Cold City Romance Chapter 15.3

During the past four years since parting with Hyun Jaehwi, Cha Dokyung had not experienced a ‘heat cycle’ even once, strangely enough.

He no longer felt any desire to have sex with someone or to mix his body with another’s, and he was glad for that. He had grown tired of the disruptions and had hoped to live without the instincts or desires of pheromones, but he had never dreamed that such a state would continue for four years like this.

As a man, physiological desires existed. However, for Cha Dokyung, who had been conditioned by the high threshold of excitement from pheromone mating or rut periods and the intense stimulation of instincts, the ordinary physiological desires of a man without pheromones felt utterly insignificant.

Because the desires of pheromones had disappeared, he naturally did not feel any need to sleep with anyone. At first, he thought it was because he wanted Hyun Jaehwi so desperately.

Over the past few years, the object of Cha Dokyung’s fantasies during masturbation had been solely Hyun Jaehwi, and every time he gripped his sex organ to masturbate, reaching climax required imagining being burdened by knotting and penetration by that boy.

The last time he had physically sensed an alpha’s pheromones on his skin was a year and a half ago, in Berlin.

A German foreign actor who knew nothing about Cha Dokyung’s information or traits openly approached Cha Dokyung at the after-party of the film festival they had both attended.

For Cha Dokyung, who had long been involved in overseas filming and overseas schedules, simple English communication was not a problem.

“You seem to be mistaken, but I am not an omega.”

Cha Dokyung said, thoroughly concealing his own pheromones. He had no memory of failing to blind as a dominant omega. Except for one person.

“You’re not an omega?”

“…”

“No way, it doesn’t make sense for someone with such an incredibly erotic face to be an alpha.”

The man, who had been chattering in English, followed Cha Dokyung all the way to the bathroom. The dominant alpha German man openly displayed his pheromones to Cha Dokyung.

The other man possessed a tall and handsome appearance befitting a dominant alpha, but Cha Dokyung felt not even a shred of interest or sexual desire toward him.

But if he could sleep with another man, he desperately wanted to do so. Cha Dokyung, who had been writhing in longing and torment, wanted to forget that boy somehow, even if desperately.

However, when the man who approached him boldly in the bathroom openly released his pheromones, Cha Dokyung vomited up sudden nausea right there toward that man. The man’s tuxedo was soiled with vomit.

He could not endure the disgust from the alpha pheromones the man was emitting and the unfamiliar body scent. Overwhelmed by an uncontrollable sense of loathing that made it impossible to hold back the nausea, Cha Dokyung bolted from the spot and fled from there.

The physiological disgust and unpleasant loathing he felt at that time were close to a primal fear of unwanted reproduction. After experiencing that unpleasant fear that became a trauma and the repulsive physical rejection response, he had not even deliberately sought sexual contact with another alpha.

Seized by a strange suspicion, Cha Dokyung visited Professor Yoo Jinseo for the first time in several years. Now, four years later, she had risen to an unrivaled position as the top pheromone center specialist in traits.

Professor Yoo Jinseo welcomed Cha Dokyung with a kind and warm smile, as if they had met just the day before, like an old friend.

After explaining the whole story, Cha Dokyung underwent a detailed examination from Professor Yoo Jinseo, and Professor Yoo Jinseo told him something utterly unbelievable.

“The fact that the disruptions disappeared so suddenly is surprising enough… But to not have experienced a heat cycle for four years. Looking at the examination results, I understand why Mr. Dokyung hasn’t needed medical help all this time.”

“…”

“You seem to have imprinted.”

“…Pardon?”

However, Cha Dokyung did not believe those words.

“Wait a moment… You say that I imprinted? The examination results seem wrong.”

To Cha Dokyung, who distrusted the examination results, Professor Yoo Jinseo delivered a sharp retort.

“I think you clearly have someone in mind as to who the counterpart is. You can’t imprint on just anyone who passes by simply because you want to.”

“There is no one worth imprinting on. I haven’t… with anyone…”

“Imprinting in trait holders is a phenomenon that occurs when one’s instincts and reason perfectly align, as it is a pheromone oath swearing eternity, so it never happens through physical pleasure or pheromone instincts alone in a state where reason is unaware.”

Cha Dokyung could no longer continue speaking in front of the serious Professor Yoo Jinseo.

“Imprinting generally occurs during pheromone mating when one’s instincts for pheromones, along with body, reason, consciousness, and subconscious, perfectly form a trinity, acting as subordination swearing love to the counterpart.”

Imprinting is such a rare phenomenon even among trait holders.

He had heard stories of people who actually imprinted occasionally, but Cha Dokyung had only thought of it as a romantic tale that existed only in dramas, movies, or fairy tales.

Probably not just him, but most trait holders were the same. It clearly exists socially, but most think of it as a story very distant from themselves.

“There is one person I suspect… From four years ago.”

Sad eyes smiled emptily.

“Haha… Is there someone as dull as me? Like a fool, not noticing for four years that I had imprinted…”

“Imprinting has nothing to do with time. It has to do with Mr. Cha Dokyung’s heart.”

Professor Yoo Jinseo advised calmly in a warm tone.

“First, it would be good to confirm if that person is truly the imprint counterpart.”

“That person is not in Korea right now.”

“…”

“How can I confirm that I imprinted on that person?”

“It’s very simple. When the counterpart releases alpha pheromones, if there is none of the physiological disgust or rejection response that Mr. Cha Dokyung has felt until now, then that person is the imprint target.”

“Haa…”

“…”

“By any chance, can the counterpart also know that I imprinted?”

“Well. Since imprinting is merely an emotional and instinctual response that recognizes only one person’s pheromones… The pheromones do not change enough for the counterpart to notice. Unless Mr. Cha Dokyung says it himself, the counterpart probably won’t know.”

Cha Dokyung’s face was resolute.

“I can never let that person know about the imprint fact. No, I must not let them know.”

Too much time had already passed.

“The person I imprinted on hates me.”

“…”

“Four years have passed. They must have already forgotten me by now.”

“…”

“They might even have someone else they love by their side already. So I absolutely won’t tell. I’ll hide it and keep it a secret forever.”

“…”

“If I don’t tell about the imprint fact and live alone without contacting pheromones with other alphas like this, wouldn’t there be no problem?”

Cha Dokyung’s pupils lost focus and shook. The noble and delicate face that stimulated maternal instincts was fiercely denying his own imprint.

Professor Yoo Jinseo looked at that man with a thoughtful gaze of compassion.

“If that’s what Mr. Cha Dokyung wants, there won’t be a problem. If you don’t want pheromone contact with any alpha in the future and don’t want a second generation, you won’t experience heat cycles either, so it’s not impossible. Only…”

“…”

“Isn’t it because Mr. Cha Dokyung truly loves that counterpart mentally and physically, to the point of imprinting?”

When Cha Dokyung could not answer, Professor Yoo Jinseo approached him from across the table. She patted his shoulder and offered sincere comfort in a thoughtful voice.

“Mr. Dokyung, with such a sad face… For someone you love enough to shed tears that hurt the heart, wouldn’t it be best to definitely let them know?”

Cha Dokyung, with emotions dried up and a parched face, did not even realize that he was dropping tears plop, plop in front of Professor Yoo Jinseo.

“Am I crying?”

“From the moment you started explaining about the imprinted counterpart, Mr. Cha Dokyung has been shedding tears without even sobbing.”

“…”

“That’s exactly what imprinting is. Because it is an act of swearing eternity and subordination to only one person, you can never not know who that loved counterpart is.”

“…”

“If you hide the truth from the counterpart you love enough to swear eternity to, probably the one who will suffer the most is Mr. Cha Dokyung.”