DFLT 14

While Manager Kim Jinhwan shared data and headquarters hurriedly ran simulations, a brief moment of downtime emerged. Having come straight from Seoul to Daejeon for the factory inspection and missing dinner, they ordered sushi for delivery to have a late meal.

Yeonoh glanced at Heonyoung sitting across from him. He had deliberately ordered sushi that Heonyoung usually enjoyed without complaint, but today, given the circumstances, Heonyoung’s appetite seemed lacking, as he ate slowly.

“How long will it take to get the data results?”

“About 15 minutes, I’d say.”

At Manager Kim’s response, Heonyoung glanced at his watch and closed the lid on the sushi container. Seeing Heonyoung finish his meal, Yeonoh, feeling it was a shame to let the salmon sushi go straight to the trash, quickly popped one into his mouth and closed the lunchbox lid.

“Mr. Yeonoh, we have some time, so you can eat more.”

With his mouth full of sushi, Yeonoh couldn’t respond verbally and waved both hands at Manager Kim. He’d already stuffed himself with meat for a late lunch anyway.

“You know, Mr. Yeonoh, you don’t seem like a typical young guy. You’re quite mature.”

“Oh, haha. Thank you. Maybe it’s because I’m the eldest son.”

“You mentioned you have a younger brother?”

“Yes. He’s in college.”

“Oh, really? That’s quite an age gap. You look like a college student yourself in casual clothes, not a suit.”

Yeonoh brushed off Manager Kim’s not-so-convincing compliment with an awkward smile. Unable to bear the awkwardness, he let his eyes wander and happened to glance at Heonyoung, only to meet his gaze. Seo Heonyoung, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed, was staring at him.

Yeonoh couldn’t tell how long he’d been watched. Even when their eyes met properly, Heonyoung showed no intention of looking away. With his characteristic unreadable expression, Seo Heonyoung just stared at Yeonoh’s face without saying a word.

What’s going on? Why is he staring? Was it a skeptical glance at Manager Kim’s comment about him looking like a college student? Yeonoh mentally reviewed whether he’d done anything to be criticized for, but nothing came to mind. The strangely persistent gaze brought back the earlier incident.

‘Tie your belt properly.’

What if Heonyoung thought he couldn’t handle his role as a man and would flake out on weekend overtime? With his eyes darting nervously, Yeonoh chose to reopen the lunchbox lid. Without hesitation, he picked up an eel sushi.

After running multiple simulations and strategizing until dawn, they received news that the fire investigation was complete, and the three rushed to the site without a wink of sleep.

The embargo lifted overnight, and a swarm of media outlets pounced on Heonyoung as soon as he appeared. Despite a brief situation update, reporters bombarded him with questions. Knowing Heonyoung had been on edge since yesterday, Jinhwan and Yeonoh did their best to fend off the onslaught.

And Jinhwan was right. As soon as the cause was identified, Seo Heonyoung dove into the data like a hawk, turning the scene upside down with facts. By daybreak, headquarters staff were mobilized, and a response task force was formed.

Though the immediate crisis was handled, Yeonoh was exhausted. Not sleeping for over 24 hours made his eyes feel like they’d close with every blink. But Heonyoung and Manager Kim had stayed up too, with even heavier responsibilities, so he couldn’t complain.

After assigning tasks to the hastily formed task force, it was past 2 p.m. Manager Kim stayed with the team to keep reporting to Heonyoung, leaving Yeonoh and Heonyoung to return to the hotel from the site.

“Ji Yeonoh, did you clear tomorrow morning’s schedule?”

Heonyoung rubbed his brow, asking in a hoarse voice. Yeonoh, struggling with his foggy mind, answered.

“Yes, Executive Director. No major appointments, so I canceled the morning schedule. There’s a fire status report to the chairman at 3 p.m.”

“…Haa.”

Heonyoung let out a deep sigh.

“Executive Director, are you okay?”

Yeonoh asked cautiously. Heonyoung, leaning his head against the seat’s headrest with his eyes closed, loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, taking long breaths in and out.

“I’m fine, so just drive properly. You look like you’re about to collapse too.”

He’d tried to hold it together, but it was obvious. He shouldn’t have worried about an alpha’s stamina compared to a beta’s. A cold shower back at the hotel would help. It wasn’t far, so he kept his eyes open and reached the hotel safely.

“If you shower and change… let’s meet in the lobby by 3.”

Heonyoung, glancing at his watch, ran a hand back through his hair. Forty-five minutes should be enough. They stepped into the arriving elevator, and silence followed. Yeonoh just wanted to douse himself in cold water.

“See you later.”

As he said this before getting off at his floor, Heonyoung, leaning against the elevator wall, looked too drained to respond. Something was off. His condition seemed to worsen in real time.

Unable to step out, the doors closed behind Yeonoh, and the elevator began ascending to Heonyoung’s floor.

“Why didn’t you get off…”

As Heonyoung spoke, his eyes seemed to lose focus, and he collapsed forward. A towering wall, nearly 190 cm, crashed onto Yeonoh’s body.

“…Argh!”

Catching the falling Heonyoung, Yeonoh slammed into the elevator door. The sheer size was impossible to hold up.

“Executive Director! Executive Director!”

Ignoring the ringing in his head from the impact, Yeonoh called out to Heonyoung, whose head rested on his shoulder, but there was no response. If the doors opened now, he’d collapse. Amidst it all, Yeonoh’s oblivious heart raced at the close-up view of Seo Heonyoung’s features, never seen this close before. A dominant alpha’s face was so striking, like a hyper-realistic painting. Unable to close his gaping mouth, Yeonoh wanted to cry each time Heonyoung’s hot breath hit his neck.

Wait. Hot breath? Something clicked in Yeonoh’s memory. Wasn’t this a symptom of a rut?

Fortunately, they met a staff member waiting for the elevator upon arrival, avoiding a scene and safely getting Heonyoung to his room.

Even unconscious, Heonyoung seemed to suffer from the heat, furrowing his brow as sweat beaded on his forehead.

“What do I do…”

Yeonoh had assumed it was just stress from the fire. If only he’d brought the suppressants, even if it meant getting scolded. He paced anxiously before finally calling Heonyoung’s doctor.

“Hello, Dr. Shim. This is Yeonoh.”

After explaining the symptoms and situation, Dr. Shim Mincheol insisted on seeing Heonyoung immediately and said he’d take the fastest KTX to Daejeon. That meant Yeonoh had to look after Seo Heonyoung alone for at least two hours. He began searching on his phone.

[Rut symptoms]

[Rut relief methods]

No matter how much he searched, there were hardly any ways to relieve a rut besides direct pheromone treatment. He had no choice but to wait for Dr. Shim.

Seo Heonyoung lay still with his eyes closed. His thin double eyelids curled inward, and his long, dark eyelashes matched his hair. The sharp nose and tightly closed lips gave him a cool aura even in sleep, reminiscent of the awake Seo Heonyoung.

Despite needing urgent medical attention, Yeonoh hadn’t recognized the rut. Unable to sense pheromones, he assumed Heonyoung was just overworked. Unaware of the internal struggle, Yeonoh felt powerless as a beta, unable to help. The word “powerless” gnawed at his heart like a rat, its impact deep enough to stir the soul.

“When was Executive Seo’s last rut? Less than a month ago?”

Checking Heonyoung’s condition, Dr. Shim asked while administering an IV suppressant.

“…Yes.”

“This is serious. The cycles are getting shorter, and the effects are intensifying.”

Yeonoh didn’t fully grasp what that meant, but it was clear that Heonyoung’s condition was worsening from relying solely on suppressants to manage his ruts.