Under the cloak of pheremones

Reiji made his way toward the meeting room and was greeted by Nozomi. She handed him a stack of papers required for the session.

"Here!"

"Thank you, Nozomi," Reiji replied with a smile.

Noticing his cheerful mood, Nozomi grew suspicious. "Hey, you attended the morning meeting, right?"

"Yeah! Why?" he asked, genuinely confused.

She sighed. "Never mind. You're not the type to skip a meeting." They walked side by side down the hall.

"What's all this about?" Reiji asked, still perplexed.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed…" Nozomi trailed off, eyeing him over the rims of her glasses. "You look unusually happy today. Normally you're pale and worn out after meetings, but today you look great—better than ever, honestly."

Reiji was surprised by the observation. *Do I really look that different?* he thought. Aoi's face flashed in his mind, and he suddenly became aware of the lingering mint scent. Of course, Nozomi—a beta—couldn't sense it.

Their conversation was interrupted by Mr. Takami. Nozomi excused herself, giving the two men space.

"Mr. Sasaki! Where have you been? I've been looking for you," Takami called out.

"Oh, Mr. Takami! I just stepped out to the balcony for some fresh air. Is there something you needed?" Reiji asked.

Takami's eyes narrowed as he caught the faint trace of an alpha's pheromones around Reiji. "Nothing urgent, I just thought we could have lunch together. Were you with someone?"

"I bumped into Ms. Seika on the way. We just talked for a bit."

"Ms. Seika? The 'Queen of Action' herself?" Takami's curiosity was piqued.

"Yeah. She's going to be promoting our products for a while."

Takami moved closer, his tone turning possessive as he released his wild grass-scented pheromones. "Mr. Sasaki, why didn't you come to me? I would gladly have made you mine, taken care of you and the company."

Reiji stiffened. Encased in Aoi's lingering mint, he didn't entirely freeze, but unease flickered across his face. "What are you talking about, Mr. Takami?"

Takami's smile darkened. "You don't have to pretend. Everyone knows you're an omega, and everyone knows how much pheromones affect you—how your body trembles, and what happens when you get overwhelmed. Why not just accept it and marry me? I'd make you feel good, and you wouldn't have to bother with work or alpha politics."

Pushing Takami away, Reiji adjusted his coat and faced the alpha, determined. "I'm not in such a pitiful state, Mr. Takami."

Takami leaned in, voice low and taunting. "You're one feisty omega. But keep in mind: an omega has to obey an alpha, one way or another."

Other board members began to arrive for the meeting. Reiji kept his chin up. "And who says that?"

"You'll find out. I'll be waiting when you come to your senses. I'm generous enough to accept you." Takami gave a final, smug adjustment to his suit and vanished into the boardroom.

**Kuro Takami(31):** A dominant alpha—handsome, athletic, manipulative—with wild grass-scented pheromones and a reputation for cunning.

The board meeting resumed, not much different from earlier. But this time, Reiji was more composed and focused, shielded by Aoi's residual pheromones. He explained his vision for the company's expansion into motorbikes, addressing members' questions with clarity. Some directors were persuaded, while others remained undecided, postponing the vote to next week's meeting.

As the meeting ended, Mr. Sanemi approached Reiji with a friendly smile.

"You're getting even better than your father, Reiji!"

"You're exaggerating, Mr. Sanemi," Reiji said, bashful.

"Nonsense! You answered everyone's questions perfectly—they were speechless by the end!" Sanemi laughed warmly.

"I was so tense, Mr. Sanemi."

"Must be tough dealing with all these alphas. But personally, I like the idea of producing bikes."

"Thanks for your support, Mr. Sanemi."

"See you later, my boy," Sanemi said, heading out.

Takahara Sanemi—54, thoughtful and calm, face lined with experience and gray hair—was a trusted beta friend of Reiji's father, Nao Sasaki.

**Outside the Board Room, Waiting Area**

Aoi lounged on a sofa, leg crossed, sipping an iced Americano. Employees moving through the area glanced her way, whispering in awe:

"Isn't that AOI SEIKA?"

"That's her in the flesh!"

"What's she doing here?"

"I heard she's here to promote our products…"

"Does that mean we'll see her more often?"

"Oh my gosh, she looked at me!"

Several staff members mustered the courage to ask Aoi for autographs, which she graciously signed, but she politely declined selfies.

Glancing at her watch, Aoi thought: *Guess the meeting's almost over. I wonder if he's doing well.*

She made her way back to the floor where the board meeting was held.

As members exited, she stood by the entrance, anxious. *Is it too much for me to wait for him here? Will he think I have a crush on him?*

*Right! I'm just here to check he's safe. I can't leave an omega like that alone!* she resolved, fist clenched and determined.

Suddenly, Kuro Takami approached, a smile concealing his true intentions.

"If I'm not mistaken, you are Ms. Aoi Seika, right?"