Unscented Trajectory - Chapter 63 - Chapter 63

The party was in full swing.

 

Although the organizer was Gayeon Group, it was by far the Muyeol group that received the most attention.

 

Allen Jeong, an authority in the American business world, Jeong Sehyeon, the interim chairman of Muyeol Group and the real name of the rumored investor Yoon Jaehee, and Jeong Soohyun, the incumbent chairman of the Muyeol Group.

 

The three of them were talking endlessly, surrounded by a huge crowd who wanted to talk to them even a little.

 

Soohyun’s face, who had been calmly conversing with several people, suddenly felt tired. Because it was slight, others didn’t notice, but Seohwan’s eyes could not be avoided. He gently covered Soohyun’s face with his hands and raised his eyebrows.

 

“You look tired. Do you want to go back?”

 

“No, thanks.”

 

Even though he said that, it was difficult to be surrounded by so many people and deal with them constantly.

 

“I’ll go get some air.”

 

“Yeah, take a break. If you are struggling, just tell me.”

 

Leaving behind Seohwan’s worrying words, he headed to the hall’s terrace. People deliberately pretended to be concerned about Soohyun and took care of their image. Even so, they secretly cling to Seohwan and tell the story of their business.

 

Soohyun, who came out to the terrace without people, took a deep breath and touched his slightly throbbing head with his hand. It was hard to suddenly be surrounded by so many people, so he had conversations so that he wouldn’t be looked down on by them, but he felt his body tensed up.

 

‘Never show any gaps. All the people in the room are all like vipers, so don’t let down your guard even for a moment.’

 

It was just as Seohwan said. Everyone seemed to be talking casually, but everyone was setting their own traps. If he didn’t contact them, they would attack him and tie him up so that he wouldn’t be able to move, but if he was hasty, they would judge him saying he was inexperienced.

 

His words and actions determined the group’s influence. Even though he knew it, it was still difficult, and he couldn’t help it. Without Seohwan and Sehyeon’s support, they might have already looked disheveled.

 

He put his hands on the railing of the terrace and took another deep breath.

 

At the same time, he heard someone enter. It was natural because it was a narrow terrace, but the person was clearly approaching him.

 

He knew who it was without looking back. A familiar scent began to surround him.

 

“… Soo Hyun-ah.”

 

His heart throbbed. His name clearly came out of Lee Joohyuk’s mouth. That was the name he’d been wanting to hear.

 

Soohyun already knew that Joohyuk was at the party. The moment he reached the door leading to the party, his five senses were already reacting to Joohyuk. His heart was beating fast and his head was a little warm. After being together every day for a while, his pheromone was unusually stimulating.

 

But he didn’t show it. He pretended not to feel anything. As if brainwashing himself that he was just one of those people at the party.

 

He turned and met Joohyuk’s gaze. His slightly reddened eyes were thing he saw, followed by his bruised face. His face was also darker than before.

 

“Soohyun-ah.”

 

Taking a step closer, he called out his name sadly.

 

Suddenly, Joohyuk was approaching him. A distance that can be closed by just reaching out.

 

Joohyuk’s hand went up. Careful fingertips came closer and closer to his cheek. The moment the tips was about to reach.

 

Smack –

 

He hit him hard. The painfully rejected hand stopped as if frozen in the air.

 

“Don’t touch me.”

 

A voice as cold as the late night air came out of Soohyun’s mouth.

 

“You have no right to touch me.”

 

Now he was not his Alpha and he was not his omega.

 

That was Jeong Soohyun’s conclusion, and it had to be.

 

Joohyuk’s face fell. Just like a sandcastle that was caught in the waves and was gradually crumbling.

 

Soohyun looked at his face and clenched his teeth.

 

“After so long…”

 

He always imagined him calling his name so sweetly, but now he was not happy with it. He felt like he would waver  just by that.

 

He kept his expression cold and tried to suppress his emotions.

 

“… Excuse me.”

 

Soohyun passed by Joohyuk, speaking as if he were dealing with a stranger. He still wanted to get away from his alluring scent.

 

As soon as he passed by, he grabbed his wrist.

 

“Soohyun-ah, wait a minute…”

 

He reflexively tried to shake off his arm, but his grip was so strong that he couldn’t remove his grip.

 

“Let go… !”

 

“Sorry.”

 

He was speechless at the sudden apology. Because Joohyuk, who never apologized, said it while looking straight at him.

 

He spoke once more, clearly.

 

“I’m sorry, Soohyun-ah.”

 

It felt like something was coming up. He felt like he was about to burst into tears at those short words that implied so many things.

 

On the other hand, what came out of his mouth was ridicule.

 

“I don’t understand. Lee Joohyuk, do you think you have something to be sorry for?”

 

Joohyuk’s mouth opened, but he made no explanations or excuses. He just looked at him with tears in his eyes and said ‘I’m sorry’ over and over again.

 

It would be nice if he could let go of the wrist he was holding on to, but Joohyuk never thought of releasing his hand. Then, with a face that looks like he was going to die because it hurts so much, he just kept apologizing.

 

“Soohyun-ah… .”

 

“Why don’t you take care of your partner instead of hanging on to me?”

 

When he said sarcastically, only then did Joohyuk say something other than an apology.

 

“You are my only mate.”

 

“Don’t lie. I’m not your mate.”

 

“I was only rumored to have a mate because I didn’t want another Omega. To me, 17 years ago and now, there is only you.”

 

‘You will be the only Omega in my life.’

 

Joohyuk’s covenant penetrated Soohyun’s mind.

 

“… Then why didn’t you recognize me?”

 

The words that accused him came from his heart..

 

“I… I never forgot you for a moment.”

 

Joohyuk’s face turned painfully as if he had been stabbed by a knife. Drops of water dripping from the corners of his eyes ran down his cheeks.

 

“Accident… Most of the memories of that time are gone.”

 

It was simply an ‘accident’ without specific details. There seemed to be a lot of meaning behind it, but he didn’t want to hear it after asking every word of it.

 

According to Joohyuk, the person he said resembled him was him. With the excuse that he couldn’t remember properly either the face or the name.

 

So he got even more angry. If he had remembered the covenant, if he really thought he was his only Omega, then it wouldn’t have happened.

 

Not only did he project himself onto another person and mix his body, but he also tried to force him to stay with him. And the other person who was treated like such a substitute was none other than himself.

 

Not only did Joohyuk forget about himself, but he inflicted great wounds on both his past and present.

 

‘I was only worth that… … .’

 

Whatever the accident or whatever he did to him while forgetting himself was unforgivable in any words. That was certain.

 

“It would be good to find a new mate from now on.”

 

“Soohyun-ah, I… … .”

 

“Mr. Lee Joohyuk.”

 

He strongly shook off Joohyuk’s hand that was holding his wrist.

 

“If you want to look back on the past, you do it alone. … Because I’ve already pointed it out enough to want to die.”

 

Joohyuk’s face collapsed once more. He had a face that looked like he was about to collapse at any moment with his mouth shut. He didn’t feel any pity or sympathy. Rather, it just made him want to destroy it even more.

 

Thank god.

 

He still had enough ‘affection’ to take advantage of him.

 

Soohyun smiled warmly and softly and took one step closer to Joohyuk. Then he wrapped his arms around Joohyuk’s waist and rested his head on his shoulder.

 

As if replacing Soohyun’s unscented scent, a faint unfamiliar scent was felt.

 

Alpha scent.

 

“Please, I want you to be as sick as me.”

 

A tempting voice tickled Joohyuk’s ears.

 

Soohyun, who pushed Joohyuk, who was shivering with his mouth shut, had a cold face.

 

He passed Joohyuk, who stood still with a confused face, and returned to the hall. Until then, Joohyuk stood on the terrace and showed no movement.

 

‘Don’t be sorry, Joohyuk.’

 

Suhyeon, who wiped his pale, tired face with his hand, frowned while chewing the flesh in his mouth.

 

‘Don’t be sorry and hurt yourself too, please.’

 

It was a rather good thing. It would be perfect if he realized who he was and remembered a good promise.

 

He suddenly felt the pain in his wrist and the pain in his chest were similar, but I tried to ignore it.

 

Joohyuk, who was left alone on the terrace, felt his legs loosen up when Soohyun couldn’t see him. He grabbed the railing of the terrace and managed to support himself and covered his eyes with one hand. He felt hot tears running down his palms.

 

“If you want to look back on the past, you do it alone. … Because I’ve already pointed it out enough to want to die.”

 

As he recalled what Soohyun had said, his heart pounded and he was suffocating. He knew all too well what it meant. As he was now, how could he not know.

 

He wanted to say so too. He also wanted to make excuses for missing him for 17 years, thinking that he was dead and living the devastating days because of it.

 

His only mate for the rest of his life was Soohyun. It was the same moment when he fell in love with ‘Kwon Yihyeon’.

 

But he made no excuses. He wanted to cling to him and beg for his forgiveness, but he didn’t. The image of him trying to shake him off was so clear that he couldn’t even spit out the words that would shake him. There was absolutely nothing that could be forgiven with such a pretentious word.

 

He remembered Soohyun, who only thought of protecting him as ‘Kwon Yihyeon’ by his side. It was the only choice he had made to keep the covenant and to close the last remaining heart, but he did irreparable things to him without knowing it.

 

Still, he made excuses on purpose.

 

That he was his only mate 17 years ago and still today,he said that he was his only partner.

 

He didn’t want him to be shaken by those words. He never wanted him to forgive him and come back.

 

Rather, he hoped to use it as an excuse to hurt himself. If he knew that his heart was directed towards him, he can hurt him as much as he wanted.

 

Soohyun, recognizing his love, suddenly smiled beautifully. It was a lovely smile that made him want to reach out and kiss his face, but it was quite different from what it was 17 years ago.

 

The moment Soohyun grabbed his waist and hugged him, a shiver ran through his body. He wanted to hug him tight so he wouldn’t run away. He wanted to bury his pheromone everywhere, as if hugging and kissing him and marking his territory.

 

No matter how closely he hid the pheromone, he would be able to feel the scent, but Soohyun still had no scent when he was “Kwon Yihyeon” or now. It brought him to his senses.

 

<The pheromone gland is damaged, so I no longer have my scent. It was the scent that hyung really liked.>

 

<Is it possible that since my scent is gone, you can’t find me? It would be better if that was the case… … .>

 

He remembered the words on the letter. He didn’t know how much his heart ached to read that the pheromone gland was destroyed because of the wounds he received while saving him, and that made him no longer able to smell anything.

 

<It’s okay. If hyung can’t find me, I can find you, hyung.>

 

Even though he approached him in search of his scent, he didn’t recognize him. He was not enough and inflicted countless wounds.

 

The culprit that twisted Soohyun’s life was and still is him.

 

And, as if to blame him, Soohyun smelled like a different alpha. Instinctively, he was nervous and possessive. The desire to immediately find the alpha that gave his mate a pheromone rose. His heart raced like crazy and his whole body twitched in anger at the Alpha.

 

“Please, I want you to be as sick as me.”

 

His heart began to tear little by little, as he had hoped. He clenched his teeth and suppressed the painful and difficult emotions deep down.

 

He felt a very small part of the emotions that Soohyun felt. That alone would make him sick to death, but how much more pain would he have been in? He couldn’t even fathom Soohyun’s pain.

 

‘Don’t forgive me, Soohyun-ah.’

 

You can be hurt because of love.

 

‘Never forgive me… I’ll hurt more than I hurt you.’

 

Love can tear you apart.

 

‘And I will always love you for the rest of my life.’

 

* * *

 

“Then I would like to thank you.”

 

“I am very grateful.”

 

The Gayeon group’s chairman Woo Cheolhwan followed Soohyun from his seat and asked him to shake hands with a smile.

 

“It may look strange, but I don’t think I will have any regrets. I had no idea that Muyeol Group would be so interested in our brand. There, the president comes directly like this.”

 

“I was very impressed with the products you showed me at the last launch party.”

 

At the second party where VIPs were gathered, they demonstrated expensive cosmetics aimed at the upper classes, albeit briefly. The response at this time was quite good, so after that day, several companies had requested a meeting for collaboration.

 

He just got a call right after he finished a temporary contract with another company on good terms. A large department store under the Muyeol Group has a premium pavilion centered on foreign brands, so it was a collaboration request to enter the store alone. Even for a domestic brand, it was difficult to get involved, so he was about to give up in the first place, but he didn’t expect to be contacted like this.

 

Soohyun, who grabbed Woo Cheolhwan’s wrinkled hand, smiled a little.

 

“After that, we plan to gradually increase the number of domestic brands in the form of exclusive stores. Because it is impossible to stick to foreign brands forever. It’s perfect for Gayeon’s promising brand.”

 

“Thank you for saying that.”

 

After shaking hands, Soohyun handed the envelope containing the contract to Junwoo, who was standing behind him.

 

“Then I will contact you again through the person below regarding entering the store soon.”

 

“Yes, thank you for today. If it’s okay with you, how about dinner together? There is a good Korean restaurant nearby.”

 

When Woo Cheolhwan offered a meal with a friendly smile, Soohyun was apologetic and replied.

 

“I’m sorry. After this, I have a meeting…”

 

“Right, you just took office, so you’re probably busy.”

 

Woo Cheolhwan, who showed a disappointing expression, blinked at the secretary who was standing next to him. He quickly stepped forward and opened the door wide.

 

Soohyun came out of the building and approached the car in front of the two black cars waiting at the front door. When Junwoo opened the back seat door one step ahead, he got on naturally. At the same time, the bodyguard who was waiting in the driver’s seat came out and moved to the car behind.

 

As soon as Junwoo got into the driver’s seat and moved the car, he checked Soohyun’s face in the rearview mirror. He looked very tired as he leaned deep in the seat and closed his eyes like a relaxed person. He had met the leaders of various companies from early in the morning, so it was good enough.

 

“I’ll adjust the schedule for the next meeting, so please rest.”

 

Junwoo made the proposal anxiously, but Soohyun refused without opening his eyes.

 

“It’s okay, so I’ll do it as planned.”

 

“Then why don’t you at least eat something and go?”

 

A sigh escaped from Soohyun’s mouth, closing his eyes.

 

He wished he could eat, but lately he hasn’t been able to put anything in his mouth. Even when he was hungry, when he sat down at the table, he was often nauseous, so he didn’t want to eat anything, let alone look at the food itself.

 

“I don’t want to eat. After the schedule is over, I will go to get the medicine, so let’s proceed.”

 

At Soohyun’s words, Junwoo, who was watching him in the rearview mirror, put a radio into the security vehicle with a small walkie-talkie.

 

“We’re going to end the schedule now and go back. Call the doctor to the mansion.”

 

Immediately, the person in charge of the security vehicle gave a brief reply that he would do so. When he looked in the mirror, his eyes met Soohyun, who had just opened his eyes.

 

“What are you doing? Let’s go ahead with the schedule.”

 

“The president’s body is more important than the schedule.”

 

“Team Leader Kang.”

 

“Then you’ll faint again.”

 

There was a time a few days ago when he moved without eating properly and lost consciousness for a moment. It was fortunate that it happened while they were moving to another place, but if they had done so at the meeting, there would have been a commotion.

 

Among them, there were people who did not like Soohyun’s inauguration, and there were people inside who doubted his talent. For such people, they were looking for Soohyun’s weaknesses.

 

“The higher you are, the more you should put your body first.”

 

“But … .”

 

“If you are thinking of children, you should be more careful.”

 

Soohyun’s mouth, who was about to respond, shut his mouth tightly. Junwoo knew that there was nothing more effective than a child to dissuade him at this time.

 

Soohyun, who seemed to be worried, had no choice but to say that he understood. It didn’t matter whether he was starving or tired for a few days, but he couldn’t put a burden on the child.