Alpha Trauma [Novel] - Chapter 8

Seon Wooyeon put on his coat as if possessed. When Dohyun asked if he should give him his coat, Wooyeon accepted it without a word and even covered himself with it. He might have sensed the pheromones from him, but his nonchalant face was distinctly different from Garam’s.
“Does this happen often?” a gentle voice asked Wooyeon. The smoothly laid-back tone was tender as if dealing with a child. Perhaps it was an intentional effort not to startle Wooyeon.
“Why ask that?” Wooyeon responded without letting down his guard. Dohyun, who blinked his eyes a few times as if choosing his words, added in a calm tone.
“You seem used to it.”
“”
That was true. After Wooyeon presented, he had experienced such incidents several times. At school and on the streets. This insignificant trait of being an Omega occasionally bothered Wooyeon.
“It’s just how dominant Omegas are.”
Proportionally, Alphas and Omegas make up less than 30% of the total population. Among them, dominants were born with a probability so low that it could be counted on one hand. The fact that there were two dominants in the same place at the moment was, in a way, a miracle.
Even though the chances of encountering an Alpha were low, Wooyeon always took precautions with pheromones. Being a dominant Omega, he couldn’t control his pheromones easily, but he suppressed them as much as possible. Normally, he concealed it only as much as common Omegas did, and when with Alphas, he was even more cautious. Yes, it was definitely like that.
“Today, I made a mistake…”
Originally, the club room wasn’t supposed to be filled with pheromones. Even if he didn’t react to Dohyun, he couldn’t let his guard down without a plan. Despite being in a confined space with two Alphas (one of whom was dominant), he was too careless even though he should have been more cautious.
“It’s not something that happens often.”
Wooyeon lied nonchalantly. He didn’t want to mention unpleasant memories in a place like this. Dohyun, narrowing his eyes, calmly called Garam without a word.
“Hey, if you’ve regained your senses, come and apologize.”
Upon hearing that, Garam quickly approached. The pheromones that were popping out everywhere were sent out into the open air before that. She bowed her head with an embarrassed look and spoke without making eye contact.
“I made a mistake today, and…”
“Apologize without making excuses.”
“…Sorry.”
Wooyeon looked back and forth between the two with mixed feelings. Similar incidents had happened many times, but this was the first time he received an apology from the person responsible. A third option was given to Wooyeon, who was hesitating about what to say.
“You don’t have to accept it.”
Dohyun didn’t hesitate even with the person apologizing in front of him. His gaze towards Wooyeon was more serious than ever.
“She’s the one who’s wrong, so there’s no reason for you to accept.”
It was a textbook statement. Ironically, Garam seemed to have no objection. Wooyeon frowned at the sight of Garam, who looked like she had given up like a dead fish.
“…What are you apologizing for?”
Their gazes crossed. Dohyun looked at Wooyeon, and Wooyeon looked at Garam. The slightly narrowed forehead represented Wooyeon’s feelings.
“No, it’s not about that…”
Wooyeon mumbled with a cloudy tone, shaking his head. His brightly dyed hair tousled slightly. After a short hesitation, a monotonous voice flowed out.
“You don’t have to apologize.”
The tone wasn’t accusatory. It wasn’t a gentle tone either. Garam widened her eyes at the usual flat voice.
“If I can’t control my pheromones next time, will you apologize again for the same thing happening?” Originally, Wooyeon thought Alphas couldn’t help it. He wasn’t trying to understand them; he was ignoring them. As a dominant Omega and someone who had lived amid Alphas his whole life, he didn’t harbor any expectations from them.
“I wasn’t really surprised, and things like this happen a lot, occasionally, so I’m used to it.”
More precisely, it might be correct to say there was no particular reaction. There had to be some level of unexpectedness for it to be bothersome. You can’t get angry every time you get bitten by an ant. Besides, Garam couldn’t touch him anyway.
“Please don’t just grab my wrist. I don’t like being touched.”
Wooyeon had an uncomfortable expression this time. Above all, that fact seemed to be the most unpleasant. Garam, who was pitifully pouting her lips, weakly replied.
“…Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”
In reality, Wooyeon didn’t care. Garam had quickly regained her composure and she hadn’t really intended to do anything to Wooyeon. Reaching out to the pheromones in front of him was just an Alpha instinct.
But Wooyeon didn’t want to be generous enough to say it was okay. He could act like nothing happened, but
he wasn’t lenient enough to embrace her. So, Wooyeon concluded the conversation by standing up from his
seat.
“I wrote the application, so I’ll go check it out.”
He placed the coat he had been wearing beside him. It seemed like he had mentioned something about it earlier, but there was nothing visibly confirmed. Well, if there’s an issue, he’ll bring it up later. With that thought, it was time to gather his bag and padded jacket.
“…Why again?”
Having checked his phone briefly, Dohyun had somehow taken possession of the ‘hostage.’ The bag Wooyeon had carelessly left behind once again hung over Dohyun’s shoulder. Carrying the coat in his other
hand, Dohyun nonchalantly took the lead.
“Let’s go.”
They headed towards the parking lot in one corner of the campus. Wooyeon, who had followed Dohyun to rescue the ‘hostage,’ stood somewhat awkwardly in front of the back seat. Dohyun, who was about to put the bag in the back and get into the driver’s seat, opened the car door and asked nonchalantly.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“Where are we going?”
“We have to eat lunch.”
Dohyun’s tone was as if Wooyeon was asking such an obvious question. Wooyeon lost his words momentarily and stammered. In the meantime, Dohyun, who had approached him step by step, opened the
passenger door.
“Get in. I promised to buy you something delicious.”
He thought it was a promise that had naturally gone by. It was originally one-sided, and Wooyeon didn’t
agree. Maybe he was trying to befriend Garam after what happened in the club room. Even getting in the
car, he felt awkward.
“Is your house far from here?”
“No, it’s close.”
But why did he bring the car, he couldn’t ask. The moment Wooyeon realized that the car was filled with pheromones, Dohyun suddenly leaned forward. Wooyeon stiffened as Dohyun approached.
The gaze that met his sent a shiver down Wooyeon’s spine. When he couldn’t breathe and his eyes opened
wide, Dohyun stopped moving. He, realizing his awkward face, avoided his eyes and distanced himself again.
“Fasten your seatbelt.”
Only then did Wooyeon realize that Dohyun had intended to fasten the seatbelt. His heart, pounding like a drum, colored his face crimson. Dohyun started the engine as if nothing happened and opened the window
halfway.
“If it’s cold, I’ll turn on the heater.”
What use was there to turn on the heater in this state? Of course, if he hadn’t done that, he wouldn’t have
been able to cool down the heat on his face.
“Do you have anything you can’t eat?”
“No… I don’t.”
Wooyeon gripped the seatbelt tightly. The wind coming in from the window tickled his cheek. Even if it was a
bit chilly, it was better than being caught in this state.
“What don’t you eat?”
“I don’t have any restrictions.”
“I should ask questions like multiple-choice.”
Dohyun, who responded with a gentle smile, turned the steering wheel. He kept his gaze fixed ahead and
spoke softly.
“Choose. Western, Korean, Japanese, or fast food.”
He was indeed a ‘driving instructor.’ It was a sight Wooyeon had never seen before and thought he would
never see again. Sitting upright, staring straight ahead, he had a charm different from when solving
problems.
“Western.”
Even his side profile looked handsome for no apparent reason.
“Then noodles, meat, or rice.”
“Meat?”
“Pork, beef, or chicken?”
“I can’t eat chicken.”
“So there’s something you can’t eat.”
His gentle eyes curved nicely. Maybe it was because Wooyeon was looking at Dohyun’s side view but he
noticed that his eyelashes were quite long. Tap, tap, he tapped the steering wheel and raised the corner of
his mouth.
“Do you want to eat beef?”
He looked amusingly happy. It was just a simple question and answer, but why did it feel so exciting? Maybe
it was due to his mood, but the smile he showed now didn’t seem pretentious.
“I don’t eat cheap stuff.”
Wooyeon answered provocatively. Despite the answer that could be quite unfortunate, Dohyun laughed in a
good mood.
“See, there are things you don’t eat.”
Whether it was four years ago when he received private tutoring, or now when he was just a junior, Dohyun’s
kindness hadn’t changed. His warmth was undoubtedly directed toward everyone.
“If it’s not cheap, then it’s good, right?” Wooyeon didn’t respond, but Dohyun turned the car accordingly. The rapidly passing landscapes felt like
they had left behind the past.
***
Ultimately, Wooyeon was quite satisfied with the meal. The Salisbury steak with a warm sauce and fresh
salad was surprisingly delicious, even for someone with a discerning taste like him. While it wasn’t a lie that
he didn’t eat cheap food, there was a reason why Dohyun showed confidence.
“…Thank you for the meal.”
It seemed that even if the price wasn’t high, it could still be delicious. Wooyeon learned yet another new fact.
He thought Dohyun, who calculated the price meticulously, would be surprised when he heard it wasn’t
expensive.
“Next time, try something else. Everything on the menu here is delicious.”
Did it sound like an invitation to come together next time, or was it just a misunderstanding? Wooyeon
hesitated, refraining from asking if Dohyun frequented the place. The clean exterior and the well-designed interior undoubtedly made it look like a dating spot to anyone.
“Did you come here with your lover?”
“Just whatever.”
Changing the subject, Dohyun’s answer lacked substance. Skillfully avoiding the question, Dohyun kindly
opened the door. This time too, he was being considerate.
‘He seems to have a lot of dating experience.’
Even without that, Dohyun had taken care of Wooyeon meticulously throughout the meal. Inserting a straw
into the drink, pushing the food forward, kindly wiping away spilled sauce-these were actions a guardian
might do for a child, but they weren’t much different from how one would treat a lover. They say if you have a double eyelid on only one side, you’re a playboy. He must be popular and good-
looking. Wooyeon couldn’t help but think that Dohyun had an immensely vast unknown past. So, perhaps, that’s why he tried to fasten the seatbelt earlier.
“Now I have to go to school…”
It was the moment when Wooyeon, feeling annoyed even himself, was about to say he had to go to school.
Amid the rising irritation, a casual suggestion popped up.
“Do you want to have dessert?”
He thought of saying no. Wooyeon had no intention of eating dessert after this. However, the explanation
that followed coaxed Wooyeon gently.
“There’s a dessert shop nearby, and they say the strawberry cake there is delicious. It’s not too sweet, and it
has a lot of strawberries.”
The raised corner of his mouth was tempting.
“It’s not cheap either.”
That additional remark carried a playful tone. Wooyeon, with cheeks that had subtly flushed, discreetly
averted his gaze.