EDR Ch 5

Everyone’s brows furrow as I enter the third floor. Section Chief Lee shakes his head and clicks his tongue as I approach with coffee. ‘Cheer up,’ said the section chief as he gently pats my shoulder. He then takes out a tissue and wipes his hands. How embarrassing.

Alpha Department Head Seo covers his mouth with one hand and gently takes out coffee with the index and thumb of the other hand. A mumbled ‘thank you’ was heard from the covered mouth. This was also embarrassing.

When I return to my seat, Deputy Kang increases the intensity of his fan.

“It’s a mess, it’s a mess.”

“Is it a pheromone, again?”

“Deputy Kim, did you go upstairs and kiss the director?”

“What a terrible thing to say.”

“Very simply… The estrus pheromone is everywhere…”

Estrus pheromone? Director Lee’s estrus pheromone?

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

Is this director crazy? He must be crazy. There’s no way he isn’t crazy. If I were an Omega… My face heated up at the thought that ran through my head. As it is… Oh my God.

But at the same time, I thought that Director Lee would not have done anything serious. So, I thought that just his personality was trash, not that he was human trash.

However, I did not think that this director was good in the first place. I haven’t been able to do anything since morning because I was affected by this director. What if I leave work late? In any case, this director is not making my life any easier.

Should I use the excuse of asking to go to the Gold Coast together to get a free plane ticket? No. If he says he wants to go anywhere together, it’s annoying all over again.

I go to take off my clothes in the bathroom and wash my hands. I start mumbling and even cursing the director quietly so that no one can hear me.

“Ugh…!”

Ha Won came in right at that moment. It’s not surprising anymore. I greet him by nodding my head. Employee Ha ignores me and goes to the urinal, but then turns around and comes up to me.

“Aren’t you taking care of your pheromones?”

I have nothing to say. How can I fix it? I’m a Beta!

“Do you know how rude this is? Besides, this pheromone… Are you aware that this is a company? This is absolutely sexual harassment for Omega employees.”

Ha Won’s lips are particularly red as he scolds me. It wasn’t much, but it was noticeable. Despite seeing that he was bold and finished saying everything he had to say, I didn’t want to see any harm in my social life.

In the meantime, I couldn’t think of a proper excuse to say. If I say here that I’m actually a Beta, I might create a more bizarre misunderstanding as someone who makes funny excuses. I decided to take a step back.

“Sorry.”

“Please reflect.”

Ha Won looked at me as if he’d seen something dirty, then exited the bathroom.

I am not religious, but I pray earnestly in my heart.

‘Please let this crappy day end quickly.’

***

It’s lunch time soon. I want to eat jjajangmyeon.

I hear bickering somewhere, so I go to check, and it is Department Head Seo and Section Chief Lee again. What are you two doing not working?

“Get out of the way.”

Section Chief Lee pushes Department Head Seo’s shoulder. Department Head Seo takes it without resistance. The section chief takes off his glasses. His eyes are red. Come to think of it, I heard someone sobbing in the bathroom earlier…

“Hyun-jae, listen to me.”

“What? A misunderstanding? You want to say it’s a misunderstanding?”

“Hyun-jae-ya, I…!”

“Who is that Omega? Who was the Omega that mixed pheromones with you? Are you ready to get a room right away? No, did you sleep already? Is that Omega hole that good? Is he better than me?”

“I was in rut! While I was following you, he…”

Department Head Seo grabs Section Chief Lee’s hand. However, Section Chief Lee shakes him off. Department Head Seo clenched his fist in the air, losing its place to go. Department Head Seo bows his head.

“Please trust me.”

“What do you mean ‘trust you’? What kind of relationship do we have? All you need is my body. Don’t skip work and wait. If that’s what you want, I’ll give you whatever you want.”

The section chief slowly walks towards me. The hand holding the glasses is pale.

“Section chief…”

Don’t come this way. It’s embarrassing.

“Deputy Kim. Please send me the material I mentioned earlier.”

“Yes…”

Section Chief Lee pats my shoulder. Department Head Seo stares at his back, glares at me, and moves away.

It was very uncomfortable.

During the conversation between Department Head Seo and Section Chief Lee, it appeared that some words were exchanged that would make both of their faces flush a little if they were spoken in public. No, I believe that was all I heard.

I look around. Everyone is just staring at their monitors with the expression that life is boring. It seems I’m the only one who has a stomach ache after witnessing their quarrel.

Why? Why the hell?!

Even if an adult affair was held in a space where people hardly gathered, it still would not be strange. That’s right. It’s awkward to ask what you did yesterday, but you can totally talk about your sex life in this company. This was the kind of social life that universities don’t teach you about.

In particular, the sex lives of Department Head Seo and Section Chief Lee were known to almost everyone. I don’t know why they dare to talk about their private lives in public.

Only I find all of these situations strange.

Perhaps someone’s pheromone is still floating around in the office? Everyone apparently smells something like the fragrant vanilla or the smell of jjajangmyeon, so maybe I’m the only one working in the dull, dusty smell?

Where should I order jjajangmyeon?

I send the file while holding down the overflowing amount of doubts. Section Chief Lee responds with a cute emoticon.

My biggest concern is whether I can use the bottle-flavored emoticon I bought yesterday in response to the cute emoticon sent by my boss. Unlike me, every other employee’s concerns appeared to be gender-related. I want to resign. When the job is done. That herb, that rice. I want to resign.

[Deputy Kim, what would you like to eat for lunch later?] 

It’s Deputy Kang.

[Jjajangmyeon]

[How about sweet and sour pork?]

[How many days until our payday?]

[17]

[Let’s just order small portions and have fun]

[Got it]

Deputy Kang, who didn’t take his gaze away from the monitor, raised his timid fist. I put my fist against his fist. Oh, yea. Sweet and sour pork.

*** 

While I was sitting opposite Deputy Kang and carefully mixing the jjajangmyeon, Chief Seo approached us. He was holding a lunch box. Deputy Kang drew the chair next to him out.

“The two of you, today’s jjajangmyeon?”

“Please sit here, Chief Seo.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m going to eat with a friend from the General Affairs department.”

“Friend? The Omega you hang out with all the time?”

Chief Seo blushed. She brushes off her skirt that was not wrinkled and twiddles with it because she is embarrassed.

“Just because they are an Omega doesn’t mean we’re in a relationship…!”

I ask something while dipping sweet and sour pork in the sauce.

“But you know the person who is always accompanying you. Did you say, childhood friend? Are they not having lunch with you?”

Chief Seo scowls instantly.

“Don’t even talk about her. What kind of Omega is so dumb? I didn’t talk to her today… She’s clumsy. She always leaves her inhibitor behind. I’m not happy with her constant whining when I don’t take care of her. It’s still like that today. When I told her I was eating with Ji-hye from the General Affairs department, she became upset and didn’t respond for the rest of the day. That’s how it’s been since I was a kid. When she is upset, she works quickly, and things will get better…”

“No, I asked about lunch… ”

Deputy Kang reaches for the bowl of sweet and sour sauce. I stop Deputy Kang’s hand. Deputy Kang’s suspicious laugh is ominous.

“Anyway, I gotta go! Enjoy your meal~”

“Delicious!”

Director Kang takes his hand off the sauce bowl and begins mixing his jjajangmyeon. He defends “dipping.” Director Kang, who took a bite of jjajangmyeon, asks with bulging cheeks.

“Chief Seo, do you think you like this friend from the General Affairs department?”

“Don’t you know that everyone who sees it will think you like them more than your childhood friend Omega? The amount of passion was different.”

“Eyy, there’s no way.”

“The amount of words you said about them was different.”

Deputy Kang swung his chopsticks and gave advice here and there. Alphas say that they like gentle Omegas and that pretty Omegas have thorns…

In conclusion, her childhood friend Omega is pretty, but she isn’t smart enough, so she wouldn’t get along with the chief. No, I don’t think so…

While chewing the savory sweet and sour pork, I listen to Director Kang without much thought, and Department Head Lim opens the door of the break room and comes in.

“Oh, it smells delicious! Hahaha! Can I have lunch here?”

“Oh, Department Head Lim! Come in. Come in. Eat some sweet and sour pork.”

“Ha ha ha! You know I never refuse, right? Won, come here!”

Of course Ha Won is with Department Head Lim. Ha Won was carrying a pink and white checkered lunch box. It unnecessarily matched Ha Won’s blushing cheeks.

“Hello.”

Ha Won looks at me and his face wrinkles as if he smelled something sour. The sweet and sour pork tastes like paper all of a sudden.

Department Head Lim sits down next to Deputy Kang. Ha Won hesitates but pulls out the chair next to me. As he sat down, the smell of cologne hit me. It was a refreshing scent that did not go well with Ha Won’s light skin. No, it might have been appropriate. It fits well with Ha Won’s bubbly personality.

“Scent…”

Ha Won looks at me in surprise. I quickly chew and swallow the sweet and sour pork.

“Oh no. That… There’s a body wash store. Department store. I smelled something similar there… ”

Ha Won smiles with a subtle expression. Ha Won’s nose was red. Truly the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. They say Omegas are beautiful, and I think I finally understand what they meant.

“I bought it at a department store. It seems I sprayed too much.”

Department Head Lim opens the lunch box.

“Yeah, Won said he wasn’t very good at hiding his pheromones. That’s why he said he sprayed more perfume on purpose.”

“Ah… Really?”

“Yes. Won’s scent is usually appealing to Alpha. That’s probably why he’s hiding more on purpose. I’m a Beta, so… I’m just not very knowledgeable about it.”

Ha Won takes out his lunch box. The neatly packed egg rolls seem like a lie. Ha Won is genuinely gentle.

“It was awkward because everyone chased after me when they smelled my scent. But Deputy Kim is not like that. Instead of pheromones, you smell the perfume.”

“That’s because I…”

Because I’m a Beta, the pheromone just doesn’t work. I want to tell him, but I can’t.

“Would you like some egg rolls?”

Ha Won smiles. I nod my head blankly. Ha Won whispers to me.

“Actually, I am not good at controlling pheromones. It might be a little hard to bear if you’re an Alpha… It’s a nuisance. Thank you. For pretending not to know.”

“No, actually, I…”

“Department Head Lim, do you pour sweet and sour sauce? I do.”

“Ha ha ha ha! Can I pour it now?”

Department Head Lim acts quickly and pours the sauce over the sweet and sour pork. Ha Won put a rolled egg in his mouth. I felt that Ha Won’s expression looked a little elated.

“It’s a Beta…”

“There’s no such thing as Betas and Omegas when you are pouring the sauce, hahaha!”

The egg rolls were a little too sweet. Ha Won is really pretty, and the sweet and sour pork slowly soaks up the sauce. I use my chopsticks to stir the jjajangmyeon. The noodles are all gummy.

When I turn around, I see Ha Won smiling and holding chopsticks. Scent. Pheromone? Ha Won exudes a refreshing cologne scent. It’s even more embarrassing because his face is pretty.

I feel like I got some minus points from Ha Won. I want to resign.

Note: 그 나물에 그 밥이다: “that herb, that rice”: This is a term used to describe a case in which things that match each other are paired with each other.