By Zephyria 
Dо-hуun calmly wаitеd for the right mоment. Hе intеndеd tо unfоld thе convеrsаtiоn comрosedly оncе the situаtion, timе, and рlасe werе all аligned. Ocсasionallу, the thought of just рretеnding nоt to know and burying it crоssed his mind, but he steаdiеd himsеlf, tеlling himsеlf he mustn’t.
‘I… want tо go smоkе too.’
Unаwаre of his inner thoughts, Wоo-уеon follоwеd Dо-hуun аround likе а newlу hatched chick. Hе even triеd to follоw him to smoke, tо the рoint wherе Dо-hyun seсretly vоwed tо quit smоking. Of соurse, thаnks tо that, hе wаs аble to sеizе a gооd орportunity.
‘I’ll show you a movie.’
A date under the guise of a reward, and a stepping stone to confess everything. Knowing that Woo-yeon charged straight ahead without hesitation once he had a goal, it was a bet Do-hyun had proposed. If he could simultaneously get him to focus on his studies, that would be an added bonus.
‘I’ll buy you popcorn and drinks, too.’
Naive Woo-yeon fell for the word ‘reward’ instantly. Since Do-hyun had dangled both interesting things and delicious food, Woo-yeon was bound to produce good grades somehow.
In truth, Do-hyun had intentionally kept the criteria vague, intending to tell him he “did well” regardless of the actual result.
Only two things didn’t go as planned. First, that Woo-yeon was deeply discouraged by the results of the final exam, and second, that he drank enough to get wasted at the subsequent after-party.
‘Please take these pants off for me.’
Even after acknowledging his feelings, Woo-yeon was someone Do-hyun had never viewed in a sexual sense. He had seen him in his school uniform, and unless it was pheromones, the other still smelled like a baby. Do-hyun had been confident that even if Woo-yeon threw himself at him naked, he wouldn’t give in.
‘…You’re lying on my bed right now.’
And yet, his mind went completely blank. To dismiss it as merely the effect of pheromones, the face flushed red was far too fatal. Those hazy, unfocused eyes and those snowy white thighs snapped the thread of his reason.
‘Ha… fuck, I don’t know anymore.’
He felt as though he might as well just let things happen. He gripped Woo-yeon’s lower half with his hand, coaxing and soothing him, urging him to ejaculate. Amidst the blurring consciousness caused by the thick pheromones, a powerful impulse struck the moment their eyes met.
‘…’
‘…’
He wanted to kiss him. He wanted to tangle their tongues, inhale his pheromones, and taste the inside of that small mouth.
Resisting that urge was the limit of Do-hyun’s final patience. Woo-yeon rubbed his lips against the edge of Do-hyun’s jaw, but Do-hyun held his breath and only moved his hand. The breath he had held to the limit burst out like a spring the moment Woo-yeon ejaculated.
‘…Yeon-ah.’
Naturally, Woo-yeon didn’t hear him. He simply let out a thin moan, his body limp.
‘Ah… Teacher…’
The next day, Woo-yeon fled without looking back. There was no time to ask who Danny was—the person coming to Korea to see Woo-yeon—why he was staying at Woo-yeon’s house instead of a hotel, or why he was pretending not to remember the previous night.
Well, it didn’t matter. Since he had called him Teacher once, the second time would be easy. Rather, it wouldn’t be bad to use that memory to subtly open a conversation.
Do-hyun helped Woo-yeon with his group project and used Yun-woo’s words as a pretext to set a movie date. Still clumsy and simple, Woo-yeon followed along like a good boy, doing whatever Do-hyun suggested.
And then came the big day. Fearlessly, Woo-yeon invited Do-hyun to his house.
‘…Would you like some champagne?’
After committing such an act while drunk, he was suggesting they drink again. It was clear he hadn’t realized the location was his home, nor that they had spent a day that felt like a date.
‘You remember, don’t you, Woo-yeon?’
Honestly, it felt unfair. That he had called him Teacher, yet continued to pretend he didn’t know. That he would tuck his tail and run the moment a trace of the past was mentioned.
‘…Seonbae, why are you so quick-witted?’
‘You get skilled at anything once you’re used to it.’
He was more than used to reading the room; he was sick of it. At the orphanage, and in the home he was adopted into. Do-hyun had spent every single day in a state of tension that made the hair on his neck stand up.
‘Why did you get used to it?’
‘I wonder…’
The reason he couldn’t answer that question was simple inferiority. He felt ashamed to tell the inner details to Woo-yeon, who had grown up in a respectable family. He could see Woo-yeon looking crestfallen, but his ugly pride wouldn’t allow it.
Fortunately, Woo-yeon didn’t ask further and returned to the original topic. Although the answer that came back was entirely different from what he expected.
‘It was a drinking habit.’
Those words made his blood run cold. It sounded as if the same thing would have happened that day even if it hadn’t been him.
‘Then you would have done that with anyone else, too.’
Do-hyun pushed Woo-yeon gently and softly. Even he felt he was being tenacious, but his twisted mood didn’t resolve even after seeing Woo-yeon look flustered. Woo-yeon opened and closed his mouth silently, then suddenly grabbed the champagne bottle with a determined face.
‘…!’
It was unexpected. The champagne he poured lavishly disappeared down Woo-yeon’s throat in an instant. There was no time to open his mouth or snatch the wine glass away. After a very short pause, Woo-yeon’s forehead hit the table.
‘…Hah.’
Do-hyun let out a hollow laugh and covered his eyes with one hand. This wasn’t what he intended; he hadn’t been able to say a single important word. Futility, absurdity, and a wave of amusement washed over him.
‘I really can’t win against him…’
Whenever he regained his senses, he found himself being swayed. His thinking was simple and his expressions were honest, yet there was no telling where he would bounce. Just today, after Do-hyun had blocked all escape routes, hadn’t he escaped by drinking himself unconscious?
After swallowing the emptiness a few times, Do-hyun stood up and approached Woo-yeon. A few strands of black hair had fallen over his neat parting. As Do-hyun gently stroked the crown of his head, Woo-yeon groaned and turned his head.
‘It’s turned red.’
Since his face was always snowy white, the redness on his forehead was very apparent. Fortunately, there was no lump, but the mark where he’d bumped his head looked painful. Do-hyun caressed the forehead with his thumb and crouched down right in front of him.
‘Seon Woo-yeon.’
‘…’
‘Woo-yeon.’
‘…’
‘Yeon-ah.’
Long eyelashes fluttered. His flushed lips parted slightly as if licking them. The pheromones flowing out entwined sweetly every time Woo-yeon breathed.
‘…What do you trust about me to be like this.’
Despite being a Dominant Omega, he had fallen asleep with an infinitely defenseless face. He was clearly Soo-hyang’s son, yet how could he be so full of gaps? What if Do-hyun actually did something to him?
But contrary to those thoughts, Do-hyun just looked at Woo-yeon without laying a finger on him. He tilted his head, capturing the features in his eyes as if trying to memorize them. The face, soft as flour dough, was precise without a single flaw.
Only after a long time did Do-hyun reach out to Woo-yeon. He let the limp body lean into his embrace and lifted him up as if he were a small child. He had felt it when he gave him a piggyback ride last time, but it felt like he could just scoop him up and carry him away if he wanted to.
‘I shouldn’t do that, though.’
With a small chuckle, Do-hyun walked with long strides. He found the bedroom by intuition, and the moment he laid Woo-yeon on the bed, the other’s eyelids lifted. His blinking eyes were heavily clouded with the effects of alcohol.
‘Are you awake?’
‘…’
Woo-yeon didn’t answer and pushed himself up. He almost tipped over but quickly regained his balance. With his head lowered, a small mutter escaped his slightly parted lips.
‘I have to wash…’
Then, he began to fumble with his clothes to take them off. Removing his hoodie and undoing his pant buckle, Woo-yeon climbed down from the bed and staggered toward the bathroom. Clothes fell behind him like shed skins wherever he walked.
‘What…’
Do-hyun couldn’t say anything and just watched Woo-yeon’s back. When he took off his underwear at the end, Do-hyun reflexively whipped his head away. Despite being drunk, he was so fast (actually, his movements were like a slug’s) that Do-hyun didn’t even think to stop him.
The reason Do-hyun opened the bathroom door was because of a crashing sound from inside. He had either fallen or dropped something. Either way, he felt the other would get hurt if left alone.
Fortunately, Woo-yeon had simply dropped the shampoo bottle and was sitting quietly in the tub, letting the water from the showerhead hit him. As soon as he saw Do-hyun enter, Woo-yeon’s eyes widened.
‘…Teacher?’
‘Do you even recognize me?’
Do-hyun let out an absurd laugh and slowly approached Woo-yeon. When he changed the cold water to warm, Woo-yeon reached his hand out of the tub. He gripped Do-hyun’s top and asked sullenly.
‘Where did you go?’
‘Where would I go? I was outside and came back in.’
‘No…’
Steam rose thickly. Do-hyun decided it would be better to wash him and take him out, so he took the showerhead. Woo-yeon obediently offered his head while mumbling.
‘Teacher wasn’t here…’
‘Teacher is here.’
His experience washing his younger siblings when he was a child helped. Aside from their size, the children who couldn’t even support their own bodies and the drunk Woo-yeon weren’t that different. Except for the tightening sensation in his lower abdomen, Woo-yeon was actually quieter and easier to handle.
‘Now, let’s go out and sleep.’
Out of a bit of mischief, Do-hyun put a bathrobe on Woo-yeon instead of clothes. After tying the waist string neatly, Do-hyun became the one who was actually suffering. Unaware of how he looked, Woo-yeon tightly gripped Do-hyun’s collar.
‘Are we going now?’
The corners of his eyes drooped. His round pupils were already brimming with moisture. Without a doubt, no one could look at this version of Woo-yeon and say they were “going.”
‘Can’t you stay?’
Inevitably, Do-hyun climbed into bed as Woo-yeon led him. Since Woo-yeon said he hated feeling damp, Do-hyun took off his top, and because he still seemed disappointed, he gave him his right hand. Only then did Woo-yeon seem satisfied, holding Do-hyun’s hand and smiling brightly.
‘Do you like it that much?’
‘Yes.’
It was an unhesitating answer. Perhaps because he was drunk, there was none of his usual hesitation. Do-hyun burst into laughter and whispered in a low voice.
‘What do you like about me?’
‘I just like that you’re Teacher.’
Truly, it was a wonderful drinking habit. His pronunciation was accurate, and his answers were perfectly fine. If he hadn’t seen him drunk before, he would have thought he had already sobered up.
‘Then what is your relationship with Danny?’
Knowing it was childish, Do-hyun insisted on confirming it with his own ears. Woo-yeon stared blankly into the air with a hazy gaze.
‘Probably… a friend?’
‘…Probably?’
It was a very ambiguous response. You’re either a friend or you’re not; what did “probably” mean? Had he formed a special relationship in America? While he was thinking this, Woo-yeon explained further.
‘We’re friends, but it’s a bit ambiguous.’
‘How is it ambiguous?’
‘Just…’
Something felt strange. It was a strangely self-deprecating tone for simply talking about a friend.
Soon, a gloomy voice seeped through those red lips.
‘Because we became close because of my mom.’
The uplifted mood turned cold in an instant. The heavily sinking pheromones also became hard, as if frozen. Unaware of the change, Woo-yeon spoke in a voice mixed with sleepiness.
‘I can’t trust him completely.’