Alpha Trauma Novel - Chapter 8. Late Winter (7)

Wooyeon put on his outer coat as if enchanted. When Dohyun asked if he wanted his coat, he took it without a word and covered himself. Dohyun must have felt the pheromones too, but his excessively nonchalant expression was distinctly different from Garam’s.

“Does this happen often?”

A gentle voice asked Wooyeon. The soft tone was as kind as if speaking to a child. It seemed to be intended to not startle Wooyeon.

“…Why?”

But Wooyeon asked back, not letting down his guard. Dohyun blinked a couple of times as if choosing his words, then added in a calm tone.

“You seem used to it.”

“…”

It was true. Wooyeon had experienced this several times after his secondary gender manifested. At school, and on the street. Being a dominant Omega, a completely unnecessary secondary gender, occasionally tormented Wooyeon.

“It’s just how all dominants are.”

Proportionally, Alphas and Omegas don’t even make up 30% of the entire population. Among them, dominants were born with a rare probability, few enough to count on one’s fingers. The fact that there were two dominants here now was, in a way, a miracle.

Despite the low probability of encountering an Alpha, Wooyeon always handled his pheromones carefully. Since he was dominant, controlling them wasn’t easy, but he suppressed them as much as possible. Normally, he hid them as much as typical Omegas, and when with an Alpha, he was even more careful. Yes, he had definitely been doing that.

“Today I made a bit of a mistake…”

Normally, the club room wouldn’t be filled with pheromones. If he hadn’t reacted to Dohyun, if he hadn’t been carelessly at ease. There were two Alphas in a confined space (one of whom was a dominant), and he had been far too careless.

“It doesn’t happen often.”

Wooyeon slyly lied. He didn’t want to bring up bad memories in a place like this. Dohyun furrowed his brow but called Garam without a word.

“Hey, if you’ve come to your senses, come and apologize.”

At that, Garam quickly approached. The pheromones that had been bursting out had been swept away by the outside air. He bowed his head with an embarrassed expression, then spoke without being able to meet his eyes.

“My rut is coming soon…”

“Don’t make excuses, apologize.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Wooyeon looked between the two with a hesitant feeling. Similar things often happened, but this was the first time he received an apology from the person concerned. As Wooyeon 고민 about what to say, a third option was presented to him.

“You don’t have to accept it.”

Dohyun didn’t hesitate, even with the person concerned in front of him. His gaze, directed straight at Wooyeon, was more serious than ever.

“He’s the one who did wrong, you have no reason to accept it.”

It was a textbook statement. What was funny was that Garam also didn’t seem to object. Wooyeon wrinkled the bridge of his nose at his dejected, guilty appearance.

“…What are you apologizing for?”

Their gazes crossed. Dohyun looked at Wooyeon, and Wooyeon looked at Garam. His slightly furrowed brows reflected Wooyeon’s feelings.

“No, it’s not that…”

Wooyeon trailed off, running his hand through his hair. His brightly dyed hair was messily disheveled. After a brief deliberation, a monotonous voice flowed out.

“You’re not going to say you’re sorry, are you?”

It wasn’t an accusatory tone. Nor was it an affectionate one. Garam’s eyes widened at his usual flat voice.

“If I can’t control my pheromones next time, the same thing will happen again, so will you apologize then too?”

Wooyeon originally thought Alphas couldn’t help it. He didn’t understand them; he ignored them. As a dominant Omega, and as someone who had lived his entire life among Alphas, he harbored no expectations towards them.

“I wasn’t really surprised, and this kind of thing happens a lot, well, sometimes, so I’m used to it.”

To be precise, ‘indifferent’ would be the right word. Getting upset requires a certain degree of unexpectedness. You can’t get angry every time an ant bites you, can you? Besides, Garam couldn’t touch him anyway.

“Just don’t grab my wrist. I don’t like being touched.”

This time, Wooyeon’s face was genuinely displeased. That fact, more than anything else, seemed to irritate him the most. Garam, who had been mumbling with a bewildered expression, weakly replied.

“…Sorry, I’ll be careful next time.”

Actually, Wooyeon didn’t care. Garam had quickly come to his senses, and he truly hadn’t intended to harm Wooyeon. Reaching out for pheromones in front of him was just an Alpha’s instinct.

But he didn’t want to be merciful enough to say it was okay. He could treat him normally, but he wasn’t magnanimous enough to embrace him. So, Wooyeon ended all the conversation by getting up from his seat.

“I’ve filled out the application, so I’ll be going now.”

He put down the coat he had been wearing next to him. He thought something had gotten on it earlier, but there was nothing visible to the naked eye. Well, if there was a problem, he’d talk about it later. That’s what he was thinking as he gathered his bag and padded jacket.

“…Why?”

Dohyun, who had briefly checked his phone, had already taken the ‘hostage’ His bag, which he had let go off in confusion, was once again slung over Dohyun’s shoulder. With the coat in his other hand, Dohyun casually led the way for Wooyeon.

“Let’s go.”

They headed to the parking lot on one corner of the campus. Wooyeon, who had followed Dohyun to retrieve his hostage, stopped blankly in front of the backseat. Dohyun, who was about to get into the driver’s seat after putting the bag in the back, stopped opening the car door and asked.

“Aren’t you getting in?”

“Where are we going?”

“We should eat lunch.”

His tone implied, ‘Why are you asking such an obvious thing?’ Wooyeon was momentarily speechless and gaped. In the meantime, Dohyun strode closer and even opened the passenger door for him.

“Get in. I said I’d buy you something delicious.”

He had thought the promise had naturally fizzled out. It had been one-sided from the start, and Wooyeon hadn’t agreed. Was he perhaps taking Garam’s side because of what happened in the club room? He felt bewildered even as he got into the car.

“Is your house far from here?”

“No, it’s close.”

But he couldn’t ask why he had brought the car. The moment he realized the car was full of pheromones, Dohyun suddenly leaned forward. Wooyeon stiffened, looking at Dohyun, who was now close.

“…”

A chill ran down his spine as their gazes met. He held his breath and widened his eyes, and Dohyun immediately froze. He looked away with a look of ‘Oh, right,’ then widened the distance again.

“Buckle up.”

Only then did he realize Dohyun had been about to buckle his seatbelt for him. Thump, thump, his pounding heart made his face flush red. Dohyun, who started the car as if nothing had happened, rolled down the window halfway.

“If you’re cold, I’ll turn on the heater.”

What good would turning on the heater do in this state? Of course, if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been able to cool the heat on his face.

“Is there anything you can’t eat?”

“No… there isn’t.”

Wooyeon awkwardly gripped his seatbelt. The wind coming in from outside tickled his cheeks. Even if it was a little cold, it was better than letting his current state be discovered.

“Anything you don’t eat?”

“Nothing like that either.”

“I guess I’ll have to ask multiple-choice questions.”

Dohyun replied gently and turned the steering wheel. He kept his gaze fixed ahead and spoke softly.

“Choose. Western, Korean, Japanese, or snack food.”

He was, remarkably, ‘the driving teacher.’ A sight Wooyeon had never seen, and thought he would never see. Sitting upright and looking straight ahead, he had a different charm than when he was solving problems.

“Western.”

What was the point of his profile being so unnecessarily handsome too?

“Then noodles, meat, or rice.”

“Meat?”

“Among pork, beef, and chicken?”

“I can’t eat chicken.”

“There is something you can’t eat after all.”

His gentle eyes curved beautifully. Perhaps because he was looking from the side, his eyelashes were quite long too. He tapped the steering wheel and the corners of his mouth lifted.

“Want to eat beef?”

He looked quite amused. It was just a simple Q&A, but what made him so excited? He couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but the smile he was wearing now didn’t seem fake either.

“I don’t eat cheap stuff.”

Wooyeon deliberately answered pickily. Even to such an annoying answer, Dohyun laughed pleasantly.

“See, there is something you don’t eat.”

Four years ago, when he was being tutored, and now, when he was just a junior, Dohyun’s kindness hadn’t changed. Indeed, his warmth was clear for everyone.

“So, as long as it’s not cheap, it’s fine?”

Wooyeon didn’t answer, but Dohyun turned the car around himself. The rapidly passing scenery felt like the past slipping by.

As a result, Wooyeon had a satisfying meal. The hamburger steak with sweet sauce and fresh salad was quite delicious even for him, who had a picky palate. His words about not eating cheap food weren’t a lie, and there was a reason Dohyun had been confident.

“…Thank you for the meal.”

So, even if it’s not expensive, it can still be delicious. Wooyeon learned another new fact. He was sure Dohyun, who paid the not-so-cheap bill, would be dumbfounded if he heard that thought.

“Next time, try something else. All the other dishes here are delicious too.”

Would it be a misunderstanding if he heard that as an invitation to come together again next time? Wooyeon was about to ask if he came to the restaurant often but stopped. The clean exterior and pleasant interior clearly marked it as a date spot.

“Is this where you came with your girlfriend/boyfriend?”

“Just, you know.”

He changed the question, but the answer was unhelpful. Dohyun, who slyly dodged the question, kindly opened the door for him. This too was an ingrained courtesy.

‘He must have a lot of dating experience.’

Indeed, Dohyun had meticulously taken care of Wooyeon throughout the meal. Putting a straw in his drink, pushing the food closer to him, kindly wiping up spilled sauce. These were actions a guardian might do for a child, but they were also no different from how one would treat a lover.

They say people with only one eyelid crease are playboys. He must be popular, and handsome, so Wooyeon thought there must be an immense amount of past he didn’t know about. That’s why he had tried to buckle his seatbelt earlier too.

“I’ll go back to school now…”

It was at that moment, feeling annoyed, that Wooyeon was about to say he would go back to school. He himself was flustered by the surge of irritation, when a light suggestion popped out.

“Want dessert?”

He intended to say no. Wooyeon had no intention whatsoever of having dessert with him. But the softly continuing explanation subtly lured Wooyeon in.

“There’s a dessert shop nearby, and they say their strawberry cake is delicious there. It has a lot of strawberries and isn’t too rich.”

The upturned corners of his mouth were tempting.

“It’s not cheap either.”

The voice that added that was full of playfulness. Wooyeon subtly averted his gaze, his cheeks already flushed red.

“…I’ll eat.”