Confined Pheromone

I had to submit a job application as a formality. I was just about to fill out a few documents in the assistant’s office and head back. As Siwoo’s car approached the campus main gate, I caught sight of a familiar silhouette once again. Why does that person stand out so much? They’re nothing special. Siwoo slowly pulled the car closer to the sidewalk and reduced speed. With a whir, he rolled down the passenger window and leaned slightly to throw a glance at me as he was leaving the campus.

“Sanho.”

Lost in deep thought, I looked at Siwoo’s car with a bit too much surprise. Upon confirming the open passenger door and Siwoo leaning in, my expression stiffened again. Why does he get so tense when he sees me? Siwoo smiled with his eyes crinkling and spoke again.

“Do you want a ride?”

“…….”

“I’ll take you home.”

I stood there for a moment, staring at Siwoo. My stiff expression softened a little, but it was still rigid. Siwoo waited leisurely for my response. Just then,

“Hey! It’s Siwoo sunbae!”

I heard the sound of footsteps from three juniors. They passed by me, bending slightly to greet Siwoo through the passenger side.

“Sunbae, are you on your way home?”

“Why are you leaving so late? We had our last lecture today….”

Siwoo smiled awkwardly, but soon shrugged his shoulders.

“Are you guys heading home too?”

“Yes!,” the juniors replied in unison. They looked like little chicks chirping with their sparkling eyes fixed on me. Well, they were clueless chicks, though.

“Get in. I’ll give you a ride.”

“Wow, really?”

The juniors exclaimed excitedly.

“Yeah, in the back. The front is….”

Sanho… But Siwoo quickly closed his mouth. In the brief moment of chatting with the juniors, Sanho had already moved quite a distance away. I thought about calling out to Sanho for a moment, but Siwoo didn’t say anything. It would be more uncomfortable to ride with these kids when he was already uneasy being alone with me.

With a click, the door opened, and the juniors got into Siwoo’s car. “Thank you!” they chirped brightly, and Siwoo smiled back. “Okay, I’ll drop Inhye off first. Give me your address.” As he touched the navigation, the car slowly rolled forward. The car passed by Sanho, who was walking with an indifferent expression.

“Thank you so much, sunbae.”

One junior, who was left alone, got out of the car and bowed his head toward Siwoo. Siwoo waved lightly. “See you tomorrow!” As I watched the junior’s back, I soon turned my gaze and pressed the accelerator. Looking at the watch draped over the steering wheel, I realized time had passed more than I thought. I had documents to send to the company. Tapping the steering wheel, I headed toward the officetel.

“…….”

Sanho, who had been walking with his mouth tightly shut, didn’t show any particular expression. It was as if Siwoo’s words had never happened. It made sense since he was uncomfortable with someone approaching him in the first place.

“…….”

But why was I so concerned? Siwoo frowned and looked ahead. Just then, a red traffic light turned on, stopping the car.

“…….”

Siwoo lightly bit his lip. Then, after a sigh, he abruptly turned the steering wheel. Vroom, the sound of the engine revving filled the air. As he retraced his steps, Siwoo glanced at his watch again. He was going to be late.

He drove a bit hastily. On the way back to school, Siwoo checked the people on the sidewalk. He slowed down a bit at the crowded bus stop, carefully observing the people. Finally, as he reached the campus main gate, Siwoo stopped the car.

“Ha.”

He felt a bit flustered by his own actions. What was I even thinking… that kid, Sanho, had already gone home…

“…Huh?”

As the bus that had stopped at the campus bus stop departed, I saw Inyoung sitting alone on the empty bench. It was quite dark, and with his head bowed low, I couldn’t make out his features, but Siwoo quickly recognized who it was. He turned the steering wheel and made a wide turn. The car stopped in front of Inyoung, who was still hunched over, tightly gripping something in his hand. Once again, the passenger window rolled down.

“Sanho.”

Sanho slowly lifted his head. The tube of ointment he was tightly holding glimmered in the taillights. Upon realizing whose car was in front of him, Sanho looked extremely flustered.

“What are you doing here?”

“…Sunbae.”

“Aren’t you going home?”

“…Why are you….”

Right, he must be puzzled too. Siwoo was just as confused about himself. He had clearly left the school with the juniors in the car. Seeing Sanho’s face stained with confusion and surprise, Siwoo couldn’t help but smile. The emotion flooding in was undoubtedly relief.

“Were you waiting for me?”

Sanho’s eyes narrowed slightly. Soon, a cold voice came out.

“No, I wasn’t.”

“I think you were.”

As Siwoo continued to smile and look at me, Sanho seemed to be getting angry. He shook his head vigorously.

“I wasn’t waiting for you.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

Seeing Sanho’s mouth shut tight, Siwoo leaned in a bit more.

“Get in. I’ll take you home.”

“No. I don’t want to.”

His tone was sharp and prickly. Siwoo’s smile faded slightly. With a small sigh, Siwoo turned off the engine. As the engine quietly shut down, Siwoo slowly got out of the car. Leaning against the car, he stared at Sanho. Sanho looked up at Siwoo with an even more flustered expression.

Um… Siwoo, who had been clearing his throat, slowly walked over to sit beside Sanho on the bench. As Sanho quietly followed Siwoo’s movements, he finally spoke.

“What are you doing?”

Siwoo tilted his head and looked at Sanho, as if questioning why he was asking something so obvious.

“I’m waiting for you.”

“What…!”

Sanho opened his mouth wide, then took a breath and spoke coldly.

“This isn’t a parking area.”

“Yeah. I know.”

“If you park here-.”

“Right, it’ll get towed.”

A laugh of disbelief escaped Siwoo. Still looking at Sanho, he continued casually.

“If you keep refusing to get in, it really will get towed.”

“Why do you keep bothering me…!”

Sanho’s eyes crinkled in frustration. His cheeks seemed to flush slightly. Why am I so concerned about him? Siwoo shrugged in response. Sanho bit his lip and stared at Siwoo. A twisted sarcasm began to rise in his prickly heart.

“Why, do you think I’m just anyone-.”

“I’m not hungry today.”

“…What?”

“Just, I’ll take you home.”

Siwoo slowly stood up from where he was sitting. He naturally reached out his hand toward Sanho but soon lowered it. A moment passed, filled with the chaotic sounds of cars on the road. After a rough exhaust sound, Sanho lifted his head. He stood up, following Siwoo’s lead. Siwoo smiled brightly at Sanho, opening the passenger door for him.

***

The address Sanho mumbled was quite far from Siwoo’s officetel. Unless there was a special reason, it wasn’t a neighborhood Siwoo would usually go to. As they passed through the bustling area and entered a winding alley, it became a bit uncomfortable to drive. It was rare for a large sedan to enter such a narrow alley. Siwoo frowned slightly, glancing at the side mirror. Sanho looked out the window at the closely packed walls of the alley and spoke.

“Just drop me off here.”

“We still have a little further to go.”

“This alley is too narrow for the car to go up.”

The destination marked on the navigation was a bit far, but it wasn’t too far either. As they climbed higher, the alley would get narrower. Just as Sanho said, it wasn’t a road the car could go up. Hm, Siwoo nodded.

“Okay, then.”

“…….”

“Take care.”

Sanho silently nodded and opened the passenger door. As he shifted into reverse, Siwoo watched Sanho’s back as he walked ahead. As they reached the end of the alley and turned right, Sanho’s profile was faintly illuminated by the car’s taillights. For a moment, it seemed like Sanho’s expression was crumpled in distress.

“…….”

He looked annoyed and angry. But to Siwoo, it seemed like there were tears in his eyes. There was no reason to cry at all. Was it just because he was worried? Just like Sanho’s indifferent expression when he passed by while dropping off the juniors, the distorted look on Sanho’s face now lingered in Siwoo’s mind.

“Ha, damn it.”

Siwoo roughly reversed the car. As he found a slightly wider alley, a parking space caught his eye. The place, covered with shabby cloth, looked like a construction site in ruins. Siwoo parked the car haphazardly in front of it. He quickly turned off the engine and got out of the car.

“…….”

He walked briskly into the alley where Sanho had turned. Sanho was nowhere to be seen. The alley was densely connected, and there was an incline leading up. What was he planning to do by chasing after Sanho? There was no clear purpose. It was just a feeling that he had to follow Sanho. Remembering the direction marked on the navigation, Siwoo walked along the alley. The sparse streetlights flickered dimly. Isn’t it a bit dangerous to walk alone in a place like this? That kid is a young man, so what could happen, right?

“…….”

But if that kid really is an omega, the situation would be different. As he stepped up the gently sloping stairs, a voice reached his ears.

“…It’s already settled.”

“So I’m saying I’ll give you more money.”

“I told you I don’t need it…!”

The voices came from the inner alley. Siwoo frowned and subtly turned his body toward the source of the sound.

“You were the one who agreed to do this in the first place.”

“That was just to meet and have a meal-.”

“Don’t act innocent. Who would pay an omega just to have a meal?”

Under the dim streetlight, two figures stood close together.

“Who’s talking trash? I just want to suck on those pretty lips-.”

As Siwoo approached with a scowl, one person roughly grabbed the other by the neck and pressed their lips together as if to bite.

“Ah…!”

The pheromones of the alpha and omega burst forth in a split second. The alpha’s pheromones were meant to overpower the resisting omega, while the omega’s pheromones were a momentary danger signal triggered by sensing a threat. Siwoo bit his lip and inhaled sharply.

“…Ugh.”

Siwoo’s, a dominant alpha’s pheromones, quickly enveloped them. The entangled alpha’s pheromones and the omega’s pheromones slowly dispersed into the air. Siwoo also inhaled deeply, withdrawing his pheromones. He turned roughly to face the other alpha who had attacked him.

“What’s going on?”

This was the same sight he had seen that day. Messy.

Siwoo sighed but didn’t raise his hand to block the man. He simply blinked slowly, staring intently at him. As Siwoo slowly shifted his gaze to Sanho, the man let out a laugh.

“Looks like you’re not just any omega, huh? You brought an alpha with you.”

“Is that-.”

“Is this the guy who’s giving you money this time?”

The man looked Siwoo up and down as if appraising him. The lewd gaze was extremely unpleasant, and Siwoo felt the urge to release his pheromones again, but he merely kept his mouth shut and faced him. The man, with a mocking grin, turned his gaze from Siwoo to Sanho.

“You look like you have a lot of money.”

“Don’t speak carelessly-.”

“Well, if you’re going to spread your legs for a guy like this, you might as well get paid well for it.”

“Fuck, don’t talk carelessly…!”

Sanho shouted angrily, shoving the man’s shoulder hard, but the man merely laughed lazily and shrugged off Sanho’s hand. Seeing Siwoo take a threatening step forward, the man let out a mocking cheer.

“What kind of person are you to be chasing after an omega’s behind, huh, young master?”

Siwoo spoke with a blank expression.

“School senior.”

“Senior? School senior?” The man elongated his words mockingly and burst into laughter.

“Wow, Baek Sanho is now spreading rumors even at school?”

“Just, senior.”

The man chuckled. Glancing at Sanho over his shoulder, he spat on the ground.

“Just let me know when you’re done with that dirty Omega that smells like another Alpha. Well, I’ll figure it out when I run out of money.”

The man brushed past Siwoo with a swagger. Siwoo stood there, staring intently at the man as he walked by. Once the man hummed and turned the corner of the alley, Siwoo slowly, very slowly, shifted his gaze toward Sanho. Sanho’s face was extremely pale. The color had completely drained from his face, leaving only his bruised lips a deep red. Siwoo stood there, looking at Sanho for quite a long time.

“…Maybe.”

He opened his mouth with a somewhat dry voice.

“Did I… disturb you?”

Sanho only glared at his toes, not moving at all. He bit down harder on his already bruised lips. Siwoo continued to look down at Sanho.

“If I disturbed you, I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“It seems like you don’t like it.”

Sanho still didn’t respond. Only the shadow of his eyelashes, cast by the streetlight, trembled slightly. Siwoo slowly opened his mouth again.

“Be careful going home.”

“…….”

“I’ll be going now.”

Siwoo turned his body away. There was still no sign of Sanho behind him. He thought it might have been better not to have come up this alley after getting out of the car. Coming up here confirmed that Sanho was an Omega, and he learned that the dirty rumors were true. It must have been something Sanho wanted to hide. But now, that didn’t matter at all.

As he walked down the sloped alley, Siwoo silently stepped on the long shadow cast by the streetlight. Perhaps it was because he felt the pheromones of another Alpha for the first time in a while, but his heart was uncomfortably racing. It felt a bit irritating. Maybe not just a bit, but a lot. But why? For what reason? Soon, he spotted his parked car. Siwoo climbed onto the car without a word.