By Zephyria 
It was early summer, and the heat had arrived abruptly. Hiding in the shade of greenery where he could breathe a bit more comfortably, he watched a man shining in the distance.
Because he, laughing brightly while kicking a ball with friends, was more dazzling and beautiful than the light in the sky. The moment he spent watching him for a long time, losing track of time, was incredibly happy.
“Don’t you get tired of it?”
The moment he thought the shadow covering him had grown darker, he looked up at the voice. He deliberately ignored the man who was the shadow itself, wanting neither to be entangled nor to exchange words, and continued to gaze as if longing for the light. Soon the shadow became quiet, but since he continued to feel an unpleasant gaze, Jeong-min had no choice but to sigh and divert some of his attention, which had been solely on Yu Shin-woo, toward Kim Ju-hwan.
“What?”
When Jeong-min finally looked at him, Kim Ju-hwan shrugged, but there was a sense of satisfaction in his smile.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I just tried looking at you the way Sunbae looks at Yu Shin-woo Sunbae. I wondered if you don’t get tired of it.”
“What?”
“But….”
“But?”
“I don’t get tired of it. I think I understand why Sunbae gazes at Yu Shin-woo Sunbae endlessly.”
What kind of nonsense is he talking?
“Watching you makes me see things I hadn’t noticed. How your bangs flutter. How your eyelashes tremble. How your facial lines change when your gaze is fixed on one spot. How your lips change shape. So, just a little, I’ve come to understand the Sunbae who looks at Yu Shin-woo Sunbae like that.”
Jeong-min let out a hollow laugh at Kim Ju-hwan’s absurd words.
“You’re mocking me right now, aren’t you?”
“How could I? I’m sincere.”
He definitely is mocking me.
Thinking that, Jeong-min felt unpleasant, as if he had suddenly become a toy for Kim Ju-hwan’s amusement.
“Ah, Yu Shin-woo Sunbae scored a goal.”
“What?!”
At Kim Ju-hwan’s words, Jeong-min quickly turned his gaze back to the field. Yu Shin-woo, still sparkling and shining, was laughing with his friends, savoring the victory. Seeing that, Jeong-min’s mood improved, and he no longer cared whether Kim Ju-hwan stared at him or not. In that way, they spent the season with their gazes crossing for a long time.
✽✽✽
“Ah….”
Jeong-min blinked his stiff eyes and steadied his vision. A hospital…. He had vaguely recognized it was a hospital in the early dawn, but he didn’t expect it to actually be one. The only saving grace was that his condition was better than it had been at dawn. His throat hurt less, and thanks to the painkillers, the pain in his body had diminished.
“Ugh.”
Because he had been lying down for so long, his waist hurt and he wanted to sit up, but his body wouldn’t move. Feeling he had to rely on the machine, he pressed the bed button to raise his upper body.
“Haa….”
Now he felt like he could breathe. He didn’t even need to wonder how he ended up here. He knew the reason better than anyone. He had made a deal with Kim Ju-hwan. He took the drug, mixed his body with him, or had sex, and received semen.
Jeong-min looked down at his hands. Had he become an Omega? No, though his body hurt, it didn’t feel as if his fundamental nature had changed. He hadn’t expected it to change from the start. For now, he should be grateful to be alive without side effects despite being administered a drug of unknown identity.
“Do you want some water?”
He was startled by the sudden voice. Kim Ju-hwan was sitting on the sofa. Just how long had he been sitting there?
Even though Jeong-min hadn’t answered, Kim Ju-hwan moved on his own and brought water. As he held out the cup, Jeong-min looked at Kim Ju-hwan.
“Come closer.”
He was barely able to make a sound to speak. Kim Ju-hwan came closer.
“Lean down.”
As soon as he leaned down, Jeong-min hit his cheek hard with his fist. However, no matter how much strength he put into it, it was less than a tenth of his usual power. There was no way Kim Ju-hwan would be unfazed.
“Ouch.”
Knowing it didn’t hurt at all, Jeong-min hit the other side once more. Only after being hit again did Kim Ju-hwan lightly touch his cheek and straighten his body.
“Do you feel relieved? Then drink the water.”
“Put your face back. I’m going to hit you ten more times.”
At Jeong-min’s words, Kim Ju-hwan shrugged and leaned down again.
“Hit me as much as you want.”
Jeong-min hit Kim Ju-hwan’s cheek a few more times. In his heart, he wanted to hit him dozens of times, but his arms no longer had any strength. Instead, he grabbed Kim Ju-hwan by the collar.
“You son of a bitch. I said I’d do it, but you can’t treat me like this. Did I say I’d be your fucking toilet?”
“I was in a hurry.”
Kim Ju-hwan, who had been offering his cheek like a patient lamb, spoke to Jeong-min with slightly lowered eyes.
“What?”
“I said I was in a hurry.”
“Hurry for what?”
“Because I wanted to have sex with Sunbae.”
This bastard occasionally blurted out things that were so repulsive they were almost chilling. That’s why Jeong-min couldn’t tell if those words were sincere or a joke. It was the same now. Not knowing how to respond to what Kim Ju-hwan had just said, he stared at him blankly.
Seeing this, Kim Ju-hwan chuckled and straightened his waist. Then he held out the water to Jeong-min again.
“Don’t think too deeply. I meant it literally. I haven’t been able to release lately…. When you spread your legs and tell me to eat right in front of me, how could I possibly resist?”
Of course.
“I admit I was violent. But as Sunbae knows, I’m not that much of a gentleman in bed. Didn’t you know that to some extent?”
That was true. He hadn’t been the gentle type back then either. Even then, it had been close to violence.
“Fuck, there’s still such a thing as a limit!”
His bottom must have been torn. That’s probably why a pad had been placed underneath. Jeong-min shook his head at the sudden rush of embarrassment. No. It was a decision he had made. Therefore, he had to be prepared for this state.
“So? Do you not want to do it anymore?”
And now, as if noticing Jeong-min’s confused heart, Kim Ju-hwan spoke tentatively. Every time this happened, a rational suspicion arose that Kim Ju-hwan had the ability to read minds.
“I’ll do it.”
“Let me confirm one more thing. You don’t know when it will end; will you keep going?”
“There’s only one time it ends. When a perfectly fitting Omega for Shin-woo hyung appears.”
“If that’s not the case, you’ll keep trying? You don’t know what the drug side effects will be.”
“I’m prepared.”
“…Fine. Then just do one thing for me. Sunbae. This is a secret. Only you and I know about this. Well, if necessary, it’s okay to tell Yu Shin-woo sunbae. But if possible, I’d prefer it if only the two of us knew. There’s nothing to gain from others knowing, and I’m sure you agree, right?”
Who on earth was he supposed to tell this to? Jeong-min nodded.
“This hospital room will be kept vacant for your exclusive use. Ah, one more person will find out. Doctor Kim Ari will treat you in case of an emergency. So, if you feel anything wrong with your body, come running here immediately. Oh, and let me make this clear: I should be the only person you sleep with. I have no desire to share a hole with some other guy.”
“You said one thing. Do you realize you just gave me three conditions?”
“Ah, did I? Then let’s make it three. If you agree to these three, I’ll cooperate fully until you become an Omega. Naturally, the drugs will be free of charge.”
Jeong-min nodded and finally took the water cup from Kim Ju-hwan’s hand as if snatching it, and drank.
“I have one request.”
“Sunbae. That doesn’t fit the cost-benefit analysis.”
“Then put one more on the line.”
“I’ll listen first and then decide.”
“Keep doing the Omega matching tests for Shin-woo hyung.”
“Since we already discussed the conditions for stopping earlier, I understand. I’ll just do that as a service. It’s something we need anyway.”
Was that everything? Perhaps because of the sudden exertion of strength in his body, Jeong-min felt a wave of acute fatigue. Noticing this, Kim Ju-hwan set the cup on the table and pressed the bed button so that Jeong-min’s upper body could lie back comfortably.
“Ah, I’ve already informed your home and the hospital. You can rest for two more days.”
“…Huh? What did you tell them?”
Jeong-min asked Kim Ju-hwan, struggling to keep his closing eyes open.
“I told your home that you wouldn’t be able to return for a while because you’re helping with work at the research institute, and I gave a similar excuse to the hospital.”
“Ha….”
It wasn’t exactly a lie.
“Though they all seemed curious as to why I was the one contacting them.”
“Hmm….”
That would be true. Jeong-min nodded with his eyes now completely closed, and soon fell asleep with steady breaths.