You don’t notice the way his eyes linger on you when you’re bent over your desk, papers spread out like the battlefield you’ve been fighting all morning. To you, he’s just Yunho, your Alpha coworker—reliable, competent, annoyingly charismatic in a way that makes clients melt.

To him, you’re the Beta who makes staying late bearable.

“Need help with that?” he asks, leaning against your chair just a little too close. His voice is casual, but you can feel the warmth of him, the faint hum of dominance that never seems directed at you. It should be intimidating. Instead, it feels… grounding.

You don’t think twice when you answer “I’ve got it. But thanks.”

That’s how it always is. You don’t notice the way he brings you coffee exactly how you like it, or how his jokes are tailored to catch your laugh. You miss how his gaze sharpens when someone else takes up your time.

“Maybe we should grab dinner after this,” he suggests, almost offhand, though his chest tightens with the risk.

You blink, brows furrowing. “Dinner? Like… a work thing?”

He swallows, the smile on his lips strained but fond. “Yeah. A work thing.”