Seo Jeong-won’s hand fumbled around his abdomen.
It ached beneath the skin.
What if there’s a wound… or what if it really got pierced?
Wouldn’t it be stranger if nothing was wrong?
Every time he tensed his body, something sticky trickled down between his buttocks.
The lower half of his body felt soaked.
It felt just like bleeding.
He didn’t want to check.
He was afraid.
They say even Alphas and Betas can have sex… but if it happens like that again, he might actually die next time.
He pulled back the blanket with trembling hands.
Contrary to the horrible images in his mind, his groin… was a mess, yes, but it wasn’t stained with blood.
“What… is this…”
When he lifted the shirt that had fallen over the back of his hand, the exposed skin was gruesomely covered in bruises.
There was even a round scab, as if something had bitten down hard with teeth.
“Did I… get bitten? Really…?”
He couldn’t quite imagine it.
He hadn’t seen it happen, so it was even harder to believe.
Maybe it had hurt so much he bit himself without realizing—just to endure the pain.
Seo Jeong-won unconsciously opened his mouth and brought it close to the wound, only to be shocked at how absurdly small it was in comparison.
I didn’t know ruts were like this.
If this is what they’re like, I really can’t go through it again.
I should at least complain to Kwon Tae-hee.
Not that he knew if Tae-hee would listen. But for a Beta body like his, this was far too much.
Still, he had been told he couldn’t refuse anything.
Maybe that included ruts too.
Seo Jeong-won ran a rough hand down his face, which still trembled.
He had thought the worst was over.
Thought he’d escaped the nightmare.
But there was still more to endure.
He started to think about giving up—but quickly faced reality.
If it were just his own suffering, he’d bear it.
But thinking of Seo Gyoo-won… he could never go back.
The string of dark thoughts, biting at each other’s tails endlessly, was finally broken by a cheerful knock at the door.
Startled, he snapped his head toward the closed door.
Did I imagine that?
But no—soon the firmly shut door opened.
It was none other than Chief Jung.
“Hello. You’re awake. I came because the Executive Director sent me.”
He stood at a respectful distance and bowed politely.
As soon as he saw Seo Jeong-won nod awkwardly from the bed, Chief Jung approached.
He checked the IV drip and reached out a hand toward Seo Jeong-won.
Jeong-won flinched, and Jung, realizing his mistake, quickly explained.
“I’ll take it out for you.”
“Ah… thank you.”
Jeong-won extended the arm he’d been hugging to his chest.
Jung frowned slightly at the sight of bruises all over, but quickly composed his expression and removed the needle smoothly.
Pressing the crook of the arm with an alcohol swab, he peeled off a round bandage from the side table and applied it.
“All done. The Executive Director will be here soon.”
“Thank you.”
Chief Jung gave a slight nod and cleaned up the IV and needle.
He asked if anything else was needed.
Hearing there was not, he turned and left.
Left alone again, Seo Jeong-won finally managed to get out of bed.
He had only just woken up and sat blankly, but already the news that Kwon Tae-hee was returning made his heart race.
He grunted while stripping off the filthy, wet sheets and threw them into the laundry basket.
He went into the bathroom and struggled to wash his body again.
Recalling what Tae-hee had taught him about post-rut care, he flushed everything that had pooled inside.
Leaning his forehead against the bathroom wall, he gasped for breath.
His hand, which had pushed through the swollen folds, trembled uncontrollably.
***
It was a long while before he staggered out, completely drained.
He pulled out the clothes he’d brought but then set them down again.
I need to cover up… but all I packed are shorts and short sleeves.
The back of his neck, seen in the mirror, was a deep violet.
I have to hide this.
Apologizing in his mind, he rifled through Tae-hee’s closet and found something long-sleeved to wear.
The pants worked after folding the hems a few times, but the top looked like a sack over him.
So he put on one of his own T-shirts and picked a cardigan Tae-hee probably wouldn’t miss—a light sky blue one.
He rolled up the sleeves and managed to make it somewhat presentable.
Still, his neck remained exposed.
He found a scarf-like item where the neckties were and wrapped it around his neck.
He wasn’t sure what it was for, but since it looked unused, Tae-hee probably didn’t wear it often.
His reflection in the mirror looked ridiculous, but he’d done his best to cover everything.
Only the backs of his hands and feet were visible now.
Finally, he gathered the courage to step out into the living room.
He limped across the bedroom.
Opening the door, sunlight from the late afternoon poured into the living room.
It was warm and filled with golden light—just like the homeowner’s gentle demeanor.
The pleasant and refreshing air greeted him.
Unlike the lingering scent of the bedroom, the living room smelled sweet and citrusy.
He looked around the space slowly.
It was a scent he had never encountered before.
Just then, the sound of someone running echoed.
Standing at the boundary between bedroom and living room, Seo Jeong-won turned his head.
“Huh?”
“Jeong-won, you were here?”
“…Hello.”
Song Hae-seop greeted him like an old friend.
From the smell, Seo Jeong-won realized who the fragrance belonged to.
Maybe it was a perfume—because the closer Hae-seop got, the stronger the scent became.
“Whoa, are you coming out of there? Wearing Tae-hee’s clothes? Cute.”
“…What?”
“Well, I mean, it happens. But wait… was Tae-hee in rut? His pheromones are sharp and intense. Didn’t you say you were a Beta? Did you know it was rut Friday? So why’d you spend it with him?”
The question—or was it even one?—was difficult to answer.
Frozen with a flustered expression, Seo Jeong-won said nothing.
Hae-seop just smiled, unbothered.
“Yeah, that happens too. Maybe he’s been having fun playing with you lately.
Wanted to try it with a Beta this time, maybe.”
“Have you eaten? I haven’t yet. I wasn’t supposed to come this week, but I missed Tae-hee, so I dropped by. He’s off work soon, right?”
Hae-seop smiled with eyes that crinkled sweetly.
“I went to the hospital yesterday and got a heat inducer shot.”
He slung an arm around Jeong-won’s shoulders like they were close.
The scent was sweet—not offensive—but it churned his stomach.
He began to feel nauseous, like motion sickness.
He tried not to limp, but his heels dragged.
“If Tae-hee gives me a pheromone shower this time, I might really explode. That’s how I feel. Even now, just smelling his pheromones makes me… kind of excited.”
“You’re leaving today, right?”
“Yeah… I think so.”
He nodded toward Hae-seop, who smiled in relief.
“Good. It’d be awkward if you were here. Not that I mind… but you know. If any sounds slip out, it’d be embarrassing. You’re not offended, right?”
“No, no. Of course not…”
Since Tae-hee would be back soon, it felt best to quietly leave.
Seo Jeong-won nodded deeply.
“Oh right, I heard from one of the ladies who works here that the person who was here before me seemed to have developed feelings for Tae-hee. Apparently, that caused some trouble. I heard Tae-hee was really repulsed by it.”
Song Hae-seop whispered in a low voice to Seo Jung-won, cupping his hand like he was sharing a secret.
“Well, they’re going to get married and have kids anyway, so wouldn’t having feelings make it better? Seriously, it’s strange. I guess the previous person didn’t expect Tae-hee to hate it that much, which is why they expressed their feelings.”
“They… liked her?”
“Really liked her, from what I heard. I mean, thanks to that person letting go, I was able to save my own life, so I even feel like thanking them. But imagine how regretful that person must feel?”
Song Hae-seop continued in a tone full of sympathy.
“That’s why… I’m going to keep it hidden to the end. Even if I come to like Tae-hee, I’m confident I’ll never let it show. I’m good at pretending not to care, acting indifferent.”
He chuckled like he was sharing a funny story.
When Seo Jung-won met his eyes in surprise, Song Hae-seop gave a gentle smile, the kind unique to someone older.
The place he naturally led Seo Jung-won to was the dining table.
“I asked Mr. Shik to make us pasta.”
The nickname he used so casually helped Seo Jung-won realize the discomfort he always felt around him.
It was Song Hae-seop’s natural attitude, like he was the master of the house.
In contrast, Seo Jung-won felt like an uninvited guest—or even a stranger.
One thing was clear: he was an intruder between the two.
Now that he understood the subtle confession in Song Hae-seop’s words, he felt like he didn’t belong here.
“Let’s eat together. Come on. You’re hungry, aren’t you? You’ve been through a lot these past few days.”
“I-I’m okay. I wasn’t really thinking about…”
At his attempt to decline, Song Hae-seop scrunched up his face and mimicked crying by placing his fingers under his eyes.
That face was almost too adorable.