By Zephyria 
Only now did I realize how much my body could heat up when pheromones, which I usually just considered pleasant, were laden with desire. And then, after it was all over, he acted as if nothing had happened, floating around calmly.
Amidst it all, I faintly detected my own pheromones quietly mingling. Though my senses were blurred from exhaustion, my body recognized them as mine before my mind did.
Had I ever poured out my pheromones like this before?
Since presenting as an Omega, I had never once deliberately unleashed my pheromones.
If anything, it was quite the opposite.
At home, Haon was the only one who had presented as an Omega. Since the younger siblings were only showing signs of presenting, for now, there were no other family members who could detect Haon’s pheromones.
All of them were Betas.
Just in case, Haon never let his pheromones leak at home either.
He was careful because he worried that if others knew his pheromones lingered on him when he went out, they might dislike it.
To people outside the family, it could be seen as flirting, so he was cautious.
In the busy days of survival, pheromones were, on rare occasions, nothing more than a bothersome scent pouch.
“…The smell.”
I muttered without realizing it.
“Does it bother you?”
Cha Jeong-won seemed to have mistaken my words as referring to his pheromones. Haon widened his eyes and shook his head hurriedly.
“No. I just thought there were a lot of pheromones mixed together.”
Only after speaking did I belatedly realize what I had said. The fact that our pheromones were this mixed meant our bodies had been mixed just as much, and I could feel my face flushing.
Fortunately, the room was dark, so it probably wouldn’t be noticeable. Still, wanting to avoid his gaze, I decided to just stare at the ceiling.
“It’s fine.”
Cha Jeong-won reached out and brushed his bangs aside.
The forehead touched by his fingertips was still slightly warm.
After gazing down at Haon for a moment, he gripped the edge of the blanket once before letting go and carefully sat up.
“You’ll feel sticky. I’ll clean you up.”
As his body heat moved away, I felt left alone.
“Sunbae.”
Without realizing it, Haon reached out and barely managed to grab Cha Jeong-won’s wrist as he moved away from the bed. He ended up gripping it tighter than he intended.
Cha Jeong-won turned his head.
“What.”
At his question, Haon’s lips twitched slightly.
Stopping someone who was going to get things to clean me up. Why?
…If I let this person go like this, it felt like everything right now would disappear like a dream.
Haon bit his lip hard and pulled his wrist.
“Can you not go?”
Cha Jeong-won seemed to have understood what Haon wanted. He returned to the bed. Without pulling away the wrist Haon held, he instead leaned his body closer, following the pull.
Haon burrowed into his embrace.
“Hold me.”
Was this really a voice coming from me?
I hadn’t drunk a single drop of alcohol. Though I was so embarrassed my whole body twisted, having already said it, I decided to push through.
“It’s not that I want to do it again, just… hold me.”
Instead of answering, Cha Jeong-won stretched out his arm and wrapped it around Haon’s waist. His waist naturally curved toward him, bringing their chests together. It felt as if their hearts were touching.
As Haon clung closer, Cha Jeong-won lowered his head and lightly kissed him. It wasn’t a deep, probing kiss, but one that bumped and then lightly parted.
Once, and then once more.
The initially cautious kisses continued. Sometimes they lingered longer before parting—not a kiss with tongues, but one where only their lips crossed, as if confirming each other’s breath and body heat.
Each time their lips parted, a thin thread stretched and broke, and their breath tickled their lips.
‘This is even more dangerous.’
Haon thought with his eyes closed.
When they had mixed their bodies, he could at least use the excuse that the kiss happened in the midst of chaos.
Now, it wasn’t like that. Even with his eyes closed, everything felt vividly clear.
This time, where they confirmed each other with nothing hidden but the sound of their breaths and heartbeats, felt like something he would never forget even in death.
Cha Jeong-won lightly bit Haon’s lower lip before releasing it and chuckled softly.
This guy, why is he grinning like that.
“If we keep this up, we might end up doing it again.”
Not just his words, but his body also showed no intention of pulling away. Instead of loosening his arm, he held on tighter, as if saying one more time would be fine.
Though it would be tiring, if it happened, Haon probably wouldn’t refuse either.
“Let’s stay like this a little longer, then decide whether to do it or not.”
Right now, I just wanted to linger in this embrace because it felt so good.
“If I’d known it would feel this good…”
At Haon’s regretful voice, Cha Jeong-won, who had been kissing his forehead, waited for the next words.
“I should’ve done it from the first day.”
Why did it take until now to do this?
After all, the ultimate form of skinship is sex.
I wanted to test Cha Jeong-won’s luck, to confirm what had happened between us, telling him to take his time since I was just another passing Omega to him.
Now that everything had been confirmed. I felt regretful and saddened by the fact that this time spent with Cha Jeong-won was flowing away, diminishing.
Haon’s expression noticeably sank. But Cha Jeong-won didn’t ask. Instead, he rested his chin lightly on top of Haon’s head and patted the body he was holding.
The slow, lingering kisses naturally began to space out at some point. Instead, only the gentle strength of the arms holding each other remained as the two silently felt each other’s breath and body heat for a while.
Perhaps because his body was relaxed, Haon began to recognize the changes happening within him.
“Somehow…”
He looked up at Cha Jeong-won.
Cha Jeong-won, lost in anticipation, swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing noticeably.
It was the same for Haon.
Especially after inhaling so many pheromones, his instincts as an Omega were fully rearing their head.
This was a heat that couldn’t be suppressed even with more suppressants.
“I think we need to do it one more time.”
＊ ＊ ＊
Cha Jeong-won looked down at the sleeping Haon.
Exhausted and limp from how many times he had poured himself out.
As he quietly gazed at Haon, Cha Jeong-won found himself smiling unconsciously.
“Even your pheromones are so Yoon Haon.”
As if afraid he might pounce again, the once sweet scent had greatly diminished.
Invisible, but as if his body was curling in on itself?
Yet, as if wanting to attract Cha Jeong-won’s attention, they floated calmly around him.
Cha Jeong-won crossed his arms.
The Yoon Haon he had observed until now.
As boldly as he had said to watch, he had shown everything. There was nothing hidden at all.
When he wanted a kiss, he would wrap his arms around his neck and come closer. When the food was delicious, he ate a lot.
When attending class, he was so focused he didn’t even notice his gaze. Even after suggesting a secret relationship, he kept making eye contact, lingering nearby, buying him coffee, and eagerly looking around for places where they could be alone.
Occasionally, he busily went back and forth between Cha Jeong-won’s home and studio, rummaging as if searching for something and trying to hide it, but even then, he always left traces.
That didn’t feel unpleasant at all.
Surprisingly, Yoon Haon skillfully avoided the nerve endings Cha Jeong-won had stretched out like spiderwebs due to past experiences.
“So, Mother didn’t send you.”
Yes, he’s too transparent.
So transparent it feels like I can read everything in his mind.
“Then, Mother might come looking for you.”
If he blocked his mother’s reach and completely swallowed Yoon Haon himself?
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, as if startled, Yoon Haon opened one eye and looked at Cha Jeong-won.
“Why…”
Then, he reached out toward Cha Jeong-won. It seemed like a complaint, as if asking why he had pulled away.
“I was going to clean you up.”
“Come here.”
Haon wanted Cha Jeong-won’s warmth more than his own well-being.
“You’ll regret it tomorrow.”
Cha Jeong-won tried to persuade Yoon Haon somehow, but he couldn’t break Yoon Haon’s stubbornness.
He ended up wrapping his arms around his neck.
＊ ＊ ＊
Haon lifted his eyelids.
Then, he realized the reality that had befallen him.
“I should’ve washed up and slept.”
Chaos had erupted below his waist. Thinking about it, it was an obvious outcome.
‘How did I not wake up even once after this?’
To be precise, he had woken up once, but it wasn’t in Haon’s memory.
At the sound of movement beside him, Haon only turned his head slightly. With his head pressed into the pillow, shifting his gaze brought the same face from yesterday into view. Aside from his hair being slightly disheveled, it was the same neat face as always.
Cha Jeong-won was sleeping.
It seemed he had fallen asleep around the same time Haon did…
His steady, rustling breaths suggested he was in deep sleep. Seeing him, who supposedly didn’t sleep well, sleeping so soundly evoked a strange feeling.
He felt proud, as if he had lulled him to sleep well, but also wondered if his past heartaches were because of that box. Whatever it was, he hoped he would continue to sleep well even after today passed.
He was filled with the desire to keep lying there and watching him, but Haon’s body wouldn’t allow it. He couldn’t shake off that sticky feeling he had already experienced once.
Haon reluctantly decided to get up and wash. After barely tearing his gaze away from Cha Jeong-won, he sat up.
“Ugh…”
But determination didn’t make everything possible. Every time Haon tried to move slightly, the inside of his thighs and his waist ached subtly. Sounds that were neither crying nor laughing kept leaking out.
“At this point, wouldn’t it be better to go to the hospital and get a cast?”
It seemed roughly similar, Haon muttered, and suddenly laughter came from behind. Haon reflexively tried to turn around but stopped.
“Ah…”
At Haon’s groan, Cha Jeong-won bolted upright.
51 – NOT 51