Chapter 42: First Meeting, First Pheromone
by GideonMaybe it was a late-onset puberty hitting me all at once, but my training performance this month plummeted.
I asked myself a question I’d never thought about before.
Why am I even swimming?
Because my parents told me to try it. Because my natural physique allowed me to excel where others struggled. Because it was the longest-running part of my life. Suddenly, all these reasons felt utterly meaningless.
As I wandered without finding an answer, I naturally started slacking on my training. Even getting into the pool wasn’t enjoyable anymore.
If I had just been overwhelmed, exhausted, or burdened, it would have been easier to handle.
That kind of struggle had always rewarded me with a rush of euphoria every time I broke through my own limits.
But now, everything was just a chore.
“Do Zion, that’s called a slump.”
In truth, this was more than simple fatigue. It was a signal that his body was preparing for its full manifestation, but he failed to recognize it.
“Life is a fucking joke.”
He was in such a foul mood that day—one wrong move from anyone, and he was ready to explode.
It was just another rainy day, and he was simply getting through it, hating everything.
Footsteps approached rapidly, cutting through the rain.
He was walking with his gaze fixed on his own feet beyond the umbrella, completely oblivious to his surroundings.
Thud!
A dull impact sent someone crashing into him.
The umbrella slipped from his grasp, swept away by the wind. He lost his balance and fell backward.
His ass landed hard in a puddle, soaking through. Rain lashed at his eyes, blurring his vision.
Already on edge, the stranger’s carelessness ignited his fury.
“What the hell…”
Of all the days, all the moments, all the places—I had to meet him right here, right now.
He looked down at me, breathless and utterly flustered.
“I am so, so sorry!”
The world around me faded into a distant hum, leaving only him in my sight. It was like discovering a supernova—his strange, alluring scent and overwhelming, iconic presence filled my entire vision.
He wasn’t your typical Korean heartthrob. His features were perfectly proportioned, exuding an air of refined elegance. His eyes were deep and defined, with a sharp double eyelid and a soft aegyo-sal. His gaze was open and clear, centered by large, vivid black pupils.
With a high, straight bridge to his nose and a face that was the very definition of “pretty-handsome,” he looked less like a man and more like a fairy.
“Are you hurt? I wasn’t looking where I was going… I’m so sorry!”
As he kept apologizing and turned to retrieve the umbrella that had flown away, my sinking mood gradually softened.
The unfamiliar emotion I was feeling made it seem as if the air had been sucked out of my lungs.
His gentle hands, hurriedly picking up the fallen umbrella and holding it over my head again, were filled with apology and concern.
He’s handsome. Like, incredibly handsome.
Is he a celebrity? I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before, but I can’t remember where.
“Jubin! Cha Jubin!”
“Cha Jubin?” A middle-aged woman in a raincoat came running toward us, calling his name.
The cheap raincoat she wore clashed horribly with her expensive clothes and shoes, creating a jarringly unbalanced look.
“Oh, you’re always so rushed! Ah, I’m so sorry. My son made a mistake. Please call us at this number, and we’ll definitely pay for the dry cleaning.”
The middle-aged woman and the man she’d just bumped into shared a passing resemblance in their features. Their auras, however, couldn’t have been more different.
“I’m fine,” Zion said, pushing back the business card she offered as he rose from the wet floor.
He’d already decided he could just throw his clothes in the wash, so he’d given a curt response. Yet the woman continued to search his face, her expression etched with worry.
“But you might be uncomfortable or need help with something. Please, take my card.”
Zion had received so many casting offers in the past that he assumed this was just another one. He refused again.
“I said I’m fine. You seem busy, so please, just go.”
“Please don’t post about this online or report us to the police out of anger.”
Why is she so scared I’ll post about this on social media? Is that handsome man really some kind of celebrity?
“Yes, yes, I won’t. Now go.”
“You have to keep your promise, alright? I’m truly sorry once again.”
The middle-aged woman seemed more concerned with posting on the internet than offering an apology.
“Jubin, let’s go. We’re really late! It’s raining, and if we’re late, we’ll never get to do a fan signing event again!”
A fan signing event? That was when I was certain he was a celebrity.
Long after he had gone, the heavy scent he’d left behind lingered all day, refusing to leave my mind.
After meeting him, the belief that I could continue living my life without a single thought, safely tucked away in my set routine, was shattered.
I wanted to see him again. I wanted to go back to the moment I met him and lose myself in it all over again…
“Zion, are you watching this drama?”
One day, my coach casually recommended a drama, telling me I needed to cool my head.
“Oh, this person…”
“Do you know this actor? He’s a rising star named Joo Yeon~”
Searching for his name, Cha Jubin, had turned up nothing, but he was active under the stage name Joo Yeon.
Searching for his name became a daily ritual, and I started binge-watching every drama he’d ever been in.
Even just watching him move on screen felt so alive. Seeing him brought back all the complicated emotions I’d felt when we first met, replaying them in my mind.
His gentle smile and steady gaze brought me a sense of peace. Yet, when he flashed an unadorned, pure laugh, my heart would flutter. He was so handsome that even a simple smile, for no particular reason, held an irresistible pull.
Even to a complete novice like me, his acting was so good that I thought his stunningly handsome face might actually be a disadvantage—it was so captivating it almost overshadowed his performance.
“It’s a shame his acting is being overshadowed…”
His moist eyes looked so damn lickable. It would be even better if he tasted like nothing, Jubin thought. That way, I’d never get tired of him.
Suddenly, he found himself longing for the moment they first met.
“God, this is driving me crazy…”
Do people really fall this hard at first sight? Is it normal to think about one person all day long?
He didn’t even know how to deal with these unfamiliar emotions.
Following a rabbit hole of recommended videos, he stumbled upon an interview where the man had shared his ambitions.
“I want to act for the rest of my life. That’s my dream.”
He was the only person who had ever made Jubin—a man with zero ambition—ask himself, Why?
Among the countless business cards Jubin had received, he happened to find one for Joo Yeon’s agency.
Maybe I should try acting…
The first choice he ever made for himself.
Their first meeting on a rainy day.
His first spark of motivation.
And the first time he’d ever released his Omega pheromones.
Joo Yeon was his one and only “senior.”
Jubin hurried into a taxi after leaving the hotel lobby.
“Where to, sir?”
Jubin gave the driver his apartment address, then rolled down the window and closed his eyes.
The streets were damp, as if it had rained all night.
I’m a fucking idiot, he thought, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips.
He’d gone and done it again.
Old habits die hard, he mused. Whenever he drank on a rainy day, he completely lost his mind and gave himself over to sex. He really needed to break this habit.
His entire body ached as if he’d been beaten. When he’d opened his eyes, he’d found himself naked and alone in a strange hotel bed. The chances of him getting drunk, booking a room, and checking in all by himself were slim to none.
His insides felt heavy and sore, a dull ache that suggested someone had recently and roughly scraped his inner walls.
So I did it. I did it again. A sigh escaped him.
The other man had been a True Alpha.
I forced my body to move, dragging myself out of the bedroom to search for him. But he was gone, leaving no trace behind. It seemed he had only wanted a one-night stand.
There were no clues, no forgotten items—nothing to identify him. The hangover and sheer exhaustion had left my nerves frayed, making me desperate to leave. I couldn’t stand the oppressive strangeness of the room any longer. Whoever he was, we’d both gotten what we came for. There was no reason to linger in this expensive suite.
My clothes were neatly hung on the rack. He must be a neat freak, or at least likes things tidy, I thought, slipping into them. The moment I moved, a wave of pain surged through my entire body.
Who the hell was he? How could I have taken it all until I ended up like this?
A sudden, burning curiosity about my one-night stand seized me. I picked up the phone and dialed the front desk.
I asked the front desk if the room had been checked out yet, but they said no.
They politely told me to sleep in and enjoy the room until checkout time, which I took as a hint to just go back to sleep. But when I asked for the guest’s name to confirm, they refused, citing privacy policies.
If we’re both responsible for this mess, I thought, then we should split the cost of this ridiculously expensive room. I looked up the price, left half the amount in cash, and walked out. If the housekeeper took it as a tip, I’d just consider it fate.
The tension and friction from the night before had been so intense that even sitting down felt uncomfortable. Watching the scenery blur past the taxi window, Jubin vowed to quit drinking immediately.
If I want a long career as an actor, I can’t afford a private life scandal like this. It felt like he was slipping back into his old, exhausted life.
Sex, alcohol, cigarettes—I’m done with all of it starting today.
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