By Zephyria 
“If you come, Senior, we have so much to talk about that even staying up all night wouldn’t be enough.”
Haon’s eyes narrowed as he listened to Kim Hyun-gyu’s coaxing.
What was that? Just a moment ago, he was trying to lure him to a second round, and now it’s ‘even staying up all night wouldn’t be enough’?
How long does he plan on sticking with Cha Jeong-won anyway?
And seeing him put in even more effort than he had with him made Haon realize he had given in too easily.
“All that talking…”
Cha Jeong-won echoed part of what Kim Hyun-gyu had said. Perhaps because it felt like a stepping stone to accepting the invitation, everyone secretly listening held their breath.
“Hearing that I’d have to listen all night makes me want to go even less. I’m not going.”
At the near-reversal of a refusal, Kim Hyun-gyu wore a dumbfounded expression. Haon felt secretly pleased.
So Cha Jeong-won wasn’t just prickly with him. A strange thrill washed over him.
“…What am I even thinking right now?”
He suddenly felt like he was being a bit of a pervert.
‘Anyway, he said he’s not coming.’
If he had said yes, Haon might have been so distracted by him that he’d end up snorting his beer.
That’s when it happened.
“You…”
Cha Jeong-won’s gaze shifted to Haon.
“Huh? Oh, I’m being dragged along against my will.”
He pointed his chin at Kim Hyun-gyu.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m the one dragging him. Senior, if you happen to change your mind…”
“Not happening.”
The refusal was firm. No one had anything more to say. An awkward silence hung between the three of them.
“Well then… I’ll be going ahead.”
Haon awkwardly concluded the conversation.
Cha Jeong-won stood there without any particular response.
Leaving him behind, Haon quickly exited the building.
‘He said he’s not coming.’
He had heard it clearly with his own two ears.
Today, he wouldn’t be going to the same place as him. So, it seemed unlikely they’d run into each other on the way. Cha Jeong-won also seemed strongly determined to avoid Haon.
As long as no accidental incidents occurred, that is.
That was enough. For today, all he had to do was drink without any incidents and then go home.
Wanting to believe that, Haon became unnecessarily meticulous.
On the way to the pub, he stopped by a convenience store first. One hangover remedy, one bottle of water, and a heat cycle suppressant available at the pharmacy corner.
Even though he thought it was unnecessary since there was still plenty of time before his cycle returned, his body had been strangely sensitive these past few days. Whether it was because of Cha Jeong-won’s pheromones or the consecutive incidents that had left him on edge.
In front of the checkout, Haon fidgeted with the packaging one more time for no reason and ended up paying for the suppressant along with the other items. Even though he knew the saying about excess being harmful.
＊ ＊ ＊
The evening air was chillier than the afternoon.
People were gathered in front of the pub with its mediocrely lit sign.
“Let’s go in.”
Kim Hyun-gyu scanned the sign up and down once before opening the door. The noise, hidden by the door, became distinctly louder.
“They’ve already started.”
Inside, familiar students were already seated.
“Kim Hyun-gyu, Yoon Haon! Over here!”
“Hello.”
“Come quickly!”
The voices calling for the two were loud enough to make others turn and look.
“Ugh, so chaotic.”
As Haon grimaced, Kim Hyun-gyu pointed to one side.
“The freshmen are over there. Let’s go.”
“You go. I’m staying here.”
Haon tossed his bag onto a corner table near the pillar right beside them. It was a spot somewhat hidden by leaning against the wall.
“Hey, it’s the welcome party today. At least go see their faces.”
“I am seeing them. If you want to see them up close, you go.”
Haon waved his hand dismissively.
“I’m just going to drink a bit here and leave early. Have fun.”
Kim Hyun-gyu clicked his tongue.
“Honestly, you only pull back at times like this.”
Grumbling, Kim Hyun-gyu eventually headed over to the freshmen’s table. Perhaps due to his good rapport, the freshmen seemed welcoming.
Haon sat alone at the corner table. He ordered beer and picked at the basic side dishes.
And as he took the quickly served beer and took a sip, the sharp carbonation scratched his throat on the way down.
“Ah, really… So damn good.”
The beer… no, the kiss.
Recalling his honest impression, Haon ran a hand over his face.
Truthfully, he had thought of nothing but Cha Jeong-won the entire way here.
And the incident that occurred in that pitch-black elevator.
Even though he came to school and attended classes acting as if nothing happened, it wasn’t truly insignificant.
“Why does someone rougher than sandpaper have such soft pheromones? And on top of that, why are his lips so pliant?”
Every time he smelled Cha Jeong-won’s pheromones, he could only think how good they were.
“No. Human lips are naturally pliant anyway. Nothing special.”
They weren’t. He wanted to believe they weren’t.
But the pounding heart and thrill he felt when their lips touched, and even his own pheromones that he couldn’t control and that flowed out…
“Damn it!”
He couldn’t tell anyone, really.
Unable to hold back, Haon let out his irritation.
Having never properly dated, the kiss that happened by accident became his first kiss.
If he had known this would happen, should he have cut back on his part-time work and dated instead?
“What’s the point of regretting it?”
Haon, a lifelong single, decided to just accept what had happened to him.
Thinking of Cha Jeong-won naturally led to the next thought.
“Anyway, I’m really jealous.”
Sweet room, river view.
Haon also wanted to enjoy a night in a place like that.
To take in the scenery inside and out to his heart’s content, to focus his mind solely on that space. If he could do that, then no matter where he was or who he was, his troubled mind would surely calm down.
“A good space lets people rest.”
The hotel’s advertising slogan came to his lips of its own accord.
It was a saying by the famous designer who designed that hotel’s sweet room.
What was the circulation like, how were the angles of the windows and lighting, or the material divisions handled? If he could just go in once, he felt it would all come flooding into his mind.
Perhaps because his major was his major, he couldn’t help but feel the desire to see it.
By the time Haon emptied his glass completely, the noise had grown louder. Judging by the rhythmic song, it seemed a drinking game had started. Laughter erupted here and there.
It was a good thing they hadn’t rented out the entire pub, or it would have been a disaster.
“Apartment! Apartment apartment! 23!”
“1!”
“2!”
Kim Hyun-gyu’s voice boomed resonantly.
“They’re having fun.”
Why does that game never change even as time passes? Using that sound as background noise, Haon slowly drank his beer.
“Yoon Haon, why are you drinking alone over there?”
A classmate from the next table spoke to him.
“I’m being a voluntary loner, so don’t talk to me.”
“Why? Are you troubled? Feeling a crisis because you have to get the scholarship until the very end?”
“Why are you picking a fight?”
Haon contemplated whether he should rush over to his classmate right then and put him in a headlock. But the classmate wasn’t intimidated. Instead, he smirked.
“Since Senior Jeong-won has come, the top spot must be in danger.”
“What does that have to do with that senior…”
It did.
A very deep connection.
‘That guy said he was always first place too, right?’
It was the same for Haon. Until now, they were in different grades, and Cha Jeong-won had been on leave until last year, so they never crossed paths, but what if they went head-to-head now?
Haon, who had ambitiously included the scholarship in this year’s financial plan, stiffly turned his body.
The thought of headbutting his classmate was forgotten.
He just drank his beer, ruminating on yet another crisis that had befallen him. Perhaps because of his mood, the alcohol went down easier than before.
Maybe because he took the suppressant, no matter how much beer he drank, he didn’t get drunk. Instead, his mind was becoming clearer.
It was just as he had cleanly emptied a few glasses.
The sound of the door at the entrance was unusually distinct. Haon unconsciously raised his head.
“……”
Black hair. Tall stature. Distinct eyes.
A familiar silhouette entered the pub.
“No, why…”
He muttered upon seeing Cha Jeong-won. He said he wasn’t coming, so why is he here?
The person following Cha Jeong-won peeked out from beside him and greeted the other students.
“Cha Seo-jun!”
Kim Hyun-gyu sprang to his feet and welcomed Cha Seo-jun most enthusiastically.
“I’m late.”
Cha Seo-jun, from his straight nose bridge to his distinct features, subtly resembled Cha Jeong-won.
His eyes were similar too, but the outer corners slanted slightly downward. He had a cold-looking face that seemed like it would soften immediately if he smiled.
While Haon was flabbergasted, Cha Seo-jun exchanged greetings one by one with the people welcoming him. Then, when his eyes met Haon’s, Cha Seo-jun smiled.
Sure enough, his cold-looking face softened as he smiled.