By Zephyria The omega’s instinct, it was different from simple sexual desire. It was hard to explain in words, but one thing was certain: it wasn’t a sensation that omegas could naturally feel just by being omega. Even for Seo-woon, who had grown accustomed to omega life, this was a completely new sensation.
If you want to have sex, you just do it—but what’s this about wanting to become one? No matter how he thought about it, it was embarrassing beyond words. Even while thinking this, Seo-woon steadily made his way to the front entrance. He thought it would only take a few steps, but since the house was so large, it was quite a distance. Maybe it felt that way because he wasn’t fully awake yet.
“Seo-woon-ssi, please don’t overexert yourself.”
In the early morning that would never occur if Seo-woon were alone, Yi-jin looked down at pajama-clad Seo-woon with concern. Unlike Seo-woon who had just woken up, Yi-jin had already finished preparing for work.
“It’s not yet time for you to be active.”
Was he being discouraged from the morning? Still, it wasn’t wrong, so Seo-woon obediently nodded first. Seo-woon was fundamentally good at agreeing.
“I know. I’m going back to sleep.”
“As expected.”
“What?”
“I understood what you meant perfectly. You have something to tell me.”
Strange. Seo-woon was the one who wasn’t fully awake, yet Yi-jin kept talking nonsense. It was probably bullshit, but he decided to listen to the end. The perfectly fitted three-piece suit and the long coat draped over one arm made Seo-woon generous.
“Um, I suppose…?”
“I thought you definitely would. Everything’s as expected.”
“What now.”
“Even though there’s plenty of time before your checkup, the fact that you got up early despite the trouble of having to go back to sleep means you have something to tell me directly. Am I right?”
It was… correct, but was this really such a serious matter? Moreover, he even looked secretly proud. “Good. I’m ready. Just tell me.” Yi-jin said dramatically. There were only the two of them in this house, but since his companion was acting like this throughout, Seo-woon also became dramatic. Seo-woon dramatically saw Yi-jin off.
“Well then, have a good day?”
“Yes. I will.”
“……”
“……”
“……”
“Don’t mind me and speak comfortably.”
“Hm? I’m done though?”
“……”
“What’s wrong. Why are you like this again!”
Suddenly Yi-jin’s face darkened. Worried that he might have misspoken, Seo-woon asked urgently, but Yi-jin tirelessly continued his nonsense.
“Perhaps if you find it difficult to speak because you don’t trust me…”
Why does he keep doing this? Maybe he still hadn’t adjusted to the time difference—he was malfunctioning from the morning. Seo-woon skillfully corrected the command value.
“What am I even… I came out to see you off, Yi-jin-ssi.”
“Me?”
“You.”
“…Ah.”
“What time will you be back today? Let’s eat something delicious for dinner. I’m about to die from starving for that.”
After the stormy night, Seo-woon was going for his scheduled health checkup today. He had to get it done quickly since he was going to get it anyway, so he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake for the next two years. (The nationally recommended health checkup cycle is once every two years.)
Still, what was regrettable was regrettable, so they did everything except insertion. Really everything. This was why Seo-woon came out on his own feet to see him off from the morning. Right now, Seo-woon was full of affection for Yi-jin.
“Don’t worry. Just tell me and I’ll prepare everything.”
“You don’t need to go that far…”
“I need to consider cooking time too, so just let me know at least an hour in advance…”
…The chicken feet from this neighborhood arrive in 30 minutes. He didn’t know why, but Yi-jin was particularly enthusiastic today. It was probably similar to how Seo-woon had voluntarily come out to see him off. Well, he could talk about it after ordering. Seo-woon calmly checked the commute and travel time instead of the overeager Yi-jin. Since he had fasted the night before, today he was thinking of eating something delicious and feeding Yi-jin too. Just thinking about it made him hum unconsciously.
The newlywed house that was too big for living alone, and Seo-woon who was left alone again—neither was much different from a few days ago, but his mood was completely different. Every time Seo-woon moved, Yi-jin’s pheromones rose like a heat haze. This was Seo-woon’s first time with such an intense pheromone shower, so he couldn’t adapt to it at all.
He hadn’t noticed while sleeping, but Yi-jin’s pheromones were becoming increasingly clear. Even though he had directly watched Yi-jin leave for work, if he just turned his head, it felt like he would be right next to him. Judging by how he stubbornly packed condoms in any situation, he seemed basically straightforward, but he didn’t know he could marinate a person in pheromones like this.
In the end, Seo-woon gave up on going back to sleep. If he fell asleep like this, there was a very high probability he would have inappropriate dreams. Last night he had actually slept like fainting without dreaming. Since they did everything except insertion, the kid got heated and the schedule kept getting longer. Both Yi-jin and Seo-woon had slept only a few hours, but seeing how good his mood was from the morning, newlyweds were indeed newlyweds.
To think the day would come when I’d have such thoughts. Seo-woon reflected on his past days with fresh eyes. Honestly speaking, really honestly speaking, he hadn’t expected it to turn out like this. Not Yi-jin, but himself—he had never dreamed that he would develop such feelings.
He had dated enough to have tried it, and had broken up enough to have experienced it. His illusions about love had disappeared long ago. He wanted to get married but didn’t want his heart to wear out, and rather than engage in unnecessary wars of attrition, he wanted to maintain a safe distance from each other. He thought he could do that by meeting people with marriage and conditions as prerequisites.
When had that complacent resolution crumbled? As if mocking this, from the moment he opened his eyes, Yi-jin’s pheromones followed Seo-woon around. He thought it would be less if he mixed with people, but it was actually the opposite. Whatever he had done, wherever Seo-woon went, alphas parted like the Red Sea. Far from habitually scanning people, they couldn’t even make proper eye contact with Seo-woon.
Was a pheromone shower originally like this? Thanks to this, Seo-woon could comfortably come to the hospital. Since getting to know Yi-jin, he had been rewriting common sense daily. In many ways, daily life had no time to be quiet. The hospital was no exception.
“Good morning!”
“Welcome!”
“We welcome Seo-woon-nim’s first pelvic exam!”
“Welcome!”
What could this be now? Following the guard’s guidance to the top floor of the hospital, as soon as the elevator doors opened, there was all this commotion. The colorful balloons of various sizes and shapes along with people’s cheers confused Seo-woon, but it was fine. Married man Jung Seo-woon doesn’t get easily surprised by most things anymore. Probably nothing could surprise Seo-woon more than Yi-jin’s family members. Hmm, ahem! Seo-woon, who quickly regained his composure, first cleared his voice.
“Hello. I’m Jung Seo-woon. Thank you for welcoming me.”
First impressions are important anywhere, anytime. He has this much composure now. After Seo-woon finished his self-introduction on his own, the hospital staff responded with applause. Ah, was this how Pavlov’s dog felt? Surprisingly, hearing the applause brought peace to his mind and body.
As his mind settled, he could see his surroundings a bit more clearly. Behind the hospital staff, he could see letters welcoming Seo-woon. Seeing ‘Uni’ among them, it definitely wasn’t Yi-jin. He’s bound by the no-surprise treaty, and besides, Yi-jin is a member of the ‘Woo-dung-i’ faction. Seo-woon excluded Yi-jin from the suspect list. The remaining suspects were all of Yi-jin’s direct family members and relatives. There were fucking many of them.
“This is the first time seeing you up close! I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Kim Jae-soon, the general attending physician and medical director.”
The medical director with graying hair cheerfully smiled and extended a handshake. The way he quickly closed the distance and approached directly seemed somehow familiar. They said he was the family doctor, but who would have thought he’d have similar tendencies to that family? Seo-woon politely smiled and took the extended hand. That was all it took, but it brought a loud reaction.
“First time seeing you since the wedding! Nice to meet you!”
The medical director heartily laughed and shook the hand he was holding. The person seemed to have no ill intentions, but also appeared to have no filter. Would this checkup be okay? The examination hadn’t even started yet, but he was already tired. For a freelancer with nowhere to lean on but himself, the opportunity for a free health checkup doesn’t come easily, so he had hastily made a reservation first, but the road ahead was long.
After the lengthy welcome greeting, there was a brief hospital introduction. The top floor of the university hospital used exclusively by Yi-jin’s family had everything separated—from elevators to facilities to medical staff. Not only did each of Yi-jin’s family members have their own attending physician, but medical staff from each specialty were on standby at all times.
The economic disparity between Seo-woon and Yi-jin was clear, but surprisingly, there weren’t many moments when he actually felt it. If he had to list them, most were major events like the wedding venue being their own hotel, his first first-class seat on a national airline, the personal study set up in the hotel, and incidents like this recent bicycle affair. But now, he truly felt it. This is what it was like. This was it. It was the first time in 32 years that he learned a hospital could be this kind.
“Except for your severely tense shoulder muscles, there doesn’t seem to be anything major to worry about. You’ve taken especially good care of your teeth. Your dental condition is very good.”
Fortunately, the results were good. The shoulder tension, an office worker’s fate, couldn’t be helped, and what remained were just some tests whose results couldn’t be confirmed on the same day. More than anything else, hearing that his dental condition was good couldn’t make him happier. Come to think of it, he seemed to have received similar praise before—what was it? He remembered the source wasn’t a doctor. Back then, rather than feeling good about the praise, he was actually bewildered.
“You should be able to receive all the remaining test results within two days. Will you visit the day after tomorrow at this same time?”
Listening to various explanations, several hours had passed in a flash. Unlike Seo-woon, who was gradually losing motivation due to hunger, the medical director was still full of energy. “Yes, I’ll do that.” Seo-woon squeezed out an enthusiastic voice with his last bit of strength. He just wanted to go home now.
“Great! Then shall we talk about pheromones now? You should always save the most delicious for last!”
No, I eat the most delicious first. Of all things, the medical director was a pheromone specialist.
“You manifested at fifteen.”
“Yes.”
“To receive an omega diagnosis in the same year as Jini—fate must be fate indeed.”
He was also Yi-jin’s attending physician at the same time. But even here, it’s Jini? Seo-woon thought that first. The question came after.
“Um, Yi-jin-ssi said he manifested at 7…”
In a passing conversation, he definitely said so. He remembered it well because the manifestation timing was so unusual. Generally, alpha and omega manifestation follows secondary sexual characteristics. Therefore, Yi-jin was almost twice as fast as average.
“That’s right. He manifested at 7. He received his alpha diagnosis at 14.”
“What?”
“Until then, no one in the family knew about the manifestation. He had manifested but was too young to have any real pheromones, and he himself didn’t know he had manifested.”
“…Don’t people usually experience manifestation fever when they manifest?”
Everyone experiences manifestation fever when they manifest. As they manifest as alpha or omega, changes occur in the body, and the internal changes are expressed as mild fever that doesn’t endanger life. The medical director casually nodded.
“Naturally, Jini also experienced manifestation fever.”
“…Then…”
“He experienced it for about 7 years. Hahaha, wasn’t that terrible? When asked how he endured it, he said he thought everyone went through this to become an adult.”
“……”
“When a person suffers from mild fever for 7 years, I guess they reach a state of nirvana—he was like a little Buddha. He wouldn’t cry or laugh, and when hungry, ‘I must be hungry,’ when sick, ‘I must be sick’… He had no reaction to anything, so eventually the whole family had to step in. Just when we thought he was finally opening up, he said he couldn’t burden the family anymore and went abroad to study, so he returned as an adult with only his speech unlocked.”
Should I be hearing this story? When Seo-woon first heard about Yi-jin from Yi-jin’s family, he had that thought. Even though not much more time has passed since then, he could be certain of this one thing.
Seo-woon wanted to know more about Yi-jin in detail. Not hearing it through others like this, but directly from Yi-jin himself.
“Even that, if it hadn’t been for Charles, we would have only noticed after the rut came. It would have made the front page of newspapers.
Apart from such feelings, he didn’t know what to say or how to say it. He could confidently say this wasn’t a typical case. It wasn’t a light topic to hear about from a third party like this. Especially if Yi-jin had endured 7 years of manifestation fever alone in his family’s indifference.
A person who was unnecessarily logical, strangely lacking in emotional expression, and didn’t even properly know why he didn’t want to divorce—Seo-woon kept thinking of one person. He kept thinking of that person. Using the excuse that they lived in different worlds, Yi-jin’s incomprehensible behaviors that he had carelessly overlooked came to mind one by one, confusing Seo-woon.
We really didn’t know each other well. After much thought, Seo-woon decided not to react further and appropriately kept his mouth shut. Then the medical director said something out of the blue.
“Indeed, you’re as thoughtful as Charles described.”
“Pardon?”
“Well then, shall we return to the main topic!”
He didn’t know what Charles had told them, but he didn’t bother asking. No matter how close they were, there was no need to be too influenced by people around him. Paying attention to every little thing like this would literally just be nerve-wracking. What was certain was that he seemed to know who the culprit behind this surprise was. The An family loved surprises more than anyone.
“Are you aware that Seo-woon-ssi is also approaching a heat cycle? Your cycle has become quite irregular.”
He’d been getting cramps frequently lately and sleeping more. His appetite had also decreased. This was also why Seo-woon had decided not to dismiss Yi-jin’s fussing and get the checkup. “Yes, roughly…” When Seo-woon trailed off, the medical director pointed to the monitor screen.
“What are you planning to do about this heat cycle? If you want medication, I can prescribe suppressants.”
“Um, could I first ask about the reason for the irregular cycle? It’s always been regular until now.”
“There are various causes. It could be a simple physical change or a temporary change due to stress. Continuous exposure to alpha pheromones can’t be ruled out either. What remains is how Seo-woon-ssi’s pheromones reacted… We’ll have to wait for the pheromone matching rate results to know for certain.”
In the end, he was saying they didn’t know for sure. Still, none of the possibilities were impossible, so Seo-woon blushed for no reason. More than anything else, the part about “continuous exposure to alpha pheromones” bothered him the most. They hadn’t even done it that much, but seeing how his heat cycle timing was already off, the pheromone matching rate was obvious without even checking. He’d have to wait for the detailed results, but he had a feeling it would be incredibly high. Just a gut feeling.
“Will you visit with Zini next time? Zini’s cycle has probably been disrupted too.”
“I’ll do that. When should we come?”
“The pheromone matching rate results will be out in 6 weeks, so let’s meet then.”
Six weeks—he had to make sure to tell Yi-jin about it. “Ah, in 6 weeks…” The medical director quickly added.
“For accurate results, please refrain from pheromone showers or knotting for one week. The margin of error is low, but there’s no harm in being precise.”
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Hahaha! At first I thought little Zini had come! The mint scent was really vibrating through the air!”
“…I’m sorry.”
Hahaha! He couldn’t lift his head at the medical director’s laughter. But I’m not that small. Even in the midst of all this, Seo-woon didn’t forget to grumble. Of course, only internally.
After deciding to set the detailed time after consulting with Yi-jin, all the tests were finally finished. He was hungry but fortunately the results were good, his heart was heavy from suddenly learning about Yi-jin’s past, but Yi-jin’s pheromones still fluttering around Seo-woon were just ticklish. He really didn’t know what to do. While waiting for the elevator and checking his phone, he found messages from Yi-jin.
[Are you still at the hospital?]
[Please contact me when you’re finished.]
Reading the messages, automatic voice support kicked in. Seo-woon chuckled and made a call. Ah, should he have asked first if it was okay to talk? That would be proper etiquette, but he decided not to bother. They were now at a stage where such courtesies weren’t necessary. Right?
– Yes, this is Ahn Yi-jin.
He hadn’t actually asked out loud, but he got an affirmative answer anyway. For some reason, that made him laugh foolishly. Come to think of it, it had always been like this with Yi-jin. From when they first met, life’s big and small timings had matched well. They say if coincidences repeat, they become fate—could our coincidences become fate too? Seo-woon got on the elevator while having pointless thoughts.
– Are you finished with all the tests?
“Yeah. I heard all the explanations too. The medical director gave them, and he seemed to know you well, Yi-jin-ssi.”
– I don’t know what the standard for knowing someone well is, but if it’s by years of acquaintance, it’s been over 20 years.
“…You’ve known each other for a really long time.”
– Is that so? So are the results out? How are they? Did the director say anything else? Seo-woon-ssi? Are you listening?
The question mark killer had returned after a long time. “Seo-woon-ssi? Can you hear me?” When Seo-woon remained silent, Yi-jin couldn’t stand it and pressed for answers. Even though it was an elevator, there were no problems with call quality, so nothing was wrong with the phone. Seo-woon was just contemplating. Since the medical director came up, he considered naturally asking about Yi-jin’s story, but decided against it.
No matter what, it wasn’t something to discuss over the phone. He wanted to hear such things directly from Yi-jin. Not through phone calls like this, but while looking at each other, sharing body warmth, and getting to know each other more deeply. He wanted to know more about the sides of Yi-jin that Seo-woon didn’t know. He wanted to see him.
Yeah, I miss him. Seo-woon realized. Oh, that’s right. Right now, I think I miss him a little? Once was difficult, but twice was easy. Seo-woon’s feelings, unknown even to himself, were gradually revealing themselves.
“Oh, yeah. I can hear you fine. What did you just say?”
– I asked how the results were.
“Ah, the results.”
– …Is there perhaps some problem…
It’s not like th… Huh? Seo-woon, who had gotten that far, reflexively stepped back. When the elevator doors opened, guards jumped out as if they’d been waiting, startling him. They seemed intent on escorting Seo-woon again. He could find his way out fine if they just showed him the exit, but he kept that thought to himself. It definitely wasn’t because he was scared.
He was walking through a restricted area with not even an ant in sight, surrounded by guards. It was like being escorted under arrest. Seo-woon lowered his voice and whispered quietly, mindful of the guards.
“Yi-jin-ssi, I’ll call you back later.”
– …Don’t tell me you need to prepare yourself mentally.
“Huh? What?”
– If it’s difficult for you to speak right now…
“Seo-woon-nim, shall we escort you to the parking garage?”
A guard spoke to him from the side. “Ah, just a moment.” Seo-woon asked for Yi-jin’s understanding and had a brief conversation with the guard.
“No. I just need to exit through the main entrance.”
“Is your driver waiting at the main entrance?”
“No. I came alone… Yi-jin-ssi.”
– …Yes. Please go ahead. I’m ready.
Yi-jin’s voice was much more subdued than before, but Seo-woon didn’t notice at all. The guards kept talking to him from the side, and as they got closer to the general ward, the surroundings became noisy and it was hard to hear. Seo-woon hurriedly wrapped up the call.
“I’ll call you back later, so let me know when you’re available in 6 weeks.”
– You said 6 weeks…
“When the results come out, ah, sorry. They said 6 weeks are left. You need to get tested too, so let me know when you’re free. I’ll see you later then.”
Seo-woon, who had finally bumped into a guard, hastily hung up the phone. Once he got through that door, the typical university hospital scene that Seo-woon knew would unfold.
“I’ll go by myself from here. Thank you for the escort.”
Seo-woon bowed to the guards and escaped from the restricted area. He thought he was going to die from the burden the whole way. Seo-woon looked around to find the main entrance. The reception desk was over there, so the main entrance was… ah, found it.
Having secured the location of the exit, Seo-woon was about to move when his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Buzz, buzz buzz—it was complete chaos.
He tried to answer the phone but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t even take his phone out of his pocket. Because a familiar person caught Seo-woon’s eye.
Someone he once thought he knew better than anyone in the world, someone who was once closest to Seo-woon in the world. Someone who had dated him for a full 5 years and even met his parents, but disappeared from Seo-woon’s life overnight.
Seo-woon’s ex-boyfriend was standing in the hospital lobby. Next to him was a pregnant woman who appeared to be his wife.
He had once imagined such a scenario. Accidentally running into an ex-lover—that kind of pointless imagination everyone probably has at least once. Perhaps because even that was too long ago, it was a much calmer encounter than expected.
So he was alive. Like most romantic relationships, after breaking up they became worse than strangers, with no way of knowing each other’s life or death, but regrettably, it seemed he was alive and well with both legs intact. While there was some disappointment like this, surprisingly he felt no other emotions. This was why Seo-woon, who reflexively tried to avoid the spot, decided not to bother doing so.
It’s not like I committed a crime. When you think about it, that bastard was the one who committed the crime. Seo-woon confidently watched the two people from his spot. They looked like a harmonious couple by anyone’s standards, and Seo-woon was also certain the two were married.
Of course. There was no way he wouldn’t know. In Seo-woon’s memory, the man had always looked like that. The way he looked at Seo-woon and the expressions he showed Seo-woon were exactly like that too. Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, since that bastard ended things by going AWOL, he never experienced the dead-fish eyes of a man whose heart had already left. What a fucking grateful bastard he is. Seo-woon habitually cursed the man.
Habit. Yes, habit. So much time had already passed that it became a habit. They say the past gets romanticized, and Seo-woon was no exception. The man he saw after a long time had changed a lot. First, he had a belly, and he had a belly, and he had a belly.
Is he an omega or what? Thanks to that, I just wasted my eyesight. Looking closely, his face seemed to have changed a bit too. Strange. I don’t think it was that bad… There’s no way I would have dated such a squid-face. Seo-woon stubbornly denied reality but finally came to accept the truth. The man had turned to face him directly. This wasn’t what I got LASIK surgery to see. Seo-woon cleanly acknowledged his past.
★Congratulations on escaping squid-face!★ It sucked being together, let’s never meet again! Seo-woon turned around without lingering. He decided to bury the bad memories that were slowly surfacing here.
In many ways, eye purification and heart purification were urgent. Indeed, tonight’s dinner menu should be his younger husband’s abs. As his thoughts naturally turned to Yi-jin, only then did he remember his phone.
[18 missed calls]
He paused for a moment. Any Korean would probably do the same. Haha, eighteen calls. Even at this point, Seo-woon didn’t think much of it. Nothing big had happened either. He had run into his ex-boyfriend in an unexpected place, but that was all. Seo-woon thought he could return home peacefully like this.
All eighteen missed calls were from the same person. Ahn Yi-jin, Ahn Yi-jin, Ahn Yi-jin, Ahn Yi-jin, Ahn Yi-jin… All calls from Yi-jin. Did something happen? Seo-woon called Yi-jin. Ring, he didn’t answer. He called again. He didn’t answer. Hmm, he must be busy. Seo-woon casually put his phone in his pants pocket. And just as he was about to continue walking.
“There he is!”
“Found him!”
“Target spotted, target spotted!”
The surroundings were noisy. Rumble rumble! As if they had been waiting, the footsteps of large men all rushed to one place at once. The sound getting closer and closer couldn’t just be his imagination, right?
Just as ominous premonitions never miss their mark, some red light caught Seo-woon’s eye. This red light pointing exactly at Seo-woon’s heart—Seo-woon knew what it was. Of course, this was his first time seeing it in real life, but he’d seen it a lot in movies. Mainly used when aiming at criminals before shootouts. Or when playing with cats.
Then it must be the former. Logically, the probability of Seo-woon becoming a cat would be zero. Having calmly assessed the situation, Seo-woon slowly turned around.
“Target spotted!”
“Target surrounded!”
“Sapsal dog alert clear! Sapsal dog alert clear!”
What the hell is a Sapsal dog, you crazy bastards? The guards instantly surrounded Seo-woon. The very people who had just guided Seo-woon to the general ward.
Suddenly, he made eye contact with one of the guards he had bumped into. When their eyes met, even amid the confusion, the guard awkwardly nodded in greeting. Yet he didn’t remove the laser aimed at Seo-woon. So it was you, laser guy. This really makes me feel like a criminal.
“What’s this?”
“What’s happening?”
“Are they filming a movie?”
“Did a robber break in?”
“Amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this!”
Beyond the guards who had quieted down to use their radios, he could hear people murmuring. Seo-woon, who had been distracted by the laser, finally came to his senses. So that means he remembered. Who he had just met and who was within about 50 meters of him.
No. This can’t happen. He hadn’t committed any crime, but this situation was unacceptable. This was a matter of human dignity. Seo-woon desperately tried to hide himself. Precisely, he tried to hide in the shadow of the guard who was aiming the laser at him from the front.
But this bastard moved along with Seo-woon. When Seo-woon went right, he also moved left, and when Seo-woon went left, he moved right. And Seo-woon saw it. One squid-face with wide eyes visible through the gap. Fortunately, Seo-woon was good at quick thinking.
“Kyaak! What do we do!”
“Someone collapsed!”
“Someone call a doctor!”
Thud! Seo-woon collapsed. Considering the squid-face’s position, he collapsed toward 7 o’clock, the most suitable direction for personal protection. Seo-woon had never lost consciousness in his life, and even now, lying collapsed on the lobby floor, it was the same. Considering his checkup results, it didn’t seem likely to happen in the future either.
“What! What happened!”
“W-we don’t know either.”
“He suddenly collapsed!”
The floor is cold… Seo-woon had that thought while lying in the middle of the hospital lobby. If he had known this would happen, he should have learned how to fall properly. Having boldly thrown his body for realism, his entire left side that hit the bare floor was throbbing. Right now, anything could be broken, so he just needed to get out of here.
Why on earth! Why in such a state! Broken bones can heal, but collapsed human dignity cannot be recovered. That’s what ex-boyfriends are. Whatever you do turns to shit, that’s why they’re ex-boyfriends. Seo-woon didn’t know what he was thinking either.
“First, check his consciousness!”
“Yes, understood!”
“Seo-u…”
No! Don’t call me! My name! Don’t call me! Seo-woon jumped up like a zombie. Oh my, oh my! What do we do! It must be a seizure! Screams erupted from all directions. The self-loathing that had briefly visited him completely evaporated with the cheering voices added from all sides. Seo-woon writhed once more. This time he trembled more naturally, all the way to his fingertips. With his more confident seizure acting, the watching citizens shouted in unison:
“Stop doing that and quickly take him to a doctor!”
“We have to save him first!”
“Team leader! His pulse is normal!”
“Good! Take him upstairs immediately!”
“Yes! Understood!”
Finally escaping! Seo-woon relaxed his body as much as possible to help the guard carrying him. But something seemed a bit strange. One, two, three… six. Six hands total. If there were six hands, that meant at least three people were carrying Seo-woon. No, why three people… Seo-woon felt a little hurt somehow. Really. Just a little hurt. Getting out of here was more urgent for now.
I thought at least one person would carry me on their back… Being conscious in mid-air and feeling wind resistance was making him motion sick. It was worse because his head was completely turned around, supposedly to cover his face. Beep, after what felt like an eternity but was just a moment, the door to the restricted access area that controlled outsider entry opened. After confirming the door closed by sound, Seo-woon quietly opened his eyes. His vision was still shaking, but opening his eyes reduced the motion sickness a bit. Seo-woon asked weakly, still affected by the nausea.
“Where are we going now?”
“Obviously to the medical director!”
“If it’s because of me, I don’t think you need to go.”
“…What?”
“T-Team leader!”
Seo-woon-nim has awakened! At someone’s shout, all the guards stopped in unison. Under the gazes pouring toward him, Seo-woon thought: Oh, please let this be a dream.
Of course, no such miracle occurred. Amid the guards’ commotion, Seo-woon awkwardly stood up on the ground. Indeed, humans should live with their feet on the ground. As the motion sickness faded, color returned to Seo-woon’s face. Everyone couldn’t hide their bewilderment at Seo-woon’s appearance, which looked far too normal from any angle.
“…Should I press the elevator button?”
Something about the rooftop came through the radio. Seo-woon was needlessly perceptive.
Fortunately, Seo-woon’s guess was correct. The final destination was the rooftop. He asked why they were going to the rooftop through the awkward silence, but the guards didn’t know either. They had just received urgent orders to bring Seo-woon safely. That was the end of the conversation. Well, whatever. He’d find out when he got there. He had nothing more to lose. Seo-woon obediently headed to the rooftop. Anywhere was fine as long as it wasn’t the hospital lobby.
The rooftop they arrived at was empty. Instead, an endlessly spread blue sky and fierce wind rolling in like waves greeted Seo-woon. It felt a bit noisy due to fine dust, but just looking at it cleared his mind. So why exactly did we come here? There were only Seo-woon and the guards. No one else was visible.
Apart from the open scenery, dusty sandy wind kept blowing. It had been recording “very bad” fine dust levels since morning. The wind hadn’t seemed to be blowing when he left home, but the wind brushing his skin was quite strong.
He considered taking out the mask in his pocket to wear it, but gave up because it was bothersome. He’d probably go down soon anyway. Seo-woon looked around without much thought. The rooftop was so wide, yet they hadn’t made even a common garden. Soon he understood faster than anyone. It was an environment where a garden couldn’t be made in the first place. A large ‘H’ mark was planted right in the center of the rooftop. Excluding dramas and movies, this was Seo-woon’s first time seeing one in real life. It was fascinating.
“They’ll arrive soon.”
“What will?”
But the wind had been blowing too much since earlier. It seemed to be getting stronger. The rushing wind made it hard to even keep his eyes open. Seo-woon hurriedly tried to find and put on his mask, but the guards had already turned their bodies around on their own. What? Along with puzzlement, a loud noise came from somewhere. Oh, I know this sound. It was a sound Seo-woon had heard many times.
“He’s coming.”
“Pardon?”
“The executive director.”
Helicopter, helicopter sound. The unforgettable helicopter sound kept getting closer. No way… Seo-woon’s gaze turned toward the team leader’s fingertip.
“Seo!”
Ah, shit.
“Un!”
Wait a minute.
“Ssi!”
Why are you there…? Thudthudthudthud! Thudthudthudthud! He seemed to say something after that, but it was drowned out by the propeller noise and couldn’t be heard anymore.
Yi-jin flew in with the fine dust. Literally flew in. It was their thirteenth meeting.
Thudthudthud! Thudthudthudthud! The helicopter that had just finished landing was still noisy. The rotor blades that wouldn’t easily calm down continued to create wind. It was yellow dust wind from China, full of Yi-jin’s affection.
“Seo-woon-ssi! Are you alright!”
No! He wasn’t alright at all. Cough, cough! Seo-woon hadn’t been able to open his eyes properly and had been coughing since earlier. He couldn’t believe it even seeing it with his own eyes, so he was defenseless and got hit hard. It would have been better if he had at least worn a mask, but his eyes stung and his throat hurt. His eyeballs seemed itchy too.
“Don’t tell me…!”
The helicopter man of this era who had approached closely shouted in an indignant voice.
“Is it your lungs!”
“Cough, wh-what? Cough!”
What is he saying? At the much more agitated voice than usual, Seo-woon belatedly raised his head. And was indignant.
“How far has it progressed that it’s only six weeks…!”
That bastard wore sunglasses by himself! Seo-woon trembled with a sense of betrayal. And suddenly his face was grabbed. He had no chance to express his bewilderment about what was happening. Yi-jin, who had snatched Seo-woon’s face, cried out desperately.
“Your eyes are bloodshot!”
“…That’s because…”
Isn’t it because of the yellow dust wind you brought? Naturally, Yi-jin, who was wearing sunglasses by himself, had no way of knowing.
“This is…!”
Before Seo-woon could answer anything, Yi-jin’s fingers urgently swept under Seo-woon’s eyes. Not just once, but several times. Thinking something had gotten stuck on him, he obediently held still with his face forward, but Yi-jin’s hands seemed to be trembling finely. “Is something stuck on me?” When Seo-woon asked nonchalantly, now Yi-jin was openly shaking his hands.
“I thought so, but…”
“What? Why are you like this? Your hands are shaking.”
“…It won’t come off.”
So what won’t? Fortunately, the question didn’t last long. Seo-woon’s face, held by large hands, was reflected in Yi-jin’s sunglasses. Seo-woon stared intently at his own appearance. Although he had been hit by the yellow dust wind, there wasn’t anything particularly stuck to his face.
“Under your eyes is so dark like this… It won’t come off, Seo-woon-ssi…”
“……”
“And why is your complexion like this too…”
Seo-woon hadn’t slept much and had been maintaining an empty stomach for over 12 hours. Just a few minutes ago, he had also experienced something big that involved human dignity.
“How far has this progressed…!”
Yi-jin, who had been examining Seo-woon’s face, let out a sigh. Seo-woon’s face darkened by exactly that much. Looking at what he was doing now, he seemed to be seriously misunderstanding something, but he didn’t know what it was. Looking down at Seo-woon’s darkening face, Yi-jin shouted dignifiedly.
“Seo-woon-ssi, you have nothing to worry about.”
“What do you mean nothing to worry about.”
“Just trust me!”
“Wait a minute. Let me think about this.”
Something was definitely strange. He needed to think for a moment about why the kid had gotten into this state again. “We need a thorough examination right away…!” Thud thud thud thud thud! Thud thud thud thud thud thud! The helicopter engine seemed to have stopped, but the blades weren’t slowing down easily. Amid the horrific hybrid of Yi-jin’s rambling and helicopter noise, Seo-woon managed to reach a silent conclusion.
“Um… Yi-jin?”
“Yes, Seo-woon.”
“Well, so…”
“Please speak. If you need anything, I’ll have it all prepared.”
“Oh.”
He didn’t trust it, but he could tell that feeling was genuine. Our kid has a kind heart, after all. With that thought, Seo-woon finally began to speak.
“Don’t tell me I’m about to die…”
“No!”
“Why! What!”
Startling. Yi-jin suddenly raised his voice. The hands cupping Seo-woon’s face also tightened with force. Yi-jin had activated his self-muting function.
“…who’s dying! Please refrain from such expressions.”
“No, I don’t mean really dying… what are you doing right now?”
“I can’t hear anything.”
“…So it seems.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
Yi-jin openly declared a boycott. Seeing how he had firmly blocked both ears, there was no sign he would back down easily.
“So I mean that my lifespan is up…”
“It’s not up! Don’t say such things.”
“Um… then, going to heaven…”
“Where are you going!”
“…Heaven?”
“They say even rolling in a dung field is better than the afterlife!”
“Departing from this world…”
“Departing where! You can’t depart!”
“…Hey, you.”
What am I supposed to do with this bastard? Since Yi-jin kept talking back to everything Seo-woon said, the conversation wasn’t progressing. This was the first time Yi-jin had been so stubborn, so it only deepened the mystery. No matter how he looked at it, something was strange. Judging from all this commotion, it seemed something major had happened to Seo-woon’s health, but except for his heat cycle being moved up, Seo-woon was in perfectly healthy condition. Even the medical director hadn’t mentioned anything else.
It was possible they had contacted the guardian instead of the patient who would be shocked to learn the truth, but the medical director didn’t seem like he would bother doing that. There was a high probability he would contact him directly and speak straightforwardly. Seo-woon asked with confusion.
“Did you talk to the medical director by any chance?”
“No. He seemed busy and I couldn’t get through. I plan to go down and see him in person.”
“…Then don’t tell me…”
“Yes.”
“…just from hearing about me…”
“Yes. I’m listening. Please continue.”
Thud thud thud thud thud! Thud thud thud thud thud thud! One helicopter launched by Seo-woon, for Seo-woon, because of Seo-woon, joined in urging Seo-woon on. Yi-jin would answer honestly to any question Seo-woon asked, but that made it even harder to ask. Don’t tell me all this happened because of me?
In all his life, he’d heard of Mercedes guys but this was his first helicopter guy. Looking closely, he was even wearing Boeing sunglasses of all things.
“Seo-woon?”
Welcome, it’s your first helicopter guy, right? The helicopter guy called to Seo-woon. His handsome face was full of worry about what on earth he was thinking flying all the way here. From the Sapsal dog alert to the sudden appearance of helicopter guy, it was absurd. It was definitely absurd, but on the other hand, he didn’t feel entirely bad about it. H-honestly, it seemed kind of cool? Over 12 hours of fasting combined with various incidents and accidents made rational thinking impossible.
“First! Let’s call the medical director. If he doesn’t answer, then we’ll go down together.”
Being excited was one thing, but at this rate he was going to starve to death. Seo-woon, unable to resist his survival instinct, began organizing the situation.
“…Sigh, what had to come has come. Understood. I’ll try.”
“Uh, well… okay. Fighting…!”
“Thank you.”
Yi-jin seemed somehow determined before his call with the medical director. Seo-woon spared no encouraging words and asked what he’d been curious about all along.
“Can I look around the helicopter for a while?”
“Of course. If you want, you can board it after safety training.”
“…No. I’d rather avoid the air for a while…”
His motion sickness had subsided, but he didn’t want to leave the ground for the time being. He would feel that way for a while until today’s memories completely faded. Seo-woon politely declined Yi-jin’s offer and toured the helicopter with the pilot’s guidance.
Naturally, it was worlds apart from an airplane. To put it nicely, it was optimized for immediate flight; to put it badly, it was optimized for motion sickness. He was glad he said he wouldn’t ride it. Seo-woon was secretly relieved and focused on taking proof photos. Since he was taking pictures anyway, should he ask to borrow some sunglasses? As Seo-woon was contemplating this, something rushed toward him.
“Ugh!”
Now he understood what it meant to make an “ugh” sound. It was fortunate he was sitting; if he had been standing, it would have been a disaster. The culprit who had put Seo-woon in this state was hugging Seo-woon as if embracing him, oblivious to his own size.
Yes, yes. Seo-woon, crammed into a corner of the helicopter, forgot to be angry and patted the back of Yi-jin who had nestled into his arms.
“It’s nothing serious, right?”
When he asked with feigned maturity, the top of Yi-jin’s head, buried in Seo-woon’s embrace, shook vigorously. Haha, laughter naturally escaped.
“…It is…”
Yi-jin had been repeating the same words continuously. He was like a robot whose heart had broken from too much shock.
“It’s fortunate. Really fortunate, Seo-woon.”
“Yes, yes.”
“It’s fortunate. It’s fortunate…”
Did he think something really terrible was going to happen? Even knowing everything was a misunderstanding, Yi-jin couldn’t bring himself to leave Seo-woon’s embrace. He was hugging Seo-woon with all his strength, not considering his own power.
It was a bit stuffy, and sometimes he felt pressure that made it hard to breathe, but it seemed like it would take more time for the large mass in his arms to regain stability. Seo-woon ignored the chest pain and obediently offered his body. Even after the vigorous nodding, Yi-jin was still trembling slightly. His shaky breath and irregular breathing poured onto Seo-woon’s chest.
Ah.
Ah, ah.
It was properly conveyed. It had finally been conveyed. Yi-jin didn’t say anything, but he was conveying his feelings with his whole body. Come to think of it, it had always been that way. Yi-jin always spoke with his body. His eyes that never left Seo-woon followed only Seo-woon’s actions in any situation, and he never let a single word Seo-woon said go unheard.
Ah, how could I not have known this? Why on earth didn’t I know? Seo-woon embraced Yi-jin with all his strength. Thump thump thump thump—Yi-jin’s heartbeat transmitted through their touching chests. Seo-woon tightened his arms around Yi-jin again. As if he wouldn’t miss anything, he received Yi-jin with his whole body.
Behind Yi-jin, whom he embraced, the open sky was visible. The sky was still hazy and the fine dust concentration was very bad. In the distance, guards and the pilot who had tactfully moved away were watching the two. It was embarrassing and he was hungry, tired and absurd, but it still wasn’t a bad feeling. Rather the opposite.
Lovely. Seo-woon found the man in his arms lovely. He wanted to love this person with all his might. He had wanted to eat right away, but his thoughts changed. Seo-woon stroked Yi-jin’s trembling back and said.
“I’m hungry. Shall we go home now?”
“Then we should eat somewhere nearby first…”
“Let’s go home, Zini.”
“……”
“At this rate, your husband will starve to death.”
“Don’t say such things!”
“Then I’m starving to dea…”
“…Who is…! Please refrain from such negative vocabulary.”
“…I understand, so let’s go home.”
“Then by helicopter…”
“Can’t we just go normally…?”
The two left the hospital and caught a taxi. Now they were really going home. As soon as Seo-woon, who had been plagued by incidents all day, got in the taxi, he collapsed limply.
“Ugh, I’m tired.”
Seo-woon groaned and laid his head on Yi-jin’s shoulder. Since they were in a taxi, he couldn’t lie down completely and only leaned halfway.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
As soon as Seo-woon’s head touched him, Yi-jin’s body stiffened.
“No.”
“Then are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No?”
His body, which wasn’t soft to begin with, became even harder with tension.
“……”
“……”
“What? Is that it already?”
“No. I’m contemplating.”
A chuckle escaped first at the serious voice without any hint of laughter. Tap tap, Seo-woon gently tapped Yi-jin’s chest.
“Try relaxing a bit.”
“Like this?”
“Oh. Good. Perfect.”
“Should I maintain it at this level?”
“Yeah.”
After several trials and errors, their posture became much more stable. Since his body was comfortable, sleep naturally poured in. Seo-woon began to doze off while leaning against Yi-jin. He didn’t know what kind of ordeal this all was just to get one health checkup. Too many things had happened in just half a day.
From the somewhat shocking timing of Yi-jin’s manifestation to accumulating what would be unprecedented dark history in Seo-woon’s life—thinking about it again, it was truly an eventful day. Yi-jin alone was enough to drive him crazy, but meeting his ex-boyfriend of all people on top of that.
He whom Seo-woon wanted to believe only he had recognized was with someone else. Even though he had changed so much, even though the person from the past no longer existed, he had recognized him at once, making their breakup seem meaningless. Five years really is a long time. Seo-woon thought this drowsily. Before meeting Yi-jin, the last scene of his past relationship came to mind. Perhaps he was dreaming.
Come to think of it, the atmosphere hadn’t been that friendly from the beginning. Thanks to that, he instinctively noticed. On the day he was first introduced to the man’s family, Seo-woon’s relationship also ended. The subtle prejudice against male omegas and the dissatisfied expressions that couldn’t be hidden, and above all, the man’s family didn’t even know Seo-woon’s family relationships accurately. From this point on, the adults’ words rapidly decreased and throughout the meal, the man was busy reading his parents’ moods and didn’t give Seo-woon a single glance.
That’s how it ended with the man. Five years meant absolutely nothing in the face of marriage. Still, he hadn’t expected him to just disappear, so Seo-woon had to suffer from disillusionment and distrust in humanity for a while. Since he was someone Seo-woon had trusted and relied on as a human being beyond their romantic relationship, the sense of betrayal didn’t easily subside. Seo-woon learned for the first time then that even hating someone required energy.
There had been such a time. It was really hard back then. The memories of love and the feelings of resentment were all faint now. How strange. Not only love, but even feelings of hatred eventually wear away. This was why Seo-woon could be completely fine even after seeing his ex-boyfriend’s smiling face. Of course, he didn’t feel particularly good about it, but even this didn’t last long. To Seo-woon, the man was nothing more or less than filth from the past.
“Are you awake?”
“……”
“Will you continue sleeping like this?”
The present was right here. Right here, next to Seo-woon. No one knew how it would end, but Seo-woon decided to protect these feelings with all his might. He would cherish them more preciously than anyone so they wouldn’t be carelessly trampled. Even if they wore away, he would be with them until the end. He would protect them. Seo-woon looked up at Yi-jin drowsily. Yi-jin was still offering one shoulder to Seo-woon.
“How much is left?”
“If you’re asking about arrival time, we’ve already arrived.”
“…What?”
“We arrived exactly 42 minutes ago.”
What is this supposed to mean? Seo-woon, still not fully awake, slowly blinked his eyes. At the sound the two had made after being quiet for so long, the taxi driver cheerfully struck up conversation.
“Oh my, you’re just now waking up. You were sleeping so sweetly.”
Was it because he wasn’t fully awake? The taxi seemed to be standing completely still. Above all, it seemed like the driver had just been watching videos…? With an uneasy feeling, he glanced out the window and saw their newlywed house right in front. He said they arrived 42 minutes ago, so apparently they had spent 42 minutes in this state.
“You should have woken me up!”
Sleep fled completely. Looking at the taxi driver’s relaxed atmosphere, it seemed like they had paid for the 42 minutes and more, but what kind of money waste was this? “Did you perhaps want to wake up?” Seo-woon gathered up the nonsense-talking Yi-jin and got out of the taxi. Of course, that was just an expression—he didn’t actually carry him out.
“But are those sunglasses yours, Yi-jin-ssi?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“They suit you well.”
“Thank you.”
“Why aren’t you wearing them now?”
“Because the sun has set.”
The two walked side by side through the garden, chatting softly. The atmosphere was quite peaceful, as if the midday commotion had been a lie. Until recently, everything that made Seo-woon anxious seemed overwhelming, but now he wasn’t sure anymore. Not because he wasn’t anxious, but because with this person, it seemed like being anxious would be okay too.
Even these feelings would disappear someday. Emotions eventually wear away to nothing. Even knowing this, his heart kept growing. Knowing all of this, he still wanted to love. He wanted to properly clash with this person. He wanted to see the end of this love.
“Yi-jin.” Seo-woon called out to Yi-jin, who was entering the password at the front door. “Yes, please speak.” Yi-jin answered while entering the last digit of the password.
“…Thank you for earlier.”
“For what?”
“Just, everything.”
“That answer is rather abstract. Could you give me one specific example?”
…This was completely unexpected. He was a bit flustered but didn’t show it. Seo-woon was a professional, after all. Having quickly adapted, Seo-woon smiled slyly and said:
“Thank you for asking me to marry you.”
“That’s not a timely example. Didn’t you specifically say ‘earlier’?”
This bastard. Here came the first crisis. Not from panic, but from annoyance. Seo-woon pushed the puzzled Yi-jin into the house.
“Did I mishear?”
It seemed Seo-woon had underestimated Yi-jin too much. Even inside the house, Yi-jin’s objections continued.
“Be quiet.”
“If I misheard…”
“……”
“……”
“……”
Ah, this is it. Seo-woon finally figured out how to shut Yi-jin’s mouth. It wasn’t voluntary on Yi-jin’s part and involved some coercion, but he showed no signs of resistance at all.
Smooch… Seo-woon was the first to part his lips. As if it wasn’t enough, Yi-jin unconsciously pursed his lips forward. How cute. After another peck, Seo-woon finished taking off his shoes. He could feel the now-quiet Yi-jin hurriedly following suit and removing his shoes.
“Seo-woon.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you perhaps send me a signal in the taxi?”
“Signal? What signal?”
“The thigh signal. When it transformed into chest without my knowing…”
What is he talking about now? Seo-woon shook his head and said one thing. “Come here.” Yi-jin, who was good at following instructions, rushed to Seo-woon faster than anyone despite his confusion. Seo-woon looked up at him quietly and brought up what he’d been thinking about since the hospital rooftop.
“I’m going to take better care of my health from now on.”
“…Don’t tell me…”
“No, no. Don’t. Don’t think about it. It’s not anything like that.”
“…”
“I told you it’s not? I’m doing it because of you, Yi-jin.”
“Because of me?”
“Of course. Because of you, Yi-jin. I saw what kind of face you make when I’m sick, and knowing that, how can I keep doing this?”
“……”
“I’ll take good care of myself from now on so you don’t have to make that face.”
Even with the playful ending, Yi-jin’s expression wouldn’t soften. Why is he acting like this again? He’s been breaking down more often lately. “Yi-jin? Yi-jin?” After calling him several times, Seo-woon was finally able to make proper eye contact with Yi-jin.
“Seo-woon.”
“Yeah. Why are you like this again? What is it? What’s wrong!”
“…Are you very hungry?”
“I think I’m okay right now? After passing a certain level, I lost the sensation.”
“…Then.”
“Yeah.”
“……”
“…Ah.”
“……”
“…Should we each take a shower first? For food, we can just order delivery…”
Seo-woon, who was amazingly quick at reading the room, organized the situation himself. “Which bathroom do you want to use?” At Seo-woon’s question, Yi-jin gave a foolish answer to a wise question.
“If it’s okay with you, how about we shower together?”
“……”
“Of course… if you don’t want to, you can refuse.”
As if I would, Your Majesty Solomon. Seo-woon declined Yi-jin’s consideration himself.
“My husband is smart, isn’t he?”
“Thank you.”
At Seo-woon’s praise, the corners of Yi-jin’s mouth lifted slightly. Very slightly—probably someone meeting Yi-jin for the first time wouldn’t notice at all. Noticing that minute change made him laugh naturally.
How funny. Now that he had feelings, even these subtle expression changes caught his eye. Just like how Seo-woon had immediately recognized his ex-boyfriend after years—there’s nothing as mysterious as the human heart. And simultaneously magnificent.
They had definitely agreed to shower together in the bathroom, but somehow the two were already pressing their lips together. “Ah, mm, ah, it hurts, slow, ly…” When he made demands like a whining child because it felt like his lips might tear, Yi-jin’s kisses became much softer. He really did listen well. That’s why it was good. No, that’s why it was even better.
He didn’t know. He just liked him. Seo-woon honestly acknowledged his feelings. Sometimes he could be a bit stupid, but now even that seemed cute. He had launched a helicopter because of me. He came by helicopter thinking I was dying!
Yi-jin’s kisses had become gentler, but now Seo-woon was the one going crazy. Seo-woon bared his teeth and bit Yi-jin’s lower lip. Whether the stimulation was strong, Yi-jin’s body pressed against Seo-woon trembled greatly. Since he didn’t seem to be in pain, he bit once more. Then he licked gently with his tongue tip. He also sucked with smooching sounds. After repeating this several times, Yi-jin’s hand gripped Seo-woon’s buttocks tightly. At this rate, they wouldn’t even make it to the bathroom.
Who would have thought he’d end up like this with this alpha? Seo-woon lay on the marble dining table and recalled his first meeting with Yi-jin. Thinking about it again, it was truly an absurd meeting. “Yi-jin.” Seo-woon tugged at the hair of Yi-jin, who was frantically pulling down his pants.
“Yes, Seo-woon.”
Ah, that urgent expression. The pupils looking at Seo-woon were slightly dilated. Thrilling. Seo-woon gently stroked Yi-jin’s hair and said:
“Human connections are really amazing… ah…”
“Yes. Please continue.”
“Don’t you think… so?”
Not a single part of Yi-jin’s hands or mouth seems to know how to stop. Quickly pulling down Seo-woon’s pants and underwear, Yi-jin grabbed Seo-woon’s bare buttocks and spread them apart. The entrance, which had somehow become wet, greeted Yi-jin as if it had been waiting. Puff, puff, the sound makes me feel like I can hear it because of the vaginal fluid coming from the inner walls.
Is that so?
“Yi-jin-ssi, aren’t you going to wear them?”
Which part are you referring to?
“We’re doing this, and I haven’t even showered yet…!”
“……”
Ah…!
“……”
“Uh, yeah…!”
Confirming the wet entrance, Yi-jin lowered his face without hesitation and placed his tongue there. Lick, lick. Just when I think he’s carefully licking up the pre-cum that’s leaked out, he suddenly starts sucking on my hole, and I can’t think straight. The harder Seo-woon gasped, the more intense the suction on the hole became. When kissing, he used to attack as if he would tear off my lips, but now the target has changed to a hole. Seo-woon had to lie on the cold marble table and let out feverish moans.
I’m not very surprised.
After tasting the hole for a while, Yi-jin grabbed his own pants buckle and said, “I’ll take it off myself.” Seo-woon was lying on the table, looking up at Yi-jin with a dazed expression.
Everything is as expected.
What, an expectation…?
I told you, didn’t I? I felt a strong sense of conviction from Seo-woon-ssi.
Huh, why? Because our values align well…?”
That’s the, um, next one.
“Next, you say… oh…!”
Yi-jin spread Seo-woon’s legs wide open. Without a hint of shame, the moist hole between his widely spread legs urgently gaped.
I knew it the moment I saw it. I recognized it right away.
Yi-jin frantically fumbled inside his jacket and pulled out a condom. Yi-jin grabbed a condom and tore it open without thinking, as if he were being chased.
“I’ll be the one before the other alphas…”
“Different alpha” was a phrase that couldn’t exist between the two of them. Since Yi-jin couldn’t possibly know Seo-woon’s dating history, it wouldn’t be a former lover, and the only other alpha Yi-jin would mention is at most one person.
I recognized Seo-woon-ssi first.
What do you mean…?
It doesn’t matter if it was a mistake, a misunderstanding, or an error. I was the one who recognized Seo-woon.
Perhaps because I was in a hurry, the condom wouldn’t stay in place and kept rolling up. Ugh… With an exasperated groan, Yi-jin threw the dried-up condom onto the floor. With a tear, Yi-jin ripped open a new condom, quickly put it on, and hastily thrust his glans into the entrance.
“Uh, uh, ugh…!”
Zzzzz, without me even doing anything, his erect penis, standing firm on its own, pushed its way into the hole. The sensation of a hard mass of flesh pushing through the inner wall as the entrance widened was vivid. Huff, huff…! Feeling the pressure again after so long, Seo-woon panted beneath Yi-jin. I’ve completely forgotten what we were just talking about.
This is the person. This person… sigh… I should marry them…
“Oh, oh…!”
“This person is… my… Omega…”
Ah…!
It seemed to be sliding in smoothly on the slippery lubrication, but then it got stuck halfway. The wet inner walls were clinging tightly to my penis, making entry difficult. Feeling the tense inner walls, Yi-jin pulled his partially inserted penis all the way out.
“This, it’s a person.”
“Oops!”
Thud! Then, with a single thrust, it pierces the narrow inner wall and pushes in. Hmph, ah… ! The sudden insertion caused Seo-woon’s inner walls to contract strongly.
When Seo-woon-ssi came in… right away… oh… I… first… Seo-woon-ssi, could you please relax a little…?
Ugh, it’s, well, not… not coming off well…
No. You can do it.
Uh, yeah…
Slowly…
Yi-jin gently soothes Seo-woon’s disappointment. Just as Seo-woon did to me, I pat Seo-woon’s bare bottom as hard as I can. The problem was that it was already inserted, and in his excitement, he couldn’t control his strength well. Unintentionally, Seo-woon, who had been hit on the butt with the right amount of pressure, was awakened to a new kind of stimulation. What is this! The sheer ecstasy he was experiencing for the first time in his life caused Seo-woon’s mouth to betray his reason once again.
“Ha, one more time…”
What, you mean…?
“…My butt, do it again…”
I couldn’t bring myself to ask to be hit. Wrapping his legs around Yi-jin’s waist and thrusting his hips tightly, Seo-woon patted Yi-jin’s hip with unfocused eyes. Slap! Neither a slap nor a pat, the ambiguous touch caused a surge of pre-cum to erupt from Seo-woon’s inner walls. The penis, covered in pre-cum, eagerly widened the inner walls with force and pushed in all the way. Huff, ha, oof, ah! Groans escaped from both of their mouths involuntarily.
Seo-woon-ssi…
Yeah, yeah…
Too…
Yeah…
“…too…”
Her rising arousal and mismatched pupils, wide with only disappointment, are filled with nothing but resentment. Unable to even make it to the bathroom, Seo-woon, lying on the dining table, has his lower body completely exposed and is panting beneath Yi-jin. The upper body, which I hadn’t even considered taking off, was still neatly dressed in a knit sweater.
Watching that scene, a violent feeling somehow wells up inside me. Unfamiliar sensations caused Yi-jin to unconsciously furrow his brow. At first glance, he also looked like someone who was angry.
Why… why are you doing this…?
What is it, exactly…?
Why are you angry…?
Yi-jin was silent for a moment. As if trying to calm the violent pleasure, he simply took deep, steady breaths. Soon after, Yi-jin, having caught his breath, spoke in a much calmer voice.
No, it’s not. No. I’m not angry.
Then, why…?
“…I don’t really know either.”
Yi-jin slowly lowered his hand and stroked Seo-woon’s belly. His flat belly was only bulging at the bottom. As I cautiously felt my bulging lower belly, Seo-woon flinched and tightened his hole. It wasn’t a conscious action. It was simply that the unfamiliar body of another person inside his own body caused his entrance to tighten on its own.
“…Seo-woon-ssi.”
Yeah.
“Seo-woon-ssi.”
“Uh-huh.”
Seo-woon-ssi…
Yi-jin calls out to Seo-woon. It seemed like Seo-woon had something he wanted to say to Yi-jin, but Yi-jin didn’t know what it was either. All I know is the name of Seo-woon.
Why…?
“……”
Stop touching my stomach. It’s strange…
Do you dislike it?
It’s not that I don’t like it, but…
“……”
“…Okay.”
Seo-woon looked up at Yi-jin and smiled. Below, pierced through the genitals, and with a greatly swollen abdomen, he smiles at Yi-jin. The insertion was done quickly, but thanks to Yi-jin, who stayed still and waited, it was much more comfortable.
“…Huh?”
“……”
“Uh… what is this…?”
“…Seo-woon-ssi.”
Oh, oh! Doctor, true, ferro, pheromone, ah!
“…sigh…”
Haa, ah, a, no, this, weird! Oh! Ahhhhh!
The alpha lost control and began releasing pheromones indiscriminately. As pheromones flood out while their bodies are still connected, they surge in and out through the point of connection. Pheromones float in the air, and a constant stream of pheromones pours into the inner walls where Yi-jin’s penis is inserted. The sensation of the subtle pleasure that had been spreading gently being forcibly pulled upwards was nothing short of violent.
Seo-woon tried to escape the intense pleasure, but it was no use. I couldn’t move because Yi-jin’s penis was inside me.
Ah, ah, ah-ah!
In the end, Seo-woon was completely seen thru by Yi-jin and was suddenly faced with the situation as it was. My body was so heated up by the pheromones that I was having an orgasm just by breathing.
Seo-woon’s body trembled with the lingering effects of the situation he had been forced to face. I can’t even begin to guess what’s going on. It was also then that Seo-woon’s lower abdomen, which had been heaving with shallow breaths because the aftertaste hadn’t faded, swelled even more.
“…I’m fine with that too.”
Yi-jin bowed and approached Seo-woon closely.
No, don’t! There…!”
“…me too…”
Ah…!
Yi-jin grabbed Seo-woon’s struggling jaw, forcing him to look directly at him. Because Yi-jin leaned in close, bowing his waist, the connection naturally deepened. The penis, fully inserted deep inside, completely filled Seo-woon’s inner walls without any gaps. That’s probably all it is, but I’ve been feeling a tight sensation in my lower abdomen since earlier. I’m sure I heard it all the way to the end, but it feels like the entrance is opening up late.
It’s so good. I feel like my head is… going crazy. I can’t think of anything else, nothing at all.
No way… Seo-woon was the first to notice the adverse reaction.
“Yi-jin, Mr., this, strange, ah!”
Ugh…
Naughty, ah! Oh! Ah!
Even so, nothing changed. Yi-jin finally started moving his hips. With a strong thrust of his hips, Seo-woon was pushed all the way to the end of the table, but was then caught by Yi-jin and pulled back to his original position.
Yi-jin firmly gripped Seo-woon’s shoulders on both sides and thrust his hips up wildly from below. Thud! Thud! Each time his penis thrust in forcefully, there was a splashing sound of water. Haa, ah! Ah! Continuous groans escaped Seo-woon’s lips. The sounds coming from all around perfectly captured the heat of the act.
Thud! The hard flesh slammed into the inner wall without hesitation. It’s just that, but it feels like my insides are being forced to ejaculate. In reality, Seo-woon was being frantically shaken beneath Yi-jin, repeatedly ejaculating. He looked like someone who was high on drugs. It could be due to Yi-jin’s stronger thrusting, more excited than usual, or it could be due to the alpha’s pheromones, which were almost out of control. Of course, the reason was completely different.
“Oh…!”
“…sigh…”
“Uh, uh, uh!”
“Whew…!”
The moment his suspicion turned into certainty, Yi-jin quickly pulled out his penis. The penis, soaked with pre-cum, was fully erect even with the condom on. His penis was twice as large as usual.
It’s a knot. Yi-jin was going to nod to Seo-woon. The moment he realized that fact, Seo-woon’s whole body flushed.
Nodding is not just a physical symptom. It is based not only on physical excitement and pleasure but also on an emotional bond with the other person and a violent affection close to instinct. Seo-woon instinctively pulled his alpha closer. I wanted to go deeper like this. The area below where his penis had been was excessively empty.
With Seo-woon’s legs wrapped around his waist, Yi-jin charged straight at Seo-woon. Just when I thought I was about to experience my first knot, Yi-jin’s face turned downwards toward Seo-woon.
Then, instead of his penis, he inserted his tongue and began to suck Seo-woon’s hole. Mwah, mwah. The force of the strong sucking on his wet bottom made Seo-woon’s hole melt away. Seo-woon pulled Yi-jin’s head down toward him and ejaculated again. I couldn’t even count how many times I had ejaculated. After repeated ejaculations, no more semen came out.
When Seo-woon pleaded, Yi-jin looked down at him and shook his own penis. He threw the condom aside and, shaking his abnormally swollen flesh, poured his semen onto Seo-woon’s lower abdomen. That’s where Yi-jin’s penis was just a moment ago.
Haa, haa… Hot breath poured from the mouths of the two people. “…Seo-woon-ssi.” Having finished, Yi-jin immediately pressed his penis against Wun. Yi-jin’s penis, rubbing against my thigh, was excessively hard. Even after ejaculating once, its size didn’t shrink at all.
Seo-woon-ssi…
“…Oh…”
“Seo-woon-ssi, Seo-woon-ssi…”
Seo-woon’s legs spread limply. Seo-woon looked down at his legs, which were spreading open limply against his will, and then met Yi-jin’s unfocused eyes.
Now I think I understand a little bit what this person is thinking. Seo-woon slowly closed his eyes amidst the endless surge of affection. The second act has begun.
* * *
“Seo-woon-ssi, are you alright?”
No. He wasn’t alright. After finishing what must have been their nth round of lovemaking, Seo-woon lay there like he was dead. He didn’t have the strength to put on clothes. He didn’t have the strength to pull out the blanket underneath and cover himself. Whether he died from exhaustion or starvation, today might become Seo-woon’s memorial day. At Seo-woon’s bloodless appearance, Yi-jin’s face turned pale. He should say he was fine, but he had no energy at all.
“Seo-woon-ssi, from now on, please don’t overdo it and let me know when you’re sufficiently prepared.”
“What are you saying…”
“Sex, I mean. I’m fine, so please give me a signal when you’re ready, Seo-woon-ssi.”
“…What’s that supposed to be.”
What did he mean by preparation, and what signal? He didn’t know what it meant, but it clearly conflicted with the word “sex” that had come up earlier. It didn’t match the afterglow of lovemaking that Seo-woon wanted to stay immersed in. Yi-jin looked pitifully at Seo-woon, who was only moving his eyes to look at him.
“Considering Seo-woon-ssi’s health, that would probably be better. You don’t have to match my pace. You even ejaculated semen that looked like slick earlier.”
“That was…!”
So that’s what he meant by preparation. Since Seo-woon had indeed ejaculated that kind of semen, he had nothing to say. “…B-but…” Even while dying, Seo-woon coldly pointed out the unfairness of this agenda.
“…When I want to do it, you might not want to, Yi-jin-ssi.”
It was difficult, but Seo-woon had enjoyed it too. Since it had been a long time since they’d had sex, he didn’t want to refuse either. Above all, it was the first time he’d seen Yi-jin lose his reason to that extent. Thanks to Yi-jin blindly rushing in without knowing what he was saying, Seo-woon learned many things.
The two had come out to a matchmaking meeting and accidentally ended up together after mistaking each other for someone else. This was their first meeting as Seo-woon knew it, and he didn’t know that this absolute fact could be interpreted differently by someone. Seo-woon never dreamed that their first meeting, which he had been desperate to hide from others, had become the beginning of certainty for Yi-jin.
A story Seo-woon didn’t know, and perhaps would have never known forever. What had he been so confident about? Seo-woon had been certain about his relationship with Yi-jin. He was busy arbitrarily speculating and judging, thinking “Yi-jin is this kind of person” and “he lives in a different world from me.” Sometimes he felt pathetic, as if only he was making an effort. Even though relationships couldn’t be one-sided, he felt that way.
Seo-woon suddenly found everything around him felt very unfamiliar. Even though nothing had actually changed.
“No. That will absolutely never happen in the future either.”
At most, only Seo-woon’s feelings had changed. At Yi-jin’s somewhat solemn appearance, Seo-woon burst into laughter without realizing it.
“How can that be?”
“It’s true. I always want to do it.”
“…Oh…”
“So please feel free to signal me whenever you want to, Seo-woon-ssi. I’m available anytime.”
This was unbelievable. It was the greatest proposal of Seo-woon’s life. Ridiculously, seeing how his heart was trembling, it seemed it hadn’t worn away as much as Seo-woon thought. Perhaps even his confidence that it had already worn away was Seo-woon’s own arrogance. With overflowing affection wetting his chest, Seo-woon blushed shyly and said.
“Yi-jin-ssi too… do you like me that much?”
“Well, I’m not sure.”
“…What? Say that again. What? What did you just say?”
He absolutely couldn’t let his guard down. The atmosphere turned dangerous in an instant. In the murderous atmosphere, Yi-jin asked a counter-question without reading the room.
“What are the criteria for liking someone?”
That bastard seemed to say he liked it during sex earlier. Seo-woon recalled memories dampened with pleasure.
“I’m not sure how to recognize emotions on an emotional level that aren’t physical pleasure. No, to be precise, I should call them sensations. The process by which such sensations are recognized isn’t clearly understood. I also don’t know how it differs from the sensation of love.”
Hmm, Seo-woon seriously listened to Yi-jin’s nonsense. Since it was who it was, listening to it made him think that maybe, just maybe, it could be possible. Of course, strictly from Yi-jin’s perspective.
“So do you want to keep being with me in the future?”
Then they could go with customized education. The afterglow of lovemaking made Seo-woon more generous than anyone. At Seo-woon’s question, Yi-jin answered with a completely puzzled face.
“You’re asking something obvious. Of course I do. I want to be with Seo-woon-ssi forever.”
Why do you think that is? Seo-woon was about to ask that, but decided to wrap up the education session here. Even Socrates must have made sure to eat well before teaching his students. The Socratic method requires a lot of patience and stamina.
“Yes, yes. Let’s stop here for today and eat something first.”
“Understood. Do you have a preferred menu?”
“Something greasy!”
With surging vitality, Seo-woon quickly got up, forgetting his pain. At the sudden movement, Seo-woon’s waist and hip joints cracked and screamed! Right now his whole body’s joints felt broken, but maybe it was just his imagination…? Seo-woon forgot he was naked and groaned while holding his waist.
“Are you alright?”
Yi-jin hurriedly supported Seo-woon.
“No… I’m not alright, but let’s eat first…”
Seo-woon stopped Yi-jin and once again burned with enthusiasm for the meal.
“Understood. Then briefly, what category…”
“Yeah.”
“……”
“What now.”
Yi-jin malfunctioned at the crucial moment. He stopped talking mid-sentence and stared at Seo-woon. Staring was nothing new—it wasn’t just a day or two. “Why?” When Seo-woon replied nonchalantly, Yi-jin slowly looked Seo-woon up and down. Seo-woon’s body, not wearing a thread, was covered with bite marks, bruises, and red handprints. It was undeniably a body bearing the naked traces of lovemaking.
“Indeed, Seo-woon-ssi looks best in this state.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve thought so since I first met you. My prediction was right again this time.”
“Huh, huh…?”
…What did I just hear? While the flustered Seo-woon mulled over their previous conversation, Yi-jin asked in his original businesslike tone.
“Then from now on, could you please decide on a category for greasy food?”
The romance between the two that began only after marriage—they were truly newlyweds.