If the issue was related to pheromones, it would have been best to go to Ilsan and consult with Director Lim, but Jiheon didn’t have time to do so at the moment. Fortunately, there was a hospital with an endocrinologist conveniently close to the gym.
He immediately entered the hospital’s address into the navigation system. The distance, which would have been a mere 10-minute walk, now felt so far away. Jiheon tried opening the car window to calm his troubled mind, but it provided little relief. Instead, the grassy scent carried by the cold wind made him feel as if he were suffocating. Anxious, he repeatedly gripped and released the steering wheel.
To put it simply, an increase in lactate levels indicated that the body was entering a state of excessive excitement and tension. The same thing happened with the increase in heart rate. These were all physical manifestations resulting from the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. And in contrast to general sexual arousal, which was under the parasympathetic nervous system, the heat caused by pheromones pushed the sympathetic nervous system into overdrive.
Of course, this couldn’t be considered a heat symptom. If a strong Alpha in his early twenties had gone into heat, there was no way he could have survived this well. Didn’t Cha Sunghyun, a fellow Alpha, testify to that? He said his thoughts stopped when he was exposed to pheromones strong enough to cause heat. All that remained was the instinct to sow seeds, so he couldn’t see anything other than the hole to put his cock in.
However, Jaekyung had one special thing that set him apart from others. Due to the imprinting effect, he was particularly sensitive to specific components of pheromones. He reacted swiftly to trace amounts that others couldn’t even detect.
Back in the summer, he could even notice a faint trace of it staining Jiheon’s handkerchief, mingled with his sweat.
If this was the case this time, his sympathetic nervous system might have been activated enough to affect his condition, even if he wasn’t going into heat.
As Jiheon contemplated this, everything suddenly fell into place. It explained the increased skinship they had shared over the past few days and his attitude that was different from usual.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Jiheon promptly initiated a test to measure the level of detected pheromones. Instead of just relying on the quick test using a kit like usual, he even did a blood test.
Thankfully, the test results came out quickly. Guided by a nurse to the examination room, Jiheon found a male doctor in his mid to late forties already reviewing the test results.
“Are you married?”
As soon as the doctor asked why Jiheon came to the hospital, he asked that question.
“No.”
“Do you have a partner?”
From his confident tone, it seemed like it had something to do with whether or not he had sexual intercourse. It would be stupid if he answered, ‘It’s not a partner, but blah blah blah.’
“I do.”
Jiheon answered succinctly.
“Are they an Alpha?”
“Yes.”
The doctor nodded and finally looked up from the monitor to regard Jiheon.
“To put it simply, pheromones are hormones released to help an Omega get pregnant. They are greatly influenced by the environment. When an Alpha is around and there is frequent sexual contact, more pheromones are bound to be released. The body thinks it’s ready for pregnancy, so it produces more pheromones than usual.”
“So now….”
“Yes, according to your blood test results, the number comes out a little high.”
“…….”
As expected, that was the first thing that came to his mind. But for a moment, it felt as though his vision was going dark.
The doctor continued to explain while examining the test results and the handwritten questionnaire Jiheon had provided.
“You mentioned that you significantly increased your medication dosage in early September, right? You said that you experienced side effects briefly and then they disappeared. Well, this was because the medication dosage and pheromone levels were appropriately balanced during that period. And recently, the pheromone levels have increased rapidly, making it impossible to manage this amount.”
Then the doctor looked at Jiheon again and said:
“But at this level, I don’t think there will be any significant disruption to your daily life. For young couples, especially newlyweds, this should be considered an average figure. Is there any reason why you want to do something about it?”
Of course, there were reasons. The first was that, due to the damned imprinting effect, Jaekyung was highly sensitive to Jiheon’s pheromones, and the second was that he was a record athlete greatly affected by changes in his physical condition.
But there was no need to explain it in detail to the doctor. Jiheon spoke as simply as possible.
“My partner is sensitive to changes in physical condition.”
The doctor seemed to have an expression that said, “Just because of that?” but refrained from asking further.
“Anyway, from a doctor’s perspective, increasing the suppressant dosage even more is… well, not really recommended. Hormonal medications can be particularly harsh compared to other drugs. Besides, this suppressant isn’t intended for any kind of disease treatment, and frankly speaking, it’s a medication that ideally shouldn’t be used, right? I understand it may be unavoidable, but from a doctor’s perspective, that’s the case. It’s easy to say ‘use a chip,’ but then again, you mentioned that the side effects are relatively big….”
The doctor said with a very baffled expression. He briefly reviewed the test results and the questionnaire but then looked up again and continued:
“If your partner takes a stronger dosage of their medication—”
“No, he can’t.”
Jiheon shook his head without even listening to everything the doctor had to say.
“That might be a bit difficult.”
He couldn’t tell Jaekyung to change his medication. The current medication Jaekyung was taking had been chosen after confirming that it had the cleanest ingredients and no side effects.
One of the things athletes were most careful about was medications. Even if they took a painkiller, they only used what they were accustomed to and rarely changed the type. This was because what was safe for others might not be safe for them.
Even with identical medications containing the same ingredients, many athletes insisted on products from specific pharmaceutical companies. Changing the daily medication was not something that could be done carelessly.
“I see. Well… that’s your choice. If you’d like to increase the dosage of your suppressant, you can do as you wish.”
However, at the end, the doctor told him not to forget to consult with his partner about this.
After leaving the hospital, Jiheon went straight back to work without stopping at the gym. He left Jaekyung’s pickup to Minwoo and focused solely on his desk work. However, he found it difficult to concentrate on his tasks and eventually decided to take a half-day leave in the late afternoon to leave work early.
Upon arriving home, he laid down on the bed without even changing his clothes. While contemplating various matters, the sun set, and he continued to mull things over in the darkened room without switching on the light.
And then it seemed like he had fallen asleep.
“Hyung.”
Jiheon’s eyes flew open, startled by the hand that grabbed and shook him. Jaekyung was sitting on the bed when he awoke.
“Why are you home at this hour?”
Jaekyung’s hair appeared to be wet, likely from just finishing his training.
‘Is it around 7 o’clock now?’
It seemed strange that Jiheon, who always got off work later than he did, came home first.
It dawned on him that he had forgotten to text Jaekyung in advance, and he clicked his tongue. Instead of rising from the bed, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it up over his head.
“Yeah, I came home early today. I caught a cold.”
As he spoke, Jaekyung’s tone became more serious.
“Does it hurt a lot? Did you go to the hospital?”
“It’s not that bad. But you might get affected. You should just go home today.”
“Let’s go to the hospital first. I’ll take you there.”
Jaekyung suggested and attempted to pull the blanket back.
“Hey, don’t do that.”
Jiheon freaked out, clutching the blanket more tightly.
“I can manage on my own. You should just head home.”
Jiheon said repeatedly while he curled up under the blanket. Maybe because it was like this, Jaekyung didn’t push the matter and simply said:
“Okay. I’ll head home today, so rest up, hyung. You don’t need to come pick me up tomorrow either. Let’s go to the hospital first thing in the morning.”
Jaekyung repeated his request, then turned off the bedroom light, closed the door, and left.
Left alone, Jiheon tried to go back to sleep, but it eluded him. His mind was filled with complexity.
After coming home, he had been thinking about it again and again, and had made up his mind to some extent. However, when he actually saw Jaekyung, his heart was shaken again.
Jiheon, who had been lying under the blanket for a considerable time, eventually rose. He must have been wide awake, so he opened the door and exited with the intention of taking a shower and changing clothes.
However, when he found Jaekyung seated on the living room sofa, he was so taken aback that he blurted out:
“What are you doing? Why didn’t you leave?”
“Why would I leave?”
Jaekyung responded with a blank expression.
“I just wanted to see you come out, hyung.”
In short, Jaekyung was worried and had waited to ensure Jiheon was awake, but he had an uncanny talent for expressing his worry with an annoyed tone.
“I told you to just go.”
Jiheon sighed and entered the living room. Nevertheless, Jaekyung had waited because he was worried about Jiheon getting enough rest, so Jiheon couldn’t be angry with him for that.
With the intention of talking with him briefly and then seeing him off, Jiheon sat on the edge of the sofa as far away as possible. However, Jaekyung, who didn’t seem to like this, immediately asked with a frown.
“What’s this? Why are you sitting so far away?”
“I told you I have a cold.”
“I won’t catch it just by sitting next to you.”
Jaekyung attempted to move closer as he said this, causing Jiheon to panic and exclaim:
“Don’t come! Just stay there.”
Jiheon spoke urgently and stood up. He then opened all the living room windows.
“Hyung, you have a cold. Is it okay to open the windows like this?”
Jaekyung’s bewildered voice came from behind.
“Don’t you know? At times like these, we need better ventilation.”
Jiheon opened the windows as wide as they would go, making a loud noise. He knew it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but he felt like he couldn’t bear it unless the windows were open.
“If you keep doing this, it’s going to be easier to catch a cold, hyung.”
Jaekyung expressed his concern as the cold wind began to blow into the room.
“Yeah, which is why you should go home now.”
Jiheon retorted loudly and then sat on the sofa once more.
“I mean you, not me.”
Jaekyung explained, as if he was confused with what Jiheon was talking about.
“If you’re doing this to get me to leave, there’s no need. I’ll just go now, so close the windows.”
Saying that, Jaekyung picked up his bag and stood from the sofa. Jiheon gazed at Jaekyung as he turned toward the front door and then, after a prolonged pause, finally spoke.
“Jaekyung-ah.”
Jaekyung looked back. Jiheon hesitated for quite some time before continuing.
“What would you do if I had to go on a business trip for a few months?”
If the issue was related to pheromones, it would have been best to go to Ilsan and consult with Director Lim, but Jiheon didn’t have time to do so at the moment. Fortunately, there was a hospital with an endocrinologist conveniently close to the gym.
He immediately entered the hospital’s address into the navigation system. The distance, which would have been a mere 10-minute walk, now felt so far away. Jiheon tried opening the car window to calm his troubled mind, but it provided little relief. Instead, the grassy scent carried by the cold wind made him feel as if he were suffocating. Anxious, he repeatedly gripped and released the steering wheel.
To put it simply, an increase in lactate levels indicated that the body was entering a state of excessive excitement and tension. The same thing happened with the increase in heart rate. These were all physical manifestations resulting from the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. And in contrast to general sexual arousal, which was under the parasympathetic nervous system, the heat caused by pheromones pushed the sympathetic nervous system into overdrive.
Of course, this couldn’t be considered a heat symptom. If a strong Alpha in his early twenties had gone into heat, there was no way he could have survived this well. Didn’t Cha Sunghyun, a fellow Alpha, testify to that? He said his thoughts stopped when he was exposed to pheromones strong enough to cause heat. All that remained was the instinct to sow seeds, so he couldn’t see anything other than the hole to put his cock in.
However, Jaekyung had one special thing that set him apart from others. Due to the imprinting effect, he was particularly sensitive to specific components of pheromones. He reacted swiftly to trace amounts that others couldn’t even detect.
Back in the summer, he could even notice a faint trace of it staining Jiheon’s handkerchief, mingled with his sweat.
If this was the case this time, his sympathetic nervous system might have been activated enough to affect his condition, even if he wasn’t going into heat.
As Jiheon contemplated this, everything suddenly fell into place. It explained the increased skinship they had shared over the past few days and his attitude that was different from usual.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Jiheon promptly initiated a test to measure the level of detected pheromones. Instead of just relying on the quick test using a kit like usual, he even did a blood test.
Thankfully, the test results came out quickly. Guided by a nurse to the examination room, Jiheon found a male doctor in his mid to late forties already reviewing the test results.
“Are you married?”
As soon as the doctor asked why Jiheon came to the hospital, he asked that question.
“No.”
“Do you have a partner?”
From his confident tone, it seemed like it had something to do with whether or not he had sexual intercourse. It would be stupid if he answered, ‘It’s not a partner, but blah blah blah.’
“I do.”
Jiheon answered succinctly.
“Are they an Alpha?”
“Yes.”
The doctor nodded and finally looked up from the monitor to regard Jiheon.
“To put it simply, pheromones are hormones released to help an Omega get pregnant. They are greatly influenced by the environment. When an Alpha is around and there is frequent sexual contact, more pheromones are bound to be released. The body thinks it’s ready for pregnancy, so it produces more pheromones than usual.”
“So now….”
“Yes, according to your blood test results, the number comes out a little high.”
“…….”
As expected, that was the first thing that came to his mind. But for a moment, it felt as though his vision was going dark.
The doctor continued to explain while examining the test results and the handwritten questionnaire Jiheon had provided.
“You mentioned that you significantly increased your medication dosage in early September, right? You said that you experienced side effects briefly and then they disappeared. Well, this was because the medication dosage and pheromone levels were appropriately balanced during that period. And recently, the pheromone levels have increased rapidly, making it impossible to manage this amount.”
Then the doctor looked at Jiheon again and said:
“But at this level, I don’t think there will be any significant disruption to your daily life. For young couples, especially newlyweds, this should be considered an average figure. Is there any reason why you want to do something about it?”
Of course, there were reasons. The first was that, due to the damned imprinting effect, Jaekyung was highly sensitive to Jiheon’s pheromones, and the second was that he was a record athlete greatly affected by changes in his physical condition.
But there was no need to explain it in detail to the doctor. Jiheon spoke as simply as possible.
“My partner is sensitive to changes in physical condition.”
The doctor seemed to have an expression that said, “Just because of that?” but refrained from asking further.
“Anyway, from a doctor’s perspective, increasing the suppressant dosage even more is… well, not really recommended. Hormonal medications can be particularly harsh compared to other drugs. Besides, this suppressant isn’t intended for any kind of disease treatment, and frankly speaking, it’s a medication that ideally shouldn’t be used, right? I understand it may be unavoidable, but from a doctor’s perspective, that’s the case. It’s easy to say ‘use a chip,’ but then again, you mentioned that the side effects are relatively big….”
The doctor said with a very baffled expression. He briefly reviewed the test results and the questionnaire but then looked up again and continued:
“If your partner takes a stronger dosage of their medication—”
“No, he can’t.”
Jiheon shook his head without even listening to everything the doctor had to say.
“That might be a bit difficult.”
He couldn’t tell Jaekyung to change his medication. The current medication Jaekyung was taking had been chosen after confirming that it had the cleanest ingredients and no side effects.
One of the things athletes were most careful about was medications. Even if they took a painkiller, they only used what they were accustomed to and rarely changed the type. This was because what was safe for others might not be safe for them.
Even with identical medications containing the same ingredients, many athletes insisted on products from specific pharmaceutical companies. Changing the daily medication was not something that could be done carelessly.
“I see. Well… that’s your choice. If you’d like to increase the dosage of your suppressant, you can do as you wish.”
However, at the end, the doctor told him not to forget to consult with his partner about this.
After leaving the hospital, Jiheon went straight back to work without stopping at the gym. He left Jaekyung’s pickup to Minwoo and focused solely on his desk work. However, he found it difficult to concentrate on his tasks and eventually decided to take a half-day leave in the late afternoon to leave work early.
Upon arriving home, he laid down on the bed without even changing his clothes. While contemplating various matters, the sun set, and he continued to mull things over in the darkened room without switching on the light.
And then it seemed like he had fallen asleep.
“Hyung.”
Jiheon’s eyes flew open, startled by the hand that grabbed and shook him. Jaekyung was sitting on the bed when he awoke.
“Why are you home at this hour?”
Jaekyung’s hair appeared to be wet, likely from just finishing his training.
‘Is it around 7 o’clock now?’
It seemed strange that Jiheon, who always got off work later than he did, came home first.
It dawned on him that he had forgotten to text Jaekyung in advance, and he clicked his tongue. Instead of rising from the bed, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it up over his head.
“Yeah, I came home early today. I caught a cold.”
As he spoke, Jaekyung’s tone became more serious.
“Does it hurt a lot? Did you go to the hospital?”
“It’s not that bad. But you might get affected. You should just go home today.”
“Let’s go to the hospital first. I’ll take you there.”
Jaekyung suggested and attempted to pull the blanket back.
“Hey, don’t do that.”
Jiheon freaked out, clutching the blanket more tightly.
“I can manage on my own. You should just head home.”
Jiheon said repeatedly while he curled up under the blanket. Maybe because it was like this, Jaekyung didn’t push the matter and simply said:
“Okay. I’ll head home today, so rest up, hyung. You don’t need to come pick me up tomorrow either. Let’s go to the hospital first thing in the morning.”
Jaekyung repeated his request, then turned off the bedroom light, closed the door, and left.
Left alone, Jiheon tried to go back to sleep, but it eluded him. His mind was filled with complexity.
After coming home, he had been thinking about it again and again, and had made up his mind to some extent. However, when he actually saw Jaekyung, his heart was shaken again.
Jiheon, who had been lying under the blanket for a considerable time, eventually rose. He must have been wide awake, so he opened the door and exited with the intention of taking a shower and changing clothes.
However, when he found Jaekyung seated on the living room sofa, he was so taken aback that he blurted out:
“What are you doing? Why didn’t you leave?”
“Why would I leave?”
Jaekyung responded with a blank expression.
“I just wanted to see you come out, hyung.”
In short, Jaekyung was worried and had waited to ensure Jiheon was awake, but he had an uncanny talent for expressing his worry with an annoyed tone.
“I told you to just go.”
Jiheon sighed and entered the living room. Nevertheless, Jaekyung had waited because he was worried about Jiheon getting enough rest, so Jiheon couldn’t be angry with him for that.
With the intention of talking with him briefly and then seeing him off, Jiheon sat on the edge of the sofa as far away as possible. However, Jaekyung, who didn’t seem to like this, immediately asked with a frown.
“What’s this? Why are you sitting so far away?”
“I told you I have a cold.”
“I won’t catch it just by sitting next to you.”
Jaekyung attempted to move closer as he said this, causing Jiheon to panic and exclaim:
“Don’t come! Just stay there.”
Jiheon spoke urgently and stood up. He then opened all the living room windows.
“Hyung, you have a cold. Is it okay to open the windows like this?”
Jaekyung’s bewildered voice came from behind.
“Don’t you know? At times like these, we need better ventilation.”
Jiheon opened the windows as wide as they would go, making a loud noise. He knew it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but he felt like he couldn’t bear it unless the windows were open.
“If you keep doing this, it’s going to be easier to catch a cold, hyung.”
Jaekyung expressed his concern as the cold wind began to blow into the room.
“Yeah, which is why you should go home now.”
Jiheon retorted loudly and then sat on the sofa once more.
“I mean you, not me.”
Jaekyung explained, as if he was confused with what Jiheon was talking about.
“If you’re doing this to get me to leave, there’s no need. I’ll just go now, so close the windows.”
Saying that, Jaekyung picked up his bag and stood from the sofa. Jiheon gazed at Jaekyung as he turned toward the front door and then, after a prolonged pause, finally spoke.
“Jaekyung-ah.”
Jaekyung looked back. Jiheon hesitated for quite some time before continuing.
“What would you do if I had to go on a business trip for a few months?”
