Episode 2 ~ An Unusual Housemate
"...Y-You..."
I stood frozen in front of the CEO's desk, my mind refusing to process what I was seeing.
The man sitting before me calmly closed the file in his hands and looked up. The same black hair. The same pair of glasses. The same gentle smile I had seen only a few hours ago.
He was the man who had taken me home after the company dinner.
No...
He wasn't just that man.
He was the CEO.
For a moment, my brain completely stopped working.
The CEO tilted his head slightly.
"What happened?" he asked in a calm voice. "Why are you looking at me as if you've seen a ghost?"
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
Ghost?
No, Boss.
This was far more shocking than seeing a ghost.
The first thing that came to my mind wasn't even the fact that he was the CEO.
It was something much stranger.
How did he get here before me?
I had practically sprinted all the way to the company after leaving his house. I hadn't stopped to buy breakfast or even catch my breath.
Yet somehow...
He was already here.
Wearing a perfectly tailored black suit.
His hair was neatly combed, and he looked as though he'd been working for hours.
How?
Did he fly here?
Even if he'd driven, how had he managed to arrive before me, get changed, and start working?
"...Manager?"
His voice snapped me back to reality.
"S-Sorry, Boss!"
I bowed so quickly that I nearly lost my balance.
"I didn't know who you were. I'm really sorry if I acted disrespectfully last night."
He watched me quietly.
Then, to my surprise, he smiled.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"...Because you're my boss."
Wasn't that obvious?
I had joked with him.
Talked to him casually.
I'd even mistaken him for a student.
Thinking back on everything I'd said made me want to dig a hole and hide in it forever.
He rested his hands on the desk.
"You don't need to apologize."
"...I don't?"
He shook his head.
"No."
The room fell silent again.
Just as I thought the meeting was over, he spoke once more.
"I heard your apartment is quite far from the company."
"...Y-Yes."
"It takes about an hour and a half to get here."
He nodded as if he had already known the answer.
"Then move into my house."
"...What?"
I blinked.
Surely I'd misheard.
"Boss..."
I laughed awkwardly.
"That's... not a joke, right?"
"I'm serious."
"W-Wait..."
Live with the CEO?
Who in their right mind would agree to something like that?
My head spun with a hundred different excuses.
"No, Boss. I couldn't possibly impose on you."
"Why not?"
His expression softened.
"Am I that difficult to live with?"
For some reason...
He looked oddly disappointed.
I stared at him, completely at a loss.
How was I supposed to refuse when he looked like that?
After several minutes of awkward silence...
I sighed in defeat.
"...If you truly don't mind..."
The corners of his lips lifted into a faint smile.
"I don't."
And just like that...
Without fully understanding how...
I became the CEO's housemate.
A week passed surprisingly peacefully.
Every morning, I woke to the smell of breakfast.
At first I assumed the housekeeper had prepared it.
To my surprise...
The one standing in the kitchen every single morning was the CEO himself.
"You cooked all of this?"
He nodded.
"It's nothing special."
Nothing special?
The table looked like something from a luxury hotel.
I stared at him in disbelief.
Shouldn't I be the one helping him instead?
No matter how many times I offered, he always gave the same answer.
"I've already finished."
Honestly...
Living with him was much stranger than I had expected.
One evening, after finishing work, I returned home earlier than usual.
The house was unusually quiet.
I had just placed my bag on the sofa when
Click.
The front door opened.
"Boss?"
I turned toward the entrance and immediately frowned.
Something was wrong.
His tie was loose.
His steps were unsteady.
Most noticeably...
His cheeks were flushed a deep red.
I hurried over.
"Boss... are you alright?"
He slowly turned to look at me but didn't answer.
His breathing sounded heavier than usual.
I carefully touched the back of my hand to his forehead.
"...You're burning up."
He was in his RUT.
Before I could pull my hand away, he suddenly lifted both of his hands and gently cupped my cheeks.
I froze.
"...Boss?"
His hands were unbelievably warm.
"You really are sick," I said, trying to stay calm. "Come on. Let's get you to your room. You need to rest."
He didn't argue.
Wrapping one of his arms over my shoulder, I carefully supported him down the hallway.
Despite looking composed most of the time, he was much taller and broader than I was.
Getting him to his bedroom felt like helping an exhausted bear back to its den.
Finally, we reached the bed.
"There."
I helped him sit down.
"Stay here. I'll go get some medicine and a glass of..."
Before I could finish speaking, my wrist was gently caught.
"Huh?"
I lost my balance.
Thump.
I landed on the edge of the mattress.
The CEO leaned forward, too exhausted to support himself any longer, and slumped against me.
"...Boss?"
There was no response.
Only the slow, steady rhythm of his breathing.But Suddenly he grabbed my upper arm and, with a swift movement, pushed me onto the floor. Before I could react, he caught both of my wrists and pinned my hands above my head, making it impossible for me to break free.
A confident smirk crossed his face.
"Got you."
I struggled against his grip, trying to twist away, but he didn't loosen his hold for even a second.Without warning, he lunged toward me, as though fighting a battle within himself. Without warning, he lunged toward me, as though fighting a battle within himself. He suddenly lost control and rushed toward me.
I stumbled back in fear, but just before anything could happen, he clenched his teeth and bit into his own hand.
"Boss!"
Golden blood dripped from the deep bite wound, shining strangely in the moonlight.
My eyes widened. "G-Golden... blood?"
Before I could understand what I had just seen, his body gave out. He collapsed heavily onto the floor.
I stood there, trembling.
"W-What am I supposed to do...?"
Swallowing my fear, I hurried to his side. My hands shook so badly that it took me a few tries just to wrap the bandage around his injured hand.
"S-Sorry... I'm not very good at this..."
After tying the bandage as carefully as I could, I grabbed the nearest blanket and gently covered him.
The room fell silent.
I sat beside him, hugging my knees, stealing nervous glances at my unconscious boss.
"Please... wake up soon, Boss..."
After that i carefully adjusting the blanket over him, I stayed where I was for the moment, waiting for him to wake up before trying to move again.
A faint ray of sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains, gently warming my face.
"...Mmm..."
I frowned and slowly opened my eyes.
For a moment, everything felt unfamiliar.
The soft mattress.
The scent of freshly washed sheets.
The spacious bedroom.
"...Huh?"
I blinked several times before last night's memories came rushing back.
The boss had returned home looking exhausted. I had helped him to his room, planning to give him some medicine...
Then...
I glanced beside me.
The CEO was still asleep, his breathing slow and steady.
"...He's still sleeping."
I carefully tried to sit up.
"...Ow."
A dull ache shot through my lower back.
I winced and gently rubbed the sore spot.
The next morning, I slowly opened my eyes, wincing as a dull ache spread through my body.
"Ugh... Why does everything hurt...?"
I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to remember what had happened.
"The last thing I remember..."
Boss collapsed after biting his own hand. I bandaged his wound, covered him with a blanket, and stayed beside him.
"...I must've fallen asleep."
I glanced around the room before my eyes landed on him.
"He fell asleep first... then I did."
Nothing else had happened.
"So... why does my whole body feel sore?"
I let out a quiet sigh.
"I should've found a better way to help him onto the bed."
Being pinned in the same position for the entire night had left every muscle in my back stiff.
I carefully stretched before climbing off the bed as quietly as possible.
Just as my feet touched the floor—
A hand wrapped around my wrist.
"...?"
Before I could react, another arm circled around my waist.
"...Boss?"
Still half-asleep, he tightened his hold ever so slightly.
"...Don't go."
His voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"I..."
"...don't want to lose you again."
I froze.
Lose me?
What was he talking about?
I looked down at his peaceful sleeping face, completely confused.
"...Boss..."
I whispered softly.
"I think you're dreaming."
He didn't answer.
Only his quiet breathing filled the room.
I sighed helplessly.
"Looks like I'm not going anywhere for a few more minutes."
Somehow....
I looked at him for a long moment.
"...Why do I feel this way?"
For some reason, just looking at him made my heart feel strangely restless.
It was as if I wanted to stay by his side... to help him... to do whatever he asked without even questioning it.
"Is it because he's my boss?"
I shook my head.
"No... that can't be the only reason."
The feeling was unfamiliar something deeper, something that quietly pulled me toward him.
"...Am I... attracted to him?"
I let out a small, nervous laugh.
"That's impossible."
I'm just a Beta. I can't even detect pheromones.
"So why does being near him make me feel like this...?"
