PIA 45

His gaze pierced Ji-an’s face one after another. Ji-an couldn’t even chew the food that filled his cheeks, but could only stare at him like a captured hamster.

“And since you keep running away, it makes me even more determined.”

It’s maddening. So.

Jeong Hee-seo leaned back in his chair and sighed. Taking advantage of the moment when Hee-seo leaned back, Ji-an busily chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth.

“Why do you keep trying to find out? There are ways to not know. Giving up and complying. Letting things flow, etc.”

Ha, Jeong Hee-seo let out an absurd laugh.

“That’s the problem. Why? The problem is that I don’t know why you’re doing this.”

Jeong Hee-seo couldn’t understand Ji-an, who was acting contrary to the warm gaze he was giving. From the Omega who approached him with ulterior motives, to the Omega who was introduced as a marriage partner, to the Omega who approached him with the aim of corporate gain, all of them had similar patterns, but he wondered what was wrong with Seo Ji-an.

“You’re the most complicated person I’ve ever met in my life.”

Jeong Hee-seo never thought he would say such a cliché line. Jeong Hee-seo stood up and brought carbonated water. That’s the problem! Ji-an was about to choke up when Jeong Hee-seo said that, but he survived thanks to him.

After gulping down the carbonated water brought by Hee-seo and downing all the clogged food, Ji-an muttered.

“Living is always a bit frustrating, you know.”

Everyone lives a frustrating life, so what’s wrong with having at least one thing that’s frustrating? Ji-an’s sulking gaze met Hee-seo’s steady one.

“If you can’t say it.”

The response mixed with laughter seemed convincing, but the pheromones told a different story. Hee-seo knew too well how to use his pheromones, like a true Alpha.

The scent released from his body enveloped Ji-an as if seducing him. It teased his sides gently and radiated warmth. Like in the car, his pheromones refuse to listen. They surged forth, confidently. The air grew heavy as if the scent had weight. It felt like lying in a flower garden together.

Ji-an’s body, which has the privilege of a devilish Omega pheromone or something, was an idiot who couldn’t even identify others’ traits. Ji-an murmured and glanced at Jeong Hee-seo.

He’s really crazy handsome. I’m going crazy.

Ji-an closed his eyes tightly and opened them slowly again. Perhaps due to the overwhelming scent, he felt a bit dizzy. The fluttering eyelashes seemed to belong to someone else.

‘Ah… Should I just go for it?’

He could feel his face burning without even looking in the mirror. The warmth was so intense that he could feel it in his ears. His fingertips, holding the glass with difficulty, were as red as if they had been dipped in peach juice.

“Um, hey, hyungnim. You know…”

It was a moment when he could barely open his mouth.

The doorbell rang loudly, interrupting the mood just enough to get rid of the sticky pheromones. The two people caught off guard were unable to respond immediately, so the knocking became louder and more insistent.

“General Manager! It’s me.”

Jeong Hee-seo stood up first, walked slowly, and opened the door. The person who appeared with a concerned expression was none other than Secretary Yoon. Jeong Hee-seo stood in the doorway, blocking the entrance, without letting him in.

“Why did you come barging in without even knowing what I might be doing?”

The tone was somewhat harsh, but Secretary Yoon made a face that said he did not know what was going on.

“Is Mr. Ji-an even here?”

“Why do you mention his name right away?”

Sensing that Jeong Hee-seo might have been suffering from eye strain for a day or two, Secretary Yoon just carried all of his luggage and quietly entered the suite.

“You asked me to bring the new product samples, even if it’s early in the morning.”

“… I did say something like that.”

Ji-an tightly held the hand that he had tried to extend to Jeong Hee-seo. He was itching all over. He tried to shake off the haze in his mind by shaking his head vigorously. But the thick, lingering pheromones tinted his thoughts pink, making it not so easy.

It was only natural that Secretary Yoon found Ji-an as he entered the reception room.

“Oh, Mr. Ji-an is really here. Oh, so…”

“Oh, hello.”

It was a moment when the circumstances came together as to why his boss disappeared instead of returning to the office. Through Seo Ji-an’s awkward movements, Secretary Yoon  could get a rough idea of ​​what had happened before he barged in.

“Uh… Did I interrupt something again? It’s still early… No, I never imagined that the General Manager would do something like this…”

“You’re so noisy, quickly take out whatever business you brought.”

“Ah… I feel truly wronged.”

Secretary Yoon was unable to hide his frustration. Maybe it was a good thing he was a Beta. He couldn’t feel the deep red heat that filled the room at all. Without even realizing what kind of situation he had walked into, he hastily unpacked the items on the reception room table.

He walked with larger, more forceful strides than usual, raising his head and scanning with his gaze. He quickly noticed Ji-an leaning against the open window.

“What’s with the window?”

The wind blowing in from outside seemed to answer the question. His head felt a little clearer and his senses seemed to be coming back. Jeong Hee-seo trudged over and ruffled Ji-an’s hair.

“Do you want some ice cream?”

“Sure?”

“I guess something like this suits you.”

Ji-an was standing there, unable to kept up with his pace, when something cold touched his still-flushed cheeks. It was a cup of ice cream. Since there was no reason to refuse to cool his burning face, Ji-an quickly took it and opened the lid. As he took a big scoop, Jeong Hee-seo, who had been watching, smiled faintly.

“Eat slowly. There’s more in the fridge.”

Jeong Hee-seo walked away from Ji-an without any hesitation. He went to the sofa and started looking at the laptop screen while looking at the samples given by Secretary Yoon. Ji-an pulled the spoon out of his mouth and smiled awkwardly at Secretary Yoon, who happened to make eye contact.

What the. It was one hell of timing…but thank goodness.

As Ji-an scooped up so much ice cream that it made his mouth tingle, he came back to his senses and realized how embarrassing he had been a moment ago. Once Jeong Hee-seo’s pheromones were completely gone, Ji-an became more conscious and it became clear what kind of incident he almost caused.

Ji-an hit my forehead with a spoon in his mouth.

He didn’t know if it was because they were tied together through pregnancy, or because they were tied together as a plot device, but they were so easily swayed by each other’s pheromones. If he relaxed his mind a little, he would readily succumb to it. It was difficult to be sure whether he would be able to tolerate something like this again in the future.

While Ji-an was busy eating the ice cream, Jeong Hee-seo returned to work and listened to Secretary Yoon’s explanation with a serious expression. Ji-an wasn’t sure what division Jeong Hee-seo was in charge of at JM, but when he glanced over his shoulder, it seemed to be fashion or brand image. It was evident that he had worked hard to create this sample.

After a brief moment of being annoyed by Secretary Yoon’s barging into the hotel room, Jeong Hee-seo’s focus on work was undeniably business-like.

Ji-an silently cleared away what he had eaten, using the quiet conversation as background music. Knowing that there were people responsible for maintaining the condition of the hotel room, he lazily tidied up and then wiped his hands.

The wind swept in, dispersing the dense pheromones. Awkwardness filled the void left behind.

* * *

“Then, I will organize the feedback you mentioned and deliver it to the development team.”

“Please do.”

“…Do you have any other instructions?”

“That’s all. That should be sufficient.”

“…”

Secretary Yoon, who had been typing on his laptop keyboard, looked up. Jeong Hee-seo was looking somewhere else with his chin resting on his palm. Secretary Yoon frowned without realizing it. Secretary Yoon gazed at him for about five minutes before Jeong Hee-seo turned his head and asked.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

There’s definitely a problem. Many, in fact. Secretary Yoon just sighed softly.

“I thought you might ask me later why I didn’t double-check, but… you seem very different from usual right now.”

“…”

“Originally, four times the amount of the modifications you mentioned should have been poured out…”

“It seems like Secretary Yoon is always anxious even when things are going smoothly.”

It was definitely not a good sign, so he couldn’t help but feel anxious. Secretary Yoon cleared his throat for a moment and then spoke.

“You haven’t been able to concentrate since a while ago and have been thinking about other things, so I thought I should mention it. I’ve worked with you since you were a team leader.”

Jeong Hee-seo crossed his arms and leaned himself deeply on the sofa. His eyes shined sinisterly as he asked me to keep talking, but Secretary Yoon was not the only one to be discouraged by that.

“I mean since Mr. Ji-an left.”

“Secretary Yoon was the one who made him go like that.”

“What? That’s not true. I’ve always worked diligently according to the General Manager’s business style and instructions.”

“Did you even bother to call or message me beforehand?”

“…”

The fingers tapping on the knees was nerve-wracking. Jeong Hee-seo turned his gaze into the distance again. Secretary Yoon had to swallow the thought that things had taken a turn for the worse. He had listened too well and now found himself in a predicament.