Aoi had taken Reiji's last words to heart—so much so that she got herself into the trouble of exploring every corner of the company.
In reality though, she just got too bored and aimlessly roamed around.
She wandered so much that she lost track of both time and direction.
Finally, she ended up right in front of Reiji.
"Ms. Seika! What are you doing here?" the omega asked, still trembling.
Why now? he panicked inwardly. I'm barely holding myself together! I can't let her see me like this… so pitiful.
Aoi noticed the trembling omega and the suffocating mixture of pheromones clinging to the air around him. Her eyes darkened for a moment—on the brink of rage—but she took a breath and composed herself.
Then, she released her pheromones.
A fresh wave of mint swept over Reiji, soothing his anxious mind and trembling body.
The omega inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering closed as he hummed instinctively, "Ahh… Hmmmm…"
Then, as if suddenly remembering he wasn't alone, his eyes flew open and he grew visibly flustered.
"S-Sorry! It's not… not what it looks like," Reiji stammered, waving his hands nervously, cheeks dusted in a rosy hue.
The cold, composed CEO now looked more like a clumsy, shy cutie.
Aoi's eyes widened at the unexpectedly adorable display, and a soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"It's fine," she reassured, smiling. "But… it'll be our little secret, okay?" she added with a wink.
Reiji nodded, flustered. "Thank you…"
"Wanna use the restroom?" Aoi asked, concerned.
Reiji hesitated. He didn't feel nauseous anymore… but his heart was still racing.
"No.…Actually, I'll take you up on that," he changed his answer midway. He needed a moment—away from that golden gaze—to calm down.
He hurried toward the restroom.
Aoi watched him leave, then mumbled to herself, "Damn… he's cute."
Can't believe someone who looked so unapproachable this morning has such a clumsy side.
Her eyes darkened again, her gaze turning cold.
Does he deal with this every day?
"Those fucking alphas, using pheromones against the poor omega just to win an argument…"
---
In the Restroom
Reiji closed the door behind him and leaned against it, burying his face in his hands.
"…What have I done? That was so embarrassing."
What if she thinks the CEO of the company she's promoting is just a clumsy, idiotic omega…?
He peeked through his fingers, blushing again.
"But… she smells nice."
He shook his head furiously.
"Calm down, me," he muttered. After a minute of deep breathing and internal pep talk, he straightened his posture and headed back out.
---
"Feeling better now, Mr. Sasaki?" Aoi asked casually.
"Yeah. Thank you for your concern," Reiji replied in his usual calm tone.
"How about a little chat in the fresh air?" she offered, gesturing toward the open balcony at the end of the hallway.
"Sure. Why not?"
As they walked, Aoi asked,"Going back to the cold CEO mode?"
"I can't afford to make a fool of myself in front of clients. Can I?"
"That's true. But personally…" she smirked, "I like the clumsy side a lot better."
"Please forget that ever happened."
"Then I'll remember it… forever," she teased with a wink.
Reiji sighed, "Consider them two sides of the same coin."
"I never expected you to have a cute side, though."
"What do people even think of me?"
"Probably just a cold, aloof CEO with no emotions."
"I'm not AI. I have feelings too, you know. Everyone has different sides."
They reached the balcony. Aoi turned around to face him. Her golden eyes sparkled, sunlight filtering through her brown hair, framing her face like a halo.
She smiled. "Then… let me see them all. Every side of you."
Reiji's eyes widened. For a moment, he was starting struck—but he quickly masked it.
"Don't bother flirting with me just for that."
"Oh? Did it sound like flirting? Or are you hoping I'll make a move?" she asked with a teasing smirk.
"That's none of your business," Reiji said flatly.
They stood beside the balcony railing, gazing at the sky.
Aoi pulled out a small pack of candy cigarettes from her pocket and popped one into her mouth.
"Want one?" she offered.
"What are you? A kid?"
Still, Reiji took one and stuck it in his mouth.
"Cigarette really gives a feel to the chat, you know. I got used to having a cigarette in mouth in the serious talk scene from movies that I act in." Aoi explained. "So now I keep these with me."
"I see…"
Aoi stared out at the sky, her tone softening.
"Hey… it's hard to deal with alphas, isn't it?"
"I admit—it is, especially for an omega like me," Reiji replied honestly. "Pheromones, instincts, aggression… they're all just a natural part of being an alpha. If I hated them for that, I'd be no better."
He paused.
"People look down on omegas too—because of heat cycles or emotional triggers. It's no one's fault for being born with these tendencies. Sure, some alphas abuse their instincts to assert dominance. But some omegas… use their heat or bodies to manipulate others for gain. So really, gender doesn't matter—it's a person's character. Their greed. Their choices. We can't call ourselves human if we just gave in to our instincts, can we?"
Aoi's eyes widened. His words struck a chord—calming something bitter and raging hatred of herself deep inside her.
She smiled. A genuine one.
"What are you, a philosopher?
Or a preacher may be?" she asked, slightly dumbfounded.
"You were the one who brought it up," Reiji said defensively.
"I thought you'd be more… simple and straightforward."
"Gender identity and the problems that come with it aren't that simple."
"Fine. I lose."
Reiji checked his watch.
"Oh—it's time. I have to get back to the meeting."
"Already? You didn't even eat lunch."
"And whose fault is that?" Reiji shot her a look.
"…Mine," Aoi admitted, a bit sheepishly.
"That's fine. I enjoyed our little chat. Even if you hadn't taken my time, I probably wouldn't have eaten anyway."
Aoi's eyes darkened again. She couldn't let Reiji return to that suffocating boardroom alone.
She released another wave of pheromones—this one a little stronger.
Mint filled the air, calming and protective.
Reiji's eyes shimmered for a second, a blush sneaking onto his face, but he quickly composed himself.
"You do know that I could sue you for this, right?" he said calmly.
Marking an omega with their pheremones by an alpha without concent is a punishable act.
"Yeah, I do," Aoi answered. "But I also know you won't."
"And why's that?" Reiji asked, raising a brow.
"If you would really do that, you'd have already sued the directors. And you haven't done that."
"You're one sneaky fox, you know that?"
"I learned it from experience of my movies. Can't have a dumb actress in every role, Can we?"
"Anyway… see you later," Reiji said with a small wave and walked away.
Aoi watched his back as he turned the corner and disappeared.
Not giving in to their instincts, huh?
She looked up at the sky.
Then… would I be able to control myself around an omega in heat?
Or would I become a monster… like that man?
---