"Seriously, boss. I think people forget what they say when they're at work. They order a hot drink and then insist they ordered an iced one!"The part-timer who had just received a severe complaint vented to Mitch, feeling wronged. Even from Mitch's perspective, having been present, the customer had clearly ordered incorrectly."I know. There's always one person like that. In those situations, don't waste your energy arguing, just say you'll make them a new one.""But it's so frustrating! They make the mistake and then act so confident about it.""What can you do? Just assume they can't remember and move on. We can't argue with customers every time."Mitch preferred to quietly prepare a new coffee rather than argue about who was right. Especially during rush hours or when customers were taking photos, it could appear as if the owner was fighting with customers."Come to think of it, that scary person hasn't been coming lately.""Scary...? Ah."Mitch flinched as he was casually chattin
It wasn't that Mitch had no good memories with his father. He had taught young Mitch how to write his name in Chinese characters and proudly carried him around all day in front of relatives they were meeting for the first time, boasting, "Look at this. Mitch is so handsome because he takes after me. He'll surely become a great person someday."But looking back, his father had even taken the New Year's money Mitch received from adults that day, claiming he would return it later."If you entrust it to Dad, I'll return it a hundred times over when you're grown up, Mitch."Such nonsense. He probably spent that small amount on gambling long ago. Mitch had no memory of ever getting it back.In the end, he was a man who had never properly acted like a father.Though Mitch had sworn he would never pay off debts created by such a man with his own hands, the situation changed if his mother was also in danger because of him.Gambling and loan sharks. This was a situation he had experienced a few
He had considered reporting this to the police more than dozens of times, but if this was a problem that could be solved by the police, these people wouldn't be operating a loan shark business in the first place.Mitch had been completely drained since receiving his mother's call yesterday, unable to eat properly and running between banks and real estate agencies.Upon investigation, he found that the company harassing his father for debt repayment was notoriously infamous. It wasn't a legitimate financial company, of course, and was known in cryptocurrency, stock, and gambling communities for its brutal illegal debt collection methods.Even though his mother had fled to his aunt's house, they would find her somehow. It was only a matter of time before they came after him too.And it was obvious, even without experiencing it firsthand, that their collection methods wouldn't be ordinary.Even if they found his father who had run away, that man couldn't possibly have the ability to repa
The next morning, he tried contacting Douglass again, but he still didn't answer the phone.In the end, Mitch headed to their shared apartment early in the morning without permission. Since he was scheduled to work at the cafe in the afternoon, he planned to retrieve his belongings, move them to the studio apartment, and then go to work.Mitch pressed the doorbell at the apartment entrance, carrying several empty large bags and boxes."Douglass Brady. It's me."There was no response."I've come to get my things. I called and left messages."It seemed like no one was inside. After waiting awkwardly at the door for a few minutes, Mitch entered the apartment using the passcode.Fortunately, the door lock code was unchanged, though he had worried it might have been changed. Seeing that Douglass's shoes weren't in the shoe rack, it seemed he wasn't home. Or perhaps he had gone to work.The empty apartment was unchanged from before. So Mitch was able to enter with his boxes and bags and pac
Mitch glanced around. Though there were no people in the studio apartment corridor, there were CCTVs on each floor, and a building manager was stationed on the first floor, so they wouldn't dare harm him recklessly.They probably just came to intimidate him with a warning."I've listed the studio apartment for quick sale, so I'll send the money as soon as I have it. And you've already received part of the payment.""Like I said, you've already exceeded the repayment period. Your father who borrowed the money has disappeared—do you expect us to wait patiently?"The alpha suddenly moved closer and tapped Mitch's cheek."Don't touch me."Mitch immediately brushed his hand away."Haha, feisty one.""Wasn't that debt created through a scheme you all plotted together in the first place?"When Mitch retorted sharply, a rough hand immediately grabbed his hair."Argh!""Who do you think you're raising your voice at? Am I someone to mess with?""...Let go!""It's your father's fault for lurking
After thanking him, Mitch entered the studio apartment and checked his face in the bathroom, leaving his belongings untouched.His lip, which had taken a direct hit from the fist, was split with dried blood, and there was a bruise around his jaw.'Ah, I wonder if Darla Forbes received good treatment? I gave her face some pretty colorful decorations.'The loan shark's words made Mitch increasingly anxious."What should I do..."If they couldn't get money after roughing him up, they would go harass his mother again. It might not end with just harassment next time.Money. He had to raise money by any means necessary.Mitch felt his body trembling slightly and clenched his fists. His mind, urgent with the fear of violence, was filled only with thoughts of how to get money.Even if he got the maximum loan from the bank and sold the studio apartment that was listed for quick sale, he would still need more money. The interest was increasing in real time.Even if he took a second job after cl
Mitch entered the hospital that the secretary had directed him to. As he headed toward the familiar lobby of Mondel University Hospital, an employee approached him and stopped him, saying that running was not allowed here."I'm sorry," Mitch bowed his head while catching his breath. Then he looked around the lobby, searching for Marlon, whom he was supposed to meet there.'An accident? W-what kind of accident? If he's hospitalized, is he badly hurt? When and where was he injured?'—First, please calm down. It was a traffic accident, but fortunately, he only suffered minor bruises. He's been hospitalized for tests to monitor for any possible aftereffects. During the accident, the director's phone was damaged, so it seems he couldn't contact you.If the secretary described it that way, it must truly be a minor injury. Although the secretary's calm explanation helped reduce his shock, Mitch was still worried about Douglass being in an accident.'He really seemed out of his mind. When I g
"The tests showed no problems with his brain. How can he have amnesia? Does that make any sense?""He even remembered the time of the accident correctly and had no problems conversing with family and acquaintances who visited. Though he had symptoms of a concussion, he recovered quickly.""Then how can he only fail to remember me?"Mitch pressed Marlon for any answer about this phenomenon. After hesitating for a few seconds, Marlon opened his mouth."Perhaps the hippocampus or temporal lobe was impacted during the accident...""I thought you said the impact was minor!""We'll need to run tests again. But this is so unexpected that I don't know what to tell you either."Mitch pressed his forehead with both hands and bowed his head. Marlon was equally frustrated and let out a deep sigh."...When a person experiences something too painful, they can sometimes erase memories with even a small physical impact. It's a kind of defense mechanism when they can't handle excessive stress."Mitch
"It's not opening hours yet... And if you came in, you should have said something.""I was going to, but you looked busy."Mitch rolled his eyes, wondering why Douglass was here this morning. Had he returned from his trip already? After the text exchange from the other day, there had been no contact, so Mitch thought he was still in San Francisco.Douglass smiled as he watched Mitch covering his mouth and diligently chewing the remaining food."What?"Mitch asked belatedly after swallowing everything in his mouth."It's unusual to see you eating something.""Ah. I was in the process of selecting new desserts to sell."Mitch suddenly recalled that Douglass quite enjoyed sweet foods. After a moment's hesitation, he looked at Douglass standing across the counter."Are you busy?""Why?""If not, could you spare a moment?"He then opened the door to the kitchen, inviting him in. If he left Douglass standing outside, passersby might find it strange. Although it was early enough that most we
Sammy gladly accepted Mitch's proposal to supply desserts from his bakery. Mitch was especially grateful to Sammy since he had already been rejected by several other famous bakeries with similar requests."Mitch, have you thought about which desserts you want to focus on?""Yes. Actually, even though we're an espresso bar, our highest sales come from Americanos, and given our location, we get a lot of office workers.""That makes sense.""So I think it would be good to have one dessert that pairs well with espresso, and another that goes well with Americano as our main offerings.""Wouldn't it be better to increase the variety a bit more?""Then inventory and quality control would become difficult... If possible, I'd rather focus on quality over quantity. I've heard so many comments about our desserts being subpar. It's embarrassing, to be honest.""Haha.""I need to make up for it with this opportunity."Mitch wanted to select desserts that would best complement the café's signature
"Mitch Forbes. Shouldn't you at least drink some water?"After Mitch had passed out during sex and showed no signs of waking up even hours later, Douglass's patience reached its limit.Come to think of it, he couldn't remember eating anything properly since leaving the gathering and coming to the apartment with Mitch. At this rate, dehydration symptoms would likely come first.Douglass looked disapprovingly at Mitch, whose body was sticky with semen, then got up from the bed. He felt Mitch's grip tightening on his arm, but when Douglass turned away abruptly, Mitch's hand fell limply onto the bed.He went to the living room and opened the refrigerator. Having rarely eaten at home while living alone, he hadn't realized how empty it was. There were only beverages, a container of adobo, and a few sauce bottles that looked like they had been purchased long ago.Douglass irritably took out bottled water and closed the refrigerator. When he returned to the bedroom, he saw Mitch lying face do
The silence that lasted only a few seconds felt unbearably long and heavy to Mitch."W-what should I do?"—Heat cycle?"Yeah. But what if other people notice? I think I bumped into an alpha on my way to the bathroom..."—I'm coming now. Get into a stall."Y-yes. Okay."Hearing Douglass's exceptionally calm voice, Mitch's excitement gradually subsided.—Do you remember which bathroom you're in?"I think it's the one you can see when you exit the hall... I'm not sure exactly."—Alright. Don't come out. Wait for me.But when the call ended, his briefly calmed mind became urgent again. He felt his temperature rising, and the burning thirst he had dismissed as the effects of alcohol now seemed entirely due to his heat cycle, making his mouth go dry.Being in this situation for the first time, he was belatedly overwhelmed with self-blame for acting too carelessly. He had no idea if the woman he had been talking to at the table noticed his condition, or how many others might have detected hi
Even if I were to check the face of Douglass's fiancée, nothing would change. I didn't have the courage to approach her and speak, nor did I have the right to stop their marriage at this point.No. Even if I made up my mind, could I really stop it? Douglass chose his fiancée over Mitch Forbes even before losing his memories. So from the beginning, I was never in a position to make choices or interfere.I was just curious about who Douglass would end up marrying.Mitch downed the remaining champagne in his glass. Despite the cool liquid flowing down his throat, a flush of heat kept rising from within.Something felt off. Was it because I'm too nervous? Or was I excited by the mention of Douglass's fiancée?When Mitch showed no signs of backing down, Marlon reluctantly looked around. Then he carefully pointed to a woman smiling brightly in the center of the hall.A woman in a form-fitting red mini dress with natural wavy hair. Anyone could see she was brimming with confidence. And she h
Publicly, no one knew about Douglass's accident, so naturally, they wouldn't know that Douglass had lost part of his memory.They also wouldn't know that Mitch Forbes, whom they believed to be his lover, was now just an ex-lover and merely an omega purchased for sexual encounters for a certain period of time.Fortunately, Douglass didn't bring that up. Mitch also refrained from saying anything unnecessary since it was better to appear as if they were in a relationship. It felt less pathetic that way."Is that someone Douglass Brady has been hiding and not showing us?""Really? I'm surprised someone with his personality actually has a lover.""But why did he suddenly bring him here?"Douglass frowned at the crowd of people gathering around."Move aside, you're being annoying."He apparently hadn't expected to receive this much attention. He seemed to have assumed that he and Mitch had previously attended gatherings together and brought him along without any particular intention.But if
There was no mention of signing, and he just silently read the words written on the paper, so I thought something was wrong. I worried about what would happen if he refused, but as soon as the next day came, Douglass sent an additional contract through his lawyer.The conditions he proposed were as follows:Article 1: "Mitch Forbes" agrees not to have any private meetings with other alphas during the term of this contract (6 months).Article 2: "Mitch Forbes" agrees to spend all heat cycles that occur during the contract period with "Douglass Brady."Article 3: "Mitch Forbes" agrees not to change jobs or open a new store during the contract period, and will only work within the "Laverne Building."Article 4: "Mitch Forbes" agrees to gain at least 5kg in weight during the term of this contract.Mitch had to read the last clause again because it didn't make sense. When he asked Douglass why he included it, he replied that Mitch was too skinny and frail, and there wasn't enough to hold o
Finding that strange only momentarily, he grasped Mitch's waist and gently flipped him over. In an instant, Mitch was positioned with his upper body against the desk and his buttocks pushed toward Douglass."It doesn't hurt now, right?""Haa, haa..."Mitch's head could be seen nodding.Douglass spread Mitch's buttocks that were pressed against his groin and pushed his dick back in. The hole that had been tightly gripping his entire dick just moments ago opened smoothly, as if it had never been closed."Mmng."The delicate flesh welcomed the dick without any resistance. The sensation of the hot inner walls squeezing and pressing against his dick was exquisite. Douglass cursed for what seemed like the umpteenth time and thrust all the way to the base.The white buttocks and waist that were precariously accommodating the formidable dick twitched. Between the round buttocks, the in-and-out movement of his dick was explicitly visible.Douglass held Mitch's pelvis, which kept trying to coll
Mitch obediently approached and sat on his lap as instructed. The rough texture of the suit against his bare skin made him shiver involuntarily.Mitch's gaze drifted to the window blinds, which were more than halfway down. Though it seemed unlikely anyone could see from outside, there was still an unfamiliar fear that came with the location. His shoulders hunched instinctively from the cold air."Unzip my pants and take out my dick. You know how, right?"Seeing Mitch trembling so much despite this clearly not being his first time, Douglass found himself speaking in a reassuring tone. His voice was tinged with thick anticipation.Mitch nodded and lowered his hand to unzip Douglass's pants.Douglass's pheromones gradually spread throughout the room. It was a familiar sensation. Despite feeling tense and ashamed, Mitch became aroused easily—his body had already been conditioned to respond this way.Douglass caressed Mitch's back and waist, which had captivated his attention from earlier.