By Zephyria As soon as May arrived, there was news of rain. After a spring rain, the cherry blossoms that had bloomed in full bloom had all fallen. Freshly sprouted seedlings colored the campus green, and the sun, which contained humidity, sat warmly on the soil. The noticeably warmer weather no longer felt cold even without a jacket.
“…Hello.”
It was my cell phone, which I had set to vibrate, that woke me up on a weekend morning. The vibrating, vibrating vibration pulled me out of my sleepiness. The words ‘Mom’ appeared on the screen I looked at with blurry eyes.
-Oh, Yoon-woo. Were you sleeping?
A familiar voice asked kindly. I turned my body to the side, wriggling, and answered in a low voice.
“Yes, I was sleeping…”
My eyelids were so heavy that if I closed my eyes like this, I felt like I would soon fall into a deep sleep. The last time I looked at the clock was around 3 a.m., so I hadn’t slept even five hours. So it wasn’t unreasonable for my throat to be hoarse and my pronunciation to be slurred.
-I should have called later. Do you want to sleep more?
“Um…”
As I was humming quietly, a warm warmth snuggled into my arms. When I lowered my eyes without thinking, I saw neatly lowered eyelashes. A sensation that welled up drove away the sleepiness that was pouring down.
“…I’m going to wake up.”
Choi Tae-gyeom was asleep, breathing evenly. A slightly open, reddish lip was visible below his smooth nose. As I gently stroked his disheveled hair, he wriggled and buried his face in my arms.
“Why did you call?”
I murmured like that and lowered my voice. I also turned down the phone volume as much as possible. Fortunately, Choi Tae-gyeom didn’t seem to wake up, and Mom spoke about the business as usual.
-Your birthday is coming up soon.
It was already that time of year. Around this time, several events, including my birthday, come around. Since I don’t place much significance on it and have a lot going on this time, I completely forgot about it.
“Are you coming home? Mom said she’d make seaweed soup, so come the day before, sleep over, and eat. It happens to be the weekend.”
“…Seaweed soup?”
I blinked, feeling a bit taken aback. As far as I knew, my parents weren’t the type to remember such things. It wasn’t intentional; they were just too busy to think about it. On my birthday, I hadn’t eaten seaweed soup, let alone cake, and it was actually Choi Tae-gyeom’s parents who took care of that.
“Are you off this weekend?”
“Of course, Mom usually takes the weekend off. But she’s a civil servant.”
“She hasn’t taken a break, so that’s why.”
As I remembered, my mom always worked on weekends. It had been that way for as long as I could recall, but I didn’t feel particularly disappointed. A birthday wasn’t a special day, after all; it was just one of those anniversaries that come around every year. I thought my parents wouldn’t care much about it either, but it seemed I was mistaken.
“It’s fine since an important trial just ended. You probably don’t eat well living alone, so you should at least eat something on a day like this. I saw you’ve lost some weight recently.”
Mom clicked her tongue as if a bit upset. I hadn’t noticed it while I was home, but now that I was out, she added that Dad worried about me a lot, and then she asked in a slightly regretful tone.
“Do you have any plans?”
I slowly shook my head. As I buried my nose in my soft hair, I caught the fragrant scent of shampoo and pheromones. It felt like Choi Tae-gyeom’s unique scent had intensified a bit.
“No, not yet.”
Not yet, I had no plans at all. The most I could expect was Park Seong-jae organizing a drinking party. The only thing that concerned me was Choi Tae-gyeom, but since he would be next door when I went home, it didn’t seem like a big deal.
“I figured as much. You only have your friend Tae-gyeom.”
“…Mom.”
“I’m just joking, just joking.”
Her lively laughter revealed her playful spirit. It seemed like half of it was serious, but instead of pointing it out, I laughed along with her. Holding Choi Tae-gyeom close and listening to his stories felt strangely comforting.
“Make sure to get along with Tae-gyeom.”
That was a statement loaded with meaning. We weren’t kids anymore, so why say that? Yet, the message Mom wanted to convey was too clear to respond playfully.
“Let’s stop talking about Omegas now. You shouldn’t be making too many secrets between friends.”
The first thing I asked after manifesting as an Omega was to keep my traits hidden. My parents looked puzzled but didn’t ask anything, and they kept quiet about the related parts as I requested. I couldn’t even imagine how much they must have worried about me, seeing me cooped up at home without explaining my reasons.
“There’s no other kid as good as Tae-gyeom, so why fight?”
“We don’t fight.”
I awkwardly patted Choi Tae-gyeom as I replied. We were so close that we fell asleep in the same bed instead of fighting. I had confessed about being an Omega long ago, but my mom on the other end of the phone was completely unaware of all this.
“Right, that’s true. Tell Tae-gyeom to come over when he has time. I’ll make something delicious for him.”
“I’ll talk to him. But you don’t have to go out of your way to cook.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to eat what your mom makes?”
“…”
I couldn’t bring myself to say no. Both my parents were not particularly talented in cooking. Dad was slightly better than Mom, but even his food wasn’t exactly edible.
“…It’s not that.”
“It’s late, you little rascal.”
Mom smiled without a hint of disappointment at my hasty excuse. She added that her skills had improved a lot lately, so not to worry, though it was a completely unconvincing statement. I didn’t trust it much, but instead of arguing, I replied that I understood.
“Anyway, I have to get back to work now, so I’ll hang up. See you this weekend.”
“Okay, take care.”
Before I could finish my greeting, the call was cut off sharply. With how busy she was, there was no need to fuss over my birthday. As I worried whether I had unnecessarily burdened her, Choi Tae-gyeom’s pheromones wafted around me.
“Mother?”
He asked in a voice laced with sleepiness. Then he buried his face in my chest, snuggling closer. Through the thin T-shirt, I felt his warm breath against my skin.
“Yeah. Did I wake you up?”
“It wasn’t noisy… I just heard your voice.”
That was what woke him up. I pressed my lips against the back of his head as an apology. The pheromones surrounding us rose pleasantly.
“Why did you call?”
“Mom said to sleep over the day before my birthday. She’s making seaweed soup.”
“Before your birthday, so next Saturday?”
Choi Tae-gyeom knew my birthday, which I didn’t even remember. Yes, Saturday. As I replied, he started to play with my waist. His ticklish touch traveled up my spine.
“Then you’ll be going home that day.”
His voice carried a hint of disappointment. The reason I hesitated when he asked if I had plans earlier was this. I gently pulled him away from my embrace and looked into his drowsy eyes.
“You should come too. Mom said she’d make something delicious.”
“…She’s cooking herself?”
Choi Tae-gyeom, who had often been the victim of my mom’s cooking when we were younger, asked in disbelief. I couldn’t say it was bad, but I still remembered how pale he looked back then. Even someone with a bland palate like him reacted that way, so I could only imagine how my mom’s cooking skills were perceived.
“Well… I said she’s improved a lot.”
I made an excuse out of conscience, but the chances of the food being tasty were almost zero. It seemed Choi Tae-gyeom thought the same, as he avoided my gaze without any particular affirmation. He seemed to want to go but was apprehensive about the food. After a moment of silence, he kindly asked.
“What do you want?”
It felt like I hadn’t heard that question in ages. It was a question I used to hear every year before my birthday, but I hadn’t been able to for the past five years. Feeling embarrassed about that fact, I answered shyly.
“I don’t want anything.”
“I figured as much.”
He smiled gently and nestled back into my arms. As I wrapped him in my embrace and gradually increased the amount of pheromones, he inhaled deeply and murmured in an excited voice.
“It’s been a while since we spent time together.”
When we were younger, I was always with Choi Tae-gyeom. I was a child who didn’t feel lonely, but he wasn’t the same. Even if we didn’t do anything special, he would take me to his house to spend time together on my birthday. He was the first to wish me a happy birthday.
“The seaweed soup that my uncle makes is delicious.”
I chuckled softly as I spoke. I felt sorry for my parents, but the food made by Choi Tae-gyeom’s dad was the best. It was also the porridge that Choi Tae-gyeom brought when I was sick, made by his uncle.
“There are only two people who cook for me: one is my mom, and the other is you. I’m not in that list.”
Choi Tae-gyeom whined, saying it wasn’t fair. He clearly wanted to act spoiled, even though he wasn’t truly upset. Of course, that didn’t mean his words were untrue. As I gently stroked his hair, he rubbed his cheek against me, looking satisfied.
“Let’s sleep more, Yoon-woo.”
Choi Tae-gyeom pulled me closer and patted my back. Seeing his words drag on, it seemed he was still drowsy. He probably fell asleep much later than I did, cleaning up after I had fainted from exhaustion.
“Yeah…”
The gentle patting brought back the sleep I had lost. The calm pheromones and the occasional sound of breathing felt like a lullaby. As I relaxed my arms around him, Choi Tae-gyeom also stopped patting my back.
When next week comes, I thought I would have to tell my parents about what happened with Choi Tae-gyeom. That I had been discovered as an Omega and that our relationship had changed like this. Of course, I would need to discuss it with Choi Tae-gyeom first, but he probably wouldn’t oppose it.
“When you wake up, let’s eat something delicious.”
His voice, heard in my drowsy state, was as kind as ever. Falling asleep with Choi Tae-gyeom, waking up together, and spending the day together. The days I had grown accustomed to lately brought me happiness every single day.
So suddenly, I thought: what if I lived with Choi Tae-gyeom in the same house? What if it wasn’t just him staying at my place, but our place together?
Of course, that thought couldn’t withstand the drowsiness that washed over me. Before long, I fell asleep, and when I regained consciousness, it was bright daylight. The desire to live with him was buried as nothing more than a ridiculous fantasy.
The week leading up to my birthday flew by. As soon as the festival ended, the members who had joined the club kept pestering me to drink every day. Among them were, of course, Choi Tae-gyeom’s friends, who didn’t forget their primary goal of asking Min-jeong to pour drinks for them. At first, Min-jeong responded willingly, but later, she openly showed her annoyance and ignored them.
“Happy birthday, hyung!”
Today, the club members tirelessly sought out a bar again. The excuse this time was to celebrate my birthday in advance, but of course, my opinion as the birthday person was not reflected at all. As soon as class ended, I was kidnapped to the club room and then dragged to their regular bar by Park Seong-jae.
“Do-hyun went to tutoring… and Tae-gyeom hyung can’t come?”
“He said he has something to do and needs to go home.”
Unfortunately, Choi Tae-gyeom had to leave early due to some errands. Before leaving me, he asked if I wanted to drink, and he didn’t forget to say to call him when the party was ending. When I jokingly asked, “Are you coming to pick me up?” he sweetly replied, “Of course I will.”
“Hey, hyung.”
Park Seong-jae, who had been unusually quiet today, whispered secretly. When I turned to look at him, he muttered with a hint of dissatisfaction.
“I think that guy is interested in Min-jeong.”
Park Seong-jae was looking at Choi Tae-gyeom’s friends. More specifically, it was Jeon Rae-hyun, who was sitting next to Min-jeong and offering her a drink. Seeing him grinning, it seemed he was asking her for another drink.
“Really?”
“Yeah, it definitely feels that way. He always sits next to her, asks her to mix drinks, and recently, he even asked for her number outright.”
“He didn’t ask for your number?”
“I exchanged mine with her a long time ago.”
He blinked, as if confused by his own contradiction. He seemed completely unaware of the inconsistency in his words. I took a sip of the drink in front of me while glancing at Min-jeong, who wore a disinterested expression.
“She might like him.”
“No, that’s not good. Kim Min-jeong hates that kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing?”
“Someone being all clingy with her!”
His tone was very certain. Given Min-jeong’s personality, it wasn’t surprising that she would feel that way, but Park Seong-jae’s words seemed to come from experience. It was as if he were recounting something he had personally gone through. So, without thinking, a hesitant question slipped out.
“Do you like Min-jeong?”
Park Seong-jae’s eyes widened as he gripped his drink with both hands. His large hands made the small soju glass look like a toy. As he fidgeted and turned his gaze away, he gulped nervously.
“How did you know?”
Coughing, I was taken aback. I never imagined he would give a positive answer. In my flustered state, I covered my mouth with the back of my hand, but Park Seong-jae frowned, lowering his eyebrows.
“I’ve moved on now. I got dumped a while ago.”
“…When?”
“A while back. Not long after we entered college?”
I had heard that the two of them were high school classmates, but I had no idea there was such a history. I thought they were just simple friends, but it seemed a lot had happened without my knowledge.
“Actually, it wasn’t that I got dumped… it was just that she made the first move. She said not to see her as a romantic interest because she likes her older brother.”
“…”
“She absolutely hates it when someone she’s not interested in shows interest in her.”
Who else but Kim Min-jeong would be so cold? She perfectly set boundaries and told him not to cross them. Perhaps the reason Park Seong-jae had been so interested in my love life was related to Min-jeong.
“Well, then you don’t have to worry even more.”
I said with a hint of reluctance as I reached for my drink. Park Seong-jae poured more water into my empty glass.
“Like you said, even if he’s interested in Min-jeong, she’ll cut him off on her own.”
If Min-jeong said she wasn’t interested, then Park Seong-jae’s interference wouldn’t be welcome. Knowing that, he probably couldn’t bring himself to intervene and chose to talk to me instead.
“If she says she doesn’t like it, then it’s fine to help her out later if it comes to that. There’s nothing we can do right now anyway.”
“…I want to be cool like you, hyung.”
His weak reply pricked my conscience. Cool? Just the other day, I was about to lose my mind out of jealousy. While I awkwardly cleared my throat, Park Seong-jae wiped his face with one hand.
“Tae-gyeom hyung gets jealous a lot, though.”
How do you know that? I looked at him with that thought in mind. He shrugged nonchalantly.
“Just look at the festival day. He purposely made you wear that hat. Some girls looked all gloomy and left when they saw you wearing it.”
Did that happen? I racked my brain but couldn’t recall any specific guests. I had interacted with very few tables myself. This guy seemed to know things I wasn’t even aware of.
“Must be nice to date someone you like.”
Park Seong-jae said that and poured soju into his glass. Despite saying he had moved on, he looked like he was still hung up on it. I had thought he couldn’t maintain a relationship for long, but it seemed there was a reason behind it.
“Don’t date anyone until you sort out your feelings.”
I clinked my glass against his. He quickly perked up and tilted his glass. Even though I had no comforting words to offer, I was glad I could drink with him.
Choi Tae-gyeom came to pick me up just before the drinking party ended. By then, I was pleasantly tipsy, and as soon as the phone rang, I got up from my seat and prepared to head home. Park Seong-jae, who had been drinking with me, also sent me off with wishes for a happy birthday.
“Did you drink a lot?”
Outside the bar stood Choi Tae-gyeom, dressed in different clothes than before. He naturally intertwined his fingers with mine and led me back to my apartment. As we walked side by side, the cool night air gradually blew away the effects of the alcohol.
“No, I just drank enough to feel good.”
Once we returned home, as usual, we went to bed together. He playfully asked, “Do you want me to wash you?” but that was just another part of our daily routine. Choi Tae-gyeom held me tightly as he fell asleep, giving me occasional kisses but not engaging in any sexual activities.
“I heard Jeon Rae-hyun likes Min-jeong.”
“He’s aiming for a tree he can’t climb.”
But perhaps because I had been drinking, my body kept craving Choi Tae-gyeom. His clear face, soft lips, solid chest, and even the secret places beneath all made me want to touch him.
So, while holding him, I slowly let my hands wander down. As I reached his firm waist and felt his toned abs, he shivered slightly. His warm breath brushed against my ear.
“…I have to see my parents tomorrow, Yoon-woo.”
I really do have a perverted hobby. Seeing him suppressing his desires so openly only made me want to stoke the flames even more. I felt a desire to provoke him and see how far he could hold back.
“…Tae-gyeom.”
A light impulse brought an inexplicable confidence. I felt like I could do it with Choi Tae-gyeom, a confidence that somehow felt persuasive. I looked into his eyes and tentatively broached the subject.
“Should I do it with my mouth?”
He didn’t outright refuse the offer. He hesitated a bit, gently caressing my lips, but that didn’t mean he was rejecting it. Rather, it felt more like he was concerned for me.
“…”
Choi Tae-gyeom propped himself up halfway, and I settled between his legs. As I leaned forward to grab hold of him, I found it difficult to put something so large in my mouth right in front of me. Sensing my hesitation, he affectionately stroked the back of my head.
“If you can’t do it, you don’t have to.”
“…It’s not that I can’t.”
It wasn’t that I felt repulsed or anything. I was just worried that it might hurt since it was so big. Putting it in my mouth right away seemed a bit too much.
Licking the glans with his tongue while holding onto the long pillar, Choi Tae-gyeom’s pheromones surged as the soft tongue rubbed against him. He tried to suppress his pheromones, looking flustered, but that reaction only emboldened Yoon-woo.
Yoon-woo opened his mouth and took Choi Tae-gyeom’s manhood inside, just as Choi Tae-gyeom had done to him. The large member, even visually impressive, felt incredibly constricting when fully engulfed. His jaw ached from being stretched to its limit, but Choi Tae-gyeom’s reactions were even more stimulating.
“Ugh…”
A suppressed moan pierced his ears. It was a small sound, but Yoon-woo couldn’t explain why it felt so clear. He pulled back slightly, then plunged deeper, reaching the back of Choi Tae-gyeom’s throat. Choi Tae-gyeom’s hands, which had been cupping the back of Yoon-woo’s head, released their hold.
“Haa…”
Choi Tae-gyeom gripped the blanket tightly, exhaling a long breath. Seeing the tendons bulging on the back of his hand, Yoon-woo guessed he had been worried about grabbing his hair. Yoon-woo furrowed his brow and slowly moved his head back and forth.
He tried to remember everything Choi Tae-gyeom had done. Not using his teeth, tightening with his lips, and occasionally teasing the tip of the glans with his tongue. It wasn’t difficult to gauge whether Choi Tae-gyeom liked it or not. With each movement, the pheromones emanating from him grew denser.
“…Hah.”
The pheromones were so intense they were suffocating. Pre-cum oozed from the member, slick against his tongue. So focused on receiving the pheromones directly into his mouth, he didn’t even notice the saliva dribbling from the corners of his lips.
The sound of squelching and moans echoing in his throat. When Yoon-woo glanced up at Choi Tae-gyeom through blurred vision, he saw that Choi Tae-gyeom’s eyes seemed unfocused as he placed his hands on the back of Yoon-woo’s head.
“Ugh…!”
Choi Tae-gyeom thrust his member deep into Yoon-woo’s throat. It wasn’t enough to make him gag, but it was much deeper than he had been inserting it himself. Choi Tae-gyeom gently stroked the back of Yoon-woo’s neck, gauging his condition as he began to move his hips.
Yoon-woo felt like he was suffocating. Each time the thick member slid in and out of his mouth, pheromones flooded in with it. He thought that if he weren’t slightly drunk and mentally hazy, he might have reflexively used his teeth.
“…!”
After a few thrusts, Choi Tae-gyeom stopped moving and shuddered. The member throbbing in his mouth pulsed as if about to ejaculate.
“Ugh…”
Throb, throb, semen gushed out. It was a thin liquid heavily mixed with pheromones. Choi Tae-gyeom gripped the blanket, his knuckles white with the force. While receiving the semen, his eyelashes fluttering, Choi Tae-gyeom heaved his chest and caught his breath.
After a long period of release, Choi Tae-gyeom slowly withdrew his member. A long, slippery strand of fluid stretched between the tip and Yoon-woo’s lips. Choi Tae-gyeom, his ears flushed red, wiped around Yoon-woo’s eyes as he breathed shallowly.
“…Sorry, spit it out.”
It seemed Yoon-woo had started crying at some point. He blinked, and a teardrop rolled down his cheek. Yoon-woo spat the fluid he had been holding in his mouth into Choi Tae-gyeom’s outstretched palm. The sensation of it sliding out lingered thickly on his tongue.
“It doesn’t taste good…”
It wasn’t that it tasted bad, but rather that it had no taste at all. He was sure he had spat everything out, but his tongue still felt slick. He thought that if it weren’t for the thickly mixed pheromones, he would have found it difficult to receive it like this.
“How did you swallow this?”
Yoon-woo awkwardly opened his mouth as he wiped Choi Tae-gyeom’s hand. The slickness in his mouth felt strange. Choi Tae-gyeom seemed to have swallowed his several times, had he been pretending to be okay all along? As Yoon-woo blankly chewed on his tongue, Choi Tae-gyeom wordlessly reached out his hand.
“…?”
A cautious touch reached his lower lip. Choi Tae-gyeom rubbed his thumb across Yoon-woo’s lip and pushed his fingertip into his mouth. Passing his lower teeth, the finger touched his tongue and pressed down slightly on his chin, forcing it down. The gaze fixed on his exposed tongue was intense.
Instinctively, Yoon-woo knew what he was thinking. The heat in his breath and the pheromones pouring over him revealed only one desire. He didn’t know at what point Choi Tae-gyeom’s eyes had changed, but he was barely maintaining his sanity.
“…Yoon-woo.”
He wanted to swallow. Choi Tae-gyeom’s wavering gaze traced every corner of his face as if it were alive. Usually, wouldn’t one’s reason return after ejaculating once? Why was he looking even more excited? Yoon-woo had instigated it first, but he was a little taken aback by this reaction.
“We tomorrow…”
Before he could finish speaking, Choi Tae-gyeom moved closer. His tongue, without any hesitation, plunged into his lips, rubbing against the soft inner membranes of his mouth. The lingering discomfort that had remained was washed away by the flood of pheromones.
Well, it would work out somehow. With that thought, Yoon-woo wrapped his arms around Choi Tae-gyeom’s neck. Choi Tae-gyeom laid him down on the bed and naturally slipped his hand inside his t-shirt. It was the start of another long night, just like any other.
* * *
They woke up side by side well after noon. There were two missed calls on his phone, and sunlight that had already risen to its zenith streamed in through the window. Choi Tae-gyeom and Yoon-woo looked at each other’s tired faces and laughed for a long time before getting out of bed when the phone rang again.
“You’ve already gone to work?”
—Yeah, sorry. Something suddenly came up.
His mom said with a very apologetic voice. Judging from the noise around her, she seemed to have already gone to work and was having lunch. Or, if she had time to eat lunch, maybe that was a good thing.
“It’s okay. I’ll be at home, so take your time.”
“She’s going to be late?” Choi Tae-gyeom, with a towel around his neck, asked with his lips. Yoon-woo slowly nodded and switched the phone to his other hand.
—Dad will be late too, so go to Tae-gyeom’s place. Don’t be alone on the day before your birthday.
“Okay, I will.”
Should he take Choi Tae-gyeom and go to his parents’ house? Or should he just stay at his apartment a little longer and then go? While he was weighing the options in his head, a puzzled voice came from the other end of the line.
—But Yoon-woo, why does your voice sound like that?
“……”
His voice was half-asleep because Choi Tae-gyeom had overworked him all night. He cleared his throat, but his already hoarse voice showed no signs of improving. It was too hoarse to just be because it was morning, and he couldn’t think of any other reason.
“…I think I’m getting a cold.”
So, he barely managed to utter an excuse and glared at Choi Tae-gyeom. Choi Tae-gyeom, who had been about to approach him quickly at the word “cold,” smiled languidly when he saw his expression. Even before his mom, Choi Tae-gyeom had been shocked when he heard his voice.
—A cold? You should take care of yourself. You always get really sick when you get sick.
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”
—Okay, anyway… I’ll see you tonight. Okay?
“I’ll see you later…”
This time, his mom hung up before he could even answer. As he blankly held the disconnected phone, Choi Tae-gyeom gently stroked his hair. He lowered his upper body and kissed the top of his head, then spoke in a soft voice.
“Do you want to go to my house?”
On the way to his house, Choi Tae-gyeom asked him twice if there was anything he wanted to eat. He held his hand tightly and kept looking at him, as if worried that he might have been hurt by the earlier phone call. He wasn’t a child, and he wouldn’t be upset that his parents were going to be late. Since he was young, Choi Tae-gyeom had never believed him when it came to this.
“Are your aunt and uncle at work?”
“They should be.”
Watching Choi Tae-gyeom press the password and open the door with familiarity, Yoon-woo was filled with a strange emotion. He had been here just a few days ago, but it felt very strange to step inside together. The spacious gate and the well-kept yard were the same, but only Choi Tae-gyeom and he had grown up and become adults.
“We used to pick those and eat them.”
Yoon-woo pointed to the flowers blooming on one side of the yard and chuckled. The nameless red flowers were the ones that he and Choi Tae-gyeom used to pick and eat when they were elementary school students. If you pulled off the petals and sucked on the end, a sweet taste would linger on your tongue. He didn’t remember it well, but it seemed that they had followed the trend that had spread around the school.
“Salvia?”
“That’s salvia?”
“That’s what they say. I don’t know why we ate those back then.”
At Choi Tae-gyeom’s words, Yoon-woo nodded in agreement. It wasn’t like they had nothing to eat, so why did they eat those like they were so delicious? He even remembered one time when his aunt had forcibly taken him and Choi Tae-gyeom inside, telling them not to pick up and eat just anything.
“Your house really hasn’t changed at all.”
“You were just here a while ago.”
“I felt it then too.”
As expected, the living room was exactly as he remembered it. As Yoon-woo looked at the photos hanging above the TV one by one, Choi Tae-gyeom spoke in a casual tone.
“Five years isn’t that long of a time, if you think about it.”
In some ways, the past five years had passed in the blink of an eye. The days without Choi Tae-gyeom had been long, but as a result, it had been too short of a time to forget him. Depending on where you set the standard, the perceived flow changed drastically.
“Should we watch a movie on the laptop?”
Choi Tae-gyeom naturally led him to his room. It seemed he was planning to sit on the bed and pass the time, just like they used to. If they sat on the bed together now, they would probably pass the time in a different way. While he was thinking that, Choi Tae-gyeom grabbed the doorknob and paused for a moment.
“……”
Hesitation appeared on his clean face. The deep wrinkles between his eyebrows told Yoon-woo what he was worried about. He was probably worried that the pheromones that would flood in like a wave the moment he opened the door might have a bad effect on him.
“I slept in your room last time.”
His dark eyes slowly turned to him. The moment their eyes met, the worry that had been subtly visible disappeared. Choi Tae-gyeom chuckled and turned the doorknob.
“I’m not worried about you, I’m worried about myself.”
“……”
“I’m worried about what I might do to you.”
As expected, Choi Tae-gyeom’s room was filled with a fragrant Alpha pheromone. The thickly filled pheromone was clearly conveyed through his breath, his skin, and everything else. When Yoon-woo paused for a moment at the door, Choi Tae-gyeom gently wrapped his arms around his waist.
“I knew you’d make that face.”
He was suddenly pulled closer. In that instant, Choi Tae-gyeom lowered his head and lightly kissed his lips. Before Yoon-woo could say anything, the door clicked shut.
“……”
His breath, his touch, and even his gaze were all Choi Tae-gyeom. The air was already filled with his pheromones, and even his entangled tongue felt like it was emitting pheromones. It didn’t seem intentional, but all of it felt stimulating to Yoon-woo, whose five senses were already heightened.
As if grabbing onto a lifeline, Yoon-woo clung to Choi Tae-gyeom. His mind became hazy, as if he had been swept away by a wave of Choi Tae-gyeom. He felt a sense of stability in that cozy feeling, but at the same time, he felt like he was being driven to his death. He felt like if he let go of Choi Tae-gyeom now, he would be sucked into some distant place.
What a liar. He said he was worried about what he might do to him. How could he push him like this as soon as he closed the door?
Omega pheromones reflexively seeped out. Thanks to his contact with Choi Tae-gyeom, the amount had increased to some extent. It was still weaker than that of typical Omegas, but it was still enough to assert its presence.
“……”
Choi Tae-gyeom briefly pulled his lips away at the flood of pheromones. He could see his neat eyelashes from a distance of less than a hand span. He smiled leisurely and tilted his head, pushing Yoon-woo against the wall.
He felt like his legs were giving out. After mixing their bodies to the limit last night, a desire that was rising again. Choi Tae-gyeom supported his body, which had been about to collapse several times, by placing his leg between his legs.
“Wait a minute…”
“Yeah, talk to me.”
Smack, smack, embarrassing sounds were heard. It was the sound of Choi Tae-gyeom kissing his ears, chin, and neck. When Yoon-woo couldn’t stand the ticklishness and shrank his body, Choi Tae-gyeom playfully bit his neck.
“I shouldn’t have come home.”
“…Why?”
“Because you’re in my space, it feels strange.”
“It’s not like I’ve never been in your room before.”
“It’s the first time since we started dating.”
Choi Tae-gyeom supported his back and waist and lifted him up as if he were a child. Yoon-woo was startled and clung to him, and he stroked his back as if he were cute. He wasn’t light, so how did he lift him up every time? He really didn’t understand sometimes.
“…What are you going to do if your parents come home?”
“I won’t do anything.”
Choi Tae-gyeom laid him down on the bed and rubbed his hair against his neck. He wouldn’t do anything, but his eyes looked like he was about to do something right away. Of course, he wouldn’t recklessly pounce on him in this situation.
“Your hair is ticklish.”
“Ticklish?”
Choi Tae-gyeom asked and rubbed his head even more. The soft hair tickled his neck. When Yoon-woo couldn’t stand the feeling and burst out laughing, wriggling his body, the sound of thumping came closer from outside the door.
“Someone’s outside…”
The door burst open in an instant. Choi Tae-gyeom and he, who were tangled up in a mess, turned to look at the same time as if they had planned it. Someone who had entered with a scary pheromone shouted loudly with a fiercely hardened expression.
“Choi Tae-gyeom, who’s in the house…!”
The air became heavy as if it had frozen. Blink, the eyes that met were gradually filled with embarrassment. The person who opened the door, his aunt, looked back and forth between him and Choi Tae-gyeom and moved her lips.
“…Yoon-woo?”
A chilling silence lingered between them. He was under Choi Tae-gyeom, and Choi Tae-gyeom was pressing down on his body. As they blankly stopped moving, his aunt’s face was gradually filled with shock.
“You…!”
The sight of her wearing a suit and tie was clearly someone who had come from work. He hadn’t heard the sound of the front door opening, but he must have been too caught up in the kiss. While he awkwardly looked around, his aunt pointed at them with her mouth open.
“You’re now…!”
He knew that he had to make an excuse. The position was full of misunderstandings, and the pheromones were so strange. He wasn’t trying to do anything weird, but it was suspicious enough for his Alpha aunt to see.
“…Mom, it’s not like that.”
It was Choi Tae-gyeom who spoke first. He awkwardly got up from on top of him and started to speak in a low voice. The moment he took a step down from the bed, his aunt unleashed a fierce Lion’s Roar.
“Choi Tae-gyeom!”
Yoon-woo flinched and raised his upper body. Choi Tae-gyeom was also surprised and looked at his aunt with wide eyes. His aunt, who had strode up to Choi Tae-gyeom, roughly slapped him on the back without hesitation.
“Are you crazy? Huh!”
Thwack! The sound that sounded like it would hurt just to hear spread. Choi Tae-gyeom reflexively flinched and took a step back from his aunt. His aunt, who didn’t let go of him, slapped him a few more times and released a lot of sharp pheromones.
“What are you doing right now!”
It was an excessive reaction to simply witnessing skinship. The pheromones coming from his aunt were so sharp that they suppressed not only him, an Omega, but even Choi Tae-gyeom, a Dominant Alpha. He couldn’t say anything and looked around, but his aunt’s gaze turned to him.
“…Yoon-woo, you.”
He swallowed. He didn’t think she would hit him, but he was nervous about what kind of scolding he would get. So, he was about to kneel down and apologize, but a more worried voice than ever before came back.
“Are you okay?”
“……”
He couldn’t say anything and looked at his aunt. He had expected countless words, such as what are you doing or what were you thinking, but he never expected this question to come out.
While he was moving his lips, his aunt sat down on the bed with a serious expression.
“Oh my, the child’s face has turned completely pale.”
“……Yes?”
His aunt carefully stroked his cheeks. She grabbed both cheeks and looked at his face from side to side, and anyone could see that she was worried about him. Her gentle eyes and the pheromones that had softened compared to before were 180 degrees different from how she had treated Choi Tae-gyeom.
“Choi Tae-gyeom.”
His aunt stood up with her back to him, as if she was covering him. The ominous pheromones that flowed out created a threatening atmosphere.
“You get out of this house right now…”
“…Aunt!”
He hurriedly reached out and grabbed his aunt. The moment his arm was grabbed, his aunt turned around in a flash. Choi Tae-gyeom and his aunt’s gazes looked at him with different emotions.
“That…”
My head was a mess. But in the time it took me to take a breath, the reason why my aunt was so angry, and the reason she was trying to protect me, all of it fell into place like a puzzle.
My aunt probably thought he was trying to force himself on me. It wasn’t forced, and it wasn’t that kind of physical contact, but since he was holding me down, it was understandable that she would think that.
“It’s not… it’s not what you think, Aunt.”
My trembling voice barely managed to utter a sentence. My heart was pounding, and stiff pheromones were slowly seeping out. I stuttered a little, but the message must have been clear. My aunt, taking in the scene, sternly hardened her expression.
“Don’t tell me you’re trying to defend Choi Tae-gyeom…”
“No, no!”
I interrupted my aunt and waved my hands. My aunt pressed her lips together as if telling me to continue. Glancing at Choi Tae-gyeom, he finally seemed to understand.
“I’m not trying to defend him. We were just playing around and it turned out like this. Really.”
Perhaps because I had taken the blame for Choi Tae-gyeom’s mistakes so many times when I was younger, my aunt didn’t easily believe me. She even gave me a pitying look. I let go of my aunt’s arm and pleaded in a desperate voice.
“You know Tae-gyeom isn’t that kind of person. It’s really not like that. Really.”
“…Tae-gyeom, you tell me. Is that really what happened?”
With a small sigh, Choi Tae-gyeom ran a hand over his face. His face, filled with dismay, also showed a hint of fatigue and embarrassment. He covered his mouth and squinted, speaking in a small voice.
“How could I do something like that to Lee Yoon-woo?”
“…”
My aunt looked back and forth between us very slowly. She narrowed her eyes as if trying to gauge our true feelings, glaring at Choi Tae-gyeom. Her eyes, so similar to Choi Tae-gyeom’s, were quickly assessing the situation.
“…Yoon-woo, putting aside when you became an Omega…”
After a brief pause, my aunt pulled down her tie and suppressed her pheromones. A deep shadow still lingered between her brows.
“If it’s not what your mother thinks, then why is the room filled with pheromones like this?”
Her low voice created a sense of intimidation. I was so tense that my whole body was stiff. My aunt unbuttoned one of her shirt buttons and stared at Choi Tae-gyeom.
“And Tae-gyeom, you.”
Choi Tae-gyeom was just as tense as I was. He had straightened his body and was only slightly avoiding her gaze.
“Didn’t you say you’ve been sleeping at Yoon-woo’s place for the past few days?”
He had no excuse to offer. He hadn’t committed a crime, but there was definitely something he was caught on. With a deep sigh, my aunt gestured towards the door and moved her feet.
“Both of you, let’s have a little chat with your mother.”
* * *
My aunt sat on the sofa in the living room and listened to our story. From when I had my Omega awakening, to when we started dating, to what the past five years had been like, to the explanation that it wasn’t the ‘kind of thing’ my aunt was imagining. Choi Tae-gyeom did most of the talking, openly defending me and trying to make my aunt understand.
“…That’s how it happened.”
After all the stories were told, my aunt looked at me with a complicated expression. Her eyes, a mixture of worry and pity, appeared even when she heard that I had been hiding the fact that I was an Omega. At least I was relieved that her gaze wasn’t blaming me.
“I wondered why I was sensing Omega pheromones in the house…”
My aunt muttered to herself and touched her forehead with one hand. I wondered why she had come home so quickly, but it seemed that pheromones had lingered in the living room as I entered the house. My aunt was an dominant, so she must have been sensitive to even the faint pheromones.
“Okay, first of all…”
My aunt slowly began, glancing at Choi Tae-gyeom. Her face, a little more refined than Choi Tae-gyeom’s, wore a troubled expression.
“Tae-gyeom, I’m sorry your mother misunderstood.”
This was the part I always admired about my aunt. As an adult and a mother, it must be difficult to apologize to her children, but my aunt always clearly apologized for anything she thought she had done wrong. Choi Tae-gyeom also learned to apologize first from my aunt when he argued with me.
“It’s okay. It was understandable that you’d misunderstand…”
He awkwardly squinted and averted his gaze. Even Choi Tae-gyeom would feel embarrassed to have been caught in such a state. Besides, he had said a lot of things he hadn’t planned to say. He hadn’t originally intended to reveal that he and I were dating so suddenly.
“And Yoon-woo.”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because she was friends with my prosecutor mother, my aunt also evoked a sense of guilt when I met her gaze directly. Her eyes, with their uniquely light color, had a subtle atmosphere that was different from Choi Tae-gyeom’s.
“I’m a little disappointed that you hid your Omega status even from your aunt.”
I clenched my fists and lowered my head. When I mumbled, “I’m sorry,” my aunt tapped the table.
“I’m not scolding you, so raise your head. If Tae-gyeom freaks out at the thought of Omegas, it must have been difficult to tell me. I understand. It’s not like your Omega status is that important in life.”
I slowly raised my eyes. As she said she wasn’t scolding me, my aunt had her usual kind expression. As soon as our eyes met, my aunt folded her beautiful eyes in half.
“Anyway, I have to give your parents credit for keeping their mouths shut.”
Actually, I didn’t expect my parents to keep my secret so well. I thought they would have told my aunt and uncle, if not Choi Tae-gyeom. It seemed that the two of them had been more tight-lipped about my Omega status than I had thought.
“You’re both adults, so I won’t say anything about you dating.”
Her calm voice was enough to melt my frozen heart. I finally felt the tension slowly easing.
“But both of you, only do things you can take responsibility for.”
‘Things you can take responsibility for’ probably encompassed a lot of things. Our relationship, how we would handle things in the future, and even the sexual aspects that would occasionally follow.
“Especially Choi Tae-gyeom.”
“…”
“Don’t forget what your mother told you before.”
What she had said before? I turned to look at Choi Tae-gyeom with that in mind. He glanced at me and lightly clenched the fist that was resting on his thigh. A determined voice somehow flowed from his slightly flushed lips.
“I know.”
My aunt smiled pleasantly. I always felt that the three of them looked exactly alike when they smiled. My aunt, my uncle, and Choi Tae-gyeom, their smiling faces were truly radiant and gentle.
“Okay, then that’s settled.”
Fortunately, my aunt finished the conversation without any signs of worry. She straightened her pants and got up from her seat, as if the conversation was over. My aunt, who had even picked up the tie she had taken off on the table, stroked Choi Tae-gyeom’s and my hair.
“Date beautifully, beautifully.”
A gentle pheromone wafted softly. Unlike Choi Tae-gyeom’s, her mature pheromones had the ability to put people at ease. My aunt gently smoothed my hair and spoke in a very kind voice.
“If Tae-gyeom can’t do it, tell me. Yoon-woo, you’re my son too.”
It was a line that my parents would jokingly laugh at, calling me their son. It was also something my aunt had always said since I was young. I nodded slowly and chuckled.
“Yes, don’t worry.”
I wondered why she had come home so early, but my aunt said she had received a call from my mother. She had asked her to take care of me instead, saying she would be late today, and that I would definitely be alone if it were me. My mother, who had asked my aunt, was one thing, but my aunt, who had readily come home at that one word, was really something else.
Choi Tae-gyeom couldn’t hide his disbelief as he looked at my aunt. My aunt also scoffed as if she was dumbfounded at the words that my family loved Lee Yoon-woo too much. Even I thought it wasn’t something Choi Tae-gyeom should say.
“Ah, I’m tired.”
As soon as my aunt, relieved that I was with Choi Tae-gyeom, went back to work, he lay down with his head on my lap. He must have been quite surprised as well, as there was fatigue on his face. I swept back his bangs and gently rubbed his smooth forehead.
“Your aunt wasn’t as surprised as I thought.”
“About what?”
“About us dating. I thought she’d be more surprised, but she didn’t react much.”
“Ah, that.”
Choi Tae-gyeom reached out and grabbed the remote control on the table. A boring entertainment program was playing on the TV he turned on.
“She probably guessed it.”
After fiddling with the remote control a few times, Choi Tae-gyeom turned to the TV and lay down. His gaze was also directed at the TV, not at me.
“I’ve liked you for years.”
His voice was quite calm. I stroked his sharp jawline with my fingertips and quietly hummed. My fingers, moving stealthily, brushed past his smooth cheek and even touched his slender eyelashes. Instead of stopping me, he grabbed my hand and rubbed his nose against my palm.
“She probably thought I couldn’t hold back and touched you.”
“…Isn’t that a harsh assessment of her son?”
“Well, there’s a precedent.”
“Precedent?”
Choi Tae-gyeom curled up the corners of his lips and turned his gaze towards me. His thinly double-lidded eyes curved softly as if he was being cute. A soft lip touched my palm and then fell away.
“There’s something like that.”
“What is it? You’re making me curious.”
I pressed down on Choi Tae-gyeom’s face, but he didn’t seem to want to tell me. He turned his head and buried his face in my lap, clearly intending to change the subject. Choi Tae-gyeom, playfully biting his fingertips, gestured towards the movie with his chin.
“Let’s watch a movie. They’re playing something interesting.”
“We’ve seen that one more than three times.”
“Did we?”
The movie on TV was one of the famous series that was broadcast on holidays. It was said to have seven episodes from the first to the seventh, but no matter how much I thought about it, I didn’t remember watching it properly from beginning to end. It was because either one of us would fall asleep while watching the movie, or we would both get hungry and leave.
“Doesn’t he die there?”
“He dies in the next episode. And it’s not him, it’s someone else.”
“Foreign actors all look too similar.”
“You can’t even tell apart Korean people.”
As if to punish me, I ruffled Choi Tae-gyeom’s hair roughly, and he laughed and fiddled with my fingers.
The movie continued, and only the actors’ lines echoed in the house for a long time. It wasn’t using particularly difficult English, so I could understand the general content without looking at the subtitles. So, I secretly watched Choi Tae-gyeom while only listening to the sounds, and he intertwined his fingers with mine and opened his mouth.
“Your face will wear out.”
The TV screen was reflected in his clear eyes. The lights, changing in various colors, sparkled beautifully like glass beads. Choi Tae-gyeom raised the corners of his lips slightly and reached out to cup the back of my head.
“You can watch that without subtitles, right?”
It was a question that didn’t need an answer. The moment I opened my mouth, his soft lips met mine.
I guess we won’t be able to watch it all the way through this time either. Thinking that, I caressed Choi Tae-gyeom’s ear. The subtly mixed pheromones were sweetly emanating at the end of his breath. The movie, which had already entered the second half, was slowly reaching its climax.
* * *
His parents came back around the time we ordered food and were sprawled out on the sofa. My uncle, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, expressed his regret at the fact that we had already eaten dinner, but it was too late, so there was nothing he could do. I returned home, leaving Choi Tae-gyeom behind, who told me to stay longer, and when I came out after taking a shower, a message had arrived from my mother.
Mom: [I don’t think I’ll be able to come home today. Sorry. You’re not home alone, are you?] pm10:17
“I should have stayed with Choi Tae-gyeom…”
It wasn’t an unexpected situation. I had been thinking about this situation in the back of my mind ever since I heard that she had gone to work this morning. It wasn’t my mother’s fault that she was busy, and the one who was most upset wasn’t me, but my mother. So, there was only one answer I could give.
[I was with Tae-gyeom until now. Work hard.] pm10:33
As soon as I sent the reply that I was okay, a call came in with amazing timing. The caller was my father.
―What should I do? I don’t think I’ll be able to come home until dawn either.
My father, unable to hide his embarrassment, added this and that. He said that his law firm had been swamped with work and that it had been difficult for him to go home for several days, and that the last time he had a proper conversation with my mother was a week ago.
“Are you getting enough sleep?”
―Just about. Your mother is probably having a harder time than I am. Last time I saw her, she couldn’t even rest for a day after one trial ended.
“Please tell Mom to take it easy. It’s okay if she doesn’t celebrate my birthday, but she shouldn’t overdo it.”
―You’re worrying about everything. Your mother and I are sorry that we can’t celebrate with you even though we invited you.
“We didn’t have any plans anyway.”
I lay down on the bed with my phone to my ear. Even though I hadn’t been home for a long time, my room was clean without a speck of dust. It couldn’t have been cleaned by my parents, who were too busy to even blink, so it must have been cleaned by the housekeeper we occasionally hired.
―Do you still only have Tae-gyeom as a friend?
“Dad…”
―No, it’s just that you’re so shy…
My father continued the call, telling me trivial stories. He still seemed busy with work, but he couldn’t bring himself to end the call because he felt sorry. I really was okay. My parents and Choi Tae-gyeom just couldn’t believe me.
“I’m really okay, so go to work. I can see you tomorrow when you come home.”
―Okay, then… sleep well, and I’ll wish you a happy birthday tomorrow.
“Yes, don’t overdo it.”
―Okay, I’ll hang up now.
As soon as I hung up, a quiet silence descended. Perhaps because the sound of the call had disappeared, I felt that the room was particularly quiet. I roughly pushed my phone aside and stared blankly at the ceiling.
If I contacted Choi Tae-gyeom, he would probably come over to my house right away. Then, in that gentle voice of his, he would ask, “Should I sleep over?” He might also tell me this and that with a worried look on his face, just like he did at my place.
Even when I was young, Choi Tae-gyeom couldn’t bear to see me alone. Whether I was standing in front of a locked gate or alone in my room on my birthday, Choi Tae-gyeom was always with me. Knowing that, my parents probably left me alone a little more easily.
‘Why are you alone?’
Even now, just thinking of him made me feel better. His pretty face and low voice made my sinking mood swell. I should have stayed with Choi Tae-gyeom a little longer. With that thought, I reached for my phone, but then just closed my eyes.
There was no particular reason. It was partly because I was embarrassed to contact him now that I was alone, and partly because everything had suddenly become a hassle. The slowly rising fatigue pressed down on my eyelids and made my whole body feel lethargic.
Come to think of it, what were the birthdays I had spent with Choi Tae-gyeom like?
Suddenly, Choi Tae-gyeom in his school uniform was drawn in my mind. Around my third year of high school, Choi Tae-gyeom was sitting in my room on the chair at my desk, wearing a shirt and tie. His face was a little younger than it is now, and I couldn’t feel any pheromones at all.
‘Here.’
He fiddled with his tie with one hand and suddenly handed me a shopping bag. The shopping bag, which had a famous brand mark on it, contained a wrapped box. I could tell that the contents were shoes without even opening it.
‘What’s this?’
‘A birthday present.’
He said it in a casual voice and handed me the shopping bag. The tie he had been fiddling with was now loosely undone.
‘You said you liked mine.’
It was the same design as Choi Tae-gyeom’s. Although the color was different, it seemed that he remembered that I had liked it before. As I looked at the shoes in a daze, Choi Tae-gyeom casually said.
‘When I bought it, the employee asked me who I was going to give it to, saying that if you give shoes as a gift, they’ll run away.’
‘Did you buy it in your school uniform?’
‘No, I bought it in my casual clothes.’
I couldn’t help but laugh. That employee was really something. To ask if he had a lover in that way.
‘They must have thought you were giving it to your lover.’
Run away? Choi Tae-gyeom and I weren’t in a relationship where such words applied. We were just friends, so the rumors people spread didn’t apply to us.
‘Isn’t that something you say between lovers?’
At my words, Choi Tae-gyeom paused and closed his mouth. Then, he let out a hollow laugh as he watched me take the paper out of the shoes and put them on.
‘……I guess so.’
That was the last birthday gift Choi Tae-gyeom gave me. A few months after that incident, I realized my feelings for him, and naturally, the sneakers were shoved into the shoe closet. At some point, I found myself constantly assigning meaning to the gift he had given without any ulterior motive. Choi Tae-gyeom inwardly showed signs of disappointment, but he didn’t openly mention the sneakers to me.
That was already six years ago. And after a long hiatus, my birthday returned. I should have contacted Choi Tae-gyeom after all. As soon as that regret surfaced, my eyes snapped open.
“……”
The room was filled with darkness. I thought I had just been keeping my eyes closed, but it seemed I had actually dozed off. Did I turn off the lights before sleeping? While I couldn’t distinguish between what was a dream and what was reality, I suddenly felt a warm sensation at my fingertips.
“……Oh, my.”
Choi Tae-gyeom was sitting on the floor next to the bed, asleep. What touched my fingertips was Choi Tae-gyeom’s hand, holding mine. As I subtly pulled my hand away, he groggily lifted his eyelids.
“Ah…… You’re awake?”
Choi Tae-gyeom smiled kindly as if nothing was wrong. Even through the dimness, I could clearly see his eyes crinkling brightly. I slowly smoothed Choi Tae-gyeom’s hair and asked in a reluctant voice.
“……How are you here?”
He rubbed his face against my hand like a happy cat. Despite sitting pitifully next to the bed, he didn’t seem to care about his appearance at all.
“Uncle said you’d be alone…… No, more than that.”
Choi Tae-gyeom quickly pulled his face away and grabbed the phone next to him. He pressed the lock button, and the clock appeared on the brightened screen. He let out a sigh of relief with a satisfied expression and held the phone in front of me.
[AM 12:00]
“Happy birthday.”
I blinked blankly. The phone screen, with the changed date, showed an unbelievable time. How could I have woken up at such a perfect time? He seemed to think so too, as pleasant pheromone overflowed.
“Uncle contacted me. He asked if I could go check on you since you’d be alone.”
So that’s how he got in; it seemed my dad had given him the password. Choi Tae-gyeom must have rushed to my house, turned off the lights in my room, and covered me with a blanket. I could vividly imagine him holding me, asleep with my hand in his.
“I was just lying next to you while you were sleeping, and I fell asleep too.”
Even in the darkness, Choi Tae-gyeom was as clear as if he were illuminated. His softly curved eyes, the neat teeth visible through his parted lips. His disheveled hair and delicate eyelashes reached my vision without wavering.
“Happy birthday, Lee Yoon-woo.”
He put down the phone and took my hand again. He kissed my palm and fingers alternately, then rubbed his cheek against me languidly.
“I wanted to be the first to congratulate you.”
My feelings were complex. I felt happy, a little dazed, and somehow my throat felt choked up. ‘Happy birthday.’ The one phrase I had heard countless times echoed in my ears.
“……Come here.”
So I grabbed Choi Tae-gyeom’s arm and pulled him towards me. He came onto the bed as I led him. He sat halfway, leaning his upper body over and gently kissing me near my cheek.
“Why?”
His slightly folded eyes were lovely. The hand that smoothed my hair, the subtly lingering pheromone, and even the gaze that waited earnestly for an answer all tickled my heart.
“Just……”
Actually, I seemed to have been a little sad. No, it was clear that I had become assimilated with the emotion because he was so worried. If not, there was no way I would feel like crying this much.
“I guess I missed you.”
Realization always comes half a beat late. The emotion I hadn’t noticed poured out like a waterfall the moment I became aware of it. Hadn’t I always felt okay because Choi Tae-gyeom was there?
As if he couldn’t help it, he smiled faintly.
“I thought so.”
* * *
Choi Tae-gyeom held me in his arms all night and didn’t let go. He didn’t do anything, just gently released pheromone and stroked my back with a tender touch. When I closed my eyes, intoxicated by that warmth, the piercing loneliness had all disappeared.
“Wake up, Yoon-woo.”
As soon as morning came, he lightly shook me awake. I could have ignored the words to wake up, but I couldn’t avoid the lips that pressed down here and there. Eventually, I surrendered and opened my eyes, and Choi Tae-gyeom rubbed my cheek with a satisfied expression.
“Uncle came early this morning and left again.”
As he said my dad had come, two bills were placed on the desk. Fumbling, I checked my phone and saw a message from my mom saying she would be a little late too.
“They must be very busy. He said to just let you sleep since he’s coming tonight.”
“Uh-huh……”
“I was going to wake you up, but he said to just let you sleep since he’s coming tonight.”
I sat blankly on the bed, rubbing my eyes. I had just woken up, so I wasn’t fully awake. So, in the end, both of them would only be coming around in the evening? As I nodded slowly, Choi Tae-gyeom said in a soft voice.
“Come on, let’s eat.”
As I left the room, an inexplicably delicious smell wafted over. This house was so far from cooking that there was no way such a homely smell could be coming from it. With that question in mind, I entered the kitchen and my eyes widened at the breakfast that was laid out.
“……What is all this?”
I scanned the food on the table with sleepy eyes. The simple side dishes were clearly from home, but there was no way seaweed soup or braised short ribs were from home. But they weren’t instant either; even the glossy sheen was different.
“Who made all this?”
“I did.”
Choi Tae-gyeom answered casually and handed me a glass of water. I was about to take the glass when I stopped awkwardly.
“……You made it?”
It was an unbelievable statement. The Choi Tae-gyeom I remembered was someone who had never cooked a meal with his own hands. It wasn’t because he was lazy, but there was no reason for him to cook. Even when I was in my studio apartment, most of our meals were delivered.
“There were ingredients at home. I asked Aunt if I could use them, and she said to use as much as I wanted.”
Choi Tae-gyeom replied casually and sat across from me. There was rice, soup, and utensils in front of him as well.
“You…… You knew how to cook?”
He looked at me as if to say, “What are you talking about?” The light burst of laughter showed how dumbfounded he was.
“Didn’t I often say I’d make you something delicious?”
Certainly, I remembered him saying a few times that he would make me something delicious. I didn’t have any menus in mind, so I just brushed it off, and somehow we ended up eating out. I thought he was just joking, but it seemed he was serious.
“My dad took a break from work a few years ago. I learned almost everything then. I’m probably better at home cooking than my dad now.”
I picked up a spoon with a dazed feeling. As soon as I reached for the seaweed soup, Choi Tae-gyeom looked at me with expectant eyes.
“Is it good?”
“……I just thought I wanted to marry you.”
It wasn’t just edible; it was more delicious than what you could buy. The seasoning was good, and the salt was just right. If I, who was picky about food, thought it was delicious, then I could understand why he was so confident.
“Just for this?”
A playful voice was heard. Looking closely, Choi Tae-gyeom also had a proud expression. He picked up chopsticks and put meat in front of me, then chuckled.
“I learned to cook for you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, my dad said he seduced my mom with cooking.”
I glanced at Choi Tae-gyeom. He was wiggling his chopsticks with a bright face. His rosy lips were parted pleasantly.
“I’m finally making it for you.”
His smiling face seemed to shine. Anyone else would think I was wearing rose-colored glasses, but since it was Choi Tae-gyeom, it probably wasn’t. How could someone like him be by my side? My heart was beating pleasantly, and pheromone was slowly flowing out.
“Thank you, ……in many ways.”
Even with my very dry greeting, Choi Tae-gyeom closed his eyes with satisfaction. The reason he didn’t bother to answer was probably because he felt something from me as I lowered my head. Even though I was clearly feeling happy, I felt like crying for some reason.
After the meal, he immediately started washing the dishes. I was going to do the cleaning since he had cooked, but I gave up because of his strong objection, saying, “Why would the birthday person wash the dishes?” No matter how much I insisted, he would never let me wash the dishes.
“I’m full…… I wouldn’t have been able to eat half of this if Mom had made it.”
“Your aunt would be upset if she heard that.”
“Mom would admit it too.”
“……I’ll make it for you often, so let’s go grocery shopping together later. There’s nothing to eat in your studio apartment.”
Choi Tae-gyeom, who couldn’t deny my words, cleverly changed the subject. He was turned around washing the dishes, but I could almost see his expression. I crept up to Choi Tae-gyeom and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“……Lee Yoon-woo?”
When I put my cheek against his broad back, he flinched and stiffened. He had done more than just hug, yet his reaction was so innocent. The fact that he was so cute made me laugh softly and call out to him.
“Tae-gyeom.”
Even I thought my voice was ticklish. Instead of answering, he turned off the water and turned to look at me.
“I’m just asking lightly……”
The gaze that met mine over his shoulder brought an inexplicable thrill. Just like I had felt a few days ago when we woke up together, I also had the urge to live in the same house as Choi Tae-gyeom. So, without realizing it, the thought in my head popped out.
“Want to live together?”
He looked at me with wide eyes, as if surprised. The pheromone that had been cut off showed how surprised he was.
“Of course, there are many things to consider, such as parental permission……”
“……”
“Anyway, we’re practically living together now.”
Wouldn’t it be like having a roommate?
I tried to package it as lightly as possible, but in the end, it was a proposal with ulterior motives. To fall asleep together, wake up together, eat together, and spend time together. I knew it was greed, but I wanted to be greedier with Choi Tae-gyeom. I just felt like it.
“I’m not trying to pressure you……”
Embarrassed, I buried my face in Choi Tae-gyeom’s back. After adding the lame excuse that cooking wasn’t the purpose, I finally got a reaction from him. It was a very small murmur.
“……I was going to give it to you later.”
Before I could ask what he meant, he took off his rubber gloves and unwrapped my arms. Then he looked straight at me and frowned. The emotion in his pretty face was clearly the same embarrassment as me.
“Lee Yoon-woo.”
Our gazes mixed in the air. The pheromone that was slowly flowing out was the same. While I was blankly looking up at him, Choi Tae-gyeom intertwined his fingers with my left hand and moved his lips.
“I wasn’t originally going to give it to you like this.”
Something cold touched my finger. It was hard, round, and a different texture than Choi Tae-gyeom’s fingers. Surprised, I widened my eyes, and he slowly lifted my hand.
“I bought it with the money I saved while taking a leave of absence.”
A slender ring was on my ring finger, where there had been nothing before. The simple gold design suited me perfectly, as if it had been made for me. As I stood speechless, he held out another ring.
“This one’s mine.”
“……”
“Will you put it on for me?”
As if possessed, I put the ring on Choi Tae-gyeom’s left hand. My fingertips were trembling, and my stomach was strangely tense. Choi Tae-gyeom took my left hand, kissed the back of it, and smiled as if he were melting.
“It suits you well.”
My stiff shoulders relaxed. The tension that had been building up had turned into a feeling of emotion that made my heart ache. He looked at me quietly and then gently hugged me.
“Why are you crying?”
“……I’m not crying.”
There was a tremor in my voice. It was a completely unreliable statement, but he willingly pretended not to notice. As he gently stroked the back of my head, the tears I had been holding back poured out.
“Good boy……”
I cried in Choi Tae-gyeom’s arms for a long time. I couldn’t answer why I was crying, what made me cry so much, but one thing was certain.
“I like you, Lee Yoon-woo.”
I like Choi Tae-gyeom.
“I love you.”
I love this gentle voice, this warm pheromone, and Choi Tae-gyeom himself.
“……Me too.”
The emotion I had realized at some point had now become so great that it was irreversible. I loved him, and because I loved him, it felt like a part of me was filled with Choi Tae-gyeom.
“Then want to live together?”
Tears were about to come out. Even though I had already shed them once, emotions poured out like a faucet. Choi Tae-gyeom hugged me tightly and whispered gently.
“I’ll do all the persuading and getting permission.”
“……”
“Let’s sleep together, wake up together, and eat together. Let’s live like that, us.”
Looking back, all the memorable moments were filled with Choi Tae-gyeom. The beginning and the end of it all was always Choi Tae-gyeom for me.
“……Okay.”
And now, I’m going to start another beginning with him.
“Let’s live together, Tae-gyeom.”
Omega Complex
―fin.