Seojin looked back and forth between Euni and the last stall. Faint still, but unmistakable: the sweet pheromones of an omega.
No matter how I look at it, this isn’t something Euni should see, right?
But it wasn’t something he could pretend not to notice, either.
Yoon Haegang’s right outside.
He’d only tuned it out because of Euni; Seojin had absolutely registered the presence following him. And besides, in the original novel, wasn’t this exactly where Shin Seyoung came to cover someone’s shift and ran into Yoon Haegang with his heat cycle already breaking?
Right now was the moment just before that.
Since it’s come to this, I may as well settle it fast.
Sighing inwardly, Seojin whispered into Euni’s ear.
“Euni, I think there’s someone in the back of the bathroom who’s sick.”
“Sick?”
Euni’s eyes went round.
“Euni will help!”
The shout was small but packed solid with resolve, and Seojin’s lips curled up.
“Mm. Daddy would be really grateful if Euni helped. But we don’t know what’s going on yet, so I have to go check first. Before that, will you wait a little bit with the boss ajusshi outside?”
“The boss ajusshi?”
“Mm-hm, you saw him just now, didn’t you? The really handsome one.”
“Uuuh...”
Euni worked her lips together for a moment, thinking it over. Then the little head bobbed up and down. Seojin patted his admirable child on the back, took a deep breath, and headed out.
Sure enough, Yoon Haegang was standing there with the documents in hand, arms folded.
He really did wait.
The way everything kept flowing exactly as the original had written it raised a few goosebumps on Seojin, and he walked over while doing his best to look unbothered.
“All done in there?”
Yoon Haegang’s gaze moved between Euni and Seojin, his tone languid.
“No.”
“Hm?”
“I still have something to take care of. President, could you hold on to Euni for a moment?”
“What?”
Yoon Haegang’s brows drew together. He was about to say something, but before he could, Euni shot both arms out and pitched herself forward. Caught off guard, Yoon Haegang scooped up the small body coming at him.
“Thank you, President! I’ll be quick. Please wait just a moment.”
Thanks to his clever daughter throwing herself into the man’s arms first, no further explanation was necessary, and Seojin turned on his heel in a hurry. Behind him, Yoon Haegang let out a disbelieving laugh, but he pretended not to hear it.
“Excuse me.”
Going straight to the last stall, Seojin knocked twice. All that came from inside was a groan, like someone in pain. On the off chance, Seojin gave the door a push. It hadn’t been locked; it swung weakly inward.
“Hnnngh...”
Holding his breath against the thick wash of omega pheromones, Seojin leaned his head in, and Shin Seyoung, crouched on the tile floor, jerked his face up in alarm.
Oh no...
Seojin groaned inwardly. Face scarlet, eyes wet and glistening, body trembling. Textbook heat cycle symptoms.
“You remember me, right? The one who found your chicken...”
Seojin lowered himself down and asked calmly.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
The hazy gaze fixed on Seojin at those words. Shin Seyoung dragged his blurred mind together just enough to place the person in front of him, and nodded.
“I-I took a suppressant, hnngh...”
The tears finally spilled over, dropping one after another as the words came out of him, miserable.
“I-it, it isn’t settling down. What do I do?”
“How long ago did you take it?”
“About five minutes...”
Seojin sighed, at a loss. A suppressant needed at least ten minutes to take effect. But the pheromones were already pouring out thick, and more to the point, Shin Seyoung was a dominant, so a suppressant alone wouldn’t fully put this down.
The biggest problem is that we’re out on a remote mountainside.
Of all nights, the VVIP invitational had vehicle access locked down, so even calling a taxi wouldn’t get one past the gate.
There was only one conclusion Seojin could reach.
“Staying here like this could get more dangerous. I’ll drive you home.”
Luckily he knew where the man lived, so he figured Shin Seyoung wouldn’t agonize over it too much.
“I do have someone with me, but they’re a Beta, so you don’t need to worry.”
Heading off the part that would be a problem, Seojin’s mind raced. To get Shin Seyoung out of here, the first thing he had to clear away was Yoon Haegang, waiting at the bathroom entrance right now.
Actually, maybe this works out better?
Yoon Haegang had to go see General Manager Choi anyway, so this was a golden opportunity to scrap the meeting between the main bottom and the sub top entirely.
“I’m going to check the situation outside, so just hold on a second.”
Seojin got to his feet at once. He gave Shin Seyoung, who still couldn’t hide his uneasiness, a look that said he’d be back, so relax, and stepped out.
At the entrance, Yoon Haegang was holding Euni’s hand and looking his way.
Huh, his form’s steadier than I expected.
Mildly impressed by the unexpected sight, he went over and took Euni into his arms. What he failed to notice in the meantime was Yoon Haegang raking a strange look down over him.
“The urgent part’s handled now.”
Settling Euni securely against him, Seojin smiled brightly and finished.
“Thank you! You should hurry up and take those documents in, President.”
A short laugh burst out of Yoon Haegang. Then he dragged his gaze slowly from the top of Seojin’s head to his feet. The moment Seojin caught sight of that crookedly lifted corner of his mouth, gooseflesh ran up his spine. His eyes lost track of where to land and rolled around helplessly.
What the hell did I just do?
Standing in front of him was the sub yandere top, famous for having no mercy.
And he’d looked the man dead in the eye and told him to go!
Yoon Haegang watched Seojin’s pupils quake with what looked like genuine amusement, then shrugged as if granting him a pass.
“Fine. I’ll go, since you say so.”
The words were dripping with mockery by anyone’s measure, and then the sound of dress shoes receded. Only after Yoon Haegang had disappeared completely around the end of the corridor did Seojin let out the breath he’d been holding, long and slow.
“Haah... H-he’s gone.”
“Daddy, what’s wrong?”
“Hm? N-nothing.”
Seojin shook his head quickly and met his child’s eyes.
“Euni, will you help Daddy out?”
“Yeah!”
“Good. Daddy’s going to help a sick person out of there, so you lead the way, okay? If anyone’s around, just tell me. Can you do that?”
“Euni keeps watch?”
“Yeah, Euni keeps watch for me.”
“Okaaay!”
At her gutsy answer, Seojin set her down on the floor and stroked her hair. Then he took her hand and walked back into the restroom.
When they reached the last stall, Shin Seyoung had apparently come around a little in the meantime and was sitting on the toilet. Seojin pulled off the jacket he was wearing and draped it over Shin Seyoung’s head.
There was nothing else for it. One look at that face and anyone would know a heat cycle had hit him.
“Let’s go.”
Seojin got a firm grip on Shin Seyoung and hauled him upright. Euni marched out in front, checking left and right, and Seojin followed behind her.
The gallery entrance was right there. Shin Seyoung’s legs had gone weak with fever, and Seojin was hitching him up again as they stepped outside when he noticed Euni had stopped in her tracks.
“Euni?”
She didn’t hear him call her name, puzzled as it sounded. Her head was tipped back, her mouth hanging blankly open. Seojin looked where she was looking, and his whole face crumpled. Yoon Haegang, who he’d assumed had gone back to General Manager Choi, was standing right there.
He’d been standing there with that sly grin of his, and now he walked slowly toward Seojin. Then his gaze fixed on Shin Seyoung, slumped against Seojin’s chest and breathing hard.
“And what might this be?”
There he goes again, talking about a person like they’re an object! Seojin’s brow twitched all on its own.
“Don’t say ‘this.’ He’s sick, I was only trying to help.”
“Ahh?”
Yoon Haegang tilted his head to one side.
“Because he’s an Omega in heat?”
Hit dead center, Seojin stammered before he could stop himself.
“N-no. He just, um, he wasn’t feeling well...”
It was a feeble excuse by anyone’s standards. And there was no chance a man as sharp as Yoon Haegang would miss how flimsy it sounded.
That stare was coming down hard enough to bore a hole through his forehead, so Seojin decided it was hopeless and simply tried to walk past him. He failed. Yoon Haegang stepped sideways and blocked his way.
I’m in trouble.
And at that desperate, do-or-die moment...
“Is something the matter?”
A voice came from behind them, deep and forceful enough to take command of the whole space. Every head turned toward it at once. Hair swept back without a strand out of place, a tailored suit radiating disciplined restraint. Features as fine as a sculpture’s, and a grave, steady gaze.
If Yoon Haegang gave off the dangerous, sexy air of a predator, this man felt gentlemanly and arrogant all at once.
The instant Seojin spotted the small lightning-shaped scar cut into the right side of the man’s forehead, his heart dropped out from under him.
Oh God, that’s Choi Munhyuk!
In front of him, the sub yandere top, Yoon Haegang. Behind him, the main top, Choi Munhyuk. And in his arms, the main bottom, Shin Seyoung.
Standing square in the eye of the storm, Seojin bit down on his lower lip hard enough to grind it.
I’m screwed.
