15 – 20 years old & 21 years old

Hwang Hae-kyung opened his eyes again in a familiar place. The special ventilation facilities on the pure white ceiling filled his vision. The large ventilation facilities on the ceiling were running non-stop, and next to the bed he was lying on were respiratory equipment and automatic drug injectors.

It was the intensive care unit for Pheromone treatment that he had been admitted to two years ago.

“Haa…”

A breath of air leaked from his mouth along with a hollow laugh. It was the same situation as the summer he was 19 years old. The only difference was the difference in memories.

Hwang Hae-kyung recalled what Hwang Jun-won had said to him. He remembered his firm expression when he had given him a definite answer that he had not done anything disappointing.

It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Hwang Jun-won’s words, which had given him a definite answer at the time. Still, as soon as he reunited with the lost moments of the past, he felt as if he had put a period on all the thoughts and anxieties lurking in the base. This time, he didn’t lose any memories. Even the hour of the last day of the Olympics in the summer of his 19th year.

The only problem was that this time, he had put Lee Yoon-san in danger. The Alphas who had poured Pheromone on Lee Yoon-san must have targeted Lee Yoon-san in order to take revenge on him for their ill feelings.

Therefore, the clear fact was that Lee Yoon-san’s sudden Heat cycle and assault damage were all the result of Hwang Hae-kyung.

The expression on Lee Yoon-san’s face when he was frightened by Heat cycle came to his mind. He also remembered the sight of him lying on the bathroom floor, crushed by a number of Alphas, and even saying that he shouldn’t be abandoned because he wasn’t in Heat cycle because of the other Alphas. He knew that he didn’t mean it seriously.

It was probably a statement he had made without knowing it due to hormonal physiological disturbances and a sudden Heat cycle. Especially during Heat cycle, he tended to show a mentally heightened appearance, and constantly secreted dopamine and serotonin from the central nervous system, making him feel excited and uplifted.

It was no wonder that Betas compared the Heat cycle of Second gendered beings to drug addiction. In fact, there were similar symptoms on the surface. Blind and urgent desires and emotional overstimulation, as well as panic and deprivation due to hypersensitivity and anxiety, were the main examples.

So there was no need to take Lee Yoon-san’s words or actions during Heat cycle seriously. That was if he judged it only rationally.

But Hwang Hae-kyung felt that the fact that such words came out of Lee Yoon-san’s mouth was heavy. Moreover, if Hwang Hae-kyung had been a little late in that situation where he was being crushed by Alphas, something terrible might have happened that was too terrible to imagine.

Even if it was an excessive assumption, hadn’t he already gone to a similar situation?

The cause of all that was Hwang Hae-kyung himself. Lee Yoon-san was assaulted by a number of Alphas and forcibly had his hormonal physiology disturbed, forcing him into Heat cycle. Lee Yoon-san had experienced something he would never have had to experience in his life because of Hwang Hae-kyung.

But would this really end with just this one time? Hwang Hae-kyung knew very well that his face was known. It was true that he had been envied because of it, but he had also received as much dark and gloomy jealousy and voyeurism. He had learned from experience since he was young that a conspicuous target was often targeted by an unspecified number of people.

This time, if Hwang Hae-kyung hadn’t been a conspicuous or well-known person, they wouldn’t have been able to find him by targeting Hwang Hae-kyung.

An ordinary person wouldn’t necessarily attract attention just by walking around a tourist attraction, and a video of them playing beach volleyball on the beach wouldn’t be spread on SNS.

Fortunately, Hwang Hae-kyung had adapted to this kind of life and knew how to respond, but Lee Yoon-san didn’t. Moreover, he knew that the petty reality of jealousy and hatred was mostly refracted and directed towards a more manageable target. Just like this time.

Hwang Hae-kyung had never thought that the boomerang of his actions would be directed towards someone next to him, so he felt even more chilled by this incident.

It was he who had caused the conflict with the Alphas, but Lee Yoon-san, who was next to him, had suffered the damage. Even though Lee Yoon-san didn’t even know the existence of those Alphas.

Then, he recalled Lee Yoon-san in Heat cycle once again. Was the hand he reached out, submerged in his own Pheromone during Heat cycle, really due to Pheromone, or was it due to emotion? Did he really not resent him at all? Even though he had gone through such a thing because of him.

At that point, another doubt arose within Hwang Hae-kyung. He wondered if he could really distinguish between natural emotions and the coercion of Pheromone.

Then, he remembered the Omega who had responded to his Pheromone and clung to him and rushed at him as if obeying him against his will. Pheromone was a factor that made such things possible. As Hwang Hae-kyung had seen and experienced with his own eyes.

‘My Pheromone…’

What if I do the same thing to Lee Yoon-san? What if I ignore Lee Yoon-san’s will and wield Pheromone at him?

His hormone levels were particularly high, so there was bound to be a significant difference in the concentration and control of Pheromone. There was clearly a vertical gap created by this, and that gap could ruin a horizontal relationship.

For example, even if there was an emotional conflict, Hwang Hae-kyung could wield Pheromone to take Lee Yoon-san as he pleased. Regardless of Lee Yoon-san’s will.

And the moment that happened, the most dangerous person to Lee Yoon-san would be Hwang Hae-kyung himself. Hwang Hae-kyung wouldn’t tolerate the coercion that others would commit against Lee Yoon-san, but the coercion that Hwang Hae-kyung would commit against Lee Yoon-san would be in the realm of ‘personal affairs’, and there wouldn’t be anyone to stop it.

Then, could he really force Lee Yoon-san into a relationship that carried such a risk? Hwang Hae-kyung couldn’t easily answer that question.

✧✧✧

“Son.”

Lee Yoon-san, who was sitting blankly on the bed in his room, turned his head towards the door. Lee Ga-eun, who had her arms crossed, was standing there, probably having just finished a phone call.

Lee Ga-eun sat on the edge of Lee Yoon-san’s bed and checked her son’s temperature. He had a fever from his first Heat cycle, but now it had subsided a little. She looked at her son’s slightly swollen face and stroked his cheek.

She knew what was on Lee Yoon-san’s mind, who had a sullen expression.

It was about three days ago that news reached Lee Ga-eun and her group, who were in the middle of an off-grid camping trip. To be exact, it was after Hwang Jun-won persistently contacted them that they were able to reach Lee Yoon-san, and they immediately headed to the hospital in Jeju.

And there, they were able to face Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san, who were in a miserable state. Lee Yoon-san’s condition was a mess to anyone who saw him. Lee Yoon-san, who had a swollen face and was wearing roughly dressed clothes, indicating that he was in Heat cycle, looked as if he was in a panic, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who was lying on the hospital bed, was unconscious.

And at that place, they all learned that Hwang Hae-kyung’s acute Suppressant poisoning was the second time. They also talked about the accident that happened on the last day of the Olympics in the summer two years ago.

From Lee Yoon-san’s point of view, it was the moment he realized what the incident two years ago was that Hwang Hae-kyung was trying to tell him. Although he himself didn’t have some of his memories, he could still guess what he was trying to tell him.

Just that alone made Lee Yoon-san feel a suffocating sadness. During the time when he thought that Hwang Hae-kyung had cut off contact with him and unilaterally distanced himself from him, he had been suffering from the aftereffects of a body ruined by Pheromone.

“Mom, Hae-kyung is…”

His voice stopped as if his throat had shrunk while he was talking. His dry throat hurt, and he was embarrassed by the surge of emotions.

He should have said something. If he had contacted me, I wouldn’t have resented him. Then I would have contacted him first later. Lee Yoon-san was embarrassed by the thought of himself.

His hormone flow must have been shaken during his minor years, so the aftereffects must have been enormous. Although he hadn’t heard the details, wasn’t that why they separated schools for policy reasons to prevent such serious accidents?

So even while thinking it was unreasonable to feel hurt by Hwang Hae-kyung’s actions back then given the circumstances, Lee Yoon-san couldn’t help but feel miserable anyway. If only he’d been told, he would have waited without resentment. They could have exchanged messages, and he would have been given the chance to worry. And perhaps,

‘…Would I have been able to not go find Hae-kyung?’

When his thoughts reached that point, Yoon-san’s expression hardened. It was an assumption he couldn’t confidently make. Back then, he already liked Hwang Hae-kyung, and there was no way he wouldn’t have been concerned upon hearing that Hae-kyung was hospitalized long-term.

He definitely would have gone and loitered outside the hospital at the very least. Not just because he wanted to see him, but because he was worried and anxious.

If he put himself in Hae-kyung’s shoes, Yoon-san wasn’t sure he would have been able to inform Hae-kyung about his own situation either. In a situation where they couldn’t meet, he wouldn’t have wanted to make Hae-kyung worry, and he wouldn’t have wanted to tell Hae-kyung about his own messed-up state.

“Hae-kyung has regained consciousness.”

It was Lee Ga-eun’s words that snapped Yoon-san out of his daze, where he seemed lost in thought after sitting blankly for a long time. She said it in a calm voice and then met the eyes of Yoon-san, who had lifted his head.

“Huh? What did you say, Mom?”

“Hae-kyung has regained consciousness.”

“Ah… Then I’ll go see him now. I’ll go and…”

“No, Yoon-san.”

Shortly after Hwang Hae-kyung was transferred to the large general hospital in Seoul where he had previously been hospitalized with similar symptoms, Yoon-san and his family also returned home immediately. Yoon-san wanted to visit right after that, but Hae-kyung was unconscious, and he himself was in poor condition just after his heat cycle.

In the end, Yoon-san, who had collapsed as if fainting after coming home, also had to have a recovery period for a day, receiving IV fluids at a nearby hospital. After that, time was spent giving testimony to the lawyers sent by Hwang Jun-won about the situation at the time of the accident at the airport.

Fortunately, Yoon-san’s phone had been left at the scene during the accident, so the conversation of the perpetrator Alphas was recorded, preventing the testimony from dragging on. It seemed Lee Seok-jae, who had remained at the scene, had taken care of it.

In between giving testimony, Yoon-san kept asking if Hae-kyung was okay, and each time, Lee Ga-eun and Lee Jung-won could only tell him that he still hadn’t regained consciousness.

“Why, Mom? Why not? We’re… we’re dating, right? Hae-kyung is my Alpha…”

“Hae-kyung doesn’t want it.”

“What?”

As she pressed down on her son’s shoulders to stop him from getting up right away, Yoon-san protested as if wronged. He asked again as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard, and Ga-eun looked at her son with a rather stern and resolute expression.

“Mom is also against you going out right now. Your condition is very bad right now. You probably haven’t eaten properly or slept well during your heat cycle period, and in that state, where do you think you’re going? Your foot isn’t fully healed yet either, and how long has it been since you collapsed and got IV fluids?”

“No… No, Mom… But I need to see Hae-kyung now…”

“You collapsing was also due to hypovolemic symptoms from dehydration, and your blood pressure hadn’t recovered even when you were discharged after the IV. If you so much as move a single step outside this bed. Mom will really get angry.”

“Mom…”

At Ga-eun’s words, Yoon-san seemed about to protest as if hurt, but she just got up from her spot and left the room, even after seeing her son’s face. She soon brought the prepared liquid meal, placed it in front of Yoon-san, and then left the room again. It seemed she found it difficult to bear her son’s expression looking at her as if hurt.

Early symptoms of hypovolemia or hypotension due to dehydration were common symptoms seen in Second gendered beings who had just gone through their heat cycle, and it appeared even more frequently in Omegas. Literally, because they neither ate nor slept properly throughout the heat cycle, and constantly ejaculated and sweated, the cause was rapid fluid loss.

Yoon-san had also been cautioned about this while receiving IV fluids in the emergency room, so he well understood why Ga-eun was worried about him. In reality, strength wasn’t coming to his limbs well, and his head spun even when he sat up.

Still, Yoon-san couldn’t accept Hae-kyung’s words. It felt like going back to the situation two years ago. However, Yoon-san had no intention of accepting his words the same way he did two years ago.

Now that they were in a mutual liking relationship, and having put himself in the other’s position, he could guess what Hae-kyung was worried about. Even the fact that Hae-kyung had been so careful with his body all this time, fearing this very situation might come.

‘I don’t know if I’m safe for you, not yet.’

Hae-kyung’s words to him came to mind. Just what were you feeling when you said that? To me, who knew nothing, saying that while meticulously taking medicine you didn’t need to take, just how much insecurity did you hold about yourself? You, who didn’t trust yourself and restrained yourself yet said nothing to me, what were you so worried about?

‘What if you confide everything to Hye-yoon and get her opinion? Will something change then?’

‘…….’

‘If I tell someone who already likes me, “Actually, I’m worried about this and that, so I’m hesitant to date you,” wouldn’t that just be forcing understanding and tolerance onto that person?’

Suddenly, the conversation he had shared with Ham Se-jin cut through Yoon-san’s thoughts and surfaced.

‘Let me say it again, I have no intention of forcing anything on you. I can just control my surroundings instead of you.’

And even those words Hae-kyung had said to him at the pub in Jeju.

Did you not even want to force understanding and tolerance onto me? Is that why, despite there already having been one accident, you chose to restrain yourself instead? So you were vigilant on my behalf, and took medicine you didn’t need like a habit?

“…First, let’s eat.”

Having recalled up to that point, Yoon-san, suppressing the rising emotions by clenching his fists tightly, pressed his two eyes firmly with his palms. The corners of his eyes grew hot, but he didn’t cry. It wasn’t the time for that yet.

Then, after staring at the porridge, lukewarm water, chocolate, etc., placed on the bed tray Ga-eun had brought, he pulled it toward himself and began to eat. Ga-eun’s words weren’t wrong.

Just from sitting and thinking about this and that for a while, his head felt dizzy, and he even felt nauseous from the belated hunger. It was natural that he had no energy throughout his body.

So first, he needed to fill his stomach. And he intended to wait for the night, hoping his body would recover even a little. He knew Hae-kyung had rejected him, but he had no intention of spending the present like he did two years ago. So he had to go to Hae-kyung. To do that, he would need at least minimal physical strength, so prioritizing the meal Ga-eun had given and left was paramount.

And later that night, it was only natural that Yoon-san, who had been holding his breath in his room pretending to sleep, left the house secretly without his mothers knowing.

✧✧✧

“Excuse me, I’m looking for the Second Gender Medicine ward…”

“Please go to the 16th or 17th floor.”

“Ah, yes.”

Getting to the hospital in Seoul by taxi was easy, but the problem came after. He knew which hospital Hae-kyung had been transferred to, but he hadn’t heard where exactly he was hospitalized. The information about the transfer hospital was only known because Yoon-san had been together at the hospital in Jeju.

Yoon-san went straight to the hospital’s reception desk and first asked about the ward where Hae-kyung was likely to be. Since it was a problem related to pheromones, it was clear he would be hospitalized in the Second Gender Medicine department, not another medical department. It would have been good to find out which room Hae-kyung was in while he was at it, but it was certain they wouldn’t tell him due to privacy issues, so he didn’t ask further.

Yoon-san immediately took the elevator up and snooped around the ward. Then he suddenly realized this floor was mainly for Omegas, so he went up to the next floor. But Hae-kyung wasn’t there either. At least it was a ward without visiting restrictions, so he could snoop around, but since it was the early morning hours, he couldn’t avoid the suspicious glances of the resident guardians.

In the end, Yoon-san had to go back down to the first floor with no success. Not knowing what to do, he loitered for a while, and eventually sat on a bench in front of the gate on the first floor.

He didn’t have his phone with him right now, so he couldn’t even call Hae-kyung.

“…What should I do?”

Now that he had come to his senses a bit, he realized he had no plan. He could somehow contact Hwang Jun-won or Ahn Sun-mi, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Since Hae-kyung had rejected him through his parents’ mouths, those two might get angry if they found out he came here. No, getting angry would be fine, but he was worried they might prevent him from meeting Hae-kyung.

So, while he was unable to do this or that, making no decisions and just anxiously fretting, a deep shadow fell over Yoon-san sitting on the bench. The owner of the shadow blocking the streetlight that was barely brightening the dark dawn was someone familiar to Yoon-san as well.

“Yoon-san.”

“…Uncle.”

Hwang Jun-won, with a haggard face, was looking down at Yoon-san.

Jun-won looked down at Yoon-san for a long time without speaking. His attitude seemed as if seeing Yoon-san in this place wasn’t all that surprising, or he seemed too exhausted to be surprised by anything.

“How’s our Yoon-san doing? Your injured foot and all…”

Jun-won, keeping his gaze fixed on the empty space in front of him, asked Yoon-san in a calm tone. He didn’t forget to briefly glance at Yoon-san’s injured foot. And Yoon-san immediately understood the reason he left his words vague and unclear.

He was probably asking about the aftereffects of being exposed to the Alphas’ pheromones. Instead of answering that he was okay to Jun-won’s careful and indirect question, Yoon-san smiled bitterly.

Even as a white lie, he wasn’t okay.

Knowing that, Yoon-san’s parents had never asked him if he was okay. They well knew by now that Yoon-san’s habit was to say ‘It’s okay.’ So rather, they chose not to leave Yoon-san’s side.

They took turns checking on their sleeping son, carefully observing Yoon-san’s expressions and reactions, trying hard to assess his condition.

They frequently hugged him so he could always feel he wasn’t alone, held his hand, and prioritized Yoon-san’s stability above all, forcing nothing on him.

That is, until he said he would go out despite his physical condition.

If it were like when he was younger, Yoon-san would have habitually said he was okay first, worried about causing concern to the other person. However, during his time in Jeju, he had several experiences of honestly expressing what he felt.

The subject was mostly Hwang Hae-kyung, sometimes Ham Se-jin, Hae-kyung’s friend, and himself.

And the very first among all those experiences was the moment he couldn’t hide his feelings from Hae-kyung and confessed. That moment when he confessed to Hae-kyung because he didn’t want to turn away from his own feelings anymore.

Yoon-san now knew well how important it was to be honest and open up. Even that being honest could be a way of respecting the other person.

It was a conclusion very different from when he was young, when he thought that hiding and enduring alone was consideration and affection because he cherished the other person.

“Mentally, it’s a bit… hard. I suddenly get anxious, people feel a bit scary too, and I still can’t really go to public restrooms yet.”

“Don’t worry, Yoon-san, Uncle won’t let those bastards off the hook. They will never appear before you again in your life. I’ll also assign guards. Yoon-san, Uncle… I’m really sorry. I didn’t intend to leave you two alone in the first place.”

Jun-won said that as if he were a criminal, looking bitterly into the empty space.

Currently, the Alphas who had blasted Yoon-san with their pheromones were all suffering from severe physical disruption symptoms, so the possibility of them returning to normal daily life was slim.

Because the pheromones Hae-kyung had explosively released had completely disrupted their hormonal mechanisms.

The extent was quite severe, with effects reaching not only the brain itself, deeply related to the endocrine system, but also the nervous system.

So the perpetrators had a high probability of not being able to completely erase related illnesses or aftereffects. Especially since hypothalamic damage related to hormonal regulation was suspected, their hospital stay would likely not end in just 1-2 years.

At the most basic level, they wouldn’t be able to properly regulate their hormones, and they would suffer a significant number of the numerous diseases caused by hypothalamic damage.

Moreover, since they were Alphas, having difficulty regulating their hormones as Alphas was no different from losing their lives as Alphas.

All of that was a symptom induced by Hae-kyung’s pheromones. Therefore, Jun-won felt somewhat bitter upon hearing the news about the perpetrators.

He had repeatedly heard throughout his life that his son’s hormone levels were high, his pheromone concentration was dense, and the particles were extremely fine, requiring caution, but he never thought he would experience the reality of those words in this way.

There were times when he worried that he had been restraining his son too harshly, but considering the impact Hae-kyung’s pheromones had caused now, his pheromones had a considerable impact on others.

That much was an objective fact.

“Uncle.”

“Yes, Yoon-san.”

“Back then, Hae-kyung was just as scared as I was.”

“…….”

“So when I feel a bit scared or anxious or mentally difficult, I think of Hae-kyung. That Hae-kyung saved me, that we ultimately escaped that situation, and that Hae-kyung was with me continuously afterwards.”

“…I see.”

“I try not to keep recalling only the bad memories. But also, when I feel anxious and scared, if I just endure a little, thoughts of Hae-kyung come back. Because in the end, Hae-kyung and I escaped that situation together. I try to think that it wasn’t a sad ending but a crisis, and now if I just overcome it well, only a happy ending remains.”

If I collapse in that memory, it would be a sad ending, but if I get back up, it just remains as a process called crisis, right? So in the end, things will get better. Please don’t worry too much.

Yoon-san said that and then muttered that he was a bit embarrassed because he wasn’t good with words. Jun-won looked at Yoon-san like that for a long time without speaking, and then instead of answering, he raised his hand and patted Yoon-san’s shoulder a couple of times, as if brushing it off.

He had an expression as if he were newly facing the sight of a child having grown up.

Jun-won looked at Yoon-san like that for a while, then plopped his body down on the seat next to him and let out a deep sigh.

“…But Yoon-san, Hae-kyung isn’t here.”

“Huh?”

“This is the main building, right? Our kid is in the annex.”

“Ah…”

“I came just in case.”

Jun-won said that while wiping his face with one hand as if washing it dry. And sitting on the bench leaning back in a slightly hunched posture, he turned only his head to look at Yoon-san.

He smiled a smile that seemed full of thoughts. It was also a smile that barely emerged because Yoon-san’s condition seemed better than expected.

It was after a cautious topic had passed once.

“Yoon-san, I can smell our son on you.”

“Ah, uh, I, I was so flustered, I couldn’t use the odor eliminator…”

“It doesn’t seem like that would solve it at this level.”

Since Yoon-san had already informed him, Jun-won also already knew the fact that Hae-kyung had spent Yoon-san’s heat cycle with him.

Yet the fact that he brought this up meant that there really remained a level of pheromones on Yoon-san’s body that was hard to pretend not to know.

However, Yoon-san, even with his face reddening in embarrassment, did not avert his gaze.

“Yoon-san.”

“Yes…”

“By any chance, back when you were in middle and high school, did you two ever contact each other?”

“…….”

“Did you ever meet secretly too?”

“…Yes.”

Since he felt from Jun-won’s tone not a question but a will to confirm, Yoon-san gave an honest answer.

He thought it couldn’t be helped even if he was disappointed, even if he was scolded. Because it was true that he had done things he was told not to do.

Moreover, during that period, the adults from both families, as if by some agreement, did not even relay news about each other’s children to their own sons, unlike when they were very young.

“Since when?”

“…Since I was in my third year of middle school, and Hae-kyung was in his first year of high school.”

“Then you kept in contact ever since?”

“No… The contact was cut off. After Hae-kyung’s Olympics…”

At Yoon-san’s answer, a sound of Jun-won laughing as if dispirited was heard. Yoon-san looked at him like that, and Jun-won, after wiping his rough face once more, spoke again.

“Was it when Hae-kyung was eighteen? He caused an accident at school.”

“…An accident?”

“Yes. He hit a teammate. Although that player provoked him first.”

“…….”

“I heard he kept bringing up some Omega to Hae-kyung. He asked if that kid was pretty.”

Lee Yoon-san frowned at the sudden, incomprehensible words, his face serious. Hwang Jun-won chuckled lightly at his expression.

It seemed Lee Yoon-san in front of him didn’t realize this was about him.

“When I asked Hwang Hae-kyung why he hit that player, he said.”

“…….”

“He wanted to protect ‘that kid’.”

“Ah….”

At Hwang Jun-won’s words, Lee Yoon-san finally understood and looked embarrassed. Considering the context of their ongoing conversation, he immediately understood who Hwang Hae-kyung wanted to ‘protect’.

“Two years ago, when there was a Pheromone-related accident in Japan, he asked me after waking up if he had done anything to ‘disappoint’ me. I told him no, since nothing happened, but looking back, there must have been a time when he didn’t believe me and doubted it. Hae-kyung didn’t have all of his memories from that time.”

Lee Yoon-san’s fist clenched tightly at Hwang Jun-won’s words. Even while his body was a mess and he was receiving treatment, Hwang Hae-kyung was worried and checking if his actions at the time would disappoint someone, rather than focusing on his own condition. It wasn’t a confirmation for himself, but a confirmation conscious of others.

He had been worrying about him all along.

“Now that I see it, that was your story.”

Lee Yoon-san lowered his head at Hwang Jun-won’s words. He felt like he was about to cry. He felt sorry and upset that he was only now learning about Hwang Hae-kyung’s past.

Also, the heart of Hwang Hae-kyung that he had come to know was much bigger than he had thought.

“But Hae-kyung still wants to protect you, Yoon-san.”

“…….”

“So, you should go back now.”

Hwang Jun-won patted Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder, ending the conversation. It was as if he was trying to send him back with kind words. So, Lee Yoon-san raised his head and faced Hwang Jun-won.

“N-No.”

“Yoon-san.”

“I’m not leaving until I see Hae-kyung. I’m absolutely not going, so at least don’t stop me.”

This is a problem we need to discuss. Lee Yoon-san said firmly and stood up. He then ran, almost sprinting, towards the annex instead of the main building.

The wound on the sole of his foot throbbed again from stepping on the ground so hard, but now was not the time to worry about the injury.

He just wanted to see Hwang Hae-kyung. He understood well enough why Hwang Hae-kyung was rejecting him, but he couldn’t accept it.

The conversation he had with Ham Se-jin in Jeju kept popping into his head. Ham Se-jin’s words, that he couldn’t dare to be greedy because the other person was so precious, kept resurfacing in Lee Yoon-san’s mind.

So, Lee Yoon-san felt even more upset. He was probably blaming himself for this incident too.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s attitude of always prioritizing him over himself was very upsetting to Lee Yoon-san, who loved him. And more than anything, he could never allow them to drift apart again.

Once was enough.

✧✧✧

Hwang Hae-kyung was just sitting blankly, looking at the dark dawn sky outside the window. He had been motionless for hours.

The humming of the ventilation system, which had been running all day, was particularly loud in his ears, and the intermittent migraine was a headache, but he knew that all of this would get better if he endured it.

The only problem was Lee Yoon-san. His lover, who had gone through a terrible ordeal because of him, and the person he had loved for a very long time without even knowing it.

Hwang Hae-kyung still didn’t want to be any kind of danger to Lee Yoon-san, and Lee Yoon-san’s safety was his top priority.

So, as soon as he came to his senses, he asked his parents about Lee Yoon-san’s condition and conveyed his wish that he wouldn’t come to see him.

However,

“Hwang Hae-kyung…!”

A hushed shout came with the sound of someone knocking on the window of the quiet hospital room. Hwang Hae-kyung belatedly came to his senses and looked at the window towards the hallway, his brow furrowed and he froze.

Lee Yoon-san was standing in the dimly lit hallway, which wasn’t the 24-hour emergency center, and was knocking on the window of the intensive care unit.

Due to the nature of the intensive care unit, there was a large glass window for isolation and visitation, as well as for checking on outsiders, so Lee Yoon-san’s appearance was fully visible.

He had a very wronged and upset expression on his face, and he was stuck to the window of the intensive care unit in the dark hallway, and he seemed angry at first glance.

Hwang Hae-kyung tilted his head slightly, wondering if Lee Yoon-san’s appearance was a hallucination, but soon realized it wasn’t and got out of bed. He was connected to an IV line for medication, but it was so annoying that he just tore it off, and he saw Lee Yoon-san’s expression harden outside the window.

Hwang Hae-kyung quietly watched Lee Yoon-san and walked towards the window. He didn’t say anything, and deliberately didn’t make any expression. Then, Lee Yoon-san’s gaze, which had also hardened, moved from Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand to his face.

He was worried about the blood droplets that had appeared because he had recklessly pulled out the IV, and he was upset by Hwang Hae-kyung’s reaction of not showing any expression as he looked at him.

Still, Lee Yoon-san soon steeled himself. He hadn’t come here to be intimidated by that expression and attitude and back down.

He glanced at the entry control system of the intensive care unit and said to Hwang Hae-kyung. Since it was an isolation room where entry was restricted to authorized personnel, it seemed that the door could only be opened with an RF card unless it was opened from the inside.

“Let me in.”

“No.”

“Hae-kyung….”

“Go, Lee Yoon-san. Your foot isn’t even fully healed yet.”

“Is my foot important right now?!”

Lee Yoon-san couldn’t hold back his anger at Hwang Hae-kyung’s indifferent words and shouted. The dark hallway became a little noisy, and Lee Yoon-san looked around, checking his surroundings.

Because of the time and the fact that it was the annex ward, the hallway was quiet and there were no people passing by, but since there was an intensive care unit, there was always a nurse on duty at the station on the same floor.

Fortunately, the intensive care unit where Hwang Hae-kyung was located was the last room, appearing after turning a corner in the hallway, but if he made a loud noise, someone could come at any moment. Besides, how much had he searched to find this place?

“Go.”

“No.”

“I’m dangerous to you, Yoon-san.”

“No, let’s talk. We….”

“Yoon-san.”

“…….”

“You almost got into big trouble because of me. Have you already forgotten?”

“Why is that…!”

“Because it’s something you wouldn’t have gotten involved in if it weren’t for me.”

“…….”

“I was mistaken in thinking that I wouldn’t be dangerous to you if I just controlled my Pheromones well. I never thought that my situation would be a problem for you. But I don’t think that’s the case.”

“Hae-kyung.”

“Yoon-san, I.”

“…….”

“I’m so scared of you.”

Hwang Hae-kyung said that in a calm tone. It was a flat, small voice that wouldn’t have been heard well if the surroundings weren’t quiet.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever loved in my life, and I’ve only just realized that you’re the only person for me, so I’m scared that my Pheromones or my surroundings will hurt you, I feel like I’m going crazy.”

“…….”

“I’m afraid that my Pheromones will ignore your feelings and intentions and force you to cling to me, and I’m worried that my surroundings will affect you.”

“Hae-kyung….”

“I’m afraid that there will be a situation where I hurt you in some way, and I start to think, what if I recklessly desire you and you become unhappy by my side? The thought that I might ruin you, even if it’s just a possibility, burns me up inside.”

Hwang Hae-kyung said that like a sinner making a confession, clenching and unclenching his empty fist. It was a hand with blood droplets clotting and a bluish bruise from forcibly tearing off the IV.

Lee Yoon-san could see Hwang Hae-kyung’s figure across the window, frowning and unable to make eye contact. And soon, that figure became blurred.

Lee Yoon-san then realized that he was crying silently. He couldn’t even open his mouth because he felt like his breathing would become labored if he tried to speak.

“Even in this situation, I can only say things I’m sorry for to you. So.”

“What…?”

Hwang Hae-kyung in front of him kept blurring and smudging. No matter how many times he roughly wiped away the tears with his arm, it kept blurring and blurring again, so Lee Yoon-san finally squeezed his eyes shut and roughly wiped away the tears for the last time. And when he raised his head, he saw Hwang Hae-kyung’s face looking at him with a pained expression.

He was standing there, looking at Lee Yoon-san, who was sobbing as if he was angry, with a pained expression. He was standing very close to the glass window, as if he was sorry that he couldn’t wipe away his tears.

Lee Yoon-san was angry at Hwang Hae-kyung’s appearance.

When he first heard what Hwang Hae-kyung was saying, he felt sorry for him because he could understand the feelings he must have felt. He remembered the conversation he had with Ham Se-jin, and he felt sorry for Hwang Hae-kyung, imagining the time he had spent agonizing alone.

That’s why he cried. And soon he became upset. He couldn’t bear the fact that Hwang Hae-kyung was blaming himself even though there were other people who had committed the bad deeds, and he couldn’t bear this situation.

The Alphas who had assaulted him were bad people, and the reason he was a well-known person was because he had worked hard at what he was given.

When he was young, he worked as a child model, and when he grew older, he worked hard at exercising, so he couldn’t help but become well-known. That was by no means a mistake.

Nevertheless, he was angry now. He felt like he knew what Hwang Hae-kyung’s ‘apologies’ were. Hwang Hae-kyung had already cut off contact two years ago for a similar reason.

“…Then, are we breaking up?”

So, Lee Yoon-san asked that as if he couldn’t believe it. This time, he raised his voice quite loudly, as if he was arguing, because of his agitated emotions and the labored breathing caused by crying.

At that moment, he heard someone walking towards them from a distance, and the door to the intensive care unit opened in front of Lee Yoon-san, who was about to give up everything and just burst into tears.

Hwang Hae-kyung had opened the door from the inside. And when he grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s arm and pulled him inside, making him sit on the floor, the empty hallway became quiet as if it were a lie.

The footsteps that had been approaching from a distance were from someone at the station, who shone a flashlight around the hallway where the intensive care unit was located and then moved away again.

Meanwhile, Lee Yoon-san, who had suddenly been pulled into Hwang Hae-kyung’s arms and hidden, was surprised and stiffened, covering his mouth.

It was similar to when they had met at the amusement park sometime in the past. Hwang Hae-kyung pulling him and sitting on the floor, and even his situation of sitting between his legs.

Then, even more sorrowful emotions surged up. Lee Yoon-san couldn’t even look at Hwang Hae-kyung and pressed his two eyes tightly with the palms of his hands, opening his mouth urgently.

His words were cut off and his pronunciation was slurred because of the crying and labored breathing, but there was something he wanted to say more than that.

“Hae-kyung, I, I… When I was little, it took me a really long time to learn how to ride a bike. I couldn’t, couldn’t keep my balance well… I fell a lot and got hurt a lot too. Dogs too, dogs too are the same. When I was little, I touched dogs carelessly without thinking and got bitten and scratched.”

“…Yoon-san.”

“But Hae-kyung, I still like riding bikes and I like dogs too. They’re all things I like, and I know that riding a bike makes me feel better when I’m frustrated, and dogs are cute and healing.”

“You’re now….”

“So Hae-kyung, it’s okay.”

“…….”

“This incident isn’t your fault, and even if I get hurt because of you, I’ll eventually get better because of you.”

You can get hurt by others as much as you want in life. But you’re the only one who can heal those wounds.

Lee Yoon-san said that, carefully wrapping his arms around Hwang Hae-kyung’s arm in front of him. His voice was unsightly because of the crying, but he still didn’t stop and continued to say what he had to say until the end.

During that time, he deliberately interrupted Hwang Hae-kyung’s words several times, but he couldn’t help it because he was afraid to hear his words.

He couldn’t bear to hear his words because he was afraid that he would really put a period to their relationship.

“I like you so much that I can’t just get hurt by something like this….”

With those words, Lee Yoon-san finally burst into tears. It was a rare occurrence for Lee Yoon-san, who was surprisingly not one to cry and was indifferent to everything.

However, the reason was clear. As he finished saying what he wanted to say, a wave of sadness washed over him, and he saw the bruises on Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand that he was holding. It was a trace of him forcibly pulling out the IV.

He also felt sorry and upset that Hwang Hae-kyung’s arm in his hand was wearing a patient gown. He hated Hwang Hae-kyung for acting like he was breaking up with him, but he also felt sorry for him, and he didn’t know what to do, and his emotions clashed.

So, the dam broke and his heart grew with tears, and Lee Yoon-san buried his forehead in Hwang Hae-kyung’s arm and wept sadly, as if he had suffered the most sorrowful thing in the world.

Even while crying, Lee Yoon-san kept thinking of things he wanted to say, and he continued to speak intermittently, barely breathing out his slurred pronunciation and labored breath.

Don’t be afraid, Hae-kyung. You’re the only one for me too. You said it, you said I was your share since you were born. I remember everything. So, you can’t take away my share from me because you’re worried about me. Just worry. Just worry about me by my side. That’s what liking something is all about. I’m more worried about you looking upset than my foot being hurt, that’s what liking is all about.

I want to spend a lot of time together in the future, but you can’t be afraid of me every time that happens. We’ve only just been able to be together…. Don’t be afraid or anxious, Hae-kyung. I won’t be unhappy. Somehow, I won’t be your unhappiness. So, I… I’ll make you happy. What’s so great about Pheromones, what’s so great about your environment. Don’t be afraid of me, Hae-kyung…. I don’t want to break up….

Lee Yoon-san’s words, mixed with sobs, were often interrupted and awkward because they didn’t make sense, but they were like an ardent confession, or like the clumsy and passionate ambition of Don Quixote.

So, Hwang Hae-kyung listened to what he was saying without saying a word, and only after his words were finished did he raise his free hand and stroke his back.

It was at that moment that a bewildered laugh burst out from Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been wearing a frighteningly stiff expression until then.

“Yoon-san, why would we break up.”

“Huh…?”

Lee Yoon-san’s head lifted at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, which he heard when the sound had subsided a little after crying for a long time. And in the dark treatment room, the two people’s eyes met.

“Why are you saying such things, scaring people.”

“But, but you… told me to go, said you were going to say something you were sorry for….”

“Because I’m receiving isolation treatment because of Pheromones. And what I’m sorry for doesn’t mean that.”

Hwang Hae-kyung blinked his eyes and met Lee Yoon-san’s gaze, who was looking at him as if he was glaring at him, and then laughed briefly as if he was feeling empty. It was a momentary laugh that resembled an exhalation. And he opened his mouth again, making eye contact with Lee Yoon-san.

“I know you went through something you didn’t have to because of me, and I know that these problems might happen again, but I can’t give up on you.”

“…….”

“I told you, you were the only one for me.”

“Ah….”

“I also said that it would be like that in the future.”

Don’t you remember? At Hwang Hae-kyung’s question, Lee Yoon-san’s face turned bright red. It was because he remembered the situation in which he had said those words. Then, he felt a subtle feeling as if his body was heating up unbelievably.

Hwang Hae-kyung leaned his head against the wall behind him, making eye contact with Lee Yoon-san, and said.

“As I said, I’m scared of you, Yoon-san.”

“…….”

“You’re the only one for me, so I feel like everything will be over if I ruin you or hurt you.”

It was a problem that couldn’t be solved even if it was a rash assumption. Lee Yoon-san was ‘that kid’ that Hwang Hae-kyung had often thought of since he was young, and he was the object that he was particularly concerned about.

Also, he was the last rein and master that he had held onto and not let go of his instincts even in the Pheromone accident in the summer of nineteen.

Rather, from the beginning, the fact that the right person had become his share made him afraid that he might lose or hurt him. Lee Yoon-san was the only one, and he wouldn’t be given twice.

So, there was no way he could let go of that one and only person. The reason why the ‘Hyung’ defense mechanism could work was because it was possible to force it before he realized and acknowledged all these feelings.

“I’m sorry I can’t say it in pretty words like you.”

“…….”

“I won’t let you go even if you scream and cry. I’m sorry about this in advance.”

I thought about it and worried about it, but it wasn’t a problem on that level. You were the only option for me from the start, so I’ll just be careful and feel sorry.

Hwang Hae-kyung said that and pulled Lee Yoon-san into his arms. It was something he couldn’t do at the amusement park when he was seventeen.

“I thought it was right to say these things after I properly dealt with what happened and my Pheromone was stable. In this situation, it will only sound forced.”

The things he thought about while locked in the isolation treatment room were ultimately meaningless. No matter how much he worried and thought about it, Hwang Hae-kyung himself couldn’t accept the decision to let Lee Yoon-san go because he was so precious.

Even if Lee Yoon-san was swayed by his Pheromone, even if something like this happened again, the option of him letting Lee Yoon-san go simply didn’t exist.

So he has to be wary and careful. To prevent something like this from happening again, to prevent his Pheromone from ignoring and forcing Lee Yoon-san’s will. To not pressure Lee Yoon-san and to make sure he is not uncomfortable with his environment. Hwang Hae-kyung had already engraved his first love, Lee Yoon-san, as his only share.

Above all, doesn’t Lee Yoon-san himself want to be by his side? Even if he is hurt by him, he tries to reassure him by saying that he will be okay because of him.

“Answer me. You’ll understand, right?”

“Huh? Uh, uh…”

On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san, who was hugged, gave a clumsy answer in a dazed voice. It felt like all the situations he had been thinking about had been shattered, and his head was numb and hot. Besides, perhaps because the tension suddenly eased, his head was dizzy and he felt a little lightheaded. The inside of his eyelids, which were burning from crying so much, and even his exhaled breath felt hot.

“…Um… but, Hae-kyung.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m feeling… a little… strange right now. Like I’m drunk, like…”

Just as Hwang Hae-kyung was relieved that this situation was settled with pretty words without revealing his deep and obsessive feelings, Lee Yoon-san, who was leaning in his arms, spoke slowly in a nasal voice. It was a voice created by a stuffy nose from crying so much and the elation caused by the Pheromone reaction.

“It’s because of the Pheromone.”

“Ah… Phero…mone…”

“I told you not to come here.”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s calm voice felt distant. Lee Yoon-san felt Pheromone unknowingly starting to emit from his flushed body.

He didn’t know it because he was suddenly dragged in and cried so much as soon as he came in, but he belatedly realized that the air in the treatment room was different from the hallway.

In an instant, he felt like he was caught in a chilling dawn. He felt like his head was completely unraveling and all the Pheromone in his body was being sucked out.

It wasn’t a Pheromone with sexual intent, but Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, which filled the treatment room, was inducing the emission by stimulating and sucking out Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone.

It was his first time experiencing this, and he couldn’t believe that his Pheromone, which had never been uncontrollable since entering the stable period, was spewing out on its own. Moreover, the more he reacted to Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, the faster the rate at which Pheromone was leaving his body.

Lee Yoon-san suddenly felt lethargic and hazy, as if all the energy was draining from his body. It was only a matter of moments before he completely slumped into Hwang Hae-kyung’s arms, who was holding him.

Lee Yoon-san’s soft, feathery Pheromone mixed into Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, which was disguised as a chilling and blue dawn.

“Hyung… I don’t have any energy…”

“Are you drunk?”

“Yeah, yeah…”

The treatment Hwang Hae-kyung received in the intensive care unit was to extract the Pheromone blocked by the medicine, so even if the ventilation facilities were in operation, it was impossible to immediately ventilate the vast and concentrated Pheromone. Therefore, even medical staff with a secondary gender were not allowed to enter, and ventilation facilities on a scale that would be used in a factory were in operation 24 hours a day on the ceiling.

In that situation, Lee Yoon-san rushed in. Lee Yoon-san was instantly submerged in Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone and had to release his Pheromone as if it were being taken away. As he did so, he became excited, but he didn’t feel like moving his body. He was just limp, lethargic, and didn’t want to think about anything.

He was only submerged in Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, but he felt like he wanted to give him all the control of his body. And that thought reached its peak when he felt like his dense Pheromone had completely filled his lungs.

He thought, what does it matter if he treats him however he wants?

“I unintentionally gave you a strong Pheromone shower.”

This isn’t just marking. Hwang Hae-kyung chuckled and whispered those words, but Lee Yoon-san just smiled and accepted it.

He was just lethargic all over, his mood was elevated, and Hwang Hae-kyung’s arms, which were supporting him, felt good. He was sure that he would entrust his body to him no matter what he did to him now.

Lee Yoon-san knew that his thoughts were excessive, but he didn’t feel the seriousness. And no matter what Hwang Hae-kyung said, he just nodded blandly.

“I want to sleep…”

“Are you tired?”

“Yeah…”

In this state, if Hwang Hae-kyung had sexual intentions and changed the Pheromone to emit, it was enough to induce a Heat cycle immediately, both in quantity and concentration. Only when his consciousness was fading away could Lee Yoon-san fully understand why Hwang Hae-kyung was so wary of his Pheromone.

Chapter

This was really too intense. Enough to change a person’s will and attitude.

Lee Yoon-san soon fainted as if falling asleep in Hwang Hae-kyung’s arms. Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, which had taken over his body, was languid and comfortable, yet simultaneously stole all will and thought. It was a level of Pheromone that Lee Yoon-san, with his textbook hormone system, found difficult to handle.

In the end, Hwang Hae-kyung, who was hugging Lee Yoon-san, who had lost consciousness as if fainting, let out a hollow laugh.

“I really need to be careful.”

It was a natural conclusion since there was no other choice. Eventually, he picked up the unconscious Lee Yoon-san and went to the bed.

After laying him on the bed, he took off his shoes and checked the wound on the sole of his foot first. Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand, checking the wound, was much more of a mess, but the person himself didn’t even care.

Hwang Hae-kyung loved Lee Yoon-san, who was emitting soft Pheromone even while sleeping, so he couldn’t let him go from his arms and closed his eyes while lying down together.

The Pheromone that was slowly leaving with medication was now being emitted like crazy, like a magnet sticking to a contrasting surface, just from tasting Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone a little.

Then, the faint dizziness and headache subsided, and the acutely raised nerves gradually eased. The Pheromone that had to be extracted for a long time while trapped in the intensive care unit was pouring out of his body as if struggling to intertwine with Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone.

Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung was once again convinced. That letting go of Lee Yoon-san in his life would never happen.

Just as much as his affection for Lee Yoon-san, his Pheromone was also reacting and responding to Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone at a rapid pace.

It was the moment when the two people’s Pheromones first met, and the moment of instinctive resolution.

“…Sleep well, Yoon-san.”

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san, who was asleep in his arms, even tighter and whispered a goodnight greeting. The ordinary greeting given in an unusual situation gave a strange sense of stability. And soon, he too fell into a comfortable sleep.

Thus, after passing through a childhood where they hated each other, and safely finishing a clumsy and cautious adolescence, the first love of the boys, who were finally united, was now ready to ripen.

They promised each other, looked forward to the time that would accumulate like film containing every moment, and were prepared for the countless stories that would be added to that time.

There would be worries and hesitations on the film pages that they, who had been each other’s only ones since they were very young, would turn over, but Hwang Hae-kyung decided not to hesitate as he had before.

He decided to remember Lee Yoon-san’s words that ‘liking’ includes even the worries and fears towards the other person.

The story of the boy and the boy who met every vacation had just passed the prologue of their first love. And they would gladly welcome the next chapter.

Just like that old wish that the two couples had jokingly hoped for their children in their wombs someday.

Main story complete.

✧

Afterword

It was a natural fact, but Lee Yoon-san being heavily intoxicated by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone in the intensive care unit that day was not a normal symptom.

He collapsed quickly because he was submerged and eroded by Hwang Hae-kyung’s massively emitted Pheromone, and the extent was even more severe because it was an indoor space where Pheromone was pooled, even though the ventilation system was running.

The reason why Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone was emitted arbitrarily as if being extracted was solely due to the sensing action, and no particular problem occurred for either Lee Yoon-san or Hwang Hae-kyung.

This was because Hwang Hae-kyung tried his best to suppress his sexual intentions.—However, Lee Yoon-san’s stable and average Pheromone was woefully insufficient to sense Hwang Hae-kyung’s vast and dense Pheromone.—

From Hwang Hae-kyung’s perspective, it was effective in quickly releasing the Pheromone trapped in his body, including the subcutaneous tissue, so he was actually greatly helped.

Therefore, when the medical staff found Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san lying together in the treatment room at dawn, they only said a few words about violating the entry regulations and refrained from further scolding.

But the problem was the guardians.

The moment Hwang Jun-won found Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san together in the isolated treatment room, he quickly approached and took Lee Yoon-san away as if protecting him. Hwang Hae-kyung protested as if he was dumbfounded by having Lee Yoon-san taken away, but Hwang Jun-won’s position was firm.

‘Hey, if you do this, Yoon-san’s family will never agree to a marriage alliance!’

‘Smell Yoon-san. He’s already married off. He’s covered in my Pheromone.’

‘This son of a bitch, really!’

From Hwang Jun-won’s point of view, it was a problem that he had to react to more sensitively because of the original sin of not stopping Lee Yoon-san last dawn.

Knowing that Lee Ga-eun wakes up even at the sound of stray cats wandering outside the tent at the campsite, there was no way she wouldn’t know that her son had slipped out of the house that dawn.

It was obvious that she had turned a blind eye because his desperation got through to her, but he had soaked the precious child of another family who came with such a heart with Pheromone, and the precious child was not even regaining consciousness even after dawn. So, it was also reasonable for Hwang Jun-won to say that he had no face to face Lee Yoon-san’s mothers.

For that reason, around the time Hwang Hae-kyung was being slapped on the back by Ahn Sun-mi, Lee Yoon-san’s mothers, who arrived late, rushed into the hospital room and defended Hwang Hae-kyung.

It was because they asked why they were scolding a sick child. Thanks to this, the isolation treatment room instantly lost its function, and the adults had to take medication containing anti-hormone ingredients and engage in a war of words.

Lee Yoon-san’s mothers seemed relieved after hearing the doctor’s diagnosis of Lee Yoon-san’s condition. It was just that he was intoxicated by Pheromone without any problems, and considering that he had just passed his Heat cycle and was in a more vulnerable state, it was just that his body was relaxed and he fell asleep.

Fortunately, it was also a possible result because Lee Yoon-san’s hormone levels were very healthy. The reason why Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone was of an ordinary type was also a big factor.

So, after confirming that there was no problem with their son’s safety, they began to actively take Hwang Hae-kyung’s side. They roughly knew the inside story of the incident two years ago, and they seemed to feel more sorry for Hwang Hae-kyung, who was wearing a patient gown and had pale skin.

In response, Hwang Jun-won and Ahn Sun-mi expressed, ‘Our son is originally pale,’ but it was not particularly accepted.

But as a result, Hwang Jun-won was the winner. He picked up Lee Yoon-san, who was still asleep and couldn’t wake up, and forced Hwang Hae-kyung’s intensive treatment again.

Hwang Hae-kyung was already in a state where his hormone levels were quite stable thanks to Lee Yoon-san, but he still had to continue treatment because the Pheromone still pooled in his body had not completely escaped.

In the end, Hwang Hae-kyung was isolated again in the intensive care unit and had to watch his father take Lee Yoon-san away as if it were a song of lament.

It was a relief that Lee Yoon-san’s two mothers stuck to the window in front of Hwang Hae-kyung’s treatment room and asked if he wanted anything to eat, if he was uncomfortable, or if he was bored, and worried about him diligently.

And that day, Hwang Jun-won and Ahn Sun-mi followed him to Lee Yoon-san’s house, packed him full of porridge and nutritional supplements, and then returned home.

“This is ridiculous…”

In the end, Hwang Hae-kyung, who was left in the treatment room again, opened his laptop and burst into a hollow laugh. It was ridiculous that Lee Yoon-san was taken away from him by his guardians right in front of his eyes, and he was dumbfounded by his father’s behavior of coddling Lee Yoon-san as if showing off to his prospective in-laws as soon as his condition improved a little.

Ahn Sun-mi brought Hwang Hae-kyung a laptop and tablet PC, saying that his dad was acting up because he was relieved, but in fact, Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t feel particularly bad, so he just said okay.

There was no reason to dislike it if his family was going to take care of his lover. He had to score points to be favorable for his appointment as a son-in-law in the Lee family. It was just a little frustrating that Lee Yoon-san was taken away from him right in front of his eyes.

Hwang Hae-kyung, who was thinking up to that point, accessed his email inbox with the screen turned on. Apart from the fact that Lee Yoon-san was safe and he was safe, there was still someone who had to pay a proper price.

He checked the current status, including the litigation strategy of the legal team and the situation of the perpetrators, which were sent by email. Additional police investigations were already underway regarding the incident at the campsite, including charges of trespassing, and special injury charges related to Lee Yoon-san were also recognized.

However, in the content recorded on Lee Yoon-san’s cell phone, there was a scene where the perpetrators were arguing to stop the rape, and there was a possibility that the attempted special rape charge could be greatly reduced depending on the judge in terms of law.—Even if the charge of indecent assault is applied, the penalty may be weaker because there is a fine.—

Even then, the opposing lawyer claimed that it was assault, not injury, but the perpetrator’s sentencing was disadvantaged because the fact that the Second gendered beings intentionally released Pheromone and caused mental and physical impairment constituted ‘injury’.

Instead, if a diagnosis is submitted in this state showing traces of Lee Yoon-san’s hormone levels fluctuating rapidly, there was a possibility that the charges could be applied more heavily. Even if it is not a problem related to sex, Pheromone is a substance that affects the entire body of Second gendered beings, and depending on the degree, it can determine life or leave permanent disability sequelae.

In addition, the perpetrator Alphas were unable to testify properly thanks to being affected by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone. The extent to which they were disturbed by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone was quite fatal.

Therefore, they also claimed Hwang Hae-kyung’s injury charges. However, since there were five Alphas at the scene excluding Hwang Hae-kyung, and they were the ones who released Pheromone first, Hwang Hae-kyung’s side argued that Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone release was not intentional.

As with all injury cases, especially in Pheromone-related accidents, the issue of ‘intentionality’ is a major issue. Hwang Hae-kyung’s legal team strongly argued that Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone was released ‘accidentally’ and ‘defensively’ in order to defend against threatening Pheromone from a large number of Alphas, and the claim was accepted.

In addition, there was evidence that Hwang Hae-kyung assaulted them and suppressed them with Pheromone, but the perpetrators’ testimonies were inconsistent and continued to change or contained untrue parts, the assault scene was inside the bathroom, so accurate data from the time of the incident was not left, Hwang Hae-kyung responded alone, Hwang Hae-kyung’s hormone levels also fluctuated greatly due to Pheromone, and he broke in to protect the victim, etc. There were quite a few factors that were unfavorable to the perpetrators.

So, there was a high possibility that Hwang Hae-kyung’s mutual assault case would also end with offsetting the extent of mutual damage and reaching an agreement.

Hwang Hae-kyung opened and checked all the emails containing the current status, and even finished a phone call with the chief lawyer of the legal team.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s primary goal was to apply all applicable charges and have the perpetrators receive the highest possible sentence, and to remove them from society for the time being.

Of course, before that, it was not even known when their hospital stay would end.

Currently, the perpetrators were suffering from severe physical sequelae due to hormone disruption, and it was not even possible to guarantee whether the resulting hormone system could return to normal. If the worst situation were to occur, they would not be able to guarantee their proper function as Alphas. The impact of Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone was that significant. Regardless of what kind of intention the Pheromone had.

But even if they were lucky enough to overcome the sequelae, legal punishment would be waiting for them. Neither Hwang Hae-kyung nor Lee Yoon-san’s mothers had any intention of offsetting and moving on from this incident with the extreme hormone damage suffered by the perpetrator Alphas.

In particular, Hwang Hae-kyung was very interested in the loss of Alpha sexual function of the perpetrator Alphas. He had requested the legal team to periodically check whether they had definitely lost their function or acquired a disability.

If they had only touched the campsite, he wouldn’t have interfered so annoyingly, but it was necessary to make them pay the price for touching Lee Yoon-san.

Above all, the perpetrator’s side will be even busier dealing with the lawyers sent by Lee Jung-won and Lee Ga-eun in the future.

If that happens, Hwang Hae-kyung’s name may be in the news again and the situation may become noisy, but Lee Seok-jae decided to step in on that part.

Before people’s attention is focused on ‘Hwang Hae-kyung’s acquaintances who were caught up in the incident’, Lee Seok-jae, who is already well known as Hwang Hae-kyung’s close friend, volunteered to stop his SNS account activity for a while to take away the speculation and attention.

If he avoids giving a definite answer but acts ambiguously, at least the attention will not go to Lee Yoon-san.

Instead, he will be a little annoyed, but Lee Seok-jae was already used to people’s attention and excessive interest. Besides, he seemed sorry that his SNS was used in the perpetrators’ crime plan.

By the time Hwang Hae-kyung roughly checked the situation, the sun had already set.

He listened to the blood test results from the doctor who visited for rounds and was able to confirm the clearly stabilized hormone levels. After that, Ahn Sun-mi and Hwang Jun-won, who had finished work, visited, and night came.

Hwang Hae-kyung picked up his cell phone to check if Lee Yoon-san had contacted him, but stopped. Hwang Jun-won took care of his cell phone and was able to receive it, but Lee Yoon-san’s cell phone was taken by Lee Seok-jae and handed over to the police, and there was no news.

So, Lee Yoon-san probably doesn’t have a cell phone right now. If he had a cell phone, he would have known when Lee Yoon-san came yesterday. But while laying the unconscious Lee Yoon-san on the bed and hugging him, he didn’t feel a hard cell phone on his body.

Maybe Lee Yoon-san hadn’t even thought of taking care of that yet. Hwang Hae-kyung himself only looked for his cell phone when he contacted his lawyer after regaining consciousness.

But then, a call came to Hwang Hae-kyung’s cell phone. Surprisingly, it was Lee Yoon-san’s number.

-Hello? Hae-kyung?

“I’m going to be Lee Yoon-san’s Darling.”

-Oh, what is that…!

Hwang Hae-kyung’s lips curled up at the sound of Lee Yoon-san’s voice as soon as he answered the phone. Lee Yoon-san laughed as if embarrassed by Hwang Hae-kyung’s words over the receiver. He said that he had received his cell phone in Jeju Island today.

Hwang Hae-kyung quietly listened to Lee Yoon-san’s continued words, saying that he was so out of his mind that he didn’t even know he didn’t have a cell phone. He liked the voice that spoke softly into his ear in a voice that was neither too loud nor too small, and he wanted to see his face again for no reason.

-Ah, but this isn’t it.

“What is.”

-There is, something like that.

“Is your foot okay?”

-Foot? Ah, uh. It almost got infected, but it’s okay. They treated it well, so it doesn’t hurt at all now.

Lee Yoon-san then spoke embarrassedly about being intoxicated by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone last dawn and asked if he was okay now. Hwang Hae-kyung answered that he was okay to such Lee Yoon-san, and the voice asking about the remaining treatment schedule was cautious.

Fortunately, it was not a difficult question to answer. Thanks to Lee Yoon-san taking out enough Pheromone, the isolation treatment schedule was greatly reduced.

The two talked in low voices for a while. It was a long time since they had done this. It was the first time since they became adults that the two had such a long conversation over the phone. So, it felt like his ears were tickling just from the voice, and he felt inexplicably excited.

After talking a little more, Lee Yoon-san suddenly cleared his throat and coughed a few times. Then, he said again in a cautious voice.

-Um… I’m down here.

“Down here?”

-Look down.

It was a conversation that reminded him of that sometime. Hwang Hae-kyung moved his body and headed to the window of the treatment room at Lee Yoon-san’s words, which sounded a little nervous.

He approached the window with a view of the outside scenery, not the window facing the hallway, and looked down, and Lee Yoon-san, waving his arms wildly under the streetlights, was visible in the distance.

The treatment room was on the 4th floor and Lee Yoon-san was on the 1st floor, so it wasn’t as close as it was in the study room building three years ago. But even so, it seemed that Hwang Hae-kyung could clearly see Lee Yoon-san’s face smiling brightly.

“How did you get here?”

-Because I miss you!

“Come up. Were you worried that I would hug you again and not let you go?”

-No! Uncle told me not to visit the sick and to wait a little bit… So I came to see you secretly. I wanted to do this much for you!

Hwang Hae-kyung couldn’t help but burst into a clear laugh at Lee Yoon-san’s bright answer. It wasn’t that he remembered it clearly because it was three years ago, but it was because he realized what Lee Yoon-san’s words were imitating now.

He couldn’t see Lee Yoon-san’s face in detail because it was the 4th floor, but it seemed that he could picture the expression on his face, blushing and smiling innocently.

Hwang Hae-kyung looked down at Lee Yoon-san, leaning his elbows on the window frame and tilting his body. As he opened the window, he could see Lee Yoon-san, who had been looking up from under the streetlights, coming forward a little.

The sight of him was like a rabbit popping out when you dangle a carrot, making him chuckle again.

“Why are you in such a good mood?”

-Just because. I keep smelling your scent on me. So, when I woke up earlier, I felt like I was with you, and it was nice. It feels amazing to be an Alpha, and I hope the scent doesn’t fade away.

“I can always give you more Pheromone.”

-But if I do that again, I think I’ll get scolded by Uncle… He said I shouldn’t be walking around with it so obviously.

Hwang Hae-kyung frowned and raised the corner of his lips at Lee Yoon-san’s words.

“Then you mark me. I want to feel like I’m with you too.”

Hwang Hae-kyung whispered, scanning Lee Yoon-san with his eyes. Lee Yoon-san, who had been glancing at the 4th-floor window where Hwang Hae-kyung was, as if trying to read his expression, swallowed hard and opened his mouth. He seemed to have made up his mind about something.

-Um… Hae-kyung, can you come out for a bit after I leave?

“I guess I could.”

-Then….

Lee Yoon-san, who had been speaking while looking up at the 4th-floor window, took his phone away from his ear for a moment and lifted his shirt himself. Hwang Hae-kyung frowned at Lee Yoon-san’s sudden action, and Lee Yoon-san, oblivious to Hwang Hae-kyung’s expression, finally took off his shirt.

“……”

Fortunately, he had a short-sleeved T-shirt layered underneath, so his bare skin wasn’t exposed. Only then did Hwang Hae-kyung realize that Lee Yoon-san had worn two short-sleeved T-shirts. He hadn’t noticed it well from afar, but when he took off the gray short-sleeved T-shirt, a white short-sleeved T-shirt was revealed.

Lee Yoon-san roughly folded the T-shirt he had taken off and shook it so that Hwang Hae-kyung could see it. Then, he continued speaking into the phone.

-I was wearing this at home… I’ll leave this here. Come down and get it.

At the following words, Hwang Hae-kyung finally let out a sigh-like chuckle.

Just like he had taken off his windbreaker for him three years ago, this time Lee Yoon-san was trying to take off his clothes and leave them for him. Clothes with Pheromones on them.

Hwang Hae-kyung suddenly felt impatient and clenched and unclenched his empty fist.

-Oh, and… there will be Omega patients in this hospital, and you shouldn’t hide your Pheromones right now, so be careful of Omegas… or something?

The last words were accompanied by a playful laugh. Lee Yoon-san’s expression, mimicking the way he used to talk in his teens, was playful yet innocent. Because of that, Hwang Hae-kyung felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head as he watched him from afar.

It felt as if Lee Yoon-san’s soft Pheromones, which he couldn’t help but touch, were enveloping his skin. It was as if he had received a ticklish yet impulsive stimulation that made him want to hold it in his hand.

“Yoon-san, wait there.”

-Huh? Huh? Why?

“Wait. Don’t go.”

Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t hang up and quickly pulled out the IV line connected to the back of his hand. Then, he went to the hanger standing in one corner of the treatment room, rummaged through his belongings bag, took out the car keys, and strode out of the treatment room. It was an action without any hesitation.

It was a good thing that he had insisted on having his car parked at the hospital, saying that he would be discharged alone because the expected discharge date was on a weekday afternoon.

Hwang Hae-kyung ran to the elevator, but unable to bear even that, he headed straight for the emergency stairs.

Lee Yoon-san stood there with his phone in his hand, blankly listening to Hwang Hae-kyung’s breathing from the other end of the line.

As Hwang Hae-kyung got closer to him, his breathing seemed to become more rapid, as if it were a countdown, making him nervous.

As he stood there, not knowing what to do, Hwang Hae-kyung appeared from the hospital’s annex entrance and quickly approached Lee Yoon-san, grabbing his wrist and heading to the parking lot.

As he was dragged along by Hwang Hae-kyung’s large strides, Lee Yoon-san called his name several times, but he didn’t answer.

And Hwang Hae-kyung, who arrived at the SUV, opened the back seat door, pushed Lee Yoon-san inside, and got in. He heard the sound of the car door closing right after their lips met.

Hwang Hae-kyung wrapped his hand around the back of Lee Yoon-san’s neck, holding him tightly so he couldn’t escape, and then opened his mouth and pushed his tongue inside. He touched Lee Yoon-san’s tongue as if tormenting it, and when he ran it over the lining of his mouth, Lee Yoon-san’s body, which was lying down, flinched and reacted.

He tilted his head and pressed his lips together without a gap, sharing his breath, and stirred Lee Yoon-san’s mouth as if it were his own, sucking up all the saliva that came with it.

“Haa…”

He briefly parted his lips for Lee Yoon-san, who was having trouble breathing because his nose kept getting pressed, but then he kissed his wet lips and demanded a kiss as if pecking with his beak. At the same time, he moved his hand and took off Lee Yoon-san’s pants.

Lee Yoon-san was startled and flustered by the easily removable pants with an elastic waistband, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t even part his lips.

He took off Lee Yoon-san’s pants in one go, leaving only his underwear, and then began to shake Lee Yoon-san’s genitals through his underwear.

His genitals, which had not been erect due to embarrassment, quickly became erect, and Lee Yoon-san’s hands reached out and clung to Hwang Hae-kyung’s wrists. Hwang Hae-kyung squeezed Lee Yoon-san’s genitals tightly and shook them roughly, and he followed Lee Yoon-san’s head, which kept pulling back, and persistently kissed him.

“Heu, euht….”

Lee Yoon-san suppressed his moans with a tearful face at Hwang Hae-kyung’s sudden actions. He couldn’t be sure whose car he was in, he was worried about the black box that might be in the car, and he was worried about whether there were people passing by outside.

He couldn’t concentrate on the act at all, but his genitals, which had already been persistently touched by Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand, were erect and wetting his underwear with pre-cum.

“Ha, don’t do it….”

“It’s okay to wet the seat. It’s my car.”

“Heueu… still, suddenly, euht…!”

Even after hearing that it was Hwang Hae-kyung’s car, he couldn’t relax. Although it was Hwang Hae-kyung’s car, it was the first time Lee Yoon-san had seen it, and it was an unfamiliar place. Therefore, Lee Yoon-san tensed his jaw and suppressed his moans.

Hwang Hae-kyung released a little more Pheromone, making Lee Yoon-san’s efforts futile. When he released Pheromones with a slight sexual connotation in a narrow, enclosed space, Lee Yoon-san’s body was instantly taken over by his Pheromones.

“Ah, heueut…!”

Then, moisture flowed down from behind. It was thanks to the fact that his excitement soared with just a small amount of Pheromones. Hwang Hae-kyung shook Lee Yoon-san’s genitals with his hands without taking off his underwear, and Lee Yoon-san, who was completely submerged in Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromones, simply lost his mind and ejaculated.

Because he didn’t take off his underwear, even the ejaculation took place inside his underwear, and at the same time as the ejaculation, the Love Nectar that flowed from inside soaked not only his underwear but also his buttocks. It was a dizzying and melting sensation that made him think something was wrong for a moment.

“Hyung, my back is….”

“You have to adapt to my Pheromones, Yoon-san.”

“Okay….”

“We have to practice every day, right?”

“Yeah, yeah….”

His clouded eyes were completely unfocused and lost their focus. Lee Yoon-san was completely intoxicated with Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromones and lay down on the seat, and Hwang Hae-kyung lay on top of Lee Yoon-san and slowly took off his lover’s underwear.

As the slowly descending underwear revealed his completely wet and damp lower body, Hwang Hae-kyung looked at Lee Yoon-san’s lower body, lowered his head, and licked his lower abdomen and glans, causing Lee Yoon-san to flinch and shake his head from side to side. As if telling him not to.

“I’ll take this.”

Hwang Hae-kyung said, slowly removing the wet Drawers from Lee Yoon-san’s legs. The way he spoke was so nonchalant that it was as if he were having an everyday conversation.

Lee Yoon-san lay on the seat and looked up at Hwang Hae-kyung, slowly moving his hands over his unresponsive head and his body, which had not calmed down from the excitement. And when he grabbed and shook his genitals with his own hands, he felt them erect again due to the stimulation.

It was an action that came out because the excitement hadn’t subsided.

Hwang Hae-kyung hung Lee Yoon-san’s completely wet underwear on the headrest of the passenger seat, lowered his head, and bit Lee Yoon-san’s genitals. As he tightened the glans with his lips and swallowed it, Lee Yoon-san’s genitals scratched the roof of his mouth and completely erected, stabbing his throat.

“Eue, eueah….”

Hwang Hae-kyung moved his head and sucked Lee Yoon-san’s genitals, and raised his hand to lift his lover’s top and pressed his nipples with his fingertips. Then, he felt the fine hairs on Lee Yoon-san’s thighs stand up, and the corners of his mouth rose without him realizing it.

“If you can’t come to your senses every time I release Pheromones, what are you going to do, Yoon-san?”

“Eueung….”

“Let’s adapt little by little?”

“Eue, okay….”

When he let go of Lee Yoon-san’s genitals and rubbed the shaft against his cheek, Lee Yoon-san, who had barely lifted his head to look down at him, replied with a blank face.

As long as it wasn’t excessive, Alpha’s sexual Pheromones couldn’t be harmful to Omega, so he was planning to gradually release Pheromones and adapt Lee Yoon-san to his Pheromones to raise the threshold.

The reason why Lee Yoon-san was always intoxicated with his Pheromones and slumped whenever they had sex was probably because he had never experienced a large and dense amount of Pheromones. So he would be intoxicated as if possessed, and it seemed difficult for him to maintain his sanity.

In that case, he could give him such stimulation often and raise the threshold as if adapting him. In fact, Hwang Hae-kyung clearly remembered what the doctor had said yesterday while Lee Yoon-san was intoxicated with Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromones and lost consciousness.

‘If you have little experience being exposed to Alpha Pheromones, you will be more sensitive to it and the shock will be greater. However, as you accumulate experience with Alpha Pheromones in your life, these fainting symptoms will decrease, so you don’t have to worry.’

What sexual Pheromones induce is ultimately nervous system stimulation, so until this nervous system is damaged, it will not become completely insensitive to stimulation or develop a phenomenon of so-called tolerance.

However, the nervous systems of Alphas and Omegas have characteristics optimized for adaptation and recovery, so there have been quite a few cases where the threshold has been raised by gradually giving frequent stimulation and adapting them.

In other words, if Lee Yoon-san became accustomed to Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromones, the symptoms of Lee Yoon-san being unable to come to his senses due to being overwhelmed by Pheromones would also decrease.

Hwang Hae-kyung continued to torment his body, carefully controlling his Pheromones that were taking over Lee Yoon-san’s body.

In the end, Lee Yoon-san had to suffer from ‘adaptation practice’ all night long in Hwang Hae-kyung’s car, which he was riding in for the first time.

When morning came, Lee Yoon-san, who was exhausted, fell asleep again as if he had fainted. In the end, Hwang Hae-kyung had to wear his patient gown and take Lee Yoon-san home in his car, and fortunately, Lee Yoon-san’s mothers had already left for work, so he was able to avoid being caught in an embarrassing situation.

However, the problem was,

“I’m really going to get that Hwang Hae-kyung!”

It was Hwang Jun-won, who had come for a surprise visit from the morning to prepare a special meal and discovered his son’s absence.

In the end, Hwang Hae-kyung’s isolation treatment was interrupted before it could last much longer, thanks to Hwang Hae-kyung’s determination to take Lee Yoon-san in his car and release his Pheromones whenever he had the chance, and the opinion of the attending physician, who politely expressed his disgust, saying, ‘If you’re going to do this, please go home and manage your isolation.’

And about three days after the home isolation began, Hwang Jun-won and Ahn Sun-mi finally came to the conclusion of finding a house to make Hwang Hae-kyung independent. This was because Hwang Hae-kyung took Lee Yoon-san to a hotel residence and stayed there for the rest of the vacation.

That’s how their complete summer was passing.

Afterword Fin.

Hidden Story

1 year old & 2 years old

“Darling, where did you put Yoon-san’s Prince hat?”

“Oh, it’s on the table in the waiting room!”

Since it was a first birthday party held by renting a famous Korean restaurant in Seoul, Lee Ga-eun was busy taking care of the surroundings.

She was so busy checking the decorations hanging on the wall and the program prepared by the emcee that she didn’t even notice that the hem of her neatly dressed mini dress was messed up.

Lee Jung-won, watching his spouse’s busy appearance, found his son’s Prince hat in his arms and put it on him. Their only son was diligently chewing on his pacifier with chubby cheeks that were about to burst and eyes that had become one line due to being pressed by his chubby cheeks.

He was Lee Yoon-san, the main character of today’s first birthday party and the only son of the Lee family who was celebrating his first birthday today.

“Our Baby potato isn’t crying, he’s so pretty?”

Lee Jung-won smiled as if he was dying of cuteness as he watched his son, who was only chewing on his pacifier without crying even in the unfamiliar and chaotic environment. And he expressed his affection without hesitation with the words ‘pretty’.

He was born as a larger baby than other children of his age, and he was still maintaining a sturdy and chubby physique, so he was mainly called a healthy baby.

The guests who entered the first birthday party also looked at Lee Yoon-san, the main character of today, and said that he looked healthy or cute, but they didn’t add words like ‘pretty’ or ‘like a doll’.

It was a completely different atmosphere from the first birthday party of his friend’s couple’s son that he attended last year. At that time, most people used words like ‘pretty’ or ‘like a doll’ even when referring to a boy.

Lee Yoon-san, who was celebrating his first birthday today, had a face shape like a small potato thanks to his chubby cheeks that rose so much that his eyes were not visible, and his nose was not clearly visible. His fingers were also chubby enough to resemble sausages, and he was quite heavy for a boy.

But to Lee Jung-won and Lee Ga-eun, he was just the cutest potato angel in the world. The couple held Lee Yoon-san, who was not crying or whining and was just staring blankly around, and greeted the guests who were starting to enter.

“Oh my, he’s so cute!”

“How can a child be so gentle? Oh my, he’s not crying.”

“Can I hold him?”

Relatives who arrived earlier than other guests approached the dignified Baby potato and continued their friendly conversation with smiles.

Lee Yoon-san was the first baby in Lee Jung-won’s family, and he was a baby who had come to Lee Ga-eun’s family after a very long time.

Therefore, both families’ adults took turns holding the baby, even if he was a little heavy, and were busy adoring Lee Yoon-san for a long time.

“Look at his chubby cheeks, he’s so cute.”

“When he grows up later…, he’ll be handsome when he grows up….”

“Yes, his mothers are all pretty.”

On the other hand, the couple’s friends said that and smiled awkwardly, and awkwardly offered words of comfort like it’s hard to know when they’re babies.

When the guests were about half full, a couple holding a pretty two-year-old boy entered the party hall from the entrance.

It was Hwang Jun-won and Ahn Sun-mi, the couple holding Hwang Hae-kyung, the doll-like and pretty baby they had seen last year.

“You came?”

“Yeah, congratulations. You’re doing it really big?”

“Both families’ adults wanted to do it a little bigger.”

When Ahn Sun-mi and Lee Ga-eun, who approached with big strides and smiled brightly, greeted each other, Lee Jung-won naturally joined in and the conversation continued.

And Hwang Jun-won, who was being pinched in the neck by Hwang Hae-kyung behind them, belatedly participated in the conversation and asked how they were doing. But soon their attention turned to each other’s babies.

“Yoon-san, shall we go to Auntie?”

Ahn Sun-mi received Lee Yoon-san, who was quietly held in Lee Jung-won’s arms, and didn’t know what to do. She admired him as she held Lee Yoon-san so that his neck wouldn’t be uncomfortable and stroked Lee Yoon-san’s back, which was leaning against her shoulder.

“Oh my, he’s so nice to hold….”

“Right? He hugs well, like that.”

“He’s so cute…. I just love how strong our Yoon-san is.”

“Let me hold Baby potato too.”

“Why is our Prince pouting?”

The two couples’ conversations crossed paths. Ahn Sun-mi didn’t know what to do because she loved Lee Yoon-san, who was held tightly in her arms, and Hwang Jun-won was jealous of his wife, so he brought his face in front of Lee Yoon-san’s face and made funny expressions and acted cute. And Lee Ga-eun reached out her arms when she saw Hwang Hae-kyung, who was being held in his father’s arms with a very annoyed expression.

Then, after hesitating for a moment, Hwang Hae-kyung moved into Lee Ga-eun’s arms. The child, who was as thin and small as a doll, wrapped her arms around her neck as soon as she was held in Lee Ga-eun’s arms.

It was the moment when Lee Ga-eun and Lee Jung-won’s expressions melted like sugar poured into water.

“Is he a Prince or a Princess? He’s so pretty, and really… I can see why the agency is contacting you….”

“Hae-kyung was carsick and fussy, but he seems to be feeling better now?”

“Appa Shiheo….”

Hwang Jun-won, seeing Lee Jung-won melting at Hwang Hae-kyung’s beauty, spoke to his son, and the two-year-old turned his head sharply, uttering “Daddy no like” in slightly better pronunciation than babbling.

Lee Jung-won and Lee Ga-eun, their eyes wide, stared at Hwang Jun-won, who chuckled and explained the situation in broad strokes.

He said he dressed him up like a doll to go to the first birthday party, but he seemed uncomfortable and didn’t like it. Moreover, he got carsick on the way, so it was no wonder the Baby was upset.

Hwang Hae-kyung really looked like a doll, just as his father said. Matching the nickname “Prince” that the Lee couple kept calling him, he was dressed in clothes that looked like a Prince cosplay, making him even more adorable and cute.

Hwang Hae-kyung was wearing a white dress shirt and black pants for babies, with suspenders and a bow tie, and his large, light-colored eyes, slightly curly brown hair, and sharp nose and slender face made him look like a Prince at a ball. Even strangers who came as guests glanced at Hwang Hae-kyung and murmured how cute he was.

However, he seemed to find his appearance very uncomfortable and disliked it, glaring at his father, whom he seemed to resent for stubbornly dressing him up after a struggle like a battle.

“Are you doing the Doljabi too? What did you prepare?”

“We’re going to do it later. A judge’s gavel, a pencil, a skein of thread, a microphone…”

“Are those just props? Is this it? It’s different from Hae-kyung’s!”

“Yeah. Cute, right?”

The couple, avoiding the gazes of people glancing at Hwang Hae-kyung, went to one side of the Dol table in the front to look at the props.

They had already looked at the photo table near the entrance, and since Hwang Hae-kyung’s first birthday party was just last year, Lee Yoon-san’s Dol table was even more interesting.

“Yoon-san, you have to grab this later. This, money! Got it?”

As they looked at the Dol party props and had various conversations, Hwang Jun-won, holding Lee Yoon-san, came forward, shaking a wad of fifty-thousand-won bills. It seemed to be the money he brought to put out for the Doljabi later.

Ahn Sun-mi looked at Hwang Jun-won and laughed in disbelief, while the docile Lee Yoon-san stared blankly at the money Hwang Jun-won was shaking. Then, Lee Yoon-san’s gaze, which had been fixed on the money, turned to Hwang Hae-kyung beyond it.

Hwang Hae-kyung, still upset or uncomfortable with his clothes, was looking around with a sulky expression, but when he met the eyes of the one-year-old Baby staring at him, he pouted for no reason. He seemed both fascinated and displeased with the potato-like Baby in his Daddy’s arms.

“Shall we practice this, Yoon-san? Shall we practice grabbing money?”

The two Babies stared at each other for a long time, and the adults began to focus on practicing for the Doljabi more than the Babies.

They held up the tray with the Doljabi props and began to appeal to Lee Yoon-san to grab the prop they wanted, and the commotion made Lee Yoon-san’s gaze turn back to the props the adults were shaking.

“Our Baby potato needs to be healthy, so grab the thread. Mommy just wants our Baby potato to be healthy.”

“Isn’t the thread for longevity? Let’s grab the stethoscope too, Baby. Whether our Baby is healthy or makes others healthy, either way is good.”

“I’m telling you, he needs to grab the money.”

“Ugh, so noisy. Move! Yoon-san, what Mommy wants our son to grab is…”

Lee Ga-eun squeezed in between the couple arguing over the narrow tray, rolling her eyes to choose a prop. Thanks to this, Hwang Hae-kyung, whom she was holding, leaned forward with her, and Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand, now closer, lightly touched Lee Yoon-san’s torso, who was dressed in a Doryeongbok.

Then, Lee Yoon-san, seeing that hand, tightly grasped Hwang Hae-kyung’s finger.

“Oh my…”

The gazes and expressions of both families froze as if entranced by the adorable sight.

“You like Hyung, Yoon-san?”

“Hae-kyung is quiet for once? Does he know he’s his younger brother?”

Even with the adults’ cheesy comments, the two children didn’t move. Lee Yoon-san, who was celebrating his first birthday, held Hwang Hae-kyung’s finger tightly, quietly looking at his face before smiling brightly, and the adults melted with laughter at that smile. And Hwang Hae-kyung, with a slightly sulky expression, didn’t pull away from Lee Yoon-san’s grasp.

It was Lee Yoon-san’s first birthday, the moment of his first Doljabi.

Fin.

Footnotes

Mokjeokta Seobeu: Intensely serving to a player with weak receives.

Direct Kill: Jumping in front of a ball flying from the opponent and immediately receiving it with a spike attack.

Ceiling effect: The drug effect does not increase beyond a certain level even if the dosage is increased.

01

Late Summer, Ages 20 & 21

Lee Yoon-san ended up spending the unfinished summer at a hotel residence, and the reason was Hwang Hae-kyung.

“You… were always here?”

“Yeah.”

Hwang Hae-kyung leaned against the doorframe of the residence he would be staying in, looking at Lee Yoon-san with a very familiar attitude. On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san couldn’t quite shake off his awkwardness, busy looking inside the door. As a matter of fact, this kind of lodging was a new experience for him, and the two had only been officially dating for a short time.

He had stayed at a resort when he went to the freshman orientation after entering university, and he had stayed at a hotel with friends in Jeju Island, but staying at this kind of lodging alone with Hwang Hae-kyung still felt awkward to Lee Yoon-san. Perhaps it was because he had almost no memory of going to a hotel together.

They had been left alone at his house in Jeju Island, but at that time, he was just conscious of Hwang Hae-kyung and excited about being in an unfamiliar travel destination, so his feelings were different from now. Now, this place was not Jeju Island, but Seoul, which could be considered Lee Yoon-san and Hwang Hae-kyung’s sphere of life.

In other words, Lee Yoon-san now felt like he was entering Hwang Hae-kyung’s radius, unlike the second house in Jeju Island, where even Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t stay often.

“Wow… it just looks like a really nice apartment.”

“It’s a residence.”

Hwang Hae-kyung waited quietly until Lee Yoon-san, trying to hide his awkwardness, took a step inside. Although they were only a year apart, he found the process of his twenty-year-old lover desperately trying to hide his awkwardness a little funny and cute.

The reason they came to the residence was entirely thanks to Hwang Hae-kyung’s will. Hwang Hae-kyung, who was receiving isolation treatment at the hospital to resolve the side effects of the Pheromone suppressant, tried to escape whenever he saw Lee Yoon-san, so the hospital, after confirming his prognosis, recommended outpatient treatment and home isolation.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone had already entered a somewhat stable level due to Lee Yoon-san, and it had been over a week since he started taking the Hormone suppressant (antagonist), so it was possible.

However, Hwang Hae-kyung left the house and booked the residence only three days after being discharged from the hospital for home isolation, and of course, his plan included being with Lee Yoon-san. It was the result of a sweet coaxing that it would be better to spend the remaining vacation together than to visit him at home every day.

“Thaaaat… means you were always here during your Heat cycle?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Yoon-san, trying to act like he was amazed by the interior of the residence, which had kitchen facilities unlike the hotel room he had experienced in Jeju Island, asked, and Hwang Hae-kyung’s answer was concise.

In fact, there was a reason why he couldn’t shake off his awkwardness. The first was that this was the space Hwang Hae-kyung had used to endure his Heat cycle for the past year.

“…Nice, here.”

“How many sets of clothes did you bring?”

“Huh?”

The second was because of the Pheromone that was faintly flowing from Hwang Hae-kyung’s body. He was taking Hormone suppressants, but for some reason, as soon as he entered this space, he seemed to have loosened his control over his Pheromone. His Pheromone, not even a strand of which he could smell in Jeju Island, was faintly circulating around him.

Lee Yoon-san, conscious of the Pheromone, couldn’t hide his tension and awkwardness, and he was more talkative than usual. During the days Hwang Hae-kyung was hospitalized, the memory of being swept up in his Pheromone and getting excited in his car kept coming to mind.

“You look like a rabbit every time I talk to you.”

“…I don’t.”

“It’s obvious you’re nervous.”

“It’s just because I came to a strange place!”

Lee Yoon-san, who finally exploded at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words that kept picking on him, protested. Then, as if he had been waiting for it, Hwang Hae-kyung burst out laughing. He wrapped his hand around the back of Lee Yoon-san’s neck, who was looking at him with a displeased expression, stroked it a couple of times, and then lowered his hand. It was a simple touch without any sexual implications. It was like a casual action of a neighborhood Hyung.

The ambiguous tension and awkward atmosphere were resolved in an instant.

Hwang Hae-kyung took the sports bag Lee Yoon-san had brought and threw it into the dressing room connected to the bedroom. Lee Yoon-san watched him for a moment before continuing to look around the inside of the residence. Hwang Hae-kyung had checked in the day before, so there was a very subtle and faint trace of his Pheromone left in various places. It was a scent that made him mistake the hot midday for a chilly dawn.

“Yoon-san.”

Hwang Hae-kyung, who had come out of the bedroom in the meantime, approached Lee Yoon-san and called his name. Then, he took out a drink from the refrigerator near Lee Yoon-san, and Lee Yoon-san, who was standing right in front of him, was strangely amazed by the sight. It was seeing Hwang Hae-kyung’s everyday appearance so close.

Of course, he had seen it a few times when he was in Jeju Island, but at that time, he was so conscious and concerned about Hwang Hae-kyung himself that he didn’t have the leisure to feel this strange feeling. So, for Lee Yoon-san, the current everyday atmosphere, which was similar to the first day of living together, was bound to be unfamiliar and new.

Of course, he had actually packed his clothes and come here to live a short life like living together.

“So, how many sets of clothes did you pack?”

While he was quietly watching Hwang Hae-kyung opening the drink, he asked in a voice that seemed to be laughing lightly. It was the same prank as before.

“Ah, why.”

“Did you pack a lot?”

“Yeah, I packed a lot!”

“Your will to stay for a long time is firm?”

Hwang Hae-kyung, smiling playfully, offered Lee Yoon-san the first sip of the drink, and Lee Yoon-san received the drink with a suspicious expression and took a sip. He felt a little annoyed and ticklish that Hwang Hae-kyung was teasing him again with his answer. It felt like he was saying that his ‘will to stay for a long time’ was a ‘sinister purpose’.

“…I didn’t bring that much.”

“Good.”

“Why…?”

Do you want me to leave quickly? But you told me to spend the rest of the vacation here together! Lee Yoon-san swallowed the words that were about to burst out reflexively and looked at Hwang Hae-kyung. Inevitably, his expression didn’t hide his disappointment. And Hwang Hae-kyung, taking the drink from Lee Yoon-san’s hand, said. In a very casual and indifferent tone and voice.

“There’s no need to have a lot of clothes when you’re with me.”

It’s just luggage, right? Hwang Hae-kyung said to Lee Yoon-san in a calm tone, and Lee Yoon-san’s ears flushed red. It was a reaction that came out because he realized that he had been teased on purpose again.

“…Ah, I’m not embarrassed by those words anymore!”

But unlike his words, Lee Yoon-san, whose cheeks soon turned red, shouted, hitting Hwang Hae-kyung’s arm with his fist. Then, he snatched the drink in his hand and strode to the living room. He pretended not to hear Hwang Hae-kyung laughing softly behind him. Perhaps Lee Yoon-san was overlooking the fact that his reaction was creating a new habit for Hwang Hae-kyung.

That’s why I want to keep bothering him. Hwang Hae-kyung approached Lee Yoon-san, who was sitting on the sofa and drinking, and pounced on him as if to harass him. Then, Lee Yoon-san, terrified of spilling the drink, made a surprised face, and Hwang Hae-kyung was busy harassing Lee Yoon-san, regardless of whether the drink spilled or not.

With Hwang Hae-kyung’s declaration of war disguised as a prank, their first day of semi-cohabitation began.

Unlike the beginning, where a slight awkwardness and great novelty coexisted, the two had a pretty comfortable time playing.

Lee Yoon-san played soccer games with the console game he brought, comparing the performance of real players and the player characters in the game, and carefully considered the selection of player characters. When trying a new game, he looked for streamer’s play videos on WhatTube and chose one, and then he went astray while watching recommended shorts. One of the videos on the shorts was an edited video of a movie, and it happened to stimulate his curiosity.

After watching a movie that was quite long, they ate the lunch box they had reserved in advance with the hotel. They shared a trivial and insignificant conversation, sharing a daily life that even close friends would do, and talked about what they would do and play during the remaining vacation. But neither of them had any special plans.

Hwang Hae-kyung had never had a special vacation even after quitting sports, and it was natural for Lee Yoon-san because it was the first summer vacation he had after turning twenty. Moreover, if nothing had happened, they would still be enjoying sightseeing and recreation in Jeju Island, so they had not thought about how to spend the rest of their time.

And that was a completely different situation from what Lee Yoon-san had expected. In fact, Lee Yoon-san had expected that the time Hwang Hae-kyung and he would spend in this residence during the remaining vacation would be no different from the past few days.

During the past few days when Hwang Hae-kyung was hospitalized, the two had quite frequent meetings in Hwang Hae-kyung’s car, and each time, Hwang Hae-kyung used the excuse of Pheromone adaptation practice to soak Lee Yoon-san in his Pheromone.

Lee Yoon-san couldn’t come to his senses when exposed to Hwang Hae-kyung’s concentrated Pheromone, and he poured his Pheromone into Lee Yoon-san to make him experience and get used to it, but he didn’t have insertive sex. Even when he couldn’t bear it, he would only do persistent similar acts, and even then, he would stop when Lee Yoon-san’s reason and reaction became precarious.

‘Yoon-san, what’s your cycle?’

‘Hng… Hyung, I, I’m 6 months….’

‘I’ll match your cycle.’

Hwang Hae-kyung, holding Lee Yoon-san, who was unable to come to his senses because he was being consumed by his Pheromone, added that.

Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle was a very average and textbook 6 months. There was an error range of about a month depending on his physical condition, but it was an ideal cycle that didn’t interfere with his daily life.

On the other hand, Hwang Hae-kyung’s Heat cycle was 2 months. It was natural that the higher the hormone level of a Second gendered being, the shorter the Heat cycle, but in Hwang Hae-kyung’s case, the interval was excessively short to the point where daily life was difficult without suppressants.

Therefore, Second gendered beings with short Heat cycles usually postpone or increase the cycle by taking Hormone suppressants on a regular basis, but Hwang Hae-kyung had not been able to take Hormone suppressants due to the treatment of the aftereffects of the accident he had experienced.

In addition, in the case of Hormone suppressants, unlike Pheromone suppressants that can be used in an emergency, the effect only appears after about 3 weeks if a certain time and amount are strictly observed. The possibility of side effects is significantly lower than Pheromone suppressants, but the dosage method is just as difficult and cumbersome.

But Hwang Hae-kyung willingly chose that cumbersome and difficult path to match Lee Yoon-san’s cycle. It was the same as saying that he would postpone his Heat cycle with artificial hormone management and maintain that cycle for the rest of his life.

‘Is that okay?’

‘Huh? Yeah….’

So Hwang Hae-kyung deliberately made a promise when Lee Yoon-san was out of his mind because he was drunk on his Pheromone. It was an act that fully utilized the fact that Lee Yoon-san would not refuse at that time.

It was useless even though Lee Yoon-san, who found out about this later, expressed his concern to Hwang Hae-kyung. If Lee Yoon-san matched Hwang Hae-kyung’s Heat cycle, which occurred once every 2 months, his body would not be able to handle it, so in the end, it was his victory.

However, the problem gradually came as the sun set and night fell. As the time spent in the residence increased and Hwang Hae-kyung also stopped compulsively suppressing his Pheromone, Lee Yoon-san’s body began to get drunk on his Pheromone. Just like he had in the hospital isolation treatment room.

Hwang Hae-kyung held a can of beer and quietly watched Lee Yoon-san, who was gradually becoming dazed. He was just being cute because he knew that Lee Yoon-san’s actions of not being able to concentrate on the sports video he had turned on like a radio and constantly glancing at him were obvious.

His reddish cheeks and ear tips, his eyes that were a little blurry as if he had drunk too much, and his hands that couldn’t stay still and were wriggling, were just lovely because he knew what they meant.

‘How long has it been since I took the medicine….’

Before Hwang Hae-kyung reached out to Lee Yoon-san, he first recalled the period of his Hormone suppressant intake. Since the medication took effect after 3 weeks, it was a crucial detail. If the medication didn’t work, his Heat cycle wouldn’t be suppressed, and Lee Yoon-san might have to endure another forced Heat cycle less than a month after his own. That would definitely be strenuous on his body.

Above all, Hwang Hae-kyung belatedly learned that Lee Yoon-san had also suffered from the aftereffects of his Heat cycle while he was being transferred to a hospital in Seoul and hospitalized. Of course, it was a mild aftereffect that only required an IV drip, but it was easy to guess that frequent ejaculation and fluid loss were the cause.

Having recalled all that, Hwang Hae-kyung reached out to Lee Yoon-san. In any case, the important thing was whether his Heat cycle was being properly delayed by the medication. If at least one of them could stay sane, then nothing strenuous would happen to Lee Yoon-san’s body.

“Come here.”

“No, I wasn’t thinking anything weird…”

“I know, I was.”

“What…!”

Lee Yoon-san, who seemed to be regaining his composure somewhat, muttered an excuse for himself, to which Hwang Hae-kyung gave an honest answer. Then, he pulled Lee Yoon-san with one hand while clenching and unclenching his other hand into a fist.

It wasn’t as if Hwang Hae-kyung was completely comfortable being alone with him in the same space. It was also the first time he had brought someone he liked into his space. Besides, wasn’t this the place where he stayed during his Heat cycle, banging his head against the wall? That is, when he impurely thought of Lee Yoon-san.

He had simply been trying to act naive from the start to avoid putting pressure on him. But even that had reached its limit. By Hwang Hae-kyung’s calculation, today was about the 20th day since he had taken the Hormone suppressant.

“Ugh, wait a minute…!”

Therefore, he decided to trust the effects of the medication a little.

“Does your skin sting?”

Lee Yoon-san, whose wrist was grabbed and pulled by Hwang Hae-kyung, ended up kneeling between his legs. Then, Hwang Hae-kyung rolled his eyes, looked at Lee Yoon-san’s chocolate-colored thighs, and asked. His tone was quite ordinary, as if he were genuinely concerned about his sunburnt skin.

Lee Yoon-san responded to Hwang Hae-kyung’s question with a helpless smile and straddled one of his thighs as if riding a horse. It was a bolder action than usual, but Hwang Hae-kyung’s tone and expression were devoid of playfulness, and the feeling of being intoxicated by his Pheromone made Lee Yoon-san act daringly. Although, thanks to that intoxicating feeling, he didn’t notice how much strength was being put into the thigh he was sitting on.

“It doesn’t sting. It’s like this even when I put on sunscreen…”

“Good thing it doesn’t hurt.”

Hwang Hae-kyung cut off Lee Yoon-san’s answer, who kept adding reasons, and grabbed his knee. Since Lee Yoon-san was wearing loose shorts that came down to his knees, Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand burrowed into the loose hem and climbed up his thigh.

He was satisfied with how the elastic thigh filled his palm. The outside of his thigh was quite firm, while the inside was soft and yielding, which Hwang Hae-kyung took in with his eyes.

Lee Yoon-san blankly stared at Hwang Hae-kyung’s large hand touching his thigh, unable to say anything even as the hand pressed into his skin, pushing up the hem of his shorts and touching his underwear. Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, which had been seeping into his body little by little, was making his whole body languid, and his own Pheromone, responding to it, was also leaking out little by little, making him feel elated.

As his mood gradually lifted, Lee Yoon-san reflexively released his Pheromone. It was something he had experienced whenever he was in a similar situation in Hwang Hae-kyung’s car, and it was a habit he had developed after many times.

“Just a little.”

“…Okay.”

“Just enough not to mess up your cycle.”

“Okay…”

As soon as he released his Pheromone, which had been resisting Hwang Hae-kyung’s subtly penetrating Pheromone, he felt Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone become intensely fragrant. Lee Yoon-san, intoxicated by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone that seemed to rush at him, smiled and shook his head briefly, intending to regain his senses.

However, the atmosphere changed in an instant, and Hwang Hae-kyung grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s face, which was wearing a simple smile that didn’t match the atmosphere. And then, he kissed Lee Yoon-san.

“Hng…”

Their lips met as if biting his lower lip with his own, and the moment his soft cheek was pressed hard against his prominent nose, an uncontrollable laugh escaped from Lee Yoon-san’s mouth. His heart was fluttering and his body was languid, as if he were just drunk enough to feel good. At the same time, he felt a sense of satisfaction as if some hidden expectation was being fulfilled.

Hwang Hae-kyung wrapped his hand around Lee Yoon-san’s neck, preventing him from turning his head away. Then, he forced his tongue into his open mouth and twisted his head a little more. As a result, Lee Yoon-san’s breath, which had been escaping with his laughter, pooled in his mouth.

“I’m saying this knowing you won’t believe me.”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s tongue, which had been playing inside Lee Yoon-san for a long time, stole all the saliva, and their lips parted. Hwang Hae-kyung lightly swallowed the stolen saliva and gave Lee Yoon-san’s lips short, pecking kisses, which eventually made Lee Yoon-san burst into a small laugh. Hwang Hae-kyung’s voice, continuing as if confessing with his lips barely parted, was very soft.

“I didn’t bring you here intending to do this.”

With his bangs disheveled from the kiss, his light-colored eyes were looking at Lee Yoon-san. Lee Yoon-san, feeling pleasantly drunk and floating, diligently tried to understand Hwang Hae-kyung’s words and smiled again. It was a smile as soft as melting caramel.

Hwang Hae-kyung, who looked as if he had just lifted his head after doing something wildly chaotic with only his bangs disheveled, was not convincing at all when he asserted his innocence. Of course, he knew that he usually maintained a particularly neat and aloof attitude, but even so, these words didn’t suit the image he was showing him now.

“Um… but, Hae-kyung, actually…”

So, Lee Yoon-san wanted to tease him, even as he tried to regain his slowing thoughts and breathing. Because Hwang Hae-kyung’s appearance and words, which he only showed to him, were so delightful and lovely.

“I think I was… a little… intending to do this…”

“You were a little intending to do this?”

“Yeah…”

Hwang Hae-kyung asked back with a voice filled with laughter at Lee Yoon-san’s words, which were barely finished in a languid tone. Lee Yoon-san now felt even Hwang Hae-kyung’s laughter pleasantly, and he nodded with a soft smile.

Then, he grabbed Hwang Hae-kyung’s face with both hands, just as Hwang Hae-kyung had done to him, and continued to kiss him with pecking sounds, and Hwang Hae-kyung’s soft laughter could be heard.

Hwang Hae-kyung pushed his hand, which had been holding Lee Yoon-san’s thigh, under the hem of his underwear in one swift motion and grabbed his buttocks. It happened at the same time as he kissed him deeply again.

The flesh that sprang up elastically between his fingers had a chewy, squishy texture that kept fueling Hwang Hae-kyung’s excitement. So, when he squeezed hard as if grabbing a ball with his large hand, Lee Yoon-san gasped and let out a low moan.

He then spread Lee Yoon-san’s buttock cheeks apart. He was wearing both clothes and underwear, but Lee Yoon-san was even more excited by the touch. Then, when Hwang Hae-kyung’s fingertips touched the concave area, he flinched and tried to pull away, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t allow it.

Hwang Hae-kyung raised the corners of his lips at Lee Yoon-san’s sensitive reaction, but he didn’t stop his short, persistent kisses. And finally, after Lee Yoon-san’s square underwear was pushed up enough to reveal his pelvis, turning into a triangular shape, and after he had massaged his buttocks until they were slightly reddish, he parted his lips.

“Wait, man… my underwear, it’s all stretched out…!”

“I’m not going to make you wear it anymore.”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s voice, responding to Lee Yoon-san’s flustered words, was pretending to be relaxed. On the other hand, Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand, which had pushed up the tight-fitting underwear, was filled with more force than necessary, and even his veins were bulging.

Hwang Hae-kyung circled his thumb over Lee Yoon-san’s prominent pelvic bone, pressing down on it. The color of the pelvis revealed under the pushed-up underwear, as well as the color of some of the mashed and revealed buttock flesh and thighs, was clearly different.

Unlike the light skin hidden by his clothes, Lee Yoon-san’s legs, tanned darkly to match the late summer, were darker than before. It was as if he had changed into dark-colored stockings.

“What do you call this color? Coffee color?”

“Ugh… no…”

When Hwang Hae-kyung gestured at the boundary between the dark skin and the light skin, a reflexive answer popped out of Lee Yoon-san’s mouth. He was close to simply denying it because he was out of his mind from the Pheromone. He tended to say a lot of mischievous things when he touched Lee Yoon-san’s body.

At that, Hwang Hae-kyung laughed softly and gave Lee Yoon-san’s lips and cheeks short kisses. His lips, moving from place to place with pecking sounds, sucked deeply on Lee Yoon-san’s neck and bit his shoulder blade. Then, he immediately buried his head in the narrow gap between his arm and torso.

“Ah, don’t do it here…!”

When he put his face between his armpits, which were only fluffy thanks to the air conditioner, Lee Yoon-san let out a flustered voice, horrified. But Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t care and pushed his head in a little deeper, sucking on the soft, tender skin that was revealed as Lee Yoon-san’s arm opened up as if biting it.

“Hng, ugh…”

The hot breath felt in the secret place of the folded skin and the bridge of his nose pressing into the gap between the flesh, which was clearly softer than other places, was both shameful and familiar. Lee Yoon-san was ashamed and embarrassed even by that familiarity, but he didn’t end up refusing Hwang Hae-kyung, who kept digging under his arm. Because the stimulation of sucking on the hidden, tender skin took away all his thoughts and reason.

On the other hand, Hwang Hae-kyung was very fascinated by the fact that there was no particular smell of sweat in that area, even though it was summer. He couldn’t help but touch everything, from the fact that it was smooth without a single strand of hair to the fact that the center of that clean area rose gently when he lifted his arm.

In addition, the soft and sour Pheromone of Lee Yoon-san that came from the area where the flesh folded, and the faint body odor felt between them, were tantalizing. He also liked the expression he made, constantly feeling ashamed even though he was constantly licked or bitten in this place, and he also liked the reaction of trying harder than usual to resist, which was cute.

So, when he deliberately uncovered and bit and sucked on the hidden flesh that he was trying so hard to hide, the suppressed desire for excitement soared endlessly.

He liked all the places where Lee Yoon-san allowed him, braving his shame and embarrassment. Even the way he became more familiar as he was touched by his hand.

Lee Yoon-san, who was helplessly taken advantage of by Hwang Hae-kyung, who willingly found and kissed even very secret and mysterious parts such as his armpits and perineum, might eventually feel raw pleasure and a strange sense of relief. After all, he always ended up being taken advantage of like this, but he never completely refused.

However, he could never get used to the shameful feeling he felt every time, so Lee Yoon-san tried to push Hwang Hae-kyung’s head away once more and shrink his arm. But the moment he tried to put strength into his arm, the strength left his body, and an excitement that was incomparable to before quickly filled his head, which had been pleasantly drunk and hazy.

“Hyung… Hae-kyung Hyung…”

It was an uplifting feeling that blurred his reason.

It was only natural that Hwang Hae-kyung immediately cut off his Pheromone when he sensed that Lee Yoon-san’s condition was unusual.

He immediately took the irrational Lee Yoon-san into his arms and headed to the bedroom, wrapped his lover, who had hazy eyes from being unable to overcome his excitement, in a blanket and laid him on the bed, then left the room.

He sat with his back against the tightly closed door, trying to calm his excitement as he gasped for breath.

He had been on the verge of a precarious situation because he had excessively released his Pheromone due to a moment of excitement. Although he was taking medication, Hwang Hae-kyung could not fully trust the medication at the moment.

If the medication worked properly, he wouldn’t go into Heat cycle, but Lee Yoon-san’s situation was different.

It had only been a short time since they had both been hospitalized due to Pheromone and Heat cycle issues. Moreover, Lee Yoon-san had not yet fully adapted to his Pheromone, and as evidence of this, he had become aroused by only a small amount of Pheromone that he had released.

Just now, if Hwang Hae-kyung had acted a little more wickedly, it would have been enough to trigger Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle.

“Why… why are you leaving me alone…?”

As if he had already approached the door, Lee Yoon-san’s voice was heard closely from just inside the door.

“Why alone, Yoon-san? I’m here.”

“You’re outside…”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the constant rebuttals. Inside, Lee Yoon-san turned the doorknob, but it was blocked by Hwang Hae-kyung, who was sitting in front of the door.

In fact, the current situation was a living hell for Hwang Hae-kyung as well.

His mind was quite fierce, standing at a crossroads of whether to trust the effects of the medication he was taking and open this door, or to be a little more careful considering Lee Yoon-san’s physical condition.

“Call me, Yoon-san.”

“Hyung, Hae-kyung Hyung…”

“I’ll only open the door if you call me properly.”

Perhaps because his body was rapidly relaxing as time passed, even the sound of him knocking on the door from the inside was now weak and dull.

How long could he endure? Hwang Hae-kyung clenched his jaw and estimated the possibility that he could endure. There was no Pheromone suppressant, and the Pheromone obsession that he had regarded as a taboo had also faded. Since there was no longer anything to hide from Lee Yoon-san, there was actually no reason to endure this much.

That is, as long as his Pheromone didn’t induce Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle.

“Ah… really, you’re bad…”

That’s when it happened. A sigh and a sad voice were heard from inside the door. Hwang Hae-kyung hurriedly turned his head at the voice, but all he could see was the tightly closed door. The door that he himself had tightly closed to protect Lee Yoon-san from his Pheromone.

“Yoon-san.”

Hwang Hae-kyung urgently called Lee Yoon-san, but there was no answer from inside. Only the sound of staggering footsteps was heard irregularly, and it was only getting farther away. At that, Hwang Hae-kyung was flustered.

He unconsciously tried to turn the doorknob, but he repeatedly let go as if he had been burned. He was frozen like an idiot, focusing on the sound coming from inside, but there was no more sound coming.

“Lee Yoon-san?”

Then, a rapid anxiety rushed in. Even though there was no separate exit to the outside in the bedroom. It was a very irrational and bizarre feeling, but Hwang Hae-kyung, who was swept up in panic, didn’t realize it.

“Yoon-san, Lee Yoon-san.”

He called his lover once more towards the inside of the tightly closed room. However, the silent silence soon aroused even his impatience.

He imagined Lee Yoon-san suddenly disappearing or collapsing from shock inside. Or, he imagined him in pain because his hormone mechanism was shaken by his Pheromone.

It was clearly a delusion. He knew theoretically that Lee Yoon-san was an Omega, so he wouldn’t be adversely affected by his Alpha Pheromone, but he didn’t have the capacity to think about such things.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s mind went blank as if he had suddenly panicked.

“Yoon-san!”

That’s why. He ended up opening the door, which he had been struggling and agonizing over while raising his voice.

Hwang Hae-kyung opened the door as if he were going to break it down and went inside. He crossed the wide bed and the well-organized master room, deeply inhaling Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone into his lungs.

Then, the soft and sour Pheromone that filled the room rushed in. It was a scent that made him clench his jaw involuntarily.

Hwang Hae-kyung had to clench and unclench his empty fists several times to kill the increasingly ferocious desire and the surging instincts. He followed the scent as it was, passed through the master room, and opened the door to the dressing room attached to one side.

Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone, which was wafting out from the slightly open door, led his steps. As soon as he opened the dressing room, he felt a momentary dizziness from the intensely wafting soft Pheromone.

He barely raised his arm to turn on the auxiliary light in the dark dressing room, and stepped into the orange-lit interior.

The dressing room, which consisted of a mirror, a hanger, and a storage cabinet, didn’t have many clothes. There were only a few clothes that Hwang Hae-kyung had brought and the luggage bag that Lee Yoon-san had brought, but even so, Hwang Hae-kyung felt a parched thirst as he walked further inside.

And finally, when he stood in front of the closet located at the innermost part of the dressing room, he knelt down on one knee without hesitation and looked inside.

“What are you doing here, Yoon-san?”

Lee Yoon-san was crouching inside the closet at the innermost part of the dressing room.

Crouched inside the wardrobe with his long, slender limbs folded tightly, he was completely buried in Hwang Hae-kyung’s neatly arranged clothes.

“…Hyung…?”

Lee Yoon-san, who had likely followed Hwang Hae-kyung’s pheromones here, finally spoke in a slow, drawn-out voice. It seemed he had grown resentful toward Hwang Hae-kyung for leaving him alone.

“You kept… staying outside, why…”

“I’m sorry, Yoon-san.”

Yoon-san’s pheromones, which seemed to occupy his mind, were both endearing and stimulating. So, despite clenching his jaw repeatedly, Hae-kyung forced out a calm reply.

The reason Yoon-san was crouched in the wardrobe was because he was clutching Hae-kyung’s clothes. Not only had he hidden beneath the clothes hanging on hangers, but he was also embracing the neatly folded clothes below, burying his nose in them. Watching this, Hae-kyung’s patience felt dangerously fragile.

“I was worried your cycle might get disrupted.”

Because it’s not good for you. Hae-kyung apologized while grabbing Yoon-san’s ankle and rubbing the indented Achilles tendon with his thumb. Yoon-san’s ankle, which had been wandering Jeju Island’s beaches until recently, was tanned as if he’d worn dark stockings.

Moreover, held in Hae-kyung’s pale hand, the color contrast stood out even more—a product of his carelessness in not applying sunscreen to his body.

Still, Hae-kyung quite liked Yoon-san’s skin tone too. Despite his tall, slender frame being slightly thin, this skin tone made Yoon-san look healthy.

“Did you feel disappointed?”

“Uh…”

Seeing Yoon-san maintain a sullen expression despite his apologetic tone, Hae-kyung coaxed him with a question. Truthfully, Hae-kyung found this side of Yoon-san both cute and amusing.

Normally, Yoon-san was as introverted as he was gentle, rarely making sullen expressions. He tended to take most things positively, and although they hadn’t been dating long, Hae-kyung also rarely gave him reason to feel disappointed.

So, Yoon-san expressing silent disappointment and stubbornness like this was behavior induced by his pheromone intoxication. Like when drunk or not fully awake from anesthesia.

“It’s because it’s not the car here.”

“……”

“…There’s a bed.”

Because I was worried about what I might do to you. Watching Yoon-san bury his flushed face in his clothes, Hae-kyung confessed somewhat awkwardly. He was still gently stroking Yoon-san’s ankle. Even though Yoon-san didn’t lift his head.

With what little rationality remained, Yoon-san understood why he was acting this way, but now, intoxicated by pheromones and with his reasoning blurred, he just felt sad and disappointed.

Looking at Yoon-san like that, Hae-kyung knelt fully before the wardrobe, lowering his posture further. He took Yoon-san’s hand, pulled it slightly, and kissed each fingernail. Only then did Yoon-san’s wandering eyes finally fix completely on him. This was quite ticklish compared to Hae-kyung’s usual level of physical affection.

“I get too…”

Hae-kyung spoke, not wanting to miss Yoon-san’s gaze falling on him. Yoon-san looked down at Hae-kyung with hazy, blurred eyes—surprisingly, Hae-kyung looked slightly flustered. Just like that awkward appearance he’d once seen on Jeju Island’s beach.

“Clumsy, only when I’m in front of you. That’s why.”

Hae-kyung smiled somewhat bitterly, as if admitting his flaw. His slightly furrowed brows and awkwardly upturned lips seemed to reflect his feelings.

He had brought Yoon-san to the residence because he wanted to be with him, but not fully trusting the medication’s efficacy, he’d unconsciously taken an ambiguous attitude.

“…But, Hyung…”

Looking down at him, Yoon-san hesitantly opened his mouth. Relaxing his sullen, disappointed expression, he rolled his eyes sideways to avoid eye contact.

“Me too… same.”

I’m clumsy too. Yoon-san’s voice, speaking as if confessing, was slightly muffled, his face full of embarrassment. The fact that he called him Hyung clearly showed he was fully intoxicated by pheromones, yet Yoon-san seemed to be thinking hard to choose his words. Though his speech became fragmented and slow from the effort, he opened his mouth again to say what he wanted.

“But it’s okay… ’cause, ’cause I like it… I like it so much…, uh, can’t… help it, ’cause.”

The words he produced with considerable effort were quite rough. Still, Yoon-san quietly observed Hae-kyung’s expression, rolling his eyes very slowly. Meanwhile, Hae-kyung looked utterly dazed, as if he’d been hit.

He then let out a hollow laugh and pulled Yoon-san’s hand slightly. All his various thoughts, worries, and hesitations, as always, lost their power in front of Yoon-san.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

And he admitted defeat very honestly.

Whenever his flustered self in this first relationship was exposed, Hae-kyung felt an inexplicable sense of defeat and embarrassment. On the other hand, being exposed also brought him comfort.

While worried about looking uncool to Yoon-san, he felt relieved that Yoon-san clearly showed affection even toward this side of him. It resembled the emotions Yoon-san felt when having sex with Hae-kyung too. The feelings when facing Hae-kyung, who bit and sucked the most embarrassing parts of his body every time.

“Come down, Yoon-san.”

Hae-kyung said, giving Yoon-san’s hand another light tug. Yoon-san just stared blankly at Hae-kyung, still holed up in the wardrobe—likely because the pheromones Hae-kyung wasn’t releasing were abundant inside the wardrobe.

“Hyung… this smell doesn’t… come from you.”

Yoon-san said with dazed eyes and a somewhat confused expression. It seemed he found it strange that the pheromone scent rising from the pile of Hae-kyung’s clothes he was holding didn’t come from Hae-kyung himself. Consequently, another short, hollow laugh burst from Hae-kyung’s mouth.

Where on earth is this rabbit searching for whose scent?

“Is the scent Yoon-san likes only coming from there?”

“Uh…”

Yoon-san’s voice grew softer as he buried his nose in the clothes and took deep breaths. Instead, Hae-kyung raised his other hand and swept it across his face once.

How many Alphas could endure seeing their lover holed up in a wardrobe full of their clothes, clutching their clothes, intoxicated by their pheromones. Hae-kyung forced himself to relax his jaw, which was clenched so tight his masseter muscles bulged, and released Yoon-san’s hand.

“I’m right here, Yoon-san.”

“No… Hyung is here too… but…”

Because Second gendered beings intoxicated by pheromones perceive and believe more information through pheromone scents and olfaction than visual cues, people often compared them to beasts.

Normally, Hae-kyung wasn’t one to particularly feel or believe such analogies. But now, he felt like someone who’d been hit in the head with a new experience.

All because of his lover, Lee Yoon-san.

“…Yoon-san.”

Simultaneously, his mood twisted subtly. The pheromones remaining on his clothes that Yoon-san was holding bothered him. Even though he knew those pheromones were his own.

Seeing Yoon-san hesitate to come to him, clinging to those pheromone-stained clothes, sparked a strange competitiveness in him.

“What’s yours isn’t that, it’s here.”

With a smile, Hae-kyung tightened his control over his pheromones even more firmly. So not a single strand of pheromone could leak out.

He had now completely abandoned his previously ambiguous attitude.

Hae-kyung bit into Yoon-san’s lips as if devouring them. Simultaneously, he tightened his control over his pheromones even more firmly. So not a single strand of pheromone could leak out.

“Huh…”

Hae-kyung slipped his tongue into Yoon-san’s slightly parted mouth as he gasped for breath, and cupped his flushed cheeks, holding him in place. Yoon-san tightly hugged Hae-kyung’s clothes in his arms and yielded to Hae-kyung’s touch, even clumsily following the movement of the tongue exploring his mouth.

Their breaths mingled through the tightly pressed lips, and the tongue sweeping over the inner mucosa was dizzying. Every time Hae-kyung’s tongue scraped against his teeth, Yoon-san tried to pull his head away, but Hae-kyung’s hand wouldn’t allow it.

The hand that had been cupping Yoon-san’s soft cheek had now descended to his neck. The hand’s position, settled to prevent him from pulling away, was somewhat forceful yet familiar. Hae-kyung had a habit of holding and keeping Yoon-san’s head in place when kissing.

Instead, whenever tension entered Yoon-san’s neck, Hae-kyung twisted his head slightly more to kiss him deeply. He sucked on Yoon-san’s tongue that entered his mouth and greedily swallowed all the saliva pooling beneath the tongue.

When Yoon-san’s breathing became precarious, he finally pulled his lips away. Hot breath weakly burst from the nose tip pressed against his cheek, and when their eyes met, their lips locked again without anyone taking the lead.

Hae-kyung didn’t mind their teeth clashing as he thoroughly ravaged Yoon-san’s mouth. Despite Yoon-san’s chest repeatedly swelling and deflating from the rough kisses without a chance to catch his breath, and the gasping sounds, he showed no mercy.

Just like when teaching him how to kiss for the first time.

“Ha, ugh…”

Yet, he didn’t let a single pheromone leak. He only frowned briefly at the existence of his clothes still occupying Yoon-san’s embrace and Yoon-san’s reluctance to leave the wardrobe even while kissing.

“Huh… uht…”

“Since when did it get this wet here?”

Since you came into the wardrobe? Or since I found you? As he stripped off Yoon-san’s underwear, soaked front and back, along with his shorts, Hae-kyung asked.

He was still holding Yoon-san’s thighs spread, kneeling before him to lower his posture.

“Huh…”

Yoon-san shook his head, seemingly unable to even muster the mind to answer Hae-kyung’s question. His unfocused eyes and bright red face were precarious, but Hae-kyung didn’t stop his actions. Since he was tightly controlling his pheromones, although the current state was quite dangerous, his heat cycle wouldn’t arrive.

He pushed his waist in to prevent Yoon-san from closing his legs and wiped up the hole and perineum, soaked slick, between the spread legs with his palm as if teasing. Then, Yoon-san, blushing from shame, tried to pull back as if hiding further into the wardrobe, and Hae-kyung restrained that movement by pulling his thighs.

He glanced once more at Yoon-san, who still couldn’t let go of his clothes, then buried his head between the spread legs.

“Ah…!”

Hae-kyung licked Yoon-san’s already highly aroused, precum-leaking genitals lengthily and pressed his lips against the plump perineum below. Disregarding the love nectar soaking the secret skin, smearing around his chin and mouth, he bit into the fleshy area with his lips as if devouring it.

In response, suppressed breath burst from Yoon-san’s mouth like a moan, and another flow of love nectar trickled from his lower hole.

The love nectar flowing from the tightly closed hole dripped onto Hae-kyung’s clothes spread beneath. Hae-kyung lifted his head, which had been broadly licking Yoon-san’s perineum, and looked at the scene—somehow, the bodily fluid seeping into the neatly folded T-shirt felt unsatisfactory.

Perhaps because, in his current state where Yoon-san was obsessed with his pheromones and clothes, he found even the fluid seeping there displeasing, as if even receiving it himself wouldn’t be enough.

Therefore, without hesitation, he lowered his head and licked Yoon-san’s wet skin with his tongue. He did this simultaneously with pulling out and tossing aside his clothes spread beneath those buttocks.

“Huh…”

Then, suppressed breath and a moan burst together from Yoon-san’s mouth. He reflexively twisted his lower body, trying to pull his buttocks away, but it was futile. Hae-kyung’s hands firmly gripped Yoon-san’s buttocks and thighs, not letting go.

After draping Yoon-san’s thighs over his shoulders, he buried his face beneath the smooth, bulging scrotum and sucked on the hidden tender flesh and hole. The slightly swollen scrotum caught on Hae-kyung’s nose bridge, and the thighs, unable to close fully, twitched slightly.

“It’s… ticklish…”

The insides of Yoon-san’s thighs rubbed against Hae-kyung’s head between his legs. His brown hair became messily disheveled in an instant, and Yoon-san, gritting his teeth as the skin rubbed by the hair tickled, spoke as if pleading.

Simultaneously, he tightly hugged and stroked the pile of Hae-kyung’s clothes in his arms. As if his lover were the one in his embrace, he swept his hand over it, then buried his nose in it and tightly closed his eyes—this sight fully entered Hae-kyung’s view.

Then, a strange displeasure surged. Clearly, it was Hae-kyung himself sucking Yoon-san’s lower parts, yet Yoon-san treating those clothes in his arms as if they were him evoked a peculiar emotion.

“Yoon-san.”

That was why. Hae-kyung, with his messily wet face, quietly opened his mouth toward his lover.

“Will you hug me?”

Hae-kyung said while rubbing Yoon-san’s wet hole with his thumb tip. Yoon-san gasped at the chilling pleasure, then nodded, hugging the pile of clothes in his arms even tighter and rubbing his face against it. As if doing it to Hae-kyung himself. He also took a deep breath as if drinking in the pheromones.

At that moment, Hae-kyung frowned and swallowed a hollow laugh. He found it absurd that he felt jealous even toward his own pheromones.

“Not that one.”

Hae-kyung, feigning affection in a voice that threatened to turn harsh, pulled Yoon-san’s thigh and took his genitals into his mouth. The sound of Yoon-san gasping from the sudden movement was heard, but he paid no mind.

He strongly sucked up Yoon-san’s highly aroused genitals held in his mouth and pushed in with force from his fingertips that had been teasing the thoroughly wet hole. As he coaxingly opened the firmly clenched area and entered, he felt the already wet mucosa wrapping around and clinging to his finger.

“Ah…”

A moan like an exclamation burst from Yoon-san’s mouth. A sigh-like breath also burst from Hae-kyung’s throat. Yoon-san hugged Hae-kyung’s clothes in his arms even tighter, burying his face. Consequently, he chewed on the fabric pushed into his mouth and took deep breaths to smell the pheromones, searching for Hae-kyung’s scent.

Hae-kyung pulled Yoon-san’s body out of the wardrobe and held him in his arms. It was a careful yet impatient touch, as if taking chocolate from a chocolate box.

He made Yoon-san stand on his knees against the wall, then removed the thumb inserted inside and immediately inserted two fingers, hastily loosening the interior.

At the rushed movement, Yoon-san strained, putting all his strength into his arms, afraid of dropping what he was holding. He was bracing with one hand against the glass wall in front—only when he barely lifted his head and looked forward did he realize that wall wasn’t a glass wall but the dressing room’s mirror.

No, actually, he couldn’t properly recognize it. His unfocused eyes and flushed face in front didn’t feel real, and he was only bothered by the love nectar that kept flowing down, tickling his thighs, the more his back relaxed.

“Ugh…”

His eyes, which had been rolling around, fixed on Hae-kyung in the mirror. In the mirror, he was slightly frowning—his face in his sight and the pheromones he felt from his embrace stimulated all Yoon-san’s senses as if stirring them.

Confusion was also felt. The scent coming from what he was holding was Hae-kyung’s, yet the Hae-kyung he saw with his eyes seemed to emit no scent at all. So Yoon-san felt like he was with two Hae-kyungs, making him somewhat awkward and confused.

“Hae-kyung… Hyung…”

Yoon-san hugged the pile of clothes he was holding even closer. Then, his sensitized nipples rubbed, and an unexpected stimulation was felt. His body, already hypersensitive from the pheromones permeating the surroundings and Hae-kyung’s touch, accepted even minor actions as stimulation.

“Ah…”

Yoon-san hugged Hae-kyung’s clothes even tighter, rubbing them against his upper body. Suddenly thinking the T-shirt he was wearing was cumbersome, he tried to pull it up, but a hand appearing from nowhere grabbed his wrist and pulled.

“Huh?”

Consequently, the clothes he was holding fell to the floor with a rustle. And before his dazed face could fill with bewilderment, a hard genital pressed firmly between his buttocks.

Hwang Hae-kyung, watching Lee Yoon-san in the mirror as he fumbled with the pheromone-soaked clothes, ran his own sex against Yoon-san’s ass. The Love Nectar, which had been soaking Yoon-san’s tailbone, smeared thickly onto Hwang Hae-kyung’s sex.

Lee Yoon-san, despite Hwang Hae-kyung’s actions, seemed desperate, his eyes fixed on the fallen clothes. When Hwang Hae-kyung’s sex rubbed hard against him, as if trying to penetrate, he couldn’t help but get wet with excitement, but he was still frantic, unable to embrace the clothes radiating pheromones.

“I, Hyung, I dropped it, just… wait, Hyung… Ah…!”

Hwang Hae-kyung, watching Lee Yoon-san’s every move, didn’t release his wrist. And finally, the moment Lee Yoon-san confessed to dropping the clothes, Hwang Hae-kyung forced his glans into the tight hole.

“Ah, eugh….”

He thrust his sex in halfway and then quickly pushed upwards, causing Lee Yoon-san’s head to snap back and a short moan to escape his lips. Hwang Hae-kyung, too, furrowed his brow, gritting his teeth at the intense sensation of his sex being squeezed tightly. Harsh breaths escaped his nose, and his back arched slightly.

“Ah, heu, heueut, euht…!”

“Why, the clothes, Yoon-san-ah.”

“Eugh, heueung, eugh…!”

“Your boyfriend’s right here.”

“No, this, this too… Ah…!”

Hwang Hae-kyung moved his hips, grinding his sex quickly and frantically. Lee Yoon-san, overwhelmed by the stimulation that threatened to shatter his dazed mind, could only press his forehead against the mirror and stare downwards.

He desperately gazed at the spot where Hwang Hae-kyung’s clothes had fallen, reaching out with his hands, but both arms were held back, pulled away from the clothes. He didn’t care about the cold mirror pressing against his forehead. He simply regretted and resented not being able to grasp the pheromones.

“Leaving your lover, where else, heu… are you looking?”

Lee Yoon-san’s Alpha is right here. Hwang Hae-kyung added in a low voice, hoping his tone sounded gentle, not like a reprimand.

“Here, heueut, Hyung’s Pheromone….”

“That’s yours too?”

Hwang Hae-kyung looked down at Lee Yoon-san, who answered with a desperate voice, and loosened his grip on his arms, asking again. Lee Yoon-san, leaning his head against the mirror, nodded.

Greedy, aren’t you, my bunny.

Hwang Hae-kyung frowned as he looked at Lee Yoon-san, but he released his arms and picked up one of his shirts that had fallen to the floor. He straightened Lee Yoon-san’s upper body, lifted the hem of the T-shirt he was wearing, and made him bite down on it.

“Don’t let go.”

“Eugh, eugh….”

Lee Yoon-san nodded as if hypnotized by Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, his clouded eyes following the clothes he held. Hwang Hae-kyung briefly furrowed one eyebrow at the sight, then grasped Lee Yoon-san’s sex with the clothes in his hand.

“Eut…!”

It was a summer shirt made of gauze fabric.

Hwang Hae-kyung gripped the thin fabric and Lee Yoon-san’s sex together, moving them up and down. The soft texture and the pressure of his sex being massaged caused ragged breaths to escape, and fluids, whether semen or Cowper’s fluid, streamed from his sex.

Moreover, the more the clothes moved, the stronger the pheromones seemed to emanate, and Lee Yoon-san could only bite down harder on the T-shirt he was holding in his mouth.

“It’s not getting wet enough.”

But it didn’t seem to satisfy Hwang Hae-kyung.

He lifted the shirt that had been covering Lee Yoon-san’s sex to check its condition, and then rubbed it against Lee Yoon-san’s insertion point and perineum, as if wiping them clean. At the same time, he thrust his sex deeper inside and moved his hips, and soon more Love Nectar leaked out.

Hwang Hae-kyung wiped the flowing liquid with the clothes as if trying to soak them. When one part of the gauze fabric was completely soaked and sticky, he covered Lee Yoon-san’s glans with the wet part of the shirt and swept it down.

“Heup…!”

A moan escaped Lee Yoon-san’s lips, which were biting down on the shirt. It was a shameful and embarrassing, yet erotic pleasure. It was a different sensation and experience from the skinship he had shared with Hwang Hae-kyung until now.

The cloth that completely covered his glans was sticky, soft, and thin, making his downy hair stand on end as it brushed against his highly sensitive foreskin. It was sufficiently wet, so there was no rough feeling, but the texture was definitely different from a hand or mouth.

Because of this, Lee Yoon-san felt the urge to urinate due to the sudden rush of stimulation, and he tried to endure it by straining his trembling thighs. His tightly clenched jaw trembled, and his whole body tensed up, causing his rear to tighten.

“Haa….”

Hwang Hae-kyung, feeling a stimulation close to pain because of it, groaned like a sigh. He furrowed his brow and raised the corners of his lips at the pressure that seemed to be devouring his sex, and looked down at Lee Yoon-san, who was trembling.

And soon, he began to move his hips again. Lee Yoon-san, holding onto the mirror with his released hand, looked as if he were facing his twin in the mirror, relying on each other to endure the secret act. The body trembling as if barely able to withstand the stimulation pouring in from the front and back, the back of his neck tense with strength, and the reaction of his whole body turning bright red were simply lovely.

Hwang Hae-kyung quietly watched Lee Yoon-san and plunged his sex deep inside him. He stared intently at the insertion point, which was stretched taut and red as if overwhelmed by the pleasure that had risen to his head, into his lover.

Then, he raised his head again at the sudden sound of a sob.

Lee Yoon-san’s eyes, still unfocused as they were occupied by the lightning-like pleasure, were still trying to follow the scent, as if trying to find pheromones even with his nose blocked by sobs.

“If you keep doing that, my jealousy won’t subside, Yoon-san-ah.”

Hwang Hae-kyung looked at Lee Yoon-san’s face in the mirror, furrowed his brow, and smiled. Then, he pulled his body back to lean against his chest, and swept Lee Yoon-san’s glans again with the gauze shirt.

“Heueu, eugh…!”

A moan that Lee Yoon-san couldn’t hold back escaped his lips again. The shirt he had barely been holding in his mouth had already fallen.

“Yoon-san-ah, who am I?”

“Heueu, heut… Hae-kyung Hyung….”

“Then what’s holding this in front of you?”

Hwang Hae-kyung asked Lee Yoon-san, who was struggling with pleasure, rubbing the back of his head against his shoulder. Then, Lee Yoon-san, his eyes blurred, met Hwang Hae-kyung’s gaze in the mirror. No, it was closer to looking than meeting eyes. And soon, he whispered in a very small voice, his strength gone.

“Here too… Hae-kyung Hyung….”

Because it smells like Hyung…. Lee Yoon-san said that and squeezed his eyes shut. He tried to bend his body, desperately holding back the urge to urinate.

Of course, Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t allow it. On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san, whose vision was now blurred, couldn’t come to his senses at all.

Hwang Hae-kyung, who was hugging his body from behind and moving his hips, was overwhelming, and he resented the other Hwang Hae-kyung who was tormenting his sex in a strange way in front of him.

The pheromones that had invaded his senses were tormenting him, and the erotic pleasure that had exceeded the threshold had stolen all his thoughts.

It was a living hell, with his sex being sucked and pressed in front and his insides being crushed and churned from behind. It felt like his stomach was being repeatedly rummaged through, and his prostate was being crushed.

Every time this happened, Lee Yoon-san felt like Hwang Hae-kyung was the master of his orgasm. He would never be able to feel such a dizzying sensation on his own.

While the pleasure he gave made his head spin, on the other hand, this sex itself felt depraved, as if he were doing something that had crossed the line.

“Ah, heueu… eut, I, Hyung, I like… ah, no, no….”

“You like it, you don’t like it?”

“No, no, I don’t, I don’t… heueueu….”

Hwang Hae-kyung scraped Lee Yoon-san’s inner walls several times, and then finally plunged his sex deep inside, recklessly grinding his prostate inside his perineum. Lee Yoon-san’s spine stiffened again as he felt the urge to urinate again.

“Heup, Hyung, I can’t, no… I can’t… it’s a big deal, it’s a big deal…!”

“It’s okay, Yoon-san-ah. It’s okay.”

Lee Yoon-san muttered urgently in slurred pronunciation at the overwhelming urge to urinate, but he soothed Lee Yoon-san with words of reassurance.

He soon took his hand off the gauze shirt and hugged Lee Yoon-san’s body, pressing him close to the mirror.

And as he was, he grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s waist and began to move his hips, stirring up the inside in earnest. With the rough movements, Lee Yoon-san’s chest was pressed against the cold mirror, and Lee Yoon-san’s eyes squeezed shut at the chilling sensation. The nipples that touched the cold mirror repeatedly pressed and fell, with their cores firmly erected.

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san from behind and moved his hips deeper and faster. Whenever he opened the sphincter located somewhere in the inner mucous membrane and entered, Lee Yoon-san’s body flinched, and the inside contracted as if constricting.

The more he stimulated the erogenous zones, the more Hwang Hae-kyung felt the stiff and spasming mucous membrane. It was a clearly different sensation from masturbating with his hand or rubbing against Lee Yoon-san’s smooth thigh flesh. As such, the pressure that squeezed his sex every time he moved his hips was tremendous.

Lee Yoon-san’s sex, trapped between the mirror and Hwang Hae-kyung’s body, still had the soaked gauze shirt on it, and the sticky gauze surface seemed to be pulling and stretching his glans. Because of that sensation, Lee Yoon-san unknowingly ejaculated thin semen again as if he were incontinent.

The semen that was ejaculated as if bursting out had soaked the already wet gauze shirt even more, and the clothes hanging on his sex showed no signs of falling off.

“Eugh, aah…!”

It was at that moment that the hip thrusts, which had been hitting him hard as if slapping his buttocks, became even more powerful.

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san’s body tightly from behind and violently thrust his sex into him. As he broke through the sphincter of the colon mucosa and invaded the Cervix, a gasp escaped Lee Yoon-san’s lips, and at the same time, the Cervix contracted incomparably strongly, sucking and constricting Hwang Hae-kyung’s sex.

“Ha….”

A suppressed groan flowed from Hwang Hae-kyung’s lips at the Cervix’s suction, which was like a sucker. He stopped moving, his neck strained with blood vessels, and took a moment to catch his breath. He had to clench his jaw because it felt like he would pour out pheromones at any moment due to the Cervix’s contraction, which was sucking as if to devour his glans. Then, Lee Yoon-san’s inner mucous membrane spasmed for a long time, and even his body slumped.

Before he knew it, Lee Yoon-san was ejaculating clear water to the point where the clothes that had fallen below were completely soaked. He was embraced by Hwang Hae-kyung as if his whole body was bound, so he couldn’t even remove the gauze shirt that covered his sex.

Hwang Hae-kyung quietly watched the scene in the mirror, giving strength to his jaw so that it ached, and suppressed the emission of pheromones. In his head, he also wondered which of the stimulation from his pheromone-soaked shirt and the stimulation he was giving had stimulated Lee Yoon-san’s climax.

Ironically, that petty jealousy helped him control his pheromones. It was the first time in his life that he had felt so much anger and revulsion towards his own pheromones.

But he was soon able to guess the answer to his question. Lee Yoon-san’s Cervix, which had been biting his sex, was still spasming finely, and Lee Yoon-san’s gaze, leaning against the mirror with blurred eyes, was directed at him in the mirror.

Hwang Hae-kyung made eye contact with Lee Yoon-san and nudged his pelvis. He pushed his sex, which was already deeply buried, without being able to insert it any further, and Lee Yoon-san’s buttocks, which had turned bright red from the violent friction, were crushed against Hwang Hae-kyung’s pubic bone. The sight of his narrow pelvis and small buttocks struggling to contain his sex was dizzying.

In that state, Hwang Hae-kyung brought Lee Yoon-san’s hand and made him touch the blood vessels that stretched to his lower abdomen. Perhaps he thought he was touching the blood vessels that stood out on his sex, the hand that had been obediently brought along flinched.

He watched the scene and began to move his hips again.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s pheromones no longer emanated from the clothes that had been covered in Lee Yoon-san’s thin fluid. Only the soft and sour pheromones, as if feathers had been smeared on them, filled the dressing room and made his jaw tingle.

Hwang Hae-kyung inhaled the pheromones deeply into his lungs and began to move his body violently again.

“Ah, euheut…! Eueung…!”

He no longer worried that his pheromones, which had been sensitized to Lee Yoon-san’s pheromones, would explode and emit.

He was simply pleased that his pheromones, which had sunk as if the sweetness had been extracted, were a little refreshing, and he was only satisfied that his clothes, which were laid out on the floor, were completely soaked in Lee Yoon-san’s fluids and pheromones.

Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung stubbornly stirred up and tormented Lee Yoon-san’s insides. He quickly thrust his sex, but just before ejaculating, he always pulled his sex out and ejaculated outside, and even then, he grabbed any clothes nearby and wiped it off before throwing it far out of the dressing room.

After hastily driving out his semen, which was the pheromone essence itself, he also carefully controlled his pheromones and stirred up and tormented Lee Yoon-san. Then, the ticklish and sour pheromones would leak out of Lee Yoon-san’s body and cover the surroundings again.

In that way, Hwang Hae-kyung behaved quite stubbornly and nastily until the name ‘Hae-kyung’ came out of Lee Yoon-san’s mouth instead of ‘Hyung’. The same was true during the several thin ejaculations and dry climaxes that followed.

As such, the day that had darkened turned bright, and until the reddish sun hid below the Seoul skyline, Lee Yoon-san could not escape the dressing room.

No, in fact, he could not escape a similar situation until just before Hwang Hae-kyung’s outpatient schedule and Lee Yoon-san’s outing for psychological counseling care.

The summer vacation of the lovers who had just started flowed by like that.

02

Autumn of 20 & 21 years old

With about ten days left before the start of the semester, Hwang Hae-kyung’s independent space was finally decided.

It was the result of taking some time to find an apartment that was not too far from the school in Sinchon, but that had good privacy and good security around it.

As soon as the house to live in independently was decided, Hwang Hae-kyung packed his bags, and he moved in as soon as the contract was signed. Ahn Sun-mi and Hwang Jun-won clicked their tongues at that, but that was all. They were not the type to raise their sons so preciously that they would keep them close even after they turned twenty, and their family had always respected free personal time with their own work and camping hobbies, so to speak.

Rather, it was Lee Yoon-san’s parents, Lee Jung-won and Lee Ga-eun, who helped with the interior design of Hwang Hae-kyung’s house, where he would be living alone. As if they had a premonition that their only son would often come to live in this house, they took care of the home appliances and accessories necessary for daily life and paid attention to checking the surrounding infrastructure and even the apartment management office.

And as his parents expected, Lee Yoon-san stayed at Hwang Hae-kyung’s house for five or six days a week. The fact that Lee Yoon-san’s main house was still in southern Gyeonggi was also a very good excuse.

If possible, Lee Yoon-san also wanted to move into Hwang Hae-kyung’s house, but in that regard, he was actually conscious of his parents’ feelings.

Instead, his parents solidified their attitude by not saying anything about Lee Yoon-san spending most of the week at Hwang Hae-kyung’s house. They would not allow official cohabitation that required a change of address, but they would tolerate their adult son spending most of his time at his lover’s house.

Hwang Hae-kyung and his parents also understood the meaning and did not raise any particular objections. Above all, Hwang Hae-kyung seemed not to forget that Lee Yoon-san was just a fledgling who had just become an adult.

And they greeted the end of the vacation like that. The start of the semester, which heralded the beginning of September, was already approaching.

In the meantime, something interesting happened. Hwang Hae-kyung used the credit exchange system of the university he was attending to take some classes at Lee Yoon-san’s school. In other words, it was a domestic exchange student system, which allowed students with mathematical qualifications to apply for exchange studies at other universities.

Hwang Hae-kyung had applied for an exchange study with S University, where Lee Yoon-san was enrolled, around the end of July, and he revealed this fact while registering for classes with Lee Yoon-san. Fortunately, the distance between Y University, where he was enrolled, and S University, where Lee Yoon-san was enrolled, was not far, and the exchange program between the two schools was well-organized, making it possible.

The credits he applied for for the exchange were 6 credits, which meant that he could take as many as two courses at Lee Yoon-san’s school. In addition, Lee Yoon-san’s department was a newly established department, so it was a little easier to match the courses because the curriculum was not as well-established as other departments.

In that way, Lee Yoon-san was able to take classes with Hwang Hae-kyung in the same classroom for two courses on one of the five days.

He was excited about that fact and waited for the start of the semester, but he was struck by a bolt from the blue as soon as the semester started.

“Lee Yoon-san, you’re so tan? Did you go somewhere during the vacation?”

“Uh-huh. I went to Jeju Island.”

“Oh, really? Camping? Didn’t your mothers have camping as a hobby?”

“Oh, that’s right. And there….”

“Hey, Hwang Hae-kyung is coming to our school, right?”

“What?!”

I was exchanging greetings with familiar faces in the first class after the semester started when a classmate suddenly barged in, cutting off my words with an excited expression. He was one of the friends who had become acquainted with Lee Yoon-san last semester.

Of course, given the nature of Lee Yoon-san’s Artificial Intelligence department, there wasn’t a single classmate we hadn’t at least exchanged greetings with. As a newly established department, there were no Sunbae from higher grades, and last semester, there were a few experimental lectures that instilled a strange sense of camaraderie among the forty-odd students.

So, there were quite a few students who still attended classes as if they were in the more relaxed environment of high school. Just like now.

“Hwang Hae-kyung apparently applied for academic exchange to our school? I heard it at the academic affairs team. Hwang Hae-kyung was on the list of exchange students. If he even got a temporary student number, it’s definitely him, right?”

“Hwang Hae-kyung, that volleyball player? Oh, well, he goes to Y University. The school right in front of us.”

“……”

“But he’s not even a celebrity, why is the academic affairs team making such a fuss?”

“It’s not really a fuss, but someone in the academic affairs team goes to see the V-League, so the word got out, apparently?”

“Hwang Hae-kyung may be retired, but he’s still really famous. And the school is right next door. Didn’t someone in our department say they liked him? I think I heard it when we were drinking before.”

“Oh, that’s me.”

At the following words, Lee Yoon-san closed his mouth and just rolled his eyes, while the gazes of the classmates, who were gossiping as if enjoying it, turned to Lee Yoon-san’s side. Han Hyun-ho, who had confessed to being the ‘guy who likes Hwang Hae-kyung’ that the classmates were talking about, was the one.

At the same time, cold sweat ran down Lee Yoon-san’s spine, because he remembered the conversations he had with Han Hyun-ho last semester.

‘Lee Yoon-san, what sports do you like? I don’t play games.’

‘Me? I watch… soccer and baseball.’

‘Oh, we overlap on soccer then. I only watch the Premier League for soccer, and I like volleyball for domestic sports. I’ve watched almost all the games.’

‘Oh, volleyball…’

‘Yeah, volleyball! You know Hwang Hae-kyung? I heard Hwang Hae-kyung goes to Y University right in front of us. I’ve really watched all the games Hwang Hae-kyung is in. He’s my favorite player. I think he retired because he’s an Alpha and wanted to go a different route, but it’s such a waste. When Hwang Hae-kyung was playing, our country’s men’s volleyball team even won the Olympic gold medal for the first time. Ah, he should have just stayed pro. It’s such a waste, damn it.’

‘……’

‘It would be so great if volleyball came out like the FIFA series. Then my player pick would definitely be Hwang Hae-kyung as my one-pick. His performance is crazy good, really. Honestly, with that face and that physique, he could do other things, but Hwang Hae-kyung doesn’t have that. He only works hard at sports, so I really thought he would go pro…’

‘……’

‘Ah, did I sound too much like a geek? But honestly, Hwang Hae-kyung is famous enough. You must have seen the Olympics, right? Right?’

‘…Yeah… yeah…’

‘You don’t really like volleyball? Don’t tell me you don’t even know Hwang Hae-kyung? Hwang Hae-kyung is so handsome that even kids who don’t know volleyball like him?’

‘…I don’t really know. I wasn’t really interested in that area.’

‘Wow, I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t know Hwang Hae-kyung. He’s practically treated like a hero because he’s an Olympic gold medalist.’

‘I’m… not interested. I don’t really like it.’

‘Oh, you don’t really like volleyball? Well, volleyball and basketball are practically sports exclusively for Alphas, so some people don’t like them. Then let’s talk about soccer. Which team do you like?’

‘Oh, I…’

What Lee Yoon-san said at the time wasn’t a lie. Before the summer vacation, Lee Yoon-san had tried not to pay attention to Hwang Hae-kyung and volleyball, and he was consciously avoiding them because he hadn’t gotten over his hurt feelings.

He was upset with Hwang Hae-kyung for disappearing without saying anything to him, and he even resented him. Therefore, it was also a time when he was stubbornly refusing to contact him or show interest first, out of spite.

In the meantime, it was a bit awkward but not uncomfortable to become friends with Han Hyun-ho, who was a fan of Hwang Hae-kyung. After realizing that Lee Yoon-san wasn’t very interested in volleyball or Hwang Hae-kyung, Han Hyun-ho didn’t bother bringing up the same topic in conversation.

Rather, Lee Yoon-san was even grateful for that. Even though it was a topic he liked and he liked talking about it, he didn’t bother to show it in front of him. Perhaps it was thanks to Han Hyun-ho’s consideration and personality that they became particularly close.

It was also the reason why he was able to think less about Hwang Hae-kyung as much as possible.

But the problem was that Lee Yoon-san’s situation had changed a lot since the summer vacation.

“Why do you like Hwang Hae-kyung so much?”

“What the fuck. He worked so hard at sports and even won the first Olympic gold medal in men’s volleyball, wouldn’t it be weird if someone didn’t like Hwang Hae-kyung?”

“No, you’re a bit… you still like Hwang Hae-kyung even though he’s retired.”

“Class is forever and a legend is a legend, so don’t talk nonsense, you fuck. Unless another player like Hwang Hae-kyung comes out, Hwang Hae-kyung is a legend to me.”

“You’re crazy, Han Hyun-ho. You really like Hwang Hae-kyung.”

“Hwang Hae-kyung is different, from other Alpha players.”

Han Hyun-ho and his classmates’ conversation went back and forth in front of Lee Yoon-san, who was still frozen and just looking around. The word ‘Hwang Hae-kyung’ was being used almost like a common noun. Then the conversation turn fell to Han Hyun-ho again. It seemed that today’s main topic couldn’t escape Hwang Hae-kyung.

Starting with the news that Hwang Hae-kyung was coming for academic exchange, the main subject of the conversation had now become Han Hyun-ho, a fan of Hwang Hae-kyung.

“There are a lot of handsome and physically fit guys among Alphas, so there’s that… you know. No matter how much they pretend not to be interested in Omegas or women, in the end, if you look closely, they create private accounts on Instagram, exchange DMs, do other things, and neglect their training because they’re caught up in their own popularity and play the celebrity game.”

“Well, that’s true. But wouldn’t it be inevitable since they’re already good-looking and they have to exercise and perform well? Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like popularity.”

“Yeah, and honestly, do Alphas even want to exercise so much? They just do it because they need to release their energy.”

“Ah, but Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t like that.”

At Han Hyun-ho’s firm words, a second cold sweat ran down Lee Yoon-san’s back. Especially when he brought up the words ‘Instagram’ and ‘DM,’ he couldn’t help but roll his eyes around.

On the other hand, Han Hyun-ho’s defense of Hwang Hae-kyung began to lengthen beyond comparison to before.

“Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t do any of that and really only worked hard at sports. He only worked hard at sports so diligently, so his performance was good, his record was legendary, and he went back and forth between positions. He must have gotten a lot of offers from famous overseas teams.”

“Really? Well, I think there were a lot of articles about him winning? Now that you mention it, it’s a bit of a waste that he retired.”

“Hwang Hae-kyung did have an Instagram account, but he really didn’t post anything. He only occasionally posted pictures of his diet and stuff like that… I think other people besides me liked him more because Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t do anything else and only worked hard at sports? He’s so wholesome. When all the Alphas were doing attention-seeking things on Instagram, Hwang Hae-kyung’s Instagram was so empty. Ah, he really should have gone pro, Hwang Hae-kyung… or gone overseas… I really don’t like the current pool of men’s volleyball players….”

“……”

Lee Yoon-san’s mouth closed tightly again at Han Hyun-ho’s words, which mixed genuine regret and annoyance. Lee Yoon-san knew very well when a person would say such passionate words of defense.

It was when they were genuinely wronged and angry on someone else’s behalf.

Lee Yoon-san had also thought like Han Hyun-ho when he saw minor rumors or nasty words that someone had carelessly left about Hwang Hae-kyung online. Especially when he saw criticisms that used provocative imagination to talk about Hwang Hae-kyung, who had retired after the Olympics, he realized that anger alone could make his heart race and his head spin.

Therefore, Lee Yoon-san could partially understand the context in which Han Hyun-ho was seriously defending Hwang Hae-kyung. For Second gendered beings in their growth period, issues related to sex were always deeply related to rumors, and online, anyone talked as if they could use that as a flaw.

For example, there was a widespread perception that Alphas who dated Omegas would definitely become mentally lax and not do their best in games, which would lead to a decline in their performance. As such, there was a common perception that if words related to the sexuality of a minor player spread, it would be seen as delinquency in itself. The idea was that there must be smoke without fire.

In fact, today Lee Yoon-san was wondering whether or not to tell Han Hyun-ho that he knew Hwang Hae-kyung and that they had decided to date since the summer vacation.

The reason wasn’t grand. He just felt uncomfortable because he knew that Han Hyun-ho was a fan of Hwang Hae-kyung but he kept pretending not to know, which felt like he was lying, and he also thought that he would have to reveal the fact someday since he would be taking classes with Hwang Hae-kyung for one day a week throughout this semester.

Above all, Han Hyun-ho was also the classmate that Lee Yoon-san was closest to in the department.

“Hey, didn’t Hwang Hae-kyung have someone he was dating?”

“What the fuck are you talking about.”

Han Hyun-ho couldn’t hide his annoyance at the new topic that had barged in during the conversation. At the same time, Lee Yoon-san’s spine became a little chilly.

‘Someone he’s dating? No way? Could it be while I wasn’t in contact with him…?’

“Wasn’t that rabbit headband on Hwang Hae-kyung’s Instagram profile picture a blatant and cute lovestagram? I think I even saw an article about it?”

“No, you crazy bastard. At first, those rumors were going around, but Lee Seok-jae, a Sunbae who’s really close to Hwang Hae-kyung, said he bought it when he went to Neverland for a field trip. The kids who only liked Hwang Hae-kyung’s face had already stormed Lee Seok-jae’s Ask and asked him about it.”

“Were you one of them?”

“I like Hwang Hae-kyung as a player, not just his face! I’m a Beta and a guy, what am I going to do with Hwang Hae-kyung’s face! And honestly, who doesn’t like Hwang Hae-kyung among people who watch volleyball?!”

“Okay, okay, I get it. But you don’t even know if Hwang Hae-kyung has a girlfriend or an Omega he’s dating, right? Let’s be honest, wouldn’t it be weirder if he didn’t secretly date someone at that age with that face?”

“Ham Se-jin also said no in his Instagram Q&A! No matter how much the Hwang Hae-kyung stans searched like they were catching lice, there was no second account or an account of the other person doing lovestagrams with that headband!”

“Crazy Han Hyun-ho, you’re such a funny psycho, really. He’s a total stan, isn’t he?”

“He’s trying to shield his favorite player no matter what because he’s being criticized, ah, crazy.”

The classmates laughed, teasing the increasingly excited Hwang Hae-kyung fanatic. Han Hyun-ho rarely got excited or raised his voice, but he would show such passionate reactions when talking about volleyball or his favorite topics.

In Lee Yoon-san’s eyes, it seemed like the classmates were being even more annoying because of Han Hyun-ho’s reaction, but he couldn’t offer any help because he was in a difficult situation himself.

Besides, the fantasy that Han Hyun-ho had about Hwang Hae-kyung was truly embarrassing for Lee Yoon-san.

“Hwang Hae-kyung isn’t an Omega-obsessed or woman-obsessed Alpha! How would he have time for that?! What do you guys know!”

Like Han Hyun-ho said, Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t an Alpha obsessed with Omegas or women, but Lee Yoon-san definitely existed in his DM window during his player days.

The black rabbit headband photo that had taken up his account’s profile picture was a medium that he only shared with him, and the reason why his fans couldn’t find the other person was because Lee Yoon-san mostly used the account for messaging purposes.

He hadn’t shown anything about Hwang Hae-kyung on his account. It was natural since it was a time when he thought it was a relationship close to unrequited love.

However, when he tried to tell all these facts to Han Hyun-ho, he had a lot of thoughts about everything from the timing to the way he spoke and his attitude.

“Hey Han Hyun-ho, but listening to you talk now, it sounds like you didn’t just like him as a player?”

“If I only liked Hwang Hae-kyung as a player, what would I care if he was Omega-obsessed or woman-obsessed, as long as there’s no controversy about his personality and his record is good.”

“…Ah, shit, crazy. Is that so?”

Han Hyun-ho answered after a bit of hesitation, with a slightly annoyed expression himself. It was a serious answer to his friends’ playful teasing. And Lee Yoon-san, who was watching the scene from the side, could only feel a pang of guilt inside.

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but he felt like he had done something he shouldn’t have to Han Hyun-ho.

“No, I thought he was really diligent, but now that I think about him meeting Omegas or women behind the scenes, why am I so pissed off and feeling so empty? I was cheering him on with one heart and one mind, but he was doing other things behind the scenes…? I feel so shitty right now.”

“Hey, hey. It’s not true, they were just joking. It’s because your reaction is funny.”

“I feel so uneasy.”

“Han Hyun-ho is so funny. Anyway, if you have class with Hwang Hae-kyung, I’ll push you in that direction. Become a successful fan, a successful fan.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not like I want to get close to him, know him, or anything like that. What do you guys know, fuck. I just wish Hwang Hae-kyung would reverse his retirement….”

“It’s practically a trigger button, isn’t it?”

“Ah, just fuck off, all of you.”

In the end, the conversation drifted to other topics in a vague way. Han Hyun-ho still seemed to feel uneasy about the playful words he had just heard, and he didn’t loosen his furrowed brow.

Lee Yoon-san glanced at Han Hyun-ho and let out a soft sigh. Twenty-year-old Lee Yoon-san didn’t know how to handle this situation flexibly.

“…Hey, Lee Yoon-san. So where did you go in Jeju Island?”

Perhaps he was a little concerned about Lee Yoon-san, Han Hyun-ho casually asked Lee Yoon-san, leaving the classmates who were talking about other topics alone. It seemed that he was more concerned about Lee Yoon-san’s quiet appearance throughout the conversation than actually curious about where Lee Yoon-san had gone.

“I just went here and there. I saw fireflies.”

“Oh, there’s a place like that in our country? Do you have any pictures?”

That’s how Lee Yoon-san’s first day of the semester passed.

✧✧✧

-Think positively, you idiot. You’ve recovered your body now, right?

“Well, that’s true.”

-You were overwhelmingly first in the fan vote last year too. It’s a game early next year anyway, so if you slowly start training, you’ll be able to get your condition up to a certain level, even if it’s not as good as when you were an active player.

“I have no regrets about exercising.”

-I have a lot. Your fans have even more. So I want you to stand out a bit, even in these event games.

“Well, I’ll think about it.”

-Don’t think about it to refuse, think positively, you idiot. Got it? Huh?

“We’ll see.”

Hwang Hae-kyung ended the call with a concise answer while sitting on the terrace. It was a call with the coach from his player days.

He was currently still working as the coach of Semyung High School, and it seemed that he was receiving pressure from the volleyball federation to recruit him for the All-Star Game, an event game held during the V-League season. In a way, it was a reasonable thing to do.

The majority of Alphas in the country spend their adolescence playing sports as a custom, and they are divided into the majority who choose other paths as adults and the minority who remain as players.

Among them, the most famous school in the volleyball category is Semyung High School, and the players produced by Semyung High School almost always have good records or are popular, which has a significant impact on the popularity of the league and the sport. In addition, the professional team operated by the same foundation is also famous as one of the strongest teams in the league.

The All-Star Game was a way to recruit retired players who had player experience but chose other paths, by conducting a popularity vote for those retired players.

And Hwang Hae-kyung was the player who received the most votes every year since he retired, including this year. At least last year, he was able to decline because of Hwang Hae-kyung’s condition, but this year it wasn’t possible.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s body had completely recovered, and although he had taken a break from exercising, his muscles weren’t in a state where they had deteriorated much. In addition, the volleyball league season is held at the beginning of each year, so if he started building his body and training from now on, he could play in the All-Star Game without overdoing it.

Even if the event All-Star Game was held in the same condition as a regular game.

However, he was annoyed that the attention of others, which was now slowly subsiding, would be focused on him again because of the game.

He wasn’t going to play as a player again, and since there had been an article about the incident in Jeju Island during the summer vacation, excessive attention was an unnecessary situation.

Besides, Hwang Hae-kyung was used to nonchalantly ignoring the attention directed at him, but he had already indirectly experienced that the public’s attention focused on him could go beyond him and turn to Lee Yoon-san at any time.

“Yoon-san-ah.”

Hwang Hae-kyung frowned at the annoying worries, then unfurrowed his brow and came into the living room to find Lee Yoon-san. Today was the first day of the semester, so there weren’t any special classes, but he was worried about how strangely tired he looked after returning home.

He crossed the living room and headed to the kitchen. The house, which he had moved into less than a month ago, didn’t have many pieces of furniture compared to its size, so it wasn’t difficult to find someone.

As expected, Hwang Hae-kyung soon found Lee Yoon-san, who was dozing off in a dining chair.

It was the first day of the semester, and he was so engrossed in reading the department group chat while eating cereal that he seemed to have been drained just from reading, eventually falling asleep.

Hwang Hae-kyung knelt down in front of Lee Yoon-san and estimated the amount of cereal he had left. The chocolate rings and marshmallows in the bowl were already soggy with milk, and more than half of it remained.

“Eat a little more.”

Even if it was just a snack and not a meal, he didn’t eat enough, did he? Hwang Hae-kyung thought as he stood up and lifted Lee Yoon-san into his arms.

How is he ever going to gain 5kg by winter like this? He wondered, estimating the weight of Lee Yoon-san in his arms.

When he was young, he used to eat well and gain weight easily, but now he doesn’t eat as well or gain weight as easily. His heat was said to have been harsh, and it seemed that his constitution and eating habits had changed since then.

Still, his actions and personality were still what the adults described as a somewhat gentle and unaffected ‘Baby Potato.’

As he carried him into the living room like holding a baby koala, Lee Yoon-san, startled by the movement, made a dazed sound.

“Uh…?”

“You looked uncomfortable sleeping there. Sleep more.”

Hwang Hae-kyung patted Lee Yoon-san’s back and went to the living room sofa, sitting down carefully. As he gently stroked the hair of Lee Yoon-san, who was nestled against him, he heard a small yawn in his ear.

“Uh… I have something to tell you, Hae-kyung-ah….”

“Not going back to sleep?”

“Uh….”

Lee Yoon-san’s voice, still drowsy, was much lower. Hwang Hae-kyung stroked the back of Lee Yoon-san’s neck a few times and massaged his calves, worried that his legs, folded to the side, might be getting numb.

“So… about us dating.”

Then Lee Yoon-san spoke first. His voice was still low and drowsy, and there was a hint of trouble in it, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t interrupt him and just kept his gaze fixed on him.

Lee Yoon-san also slowly raised his upper body and looked at his face. Of course, he quickly averted his eyes, but still.

“Um, can… can we not let people know for a while?”

He had been racking his brain all day to find a cautious way to express himself, but in the end, Lee Yoon-san blurted out the words he had been thinking about all day. He wanted to say it as indirectly as possible and had pondered over it repeatedly, but he couldn’t think of a suitable expression.

“Why?”

So he was bracing himself for Hwang Hae-kyung to be upset, but unexpectedly, a calm question came back. Only then did Lee Yoon-san raise his eyes, which had been half-lowered, and look at him. His brow was slightly furrowed, but he didn’t seem angry.

So Lee Yoon-san decided to be a little braver.

“Well, the thing is… I said I didn’t know you last semester, so no one in our department knows that I know you, Hae-kyung….”

As he began to listlessly ramble on, Lee Yoon-san recounted everything from the time he said he didn’t know Hwang Hae-kyung last semester, even saying he wasn’t interested, to what had happened today. Of course, he left out the unnecessary details that Han Hyun-ho had shared with his friends, but he still tried to explain as clearly as possible to avoid any misunderstandings.

At the same time, he experienced a growing sense of guilt and remorse as he spoke. It was as if he was asking his partner, with whom he was happily dating, to keep their relationship a secret for the time being because he was conscious of other people’s opinions. But Lee Yoon-san wasn’t sure if he could handle the immediate aftermath.

Of course, Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t a celebrity, nor was he an active athlete, so even if Lee Yoon-san publicly revealed his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung, it might not have a big impact right away. But regardless of the scale, there would definitely be talk within the department, and attention would be focused on them.

So this was also a problem directly related to his department life. In the previous semester, Lee Yoon-san had quietly attended school, but in this semester, he would suddenly be in a position where he had to endure the attention and gaze caused by his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung.

Moreover, Lee Yoon-san had already witnessed people’s interest in Hwang Hae-kyung in Jeju, hadn’t he?

Of course, he was also embarrassed by the fact that his attitude from when he resented Hwang Hae-kyung had suddenly become a lie. Above all, he didn’t want to give Hwang Hae-kyung a reason to pick on him.

As he replayed his classmates’ conversations all day and anticipated what might happen, he worried that if it became known that he had known and been in contact with Hwang Hae-kyung for a long time, someone would twist the situation.

And he was afraid that there would be more talk about Hwang Hae-kyung’s retirement. Somehow, a very malicious rumor might arise by linking him, an Omega, to it.

Lee Yoon-san knew that Hwang Hae-kyung had experienced people’s attention and its shadows since he was young, so it wasn’t difficult to guess.

Moreover, Lee Yoon-san, who was only twenty years old, didn’t yet know how to deal with the disappointment of a close friend. When he first revealed the fact that he was in contact with Hwang Hae-kyung to Kim Ji-hoo in the past, hadn’t he also expressed his disappointment to him?

This time, it could be an even worse situation. Lee Yoon-san had lied to his close friend Han Hyun-ho about his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung, and unlike Kim Ji-hoo, Han Hyun-ho was even a fan of Hwang Hae-kyung.

Of course, Lee Yoon-san didn’t intend to keep his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung a secret forever. However, he needed time to prepare himself right now. Therefore, he was conscious of the gazes of his fellow students, especially since it was the first week of the semester and the exchange class, and he didn’t want to suddenly show a close relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung.

Not all of his classmates were friends who would understand Lee Yoon-san, and Hwang Hae-kyung was in a situation where even the fact that he had put his name on the list of exchange students was causing rumors to spread.

Clearly, if they openly showed that they were dating from the first week of the semester, it would attract unnecessary attention.

“Did you hate me a lot?”

So as he was internally preparing additional excuses for him, the words that came from Hwang Hae-kyung were unexpected. Lee Yoon-san was surprised by his words and raised his head to meet his eyes.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s brow was still slightly furrowed, and his eyes were squinted as if he was displeased, but even so, his expression as he said those words conveyed a sense of both apology and playfulness.

“Did you wait for me a lot?”

And there was even a hint of anxiety in the following voice. Lee Yoon-san stared blankly at Hwang Hae-kyung and nodded as if he was possessed.

I waited for you a lot. I really waited and was disappointed every day. So I hated you a little more. Lee Yoon-san swallowed those words that had risen to his throat.

“…But Hae-kyung-ah.”

“Yeah.”

“You were sick while I was waiting.”

“……”

“That’s what makes me more upset, I am.”

I’m so upset that I didn’t know that. Lee Yoon-san added, hugging Hwang Hae-kyung. His thin arms, which went under his arms, wrapped around his thick body and pulled him closer, burying his face in his pale neck.

Hwang Hae-kyung stared blankly at Lee Yoon-san’s actions.

He had guessed that Lee Yoon-san knew about his situation at the time and felt sorry for him, but it was the first time he had said it out loud.

“…If I had known you were waiting, I would have contacted you sooner.”

I was so stupid. Hwang Hae-kyung muttered in a self-deprecating voice, stroking Lee Yoon-san’s back. The words he uttered were sincere.

Instead of assuming that someone would love Lee Yoon-san and be by his side, he should have contacted him a little sooner.

He was certain that there would be many people who coveted Lee Yoon-san’s side, and it was difficult to gauge how much Lee Yoon-san’s attitude towards him was out of affection. Of course, his problem of a delayed stabilization diagnosis was also a big factor.

But even so, if he had contacted him, the situation might have been a little different now. At least he would have had the chance to date Lee Yoon-san sooner.

As Hwang Hae-kyung thought that far, he let out a long sigh, and Lee Yoon-san raised his head.

“Don’t be sick, Hae-kyung-ah.”

The affectionate words made Hwang Hae-kyung’s heart ache a little.

Hwang Hae-kyung nodded at Lee Yoon-san’s words and replied affectionately, then held his reddish cheeks and kissed him on the lips. He knew that Lee Yoon-san’s eyes were fluttering a little and his nose was red, so he did it on purpose.

Because he kept giving short kisses to someone whose nose was stuffy from holding back tears, Lee Yoon-san’s expression quickly crumbled as if he was sad. He was short of breath and his breathing was constantly blocked, which was uncomfortable, but the problem was that he didn’t want to refuse because it was a kiss. Hwang Hae-kyung found it cute and funny that he didn’t act up or whine and stood firm, so he continued the kisses disguised as harassment.

The continuous short kisses sometimes felt like a lovely expression of affection, and sometimes like a prank to torment Lee Yoon-san.

Usually, Lee Yoon-san didn’t cry easily, even though he had eyes that looked like he was about to cry. This seemed to be entirely thanks to his easygoing personality, but the exception was when it came to Hwang Hae-kyung’s illness.

He couldn’t seem to forget Hwang Hae-kyung’s nineteen-year-old self, who had been sick for a long time, and the scene he had witnessed directly at the hospital. Even the bruise on the back of his hand left by the IV needle that he had forcibly pulled out to hug him.

“Hah, don’t do it….”

“Don’t kiss you?”

“My nose, is stuffy!”

In the end, Lee Yoon-san was the one who lost to the repeated harassment kisses. He frowned, pulling his body back with both hands that had been holding Hwang Hae-kyung.

He wanted to speak quite strongly and firmly, but he didn’t know if it had that effect because his nose was stuffy. Moreover, the sound of sniffing followed, so he felt embarrassed because he seemed to have made a fool of himself.

“Anyway, anyway, let’s not show off that we’re dating for a while.”

“I understand that, but were we going to release an article saying we’re dating? Do we need to prepare a press release?”

“No, that’s not what I mean!”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s intention was clear as he widened his eyes playfully. He seemed to want to tease Lee Yoon-san quite a bit. Lee Yoon-san glared at Hwang Hae-kyung briefly and tried to get off of him, but was stopped by Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand pressing down on his thigh.

“You only come to our school once a week to take classes, but I don’t! I told the kids last semester that I didn’t know you and wasn’t interested in you, but if I suddenly say we’re dating…!”

“I know, I know. I was just kidding.”

When Lee Yoon-san tried to explain again with a mix of sadness and frustration, Hwang Hae-kyung smiled playfully and hugged him again. I know what you mean. I’m not upset. It’s okay. Hwang Hae-kyung whispered in Lee Yoon-san’s ear, pretending to comfort him.

In fact, it wasn’t something that Hwang Hae-kyung could feel upset about.

He hadn’t forgotten what Lee Yoon-san had gone through last summer vacation because a video of him walking around with him and being filmed together was uploaded to Reels. Lee Yoon-san had received counseling treatment related to that incident and had gotten much better, but it still remained a memory that stirred up underlying anger for Hwang Hae-kyung.

Moreover, Hwang Hae-kyung himself was used to ignoring other people’s attention, but Lee Yoon-san wasn’t. Even when people were rude to Hwang Hae-kyung in Jeju, Lee Yoon-san was the one who got angry.

He knew very well how ordinary and normal his lover had lived, and he also knew that he wasn’t the type to enjoy other people’s attention. He also knew that the attention he received easily spread to those around him. Especially if the target was a lover, not a friend, there would be all kinds of judgmental gazes.

He didn’t intend to keep his relationship with Lee Yoon-san a secret or hide it forever, but he was also honestly wanted to postpone the timing of exposing Lee Yoon-san to people’s eyes as much as possible.

Even if the fact that they were dating was revealed, it wouldn’t cause a big commotion right away, but it would definitely have a significant impact on Lee Yoon-san’s surrounding environment. Even if they were just a campus couple, they would become the subject of gossip among their friends, let alone Hwang Hae-kyung, who was a fairly well-known person.

Moreover, college life accounted for a large portion of their overall lives at their age, so it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.

The only fortunate thing was that he wasn’t a case like a celebrity who received constant attention, and he was just a retired athlete. So he had vaguely thought that it wouldn’t be bad to wait for his recognition to subside to some extent.

However,

‘It doesn’t seem like playing in an event match in this situation would be helpful.’

The timing as a whole had become ambiguous. Both the All-Star Game match he had been offered and how long he could avoid showing off while taking classes with Lee Yoon-san.

“Well, I understand for now.”

Still, Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t ask anything else to reassure Lee Yoon-san and nodded in response.

It was two days before the exchange class.

✧✧✧

“What class is Hwang Hae-kyung taking? He’s not here? Is he really coming for the exchange program?”

We’re supposed to take two classes together today. Lee Yoon-san muttered to himself at the question he heard.

“He’ll probably come this week. Or is he taking a different class than our department? No, Epta is quiet too.”

Due to the nature of the curriculum, which was almost fixed for freshmen, Lee Yoon-san’s department also took mostly similar classes. Moreover, due to the assigned seating system for attendance checks, the friends who sat around Lee Yoon-san were always the same. It was as if it was no different from high school.

Therefore, Lee Yoon-san was experiencing Hwang Hae-kyung’s fame (?) in surround sound today as well. Han Hyun-ho was mostly in the seat next to Lee Yoon-san in overlapping classes, and that was an unspoken agreement that had continued since last semester.

Han Hyun-ho, who had previously judged that Lee Yoon-san didn’t know much about volleyball and wasn’t interested in it, showed a slightly different attitude after the start of the second semester. The reason was the news that Hwang Hae-kyung was coming as an exchange student. Even if Han Hyun-ho didn’t bring up the story about Hwang Hae-kyung first, other classmates often asked Han Hyun-ho about Hwang Hae-kyung’s news or passed it on to him, so he also participated in the conversation.

And above all, Lee Yoon-san’s change in attitude also played a part.

“Um… I also watched Hae-kyung, no, Hwang Hae-kyung’s game.”

“You looked up Hwang Hae-kyung after all, now that he’s coming? What did you watch? When was it? The Olympics?”

“Huh? Uh, uh. The game when he was in high school and….”

“You have to watch the amateur sports game. That was amazing. It wasn’t just Hwang Hae-kyung who did well, but the whole team had very few mistakes, and Hwang Hae-kyung was spiking from the center a lot.”

“Uh… spiking?”

“Originally, the players who play center are over 2m tall and they use a lot of those kinds of kids, right? So they use a lot of tactics like attacking by spiking the ball from the center or blocking the ball with their height. But Hwang Hae-kyung is 194cm tall, right? Ah, but that was his height when he was eighteen, so he might have gotten taller while he was playing as a player, but anyway, Hwang Hae-kyung isn’t over 2m tall, so he can be at a disadvantage in terms of height if he plays center, right?”

“…You said he might have been taller than 194? Are you saying his current height might be over 194?”

“194 is also really tall, but there are players who are over 2m tall among the players. And he was eighteen, so his growth plates weren’t closed yet, so I think he would have gotten taller. Alphas and Omegas grow until right before their stabilization, right? Anyway, there were two players over 2m tall on the opposing team during the amateur sports game. They were really built like they were going to play basketball. But Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t intimidated by their team and covered all the height. His jumping ability and speed were also great, and he had done a lot of physical basic training, so he spiked well too. Hey, think about it. Not being pushed back in height attacks against a team with kids over 2m tall means that he jumps earlier and has a much better jumping ability than them. Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t get pushed back against those 2m kids and played a high-scoring game, crazy. But no matter how much of an Alpha he is, that’s not something that can be done with ordinary training and effort. It’s absolutely impossible unless you just eat and practice. Do you know why I like Hwang Hae-kyung? Huh?”

“…Uh.”

“Why did he retire, shit….”

“……”

Han Hyun-ho, who had been excitedly talking about his favorite topic, writhed in agony, wringing his hands with frustration. And watching him, Lee Yoon-san realized that Hwang Hae-kyung was a more amazing player than he had thought.

And he also had this thought. Somehow, he seemed a bit too huge to be only 17cm taller than me.

‘I guess the height of the sink and the washbasin were all custom-made….’

Lee Yoon-san’s expression, with his gaze blankly fixed on the air, became a little empty.

My height is considered tall wherever I go, and thanks to my straight and well-proportioned physique, people often mistake my height for 180cm instead of 177cm even when I’m wearing sneakers. However, the height of the lower cabinets in Hwang Hae-kyung’s kitchen sink and the bathroom sink seemed a bit odd even to Lee Yoon-san. Not to mention the height of the dining table, the showerhead holder, and the ceiling of the apartment.

It felt like I was belatedly realizing that my Darling, who I thought was just a cute ‘door,’ as everyone jokingly says, was actually the size of a huge gate.

“He must have… worked hard at volleyball.”

Lee Yoon-san mumbled blankly, reminiscing about the times when Hwang Hae-kyung would appear sporadically in his DM window. And then he laughed, looking embarrassed. It was both amazing and new to realize now how much busier he had been than he had thought.

“Right? Even you think he had to work his ass off to get that good, don’t you? Seriously, when would Hwang Hae-kyung have time to mess around? If you watch Hwang Hae-kyung’s games, you can see that talent alone isn’t enough.”

“…I guess so.”

As Lee Yoon-san responded to the conversation about volleyball and Hwang Hae-kyung, Han Hyun-ho seemed excited and chattered on. Lee Yoon-san nodded at Han Hyun-ho, chiming in appropriately. He didn’t understand all the volleyball or technical terms, but he had no trouble understanding the words and praise about Hwang Hae-kyung.

Unlike the first day of the semester when he hadn’t said anything, Lee Yoon-san was intentionally expressing interest in Hwang Hae-kyung the next day and today. He thought that if he increased the mentions like this, he could open up with a story starting with ‘actually.’

Of course, even if he cushioned the blow and revealed the truth, he wasn’t sure that Han Hyun-ho’s reaction would be positive, but he was naturally drawn to and pleased to hear stories about Hwang Hae-kyung now.

“Hey Lee Yoon-san, turn on WatTube. I’ll recommend a legendary game to…”

Just as he was reluctantly taking out his phone, prompted by Han Hyun-ho’s words, the entrance of the lecture hall became noisy. Due to the nature of the department, the proportion of male students was overwhelmingly high, so it was all low murmurs, but there was still a subtly excited air.

“Hey.”

And right next to him, Han Hyun-ho’s excited voice called out to Lee Yoon-san. He even tapped Lee Yoon-san’s thigh with his hand, something he didn’t usually do.

At that voice, Lee Yoon-san took his eyes off his phone and looked towards the entrance of the lecture hall.

“Crazy… Hwang Hae-kyung must be taking this class.”

It was as Han Hyun-ho said.

Hwang Hae-kyung, who had entered the lecture hall, exchanged a few words with a student who seemed to be his friend, and then strode across the lecture hall, catching Lee Yoon-san’s eye.

He glanced at Lee Yoon-san and quickly turned his gaze away, but the subtly raised corner of his mouth looked playful as he did so. Lee Yoon-san felt a strange emotion at the sight of Hwang Hae-kyung and clenched and unclenched his empty fist. It was a habit he had picked up from Hwang Hae-kyung.

“His physique is insane…”

His muscles aren’t dead. Why did he retire if he was going to be like that! Han Hyun-ho said in a hushed voice, but Lee Yoon-san didn’t really hear it. He was just following Hwang Hae-kyung with his eyes as he passed his seat and headed towards the back.

In fact, this was the first time Lee Yoon-san was seeing Hwang Hae-kyung today.

The day before was his parents’ wedding anniversary, so he had spent the whole day at his family home and slept there. Hwang Hae-kyung had also decided to work part-time at his father’s company, so he had gone to discuss the schedule. Therefore, this was the first time Lee Yoon-san was seeing what Hwang Hae-kyung looked like at school.

“……”

Lee Yoon-san glanced at Hwang Hae-kyung, who was choosing a seat with a friend, before the lecture started. He was clearly his Darling, whom he could meet anytime he went home, but he felt different.

There were several reasons for this, but first of all, Hwang Hae-kyung’s appearance was different from what he usually saw.

He was not only wearing a ball cap, but also glasses that could easily make him look like a nerd or a professor. They were accessories that covered his face overall, but rather, the clear facial features and cool mouth line that could be seen beneath them stood out even more.

He was wearing a basic t-shirt with no flashy prints and only a small logo on top, and black joggers that weren’t too loose or too tight on the bottom. The overall look was neat, especially since the fit around the thighs was good. The ugly shoes in the same color as the pants, the shirt slung over one shoulder, and the sports bag also seemed to fit well in a rugged way, and he looked appropriately comfortable without seeming like he had put in too much effort. Overall, it was a neat and active-looking outfit.

When he was in Jeju Island, he mainly wore pique shirts or shirts that revealed his silhouette appropriately with the sleeves rolled up, which was neat but gave a strong impression of dressing maturely for his age.

Also, at home, he usually went around shirtless or wore short-sleeved boxy t-shirts. He said that the habit of taking off his shirt had developed as Ahn Sun-mi’s time in Seoul decreased as she traveled back and forth to Jeju Island. After all, he was mostly alone at home with only his father, Hwang Jun-won, or even then, their schedules didn’t overlap.

It was a slightly different habit from Lee Yoon-san, whose parents were both mothers, so he made sure to put on clothes after showering.

Therefore, this was almost the first time Lee Yoon-san had seen Hwang Hae-kyung dressed like a student of his age. In particular, it was the first time he had seen him wearing glasses, and the fact that the glasses alone made him look like a fairly academic student was very fresh and unfamiliar.

So, he stared blankly and briefly made eye contact, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t avoid Lee Yoon-san’s gaze and only raised the corner of his mouth in a very short smile, making the flustered Lee Yoon-san look away first.

“Hey, Hwang Hae-kyung. This school has assigned seating. It’s not even high school, jeez.”

Of course, Hwang Hae-kyung was also busy controlling his gaze, which kept turning to Lee Yoon-san. Unlike Lee Yoon-san, who quickly turned his head with a reddened face, he turned his gaze away as if he were relaxed, but in fact, it was just feigned composure.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Lee Yoon-san at all, and he couldn’t even hear his friend’s grumbling next to him.

The short-sleeved shirt and light-colored jeans that seemed to swallow his lean body were cute, and the clean sneakers underneath also caught his eye again and again. The mocha-colored arms revealed under the baggy short sleeves, and even the tips of his ears, which couldn’t hide the reddish color since he had entered the lecture hall, were all so cute that he wanted to acknowledge him and joke around.

Hwang Hae-kyung clenched his empty fist quite hard and slowly released it, trying to control his head, which kept turning towards Lee Yoon-san’s back. Then, Seo Yang-hoon, a friend from the same department who was choosing a seat next to him, nudged Hwang Hae-kyung’s arm and grumbled.

“Hey, pick a seat quickly. You’re making a lot of noise.”

“…Just sit anywhere.”

“Then let’s just go to the corner. But the lecture hall is big here.”

Seo Yang-hoon, who was in the same school and department as Hwang Hae-kyung, was also an Alpha who had played basketball, but he wasn’t very enthusiastic about physical exercise, so no one recognized him. In addition, apart from his decent appearance, he looked like a typical engineering student in his gray hoodie and backpack, and at the same time, he was dressed as commonly as if he were wearing a uniform even in this lecture hall.

Above all, he seemed uncomfortable with the murmurs and attention that Hwang Hae-kyung brought with him. Very differently from Lee Seok-jae, who was another close friend of Hwang Hae-kyung.

“Hey, you know you can’t change the seat you sat in during the first class here, right? They check attendance with this.”

Even so, his undisguised curiosity was revealed in his attitude of subtly looking around as he spoke. He seemed to be secretly interested in seeing new faces after coming to take classes at another school. Although the department he was in was also a male-dominated department, and this department was also an extremely male-dominated department, there would be Omega students hidden among them.

Now, unlike in middle and high school, he was in an environment where he could take classes with Omegas in the same space, so there was no need to hide such interest and curiosity.

“Hey, Hwang Hae-kyung, hey. Where are you going, hey.”

On the other hand, as soon as Hwang Hae-kyung heard Seo Yang-hoon’s words, he stopped lingering behind and strode forward. And he put his bag down and sat down with a thud in the diagonal seat one row behind Lee Yoon-san’s seat. Then, Seo Yang-hoon, who had followed him forward, took a seat next to him.

“Hey, isn’t this too much of a middle seat? Will the kids in the back be okay?”

“I don’t know.”

“They’ll almost have to lie down to take the class. I guarantee that our back seat is 100% a phone-using seat.”

Hwang Hae-kyung ignored Seo Yang-hoon’s complaints about the seat next to him and fixed his gaze on the back of Lee Yoon-san, who was sitting nearby. Then, after confirming that the teaching assistant was coming in, he took a pen out of his bag and rolled it forward.

“Excuse me.”

Watching the pen roll right to Lee Yoon-san’s feet, Hwang Hae-kyung called out to him, pretending to be indifferent. As if he were a stranger.

“The pen.”

And he made eye contact with Lee Yoon-san, who awkwardly turned around to him, and said. As if he were someone who had nothing to hide. His gaze slowly scanned Lee Yoon-san’s face, and his slightly smiling expression felt like he was deliberately trying to seduce him.

Lee Yoon-san picked up the pen with trembling hands and returned it to him, and Hwang Hae-kyung received the pen with a simple touch, quickly looked away, and chuckled as he muttered.

“This school is nice.”

At that, Lee Yoon-san’s face was stained with embarrassment and blush. Only Seo Yang-hoon, who was preparing for class next to him, looked at Hwang Hae-kyung as if to say, “What nonsense are you talking about all of a sudden?”

In the end, Lee Yoon-san couldn’t concentrate on what the professor was saying until right before the break. The only fortunate thing was that the time was for orientation before the main lecture. At least the class hadn’t started yet.

As soon as the break started after the orientation, which lasted less than an hour, Lee Yoon-san got up from his seat. And he glanced back, and he saw Hwang Hae-kyung sitting side by side with his friend, looking at his phone.

“……”

It was as if the gaze he had felt so intensely throughout the orientation was his imagination. Even though he had clearly heard Hwang Hae-kyung’s friend whispering to Hwang Hae-kyung twice, “Why are you staring at him like that?”

“Lee Yoon-san, where are you going?”

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

Lee Yoon-san replied briefly to Han Hyun-ho, who was looking up at him, and strode out of the lecture hall. He needed to get out of there for now.

He needed to refresh and control himself, who had been constantly conscious of Hwang Hae-kyung since he had appeared in the lecture hall. Besides, it was obvious that his friends would be whispering about Hwang Hae-kyung again, and it was a little embarrassing to show that in front of the person himself.

As Lee Yoon-san left the lecture hall and reached the front of the bathroom, he suddenly stopped.

‘…Ah.’

There was something about the public restroom in the department building that made him flinch every time he saw it.

‘…Is there no one inside?’

The department building where Lee Yoon-san took most of his classes was an old-fashioned building, so the lighting in the bathroom was also dim, and that seemed to act like a switch that reminded him of a bad moment.

Fortunately, he had received great help in diluting or erasing bad memories through psychological counseling after the accident, but he was still somewhat reluctant to use public restrooms that were quiet and had dark surroundings. He could pretend to be calm if it was a single-person restroom or if there was even a sign of people, but the silence and dark atmosphere that reminded him of the scene of the incident sometimes reminded him of the events of ‘that day,’ which was in the near past.

This sometimes made Lee Yoon-san stop or turn around, and in such cases, he would often stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and mutter to himself as if he were hypnotizing himself.

It’s okay. It’s a different place, and nothing will happen. This is school. Lee Yoon-san repeated the same words to himself several times, but in fact, he had never used the department building’s bathroom alone until today, the third day of the semester. There had never been so few people either.

In the meantime, there were many classes that ended with just orientation because it was the first week of the semester, and there wasn’t really a need to go to the bathroom that much. However, the problem was the future, including cases like today where lectures were held from the first class.

He couldn’t go to the bathroom with his friends every time, and above all, Lee Yoon-san didn’t like the fact that the incident had left him with such memories. This was because he didn’t want to be affected by such things and live in fear.

The counselor had also advised that recovering agency was important for complete mental recovery. So, Lee Yoon-san thought and repeated that he would never be consumed by bad memories and have his daily life disrupted.

At least his determination was like that.

‘It’s okay…’

So, he shook his head briefly to refresh his mind and glared forward again.

Looking at the still and quiet bathroom, he repeated the word “okay” to himself like a spell. Even then, the rapidly rising tension didn’t ease, so he gasped for breath that was about to become a little rapid and repeatedly clenched and unclenched his empty fist, when suddenly someone lightly tapped Lee Yoon-san’s back with their arm and passed by.

“Uh…”

It was Hwang Hae-kyung.

He didn’t seem to hear Lee Yoon-san’s dazed voice and just strode into the bathroom. Then, he felt his body, which had been stiff as if caught in a clumsy spell, slowly relax.

It wasn’t just a matter of feeling. The trace amount of Pheromone that Hwang Hae-kyung had left behind when he tapped him was improving Lee Yoon-san’s condition. The chilling scent that permeated the tip of his nose made him aware of his presence, and that alone made Lee Yoon-san feel that he was not alone.

It was as if Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been constantly telling him that ‘it’s okay,’ was standing right behind him. Because of that, Lee Yoon-san was finally able to take a step and enter the bathroom. It was as if his hesitant appearance had never happened.

As he entered the bathroom, he saw Hwang Hae-kyung looking at his phone in front of the sink. Lee Yoon-san glanced at him and thought about talking to him, but unfortunately, other students came in, so he stopped what he was doing and headed into the bathroom stall.

And as he came in to take care of his business, he began to hear game sound effects beeping from outside the stall. It was the sound effects of a mobile game that Hwang Hae-kyung often played at home. However, unlike when he played at home, the sound was quite loud, as if to show off his presence.

“What are you doing, turning up the volume so loud in a public place?”

“The bathroom was too quiet and eerie.”

The sound continued until Lee Yoon-san came out of the stall, washed his hands, and came out of the bathroom, and it didn’t stop until Hwang Hae-kyung’s friend came over and said something. The game sound stopped completely after Lee Yoon-san had completely left the bathroom.

Lee Yoon-san wiped his hands, which were not completely dry, on his pants and glanced at Hwang Hae-kyung, and their eyes immediately met, as if he had been watching Lee Yoon-san all along. Then, Hwang Hae-kyung raised the corners of his mouth and greeted him slightly.

“Hi.”

“Huh? Oh, oh. Hi.”

Lee Yoon-san, flustered by the sudden greeting, blurted out a casual greeting. And Seo Yang-hoon, who was standing next to Hwang Hae-kyung and looking back and forth between them, also gestured to Lee Yoon-san.

Hwang Hae-kyung walked towards the lecture hall with his friend. Seo Yang-hoon must have just come to find Hwang Hae-kyung, as he disappeared ahead, talking to him about something.

And Lee Yoon-san, who was left at the scene, just stood there blankly, unable to hide his bewildered feelings.

There were already many other students around. Only then did Lee Yoon-san realize that all Hwang Hae-kyung had done when he came into the bathroom was break the silence and keep his place.

The short and refreshing greeting he had just left behind also left a strange impression. It was as if he had become a complete stranger, and while there seemed to be a distance between them, he also felt a different kind of welcome at the very act of acknowledging him first.

What was clear was that Hwang Hae-kyung had pretended to be strangers in front of others, according to his words. And only then did Lee Yoon-san realize another fact.

I have never once exchanged such a stranger-like greeting with Hwang Hae-kyung since I was born. There had never been a single moment when Hwang Hae-kyung was a complete stranger to me. Even in the two moments when we met again after a long time apart, Hwang Hae-kyung spoke to me as familiarly as if we had met yesterday.

‘Why does this feel… not good?’

Therefore, Lee Yoon-san felt strangely alienated and subtly disappointed by all of this. It was a feeling he had never imagined when he boldly asked Hwang Hae-kyung for time.

“What are you doing?”

“What.”

“Since when do you greet people with informal speech? Do you know him?”

Meanwhile, Seo Yang-hoon questioned Hwang Hae-kyung, who had returned to the lecture hall after casually greeting his boyfriend. Then, Lee Yoon-san felt the group chattering around them lower their voices, as if they were listening to the conversation between the two.

Then, Hwang Hae-kyung touched his phone and replied indifferently.

“We’re taking the same class, so I can say hello.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? You don’t even talk to the kids in our department first.”

Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t respond to Seo Yang-hoon’s absurd words and quietly installed the Instagram app. He had deleted it a long time ago, and it was an app he hadn’t bothered to install when he recently changed his phone, but when he thought about it, he remembered that Lee Yoon-san still had the Instagram app installed on his phone.

During the past time, they had been together so often, and even when they were apart, they didn’t feel the need for the app because they used phone calls or text message apps.

But now, the situation was a little different.

Why aren’t you coming in? Class is about to start.

The corners of Hwang Hae-kyung’s lips were pleasantly raised as he wrote a message in his DM window with Lee Yoon-san.

“Hey, isn’t this school crazy? Until a few years ago, they even had handwritten writing assignments.”

“How do you know that?”

“My Hyung went to this school. So I came here to take a class, but… even if the writing assignment is gone, the assignments themselves seem really tough. If it weren’t for you, I would have gone to a more relaxed school, you crazy bastard.”

“You said you came because of your Hyung.”

“It’s a combination, damn it.”

Hwang Hae-kyung replied insincerely to Seo Yang-hoon, who continued to grumble in a subdued voice, and turned on the recording app, placing his phone face down in the opposite direction from Seo Yang-hoon. And soon, Lee Yoon-san and the professor entered the lecture hall with a slight time difference, and the class resumed.

Lee Yoon-san’s friends seemed busy glancing at Hwang Hae-kyung, but as soon as the class started, they focused on the class with a sharp focus. Lee Yoon-san seemed to be doing the same, but soon his concentration was disturbed, and he often glanced at Hwang Hae-kyung as if he was conscious of him, or he sat unnaturally straight with his back straight and didn’t move.

Hwang Hae-kyung watched Lee Yoon-san’s appearance and laughed silently, thinking that he had done a good job recording the class. No matter how he looked at it, Lee Yoon-san didn’t seem to be listening to the class properly today.

‘…Should I finish the semester and look into transferring?’

Of course, Hwang Hae-kyung’s situation was no different.

“I feel like a transfer high school student. Anyway, because of you, Hwang Hae-kyung, this is, damn…”

Hwang Hae-kyung turned on the memo function of his tablet PC, letting Seo Yang-hoon’s voice, who was constantly grumbling next to him while taking notes meticulously, flow through one ear. Even in the midst of all this, he didn’t bother to scold Seo Yang-hoon for his grumbling.

Hwang Hae-kyung had clearly never suggested that he take the credit exchange class together, but Seo Yang-hoon was a friend who had chosen the subject at this school following Hwang Hae-kyung. One way or another, he was one of the friends who got along best with Hwang Hae-kyung after coming to university, and they had quite a few things in common, such as being an Alpha who exercised and aiming for a calm school life.

He was a different type of Alpha and friend from Lee Seok-jae or Ham Se-jin, who he had been quite close to since he was young.

“Hey, Hwang Hae-kyung. Share the recording file with me too.”

“I don’t want to.”

“What happened during the vacation that made your personality even worse?”

Seo Yang-hoon glared at Hwang Hae-kyung briefly at the firm refusal, but it didn’t do much good. And soon he also turned his head forward and began to concentrate on the professor’s lecture. The professor, who was standing on the podium, was already speeding through the class at a pace that was hard to believe for the first day.

In that way, the first exchange class after the start of the second semester passed.

Without acknowledging each other as Lee Yoon-san had asked, sitting in close proximity in one lecture hall, being very conscious of each other.

After the first class, Seo Yang-hoon frowned in disgust at the sound of the bell, but even then, Hwang Hae-kyung was staring intently at Lee Yoon-san, so he didn’t have the luxury to care whether the class bell rang at the university or not. And as soon as the class was over, a blatant buzz began.

Someone pretended to take a selfie and took a picture so that Hwang Hae-kyung was caught in the camera, and someone asked Hwang Hae-kyung outright if he was the volleyball player Hwang Hae-kyung. Fortunately, it was a department mostly made up of male students, so few people came up to him making a fuss, but perhaps because of that, the low-voiced buzz did not stop.

“I’m curious about the Epsilon situation at their school.”

When Seo Yang-hoon saw this and said that with a laugh, Hwang Hae-kyung briefly frowned and then unfurled his brow. For Seo Yang-hoon, it was a phenomenon he had already witnessed at the beginning of each semester, so it was nothing special, and Hwang Hae-kyung had always experienced this situation, so he knew how to skillfully gloss over it and ignore it appropriately.

The good thing was that this phenomenon didn’t last long.

From his elementary school days when he was famous as a child model, to his middle and high school days when he was a volleyball player, and to his current university life, the number of people around him who made a fuss and reacted extravagantly decreased as he got older year by year.

In addition, university was definitely different from high school, and the number of Alphas or Omegas on campus was not very rare. So, if he stayed quiet for about two weeks after the start of the semester, the atmosphere focused on Hwang Hae-kyung would noticeably decrease as everyone enjoyed their own campus life. That is, if Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t do anything to stand out.

He knew this well from his school life, so he could tolerate the fact that Lee Yoon-san’s classmates were buzzing among themselves about him. He knew that they were reacting like that now that they had seen him for the first time in the lecture hall, but it would soon subside.

So, Hwang Hae-kyung was willing to follow Lee Yoon-san’s words to keep their relationship a secret for the time being. Even if he put aside his own worries, the group that Lee Yoon-san hung out with seemed very interested in him. In particular, the student sitting next to Lee Yoon-san was glancing at him and being conscious of him so often that it was obvious.

According to Seo Yang-hoon, even when Hwang Hae-kyung followed Lee Yoon-san to the bathroom for a while, the group that seemed to be Lee Yoon-san’s friends talked about Hwang Hae-kyung and volleyball. There was also an opinion that they seemed to be fans since Hwang Hae-kyung was a volleyball player.

Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung understood that it would take a very big decision for Lee Yoon-san’s introverted personality to suddenly say that he was dating him among those friends. So, he concluded that it was right for him to be considerate of Lee Yoon-san’s situation and endure it for the time being.

“Yoon-san! Is class over?”

“Huh? Myung-jun Hyung…?”

“Hyun-ho and the others are all coming out, let’s go eat lunch!”

That is, until a random Sunbae suddenly appeared and took care of Lee Yoon-san in a friendly manner.

“Peer?”

“Yeah, they match Sunbae and Hubae in pairs and have them take care of each other. Our school does it too. They accept matching applications every year?”

“I don’t know, that kind of thing.”

I’m not interested. Hwang Hae-kyung frowned at Seo Yang-hoon’s words and spat them out, and Seo Yang-hoon nodded as if he knew it.

The next class was also a lecture at S University, and there were about two hours until that lecture. It was also lunchtime. In the meantime, Hwang Hae-kyung had just heard about the Sunbae-Hubae matching culture from Seo Yang-hoon in the empty lecture hall after the students had left.

He recalled the situation he had just experienced before his eyes.

As soon as the class was over, a random man appeared and took Lee Yoon-san and his friends away in an instant. And Lee Yoon-san’s expression, who was swept away in the meantime and looked back at him, looked troubled. It was an atmosphere that was formed in an instant, so Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t have time to stop him. No, in fact, he didn’t have time to stop him, but rather he had no justification.

As soon as the class was over, the atmosphere was chaotic, and in the midst of that, the Sunbae who had singled out Lee Yoon-san called him and took Lee Yoon-san and his friends away.

Hwang Hae-kyung was dumbfounded by the situation, and Seo Yang-hoon, who was packing his bag next to him, told him about the situation.

He had a lot of prior information because his Hyung was from this school. So he knew that there was a culture in this school where Sunbae and Hubae with the same last digit of their student ID number in the same college were paired up to take care of each other, and he guessed that the Sunbae who took Lee Yoon-san was probably in that kind of relationship.

A newly established department with no Sunbae even one year above them, and they’re taking care of them? Does that make sense? Hwang Hae-kyung suddenly frowned at the Sunbae-Hubae pairing culture that had suddenly invaded.

“It’s a culture to take care of freshmen who are confused and can’t enjoy the campus atmosphere and are just floating around.”

“Isn’t university originally every man for himself?”

Seo Yang-hoon patted Hwang Hae-kyung, who still couldn’t let go of his bewilderment, on the back, and a ridiculous rebuttal followed. Seo Yang-hoon smiled at Hwang Hae-kyung’s bewildered reaction, which he was seeing for the first time, and replied.

“University life isn’t a battle, it’s a life? Enjoy life.”

“Then they should enjoy it among themselves, why are they reaching out to freshmen?”

“I guess it’s because the department here is a newly established department.”

Seo Yang-hoon’s words, which he said as if it were nothing, made some sense. Since the department that Lee Yoon-san was attending was a newly established department, there would be no Sunbae to take care of them and pull them along, so there was a high probability that they would have matched Sunbae more actively to the freshmen.

If you look at the cause and effect, it wasn’t an unreasonable system or situation. However, the problem was that Hwang Hae-kyung had no intention of accepting this situation.

“But why have you been so worried about him since earlier? Well, he was cute, but he’s a pure and cute type of guy.”

“Don’t say unnecessary things.”

The guy he’s dating must be the jealous type. Hwang Hae-kyung swallowed the words that rose to his throat and coldly cut off Seo Yang-hoon’s words.

“If he’s a freshman and he’s that good-looking, someone would have taken him a long time ago, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What?”

“So, stop paying attention.”

“What is it? You’re treating people like old water that’s targeting fresh freshmen! I’m a sophomore, not a returning student!”

“Not old water, rotten water.”

“Oh my, you crazy bastard. It looks like you threw away all your personality during the vacation.”

Even with a few words that Hwang Hae-kyung openly expressed his discomfort, Seo Yang-hoon only reacted to that extent. He was basically not very perceptive, and he had never even assumed the possibility that Hwang Hae-kyung would be in contact with someone with romantic feelings or dating someone.

Since becoming friends with Seo Yang-hoon after entering the school, Hwang Hae-kyung had been indifferent to Omega or women, let alone human relationships, so this was his biggest achievement. The period when he became friends with him was also during Hwang Hae-kyung’s aftereffect treatment period.

Hae-kyung, I came to the school cafeteria to eat near the main gate

While Seo Yang-hoon was losing his sense and Hwang Hae-kyung was faltering for a while because he couldn’t accept the situation, a DM came from Lee Yoon-san. He was kindly telling me where he had gone.

“Hey, Hwang Hae-kyung, I heard that if you go towards the uphill road at this school, there’s a school cafeteria menu that comes with both pork cutlet and hamburger steak? Go there.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, towards the main gate.”

“That bastard…”

As Hwang Hae-kyung strode ahead after seeing the DM, harsh words finally came out of Seo Yang-hoon’s mouth, who was preparing his phone to show him the school cafeteria menu of another school building that he had been recommended. Even so, he soon began to walk quickly after Hwang Hae-kyung.

“Hey, what is it? Is the food there delicious? Is it more delicious than the place that serves pork cutlet and hamburger steak together! What, do they serve spicy pork?”

As he said that, he still said things without a clue, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t really respond. Seo Yang-hoon’s strength was that he seemed to have a sense of things and didn’t, and his weakness was also that he seemed to have a sense of things and didn’t.

“If the food at the school cafeteria near the main gate is not good, you’re dead.”

Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung left the department building with a friend who had the same strengths and weaknesses behind him. Even on the back of the sports bag he was carrying, a black rabbit key ring was dangling and shaking.

It was Hwang Hae-kyung’s signature, which he had been carrying around since he was a player.

Meanwhile, Lee Yoon-san couldn’t hide his discomfort and kept looking back towards the entrance of the school cafeteria.

As soon as one class was over and it was lunchtime, he was going to ask Hwang Hae-kyung what to do even through DM, but his plan was ruined in an instant. That was because of Yun Myung-jun, who had burst into the lecture hall as soon as the class was over.

“Yoon-san, why? What, water?”

“No… it’s nothing.”

“Eat a lot. But didn’t they skimp too much on the ingredients for the japchae? Why is there only glass noodles?”

Yun Myung-jun, who was sitting opposite the restless Lee Yoon-san, smiled kindly and eased the atmosphere. Yun Myung-jun especially liked Lee Yoon-san, who was his Hubae who had been paired with him, and he often took care of his friends and went to eat with them.

The reason was that the introverted Lee Yoon-san still seemed awkward and difficult when he was alone with him. Of course, even so, taking care of his Hubae’s friends was an unusual case even within the campus that encouraged the Sunbae-Hubae pairing culture.

Because of that, Yun Myung-jun’s friends often expressed doubts that he had other feelings for Lee Yoon-san. However, Yun Myung-jun had never given a definite answer about whether that was true or not, so Lee Yoon-san was grateful to Yun Myung-jun for taking care of him, but he couldn’t shake off a subtle awkwardness.

Even though he was a Beta. It was also the trend of the younger generation that not only Alphas should see Omegas as dating partners.

Anyway, Yun Myung-jun did not hide his liking for Lee Yoon-san, who was paired with him as his Peer Hubae, and tried to take care of him actively. Whether that liking was a human liking or a liking accompanied by another kind of tension.

So, as he had done last semester, he had come to buy him food again this time, but today Lee Yoon-san’s reaction was a little strange. He was glancing at the entrance of the school cafeteria and touching his phone like a dog that needed to pee, which was very unusual.

It was different from last semester, when he didn’t touch his phone much when he was eating or drinking tea with his Sunbae, even if it was because the seat was difficult.

“Oh, Hwang Hae-kyung!”

While Yun Myung-jun was observing Lee Yoon-san for a while, Han Hyun-ho, who was eating soup next to Lee Yoon-san, raised his voice excitedly as he looked at the entrance of the school cafeteria. Fortunately, it wasn’t heard loudly because it was buried in the surrounding noise, but it was also a name that was heard particularly welcome to Lee Yoon-san, who was sitting right next to him.

Lee Yoon-san turned his head sharply at Han Hyun-ho’s words and looked towards the entrance of the school cafeteria. There, Hwang Hae-kyung, in the same appearance as he had seen in the lecture hall, was standing side by side with his friend and looking at the menu, and as soon as Lee Yoon-san looked at him, his head also turned towards Lee Yoon-san.

“Oh…”

But soon he turned his head and looked around the school cafeteria. He was as natural as if he had never made eye contact with Lee Yoon-san. And ridiculously, Lee Yoon-san felt a slight disappointment again at that sight.

Even though he was the one who had said to keep a distance from each other at school first.

“Oh, our paths overlap with Hwang Hae-kyung today. It would be great if we took the same afternoon class too.”

“……”

Next to him, Han Hyun-ho, who was very excited, was talking as if he was excited, but Lee Yoon-san didn’t really react. He thought he had to manage his expression, but it was difficult to hide the corners of his mouth that were helplessly drooping. And Yun Myung-jun, who was quietly watching Lee Yoon-san, smiled and said.

“Does Yoon-san know Hwang Hae-kyung too?”

“Yes? Ah, yes. I know him.”

“It looks like he came to our school to take a lecture.”

“Yes…”

“He took the same class as us. Ah, I should bring my uniform next week and get his autograph.”

Yun Myung-jun asked Lee Yoon-san, who was glancing at Hwang Hae-kyung at the serving table, but the answer came from the excited Han Hyun-ho. The other classmates around him were also busy glancing at Hwang Hae-kyung, so Lee Yoon-san’s actions didn’t stand out much. His acquaintances already knew that Lee Yoon-san’s words were sometimes a beat late.

However, the problem was that because he seemed like a perfect stranger, conversations about Hwang Hae-kyung were also conducted freely in front of Lee Yoon-san.

“An Alpha is an Alpha. You can tell that he exercises a lot even through his clothes.”

“Right? Ah, if my muscles hadn’t died, I would have returned to the sport…”

“Nah, it’s too bad to keep him as an athlete. He has the looks for so much more.”

Han Hyun-ho picked up on Yun Myung-jun’s casual remark about Hwang Hae-kyung, and he retorted with a laugh.

“He’s flashy. He has the looks to become a huge celebrity.”

“What celebrity? Hwang Hae-kyung? He only knows about sports, so he wouldn’t be interested in that kind of thing. Even when he was active, he barely used his Insta and didn’t film any commercials.”

“Isn’t that because his family is well-off? The Seyoung High School foundation is also solid, so Hwang Hae-kyung doesn’t need to earn money.”

“Well, yeah… but if he were interested in that kind of thing, he would have been all over Insta like Lee Seok-jae. He was practically an influencer.”

“Ah, Lee Seok-jae. You mean one of the athletes who’s close to Hwang Hae-kyung? He’s also celebrity-level.”

The last words came with a gesture of scanning his face. Lee Yoon-san turned his head away, feeling inexplicably displeased by Yun Myung-jun’s actions. Seok-jae hyung wasn’t interested in being an influencer either. He thought as he listened to Yun Myung-jun and Han Hyun-ho’s conversation. He felt an urge to retort on their behalf, feeling unfairly wronged, but he couldn’t, which made him a little frustrated.

And he realized that he didn’t even like the slightest misunderstanding or arbitrary judgment of anything related to Hwang Hae-kyung.

“But Yoon-san is unexpected. I thought he wouldn’t know or care about that kind of thing.”

“That kind of thing?”

“He’s obviously an eye-catching and flashy type. He seems extroverted, and people gather around him. Isn’t volleyball usually a sport that women like a lot?”

Yoon-san hates anything flashy. It was an ambiguous statement, not knowing whether he was talking about Hwang Hae-kyung as a volleyball player or Hwang Hae-kyung as a person. Moreover, Yun Myung-jun’s words contained plausible certainty and subtle intention. It was a certainty as someone who had seen Lee Yoon-san for the past semester, and an intention to subtly probe his mind.

Lee Yoon-san was the one who was flustered. Yun Myung-jun had never asked him this kind of question in the past semester.

Lee Yoon-san was shy and introverted, so he was still quite polite to Yun Myung-jun. Yun Myung-jun also knew that approaching Lee Yoon-san too hastily would be a burden. Therefore, private questions were extremely rare between them.

It was an unspoken line. At least for Lee Yoon-san.

“No, I’m…”

Perhaps that’s why Lee Yoon-san couldn’t hide his flustered expression at Yun Myung-jun’s sudden question. And he hesitated, wondering how he should say it to get through this situation smoothly.

There were classmates including Han Hyun-ho around him, and Yun Myung-jun in front of him. He couldn’t decide how much of his feelings for Hwang Hae-kyung he could reveal in this situation.

“I like… him.”

But soon, an uncontrollable answer popped out. He was the one who created the current secret situation, but he didn’t intend to keep his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung a secret forever, and he didn’t think he needed to hide his preferences, so he blurted out the words in a fit of pique.

He had only decided to postpone revealing their relationship to the outside world, not to lie. Lee Yoon-san made such a rationalization in his mind and made a rather determined expression.

Then, Yun Myung-jun and Han Hyun-ho’s gazes simultaneously turned to Lee Yoon-san. On the other hand, the other classmates simply added, ‘I thought Lee Yoon-san was getting interested in volleyball these days,’ and continued their meal as if it were nothing.

“You like him, Hwang Hae-kyung?”

Yun Myung-jun reacted as if he had heard a very surprising fact. He looked at Lee Yoon-san as if he were really surprised and didn’t take his eyes off him, as if he were asking for an explanation.

Lee Yoon-san was rather puzzled by his reaction. He was trying to figure out what else to say when Han Hyun-ho’s voice cut in from the side.

“He’s been interested in volleyball lately.”

“Ah, really? Is that what you mean?”

“And if you’re interested in volleyball, who doesn’t like Hwang Hae-kyung? He didn’t have any scandals and was a consistent athlete who only focused on sports. He entered the national team in his third year of high school and won a gold medal, his career was really amazing. Honestly, even though there were a lot of complaints about him retiring after winning the Olympic gold medal, most Alphas change their career paths around that time, so what.”

Han Hyun-ho grumbled and ate his rice while making his usual defense, and Lee Yoon-san blankly stared at Han Hyun-ho before turning his gaze to Yun Myung-jun, who was still staring at Lee Yoon-san with a fixed gaze. As if there was still something left to hear from Lee Yoon-san’s mouth.

Just as the eye contact, whose intention was unknown, became awkwardly long, Yun Myung-jun’s gaze finally moved over Lee Yoon-san’s head.

“Is this seat empty?”

Hwang Hae-kyung, holding a food tray, was standing behind Lee Yoon-san before he knew it.

“…Wow.”

Before Lee Yoon-san could react to the sudden situation, Yun Myung-jun burst out with a somewhat artificial exclamation. It was more of a lighthearted joke to ease the atmosphere than a malicious intention. Lee Yoon-san wasn’t the only one who was stiffened by Hwang Hae-kyung’s sudden appearance at the table.

“We took the same class earlier. Can I sit here?”

Hwang Hae-kyung smiled at Lee Yoon-san, who was looking at him with wide eyes, and Han Hyun-ho, who was even more surprised and stiffened next to him, and immediately placed his food tray next to Lee Yoon-san. Then, Seo Yang-hoon went to the opposite side and took the seat next to Yun Myung-jun. It was a moment when the eyes in the cafeteria were suddenly focused on one place.

Meanwhile, Lee Yoon-san briefly rubbed his chest, feeling a sudden sense of dread, and then lowered his hand. No matter how much he heard it, the polite language and the way he spoke to others kept lingering in his mind. It was a different feeling, so he couldn’t just say it was shocking and unpleasant, but at least it felt strange every time he heard it. It was an overly complex feeling that he couldn’t even understand himself.

“You’re Hwang Hae-kyung, right?”

A moment of unnatural silence flowed through the sudden joining, and it was Yun Myung-jun who broke the silence this time.

He spoke to Hwang Hae-kyung in a bright voice, and Hwang Hae-kyung briefly replied and scooped up the soup and brought it to his mouth. Seo Yang-hoon had already started eating his rice diligently, and Yun Myung-jun opened his mouth again while watching them. His gaze also included looking around.

“Wow, everyone’s looking over here now.”

It was a tone as if he were talking to himself, but it was a statement meant to be heard. In fact, even the new people entering the cafeteria were looking at the place where Hwang Hae-kyung was. Most of them showed interest accompanied by murmurs of ‘The person sitting over there is Hwang Hae-kyung,’ but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t bother to react to the gaze. He only glanced at Lee Yoon-san, who was sitting next to him.

Seo Yang-hoon also didn’t care about the surrounding gaze, grumbling about whether the pork cutlet was better or not. And in that atmosphere, Hwang Hae-kyung looked at Lee Yoon-san and opened his mouth.

“I heard this isn’t mushroom gangjeong, but eggplant gangjeong.”

The intention of the words he threw out in a light tone was clear. He knew that Lee Yoon-san ate mushrooms well but didn’t eat eggplants well. Then, Lee Yoon-san, who was embarrassed by that, picked up a piece of gangjeong with his chopsticks.

As Hwang Hae-kyung said, he had brought the side dish thinking it was mushroom gangjeong. But it turned out to be eggplant.

He couldn’t hide his troubled expression and looked at the eggplant gangjeong, and Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand took the eggplant gangjeong dish placed on Lee Yoon-san’s food tray. And he put his share of bulgogi in its place. In an instant, there were two bowls of bulgogi on Lee Yoon-san’s food tray.

Lee Yoon-san stared at the scene and then belatedly made a startled expression and looked around. He was worried that Hwang Hae-kyung’s actions just now would seem questionable to the people around him. ‘Wouldn’t they think this kind of intimate behavior is strange?’ His eyes naturally rolled around at the thought.

But the one who showed a shocked reaction was Seo Yang-hoon.

“…Are you crazy?”

“What.”

“No, bulgogi is the main dish, so why would you…?”

If you didn’t like the school bulgogi, you could have switched with me? I don’t like eggplant either? Hwang Hae-kyung stubbornly ignored Seo Yang-hoon, who was expressing his dissatisfaction, and picked up the eggplant gangjeong and brought it to his mouth. The way he closed his mouth tightly and moved his jaw to eat the food looked neat and clean.

Even though it was a strange action, no one criticized Hwang Hae-kyung’s actions, probably because the people at the table weren’t close to him. It also had an impact that his friend Seo Yang-hoon dismissed the atmosphere by grumbling as if it were nothing.

Lee Yoon-san alternately looked at Hwang Hae-kyung and the bulgogi bowl that had doubled in front of him, and then awkwardly continued his meal. It was a bonus that he rolled his eyes a few times as if he were looking around.

“Ah, do you know? This Hubae is a huge fan of Hwang Hae-kyung.”

While the meal was continuing again, Yun Myung-jun pointed to Han Hyun-ho with a wink and opened his mouth again. Then, Han Hyun-ho started to babble in a voice filled with tension and excitement. It was as if he had been waiting for the timing.

“I took the same class with him earlier. And I’ve seen all of Hwang Hae-kyung’s games. Well, there aren’t many games from when I was in middle school on WatTube, so I haven’t seen them all… Ah, anyway, I’m a real fan.”

It was a voice and expression that no one could hear except as sincere. Hwang Hae-kyung looked at Han Hyun-ho and gave him appropriate responses and short thanks with a smiling face, and the excited Han Hyun-ho put aside his rice at Hwang Hae-kyung’s smiling face and began to list his plays in the game he had seen.

“I’ve watched the Olympic qualifiers so many times. The back row and paint attacks were really popular as GIFs. I think it’s really amazing that Hwang Hae-kyung has a solid foundation of physical training, so his jumping ability is high and his air time is long. Ah, and I went to see the National Championships when he was selected as MVP…!”

Han Hyun-ho’s expression, listing Hwang Hae-kyung’s past performances with a flushed face, looked happy. Lee Yoon-san blankly stared at his friend and then turned his gaze to his food tray, but the rice and side dishes on Han Hyun-ho’s food tray had hardly decreased.

Only his flushed and reddened face and ears, his voice that was so excited that it occasionally went out of tune, and his jerky eye movements seemed to show Han Hyun-ho’s current state.

“That’s right, I’m going to bring my collection of uniforms next week, so can you sign them for me?”

Then, at Han Hyun-ho’s words that suddenly came to his ears, Lee Yoon-san raised his head and looked at Hwang Hae-kyung.

He had seen requests for autographs several times in Jeju. But Hwang Hae-kyung had never responded to the request even once. On the surface, he gave the reason that he was a retired athlete, and after that, Ham Se-jin or Lee Seok-jae naturally smoothed things over. Of course, even so, there were complaints.

Anyway, Lee Yoon-san thought that Hwang Hae-kyung wouldn’t respond to the autograph request this time either. He was originally reluctant to do such things, and if he gave Han Hyun-ho an autograph next week, other students would also ask for photos or autographs.

He also thought that it would be right to block it from the beginning, as the distance that had collapsed in that way might make Hwang Hae-kyung uncomfortable.

But,

“Okay.”

A completely different answer popped out of Hwang Hae-kyung’s mouth. He had responded to Han Hyun-ho’s autograph request. He even had a very gentlemanly smiling face. Then, a small cheer burst out of Han Hyun-ho’s mouth, and the classmates around him, including Yun Myung-jun, raised the atmosphere and began to tell Han Hyun-ho that he had succeeded.

Lee Yoon-san was the only one who was flustered. And only then did Lee Yoon-san realize that his worries were unnecessary.

He realized that his clumsy and awkward actions would also look similar to Han Hyun-ho to others. For example, his expression became awkward when he saw Hwang Hae-kyung suddenly appear, and his actions became stiff as if he had broken down, or he was more speechless than usual.

Thinking that way, Han Hyun-ho and his situation suddenly seemed similar. No, he thought he might be in a worse situation than Han Hyun-ho. At least he was in a position to reveal and talk about the fact that he liked him without hesitation, but he wasn’t.

In other words, it meant that others wouldn’t pay close attention to or suspect the relationship between Lee Yoon-san and Hwang Hae-kyung as much as Lee Yoon-san had been conscious of. It was definitely a good thing, but for some reason, Lee Yoon-san’s mood sank a little.

“Speak comfortably. We have to take classes together for a semester. I’m Han Hyun-ho, and I’m a freshman.”

“I’m Yun Myung-jun. I’m their Sunbae and a sophomore in electrical engineering.”

“Ah, ‘Myung-jun hyung’?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve heard the name before. I’m Hwang Hae-kyung. I’m a sophomore in applied statistics at Y University.”

“Really? I know a few people at Y University. Do you know Ahn Jae-hyuk among the teaching assistants? I think that Hyung went in as a teaching assistant there. Ah, we’re the same age. I’m also twenty-one years old. Hyun-ho and these guys in front are all freshmen. Is this friend here on an exchange program?”

“Yes. I’m Seo Yang-hoon. I’m in the same department as Hwang Hae-kyung.”

“This guy is tall too. Did you play sports?”

“Basketball.”

It was a matter of moments before light greetings were exchanged and the atmosphere became more friendly.

Lee Yoon-san sat blankly among them, and as soon as he made eye contact with Hwang Hae-kyung, who was looking at him, he scooped up a spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth and chewed. He didn’t want to be caught being out of touch because he was thinking about other things alone in this atmosphere. Especially to Hwang Hae-kyung, who had asked him for time to prepare himself.

“Is the menu not good?”

“Huh? Oh, no, no.”

In the meantime, Hwang Hae-kyung tapped Lee Yoon-san’s thigh and asked, and Lee Yoon-san gave an absent-minded reaction to Hwang Hae-kyung’s words that didn’t seem to be directed at him, and then barely denied it.

The more polite words Hwang Hae-kyung gave him, the stranger and more upset he felt. It was the same tone and manner as he gave to others, and it was the first time Lee Yoon-san, who had known Hwang Hae-kyung since he was young, had heard that tone, so it made him feel distant.

“This is Lee Yoon-san, and he’s in the same AI department as me. He likes Hae-kyung hyung too.”

“Really?”

“He’s a bit shy, so he’s like this. I talked about Hyung with him yesterday too.”

Whether the organization of honorifics was over in the meantime while Lee Yoon-san’s tempo slowed down, the ‘Hae-kyung hyung’ coming out of Han Hyun-ho’s mouth was quite natural. So Lee Yoon-san was a little upset about that too. At the same time, he had difficulty understanding his own feelings.

He hated it when his friends in Jeju only called Hwang Hae-kyung by his name, so he told them to call him Hyung, but now that someone was calling him Hyung, he felt like he was being deprived of some of his share. He doesn’t even call Hwang Hae-kyung Hyung very well.

Besides, he didn’t know why Han Hyun-ho was introducing him to Hwang Hae-kyung. He was just being quiet as usual.

“You like me?”

So he was sitting there trying to manage his sulky expression, and Hwang Hae-kyung asked Lee Yoon-san. That voice mixed with laughter somehow felt annoying. Lee Yoon-san was feeling uncomfortable with the current situation because he was wavering alone with unknown reasons and irrational emotions.

Above all, he was most upset with Hwang Hae-kyung, who was acting like a stranger to him in this situation, but he knew very well that it wasn’t a problem to feel that way objectively, so he was even more upset. He himself was aware that Hwang Hae-kyung was just matching his demands.

“…Yes. But you’re so popular even if it’s not me….”

So Lee Yoon-san said that in a slightly sulky voice. He didn’t see what kind of expression Hwang Hae-kyung made at his words because he had lowered his gaze halfway.

“I’m one of them… right, well….”

A fan. Hwang Hae-kyung seemed to smile a little at the sulky words that continued without fully hiding those complex and subtle emotions.

Lee Yoon-san didn’t like that either. It wasn’t appropriate to compare, but it felt like he had become a child who had his candy taken away by his mother because it was rotting his teeth. He was sad and upset that it was taken away, but objectively, he wasn’t in a position to resist, so he didn’t know what to do.

It was clearly different from when there were no other human relationships between them like in Jeju. Besides, it was absurd that he had come to feel the situation that he had never even thought of in Jeju, which was a travel destination, only after entering his daily life.

“

No, perhaps I just didn’t feel it in Jeju, even though I knew it. The people I encountered there and those who showed interest in Hwang Hae-kyung were strangers I wouldn’t see twice, but here in Seoul, it was different. It became a problem intertwined with Lee Yoon-san’s real life, acquaintances, and surrounding environment.

Lee Yoon-san, in a fit of pique, thought about revealing his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung honestly, but when he felt the gazes around him, he couldn’t help but be conscious of them.

The numerous gazes still felt burdensome, like an unfamiliar fear. If that burden and fear intensified even slightly, negative worries would rear their heads.

Lee Yoon-san knew well that he tended to scare himself when he had too many worries and thoughts. Like the memory of being hurt by the gazes and judgments of others when he first manifested as an Omega as a child.

Therefore, even though he felt a surge of resentment and disappointment, he hesitated again, shrinking back. The mere thought that his relatively quiet and introverted life might become slightly turbulent made his heart beat faster, and he felt a sense of fatigue setting in.

Lee Yoon-san, barely twenty years old, was in a position where he couldn’t help but be greatly influenced by the everyday life and society of university.

‘What am I supposed to do, really…’

In the end, he continued to ask himself self-deprecating questions, unable to do anything. At the same time, frustration with himself and the burden of the surrounding situation seemed to clash within him.

Lee Yoon-san felt that he was very different from Hwang Hae-kyung in that regard.

Hwang Hae-kyung, sitting next to him, seemed less bothered by the reactions around him than he was, and seemed relaxed enough to approach him and greet him politely. Meanwhile, he himself felt hurt and disturbed by every word Hwang Hae-kyung uttered, and wavered.

‘Would it be easier if I had Hae-kyung’s personality, too…?’

Hwang Hae-kyung had once described him as scary, but Lee Yoon-san felt the opposite.

He was cautious about everything except Hwang Hae-kyung, but he wasn’t afraid of Hwang Hae-kyung at all. He just liked him, and he felt brave when he was with him. That’s why he could always honestly assert his feelings in front of him.

It was a very different dynamic from Hwang Hae-kyung, who was indifferent to everything except Lee Yoon-san, but became a little clumsy and cautious in front of Lee Yoon-san. There was a very fundamental gap between them.

So, feeling that difference made him even less confident, and he couldn’t control the conflicting emotions within him at all.

As a result, during the class that followed lunchtime, Hwang Hae-kyung seemed to have attended the class normally, unlike him, who was tormented by confusion and couldn’t concentrate properly. Moreover, as soon as the class ended, he even quickly left the lecture hall with his friend.

Of course, he received a DM message from him right after, saying, ‘Shall we go home together?’, but Lee Yoon-san stared blankly at the message and chose to decline.

If someone saw him riding in the car with Hwang Hae-kyung, who commuted to school by car, there was a possibility that ambiguous rumors would spread before he could even tell the truth himself.

He felt unfairly treated, and even more confused than that, and as a result, he became anxious. Even though Lee Yoon-san himself was the one who said he would take his time to prepare himself, he felt an urgency to resolve this situation immediately.

Otherwise, he felt that the current frustration and the lump of uncomfortable emotions wouldn’t be resolved. All that Lee Yoon-san felt while being in the same space as Hwang Hae-kyung all day today was ‘distance’. That was something that Lee Yoon-san had never even imagined in his life, so it was even more shocking.

✧✧✧

In the end, Lee Yoon-san, who had declined Hwang Hae-kyung’s carpool, headed to the nearby subway station. He felt the need to firmly organize his thoughts and position before facing Hwang Hae-kyung at home.

It was time to either ignore the resentment and dissatisfaction he felt or be prepared to accept the attention and commotion around him. After experiencing the situation firsthand, the composure he had when he told Hwang Hae-kyung to give him time was long gone.

He was just disturbed, and his mind was filled with thoughts, wavering and feeling impatient. He now fully realized that the situation in Jeju, where they only saw each other, was different from the situation in Seoul.

Therefore, he headed to his parents’ house instead of Hwang Hae-kyung’s house, and decided to send Hwang Hae-kyung a message saying that he would sleep at his parents’ house today when his agitation had subsided somewhat.

He needed some time, even if it was short. If he sent a message in his current state, he might send a sharp or sulky sentence.

No matter how angry he was, he didn’t want to say sharp words to Hwang Hae-kyung. That could cause another conflict.

But in fact, he froze as soon as he entered the front door, unable to even take off his shoes, because he found Hwang Hae-kyung sitting face to face with his mother, Lee Ga-eun. He was sitting in his parents’ house in the same clothes he had worn to school, as if he had come straight from school.

“Yoon-san is here, so I’ll take him with me.”

“Huh…?”

“Okay, did you pack all the side dishes?”

“Yes. I’ll enjoy them, Auntie.”

“Uh…?”

As Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been sitting face to face with Lee Ga-eun, immediately got up from his seat, Lee Yoon-san took a step back in the sudden situation. It was an action that came from a desire to escape this situation, even though he hadn’t approached him directly.

Hwang Hae-kyung got up from his seat, went to the kitchen with Lee Ga-eun, picked up a shopping bag, and came out to the front door. Lee Yoon-san looked back and forth between Hwang Hae-kyung and his mother, unable to hide his bewildered expression. He looked at his mother with an expression demanding an explanation of the current situation, but Lee Ga-eun only gave a comforting smile to Lee Yoon-san’s gaze, without giving any explanation. She just gave a slight hint with her mouth, saying, ‘Talk to each other’.

Thanks to that, Lee Yoon-san, who was pushed out of the house without saying a word, looked at Hwang Hae-kyung with a bewildered expression. Why is he here? We were supposed to be apart today?

“What should I do, even if you look at me like that, I don’t have a pen right now, so I can’t give you an autograph.”

It was a jab at the fact that Lee Yoon-san had said at school that he was one of Hwang Hae-kyung’s fans.

Lee Yoon-san frowned at his words and made a sulky expression, but Hwang Hae-kyung just pressed the elevator button even after seeing Lee Yoon-san like that. Then, the door of the elevator that Lee Yoon-san had just taken opened, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who had entered first, stared at Lee Yoon-san again. Leaning against the elevator wall, with his arms crossed. And an uncomfortable silence followed.

Unexpectedly, there was no playfulness to be found on his face, and the gaze visible under the brim of his ball cap was rather cool and intense. It was a gaze that Lee Yoon-san had never seen before. Because of that, he became a little nervous, but even in the midst of this, he was embarrassed that he couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

Lee Yoon-san was facing the person he wanted to avoid the most at this moment.

“Why….”

Lee Yoon-san’s mouth opened and closed at Hwang Hae-kyung, who was looking at him for a long time without moving. His dry throat seemed to be hoarse, and he felt a sense of unfairness rising up.

In fact, Lee Yoon-san found it difficult to endure Hwang Hae-kyung’s seemingly indifferent gaze and expression that was being poured out on him right now. It had been a day that had been noisily overheated with various thoughts all day long. So, perhaps his remaining patience had worn out. Or perhaps his emotions were shaken by Hwang Hae-kyung’s unexpected expression and eyes.

So, Lee Yoon-san finally continued to speak, as if bursting out his inner thoughts in a voice that couldn’t hide his resentment.

“Why are you making that face at me…?”

I’ve been thinking a lot all day. So I came here because I needed time to think. I didn’t want to be sulky with you, so I deliberately avoided you. Why are you here and making that face at me? I avoided you, but you came….

Lee Yoon-san swallowed the emotional words that were about to pour out incoherently, and looked at Hwang Hae-kyung. His eyes, which were drooping as if he was very sad, and his tightly clenched fists looked quite determined.

Hwang Hae-kyung stared at Lee Yoon-san for a moment, then raised one hand to cover his lower face and lowered his head for a moment. The eyes that were revealed after that were smiling this time, and Lee Yoon-san’s expression became even more distorted. And finally, just as Lee Yoon-san was about to turn his body towards the front door of his parents’ house, Hwang Hae-kyung opened his mouth in a voice that couldn’t hide his laughter.

“Can’t you even stand this much of a blank expression, Yoon-san-ah?”

It was the voice that Lee Yoon-san usually heard. Hwang Hae-kyung still made eye contact with Lee Yoon-san, who was looking at him with a sad expression, and took his back off the wall. Then, he came out of the elevator and stood in front of Lee Yoon-san and hugged him.

“Have I been saying ‘pretty’ too much all this time.”

“…What.”

“It’s not like I got angry or said anything, so is it really worth being this sad just because I saw a blank expression?”

“You’ve never looked at me like that before…!”

“Yeah. I spoiled you too much, didn’t I.”

It’s my fault. As Lee Yoon-san, who had been resisting without obediently snuggling into the arms that were covering and hugging the back of his head, expressed his sadness, laughter burst out from Hwang Hae-kyung’s mouth along with an exhalation.

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san tightly and then let him go, then took Lee Yoon-san into the elevator. On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san glared at Hwang Hae-kyung with an expression that hadn’t fully resolved his resentment, even though he didn’t quite understand the current situation, but when he made eye contact with him again, he couldn’t help but make a relaxed expression.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s face, wearing glasses and a ball cap and smiling as usual, was now familiar. Even though he thought he had seen him smiling quite a bit at school today, he felt as if he was seeing his smiling face properly now.

And he felt somehow empty. The tension and resentment that had been building up without him even knowing it seemed to be relieved in an instant. Just by seeing the smile he knew.

The moment he made eye contact with him smiling in the elevator, he realized that Hwang Hae-kyung, who he thought was unfamiliar all day, was actually not. The fact that Hwang Hae-kyung, with unfamiliar glasses, unfamiliar clothes, and an unfamiliar friend next to him, was also the Hwang Hae-kyung he had always seen.

“I don’t do this with fans.”

This kind of thing, coming all the way here to pick you up just because you said you wouldn’t ride in my car. Hwang Hae-kyung added in a very low voice, smiling as if he was a little embarrassed. He seemed to have been quite upset by Lee Yoon-san’s words that he was just one of Hwang Hae-kyung’s many fans.

Therefore, Lee Yoon-san, who was making eye contact with him, also ended up laughing as if he was feeling empty. The messiness in his head and heart was cleared up in an instant. The short words that Hwang Hae-kyung took out and showed him reassured Lee Yoon-san.

You were swayed by my words too? It’s not just me? You were worried about me all day today and watching my reactions? Like I did to you? Even you, the coolest person in the world to me, have those worries?

There were mountains of things he wanted to ask, but he knew that they weren’t questions, but words he wanted to be confirmed. So Lee Yoon-san felt embarrassed by his own childishness and clumsiness, and soon felt embarrassed and couldn’t lift his head.

Then, Hwang Hae-kyung, who had intertwined his fingers with his, added in a slightly urgent and firm voice.

“You will never be ‘one of them’ to me. Never in the future, either.”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s actions of getting close to him and resting his forehead on Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder were familiar. He would always bend over and stick to him like this when he thought he didn’t look cool or when he was acting cute to Lee Yoon-san. Folding his large body as if he was about to hug him, and rubbing his forehead against Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder.

Lee Yoon-san stroked Hwang Hae-kyung’s back with his hand and laughed as if sighing. And soon he raised both hands and hugged him back. And instead of the many questions that had risen to his throat, he whispered the words he wanted to say the most.

“I really, really like you too, Hae-kyung-ah….”

It was a moment when the worries he had been having all day felt like illusions.

They didn’t have many conversations in the car on the way home. Lee Yoon-san was embarrassed that the heart that had been troubled for a long time had been relieved in an instant, so he only asked the commonplace question of how his school was today, rolling his eyes, and Hwang Hae-kyung only answered him diligently and drove.

He deliberately avoided the main point because he thought that they would have a conversation about how to behave in the future when they arrived home, at least as far as Lee Yoon-san’s intentions were concerned.

“Hae, Hae-kyung-ah, just, just a sec…!”

“No way.”

But as soon as they entered the front door, Hwang Hae-kyung kissed him.

Lee Yoon-san made a troubled voice at the rough and deeply intertwined lips, but even that was swallowed into Hwang Hae-kyung’s mouth. Hwang Hae-kyung lifted Lee Yoon-san up as it was, took off his shoes, and went into the house.

Lee Yoon-san was being carried while being hugged by him, and all he could do was shake his feet hard to take off his shoes, even if it was late. Then, he heard the sound of his shoes falling off, and he felt the corners of his intertwined lips rising along with Hwang Hae-kyung’s laughter, which was close to a throat vibration.

The corners of his lips, which were moving while touching his lips, tickled, and the laughter trapped in his throat was low. Lee Yoon-san took off Hwang Hae-kyung’s hat, which had been raised because he was kissing him, and hesitated to take off the glasses that were bumping uncomfortably.

And after a few attempts, he finally took his head off, grabbed Hwang Hae-kyung’s cheeks, and looked at his face.

The dark brown hair that had been hidden under the hat was very disheveled, and he looked different with his glasses on. Perhaps because of the somewhat scholarly design of the glasses, he looked like a professor or a model student, but the frown on his forehead, which was dissatisfied with his fallen lips, also felt different from usual, perhaps because of the glasses.

“Do you, do you usually wear these glasses…?”

“Sometimes.”

“Why didn’t you wear them in Jeju?”

“Why.”

“Oh, just….”

“Do you like them?”

As Lee Yoon-san’s eyes wandered around his face, Hwang Hae-kyung followed his gaze and asked. Lee Yoon-san was looking at Hwang Hae-kyung’s eyes through his glasses with a mesmerized expression, and it was true that his appearance, which had changed his atmosphere with just one pair of glasses, aroused a strange tension and curiosity.

Chapter

So, when he slowly nodded, Hwang Hae-kyung, who was frowning, leaned forward and lightly pecked Lee Yoon-san’s lips. This time, it wasn’t a deep kiss that would mess up his glasses, but closer to an affectionate peck.

Each time he pressed his lips deeply into Lee Yoon-san’s soft lips and pulled away, a low chuckle escaped from Lee Yoon-san as well.

I should use this often, not just when reading books. Hwang Hae-kyung thought to himself.

“I wanted to do this since I saw you at school.”

“…Uh…”

“I held back a lot. I didn’t want to make things difficult.”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s expression, as if confessing a hidden secret, held an embarrassed smile. At the same time, he looked like a puppy wanting praise, so Lee Yoon-san grabbed Hwang Hae-kyung’s cheeks with both hands and pressed his lips together for a long moment before pulling away.

And without realizing it, he opened his mouth.

“…I want to try holding back too.”

“Yeah.”

“But I don’t think I can, Hae-kyung-ah.”

Lee Yoon-san’s eyes drooped as he spoke as if confessing. Hwang Hae-kyung was right. He was not immune to Hwang Hae-kyung’s unfamiliar attitude. Despite the memories of fighting so much as children, he couldn’t bear the unfamiliarity and disappointment of Hwang Hae-kyung not being affectionate to him now.

Even the expressionless face that seemed to treat him like a complete stranger was disappointing to accept, and he couldn’t be satisfied with just the smile he showed to the public. He felt upset by his friend who knew his career better than he did and expressed it so actively, and he felt uncomfortable and depressed when Hwang Hae-kyung responded exceptionally to him. In short, even Hwang Hae-kyung’s use of honorifics wasn’t heartbreaking?

But he couldn’t just ignore him, so his heart was going crazy. No matter how fresh the new feeling was, it couldn’t overcome the disappointment and frustration.

The fact that he became easily upset and sad over trivial things was ultimately the result of being accustomed to the affection Hwang Hae-kyung gave him.

From the day they met again at that amusement park when they were sixteen, Hwang Hae-kyung had been affectionate to him and had never put him second in any comparison.

He knew now that the day he won an important game and came to him, the fact that he watched him from afar to avoid shaking his Pheromone, and the fact that he tried to continue the conversation in his DMs even though he wasn’t interested in filling his feed were all actions that prioritized him.

That’s why he was even more disappointed when contact was cut off, and after learning that he had existed in Hwang Hae-kyung’s time even during that period, he felt pity and affection at the same time, and he was relieved. By the fact that he was still important to Hwang Hae-kyung.

So, from the beginning, he was in a position where he didn’t know how to ignore and turn away from Hwang Hae-kyung. He was starting to feel absurd about himself from a few days ago, when he boldly asked for time first with that kind of subject.

When he was already used to Hwang Hae-kyung’s affection.

“I can’t pretend I don’t know you outside… I don’t like it when you look at me without expression, Hae-kyung, how can I…”

“Were you that upset?”

“Yeah, you never looked at me like that in Jeju Island…”

“I guess you noticed.”

That I’m crazy about you. Hwang Hae-kyung joked as he laughed at Lee Yoon-san’s sulky words. At the same time, he slowly walked into the bedroom, and even in the midst of that, Lee Yoon-san straightened Hwang Hae-kyung’s disheveled hair with both hands. However, perhaps because he felt sorry and embarrassed for going back on his words, his expression remained sulky.

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san and sat on the bed, making eye contact.

“You did well. It’s okay to be upset and angry about trivial things, Yoon-san-ah.”

“Huh? No, I shouldn’t…”

“It’s okay to be sensitive to my expressions. Raise the threshold of affection and treatment you receive from me as much as possible.”

“……”

“So that no matter how much other guys cling to you and treat you well, you won’t be moved.”

“I’m not planning on treating you moderately.” Hwang Hae-kyung whispered, then bit Lee Yoon-san’s lips with his own. As he had become accustomed to, Lee Yoon-san’s lips parted and his head tilted.

As he widened his slightly parted lips and pushed his tongue in, warm breath escaped from the tip of his nose, which was pressed against his cheek. He’s good at breathing while kissing now. Hwang Hae-kyung muttered to himself, kissing him more actively to avoid revealing the rising corners of his lips.

His glasses were in the way, but he didn’t bother to take them off. Lee Yoon-san also seemed to be enduring it, ignoring the glasses that kept pressing against his face.

He licked Lee Yoon-san’s tongue with his own, moving as if carefully scanning the inside of his mouth, and sucked the saliva that moistened his mouth. The sound of swallowing that echoed in the quiet room was so loud that Lee Yoon-san’s ears turned red, and Hwang Hae-kyung lightly sucked and released his lips.

Then, a slightly rapid breath escaped from Lee Yoon-san’s falling lips. It seemed that his nose alone was not enough to breathe.

Lee Yoon-san slowly scanned Hwang Hae-kyung’s face with his eyes, leaving a very slight gap. And Hwang Hae-kyung watched the way Lee Yoon-san’s eyes changed.

His eyes, which had been wide open when he looked at his forehead and eyes, slowly closed as he lowered his gaze, changing his appearance. When he looked at his nose and cheeks, his eyes were half-lowered, and the more his gaze flowed down, the more his eyes seemed to close slowly.

It was as if the moon was setting.

“…Moon rabbit.”

“What?”

“How can I leave this behind?”

“What are you talking about, eugh…!”

As soon as Lee Yoon-san made a puzzled face at the incomprehensible sound, his lips were bitten. At the same time, his upper body fell backward onto the bed, and Hwang Hae-kyung climbed on top of him and lay down.

He stopped biting Lee Yoon-san’s lips and stood on his knees above him, then pushed up his glasses with one hand. And when he looked down at Lee Yoon-san lying beneath him, Lee Yoon-san, who was embarrassed by his gaze, made a blank face again.

It seemed that Lee Yoon-san liked his face with glasses on quite a bit. Or maybe he was just shy because it was different and unfamiliar. Anyway, Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t dislike the expression on his face as he looked up at him with a rather nervous look.

“I should wear glasses more often.”

“It’s n-not like that. It’s just, well, usually you look like someone who works out, but now you look like someone who only studies.”

“Do you like this look better?”

“No, it’s not that…! It’s just.”

“Yeah, just.”

“…I just thought, ‘Hae-kyung, you have this side of you too.'”

That’s what’s good. Not the glasses. The words he added were almost as quiet as a breath, so you could guess how embarrassed he was.

Hwang Hae-kyung lightly kissed various parts of Lee Yoon-san’s face and lifted his top. Lee Yoon-san couldn’t stop Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand from coming in as he pushed up his top, laughing because he was tickled by the shower of kisses pouring onto his face, and he allowed him to bury his face in his neck after the playful kisses.

“Ah…”

Hwang Hae-kyung bit Lee Yoon-san’s neck with his lips, sucking strongly on the soft flesh. At the same time, his hand, which had gone in while lifting Lee Yoon-san’s top, went up along his side. He tapped Lee Yoon-san’s ribs with his fingers, then pressed his thumb hard on the nipple above it.

“Eugh.”

Then a faint groan escaped. As Hwang Hae-kyung released his Pheromone at the action of gritting his teeth and holding back the sound, it wasn’t long before Lee Yoon-san’s back became wet. Lee Yoon-san hurriedly lifted his buttocks, worried that his pants would get wet from his damp underwear, and taking that opportunity, Hwang Hae-kyung unbuckled his pants and took them off.

And immediately, he lowered his hand and covered Lee Yoon-san’s perineum with his palm, pressing down as if to compress it, Lee Yoon-san’s brow furrowed and a hot breath escaped. It was also at that moment that his half-erect penis became fully erect.

It was also at that moment that Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone, which had only been fluffy, changed to the point of tingling his chin.

“Heueu…”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s fingers groped Lee Yoon-san’s hole over his wet underwear. He pressed and rubbed the concave hole felt with his fingertips without taking off his already damp underwear, and Lee Yoon-san’s eyebrows and the corners of his eyes drooped. He seemed embarrassed by the mischievous act of not taking off his already soaked underwear.

“I want to take it off…”

Lee Yoon-san decided that it would be better to take off his wet underwear. He chose to take off his top as well, as it would get wrinkled if he left it rolled up. In fact, he was slowly getting drunk on Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone and his eyes were a little unfocused.

He lifted his top himself, took it off, and dropped it under the bed, and put his fingers into the band to take off the remaining underwear as well. Thanks to the frequent relationship during the vacation, he wasn’t as reluctant to reveal his body with clear tanning lines in front of Hwang Hae-kyung as he used to be.

But even so, he was still embarrassed to take off his clothes and lie down in front of him, so he rolled his eyes, and suddenly he saw Hwang Hae-kyung, who had stopped acting above him and was looking down at him.

He was looking at Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder with a rather serious expression.

“…Hae-kyung?”

What he was staring at was Lee Yoon-san’s protruding clavicle peak. The bone protruding at the end of his straight shoulder seemed to be a sign that he was quite thin.

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

And Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been staring at that bone for a long time, finally took his hand off the bottom he was pressing down on and fell on top of Lee Yoon-san. With a breath that was panting as if he was resentful.

Lee Yoon-san asked in confusion, but there was no answer. It was true that Hwang Hae-kyung’s head was quite complicated right now, so it was right that he didn’t have time to answer.

Hwang Hae-kyung had a goal to make Lee Yoon-san gain more than 5kg from the summer vacation until winter when he would have his Heat cycle. When he first made that plan, Hwang Hae-kyung had not expected that making his lover gain weight would be so difficult.

When he was young, Lee Yoon-san was chubby, and his basic appetite hadn’t changed, so he thought he would gain weight well if he just fed him meat. Besides, he was confident in feeding him.

Even when he was an active athlete, Hwang Hae-kyung’s basal metabolic rate was at the level of a swimmer, and his body would lose several kilograms even if he didn’t eat properly for two days and only slept. Therefore, he was obliged to consume high-calorie foods, ate a lot, and made a habit of eating snacks from time to time.

The person himself didn’t have much of an appetite, so it was one of the tedious routines, but it was unavoidable to maintain his physical condition.

Even if it wasn’t as much as then, Hwang Hae-kyung’s basal metabolic rate was still much higher than that of the average person, and he thought that Lee Yoon-san would gain weight quickly if he just followed his eating routine well. Very naively.

But unfortunately, Hwang Hae-kyung, who was a former athlete, and Lee Yoon-san, who was an ordinary person, differed in the amount they ate and the amount of muscle they had, and the biggest problem appeared in sex.

No matter how well he fed him and tried to make him gain weight, Lee Yoon-san would lose weight if he just had sex.

“Hae-kyung?”

“…I won’t do it.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll hold back.”

It was a collaboration between Lee Yoon-san, who would give in even if he overdid it when he was drunk on Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who didn’t know the proper number of times to have sex.

It would be one thing if he fell out in the middle or fainted, but Lee Yoon-san was an Omega, so he was in good shape. And Hwang Hae-kyung, for whom everything was Lee Yoon-san’s first, didn’t know the ‘appropriate’ number of sex sessions.

In the first place, he wasn’t interested in the sex that other people had, and he didn’t pay much attention to the common dirty jokes that his friends made in middle and high school. More than any other reason, he didn’t have the mental composure because he was suffering from high hormone levels, and after the growth pain reliever started to work a little, the reason why he thought dirty jokes were boring was significant.

He thought that the object on the screen that he couldn’t touch or experience directly was boring, and he didn’t have anyone he wanted to touch and experience directly.

Then, after meeting Lee Yoon-san again in the first year of high school, it was only Lee Yoon-san.

After that, he would get angry at dirty jokes or pornography targeting Omegas, but he wasn’t interested. In the days when he couldn’t tell the difference between heaven and earth, if someone around him even told a dirty story about an Omega, he would get angry. For Hwang Hae-kyung, Omega was always Lee Yoon-san.

So, Hwang Hae-kyung, who was twenty-one years old, would torment Lee Yoon-san until he was satisfied and his body felt refreshed. And Lee Yoon-san was always drunk on Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone and barely managed to endure without fainting.

After having sex, his whole body was stiff and he was exhausted as if he was about to faint, but Lee Yoon-san was also Hwang Hae-kyung’s first, so he thought that this was how sex was originally done.

He spent the entire vacation period in the residence like that, so Hwang Hae-kyung’s basal metabolic rate showed no signs of dropping, and Lee Yoon-san lost weight almost every day. To the point where the end of his clavicle was particularly protruding at the end of his shoulder like this.

Hwang Hae-kyung was afraid that Lee Yoon-san’s spine would become so prominent that he could catch it in his hand. When he saw the bones protruding under his skin, he even thought that he might break it if he squeezed it wrong.

Even though Lee Yoon-san wasn’t the type of body that was commonly said to be petite and swaying, he had such thoughts.

This wasn’t a matter of taste. Whether he was fat or thin, it would be okay as long as it didn’t affect his health, but he didn’t know how to deal with a body that was too thin and had protruding bones.

It was like being anxious and scared if you kept a chick that was too small and weak in your grasp.

“Um… but, Hae-kyung.”

“Yeah.”

“Can I have my clothes…”

Hwang Hae-kyung, who was holding his lover, whose weight seemed to have decreased rather than reaching the goal of gaining 5kg from his existing weight, immediately lifted his body at Lee Yoon-san’s words.

And he was about to pick up Lee Yoon-san’s fallen clothes, but he found his penis, which had not yet completely calmed down. It was the same for his condition, as his excitement had not completely subsided.

In the end, Hwang Hae-kyung sat on the bed and made Lee Yoon-san sit facing him on top of him. And he lowered his underwear and grabbed his penis. Without paying attention to Lee Yoon-san’s embarrassed expression, he squeezed and massaged Lee Yoon-san’s penis, which was gradually hardening and increasing in volume in his grasp.

“Heu, eugh. Wait a minute, Hae-kyung… your, pants.”

“Do you want to wet them for me?”

“Ah, why do you say things like that…!”

“I think it’s really cute that you get wet easily.”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s appearance, speaking while making eye contact over his glasses, felt like a model student doing something bad. He gave quite a bit of strength to the hand holding Lee Yoon-san’s penis and circled the glans with his thumb, and Lee Yoon-san lowered his head and burst out a breath.

As the slippery fluid spread over the reddish glans and the sensation felt by the foreskin was maximized, his excitement quickly soared. Hwang Hae-kyung raised his other hand and pinched Lee Yoon-san’s nipple as if teasing him, and Lee Yoon-san shrugged his shoulders and reacted in surprise. He felt ashamed by the touch that was not simply touching, but teasing only his nipple.

On the other hand, a subtle excitement followed. He didn’t completely hate the actions of Hwang Hae-kyung, who was usually only affectionate, acting mischievous once in a while in these peripheral moments.

Especially since Hwang Hae-kyung’s current appearance was like a nerd who only knew how to study, he was calling up ambivalent feelings with his seemingly sound face doing lewd acts.

It felt like he was seducing a steady lover who only knew how to study, and with that feeling alone, not only Lee Yoon-san’s face but also his neck turned red.

“Do it together…”

So Lee Yoon-san buried his face in Hwang Hae-kyung’s neck and whispered like that. He also touched the penis of Hwang Hae-kyung, which was already bulging over his pants, with his fingertips.

Hwang Hae-kyung briefly kissed his head and ears and took out his penis and grabbed it together. The penises held together in his large, knobby hand rubbed and chafed against each other. The veins that were particularly protruding on Hwang Hae-kyung’s penis were pressed against Lee Yoon-san’s glans, and he lifted his waist because the stimulation would be stronger if the one on top moved.

“Ha…”

Then a sigh-like groan burst out from Hwang Hae-kyung’s mouth as well. His Pheromone, which had been chillingly filling the surrounding air, also changed its scent as he became excited, and the underwear band that was pressing on Lee Yoon-san’s scrotum, which had not yet been released, was frustrating and stimulating at the same time.

“Hae-kyung, wait a minute, take your hand off…!”

The discrepancy between the appearance seen visually and the stimulation felt by touch was extreme. Perhaps that’s why Lee Yoon-san urgently took his face off his neck and tried to pull his body back as his orgasm quickly rose, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t stop what he was doing.

He rubbed Lee Yoon-san’s urethral opening roughly with his thumb as if he were cleaning it, tightening his grip even more, shaking both his and Lee Yoon-san’s manhoods faster and faster. As if moving more violently right before ejaculation, he squeezed Lee Yoon-san’s manhood tightly in his grasp and shook it roughly, and soon Lee Yoon-san’s manhood began to ejaculate.

The spurting semen stained Hwang Hae-kyung’s top, and Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand holding his manhood had long been wet. But it was strange. Even though Lee Yoon-san had clearly ejaculated, a subtly unpleasant sensation remained, and he didn’t feel the usual exhaustion. It was an unsettling feeling, as if he hadn’t quite finished ejaculating.

He couldn’t figure out why.

“Uh, uh?”

Hwang Hae-kyung glanced at Lee Yoon-san’s semen on his clothes and hand, and at the softening manhood, before laying him down on the bed. He also rubbed his palm to spread the semen on his hand widely.

As Lee Yoon-san lay down with a puzzled expression, Hwang Hae-kyung settled on top of him and subtly lowered Lee Yoon-san’s underwear with his wet hand. Then, skin glistening with Love Nectar, soaking wet inside, was secretly revealed.

“Yoon-san.”

“…Uh, uhh.”

“Give me your hand.”

Hwang Hae-kyung, holding Lee Yoon-san’s wrist with his wet hand, pulled his hand down. And he shaped his hand to press the perineum hidden beneath the manhood that had softened after one ejaculation with his fingertips.

The moisture from Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand was damp on his wrist, and the tender skin beneath his scrotum, which he was touching himself, was soaked with Love Nectar, so Lee Yoon-san chewed on the inner membrane of his cheek in embarrassment. Then, Hwang Hae-kyung looked down at Lee Yoon-san and said, holding his own manhood.

“Press down hard on the bottom. Just sweep it while pressing hard.”

“W-what…”

“I always touch you like that.”

It’s my way. Hwang Hae-kyung added, shaking the hand holding his manhood.

So, he was masturbating now. With him lying beneath, with a face that didn’t seem like he would do such a thing, shaking his own manhood. Lee Yoon-san, suddenly realizing the situation, didn’t know what to do with his wide eyes and shifted his gaze here and there. Then, without realizing it, his tense fingertips twitched, and the poked perineum tingled.

“Uh…?”

That was why his voice, unable to form proper words, kept leaking out. Lee Yoon-san’s bewildered gaze turned back to Hwang Hae-kyung, and as soon as their eyes met through his glasses, excitement rushed in again.

Hwang Hae-kyung raised the corner of his lips as he looked at Lee Yoon-san, and increased the speed of the hand holding and shaking his manhood.

Lee Yoon-san’s appearance lying beneath him was excessively stimulating. The underwear, soaked and stretched out, hanging on the upper part of his thigh, the body lying obediently, and even the reaction of being captivated and unable to take his eyes off his gaze were all lovely.

The way he pressed his own perineum with that appearance and flinched at the stimulation, and even the focus blurring as if drunk and consumed by Pheromone, only robbed Hwang Hae-kyung of his reason.

“You can press harder.”

“But, it feels strange…”

“Why, because you’re touching it yourself?”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m touching you too.”

Hwang Hae-kyung coaxed Lee Yoon-san, who kept hesitating and moving his hand passively, and moved his own hand. The manhood, swollen with excitement, had veins bulging out to a frightening extent, but it didn’t easily reach the point of ejaculation.

He hadn’t yet satisfied Lee Yoon-san lying beneath him as much as he wanted, so he was enduring the excitement while controlling himself.

“It’s not embarrassing, Yoon-san.”

“……”

“Look at me.”

He spoke in a gentle voice, comforting Lee Yoon-san, who seemed unable to shake off his embarrassment even with his unfocused eyes. At the same time, he pressed his glans hard against the shaft of Lee Yoon-san’s manhood, and Lee Yoon-san’s body, lying defenselessly, flinched.

It was at that moment that Lee Yoon-san’s gaze, which had been busy glancing only at Hwang Hae-kyung’s face, went down. He lowered his head while lying down and stared blankly at Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood rubbing against his glans as if stabbing it.

The pressed manhood began to harden again, and when the touching manhood separated, a very thin strand of slippery fluid stretched into the air before snapping. Then, Lee Yoon-san’s gaze shifted to Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood, and it was fixed on the long, beautiful hand holding that manhood.

As he said, Hwang Hae-kyung was masturbating himself, touching his own manhood. It was a fact he already knew and a stimulation he had experienced, but the sight of it being captured in his eyes for a long time felt new. It was also explicit and sensual.

So, without realizing it, Lee Yoon-san moved his hand as Hwang Hae-kyung had said. He swept his hazy gaze from Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood to his clothed body and his neatly bespectacled face, and began to stimulate himself by pressing his own perineum.

Imitating his gestures, just as Hwang Hae-kyung had told him to.

“I-It’s strange…”

“Touching it with just your fingertips isn’t enough.”

“No… N-Not really…”

“You like it better when you completely cover that area with your palm and shake your wrist.”

“D-Don’t…”

“Try it. Doesn’t your palm reach?”

“I don’t… want to. Not with my own hand…”

While refusing with his mouth out of embarrassment, Lee Yoon-san couldn’t take the strength out of the fingertips pressing his perineum. The low voice whispering and urging him, and the embarrassment of groping himself, kept causing an unknown excitement.

He didn’t have the courage to cover his bottom with his palm, so he chose to lower his fingertips a little further and touch the area that his hand hadn’t reached.

“Ah…”

But even that was dizzying. The finger that he thought he was just moving to touch the skin a little further down touched a rather embarrassing place.

The concave hole touched by his fingertip was all wet and slippery. The perineum, wrapped in soaking wet underwear, was also wet, but the bottom hole, with Love Nectar flowing down, was on a completely different level of sensation. And it was the first time he had ever touched that area himself. Usually, Hwang Hae-kyung would loosen it up, so his hand never had to touch it.

So, when he flinched in surprise, Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been looking down at the scene, ejaculated while pressing his glans against Lee Yoon-san’s navel. The semen that spurted out onto the soft, tan skin splattered in all directions and soaked his stomach, and immediately Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand, which had released his manhood, grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s finger and applied force.

Then, the tip of the grabbed finger was slightly pushed into the wet hole, and Lee Yoon-san’s eyes widened in shock.

“This is strange, this is strange…!”

“It’s not strange, not at all.”

“I want to take it out!”

“How can you say that when you have a guy who’s dying to stick it in, Yoon-san.”

When Lee Yoon-san reacted as if he was very surprised even with his hazy eyes, Hwang Hae-kyung said something mischievous and pushed his finger in with his own. The wet, loosened bottom accepted the two fingers of different thicknesses without difficulty, and the soft mucous membrane felt like it was sticking as if it had been waiting.

From the moment Lee Yoon-san realized that one of the fingers inserted into his bottom was his own, he felt a bizarre chill. It resembled a depraved feeling that seemed to go against common sense or morality, and it also felt like the thrill of the pressure that tightened the finger joints. Whatever it was, he felt like crying. Although tears didn’t come out.

“This shallow area is smooth.”

“Ugh…”

“If you put it further inside, it feels like it’s scratching against wrinkles.”

It’s your body, but you’re the only one who doesn’t know about this place. Hwang Hae-kyung whispered those words in Lee Yoon-san’s ear, groping further inside. Lee Yoon-san felt dizzy at his words, but he couldn’t take his finger out, because he couldn’t think of anything else because of the sensation of his joints tightening and the feeling that he was fully realizing what Hwang Hae-kyung must have felt inside him.

Hwang Hae-kyung touched a little deeper with his finger pressed against Lee Yoon-san’s finger, and bent his finger towards the perineum while shaking his wrist.

“Ah…!”

Then, Lee Yoon-san let out a moan like an exclamation and ejaculated as if he had lost control. It happened very quickly. White, thin semen flowed down his stomach, and Lee Yoon-san was surprised again by the excessive pleasure that suddenly covered his entire body and the ejaculation that was beyond his control.

And soon, he made a crying face again and pushed Hwang Hae-kyung’s shoulders with both hands, but he didn’t budge at all. However, he only took out the finger he had put inside Lee Yoon-san, hugged his lover tightly, and rolled his body to the side.

On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san hadn’t escaped from the afterglow of the recent ejaculation, and the fact that he had ejaculated at once without the unpleasant feeling he had felt in the previous ejaculation was quite shocking. Even though he had only put his finger in the back without touching the front.

Moreover, there was no unsettling feeling like he had only half-ejaculated like in the previous ejaculation, and he fully felt the exhaustion that came after ejaculation. A languidness washed over him, as if he had had proper insertive sex.

He had had the experience of ejaculating with only the back without touching the front several times, but Lee Yoon-san was embarrassed by the current situation because it had never been compared so explicitly to when he had ejaculated by only touching the front.

So, in other words, he had become unable to ejaculate properly by only touching the front. It was possible to ejaculate only with the back, but ejaculating by only touching his manhood left him with an ambiguous and unsatisfying feeling.

“…Hae-kyung, what should I do…”

“Why, are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

When Lee Yoon-san opened his mouth with despair as a result, Hwang Hae-kyung, surprised, raised his upper body and examined Lee Yoon-san’s body. When he pulled his arm, which was trying to check his bottom by even spreading his legs, the large body obediently came into his arms.

Lee Yoon-san hugged the solid body that filled his arms and lay back on the bed, muttering.

“I can’t do it alone anymore…”

He was also drunk on Pheromone, but the pronunciation was naturally slurred because it seemed too embarrassing and ridiculous to say. Hwang Hae-kyung asked back as if wondering what he was talking about, but Lee Yoon-san shook his head and avoided it because he didn’t have the confidence to repeat the same words twice.

Then, Hwang Hae-kyung smiled and leaned his face against Lee Yoon-san’s head and said.

“Yoon-san, you don’t have anything to do alone anyway.”

“……”

“I’m not very interested in doing it alone either.”

It was true. Hwang Hae-kyung, having already experienced Lee Yoon-san, couldn’t possibly be satisfied with masturbation alone. To him, sex was closer to the maximum expression of affection than the release of sexual desire.

Rather than the simple act of holding and shaking his manhood alone, he wanted to express himself by kissing, talking, and caressing his skin, and then he would want even more skinship than that. So, there was no way he could be satisfied with masturbation without such skinship or a returning reaction.

Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t laugh at all at the words that Lee Yoon-san had taken the courage to say despite his embarrassment, and easily agreed.

He released Lee Yoon-san from his arms, then sat up and took off his glasses. After casually tossing the removed glasses onto the side table, he took off the top he was wearing and wiped the semen that had flowed onto Lee Yoon-san’s stomach. Then, Lee Yoon-san, embarrassed by this, protested, but it was no use. He only stopped what he was doing after wiping even the inside of Lee Yoon-san’s thighs as if rubbing them with his clothes.

Then, he completely stripped off Lee Yoon-san’s soaking wet underwear before hugging his lover and sitting with his back against the head of the bed. He even made Lee Yoon-san, who was embarrassed by his naked state, sit facing him on top of him, and they were able to have a proper conversation only after Lee Yoon-san hurriedly pulled the blanket and covered himself.

“I thought you were angry because you went alone. Your expression wasn’t good when we had lunch, and you left food behind, so I thought you were uncomfortable with the attention. Or I wondered if I was being too obvious.”

Hwang Hae-kyung honestly revealed the worries he had while driving to Lee Yoon-san’s house. So Lee Yoon-san stared blankly at his face and ended up laughing somewhat hollowly.

It was clear that it wasn’t just him who had been anxious and upset all day. He felt childish and pathetic for being relieved by this fact, but it was his honest feeling. He had always thought that he and Hwang Hae-kyung were in different positions, and the differences he had actually experienced in the past few days were also clear.

“It wasn’t that…”

It was true that he was uncomfortable with the attention he was receiving, but what made him feel more sad was the gap between Hwang Hae-kyung and himself. He was anxious after realizing the difference between himself, who had lived a normal school life, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who had gained fame due to his career as an athlete, as well as the fundamental differences in their personalities, such as their boldness and indifference in dealing with people.

He wondered if we could be okay even though we were so different. No, in fact, he was afraid that Hwang Hae-kyung would notice the gap when he saw him being relatively ordinary and timid. And he was afraid that he would be disappointed.

The fact that he belatedly realized how pathetic his words of ‘give me time’ had been was also a factor that made Lee Yoon-san feel inferior.

“I just felt like I was being indecisive. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I was going to organize my thoughts and tell you…”

“But you were embarrassed when I came to pick you up?”

“…Yeah. I was the one who told Hae-kyung to keep our relationship a secret and give me time to adjust, but when I heard you use honorifics at school, and I felt like I knew less about you than Hyun-ho did, I was upset about that too… But I’ve never even seen you play a game in person…”

“Yoon-san.”

“Huh?”

“Your classmate knows about me as a former volleyball player, but they don’t know me. Who would know me better than you?”

You know that I lost to you in arm wrestling when I was little, and that I had an inferiority complex because of my short height.

Lee Yoon-san’s expression became a little blank at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words that followed. His expression was spaced out as if he was just now remembering Hwang Hae-kyung as a childhood friend, so Hwang Hae-kyung frowned but ended up smiling.

“Come to think of it, Baby Potato was incredibly strong when he was little.”

“…I’m not a baby anymore and I’m not a potato, so why do you keep…! And you all lost to me in arm wrestling when we were little.”

“That’s right. You were much taller than me too.”

“Yeah. I looked down on you.”

“You were chubby and cute.”

“Don’t lie. You called me a pig.”

“…Is there no statute of limitations for the crime of saying the wrong thing when I was little?”

“Yeah. It’s aggravated punishment, including not playing with me.”

“But you hated bugs… Try to remember…”

“Is that why you gave me a large-sized grasshopper?”

“…If I ever get the chance to go back in time, I won’t let that elementary school kid off the hook.”

“I was really surprised and angry at the time, but you were so pretty that I couldn’t help but let it go…”

When Lee Yoon-san finally raised his fist and spoke, a clear laugh burst out of Hwang Hae-kyung’s mouth. The gentle tone that came out of his mouth, compared to the firmly clenched fist, was ridiculously insignificant, which made him laugh. It wasn’t that he didn’t know swear words or slang, but Lee Yoon-san had always spoken like this since he was young. The fact that he only expressed his feelings or inner thoughts with that level of expression even in negative situations was quite affectionate.

That habit was probably also a will to not let others hear bad words. Perhaps this was why adults loved Lee Yoon-san so much. Even when everyone his age was learning slang and swear words for fun, only Lee Yoon-san didn’t.

“It would be nice if you gained some weight by winter.”

“Why do you keep trying to make me gain weight…”

“My rut is a bit long.”

“…Ah…”

“I don’t know much because I’ve never spent it without medication, but it won’t end in two or three days.”

At Hwang Hae-kyung’s words that followed, Lee Yoon-san rolled his eyes to the side and avoided his gaze.

He had noticed that he was subtly concerned about his weight. The way he tried to make sure he ate regularly, the way he put snacks here and there in the house, and the way his gaze lingered as if he was watching him when he ate something weren’t exactly subtle.

Meat, which he liked, was never missing from the meals they ate together, and if he looked like he was going to leave food behind, he would always try to feed him one or two more spoonfuls. Besides that, Hwang Hae-kyung remembered even the smallest things if it was a menu he liked, and he always took care to avoid ingredients or menus that he disliked.

In response to Hwang Hae-kyung’s efforts, he also tried to increase his food intake and tried sweet snacks that he didn’t usually eat in order to gain weight, but his appetite, which had shortened after the heat, didn’t seem to return. Of course, it wasn’t as if Lee Yoon-san was eating very little, but it was still far from enough compared to Hwang Hae-kyung, who was a big eater.

Still, he thought it was better to be thin than to think about when he was fat when he was young, so he didn’t have any complaints about the problem, but it seemed that Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t think so.

He was genuinely upset, holding Lee Yoon-san’s arm and examining it. Moreover, if the reason was a long Heat cycle, it was even more understandable. During Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle, the two of them had hardly eaten anything, only engaging in sexual activity. For the entire two or three-day period, they didn’t consume proper food and only had sex, which eventually led to Lee Yoon-san being hospitalized.

But if Hwang Hae-kyung’s Heat cycle was longer than that, it seemed important to establish eating habits. He didn’t want to end up in the hospital again after going through the Heat cycle.

“Um… more than that, I don’t know what to do at school now.”

As that thought occurred to him, Lee Yoon-san, feeling embarrassed again, changed the subject. Hwang Hae-kyung chuckled and played along. He carefully tucked the blanket around Lee Yoon-san, who was sitting on his lap, made eye contact, and asked,

“Is it overwhelming?”

“That too, but… I’ll just deal with that. It’s something I’ll have to face eventually, and I hated seeing you look at me expressionlessly more than the stares of strangers…”

At Lee Yoon-san’s honest words, Hwang Hae-kyung narrowed his eyes and smiled, running his hand through his hair.

In fact, he quite liked Lee Yoon-san’s standards, which couldn’t even tolerate his expressionless face.

His words about not planning to treat him lightly were sincere, and he wanted him to take many of the things he did for granted, like a habit. For example, the immense affection he poured out as if it were natural, the attitude of prioritizing him above all else, and the affectionate gaze and expressions.

He wanted him to become deeply immersed in the affection and treatment he received from him, making it the standard itself, so that he wouldn’t even be able to distinguish the interest or fondness shown by others, and wouldn’t even be moved by it.

This would be Hwang Hae-kyung’s way of protecting Lee Yoon-san from the attention and fondness of others.

Making him unable to be satisfied with anything less than the affection and expression he poured out. Also, his goal was to make others recognize Lee Yoon-san as someone who ‘deserves to be treated well as a matter of course’ by cherishing him openly, right in front of them.

If he cherished him openly from the start, others would naturally be influenced by that attitude.

Hwang Hae-kyung had decided to use these two things as shields from the moment he realized that his reputation could cause Lee Yoon-san burden or discomfort. It was too grand to call it a public relationship, but he had no intention of just sitting still and suffering from jealousy and anxiety.

However, in the latter case, he was willing to wait, believing that it was only possible when Lee Yoon-san was ready. Unlike himself, who had been accustomed to people’s attention and interest, as well as the negative issues that came with it, since he was very young, Lee Yoon-san had a strong introverted tendency and had grown up in a normal environment.

But finally, Lee Yoon-san had made the decision to take those gazes into account. So, for Hwang Hae-kyung, there was no reason to wait any longer.

“What’s the most concerning thing?”

“Well, we contacted each other and hung out during a time when we weren’t supposed to… Of course, it wasn’t like contacting each other was a terrible thing, but I’m worried that I might become a source of criticism for you. People might be disappointed in you. I hate that itself.”

“That won’t happen.”

“It will! If people find out that you and I contacted each other before you were in a stable period, some people will twist it. If you were still an active player, there would probably be people saying that your performance wasn’t as good because you were hanging out with me… And Hae-kyung, you… when you were in high school, you reacted sharply to the same player because of me…”

“How do you know that?”

Did Dad tell you? As Lee Yoon-san hesitated and continued, Hwang Hae-kyung frowned and asked, and he nodded, looking slightly cautious. At that, Hwang Hae-kyung swallowed a sigh and stroked Lee Yoon-san’s hair.

“Do those things feel like they’ll be hurtful?”

“Those things?”

“The things you mentioned. Malicious speculation or assumptions.”

“No… Even if I’m upset by the things people say to me, I’ll gradually be able to ignore them. I don’t have the energy or the will to be hurt and react to everything… But I hate it when you’re belittled because of those things. That’s what upsets me.”

“……”

“You worked really hard at sports. I know that because I was in contact with you, but I hate that your efforts might be downplayed. If it becomes known that we were in contact, they’ll assume that we did things we shouldn’t have done…”

I know I worry a lot, but at least that’s how the people I’ve encountered in the past few days have looked at me. Lee Yoon-san added, not hiding his gloomy expression, and Hwang Hae-kyung caressed his eyes with his thumb before pressing his lips firmly against his.

Then, Lee Yoon-san looked puzzled. As if wondering what he was suddenly doing in this situation.

“Is that all that’s bothering you?”

“…Huh?”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s question was so cheerful that Lee Yoon-san’s expression went blank. He had been seriously contemplating the matter, so he didn’t quite understand Hwang Hae-kyung’s simple reaction. This isn’t such an easy problem, is it?

“If that’s the case, I’ll do well.”

“Do what?”

“Just everything. So that you don’t have to worry about anything.”

“……”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s expression looked strangely refreshed, so Lee Yoon-san looked at him with a suspicious expression. Then, he laid Lee Yoon-san down again, buried his face in his neck, and started playfully biting him, and Lee Yoon-san, flustered, shouted at him to stop and started pushing him away.

But soon, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the touch that tickled his body, and Lee Yoon-san also joined in Hwang Hae-kyung’s playfulness, bickering for a long time.

Also, playful laughter was exchanged between Hwang Hae-kyung, who was trying to take off the blanket, and Lee Yoon-san, who was trying to avoid it by tucking it in. It felt as if they had returned to that one day when they played together when they were very young.

The two of them rolled around on the bed for a long time, and the play stopped when Lee Yoon-san, who was exhausted, declared his surrender and collapsed.

“Ah, there’s an opening party this Friday, so I’ll be late. I might drink… too?”

“Really? I think we also have an opening party around that time.”

Lee Yoon-san, who had been tossing and turning for a while before lying down, said as he caught his breath, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who was lying on top of him, rolled his eyes and replied. He thought his department was also planning to have an opening general meeting on the last day of opening week, but he couldn’t remember the exact location and time. In the first place, Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t very interested in the department life of his own department.

More than anything, Hwang Hae-kyung had other plans that day.

“Ah. I was going to tell you today, but I have to go to work that evening.”

“Work? Hae-kyung, are you going to work part-time? After the semester started?”

“It’s just for that day.”

“Just that day? What is it?”

“Just, like, temporary work.”

“Temporary… work?”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, as he rolled his eyes to the side and mumbled, were very suspicious. But Hwang Hae-kyung frowned as if he was embarrassed about something and gave an answer that there was such a thing. He would tell him on his own if he kept pressing him, but he couldn’t help but look suspicious.

✧✧✧

And on Friday evening, Hwang Hae-kyung was at a studio in Gangnam for his temporary job.

“Your son and his friends are all so handsome, President. All three of them have good proportions, so the silhouettes are great… Oh, it would have been nice if it was a shoot where their faces were shown.”

“Those guys would absolutely refuse to shoot if their faces were shown, so please make sure their faces don’t show.”

It was the filming site for the insert for Hwang Jun-won’s company brochure and in-house broadcasting, which operated online security and offline security services.

There were three models mobilized for today’s shoot, Hwang Jun-won’s son Hwang Hae-kyung, and his best friends Ham Se-jin and Lee Seok-jae. Hwang Jun-won stood in the set-up filming location and swallowed a sigh as he watched his son and his son’s friends doing test shots.

They were usually the size of utility poles, only doing home appliances, so he had to custom-make the company Uniform, a dark navy blue suit.

Hwang Jun-won’s company was a company that started with the aim of being a high-quality professional security company, so it provided official Uniforms to all employees who joined the company, and thanks to its gentle and formal image, it succeeded in giving customers a more reliable image—of course, in actual security, it was common to wear clothes similar to the client or a discreet black suit, but by having official Uniforms similar to Uniforms, the image effect that appealed to the public was certain—.

The problem was that since Uniforms existed, there was also a need for models to expose in brochures or in-house broadcasts. And this year, he asked his only son and his friends to be the models.

Hwang Jun-won briefly recalled the hard work of the past few days. Hwang Hae-kyung, who was living quietly to kill his recognition, would not have immediately accepted the model offer, so he had to repeatedly think about the conditions that would entice his son.

To make matters worse, Lee Seok-jae, who had stopped all SNS and V-logs since last summer, also showed a surprisingly lukewarm response to the model proposal, and Ham Se-jin was also indifferent.

Since the three of them reacted like that, he wondered if he should proceed with the filming by selecting professional fitness models or employees with less experience as he had done before, but Hwang Jun-won wanted to show off his son to the company at least once.

Recently, there had been news articles about the lawsuit against the incident and rumors related to the assault in Jeju Island, so he needed to show that he and his son were living without any impact or problems from such incidents. Originally, such news leaked out from these external activities.

“If we set it up like that, they look like well-managed guard dogs. When they were young, they were nothing but puppies.”

The filming that was done was the result of persuading Hwang Hae-kyung.

The key to persuasion was Lee Yoon-san. Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been indifferent to any proposal to give him a lot of modeling fees or custom-made Uniforms, gave his okay as soon as he heard the words, ‘You have Yoon-san at home now, so if you want to feed him…’

Persuading Hwang Hae-kyung made it easy to hire Ham Se-jin and Lee Seok-jae, like one plus two.

However, the problem was that even if you put on Uniforms and set their hair nicely, the insides of the door-sized puppies would not become like well-trained Shepherds or Dobermans.

“Hwang, you crazy bastard, I applied for your school classes because of you, but why are you going to someone else’s school…!”

“Why is a guy from Anam taking exchange classes in Sinchon? You should go to Anam and take classes.”

“Hey, Ham. You can still apply for course corrections. I might go to your school.”

“Our school is a women’s university.”

“Credit exchange has nothing to do with that?”

Hwang Hae-kyung fixed his gaze on the air, leaving Lee Seok-jae and Ham Se-jin, who were arguing next to him and gradually adding harsh words. He hated everyone, including his father, who was watching them from afar with a look of half-heartedness and half-pity, and his friends, who had started throwing insults at each other’s faces.

He had just come to do temporary manual labor for the experience of being a future head of household, but he didn’t know why his surroundings were so chaotic.

When he checked the watch on his wrist, it was just the time when Lee Yoon-san’s last class had ended. It meant that if it weren’t for this job, he would have already left to pick up Lee Yoon-san.

“Anyway, damn it, hey, should I just change to Yoon-san’s school? I should ask if I can change the school itself. It would be better because I can see Yoon-san there! How’s Yoon-san doing? Is he still cute?”

“Ham Se-jin, do you happen to have a sledgehammer?”

“No. I’ll make sure to bring it next time.”

“Damn bastards.”

Ham Se-jin gestured to Hwang Jun-won to Lee Seok-jae, who was grumbling that he didn’t know why all the guys with the surname starting with H were like this, and Lee Seok-jae attempted a tearful change of attitude, saying that there were exceptions. He couldn’t bear to hear the words that there was a water vein flowing in Sinchon, or that the crazy disease was spreading as an epidemic.

Anyway, the filming started in such a chaotic atmosphere.

The storyboard was tight, with hand gesture motions and insert shots taken below the neck, as well as full-body silhouette shots. Thanks to the fact that their faces were not captured, they did not do makeup separately, but their hair was set up due to the silhouette shooting.

Therefore, every time the three tall Alphas took motions or poses, admiration and praise poured out from the filming site. It was also thanks to the fact that Hwang Hae-kyung’s father, the owner of the company, was at the scene, but there was nothing better than praise and admiration to easily lead the three Alphas who had no modeling experience.

“Maybe it’s because they’re tall and have big builds, but they come out well as they’re taken. It’s at a level where we only need to correct the colors.”

“They’re guys who used to play sports.”

“Ah, it would be even better if their faces were shown. We could put them on the cover as they are without makeup.”

“They’re guys who have stopped playing sports now.”

Hwang Jun-won was relieved by the unexpectedly smooth filming and gave soulless answers one after another to the brochure editor who was constantly expressing admiration. Judging from the fact that the video shooting director was also unable to hide his satisfied expression, the insert screen was also being captured well.

And it seemed that Hwang Hae-kyung’s glare played a big role in the smooth filming. Judging from the fact that he kept checking the time from time to time, he seemed to want to go to Lee Yoon-san quickly, or go to the house where Lee Yoon-san was. So, he seemed to be glaring at his friends with his eyes, telling them not to hesitate or delay the filming, and diligently responding to the filming director’s requests.

It was nothing new. Wasn’t the reason he accepted this filming also Lee Yoon-san? His son, who had been barely able to take care of himself due to excessive hormone levels, seemed to have finally expanded his world. His son’s current appearance looked similar to his son’s sparkling appearance in high school.

And Hwang Jun-won was amazed and felt new at his son’s appearance.

“He’s all grown up, son…”

His son, who was clearly Hwang when he registered his birth, suddenly began to look like a member of the Lee family.

Meanwhile, Lee Yoon-san, the only son of the Lee family, moved to a nearby raw meat restaurant with his classmates after class. In the first semester, all the undergraduates gathered for the first round because it was a newly established department, and only the department students went for the second round, but this time, because it was the second semester, they came to eat only with the department classmates from the beginning.

Perhaps that’s why Yun Myung-jun, who had taken care of him in the first semester, was not there, and even those like Kim Yoo-rim, who were friendly and talked to him even though they were from other departments, were not there. Lee Yoon-san felt a little awkward about it, but pretended to look at the menu that Han Hyun-ho and other classmates were showing him, and soon, glasses began to be placed on the table before the meat.

“Hey, I heard that all the engineering college’s dinner places are near here anyway. Hyung Myung-jun might come, but he’s the head of the department, so he might not be able to come?”

“Really…?”

“That Hyung takes care of you so much because you’re his junior.”

Han Hyun-ho said that and filled Lee Yoon-san’s glass with beer. Lee Yoon-san also took the beer bottle and filled Han Hyun-ho’s glass, and in the meantime, the meat arrived. It was the other classmate who couldn’t stand the hunger who was in charge of grilling the meat.

“Doesn’t that Hyung like you?”

Then, at Han Hyun-ho’s words that he threw out casually, Lee Yoon-san made a nonchalant expression. He thought it was a bit of an overestimation, but it wasn’t a problem he hadn’t expected at all. It was already openly rumored in Yun Myung-jun’s department that Yun Myung-jun was putting in a lot of effort for his junior.

“I have someone I’m seeing.”

“You?!”

Perhaps that’s why he felt burdened by the interest Yun Myung-jun was showing. Lee Yoon-san said to Han Hyun-ho, thinking that. Then, Han Hyun-ho showed a surprising reaction, and Lee Yoon-san took a sip of beer and picked up a side dish.

It was because he remembered Hwang Hae-kyung’s words that he should always fill his stomach when he drank alcohol.

“It’s not a campus couple, is it?”

“I don’t… think so?”

Strictly speaking, the schools are different. Lee Yoon-san gave a nonchalant answer, thinking about what the criteria for a campus couple were.

“You didn’t have one in the first semester, did you?”

“Uh… it happened that way.”

Han Hyun-ho, who emptied his first glass of beer at once, ordered more cola, and Lee Yoon-san nodded, feeling dazed. He was relieved that he didn’t react loudly, and at the same time, it was because he saw a glimmer of hope.

If the reaction is this mild, wouldn’t it be okay to tell him a little more about Hae-kyung? That’s what he thought.

“Alpha?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s good.”

Congratulations. Han Hyun-ho said that and refilled his empty glass himself. Soon, other classmates started talking to Lee Yoon-san and Han Hyun-ho, and the conversation on that topic ended.

So, Lee Yoon-san felt like he had confirmation that Han Hyun-ho rarely made a fuss unless it was about volleyball or Hwang Hae-kyung.

Lee Yoon-san emptied the remaining beer in his glass in one gulp and frowned. The alcohol tasted more bitter than the sip he had earlier. He didn’t know if it was because he drank more than before, or because he became conscious of Han Hyun-ho, wanting to be a little more honest with him.

The alcohol was bitter, and the surroundings were noisy. Han Hyun-ho also started complaining about the professors who had started classes from the first week of the semester. Then he sought Lee Yoon-san’s agreement, and soon everyone at the table emptied their glasses while talking about course registration changes, professors, or the disorganized curriculum.

The topic of conversation changed periodically, and Hwang Hae-kyung came up as a topic several times, but fortunately, there was no badmouthing. It was largely thanks to Han Hyun-ho, not because of Lee Yoon-san.

Not because the classmates were conscious of Lee Yoon-san, who was dating Hwang Hae-kyung, but because they were conscious of Han Hyun-ho, a fan who liked Hwang Hae-kyung.

Lee Yoon-san felt a little sad about that fact. So, he showed several times that he also liked Hwang Hae-kyung in his own way, but it wasn’t very impressive to those who were getting drunk.

After that, it didn’t take long for most of the people at the gathering to become flushed. Everyone except Lee Yoon-san, who didn’t usually drink to his limit and didn’t know his alcohol tolerance well, was busy muttering their own words with red faces and unfocused eyes.

The tables were also mixed up a lot as people moved around and exchanged drinks, and Sunbae from other departments in the same faculty who were drinking nearby also came to visit.

Most of them intended to take care of their Hubae who were paired up, and some others cheerfully asked for conversations to mingle with the freshmen in the same faculty.

Quite a few Sunbae from other departments also visited Lee Yoon-san. Lee Yoon-san listened quietly to the stories about classes or professors that the Sunbae told him, and he was able to get various tips.

For example, subjects that didn’t have lectures during the first class were surprisingly tough, or that you had to write more than five lines of light greetings before getting to the point when sending an email to a certain professor to get a reply.

And most of them asked if Yun Myung-jun was treating him well, and Lee Yoon-san just smiled awkwardly and answered yes to the question with an unknown intention.

The Sunbae who sat in front of Lee Yoon-san all showed favor to his docile listening attitude and flushed face. Although his secondary gender was confusing because of his tall height for an Omega, Lee Yoon-san’s appearance was also one of the big points that they liked.

Above all, Lee Yoon-san’s gentle expression and atmosphere made it easy to talk to him. So, his seat was almost never empty, but no one stayed in that seat for long.

It was because of Lee Yoon-san’s behavior of constantly checking his phone when the conversation got longer. Everyone seemed to smile regretfully and leave the seat when they saw his attitude of focusing on the conversation to some extent but soon seeming to care about the person contacting him.

Did you drink a lot?

I hope work ends soon

Lee Yoon-san smiled for no reason while looking at the DM sent by Hwang Hae-kyung. Seeing these trivial DMs made him realize that Hwang Hae-kyung was really his Darling.

He knew that Hwang Hae-kyung was doing a modeling part-time job for his father’s company, but he still regretted that he wasn’t here.

He heard from his classmates that many departments from Hwang Hae-kyung’s university seemed to have come to nearby stores for their orientation parties, so Hwang Hae-kyung would have been somewhere around here if he hadn’t been working.

And above all.

‘Can’t I ask him to send me a picture…?’

He was curious about Hwang Hae-kyung’s appearance because he said he was doing a photo shoot as a model. It was hard to take his eyes off him just by wearing glasses and clothes of a different style than in Jeju Island, so he was curious about what he would look like this time.

In addition, Lee Yoon-san knew that there was a Uniform that was also used as a uniform in Hwang Hae-kyung’s father’s company, and it was quite popular with the public because it was a neat navy suit style.

It was good to look at because it revealed the fit naturally without being baggy and it was a style that could show off the angular shoulders. Of course, for the same reason, it was a Uniform that was rarely worn in actual security, but still.

Anyway, it was such a symbolic and objectified suit, so if he was wearing the Uniform for the shoot, he really wanted to see it. So, he thought about asking him to send a picture, but seeing that he didn’t send a single picture even while sending DMs from time to time, he thought he must still be shooting and held back.

He also thought that if he had time, he would send a picture on his own.

“Hey, Lee Yoon-san.”

While he was glancing at his phone and waiting for a DM, Han Hyun-ho, who had gone to another table and returned, sat next to him again. He looked quite drunk like the other classmates.

“Why are you suddenly interested in Hae-kyung Hyung?”

“…What?”

“No, you weren’t interested in Hae-kyung Hyung until before the vacation. You said you didn’t even know volleyball… and you were closer to not liking him than being indifferent, weren’t you? That’s what I thought.”

“……”

“But suddenly, when the semester started, you became interested in Hae-kyung Hyung and volleyball, and you even accepted my nonsense….”

He was speaking in a slightly slurred tone because he was drunk, but it didn’t seem like he was just rambling because he was completely drunk. As far as Lee Yoon-san knew, Han Hyun-ho was quite strong with alcohol, and he had never rambled nonsense.

Therefore, what he was saying now was a question that Han Hyun-ho would have asked even if it was normal. It wasn’t just rambling because he was drunk.

“That…, Hyun-ho.”

“It’s so suspicious… You obviously hated talking about volleyball and Hae-kyung Hyung….”

“No, actually.”

“What, did you start liking him?”

While picking up and eating a piece of meat that had cooled down on the edge of the grill, Han Hyun-ho cut off Lee Yoon-san’s words and asked first. And Lee Yoon-san’s face hardened as he looked at Han Hyun-ho.

Is it now? Can I say it now? Suddenly, such an impulse surged into Lee Yoon-san’s head.

“…Yeah.”

So, Lee Yoon-san nodded his head to Han Hyun-ho’s question and gave an affirmative answer.

“I like him.”

His heart was pounding even though he wasn’t saying it in front of the person himself. And he was a little embarrassed.

The surroundings were all talking to each other, so they didn’t seem to be interested in his and Han Hyun-ho’s conversation, but he was still shy and a little relieved. It was the fact that he was given the opportunity to say it openly.

“Hae-kyung has so many likable qualities.”

He’s someone who keeps making reasons to like him even though there are already so many, so I can’t help but like him. Even in times when I shouldn’t. Lee Yoon-san smiled awkwardly, swallowing the rest of his words. And Han Hyun-ho quietly looked at Lee Yoon-san.

Hwang Hae-kyung had always been making reasons for Lee Yoon-san since he was a teenager. Reasons for Lee Yoon-san to like him and fall in love with him. So, even though he had a childhood that was only hateful, he couldn’t help but like him helplessly.

His refreshing smile, the way he joked without the unpleasant teasing or belittling that was unique to his peers, the fact that he didn’t unnecessarily talk about other people, the fact that he focused on and worked hard on the work given to him, and the fact that he didn’t bother to show off, and even the fact that everything from windbreakers to glasses suited him very well, all became reasons to fall in love with him and like him.

That was a very different story from the interaction of Pheromone that Betas commonly associate with.

“I knew it.”

“Sorry, I should have told you first….”

“But why do you call Hae-kyung Hyung Hae-kyung?”

“…Huh?”

The conversation that was going well was blocked at that moment. Lee Yoon-san closed his mouth, which he was about to tell Han Hyun-ho about his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung. To be exact, he was speechless.

“Seeing him in person, it’s no wonder he’s a top-tier athlete, right? An athlete has done his job if he’s good at sports, but seeing him in person, he’s so handsome, so handsome…. You’re an Omega, so you’ll be more attracted to him.”

“……”

“You became interested after looking him up when he came to our school, and you liked him even more after seeing him in person, right? I understand everything. Ah, I heard that the Y University Applied Statistics Department is having an orientation party at a chicken restaurant near here. I wonder if Hyung will come here. He has two classes with our department, so it wouldn’t be strange if he came here.”

“……”

After organizing the naming issue during the last class, every time Han Hyun-ho called Hwang Hae-kyung ‘Hae-kyung Hyung’ in front of him, he felt sulky for no reason, but he calmed down, saying that it could be like that, but this time, the title didn’t come to his ears at all.

Because the title wasn’t the problem this time.

“…Hyun-ho, actually, Hae-kyung and I know each other.”

“What? Since when?”

“Since we were very young. Before we even entered elementary school.”

So, Lee Yoon-san just opened his mouth as he could. At this moment, the reason why he felt that all the thoughts and worries he had were useless was great. His rapidly beating heart also calmly found its speed.

It was the first time he realized that people become calmer when they are too embarrassed.

“Our mothers and Hae-kyung’s parents know each other….”

“Ah, so that’s why you called him Hae-kyung?”

“Yeah.”

“Ah, ah! So that’s why Hyung was friendly to you back then! I just thought it was fan service. I guess Hae-kyung Hyung doesn’t usually make that kind of expression to fans.”

“…What kind of expression is that?”

“Like looking at you with interest. He didn’t do fan service when he was an active player. Even if a fan asked for an autograph, he would just sign it with a blank expression and leave… There were quite a few fans who liked him after seeing his face, but left because he was blunt after actually seeing him?”

“Blunt? Expression?”

“Yeah. I don’t understand why athletes need to do fan service when they’re not idols. It’s the end if the player is good at sports and gets good results, but there are a lot of kids who want fan service as if they’re stanning idols. There are players who are good at that, so why do they want that when they like athletes…? Hey, that’s why it was a mess during the ceremony. Because he smiled then.”

After that, he couldn’t hear what Han Hyun-ho was saying well. The word blank expression that Hwang Hae-kyung showed him just lingered around his ears.

According to Han Hyun-ho, Hwang Hae-kyung’s default expression would be a blank expression. Enough to be famous even among the fans who liked him.

He had been sulking, thinking that the blank expression he had shown him a few days ago was a cold or angry expression, but in fact, it was just the general expression that Hwang Hae-kyung usually made when dealing with others. He didn’t even know that and was sulking.

The reason why he was sulking was because it was the first time Hwang Hae-kyung had looked at him with that expression. And the moment he realized that, he felt heat rushing to his ears.

It felt like Hwang Hae-kyung’s familiar and affectionate expressions and gazes that he had seen so far were actually one of his constant expressions of affection.

“So that’s why the kid broke down and was awkward? Well, if you’ve only seen your mom’s friend’s son a few times when you were very young, it’s ambiguous to act friendly and a bit to pretend you don’t know him. Alphas and Omegas have to go to different schools… Hey, I thought you were glancing at Hae-kyung Hyung because you were interested in him.”

Han Hyun-ho, who was smiling at Lee Yoon-san, who was dazed with a face reddened as if he was drunk, said, but Lee Yoon-san didn’t hear it properly because the pulse that was throbbing right below his ear was so loud.

-So everyone went to the second round?

“Yeah… a hangover soup place that doesn’t sell hangover soup.”

After the gathering, people who wanted to eat more gathered and left for the second round, and the remaining people took care of each other and sent them off in taxis. Han Hyun-ho had been expecting Hwang Hae-kyung to stop by until just before the first round ended, but that didn’t happen. It was because Hwang Hae-kyung’s part-time job ended later than expected.

As a result, classmates including Han Hyun-ho left for the second drinking party or went home, and Lee Yoon-san, who was left, was sitting on the stairs of a building near the raw meat restaurant and talking to Hwang Hae-kyung on the phone.

He was told to go into the cafe and wait, but he chose to wait outside because he wanted to see Hwang Hae-kyung’s car coming himself.

Since it was early September, the weather was humid, but Lee Yoon-san was okay because he didn’t get hot easily, unlike what he looked like. The only thing that bothered him was whether he would get bitten by mosquitoes.

“Did you do well at your part-time job?”

-Just so-so.

“I wanted to go and see it too.”

-Really?

“Did you… did you wear that Uniform from your uncle’s company for the shoot?”

-Yeah.

“I wanted to see that, too….”

While looking at the end of his sneakers and telling him his honest feelings, an unfamiliar shoe tip touched the front of his sneakers and stood facing him. Lee Yoon-san was embarrassed by the shoes that suddenly invaded his vision, and he raised his head, but the speed was very slow because he was drunk.

“You can just see it in person.”

At the end of the slowly raised gaze, Hwang Hae-kyung’s smiling face was visible. While talking to him on the phone. The hair that was set to reveal his forehead with a slanted part and the suit that was visible below it felt unfamiliar and unrealistic.

So, while holding the phone to his ear, he stared blankly, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who saw Lee Yoon-san like that, bent his knees and sat facing him. Then, his eye level became similar, and his bright face came into view even better.

“Why are you out here?”

“To see you coming, Hae-kyung….”

“I was so surprised that someone would take you that I ran over.”

“Who would take me….”

A grown man. Lee Yoon-san said embarrassedly at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words and finally hung up the phone. Hwang Hae-kyung laughed once again at the way he was pretending not to care, and finally hung up his phone as well. He never hung up the phone before Lee Yoon-san even in normal times.

“Someone who has the same taste as me?”

“I wish you wouldn’t say weird things… seriously….”

“Or anyone who likes cute things.”

“Ah, stop it!”

Lee Yoon-san was embarrassed every time he couldn’t respond calmly to these words. He knew his personality and joked, so in the end, it was Lee Yoon-san who raised his voice. Hwang Hae-kyung stood up and grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s hands and pulled him up, and thanks to that, Lee Yoon-san, who was standing without any effort, staggered for a moment due to the alcohol.

And he looked at Hwang Hae-kyung in front of him again with a dazed expression.

It was because he could see Hwang Hae-kyung’s whole body at a glance when he stood up. Hwang Hae-kyung, who was wearing a dark suit and tie and had his hair up, looked like an adult. Usually, even if you wear a well-tailored suit in your early 20s, it only looks like you’re imitating an adult, but strangely, Hwang Hae-kyung looked very good in a suit. Of course, he looked more like a model with a well-captured concept than a worker.

Besides, he had only seen him wearing sneakers or casual sandals when he was in Jeju, but this was the first time he had seen him wearing shoes in earnest. So, he felt even more like an adult man. Tie, watch, shoes. All of them felt like the exclusive property of a mature and relaxed man.

Unlike his appearance in comfortable clothes and sneakers.

“Let’s go home, Yoon-san.”

This was a different level of unfamiliarity than seeing him wearing glasses. So, he took half a step back without realizing it as if he was being shy, and Hwang Hae-kyung immediately reached out his hand.

Lee Yoon-san was about to grab that hand, but he looked around, and soon lightly tapped his hand on top of the big hand and smiled for no reason.

He thought that there might be students from his school and nearby schools around, but he didn’t really care. He had given up halfway since he had told Han Hyun-ho to some extent.

However, he needed time to adjust because Hwang Hae-kyung in front of him was a little unfamiliar.

“Let’s walk home.”

Lee Yoon-san said that, returning the step he had taken back to the front. Then Hwang Hae-kyung’s eyebrows narrowed immediately.

From where they were now to the apartment, they had to walk about one subway station away. It wasn’t a problem to leave the car, and it wasn’t a distance that would hurt his legs even if he walked.

But the problem was that Lee Yoon-san had drunk alcohol, and the weather in September was still hot. In this weather, the alcohol would rise more and more.

Hwang Hae-kyung leaned his upper body towards Lee Yoon-san, who was looking at him, and checked his complexion. It was to find out if he had a fever from the heat or how drunk he was. And Lee Yoon-san, who was looking at Hwang Hae-kyung, hurriedly lowered his gaze and slyly grabbed the end of the tie that was fluttering in front of him.

Lee Yoon-san thought the suit Hwang Hae-kyung was wearing looked hot and stuffy. No matter how summer-friendly the material was, September was technically autumn, but in reality, the late summer heat hadn’t completely faded.

“Wow, a tie….”

Then, he looked at the tie in his hand and chuckled. The moment Hwang Hae-kyung’s clean-cut, fair face broke into a smile, he couldn’t help but smile along with Lee Yoon-san.

Lee Yoon-san already had a kind and gentle appearance, but when he smiled like that, he looked like the happiest person in the world. His eyes, softly turning into crescent moons, and the slight upturn of his lips were charming, and the short bursts of laughter had the power to make anyone feel good.

Hwang Hae-kyung found it a little absurd that all of these things could be summed up in one word: loveliness. Wasn’t it too much of a spectacle to be expressed in such a simple and short word?

“Do you like it?”

“It’s like you got a job… you look so grown-up, and it really… suits you.”

He looks cool. The plain vocabulary, spoken in an admiring tone, was amusing. Compared to his flushed face and the way he fidgeted with the end of the tie, unable to meet his gaze, the discrepancy with his calm and collected tone was immense.

Moreover, although he didn’t seem to realize it, Lee Yoon-san’s pronunciation was slightly slurred and his speech was slow due to the alcohol. He was trying to act rationally, but the results weren’t as good as his efforts.

Hwang Hae-kyung thought he had done well to wear the suit as he watched Lee Yoon-san.

Since it was a Uniform made to fit his height anyway, it was also a gift he had received as a memento, but he knew that his appearance worked well on Lee Yoon-san.

Of course, coming so well-groomed, like mimicking a well-behaved animal, was also intended to set Lee Yoon-san’s standards for judging men to himself.

Even he thought it was embarrassingly obvious, but Hwang Hae-kyung thought it was a method that worked quite well on Lee Yoon-san.

Rather than reaching out and touching him first, he would show him a well-groomed appearance to make him curious, make him steal glances, and make him want to reach out.

And so, they started walking home.

At first, he tried to hold hands, but Hwang Hae-kyung, realizing that Lee Yoon-san, being a childhood friend, was still awkward around him, took a step back and walked alongside him.

Lee Yoon-san smiled as if he liked the night air brushing against his cheeks, even as the alcohol was kicking in, and Hwang Hae-kyung, walking half a step behind him, smiled slightly as he watched Lee Yoon-san.

Lee Yoon-san, seemingly out of it from the alcohol, stumbled once while walking, and after that, Hwang Hae-kyung walked with one arm extended into the air as if to protect him.

Lee Yoon-san told him about the freshman orientation dinner in a slow, slurred voice. It was mostly stories about professors and lectures that the Sunbae had told him, and there was also praise for Hwang Hae-kyung.

“Uh… let’s take those.”

Lee Yoon-san said, pointing to a self-service photo booth they found while walking. It was an unexpected request from Lee Yoon-san, who didn’t like taking pictures, so Hwang Hae-kyung couldn’t hide his puzzled expression, but he was led by the hand to the self-service photo booth.

Because of the late hour, there weren’t many people inside the brightly lit photo booth. Most of the people there seemed to be students who had been drinking nearby, and Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san paused for a moment as they inadvertently stepped inside, taken aback by the pastel-toned interior and bright lighting.

“It’s so… bright, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

For a moment, Lee Yoon-san thought, ‘Should I even be here?’ but he had made up his mind, so he steeled himself and led Hwang Hae-kyung inside.

With a rather determined look, he looked around and dragged Hwang Hae-kyung into a photo booth that took four consecutive photos, because he wanted to have a picture of the two of them.

Since they started dating during the summer vacation, the two had hardly been apart. Until then, they could see each other whenever they wanted, but after the semester started, they realized that they couldn’t because they were taking classes at different schools, and they often felt sad about it. Especially when his classmates talked about Hwang Hae-kyung.

So, the moment he found this photo booth, he had a strong urge to take a picture. Although he didn’t really like taking pictures, he wanted to be able to take it out and look at it whenever he missed Hwang Hae-kyung.

“Uh, uh, why is the countdown so fast?!”

“I don’t know. Just come here.”

So, as he was about to take a picture, Lee Yoon-san started to stammer, flustered by the countdown that started sooner than expected and felt faster than it was. Hwang Hae-kyung laughed at the sight and grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s arm, pulling him into his embrace.

And the result was a failed photo.

“What is this…?”

When they checked the photo before printing, most of the photos were either ghost photos or snapshots. It was the result of the countdown proceeding while Lee Yoon-san was flustered and panicking.

Hwang Hae-kyung in the photo was standing in the back, unable to take his eyes off Lee Yoon-san, and his appearance was all clear. It was because he was just standing still, not panicking or moving like Lee Yoon-san.

In the end, they printed the photos that were close to ghost photos and snapshots as their first photos, and Hwang Hae-kyung laughed again as he looked at the photos.

“I’ve seen this on channels like International Geography. When a rabbit is trying to run away to survive.”

“Don’t…”

“Was someone chasing you? No, I was behind you, and there was no one there. Why were you running away alone?”

“Ah, it’s because I’ve never taken these before!”

Lee Yoon-san huffed at Hwang Hae-kyung’s teasing and inserted the card again. Then, the photo countdown started again, but this time, he didn’t look flustered like before. It seemed like he had gained some experience.

But.

“Yoon-san, you look like a trainee soldier in this. Like, your expression and attitude.”

“…….”

This photo was remarkable for Lee Yoon-san’s awkward and stiff expression and neck.

“But the problem is that it seems like you belong to the Supreme Leader rather than our military.”

“…Hae-kyung, I’m actually a super fist, so I’d appreciate it if you’d be careful with your words….”

Lee Yoon-san scrubbed his face roughly as he looked at himself in the photo, looking stiff as if he had fainted with his eyes open.

In this photo, Hwang Hae-kyung was acting relaxed, having taken a photo once, and was even making a V-sign over Lee Yoon-san’s head, who was more stiff than in a passport photo.

Lee Yoon-san’s expression was the same in all of these photos, and Hwang Hae-kyung was either holding back laughter or smiling mischievously. What was frustrating was that his expression seemed quite natural, as if he wasn’t aware of the camera.

It was like a skilled and relaxed office worker and a naive student who had been captured on the street. Or like someone who lived in a celebrity frame wearing a suit and was taking a picture for the first time.

“Why is your expression so natural…? Are you not aware of the camera?”

“All sorts of pictures are taken during games. I can’t play if I’m worried about the camera.”

“Ah, so….”

Not being aware of the camera seemed to be related to his background. In the end, Lee Yoon-san gave up on even asking for tips.

“Ah, I really hate it. Why do I look like this? Am I this ugly?”

“Where are you ugly? You’re just cute.”

Hwang Hae-kyung put his arm around Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder, who was despairing as he looked at the four cuts of the printed photo, and tried to retake the photo.

“If you’re embarrassed to take a picture, hide behind me.”

“Ugh… yeah, I think it’d be better if only Hae-kyung took pictures.”

Hwang Hae-kyung was good at taking pictures because he stood still and calmly. Besides, he was all set up, and he kept smiling naturally as he looked at Lee Yoon-san. Not a single cut of the photos taken could be thrown away.

So, thinking that it would be better to just carry around the photos he had taken, Lee Yoon-san hid behind Hwang Hae-kyung before the shutter button was pressed.

“Uh, what’s wrong with this?”

“Why?”

But Hwang Hae-kyung made a puzzled sound, as if something wasn’t working. Lee Yoon-san poked his head out from beside his shoulder, wondering if the machine had malfunctioned from taking so many photos in a row, and the photo was taken at that very moment.

“Uh, uh?!”

“Let me carry you on my back.”

As he was stammering in confusion at the situation, Hwang Hae-kyung told him to get on his back this time. As soon as he said that and the next countdown started, Lee Yoon-san unknowingly wrapped his arms around Hwang Hae-kyung’s neck from behind and hugged him as if he was getting on his back, and Hwang Hae-kyung lowered his posture in time, and the photo was taken.

“Ah, what is it!”

Lee Yoon-san laughed as if asking what was going on, and looked at Hwang Hae-kyung. Then, Hwang Hae-kyung grabbed his arm, pulled him down, and kissed him. This time, he couldn’t even hear the camera’s countdown. He just closed his eyes tightly at the sudden kiss and had a picture taken of him with the corners of his lips raised.

“Is it okay to take pictures like this?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

When Lee Yoon-san asked, knowing that a kissing photo had been taken, Hwang Hae-kyung reacted as if there was nothing wrong with it. Lee Yoon-san laughed in vain at his words, spoken while bending his knees to match his eye level, and another photo was taken.

This time, it was a photo of him looking at Hwang Hae-kyung and smiling naturally and brightly.

“Wow….”

It was the first photo where everyone, including Lee Yoon-san, looked bright and good.

“There are snap photos next to it.”

“Let’s take those too!”

Now that he had seen the good results, he felt a little more confident. So, he was tempted by the snap photos, and Hwang Hae-kyung took him to the photo booth across the street.

The two took turns taking photos in the black and white and color snap photo booths, and this time, it was a full-body photo, and they could press the button to take the photo at the timing they wanted, so it was a little more free.

The two took photos posing as bodyguards and bodyguards, matching Hwang Hae-kyung’s outfit, and Hwang Hae-kyung pressed the shutter button the moment he burst out laughing because he was embarrassed right after that. After taking several snap photos like that, they went back to the photo booth where they had taken the first photos, determined to make up for the four consecutive photos.

They didn’t use any props, but it was fun and enjoyable. Lee Yoon-san no longer felt embarrassed even if he couldn’t get the photos he wanted, and his expression became quite skillful as the number of photos he took increased. It was also thanks to the alcohol, and the fact that Hwang Hae-kyung was the only one watching this made up for his embarrassment.

The way he had entered the photo booth hesitantly had completely disappeared.

The two left the photo booth and looked at the photos they had taken. This time, unlike when they came in, they were holding hands.

“Should I put this on the back of my phone case?”

In the end, there were only good photos. Thanks to that, Lee Yoon-san, who was very excited, fluttered one of the four-cut photos and said to Hwang Hae-kyung.

Lee Yoon-san’s phone case was a jelly case that came with the phone when he first bought it, and he had never used another case because he wasn’t interested in accessories other than clothes.

But since it was a transparent case, he thought it would be okay to put a photo inside. And Hwang Hae-kyung, who was watching Lee Yoon-san, let go of the hand he was holding for a moment and took out his phone to take a picture of one of the photos he had just taken.

“What are you doing?”

Lee Yoon-san looked at his phone and asked, seeing him acting without a word, and soon made a bitter face.

“Isn’t it cute?”

Hwang Hae-kyung, as if he had suddenly thought of something urgent, took a picture of that failed photo, in which Lee Yoon-san looked like a rabbit running away in a panic. He even cropped out only Lee Yoon-san’s face.

Then, he looked very proud, as if he was very pleased with himself. Lee Yoon-san looked at Hwang Hae-kyung with empty eyes for a moment.

“Hae-kyung, I told you I was a super fist earlier….”

“My ideal type has been updated to Shinchon Super Fist recently.”

“I wish you wouldn’t say such perverted things….”

Hwang Hae-kyung only grabbed his hand again after cropping out only the features of Lee Yoon-san’s face in the photo and setting it as his phone’s lock screen, and Lee Yoon-san, who had been watching Hwang Hae-kyung’s actions, clenched his fist tightly as if he wouldn’t give him his hand, feeling resentful.

But Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t care and started walking, holding that fist tightly in his hand.

“Ah, do the one that came out well!”

“I want to do the cute one. Our country is a democratic country with the freedom to set a lock screen.”

“I’m going to put up a weird picture of you too!”

“I’ll cooperate. Tell me what expression you want.”

“Ah, really!!”

Lee Yoon-san said that, but he didn’t shake off Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand and walked home.

And as soon as he got home, he shook off his hand and walked to the sofa with a thud, burrowing into the corner and diligently choosing the photos he had taken today.

Hwang Hae-kyung took off his suit jacket and sat down on the edge of the sofa where Lee Yoon-san was sitting, and immediately witnessed the sight of rabbit eyes turning into angry eyes, and pretended to be exhausted, clutching his chest.

“I’m so angry… all the photos are fine….”

Then, Lee Yoon-san’s eerie voice was heard. Hwang Hae-kyung gritted his teeth and held back his laughter at the voice. If he laughed now, he might not take a shower with him.

“Ah, what should I do.”

Then, a thoughtful voice was heard this time.

Indeed, Lee Yoon-san was choosing the photos he had taken with Hwang Hae-kyung with great deliberation. After recognizing his jelly case, he wanted to put the photo that came out with it on the back. There was no other reason, but he thought that if he put it on the back of the thing he looked at most often, he would be able to see Hwang Hae-kyung’s face more often.

As he was choosing a photo for a long time, Lee Yoon-san’s actions suddenly stopped.

He had clearly realized that he couldn’t hide his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung if he wanted to carry this photo around in his phone case. Even though he knew that it would happen someday, he had been procrastinating because he was afraid of other people’s eyes or of disappointing Han Hyun-ho by lying to him.

And he remembered Han Hyun-ho’s reaction today. He didn’t seem to feel any particular betrayal even though he had said that he knew Hwang Hae-kyung from before. So, it might not be as big of a deal as he thought.

“Hae-kyung.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to put this photo in my phone case.”

As soon as he had that thought, he felt a little relieved somewhere in his heart. The burden and guilt that had been holding him back until the end seemed to fade away. So, he held up the four-cut photo he had taken with Hwang Hae-kyung as if to show him.

Then, he folded the photo in half so that only two cuts were visible, and put it in his phone case. The back, which had been empty with only the phone logo, was transformed into a frame.

It was a cut of him and Hwang Hae-kyung looking at each other and bursting into laughter, and a cut of Hwang Hae-kyung making rabbit ears by making a V over his head. They were the last photos he had taken, so they were good photos even when he looked at them.

“Is it okay, though?”

Lee Yoon-san added that he had chosen the least flashy photo, and Hwang Hae-kyung moved his body and moved from the edge of the sofa to Lee Yoon-san’s side. Then, with his arm around his shoulder, he turned back to the two hidden cuts of the photo.

One cut of the hidden photo was a photo of Hwang Hae-kyung grabbing and pressing Lee Yoon-san’s cheek with one hand to make a goldfish mouth, and the other cut was a photo of Hwang Hae-kyung lowering his posture and Lee Yoon-san putting his arm around his shoulder from behind and leaning his chin on his head. In a word, they were photos that showed that they were lovers to anyone who saw them.

“I’ll let you carry it around as the back photo soon.”

Hwang Hae-kyung said that with a laugh in his voice, kissing Lee Yoon-san’s head.

Lee Yoon-san laughed as if he was embarrassed by Hwang Hae-kyung’s actions and played with the end of his tie.

It was a night when something that had been blocking his heart seemed to be finally resolved.

✧✧✧

Rumors started spreading in Lee Yoon-san’s department the very next week. However, it was fortunate that the rumors spread more slowly than Lee Yoon-san had expected.

It started when Han Hyun-ho and other classmates found the photo that took up the back of Lee Yoon-san’s phone. However, Han Hyun-ho’s reaction to that was different from what he had expected. He had a somewhat stiff face when he saw the photo of Lee Yoon-san and Hwang Hae-kyung, but he quickly relaxed his expression and asked.

‘When did you take this?’

‘Uh… last week after the freshman orientation party.’

‘Hyung came? I didn’t see him?’

‘I met him after the first round.’

‘So, you guys took something like this.’

‘Uh….’

Han Hyun-ho, who had been glaring at his phone, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It seemed like an effort to calm down, or perhaps to suppress his anger. So, Lee Yoon-san watched him with great tension, and after a series of sighs, he chuckled and handed the phone back to Lee Yoon-san.

“He’s become generous with fan service since retiring, that Hyung.”

“……”

“I thought it was strange when he offered to sign my uniform this week if I brought it in. He never did that when he was still active.”

That was all Han Hyun-ho had to say. Surprisingly, he didn’t make a fuss even after seeing the photo of Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san, nor did he call the other classmates to show them. It was a completely different side of him, considering how talkative he usually was when it came to Hwang Hae-kyung.

Still, the number of people who saw the photo on the back of Lee Yoon-san’s phone steadily increased, and by the second day, Lee Yoon-san noticed more and more people were aware of him. Most of them would just greet him or acknowledge him, but they didn’t directly ask about his relationship with Hwang Hae-kyung. However, classmates who were close enough to strike up a conversation would come to Lee Yoon-san and ask if the person in the photo was indeed Hwang Hae-kyung.

Each time, Lee Yoon-san would confirm it, but his heart would pound inside, and he felt an inexplicable tension.

Hwang Hae-kyung told Lee Yoon-san to just act normal. He said not to get stressed out by every little thing, and not to bother guessing what they were thinking or saying behind his back, but to just live as he always had.

At first, Lee Yoon-san thought, ‘Is that easier said than done?’ but he decided to try to act that way anyway. After all, it was Hwang Hae-kyung who had said it, someone who had probably experienced attention and scrutiny throughout his life that was incomparable to these minor instances.

Fortunately, Han Hyun-ho and a few others were Lee Yoon-san’s only close classmates in the department, so nothing too difficult had happened in the past two days.

That is, until Yun Myung-jun appeared after hearing the rumors.

“Yoon-san, are you acquainted with Hwang Hae-kyung?”

A new week began, and Yun Myung-jun, who had been out of touch, showed up around lunchtime the next day. Lee Yoon-san happened to be leaving the lecture hall when he ran into Yun Myung-jun, who wore a rather unfamiliar expression.

In fact, Yun Myung-jun had been tormented by his classmates all day yesterday and today before finally coming here. He had intended to go see Lee Yoon-san at the opening party last week, but he couldn’t leave because a professor had joined the gathering.

But even that wasn’t a big concern. Lee Yoon-san had a history of leaving after the first round last semester, and given Lee Yoon-san’s personality as he knew it, he wouldn’t be the type to actively enjoy such events.

So, he spent the weekend without much thought and came to school, only to find his classmates teasing Yun Myung-jun with strange remarks. They treated Yun Myung-jun, who usually took good care of Lee Yoon-san, as if he were a dog chasing after a chicken, joking that Yun Myung-jun had put in the effort for a long time, but Hwang Hae-kyung had snatched Lee Yoon-san away after just one exchange class.

It was teasing and sarcasm fueled by the typical childishness and subtle jealousy of the male students, but even if it was just a joke, the same words repeated for two days were enough to upset Yun Myung-jun. So, as soon as Lee Yoon-san’s class ended, Yun Myung-jun stopped him and asked if he knew Hwang Hae-kyung.

“Yes,”

Lee Yoon-san answered simply to Yun Myung-jun’s question. It was a question he had already heard several times, so it wasn’t a difficult answer for Lee Yoon-san.

“Are you seeing him?”

However, he was taken aback because he didn’t expect such a direct question with such an angry expression. And to make matters worse, Han Hyun-ho and the other classmates weren’t around Lee Yoon-san.

Han Hyun-ho had said he wouldn’t have lunch with Lee Yoon-san yesterday or today.

“I guess there’s something going on since you can’t answer. Are you an Omega?”

Yun Myung-jun asked, seemingly interpreting Lee Yoon-san’s expression in some way, but Lee Yoon-san found the question’s intention completely incomprehensible. He had suspected that Yun Myung-jun might like him, but that was just a guess. He hadn’t heard it directly from Yun Myung-jun.

Besides, the question of whether he was an Omega was even stranger. Lee Yoon-san had never particularly hidden the fact that he was an Omega. Since it was impolite to ask about someone’s secondary gender so casually after they became an adult, most people didn’t directly ask him if he was an Omega, and Lee Yoon-san had assumed that Yun Myung-jun was the same.

The fact that he was an Omega wasn’t a big deal to either the public or Lee Yoon-san personally, so he would have answered long ago if Yun Myung-jun had asked. Moreover, Lee Yoon-san had secretly thought that Yun Myung-jun was showing interest because he knew he was an Omega.

But what was this attitude now?

“But why didn’t you tell me for sure?”

He was talking as if Lee Yoon-san had deliberately avoided giving him a clear answer about his secondary gender and had been ambiguous. And he was saying it with a sudden angry tone and voice.

“You must have been having a great time eating all the meals, drinks, and coffee I bought you while I was doing it?”

It was as if Lee Yoon-san had been enjoying the treatment he received while being ambiguous and taking advantage of it. As if things would have been different if he had revealed that he was an Omega sooner.

Lee Yoon-san was the one who was puzzled. Meals? Drinks? Coffee? He had never asked to be bought any of those things, and he only remembered feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Why was he talking as if I had asked for it when I never did?

“Honestly, I don’t think you didn’t know how I felt about you. You enjoyed me taking special care of you and treating you well, and then as soon as an Alpha showed up, you went straight to him…! Ha, even if you’re an Omega, isn’t it a bit much to switch so quickly just because I didn’t go to you for one day on Friday? I thought you were different because you’re a freshman and quiet…!”

“Sunbae.”

Lee Yoon-san, who had been listening quietly to Yun Myung-jun, cut him off. It was a very rare occurrence for Lee Yoon-san, and his voice was firm. It was also an expression and voice of genuine bewilderment.

“The meals, drinks, and coffee… I guess I should say thank you. If you’re worried about the money, please send me your account number. I’ll send you the cost of what I ate. But… what do you mean by treating me well?”

“What?”

“You said you don’t think I didn’t know how Sunbae felt, but I don’t know. You never explicitly said what your feelings were. And… I don’t know why you’re talking about Friday.”

In fact, Lee Yoon-san’s heart was pounding so hard that he was out of his mind. As the argument with Yun Myung-jun dragged on, more and more people were glancing at them, and there were parts of what Yun Myung-jun was saying that he couldn’t fully understand. In particular, the words about switching so quickly after mentioning the opening party gathering last Friday were so full of omissions and exaggerations that they were difficult to understand.

Lee Yoon-san was nervous about the increasingly heated situation and the attention he was drawing, and as a result, his understanding was lagging behind.

“You got together with Hwang Hae-kyung because I didn’t go to you on Friday. You couldn’t stand it while I was stuck with the professor…!”

“That’s not true.”

Still, he knew that the words he was hearing were strange, so he immediately denied it.

“And… if you really like someone, don’t you go to see them?”

“What?”

“That’s… what I’ve heard. They come to see you no matter what.”

And he said it as if he truly didn’t understand. It was because Lee Yoon-san was thinking of Hwang Hae-kyung in the past.

In the past, he had come to see him from afar even when he couldn’t see him. Before that, he had sent photos of the amusement park, wanting to move around with him somehow, and had approached him. And Hwang Hae-kyung admitted that he had done all those things because he actually liked him.

Didn’t he also rush to see Hwang Hae-kyung when he was in the hospital, no matter what? Even though the adults were against it.

If you really like someone, shouldn’t you do that? Lee Yoon-san looked at Yun Myung-jun with a puzzled expression, thinking that. For Lee Yoon-san, the only affection he knew besides his family was what he shared with Hwang Hae-kyung, so that had become the standard.

Therefore, even if he couldn’t grasp all the other things Yun Myung-jun was saying, he could say this much for sure.

“Sunbae, you probably didn’t… really like me that much.”

So, when he said it quite firmly, Yun Myung-jun’s face twisted in bewilderment.

“If you really like someone, you don’t do that. That’s not how it is.”

If you like someone, you’ll come to see them no matter what, and you won’t calculate the gains and losses with the person you like. At least, that’s how Hwang Hae-kyung was. He came to see him no matter what, and he willingly welcomed him, who was injured and only a hindrance, into his team for the beach volleyball game. At the same time, he joked with words like Bang-Bang Punch, so that he wouldn’t get bored or intimidated.

Even when it came to trivial things, neither Hwang Hae-kyung nor Lee Yoon-san had ever begrudged buying each other meals, drinks, or coffee. It was never even a conscious thought. In fact, they often didn’t even remember who had paid.

Both he and Hwang Hae-kyung remembered the stories, topics, or each other’s appearances when they talked, but they never paid attention to who had paid. They both tended to remember what they had received rather than what they had given, and yet they wanted to give more.

If you like someone, shouldn’t you want to care for them and give them more? Saying that you deserve to receive affection because you’ve done so much sounds like a return on investment. Hae-kyung didn’t do that to me. Lee Yoon-san looked at Yun Myung-jun with a puzzled expression and thought that.

So, all that twenty-year-old Lee Yoon-san knew about affection was what Hwang Hae-kyung had shown him.

Hwang Hae-kyung and Yun Myung-jun had both bought him meals, coffee, and drinks, but the logic behind it was different. Yun Myung-jun seemed to want Lee Yoon-san’s heart in return for what he had provided, but Hwang Hae-kyung acted to express his feelings to Lee Yoon-san. The act of buying meals, tea, and drinks was just a part of that expression.

Even though they seemed like similar processes on the surface, the essence was very different. Apart from the financial aspect, there was a difference in the perception of the other person. ‘I’ve done this much for you, so don’t just receive, but give me your heart’ and ‘I like you this much’ are different, aren’t they?

So, judging from the words Yun Myung-jun was arguing with him now, it was highly likely that what he said about liking him wasn’t genuine, or that he mistook a light infatuation for something more, or that he was feeling frustrated about the effort he thought he had put in.

In Lee Yoon-san’s judgment, that wasn’t the same as liking someone.

“Well then, I’ll… be going now.”

He wondered if he should ask what he meant by saying he was a freshman and quiet, but he felt a short vibration on the phone in his hand. It was probably a message from Hwang Hae-kyung saying that he had arrived in front of the department building. Since yesterday, Hwang Hae-kyung had been coming to Lee Yoon-san’s school for lunch.

Recently, Han Hyun-ho had declared that he wouldn’t have lunch with Lee Yoon-san, and Lee Yoon-san had told the other classmates, who were at a loss for what to do, to go to Han Hyun-ho.

“I hope you… meet someone who truly likes you.”

Lee Yoon-san said that to Yun Myung-jun, whose face was twisted in bewilderment, and even struck a fighting pose before leaving. And he decided to just let the words that Yun Myung-jun had said, which he hadn’t specifically questioned, flow by as they were. It didn’t seem like it would be a good idea to try to understand the intentions.

Even so, Lee Yoon-san’s steps were faithfully directed downwards, and he never realized that he had given Yun Myung-jun a big blow.

So, Lee Yoon-san ended up having lunch with Hwang Hae-kyung again today. Hwang Hae-kyung parked near Lee Yoon-san’s school very naturally and had lunch with him, and Lee Yoon-san told him about what had happened with Yun Myung-jun just now, very, very briefly. He didn’t want to say anything that would be considered backstabbing by mentioning a specific person, so summarizing it briefly was unavoidable.

And Hwang Hae-kyung just laughed as if he was dumbfounded, thinking of Yun Myung-jun in Lee Yoon-san’s words, but he didn’t add anything else. He added that he should tell him if he was being bothered, but Lee Yoon-san just replied that he could handle it himself.

In any case, Hwang Hae-kyung had confirmed that Lee Yoon-san didn’t even consider most expressions of affection as ‘liking.’

That’s why it’s scary when childhood friends become lovers. Because only each other becomes the standard for each other.

“I need to be good to my parents.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind.”

What would have happened if the elders didn’t have a camping hobby? Hwang Hae-kyung swallowed those words inwardly and decided to accept the fact that his parents bought tents of the same company in every color. He also decided to stop looking at the tents that took up the garden every time he went to his parents’ house, not to mention the tents that were pitched and changed every time, with lifeless eyes.

Anyway, the camping god seemed better than the Samsin Halmeoni. At least, as far as Hwang Hae-kyung was concerned.

In addition, Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t bother asking about Han Hyun-ho or the other classmates.

Rather, he acted as if the current situation wasn’t a big deal. As if it was a problem that would be resolved soon.

“He’s not really angry, but it’s like he’s not talking to me… Anyway, that’s a bit…”

It wasn’t that they were suddenly sitting separately because of assigned seats, but it was clear that he was avoiding conversation. It felt similar to the time with Kim Ji-hoo in the past, so in fact, Lee Yoon-san was more worried about Han Hyun-ho than Yun Myung-jun.

But Hwang Hae-kyung just listened to Lee Yoon-san’s words and didn’t add anything else. He didn’t even say the usual things like their relationship would get better again, or that he should make other friends.

Lee Yoon-san thought that Hwang Hae-kyung’s attitude was somewhat indifferent, but he soon erased those feelings because he was worried about Han Hyun-ho. He just thought that Hwang Hae-kyung was indifferent and easygoing about the people around him.

As they were sitting in the plaza on campus, trying to soothe their troubled hearts, they saw familiar figures passing by in the distance. It was Han Hyun-ho and the other classmates.

“Looks like the kids are coming back after eating near the main gate.”

“Don’t just look, call them over.”

“I think they’ll pretend they didn’t hear me….”

Of course, Lee Yoon-san wasn’t planning on drifting apart from Han Hyun-ho like this. However, having experienced a similar case with Kim Ji-hoo in the past, he knew that blindly following him when he was avoiding him would be counterproductive. Moreover, there was no one to play the role of mediator like Shin Soo-hyun back then.

Since Han Hyun-ho was a big fan of Hwang Hae-kyung, it might be better to give him some time before trying to talk to him if he was so confused that they couldn’t have a conversation right away.

“Let’s just talk next….”

So, he was about to say it was okay, but Hwang Hae-kyung, who had gotten up from his seat, said he was going to buy a drink and strode towards Han Hyun-ho and his classmates. And after saying a few words to Han Hyun-ho, Han Hyun-ho and his classmates glanced at Lee Yoon-san and started walking towards him.

So, the one who was flustered was Lee Yoon-san.

So suddenly?! I don’t even know how to talk to Hyun-ho yet?! How can I say that I didn’t mean to deceive him in a way that he can understand?!

“…Hey, Lee Yoon-san.”

“Uh, uh?”

“It’s not your fault.”

But Han Hyun-ho, who had come to Lee Yoon-san, who was flustered and didn’t know what to do, avoided his gaze as if he was embarrassed and opened his mouth as if throwing the words out. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed in the sunlight that had risen to the top. And the other classmates gave Han Hyun-ho space to talk to him.

“Ah, it’s just… it’s just my problem, avoiding you.”

“What…?”

“Well… as you know, I’m a huge fan of Hae-kyung Hyung. Even now, I say Hae-kyung Hyung, Hae-kyung Hyung, but he’s my favorite athlete, and I feel so distant from him.”

“I know. I… know.”

Han Hyun-ho, who had messed up his hair in response to Lee Yoon-san’s bewildered reaction, moved closer, narrowing the distance. It was close enough that their conversation wouldn’t be heard by others, but not so close that it felt uncomfortable.

He seemed to be trying to maintain an appropriate physical boundary. Unlike his usual unreserved attitude.

“Like I said before, Hae-kyung hyung was at the top of his game, and even though he’s an Alpha, he doesn’t just work out because he has to, but because he really puts in the effort and gets good results, so I like him. He’s diligent… doesn’t do anything but work out, unlike those who are all about social media, and watching the games he’s in is fun because my team wins. Ah, anyway! To me, Hae-kyung hyung is on a different level, so I don’t really want to know him up close, and I don’t want to know about his personal life. I just want him to be a top player and a legend in the industry.”

Lee Yoon-san couldn’t understand wanting distance from someone you like, but it seemed like an important issue for Han Hyun-ho. His expression was contorted as if he were solving a difficult problem.

So Lee Yoon-san didn’t dare add any words and just listened to Han Hyun-ho’s story.

“But just now, Hae-kyung hyung… no, Hwang Hae-kyung Sunbae….”

“……”

“Likes you.”

“What?”

“He likes you. That’s why he joined us for lunch on the first day, and why he went to see you after the orientation, and now he’s decided not to hide that he likes you.”

“…Ah.”

Han Hyun-ho’s words, as if he felt wronged, sounded a little awkward to Lee Yoon-san. And soon he could vaguely guess what Hwang Hae-kyung meant by ‘I’ll take care of it.’

It meant that there was no need to be too honest. There was no need to reveal that they had been in contact when he was a minor; he would just make it obvious that he liked Lee Yoon-san now that he had quit sports.

That way, Lee Yoon-san could avoid the malicious speculation that he had worried about: ‘The truth is, he might have been neglecting his practice because he was contacting an Omega when he was a minor.’

“The person you said you were seeing last time, is that Hae-kyung hyung? Something like a fling?”

“Uh, uh… well….”

In fact, there would be no problem with Hwang Hae-kyung, who had quit sports, meeting Lee Yoon-san, who is an Omega, right?

“Hey, but I… I just want Hwang Hae-kyung to be the legendary player Hwang Hae-kyung to me. Not a friend’s boyfriend.”

“Ah….”

“Then I might find out about Hwang Hae-kyung’s personal life that I don’t want to know about. I don’t like that. So I’ve been avoiding him a bit because I’ve been agonizing over what to do. The other guys are saying I’m weird, so I thought I should talk to you about it. But, ah….”

Han Hyun-ho messed up his hair again with both hands, looking troubled by various emotions as he spoke. And Lee Yoon-san looked at Han Hyun-ho and laughed without realizing it. Strangely, he felt relieved.

Even the classmates he had sent to Han Hyun-ho were closer to Han Hyun-ho’s friends than to him, but it seemed they were playing a mediating role. That was an unexpected help that Lee Yoon-san had never expected.

“Hey, damn it. You don’t understand what I’m saying, do you?”

“Uh, a little….”

“Damn it, that’s why you can’t talk to guys who haven’t been fans.”

Han Hyun-ho continued to ramble to Lee Yoon-san about this and that. He added that the reason he said he would be very disappointed if Hwang Hae-kyung was meeting Omegas or women was not because he was jealous of Hwang Hae-kyung’s partner, but because he was annoyed that he didn’t want to know about Hwang Hae-kyung’s personal life itself.

Soon, he plopped down next to Lee Yoon-san. And he spent a long time trying to make Lee Yoon-san understand his fan mentality, but eventually gave up and just expressed his feelings.

He explained as if to instill the fact that his liking for Hwang Hae-kyung was a feeling for an admired player, different from his feelings for Lee Yoon-san.

“I don’t want to hear about you and Hwang Hae-kyung fighting because you’re late in contacting each other or something. To me, Hwang Hae-kyung is just a perfect player, not someone who is the subject of ‘Why is your boyfriend like that?’!”

“…We don’t… we don’t fight about that.”

“Damn it, I don’t want to know that either! Whether you fight or not, it’s none of my business! Hwang Hae-kyung is just a volleyball legend with perfect performance to me! I only want to see him on sports channels, not hear about him as your boyfriend!”

“I see….”

But if that’s the case, shouldn’t I just not talk about Hae-kyung? Lee Yoon-san thought as he listened to Han Hyun-ho’s desperate appeal.

He was originally more of a listener in conversations, and he didn’t particularly bring up things that happened with Hwang Hae-kyung. So it seemed like an easy solution.

If the other person doesn’t like it, don’t do it. Just like Han Hyun-ho had refrained from talking about Hwang Hae-kyung and volleyball in front of him throughout the last semester. Of course, they would end up showing up together on days when there were exchange classes, but it wasn’t like they were committing a crime, so that much was unavoidable.

“Hey, Hyun-ho. We’ll meet quietly. Not as much as you’re worried about….”

“Hey, and you too, you idiot! Just because an Alpha woos you, you shouldn’t just fall for it and carry around the photos you took! There are a lot of people who like you too!”

“…No, well.”

Well, he’s a freshman, and everyone is liking and being liked (?), since many restrictions have just been lifted, right? Lee Yoon-san was about to say that, but he closed his mouth. Even Lee Yoon-san had the sense that he shouldn’t interrupt Han Hyun-ho at this timing.

“How long has it been since the semester started, and you’re already hooked by a Sunbae who takes classes with you…! Do you even know how to flirt? No, well, how many days has it been since the semester started, and you’re already taking life photos… Hey, did anything happen between you two after the orientation that day? Even if you knew each other when you were young, you wouldn’t have been able to meet in middle or high school! So it’s like you’re complete strangers, and you had some drinks that day, so maybe, was there anything…? I thought you were handling yourself well because Myung-jun Sunbae and Yoo-rim were defending you well…!”

“’Yoo-rim’ is in which department?”

“What department, Yoo-rim is in computer engineering…?!”

Han Hyun-ho, who had been adding assumptions and anger to his words, stopped speaking and froze at the sudden intrusion of a low voice.

He forced his head, which wouldn’t turn, to look at the source of the voice, and saw Hwang Hae-kyung standing behind him and Lee Yoon-san, holding a cup of drink in each hand.

Then, with his eyes fixed on Han Hyun-ho, he mechanically repeated the fact he had just heard.

“Yoo-rim is in computer engineering?”

“…Yoo-rim is… a Beta… a woman….”

“A computer engineering Beta woman who Yoon-san likes. Try to leak more personal information more actively, she seems like one of the people I need to pay attention to.”

“…No, no….”

Hwang Hae-kyung gave each of the drinks he was holding to Han Hyun-ho, who was stuttering and frozen, and to Lee Yoon-san, who was looking at him cautiously. Both were new menu items that had been introduced at the cafe for the first time this season. Lee Yoon-san prefers Americanos the most, but he also enjoys trying new cafe menus.

“Have you made up?”

“Yeah.”

“We didn’t fight….”

When Hwang Hae-kyung, who sat down next to Lee Yoon-san, asked, Lee Yoon-san’s concise answer and Han Hyun-ho’s slightly grumbling answer differed.

Hwang Hae-kyung thought that this was closer to Han Hyun-ho’s original personality than Han Hyun-ho, who used to recite his game history and ask for his uniform autograph. And he asked Han Hyun-ho, who was looking at him, as if throwing it away.

“You’re not planning on getting any favors from your friend’s boyfriend in the future?”

“What, are you already dating? Not just a fling? Don’t just gloss over it as a dating relationship. Just because Lee Yoon-san is a bit clueless…”

“We’re… dating.”

“What?”

When Han Hyun-ho frowned and spoke to Hwang Hae-kyung’s question, Lee Yoon-san, who was caught in the middle, sorted out the relationship shyly but quite firmly. Then Han Hyun-ho’s expression changed like a dissatisfied judge.

If Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t the Hwang Hae-kyung he knew, it was an issue that he would have held onto Lee Yoon-san and said something long. How many days has it been since the semester started, and he’s already fallen for an Alpha and is dating him?

In Han Hyun-ho’s view, this was just a level that resulted in ‘Let’s date’ and ‘Okay’, wasn’t it? And that was a freshman. It’s said that you shouldn’t have a campus couple in your first year. And an introvert like Lee Yoon-san is dating the fairly well-known Hwang Hae-kyung.

Even he, a Beta, had pretended not to see the interest of a Noona in his third year because he was told not to have a campus couple in his first year.

“…Hey… this, this clueless guy….”

Moreover, Alpha athletes get married early because of condition management. Lee Yoon-san, this clueless Omega guy. No, of course, Hwang Hae-kyung isn’t currently active, so he won’t drag Lee Yoon-san to the wedding hall right away to manage his condition! Han Hyun-ho closed his eyes tightly, feeling frustrated with his friend, who seemed to have gone over without any push and pull on the timeline.

Just as Han Hyun-ho’s insides were about to burst, the same words flowed out of Hwang Hae-kyung’s mouth again.

“Get over the shock later when you get home. Anyway, you’re sure you’re not going to get any favors from your friend’s boyfriend.”

“What… what kind of favor?”

“I’ve decided to go to the All-Star Game in the winter. Early next year.”

“What?!”

“Huh?!”

Both Lee Yoon-san and Han Hyun-ho were surprised by the sudden bombshell Hwang Hae-kyung dropped. Hwang Hae-kyung smiled at the two twenty-year-olds who were looking at him with the same expression, and continued.

“Yoon-san has never seen my game live.”

“Uh….”

At that moment, Lee Yoon-san remembered what he had said to Hwang Hae-kyung a while ago.

‘…Uh. I was the one who asked you to keep our relationship a secret and give me time to adjust, but when I hear you use honorifics at school, and I feel like I know less about you than Hyun-ho does, I get upset… And I’ve never even seen you play a game live….’

Lee Yoon-san also knew that there was a volleyball All-Star Game. The most talked-about game during the volleyball league season, which is organized by the league every year, was the All-Star Game.

This was because not only could you see retired Alphas again, but also various ceremony events were held. Moreover, since the players are selected by votes from fans, it was also an opportunity to see popular players before their retirement.

Even though it is an event game, it is played full-time just like a regular game. In addition, the game lineup can be filled with retired players selected directly by fans, and there are many fan service events, so it is a game where tickets are as difficult to obtain as a concert performance.

Perhaps that’s why when he turned his head, he could see that Han Hyun-ho’s expression had changed drastically. He looked quite overwhelmed just by the fact that he could see Hwang Hae-kyung’s game again.

“Really, are you serious? You’re really going to play? I heard you turned it down last year?!”

“Last year, I had condition issues. And to let Yoon-san see it live.”

Actually, that’s all the reason, but. Hwang Hae-kyung swallowed the words he was about to add and put on a nonchalant expression.

On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san felt guilty about Hwang Hae-kyung’s words just now, so he poked his arm with the back of his hand.

But Han Hyun-ho was so moved by Hwang Hae-kyung’s words that he didn’t seem to have the composure to pay attention to anything else. He was even trembling slightly, as if he was nervous. For him, it was as if something he thought would never happen again had come true.

“So, are you really not going to get any favors? Is it just Hwang Hae-kyung the player?”

“No! No! I’m totally going to get favors from Yoon-san’s boyfriend!!”

“Hey, Hyun-ho….”

Even Lee Yoon-san, who was a bit slow, knew what the words they were sharing in this situation meant. It meant that Hwang Hae-kyung would get the tickets directly as Lee Yoon-san’s boyfriend.

Volleyball has become a very popular sport in the last few years, so it is difficult to get tickets throughout the league season, but the feeling is completely different for the All-Star Game. In particular, if a player with ticket power or a medalist participates, it is common for tickets to sell out in less than a minute based on a large gymnasium.

Moreover, Hwang Hae-kyung was a player with ticket power even in high school, and he was a gold medalist who reached the peak of his career just before retirement. If it was an All-Star Game that Hwang Hae-kyung participated in, it would be difficult to get tickets anyway, but he would give the tickets directly.

It was an offer that Han Hyun-ho couldn’t help but be excited about. And Lee Yoon-san finally understood why Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t care even though he knew that the relationship between Han Hyun-ho and him had become awkward.

That was the real method of ‘I’ll take care of it’ that he said. All-Star Game tickets.

“Hey, Lee Yoon-san.”

“Uh…?”

“Thank you. I’ll issue you a pass for 10 relationship counseling sessions.”

“I don’t do that….”

You guys will take care of it. Lee Yoon-san added that, but it wasn’t heard by Han Hyun-ho, whose eyes were filled with a glittering light. He was just overwhelmed by the fact that he would see Hwang Hae-kyung playing again, and he could forget all the worries of the world.

Lee Yoon-san looked at Han Hyun-ho with fearful eyes and turned his head to Hwang Hae-kyung, and their eyes met. And he ended up laughing.

The worries that had been bothering him since the start of the new semester were actually not as big as he had worried about.

Perhaps that’s how everything in the world is.

03

Winter of 20 & 21 years old

The end of the second semester before Christmas came faster than expected.

Contrary to Lee Yoon-san’s worries that something might happen due to the semi-public relationship that was no different from a campus couple, the people in the department quickly became accustomed to Hwang Hae-kyung’s existence.

Everyone knew that he had a particularly outstanding history among the Alphas in the university, but since they were in a position to take two classes together every week, and the fact that he was dating Lee Yoon-san in the same department became public, they just accepted it.

In addition, the school’s unique tight classes and assignments took away a certain amount of energy to talk about others.

Since neither Hwang Hae-kyung nor Lee Yoon-san were actively using social media, there was nothing particularly noisy. Since they didn’t leak any special interests, the uncomfortable gazes on campus gradually decreased over time.

In that way, Lee Yoon-san safely finished the second semester. And Hwang Hae-kyung also finished the semester on the same day. Nevertheless, the two had recently had less time together, and the reason was Hwang Hae-kyung’s training.

He had been resting from exercise after retirement, so he was steadily strengthening his muscles and building his body for the upcoming All-Star Game, participating in a training program similar to when he was active.

All of this was at the recommendation of the former coach and director who had scouted Hwang Hae-kyung for the All-Star Game.

“Recovery training again today?”

-Yeah. I think I’ll be late.

“That must be hard….”

-Did you eat?

“Yeah, I met Ji-hoo and Soo-hyun today and I’m on my way home.”

-Good job.

“Soo-hyun seems to be in contact with Lee Seok-jae hyung.”

-Lee Seok-jae is over there. Should I get rid of him?

“No, what are you talking about! I’m just saying it’s unexpected. He seemed to get along better with Ji-hoo.”

-Is he two-timing? I’ll kill him.

“No, what are you talking about! I’m just saying that!”

Lee Yoon-san laughed and denied Hwang Hae-kyung’s continued threats of murder. He didn’t seem to like the idea that Lee Seok-jae, who had a fairly free-spirited personality, might have any influence on Lee Yoon-san’s friends. Or perhaps he was simply trying to control his Alpha friend, who was also popular and had a lot of talent.

Lee Yoon-san thought Hwang Hae-kyung’s words were a joke and laughed as if it was funny. At the same time, he pressed the password to Hwang Hae-kyung’s apartment. They weren’t officially living together, but he was still staying here most of the week.

Hwang Hae-kyung hung up the phone only after hearing the sound of the password being pressed between the phone call sounds.

Usually, when they can’t go home together, Hwang Hae-kyung tries to hear the sound of him safely entering the house by talking to Lee Yoon-san on the way home like this. This is also the reason why neither Lee Yoon-san nor Hwang Hae-kyung bother to use noise-canceling earphones or headsets when they talk to each other.

Even though Lee Yoon-san’s psychological treatment was successfully completed, and Hwang Jun-won’s private security vehicle was guarding the apartment complex where Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san lived. He consistently made excuses that he wanted to hear his voice.

Anyway, this familiar phone call on the way home had become a routine about a month ago.

Lee Seok-jae and Ham Se-jin, including Hwang Hae-kyung, were also selected for the All-Star Game, so they were receiving training programs that were roughly tailored to them. It wasn’t an official program, but it was recommended by the former director and coach who had been the director at Semyung High School.

The director and coach had a particularly strong pride in the players from Semyung High School, so they didn’t seem to tolerate showing poor performances even in event games after retirement.

The only fortunate thing was that other players, including Hwang Hae-kyung, agreed to some extent and followed his opinion.

As a result, Hwang Hae-kyung was living an even busier life than during the semester.

“What is it with all this sports drink…”

As soon as Lee Yoon-san entered the house, he clicked his tongue at the sports drinks, energy bars, nutritional drinks, and shakes piled up in the entryway. It seemed he had ordered a large quantity of convenience foods recently because he was busy. Even though he told Lee Yoon-san to eat five meals a day.

“Wow… that’s a lot.”

Indeed, Hwang Hae-kyung considered Lee Yoon-san’s meals very important. Because Lee Yoon-san had a small appetite and didn’t eat much at once, getting easily tired of food, he told him to eat more frequently, setting it to five meals and making him eat snacks in between. Moreover, he practically received photos of all those meals.

Lee Yoon-san wondered if he had to go this far, but he decided to cooperate as much as possible now that winter had come. Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle was in winter, and the two had decided to spend it together, matching their cycles.

For that reason, both Lee Yoon-san and Hwang Hae-kyung were making their own efforts to fatten up Lee Yoon-san.

“Hae-kyung should eat well too…”

Lee Yoon-san said that as he looked at the boxes of meal replacements piled up in large quantities, then went inside, took off his coat, and put down his bag.

He had only shown his face at the end-of-semester party, so he thought he would be bored, but it seemed he could spend time organizing the packages that Hwang Hae-kyung had ordered.

“Wow, high in calories.”

After unpacking and organizing all the delivery boxes, he simply lined up the drinks and meal replacements on the bare island and dining table, but the amount was considerable. Moreover, the meal replacements were all products boasting high calories, which reminded him once again of Hwang Hae-kyung’s monstrous metabolism.

Recently, his workout time had increased significantly, so he preferred high-calorie foods. He heard that the meals he ate when he went to work out were also quite substantial, so at this point, eating was also a job. He worked out while eating like that, so his muscles were visibly growing day by day.

On the other hand, he had only gained about 3kg since the second semester started. Hwang Hae-kyung subtly expressed that he wanted to see the chubby Yoon-san from his childhood, but it wasn’t as easy as he said with his changed constitution.

Besides, Lee Yoon-san himself might have an unconscious aversion to gaining weight or getting a belly. When Hwang Hae-kyung’s penis was fully inserted during sex, his flat stomach would slightly bulge, which Lee Yoon-san didn’t think looked very good.

Thinking that far, he shook his head briefly and picked up the folded boxes. And before going to throw away the recyclables, he went into the laundry room, which also served as a pantry and storage room, to check if there was anything else to throw away.

“Why did he order so much…?”

He looked puzzled at the other boxes stacked neatly in the corner of the laundry room. There were about twelve large boxes stacked there. The volume of the boxes was quite large, and seeing as they seemed to have been deliberately stacked, it seemed Hwang Hae-kyung would organize them separately later.

“Hae-kyung really likes deliveries.”

Lee Yoon-san hummed those words and headed to the entrance to throw away the recyclables.

✧✧✧

Meanwhile, Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been on the phone with Lee Yoon-san until he safely entered the house, threw a volleyball at the back of Lee Seok-jae, who was doing glute exercises in the distance.

“Ah, shit, Hwang, is that crazy bastard out of his mind! Hey, can you get doping for being mentally ill?!”

“Can’t you distinguish between drugs and diseases?”

“Ah, that’s right, you crazy bastard.”

Lee Seok-jae, whose posture was disrupted by the volleyball hitting his back directly, got angry, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t care and grabbed another ball to serve to Ham Se-jin across the net. Then Ham Se-jin leisurely tossed the ball.

Free training, which had been impossible in high school, was possible after retirement. Therefore, in the Seyoung Foundation gymnasium where they were currently training, retired players were doing their own training and exercise, and among them were male and female players mixed together.

However, the commonality was that they were all Alphas, which was a common point that allowed them to train together.

“Judging by his antics, Lee Seok-jae must have been hanging out with Yoon-san’s friends?”

“Did you bring your sledgehammer today?”

“Yeah. In my bag.”

“I hope those psycho bastards live long and die…”

When Ham Se-jin, who lightly passed the ball, asked, Hwang Hae-kyung, who passed the next ball, replied. And at Ham Se-jin’s subsequent joke, Lee Seok-jae was horrified and made a disgusted expression.

They tended to use harsh language as their training time lengthened, so the other alumni who were exercising nearby just laughed.

Lee Seok-jae glared at the people who were laughing at their conversation and put a band around his ankle again for glute exercises.

The three of them continued to train and exercise separately for a while. The atmosphere was more relaxed than during their active days, but the groans heard here and there were also elements that made them feel alert.

Hwang Hae-kyung checked his taped fingers from time to time and looked around the court, then helped Ham Se-jin with one-on-one training. It was strange that he didn’t feel tired, even though he should have been exhausted after ball training. Ham Se-jin, who was training with him, also noticed this fact and approached Hwang Hae-kyung as soon as it was time to rest, poking his stomach.

“You’re going into Heat cycle soon.”

“Yeah.”

“No wonder. Hey, get lost. I’m going to die doing one-on-one with you. I’ll tell the coach and you get banished to that exile.”

It had been two days since he reduced the Hormone suppressant he had been taking well. Lee Yoon-san, whose hormone levels and Heat cycle were textbook-perfect, could predict the date of his Heat cycle quite accurately if there were no variables, so he adjusted his medication in advance to match the date of his Heat cycle.

As a result, Hwang Hae-kyung’s hormones were raging, and he didn’t get tired easily. More precisely, he became insensitive to the feeling of being tired, and his muscles swelled even more when he did the same exercise. Some of the physical symptoms that should have appeared during the Heat cycle were slowly starting to emerge.

Around the time these signs appear, people usually take leave from work or school, or take a break even if they are training. So Hwang Hae-kyung should tell the coaching staff and take a break.

Ham Se-jin had recently gone through her Heat cycle and taken a break, so she quickly recognized Hwang Hae-kyung’s condition and advised him. But there was something wrong with her words.

“I’m not going to the exile anymore.”

“…Ah.”

The exile was a word that referred to the residence where Hwang Hae-kyung had been staying during his Heat cycle. Ham Se-jin and Lee Seok-jae knew that Hwang Hae-kyung was holed up there and only getting through the period with medication, so it was a word they used like slang among themselves.

But from this year on, he wouldn’t have to go there. Because he had Lee Yoon-san.

Hwang Hae-kyung threw the ball he was holding at Ham Se-jin and checked the time. After roughly finishing the routine training, it was already past midnight.

He took off the finger tape and headed to the shower room, thinking that he should apply for a Heat cycle break from the coach when he left the gym today. Lee Yoon-san’s due date was still about two days away, but it would be better to apply in advance to avoid affecting other players.

Besides, he also needed time to organize the various items he had prepared for the Heat cycle. For example, the new bedding stacked in the laundry room, the meal replacements he received by delivery, and the sports drinks for hydration.

Those were all necessary for his and Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle.

✧✧✧

Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle broke out in the early morning of the due date.

The two had been playing console games together in the living room until dawn to celebrate the Christmas season and vacation, and they had blown up their temperaments while playing cooperative games instead of soccer games for the first time in a long time.

“……”

“Yoon-san, are you angry?”

“…No, I’m not angry. But Hae-kyung, why did you go in a different direction from the booster earlier…? And I told you to keep rowing because I have to eat when the red balloon pops up…?”

Hwang Hae-kyung, who was always victorious in sports games or 3D shooting games that involved dizzyingly turning the screen, couldn’t use his strength in simple cooperative games where he just had to control his body and aim well.

On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san, who was a pro-gamer in simple games such as 2D graphics, games where the player’s grind was the trick, or puzzles, dominated the game this time, overwhelming Hwang Hae-kyung. However, as the stage performance deteriorated due to Hwang Hae-kyung’s control mistakes, the two eventually decided to take a break to cool down the overheated atmosphere.

It seemed that Hwang Hae-kyung was the type to get fired up when he had a competitor, while Lee Yoon-san seemed to have a big difference in preference, preferring to enjoy himself comfortably alone or to form a team without competition.

Lee Yoon-san was depressed by the consecutive low ranks and the frustration of losing the booster. And to soothe that feeling, he lay on the floor and watched WhatTube shorts with Hwang Hae-kyung, the main cause of the defeat, when a convenience store honey combination shaved ice making video popped up.

Lee Yoon-san didn’t usually like sweets very much, but as soon as he saw the video, he desperately wanted the shaved ice in the video. Maybe it was because he kept losing the game, but he wanted to cool down the rising heat, and he was thirsty and wanted to eat something cool.

Therefore, it was only natural that Hwang Hae-kyung got up from his seat. He silently grabbed his wallet and coat at Lee Yoon-san’s words that he suddenly wanted shaved ice in the early morning and left the entrance. He also poured a deodorant as if he were pouring it on himself to cover up his Pheromone before going outside.

As the Heat cycle approached, Lee Yoon-san seemed to suddenly want to eat something. He suddenly wanted to eat something sweet, and he often woke up in the middle of the night saying he was thirsty. Besides, he tried to drink a sweet drink rather than just water.

It was a very different taste than usual, and it was not simply a level of ‘wanting to eat,’ but a strong impulse and desire.

Hwang Hae-kyung would always provide what Lee Yoon-san wanted. If he suddenly wanted to eat ice cream in the early morning, he would get up and go to the convenience store right away, and even if he suddenly changed his mind and wanted to eat cold noodles instead of warm beef bone soup, he would immediately place a delivery order without complaint. Of course, the food that Lee Yoon-san left behind naturally became Hwang Hae-kyung’s share.

When he called Lee Ga-eun and asked, she said it was a normal symptom. She said that it was just an unconscious act of trying to conserve energy under the influence of hormones as the due date approached.

So Hwang Hae-kyung had only gone out for a while to get the convenience store combination shaved ice that Lee Yoon-san had mentioned today, but as soon as he came back and opened the door, he felt dizzy from the Pheromone that rushed in.

It seemed that his face was red not because he was upset about losing the game in a row, but because he was excited from entering the Heat cycle. The reason he wanted to eat shaved ice was because he had a fever and was thirsty.

Hwang Hae-kyung thought that and clenched his empty fist tightly, then opened it and went inside. He didn’t have time to take care of what he had bought, so he left it as it was in the entrance.

As soon as he entered the living room, he felt Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone thickly spread. It wasn’t the usual soft Pheromone, but a strong Pheromone that even disguised the sensation of tickling the skin. Besides, the sourness that made his jaw tingle stimulated his sense of taste. His sense of smell and touch had already begun to be disturbed the moment he entered the space filled with strong Pheromone.

It felt like stepping into a space where fluffy feathers were flying around.

These were sensations that he didn’t have the mental capacity to feel during Lee Yoon-san’s previous Heat cycle. Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone also began to pour out as if the reins had been released.

“Yoon-san.”

Hwang Hae-kyung swallowed the saliva pooling under his tongue and called Lee Yoon-san. Lee Yoon-san, who had been lying on the living room floor as if giving up after losing the game, was nowhere to be seen. Then Hwang Hae-kyung’s instincts stirred more explicitly.

It was an instinct that resembled an aggressive and primal desire to relentlessly pursue prey that was trying to escape.

‘Slowly, please.’

So Hwang Hae-kyung repeated those words like a spell in his mind and walked quickly.

He opened the doors as he pleased and began to look for Lee Yoon-san. He wanted to act calmly so that his lover wouldn’t be frightened by his hasty and rough actions, but it didn’t work out as he had hoped.

He even went into the kitchen to look for Lee Yoon-san, but the person he was looking for was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t easy to find him by scent because the Pheromone was very thick everywhere. Besides, Hwang Hae-kyung’s head was getting dizzy as he smelled the Pheromone.

His Heat cycle was also progressing rapidly.

“Yoon-san, Lee Yoon…!”

As he turned around, he heard a rustling sound from behind the living room sofa. His five senses were dulled by the Pheromone, so it was such a small sound that he almost missed it.

As soon as Hwang Hae-kyung heard the sound, he moved his steps and was able to find Lee Yoon-san rummaging through his bag behind the sofa. He was crouching with his shoulders hunched, so he was completely hidden by the sofa and couldn’t be found.

“What are you doing, Yoon-san.”

“I want to… take this out…”

What Lee Yoon-san was rummaging through was the bag that Hwang Hae-kyung carried during training. It was something he had thrown behind the sofa and left unattended shortly before his break started, and Lee Yoon-san was struggling to take out Hwang Hae-kyung’s spare uniform from it.

It was a uniform that the foundation had specially made by recreating the Seyoung High School active uniform, and it was a uniform that he would wear even during the All-Star Game. He had brought it with him to empty the cabinet while taking a break, and it seemed that Lee Yoon-san had found it while he was away.

“Doesn’t it come out well?”

“Yeah…”

Lee Yoon-san was making a crying face because of the uniform that wouldn’t come out well due to being tangled with various items inside. It was partly because heavy items were tangled haphazardly in the bag, but it seemed that Lee Yoon-san, who was caught up in the Heat cycle, was only opening the zipper a little and trying to pull out the hem of the clothes hastily, so it wasn’t working as he wanted.

Hwang Hae-kyung went behind the sofa, hugged Lee Yoon-san from behind, and took out the uniform. Then Lee Yoon-san, who had the Hwang Hae-kyung’s uniform he had wanted in his hand, began to bury his face in it and smell it.

Hwang Hae-kyung, who was watching the scene from behind, almost snatched the uniform and threw it away, but he suppressed the rising jealousy, frowning briefly as if enduring pain. And after taking a deep breath, he calmly released his Pheromone.

Then, Lee Yoon-san’s body, which had been clinging to the uniform without completely leaning on Hwang Hae-kyung until then, completely lost its strength.

“Heueu…”

Lee Yoon-san leaned back into Hwang Hae-kyung’s arms as it was. He hugged Lee Yoon-san tightly and kissed his fluffy hair, asking.

“Should I put it on you?”

“Yeah…”

Lee Yoon-san answered with an unclear pronunciation as if his tongue was loose and even nodded his head. Hwang Hae-kyung turned Lee Yoon-san’s body around while holding him and took off his top, then put on his uniform top. The arms stretched out straight under the sleeveless shirt and the outline slightly revealed under the thin material made the back of his neck tingle.

The uniform itself was clothing for performance, and it was a fit that would stick slightly when Hwang Hae-kyung wore it, so it was more loose than big when Lee Yoon-san wore it. Hwang Hae-kyung lifted Lee Yoon-san’s legs and took off his pants, and soon looked at Lee Yoon-san wearing only Drawers that stuck tightly under the uniform.

The color of his thighs revealed under his underwear was clearly lighter than last summer and fall. Seeing his skin, which had regained its original wheat color as if he had taken off the stockings that came up to his thighs, he strangely felt like he was seeing Lee Yoon-san’s bare legs for the first time.

“Eup…?!”

So Hwang Hae-kyung positioned Lee Yoon-san to grab the sofa and stand on his knees, then immediately buried his face under his buttocks as he could see.

“Ah, there, I don’t like it…”

When he rubbed his tongue over the underwear that was already wet with Love Nectar, a weak word of refusal flowed from Lee Yoon-san’s mouth, probably because the place he licked was near the hole. Hwang Hae-kyung, who knew very well that the expression was a refusal made by mouth due to shame and embarrassment rather than really disliking it, pretended not to hear and tilted his head further. And he moved his lips to a deeper place.

“Eueu, eueueu…”

He lowered his posture and grabbed and spread Lee Yoon-san’s thighs with his hands. As he slid his face further down, he felt that the inner thighs that were facing each other were all damp and moist. It was only natural that the scent that stimulated both lust and appetite became incomparably stronger.

“Ah, tickl, ish…!”

Hwang Hae-kyung meticulously licked and nibbled at the thoroughly soaked inner thighs. Lee Yoon-san, his senses dulled by Pheromones, squirmed, tickled, but the hand gripping his thigh was too strong to escape.

He soothed Lee Yoon-san’s forceful movements, parting his lips again to bite at the damp skin. Lee Yoon-san could distinctly feel Hwang Hae-kyung’s hair brushing against his buttocks and his nose pressing into the flesh of his inner thigh. At the same time, shame washed over Lee Yoon-san’s face.

Lee Yoon-san, trying to gather his unspeakable emotions and his constantly relaxing body, braced his arms and clung to the sofa. But the more he did, the more his body trembled as he strained. The problem was that the more he struggled, the more he rubbed his buttocks against Hwang Hae-kyung’s face.

“Hyung… I don’t, like this… This position is, hng… embarrassing… Please…”

“It’s okay.”

“Hng… Hnn, ah…”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand gripping his thigh was so tight that he couldn’t pull his buttocks back. In that state, Hwang Hae-kyung licked up Lee Yoon-san’s inner thigh with force, causing the underwear pushed by his tongue to roll up and bunch together.

From the skin, soaked with moisture and a Pheromone scent that made one’s mouth water, came a thick, unique fleshy smell. The more he lifted the underwear covering the skin, revealing the hidden areas, the more explicit the fleshy smell became, and the satisfaction of tasting even the most secret parts filled him.

So, Hwang Hae-kyung was actually quite impatient and trying hard not to show his hasty touch.

On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san shuddered at the unfamiliar sensation and braced his arms again to lift his body, but he soon lost strength and slumped down again. Then, he felt Hwang Hae-kyung’s nose digging into his perineum.

This time, he really ended up pressing and rubbing his buttocks against his face.

“Stop bouncing around. Want to sit down harder, Yoon-san?”

“No, I don’t want to…”

“Why? Yoon-san likes sitting, doesn’t he?”

“That’s not… Hnn.”

The thought that the more he strained to steady himself, the more he was just shaking on top of his face made Lee Yoon-san’s eyebrows droop sadly. He thought his threshold for shame during sex with him had risen a lot, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.

The feeling of Hwang Hae-kyung’s features and warm breath beneath his buttocks was mortifying and embarrassing. With every twitch caused by those feelings, he was ashamed of Hwang Hae-kyung’s lips and tongue touching his perineum and butthole, and the sound of Love Nectar being sucked and swallowed made him want to hide somewhere.

But even so, a strange excitement surged, and he couldn’t even think of genuinely refusing and pushing him away. Lee Yoon-san was embarrassed even by himself. Even by the fact that he was ashamed of this act, yet ultimately excited.

Even in the midst of all this, Hwang Hae-kyung’s hair rubbing against his buttocks was stimulating, and he was startled every time he felt his cheek or cheekbone touching his wet thighs.

When he tensed his thighs, he could feel the muscles in his jaw moving as he chewed below. The movement of his jaw as if he were sucking on something, as well as the sensation of his butthole and perineum being persistently touched, made him constantly wet below. It was hard to bear because it was both good and shameful.

In the end, even as Hwang Hae-kyung twisted his head below, causing his thighs to spread even wider, all Lee Yoon-san could do was endure, not even stop him.

Hwang Hae-kyung tapped Lee Yoon-san’s scrotum and fully erect penis with his fingertips, stroked them a few times, and then lifted his face from between his thighs. Then, his face, with his cheeks and lips wet and some of his bangs disheveled, came into Lee Yoon-san’s view.

Hwang Hae-kyung’s face, wet in places and with his bangs disheveled, looked quite messy, having lost its usual neatness. His cat-like eyes, sending a blank and persistent gaze while hiding his inner light, his expression still feigning playfulness, and the chilling Pheromones surrounding him were all factors that made him nervous.

“I, I need to… wipe it…”

“Embarrassed now that I’ve soaked you?”

“Agh…!”

When Hwang Hae-kyung wiped the moisture off his face with his own hand, Lee Yoon-san, realizing what the moisture was, reached out as if to stop him with a shocked expression. Then, Hwang Hae-kyung grinned.

Certainly, Lee Yoon-san had improved a lot compared to the summer. Even though he had released such strong Heat cycle Pheromones, he still had the presence of mind to be embarrassed with unfocused eyes.

Hwang Hae-kyung lifted the hem of his uniform that he had put on Lee Yoon-san and wiped his face with it. Then, he cupped his still-wet lower area with his palm and wiped it up, causing Lee Yoon-san, flustered, to pull his waist back.

“If you touch me there like that…”

“Embarrassed?”

“Yeah…”

He was completely unaware that he had exposed his stomach and chest by lifting his uniform, and he seemed only concerned about the Love Nectar on his palm that had wiped his lower area. Hwang Hae-kyung gripped Lee Yoon-san’s scrotum and penis, rolling them in his hand, and buried his face in his neck. As he chewed on his thin skin and moved his hand, Lee Yoon-san’s body soon relaxed again and swayed.

As Lee Yoon-san’s body relaxed again and moans, closer to panting, began to burst from his mouth rather than words of embarrassment, he picked him up and stood up. Finally, Lee Yoon-san’s eyes, completely consumed by Pheromones, were perfectly dazed.

As he carried him, striding towards the room, Love Nectar dripped down from Lee Yoon-san’s lower area, leaving traces of one or two drops on the floor. Hwang Hae-kyung, thinking it was a waste to let the water fall to the floor, went into the room without delay, laid him on the bed, and climbed on top of him.

He had been feigning composure as if he were playing around, but his patience was also wearing thin.

“Ah… Hnn…”

“Hoo…”

It was now meaningless to count how many penetrations there had been. It had been a long time since Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromones, which had filled the house first, had been completely covered by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromones.

Hwang Hae-kyung smeared Lee Yoon-san’s Love Nectar over the newly applied condom and immediately thrust it in. Then, Lee Yoon-san twitched in response and soon took a long breath, rubbing the back of his head against the blanket.

His hands were gripped in Hwang Hae-kyung’s grasp, and his eyes had completely lost focus. Hwang Hae-kyung smiled with satisfaction at the sight of him completely consumed by the Heat cycle, and thrust his hips up. Then, the inner mucous membrane, which had been clinging and tightening like a suction cup despite being pounded and rammed several times, briefly contracted and then relaxed.

The wrinkles covering the glans and the upper part of the shaft, and the tight squeeze, made his head feel like it would explode with excitement. At the same time, the slick inner wall of the mucous membrane that covered the lower part of his penis and the stimulation of the entrance that tightly gripped and squeezed the lowest part were tremendous.

At that dizzying sensation, Hwang Hae-kyung briefly lifted his head and gasped for breath, and Lee Yoon-san, who had been staring blankly up at him, immediately let out a pleading voice.

“Hyung… Why aren’t you, aren’t you looking at me…?”

At that voice filled with resentment and obsession, Hwang Hae-kyung’s gaze immediately turned to his lover.

Lee Yoon-san, lying down with his chest and stomach completely exposed, having pulled up his uniform that was wet in places, looked erotic. His nipples, already sucked and bitten a lot, were swollen and a deep coral color, and the faint outline of his ribs, which had become less visible thanks to the 3kg he had gained, and his shallowly rising and falling stomach were completely exposed.

Below that, his penis, which was still excited and dripping fluid despite having repeatedly erected and ejaculated, and his reddened scrotum, as well as his lower hole, which was slightly swollen from receiving his penis, made Hwang Hae-kyung clench his jaw.

Hwang Hae-kyung scanned the scene before his eyes and thrust his pelvis forward. Then, his penis, which was deeply inserted without any further insertion, poked and prodded somewhere inside Lee Yoon-san, burying his glans.

“Hnn, ahh…!”

He had penetrated the Cervix by passing through the sphincter in the colon’s mucous membrane. Then, Lee Yoon-san’s mouth opened and a louder moan than before flowed out, and his Cervix and inner sphincter gripped Hwang Hae-kyung’s penis and spasmed.

“Ha…”

Hwang Hae-kyung also frowned and gasped for breath at the stimulation, and he consciously looked at Lee Yoon-san, trying to turn his gaze away to avoid ejaculating.

Omegas entering Heat cycle were said to have different symptoms, and one of Lee Yoon-san’s symptoms was obsession. He would not allow Hwang Hae-kyung’s gaze to stray from him even for a moment, and he felt sorry and resentful even when Hwang Hae-kyung briefly lifted his head to avoid ejaculating or looked around to gauge the time.

So, he would sometimes cup his cheeks and make him look at him, and when he couldn’t reach or didn’t have the energy to do so, he would often call him in a sulky voice. Hwang Hae-kyung found Lee Yoon-san’s obsession simply cute, so he would deliberately turn his gaze away or avoid eye contact to make him anxious.

On the other hand, Lee Yoon-san’s Alpha became a little more persistent when he entered Heat cycle. He lifted Lee Yoon-san’s arm and sucked on the armpit hidden beneath it until it turned bright red, leaving bite marks. He also sucked on the perineum revealed by lifting the scrotum below his penis until it swelled up. His plump nipples were so sore that they hurt even without being touched.

He also tried not to pull out the penis he had inserted. Even though he was mentally unstable due to being caught up in the Heat cycle, he bit his inner lip and replaced the condom, but otherwise, he did not pull out the inserted penis.

That was the same even when he went to sleep. Even when he showered with Lee Yoon-san, who was exhausted from being soaked in Pheromones, he hugged and massaged his lower abdomen with his penis inserted, and when he went to sleep, he stroked his penis himself to make it half-erect and then pushed it into him and fell asleep.

But for Lee Yoon-san, the most difficult thing was something else.

“Don’t, don’t move, this…”

Lee Yoon-san, barely holding onto the island and barely managing to drink the shake, dropped it with a thud and said pleadingly.

Lee Yoon-san learned that the shakes and meal replacements that he had personally organized a few days ago, thinking they were just Hwang Hae-kyung’s snacks, were actually what he had ordered to feed him. He hadn’t gained enough weight, hadn’t developed the habit of eating often, and had failed to increase his food intake, so Hwang Hae-kyung had prepared alternative meals.

He fed Lee Yoon-san something regularly. It was mainly high-calorie shakes or nutritional drinks, and when he had the mental capacity to chew something, he would feed him energy bars. And he placed ion drinks all over the house and made him drink them frequently. It was to prevent moisture loss and provide as much nutrition as possible.

The problem was that he didn’t pull out his penis even when he did that.

“Sit down, Yoon-san.”

“No, I don’t want to…”

“Sit down and, hoo… eat.”

The word “sit down” was a word that Lee Yoon-san had often heard from Hwang Hae-kyung yesterday and today. He mainly said that when Lee Yoon-san was eating or drinking something, and it literally meant to sit down comfortably and eat, but Lee Yoon-san heard it differently.

“Sit down.”

The word “sit down” that he said meant to sit on top of him. Come to think of it, hadn’t he heard that word recently? Lee Yoon-san thought that even with his dazed mind and straightened his back.

Especially when he sat down to drink water, the water he was drinking kept flowing down under his chin due to the upward movement from below. Then, Lee Yoon-san’s fine hairs would stand on end or his nipples would harden from the cold sensation, and Hwang Hae-kyung would wipe the wet area with his hand as if he were wiping it dry.

Then, the excitement would surge even more, making it impossible to drink or eat anything. So, the word “sit down” was not comfortable for Lee Yoon-san. It wasn’t just sitting down.

Hwang Hae-kyung grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s pelvis, who was holding onto the island and trying not to sit down, and sat him down on the stool next to the island. Then, Hwang Hae-kyung’s penis, which had been half-inserted, was thrust deep into Lee Yoon-san as if it were being stabbed.

“Ah…!”

At the same time, Lee Yoon-san sat on top of Hwang Hae-kyung, overlapping his body. As a result, it was only natural that the penis, which was already deeply inserted, invaded the Cervix inside once more as if pressing down.

Lee Yoon-san trembled at Hwang Hae-kyung’s penis, which had come in, poking and prodding his Cervix. He repeatedly gasped for breath at the extreme sense of elation and violent pleasure that covered his entire body. The shocking ecstasy that made him forget even how to breathe for a moment tormented his mind.

All his senses were numb, as if he were seeing and hearing the scenery outside the water while submerged below the surface. In the midst of that, only his sense of pleasure was sensitive, and all other stimuli felt distant except for Hwang Hae-kyung’s penis that was stirring inside him.

He was eating as he said, but he wasn’t hungry, and no matter how much water or drinks he drank, his thirst was deep. But even that thirst would soon fade away as he was swept away by the peripheral pleasure that was pounding inside him.

His stomach was full of Hwang Hae-kyung’s penis that filled him, and in fact, when he was fully inserted, his organs tilted forward and his stomach swelled gently. His slightly swollen lower abdomen looked quite strange, so Lee Yoon-san covered his stomach with both hands even in his dazed state.

“Hyung, just a moment, hnn, ah…”

“What is it, Yoon-san?”

But Hwang Hae-kyung was also completely consumed by the Heat cycle, so his voice had long lost its tone.

Hwang Hae-kyung gripped Lee Yoon-san’s chest with both hands, squeezing his nipples between his fingers. Then, a sobbing moan flowed from Lee Yoon-san’s mouth.

Looking at the fact that there wasn’t much content flowing out of the shake pack that had fallen on the floor, it seemed that he had fortunately dropped it after eating almost all of it. Then, he wouldn’t have to force him to eat more now.

Hwang Hae-kyung, who had thought that far even with his dazed mind, squeezed Lee Yoon-san’s chest as if he were wringing it out and bit the bone that protruded at the end of his shoulder. It was that bone that had once made him restrain his desires. It was as if it were a sign of his thin body, causing a kind of guilt.

Hwang Hae-kyung thrust his waist up while sitting, and his penis was pushed further into the Cervix, which was spasming in a contracted state. The wrinkles and bumps of the Cervix that chewed on his penis and the pressure caused by the contraction caused a slight pain and a great pleasure.

Hwang Hae-kyung felt like Knotting was about to begin in this state, so he picked up Lee Yoon-san as he was and laid him down on the island. As a result, he pushed the penis that had come out back in, and Lee Yoon-san bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut at the penis that suddenly scratched inside and was roughly pulled out and thrust in.

Hwang Hae-kyung pushed his finger into Lee Yoon-san’s mouth, who was trying to clench his teeth as a habit. Then, the strength quickly drained from Lee Yoon-san’s teeth that had bitten the finger that had come in.

“Hate… it…”

I don’t like it, pull it out. Lee Yoon-san said that and licked Hwang Hae-kyung’s finger that he had bitten, but Hwang Hae-kyung did not pull out that finger, but gently stroked and caressed the mucous membrane inside Lee Yoon-san’s mouth. He carefully scanned his mouth as if checking to see if there were any injured areas from biting, and only after confirming that there were no injured areas did he pull out his finger.

And then he grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s hamstrings and began to thrust madly. As he pounded and rammed inside as if thrusting quickly just before ejaculating, Lee Yoon-san’s gasping breaths came out in a jumble. He could see Lee Yoon-san flinching every time his shoulder blades were pressed against the cold island, but Hwang Hae-kyung was also not in a state where he could let him ejaculate.

“Ah, hnn…!”

He looked down at Lee Yoon-san, who was shaking like a doll with dazed eyes, and moved his waist roughly as if he were punishing him, and soon thrust his penis deep inside and gasped for breath. Something touched the end of his glans as he forcibly invaded the tightly narrowed Cervix and pressed on its end. And soon, his penis swelled inside Lee Yoon-san and ejaculation began.

“Hnn, hnn, hnn…!”

“Does it hurt, Yoon-san?”

“Yeah, hng, hnn…!”

Lee Yoon-san, who seemed to have forgotten his focus and his thoughts, nodded with blurry eyes. He must have been nodding while moving wildly in his own way, but his body, intoxicated by Pheromones, was just slow.

Hwang Hae-kyung swept back Lee Yoon-san’s bangs and leaned over to hug Lee Yoon-san. He had to lift him up with his penis still swelling inside, so he had no choice but to lift him up with it still inserted. Lee Yoon-san felt a violent pleasure from the pain that dominated his stomach and the stimulation of his prostate being crushed.

“Ah, hnn…, hng…”

He felt like he was going to die. Whether his stomach would be damaged and he would die, or he would be submerged in this violent pleasure and be ruined, the fact that his body was feeling pain and pleasure at a level it had never experienced was terrifying. So, when he hugged Hwang Hae-kyung’s neck tightly, Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san with an even stronger force.

He headed to the living room with Lee Yoon-san in his arms. Even then, Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood was maximally widening Lee Yoon-san’s Cervix, forcibly opening the entrance to the internal reproductive organ called the Baby house.

As his manhood forced its way into the tightly shut entrance, which could only be opened with instruments, another unfamiliar sensation and pleasure pierced through Lee Yoon-san’s entire body. It was a sensation of losing strength in his limbs and once again having his breath taken away.

Until now, he had thought that the pleasure felt when penetrating the Cervix was the maximum of sensuality he could experience, but this was far more intense. It was such an intense sensation that he forgot how to even exhale the gasp he had taken, and clear fluid, not semen, was already streaming down from Lee Yoon-san’s genitals, soaking the floor.

“Hah, shit….”

Hwang Hae-kyung also frowned at the pleasure pouring over his entire body like a torrential rain, and exhaled the groan he couldn’t quite swallow.

The feeling of piercing and opening Lee Yoon-san’s deepest interior once more was vivid, and the sensation of the Cervix membrane strongly adhering and constricting his manhood was dizzying. Even with a thin condom in between, he could clearly feel the entrance burying his glans and the Cervix constricting his shaft, as well as the membrane and hole tightly clamping down on the base of his manhood.

In that state, it was impossible to tell whether he was ejaculating the semen of a Heat cycle Alpha or a thin bodily fluid.

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san, who had stiffened like a doll in his arms before going limp, and checked his condition. It seemed that the excessive sensation had caused a sudden loss of strength, as Lee Yoon-san’s eyes were already half-closed.

Even in the midst of all this, he was steadily pregnant due to Knotting, so he held Lee Yoon-san in his arms, went to the sofa, and knelt on the floor in front of it. Then, he positioned Lee Yoon-san so that only he could lie on the sofa. Lee Yoon-san seemed out of it, and as soon as his upper body was on the sofa, he went limp. Hwang Hae-kyung grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s hand, kissed the back of it frantically, and then touched his swollen belly.

The excessively swollen nipples and the bulging belly beneath them gave a strange feeling. Is this what happens when you get pregnant? Hwang Hae-kyung absentmindedly thought, even with his mind struggling to think properly, and pushed out the fluid pooling in Lee Yoon-san’s navel.

The uniform, which had been pushed up messily, was now barely hanging on Lee Yoon-san’s arm and neck. It was almost stripped off, but it was the shape created by Lee Yoon-san, who didn’t have the mind to take it all off completely, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who couldn’t even see that.

Hwang Hae-kyung stared blankly at Lee Yoon-san’s belly, where the traces of Knotting were visible because he hadn’t finished ejaculating, and the uniform, before moving his hand. He took off his uniform from Lee Yoon-san, wiped his lover’s wet body and lower body with it, and tossed it far away.

Then, he bent down and kissed Lee Yoon-san’s lips. He ran his tongue over the easily opened mouth, touching and wrapping around it, before straightening the uncomfortably tilted head and parting his lips.

Then, Lee Yoon-san breathed evenly, panting softly in the comfortable position.

Hwang Hae-kyung waited, staring at Lee Yoon-san’s sleeping eyes for a long time. Even with his mind dulled to the point of almost stopping, he desperately wanted to see the black pupils hidden behind those eyelids.

Once Knotting occurs, he had to stay inserted for more than thirty minutes without moving, so he couldn’t move. So he had to stay like this for a while, and he hoped that Lee Yoon-san would open his eyes in the meantime.

Even though he was looking at his face now, he much preferred seeing him with his eyes open than his face asleep like a doll. He was cute when he spoke softly, and he missed everything about him: his actions, his gestures, his way of speaking, his hand gestures, and even his unique, affectionate, and caring atmosphere.

So, Hwang Hae-kyung wanted to play with Lee Yoon-san more. That was all he could think about. Lee Yoon-san would be speechless if he heard that.

“You really….”

Hwang Hae-kyung opened his mouth, gazing quietly at Lee Yoon-san. He had barely had the mind to speak since being soaked in Pheromone, so it was a rare utterance. It was difficult to say anything long. His thoughts were not flowing smoothly enough, and he was sick of anything other than holding Lee Yoon-san and engaging in carnal acts.

“…are cute, so much.”

Therefore, the words that came out were foolish. It was the kind of thing that his reason, deeply submerged beneath the surface of pleasure, would mock. But Hwang Hae-kyung was sincere, and he couldn’t figure out how to express the overwhelming affection that had filled him.

For Hwang Hae-kyung, who had fully released his Pheromone and entered his Heat cycle, only peripheral sensations were everything now, and the only thought he was barely clinging to was to use Heat cycle condoms well so that Lee Yoon-san wouldn’t experience a sudden pregnancy.

Conversely, he couldn’t properly think about anything else. He was now in a state where he couldn’t find his usual composure or playfulness because he had entered a complete Heat cycle.

His Heat cycle seemed to be something that was not human, literally.

“Heu…”

Lee Yoon-san barely opened his eyes, feeling a stinging sensation around his eyes. He rubbed his tight eyes to barely secure his vision, and feeling Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood still invading his lower body, he pushed his hand back and pressed against his belly.

The veins in Hwang Hae-kyung’s lower abdomen, felt beneath his palm, were blatant. Still, he pulled his body forward, away from Hwang Hae-kyung, who was hugging him from behind and asleep with his manhood inserted, and struggled to pull out the inserted member.

How many days had it been? Lee Yoon-san seemed to have regained some consciousness, and he ran his hands over his face and staggered to his feet. After going to the bathroom, he picked up an ion drink that had fallen on the nearby floor and drank it. In fact, not even urine came out when he went to the bathroom. Only the Love Nectar that had been pooling inside flowed thinly down his buttocks and thighs.

After swallowing all of the half-remaining ion drink, he looked around and saw that everything from the sofa to all sorts of things in his field of vision were a mess.

They did it there. And there too. What are those strange stains on the floor? It looks like something dried. All the food is on the floor, spilled. When will I clean that up…? Lee Yoon-san thought, looking around blankly, and suddenly realized that he wasn’t wearing anything.

He leaned against the wall, got up, and staggered to the dressing room. He picked up a familiar hoodie as if it was a habit, opened the zipper, and put it on. It stung every time the fabric brushed against his nipples, but it had long been a familiar pain.

“Hyung… gave, it….”

It was a hoodie that Hwang Hae-kyung had given him. The hoodie he received when he was sixteen at the amusement park and the windbreaker he received when he was seventeen were still clothes he wore often. The simple design made them easy to wear here and there, and above all, he liked the fact that they were clothes Hwang Hae-kyung had given him.

As he looked down at Hwang Hae-kyung’s hoodie that he was wearing, a strange sense of loss and emptiness suddenly washed over him. And the moment he looked in the mirror over there, a strong anxiety of an unknown degree washed over him. He was alone in the mirror.

“Uh….”

Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t there. He had just come out of the bed on his own two feet, but his thoughts were often cut off to the point where he couldn’t even recall such a simple cause and effect.

When the person who should have been there was not visible, the rapidly surging anxiety amplified the sense of loss even more. So he froze in that spot, and he tensed up against the heart that kept beating faster and the eyes that kept stinging.

Anxiety quickly evolved into fear. Lee Yoon-san himself knew that this was an abnormal emotion and an exaggeration, but knowing and feeling were different. Just the fact that Hwang Hae-kyung was not by his side turned anxiety into fear, and fear quickly brought on panic.

He felt a sense of powerlessness as if his body was sinking below the floor due to the rising sense of loss and panic. At the same time, his nipples, where the clothes touched, itched, and he could feel his still-throbbing lower body getting wet.

He seemed to have regained his senses for a moment, but Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle was not over yet. His Heat cycle was only just coming to an end.

Lee Yoon-san barely clenched his fist and tried to take a step to find Hwang Hae-kyung, feeling like he was constantly sinking, but the door to the dressing room opened and he felt a chilling Pheromone.

“…Yoon-san-ah.”

Hwang Hae-kyung approached Lee Yoon-san with large strides, making a still-locked voice and frowning as if he had just woken up. And he hugged him. He lifted Lee Yoon-san as he was and sat him on the nearby dresser, then kissed him.

They were so soaked in each other’s Pheromone that their noses were numb and their senses other than the sense of touch were dulled, so they were no longer even aware of the Pheromone scent. Lee Yoon-san was relieved by the disappearance of anxiety as soon as Hwang Hae-kyung hugged him, and he hugged his body back.

But soon, his body was tilted back by Hwang Hae-kyung.

“Why did you take it out.”

“Huh…?”

Hwang Hae-kyung pulled on Lee Yoon-san’s thighs and pushed his manhood against the wet and relaxed lower hole. This time, he wasn’t even wearing a condom, but in fact, he didn’t seem to have the mind to care about such things right now.

His expression and the light in his eyes were already gone. He was still in that state since saying that he was cute like a fool to Lee Yoon-san, who had fallen asleep as if he had fainted. Moreover, he hadn’t gotten proper sleep due to the continuous Heat cycle, so he was only left with instinct.

He pushed his manhood deep into Lee Yoon-san’s lower body and took a low breath. Lee Yoon-san felt pain and a strange stimulation from the suddenly inserted manhood, but soon felt a strange satisfaction and hugged Hwang Hae-kyung. A strange sense of fullness and elation rose up.

And regret filled his dazed mind. Why did I take it out? I didn’t want to take it out.

In fact, Lee Yoon-san had told Hwang Hae-kyung several times not to take it out as soon as he was devoured by the Heat cycle. At first, Hwang Hae-kyung seemed to understand and listen to those words, but as time went on, he didn’t think about taking out the manhood he had inserted, regardless of those words.

When feeding Lee Yoon-san something, or when going to the bathroom. So Lee Yoon-san had to not only move with Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood inserted, but also experience Knotting several times in that state. At first, Hwang Hae-kyung had offered to take it out and then do Knotting because it would hurt, but Lee Yoon-san shook his head, saying he didn’t want to.

At that time, he just vaguely didn’t want the connected bodies to separate.

“Ugh, eugh, Hyung, I, this clothes…!”

“Yeah, this clothes.”

“Th, at… Hyung, ga…ve, me….”

Lee Yoon-san grabbed Hwang Hae-kyung’s arm, which was holding his waist and pounding mindlessly, and persevered in continuing his words. He hadn’t had any special conversations about the hoodie and windbreaker that Hwang Hae-kyung had given him since then.

Lee Yoon-san just wore those clothes often as if it was natural, and Hwang Hae-kyung just treated Lee Yoon-san as if it was natural. Lee Yoon-san wore some of Hwang Hae-kyung’s clothes while attending the second semester, but still, the clothes he received when he was young were special to Lee Yoon-san.

“Ah, not here…!”

So Lee Yoon-san stopped Hwang Hae-kyung, who was trying to ejaculate on the hoodie he was wearing, and lifted the hem of his clothes. Then, Lee Yoon-san’s belly and chest, which had been hidden inside the hoodie, were revealed. The nipples, which were standing tall enough to be prominent even over the not-so-thin hoodie, were darker in color because they were rubbing against the clothes.

Hwang Hae-kyung bit and sucked on Lee Yoon-san’s nipples, then quickly stroked his manhood with his hand. And he ejaculated on Lee Yoon-san’s knees and calves.

Warm fluid covered Lee Yoon-san’s tan knees and flowed down, wetting his calves. The semen flowing down his smooth calves was like diluted condensed milk, and the shape of it slowly flowing seemed to tickle his calves. Lee Yoon-san felt emptiness at Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood leaving his body and urged him to insert again, and ended up getting excited and ejaculating as soon as he re-inserted.

It had already been after he soaked his belly that he had his first ejaculation. Therefore, Lee Yoon-san himself became the culprit who ended up wetting the hoodie he was wearing.

As Hwang Hae-kyung went through his fourth day of Heat cycle, Lee Yoon-san’s Heat cycle came to an end. His Heat cycle was only two or three days, but he had forcibly gone through a longer Heat cycle because he was swept away by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone. And on the fifth day, Hwang Hae-kyung’s Heat cycle reached its peak.

It was the moment he realized that Hwang Hae-kyung’s words that his Heat cycle would be quite long were true.

“I’m embarrassed by this, Hae-kyung-ah….”

“Why?”

The Heat cycle of an Alpha, where the climax is right before the end, was truly enormous. Hwang Hae-kyung may have lost his mind, but he wasn’t tired, and he still didn’t want to take his thing out of Lee Yoon-san’s body. No, rather than not wanting to, it was closer to not being able to understand.

He showed a reaction that he couldn’t understand why he had to take his thing out of Lee Yoon-san’s body when they were together. So Lee Yoon-san fell asleep without being able to take out Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood even after his Heat cycle ended and he regained his senses quite a bit, and he had to suffer that much in the early morning and morning.

Even when Hwang Hae-kyung fell asleep for a very short time, Lee Yoon-san was dying from the movement of his manhood, which grew inside him and then repeatedly calmed down halfway. Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood was so large that it pressed down on the places he felt just by putting it all the way in, so even while the person in question was asleep for a short time, he had to groan with excitement and be embarrassed.

The perineum and lower hole, which were scratched by pubic hair and swollen red throughout the Heat cycle, were now scary to even check.

Hwang Hae-kyung in Heat cycle was like a peripheral being who had just developed language skills. He only focused on instinctive sexual acts without words or expressions, and was obsessively fixated on only one target with cat-like eyes.

And now, on the fifth day, Lee Yoon-san was wearing the rabbit ear headband that Hwang Hae-kyung had taken from him when he was young, draped the windbreaker he had given him over his shoulders, and was sitting on top of him. Of course, with his manhood inserted.

This position was also the result of Hwang Hae-kyung sitting Lee Yoon-san down.

“I’m going to take this off….”

“Why.”

Hwang Hae-kyung, whose Heat cycle symptoms had worsened, had now reached a level where he could barely understand his words.

Instead, he used his Pheromone a little more cleverly. Knowing that his Pheromone felt as cold as the morning air to the other person, he consciously released Pheromone even while Lee Yoon-san was sleeping. Then Lee Yoon-san would mistake it for the air being cold even while asleep and attach his body to Hwang Hae-kyung on his own, but the problem was that he was always inserted. As a result, it became a way to deepen the insertion.

Moreover, just yesterday on the fourth day, he even had him put a pewter object in the shape of a volleyball that he had brought with him when he moved in on the floor and step on it. He inserted after having Lee Yoon-san stand on it, simply because if he did it from behind, Lee Yoon-san’s heels would keep lifting due to the height difference, and his calves would quickly become numb.

Lee Yoon-san regretted saying that his legs were numb at that time. It wasn’t like he was stepping on a trophy or other glorious props, but still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of committing a sin while stepping on the volleyball-shaped pewter statue.

But today it’s this headband. Lee Yoon-san stopped moving up and down with Hwang Hae-kyung’s manhood inserted for a moment and glared at him as if resentful.

He still had no expression, no focus in his eyes, and not even a hint of fatigue. He just wore a puzzled expression at Lee Yoon-san’s words that he would take off the headband.

It was a brazen expression that was very different from him, who looked tattered due to his face being swollen from being constantly bitten and sucked, as well as his red and prominent specific areas.

“I’m too old to look good in something like this….”

“Looks good.”

“…….”

“I didn’t get to see it much back then.”

“…….”

“Other kids… said you were cute, so.”

Hwang Hae-kyung hesitated, picking his words as if he couldn’t combine words well in his head, but he still completed the sentence to the end as if he thought he had to say something. It seemed that he couldn’t just pass over Lee Yoon-san’s dissatisfied expression.

And Lee Yoon-san made a surprised expression at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words.

‘The kids in our class say you’re cute.’

‘…Uh, uh?’

‘So this is confiscated.’

He remembered what Hwang Hae-kyung had said back then. Those words from back then seemed like they would never be erased from Lee Yoon-san’s memory. In fact, it was closer to the moment when they secretly met again being engraved in his mind as a whole.

The words that he had just thought were teasing back then, were they actually sincere to Hwang Hae-kyung? Was he jealous from then on? Lee Yoon-san had to try to control his uncontrollably excited heart while thinking that at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words. If he fell for these words right now, he would have to have sex while being called a rabbit with his exhausted body.

While Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been intently watching Lee Yoon-san’s expression, frowned for a moment, gasped, and moved his hips once. It seemed painful for him to remain still after insertion.

Lee Yoon-san, seeing Hwang Hae-kyung’s discomfort, unconsciously moved his hips back and forth slightly. Because of the deep insertion and the seated position, Lee Yoon-san’s scrotum brushed against his skin. As a result, Lee Yoon-san’s semi-erect penis became excited again and stood erect.

Even though his Heat cycle was over, Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone still dominated Lee Yoon-san’s sensitivity, so he was just as easily aroused.

Whenever Lee Yoon-san’s back, sitting on top of him, lost strength and faltered, Hwang Hae-kyung would soothe or urge him, gripping Lee Yoon-san’s buttocks fully in his hands.

The elastic flesh of his buttocks swelled between his fingers, and the flesh was crushed under his palm. Each time, the bright red hole repeatedly swallowed and spat out the thick penis.

Knowing that Hwang Hae-kyung wasn’t satisfied with just sitting on top and moving his hips gently back and forth, Lee Yoon-san moved up and down, pounding his buttocks until his knees turned bright red. Each time, his body flinched involuntarily as the penis poked and pried at his Cervix and internal reproductive organs. The black rabbit ears perked up on his head and fluttered were an added bonus.

Since his Heat cycle was over, the sensation of the rabbit ears moving was felt directly in his head, making him even more embarrassed and ashamed.

But even so, he was still intoxicated by Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, and the explosive and violent pleasure he gave him never became familiar, even after experiencing it for several days.

It would have been nice if it was just the pleasure of squeezing his penis like when he masturbated, but the pleasure that seemed to run through all the erogenous zones of his body was like a downpour, impossible to avoid.

“Ah….”

In the midst of all this, Hwang Hae-kyung gripped Lee Yoon-san’s thighs, which had become firm from tensing and bouncing all along, with a low groan. The skin he grabbed even felt numb. As a result, Lee Yoon-san’s eyes and the tip of his nose quickly turned bright red, and when Hwang Hae-kyung put strength into his hand and massaged him, the strength in his thighs gave way, and he ended up collapsing completely.

“Heuht…!”

Because he collapsed from above, his weight was applied, and the inside was poked again. Lee Yoon-san’s unfocused eyes couldn’t help but become teary.

Hwang Hae-kyung, with hazy eyes, massaged Lee Yoon-san’s thighs several more times, then pressed down hard on the tender flesh inside with his thumb as if applying acupressure. As a result, Lee Yoon-san’s body, which had lost strength once, flinched as if surprised, and then trembled from his spine.

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged the trembling body as if it were natural. And he whispered as if confiding a secret. There were sighs mixed in between, and moments of thinking as if he wanted to use proper sentences, but the words he managed to create were clear.

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed that too many people had seen your ears perked up that day. He should have hidden those ears sooner.

“Hae-kyung, Darling, you must really like me a lot…?”

“Yeah.”

When Lee Yoon-san teased him with a playful tone, Hwang Hae-kyung gave an immediate answer without thinking. Then he took Lee Yoon-san’s hand and fiddled with his fingers. He frowned for a moment as if thinking about something or having a headache, then looked at Lee Yoon-san again and opened his mouth. He must have been worried about whether the word order was correct.

“Love you too.”

“…Huh?”

“I mean it.”

At that moment, his smiling face, as if he had returned to the usual Hwang Hae-kyung, was so familiar that Lee Yoon-san’s whole body turned bright red. Lee Yoon-san stared blankly at Hwang Hae-kyung’s slightly embarrassed face, then grabbed both of his cheeks and kissed him.

It was a reckless kiss where they bumped lips from the overflowing emotions, and his lips hurt a little, but he didn’t care. Even if Hwang Hae-kyung was saying those words while intoxicated by Pheromone and the Heat cycle, he didn’t care. Because he knew that he didn’t say things he didn’t mean.

Lee Yoon-san simply felt an overwhelming feeling the moment Hwang Hae-kyung’s heart reached him. He knew that everything from the way he looked at him to all his actions and consideration were expressions of affection, but hearing it in words like this made something inside him surge greatly.

Funnily enough, it felt like he had confirmation that Hwang Hae-kyung was his. Besides, wasn’t it unfair to say such things in a situation where he was intoxicated by Pheromone, with his usual face as if he wasn’t intoxicated?

“Me too!”

So, as soon as Lee Yoon-san took his lips away, he made eye contact with Hwang Hae-kyung and gave a vigorous answer. He knew that whispering would be enough since they were close, but he unconsciously got excited and his voice came out loudly.

He was happy. Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, and all the moments with him.

✧✧✧

Hwang Hae-kyung’s Heat cycle lasted for as long as six days. And even the day after that, he clung to Lee Yoon-san, caressing and tormenting him with the remaining sensitivity, so strictly speaking, they spent almost a week just having sex.

The two were momentarily speechless as they looked at the messy house after the sex. The overturned and cluttered drink bottles and trash everywhere, as well as the more than ten sets of bedding piled up in the laundry basket, were truly miserable.

Even one of the drawers in the dressing room had a crack in the tempered glass on the top, the living room sofa had one leg collapsed, and the rabbit ear headband that Lee Yoon-san had worn was lying damp on the bed.

Even while looking at that mess, Hwang Hae-kyung said, ‘It’s right after the Heat cycle, so let’s just tidy up roughly without going through the trouble and call someone to clean it,’ but Lee Yoon-san couldn’t bring himself to show this mess with the enormous traces of semen and bodily fluids to a stranger.

So, in the end, the two of them were cleaning up when suddenly Lee Yoon-san complained of dizziness and nausea and collapsed on the spot.

Surprised by this, Hwang Hae-kyung carried Lee Yoon-san to the hospital emergency room, and as a result, the expressions of the two hardened in a different sense.

“It’s dehydration.”

“…….”

“…….”

For Hwang Hae-kyung, it was shocking that he had become dehydrated even though he had been diligently feeding him even in a state of madness, and for Lee Yoon-san, the fact that he had come to the hospital for such a thing was shocking and displeasing.

It was a much better aftereffect than last time, so there was no need to inform their mothers, but it was still embarrassing.

“Potatoes have a higher moisture content than humans, is the problem that you evolved into a rabbit?”

“Hae-kyung, how many times have I told you that my punches are strong….”

Did you forget that you lost to me in arm wrestling? Lee Yoon-san said that with a very angry face while still having an IV drip, but his face, which looked like he was about to cry, wasn’t threatening at all. Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung couldn’t hold back his laughter, and Lee Yoon-san finally raised his fist and punched Hwang Hae-kyung in the side as punishment.

Of course, even that wasn’t a proper punch with full force, in case Hwang Hae-kyung would get hurt.

“Pak-pak punch hurts so much. I think my side is dented.”

“Hae-kyung, I’ll only tolerate teasing three times a day….”

“Generous, aren’t you?”

“Now you have one left.”

“Are you counting everything I say as teasing?”

“Yes, you Hwang-teasing!”

When Lee Yoon-san showed his fiery fist again at Hwang Hae-kyung’s teasing, who didn’t give in even a single word, Hwang Hae-kyung pretended to be scared and covered the fist with both hands and sat on the bed. And when he hugged Lee Yoon-san’s waist and crumpled his big body to hug him, Lee Yoon-san resisted with a displeased expression on his mouth and upper body. It was a silent will not to hug him back.

“Hae-kyung, your, uh, Rut… is too long.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m really healthy and fine.”

“My bad.”

“Hae-kyung… would it be difficult to put just a little more soul into your words…?”

Hwang Hae-kyung laughed again at Lee Yoon-san’s words, who was complaining in a soft voice, and this time he gave a sincere apology. Then Lee Yoon-san was embarrassed, saying that he didn’t mean to be so sincere, but Hwang Hae-kyung found that so cute again.

The two joked around for a long time while getting IV fluids and then left the emergency room. Hwang Hae-kyung was to clean the house under Lee Yoon-san’s supervision, and in return, Lee Yoon-san decided to eat a little more actively as Hwang Hae-kyung recommended.

“It’s really the end of the year now.”

“I guess so.”

It was snowing on the way back home from the hospital. Lee Yoon-san muttered while looking at the snow falling outside the car window and the Christmas decorations on the street and the decorations with ‘Happy New Year’ written on them, and Hwang Hae-kyung agreed with his words.

They met again last summer, the summer with many events passed, and the autumn when they shared each other’s daily lives passed. And the newly started winter seemed to be just finishing preparing to welcome the new year.

Lee Yoon-san looked at the surrounding decorations announcing the end of the year and the softly falling snow, and then looked back at Hwang Hae-kyung, who was driving next to him. A situation that he couldn’t even have expected before the summer vacation started was unfolding before his eyes.

Therefore, Lee Yoon-san found this scene very new and amazing. Above all, this moment of welcoming winter with Hwang Hae-kyung. Back in the summer of eighteen, he thought that there would be no more winters with Hwang Hae-kyung in the future.

“By the way, how should I wash that headband? It has fur on it.”

“…Hae-kyung.”

“Yeah.”

“After your game is over, shall we go to Neverland?”

“To buy a new headband?”

“Yeah….”

Lee Yoon-san suggested to Hwang Hae-kyung, who was speaking blankly. He could just buy another rabbit headband when he went in the winter. Of course, the black one he bought back then was a limited edition item, so it would be difficult to find the same one again.

“No.”

Hwang Hae-kyung’s clear refusal reached Lee Yoon-san’s ears, who was thinking up to that point. He stopped the car at the signal and smiled at Lee Yoon-san.

“I told you, it seems that too many people saw your ears that day.”

And at his following words, Lee Yoon-san’s face turned reddish. Saying the words he said during the Heat cycle as they were meant that he remembered all the situations and words from that time.

“Th-then let’s just go play later.”

“Okay.”

“We can ride the rides together this time.”

“We don’t have to meet in secret either.”

Lee Yoon-san laughed at Hwang Hae-kyung’s following words. The clear laughter, as if he was embarrassed, made the listener feel excited. Hwang Hae-kyung grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s hand tightly once and then let go, and then started the car again at the signal.

It was a cold but not only cold end of the year.

04

21 years old & 22 years old Winter

The season when the All-Star Game of the volleyball league is held is every early year, and as soon as the new year is welcomed and it becomes January, the league began to prepare various fan service events. One of them was the open training session held three days before the official game, and the All-Star Game participants also participated in the open training session as much as they were playing an official game, even if it was an event.

This All-Star Game was leading all kinds of topicality and heating up online, and interview and coverage requests were coming in particularly a lot. There were various reasons, but the biggest reason was Hwang Hae-kyung after all.

The fact that he, who had suddenly declared his retirement at the age of nineteen after winning a gold medal at a major international competition and disappeared to remain an ordinary person, had responded to the fans’ call was bound to be a hot topic.

Therefore, he also stood at an interview before the open training session, and in that place, he nailed down his future actions with an interview saying that he would try to show a good performance even though it was an event game, not a comeback.

Many fans were disappointed by his declaration, but on the other hand, there was also a strong opinion that they would be able to see Hwang Hae-kyung’s game at least during the All-Star Game in the future. In any case, Hwang Hae-kyung was a fairly well-known player to the public, and there were still many fans who liked his game.

An unusually large number of reporters and fans flocked to the open training venue. Of course, it wasn’t all just the Hwang Hae-kyung effect, and it was also to capture particularly popular players among the retired players, including Ham Se-jin and Lee Seok-jae.

Among them, Lee Seok-jae signed autographs for the fans and answered various questions, but he only answered with a bitter smile to the question of why he turned his Instagram account to private and stopped SNS activities and vlogs.

It was an intentional act to be faithful to the role of an acquaintance who was caught up in the Alpha group who tried to harm Hwang Hae-kyung in Jeju last summer.

Lee Seok-jae knew very well how much his fans liked the Instagram account, which was no different from a communication channel with him. So, he also knew how angry the fans were when the article related to the incident came out and he made his Instagram private.

At the time, it was quick for the accounts and personal information of the Alphas who harmed Lee Yoon-san to start circulating. The fans knew Lee Seok-jae as a victim even though they didn’t know the details, and they thought that Lee Seok-jae was stopping external activities because of them, so the anger among them was fierce.

But that was last summer, and since it was necessary to remind the perpetrators once again at this point, he just replaced the answer with a pitiful, bitter smile. Even Lee Seok-jae judged that it was not easy to forgive trying to vent the anger he suffered from the same Alpha on the Omega next to him.

“Wow….”

As he entered the stadium where the open training was taking place, Lee Yoon-san, who was looking around the stadium from afar, caught his eye. Lee Seok-jae waved his hand at Lee Yoon-san from afar with a happy heart, and a volleyball flew towards Lee Seok-jae’s head and bounced off with a thud! sound.

“Ah, damn, which bastard…!”

“Train.”

It was Hwang Hae-kyung again this time. Hwang Hae-kyung looked at Lee Seok-jae in his uniform, looking bigger than when he was an active player, and Lee Seok-jae thought he was picking a fight, but he soon lost interest and began to focus on his own training. And one of the coaches gestured to Lee Seok-jae, who was left with a dazed expression.

“He told me not to acknowledge you. There are a lot of reporters.”

At the words that were poked at him after being called out, Lee Seok-jae’s expression loosened as if he had realized something he didn’t know.

Because there were so many reporters on the day of the open training, Hwang Hae-kyung seemed to be deliberately not even glancing at Lee Yoon-san and focusing only on training. In that situation, he had acknowledged Lee Yoon-san.

It was already an open secret online that there was someone Hwang Hae-kyung was meeting. Some of Lee Yoon-san’s department friends or undergraduate people knew that the person was Lee Yoon-san, but they didn’t seem to bother talking about it online.

Therefore, since Lee Yoon-san had never been openly revealed, Hwang Hae-kyung seemed to be a little cautious just for today.

Lee Seok-jae finally grasped all the situations and went back to the training ground and started greeting everyone. Just like he did to Lee Yoon-san just now. It seemed to be his own way of cleaning up the situation.

‘How did I come up with tactics and work together with that bastard…?’

Looking at Lee Seok-jae, Hwang Hae-kyung frowned and lamented.

“Is it really… okay to go in?”

“Yeah.”

After the open training, after the reporters and fans as well as other players had left, Hwang Hae-kyung, who had deliberately stayed behind, called Lee Yoon-san to the players’ waiting room. Since it was just a short day with only open training and not a game day, everyone was just changing clothes and leaving their luggage here today.

Therefore, the players’ waiting room was clean, and it was quickly emptied unlike during the game.

Lee Yoon-san opened the door to the players’ waiting room where Hwang Hae-kyung was sitting and hesitated, looking around, and finally, after seeing Hwang Hae-kyung, who couldn’t hold back his laughter at that sight, he stepped inside with an embarrassed expression. The wall with the mark of the Semyeong Foundation’s home stadium, Semyeong Gymnasium, and the spacious interior were just amazing to Lee Yoon-san.

He heard that this waiting room was only for visiting teams, and the players belonging to the Semyeong Foundation’s professional team had nameplates on the waiting room dedicated to the team. Lee Yoon-san recalled that fact and stared blankly at Hwang Hae-kyung in front of him.

He might have entered the professional team if nothing had happened. And if he had entered the professional team, there would have been a nameplate with his name on the waiting room he used.

It was just that Hwang Hae-kyung’s uniform looked so good on him today that he was even thinking about this. The Hwang Hae-kyung in uniform that he actually saw really looked like a professional player more than anyone else.

But Lee Yoon-san decided to just smile at Hwang Hae-kyung in front of him. He said that he had no regrets about the volleyball he had worked hard on, and he was a student who received quite good grades even at the school he was currently attending. He was just a person who worked hard on whatever he was given, whether he was playing volleyball or studying now.

“You really look like an active player.”

“Come closer.”

Lee Yoon-san took off the long padding he was wearing and Hwang Hae-kyung smiled and reached out his arm. He grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s wrist as he approached and sat him on his leg. Lee Yoon-san, who suddenly found himself sitting on Hwang Hae-kyung’s thigh, was horrified, but he didn’t let go.

“Is this taping?”

“Yeah. Injury prevention.”

Lee Yoon-san asked, holding and touching Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand, which was taped to protect his joints, and Hwang Hae-kyung answered, wrapping his arms around Lee Yoon-san’s back.

Very occasionally, Lee Yoon-san would forget that Hwang Hae-kyung was an athlete, and that was entirely Hwang Hae-kyung’s fault. He didn’t particularly flaunt or show off his athletic career, and even when he went to training recently, he just went like someone going to the gym.

He didn’t really talk about his muscles or joints, and even when he went to physical training during the semester, he would talk to Lee Yoon-san about school assignments, but he didn’t really talk about what happened during training.

He even hated bringing other Alphas’ Pheromone home, so he would take a shower, or if that wasn’t possible, he would take a shower as soon as he got home to wash away the Pheromone and sweat that had gotten on him in the same space.

So, for Lee Yoon-san, it was like seeing Hwang Hae-kyung as an athlete for the first time. Wasn’t it me, not him, who wore his Uniform at home?

Remembering that, he turned his head to look at Hwang Hae-kyung, and the Uniform that had been loose on me seemed to fit his body perfectly. The chest area was taut, and the fit below that was just enough to reveal his silhouette.

“But these pants are too…”

“Yeah.”

“Short… aren’t they?”

Then his gaze drifted down to Hwang Hae-kyung’s thighs. The pants looked light even when he saw them during training, but now that he was sitting like this, his thighs were clearly visible, and he felt displeased. And Hwang Hae-kyung, seeing Lee Yoon-san’s expression, burst out laughing again.

“Can’t you be more modest?”

“No, I know the clothes are light because of the movement.”

“Should I wear shorts inside?”

“……”

You didn’t wear them? This short? Lee Yoon-san’s eyes widened at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, and he made a rather stern face, so Hwang Hae-kyung lifted his pants a little to show him the inside. He said that there was no need to wear anything else because the pants had an internal net without separate underwear.

Only then did Lee Yoon-san realize that he was being teased, and Hwang Hae-kyung grabbed his face and kissed him all over. It was more like something you would do to a puppy than to a lover, so Lee Yoon-san didn’t let go of his sulky expression even as he received the frantic kisses.

“Hurry up and change… let’s go home.”

Lee Yoon-san said, pushing away Hwang Hae-kyung’s body, which was hugging him even tighter. The reason he came here in the first place was to go home with Hwang Hae-kyung after he changed his clothes.

But Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san even tighter and rubbed his forehead against his shoulder. As if he was being cute.

“Hurry up and change…”

“What will you do for me if I change quickly?”

“What do you mean, what will I do? Aren’t you going home?”

“Darling, why have you become so heartless?”

“……”

Lee Yoon-san’s ears turned a little red at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, who was calling him Darling even though he knew it was a joke.

Seeing him hugging me and acting cute, which he doesn’t usually do, it seemed like he was too lazy to move. Or maybe he wanted something. The public training session today was shorter and simpler than usual, so he couldn’t be tired. And when I looked at his expression, he didn’t look tired either.

Lee Yoon-san gently stroked Hwang Hae-kyung’s head, which was still hesitating, and opened his mouth again to appease him.

“Then what will I do for you if you win the All-Star Game?”

Then Hwang Hae-kyung’s head immediately snapped up. It seemed like he wanted something.

Lee Yoon-san swallowed his laughter at his subtly simple behavior and straightened his disheveled bangs. He was usually so neat, but it was strange how he looked strangely messy even if his bangs were just disheveled.

“Cheerleader Uniform… is for women, so it won’t work.”

Hwang Hae-kyung frowned at Lee Yoon-san’s words and pondered. Lee Yoon-san was sitting on his lap, watching him, and it seemed like he wanted to see a different side of him, since he was thinking about clothes.

“Cheerleader Uniform… I can wear that for you.”

If you want. Lee Yoon-san avoided his gaze, his face quite embarrassed even as he spoke.

“But I’m not particularly drawn to that outfit either.”

But Hwang Hae-kyung’s answer was quite unexpected.

Hwang Hae-kyung was still thinking about his wish even as he answered Lee Yoon-san, and his brow didn’t seem to relax. He wanted to see a different side of Lee Yoon-san if possible, but he was frustrated because he couldn’t think of anything suitable.

Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t feel much excitement about the cheerleader Uniform because he could see it if he went to the stadium. Of course, it would be different if Lee Yoon-san wore it, but he didn’t want to make him wear women’s clothes.

He wanted to put him in clothes that existed to look pretty and that would suit Lee Yoon-san when he wore them, and then admire him. There was no special reason. He was reminded of Lee Yoon-san, who couldn’t take his eyes off me whenever I wore a slightly different outfit, wore glasses, or just swept my hair back and fixed it, and I just wanted to do that too.

Just today, Lee Yoon-san can’t take his eyes off me in my Uniform.

“Ah.”

Then suddenly, he thought of clothes that fit the conditions. Clothes that would suit Lee Yoon-san and that existed only to look pretty.

“Did you think of something?”

“Wear the Uniform for me.”

“The… Uniform?”

“The one I got from working as a model.”

At Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, Lee Yoon-san remembered what he was talking about. He seemed to be talking about the navy blue suit that Hwang Hae-kyung wore on the night of the opening general meeting. But that suit was custom-made because there was no ready-made size that fit Hwang Hae-kyung, so wouldn’t I look ridiculous if I wore it?

“It won’t fit me…? I’ll look like I’m wearing someone else’s clothes.”

“You’ll look like you’re wearing your boyfriend’s clothes.”

“……”

“Even better.”

Hwang Hae-kyung smiled and finally let go of Lee Yoon-san. Lee Yoon-san frowned at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, but soon laughed in vain.

Rather, there was no reason to refuse because it wasn’t an unreasonable outfit to wear, like a cheerleader Uniform. Besides, didn’t my lover want to see it? Me in a suit and tie.

✧✧✧

The sky was clear on the day of the All-Star Game, and it didn’t even snow.

There were many people gathered in front of the gym, and the number of reporters was much higher than in previous years. Lee Yoon-san took Han Hyun-ho, who was looking around nervously, to the place he had promised to meet his friends, where he was able to join Kim Ji-hoo and Shin Soo-hyun.

However, when they entered the stadium, their seats were separated. Lee Yoon-san and Han Hyun-ho had tickets given by Hwang Hae-kyung, and Kim Ji-hoo and Shin Soo-hyun had tickets given by Lee Seok-jae, so they were in different sections.

However, what was questionable was that Kim Ji-hoo and Shin Soo-hyun, who had tickets from Lee Seok-jae, were in relatively private table seats, while Lee Yoon-san and Han Hyun-ho’s seats were only a little closer to the court and mixed in with other fans.

“Hey, wear a mask.”

Han Hyun-ho liked that he could cheer with the fans, but Lee Yoon-san was a little puzzled. He couldn’t help but be even more puzzled because Lee Ga-eun and Ahn Sun-mi were sitting in the VIP seats behind the press box.

Hwang Jun-won and Lee Jung-won, whose schedules were off due to work, were not able to attend, but the two mothers, who were able to make time, seemed to have received good seats.

Chapter

“Who is it that makes you look so happy?”

“My mom.”

“Oh? Then is that lady next to her your mother too?”

“No, that’s Hae-kyung’s mom.”

“Wow, damn!”

Lee Yoon-san was waving to his mom, who was visible far across the way, when Han Hyun-ho, who was listening next to him, jumped up from his seat and bowed deeply. Then, the two moms, visible in the distance, smiled brightly.

Lee Yoon-san chuckled at Han Hyun-ho’s behavior and put on the mask he had been given. Han Hyun-ho had advised him that it would be better to wear it in case his face was caught on the broadcast screen.

“Dude, I’m freaking nervous to be here live.”

“I just hope you don’t get hurt. You don’t have to win.”

“What are you talking about? Of course, Hyung’s team will win. Hae-kyung Hyung and Lee Seok-jae are on the same team, how could they lose? Looking at the opposing lineup, they’re just Alphas who played volleyball because they’re popular for their faces.”

Han Hyun-ho had enormous expectations for Hwang Hae-kyung even before the game started. Seeing him have some expectations for Lee Seok-jae, whom he didn’t usually think highly of, Yoon-san could feel how much he had been looking forward to this game.

Lee Yoon-san looked at Han Hyun-ho and then looked around. He heard that it took less than a minute for all the tickets for this 20,000-seat gymnasium to be sold out. That meant that there were that many people who had been waiting for today’s All-Star Game. And among them, there would be quite a few fans of Hwang Hae-kyung. Just like Han Hyun-ho sitting right next to him.

At this moment, Lee Yoon-san also existed as a fan of Hwang Hae-kyung. More than anything else, he liked that there were so many people cheering for him so enthusiastically. He was happy and proud that so many people recognized and supported Hwang Hae-kyung, who had worked so hard.

After seeing online posts that consumed Hwang Hae-kyung’s rumors and pointless nitpicking, seeing this scene in person made him feel even more overwhelmed. So Lee Yoon-san kept looking around and taking in the people who were cheering for Hwang Hae-kyung.

Soon, the inside of the gymnasium went dark and a VCR started playing. It was the moment when the main event began. Lee Yoon-san, who didn’t know much about the All-Star Game, was nervous because he thought the game was about to start, but the first event was a cheerleading performance.

And in the following player entrance sequence, he was finally able to see Hwang Hae-kyung. He entered with an indifferent expression and only smiled slightly after seeing the fans.

“Dude, I thought that was him really smiling.”

Han Hyun-ho leaned slightly towards Lee Yoon-san and spoke.

“I told you he doesn’t smile much. But when he looks at the audience, he smiles like that, so I thought he was good at fan service, but that’s just a polite smile.”

“Be quiet…”

“He doesn’t have that expression when he’s really smiling.”

Lee Yoon-san gritted his teeth at Han Hyun-ho’s words, which were full of teasing intent. Didn’t you say you didn’t want to hear about couple stuff? Lee Yoon-san looked at Han Hyun-ho with an expression containing that meaning, but he was too busy watching the stadium where the congratulatory performance had started to notice.

After a long official event, the main game of the All-Star Game finally seemed to be starting. Today’s game was a men’s volleyball game, and he had heard that the game to be held tomorrow was a women’s volleyball game in which Ham Se-jin would participate.

‘Come to think of it, I think Se-jin Noona asked me if I wanted her to send me a ticket. What did I say…?’

While Lee Yoon-san was lost in thought, the men’s game began. A unique point was that All-Star Games usually have a festive atmosphere in any sport, but this All-Star Game had a rather serious and fierce atmosphere as soon as the retired Alphas’ game began.

“Wow, crazy. Did you see that serve just now?”

As soon as the game started, Hwang Hae-kyung’s opposing team put in an aggressive serve. The serve, which was stabbed in quite quickly, was at the same level as the games of active players. The player who received it passed the ball to Hwang Hae-kyung, and it led directly to an attack. And Hwang Hae-kyung’s attack inevitably resulted in the first point.

The toss timing wasn’t great, but Hwang Hae-kyung used his high jump to catch the timing.

The audience cheered at the signal flare that took the lead from the beginning, and Hwang Hae-kyung glanced slightly at one spot in the audience without any ceremony and then focused on the game again. It was naturally the seat where Lee Yoon-san was sitting.

In the following game, Hwang Hae-kyung continued to play aggressively and offensively. However, there were service errors from the same team, and points were scored due to pushing in the continued game, so the game progressed relatively evenly.

“Ah, Chae Beom-hak was on that side.”

Listening to Han Hyun-ho’s lamenting words next to him, it seemed that there was a pretty good player on the opposing team as well. However, Lee Yoon-san didn’t know the player because he hadn’t played in the same game as Hwang Hae-kyung or was of a similar age. According to Han Hyun-ho, that player was five years senior to Hwang Hae-kyung, so he was a player who was active when Lee Yoon-san wasn’t interested in volleyball.

“How tall is Chae Beom-hak? He’s so good at blocking… Ugh, score!”

While Han Hyun-ho was talking, Hwang Hae-kyung slammed the ball with a quick attack, and it led directly to a score. Chae Beom-hak, who Han Hyun-ho mentioned, was so tall that attacks were often blocked, but Hwang Hae-kyung had good judgment in seeing empty spots and had excellent jumping ability to use most heights.

And that jumping ability was an advantage that a player with a well-established foundation and who put effort into physical training could have. It was a point where Hwang Hae-kyung’s efforts shone.

The continued game was more fun than expected. He didn’t know if it was because he had a team to cheer for, but when the opposing team made mistakes, Lee Yoon-san cheered without realizing it, and when the cheering team lost points, he quietly held his breath. Above all, the fact that his actions were buried because everyone around him was the same made Lee Yoon-san express himself.

“Hey, look. Hwang Hae-kyung’s specialty is quick attacks, quick attacks. He hits well from A to C.”

“Was that attack just now A?”

“No, the distance from the setter was a bit far. It must be B?”

Seeing the playing style that he had studied while watching Hwang Hae-kyung’s past games or moving images was a bit confusing in person. Above all, the speed at which the ball went back and forth was fast, and as such, the attack was made in an instant and led to scoring.

Therefore, Lee Yoon-san thought that it would be easier for Han Hyun-ho, who knew well, to explain it to him from the side. Above all, he was so busy chasing after Hwang Hae-kyung that he often missed the moments when other players gained and lost points.

Hwang Hae-kyung in the court looked free and quite confident. He also looked fierce and aggressive. What was clear was that it was an aggressive appearance that could not be seen in Hwang Hae-kyung’s usual self.

He didn’t scatter his expression focused on the ball for a single moment, and when he scored, he always turned his head and glanced at the seat where he was. Lee Yoon-san felt a little ticklish at that small action, and in fact, he liked seeing Hwang Hae-kyung’s appearance itself more than the content of the game.

The way he hit the ball strongly and the way he found empty spots and attacked in a fleeting moment looked sharp, and the way he looked detached and unshaken by scoring and losing points looked solid. It was an appearance that could not be seen in everyday life, so it was even more impressive and made him unable to take his eyes off him.

Also, it was nice to see a playful expression after making a fake motion for a time difference attack. Although it was a pity that he couldn’t see it from a very close position, he was glad that he could still distinguish that much of his expression.

Above all, he enjoyed being able to cheer and cheer with Hwang Hae-kyung’s fans. He wouldn’t have been able to respond this much in a private area or a VIP area with acquaintances.

“It’s really… faster and rougher than I saw in the video.”

“Right? It’s much more fun to see in person, right?”

Hwang Hae-kyung on the court moved roughly and quickly and used his strength strongly. The arms and shoulders that swung greatly, as well as the muscles that moved every time he jumped, were combative and purely visceral.

The sharp expression that read the opposing team’s numbers, the movement that kicked off and stepped on the court, and the power that hit the ball so hard that it seemed to explode were all unfamiliar to Lee Yoon-san.

But that’s why he couldn’t take his eyes off him even more. The fierce and aggressive appearance that he couldn’t see in his kind self in everyday life was unfolding before his eyes.

The game continued for a long time, and the scores gradually widened. The opposing team’s defense was so good that the game, which had been progressing relatively evenly in the beginning, leaned towards Hwang Hae-kyung’s team as it went into the second half. It was, in a way, a predictable result since a team with a strong defense and a team with a strong attack were facing off.

And when the final whistle signaling the end of the game was blown, Hwang Hae-kyung’s team took the victory with a fairly large gap.

Lee Yoon-san and Han Hyun-ho cheered at that, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who hadn’t done any ceremony throughout the game, finally looked at the audience where Lee Yoon-san was and smiled brightly, bending and stretching a V over his head. It was the Bunny ear ceremony he used to do often in high school.

The first love he couldn’t see up close, the very signal he sent to Lee Yoon-san.

“Dude, crazy, he’s doing that thing he used to do, now.”

Han Hyun-ho chuckled at Hwang Hae-kyung’s motion and gave him a thumbs up as if he felt relieved. The others in the audience were also busy cheering while looking at Hwang Hae-kyung.

And the following sequence was closer to an event for fan service. The players greeted each other by team, then bowed to the audience, and then took out one ball each from the ball cart that had entered the stadium. And they started signing the balls with magic pens they received from the staff.

Hwang Hae-kyung also picked up a ball that wasn’t too inflated and scribbled something on it, but it seemed that he was holding the ball and writing for a longer time than the other players. In the meantime, the other players looked around the audience with their signed balls, and Lee Seok-jae’s eyes met Lee Yoon-san’s. Strictly speaking, it was closer to Lee Seok-jae knowing Lee Yoon-san’s location and deliberately looking at him.

Anyway, he smiled mischievously when his eyes met Lee Yoon-san and aimed his ball at Lee Yoon-san. And he threw the ball with a high arc as if to say, “Catch it well,” but surprisingly, as soon as that ball floated into the air, another ball quickly flew in from the side and smacked Lee Seok-jae’s signed ball, which was floating in the air, to the side.

The eyes of the people in the audience widened at the spectacle close to a rare feat, and cheers mixed with admiration erupted.

On the other hand, Lee Seok-jae, whose signed ball had been removed in the air, was busy laughing while holding his stomach. Hwang Hae-kyung was standing there with a cold expression, holding a ball under his arm, where he was looking while laughing.

“Ah, Hwang, you crazy bastard, what’s wrong with your aim!”

The person who took out the signed ball that Lee Seok-jae threw at Lee Yoon-san in the air was Hwang Hae-kyung. People seemed flustered by the sudden spectacle ball show, but soon they laughed and talked together after seeing Lee Seok-jae’s laughter. It was a moment when the atmosphere of the audience changed like a festival due to the strange prank of the young players.

In the meantime, only Hwang Hae-kyung was detached from the atmosphere and headed towards the audience where Lee Yoon-san was.

At that moment, Lee Yoon-san thought that he was glad he had worn the mask that Han Hyun-ho had given him.

Because Hwang Hae-kyung’s signed ball, which was thrown with a whoosh, landed on Lee Yoon-san. To Han Hyun-ho and Lee Yoon-san, who knew the situation, it was clearly a ball thrown with a designated target, but to the fans in the same area, it seemed that he had just thrown the ball to where his fans were. Like the others who received signed balls, Lee Yoon-san also received congratulations from the surrounding audience. It was a fortunate thing.

Lee Yoon-san made eye contact with Hwang Hae-kyung on the court while receiving envious cheers and applause from the surroundings. In his eyes, which were peeking out over the mask, there was already a lot of laughter that couldn’t hide his joy, so as soon as their eyes met, Hwang Hae-kyung also smiled as if he was a little embarrassed.

It was a fleeting moment, but it was a moment when only the two of them were visible to each other.

“Dude, I’m jealous. He was writing something really long earlier, did he write a note or something?”

Han Hyun-ho also congratulated Lee Yoon-san, who received the signed ball, and stretched his neck to see the ball he was holding. And he showed a surprised expression, because there was no signature or letter on the ball that Hwang Hae-kyung had been scribbling on for so long with a black magic pen.

“…Rabbit?”

What was drawn on the ball that Hwang Hae-kyung threw was a rabbit painted in black. It had both ears perked up like the number 11 on the back of the uniform Hwang Hae-kyung was currently wearing.

Only then did Lee Yoon-san realize why Hwang Hae-kyung had given him a ticket for this area. Signed balls are for fan service, so they are usually thrown to areas with many general fans rather than VIP seats and table seats where many people come by invitation of acquaintances. So perhaps this seat was a choice considering this very moment.

Of course, due to Lee Yoon-san’s personality, he also enjoyed watching the game more pleasantly while being buried in the cheers and applause of other people in the same area.

Lee Yoon-san smiled brightly as he looked at the rabbit ball in his hand. It was because he remembered his appearance of being anxious because he couldn’t go to see Hwang Hae-kyung’s game sometime in the past.

Despite having had such days, he was facing such a day. And when he slowly raised his head, he saw Hwang Hae-kyung standing on the court and looking at him. He looked more wonderful than when he was an active player, and his expression, which was looking at him as if checking his expression, was lovely.

He was probably a little nervous until he saw Lee Yoon-san’s reaction after throwing the ball. He was worried that Lee Yoon-san might be embarrassed or uncomfortable because of his actions.

He finally smiled as if relieved after seeing his lover’s smile. This time, it was a very cool and clear smile with happiness and playfulness rather than embarrassment.

Therefore, Lee Yoon-san thought. He thought that this moment would also remain as a moment that he would never forget in his life.

Just like the many moments with Hwang Hae-kyung, who he had been with since he was young.

✧✧✧

On the night the All-Star Game ended, Lee Yoon-san finally kept his promise to Hwang Hae-kyung.

He waited for Hwang Hae-kyung while wearing the Uniform from Hwang Jun-won’s company that he had mentioned, but he had to worry for a while because the pants that were too long looked too shabby. If he wore them, he looked too uncool, and if he didn’t wear them, it looked strange that he only didn’t wear the pants.

But Lee Yoon-san’s worries didn’t last long, because Hwang Hae-kyung, who had brushed off a company dinner and returned, burst in while he was taking off his pants in an awkward posture and worrying.

Hwang Hae-kyung had a blank expression for a moment at the sight of Lee Yoon-san as soon as he opened the bedroom door. It was because Lee Yoon-san, who was wearing the top well with a tie, was without pants. Therefore, Lee Yoon-san was tormented for a long time by Hwang Hae-kyung, who rushed at him on the spot, and he couldn’t get out of bed until the Uniform shirt he was wearing was all wet.

Until the dark sky brightened and a bright red sunset rose again.

Side Story End.

Summer at 21 & 22 years old

“You’re fired as of today, son.”

“……”

He had a rabbit to take care of at home, but he was fired. Hwang Hae-kyung swallowed the resentment that was rising at his father’s notice and rubbed his face roughly. Of course, that didn’t calm down the boiling unfairness.

It was Hwang Jun-won, Hwang Hae-kyung’s father, who first proposed the security guard part-time job at his company to Hwang Hae-kyung and his Alpha friends who were on summer vacation at the age of 22. Of course, it wasn’t a professional security guard job, and it was only a short-term part-time job that could be put in with only simple training.

It was a job suitable for Alphas who enjoyed moving their bodies because it was a job where they only had to follow simple instructions without using their heads and use their bodies on the spot. As a result, there were many Alphas who applied for security guard part-time jobs at Hwang Jun-won’s company every year, but Hwang Jun-won had left the part-time job positions empty for his son and his friends this year.

The main reason was extremely personal.

‘I don’t know what to do because our Yoon-san keeps losing weight. He even had a nosebleed the other day…. I was worried that he wouldn’t gain weight when he was young, but now Ga-eun is so upset that he doesn’t gain weight. He’s only twenty-one years old, but should I schedule a health checkup?’

‘…He had a nosebleed? Yoon-san did?’

‘Yes. Even though Hae-kyung seems to be taking good care of him. Hae-kyung sent me a picture of them eating meat yesterday….’

‘…You’re in contact with Hwang Hae-kyung?’

‘I do it once or twice a day. It’s nothing special, Hae-kyung sends me pictures of what he ate. Ga-eun is very worried about food because the kids live separately and buy their own food. How much would kids in their early twenties cook when they go out and buy their own food?’

‘…Hwang Hae-kyung is sending pictures? Taking pictures of what he ate?’

‘That’s what I’m saying? He’s Hae-kyung’s father, why are you so surprised? Like you don’t know Hae-kyung’s sweet personality?’

‘…….’

He didn’t know. Hwang Jun-won didn’t know his son’s personality was that affectionate.

That day, he met Lee Yoon-san’s mother, Lee Jung-won, for an investment-related meeting, and it was also the day he learned that Hwang Hae-kyung, who barely exchanged survival updates with his biological father, was already acting like an affectionate son-in-law to Lee Yoon-san’s parents.

It was also the day he felt an unknown sense of guilt,

‘Anyway, Yoon-san is looking weak, so I’m worried. Should I change his vitamins…? What do you feed Hae-kyung?’

‘…What do I feed him? He’s not a kid, he’s all grown up. He’ll buy good stuff for himself.’

‘I know that. But still, he’s living away from home, so aren’t you worried? We weren’t like this when we lived with Yoon-san. We figured he’d eat properly since he was at home.’

Hwang Jun-won somewhat agreed with Lee Jung-won’s concern for her son, but he couldn’t ignore the cold sweat running down his back. Even if Lee Jung-won said that, she couldn’t be completely unaware of what Lee Yoon-san’s weakened condition meant.

And Hwang Jun-won felt the same way. Neither Lee Jung-won nor Hwang Jun-won himself could be ignorant of the issue, being Alphas. They already knew what it meant for an Alpha and an Omega in their prime to live almost as if they were in the same house.

Compared to Hwang Hae-kyung, who was becoming more radiant day by day, what could be the reason for Lee Yoon-san’s weight loss and declining energy? They lived in the same environment, and it wasn’t like Hwang Hae-kyung was only starving Lee Yoon-san.

No matter how much Lee Yoon-san was a twenty-one-year-old man, and even if Omegas had good basic stamina, his son was an Alpha who had been exercising for a long time. Besides, Hwang Hae-kyung had already tried to leave the hospital where he was hospitalized several times to be with Lee Yoon-san, hadn’t he? He was his son, but he couldn’t tell if the guy was patient or not.

Therefore, Hwang Jun-won couldn’t help but feel a chill down his spine at his son’s vigor and the resulting backlash, and eventually, he voluntarily called his son and his friends at the same time as the end of the semester at the university.

It was a decision made because he thought Lee Yoon-san wouldn’t last if he left them alone together again during the vacation. To give his overly energetic son another excuse to release his energy. Of course, he couldn’t say he didn’t have the thought that it would be good if Hwang Hae-kyung could experience various tasks from the ground up in preparation for the day when he would inherit his business in the distant future.

Anyway, it was a security guard job that was forced on them to some extent, but their working days didn’t last long, and today it led to dismissal.

“Severance pay.”

“What severance pay after working for three days? Do you have a conscience or not, son.”

“It’s a unilateral dismissal. Aren’t you afraid of the Ministry of Employment and Labor?”

“What did Lee Jung-won see in that guy to call him sweet, seriously….”

Even though he only entrusted them with security for events with a high age range or quiet apartment complexes, photos of Hwang Hae-kyung, Ham Se-jin, and Lee Seok-jae began to appear on social media. Cases where people called the company’s call center and specifically requested the three Alphas for security, as if they were designating hosts at a host bar, were the better ones.

It was useless no matter how much he dispersed them. Hwang Hae-kyung and Ham Se-jin had recognition even among the elderly thanks to their good performance as national athletes, and Lee Seok-jae also stood out wherever he was placed due to his experience of actively filming SNS and vlogs and his personality of enjoying attention.

The people who were supposed to be providing security were instead attracting people’s attention and causing chaos at the scene, what could be more absurd than this?

Therefore, Hwang Jun-won eventually had to raise both hands first. By giving notice of dismissal to his directly hired son and his son’s friends.

“The team in charge will have contacted Se-jin and Seok-jae, and the part-time pay will be deposited this week as a daily wage and overtime pay. A kind of dismissal notice allowance.”

It was a way of saying that he would give them more pocket money as compensation for the sudden dismissal. Ham Se-jin and Lee Seok-jae weren’t in dire need of pocket money, but they would be happy to get more money. It was frustrating that the vacation schedule they had filled with part-time jobs was suddenly empty.

“How’s, Yoon-san doing? Is the semester over?”

“It is.”

After hearing the notice about the allowance, Hwang Jun-won scratched his cheek and asked his son, who was preparing to leave without any regrets. He had always been curious about the child he had adored since he was young, but he was also cautious because he was the person his son was dating.

Unlike his son, who had become taciturn and large since he had grown up to some extent, Hwang Jun-won found the other person’s son, who was still gentle and affectionate, so adorable. Moreover, after learning that Hwang Hae-kyung had managed to sort out and overcome the difficult times after dating Lee Yoon-san, Lee Yoon-san was like a benefactor to Hwang Jun-won and his wife.

“When Yoon-san has time, come home for dinner or….”

So, he was about to make a dinner appointment while he was at it, but Hwang Hae-kyung’s phone vibration interrupted the conversation. As soon as Hwang Hae-kyung saw the name on his phone screen, he pressed the call button without hesitation, and Hwang Jun-won stopped talking and let out a light sigh at his son’s attitude.

It was obvious who the other person was, since he was confidently answering the phone in the President’s office.

“Hey, Yoon-san.”

― Hae-kyung, I’m….

But as soon as he answered the phone, Lee Yoon-san’s voice sounded stiff, and Hwang Hae-kyung’s expression quickly hardened.

✧✧✧

“Two weeks…?”

“Yeah. It’s her first pregnancy, so she must be flustered.”

Hwang Hae-kyung, who had rushed to Lee Yoon-san’s family home after receiving a stiff and nervous phone call, couldn’t hide his bewildered expression and just stared at the situation unfolding before him.

“What is this….”

“Hae-kyung, you’re here?”

Lee Ga-eun and Lee Yoon-san were sitting in the living room of Lee Yoon-san’s family home, and white, glutinous rice cake-like creatures were scattered all over in front of them.

“Aren’t they cute? They’re two weeks old.”

Even to Hwang Hae-kyung, who didn’t know much about animals, they were puppies that hadn’t been born long ago.

The puppies, who seemed to have just opened their eyes, looked much more immature than the puppies he had seen in photos or media, and there were many of them. Perhaps that was why Hwang Hae-kyung thought they looked more like rats than puppies.

Moreover, the many puppies were lying all around Lee Yoon-san, so he couldn’t move a step from where he stood in the living room, and he had a bewildered expression.

“The mother dog was sick, so they were born by C-section.”

The story was that when Lee Ga-eun and her husband visited Jeju Island a while ago, a dog that had been wandering around the area was found collapsed in the couple’s garden by the caretaker. It wasn’t unusual. There were many abandoned dogs and stray dogs in Jeju.

But when they looked closely, they saw that it was in bad condition, whether it was from a traffic accident or from stray dogs in the area, and as a result of taking it to the animal hospital with Hwang Hae-kyung’s mother, Ahn Sun-mi, who happened to be in Jeju, they found out that the dog was pregnant.

There was no objection to immediately delivering the puppies by C-section due to the mother dog’s serious condition and operating on the severely injured area, but the problem was that the mother dog seemed to be giving birth for the first time, so she didn’t have the energy or interest to take care of the puppies born by C-section. In addition, she was infected with the parvo virus, which was dangerous for the puppies and would take time to treat the mother dog.

So, when Lee Ga-eun and her husband returned to Seoul, they brought the puppies with them for the time being, and Ahn Sun-mi, who remained in Jeju, decided to take care of the mother dog who was hospitalized in the animal hospital.

“The mother dog has passed the critical point.”

“I think they’ll raise her at Hae-kyung’s family home when she’s all better?”

Hwang Hae-kyung agreed with Lee Yoon-san and Lee Ga-eun’s words and washed his hands before returning.

He hadn’t heard anything from his father, who he had been with until just now, but if the mother dog was in critical condition, his mother would likely ask his father for his opinion only when the dog’s condition stabilized, given her personality.

Above all, they had consistently expressed their intention to adopt a pet after their son’s independence, so it wouldn’t be strange if they said they would take in a dog that had suddenly rolled in.

So, Hwang Hae-kyung could easily understand the current situation. The sick mother dog was being treated, and she didn’t have the energy to take care of her puppies, so they brought them all the way to Seoul. Up to this point, there was nothing wrong with the situation.

Squeak, whine….

However, what he couldn’t understand was that the six puppies were moving their short legs, which didn’t have much strength, and kept crawling around Lee Yoon-san.

“Is it because of Yoon-san’s Pheromone?”

Our son’s Pheromone is so soft and cozy, right? Lee Ga-eun added, looking at the puppies crawling around her son, and at her words, Lee Yoon-san smiled quietly and looked up at Hwang Hae-kyung.

“Hae-kyung, can we….”

“Yeah.”

“Take care of them?”

It was an event that happened with the start of the summer vacation, when the entire vacation schedule was suddenly empty.

✧✧✧

Hwang Hae-kyung had originally planned to spend half of this summer vacation working part-time and the other half traveling with Lee Yoon-san. Lee Yoon-san was also considering going to a cram school or working part-time to match Hwang Hae-kyung’s schedule, but unfortunately, that plan was completely canceled for this vacation.

Because of the six puppies that had suddenly appeared.

“They’re really small….”

“They said to feed them every three hours, right?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Yoon-san answered, unable to take his eyes off the puppies wrapped in blankets in a large basket that wasn’t even a carrier, and Hwang Hae-kyung checked Lee Yoon-san’s seat belt once more before starting the car. Then, the six puppies in the basket began to wriggle and crawl around with their short legs. Lee Yoon-san gently released his Pheromone, worried that the puppies might get carsick.

The puppies were said to be two weeks old, but they were only ten days old, so most of them couldn’t even open their eyes properly. In addition, even among the ones with pure white fur, there were some with dark gray fur on their backs, so it was impossible to tell what breed they were.

In fact, in Hwang Hae-kyung’s eyes, who didn’t know much about dogs, the thought that dominated him before he could even distinguish the breed was, ‘Will that really become a dog when it grows up?’

“The mother dog is a Baekgu. A white Jindo dog.”

“Is the mother dog also a puppy?”

“Yeah. She’s young too. Two years old?”

In the end, it was decided that the temporary shelter for the six puppies would be Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san’s house. It was true that they needed someone to stay with them and take care of them because they were very young puppies, and it was because Hwang Hae-kyung’s dismissal had created a suitable person. Lee Yoon-san’s parents also couldn’t be completely free from commuting to work, so the two of them with free time had the best conditions. Of course, the biggest reason was that Lee Yoon-san’s eyes lit up when he saw the puppies.

The young puppies seemed to follow Lee Yoon-san. The puppies, who couldn’t even open their eyes properly, seemed to feel Lee Yoon-san’s soft Pheromone like their mother’s embrace, and they kept wriggling after the scent, and if they were even a little bit away, they would whine and look for Lee Yoon-san.

And Lee Yoon-san couldn’t take his eyes off those puppies.

“They’re so cute….”

Given the situation, Hwang Hae-kyung had no intention of ignoring the puppies. He stopped the car at the signal and looked at Lee Yoon-san, who was sitting next to him. He found it funny and cute to see Lee Yoon-san staring blankly at the puppies, who hadn’t even fully developed into dogs yet.

His cheeks were as red as ripe plums, his eyes were pouring attention on the puppies, his mouth was open in a concentrated triangular shape, and the smile that he didn’t even realize he had was captivating Hwang Hae-kyung. It was the first time he had seen Lee Yoon-san looking at something with that face. For example, looking after something with such a doting and adoring expression.

“Yoon-san.”

“Huh…?”

Perhaps because he was so engrossed in looking at the puppies, Lee Yoon-san only gave a blank answer when he called him. Hwang Hae-kyung stroked the back of Lee Yoon-san’s head once and started the car as the signal changed.

“Why, Hae-kyung?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

The corners of his lips lifted slightly at the unknown tickling sensation. It seemed that Lee Yoon-san still didn’t know that the way he was muttering that the puppies were cute was no different from the way Hwang Hae-kyung usually looked at him.

If you live with them, you’ll understand how I feel. Hwang Hae-kyung swallowed those words and drove the car a little more carefully than usual.

“It hasn’t been three hours yet, right?”

“Yeah.”

As soon as they arrived home, Lee Yoon-san found cushions, mats, and blankets for the puppies to use and made a place for them near the living room sofa. Hwang Hae-kyung ordered dog pads and a small fence through dawn delivery, and the two of them could finally take a breather after putting the puppies together in one place.

“Maybe it’s because they’re babies, but they sleep a lot.”

“That’s a relief, I guess.”

Hwang Hae-kyung hugged Lee Yoon-san, who had just washed up and was warm, from behind and headed to the sofa. Lee Yoon-san stumbled along with the slow, awkward steps, so Hwang Hae-kyung pushed his feet under Lee Yoon-san’s feet. Then, Lee Yoon-san ended up standing on Hwang Hae-kyung’s instep, and the two of them laughed playfully and safely landed on the sofa.

“We’re going to be busy raising these guys this vacation.”

“Raising them? They’re just sleeping all the time.”

“Still, there are six of them….”

Lee Yoon-san seemed secretly happy about the news of Hwang Hae-kyung’s dismissal.

Seeing Hwang Hae-kyung start working part-time as soon as the vacation started due to Hwang Jun-won’s call, Lee Yoon-san had also thought about going to a cram school or working part-time to spend his time in his own way, but he was still disappointed that he was missing the opportunity to be together all day.

No matter how much they had matched their exchange classes, they were originally in different schools, and recently, they had been struggling with exams until the end of the semester, so they rarely had the opportunity to spend a long time together. Of course, they stayed together all day when they were at home, but it was still not enough.

“…Hae-kyung, are you going to look for another part-time job?”

Still, he asked cautiously, looking at him, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who was hugging Lee Yoon-san from behind, rubbed his forehead against his dry shoulder and denied it.

“No.”

Then, a short sigh of relief and a smile burst out of Lee Yoon-san’s mouth, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who noticed the sign, patted Lee Yoon-san’s stomach with his large hand and added.

“I’m going to play with my younger sibling all vacation.”

I have a younger sibling who’s sulking because I didn’t play with them when they were young. At Hwang Hae-kyung’s additional words, Lee Yoon-san protested in a sulky voice, ‘I’m not that petty!’ but it was no use. Hwang Hae-kyung hugged him tightly and teased him, and Lee Yoon-san eventually burst out laughing, and the two of them spent a lazy time rolling around on the sofa for a long time with the sleeping puppies in front of them.

Even in the midst of all that, they thought that the puppies who were sleeping together without waking up were very gentle and comfortable. Of course, it was a luxury that was possible because the young lovers who had entered the prelude to childcare didn’t know that their thoughts were just naive misconceptions.

✧✧✧

“Ugh… Hae-kyung, wait a minute…!”

“You’ve been walking around with your sleeves rolled up all the way here?”

“Yeah, it’s hot…, wai….”

Lee Yoon-san hadn’t done much outdoor activity in particular, but he had been studying for exams on the cafe terrace with his classmates or walking around campus, and he had rolled up his short sleeves to his shoulders whenever it was hot, so only that part was tanned.

Hwang Hae-kyung took off Lee Yoon-san’s top and stared intently at the already quite clear tanning line, and slowly scanned the different skin color with his eyes, starting from the covered area. The lower body was still not tanned by the sun, but since Lee Yoon-san liked to play in the water, he would have a swimsuit line bordered by the length of his short shorts just by going to the beach or water park once or twice.

Just last year, he had appeared with his legs tanned coffee-colored because he had swam a little in the Jeju sea before meeting him, hadn’t he?

Hwang Hae-kyung stared at Lee Yoon-san’s body, which had clear traces of the sun, and clenched his jaw so that his masseter muscles stood out. Lee Yoon-san’s skin, which showed the exposed areas as they were, was close to a stimulant that stimulated Hwang Hae-kyung’s peripheral nerves in many ways.

“Hng, ugh….”

Hwang Hae-kyung focused on touching Lee Yoon-san’s skin, no matter what Lee Yoon-san said. He ran his palm over the latte-colored arms and part of his shoulders, already tanned, then grasped the coral-pink nipples of his tan chest before kissing Lee Yoon-san again.

He stole kisses from Lee Yoon-san’s lips, which were thoroughly wet from his repeated teasing. As he ran his tongue over the obediently parting mouth and stroked the smooth skin, the body beneath him twitched slightly, as if ticklish. At the same time, Hwang Hae-kyung’s lower body, pressed close, rubbed against him, and he felt the full weight of his thickly aroused penis. Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone burst out at that very moment.

“Ah…”

“I was thinking this last year too, Yoon-san.”

“Ugh…”

“Your swimsuit is too short.”

Last year, only your butt was white, you know. Hwang Hae-kyung whispered playfully before kissing him deeply again. It was something Lee Yoon-san had said about his uniform once, and it also reminded him that Lee Yoon-san’s coffee-colored skin had stopped just below his butt last year. The darkened skin, as if he were wearing stockings, was closer to the height of underwear.

Lee Yoon-san pushed Hwang Hae-kyung’s shoulder to protest, but unlike usual, he didn’t budge easily. Instead, Hwang Hae-kyung tilted his head and pushed his tongue in even deeper, causing Lee Yoon-san’s brow to furrow slightly.

He realized a beat late that it was another teasing remark.

“Ugh, ughm…!”

Lee Yoon-san made a noise in his throat as all his panting breath was stolen, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t release his lips, even as he raised the corners of his mouth. He stroked Lee Yoon-san’s smooth skin with his large hand and immediately lifted his pants and underwear band, delving inside.

The tips of his closely trimmed nails groped at Lee Yoon-san’s smooth pubic area and gripped his erect penis, causing Lee Yoon-san’s melting body to tense up for a moment. Despite having slept together countless times, Lee Yoon-san was always conscious and embarrassed at the first touch.

“Lift your arms.”

“Ugh… no…”

“Why not?”

“You’re going to… bite me there again.”

Hwang Hae-kyung licked the inside of his cheek and released his lips, and Lee Yoon-san folded his arms and stuck them to his torso defensively. No matter how much he washed, it was still embarrassing and shameful for Hwang Hae-kyung to bite and suck on his armpits.

Of course, when he actually put his mouth on it and sucked on the thin skin or nibbled at it, a contradictory excitement would rise, but it was still a difficult area in the summer. Because the sleeves were short, bite marks or bruises from sucking could be seen when he lifted his arms or rolled up his sleeves.

So he strained his arms to avoid giving up his armpits, and Hwang Hae-kyung, looking down at his struggling, chuckled softly.

“I won’t bite.”

Then, in a low voice, he made a promise, poking the spot where his arm and torso met with the tip of his nose. The sight of him like a big dog climbing on top and sniffing made Lee Yoon-san unconsciously stroke Hwang Hae-kyung’s dark brown hair.

“Really…?”

“Yeah. Promise.”

As he rubbed and burrowed into the part where his chest and armpit connected, the feeling tickled, and laughter mixed into Lee Yoon-san’s voice. At the same time, the strength in his arms gradually relaxed, and Hwang Hae-kyung lifted one of Lee Yoon-san’s arms with a very casual and gentle touch, so as not to reveal his dark intentions.

He pressed the lean arm onto the bed and kissed the smooth, exposed armpit, creating a shallow mound. Then, the Pheromone scent secreted from that specific area intensified, and a soft sensation enveloped his entire body.

Lee Yoon-san was worried about body odor, but Hwang Hae-kyung was always disappointed that this place only smelled soft. It was an unavoidable problem since it was where Pheromones came from, but he always hoped for a unique body odor whenever he put his nose to the folds of Lee Yoon-san’s skin. Even the scent of his skin, which he could only occasionally smell inside his underwear, was always fainter than the scent of body wash, making him anxious.

Again, he swallowed the saliva that burst from the inside of his jaw with similar disappointment. He said he wouldn’t bite, but he didn’t say he wouldn’t suck, so he opened his mouth wide to swallow the exposed area in one bite, when—

Ding! Ding!

A short alarm echoed through the air in succession.

“……”

“…Nursing…”

It was an alarm set to remind them of artificial feeding times every three hours.

Lee Yoon-san only rolled his eyes and looked at him at the continuously ringing alarm, and Hwang Hae-kyung, who had been stiffly staring at the phone, frowned briefly. He knew he had to get up immediately, turn off the alarm, and go to the little ones gathered in the living room, but it wasn’t easy to leave Lee Yoon-san lying beneath him.

The rabbit even lifted his arms for me. Hwang Hae-kyung clenched his jaw as he thought that, and Lee Yoon-san, who had been watching him, slowly folded his arms and tapped his lover’s shoulder to get his attention.

“I’ll go give it to them.”

“No.”

I’ll feed them, so you sleep. Hwang Hae-kyung said that and stood up, lifting his body that wouldn’t leave Lee Yoon-san. It was already past one in the morning, and by the time he finished artificially feeding six puppies and came back, more time would have passed.

Having experienced it with Lee Yoon-san during the day, it wasn’t just about feeding. Because they were very young puppies, they had to be burped after feeding, and their bowel movements had to be stimulated and taken care of to finish one meal.

“Still.”

“Just sleep first. Don’t get up.”

Hwang Hae-kyung said as he put on the top he had taken off and thrown aside, and Lee Yoon-san, who had sat up, repeatedly suggested that they do it together. But Hwang Hae-kyung laid Lee Yoon-san back down and carefully covered him with a blanket before getting up from the bed.

During the day, while watching the video and feeding them, Lee Yoon-san did most of the work. He carefully held each puppy as if he were their real father and fed them the puppy formula that Hwang Hae-kyung had prepared, stroking their backs. Even while inducing burps, he used his soft Pheromone to envelop the puppies and spend time with them.

He didn’t want to force Lee Yoon-san out of bed, as he had already taken care of six puppies with the clumsy hands of a young and inexperienced caregiver, and it was already late.

“Can you do it alone?”

There are six of them? Hwang Hae-kyung kissed Lee Yoon-san’s lips, as if asking that, and nodded with a smile. He seemed very worried that Hwang Hae-kyung would struggle with the puppies, who would whine and move around without his Pheromone.

“Good night, Yoon-san.”

Hwang Hae-kyung closed Lee Yoon-san’s eyes and left the bedroom with heavy steps, closing the door very quietly. And when he went out to the living room, he saw six pale little ones scattered around, struggling.

“You’ve come a long way.”

The puppies, who now barely had cocoa-colored noses, whined and wriggled incessantly.

Hwang Hae-kyung picked up the puppies, one by one, scattered in all directions and walked to the sofa. He had laid a blanket on the space in front of the sofa and made a wall with cushions to gather the puppies, but most of them had already escaped the blanket and even the rug, he didn’t know when they had started moving.

They must have been desperately searching for Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone, whining all the while.

“Don’t do anything useless and just eat.”

He knew theoretically that animals with Jacobson’s organs could smell the Pheromones of Alphas and Omegas, but he was surprised at the extent of it. Come to think of it, Lee Yoon-san was quite popular with animals.

It was rare for him to openly emit Pheromones, but when he went outside with even a slight hint of his soft Pheromone, dogs on walks would come up and sniff him, or stray cats would come and rub against his legs.

As someone who reacted to the same Pheromones, Hwang Hae-kyung had never found the sight particularly strange, but today it felt a little new. The puppies, separated from their mother and having difficulty regulating their body temperature, seemed to be even more obsessed with Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone, which felt like a warm embrace.

“…You guys have a different mom.”

Hwang Hae-kyung muttered as he watched the puppies trying to escape again from the gathered blanket and chuckled. And when he released a little of his Pheromone, the puppies began to huddle together, as if feeling the cold Pheromone like the dawn air.

The sight of them pushing through the blanket with their plump bellies, wiggling their short legs, and huddling together was quite cute even to Hwang Hae-kyung. He checked the number of puppies huddled together, as if they had never tried to escape, and headed to the kitchen.

He took the formula container and bottles that occupied one side of the kitchen island, mixed hot and cold water from the water purifier, and awkwardly checked the temperature by dropping it on the inside of his wrist. He was filled with a strange feeling throughout the process.

‘…But are they sons or daughters?’

However, what was clear was that Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t dislike that feeling at all.

And exactly thirty minutes later, the bedroom door opened slightly, and Lee Yoon-san peeked out. Hwang Hae-kyung had told him to just sleep, but it was hard to ignore the puppies who kept whining without his Pheromone. Besides, he didn’t want Hwang Hae-kyung to suffer alone while he rested, so he opened the door with the excuse that he was ‘lying down but couldn’t sleep.’ It was a time that Hwang Hae-kyung would likely understand.

And as soon as he went out to the living room, he burst out laughing at the sight that caught his eye.

“You can’t even walk, but where are you trying to go?”

Hwang Hae-kyung, holding a puppy the size of a rice ball in his big hand and awkwardly stroking its back with his fingers while counting the number of puppies on the blanket with his eyes, looked somewhat awkward and distracted, but it was a clumsy sight that Lee Yoon-san was seeing for the first time, so it was funny and cute.

“Stop moving before I release my Pheromone.”

Stop looking for Yoon-san. He’s sleeping. Hwang Hae-kyung was faithfully performing his assigned task, threatening the puppies who kept whining and going out of the blanket, but it was just a threat. And the sight was simply lovely to Lee Yoon-san.

✧✧✧

A week later, the puppies had fully opened their eyes.

“Only this one has a different eye color…!”

“That’s true.”

The eyes, which had been closed and unable to open properly, opened as small as buttonholes, and from over two weeks old, they gradually grew larger. Of course, to Hwang Hae-kyung, the small ears still seemed more like vestigial organs than functional ears, but it wasn’t a particularly important issue.

“Husky? Is the dad a husky? If the eye color is like this, it’s not a purebred Jindo, right?”

“I don’t know…”

“Hae-kyung, you shouldn’t hold the baby like you’re juggling.”

The six puppies with their opened eyes seemed to have black eyes at first glance, but when you looked closely, they had eyes closer to a bluish color mixed with gray. However, only one of them had eyes closer to black mixed with brown, which was a very unexpected probability when considering the mother dog with dark brown eyes.

So he stared at those eyes for a long time, but Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t seem to be very interested in the puppies’ eye color. He was holding two or three puppies in one hand and estimating their weight. Because they were the offspring of a large breed, their size and weight were different from that of a small breed, even though they were only 17 days old, but it was a little strange that Hwang Hae-kyung could hold two or three of them in his hand.

“They’re crowding each other…”

“This much is okay. I can feel their bones when I touch them.”

“There aren’t any boneless puppies, are there…?”

“They look like kebabs with legs. Look at their bellies.”

“If you touch them like that, it’s no different from juggling, Hae-kyung…!”

They were truly plump and well-fed, as the saying goes. All six puppies were like that, and it was the result of Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san’s hard work of mixing and mixing formula over the past week. They were strictly adhering to the feeding schedule of every three hours, as per the rules they had first heard, and they had become quite skilled at stroking the backs of the fed puppies to induce burps and wiping their butts to clean up their bowel movements.

Of course, there was the problem that Lee Yoon-san and Hwang Hae-kyung had to cut their sleep short because of that, but they decided to endure it a little longer since it was vacation. If they held on a little longer, they would enter the weaning period.

It wasn’t a joke, but because the puppies were so young and there were so many of them, the two were really feeling like they were raising a human child.

“Do you eat more in the middle of the night? Why are you so full?”

“Are we feeding them too much? But aren’t babies supposed to eat well?”

Hwang Hae-kyung showed off the puppy he was holding in his hand, saying to look at how firm their bodies already were, and Lee Yoon-san chuckled and carefully took the puppies and held them in his arms. He could only laugh weakly, even though he was amused by the silly joke, because he was probably sleep-deprived.

Whine, whine…!

On the other hand, the puppies in Lee Yoon-san’s arms were full of energy, wriggling and digging into his arms. Their movements were quite strong, as if they had gained some strength in their legs. Of course, there was one who played particularly energetically, and it was the one with the uniquely different eye color.

While being held in Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand, it thrashed its whole body and constantly threatened and bit his neat fingers with its mouth that didn’t even have teeth yet. It didn’t know how to growl properly yet, so all it could do was groan or peep, but it was probably the kind of personality that would have howled long ago if it knew how to make loud noises.

“Yoon-san. It’s biting me.”

“Look, does it hurt? It doesn’t have teeth yet?”

“It hurts. Look at it biting me after I stayed up all night raising it.”

Whine!

“Oh, what is it.”

Lee Yoon-san burst out laughing as he looked at Hwang Hae-kyung, who was deliberately exaggerating and showing his finger and the puppy. Then, the one held in Hwang Hae-kyung’s hand struggled again to go to Lee Yoon-san, and Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t let it go, seeing Lee Yoon-san’s arms already full with five puppies.

“It’s fully occupied over there.”

And as he rolled the puppy around in his hand, the puppy, who was very angry, opened its mouth wide and bit his finger with its toothless mouth, resisting. The five puppies in Lee Yoon-san’s arms were busy biting each other’s ears or trying to get inside his arms, while this one was particularly aggressive and active.

“How many days until we have to start weaning these guys…?”

“About three or four days. Are you very tired?”

“No… I’m okay.”

Hwang Hae-kyung gently let the puppy, who kept struggling in his hand, bite his finger and wrapped his arm around Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder, letting him lean on him. He knew they were cute after taking care of the puppies for a few days, but the hardship of childcare was greater than expected.

In addition to regular feeding, the puppies would whine all day and crawl on the floor looking for Lee Yoon-san if his Pheromone was gone or even faded in his sleep, so the puppies’ sleeping place was eventually moved from the living room to the bedroom. Hwang Hae-kyung, who suddenly had to share his bedroom, felt like it was no different from a protest demanding guaranteed Pheromone access rights.

As they spent the past week like that, they were also flustered by the condition of the puppies who suddenly vomited formula or had loose stools, and they also had a tumultuous time searching for the ones who had crawled under the bed with their short legs.

In the meantime, the puppies became plumper and plumper, and the pink paw pads also gradually darkened and turned into brownies. It was a kind of achievement created by the two novice caregivers.

“If you’re tired, get some sleep. I’ll watch them.”

“No… You haven’t slept long either, Hae-kyung…”

“I’m okay.”

“Still… They keep whining if there’s no Pheromone…”

His voice, unable to hide his fatigue, gradually slurred, but Lee Yoon-san forced himself to keep his eyelids open. However, he didn’t even have the strength to sit up straight, so he was still leaning on Hwang Hae-kyung’s shoulder. Hwang Hae-kyung rested his cheek on Lee Yoon-san’s head and brought the three puppies huddled together and placed them on his legs.

“Still… We’ll be weaning them and starting solids soon…”

Let’s hold on a little longer, Hae-kyung. Fighting. Lee Yoon-san muttered in a weak and gentle tone and rubbed his eyes lightly against Hwang Hae-kyung’s arm. It had only been a week, but he felt like his fatigue was accumulating because it was a lifestyle pattern he had never had before.

Even when it wasn’t feeding time, he spent his energy catching the six puppies moving around and putting them back in their place. He also used all sorts of boxes and tape to block any empty spaces, worried they might go under the sofa or bed and he wouldn’t be able to find them. Of course, he didn’t forget to lay down pee pads everywhere to prevent pee puddles, repeating the process endlessly.

Moreover, the fact that he had to adjust and release Pheromone for the puppies looking for him, and that he had to be mindful of Pheromone even while sleeping, was also a factor that exhausted Lee Yoon-san. Still, Lee Yoon-san often smiled when he spent time quietly like this with Hwang Hae-kyung and the puppies.

Even if he was a little tired, seeing the puppies growing plump day by day gave him a sense of relief that he was doing a good job as their guardian. And he felt a strange camaraderie with Hwang Hae-kyung, who was sharing all this effort and exhaustion and becoming increasingly skilled at caring for the young puppies.

They took turns caring for the little ones, from feeding to cleaning up after them, and they removed things from the house, anxiously worrying that the tiny, fragile creatures might get sick or have an accident. In the midst of all that, they tried to make sure the other had time to eat and sleep, so it was only natural that they became more considerate of each other’s positions than when they had lived alone.

Therefore, this was a bond that was a little different in nature from the empathy that could only be shared through love.

✧✧✧

“Yoon-san, ah.”

“Ah….”

“Eat all of this without leaving any. I’ll watch the Babies.”

“No, I’m not that hungry….”

“Eat it all. Chew slowly and thoroughly.”

“But if I’m not there, the Babies won’t have my Pheromone.”

“They’ll sleep well if you play with them and wear them out a bit. So don’t come straight to the living room after you eat, go into the room and rest a little. You said you were looking into certification exams.”

Hwang Hae-kyung roughly cleaned up the trash from the chop steak meal kit he had just finished preparing, then sat Lee Yoon-san down at the table and headed to the living room. Lee Yoon-san’s heart welled up with gratitude at the sight of Hwang Hae-kyung trying to make sure he ate and slept properly, even though he himself had only picked at a few pieces while cooking the meal kit.

So, after finishing his meal, Lee Yoon-san brought over the fried dumplings he had put in the air fryer and put them in Hwang Hae-kyung’s mouth, making sure he ate as well. They had been taking care of each other’s meals like that for several days now.

Fortunately, from the third week, the puppies’ meals were drastically reduced to three times a day as they started on solid food. They had finally escaped the routine of having to bottle-feed them eight times a day and constantly check that they were digesting properly.

However, as the six puppies entered their first full month, another problem arose.

Woof! Woof woof!

The puppies, now fully shaped like dogs, were running around in all directions. And that wasn’t all. Their voices had grown quite loud, so they barked, and they had the stamina to whine and bark persistently for a long time. Perhaps because they were medium to large breeds, the puppies, only a month old, were already quite large. The amount of time they were awake had also increased.

If it were just one or two, it would be cute, but unfortunately, there were six of them in Lee Yoon-san and Hwang Hae-kyung’s house, so it was bound to be exhausting. If they caught one and put it down, two would run off, and if they caught two and put them in the fence, three would try to escape.

Grrr….

Moreover, they seemed to be trying to chew on everything, as if their gums were itchy from their newly growing baby teeth. Lightly, it was things like toilet paper and pee pads, and grandly, it was the legs of furniture, tablets, earphones, and sofas. When they were chewing on dumbbells instead of bones, perhaps for jaw muscle bulk-up, Lee Yoon-san looked quite serious.

So, first of all, they hid dangerous wires and removed all objects that could fall or be knocked over.

However, one thing remained unchanged: the puppies were still obsessed with Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone. Whether it was because they were still only a month old, even though they were about the size of a small dog like a Chihuahua, and missed the warmth of his embrace, or whether they recognized Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone as their mother’s embrace, was unknown.

In any case, the six puppies still followed Lee Yoon-san around, clamoring for him to release Pheromone. Even at this hour, when he had fallen asleep while looking into certification exams.

“I told you, no.”

Hwang Hae-kyung picked up Lee Yoon-san, who had fallen asleep in the study, carried him to the bedroom, and closed the door tightly. When the puppies, trotting at his feet, scratched at the bedroom door as if looking for Lee Yoon-san, he stopped them with his foot and carried them to the living room in both arms.

After putting them inside the fence set up in the living room, he sat on the sofa and slowly released Pheromone. As expected, they seemed to feel cold and began to huddle together. It was an effective way to keep the puppies quiet, but it was also a method that Lee Yoon-san didn’t particularly like.

Until now, because the little ones were young and couldn’t regulate their body temperature properly, they had been living with the air conditioner turned on very, very weakly, and he seemed to feel sorry for them shivering, fooled by the sensation that Pheromone created. Even if they weren’t actually cold and were just imagining it.

In any case, Hwang Hae-kyung leaned back against the sofa, maintaining the released Pheromone to keep the puppies, who kept trying to climb over the fence to get to Lee Yoon-san, in place for a while. And as a habit, he counted their heads first.

Unlike Lee Yoon-san, it wasn’t physically tiring, but it was true that he was mentally exhausted by the young ones, who were constantly running around, biting at his heels, chewing on tissues and furniture, and barking at every opportunity.

“Just grow up, already.”

Moreover, one of them seemed to be slowly resisting Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, separating from his huddled brothers and focusing on attacking his feet. It was that one puppy with different colored eyes.

Hwang Hae-kyung laughed in disbelief as he playfully rolled the puppy away with his foot, who kept attacking him. The puppy didn’t seem to tire, and when he was nudged with a foot, he would come back, biting at his foot and whining, even making a pretty good growling sound. Then he would try to grab Hwang Hae-kyung’s foot with his front paws or hit it, and he would often lie down on his back on top of his instep, but he kept clinging to him, asking to play, without ever tiring out and falling down.

It was a slightly different reaction from the other brothers, who were instinctively more drawn to Lee Yoon-san, who had warm Pheromone.

Whine, squeak, grrr…!

Then, he suddenly scratched at Hwang Hae-kyung’s calf, demanding to be picked up. When Hwang Hae-kyung gathered his Pheromone and picked him up, the puppy, placed on his thigh, began to explore the sofa.

“You never get tired.”

Maybe he’s just being extra because he’s the youngest. At that, Hwang Hae-kyung chuckled and simply took the puppy into the fence, leaned back on the sofa, and sat down. As soon as he gathered his Pheromone, the puppies started whimpering loudly again.

Perhaps sensing the warmth of a person sitting nearby, or perhaps because they weren’t sleepy yet, the puppies toddled over to Hwang Hae-kyung, biting at various places and putting their front paws on his legs, trying to climb up. The broken rice-like teeth or thorny claws were laughable even when they scratched, so he laughed again in vain.

Woof! Arf, woof woof!

At this rate, they’ll start talking like people. Hwang Hae-kyung thought, stroking their heads wildly and then letting them go as if throwing them away. Then the puppies, dazed, rolled on the floor and ran back to Hwang Hae-kyung.

It was a somewhat rough way of playing, but the medium to large breed puppies seemed to enjoy it.

“Yoon-san’s not here, is that it, right now.”

It was funny and inevitably cute that they were coming to the next best thing, since there was no best option to rely on.

“Stop asking for Pheromone so much. Do you think it’s just there for your benefit?”

Hwang Hae-kyung also let them bite his fingers and flipped them over to shake their bellies with his hands, constantly playing with them with somewhat perfunctory and rough touches. He looked like a young father playing with his son, who kept attacking him tirelessly.

Then, after finally confirming that one or two of them were tired and falling asleep, he closed his eyes for a moment and opened them,

“…We need to name them.”

Lee Yoon-san had come over and was sitting next to him, as if he had been asleep for a while. It was close to early morning, when the sun was slowly rising.

“We can name them slowly.”

“Ugh… I’m so worried. They’ll live with those names for the rest of their lives if I name them, right?”

He was even more worried because they weren’t puppies that were planned to be adopted out to other places. As soon as their mother fully recovered, four of them would go to Hwang Hae-kyung’s parents’ house with a yard, and two would go to Lee Yoon-san’s parents’ house. It was a decision made by both families, who had just sent out their only sons.

Lee Yoon-san leaned his head on Hwang Hae-kyung’s shoulder and looked at one of the puppies lying on his back on his thigh, fast asleep. The puppy with different colored eyes was gnawing at Hwang Hae-kyung’s fingers until the very end, trying to chew on them, unlike his brothers, who were scattered around like dolls and asleep.

“You’re sleeping like a breadwinner who’s been working a night shift at a dog cafe.”

“Oh, come on, what’s that.”

Lee Yoon-san couldn’t help but laugh at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, but he couldn’t let go of his worries about naming them.

“All I can think of is Nano, Mac, Code….”

It seemed to be an aftereffect of looking into certification exams related to his major until just before falling asleep. Hwang Hae-kyung chuckled softly at Lee Yoon-san’s voice, wrapped his arm around Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder, pulled him into his arms, and buried his lips in his round head.

“Or Areum, Daun, Uri, Gangsan…. Ah, it would have been a little easier if there were only four.”

“Are there any others?”

“Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter…. It’s a bit common, but isn’t it related and okay? They said the mother dog’s name has been decided as June.”

“Don’t tell me it’s June because they met in June.”

“That’s what they said.”

It was a truly straightforward naming skill, but Hwang Hae-kyung simply nodded, thinking that there was no other alternative. At that, Lee Yoon-san laughed absurdly and released Pheromone very slowly and weakly, and the puppies, smelling the Pheromone even in their sleep, whimpered and came closer to Lee Yoon-san before falling asleep again.

“It’s hard to name them because there are six….”

“Are you worried because you don’t have two names to give?”

“Yeah…. I want to give all six of them names that have a sense of unity.”

“Then do Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Hwan, Season.”

“……”

“Hwan-i, Season.”

Lee Yoon-san looked somewhat dumbfounded at Hwang Hae-kyung’s words, which he had thrown out casually as if it were nothing, but when he said “Hwan-i” and “Season,” they sounded pretty good. “Hwan-i” sounded like a name to anyone, and “Season” also sounded similar to common dog names like “Jeolmi” or “Injeolmi.” Unless you called them “Hwanjeolgi” at once, it didn’t seem like a very strange name.

“…I think it’s not bad.”

And so, while the six puppies were lying on their backs with their plump bellies exposed, fast asleep, their names were finally decided.

✧✧✧

― Hae-kyung, bring the Babies over here quickly.

It was three days after the puppies were named that Hwang Hae-kyung received a call from his mother, who sounded somewhat urgent.

In the meantime, Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san’s knowledge of puppies had increased even more. They were dismayed to learn that they couldn’t even bathe them, no matter how dirty they were, because they hadn’t been vaccinated yet, and they only found out at the vet that even that vaccination wasn’t due yet because they hadn’t reached two months. It was a trip to the hospital that they had undertaken with no less than six of them, who were constantly moving, barely seated in a dog car seat, but they had no choice but to return empty-handed.

Nevertheless, the puppies were growing rapidly day by day, as befitting medium to large breeds, and now they had reached the point where they would not only follow Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone, but would come running up to him and pester him directly. However, one of them was growing in a way that he would slowly try to resist Hwang Hae-kyung’s Pheromone, trembling but still attacking.

In the midst of all this, the voice of his mother on the phone sounded quite serious, so Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san put the puppies, who had grown quite large, four and two each, next to them and got into the car. The Babies, who had been the size of rice balls, had grown to the size of a small dog in just over twenty days, and the shape of their fur, eyes, and faces made them look like Huskies to anyone, but the texture and color of their fur and their body shape made them look like Jindo dogs, resembling their mother, Baek-gu.

As such, they were actively whimpering and expressing anxiety and motion sickness in the car, so Lee Yoon-san, who had been in the passenger seat, moved to the back seat in the middle and hugged them and released Pheromone before they could reach their destination a little more quietly.

“Yoon-san, Hae-kyung!”

The place they arrived at was a veterinary hospital near Hwang Hae-kyung’s parents’ house, and there, Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san were able to meet their mother, June, for the first time.

“Pah-bo is doing better now. She’s still having a hard time because of the surgery on her hind legs, but they said it’s okay to show her the Babies little by little.”

At Ahn Sun-mi’s words, who had been going to the hospital every day to take care of June, Lee Yoon-san took a deep breath as if relieved, and Hwang Hae-kyung looked at their mother, June. The mother dog, who was quite large even for a Jindo dog, had bandages on her hind legs and was wearing an E-collar.

The dog, lying listlessly in the cage as if she had no energy, looked so thin that her bones were showing. She looked as if she had come back from the dead, and it was hard to believe that she had given birth to six troublemakers. Of course, the still swollen breasts and the surgical scars on her abdomen seemed to tell the whole story.

“The Babies have grown a lot. Give them to me.”

“They’re heavier than you think, Auntie. Be careful with your wrists.”

“How well did you feed them to make them so plump? Yoon-san looks like he’s lost more weight taking care of them, what should I do?”

Ahn Sun-mi took one of the two puppies in Lee Yoon-san’s arms and rubbed it with a towel.

“Auntie, what kind of towel is that?”

“This? It has June’s pee on it.”

“To a Baby who’s already dirty.”

“This is supposed to help them recognize each other as their Babies.”

Hwang Hae-kyung frowned for a moment at the sight of adding the smell of pee to the puppies, who were already dirty from rolling under the sofa, lingering at their feet while they were eating, getting ramen soup splashed on them, and wandering around the terrace as they pleased to get some sun, but he relaxed his expression and looked serious as he watched the puppy enter the cage with its mother.

June, who had been lying listlessly, growled at the puppy who first entered the cage, but she didn’t recklessly bare her teeth at the young one who was approaching, sniffing.

However, she still didn’t recognize them as her Babies and was still wary, so it was a moment when the people watching couldn’t let their guard down.

“The Babies are too big to let them all in at once. Now that Mom’s here, Mom will take care of the Babies. I need to get June used to them, and our Yoon-san has lost too much weight, it won’t do.”

“I’m okay.”

“Ask Hae-kyung to take you somewhere fun, okay? Ask Hyung to buy you something delicious. Do you still have your allowance? Should Auntie give you an allowance?”

“Ah, no…. I don’t even use the card Uncle gave me.”

“Why? Use it, use it. Use it a lot. Go buy a house and a car.”

“Give me the card, I’ll do that.”

“Hae-kyung….”

Hwang Hae-kyung shook his head and joked, watching his mother fuss over his future son-in-law more than her own son. Then he put the puppies he had been holding down on the floor. Then the puppies, who had been sniffing around, circled around Lee Yoon-san, and wandered around the cage where their brother and mother were, sniffing.

Ahn Sun-mi was still worried about Lee Yoon-san, who had lost weight, and was pouring out all sorts of worries, and Lee Yoon-san smiled awkwardly and embarrassedly, but he kept making eye contact and listening to her words.

And Hwang Hae-kyung,

Whine….

“Oh my, but why is he doing that?”

He chuckled in disbelief at the sight of one of the puppies biting at his pants leg and then lying on his back on Lee Yoon-san’s instep.

The puppy with different colored eyes was not interested in the cage where his brothers were gathered in front of the bars, sniffing and showing curiosity, and was only whining for Lee Yoon-san to give him Pheromone.

Lee Yoon-san held the little guy in his arms and released a very faint Pheromone. Sniffing and following the scent, the little one finally found a comfortable position in his cozy embrace and closed his eyes.

“You’ve worked hard. It’s vacation, but you couldn’t even go out and play.”

With the declaration of release from childcare, Hwang Hae-kyung breathed a sigh of relief, and Lee Yoon-san responded with a bashful smile, saying it was fun. Turning his head to look at the cage where June and the puppies were gathered, they seemed to be cautiously wary but also showing interest in each other, suggesting that with time, there wouldn’t be any major issues with combining them later.

“Our Julgi should join them soon too….”

Lee Yoon-san looked at the puppies and June huddled together and worried, gently stroking the little one in his arms. The other siblings were starting to bond with their mother, but he was concerned that the one in his arms, isolated on his own, might feel left out.

“He’ll manage on his own.”

Joining them is all part of socialization training and social life. Hwang Hae-kyung, on the other hand, added those words in a rather indifferent tone, brushing off the puppy fur on Lee Yoon-san’s clothes, and only Ahn Sun-mi smiled in relief at the sight.

The mother dog, who had been in critical condition, had safely arrived in Seoul and was receiving further treatment, and her condition was greatly improving. And her puppies also seemed lively and healthy, considering they had been placed in temporary foster care early, which was reassuring. Now, only good things lay ahead for this dog family.

“You guys worked so hard taking care of them.”

Moreover, she felt that the childcare had subtly solidified the youthful and fresh vibe between Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san. Although it wasn’t intended or expected, the young couple must have felt something from this shared experience.

In any case, Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san’s childcare came to an abrupt end, just as abruptly as it had begun.

Now they were free from the trivial nips and playful barking that had followed them around all day, scratching their calves and biting their heels, from the time spent softening the Papillon puppy food with warm water, checking their stool every time, and worrying about vaccination dates.

The clumsiness of the novice guardians, who were busy searching the internet as soon as they opened their eyes to find out what puppies could and couldn’t eat, why their stool was like this, and what the heck this color of vomit meant, was now all over.

And after leaving the animal hospital, Hwang Hae-kyung intertwined his fingers with Lee Yoon-san’s and made a resolution.

Although the wedding was scheduled to take place right after graduation, he decided to postpone family planning as much as possible, considering Lee Yoon-san’s condition. This was Hwang Hae-kyung’s resolution, born from the mock childcare experience.

6 Months

However, things don’t always go according to plan.

“Julgi almost got bitten by a friend. He kept barking and approaching the new friend, and I think that friend got angry.”

“……”

“He was just trying to play, so they didn’t really fight, but he left half of his lunch. It wasn’t a biting incident, and Julgi is usually well-behaved, so you don’t have to worry about him being kicked out….”

“Yes….”

Lee Yoon-san listened to the trainer’s words, but his eyes were fixed on Julgi, who was nestled in his arms, sniffing for the Pheromone on his clothes.

He was definitely different from his usual self, when he would come out of doggy daycare excited and still full of energy, which made Lee Yoon-san feel sorry for him. So he stroked his soft head and perky triangular ears several times, and Julgi began to grumble something as if he was being spoiled by the touch.

Awoo… awoo… arreoong….

Lee Yoon-san didn’t know what he was saying, and it wasn’t barking or howling, but he was very talkative for a puppy, perhaps because he was half Husky.

“Then I’ll be going now. Please tell the other dog’s owner that I’m sorry.”

Awooool….

“Julgi was the one who almost got bitten. The owner also said that her child is timid, so she asked me to tell you that she’s sorry.”

Squeak, whine, growl….

“Yes… I’ll be going….”

Now six months old, Julgi was big enough to rest his chin on Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder when he held him. He was larger than the average Jindo dog, perhaps because he was mixed with a Husky, but he was still larger than the average Husky of his age. Nevertheless, he was growing into a beautiful dog with white fur like his mother, Husky-like features, and light yellowish-brown eyes.

In fact, the biggest reason Lee Yoon-san adopted Julgi was the color of his eyes. Unlike the other puppies who had blue eyes from a very young age, Julgi’s eyes gradually turned into light brown eyes, which reminded him of Hwang Hae-kyung’s eyes.

Above all, even after returning to his mother, Julgi howled and cried day and night, searching for Lee Yoon-san’s Pheromone. Eventually, Lee Yoon-san was called to Hwang Hae-kyung’s family home, and only after he released a weak Pheromone could he soothe the puppy’s sorrowful voice.

That day, Julgi grabbed Lee Yoon-san’s arm with his front paws and desperately clung to him, digging into his embrace as if telling Lee Yoon-san not to abandon him. He seemed to be too used to the soft and cozy Pheromone to be interested in bonding with his mother.

For that reason, Julgi returned to Hwang Hae-kyung and Lee Yoon-san’s house only after he was two months old and could be vaccinated. Hwang Hae-kyung’s reaction was just a sigh and a laugh, so it was safe to say that Julgi’s adoption was due to his temperament.

“Why did you do that to your friend? You almost got bitten.”

Arrr, eurung, awoooo…!

Lee Yoon-san hugged Julgi, who still seemed to have something to say, and headed home.

It was the beginning of December, so school was still in session, and Hwang Hae-kyung had been invited to the All-Star Game early next year and had started training.

For that reason, Lee Yoon-san started sending Julgi to doggy daycare to keep him company while he was home alone. He was relieved to see that Julgi seemed satisfied with the daycare, as it was larger than he had expected and had many dogs.

Julgi liked only his family but got along well with other dogs. He was playful and active, so the trainer said that he was following the daycare’s curriculum quite well. Above all, Julgi’s daycare divided the dogs into classes based on their age and temperament, so Lee Yoon-san had no worries, but something like today happened.

Perhaps that’s why Lee Yoon-san felt sorry for Julgi, who was grumbling and complaining in his arms. Especially when he looked at his hazel eyes, which were now exactly like Hwang Hae-kyung’s, his heart melted.

“You left half of your food? Then shall we get something delicious for our Julgi today? Shall we get meat and sweet potatoes?”

Eurureuek…!

“I really don’t know what that sound was just now….”

Lee Yoon-san hugged Julgi and comforted him as he walked home. As if he understood the words, Julgi rubbed his head against Lee Yoon-san’s shoulder and chest, and Lee Yoon-san faithfully answered the mumbles he couldn’t understand with “Yeah, yeah,” as he walked through the snowy December streets.

Hwang Hae-kyung would have told him to let the big guy walk on his own, but in Lee Yoon-san’s eyes, he was just a baby puppy who had been hurt by a friend. He couldn’t help but be weak to the white puppy who was being spoiled by his Pheromone.

Julgi followed Lee Yoon-san more than anyone else, never even bared his teeth in front of him, even as a joke, and still often melted into a puddle, exposing his belly to the soft Pheromone.

And when Hwang Hae-kyung heard this news,

“He just got rejected after hitting on her.”

He threw a tug-of-war rope ball into the corner of the living room and gave a nonchalant assessment. Despite his cold expression and assessment, he was dealing with the excited puppy who ran at him as soon as he returned from training, as he was in charge of Julgi’s playtime.

“Hitting on her… to a baby.”

“Isn’t 6 months old the age of an elementary school student for them?”

“He’s about in the lower grades….”

“Then he shouldn’t have been so reckless, you idiot.”

Hwang Hae-kyung ruffled Julgi’s head as he chewed on the rope, unable to contain his overflowing energy, and then threw another rope. Then the puppy, torn between the two ropes, ran towards the rope that was further away.

He looked as cheerful as ever, as if he had already forgotten what had happened during the day.

‘…They really look exactly alike.’

Meanwhile, Lee Yoon-san sat in the corner of the sofa, eating the jerky that Hwang Hae-kyung had bought, and quietly watched the two of them.

Not only their white fur and hazel eyes, but even the way they ran around as if they were exercising. Despite being a human and a dog, Julgi looked just like Hwang Hae-kyung. Perhaps if Hwang Hae-kyung became a dog and Julgi became a human, they would look even more alike. Lee Yoon-san, who loved both Hwang Hae-kyung and Julgi, chuckled at the thought and watched the white dog and human burn off their energy.

It was just another day.

✧✧✧

“Oh, there!”

The next day, Lee Yoon-san had classes early in the morning, so Hwang Hae-kyung was responsible for taking Julgi to daycare. Unlike Lee Yoon-san, he made Julgi walk on his own, and Julgi didn’t mumble and beg to be held like he did with Lee Yoon-san.

He just sniffed at the snow that hadn’t melted and was still piled up, and sometimes rubbed his body against Hwang Hae-kyung’s legs and ran around, heading to daycare as if he was taking a walk.

“Is this Julgi?”

When he arrived at the doggy daycare near the complex, an unfamiliar voice suddenly called out to Hwang Hae-kyung.

“I heard that he almost bit my dog yesterday.”

“Ah.”

“I heard he was a white Husky, but this is the first time I’ve seen him. He’s really pretty. How old is he?”

“He’s 6 months old. He’s not a Husky, he’s a Jindo mix.”

“Wow…. You’re really handsome? Bori, why did you try to bite this gentle dog, huh?”

When he first called out, Hwang Hae-kyung pulled his hood up a little more, thinking that he had recognized him, but it turned out that he was the owner of the dog who had tried to bite Julgi yesterday. The other person was too busy grinning as he squatted in front of Julgi, who was standing proudly, without even having time to look at Hwang Hae-kyung in detail. Next to him, a very small and timid dog was trembling and standing as if hiding.

“Ah, my dog is a Maltipoo. He’s a little less than a year old.”

Instead of greeting Hwang Hae-kyung, the owner gave him information about the small dog and was busy trying to get Julgi’s attention. On the other hand, Julgi was focused only on the small dog, who was getting closer and closer to the stranger and hiding. When he finally sniffed and tried to smell him, Hwang Hae-kyung stopped him.

“…Hey, you.”

Julgi was not only approaching him, but also lifting his butt, lowering his front, and wagging his tail, which made it clear that he was begging the small dog to play. Moreover, his fierce eyes and impatient pawing were a bonus. Julgi sniffed at the small dog and showed his interest, and even lay down on the snow and lowered his posture. It was clear that he was actively approaching him.

On the other hand, the small dog was not ready to accept Julgi’s enthusiastic expressions and was just trembling and growling in warning. It seemed that he was scared because of the size difference.

Hwang Hae-kyung was speechless. He had heard that Julgi played well with dogs at daycare, but he had never heard that he was this good. He had only heard that he ran around with active dogs of similar size, but he was dumbfounded to see him lying on his back and showing his belly to the small dog, even after almost being bitten yesterday.

The dog was a small dog with mocha-colored fur and big, black eyes. Maybe he weighed 2kg. Hwang Hae-kyung didn’t know what a ‘Maltipoo’ was, but it seemed to be a pretty small breed. He was also timid and shy, hiding behind his owner, and Hwang Hae-kyung was dumbfounded to see Julgi, who didn’t even think about his size, playing with him and pushing himself on him.

Moreover, wasn’t he playing in his own way? As if he didn’t even think about the small dog’s situation. It reminded him of a certain elementary school student who gave a giant mantis to the son of his mother’s friend at a campsite, who didn’t smile at him, and then excused himself by saying it was a joke.

“The way he acts….”

Therefore, Hwang Hae-kyung had to sweep his face and turn his gaze away, feeling an unknown embarrassment rising up.

It was one winter day for Julgi, a dog who had just turned 6 months old.