SPM 1.10
by Sorai“This side we’re walking on now will be the entrance road. And if you turn left and go in, you’ll see the area where the house will be built, and on the right, we’re planning to put the leisure and sports facilities you mentioned. As you can see, we’ve already started laying the groundwork. Oh, please be careful there. It’s a construction site, so it’s dangerous.”
Today wasn’t a day for heavy equipment to come in, but it’s usually more dangerous, so please be sure to let them know when you visit, the experienced looking construction manager smiled brightly. Then she continued her enthusiastic explanation with lips thickly painted with brick-colored lipstick.
Standing on the dirt road, Ian floated a fresh question above his head.
‘Why exactly am I here…?’
The place Terrence had brought Ian to was none other than a construction site. The land where the house of Terrence Hunt, a popular sports star and celebrity, would be built.
Moreover, this wasn’t even a town with a residential complex formed like Greenwood Hill where Ian had lived at his father’s house. It was truly an empty field with only one road. No other buildings could be seen anywhere nearby.
“Privacy will really be well protected…”
Looking at the house site that had nothing but forests, trees, and a lake, Ian clicked his tongue.
Moreover, he was shocked at the sight of the unexpectedly vast site being torn up for construction. American scale really is different. For Ian, who had never thought of buying land and building a house from scratch, it was surprising and unfamiliar.
The construction manager, never losing her smile, told heroic tales of struggling quite a bit to dig out the underground parts because the ground was solid, and moving large rocks with construction workers.
Ian was dragged around behind her by Terrence, objectively speaking, he wasn’t dragged but held by the hand, but since Ian’s will wasn’t included in this accompaniment at all, it felt almost like being dragged around by Terrence like a donkey, and constantly pondered the fundamental reason why he was here with Terrence Hunt like this.
He should have noticed when Terrence just smiled without answering yesterday.
“Damn…”
He cursed softly and regretted it, but it was already too late. Last night, it was himself who nodded stupidly in a daze in front of Terrence who smiled while slightly winking. And even if he could go back, he didn’t have confidence to firmly refuse in front of that face.
Deliberately pushing that handsome face close and asking. Moreover, why were the shoulders and arms placed on the dining table so firmly bulging? No, isn’t this cheating? With such a body and such a face, smiling like that through the slightly fallen dirty blonde hair, who exactly could keep their sanity? Ian just felt wronged.
The only thing to blame was his past self who had completely fallen for the handsome type. It was so absurd that he was sobbing without tears when Terrence suddenly grabbed and pulled him.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?”
At the face that suddenly came close with a worried expression, Ian unconsciously stepped backward.
Dangerous… He wanted no more of the handsome type. Ian deliberately turned his eyes away from Terrence and stared only at the excavator wheel tracks in the dirt while shaking his head.
“No? I’m perfectly fine.”
He couldn’t keep clinging to those big, warm hands like this or who knows what kind of accident might happen. To demonstrate that he had perfectly healthy limbs without a single ache or pain, Ian flailed his arms and legs around while naturally creating more distance between them.
“Totally! I couldn’t be healthier than this!”
“Hmm…”
Despite skillfully performing simple exercise like movements, what was with that suspicious look in his eyes? Ian couldn’t understand that mysterious gaze filled with a mix of concern and doubt directed at him. So he shook his head back and forth saying “Ha, really now,” but no sooner had he denied it than Ian came to understand Terrence.
“Ah!”
He had stepped on a walnut-sized pebble and swayed dramatically.
“Ha… I almost died.”
Whether his exercise hadn’t been in vain, his reflexes kept him from falling. As he let out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead, Terrence spoke in a truly pathetic voice.
“…Still like a paper doll.”
“Hey now. Calling someone a paper doll.”
He put on a stern expression, but Terrence’s face remained even more coldly indifferent, as if looking at something truly worthless.
“Just hold on already.”
The right hand extended like offering to a child left by the water’s edge was so insistent that Ian had no choice but to hesitantly place his hand on it. Actually, it was because he had shaken his head in refusal and swayed once more. Damn construction site… why is the ground like this?
His pale, slender hand entered Terrence’s large palm.
It was hot to the point of being warm… and the touching skin was firm and rough from all kinds of exercise, yet simultaneously soft. It was because he held Ian’s hand so gently, as if grasping something extremely precious.
Somehow his face felt like it was heating up… was it turning red again?
“…I walk fine on flat surfaces.”
“Sure. I’m sure you do.”
“Really. I’ve never fallen on the street once.”
“Adults normally don’t fall on streets anyway.”
“Damn…”
Feeling increasingly insignificant the more he made excuses, Ian shut his mouth and hurriedly followed Terrence.
Before he knew it, even his ears were getting hot.
*
Seriously, I didn’t want to follow all the way here…
Ian was sitting in the construction manager’s office with a stupid expression on his face. Right next to Terrence, stuck close to him.
After touring the entire site where the house would be built and receiving detailed explanations, Terrence naturally took Ian’s hand and headed here as if it were an obvious course. And now, when Ian said he wanted to go home, Terrence tilted his head askew as if it were strange and asked,
‘You said you had nothing special going on today?’
Right… it was his own mouth that had babbled honestly like a fool, distracted by delicious food. That was exactly why Ian was sitting here blankly, staring at the construction manager’s mouth like a borrowed sack of barley.
“As you can see from the blueprints, nothing has been decided yet except for the big things. Six bedrooms with six bathrooms, a home gym, and a game room for men in the basement, a small movie theater… That’s all Mr. Hunt initially wanted. In addition to that, there will be essential spaces like the kitchen, dining room, living room, guest room, laundry room, and other spaces that naturally fit in between. Have you thought of anything else? Oh, of course, the garage will be a separate building connected to the side.”
The construction manager quickly spoke while flipping through images on her tablet screen with her red-painted index finger.
Ian, who had been gaping at her skilled explanation, shrugged his shoulders and leaned completely back. Then he shifted his gaze toward Terrence, who was the party commissioning the construction, the client and contractor of this company.
Well, naturally, since in this matter he was completely an outsider, no different from a third party. The kind of outsider people refer to when they say “Hey, outsiders get out.” To be precise, he was just a spectator who had tagged along behind Terrence Hunt.
He had even just learned at the construction site that Terrence was building a house in Kansas City. Ian only knew that he had been told to dress comfortably and follow along, then ended up seeing a big piece of land.
“Hmm.”
Realizing that the construction manager’s and Ian’s attention had focused on him, Terrence stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“Well.”
Terrence, who had been looking at example images of spaces that would go into such a large-scale project, looked up at Ian.
“What else do you think we might need?”
Only then did Ian realize his reason for being there.
Right. This man who had only done sports his whole life needed other people’s opinions. Residential facilities could become more convenient the more diverse opinions were reflected. Ian quickly understood and opened his mouth.
“How about a trophy room?”
“A trophy room?”
Whether she had heard their quiet conversation, the construction manager also clapped her hands together.
“Oh my, that’s a great idea.”
It’s a happy thing when one’s ideas or usefulness are recognized by others. Ian grinned and scratched the back of his head.
“I once saw an NBA star player’s mansion on TV, and it suddenly came to mind.”
The construction manager smiled brightly at Ian.
“I was actually going to suggest a study space, but having a separate trophy room would be great too.”
“Right? I saw that they had really nicely displayed uniforms from teams they’d been through, balls used in important games, and meaningful objects. It would be great if Terrence’s house had that kind of space too.”
“That’s wonderful. Fantastic.”
She quickly took notes while agreeing with Ian’s opinion. Then she poured out other questions as well.
Ian quickly became engrossed in her story. When talk of the pool’s width, barbecue space, and even a mini golf course connected to the external walking path came up, he couldn’t help but gradually offer his opinions one by one.
And since Terrence, the owner of the house, was inexperienced at making decisions, just making sounds like “Hmm” like his initial attitude, there was a limit to how much Ian could poke his ribs.
Moreover, whenever he offered an opinion, not only the construction manager, though of course she would respond enthusiastically since it was her job, but even Terrence looked amazed at Ian’s ideas, so he couldn’t help but feel proud.
Encouraged by Terrence’s support, Ian was soon actively offering opinions as if he were the person involved.
“Ah… Terrence, this rough-textured stone decoration is quite trendy… Of course, if that’s your taste, it can’t be helped…”
Strangely, why were all the building materials Terrence chose extremely tacky? It didn’t seem like this before, but feeling sorry for his recently deteriorated taste, Ian cautiously spoke up.
“Isn’t it too flashy…?”
“Really? Is this not good?”
“Yeah… With that zebra pattern added, it really… looks like a nouveau riche who likes hunting…”
This wasn’t some savanna grassland, yet everything he chose was jaguar, zebra, leopard… Even who thought of engraving zebra patterns on the stones decorating the house exterior? Isn’t this a waste of resources…
Ian seriously doubted the building materials designer’s aesthetic sense. After creating something like this, he worried whether they’d been fired from their company and were living somewhere as homeless, it was at the level of worrying about the unknown designer’s whereabouts.
“Then what do you think would match the overall design, Ian?”
“Well, in my opinion.”
At Terrence’s question as he opened the sample book and held it in front of him, Ian had become even more deeply immersed.
And he realized that all of this had been a trap on the way back in the car.
*
“Let me stay over for a while.”
While making a left turn at the signal, he said it so naturally or nonchalantly that Ian almost unconsciously answered, ‘Oh, okay.’ But hitting his head against the window as the car’s center of gravity shifted right, he soon came to his senses.
“What? You want to stay over?”
Though he had shamelessly picked locks and barged in from morning yesterday and today, he had never once said he wanted to sleep at Ian’s house, so Ian had been completely at ease in this regard. But there’s really no one to trust in this world, even you, Terrence. Ian gaped like a goldfish for a while, incredulous.
“Why? Why should I let you stay over?”
When he asked wanting to know the real reason, Terrence glanced at him but didn’t answer, just reached out his hand. Then he delicately rubbed Ian’s forehead that had hit the window.
“Why do you hit your head even while wearing a seatbelt?”
As if he was the one who really couldn’t understand, clicking his tongue, Ian almost apologized again, swept up by his momentum.
“I wouldn’t say anything if I had cornered you aggressively.”
He had turned as gently as possible, so why was he swaying like a paper doll again? Terrence questioned him, wanting to know the reason.
At those words, Ian was just bewildered.
“No, this car…”
“What about the car?”
“Don’t you know? This is a sports car. No matter how gently you turn, how comfortable could something designed for enjoying speed be?”
This flashy engine noise and the sound from the exhaust pipe were also problems. Weren’t they stimulating the ears of someone with a weak heart and making them mentally unstable?
Only then did Terrence pause with an “Ah…” expression as if realizing something. Taking the opportunity, Ian added one more thing.
“Speaking of which, I really wanted to ask from the beginning, did your car taste change? You have to sit almost lying down and it’s so flashy that I’m a bit embarrassed every time I ride it…”
Though it was matte metallic black, this car that would look like it belonged in a hero movie if the design developed even a little more was really about a billion light-years away from Ian’s taste.
And as far as Ian knew, Terrence had also been closer to preferring dignified things over flashy ones. He was dying of curiosity about what had happened in recent years to change him enough to choose zebra patterns on a toy car-like vehicle.
He had tried to respect his taste, but when he started the paper doll complaints again, he got a little heated and failed. Right after snapping, Ian felt a bit sorry for giving unnecessary criticism in a country where personal areas were clear and respected.
“It was a gift from my mother, so I’ve been riding it diligently.”
Now he felt sorry enough to die.
“Oh, no. Uh, it was a gift from your mother.”
“Yeah.”
Oh, Jesus, Tallulah, my goodness… Having no excuse, sweat poured down his face like rain.
“On second thought, it’s really a wonderful car…!”
“…Yeah.”
Was that sarcastic…? Continuing to answer with the same words seemed like his feelings were hurt. Should he kneel…? Having nothing to say, Ian stammered to explain his position.
“I, I just… I want to drive my own car, Terrence. My really plain and ordinary car.”
His ordinary and modest car that was plain enough not to stand out.
“You know I don’t like standing out to others.”
It wasn’t that he ignored his taste but that he had this kind of preference, he brought up what he thought was a moderate persuasion, but Terrence’s eyes became a little sad.
“Still… is it still like that?”
Then Ian immediately realized which section of the past he was wandering through.
His eyes were full of worry. Ian unconsciously reached toward those hazelnut-like eyes.
“Terry…”
And while calling Terrence by the pet name he used to use often in the old days, he gently rubbed his furrowed brow.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“……”
“Everything’s fine now. It’s gotten better. I’m not a teenage boy who just dropped into America anymore, and… I’ve gotten older too. I just…”
A light sigh flowed between them in the suddenly subdued atmosphere.
“Just, well. I’m worried about you. There are still many people in the community keeping an eye on your imprinting, and me constantly getting in and out of your car in front of the stadium. Who knows where paparazzi might be lurking, trying to photograph you…”
When he explained that it wasn’t because of past trauma, but simply because of the problems they currently faced as members of society, Terrence’s face softened a little.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
Terrence answered while taking Ian’s hand.
“Ah…”
He shouldn’t keep getting used to this kind of physical contact…
“Terrence, this kind of thing…”
“Don’t let go.”
“……”
“Just for a little while.”
Does he know that when he says things like that, it’s impossible to refuse?
“It’s nice that you’re calling me like you used to.”
Terrence chuckled to himself in a heavy voice.
Before he knew it, from his hand to his wrist was completely caught in his large, hot grip, and Ian was getting increasingly heated. A strange energy flowed between the two of them.
It tickled subtly near his heart as if a butterfly was flapping its wings. At the same time, dizziness spun around him to the point of feeling faint, and his chest heaved as if he couldn’t breathe.
On top of that, it felt like another heart was attached to his hand. Thump. The pulse of his expanded blood vessels felt too vividly real. All his nerves were focused on the touching skin.
But at the same time, the hot, dizzy sensation so terribly resembled that old first love that it instead cooled Ian’s head.
‘…Get it together. Terrence and I aren’t in that kind of relationship.’
Hadn’t he resolved after that day? That he would absolutely never even dream of such presumptuous thoughts. He must keep letting his guard down because of the unavoidable situations where they had to continue contact.
“…You should drive safely with both hands.”
Ian returned Terrence’s hand to the steering wheel and cleared his throat, changing the subject.
“But why do you have to sleep at my place?”
Apart from the atmosphere becoming a bit strange, an absolutely unacceptable statement had come out, so he had to address it properly. And if he didn’t physically distance this swamp like man as far as possible from his usual life… otherwise, it would be too dangerous.
Hadn’t he almost forgotten his sense of reality just now?
Ian swallowed and prepared himself mentally. He had to be ready to defend against whatever unreasonable pushback Terrence might come up with.
However, Ian was left speechless by the reason he brought up. It was too realistic.
“As you saw today, I’m building a new house here in Kansas City.”
“Oh… yeah. It really… looked good.”
Actually, he had no clue what was so good about it from seeing just a bare field surrounded by trees with a bunch of brown soil dug up, but for politeness’ sake, Ian worked his tongue hard to say it looked really wonderful and impressive.
It wasn’t completely empty talk, because from the rough projected plans the construction manager had shown them, if the house and surrounding exercise facilities and walking paths were all completed there, it seemed like it would become a more wonderful house than anything else, so he was just saying that a bit early, Ian rationalized to defend his conscience.
“It looks like I’ll be signing a long term contract with the team soon. About 10 years should be no problem.”
“Ah… Well, looking at the ranking performance you’ve shown since coming to the Wolves, Randy Smith would want to keep you as long as possible too. With that long a time, it wouldn’t be bad to establish roots here completely.”
Ian supported his decision, even bringing up the coach.
“Plus, I don’t have any desire to go back to my hometown.”
“…I see.”
“Because you’re not there anymore either.”
“……”
Even though he wasn’t holding his hand anymore, his face felt like it would burst from heating up at those words.
Of course, Terrence continued his long statement while keeping his eyes on the road ahead, regardless of Ian’s reaction.
“But the land prices here were more expensive than I thought.”
“Well… This is quite a big city too. Even if it’s a somewhat quiet suburb, it would be expensive.”
Plus, from what he saw, quite a bit of space was needed. It was called a ‘mini’ golf course, but to Ian who had lived on the small land of the Korean peninsula, it was absolutely not mini, and there was also a basketball court, a small outdoor training ground, and a long walking path leading to the nearby lake.
Just how many yards was it… Even just the site size he had seen with his own eyes was considerable, so even excluding construction costs, he probably paid quite a bit to purchase the land.
“Plus, the materials you chose today were quite high-end.”
“Oh… were they?”
Come to think of it, he had just chosen designs that would suit Terrence Hunt without properly checking the prices.
‘Wait, I thought the materials they brought as samples were all recommended within budget at similar price ranges…’
Cold sweat began to flow down Ian’s back with an ominous premonition.
“It seems like the cost will considerably exceed what I expected, so it would be difficult to cover with my savings.”
If a football star’s enormous salary couldn’t cover it, what kind of amazing house was he building? Well, buildings and land are the most expensive things a person can own, so it’s not incomprehensible… Ian was getting increasingly dizzy thinking about the price of his father’s house in Nashville, Tennessee.
“So I called my real estate agent earlier. I asked him to put the house I’m living in now on the market.”
“What?”
“Fortunately, that house is a very popular property, so he found someone who wants to buy it right away.”
Ian’s mouth fell open. Was this guy pushing through like a bulldozer because he was a football player? It was good that everything was proceeding smoothly, but how could he handle things this way when he’d be homeless immediately? He couldn’t understand it.
“So I don’t have a house starting today.”
What a confident and bold homeless declaration.
“Since Ian, you’re partly responsible for this, let me stay at your place until construction is completed.”
Ian screamed internally.
*
Ian sat on his living room sofa, pulling at his hair while reviewing the conversation from the car earlier.
‘Since there’s a spare room in your apartment anyway, I’ll stay there for the time being.’
Terrence drove the wedge in as naturally as water flowing, as if he had already made up his mind.
“Damn… Why did dad get me such a big apartment…”
This house was undoubtedly Harrison’s work. As soon as Ian said he got a job in Kansas City and would move there, Harrison had quickly found it for him.
Despite Ian’s strong refusal, Harrison had stubbornly pushed this apartment on Ian with talk of “dad’s love and worry,” and it was true that this apartment was excessive for a fresh member of society who hadn’t been working long.
That was because Harrison had based his standards on himself when finding the house.
‘Ian, my son. A house should have separate bedrooms, bathrooms, and dressing rooms, plus at least three other rooms to be livable for people.’
Harrison’s voice, who had proudly spoken while securing a luxury apartment and even handling the move, echoed in Ian’s ears.
As Song Joo-hee often complained, this was when his typical rich young master traits stood out. This level of residential space was natural to him. Especially if it was a house for his beloved eldest son.
He probably couldn’t imagine in his lifetime something like the cramped, shabby studio one-rooms with only high rent like in New York. Ian shook his head thinking of his father’s good natured face. He was always a good father and excellent supporter to him, but seeing the slightly self centered aspect he sometimes showed, thinking his own perspective was the standard, he was definitely an Alpha.
Anyway, for that reason, Ian was living in a quite nice apartment with excellent security, high floors, and great views.
Except for the bedroom and the space next to it with a desk and bookshelves set up like a study, since he didn’t have much use for the rest, he was living quite spaciously compared to his circumstances, leaving two empty rooms and another bathroom unused.
Still, thanks to his father’s stubbornness, it was fortunate that anyone who came could use separate bedrooms and bathrooms. Who knew the day would come when he’d benefit from Harrison’s insistence that a house must have separate guest rooms and bathrooms.
Ian muttered to himself while listening to the sound of water from the bathroom near the living room.
“…Well, Terrence Hunt would have pushed his way in even if my place was a studio.”
It was a sufficiently possible prediction.
‘Bear with the inconvenience, Ian. Think of it as pheromone service.’
When the surprised Ian couldn’t give a proper answer, Terrence had said this like putting the final stamp on a contract.
Pheromones. One-sided imprinting.
Terrence had already perfectly grasped the two words that rendered Ian helpless and was using them too well at the right times to suit his taste.
As soon as those words came out, Ian became completely submissive, like ‘If the teacher is experiencing such great difficulties, I should naturally help.’
But he didn’t expect him to push his way in today right away…
“Wasn’t this planned from the beginning…?”
From the bulldozer like signs, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a scent of some grand scheme, and while he was grumbling and muttering to himself, Terrence appeared steaming.
“What are you doing here without even changing clothes?”
The question was remarkably bold. While he as a guest had already appeared clean and ready for bed right after coming in, at the question that seemed to ask what the homeowner was doing sitting around blankly, Ian just rolled his eyes.
“Ah, I, well… what is it. Ah! I, I want to wash up later!”
Then Terrence narrowed his eyes and stared at Ian.
Did his hasty excuse show? Did it look suspicious after all? Under the gaze that seemed to see through whether he had some ulterior motive, Ian stretched and fidgeted busily. Or was that just the look of someone viewing a dirty person refusing to bathe…?
But regardless of what misunderstanding he might have about him, Ian had absolutely no intention of washing up and changing into pajamas right now. If he really came out washed like Terrence, it seemed like it would immediately become a strange atmosphere.
‘It would be like asking him to devour me…’
So Ian’s somewhat grubby behavior right now was the best strategy to protect his body and maintain a good relationship with Terrence.
Ian pretended to be busy cleaning, wiping the tea table he usually didn’t clean much with disinfectant wipes to look like he was devoted to cleaning. He wiped so diligently that the alcohol smell rose up and made his nose sting.
Terrence, who had been glancing at him, continued speaking with an indifferent expression while drying his hair with a towel, regardless of what Ian was doing.
“You don’t have to be too uncomfortable. I won’t make things difficult for you.”
Small water droplets splashed between the darkened blonde hair, reflecting light. It sparkled as if someone had sprinkled gold dust over his head, making his already handsome appearance look even more dramatically attractive.
This is insane… Ian, who had been staring at that sight in a daze, quickly came to his senses.
“Uh, yeah…”
Does he really not know that his very existence is so troublesome?
The problem isn’t you, but me who keeps losing my mind over you… Ian swallowed the words he couldn’t say and just sighed.
Terrence plopped down on the sofa across from Ian and continued speaking.
“I’ll properly take care of your meals until the season starts. When I opened your pantry and refrigerator yesterday, there were only two canned soups and completely dried up carrots. What on earth have you been eating at home…”
Ian was shrinking endlessly like a scolded child again as he muttered as if he were a really pathetic adult.
Since he didn’t know how to cook and didn’t want to learn, he just ate out or had snacks for meals, or when he was really lazy, he’d just skip eating. But if Terrence found out about this, he would definitely look at him with even more pathetic eyes, so he just slyly avoided eye contact.
“If you live with me, you’ll get proper nutrition.”
Looking up at Terrence who suggested going to a large supermarket to shop tomorrow, Ian slowly nodded.
“Are you going to cook yourself?”
“Yeah. You know my cooking skills aren’t bad. You ate it yesterday.”
“That was really all cooked by you? It wasn’t something you bought and heated up?”
“Of course.”
That delicious sauce with fresh beans, ground beef, tomatoes and chili mixed with nutritious vegetables was homemade. Ian suddenly felt his worries and concerns about living with Terrence evaporate like steam. If he could eat food like yesterday’s every day, wouldn’t his discomfort be nothing…?
“I’ve been living alone since college and developed a hobby for cooking. As you know, nutritional balance is very important for exercising.”
“Wow…”
So there really are people who can make cooking a hobby. Admiration naturally came from Ian’s mouth.
“When I first tried it once or twice, it was fun. It’s also stress relief.”
“Right…! Eating delicious food makes stress disappear!”
“I was talking about the cooking process…”
“Ah… yes.”
Although he couldn’t relate, Ian dutifully nodded.
Just how far do Terrence Hunt’s abilities extend? Why does such a perfect human exist? He had perfect looks with face, height, and body all in perfect combination, and career wise he was just hitting his peak, and on top of that he was good at cooking too. Truly a perfect person without a single weakness…
“Ah…”
Ian, who suddenly realized something, sighed without knowing it. Wasn’t he the one who had burdened such a perfect person with a weakness? It was a moment when his mind became crystal clear.
“Are you okay with pheromones right now? Not lacking?”
“Hmm… not lacking.”
Was he trying not to be a burden? Somehow his slow, careful way of stating the facts made Ian’s chest tighten. If he let his guard down even slightly, tears seemed ready to pour out.
“Come here, Terrence.”
When he awkwardly spread his arms and spoke, Terrence, who had been standing still holding a towel, slowly came over and hugged him.
When the large, hot body that still hadn’t cooled down from the heat buried itself into him, Ian somehow felt even more heartbroken and hugged him tightly. Of course, he might be a much bigger and much better human being than himself, but at this moment he wanted to embrace Terrence.
The one who was in great trouble because of him.
“Sorry… I should have paid attention first. It’s all my fault…”
Ian muttered while hugging Terrence and releasing pheromones. Then Terrence shook his head in Ian’s embrace.
“…You didn’t do anything wrong. This was an accident.”
“Yeah…”
How sweet of him. Ian patted Terrence’s back at his comfort.
But that didn’t mean he agreed with his words. Contrary to Terrence’s denial, this imprinting was entirely Ian’s responsibility.
Not long after Ian had come to America, Harrison had once grabbed him and recommended an examination, seeming worried about something.
‘Listen carefully, Ian. I’m also a dominant Alpha and your mother was that rare dominant Omega. So how about getting a detailed medical examination? If you know and understand your body accurately, you can prevent any possible accidents.’
Even though he was still young at the time, Ian seemed to understand what Harrison was thinking about when asking for his opinion. Perhaps he wanted to help him avoid the kind of accident his parents had experienced.
Since Ian also agreed with Harrison’s opinion, they together met the famous Dr. Lambert, a renowned doctor and medical professor who was an authority on trait medicine.
Father and son traveled to a very distant place and underwent various examinations over several days. Dr. Lambert, who received the results, explained to him and Harrison with a troubled expression.
‘As you were concerned, the pheromone influence index is quite significant.’
At the words that this level was closer to an extreme dominant Omega rather than just a dominant Omega, Harrison sighed deeply. He seemed to have expected such results. And the only person sitting there with a bewildered expression, unable to understand what this meant, was Ian alone.
‘You’ll need to be careful to prevent accidents. Having such influential pheromones can unconsciously bewitch surrounding Alphas. The worst case scenario would be if an Alpha accidentally consumed by Ian’s heat pheromones becomes abnormally obsessed… or in the worst case, they might even imprint.’
As soon as he heard those words, Harrison sighed as if he had a headache.
‘But Professor, imprinting isn’t something that just happens randomly, is it?’
Harrison hesitated and asked indirectly, thinking it was an awkward topic to discuss in front of his young son.
But nevertheless, both the professor and Ian understood exactly what he meant. This was because there was a widely known folk belief that imprinting usually occurred in passionate romantic relationships accompanied by sexual relations. Since it was such a rare phenomenon, there was also little information about it.
‘Although many aspects of the mechanism of imprinting are still not clearly understood, I would like to answer that question with ‘No’… Imprinting can happen surprisingly easily.’
Then he explained the conditions for imprinting that had been discovered so far.
Very concentrated sexual pheromones, situations where related hormones also explosively surge and shake the pituitary gland, and favorable feelings toward the other person.
If these three conditions were met, one could imprint on their partner at any time. While there were cases like in common stories or movies where people imprint during sex with someone they love to death, overcome with emotion and excitement, that wasn’t necessarily always the case.
Just as one falls in love like an accident, there were cases of imprinting without any particular reason or basis, which current medical technology couldn’t perfectly explain, the doctor added. However, despite all this uncertainty, he asserted that the influence of pheromones during imprinting was an essential element.
In other words, while imprinting was absolutely not something that happened easily, pheromones like Ian’s could be an exception, he warned.
Perhaps Ian looked too frightened at those words. Dr. Lambert explained gently that he shouldn’t think too seriously about imprinting.
‘The brain stores information to remember and respond only to a specific partner’s pheromones. So that other Omegas’ pheromones won’t be felt as pheromones. Of course, since it’s a phenomenon very intuitively connected to human psychology, if one’s feelings for their partner cool down, it can easily disappear.’
The professor reassured Ian that he shouldn’t worry too much since imprinting that came easily was also likely to disappear easily, and discussed with Harrison the medical treatments available.
After that, Ian changed to a type of suppressant he took daily, and spent his teenage years learning and practicing methods to extremely suppress pheromones from Harrison.
However, after going to college, Ian’s pheromone levels suddenly dropped much more drastically than a typical Omega’s.
Song Joo-hee worried to death that his physical condition must have deteriorated from living alone in the dormitory, but conversely, Ian didn’t mind at all. Rather, he thought it was good that he wouldn’t cause trouble for others because of his pheromones. Unlike before, he didn’t attract as much unwanted Alpha attention, so it was much more comfortable. It was exactly what Ian, who wanted to live quietly, had hoped for.
For reasons unknown, such low pheromone levels that he could hardly be called a dominant Omega anymore continued for several years, and Ian thought his body had completely changed to a recessive Omega level. Since it had been that way for over four years, he thought it wouldn’t change now.
So he was overly careless.
‘I didn’t know my pheromone levels would suddenly rise again like this…’
The emergency room doctor at the general hospital Terrence had taken him to immediately put Ian in special isolation after checking his pheromone levels that had suddenly spiked like an accident. The reason was that as a dominant Omega, he could affect nearby Alphas. Only then did Ian realize his pheromones had returned to their original state.
‘Of all times to come back…’
Misfortune upon misfortune. Of all things, this happened in front of Terrence, causing him to imprint on Terrence who had rushed to help him, what could he do about this guilt?
Feeling like he might cry at any moment, Ian buried his head deeper into Terrence’s chest. He was sure it had started with him hugging Terrence, but he didn’t know when it had reversed to him being held by Terrence.
“…Feeling better?”
When he asked while continuing to release pheromones, Terrence slowly nodded.
“Yeah. I’m feeling better.”
“Thank goodness… I will. I will definitely make you better, Terrence. So that it won’t interfere with your athletic career. I’ll really try hard.”
“……”
Terrence didn’t respond to Ian’s firm resolution. All Ian heard was just a slightly pained sound.
He must be really struggling… Ian sighed sympathetically and patted him more gently.
Fortunately, as time passed, Terrence’s breathing slowed and his body relaxed, returning to a comfortable state. Ian’s pheromones were clearly doing their job.
‘Come to think of it, when did Terrence Hunt stop avoiding my pheromones…’
Curious about Terrence now comfortably absorbing his pheromones, Ian recalled the distant past.
***
Actually, he’d been unlucky from the very first day of training.
Of course, Ian knew he wasn’t a particularly lucky person. Throughout his life, he’d never once had good results with bottle cap prizes or instant ramen lid winnings, nor even in the small lottery draws among classmates.
So if examined closely, this day might not have been particularly unluckier than usual. It was probably just as unlucky as any ordinary day he experienced, with routine and normal bad luck, but Ian remembered this day precisely because of a realization.
The fundamental realization of why Della hated him.
After finishing his consultation with Professor Lambert, a specialist in trait medicine, Ian made a promise to Harrison on the way home. Every Thursday, he would do pheromone control training with Harrison.
Of course, Ian wasn’t someone who couldn’t control his pheromones. Like any typical trait carrier who naturally controlled them, he had normal level control, but Harrison thought that wasn’t enough.
‘If Dr. Lambert’s words are true, we should be more careful. Remember what you learned when hunting? Let’s train together so that becomes very familiar to your body. Dad will help too. Once you learn the method, it will protect you, Ian. My precious son.’
Since Harrison kept recommending it with worried eyes all the way back, Ian readily nodded. When he heard about pheromones, a scene had come to mind. The incident in the science lab.
It would be a lie to say he wasn’t hurt by someone finding him unpleasant and obviously avoiding him. The boy’s heart had been wounded. So now, at least, he wanted to perfectly hide and control his pheromones so that no one would avoid him anymore, Ian thought as he pressed his lips tightly together.
And today was the first day of training.
Father and son sat on a bench in the spacious garden behind the house, their backs to the afternoon sun.
Harrison, who had rushed home from work without even changing out of his work clothes, held Ian’s hand with a serious expression as he explained.
“Do you remember? It’s similar to the sensation of holding your breath slightly. With the feeling of trapping all the subtle pheromones that naturally flow near your skin toward the inside of your body, yes. Like that. You’re doing well now.”
Perhaps it was because of the explanation. Ian’s face grew redder and redder as he actually held his breath while trying to control his pheromones, but Harrison only continued praising and encouraging his son.
“At first, you have to brace yourself solemnly as if you’re diving underwater for a long time, but once your body gets used to it, that sense of effort will disappear too. When you become familiar with it, you’ll be able to completely hide your pheromones for several hours without any trouble.”
Harrison assured him that even the most pheromone sensitive person wouldn’t be able to detect it, and even if they pressed their nose against his skin or pheromone glands searching for traces, they would never be able to perceive it.
“Ugh. Am I doing well now?”
When Ian asked with his body rigid, Harrison put his nose to the inside of Ian’s wrist, where his pulse was beating, and took a deep breath.
“Yes. Even when I smell directly like this, I can’t sense anything at all.”
Harrison smiled broadly and ruffled Ian’s hair with his large hand.
“Being like this reminds me of when I first taught you to walk. You wanted to stand up and walk, so I held your hand. With your small hand holding just my index finger, you took five steps at first, then six steps, and later even more than twenty steps. Do you remember, Ian?”
Both the person asking and the person who should answer knew there was no way they could remember. But since Harrison seemed very pleased as he recalled past events, Ian also smiled bashfully in response.
“I wanted to do this the whole time we lived together. Teaching you every little thing, you know. I’m so happy that I can fulfill that dream even now.”
“I’m happy too, Dad.”
“You good boy.”
The gentle stroking hand soon turned mischievous, thoroughly tousling Ian’s hair. The father looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself from pride and love for his son.
Then a shadow fell between them as they smiled at each other.
“What are you two doing?”
At the sudden question, Harrison and Ian turned their heads in surprise.
It was Della.
The wind was blowing, making sounds with the leaves and grass, and the surroundings were noisy with their conversation and laughter. On top of that, both Harrison and Ian had been concentrating on controlling and perceiving pheromone sensations, so neither of them had noticed her approaching at all.
Della was breathing heavily and sweating slightly, as if she had run all the way here.
Ian’s eyes widened at the cheerleading uniform she was wearing. It seemed she had run straight from the parking lot to here without time to change clothes.
“You came early, Della.”
“……”
Harrison smiled at his daughter while keeping his hand on Ian’s shoulder.
“You’re the one who’s early, Dad.”
Della’s face was flushed, looking pleased. She squeezed into the narrow gap between Harrison and Ian, sitting down while grabbing her father’s arm.
“How come you came home this early, Dad? You’ve never come home at this time before. But today, when I arrived at the house, your car was there. So I asked Juanita and she said you went to the backyard, so I ran straight here!”
“I see.”
While Ian moved his body to distance himself from contact with his younger sister, widening the space between them, Della chattered excitedly toward Harrison.
“Dad, I want to eat ice cream. I want to go to Baskin-Robbins. Let’s go out now, okay? It’s so delicious when you eat it with toppings added. After that, let’s go out to eat.”
Looking at Della hanging on his arm and shoulder, acting cute as she pleaded, Harrison made a somewhat troubled face.
“Let’s go later, Della. Right now is a bit difficult.”
“Later when? Dad, you never come home this early. On weekends, Mom is busy too…!”
“Still, I’m in the middle of giving your brother a lesson right now…”
Before Harrison could finish speaking, Della whipped around to look at Ian. Her attitude was like someone who had just realized his existence for the first time.
“What lesson?”
With her sharp voice and cat-like eyes glaring up at him, Ian was startled and shrank back even further.
“What kind of lesson? I want to take classes from Dad too. Why are you two doing it alone? Teach me too.”
At those words, Harrison looked even more troubled, and Ian, unable to refuse the fierce gaze directed at him, opened his mouth slightly.
“…Pheromone control…”
“What?”
As soon as Della heard the word pheromone, she jumped up from her seat so abruptly that the long bench shook a little. Since it was a bench that Olivia had just casually placed on the grass for garden decoration, Ian had to sway his body to keep from falling over.
“Haa…”
Seeing this, Harrison let out a big sigh and helped steady Ian’s body. Then he stood up, put his hands on his hips, and spoke in a somewhat stern voice.
“…It’s training that Betas don’t need.”
It seemed he had no intention of explaining in detail about his son’s physical difficulties to his daughter, as Harrison dismissed it with that one statement and shook his head.
“We just started, so we won’t be able to go out. Let’s have dinner out on Saturday. Dad promises.”
Though it was a soothing voice, it didn’t seem to matter much to her.
“Forget it!”
Della, who had shouted at them, turned around and started running toward the house. Then the flustered Harrison told Ian, “Wait just a moment,” and immediately chased after her.
However, Della already seemed hurt. Even as Harrison tried to stop her, she stamped her feet on the grass and screamed.
After turning the corner with the large tree, their figures were no longer visible, but Ian could still hear her shrieking voice from time to time.
“…Dad only cares about Ian now!”
“…Your brother doesn’t enjoy the benefits like you…”
“So now that I’ve enjoyed them, it’s okay for them to be taken away?”
“…Sharing what you have is…”
“I don’t want to!”
“…Of course Ian should have had what he rightfully…”
Compared to Della who was shouting, Harrison’s words trying to persuade her were too quiet to hear well, but from the scattered words and sentences that could be heard, it was easy to know what kind of conversation they were having.
Omega. The word Omega was heard several times.
They were constantly only saying their own words. The argument between two people who couldn’t hear each other’s stories at all because only their own thoughts, values, and emotions mattered continued for a long time.
Ian quietly put his legs up on the bench and rested his face on his knees. Then he buried his face in his arms.
What came to mind in the darkness he created was Della’s face he had just seen.
His younger sister’s face, which had looked like a selfish child, cracked like a glass mask the moment she heard about pheromones, revealing her raw expression as if it had shattered with a crack.
A hurt expression.
Ian covered his ears at the sound of blame and scolding coming from afar.