Born to Be a Secretary

Heewon stayed holed up at home for two days before barely regaining his mental composure.
Of course, accepting the sudden manifestation of his Omega trait wasn’t easy. Like others, he went through the four stages of denial, anger, bargaining, and depression—and only by the second day could he finally step into acceptance.

But wasn’t it said that humans are creatures of adaptation? Once he accepted being an Omega, his mind surprisingly calmed down.
After the pheromone injection, the lingering fever and body aches vanished, and as his condition improved, he even gained the energy to look after himself.
Beep— the little device blinked. It was already the fifteenth pheromone measurement today. The familiar numbers no longer startled him.

Heewon threw the meter aside and sprawled fully on the sofa.
Am I about to become unemployed? Despite facing losing my job, he felt oddly untroubled.
He owned a home and had saved a good amount of money, so there was no immediate worry about living expenses. At this moment, he simply… wanted to rest.

“Yeah, screw it. I’ll just live as an Omega.”
Heewon had reached a state of detachment. Maybe it was because he realized struggling futilely wouldn’t change reality.
Crossing his legs, he lay staring blankly at the ceiling when his phone pinged with a messenger alert.

It was a group chat message from the secretarial office. Even though he was on leave, those damn messages kept flying in day and night. Most were complaints about hardship rather than requests for work help. Naturally, Heewon didn’t reply.
The secretarial staff were all capable people, each prepared to step in for Heewon at any time. So no problems would arise just because he wasn’t around.
Secretary Song Yumi
[Director, how’s your health?]

Secretary Choi Jungwoo
[Director, are you okay? 8_8]
Secretary Ji Seunghyun
[When will you be back? Executive Director Kwon’s irritability has peaked ㅠㅠ I’m dying ㅠㅠ]
1
Secretary Lee Kyuna
[Executive Director also seems eager for your return… Definitely. Keeps checking your desk on the way in and out…]

2
But they were human after all, so it seemed inevitable that they’d complain when stressed.
With Heewon—the buffer absorbing Executive Director Kwon’s fussiness—absent, the secretarial staff were bearing the brunt of it. Especially the acting executive secretary, Secretary Lee, who was wailing the loudest.

Heewon finally left a reply.
[Sorry, I have to quit.]
The numbers disappeared rapidly. Though they read the message, the secretaries didn’t respond. Surely they were stunned.
Heewon quietly got up and sat. He could no longer delay this matter. He brought his laptop and opened it on his lap, then called.

“Hey, Secretary Lee. It’s me.”
Director. What’s that KakaoTalk message… I don’t understand. This has to be a joke?
“No, it’s true. I manifested as an Omega.”

Over the speaker came a startled, beast-like yelp. Understandable. Heewon held the phone between his shoulder and ear while tapping on his laptop.
“I’ll send you an email now. I’ll attach my diagnosis and genetic confirmation—print it out and show it to Executive Director.”
…That’s nonsense. A lie.

“I’ll need to take more leave. I’m not fully adjusted yet. Anyway, I have to go through resignation procedures and handover, so I will come to the office. Until then, please bear with it a bit longer.”
As soon as he hung up, he sent the email. Since this was the first time he admitted to being an Omega out loud, he felt unsettled.
Still, there was no choice. He lay back down on the sofa. While enjoying the idle time, he received a private message from Secretary Lee.

I just reported to Executive Director. He told me not to listen to nonsense and tore up the diagnosis. He’s asking when you’ll come to work.
“Ha!”
He sighed at the absurdity.

Now I’m lying? Is that it? Maybe he thinks I forged the documents? What if he doesn’t believe me? Then he can come smell it himself!
Frustrated, Heewon kicked at the air, then stretched out his limp limbs.
Watching dust particles drifting through the air, he once more resolutely reaffirmed his intent to quit. Whether Executive Director Kwon got mad or not, it was no longer his concern.

That evening, ordering delivery food and leisurely reading a book, the doorbell rang ding-dong. Heewon naturally assumed it was the delivery person and headed to the intercom to open the door.
But the screen showed not a delivery helmet but the neatly dressed upper body of a man.
The sharp jawline, long neck, and expensive suit jacket made it obvious who it was. The only person he knew with such proportions was Kwon Youngjae.

When Kwon actually came to his home, Heewon froze like he had seen a ghost. Without having done anything wrong, his heart pounded wildly and sweat gathered on his palms.
Ding-dong. The impatient Kwon rang again without waiting, forcing Heewon to drag his frozen feet.
He layered two masks on his face. Although he had taken his suppressant today, the other was a dominant Alpha, and he was a newly manifested Omega. Caution wouldn’t hurt.

As Heewon opened the door, it barely cracked when a large hand grabbed the iron door and swung it wide open. Kwon grit his teeth and shot a fierce glare.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Ha ha… Executive Director, hello.”

Heewon gave an awkward greeting in the moment of exposure. He tried to smile kindly, but the masks fully concealed his mouth’s smile.
“What brings you to my home…?”
“Resignation? Who the hell gave you permission?”

“…Excuse me?”
“I absolutely won’t allow it.”
“…Executive Director. As you can see from my diagnosis.”

“An Omega?”
Kwon scoffed. His sharp eyes flashed.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“It’s true.”
“Do you know how old Secretary Kim is?”
“…….”

“You expect me to believe a 31-year-old man suddenly manifested as an Omega?”
Heewon straightened his back. It was understandable not to believe it. He himself had struggled to accept it.
“There have already been a few similar cases domestically. Last October, a 45-year-old housewife manifested as an Alpha. And this January, a 7-year-old child manifested. Age isn’t strongly correlated.”

He listed the cases he had learned about over the past few days point by point. Kwon frowned deeply as if refusing to hear it.
“If you want to quit, come up with a more original reason. Why the hell use Omega manifestation as an excuse?”
“I’m telling you strictly the facts.”

“I’d find it more credible if some eighty-year-old granny had a late pregnancy.”
Kwon refused to accept that Heewon had manifested as an Omega. He even thought Heewon had forged documents. More than the resignation itself, that news shocked him enough to show up at his house.
Heewon stared at the stubborn Kwon and sighed quietly. He stepped forward and tilted his neck toward him.

“Smell it. See if you can smell pheromones or not.”
“…….”
“Hurry up!”

Startled by the unexpected insanity, Kwon flinched. Heewon still tilted his neck, loudly urging him to smell it. It was like a deer provoking a predator without fear.
“Why should I smell Secretary Kim’s neck?”
“Ah, if you smell it, you’ll know if it’s perfume or pheromones! I’m saying this because it’s unfair!”

Though his pheromone control was still clumsy, this was the most certain way.
Kwon stood with an unwilling expression but eventually had no choice but to tilt his head. His white, warm neck met the tip of Kwon’s nose. As he took a deep breath, the faintly sweet fragrance of osmanthus filled his nasal cavity. His body stiffened instantly.
It was unmistakably Omega pheromone. Genuine Omega pheromones were indeed emanating from Secretary Kim.

Kwon grabbed Heewon’s collar tightly and drew their faces closer. He sniffed every pheromone-collecting spot—from the nape to the hollow of the collarbone and behind the ears.
At that moment, the elevator dinged open and a delivery man carrying a plastic bag came out. He hummed a tune but stopped when he saw the two men standing at the door. His pupils wildly dilated, as if thinking,
What the hell are these perverts?

The delivery man dumped the plastic bag on the floor and hurried away. Heewon, the only one witnessing this, felt a pang of self-consciousness. Damn, how embarrassing. What the hell is this?
He tapped Kwon’s back with his fist. Shouldn’t you have checked enough by now? Still, when Kwon didn’t budge, he pulled at his jacket. Kwon finally straightened his back. Looking disbelieving, he cupped his chin in his palm.
“...Are you really an Omega?”

“Yes, that’s how it is.”
“Why do you look so calm? Aren’t you bothered at all?”
“There’s nothing to be done. I ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) have to accept it.”

Judging by his twisted face, it was clear: the pheromones were indeed Omega pheromones. Heewon picked up the dinner waiting on the floor and casually said,
“So now you believe me?”
“…To Professor Hong.”

Kwon swallowed hard. The pheromones he’d just smelled seemed tormenting; his face was all scrunched as he barely spoke.
“You’ll get a diagnosis from Professor Hong tomorrow. I’m going with you.”
“…Executive Director, you just checked it yourself. And I’ve already been to that hospital.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions without a specialist’s diagnosis. You so sure of yourself?”
Professor Hong was indeed a top figure in domestic clinical genetics. But dismissing another hospital’s diagnosis was excessive. More importantly, Kwon himself was struggling. What better proof could there be?
Heewon stared at the stubborn man and finally nodded.

“But this is the last time. Once you get diagnosed by Professor Hong, you’ll accept it.”
They made an appointment for 2 p.m. tomorrow in front of Korea University Hospital. Kwon left without looking back.
Heewon finally pulled off his mask strap. The faint bergamot scent lingered at the entrance—the pheromone he had never noticed before.

“Pheromones really are just like him.”
With a light comment, he went inside. Unlike the confused Kwon, Heewon cared more about the dinner in his hands. He was that confident: resignation was only a matter of time.