On the third day of handover, Heewon learned sothing new. No one at the company—except the secretarial staff—seed aware that he had manifested as an Oga.
Everyone he t asked if he was feeling alright, noting how pale he looked, and whether his sick leave had ended. They seed to assu his absence was due to illness.
It turned out this was by Executive Director Kwon’s order. He had strictly enforced secrecy, and the loyal secretaries hadn’t uttered a word about Heewon’s Oga status. Though Heewon wondered if silence alone could really keep it hidden.
He didn’t mind if his Oga trait beca widely known; it wasn’t in his nature to spread such news, and since it was Kwon’s instruction, he simply remained silent.
Even while mostly holed up in the office, Heewon inevitably t many people coming and going. Every ti he caught the scent of pheromones—not body odor or perfu—he found it fascinating. It made him naturally alert, keeping his own pheromones tightly controlled, which unintentionally beca a kind of training.
At five in the afternoon, as quitting ti approached, Heewon began tidying his desk. Important docunts were neatly packed into cardboard boxes, and personal items in drawers were cleared out. The Post-its once lined up by his monitor had long since been shredded and tossed.
The secretaries’ reluctant glances gathered one by one. But with a farewell party and dinner already arranged, there was no stopping the inevitable. Sighs that couldn’t be hidden echoed here and there.
After finishing tidying, Heewon touched his computer one last ti, quickly completed a few tasks, grabbed a prepared envelope, and stood.
He buttoned up and straightened his tie, then stood before the office door. A light knock elicited a low reply from Kwon.
Youngjae Kwon, staring seriously at his monitor, slowly shifted his gaze. Carefully closing the door, he approached, his face glowing with a radiance that showed how good he felt. Though his lips weren’t smiling, the pleasure was evident.
Kwon leaned back, putting aside his work. While his chair slowly spun, Heewon stepped forward and boldly handed over the envelope.
“What’s this?”
“A resignation letter.”
Kwon snorted softly and opened the envelope. A single docunt inside was pulled out at his fingertips. He glanced at it and saw it was identical to the one submitted before his transfer.
But the paper was encased in a thin, rigid plastic cover. Kwon pressed the inside of his cheek with his tongue.
“...A resignation letter.”
“Yes.”
“You even laminated it?”
Heewon nodded calmly, eting Kwon’s razor-sharp gaze without flinching.
“You can destroy it if you want. The related docunts have already been uploaded to HR’s system. It’s been set to process my resignation automatically, so you don’t need to worry.”
“......”
“All handovers are complete as of today, and I gave the headhunting agency contact to Lee Kyuna. I also forwarded all emails to you. I told them to keep recomnding candidates, so please check when you have ti despite your busy schedule.”
“You’re thorough.”
“Finishing everything is my job.”
Kwon set the resignation letter down. He knew better than anyone that destroying it wouldn’t stop Kim Heewon’s resignation. He pressed the tips of his fingers against his temple, where a headache was brewing.
“No plans to change your mind?”
“I’d hate to give up my seven-figure salary, too.”
“Say what you want.”
Frankly, clinging this much was a humiliation even for Kwon. It ant he didn’t want to lose Heewon. Knowing this well, Heewon showed a brief hesitation.
“Well, unless you take responsibility for my life... Do you have any intention of living with forever?”
“Are you serious?”
Heewon smiled faintly. Of course not. The idea of Kwon getting involved with an Oga like him was impossible—he threw the words out knowing Kwon could never accept such a condition.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
He bowed politely and left. Kwon didn’t stop him any further. After a brief greeting with the secretaries, Heewon exited the office.
He imdiately went to HR and returned his employee ID. The HR manager ca out to speak with him personally. The whole departnt was in turmoil over the newly submitted resignation.
“Secretary Kim, is this for real? I see you included an Oga trait confirmation...”
“Yes. That’s right.”
“Oh dear... How did this happen?”
“I know.”
Heewon answered plainly. The curious stares felt like he was so zoo monkey, making his face tingle. He didn’t want to explain further and stepped back from the counter. His calm face showed its usual composure.
“Manager, is there anything else you need from ?”
“No, the paperwork is fine. Nothing wrong.”
“Good to hear. Thank you.”
Ignoring the murmurs, Heewon turned away. Having dropped all his burdens, leaving the company felt lighter than ever.
An hour later, his phone flooded with ssages. Word spread quickly that he had revealed his Oga status and submitted his resignation.
From close friends to re contacts, people sent greetings and questioned him about his Oga manifestation. Of course, he wasn’t obliged to answer their curiosity.
Just as he debated silencing his phone or turning it off, another ssage arrived—from Korea University Hospital. Tomorrow was his appointnt.
“......”
He felt uneasy. Though he thought he had sowhat accepted his situation, unexpected monts like this left his mind blank.
Heewon closed his eyes. Negative feelings were useless, so it was best to erase them quickly.
I’m an Oga, I’m an Oga... he murmured like a chant for a long ti.
“How’s your condition these days?”
“Fine.”
“Are you managing pheromone levels well? Any monts where Alpha pheromones made you excited or caused pain?”
Heewon pressed his lips together and nodded. Talking like this with Professor Hong felt a little awkward. But he had to accept it—what else could he do? Repeating it over and over, he composed a neutral expression.
“Yes, it’s all been fine.”
Fortunately, Professor Hong was professional and treated Heewon solely as a patient. The atmosphere was so matter-of-fact it felt almost dry; only necessary questions and answers passed between them. That was more comfortable for Heewon, who preferred the absence of excessive kindness and emotional involvent.
“The heat cycle will likely co in early November. Around the 5th or 6th.”
Thanks to modern tis, it was now possible to predict heat periods quite accurately.
“For the first heat cycle, it’s best to let it pass without dication.”
“Yes.”
“Find a partner in advance. You know this well, so I won’t explain. Oh, let’s look at the ultrasound you had earlier.”
Professor Hong turned the monitor for easier viewing. Heewon stared intently at the black-and-white image. It was definitely his womb, but he couldn’t make out anything.
“This here is the gestational sac.”
“...Ah.”
Professor Hong pointed with the tip of her pen to a small oval shape. Hearing about a gestational sac was astonishing—he’d never heard of such an organ in his 31 years.
“I’ve checked several tis, but its shape is very unstable. It will likely be hard to implant.”
“...You an I probably can’t get pregnant?”
“The chance is low. In cases like this, I usually say it’s close to infertility.”
Heewon nodded readily. Professor Hong watched him closely and suddenly burst into a hearty laugh.
“Are you relieved it’s infertility? You look like you survived.”
“Was it obvious?”
“Very. I barely managed to wipe the smile from my face.” Her gaze softened as she looked at Heewon. Speaking not as a doctor but as Hong Yeonju, she said,
“Executive Director Kwon ca by the day before yesterday.”
“......”
“He asked about you. If there was any way to reverse it. That guy’s crazy—an executive director at a pharmaceutical company saying nonsense like that.”
“...He seems more shocked than .”
Professor Hong shook her head in disbelief. Leaning back more comfortably as she recalled their previous conversation, the pen on her fingers spun around.
“And he asked if there was any way to cure his chronic illness.”
“......”
“When I nagged him to death, he ignored it, but now he seems to have realized the danger.”
“Isn’t that psychological?”
“Right. I’m not a psychiatrist, so I told him there’s no answer if he discusses it with . I gave him a piece of my mind. Though it seed to have no effect.”
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she beca. Professor Hong twitched her upper lip and, after openly criticizing Kwon, sighed deeply.
“Still, since he’s resolved to overco it, as a friend, I honestly feel relieved.”
“......”
“Looks like he didn’t want to lose you that badly.”
Who Kwon didn’t want to lose was obvious. Unable to respond, Heewon just rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
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