On-Way Passage || ᴠᴍɪɴ

Extra 2

Just as the evening’s meal was a sudden affair, so was its conclusion. Only half of the dishes on the round table had been eaten before the alphas and omegas in attendance were forced to vacate the premises.

When Taehyung stood up, he was still quite steady on his feet. In fact, his face remained expressionless, as if the omega-in-heat pheromones had had no effect on him. He simply rose to his feet, unbuttoned his suit jacket, and tugged his tie down before exiting the private room.

Jimin trailed after him. As they passed through the brightly-lit restaurant corridor, Jimin noticed the shiny sheen of sweat across Taehyung’s nape.

Upon arriving at the restaurant entrance, Jimin inquired, “Did you drive your car here, sir?”

Taehyung shook his head. “Get a taxi.”

Jimin, who was about to shoot off, “Don’t you have a driver?” caught himself right before the words left his mouth. He’d heard a few rumours about Taehyung back at the company, and now he suspected that those rumours were true.

After hailing a taxi, Jimin opened the back door for Taehyung and stood aside holding the door open for him as he watched him get into the car.

Jimin had hoped that Taehyung would tell him that he didn’t need to see him off after he got into the car, but Taehyung didn’t say anything in the end, leaving Jimin with no choice but to close the back door and climb into the front passenger seat.

After getting in, Taehyung simply rattled off his address to the driver and then remained silent for the rest of the journey.

Jimin occasionally glanced back and found that Taehyung’s eyes were closed. His head was tilted back, and if it weren’t for the taut line of his pursed lips, it would seem as though he was asleep.

When they reached their destination, the driver pulled over on the side of the road.

Jimin looked over his shoulder to see that Taehyung was still motionless, his head tipped backwards, so he could only get out of the car, open the back door, lean inside, and ask, “Manager Kim, are you all right?”

Only then did Taehyung lower his head and let out a deep breath, which felt scorching hot to Jimin—if he wasn’t imagining things. He then stepped back to let Taehyung get out of the car.

The interior of the vehicle had been too dark to see anything clearly, but now that the light from the roadside lamps was streaming in, Jimin noticed that Taehyung’s shirt was soaked through with sweat.

Taehyung walked ahead, sidestepping Jimin. When he slightly stumbled, Jimin reached out in reflex to support him. He then looked over his shoulder and sent away the taxi driver with some regret; he’d assumed that he would only have to accompany Taehyung up to here and then take the taxi back home.

Jimin wrapped one hand around Taehyung’s arm and the other around his wrist. Fortunately, the man’s arm was clothed, but Jimin’s grip on Taehyung’s wrist met skin. It was already damp, and Jimin’s fingers slid over the prominent jut of his wrist bone from time to time.

Taehyung’s steps were unsteady, and with every step he took, a low gasp escaped his mouth.

Jimin was slightly embarrassed. Even though he was a beta, he was well aware of what ruts meant to an alpha. Every breath Taehyung took now presented a completely different meaning in Jimin’s ears.

After all, the other man was his boss, and they weren’t particularly close. As a regular male beta, Jimin didn’t want to interact with his boss in any way that wasn’t normal.

Nonetheless, Taehyung’s back was ramrod straight as he walked. He didn’t put his full body weight on Jimin, instead relying on his long, strong legs as he walked forwards.