By Zephyria 
Side Story 3
Instead, he felt his body… wanting to open up for Kim Ju-hwan. Despite being apart for several months, his body remembered him. How he held him, how he stirred inside him. As the memories surfaced vividly, as if it had happened only yesterday, Jeong-min felt his body becoming aroused and pushed Kim Ju-hwan away even more forcefully. Their lips parted, and they looked into each other’s eyes. Pushed back by the rejection, Kim Ju-hwan wore an unreadable expression before pressing himself against Jeong-min again and stripping off his clothes.
“Wait, just a second!”
As his pants were suddenly removed and his underwear pulled down, Jeong-min stopped Kim Ju-hwan more urgently.
“Kim Ju-hwan!!”
Jeong-min shouted in anger, rejecting Kim Ju-hwan with his whole body. There was a sense of firmness in his voice. Thanks to that, Kim Ju-hwan stopped moving. He slowly withdrew his hands and looked at Jeong-min.
His eyes were filled with anger and sadness. Why? Had something happened that would make him feel this desperate?
“Did you… not miss me?”
There was a tremor in Kim Ju-hwan’s voice.
“Do you know how many months it’s been since we last saw each other? Three whole months. I thought… at the very least, Sunbae would welcome me after three months. But… do you know how miserable I feel right now? I feel like even a stray dog returning home wouldn’t be treated like this.”
What kind of nonsense is this? Why are you comparing yourself to a dog? And what on earth did I… As Jeong-min thought this, he recalled his actions when he first saw him earlier and gasped. He realized he had given the man every reason to misunderstand. And even now… in the end, it was no different from pushing him away and rejecting him.
“Don’t tell me… you’ve been fooling around with other bastards here? Or that you met an Omega you like.”
The arm holding Jeong-min’s wrist tightened again. He could feel the man’s hand shaking. He was anxious. No… he was afraid. A guy who acted as if he owned the world was this shaken, all because of him.
It seemed he had to clear up the misunderstanding. He pondered what to do. Fearing that further rejection would only fuel the anger, Jeong-min lifted his head and kissed Kim Ju-hwan. It was a short, playful peck, like a child’s prank, but that single brief expression was enough to see the anger soften in Kim Ju-hwan’s eyes. Simple guy.
“You seem a bit younger today. You always act so mature.”
“Why are you changing the subject?”
“You know that’s not it. This place… it’s a neighborhood where just surviving is overwhelming. How could I date or look elsewhere? And hey, do you know what kind of terrifying tiger I’m keeping in Korea? Look at this—he couldn’t even last three months and flew all the way to this wasteland. He’s no ordinary guy, right?”
Jeong-min smiled and kissed Kim Ju-hwan again. This time, it was a more dense, adult kiss. The tension left Kim Ju-hwan’s hands. With his freed arm, Jeong-min wrapped it around Kim Ju-hwan’s neck and kissed him more deeply. The pheromones that had been weighing down on him disappeared, and their pheromones intertwined softly. Even if they were both Alphas… if they shared their bodies and opened their hearts for this long, they could become this attuned.
“It’s true that I was flustered to see you. But it’s not that I wasn’t glad. Rather… I was so glad that I couldn’t look you in the face. I just… honestly, I don’t know why I did it either… but I just couldn’t look at your eyes.”
“Maybe it’s because the tiger you saw after so long was too handsome.”
“There you go again, climbing over me the moment you get a chance.”
“Sunbae… really… when you avoided my eyes, I thought my heart was going to drop. I was afraid you’d forgotten me. That you didn’t need me anymore.”
Kim Ju-hwan hugged Jeong-min tightly. He’s really like a child today. Jeong-min chuckled and patted his back. Kim Ju-hwan’s lips touched his nape. Feeling the arousal rising again, Jeong-min quickly pushed him away.
“No. Kim Ju-hwan.”
“I get it. I won’t make things hard for you, Sunbae.”
Kim Ju-hwan sat up. For some reason, Jeong-min felt as if he could see a tail and ears—which the man certainly didn’t have—drooping sadly. Scratching his cheek, Jeong-min sat on the edge of the bed. Then he grabbed Kim Ju-hwan’s arm.
“Um… I’m telling you this so you don’t misunderstand. I wasn’t avoiding you, and it’s not that I don’t want to do it.”
“It’s okay. I respect your wishes. I’m not angry at you because I can’t have sex. It’s just… because you kept pushing me away. Something… ha, just like you said, I really am acting like a child right now.”
Whether he hated his childish self or not, Kim Ju-hwan ruffled his hair in frustration. To think he would see this side of him. It was both fascinating and made him feel sorry.
“Actually, this country has such a shortage of water… I can’t wash properly. So I was worried that I might smell, and that was bothering me…”
Jeong-min spoke hesitantly, finding it difficult. He was embarrassed, and he knew it sounded absurd, but he felt he had to tell the truth.
“Ah, of course, I brush my teeth properly, and I wash my hair as much as I can… but since I can’t shower, the most I can do is go to town once a week to wash, and I wipe down with wet wipes every day, but still, probably… a bit… Ack!”
Kim Ju-hwan pushed Jeong-min back onto the bed. This time, he laid him down gently, so there was no impact on his back or head. When he blinked, he saw Kim Ju-hwan’s face. All the anxiety had melted away, and a faint smile spread across his face.
“If you keep doing this, the bed will break… This is the only thing I have that lets me sleep.”
“I’ll buy you a new one.”
“Forget it. I’m going back to Korea next month anyway.”
As Jeong-min caressed Kim Ju-hwan’s cheek, the man caught his hand and kissed it.
“I told you not to.”
“Your scent… your pheromones… I love all of it. So don’t avoid me.”
“I’m just worried about how I smell.”
“Is that really the only reason? There isn’t anyone else, right? You haven’t… stopped liking me, have you?”
“What happened to you over the last three months? Why do you seem like a different person?”
You weren’t like this before, he wanted to say, but Jeong-min held back. Did he even know anything about Kim Ju-hwan? Probably not. He had only known the version of the man that was visible on the surface.
“I find this version of myself unfamiliar too… but you’re right. When I’m involved with you, Sunbae, I get confused myself.”
“There’s nothing for you to be anxious about. Really. Here, I just work, and just getting through each day is too overwhelming and exhausting.”
“Then that’s enough.”
Kim Ju-hwan rested his face on Jeong-min’s chest and breathed steadily.
“I thought you were a tiger, but you’re a cat.”
“Should I meow for you? Meow~”
“Don’t. It’s giving me goosebumps.”
“Haha.”
“You worked hard to get all the way here.”
“I didn’t even notice the hardship because I was thinking about seeing you. I just… kept thinking I wanted to see you quickly… I was so excited thinking about being praised.”
“Alright. I was wrong. Who cares if I smell a bit. I should have just hugged you tight.”
“Hug me.”
“Hmm?”
“It’s not too late. I’m asking you to hug me. Give me some praise.”
He really is a child. What on earth happened in Korea over the last three months? But he didn’t entirely dislike it.
Smiling, Jeong-min hugged Kim Ju-hwan tightly and stroked his hair.
“You did well. Good boy. With what you brought, we’ll be able to save so many people.”
“Actually, I only need to save you, Sunbae… but since you’ll want to save other people, use it as much as you like. I can do anything for you.”
The items he brought today likely cost an astronomical sum. Yet he said it was nothing. How reassuring that was. This guy probably didn’t realize it.
“Your family helped too. They provided a lot of support.”
“Right… I’ll have to thank them when I go back to Korea.”
The conversation lapsed into silence for a moment. In that silence, the wind shook the house and passed by.
“It’s really quiet here.”
“Yeah. No TV or anything… no internet, and phones don’t work either.”
That was why it wasn’t easy for the two of them to communicate via messenger.
“Then what did you do to pass the time?”
“I read a ton of books. I studied a lot too. The mindset toward traits here is so old-fashioned. So I’m struggling a bit.”
“And?”
“Um, I wake up, work…”
“And?”
He has a specific answer in mind. Jeong-min ruffled Kim Ju-hwan’s hair.
“And I thought about you… a tiny bit?”
“Wow, you thought of me a tiny bit? I’m honored. The old Shin Jeong-min wouldn’t have even done that. This is incredible progress.”
“What about you? What happened with the company that you came all the way here?”
“I handled everything well, and I set it up so it runs fine without me, so I could be gone for a year. Though I have to go back in a week. And… I thought about you 24 hours out of 24.”
“Wow, I’m honored.”
“So don’t ever avoid my eyes again. You don’t know what I might do to you.”
“I got it. I got it.”
Jeong-min hugged Kim Ju-hwan tightly again. It had been a long time since he felt another person’s body heat. And for it to be Kim Ju-hwan’s heat, no other. Perhaps because of that, his eyes gradually closed. Kim Ju-hwan seemed to be the same, as he grew quieter. There was so much to do and organize… and they needed to talk more. For now, let’s just sleep a little. This guy needs to rest too.