag at the farthest seat from where Kendrick was and slowly approached the counter while sneaking a glance in his direction.

It was a private school supposedly overflowing with Alphas, but even there, dominant Alphas were rare, and extreme-dominant Alphas were truly exceptional.

Across the entire dormitory, Kendrick was the only extreme-dominant Alpha.

They were so rare, I had never even seen one before I transmigrated.

He looked like a completely different species from me, easily over 190cm tall, exuding the aura of a predator at the top of the food chain. I still couldn’t believe my shoulder had brushed against his earlier. If I’d bumped into him any harder, I might’ve dislocated something.

“Hello! Can I take your order?”

At the café owner’s question, I realized I’d failed to ignore him despite my earlier resolution. Every bit of my attention had been focused on Kendrick.

I quickly turned my head toward the café owner.

“Hot Americano, please.”

“Um, earlier… I’m really sorry.”

The café owner apologized, looking sincerely remorseful.

“Sorry?”

When I pretended not to notice, the café owner—maybe thinking I didn’t want to make a scene, or maybe thinking he’d simply been mistaken—gave an awkward smile and spoke, “Actually, the customers who just left were releasing pheromones. That person helped us out. He immediately got up and opened all the windows to ventilate…”

“Ah.”

I glanced briefly toward Kendrick. He looked so calm, it was hard to believe he had driven them out.

“This is just a small token of apology.”

The café owner placed a packaged canelé on the counter and smiled warmly.

“Thank you.”

But I quickly averted my gaze.

There was no reason to get involved, it was better not to pay attention.

Even though I’d ended up inside a novel, I had my own life plan, and I had absolutely no intention of getting caught up in the events of the story.

Except for Sunbae…

He wasn’t the protagonist, after all.

I pressed my fingers against my forehead, trying to rationalize my thoughts. For some reason, I could still catch a whiff of that floral scent I’d smelled on my way here.

And that’s when I realized.

This smell doesn’t suit him… Is this really his pheromone?

It was the scent of an extreme-dominant Alpha’s pheromones, and yet, instead of being overwhelming, it actually smelled… nice.

* * *

The line at the famous bakery nearby was longer than expected, so I arrived at the plaza a bit later than planned.

“You got here right on time.”

“Sorry, I’m a bit late.”

“No, you’re right on time. The bus just got here, too.”

Sunbae raised his eyebrows when he saw me and gave me a nod of acknowledgment.

“Shall we all get on the bus?”

At his words, everyone who had been standing around began to move busily.

“Um… Hayden.”

From behind me, Owen called my name in a small, hesitant voice, as if summoning courage. It sounded like he was going to ask if we could sit together, so I pretended not to hear him.

The reason I treated Owen so coldly wasn’t just because he was the female lead’s younger brother.

“Owen, what are you doing?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing…”

“I’m sitting next to you.”

The biggest reason was that I didn’t want to get involved with those guys who suddenly started treating Owen like one of their own just because he’d become an Alpha.

Owen looked at me again. It was understood that everyone would sit in the same seats on the way back as they had on the way here. Still, if someone really wanted to switch seats, it wasn’t like it was impossible.

He’s not seriously thinking of saying something and drawing attention, is he? But sure enough, just as I feared, Owen started glancing between me and the empty seat beside me with a solemn look in his eyes.

“I’ll just run to the bathroom real quick.”

“Ah, sure, go ahead.”

I figured things would be settled by the time I got back. Wanting to avoid being present for whatever was about to happen, I asked the dorm supervisor for permission and headed to the restroom.

Leaving my things on the bus, I returned from the bathroom and had to revise my assumptions.

What the hell is he doing?

Kendrick was sitting in the seat next to mine, calmly eating a donut as he stared out the window.

That logo and that bag looked exactly like the one I’d left next to my backpack earlier. Sure enough, when I looked at my seat, the bag I had left there was gone.

The donut I’d bought, tempted by the description that it was bite-sized, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Kendrick Bardi was eating my donut.

He shamelessly took the whole bag with him.

That donut was the only thing I had bought in this town. It was expensive and popular, and I’d splurged to get it.

Just because he’s an extreme-dominant Alpha, does that mean he gets to blatantly steal someone else’s food?

Is this some new form of bullying?

I would’ve preferred if he’d just bumped into my shoulder again instead.

Even if I tattled to the dorm supervisor, the donut would already be in Kendrick’s stomach. No action would be taken.

Maybe because of his size, he ate fast too.

I wanted to take my time and enjoy it back in the dorm, but I couldn’t stall any longer. At the announcement that the bus was leaving, I quickly took my seat. Then, glaring at Kendrick, who was still eating the donut beside me, I narrowed my eyes.

“Ha… Hey.”

“…Huh?”

Maybe he hadn’t expected me to actually push back. Kendrick’s hand, which had been reaching into the bag for another donut, froze mid-air.

I didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Give me one too.”

I reached out confidently. I was going to eat it, even if it was on the bus.

Kendrick hesitated for a moment, then placed a fresh donut in my hand. I immediately shoved it in my mouth and chewed aggressively.

No way was I going to settle for just one.

“Ahem.”

“……”

I glanced sideways at him, and Kendrick flinched, perhaps feeling a pang of guilt.

“Give me another.”

This time, he slowed down noticeably, as if guilt was finally catching up with him.

Thanks to that, I managed to eat about half of what should’ve been mine before he finished the rest.

By the time we arrived at the dorm, the sun was already beginning to set.

I ignored Owen, who was trailing behind me, and started heading up the stairs when a hurried voice from behind made me stop.

“Hayden! Wait up!”

“…Huh?”

When I turned around, Sunbae waved his hand as if to get me to stop. Once I did, he jogged up and handed me a bag with a cheerful smile.

“I was doing a final check on the bus, and Kendrick said it wasn’t his.”

The bag he handed over had some weight to it.

When I opened it slightly to peek inside, I saw the same donuts I had eaten on the bus were inside, just as they were.

“…Huh?”

I made a dumb sound and rubbed my eyes. I was sure he ate it all, so why was there a new bag of donuts here? I looked down at the donuts with a confused expression, my lower lip jutting out in disbelief.

“W-Where did you find this?”

“It was under the seat in front of yours.”

“…Ah.”

Only then did everything make sense.

This meant I became a person who demanded donuts from Kendrick out of nowhere, even though we weren’t even close.

I groaned and pressed my forehead with my hand, recalling how I’d stretched out my hand earlier, demanding more. The embarrassment burned all the way up the back of my neck.

No wonder he was caught off guard.

And yet, instead of pointing out it wasn’t mine, he just handed it over without making a fuss. I pressed my forehead again with my palm.

“You know Kendrick Bardi?”

“Huh? Yeah.”

“I don’t think he’s a bad person.”

“Huh?”

“I saw him helping someone earlier.”

“……”

Just like at the café. He was clearly different from the other potatoes. Come to think of it, he didn’t hang around with other groups playing hierarchy games, nor did he go around recklessly spreading his pheromones.

He looked fierce and always moved alone, so I must’ve misunderstood. Now I just felt awkward about it.

“He’s got a face that makes people misunderstand him, but… he seems like a good guy.”

At my muttered comment, Sunbae flinched and grabbed my shoulder. Surprised by the sudden grip, I widened my eyes, and he leaned in, lowering his voice to a near whisper.

“…You haven’t heard the rumors?”

“What rumors?”

“Kendrick—he’s from an Italian family.”

“So?”

I didn’t get why he was suddenly bringing up family origins, so I asked again. Sunbae glanced around once or twice, then whispered, “He’s with the Mafia.”

“What?”

“I mean… apparently his family is that kind of family.”

“…That kind of family?”

“You remember at the start of the semester when some shady, scary-looking guy was lurking around the dorms and the police came by to patrol for a few days?”

That happened?

I stared at him, mouth slightly open at the news. Sunbae patted my shoulder as if to say ‘You really didn’t know?’ and asked, “You do know what the Mafia is, right?”

“…Like, the general idea most people have?”

So this novel titled “Soft and Sweet” really had this kind of landmine buried in it?

“I’m just saying, be careful. He could be way more dangerous than he looks.”

At his concerned tone, I gave a faint nod.

I went straight into my room, hugging the donut bag tightly. Suddenly, I felt all the strength drain from my body.

Owen looked like he wanted to say something more, but fortunately, he didn’t say a word.