DHG Ch 45

As a mouthful of clear water went down, Heewoo realized how incredibly thirsty he was. Yoon watched with satisfaction as he obediently drank what he had been given.

By the time the glass was almost empty, Heewoo had more or less regained his composure.

“I have something to tell you.”

He said, still holding the glass.

Now that Yoon had promised to protect him from Kim Jinhwan, Heewoo felt he had to do his part. Yoon wasn’t a volunteer, and he had no obligation to be endlessly considerate. Since Yoon had agreed to pay a good price, he had to do his best to disclose everything.

“Actually, I’m an omega. I have a pheromone-related disorder.”

Once he had calmly organized his thoughts, he could speak relatively smoothly.

“It’s not contagious, and I was diagnosed as being able to fully recover with proper treatment. Because of it, I haven’t experienced a heat in years. And I don’t know if I’ll ever go into heat again.”

He was experiencing pre-heat symptoms, but he didn’t want to raise expectations only to disappoint, so he omitted the uncertain details.

Yoon, who had been holding his breath since hearing the word “omega,” seemed to take Heewoo’s explanation about having a partial omega trait quite positively.

“No wonder that bastard Kim Jinhwan was so frantic—”

Yoon’s eyes widened as he scrutinized Heewoo’s delicately framed body from head to toe.

“—You’re an omega?”

His voice was filled with excitement. Heewoo’s grip tightened on the glass. Feeling uneasy as he met the alpha’s gaze, he lowered his eyes. His face, fragmented into multiple reflections, appeared on the surface of the diamond-cut glass, scattering like crystals under the chandelier light.

Yoon said,

“I’m… so happy.”

He confessed with a flushed face. Heewoo, who had been silent, nodded. He was relieved that Yoon seemed pleased. He tensed his body as he tried to pull away, then obediently accepted the embrace.

Now he had to tell him about the deal between Jang Seungyung and Kim Jinhwan. Strengths first, weaknesses later. Heewoo scoffed at himself for strategizing even as he was selling his body.

“I—”

He couldn’t hesitate any longer. He was about to speak, even in the uncomfortable position of resting his chin on the man’s shoulder, when Yoon took the glass from his hand and stood up.

“Let’s go.”

“—Yes?”

“I’ve already spoken to Madam.”

Yoon put his arm around Heewoo’s shoulders and helped him up. He was already holding the handle of the caddy bag in his other hand. As if sharing a secret, Yoon explained with a slightly shy smile.

“I told her I’m taking you today. That I’ll settle your debt immediately.”

As he spoke, Yoon couldn’t hide his shy smile. He had been avoiding Benny after receiving advice from a friend to “pull back and play hard to get.” Even today, he had only pretended to be cold to get back at the unresponsive boy who had called him with a request but wanted to set the schedule on his own terms. He had never lost interest, not even for a second.

Moreover, the one who had piqued his interest even when he thought Heewoo was a beta was actually an omega. Yoon’s face flushed. He was dying to know what was hidden beneath those neatly buttoned-up clothes, the concealed pheromones and the opening that would release his fluids.

“It’s like an upfront payment with no strings attached, making me look like a total sucker, but a verbal agreement is still an agreement. You have to go easy on me when we write the contract, okay?”

Pouring out his words in a rush due to his excitement, Yoon freely ran his hand through the soft hair he had been wanting to touch. Beneath the smoothly flowing strands, innocent-looking black eyes blinked slowly.

He wanted to pour out his pheromones right then and there, break through the omega’s pheromone-related disorder defense mechanism, and force him to reveal the pheromones he was hiding like a precious secret… but…

There were still too many eyes watching. What if Kwon Heewoo actually reacted? He had never sensed omega pheromones from Kwon Heewoo, who had been exposed to countless other alphas’ pheromones, but he couldn’t be sure.

Yoon wanted to be the only one who knew Kwon Heewoo was an omega. He had no intention of taking him around, advertising that he was an omega. He immediately understood why Kim Jinhwan had slyly hidden that fact.

Then Kwon Heewoo asked,

“You’ve already told Madam?”

His eyes widened, his face visibly stiffening. Yoon was displeased. Did he not want to go with him today? Was he having second thoughts now? After making him so anxious by whispering that he was an omega.

He couldn’t wait any longer. He would definitely take Kwon Heewoo today.

“Yes, I did. Why is she so late?”

Actually, Madam hadn’t given him a definite answer, but Yoon said so anyway. Kwon Heewoo kept trying to say something, but Yoon deliberately ignored him. He was afraid that Heewoo might say he would go with him later, that he might change his mind about coming to him.

“Actually, the president is planning to hand me over to Kim Jinhwan.”

Heewoo finally blurted out urgently, looking away from Yoon’s face. Yoon responded as if it wasn’t surprising.

“Ah, I thought that might be a possibility. Don’t worry. I brought plenty of money. Do you know how much cash I need to fill this with bundles of 50,000 won bills, several times more than your debt?”

Do they give cash receipts here? Yoon joked, gesturing towards the golf bag slung over his shoulder. He was prepared to offer double the amount Kim Jinhwan would offer the current president, if necessary. He could afford even more. That was the amount he had brought, just in case.

“By the way, Madam is really late.”

Yoon took out his phone. He firmly grasped Heewoo’s wrist with one hand, as if to prevent him from escaping.

“But—”

“It’s okay. I’ll take care of it.”

Plenty of cash, a lawyer waiting in the next room, security personnel stationed near Benny so they could rush over immediately. He vaguely soothed Heewoo, who seemed anxious, unaware of his preparations, and finally found Madam Won’s number. He was about to press the call button when—

Woof woof.

The ringtone, set to the sound of a dog barking, suddenly rang from outside the door. At the same time, the door burst open without a knock.

“…Madam? You’re late.”

Yoon, who had initially brightened at the sight of Madam Won’s face in the doorway, looked puzzled. It was because Madam wasn’t alone.

A tall, well-built man followed Madam Won inside, tilting his head slightly.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, he straightened up, his physique even larger than Yoon had expected. It was an imposing figure, so tall that even Yoon, who was above average height, had to look up.

The man’s gaze immediately fixed on them. As his shadowed features twisted into a crooked smile, Yoon involuntarily gulped.

The creditor himself had arrived. Benny’s new president, Jang Seungyung.

✮⋆˙

Although he was smiling, Jang Seungyung’s usual swagger was completely gone.

He stared at the two people in the room, who seemed ready to leave at any moment. He looked as if he wanted to sear their images onto his corneas.

Actually, he didn’t even see the man named Yoon. He only saw Kwon Heewoo. Kwon Heewoo, who looked slightly different than usual.

Woof woof.

Only the faint sound of a dog barking echoed in the heavy silence. The barking finally stopped after Madam Won fumbled with her phone. A beep, the call disconnect tone, rang from Yoon’s hand as well. Even then, Yoon remained frozen.

Jang Seungyung kept his eyes fixed on Heewoo. His gaze persistently examined Heewoo’s attire, obscured by the unfamiliar alpha.

An ordinary white shirt and jeans.

The sight, clinging to his eyes, was unfamiliar, yet he suddenly realized the clothes themselves were familiar. It was the outfit he had sent through Pyo Mingeon the day Heewoo was taken to the emergency room, the one he had never seen him wear.

The nape of his neck, exposed above the white shirt collar, looked particularly pale. In other words, Kwon Heewoo was wearing the clothes he had bought him, holding onto the unfamiliar alpha as if he were his guardian.

Since when?

How had he met this alpha? To the point where they seemed so close?

“What is it?”

Yoon asked, shielding Kwon Heewoo behind him. He instinctively sensed something ominous.

He knew the other man was the new president, but his fierce gaze clearly showed he hadn’t come simply to negotiate. He had vaguely heard that the man was deeply connected to Geumsan, an organized crime-affiliated company, but since similar descriptions had been attached to the previous president, Kim Jinhwan, he had simply assumed he would be similarly despicable and materialistic…

The moment their eyes met, Yoon’s legs went weak.

Was it because of his imposing physique? Why did this handsome man, perfectly dressed in a three-piece tailored suit and tie, exude a chillingly savage aura that he had never encountered even from those born villains?

A dark, shadowy gaze, the kind that made one afraid to walk alone at night, swept over Yoon.