Pheromone

Chapter 10

It’s been a peaceful week for Do-yoon as he helped Song maintain the garden. And Song felt grateful for having Do-yoon around, who carried his pen and small notebook in his pocket―all the time. 

He already knew that Do-yoon was an impaired recessive omega. Song would wonder how Do-yoon had endured all the adversities of his life. He never failed to have that warm smile on his face. Despite the torment he had gone through.  

Thinking about it, what did Mr. Lee’s half-brother see in Do-yoon? I mean, Do-yoon looked pretty with his unique deep amber eyes. That turned golden when hit by the sun. But he was a recessive omega. Song stopped trimming the leaves for a moment. He looked confused. 

Apart from that, Mr. Lee hasn’t been in bad shape lately. Even though he’s been doing the same thing. Something has changed a little since Do-yoon came into this house.  

Song looked at Do-yoon, who was humming and trimming the plants near the metal gate. His modest demeanor was endearing in Song’s eyes. 

Perhaps, I couldn’t smell their pheromones.

What I knew…was their pheromone was too delicate or sometimes too faint to smell. Unless overpowered by a Dominant Alpha. But Mr. Lee, who was born as a Dominant Alpha, was mentally suffering from losing his partner. He got mad when he smelled pheromones like rotten cabbage to him. 

Or he’ll harm himself with his irregular rut. 

Song shook his head while cutting some roses for the vases.

I’m overthinking again. Don’t bother, as long as Mr. Lee doesn’t throw tantrums like before, we’ll be fine.

He pouted. But still, I pity Mr. Lee. I hope he'll be able to walk again.

And it had always been the same for Joon-Ho. He locked himself in his room, office or forlorn in the backyard garden for hours. The same expression of grief, loss, and hopelessness. In his weary eyes, Do-yoon would think Joon-Ho didn’t want to live. 

He felt empathy toward Joon-Ho. And there’s nothing he could do to amend his sadness. Yet he wondered if there was something he could do to at least repay his kindness. 

Do-yoon was in the kitchen. He was helping peel some potatoes and carrots for dinner when Yu-Na banged on the door with a furrowed face. 

“Ah, Ah,” Do-yoon startled. And so did the cook. 

“What’s wrong, Yu-Na?” Song asked while getting a glass of water. 

“That bastard is here,” Yu-Na clenched her right fist on them. “What does he want from Sir Lee? Isn’t it enough that he ruined his life?” She added, “Ugh, I have no time for this. Let’s put Senna leaves in his tea.” She said in an annoyed tone. She looked grumpy with her mischievous thoughts.

“But which bastard were you talking to?” Song asked. Since a few came to their minds. It was either Lee Tae-sung, Secretary Choi, or Chairman Lee.

“Ugh.” Yu-Na looked irked and added, “It’s Lee Tae-sung. That lunatic… Lee Tae-sung was in the living room with Sir Lee.” 

The knife clung to the table. Do-yoon's eyes grew wide as his hands trembled in fear. Song looked at him with a worried face. 

“Hey, Do-yoon, are you alright?” Yu-Na asked. She tilted her head to the right and averted her glance at Song with a concerned expression. 

Yu-Na then remembered what Song told her about Do-yoon’s escape. She said worriedly, “Do-yoon―” but Do-yoon sprang from his seat with a cold sweat. 

He said, “Ah, ah,” he stuttered as he felt the pain in his chest and held it.

I must hide. I don’t want to go back to Tae-sung. 

I’m scared. I’m scared. Please don’t send me back to him. 

He couldn’t utter a word. Yet his tears started to drip from his pale cheeks as he looked at them.

“Do-yoon,” Song tried to divert his thoughts. 

But Do-yoon left in a rush from the side sliding door. He ran toward the stairs so Tae-sung would not see him. His heart panicked, and his thoughts became hazy. He went to his room, locked the door, and hid under the quilt, curled up his knees. 

He was shaking. He was crying in silence. And looked frightened. 

Yu-Na came out of the kitchen carrying the tea tray. She felt concerned with her apologetic gaze for forgetting about Do-yoon’s feelings. She was facing the back of Tae-sung when Joon-Ho looked at her bothered face. 

Is Do-yoon alright? The first thing that came to his mind. 

“So, how have you been, brother?” Tae-sung asked as he grinned. And Yu-Na served them tea and left. 

Joon-Ho took the teacup and sipped his tea. Tae-sung's brow narrowed. 

“I’m quite surprised that you came all the way here to ask me how I am,” Joon-Ho said sarcastically. Tae-sung looked irritated. He smirked and said, “Well, aren’t you surprised that your bastard half-brother came to see you, after all this time?” He took the teacup and sipped as well.

Joon-Ho looked composed. He asked, “What are you here for?” 

Tae-sung crossed his legs to his left and drank more of his black tea. He said, “Our dearest father asked me to take you back to Gangnam.” He looked at Joon-Ho with a piercing stare and released his pheromones. 

Joon-Ho’s shoulder flinched. But tried not to react to his brother’s taunting, rotting pheromones. 

The air in the living room was heaving and daunting. 

He sipped his tea again with a calm expression in his eyes. But tightening his neck from Tae-sung's pheromone. “Was it all you came here for?” His gaze at Tae-sung was fearsome.  

Tae-sung noticed the hatred in his brother’s eyes. He laughed out loud. Joon-ho’s eyes looked stunned. 

“You’re fucking hard to convince, for a precious son like you,” Tae-sung said in a spiteful tone. He added, “Of course, that was not all I came here for.” He clasped his hands against his crossed legs.

“Say it and leave my house,” Joon-Ho said sternly. 

“Fine, fine,” Tae-sung stood and stared headcase, hands in his pockets. He asked, “I happened to lose a dog weeks ago. Did that dog come here by any chance?” He was referring to Do-yoon. 

Joon-Ho looked nonchalant. Drank his tea. He replied, “If your dog came here and asked for help, I would have brought it back to you,” he said. “I don’t let any filthy things hang around my vicinity without permission.” His tone was caustic. He looked at Tae-sung with his unyielding gaze. “Feel free to roam around and look for your precious thing.” 

Tae-sung looked vexed as he gritted his teeth and clenched his right fist. He said before leaving, “I don’t need to." He sounded irate. "I'll find my dog somewhere else.” A pang of hatred ran through his veins. 

Joon-Ho saw him walk away and left the house like a loser. 

I really don’t understand what he saw from that defective omega. I'd better go and check what happened. Yu-Na seemed so troubled about something. 

He went to the elevator, pushed his wheelchair in and pressed the 2nd floor. It went up. When it opened, he turned to his right and saw Yu-Na and Song calling Do-yoon's name while knocking on the door. 

“What’s going on?” Joon-Ho asked as he pushed the handrim of his wheelchair toward them. 

“I’m sorry, Sir Lee, Do-yoon locked himself here after hearing your brother’s name. It was my fault. So, I came here to apologize.” Yu-Na said, looking apologetic. 

“Get the master key in my office drawer,” Joon-Ho said. 

“Yes, Sir,” Yu-Na said and ran in haste. 

Joon-Ho glanced at the door and thought, Was he that afraid of my brother? What exactly happened to him? He pondered and clasped his right hand. 

Yu-Na came back with the master key and opened the door. 

“Stay here, I’ll go inside,” Joon-Ho said calmly. Song and Yu-Na looked at each other as they waited outside. 

“Do-yoon,” Joon-Ho called his name softly. Though he knew Do-yoon couldn’t hear him. He pulled the quilt, like telling Do-yoon to turn around. 

Do-yoon flinched under his quilt. His heart pounded, and his eyes looked panicked again. His thoughts started to hallucinate that it was Tae-sung's voice he was hearing. He covered his ears and closed his eyes. He trembled in fear.

“P-please, p-please, d-dont hurt me,” Do-yoon wailed in tears. "I d-don't want to go back there, hic, hic."

His torments pricked Joon-Ho’s conscience, and he pitied Do-yoon. It gave him the urge to console him. Without him noticing it, he unexpectedly released his amber-oak scent pheromone. To comfort Do-yoon with a resinous warmth. 

Do-yoon’s eyes widened in surprise. Joon-ho’s pheromone calmed him down. He sat up and looked at Joon-Ho with stunned eyes. The ray of light coming from the blackout curtain illuminated his humblest pose. His tears trickled down his chin. His amber eyes expressed serenity. Naive yet so pure. And skin that glittered from the touch of light, made him like a dominant omega.

Do-yoon knew nothing about pheromones. He released his lavender-chamomile scents without sensing it…like a warm embrace toward Joon-Ho. 

Joon-Ho's toes on the footrest wiggled. He glanced down with his eyes looking shocked. He stared again at Do-yoon. Speechless. He felt the comforting pheromone from him. His heartless emotions began to melt. It was setting him free from the cage of misery. 

He then realized why Tae-sung was so desperate to find Do-yoon and to get him back. It wasn’t just... about his innocence and purity. It was the longing to fill one's hollow heart like him―love and belongingness. 

He and Tae-sung had lost that. When they both love the same person at the wrong time. And Do-yoon, who was also looking for that sense of belonging, was ready to fill that emptiness in their hearts. 

I want him too. Joon-Ho’s ego became selfish, and he wanted to keep Do-yoon for himself. And to do that, he must do something first.

“It’s me, Joon-Ho,” he said softly as he pushed the wheelchair’s handrim toward the edge of the bed. He added, “Were you afraid I would give you back…to Tae-sung?” He somehow felt envious.

Do-yoon bobbed his head in tears. 

“And you don’t wish to go back there?” Joon-Ho asked, unfazed.

“Ah, ah, y-yes,” Do-yoon replied in a hiccup tone. He added, “C-can’t I stay here?” with his childlike sobbing. 

Somehow, it relieved Joon-Ho’s feelings. He curled his lips into a grin and said, “Stop crying, Do-yoon ssi. I’m not giving you back to Tae-sung.” 

“Ah, r-really?” He said as his eyes widened in surprise. He sniffled, wiping his tears. 

“Yes," Joon-Ho canted his head to the right. He smiled and added, "You can stay here for as long as you want.” 

Captivated by Joon-ho’s sincerity, he smiled back with ease in his heart. He was thankful for Joon-Ho’s kindness.

Joon-Ho turned his wheelchair around toward the door where Song and Yu-Na awaited. He said, “Come out. Tae-sung had already left and would never come back here.”

He thought, He’s like a child. I need to know where he came from before I decide whether to keep him or not. 

“T-thank you, Joon-Ho nim,” Do-yoon mumbled with a tearful smile as he stared at Joon-Ho’s back.

He stopped pushing his wheelchair. His heart was pounding from hearing the soft voice of Do-yoon. 

It has been a while since someone called him by his first name. He felt flattered.