Behind the facade

Aoi took Reiji's final words to heart and set out to explore every corner of the company. In reality, boredom quickly took over, and she wandered aimlessly, losing track of both time and direction—until she found herself face-to-face with Reiji once again.

"Ms. Seika! What are you doing here?" the omega asked, clearly still trembling inside and thinking, *Why now? I'm barely standing up! I can't let her see me like this*.

Aoi immediately noticed not only his trembling but also the nauseating mix of pheromones hanging in the air. Her eyes flashed with momentary anger, but she controlled herself. Calmly, she released her own mint-scented pheromones, which washed over Reiji in a fresh wave, soothing his mind and steadying his trembling frame.

Reiji let out a soft, involuntary hum as he inhaled the mint, his entire body relaxing. But as soon as he realized they weren't alone, embarrassment colored his cheeks, and he hurriedly tried to explain, waving his hands.

"Sorry... It's not... not what it looks like." The once-cold, composed CEO now looked utterly human—clumsy, shy, even cute.

A soft chuckle escaped Aoi as she watched his transformation. "It's fine," she reassured. "But let's keep this our little secret." She gave him a mischievous wink.

"Thank you," he mumbled, cheeks still rosy.

"Wanna use the restroom?" Aoi asked, concern etched on her face.

Reiji hesitated, conflicted, then admitted, "No... Actually, I think I will take you up on that." While the urge to vomit had passed, his heart was still racing from the embarrassment. He hurried off, giving Aoi a chance to observe him from afar.

*Damn, he's cute,* she thought. It surprised her that the same unapproachable man from that morning had such a clumsy side. Her gaze darkened as new questions arose: *Does he face this every day? Do those alphas really use pheromones to win arguments against him...?*

### In the Restroom

Reiji locked the door behind him and leaned heavily against it, face buried in his hands. "What have I done?... That was so embarrassing," he muttered in a muffled voice. "What if she thinks the CEO she's promoting is just a clumsy, idiotic omega?" His thoughts were interrupted by memories of her scent—a blush spread across his cheeks once more.

He gave himself a minute to calm down, steadied his breath, and returned to meet Aoi.

"Are you feeling better now, Mr. Sasaki?" Aoi asked when he returned.

"Yeah, thank you for your concern," Reiji replied, his voice calm once more.

"Why don't we have a little chat out in the fresh air?" she suggested, gesturing to the balcony.

"Sure, why not?"

As they walked, the conversation continued to flow.

"You don't have to act like the cold, unapproachable CEO right now," Aoi teased.

"I can't make a fool out of myself in front of our clients," Reiji countered.

"That's true, but honestly, I prefer your clumsy side over the cold one," she replied with a smirk.

"Please just forget that ever happened," he groaned.

She grinned. "Then I'll remember it... forever." Wink.

"Consider them two sides of a coin," Reiji mused.

"I never expected such a cute side from you."

Reiji glanced at her. "What do people even think of me?"

"Probably just a cold, unapproachable CEO with no feelings," Aoi guessed.

"It's not like I'm an AI. I'm human, too. Everyone has different sides."

They reached the balcony. Sunlight caught in Aoi's hair and made her golden eyes sparkle. With a genuine smile, she turned to him and said, "Then let me see them all... every side of you."

Reiji was briefly in awe but quickly masked it with his usual composure. "Don't bother flirting with me, just for that."

"Oh? Did it sound like flirting? Or were you hoping I'd make a move?" she teased.

"That's none of your business," he returned sharply.

Leaning against the rail, Aoi pulled out a candy cigarette and put one in her mouth. "Want one?" she offered.

"What are you, a kid?" Reiji took one anyway, popping it in his mouth.

"It's just a habit. In most of my movies, I have to look cool with a cigarette during serious talks, so I carry these."

"I see..."

Aoi gazed at the sky. "Hey, it's tough dealing with alphas, isn't it?"

Reiji nodded. "It is, at least for an omega like me. Pheromones, instincts, aggression... it's all just natural for them. But hating alphas just for being alphas makes me no better than those who look down on omegas for our heat cycles. It's no one's fault for being born with certain qualities. Sure, some alphas misuse their instincts to assert dominance, just as a few omegas might sell their bodies for gain. In the end, gender doesn't matter. It's the character and heart that matter—how someone handles their desires and instincts. We can't call ourselves humans if we just gave into our instincts, can we?"

Aoi's eyes widened. His words soothed a storm inside her, replacing a long-held, simmering resentment with peace. She smiled—an honest, warm smile—for the first time in a while.

"What are you, a philosopher? Or a preacher?" she said, a bit dumbfounded.

"You were the one who asked," Reiji said defensively.

"I thought you would be simple and straightforward."

"Alpha - omega identity and the problems that come with it aren't that simple, are they?"

"Fine, I lose."

Reiji checked his watch. "Oh! It's time for the meeting. I have to go."

"Already? You didn't even eat lunch."

"And whose fault is that?" Reiji asked, glaring pointedly at her.

"It's me…" she admitted, contrite.

"That's fine. I enjoyed our little chat. Even if you hadn't kept me, I couldn't have eaten anyway."

Aoi's eyes darkened again. She didn't want to send Reiji back to endure the toxic atmosphere alone, so she released a stronger wave of pheromones, letting it settle protectively around him.

Reiji's eyes sparkled bright blue, a blush creeping up his cheeks. But he calmed himself and said, "You know you could be sued for that, right?"

"I know," Aoi responded with a shrug, "but I know you won't."

"And why's that?" Reiji frowned.

"If you did, then all those directors would have to be sued with me, right? You can't do it."

"You're a real fox, you know that?"

"I learned from my movies. Can't have a dumb actress every time, can we?"

"Anyway, see you later," Reiji said with a wave, excusing himself.

Aoi waved back, watching his retreating figure vanish around the corner. Then she looked up at the sky, reflective.

*Not giving in to instincts, huh? Would I really be able to control myself around an omega in heat—or would I become a monster like that man?*