The Physics of Pheromones

“……A Beta?”

“Yeah, a Beta. Every time I say that, my friends tell me I’m a total lunatic.”

Dae-eon laughed as if it were nothing. Anyone who had known him for a long time was well aware that his ideal type was a Beta. Seon Ji-ha froze, his movements halting as he posed a question.

“Why……?”

“Since I’m an Ultra-Recessive Omega, Dominants feel a bit… burdensome. I mean, being friends is totally fine! But you know. For dating? It’s just a bit much.”

“……”

“It’s like we don’t… align?”

Dae-eon had met other Recessives who felt the same way. They preferred their partners to be Betas. Just as some people avoid dating those who are “too” handsome or “too” pretty because of the pressure, there was a subset of Recessives who found Dominants simply exhausting to be around.

Dae-eon usually said this as a joke, and most people laughed it off, calling him crazy.

“So… you don’t like Dominants……?”

“If I had to put it that way? For a romantic partner, yeah. Haha, but it’s not like Dominants would like me either, right? I’m an Ultra-Recessive.”

Ultra-Recessives were said to be as rare as Ultra-Dominants. There was no reason for a pheromone-sensitive Dominant to seek out someone whose scent was practically non-existent.

“……”

“Senior?”

“……”

“Senior, why are you suddenly so quiet?”

The moment Dae-eon revealed his ideal type was a Beta, Seon Ji-ha’s shoulders slumped. His words vanished instantly. If Dae-eon wanted a Beta, the person furthest from that ideal was an Ultra-Dominant.

And Seon Ji-ha was an Ultra-Dominant Alpha.

“……Sh……”

“Senior, did you just start to say ‘Sh*t’?”

“No……”

“You totally did. I saw your mouth move.”

Dae-eon blinked, holding his ground. He definitely heard it. He saw the syllable form on Seon Ji-ha’s lips.

But Seon Ji-ha kept his head bowed, refusing to answer. Instead, he pouted, his lower lip jutting out in a fit of dejection.

“Being Ultra-Dominant or Ultra-Recessive… that shouldn’t be what matters……”

“You’re right. It’s not actually that important. I mean, for all I know, the person I end up liking could be another Omega.”

At that, Seon Ji-ha’s shoulders shot back up. He looked at Dae-eon with eyes full of renewed hope. ‘An ideal type… yeah, that’s just a preference. Reality is different.’

Dae-eon watched him for a moment before continuing.

“But if that happens, I just won’t date the person I like.”

‘I will never date them, no matter what.’

As Dae-eon had grown up and navigated the complexities of puberty, he realized exactly where he stood as a Beta. He realized he might be the last Beta left in the world, or that he might never be lucky enough to find another Beta like his parents had.

So, he made a few promises to himself.

If someone wasn’t a Beta, he wouldn’t allow himself to love them. And if he accidentally fell for a dynamiced person, he would at least never enter a relationship with them.

In a world where everyone eventually paired off and bonded, how miserable would it be for someone to love a Beta and never be able to share a mutual bond? They would have grown close without ever knowing he was a Beta. To Dae-eon, that was an unforgivable thing to do to someone you cared about.

‘A Beta hiding their identity to date a dynamiced person is a crime.’ At least, that’s what he believed.

“I’m so insensitive that I can barely even feel pheromones. How could I ever dare to date a Dominant?”

The air around Seon Ji-ha turned gloomy. It was clear his mood had plummeted to an all-time low.

“Did I get too serious? Honestly, I’m just using that as a fancy way to say I’m into the single life, haha!”

“……”

“The world is too harsh to be worrying about dating, marriage, and kids like everyone else. Haha!”

Dae-eon added a forced laugh to lighten the mood. But Seon Ji-ha remained silent, his head hanging low. He looked utterly defeated.

“Anyway, should we stop messing around and actually study?”

Seon Ji-ha didn’t answer. He didn’t have a single ounce of motivation to study, but Dae-eon grabbed his thick wrist and dragged him along. Seon Ji-ha’s heartbroken expression was visible even beneath the rim of his glasses.

“Whoa… do you really learn this kind of stuff in the upper years?”

“Ah, yes……”

“This is insane. My head feels like it’s going to explode already. How am I supposed to do this?”

Dae-eon and Seon Ji-ha were sitting at a large living room table, tablets and books spread out before them. Dae-eon glanced at Seon Ji-ha’s tablet and felt a wave of despair. Was what he just saw a mathematical formula or a magical incantation?

“You just… get used to it……”

“Lies. All the seniors say the same thing. They say everyone ends up taking a year off because a normal brain can’t keep up with the curriculum.”

“……Everyone does it. This level is…… standard.”

Seon Ji-ha was so firm that Dae-eon briefly wondered if he was right. Maybe the seniors were just trying to scare the freshmen.

But even “Basic Mathematics” was a struggle for Dae-eon. The professors claimed everything was covered in high school, but Dae-eon had no memory of any of it. ‘When did I ever learn this?!’

Dae-eon slumped onto the table, his cheek pressed against the hard surface. His words came out muffled.

“It’s already too hard. I’m dying here.”

“……Should I teach you?”

“You? Really?! Then how do you solve this one?”

Boing! Dae-eon sprang up like a coiled wire at the offer of help. Since college-level study was still new to him, he was genuinely thrilled by the prospect of a tutor.

“……You do this, then substitute this here, and… finished.”

“When are you supposed to have time to calculate all that?”

“You’ll start using engineering calculators soon……. You just have to suffer through this part.”

The explanation ended, but nothing remained in Dae-eon’s head. His face fell again.

“You were top of the class in your first year, weren’t you?”

“……Um, probably……”

“How are you so smart? Were you just born with it?”

Dae-eon leaned in, looking at Seon Ji-ha with genuine curiosity. Seon Ji-ha shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze. There wasn’t much he could say about how he was smart. But since Dae-eon was staring so intently, he finally managed a single sentence.

“……They say most Ultra-Dominants… are like that.”

“Right. I’ve heard that too. Something about the average Ultra-Dominant IQ being over 180? Was that the German study?”

Dae-eon, who had seen his fair share of YouTube videos about Ultra-Dominant urban legends, nodded to himself. Seon Ji-ha stole a glance at him and whispered:

“There are smart people… among the Recessives, too……. Plenty of them……”

“I guess. But I’m an Ultra-Ultra-Ultra-Recessive with a pheromone level so low it’s basically zero. Maybe that’s why I’m a dummy.”

His self-esteem at rock bottom, Dae-eon clutched his head. This was all Engineering Mathematics’ fault. This horribly difficult subject was stripping him of his pride.

However, Seon Ji-ha’s ears perked up at his words.

“Your pheromone level… is low?”

“Yeah. You can assume it’s non-existent. That’s what they told me at the hospital.”

Of course, that was a falsified result his parents had procured through a broker years ago, but it was “true” as far as his story went. Dae-eon was becoming a quite bold liar.

“……To what extent?”

“If you and I both released our pheromones at the same time, you wouldn’t even notice mine. It’s too faint.”

“In that case, Dae-eon.”

“Yeah?”

Seon Ji-ha blinked. Slowly. Dae-eon looked back at him, wondering what the issue was.

Then, Seon Ji-ha finally spoke.

“Can you release your pheromones for me?”

“……Wha?”

‘What kind of fresh nonsense is this?’ But Seon Ji-ha, having latched onto a new obsession, leaned in closer, his eyes shimmering with an intense focus. Beneath the table, their knees brushed against each other.

“I’m curious…… about your scent, Dae-eon.”

‘I literally just told you I don’t have one……?!’