By Zephyria Delicate petals fluttered and scattered like snow. Cherry trees, grown here and there on campus, were splendid with late-blooming flowers. They should have fallen around the time of the midterm exams, but the prolonged cold must have delayed the budding. The scenery outside the classroom window was all pink, here and there, everywhere.
‘It’s spring,’ I thought briefly, resting my chin on my right hand. Since I started dating Choi Tae-kyum a few days ago, every day has been a continuous stream of smiles. Making eye contact brought a smile to my face, and just hearing his voice made me feel good. Even after spending the whole weekend together, I felt sad when we parted, so if someone called me extreme, it was understandable.
‘Are you awake?’
The day after drinking with Choi Tae-kyum’s friends, I woke up with a hangover. My whole body ached as if I had been beaten, my head throbbed, and my stomach felt nauseous. I felt like I understood why Park Sung-jae suffered so much usually.
‘How’s your hangover?’
On the other hand, Choi Tae-kyum looked at me with an excessively clear face. He definitely drank more than I did, but he was truly a monster. In my fragmented memories, I seemed to have heard someone testify, ‘That bastard’s a monster.’
‘…I feel like I’m going to die from a headache.’
I didn’t plan on drinking this much. Drinking to the point of intoxication for two days in a row has taken a toll on my body.
‘I told you, you didn’t have to go to the drinking party…’
He looked apologetic, but that drinking party stemmed entirely from my curiosity. I was curious about Choi Tae-kyum when he was with someone other than me.
That’s because I hadn’t seen him interact with anyone else. Even when we were in different classes, his surroundings were filled with people who were nothing more or less than ‘classmates.’ So, I became interested, and so I followed his friends.
What I didn’t expect was that they were better drinkers than I thought. The alcohol I drank to fit in with the atmosphere ended up making only me drunk. Before I knew it, formal speech turned into casual speech, and the elated mood slowly severed the strings of reason.
And when I opened my eyes, I was in Choi Tae-kyum’s arms.
‘I thought you didn’t drink, but you were the one drinking the most.’
‘Ugh… I don’t know, my head’s pounding.’
I mumbled a vague answer and buried my face in his arms. I couldn’t possibly forget the expression he made when he saw the suppressants, so I couldn’t answer, ‘Actually, I was holding back on the alcohol because of the pheromones.’ I didn’t want to see that kind of gloom in his beautiful face ever again.
Fortunately, Choi Tae-kyum changed the subject without saying much. He asked if I remembered what happened yesterday, and I said I didn’t. He asked if I had forgotten that I kissed him first, and I asked what he was talking about. After hesitating for a moment, he hugged me tightly, saying it was better if I didn’t know.
After that, it was a repeat of eating and sleeping, eating and sleeping. Choi Tae-kyum personally cooked and did the chores for me, who couldn’t get out of bed. And when our eyes met, we mixed our bodies to the point of exhaustion, so today, instead of a hangover, my whole body was full of muscle aches. And that became another trigger that reminded me of Choi Tae-kyum.
“…He’s so happy.”
I flinched, my shoulders twitching. A sulky tone sharply pierced my ears. Lowering the corners of my mouth that had risen without me noticing, I turned my head and saw Park Sung-jae, with his cheek on the desk, grumbling and questioning me.
“Are you happy? We have so much homework, but you’re happy?”
Park Sung-jae glared at me with a scrunched-up face. The way he wriggled around was like a freshly caught fish. He’s so big, but how can he be so noisy? The students in the classroom were subtly watching him.
“Are you so happy you could die? Is the world so beautiful because you’re dating?”
“…It’s not like that.”
Ahem, I coughed and composed myself. For some reason, rumors had spread around school that Choi Tae-kyum and I were dating. There had been similar rumors before (that we slept together), but this time it felt a little different. If the last time was closer to gossip, this time it felt more confident. Fortunately, the rumors sounded more positive than negative.
“It is too, it’s written all over your face. Why? Is it all pink?”
The world did look pink, but that was because of the cherry blossoms, not because I was dating. But looking at Park Sung-jae’s face, it seemed like he would see even that as a muddy color.
“I really hate doing homework… I feel like I’m going crazy…”
What awaited us after the exam was a huge pile of homework that had accumulated. At least one assignment per subject, at least five assignments in total, wouldn’t be enough even if we stayed up for three days and nights to complete them. Not for me, but only for Park Sung-jae.
“You should have done it little by little.”
“I couldn’t because I was studying for the exam!”
Park Sung-jae, who shouted confidently, jumped up. Then he dragged his open laptop and pointed at the screen. ‘Understanding Shakespeare’ was a class I didn’t sign up for.
“No, how can they tell us to write the report in English? I can’t even type 100 words per minute in English, how am I supposed to write five pages of A4? They even specified the font size!”
That’s why I told you to drop it when I tried to stop you. He said he had to take this class because he was the head of ‘Reading English Classics,’ but I knew it from the moment he bragged about it. I’m glad I didn’t get tricked by him and took a different class.
“Can I widen the line spacing? Can’t I adjust the character spacing? Will the margins be noticeable?”
“Try it if you’re confident.”
“Agh!”
He messed up his hair and collapsed on the desk again. The way he twitched intermittently looked like a bear shot by a hunter. I held back my laughter and patted his thick shoulder.
“That’s why you should have studied for the exam and done the homework at the same time. Hurry up and do it before the professor comes.”
“Hyung… How can I study for the exam and do the homework at the same time…? Don’t talk like a former valedictorian who only studied Korean, English, and Math…”
Park Sung-jae, who got up unsteadily, sighed with all his might. His eyes, which were usually bright, were worse than the frozen pollack sold in the market today. He can’t even type 100 words per minute, but he has to write five pages of A4. That’s a bit too much.
“Write it by hand and ask Min-jung to type it for you. Min-jung types fast.”
“I already made a deal with her. But she said she won’t do it because I’m asking her to do it when the deadline is near.”
“That’s… unavoidable.”
Well, Kim Min-jung wouldn’t help someone who was lazy. She would only pretend to help if you were trying hard. Park Sung-jae had already missed his chance.
“Hyung, can’t you type fast?”
“Practice typing instead of that.”
“Okay…”
Park Sung-jae, who lowered his eyes gloomily, turned on the typing practice on his laptop. He skillfully switched to English and clicked on ‘Short Text Practice,’ so it wasn’t his first time.
“Everything’s fun because you don’t want to do your homework, right?”
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I can type up to 99 words per minute now.”
I asked casually, and as expected, I got the answer I expected. That’s why he hasn’t finished his homework yet. I shook my head, suppressing the words that had risen to my chin.
“But why are you wearing that kind of clothes in this weather? Aren’t you hot?”
Park Sung-jae, who was typing the sentence ‘I think, therefore I am,’ pressed enter and said. His current typing speed was 103, his best record.
“…I get cold easily.”
I stammered and touched the area around my neck. The t-shirt that covered half of my neck was an overreaction even for me, but it was necessary to hide the various marks. There were so many marks left by Choi Tae-kyum last night that I couldn’t expose my neck.
‘Ah, hng, Tae-kyum, hng…!’
‘Haa, Yoon-woo. Look at me, huh?’
Who said that Choi Tae-kyum couldn’t be swayed by pheromones? After we bought condoms together, he drove me like a runaway colt. He not only left his marks everywhere, on my ears, neck, chest, and thighs, but also poured out pheromones to the point of making me dizzy.
Of course, it wasn’t like he was being forceful. Even in the midst of that, he adjusted his speed and was considerate of me, and he even stopped moving for a moment when I whined. Maybe it was because I felt so loved, but I couldn’t get away from him even after I ran out of energy.
“It’s cold? I saw someone wearing a short-sleeved shirt earlier.”
“Short sleeves are too much. Who would do such a brave thing?”
“I don’t know, they seemed like students from the mortuary science department.”
The trivial conversation with Park Sung-jae ended as soon as the professor entered the classroom. I thought he was a little late, but when I checked the time, it was about 15 minutes late. Park Sung-jae looked satisfied as he looked at the program that showed 105 words per minute and closed his laptop.
“I hate this class the most.”
As soon as the professor opened his mouth, Park Sung-jae lowered his voice and whispered. He was an English major, but he hated classes that were conducted entirely in English because he had a fear of English. The problem was that there were more classes conducted in English than in Korean due to the nature of the department.
“Oh, right, hyung.”
“Be quiet.”
That meant don’t talk to me, but he nonchalantly took out a mechanical pencil and scribbled something on his notebook. Then he handed me the notebook without even looking at me. Unusually round letters were written with a loud question mark.
[Do you know there’s a festival the week after next???]
I rested my chin on my hand and wrote ‘no’ on the desk with my fingertip. Park Sung-jae, who quickly took the notebook, wrote down the letters again with a mechanical pencil. This time, there was a little more content than before.
[Why don’t you know!! It’s the Cherry Blossom Festival!! The club opens a booth to sell miscellaneous items during the day and a pub at night!! You drank at the pub with me when we were freshmen?!]
I vaguely remembered something. Around this time in my freshman year, Park Sung-jae, who was constantly talking to me, almost forcibly took me to a pub in another department. He said that the pub in our department played pop songs and ruined the taste of the alcohol, and that we had to go to a department that knew how to have fun. The place he took me to was the chemical engineering department. I remember drinking two glasses of tasteless cocktails there.
[Do you remember???]
New letters were written again. How can his letters be so noisy? Thinking that, I drew two circles with my fingertip. Park Sung-jae, whose expression brightened in an instant, scribbled down the next sentence.
[Our club is going to have a pub at the festival]
So?
I resisted the urge to ask that and drew a question mark. Park Sung-jae, who erased all the letters he had written so far, wrote new letters a little more clearly.
[Hyung too togeth]
I snatched the mechanical pencil before the ‘er’ was written. Park Sung-jae, who suddenly had empty hands, looked at me blankly. I naturally added the rest of the words next to the already written letters.
[Hyung too togeth er won’t do it.]
“Why!”
He protested in a whisper. Was he really asking because he didn’t know? What was the condition I joined the club under? If he had forgotten, I was willing to remind him.
[I said I wouldn’t participate in anything.]
Park Sung-jae closed his mouth as if he was speechless. He would have remembered the promise he made with me as well. I had been doing whatever he asked me to do without knowing it, but doing the pub together was a different story.
[I’m never going to do it, so listen to the class.]
With that, I handed the notebook and mechanical pencil to Park Sung-jae. I didn’t forget to look straight ahead to mean that I wouldn’t talk anymore. Park Sung-jae, who sent me a few earnest glances, silently erased the letters he had written, judging that I wouldn’t listen.
He didn’t say anything until the end of the class. He was writing something diligently in his notebook, but I didn’t know if it was notes or something else. And when the professor had completely left the classroom, he grabbed my arm and said this.
“Let’s order something to eat in the club room.”
* * *
Min-jung was in the club room. Min-jung, who was lying on the cot and playing a mobile game today, didn’t even check who was entering. She just moved her fingers diligently and said insincerely.
“Hey, I’m hungry, so order something quickly.”
“What do you want to eat?”
I asked back as I approached the sofa in the center. Min-jung, who had stopped her fingers for a moment, quickly raised her upper body.
“Oh, oppa, you came too?”
“…Why is your reaction different to me?”
“I knew you were coming. I didn’t know Yoon-woo oppa was coming.”
“I see.”
Park Sung-jae sat next to me with a convinced expression. Why does he bother to argue when he’s going to accept it so easily? Min-jung seemed to have a similar thought, as she clicked her tongue with a pathetic look.
“Oppa, what do you want to eat?”
“I don’t care…”
Beep, a message arrived from Choi Tae-kyum at a good time. It was a simple message asking where I was. ‘I’m going to eat with the kids in the club room. What about you?’ I sent the message, and playful voices came from both sides.
“Then take out what you don’t like. Oppa’s going to pay anyway.”
“That’s right, hyung. You’re going to pay, so you should order what you want to eat.”
“…You guys.”
The reply came back quickly. With the vibrating sound, Choi Tae-kyum’s message appeared on the screen. I read the message with my eyes and said at the same time.
Choi Tae-kyum: [Let me eat with you too] 12:07pm
“Choi Tae-kyum’s coming too.”
Since I’m going to pay anyway, it wouldn’t matter who came. No, even if I didn’t pay, Park Sung-jae would welcome Choi Tae-kyum with open arms. He’s so eager to get him into our club.
[What do you want to eat?] 12:08pm
Choi Tae-kyum: [I don’t care] 12:09pm
[Then come and choose, I’ll be waiting] 12:09pm
“When he comes, let’s choose the menu together…”
I sent the reply and looked up, but the atmosphere was strangely subtle. I felt like I had felt this ambiguous silence somewhere before. Sure enough, Min-jung started lightly and lowered her legs below the bed.
“Oppa, I have something to ask you.”
Something flashed through my head. This situation, this posture, was all similar to when my heat cycle had passed a while ago. Although the difference was that it was Min-jung, not Park Sung-jae, who had something to ask.
“You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable.”
Of course, it was obvious what Min-jung was going to say. Park Sung-jae didn’t ask and accepted it, but Min-jung seemed to want to check with me first. That’s why she’s looking at me with such a serious face.
“Oppa, maybe…”
“…I’m seeing Choi Tae-kyum.”
Min-jung’s lips snapped shut. Park Sung-jae, who was awkwardly looking at me, was the same. Park Sung-jae, who would normally be shocked and liven up the atmosphere, was restless as he looked at Min-jung.
“It’s been since the day we had the club meeting.”
They asked me first that time, but I thought it was right for me to tell them first this time. I listened to them and gave them sincere comfort, so I thought it was the least I could do to tell them the results.
“I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye that day.”
Come to think of it, I left the drinking party without saying goodbye to anyone. I did see Kim Do-hyun last, but he wouldn’t have thought that I called Choi Tae-kyum either. He managed not to contact me until today. Did he hold back his curiosity, or were they all so drunk that they didn’t even know I left?
“…”
Min-jung didn’t answer right away and looked at my face. Her deep brown eyes clearly reflected me. After a moment, Min-jung, who hadn’t even blinked, snorted.
“Oppa, you’re really firm.”
Firm. It was a sudden word. It was even more so because Min-jung’s face really showed that she had given up.
“Did you tell Park Sung-jae this seriously too?”
I glanced at Park Sung-jae’s profile. Unlike when he was shocked that I was an omega, he had a nonchalant expression. Min-jung, who shrugged her shoulders as if to say, ‘I told you so,’ continued indifferently.
“Knowing that I like oppa, how can you be so firm?”
“…”
I stared at Min-jung with wide eyes. Min-jung, who still had a nonchalant expression, winked one eye.
“Why are you so surprised? Sung-jae said you heard that.”
Park Sung-jae, you turned your head with that thought in mind. The way he shrunk his broad shoulders was pathetic. Park Sung-jae was busy avoiding my gaze, chuckling.
“He said you heard that ‘Min-jung likes hyung too.'”
Naturally, a picture formed in my mind. That day, Min-jeong-ssi had slipped up and said she liked me, and Park Seong-jae must have been battling his conscience. He would have shown strange symptoms just from seeing Min-jeong-ssi, so there was no way Kim Min-jeong would have let it slide. The conclusion he reached after being thoroughly grilled by her was that, so it was strange for me to pretend not to know any longer.
“Of course, if it were oppa… you’d have heard it and forgotten it right away.”
Why are there so many quick-witted people around me? Until recently, Kim Do-hyun was my top priority, but from today, I need to fix Min-jeong-ssi as the undisputed number one. As she said, I was forgetting the fact that ‘Min-jeong-ssi likes me’ in most situations.
“I’m just, you know, thankful that you pretended not to know.”
“……”
“It gets awkward, and I have to watch what I say, and I really hate that kind of thing.”
Min-jeong-ssi wasn’t much different from me, even though she told me I was resolute. While I was pretending not to know her feelings, she must have been pretending not to know that I knew. Since she didn’t show it, I just reacted similarly.
“I’m telling you this in case you misunderstand, but I’ve given up on all that now. It wasn’t really romantic feelings in the first place.”
You know? Just person-to-person liking, that kind of thing. Min-jeong-ssi added, pulling her lips into a smile. I always think that because her mouth is big, her smile is refreshing.
“Congratulations on getting together. Choi Tae-gyeom sunbae, you both have really high standards.”
“……Yeah, hyung. Congratulations. You two look good together.”
Park Seong-jae, who had been cautiously watching, quickly added. He looks the most intimidating on the outside, but he’s more timid than anyone else. Well, looking at his eyes, it’s no wonder he’s the most timid.
“Thanks.”
I awkwardly touched my phone and lowered my gaze. I felt embarrassed and shy about being congratulated for dating Choi Tae-gyeom. It would have been better if Choi Tae-gyeom were here with me, but it feels more awkward because I’m alone. I wasn’t planning on talking about it so suddenly without any preparation.
“……But how did you guys hear the rumor that we’re dating?”
Thinking about it carefully, there was something strange. I started dating Choi Tae-gyeom the day after we took the exam. After that, I was just at home, and today was the first time I came to school. But where on earth did the rumor that Choi Tae-gyeom and I were dating come from?
“The rumor that you two are dating?”
Park Seong-jae tilted his head and stroked his chin. His round eyes were slightly furrowed.
“Well… when I came to school, the kids were saying that? I thought you got caught being affectionate.”
“Min-jeong, what about you?”
“I just thought it was a false rumor and was going to check with oppa. Like the rumor that you two slept together last time.”
I almost choked on the word ‘slept.’ Strictly speaking, that wasn’t a false rumor either, but there was no need to point that out. Seeing me awkwardly touching my neck, Min-jeong-ssi shook her head as if she understood.
“……Rumors don’t just pop up out of nowhere.”
As I thought, it was still strange no matter how I looked at it. The timing was too sudden to be a remnant of the rumors that had spread last time. Words that had entered a lull suddenly spread overnight. It was impossible unless someone was deliberately spreading them.
‘Wow, Yoon-woo knows about this too. It was worth spreading the rumors so diligently.’
But why, at this timing, did the memory from the drinking party come to mind? Why did a vague word, with my memory cut off, suddenly come to mind? Choi Tae-gyeom’s friends would also be the same in that they didn’t know we were dating.
“…….”
Well, does it matter much?
This time, it wasn’t a false rumor, and there was no need to correct a fact that would soon be known. The timing was a bit strange, but I could just pass it off as a coincidence.
“Hyung, but Choi Tae-gyeom sunbae is joining our club, right?”
Park Seong-jae, who had asked the question cautiously, sent me sparkling eyes. Looking at his innocent eyes, I wondered if what he was really worried about wasn’t me, but whether Choi Tae-gyeom would join. It was a fairly likely hypothesis, but before I could confirm it, the club room door burst open.
“……”
Familiar eyes met mine. A large height and upright gait. And pupils that dilated as soon as he saw me.
“……Yoon-woo sunbae?”
“Oh! Do-hyun’s here!”
Park Seong-jae laughed heartily and raised his hand. Kim Do-hyun, whose face quickly became gentle, slowly stepped inside.
“Everyone’s gathered here.”
I naturally thought that Choi Tae-gyeom had opened the door. Even though this was a place that any club member could come to, I didn’t consider anyone other than him. So, I felt a little embarrassed the moment I saw Kim Do-hyun.
“Do you want something to eat too? Yoon-woo oppa said he’d buy.”
“No, I already had lunch……”
Even though it was only a few days since I had met him, he felt unfamiliar, as if it had been a long time. The conversation we had in the alleyway was also as blurry as something from a long time ago. That was even more so because he was smiling at me as if nothing had happened.
“What are you going to eat?”
Looking closely, there was awkwardness beyond his smiling face. His ambiguous gaze was also a little different from before.
“I haven’t decided yet.”
It would be a lie to say that he didn’t look awkward, but there was no need to pretend to know when he was trying to hide it. Min-jeong-ssi said she was thankful that I pretended not to know, so shouldn’t I treat Kim Do-hyun similarly?
“I’m going to decide with Choi Tae-gyeom when he comes.”
“……Ah, Choi Tae-gyeom sunbae is coming too?”
Kim Do-hyun, who had twitched his eyebrows for a moment, sat next to Park Seong-jae. His expression had distorted, but that was closer to a instinctive reaction. He didn’t seem unpleasant, even if he was a little uncomfortable.
“He hasn’t joined the club yet, right?”
Nod, nod, I nodded my head. Park Seong-jae, who was stuck between me and Kim Do-hyun, clenched his fists and vowed.
“No matter what, I’m going to make him join today.”
Even if he didn’t say it so resolutely, Choi Tae-gyeom was the type to keep his word once he said it. He had simply forgotten, so he would fill out the application without complaint as soon as I handed it to him. Although Park Seong-jae didn’t seem to know that.
“Then are you two doing the food stall together too?”
Park Seong-jae flinched noticeably at Kim Do-hyun’s question. His glossy eyes looked at me full of expectation. I said I wasn’t going to do it, so he must still have hope for me.
“I’m not doing it.”
“……Hyung, think about it carefully.”
I know this expression that Park Seong-jae is making. He looked at me with these eyes when he was recommending that I join the club.
“It’s a festival to enjoy with your lover, doesn’t it make you excited just thinking about it?”
Kim Do-hyun’s lips trembled at the word ‘lover.’ Min-jeong-ssi was also subtly looking this way and clicking her tongue. The dullest one here was still Park Seong-jae.
“It’s not like the festival is just for a day or two, why would that be exciting?”
It’s already the third cherry blossom festival since I entered school. There’s the cherry blossom festival in the spring, and the maple leaf festival in the fall, and there’s no reason to be excited about a festival that happens twice a year.
“And you can enjoy the festival even if you don’t run a food stall.”
“The flower of college life is alcohol! Running a food stall is also a moment of youth!”
“Don’t drag me into that youth.”
I pushed away the face that was being pushed in uncomfortably. Park Seong-jae, who had been pushed back, made desperate eyes. His sparkling gaze was enough to weaken my heart, but still, what couldn’t be done couldn’t be done.
“It’s not like I’m essential to the food stall.”
“What are you talking about, hyung is essential to our food stall……”
“Don’t joke around.”
The club was short on members when I joined, but there was no limit to the number of people for the food stall. Even without me, the remaining club members could run it sufficiently. There was no reason for him to cling to me like this.
“Actually……”
Park Seong-jae slowly opened his mouth, as if he couldn’t do it. At the same time, he glanced at Min-jeong-ssi. Min-jeong-ssi sighed deeply and got up from the bed.
“To be exact, we need Choi Tae-gyeom sunbae.”
“Choi Tae-gyeom?”
Min-jeong-ssi, who had strode over, slumped down in the diagonal chair. The way she crossed her arms was more like a club president than Park Seong-jae. She looked back and forth between me and Park Seong-jae and furrowed her brow deeply.
“Park Seong-jae lost at rock-paper-scissors, so the food stall placement is in a weird place.”
Park Seong-jae closed his mouth gloomily. I nodded my head to mean to keep talking.
“It’s in such a remote place that no one will come unless we promote it.”
“What does that have to do with Choi Tae-gyeom?”
“Of course it’s related.”
Knock, knock, a neat knock sounded. Speak of the devil. As soon as the door opened, a familiar pheromone rushed in. Min-jeong-ssi continued to speak calmly, unconcerned by Choi Tae-gyeom’s sudden appearance.
“Aren’t people going to come to see his face?”
Choi Tae-gyeom stopped moving, still holding the doorknob. He awkwardly furrowed his brow, as if he was burdened by the gazes focused on him. Soon, his slightly reddish lips parted slightly.
“Why?”
The words ‘come to see his face’ were instantly understood. His handsome eyes, and his straight nose. It’s a face that makes you admire it just by looking at it. Even I, who have seen him since birth, am like this, so what would people who are seeing Choi Tae-gyeom for the first time be like? If he was at the food stall, people would flock to it no matter where it was.
“You think so too, right oppa?”
“……I guess so.”
“What on earth?”
Choi Tae-gyeom asked, closing the club room door. As he approached, Park Seong-jae quickly made way. It would be nice if he was half as quick-witted as that usually, but the bear-like guy was only smart in front of what he wanted.
“What were you talking about?”
Naturally, Choi Tae-gyeom took a seat between me and Kim Do-hyun. As he leaned his head on my shoulder, Kim Do-hyun awkwardly widened the distance. Park Seong-jae was hurrying towards the cabinet.
“That you’re handsome.”
“What’s that?”
Choi Tae-gyeom chuckled softly, as if he thought my words were a joke. Min-jeong-ssi shrugged her shoulders without bothering to explain further. She must not have been able to say, ‘We’re planning to promote the food stall with sunbae’s face.’
“Th, that Tae-gyeom sunbae!”
In the meantime, Park Seong-jae came with a piece of paper. He stood across the table and put down the document. On top of the white paper was written ‘Club Membership Application.’
“Well, there’s something I mentioned last time. We’re short one member in our club, so you said you’d just put your name on it.”
Park Seong-jae had filled it out for me when I joined, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that for Choi Tae-gyeom. His expectant eyes sparkled to the point of being uncomfortable.
“You just need to fill this out. You don’t need a reason for applying, just your name, department, and student number.”
His thick fingers pointed to the blanks one by one. Choi Tae-gyeom’s gaze also moved along Park Seong-jae’s fingertips. He didn’t seem at all burdened, even with an excited bear in front of him.
“If you don’t want to write, I’ll take it down……”
“No, I’ll write it. I said I’d join.”
As expected, Choi Tae-gyeom answered readily. He straightened his body and brought the application form, only raising his eyes to ask Park Seong-jae.
“Pen?”
“Pen here!”
Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Park Seong-jae brought the pencil holder that was in the center of the table. He took out exactly the black one from the colorful pens and held it out, but Kim Do-hyun, who had been silent, spat out.
“Are you really going to join?”
“……”
Choi Tae-gyeom’s gaze turned to Kim Do-hyun. Park Seong-jae glared at him, but Kim Do-hyun smiled, pretending not to know. It was the same good-natured face as before.
“Think carefully. You’re already a third-year sunbae, what are you going to use joining our club for?”
Haha, what is he saying. Park Seong-jae, who had spoken awkwardly, politely held out his hand. Choi Tae-gyeom didn’t take the pen that Park Seong-jae held out, but quietly waited for the next words. Kim Do-hyun smiled and spoke softly.
“You’ll be busy with job hunting and stuff when you’re a fourth-year, so it’s better to join a volunteer or TOEIC club.”
Ah, déjà vu.
This kind of conversation also happened on the day Choi Tae-gyeom said he ‘liked Shakespeare.’ At that time, we were sitting with me in between, and now the two of them are sitting side by side, but everything was similar except for that fact. One more thing, it was also different that Park Seong-jae was sending telepathy saying ‘Shut up, you idiot!’
“Don’t you think?”
“Well……”
Choi Tae-gyeom raised the corners of his mouth like someone who had heard something interesting. Then, he took the pen from Park Seong-jae’s hand and clicked the back of the pen.
“It’s better to have someone who will be around for at least two years than a freshman who’s going to the army soon.”
Choi Tae-gyeom. Business Administration. As soon as he filled in the two blanks, joy and sorrow crossed paths. Kim Do-hyun visibly frowned, and Park Seong-jae was making a touching expression. After writing his date of birth, student number, and reason for applying (likes Shakespeare), he asked teasingly.
“Don’t you think?”
“……”
Kim Do-hyun’s mouth was tightly shut. He frowned without even trying to hide his expression. A stinging gaze collided as if electricity was crackling.
“……What are you guys doing.”
A sigh flowed out involuntarily. Two grown Alpha were fighting like elementary school students. Perhaps because they were conscious of me, pheromones weren’t coming out, but it wasn’t a very pleasant scene to see.
“Sunbae, thank you so, so much!”
Park Seong-jae was excited and took the documents. He also flattered him, saying that he wrote well while looking at the letters Choi Tae-gyeom had written. Min-jeong-ssi shook her head, touching her forehead, and opened her mouth with a small sigh.
“Tae-gyeom sunbae.”
Choi Tae-gyeom, who had been having a staring contest with Kim Do-hyun until then, turned his head. It was the first time Min-jeong-ssi had spoken to him first, so his expression was full of bewilderment.
“Now that you’ve joined the club, there’s one thing I’d like to ask you.”
Min-jeong-ssi started talking in her unique, monotonous tone. Judging from the beginning, it was clear that it was the topic I had been talking about with her a little while ago.
“We’re running a food stall at the festival.”
I didn’t really intend to stop Min-jeong-ssi. The story of doing the food stall together was something that not only I, but also Choi Tae-gyeom would find annoying. Even if I didn’t cut it off in the middle, it was clear that he would refuse on his own.
“You don’t have to do a lot of work, just help with serving.”
Choi Tae-gyeom’s face didn’t look even a little tempted. It felt like the words ‘Why would I?’ would come out of his mouth any second. But the words that followed were enough to break Choi Tae-gyeom’s expressionless face.
“You know that Yoon-woo oppa is popular, right?”
I looked at Min-jeong-ssi in a flash. Why are those words coming out suddenly? I sent her that look, but Min-jeong-ssi blinked, pretending not to know.
“Anyway, oppa’s heart is weak, so he’ll end up helping.”
“Hey……”
A ridiculous laugh came out. It was a brazen statement, but there wasn’t a good rebuttal. Min-jeong-ssi, who had snorted confidently, smiled.
“You’d be worried if I made him do it alone, right?”
Choi Tae-gyeom looked at me with knowing eyes. His light-colored eyes seemed to see right through me. I had to deny that he was popular, that his heart was weak, and that I would be worried, but the first words that came out were these.
“I didn’t say I’d help.”
I wasn’t planning on helping yet. Choi Tae-gyeom needed me, so he was dragging me in, and if that was the reason, I didn’t want to help even more. But before I could say anything, Min-jeong-ssi called me softly.
“Oppa.”
Why is that? Why does a single call feel so heavy? When I looked at Min-jeong-ssi with anxiety, she spoke in a dry voice.
“I’m graduating next year.”
“……”
Unlike Park Seong-jae, who took a two-year leave of absence for the military, Min-jeong-ssi took a one-year leave of absence and was a senior this year. She’s such a meticulous person, so she wouldn’t be short on credits, and if nothing happened, she would leave school at the end of the next semester.
“It’s my last festival, so it would be nice to do it together if possible.”That’s right, we should leave a memory as a commemoration!””
Park Seong-jae, who had been spacing out, quickly nodded his head. I thought that only Park Seong-jae cared about memories and stuff like that. Could his personality have changed without me knowing?
“Since when have you put meaning into that kind of thing?”
“……I’m going to try to put some meaning into it from now on.”
The silence that flowed out before the answer was very suspicious. I narrowed my eyes and looked at Min-jeong-ssi’s face.
“There’s a festival in the fall too.”
“Are you going to help in the fall?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Tch.”
Min-jeong-ssi clicked her tongue as if to say, ‘I knew it.’ Judging from her expression, she didn’t expect anything in the first place. She brushed the hair that had fallen down behind her ear and said in a gentle tone.
“I’m going to start an internship from summer vacation.”
“What!”
The person who asked back in surprise wasn’t me, but Park Seong-jae. Not only Park Seong-jae, but Kim Do-hyun also looked at Min-jeong-ssi with surprised eyes. Park Seong-jae slammed the table and poured out questions in a loud voice.
“Going for an internship? Where? What kind of place is it? When did you apply?”
“Ask one at a time.”
Min-jeong-ssi’s face crumpled. She was really out of it, but she understood Park Seong-jae’s feelings. It was because she had never told him anything about it until now. Even I’m like this, so Park Seong-jae, who’s been with her all the time, must be even more shocked.
“You submitted your resume?”
“Last time, I had an interview at a tourism company recommended by the professor. It’s just a small place, but the conditions were good.”
Min-jeong-ssi stopped talking and rolled her eyes. The way she scratched her cheek seemed a little embarrassed.
“I didn’t say anything because I’d be embarrassed if I failed. I only got the call that I passed today.”
“……Congratulations, Noona.”
Kim Do-hyun, who came to his senses first, said in a daze. Min-jeong-ssi smiled coolly and shrugged her shoulders. Choi Tae-gyeom and I also offered our congratulations, but Park Seong-jae mumbled with teary eyes.
“How could you not tell me…….”
Anyone who saw him would believe he’d been dumped. He seemed so upset about it, he looked like he was about to shed tears any second. Min-jeong-ssi softened her voice a little and soothed Park Seong-jae.
“I’m telling you before the professor, so don’t look at it that way.”
Despite her gentle tone, Park Seong-jae’s expression showed no signs of improving. No, rather, his eyes were gradually becoming more moist.
“Then you’re not coming to school next semester?”
“I have to. I’m going to submit a leave of absence for employment.”
He plopped down next to Min-jeong-ssi. He was too big for the narrow chair, but it wasn’t an atmosphere to point that out. Min-jeong-ssi shook her head with a short sigh.
“Anyway…… so it’s the last festival, and I’d like the pub to do well if possible.”
Going around in circles, she finally got to the point. That’s why she was so confident. I realized it late, but the mind I had been weighing had already tilted to one side. Min-jeong-ssi looked at me and Choi Tae-gyeom slowly, nodding as if asking for agreement.
“We have to avoid losses.”
* * *
While we were having lunch together, we heard about the general plan for running the pub. From what I heard, the location was in a secluded corner of the parking lot, so unless we really attracted attention, we’d go completely bankrupt. We had no luck at all. Out of all the clubs, why did we have to get the space next to the only parking lot?
“Are you really okay?”
Choi Tae-gyeom, who was lying down with his head on my lap, lifted his eyelids. Since all the other guys had gone to class, only Choi Tae-gyeom and I were left in the club room. He blinked slowly and asked back.
“About what?”
“Running the pub, you ended up doing it because of me.”
The moment I agreed, Choi Tae-gyeom naturally came along. When Min-jeong-ssi said, ‘You’ll do it with me, right?’ he nodded without any particular objection. Looking at his clear face, he didn’t seem annoyed, but I was still concerned.
“You can say you don’t want to do it if you don’t want to.”
I carefully stroked Choi Tae-gyeom’s ear. The corners of his lips, which were usually raised, drew a deeper curve than usual. He turned his head and rubbed his cheek against mine, then drawled in a languid voice.
“How can I let you do it alone?”
He pecked my palm with his lips. It was a light touch, but it was enough to make me feel a strange sensation. I traced his slender jawline with my fingertips and swallowed the laughter that was coming out.
“Because of what Min-jeong-ssi said?”
Did she say I was popular? If that was the reason, I should be more worried about Choi Tae-gyeom. He had always been at the center of attention since he was born.
“You worry about everything.”
At my lighthearted words, Choi Tae-gyeom bit my finger. It didn’t hurt, but the sharp sensation was quite embarrassing. Whether he knew I was surprised or not, he turned to face me and mumbled.
“That’s why I’m worried.”
I didn’t bother to answer. He probably wasn’t whining for an answer either. Choi Tae-gyeom, who had wrapped his arms around my waist and hugged me tightly, spoke with his face buried in me.
“I don’t really care. It’s a little annoying, but it seems like it’ll be fun to do it with you.”
I gently stroked his hair. Maybe it’s because his hair is thin, but it scatters smoothly without getting caught. But it’s not completely straight hair either, which was strange.
“But will we really not have a deficit if we help?”
No matter how I look at it, you’re the one who doesn’t know yourself, not me. There’s a good reason why Min-jeong-ssi tried to recruit us.
“She said she’s going to sell it with your face.”
“My face?”
He said that and slightly pulled his face away. Even his lying sideways appearance was as beautiful as a painting. How can his nose be so straight? Even if I sculpted it with my hands, I don’t think I could sculpt it so delicately.
“She’s saying that if you’re there, people will come to see your face, so she’s going to do business with that.”
“……That’s a ridiculous plan.”
I thought it was possible enough, but he didn’t seem to think so. Choi Tae-gyeom, who let out a dumbfounded laugh, suddenly hardened his expression and looked at me.
“Why?”
His eyes, filled with strength, slowly scanned my face. From my eyes to my nose, from my nose to my lips. And from my lips to my neck. Soon, he twitched his lips and spat out firmly.
“Don’t you run the pub.”
His face was covered with displeasure. When I didn’t answer right away, Choi Tae-gyeom jumped up. Then he put his hand on my thigh and looked me straight in the eye.
“I’ll do the serving, so tell her you’re not doing it.”
Pheromones were slowly flowing out. The pheromones that he intentionally released wrapped around me and filled the surroundings. It was a very small amount, but my body, which had been tamed all weekend, naturally reacted to him.
“What are you talking about? If we’re going to do it, we have to do it together.”
I tried hard to suppress the rising lust. The emotion Choi Tae-gyeom was showing was clearly an obsession towards me. It wasn’t pheromones he was releasing to excite me, but I couldn’t react so rudely.
“How can I let you do it alone?”
I was saying the same thing Choi Tae-gyeom had said. Because of that, he closed his mouth with a dissatisfied expression. Choi Tae-gyeom, who had avoided my gaze for a very brief moment, reached out towards my neck.
“Then are you going to do it wearing clothes that show your neck?”
He pulled down the neck of my T-shirt with both hands. His straight fingers traced the exposed bare skin here and there. Maybe he was deliberately checking the marks he had made. My face flushed red at the sensual touch.
“Betas can’t feel pheromones even if you put them on.”
“…….”
“There will be people coming to see Lee Yoon-woo, too, right?”
Choi Tae-gyeom whispered with his nose buried in my neck. Unlike his sensual touch, his voice showed a whining tone. With Choi Tae-gyeom here, who would come to see me? That was a ridiculous statement.
“……You don’t have to worry about what Min-jeong-ssi said.”
I barely managed to answer without trembling my voice. My lower abdomen felt heavy because of the pheromones that surrounded me. Choi Tae-gyeom snorted as if it were impossible and kissed my cheek.
“You really…… you don’t know yourself at all.”
Whisk, my vision turned upside down. When I came to my senses, my lips were already locked together. He laid me down on the sofa and pushed his tongue in, then fiddled with my earlobe.
From the day we started dating, he kissed me all the time. I don’t know what timing or what point I reacted to, but it was certain that kissing Choi Tae-gyeom felt incredibly good. The moment our tongues intertwined, I didn’t remember that this was the club room or that I had to go to another class soon.
His soft tongue gently rubbed against mine. Choi Tae-gyeom, who tickled the roof of my mouth with the tip of his tongue, persistently rummaged through my mouth. Was it okay to feel this good? My dazed head released pheromones in bursts.
“…….”
My lower back flinched at the sensation of his sucking on my lower lip. He bit my lip with his front teeth and pulled his face away. Beyond my blurry vision, I could see his lips, which were plump and swollen.
“I don’t want other people to see you.”
It was no different from a child’s tantrum. It was similar to when he told me not to play with Kim Do-hyun before. I gasped for breath and retorted in a small voice.
“……That’s what I should be saying.”
Objectively, Choi Tae-gyeom received more attention from others than I did. He was so dazzling that people would turn their heads to look at him even when he was just passing by, but I was relatively ordinary.
“What are you saying with that face?”
Tuk, Choi Tae-gyeom’s face flushed red at the words that popped out.
I stroked his flushed face and traced his pretty features. The warm skin felt good on my fingertips.
“How do you look?”
Sometimes I think my aesthetic sense has broken down because of Choi Tae-gyeom. Kim Do-hyun and Min-jeong-ssi also had outstanding appearances, but I had never felt any special feelings for them. If I had grown up seeing Choi Tae-gyeom from birth, it was enough.
“……You’re really.”
Choi Tae-gyeom pressed his lips tightly and then hugged me tightly. His ears, which were slightly visible, looked as hot as if they would burn. When I unconsciously stroked his exposed ear, he mumbled in a small voice.
“Don’t say things like that so casually.”
He did something embarrassing first, and then blushed at just a word. He was wriggling into my chest, he was just a big kid.
“What did I do?”
I smiled and asked back. Choi Tae-gyeom’s pheromones throbbed as much as his heartbeat. He had never been happy with external compliments, but if I had known he would be so shy, I would have brought it up sooner.
“Look at me.”
When I stroked his broad back, he slyly raised his head. His cheeks were still flushed.
“Are you getting a fever?”
I deliberately spoke playfully. In fact, I could feel a warmth from Choi Tae-gyeom that was almost hot. Come to think of it, he used to have this kind of face when he had a fever. A subtle sense of déjà vu suddenly sprang up.
“……I should take some fever medicine.”
But before I could question that sense of déjà vu, Choi Tae-gyeom bumped his forehead against mine. His pheromones became as clear as the distance that had narrowed closely. He doesn’t take fever medicine, though. When I smiled faintly, he rubbed his cheek against mine affectionately.
“Yoon-woo, what time does your class end?”
“Well…… around four? It starts at two.”
The corners of my raised cheekbones didn’t know how to come down. My chest was so full that my heart was pounding every time I breathed. The pheromones mixed in the air made me realize that only Choi Tae-gyeom and I existed here.
“What about you?”
“My class is over today.”
Choi Tae-gyeom replied with his ear pressed against my chest. I could feel a heavy volume below, but I decided to pretend I didn’t know. I wasn’t much different from Choi Tae-gyeom, so there was no need to point it out.
“Should we go to class together?”
“It’ll be boring.”
“You can listen to the lecture, and I can watch you.”
It was a very tempting offer, but I couldn’t tell him to do that. If someone as noticeable as Choi Tae-gyeom was sitting there, the professor would quickly notice. Choi Tae-gyeom seemed to know that too, as he didn’t push it any further and raised his upper body.
“If it’s two o’clock, I should get going soon.”
He grabbed my arm with one hand and helped me up. After straightening my disheveled hair, he playfully rubbed my cheeks. He pressed down on both cheeks and playfully raised the corners of his lips.
“Your hair is a mess.”
“It’s because of you.”
I took out my phone to check the time and got up from my seat. It was almost two o’clock, so if I left for the lecture hall now, it would be just about right. Choi Tae-gyeom wrapped his arms around my waist with a regretful look and buried his face in my back.
“Let’s go eat something delicious after class. I’ll be waiting.”
“Where are you going to wait?”
“I can just go anywhere.”
“Um…….”
I stopped talking and closed my mouth. It wasn’t just 10 or 20 minutes, and I felt bad for leaving him for a couple of hours. There wasn’t really a place to be, so it was ambiguous to tell him to wait without a plan. But if I just sent him back, I would feel too bad.
“……Ah.”
Suddenly, a good idea came to mind. I let out a light exclamation and released the arms wrapped around my waist. When I turned around, his clear eyes scanned my face.
“Instead of that, go to my place.”
“Your place?”
He asked back like that and hugged my waist again. As if he didn’t want to be apart even for a moment, he came into my arms. Even his spoiled appearance felt cute.
“Yeah, I think that would be better.”
It wasn’t that far, so it wouldn’t be a hassle to come out again. And if things went wrong, he could just stay home.
“The password is your birthday.”
“…….”
“Six digits.”
It was the password I had set since the day I first started living alone. I didn’t really have anything set, so Choi Tae-gyeom was the first person I thought of, and I designated it as his birthday without much thought. At first, I was wary of it because I thought it was like a stalker, but now I didn’t think there was any need to hide it.
“You know where the entrance is, right?”
There was no way he wouldn’t remember a four-digit number like ‘1234’. He had been dumbfounded, saying that the entrance security was ridiculous. When I stroked the back of his head and hair, Choi Tae-gyeom squinted and asked back.
“Am I going into a house without an owner?”
Suddenly, I remembered the day I went into his room. The senses of my five senses becoming vivid and my cells dancing were still clearly remembered. I’m sure that if that place hadn’t been someone else’s room or if I hadn’t been tired, I would have been playing with him without a care.
“Since when have we cared about things like that?”
“That’s true, but…….”
Choi Tae-gyeom’s face was full of mischief. He traced my back as if playing the piano and rubbed his cheek against my hand.
“What if I do something weird with your pheromones?”
“…….”
Several scenes came to mind. The few times I had masturbated with him as a side dish, intoxicated by his pheromones. I think I felt guilty at first, but later even that became dull. What had I done to this innocent guy? My conscience pricked.
“Lee Yoon-woo?”
Choi Tae-gyeom tilted his head at me, who wasn’t answering. Then he pulled me over and sat me on top of him. When I faced him awkwardly and knelt on the sofa, he looked into my eyes seriously.
“Yoon-woo.”
My body flinched noticeably at his gentle voice. He narrowed his eyes and pulled my back closer, bringing our faces closer.
“What are you thinking about?”
His transparent gaze seemed to be looking into my soul. I was confident in managing my expression, but even that wasn’t easy when I was in front of him.
“I wasn’t thinking about anything.”
I tried to say it calmly, but he didn’t seem to believe me. He curled up the corners of his lips and narrowed his eyes, then muttered softly.
“There’s only one thing you make that expression for…….”
My heart was pounding loudly. The pheromones that brushed against the tip of my nose, the lips that were so close they seemed to touch, and even the slight pangs of conscience were all converted into some kind of desire.
To me, Choi Tae-gyeom whispered with a brighter face than ever.
“What did you do with my pheromones?”
* * *
“Ah……!”
My waist trembled. The hand that had slipped inside my clothes gently stroked my back. Choi Tae-gyeom nibbled on my exposed chest with his teeth and used his other hand to undo my pants buckle.
“Wait, just…….”
I grabbed Choi Tae-gyeom’s shoulders and the back of the sofa and shook my head. The position of kneeling on the sofa with my thighs raised was very precarious to resist. I felt a sense of unease that I might fall backwards, but he didn’t care and tickled the bud with the tip of his tongue.
“Heu…….”
His unrestrained touch slipped into my pants. My already swollen penis was helplessly held in his hand. He slowly rubbed the shaft and stroked the tip of the glans with his thumb.
“Do you think you can skip class?”
His voice was full of playfulness as he asked that. His hands and mouth didn’t seem to want to let me go, but he was only pretending to let me go with words. I grabbed his hair with the thought that he was hateful, but Choi Tae-gyeom only smiled faintly and moved his hand backwards. His finger slipped into my already wet entrance without hesitation.
“Ah…… Is the location more important than the class?”
The sound of squelching was lewd. His long finger found the part I was feeling without a moment’s hesitation. My legs seemed to lose strength at the sensation of the inside being pressed down.
“Huh? Yoon-woo.”
“Heu……!”
“You have to answer.”
My thighs trembled. Choi Tae-gyeom deliberately pressed down on my prostate with a dull ache. It wasn’t enough to completely knock my reason out, but it was enough to cloud my judgment. The faintly released pheromone also left me with room to spare.
“…I have to go.”
I barely managed to answer, grabbing Choi Tae-gyeom’s shoulder. Beneath the thin t-shirt would be full of the nail marks I had left all weekend. He stopped moving at my answer and rolled up his fallen t-shirt.
“Really?”
I clearly answered that I had to go, but strangely, the number of fingers increased. Soon, two fingers fumbled and stimulated my inner walls.
“You’re so wet, and you’re going to leave?”
“Ah, ugh!”
I bowed my head and gave strength to my lower abdomen. The reflexively tightened entrance nibbled at Choi Tae-gyeom’s fingers. He rubbed his lips against my flushed chest and pleaded.
“Don’t go.”
“Haa…”
My breath seemed to be cut off. Unlike before, the thickly flowing pheromone slowly eroded my reason. Lecture or whatever, it’s a pass/fail subject anyway, wouldn’t it be okay to skip a day? The time of hesitation was very short.
“The door…”
“The door?”
His upturned eyes were excessively sensual. The way he drew a pretty arc when our eyes met was also attractive. I forced out the rest of the words in a heavily subdued voice.
“The door, you didn’t lock it.”
He smiled softly and pulled out his fingers. The inside, suddenly empty, contracted as if feeling the emptiness. He took a condom out of the bag next to him and replied nonchalantly.
“I locked it earlier.”
I blinked stupidly. Earlier, when? I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t because he was putting a condom on my penis. Instead, a different question popped out this time.
“Why are you putting it on me?”
“So I don’t get your clothes dirty.”
He answered casually and unbuckled his pants. The ominous thing, which I always saw, revealed its presence over his underwear.
“…”
At this point, even wearing pants was torture. The fact that he pretended to be relaxed without changing his expression was, the more I looked, the more amazing it was. In the meantime, he put on the condom and wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Don’t make any noise.”
The tip of his penis touched my already wet entrance. As he led, I slowly bent my knees, and his glans parted the hole and entered. Still, having held it for a few days, it was less burdensome than the first time.
“Heu-ut…”
“Does it hurt?”
I shook my head. There was no pain, but strangely, I only felt nervous. The feeling of my throat being choked and my mouth drying gave me a feeling that I didn’t know whether it was anticipation or fear.
“Hoo.”
Choi Tae-gyeom, who took a short breath, closed and opened his eyes tightly. As if his patience had reached its limit, his eyelids were fluttering. His neat front teeth were gently biting his lower lip.
Whenever he made this expression, an unknown excitement arose. The desire beneath his patience stimulated something impulsive. Already pushed to the limit, yet enduring it once more, felt unbearably good.
“Ugh…”
Thump, a long pillar pushed in. Usually, I would have felt fear around this point, but today, impatience took precedence. The thought that I wanted him to come deep inside filled my head.
So I closed my eyes tightly and relaxed my legs. Thwack, Choi Tae-gyeom’s penis instantly pierced through the inside. An electrifying pleasure ran up my spine.
“Heu…!”
“…Ah.”
Choi Tae-gyeom closed his eyes tightly and let out a moan. The deep insertion seemed to be an unbearable pleasure for him as well as for me. My lower abdomen bulged because the inner walls were filled to the brim.
“Haa, haa…”
Hot breaths scattered in the air. My pheromones, which had increased in an instant, thickly filled the inside of the club room. I wondered if the pheromones would seep out through the crack in the door, and because of the place, I was worried.
“Are you okay?”
Choi Tae-gyeom asked kindly and traced around my tailbone. The subtly flowing pheromones made my lower back languid. I hugged his neck and nodded my head.
“…It doesn’t hurt.”
It was a strange thing. It wasn’t like I released a lot of pheromones, but I was so okay. Rather, I was slowly getting impatient with the fact that he wasn’t moving.
“Your bottom is…”
Gulp, his Adam’s apple moved. He frowned and slowly started to speak. ‘Twitching,’ at that one word, I unknowingly tightened my bottom.
“…”
“…”
Without either of us saying anything, our waists moved. Choi Tae-gyeom, who was moving as if he was swaying at first, started to hold my pelvis and thrust upwards. My vision blurred with the merciless movements.
“Heueung, heu, ah!”
Pleasure rushed in the blink of an eye. Seeing me moan as if I was fainting, Choi Tae-gyeom pushed his fingers between my lips. He couldn’t bring himself to bite, but as he sucked on my fingertips, he lifted my t-shirt upwards.
“Bite this.”
“Heu, eung…”
I fixed the end of the t-shirt between my teeth. Thanks to that, my upper body was exposed, but I didn’t have time to care about that fact. He roughly pushed his penis in and bit down hard on my erect nipple.
“…!”
I would have made a loud noise if I hadn’t been biting the cloth. It wasn’t painful, but the pleasure spread. He sucked on the place he had bitten and rotated his waist in a circle.
“Heu-ut…!”
His penis moved around inside. Every time my prostate was pressed, my whole body seemed to float up. In the meantime, Choi Tae-gyeom, who had moved to the opposite breast, left a dark mark on the exposed skin.
Anyone who saw it might have thought I had a disease. Choi Tae-gyeom’s traces were thickly smeared on all the parts covered by clothes. There wasn’t enough space with just the ones he left on the weekend, but he was covering them with new traces.
“Haa.”
His hot breath tickled my exposed skin. He was moving my body with hands that were as excited as I was. His gaze, covered in passion, was replaced with dizzying pleasure.
“Heut, heu, eueung…!”
I scattered suppressed moans and tilted my head back. The t-shirt that had been in my mouth had already slipped down to my chin. As I grabbed Choi Tae-gyeom’s shoulders and wriggled my body, he hastily laid me down on the sofa.
“Ah…!”
My legs spread wide. One leg was below the sofa, and the other leg was hooked on the back of the sofa. My cumbersome pants and underwear had already fallen to the floor. Since my shoes had been taken off at some point, my socks-clad legs were dangling.
“Ha-eut!”
As if the narrow sofa wasn’t uncomfortable, he moved his waist greatly. Without realizing it, a loud moan burst out. Choi Tae-gyeom whispered softly with a face that wasn’t at all embarrassed.
“Shh…, someone will hear.”
“Heuk, heup…”
I covered my mouth with both hands and gasped for breath. My heart was pounding like crazy as if I was doing something bad. The club rooms weren’t soundproof, so it wasn’t the time to make noise comfortably.
As soon as I thought that, Choi Tae-gyeom, who was stabbing inside, raised his upper body and firmly fixed my legs. Thump, thump, his penis touched the place I was feeling.
“Heup, eu, heu!”
My waist arched in a circle. I was out of my mind with the pleasure that rushed in every time he moved violently. Bang, bang, my reason was cut off sporadically as if fireworks were exploding.
“No, no, heuk, ah…!”
I reached out and tapped Choi Tae-gyeom’s shoulder. It meant that I couldn’t hold back the sound, so please do it slowly, but he pretended not to know and increased the speed. He pulled out, leaving only the tip, and then inserted it all the way in at once, biting his lip as he looked at me with wide eyes.
“…Hoo.”
Choi Tae-gyeom and I were both barely holding on to our reason. If our eyes met, lust would arise, and if we moved our waists, our heads would be emptied. The fact that this was the club room, the fact that Park Seong-jae had the key, didn’t come to mind at that moment.
“…”
Knock, knock, the sound of knocking was heard at that time. At first, I thought I had misheard, but then I heard the sound of the doorknob turning, click, click.
“What, it’s locked?”
I felt the blood in my whole body turn cold. I was so surprised that I even stopped breathing, but Choi Tae-gyeom raised his head nonchalantly. His gaze was straight towards the club room door.
“Hyung! Seong-jae hyung!”
The knocking continued a couple of times. Judging by the familiar voice, it seemed to be one of the club members. As I carefully calmed my breathing, I heard another person’s voice.
“Hey, it looks like no one’s here, let’s just go.”
“He’s not the type of hyung to lock the door…”
My heart was pounding. The only thing blocking the people outside was a thin door. If someone brought the key, or if the door accidentally opened, the fact that I was doing this with Choi Tae-gyeom would be exposed. A sense of crisis was welling up, and on the other hand, I felt strangely good to the point where my face turned red. In this situation, my erect penis should have died down, but I couldn’t understand why it was still swollen.
Choi Tae-gyeom, who was staring at me like that, deeply inserted his penis that had been pulled out halfway. My waist bounced up and a high-pitched moan came out.
“Ah!”
A quiet silence lingered. I hurriedly covered my mouth with the back of my hand, but such words had already been heard outside.
“…Didn’t you hear something?”
‘Are you crazy?’ I glared at Choi Tae-gyeom with such eyes. Regardless of my resentful gaze, he was slowly moving his penis back, moving his waist. He gently rubbed my stomach and chest with his palm.
“Don’t…!”
Thump, the inside was stimulated. I hurriedly pushed Choi Tae-gyeom’s chest with the soles of my feet. However, the highly aroused sensitivity regarded all of his actions as a stepping stone to reaching climax.
“Isn’t there someone inside?”
“…!”
I bit my lower lip tightly. There were other people outside, but my head was still hazy. No, rather, I felt much more sensitive than before. In the meantime, the penis that had retreated once again strongly dug into my inside.
“Heup…!”
I couldn’t hold back the sound at all. It was so good, my head must have gone crazy. My inner walls trembled and wrapped around the thing inside. He let out a hot breath and looked down at me, grabbing the hand that had been covering my mouth and pulling it away.
“Heuek, Choi, Choi Tae-gyeom you…”
Before I could finish speaking, our lips met. He hurriedly pushed his tongue in and thrust his waist up. The faster the speed, the more blurry my vision became.
“Didn’t you hear a sound?”
“Hey, why are you being so scary.”
“Eung, heup…!”
Saliva flowed from the gap between our lips. The sticky, mixing tongues blocked all the moans that were about to come out. I’m crazy, this is really crazy. I thought that, but contrary to my reason, my body was steadily building up pleasure.
“Aish, I’ll have to contact Seong-jae hyung later.”
Fortunately, the guys outside soon turned away and walked away. Only then did Choi Tae-gyeom, who had taken his lips off, grab my ankle with one hand and fix it on the sofa side. Instinctively, I could tell that Choi Tae-gyeom was as excited as I was.
“Heu, ah…!”
Thwack! A deeper insertion than ever before followed. My waist twisted and my toes curled up. As I scratched the sofa and tilted my head back, his swollen penis spewed out semen.
“…Heu.”
All the moans that had been coming out until now disappeared into my throat. I was glad that he had put a condom on me, otherwise I would have ejaculated without even realizing it. As I tightened my bottom while I was ejaculating, Choi Tae-gyeom moaned between his teeth and gave strength to his lower abdomen.
“Eut…”
It was the first time I had ejaculated without knotting. Except for when I did it by hand, there had never been a case like this. The penis that filled my inner walls was intermittently trembling.
“Haa…”
Choi Tae-gyeom blinked with a face that still had the afterglow of ejaculation. Every time his long eyelashes drooped, strength went into my thighs. Once, twice, he caught his breath, supported my upper body, and hugged me so tightly that my body would break.
“You really…”
“He said Seong-jae is the only one with the key.”
His gentle voice was quite annoying. I wondered why he was so relaxed. How did a guy who joined the club today know such a fact? As if taking revenge, I bit Choi Tae-gyeom’s shoulder, and he licked my earlobe for a long time.
“You felt it in that situation?”
“…!”
His protruding voice was full of playfulness. What was absurd was that my lower body reacted again to that low voice. I had lived my whole life without lust, but it was so scary to learn it late. My face flushed and my shoulders trembled.
“…I’m just surprised.”
I added an excuse that was barely audible. Choi Tae-gyeom stroked my head with a silly smile. A kiss was pressed on my cheek, and it was full of affection for me.
“Okay, I’ll believe you.”
“You too…”
I opened my mouth in anger, but closed it again as soon as our eyes met. It was because his eyes, still covered in excitement, came to me as a kind of impulse. Yeah, there’s no way he’d be satisfied with just once. With the thirst rising from my stomach, I proposed to Choi Tae-gyeom in a subdued voice.
“…Let’s go home.”
* * *
Outside the building, there were full-blown cherry blossoms. Perhaps because I had used up all my energy, my eyelids drooped lazily in the gentle spring breeze. Choi Tae-gyeom looked up at the blue sky and pulled up the corners of his mouth pleasantly.
“It’s really spring now.”
I was confused as to which was spring, the flowers or Choi Tae-gyeom. Both were similar in terms of splendor, but the season couldn’t smile at me. His face with a faint smile was more lovely than the cherry blossoms.
“I know, it’s pretty.”
It was an ambiguous impression, but he quickly realized what I meant. He put his hands in his coat pockets and shrugged playfully.
“Me?”
“…Yeah, you.”
A smile naturally seeped out. Anyway, he was amazingly quick to notice things like this. It was an ability not to be annoying even though he said he was pretty with his own mouth. If it were someone else, they wouldn’t even have the confidence to ask that.
“The kids know we’re dating.”
We walked towards the back gate, passing through the campus full of cherry blossoms. We could have gone faster by passing between the buildings, but we decided to walk along the promenade to enjoy the flowers. Perhaps because I skipped the lecture, or because I was walking with Choi Tae-gyeom, I felt more refreshed than ever.
“The kids? What kids?”
“The classmates. Seong-jae and Min-jeong-ssi.”
I hope the cherry blossoms don’t fall during the festival. As quickly as they bloomed in the blink of an eye, the speed at which they fell was also fast, so last year or the year before, there was even a saying that it was not a cherry blossom festival but a leaf festival.
“I don’t know how it happened, but it seems like they heard it from somewhere.”
“Heueum… Really?”
Choi Tae-gyeom answered suspiciously with a low hum. To the words, ‘It seems like the rumor has spread,’ he also trailed off, saying, ‘I see…’ As he moved his steps, tap, tap, he naturally reached out towards me.
“Then there’s no need to be aware of them.”
In a short moment, our fingers intertwined. The shadow cast on the floor was also connected based on the right hand. The warmth transmitted from his palm quickly invaded the area near my heart.
“…It’s not like you were aware of them before.”
I said something I didn’t mean. It wasn’t the first time we held hands, but my heart fluttered. The fingers that had been intertwined countless times from childhood until now felt very awkward today. He traced the back of my hand with his thumb while interlocking his fingers, and even that small contact squeezed my heart wildly.
I awkwardly touched the back of my neck and lowered my eyes. There weren’t many people, but when someone passed by, they obviously looked at us. Half of them were shocked to see Choi Tae-gyeom, and the other half sent envious glances.
“People are watching.”
“I grabbed it so they would see.”
Even if nothing else, it was definitely an action that contributed to the rumor. An Alpha and an Omega holding hands and walking in broad daylight. It was no different from advertising, ‘We’re dating.’ Others might think we’re having an eyesore date.
Well, whatever. If a rumor spreads, it spreads, if others know, others know, there will be advantages to that as well.
‘Want to hold hands?’
I felt new emotions. On the day we reunited, we awkwardly reminisced about the past in a dark alleyway. We filled our personal desires under the guise of jokes, and we were so surprised by the smoothly mixing body temperatures that we were busy running away. But now, we are holding hands without any obstacles.
I had held Yoon-woo’s hand on the day I confessed, but I hadn’t realized it then. That thanks to holding hands, he was walking beside me instead of behind me. The person I thought I could only ever look at was staying right next to me.
“Yoon-woo.”
A pheromone that resembled the season was transmitted through our touching skin. It was as gentle and warm as spring. As if responding to it, my pheromone fluttered towards Choi Tae-gyeom.
“Your pheromones seem stronger.”
He said, shaking our clasped hands. I was so far gone that even that small action felt cute. His pheromones were stronger? Even so, the fact that I was recessive wouldn’t change.
“Pheromones…”
Was it because I quit suppressants and cigarettes? Or maybe it was because I wasn’t hiding it anymore. It wasn’t unreasonable to feel that it had become ‘stronger’ now that I was revealing what I had been hiding so carefully.
“Maybe it’s because I’m not holding back.”
“It feels a bit different than that, though…”
Choi Tae-gyeom tilted his head but didn’t press further. He seemed unsure how to express it himself. He shook his head and said with a worried tone.
“Go to the hospital again soon. You need to see if your pheromones have stabilized since last time.”
“Last time? When?”
“When you were in heat.”
Ah, that time.
The pheromones that had been running wild calmed down as soon as I was intimate with Choi Tae-gyeom. Whether it was because I had relieved my sexual desire or because I had fully experienced a Dominant Alpha’s pheromones, either way, there hadn’t been any problems since, so I had forgotten about it.
“Don’t skip it because you’re annoyed. I’ll go with you.”
“Oh, well…”
I was just thinking that I didn’t need to go, so I awkwardly mumbled my reply. The cause had been resolved, and my pheromones were more stable than ever lately. So, I didn’t really feel the need to go, but it was better to go once than to worry him.
“Okay.”
When I nodded, Choi Tae-gyeom smiled contentedly. Even if I forgot, he would probably drag me there. He was so meticulous about my affairs that I suspected he had health anxiety.
“Don’t get sick.”
“I’m not sick.”
I could sense guilt mixed in with his worried voice. Now, this feeling was both joyful and apologetic. It was nice that he cared about me, but I didn’t want him to worry because of it.
“…My back hurts because of you, though.”
I grabbed Choi Tae-gyeom’s hand and said nonchalantly. I felt my ears burning, but I pretended not to notice. He widened his eyes for a moment, then smiled as if he was melting.
“I’ll massage it for you later.”
His face, full of smiles, was dazzlingly radiant. Spring with Choi Tae-gyeom was warmer than ever.
In high school, our school, famous for its cherry blossoms and grass, held a sports day in the spring. The stadium was full of colorful flowers, and the students were busy practicing for their respective events. Some lenient teachers even took time out of class, but even when that wasn’t possible, the students willingly gave up their lunch breaks.
Among them, Choi Tae-gyeom was a student who participated in more events than anyone else. It wasn’t by choice, but he was so athletic that it couldn’t be helped. In particular, it was impossible to skip the relay race, which was selected based on skill, and the soccer game, which was participated in by male students, so he was forced to participate in five events.
In contrast, I avoided most events thanks to my amazing rock-paper-scissors luck. I was able to slip out of soccer, which required the most running, without much effort. The head of the sports department expressed regret, saying, “We need Yoon-woo to win,” but Choi Tae-gyeom cut him off, saying, “I’ll do it.”
So, I ended up spending most of the practice time in the stands. Only the students with poor health and a few others remained in the stands, busy chatting among themselves. Of course, I didn’t join any group and just blankly watched Choi Tae-gyeom.
‘Lee Yoon-woo, some water.’
Choi Tae-gyeom, who was practicing soccer, approached me. His hair was disheveled, and sweat was dripping down his neck. The weather was still cool, but anyone would believe it was the middle of summer.
‘You must be tired.’
I felt sorry for him panting. It was a sin to be so talented; he had been running around like crazy every sports day season since elementary school. I was glad that he didn’t hate exercising.
‘I feel like my heart is going to explode. Want to feel it?’
Choi Tae-gyeom put down the water he had gulped down and took my right hand. As he led me, I placed my hand on his left chest, and I could feel his heart pounding. He had scored three goals in just 15 minutes, and the temperature on my palm was also hot.
‘It’s beating really fast.’
‘I’m so tired.’
He puffed out his chest and gasped for breath. He had already let go of my wrist, but strangely, I couldn’t take my hand away. I felt like I was becoming one with the throbbing in my palm.
‘…Why?’
He frowned awkwardly and started to speak. Choi Tae-gyeom smelled faintly of sand. He was sweating, but it wasn’t unpleasant; rather, even his sticky touch felt good.
‘Just. Be careful not to catch a cold. You’ll be cold when the sweat cools down.’
So, I casually raised my hand. When I wiped his hot neck and wiped away the sweat, he flinched back.
‘…Hey, I’m sweating a lot.’
‘That’s why I wiped it off.’
I could feel a strong throbbing under his chin and around his neck. His face was also red because he had been in the sun for a long time. His skin was so fair that his flushed cheeks were overly visible. He should have put on sunscreen. I smiled and cupped Choi Tae-gyeom’s face with both hands.
‘My hands are cool, right?’
‘…’
This time, he didn’t back away either. He just blinked slowly and held my wrist. I felt like he was even hotter than before.
‘…Yeah, your hands are really cold.’
With those words, Choi Tae-gyeom buried his face in my palm. I couldn’t see his expression, but I knew he was at least in a good mood.
‘I’ll go back now.’
He ran back to the field as soon as the break was over. My cool hand was now warm with Choi Tae-gyeom’s body temperature. My quiet heart was also throbbing like his.
After that, Choi Tae-gyeom ran around the field. He scored three more goals in the second half, and the students in the stands blushed as they watched him. I overheard an Omega next to me muttering, ‘His pheromones…’
‘…’
Indeed, it was spring in many ways. The lively air of the field, the scattering petals, and the guys running around tirelessly. And Choi Tae-gyeom, who caught my eye more than anyone else, occasionally looked at me.
‘…Pretty.’
I didn’t know what he meant by pretty at the time. Maybe around that time, my feelings for him were preparing to bloom. Only now that they have fully bloomed do I finally understand what kind of excitement that was.