By Zephyria 
Woo-yеоn’s eyеs widened. Dо-hуun smilеd with а gеntlе exрrеssiоn at the еyes that lоokеd as if thеy might рoр оut. Тhe waу his eуes curved intо a soft crеscent was fаr toо nаtural.
“……Remember?”
For nоw, Woo-yеоn аskеd bаck, prеtending tо bе unfazed. Нis mind wеnt blank and the baсk of his hеаd felt tingly, but thаt wаs thе оnlу thing he соuld do. Аfter taking a few steadуing breaths, his trеmbling eyеlashes evеntuallу calmеd dоwn.
“What… do I rеmember?”
Нis lowеrеd gazе slоwly sсаnned thе fооd. He wаs сertаinlу hungrу, but nоw his stomach felt bloated. He moved his hands mechanically, but he had no intention of putting any meat in his mouth.
Watching Woo-yeon, Do-hyun stated lowly.
“You should have asked that question sooner.”
His voice was firm, as if he had no intention of pretending not to know. He tore off the plastic wrap from the champagne cork and smiled leisurely.
“Your timing was off.”
Timing? He couldn’t bring himself to ask that. Before Woo-yeon could even refute it, Do-hyun continued.
“When I asked you, ‘Do you remember?’”
“…….”
“Instead of ‘No,’ you should have asked, ‘What did I do?’”
The color seemed to drain from Woo-yeon’s face. He was seized by the impulse to open that bottle right now and chug it in one go. If he did, perhaps he could brush this situation aside before Do-hyun said anything more.
“Who are you trying to fool with such a clumsy act?”
As if to say it was hopeless, Do-hyun skillfully finished opening the champagne. He unwound the wire holding the cork, blocked the top with his thumb, and rotated it gently. Woo-yeon’s face flushed deep red at the slow movements, which felt almost like a caress.
‘Take your hand off.’
Why, of all things, did his memory cut out so ambiguously? It would have been better if he had forgotten everything, like during the Membership Training.
The touch of the hand gripping his wrist, the sensation of rubbing over his underwear, the feeling of that hand grasping his exposed member without hesitation.
‘You said you were embarrassed, Woo-yeon.’
Woo-yeon remembered what happened that day. To be precise, he remembered only what acts they had performed. Despite not knowing the full context of the situation, his consciousness had returned only at the moments Do-hyun’s hand touched him.
In truth, it couldn’t be helped. For Woo-yeon, who didn’t even masturbate, the slow, heavy touch was far too intense and stimulating. By the time he was writhing in the grip of an unfamiliar pleasure, his reason had already flown away in a different sense.
“I… didn’t really…”
Mumbling an excuse, Woo-yeon shifted his gaze anxiously. He knew Do-hyun wouldn’t believe him, but he couldn’t exactly admit it either. As expected, Do-hyun gave him kind advice with a benevolent face.
“It’s not hard for me to explain it verbally.”
His tone suggested he would gladly explain if Woo-yeon wanted. This time, Woo-yeon simply lowered his head in silence. His bright red nape and the pheromones wafting from him showed just how ashamed he was. Do-hyun placed the cork on the table and casually offered the champagne.
“I intend to keep talking about this…”
The mouth of the champagne bottle felt strangely seductive. The faint mist rising from the carbonation drifted away. Do-hyun gestured toward the overturned wine glass, making a subtle suggestion.
“Want a glass?”
* * *
Among the ways to empty one’s mind, there is no tool as effective as alcohol. Having realized this simple truth long ago, Woo-yeon didn’t hesitate to accept the champagne. One glass, two glasses, and then three. It seemed the claim that the alcohol content was low wasn’t a lie, as he began to feel tipsy before long.
In contrast, Do-hyun didn’t drink a single drop while Woo-yeon’s consciousness began to blur. He simply played along with the mood, filling the empty glass or drinking water.
“……How on earth did you know?”
Only after his mind had grown dull from the alcohol did Woo-yeon ask with teary eyes. Embarrassment, shame, awkwardness, and a hint of resentment. Do-hyun smiled with a troubled face at the accusing gaze.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”
He seemed surprised, rather, that Woo-yeon hadn’t realized it. His expression seemed to ask if he really thought it hadn’t been obvious. Secretly, Woo-yeon curled his fingers under the table.
“Of course you shouldn’t have known.”
That day, when he woke up in Do-hyun’s bed, Woo-yeon thought his acting was perfect. Although he had looked quite flustered, wasn’t that a normal reaction for the day after drinking?
“Since I couldn’t remember during the Membership Training either…”
Furthermore, he already had a track record of blacking out. Picking a fight with a returning student, swearing in English. He truly remembered none of it.
Wait, what if he remembers that too? At the sudden thought, Woo-yeon hurriedly added.
“I’m not lying about this part.”
Do-hyun narrowed his eyes with a languid smile. Then, his eyes curved as if he found it amusing.
“You certainly… didn’t remember that.”
“……That?”
A crease formed between Woo-yeon’s brows. It was because of a premonition that the ‘that’ Do-hyun was referring to was different from what he thought. Do-hyun let out a thin laugh and muttered, “And yet you hope I don’t know.”
“……Seonbae,”
Opening his mouth softly, Woo-yeon looked at Do-hyun with aggrieved eyes. Amidst his overall benevolent appearance, only his pitch-black pupils were slightly indifferent. That subtle gap made him feel surreal.
“Why are you so quick-witted?”
In Woo-yeon’s eyes, Do-hyun was exceptionally skilled at reading other people’s emotions. He read the atmosphere, grasped the other person’s intentions, spoke appropriately, and achieved what he wanted. Basically, it was comforting for Woo-yeon, but there were frequent occasions where he was hit right where it hurt.
“You get skilled at anything if you’re used to it.”
Do-hyun gauged the remaining amount of champagne and examined Woo-yeon’s face. His slow gaze seemed to be checking whether Woo-yeon was drunk or not. Woo-yeon’s mind was a bit foggy, but not to the point of blacking out.
“Why did you get used to it?”
“I wonder…”
It seemed he didn’t want to tell him. Even during tutoring, he would occasionally give vague answers like this. For example, regarding his ideal type, his first love, or his food preferences—things like that.
“That’s not what we’re talking about.”
At the firm voice, Woo-yeon’s eyelashes drooped gloomily. He was more upset that Do-hyun hadn’t answered his question than about what Do-hyun was about to say next. Of course, such feelings vanished without a trace the moment Do-hyun spoke.
“How much do you remember?”
While his answers were roundabout, his questions were incredibly direct. It was enough to blow away even the languid buzz of the alcohol. Woo-yeon gently rubbed the bottom of the wine glass, carefully pondering his answer.
“I don’t remember everything…”
It was difficult to put any of it into words. He couldn’t exactly say, ‘I remember Seonbae touching my thing.’ Nor could he pretend not to know now. If he could, he wanted to drink past his limit and pass out, but the champagne bottle was held in Do-hyun’s hand.
“Just bits and pieces…”
This was exactly when he craved the alcohol. He felt like if he had just one more glass, he could confess everything comfortably… though the future Woo-yeon would likely scream curses at the current Woo-yeon.
“……Can I have one more glass?”
Do-hyun seemed to contemplate for a moment, then readily handed over the champagne bottle. He tried to pour it for him, but Woo-yeon snatched the bottle with both hands. Having the champagne taken from him so suddenly, Do-hyun let out a short, hollow laugh.
“You’ll get drunk if you drink all that.”
Woo-yeon knew. He wasn’t a strong drinker, and he would certainly be drunk if he finished this. But his desire to avoid the current situation was far greater. Do-hyun watched Woo-yeon drink, as if daring him to go ahead.
“It was just…”
Woo-yeon waited for the intoxication to hit before calmly meeting Do-hyun’s eyes. Do-hyun didn’t seem to have any intention of ending the conversation, and Woo-yeon wanted to move past this topic somehow. He didn’t even know what was going through his own mind, but what more could he possibly say?
“It was a drinking habit.”
“……A drinking habit?”
For some reason, Do-hyun’s pheromones sank heavily. His usually soft voice also stiffened slightly. Do-hyun let out dry, arid pheromones and pulled his lips into a thin line.
“Ah, a drinking habit.”
The monotonous voice was strangely eerie. Woo-yeon felt his shoulders stiffen instinctively and swallowed the words he was about to say. Do-hyun, smiling a bit more deeply, spoke softly.
“Then you would have done that with anyone else, too.”
He didn’t fully understand the meaning behind the soft voice. Anyone else? Who? Even though he didn’t ask, Do-hyun answered kindly.
“Like Danny, for instance.”
It was a completely random name. Why would a guy who was probably sleeping soundly in America right now be brought up in this conversation? Unable to hide his bewilderment, Woo-yeon asked back in surprise.
“Why would I do that to Danny?”
The answer came immediately. It was a reaction as if he had been waiting for it.
“Then why did you do it to me?”
Woo-yeon gaped, unable to say a word. It was because he realized the flaw in his own statement too late. The intoxication had risen more than before, but he couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or embarrassment. Then, Do-hyun spoke in a calm voice.
“Woo-yeon.”
It was a voice so attractive it made his lower abdomen tighten. It was sweet and clung to his ears, vaguely bringing back memories of that day. Whenever Do-hyun spoke into his ear, the heightened sexual sensation had only grown larger.
“What were you thinking about when we watched the movie?”
Woo-yeon’s gaze shook as if an earthquake had struck. As soon as he heard the words ‘when we watched the movie,’ a certain part came to mind. A screen filled with flesh, all sorts of moans flowing from the speakers. And the one single scene that overlapped in his head at that moment.
‘Nng, it feels good, ah…’
The memory of himself arching his hips and moaning had haunted him throughout the entire erotic scene. He wasn’t a pubescent teenager or someone who had just manifested; even he thought it was an oversensitive reaction.
Seeing the change in Woo-yeon’s expression, Do-hyun spoke as if to deliver the finishing blow.
“Tell me what you just thought of.”
“…….”
Woo-yeon silently grabbed the champagne bottle. Then, he poured it lavishly into the empty wine glass. While Do-hyun wore a rare expression of bewilderment, Woo-yeon immediately grabbed the glass.
“……!”
Three gulps were enough. There was no time for Do-hyun to stop him. Gulp, gulp, gulp. Having swallowed all the liquid in the glass, Woo-yeon set the wine glass down with a determined face. And shortly after, with a thud, he slammed his forehead down and fell fast asleep.