FF Chapter 39

The alphas and omegas in the room could only watch with their mouths agape as the scene unfolded before them.

“Wait, j-just a moment…”

Clutching his chest, Lee Hyunjun raised a hand in plea. Choi Muhyeok, unfazed by the eyes fixed on him, calmly ignored them and stepped into the room. Without hesitation, he walked to the table and grabbed a liquor bottle.

“Let’s talk this out…”

Struggling to stand, Lee Hyunjun heard footsteps approaching and recoiled in panic. Choi Muhyeok grabbed him by the hair and struck him with the bottle.

Thunk!

With a dull thud, the bottle shattered against Lee Hyunjun’s head.

“Ugh… cough…”

Lee Hyunjun collapsed limply to the floor, blood spilling from his mouth, mingling with the shards of the broken bottle.

“…!”

The alphas and omegas witnessing the scene could only cover their mouths, too stunned to scream. Lee Hyunjun twitched weakly on the ground, unable to get up. Choi Muhyeok, tossing aside the jagged neck of the shattered bottle, turned to face the unwanted spectators.

“If you’re not here to watch the rest, get out. I’ve still got business with him.”

As he tilted his head toward Lee Hyunjun, they all exchanged nervous glances. Realizing that staying any longer could put them in danger, they began backing away, eventually fleeing the room as if being chased.

Once the room had cleared, only Choi Muhyeok and Lee Hyunjun remained.

Lowering himself, Choi Muhyeok grabbed Lee Hyunjun by the hair, lifting his bleeding body off the ground. Lee Hyunjun’s face twisted in pain. Already injured, the additional strain on his scalp made the agony unbearable. Unable to move a finger before, Lee Hyunjun flailed his arms and legs in distress.

“You should’ve stayed hidden till the end.”

Hearing Choi Muhyeok’s low voice, Lee Hyunjun’s eyes widened in fear. His gaze darted frantically, eventually landing on the clock on the wall. It was past 3 a.m. His flight was at 6, and he was supposed to be on his way to the airport, but now, he couldn’t move at all.

“You bought a ticket to New York?”

His thoughts were cut short. Hearing the words from Choi Muhyeok, Lee Hyunjun could only stare at him in disbelief.

“Do you want to run?”

Choi Muhyeok’s merciless gaze pierced through Lee Hyunjun.

“Then go ahead and beg.”

He shoved Lee Hyunjun’s head away.

“Not that it’ll work.”

Choi Muhyeok flicked the blood off his gloved fingers and narrowed his eyes.

“…S-spare me.”

Lying crumpled on the floor, Lee Hyunjun shifted to his stomach and begged. It wasn’t a trick to escape like before—it was pure survival instinct. He had finally realized the vast difference in power between them. No matter what he did, he couldn’t escape this place.

So, there was only one thing Lee Hyunjun could do now.

“Please, spare me. I was wrong. I’ll never go near Ji Yeonwoo again. Just this once, please, just let me go once.”

Lee Hyunjun begged, hands pressed together in desperation. Blood dripped from his head onto his chin, but he didn’t care. Half out of his mind, he barely knew what he was saying, only that he had to beg for his life.

Choi Muhyeok watched him, pressing his fingers to the corners of his eyes, exuding a tired, indifferent air. A scoff escaped his lips as he let out a soft breath.

Sensing something was off, Lee Hyunjun slowly stopped pleading.

An eerie silence fell over the room. Cold sweat dripped down Lee Hyunjun’s back, making his skin crawl.

Choi Muhyeok, who had been gazing at him with lowered eyes, slowly looked away and turned his back.

“…Take him away.”

“…!”

At his command, Park Jincheol and his subordinates, who had entered the room unnoticed, approached Lee Hyunjun.

Lee Hyunjun’s late mother used to say that every relationship in life held meaning, no matter how big or small, and that they should be cherished. She often reminded him not to take any relationship lightly.

Choi Muhyeok had lived by that belief until now. To him, meaningful relationships stayed close, while trivial ones served as lessons to avoid repeating mistakes. But the trash in front of him was different.

Lee Hyunjun was the first person he didn’t even want to assign meaning to. Just thinking about how Ji Yeonwoo must have suffered while tangled with this garbage made his anger surge uncontrollably.

After finishing his cigarette behind the warehouse, Choi Muhyeok stomped the stub into the ground. As he walked toward the source of the dull thudding sounds, his men parted to make way for him.

Lee Hyunjun, who had been tossed on the dirt floor, was a complete wreck. His face was swollen red, and his hands and feet were so battered that he could barely control them.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Lee Hyunjun lifted his head as if seized by a spasm. Seeing Choi Muhyeok standing before him, he panicked and darted his eyes around, spotting his phone on the ground nearby. He crawled toward it and grabbed it with both hands.

Choi Muhyeok sighed as if bored by the sight.

“Planning to report me?”

With trembling hands, Lee Hyunjun managed to dial 112 but hesitated.

“What are you going to charge me with? Assault? Battery?”

Choi Muhyeok crouched down in front of him.

“Think carefully. Legally, all I’d get is an assault charge, but you? You’d be hit with stalking and drug charges on top of that. Who do you think would be in more trouble?”

Lee Hyunjun, hovering over the call button, swallowed nervously.

“E-evidence? You have evidence?”

His eyes gleamed with desperation, a wildness hinting that he had nothing left to lose.

“Ah, evidence.”

As if mocking him for just now realizing, Choi Muhyeok pulled out his phone from his leather jacket, tapping the screen a few times with a sharp tap tap. A familiar voice played from the speaker.

The moment Lee Hyunjun heard the recording, his eyes widened in shock. Choi Muhyeok, who hadn’t stopped the playback, looked at the agitated Lee Hyunjun.

‘I underestimated you. I made a mistake. If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve just kidnapped you from the hospital.’

Hearing his own voice spouting these reckless words, Lee Hyunjun became utterly despondent.

“Do you remember now where you were and in front of whom you spoke so carelessly?” Choi Muhyeok asked as he snatched the phone from Lee Hyunjun’s trembling hands and tossed it behind him. With one hand, he gripped Lee Hyunjun’s face tightly. The pain from his tightening grip made Hyunjun’s eyes bulge and his body tremble uncontrollably, but Muhyeok ignored him and began unleashing his dominant alpha pheromones.

“Think about what you did to Ji Yeonwoo. What kind of drugs did you use to cause him to suffer from pheromone deficiency, huh?”

“Ugh, urk, ahk!”

Unable to withstand the powerful surge of pheromones, Lee Hyunjun squirmed in agony. Even an alpha couldn’t easily endure the overwhelming force of a dominant alpha’s pheromones, especially not in a weakened and injured state like his.

“I looked into it myself. There are many ways someone can develop pheromone deficiency. It can be natural, but it often happens due to accidents or external interference.”

“Huff, kuh…”

“For instance, someone could be drugged, suffer an accident that damages their pheromone glands, or, like in your case, have their glands burst from external force.”

As he spoke, Choi Muhyeok’s sharp gaze pierced through Lee Hyunjun, and at the same time, his free hand tightened around the back of his neck, directly targeting his pheromone glands. His thumb pressed down mercilessly on the exact spot, making Hyunjun’s already bloodshot eyes widen in terror as he realized what was about to happen.

“Stop… stop, please…!”

“If you’re already this uncomfortable, how will you endure? Your suffering is only beginning.”

“I’m sorry, I was wrong….”

“You should experience the same thing Ji Yeonwoo went through, don’t you think?”

“Aaagh! I said I won’t do it again! I’m sorry, I swear!”

Hyunjun, seized by overwhelming fear, gasped for breath, and his whole body trembled in Muhyeok’s unyielding grip. His grip tightened even further, applying intense pressure to the glands.

“You’re still begging the wrong way. Even if you grovel, I might not forgive you. What now?”

“Please, don’t—my pheromones, I…”

“Getting rid of a piece of trash like you? No matter how much society has changed, it’s still not that hard to make someone disappear. But…” Muhyeok’s voice dropped ominously, “just killing you outright is too easy for what you’ve done, don’t you think?”

“Ugh, nngh…”

“So, why don’t you find out what happens when a shifter’s pheromone glands are destroyed, just like Ji Yeonwoo?”

At his words, Hyunjun froze.

“No, don’t, please—urk!”

He struggled desperately to break free, but it was no use. The dominant alpha’s pheromones became even more intense, and Hyunjun’s mind grew foggy as his body spasmed in Muhyeok’s grasp.

Just then, there was a sickening squelch inside Hyunjun’s neck, followed by a sharp, breaking sound. Hyunjun, who had been writhing in pain, suddenly went limp, his eyes rolling back into his head. Muhyeok finally released his grip, letting Hyunjun’s body fall to the ground with a heavy thud, like a discarded hunk of meat.

“No… my pheromones… no…”

Hyunjun writhed on the ground, clutching the back of his neck with one hand. There was no blood, and no visible wound, but he knew instinctively that his pheromone glands were destroyed. He could feel the precious pheromones leaking out of him, like water from a punctured hose.

Watching Hyunjun’s pitiful struggle, Muhyeok’s rage still hadn’t subsided. Even though he had ruined Hyunjun’s glands, it didn’t feel like enough. Just as he clenched his fist in his leather gloves, ready to strike again, someone interrupted him.

“Managing Director.”

It was Park Jinchul, who had been quietly observing from behind. Muhyeok paused, raising an eyebrow at the sudden intrusion.

“If you go any further, things could become dangerous,” Jinchul said, stepping in front of him.

“…Move.”

But the fire in Muhyeok’s eyes showed he wasn’t in the mood to listen. Jinchul lowered his gaze but stood firm, refusing to step aside.

“The sun will rise soon. If you’re not home, Ji Yeonwoo might start to worry.”

The mention of Ji Yeonwoo finally seemed to reach him. Muhyeok’s sharp gaze faltered slightly, and he let out a slow breath. Ji Yeonwoo. Yes, Ji Yeonwoo was waiting for him at home. That realization made his tense expression soften just a little.

“We’ll take care of the rest,” Jinchul added.

“……”

“Managing Director.”

After a long moment, Muhyeok looked at Hyunjun, who was lying on the ground, writhing in pain, like a bug. His gaze then shifted back to Jinchul.

“For the last time, make sure that bastard never shows his face around Ji Yeonwoo again.”

The meaning behind the words was simple. Since he had stepped in, it implied that if Lee Hyunjun ever appeared before Ji Yeonwoo again, he would not be left alone either.

“Yes, I understand.”

Only then did Park Jincheol turn toward Lee Hyunjun, opening the path. Choi Muhyeok, looking at the squirming Lee Hyunjun on the ground, calmly removed his leather half-gloves with a clean motion.

“Handle everything and report back.”

Choi Muhyeok tossed his blood-stained leather gloves to the ground in front of Park Jincheol and the fallen Lee Hyunjun before turning to leave.

As he walked out of the warehouse, Park Jincheol and his subordinates bowed deeply toward his retreating back.

˖ ❀ ⋆｡˚

Ji Yeonwoo, pacing the living room, glanced at the clock on the wall.

5:45 AM.

It had been exactly 6 hours and 20 minutes since Choi Muhyeok received the phone call and left.

“Why isn’t he back yet?”

The living room, bathed in a bluish light, felt eerie and cold.

Perhaps that’s why, even though he had put on Choi Muhyeok’s cardigan, his body still felt cold, and a chill crept in.

Sleep had long since eluded him, and all that remained was an unidentified sense of worry and anxiety.

He didn’t know whose call had prompted Choi Muhyeok to leave so suddenly in the middle of the night, but he could guess it was for something serious.

Could it be that he had gone to confront Lee Hyunjun?

Of course, it wasn’t that he thought Lee Hyunjun could pose any threat to Choi Muhyeok. He couldn’t sleep, not because of that, but because he felt an unusual emptiness in the spot beside him.

He had lived alone for years, believing that he was used to sleeping by himself. Yet, within just a few days of moving into Choi Muhyeok’s house, he had started to miss the warmth of the man he slept next to.

It felt like he had become a puppy with separation anxiety. The unfamiliar sensation of being unable to sleep and longing for Choi Muhyeok’s presence in the dead of night was disorienting.

“Maybe I should go downstairs and wait.”

Since lying in bed clearly wasn’t going to help him sleep, Ji Yeonwoo decided that waiting for Choi Muhyeok was the only thing he could do. And if he wanted to see him sooner, perhaps waiting in the lobby of the underground parking garage would be better.

After pacing the unusually vast and empty living room, Ji Yeonwoo finally went down to the second basement parking lot. He remembered that Choi Muhyeok often parked near Gate 2.

After stepping out of the elevator and looking through the glass door into the parking lot, the dim underground space felt even more desolate than the living room.

The cold was growing more intense. Maybe it was because it was early morning, but today, he felt particularly chilly. Even though he wrapped himself in Choi Muhyeok’s oversized cardigan, it couldn’t block out the cold that seeped into him.

“I should’ve worn something warmer.”

As he shivered and buried himself deeper into the cardigan, the sound of tires screeching reached his ears. He turned his body toward the yellow headlights in the distance.

The engine sound of the approaching car was familiar. The car quickly found a parking spot and backed in smoothly. Someone stepped out of the vehicle, and as the door closed and the car locked with a beep, Ji Yeonwoo opened the glass door and stepped into the parking lot.

A familiar silhouette walked toward the lobby from a distance.

“…Yeonwoo.”

Choi Muhyeok, wearing a black leather jacket, stopped in his tracks when he saw Ji Yeonwoo standing by the glass door. His face showed surprise, as if he hadn’t expected to run into him here at this hour.

“Why are you out here instead of sleeping?”

Choi Muhyeok quickly approached Ji Yeonwoo, standing right in front of him. Ji Yeonwoo, staring blankly at him in an unfamiliar leather jacket, was momentarily speechless. He had always thought that formal suits and casual knits suited Choi Muhyeok, but now his opinion was changing again.

Maybe it was because of his fit physique, but seeing Choi Muhyeok in a leather jacket made his profession all the more real. Dressed in the black leather jacket and perfectly tailored black pants, he looked different from his usual neat and gentle appearance in a suit.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Seeing that Ji Yeonwoo wasn’t answering, Choi Muhyeok’s large hand reached out toward him. Startled, Ji Yeonwoo instinctively stepped back, but his hand gently rested on his forehead.

“You don’t seem to have a fever.”

Ji Yeonwoo, his eyes wide in surprise, looked up at him. Was it just his imagination? Choi Muhyeok’s hand felt almost burning against his forehead.

“I’m not sick. I just couldn’t sleep.”

Choi Muhyeok moved his hand from Ji Yeonwoo’s forehead and placed the back of his hand against his cheek.

“You didn’t sleep at all?”

“It’s not that… I just…”

“Just?”

“…It felt empty without you here, so I couldn’t fall asleep.”

Ji Yeonwoo finally whispered the words that had been swirling in his mind. Choi Muhyeok’s face briefly showed surprise, but it quickly softened into a small smile.