By Zephyria 
Wоo-yeоn stаrted to tаke off his hаt but hеsitаtеd. Не hadn’t eхреcted tо be praisеd, let аlonе avоid being sсоldеd, and it was bеcаuse Do-hyun’s vоice had bеen so gentlе. Not stорping there, he addеd more in a sоft, соmроsed mannеr.
“It was а situаtion that wаrrаnted cursing. He triеd to gеt уou drunk and whо knоws whаt hе might hаve dоnе; yоu were actually quitе lenient.”
Нis straight eуebrows werе deеply furrоwеd. Even in his еyes, whiсh loоkеd somеwhаt tired, irritаtiоn was сlеаrly evidеnt. Running а hand thrоugh his hаir аs if disрleased, Do-hyun looked straight at Woo-yeon.
“A guy like that deserves to be cursed at.”
‘Wow.’
Woo-yeon’s lips parted slightly, though he kept his hand covering his mouth. Teacher was badmouthing someone else. And he was doing it with a face that openly showed his disgust. It was a rare sight, one he hadn’t seen easily during his tutoring sessions, nor now that they were over.
“He’s already famous for having bad habits with his hands. I was relieved when I heard he wasn’t coming this time, but he ended up driving his car here after all.”
“…….”
“If he tries to get back at you for yesterday, tell Mungaram or me immediately—”
Mid-sentence, Do-hyun narrowed his eyes. It was because Woo-yeon was staring at him with eyes that were far too sparkling. At the gaze that shimmered like a puppy looking at its owner, he asked in a calm voice.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s my first time seeing you badmouth someone.”
Do-hyun’s expression instantly became subtle. Closing his mouth tight, he looked away and tidied his disheveled hair. Then, he murmured in a small voice, as if talking to himself.
“You talk as if you’ve known me for a long time.”
“…….”
Oops. Woo-yeon turned his head to avoid showing his panic. Hubae Seon Woo-yeon had not seen Kim Do-hyun for even a month. Despite that, he had used the excessive expression ‘first time.’ As he put the cigarette Do-hyun gave him in his mouth and fumbled through his pockets pretending to look for a lighter, Do-hyun fortunately moved on to another topic without much suspicion.
“Is your house far from school?”
“No. It’s nearby.”
Even though it wasn’t lit, the cigarette smelled of pheromones. It was a faint scent, but because it was artificial, it felt repulsive. How on earth did people smoke this? Frowning, Woo-yeon quietly took the cigarette out of his mouth.
“Throw it away. That’ll be harsh on an Omega.”
Woo-yeon obediently threw the cigarette into the ashtray. Meanwhile, Do-hyun took out a new cigarette and spoke as he lit it.
“If your house is close to school, take my car later. Don’t bother taking the bus.”
It was a comment that made him unintentionally hopeful. It also made him wonder once again why Do-hyun was being so kind to him. However, before he had time to dwell on the expectation, Do-hyun exhaled a puff of smoke.
“Whenever we go to Membership Training or things like this, I usually drive the club members. I intended to bring you along when we came, but I forgot to mention it during the lecture.”
“You could have just called.”
Woo-yeon unconsciously let a hint of disappointment show. Thinking of the people who had stood in front of Do-hyun’s car yesterday, his stomach twisted for no reason. If he had forgotten during the morning lecture, he could have contacted him later. What is so difficult about that for someone living in the 21st century?
“Seon-kyu wasn’t answering his phone.”
Do-hyun shrugged with an indifferent face. Then, with the cigarette held between his fingers, he looked at Woo-yeon.
“And as for you, I didn’t have your number.”
“……Why?”
It was a reason so absurd that he was left speechless. Woo-yeon had definitely exchanged numbers with Do-hyun. He had received his number as soon as they first introduced themselves, and his own number was written on the club application form. So, for him to say he couldn’t contact him because he didn’t know the number—did that even make sense?
“Because you didn’t call me?”
Do-hyun replied, his eyes curving into a smile. ‘You should get the number yourself.’ That gentle voice momentarily left Woo-yeon flabbergasted. Woo-yeon opened his mouth blankly and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
“Does that even make sense?”
Truly, it was an absurd reason. Even if he had just asked Ga-ram, he could have found out the number. If Woo-yeon didn’t call, did he intend to remain ignorant for the rest of his life?
“You could have just saved it……”
Seonbae Kim Do-hyun. The letters appearing on the screen felt unfamiliar. Specifically, the word ‘Seonbae.’ There was a day when he had saved him as something else. Just as the number had changed, the registered name and the relationship had changed as well.
“Did the call go through?”
Do-hyun didn’t answer and narrowed his eyes. The face staring at the phone screen felt slightly different from usual. Ring, ring—by the time the signal had played more than five times, he let out a short, hollow laugh.
“Yeah, it went through.”
At that moment, Woo-yeon felt an unknown sensation crawl up his spine. As he reflexively hung up, Do-hyun also put his phone away. He crushed the half-burnt cigarette in the ashtray and rose from the bench.
“Let’s go inside. We need to tidy up.”
The brief feeling vanished in the blink of an eye. Trying to convince himself it was just his imagination, Woo-yeon followed Do-hyun. Then, he suddenly remembered one thing he had forgotten.
In the end, he hadn’t heard what had happened between him and Do-hyun yesterday.
* * *
As Do-hyun had said, Woo-yeon headed home in his car. Before getting in, the phrase ‘Kim Do-hyun hates having anyone in the passenger seat’ came to mind, but he couldn’t verify that fact. As soon as Do-hyun tossed the car keys to Ga-ram and climbed into the back seat, he fell asleep.
“Hyung must not have slept yesterday.”
Seon-kyu sat in the passenger seat, and Woo-yeon naturally ended up in the back. At Seon-kyu’s quiet question, Ga-ram looked at Do-hyun through the rearview mirror.
“Well…… it’s understandable. He was sitting in the living room all night.”
“Couldn’t he sleep?”
“Who knows. I just saw him while I was going to the bathroom.”
Woo-yeon observed Do-hyun’s sleeping form without making it obvious. With his arms crossed and his head leaning against the window, he looked quite uncomfortable. It would be better if he could lie down more comfortably, but given his height, any posture would likely be awkward.
“If he sleeps like that, he’ll bump his head on the window.”
At Woo-yeon’s murmur, Ga-ram let out a thin groan. He fell into deep thought for a moment, then frowned and clicked his tongue.
“What can you do. It’s not like he can sleep leaning on you, Woo-yeon.”
Woo-yeon wouldn’t have minded, but others would think differently. Seon-kyu also seemed to feel bad for Do-hyun, as he gripped the seatbelt and looked back.
“I should have just told Hyung to sit here and recline the seat.”
“He never sleeps in the passenger seat. He says it’s bad manners to sleep next to the driver. That’s why he intentionally took the back seat first.”
“Hull…… then I can’t sleep either?”
“Did you even think about sleeping? You’ve got no respect while a Seonbae is driving.”
Woo-yeon lowered his eyes as he listened to them bicker. Those neat fingers still looked a joint longer than his own. From the clean nails to the fine knuckles, there wasn’t a single part of him from head to toe that wasn’t tidy.
“Woo-yeon, there should be a blanket in the back. Put it under Kim Do-hyun’s head.”
As Ga-ram said, there was a blanket rolled up in the back. Folding the blanket to make a good pillow, Woo-yeon cautiously approached Do-hyun. Now he just had to place it between the window and the head, but seeing him fast asleep, it was incredibly difficult to touch him.
“Just push his head and put it there. It’s better than getting a bump on the side of his head.”
Woo-yeon reached out very carefully. An odd thirst rose within him, as if his throat were tightening. He felt as if his heart rate had quickened, and breathing had become difficult.
After overcoming several hurdles, the moment his hand touched Do-hyun’s head,
“…….”
“…….”
The softly closed eyelids swoosh open. Half-asleep eyes stared blankly at Woo-yeon. A span, or perhaps a distance narrower than that. Seeing Teacher from that distance gave off a dangerous feeling that felt as if it would stop his breath.
“……Ah.”
Do-hyun let out a short exclamation and blinked. Woo-yeon, who had been staring with wide eyes without even breathing, slowly increased the distance. Then, as naturally as possible, he tucked the blanket against the side of the head.
“I was trying to do this for you.”
Thump, thump, his heart pounded violently. The sound was so loud that he felt as if everyone in the car might hear it. He even had the absurd thought that it might actually escape through his throat. Leaning his head against the window once more, Do-hyun closed his eyes and smiled.
“Thanks.”
Woo-yeon returned to his original seat without even making a sound. When he placed his palm against the window and rested his forehead on it, he felt a warm body temperature. The same went for the left earlobe he touched out of habit.
‘Thanks, Yeon-ah.’
When he was being tutored, Do-hyun always had the word ‘thanks’ on his lips. Even though Woo-yeon had never actually done anything worthy of gratitude. He would smile easily even at simple acts, like giving him a snack or lending him a mechanical pencil.
“You guys sleep if you’re tired. I can drive alone just fine.”
“I slept well so I’m okay, but Woo-yeon, are you sleepy?”
“……No. I’m not.”
Looking at Do-hyun, Woo-yeon thought he was like an angel. This was because his smiling face, gentle voice, and kind manner of speaking all felt surreal. Thinking about it now, it was a metaphor only possible because he had been sixteen years old.
“Did Hyung stay up all night?”
“No. I think I slept a bit after the nuisance left. Maybe for 10 or 20 minutes? You know how you feel sleepier if you only sleep a little.”
Woo-yeon closed his eyes tightly, trying to forget the image of Do-hyun. There was a Seonbae beside him, and Teacher in his head. What Woo-yeon liked was the latter, not the former, but the boundary kept becoming blurred. In this way, it was no different from how he had been four years ago.
“Is Woo-yeon motion sick? Should I open the window?”
“……Please open it just a little.”
Zzzzt, the window lowered slightly. Woo-yeon took a small breath of the cold air. He told himself this wasn’t because he liked him, but simply because he was reminded of Teacher. After repeating that a few times, the heat that had risen to his face began to subside.
“Tell me if it gets worse. I’ll stop at a rest area.”
He had given up on his feelings long ago. All that remained now were merely remnants of a past buried in his memories. It had just surged up for a moment; as time passed, it would naturally drain away.
Woo-yeon pressed his earlobe and looked at Do-hyun. Fortunately, he didn’t feel his face turning bright red like before. However, the lips that occasionally parted gently brushed against Woo-yeon’s heart.
The long Membership Training was coming to an end.