L*ck Me If You Can

Chapter 199

Koi stared blankly at the man’s face for a moment. Seeing his expression, the man frowned slightly, then leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

“What’s that look for? Do you think I’m scamming you or something?”

“N-No, I didn’t mean it like that...”

An Extreme Omega? What does that even mean?

He couldn’t make sense of it. Not just an Omega—but an Extreme Omega? Was that even a real thing? And him?

It just didn’t add up. He could almost believe it about the man in front of him—that ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ much, yes. The man’s appearance was so surreal it was almost otherworldly. If he really was one of those rare types mentioned in school lectures, Koi could accept it.

But me?

Still speechless, Koi flinched as the man suddenly raised a hand to call over a staff member. He ordered a cold beer, and a moment later, downed the glass in one gulp. Slamming the empty glass on the table with a loud clack, the man spoke.

“Didn’t it ever occur to you when your pheromones were leaking out? Don’t tell me you’ve never had sex before. If you had, you would’ve bloomed. Your Omega scent would've been pouring out everywhere. And if you still believed you were a Beta after that? Then you’re either brain-damaged or just plain dumb. Am I wrong?”

The man spat his words out without holding back, eyes narrowing as if daring Koi to argue. But Koi couldn’t understand why he was so angry. Was it that important to him whether Koi was an Extreme Omega?

Koi said nothing. The man, who had been glaring, let out a long sigh and his expression eased somewhat.

“If you say you don’t trust me—fine. That’s fair.”

Then, he stood up. Surprised, Koi looked up as the man glanced down at him.

“Take care of yourself. We probably won’t meet again. Still, it was nice.”

He turned and left without hesitation. Koi’s heart sank. He felt like he shouldn’t let him go. That strange sense of familiarity he’d felt now hit like an overwhelming sense of loss. The further the silver-haired man in the long coat walked away, the more restless Koi became. Before he knew it, he stood up and chased after him, the only thought in his head being I have to stop him.

“Wait!”

Koi called out desperately, reaching out. Grabbing the man’s arm, he blurted out,

“I... I can’t smell.”

The man’s eyes widened in surprise. Koi continued, breathless.

“When I was little, I injured my head. Ever since then, I’ve barely been able to smell anything. That’s why I never noticed your scent. I’ve never smelled anything from myself, either...”

He poured out the words like a dam breaking. The man stood still, staring at him for a while.

*

The two sat across from each other in silence. Koi fidgeted nervously while the man, now introduced as Angel, crossed his arms and observed him with a serious expression.

The first to break the tension was Angel. He added five sugar cubes to his still-hot coffee and brought it to his lips. Koi didn’t react much—he’d seen the man order a quad espresso earlier.

“So.”

Angel put down his cup and began.

“You’re saying you’ve never smelled any pheromones? Not just yours—other people’s, either?”

“Yes.”

Koi nodded. Angel stroked his chin in thought, then said, “Alright,” and stood. As Koi tried to rise with him, Angel held up a hand.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

The firm command left Koi with no choice. Despite having just met, he somehow believed Angel wouldn’t lie to him or run away.

Koi awkwardly sat back down and waited, growing more anxious by the minute. But Angel didn’t return quickly.

Did he trick me?

Just as suspicion turned to certainty, Angel reappeared. His tall, lean figure strode confidently toward him, the hem of his coat fluttering. Koi let out a quiet sigh of relief before he could stop himself.

“Did you think I’d run off?”

Angel asked as he sat down, smirking. Embarrassed, Koi flushed. But Angel seemed indifferent as he placed something on the table.

“They’re hard to find, you know. Took me a while to get one.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

It was a can. Koi looked at the unfamiliar label in confusion. Angel pulled a can opener from his pocket and pushed both items toward Koi.

“Open it. Don’t worry—it’s just food.”

Still unsure, Koi opened the can as instructed. Inside was fish. As he looked up, Angel had leaned far back in his chair, his face twisted in disgust.

“Smell it. Get close.”

Tilting his head, Koi followed the instruction and brought the can to his nose. He thought there was a faintly unpleasant odor—but it wasn’t unbearable. He sniffed again and again, flaring his nostrils. When he looked up, Angel asked,

“Well?”

Koi glanced at his contorted expression and answered honestly.

“It smells kind of bad, maybe... but I’m not sure. What is it?”

“Herring.”

Immediately after replying, Angel raised a hand. The staff member approaching hesitated, and Angel, still pinching his nose, gestured to the can in Koi’s hand.

“Can you get rid of that? Thanks.”

The staff took the can without a word, their steps quickening like they were escaping. Angel watched Koi closely, then finally removed his hand from his nose. He sniffed the lingering odor, scowled, and muttered a curse.

“Let’s talk outside.”

He stood first and tugged Koi’s arm. Startled, Koi followed, oddly comforted by the sudden change in atmosphere. They stopped some distance from the building, and Angel took a deep breath before finally relaxing his expression and looking back at Koi.

“There are just too many people trying to fool me these days.”

All the aggression from earlier was gone. Before Koi could say anything, Angel continued.

“Sorry. I was too harsh back there.”

The unexpected apology startled Koi. Angel’s tone still wasn’t exactly gentle, but it no longer carried the biting judgment from before. In a calm voice, he went on.

“If that’s the case, then yeah... it makes sense you misunderstood. With our kind... figuring out what we are isn’t easy.”

The last words came out almost as a murmur. Koi stared at him, then carefully gathered the courage to speak.

“Um... about what you said earlier... was it really true? That I...”

“That you’re like me? Yeah.”

He said it with unwavering certainty. How could he be so sure, even though a test couldn’t confirm it? As if reading Koi’s thoughts, Angel continued.

“I told you, right? We can recognize each other. Don’t you feel anything when you look at me?”

His voice was softer now—more cautious than before. Ever since learning about Koi’s condition, his attitude had shifted drastically. Koi felt a bit of relief and answered honestly.

“I... I did feel something. When you looked at me... it felt comforting. Familiar, somehow...”

Angel’s lips curled into a slow smile. His emerald eyes sparkled like jewels, and the curve of his lips softened. Koi couldn’t take his eyes off him. He was so beautiful, it felt sacred.

As Koi stood there dazed, Angel extended a hand. After a brief hesitation, Koi took it. Angel shook his hand lightly but held it firmly.

“Nice to meet you.”

“...Me too.”

They hardly knew anything about each other, yet an undeniable bond pulsed between them. Overwhelmed, Koi introduced himself.

“I’m Connor Niles... Koi, for short. And you... can I ask your name?”

The man replied in a quiet, almost whispered voice.

“Everyone just calls me Angel.”