By Zephyria What the hell is going on?
Almost half a day had passed, but Yu-jin was still dazed. During that time, he hadn’t touched the ground even once. Or, to be precise, it would be more accurate to say that Winston hadn’t let him go. Even when they were moving by car, he kept Yu-jin on his lap, holding him close, until he finally complained.
“Isn’t this uncomfortable for you?”
He didn’t mean to be sarcastic, but his tone wasn’t exactly welcoming. Besides, the car they were in wasn’t the usual sedan but an SUV, so the interior was much larger, yet the distance between them was excessively close.
“No, I’m fine.”
The answer that came back was what Yu-jin had vaguely expected, so he wasn’t very surprised. What surprised him was what came next.
“Are you in pain? We’ll be there soon. Can you hold on?”
At Winston’s question, Yu-jin paused and looked up. The face that came into view was completely different from what he had expected. His expression was serious, devoid of any hint of a smile, and Yu-jin was momentarily flustered.
…Huh.
That was all he could think. His pale, white face clearly showed his anxiety. The arms holding his body were also tense, conveying his nervousness.
“…If I said I was in pain, would you believe me?”
He asked without realizing it, and he saw Winston’s lips tighten. He slowly opened his mouth after a pause.
“Pain can’t be hidden.”
It felt like there were several meanings implied. Yu-jin suddenly hesitated. What kind of reaction would this man show if I lied here?
He was curious, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the energy to do so. With a sigh, Yu-jin mumbled in a listless voice.
“I’m not in pain, just uncomfortable.”
He had been given an injection right before they left. It was probably a drug to dull the pain. Even now, he was not only free from pain but also felt a daze in his head. At Yu-jin’s answer, Winston murmured, “Okay,” and let out a short breath. He felt Winston bury his nose in his hair. Then, he heard the sound of him taking a deep breath.
Belatedly, Yu-jin realized the pheromone scent emanating from him.
When did I take the medicine…?
Come to think of it, he didn’t remember taking any medicine since he was injured. If he hadn’t been injected, the effects of the suppressants would have worn off long ago. The pheromone scent he could feel himself was proof of that.
Maybe Winston’s Rut was caused by me.
He suddenly remembered Winston, who was covered in the scent of another Omega. It was probably an accident caused by accumulated pheromones. Winston wouldn’t want that to happen again either. So, Yu-jin concluded that he should be careful first and opened his mouth.
“…Hey.”
He mumbled softly, and Winston paused.
“What?”
Yu-jin paused before opening his mouth.
“I need to take a suppressant.”
“Why?”
He was momentarily flustered, but he answered calmly.
“Because I smell like pheromones. It’s not good for you either, right? It couldn’t be helped this time because of the Rut, but you don’t want that to happen again, do you?”
He spoke clearly, with his own logic, but Winston’s reaction was still different from what he had expected. Why is he looking at me with that face? Yu-jin tilted his head in confusion. For some reason, his brow was furrowed, and he was just blinking, then Winston slowly parted his lips.
“…You don’t want it? Me?”
“Yeah.”
Yu-jin readily nodded. And then, he said the words that Winston had always said.
“Why would you want to sleep with me? A dirty slut who sleeps with anyone, a male prostitute.”
Winston didn’t say anything. Unexpectedly, he looked even more dazed than Yu-jin, and Yu-jin was once again bewildered.
“What’s wrong? Those are the words you always used to say to me.”
This time, he asked with genuine curiosity. Had he forgotten the words he had poured out on him? That couldn’t be, because if that were the case, it would mean that this man had also forgotten that Yu-jin had betrayed him and slept with other men.
“…That’s…”
After a long time, Winston opened his mouth, but that was it. He couldn’t continue, as if he was searching for something to say, and Yu-jin watched him with amusement. What will this man say? Just as he was thinking that it was the first time he had waited for someone’s reaction like this, Winston finally spoke.
“Don’t take it.”
“What?”
Yu-jin couldn’t help but ask back. Winston slowly repeated, as if chewing on each word, to Yu-jin, who had widened his eyes.
“I said don’t take it, not anymore.”
“No…”
He was about to say that wasn’t what they were talking about, but Winston was faster.
“It’s not good for your body, and you’re pregnant.”
There are plenty of medications you can take even when you’re pregnant. He was the one who said it didn’t matter to him even if he took any medicine he wanted and became infertile, so did he not remember what he had said himself?
“That’s not what we were talking about…”
“How was it with Angie? I heard that if the condition is stable, pheromones don’t come out and heat cycles don’t happen.”
Yu-jin tried to change the subject again, but Winston forcibly continued the conversation. In an instant, a huge wall was erected. This man was deliberately avoiding the topic.
Does he not want to admit that he succumbed to my pheromones?
He’s an extreme alpha, and Yu-jin is just an ordinary Omega, so maybe his pride was hurt. But if that’s the case, he’s making an even more foolish choice. Yu-jin’s pheromone scent will continue to tempt him, and as a result, he will continue to fall into the same trap.
Watching that might not be so bad.
The man who was so arrogant is collapsing because of pheromones, isn’t it funny? And if his pride is so great that he doesn’t hesitate to run towards the fire himself, it will be even more worth watching.
“Okay.”
Yu-jin decided not to say anything more about the suppressants and opened his mouth.
“I won’t take it, is that okay?”
His tone naturally became sarcastic, but Winston didn’t seem to mind. Maybe he was relieved that the uncomfortable topic had been glossed over.
“Rest, we still have a ways to go.”
With those words, Winston readjusted Yu-jin in his arms. It would be more comfortable for both of them if he just let him sit in the seat, but he absolutely wouldn’t do that. Eventually, Yu-jin gave up and fell asleep while being held.
* * *
He woke up as the car slowly decelerated. He made a small noise, and he felt the body he was leaning against pause. Only then did the memories from before he fell asleep return, followed by the sensation of the firm arms holding his body.
“We’re here.”
Suddenly, Winston whispered from above. Yu-jin was so startled that his whole body flinched. As if he had expected it, Winston hugged him tighter, but he couldn’t help but feel a faint pain. “Ugh,” Winston opened his mouth at the small groan.
“You’ll be able to rest comfortably soon.”
The words he offered as comfort somehow contained a lot of melancholy. As if this situation was very difficult to endure.
But he didn’t have the time to think deeply about that meaning. Because, as he said, the car came to a complete stop. A moment later, the car door opened, and as he had been doing all along, Winston got out of the car with Yu-jin in his arms. Yu-jin, who had involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut at the sudden burst of sunlight, slowly lifted his eyelids, and his eyes widened several times more than before.
An unfamiliar landscape unfolded before his eyes. A white mansion stood tall in the middle of a land where tall coniferous trees formed a forest. And there was a huge lake covered in thin ice, and around it, there was no one to be seen except for the guards, including them. Yu-jin was momentarily lost for words at the completely different scenery from the Delights he had expected.
“What… is this place?”
At the words he barely managed to ask, Winston replied nonchalantly.
“You can rest here until you get better.”
“What?””Daddy!”
Just as he was about to ask again, an unexpected voice flew into his ears. Startled, Yu-jin turned his head and saw his longed-for daughter through the wide-open mansion door.
Angie.
Angela rushed to Yu-jin, who couldn’t even make a sound and had stopped breathing. Yu-jin wanted to embrace his child, but Winston wouldn’t let him down.
“No, wait.”
At the command, as if given to a dog, Yu-jin was about to protest when the bodyguard standing next to him quickly stepped forward and lifted Angela up.