#138

The doorbell rang just as Jung-hyun had finished placing his order and closed the window. Checking the time, it was nearly 10 PM. In the US, it was safe to say that the doorbell rarely rang at this hour. Remaining cautious, he approached the front door and asked who it was. The person who answered was unexpected.

“I’m sorry. Is it too late?”

It was Shin Ho-jae. He was slightly out of breath, as if he had run there, and held a paper bag in his hand.

“…What are you doing here at this hour?”

“I know it’s late, but I won’t have time if I don’t come now. Excuse me.”

Without even waiting for an answer, Shin Ho-jae slipped right inside the house. Before Jung-hyun could say a word, he was suddenly pulled forward. Ho-jae had wrapped his arms around him.

“I missed you.”

Jung-hyun wasn’t the type to be easily flustered, but he didn’t know why he always became like this whenever it came to Shin Ho-jae. He stood there like a fool, mouth agape, before finally managing to form words.

“……Excuse me, Mr. Shin Ho-jae.”

“I’ve been a bit busy visiting Canada for the tryouts and a few other things. I have to wake up early tomorrow, so I don’t have much time. You’ll need to sleep, so will an hour be enough?”

“…For what?”

“Pheromones. I promised to give some to Ho-ppang and the CEO.”

As he spoke, Shin Ho-jae let out a wide grin. Perhaps it was because the face he had just seen in a commercial was now right before his eyes, but it felt strangely surreal. His heart seemed to beat a little faster. He let out a forced cough.

“…It’s not that urgent. I received enough at the hospital last time.”

“That might be true for you, but it was incredibly urgent for me. It was so hard not being able to see you for a whole week.”

“…….”

“And maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I had such an erotic kiss, but I kept getting erections; it was a real struggle.”

Jung-hyun furrowed his brow strangely. Regardless, Shin Ho-jae simply smiled beautifully.

It was likely because Jung-hyun was always the one talking in a manner close to dirty talk, so he had never imagined Shin Ho-jae was the kind of man who could say things like this.

“Didn’t you think of me, CEO?”

“…Shall we just do what needs to be done and get you on your way?”

“I wanted to tell you before I went to Canada, but it was decided so suddenly. I tried to contact you, but I don’t have your number. You don’t use your old one anymore.”

“…….”

Whether it was just his imagination or not, it felt like a protest, asking for his contact information. No, it probably wasn’t his imagination; that was likely the truth.

Since he was the one who had asked to borrow the pheromones, it would be inconvenient for both of them if they didn’t have each other’s numbers. Besides, Lucas already knew his contact information. If Ho-jae had asked him, he could have found it easily. The fact that Shin Ho-jae chose to get his permission instead of taking the easy way out felt slightly admirable.

“Give me your phone. I’ll put my number in.”

“Okay.”

Without hesitation, Shin Ho-jae handed over his phone. It wasn’t the phone he usually used, but a very old model. As the screen lit up, the number ’86’ filled the display. It was a familiar photo.

Coming face-to-face with an old memory, Jung-hyun’s finger paused for a moment.

“I’ve always wondered, where was this taken?”

“…It was some poster near my house back then. Out of the six-digit number, the middle one was 86.”

“I see. I’m curious where the other photos were taken, too.”

“Here.”

Cutting off the conversation before it could continue, Jung-hyun quickly typed in the number and handed it back. Despite being cut off, Shin Ho-jae grinned without a hint of displeasure.

“Thank you. I’ll save it.”

He was strangely prone to smiling. Did he always smile this often? No, that couldn’t be. If it was a facial expression Shin Ho-jae made, Jung-hyun felt he knew it better than Ho-jae himself.

He must be determined to be cute. The fact that this guy, who usually kept a lukewarm face even when winning an MVP, smiled so freely only in front of him strangely stimulated a sense of superiority within Kwon Jung-hyun. Anyone who has ever been a fan would empathize.

Glancing at the screen, he saw the name being saved as ‘CEO Jung-hyun.’ Since it was a familiar title, he hadn’t thought much of it when hearing it, but seeing it aligned in text felt strange. He was no longer a CEO or anything of the sort.

“How long are you going to keep calling me CEO?”

“Pardon?”

“It’s been ages since I stopped being the club owner.”

At that, Shin Ho-jae opened his eyes wide and rolled his pupils. Thinking he had said something odd, Jung-hyun was about to say it was nothing. But Shin Ho-jae spoke first.

“Then what should I call you?”

“No, forget it. Call me whatever. It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter. You just said you don’t want to be called CEO by me anymore.”

“When did I say that? I just meant it’s awkward to be called CEO when I’m not one.”

“Mr. Jung-hyun?””

“…….”

“Hyung.”

Unfamiliar titles followed one after another in Shin Ho-jae’s voice. It was a common title that anyone could use, yet his ears burned hot without him realizing it.

Since when was he this brazen? This was a guy who, until recently, would shed tears like a gentle puppy whenever Jung-hyun said anything. Jung-hyun narrowed his eyes and looked at Shin Ho-jae. There was only one reason he would suddenly act this bold. It was an extension of his declaration that he wouldn’t give up. Knowing the reason, Jung-hyun’s composure slowly returned.

“Isn’t the age gap a bit much for us to be doing the hyung-dongsaeng thing?”

“I prefer hyung. ‘Mr. Jung-hyun’ feels too distant. It also reminds me of someone else who called you that…. Hyung, can’t you just call me Ho-jae?”

As if he had no intention of listening to Jung-hyun’s words, Shin Ho-jae puffed out his cheeks and continued.

Jung-hyun ran his tongue inside his mouth and looked straight at Shin Ho-jae with his hands on his hips. Then, exactly three seconds later, he curled his lips and spoke.

“Sure, Ho-jae.”

He thought that once Ho-jae heard it himself, he would realize how alien it felt for them to be hyung and dongsaeng.

Since the boy seemed determined to be brazen, Jung-hyun intended to play along slyly, but Shin Ho-jae’s face suddenly stiffened.

Finding it strange, he stared intently at his face. It was then. Like a gentle wave wetting his ankles, he felt his pheromones. Startled, he looked at Shin Ho-jae, who seemed just as surprised as he was.

“…I’m sorry. That was a mistake.”

The area below his cheeks was flushed red. Uncharacteristically flustered, Shin Ho-jae covered his mouth with his hand. In the meantime, his pheromones vanished without a trace. It was fascinating. Jung-hyun had never practiced pheromone control. Because he was pregnant, he didn’t produce pheromones, so there was no need or possibility to practice. Thus, this was the first time he realized that pheromones could be erased so instantaneously.

Thinking the staring gaze was a reprimand, Shin Ho-jae began to scramble and make excuses.

“I’m absolutely, absolutely not someone who can’t control my pheromones. This has never happened before…. I’m taking my medicine regularly, and it’s not my rut.”

“I’ve heard enough.”

“…Yes. I’ll give you the pheromones. Please lie down somewhere comfortable.”

“Lie down? Can’t you just release them?”

“Of course not. It’s better to lie down, like we did at the hospital. CEO… Hyung, you aren’t just receiving pheromones, you’re receiving them for stability. Your whole body needs to be within the range of influence.”

As a trait-bearer, Jung-hyun was no different from a kindergartner who hadn’t even learned the alphabet. He had no choice but to believe what Shin Ho-jae said. Without further argument, he lay down on the sofa as instructed.

Ho-jae sat beside him. Then, without hesitation, he lifted Jung-hyun’s t-shirt and placed his hand on his bare skin. It was on the lower abdomen, where there was a small mound. Startled, Jung-hyun grabbed his wrist and half-raised his body.

“Wait, what are you doing? I asked for pheromones, not anything more than that.”

One might wonder why he was overreacting since he wasn’t a virgin, but he would let the fact that the kiss from a week ago had that much of an impact serve as the answer.

“Aren’t you the one thinking strange thoughts, hyung? I’m just trying to use the most effective method to give you pheromones.”

His expression as he spoke was brazen. However, Jung-hyun didn’t back down.

“…I know you can do it without touching.”

He was referring to the day he had been drenched in Shin Ho-jae’s pheromones at the stadium long ago. Back then, Shin Ho-jae had clearly coated him in pheromones without touching him once. Shin Ho-jae blinked a few times and answered seriously.

“As you said, I can put someone under the influence of my pheromones without physical contact. But the method you mentioned is like washing your body with a showerhead that only drips water. In comparison, pheromones given through contact have the same effect as soaking in warm water up to your shoulders.”

He was quite eloquent.

“If you’ve come back from the rain in cold weather, which way of receiving pheromones would be better?”

“As long as we’re touching, right? Then turn around.”

“What?”

“It doesn’t have to be your hand. Then just having our backs touch would work. Am I wrong?”

“…….”

Shin Ho-jae pressed his lips into a straight line. Jung-hyun narrowed his eyes and examined his face closely.

“You look like you’ve been hit right on the mark.”

“……I really can’t win against you, hyung.”

I knew it. He thought the boy’s words didn’t add up. Shin Ho-jae wiped his face with his large hand. As his hand moved away, the brazen face from before vanished, and the face Jung-hyun knew returned. A small laugh escaped him.

Having regained his composure, Jung-hyun once again told Shin Ho-jae to turn around. Since Ho-jae had no more arguments to make, he obediently turned around and sat on the floor. While lying on the sofa, Jung-hyun pressed one shoulder against Shin Ho-jae’s back.

“…I can’t see you like this, hyung.”

“Do you have a hobby of watching people sleep? If you want to do something in the future, bring something to do.”

“…….”

Shin Ho-jae seemed to mutter a complaint, then slowly began to release his pheromones.

“Huu….”

Jung-hyun took a deep breath at a sensation that was difficult to describe. A wavering, warm energy spread rapidly from his shoulder throughout his entire body.

It came with a warm scent that felt clean. It was exactly like a sea warmed by the midsummer sun. The tension in his eyelids, which had been on guard, slowly relaxed.

He now understood why Ho-jae had compared his state—receiving collected pheromones via injection—to a vagrant wandering in cold weather. As he said, receiving pheromones directly was on a completely different level. If pheromone freshness could be measured, he was certain this would receive the highest grade.

Compared to that, the collected pheromones he had received through a needle felt… as if they had been filtered through a sieve and turned into almost water….

“…Then can I use your laptop for a bit? I have an email to send.”

The voice transmitted through his back sounded similar to hearing someone inside a cave. Ah, I can’t hold out any longer. So this is how good pheromones feel…. Closing his flickering eyes completely, Jung-hyun replied that he could do as he pleased, sounding like he was talking in his sleep.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he thought he heard a surprised voice saying, “Uh…?” What was he surprised by? Was there something open on the laptop….

That was the last memory Jung-hyun had of that day. For he had fallen into a deep sleep, as if swimming atop undulating waves.

139 – Puck Drop