Honey waved at him beaming as soon as she saw him.

"Yo!" He greeted.

She sidled up to him and linked her arm with his.

"Thank you for coming."

"My pleasure".

"How was your day?"

"Long. So I’m quite glad to be here decompressing with you."

"Cool. I’m glad I can be part of your relaxation machination."

He smiled down at her. "How was your day?"

She sighed.

"That bad huh?"

"Yeah it was. So I’m happy to be out and about with you, dumping the bad juju out of my system."

"Cool. Happy to be part of your juju dumping expedition."

She laughed as they walked leisurely to Namdaemun. The temperature had dropped slightly for the evening and a light breeze was blowing making the walk pleasant.

"Show me your favorite places," she requested once they got there.

"I don’t have any because I’ve never been here before," he answered.

"Ok I’ll show you around."

"You’ll be my tour guide?" He asked grinning with skepticism. 

"Yup."

"You’re not from here Honey."

"Doesn’t mean I don’t know shit about the place. You’ve never been here and I have, so I know more than you."

This was truth. "Ok then," he said "guide away."

"So the first goods to be sold at Namdaemun were prostitutes."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Right around here was where they kept the midget strippers."

"Midget strippers?"

"Yes."

"How long ago are we talking?"

"World war two era."

"I see."

"This alley here was famous for merkins."

"I'm guessing the beaver fur was the most sought after."

"Oh wow that’s a really good guess Jihun. Let’s get some hotteok."

"And that sketchy alley right there was what?"

"Oh that was for lady boys, especially the big and buff kind. Honestly this whole place was just a den of iniquity."

"An open air den?"

"Yes," she said biting into the hot pastry before passing it to him.

He took a bite, sucking in air to cool the morsel in his mouth. "You fraud, you don’t know anything about this place do you? And do you have a freezer for a mouth? This is burning hot!"

"Are you ok? I've probably burnt off all the sensory nerves in my mouth. You're right I don't know anything about the history of this place except where to get the best bites." She said with a smirk and thumbs up.

He shook his head grinning. "The beginning was believable actually."

"Damn," Honey said around a mouth of pastry, "where did it fall apart?" She fed him the last bite after she cooled it down. 

"Right around your midget stripper absurdity."

She laughed walking towards a thrash can and tossing the empty pastry bag. "I have to get wrapping paper."

"Ok," he said following her.

After choosing the ones she wanted, she asked him what he wanted for dinner.

"Noodles," he answered.

"Kalguksu?"

"I don't feel like hot soup," he countered.

"Bimbim naengmyeon or Pyongyang naengmyeon?"

"Oh I’ll take the cold soup. I haven’t had that in years."

"Ok let’s go this way"

As she led him through the crowd, he suddenly felt an alpha's aura brush against him and envelope Honey.

He knew he shouldn’t stop walking to look around. That will only raise his hackles. Someone was definitely letting him know that this particular omega was protected.

He glanced sideways at Honey who was blithely chatting away. There is no way as an omega she didn’t feel that she had been shrouded by an alpha.

He followed her lead of not acknowledging the invisible fence that had been placed around her.

They entered the noodle shop and Honey was heartily welcomed.

"Oh they know you here," Jihun commented.

She nodded smiling and they were served with all the fanfare of important guests. 

While they ate with effusive enjoyment that delighted their hosts, Jihun noticed that the shroud around Honey was gone. He knew he didn’t imagine it. He looked at Honey questioningly, should he ask?

"What? Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have soup on my face? Something in my teeth?"

"No," he replied with a smile, reaching out and making a play of wiping her chin gently.

It was dusk when they finished their meal and stepped back outside. On the way towards her favorite donut shop for dessert, Jihun braced himself to feel the energy field surround Honey again. However, there was nothing and the subject herself was also acting indifferent. As they ate their selection of  sugary fried treats, he was informed that their time together was drawing near because she’s expected elsewhere.

"You pimp mama," he joked. 

"Hahaha I gotta keep you hoes in line," she replied.

"Oh I’m one of your hoes?"

"Well aren’t you interviewing to be? Or you’re just hanging around me for my dazzling personality?"

He laughed.

She reached up and tapped the bridge of his nose lightly, "see you soon gorgeous."

Just as she was turning to leave, he felt the same shroud brush against him and encircle Honey.

He watched her walk into the crowd and a few moments later she was standing in front of someone with a hoodie. The person stooped down and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and they walked away together. Jihun knew beyond a reasonable doubt that this was the alpha that had been shrouding Honey.

He was still thinking about what happened at Namdaemun a few days later. There were parts to the situation that was odd and he needed to test his theory. He was speaking with his PA to see if she would be participate in his experiment when Seojun and Minjin walked in. They were surprised to find him in the reception area instead of his office. 

"What are you doing out here?" They both asked in surprise. 

"I just asked Eunah if she would help me with an experiment," he said.

"What experiment?"

"He said he wants to do something called a shroud." 

"An alpha shroud? But why?" Minjin asked in amusement.

"I felt one the other day." 

"In Cheongdamdong?" Seojun asked perplexed. 

"Why does it have to be in Cheongdamdong?" 

"Where else could it be? You're a card carrying member of the work and go home club."

"Err excuse you, I have a life thank you very much and it was at Namdaemun."

"What were you doing at Namdaemun? And that must have been a shock to you," Seojun said with barely suppressed laughter. 

"To say the least and none of your business cousin."

"How unusual, Minjin mused. "I can see how jarring that must have been for you. It’s been a long time since I’ve been tainted with another’s pheromones and I'm surprised that someone is being so obviously possessive in this day and age?"

"What’s an alpha shroud?" 

"This predates you Eunah. The use of shrouds had almost disappeared by the time we were born because alphas also decided to take suppressants." Seojun explained. 

"So shrouds work like the suppressants? It protect us from out of control alphas?" 

"Yes and no. A shroud is a protective circle of alpha aura around an omega. It signals to other alphas that they are ready to fight to the death over that omega. However, it's one of those double edged sword things. It can serve as protection or denote possession. In its' possessive state, that omega has no freedom and has also become attractive to certain types of alphas not for the sake of being desired but as spoils of war. Something to be fought over and kept as a trophy." Seojun finished.  

"Wow," Eunah said, "I'm surprised alphas just stopped doing that."

"We had no choice once we started taking suppressants," said Minjin. "The medicine reduced aggression and banked the need to possess. Once those traits were muted, shrouding omegas naturally became extinct."  

"But what I heard is that an alpha just can't shroud an omega just because he wills it," Jihun said. "That's why I want to do this experiment." 

"Ok I’ll help you, Eunah said, "but do you know how to do it since it's extinct?" 

"Just because we don't feel the need to doesn't mean we lack the knowledge," Minjin said with a chortle. 

The room fell silent as Jihun concentrated on increasing the magnitude of his aura to encircle Eunah. However, she suddenly wheeled her chair back on its' casters and out of his perimeters immediately. 

"What was that?" She asked. "It felt like you were trying to do something disgustingly intimate to me, like you’re trying to lick my eyeball." 

"Wow that’s a creepily specific analogy," Seojun said humored. 

 "I feel like I should call human resources," she said picking up the phone.

"Eunah, Jihun didn’t do anything to you," Seojun said laughing. "You’re just rattled because you’ve never been exposed to big alpha energy."

"You're right," Eunah said. "It's just me and my Dad and we live in an omega safe neighborhood. Did you get the answers to your experiment sir?"

"Yes I did," Jihun answered. "I wanted to make sure that what I heard about shrouds were true. So it's impossible that I could ambush you with a shroud?"

"Absolutely. I could feel your pheromones sliding up against me, trying to enter my body." 

"How well would you have to know the person to permit a shroud?" 

"This is definitely something I would only permit from an esteemed lover or my Mom. It made me uncomfortable enough to want to run away."

"Thank you for your help Eunah. I apologize for making you uncomfortable."

She nodded graciously.

"I wonder if shrouding is something trendy the kids are doing these days," Minjin said as they walked towards Jihuns' office for their meeting.

"Ugh I hope not, nobody wants the era of violence back," Seojun said shuddering as he shut the door. 

That’s why it doesn’t make sense Jihun thought as he put the bag of haricot verts in his cart at the grocery store. For a shroud to be enacted the omega has to have some level of intimacy with the alpha and he has never smelled an alpha on Honey. Alphas and omegas carry pheromone signatures. Just like in his office the other day, he could tell who was behind the door before they walked in and that his cousin was on the left and his CFO was on the right. Scent signatures are that distinct and it's impossible to not leave scent markers behind if one has been intimate.   

He made his way towards the cured meats to get some prosciutto as his mind whirred. So Honey knows he has no omegas just like he knows she has no alphas. What other level of intimacy could there be for a shroud? He thought picking up some cherries. They could be family his mind answered. Although it's highly unlikely at least not biologically. The skin on the persons' hand was of a different race. What should he cook? He wondered as he chose some filet mignon, he would like to invite her to dinner soon.

On Friday there was a red envelope sitting on top of his mail when he got home and he already knew who from. He opened it and pulled out a polaroid photo and a note. He read: if you’re available tonight join me at the wine loft in Gangnam. If you need further convincing here is a picture of their bourbon and scotch collection. I anticipate your company. Later that evening, he found himself seated beside Honey in the darkened bar sipping a 20 year old scotch. Candlelight flickered between them and all around them as the notes of soulful blues floated in the air. She stared at him head angled to the side.

"What are you contemplating so intently?" He asked.

"You," she answered. "I’m trying to figure out which one of the houses in Hogwarths you’d be sorted to. Have you heard of the Harry Potter books?"

"Yes I have and I read them."

"That’s interesting, I never pegged you as somebody that would read fantasy."

"I do enjoy fantasy quite a bit and Harry Potter was one of them."

"So back to the question then, which house are you?"

"Oh that’s easy," he said, "Ravenclaw."

"You think so?" 

"I know so," he affirmed. "You don’t know me quite well yet but I definitely got it going on up here," he said tapping the side of head. "I am quite intelligent. I am also brilliant and I have a good measure of common sense."

Honey let out a tinkle of mirth, "look at you brag about yourself! I love it."

He laughed along with her and said "same question back to you."

"What do you think I am?" She returned.

"He looked at her for a little bit and said I think you’re a Gryffindor."

"Wrong and hey that’s a dis," she said with mock outrage. Am I so lacking in intelligence, brilliance and common sense that I couldn’t possibly be a Ravenclaw? You looking for a fight?"

"No, no," he said placating her grinning. "I didn’t mean it that way. You just give off Gryffindor vibes and you definitely don’t have the aura of a Hufflepuff about you."

She smiled and said "definitely right; not a Hufflepuff. I can see why you would think Gryffindor and sorry to disappoint you but I am a Slytherine."

"I don’t believe it!"

"You better, she said. "I am a Slytherine 100%. You look aghast."

"Well because you just told me you’re a bad person! You’re not a bad person really are you?"

"Why do you think Slytherines are all bad?"

"Honey please did we read the same books? Look at everything they did!"

"There are good people who do bad things."

"And bad people who do good things," Jihun scoffed, "but their occasional benevolence doesn’t negate the malevolence at the core of person."

"I get that Jihun but did you ever take stock of the positive Slytherine traits of which there are plenty. The intelligence, brilliance and common sense you so proudly identify with, would you say they are lacking? If they were all blood thirsty murderers wouldn’t every single Slytherine be a death eater? There is strength in numbers you know and that civil war would have been won. They are not as bad as you think. Slytherines are nothing more than Gryffindors who grew up in a home environment that nurtured and praised malevolence and squashed benevolence. They are antisocial adults with unresolved trauma who need counseling and therapy."

"Nah, Jihun said "you can’t convince me on this one."

"I wasn’t hoping to. I was merely pointing out the fact that they are not as bad as you think."

"But they’re cowards!" Jihun proclaimed.

"Did every person in every house stay to fight?"

"They’re vain, secretive and duplicitous." He countered.

"There were plenty of vain people in the other houses too and there are many people who have secrets they don’t want to share or make moves silently. Furthermore, are you trying to tell me none of the other characters were duplicitous? Albus Dumbledore springs to mind."

"They are vile racists!"

"Did anyone else free the house elves? Or stopped others from making them slaves in the first place?"

"Ugh! Stop." Jihun groaned.

Honey laughed.

"What is the point of all this?" He asked chuckling.

"Aren’t we getting to know each other Sir Ravenclaw?"

"Yes Lady Slytherine," he said with a smile, entwined his fingers with hers  and continued enthusiastically with the evenings rapport.

They had parted once again on the night of the wine bar with a great deal of amatory sizzle that went no where. Despite the undeniable attraction between them, she was not in any hurry either to make something or anything out of it. An omega that was so evidently drawn to him, yet had not tried in anyway to jump his bones was completely new to him.