Picked this up since it looked like the chrysanthemum garden group dropped it. If anyone knows any differently please let me know and I'll stop, thanks!
I'm not fluent in korean so a lot of this has been put through translators and I just made it make sense so there may be some cultural context missing like common phrases/sayings.
Definitely support the author if you can! It's easy to purchase these chapters/volumes on ridi! And it's cheap too! Each volume is like $2
Here are some links to walk you through the process:
* How To Create An Account
* How To Gain Access to Mature Content
* How To Purchase Something
Other Translation:
Not my translation, but this one has everything translated to the end: doc
For anyone interested in reading the rest of the novel go to this link (69-end)
It starts where the chrysanthemum group left off and goes til the end. Just found it today so thought I'd share in case anyone following this account wants to keep reading and hasn't found this yet 😊
With 102 posted the main storyline has ended! 🎉🎉However there's still an epilogue left. Like vol 4 is only half way translated at this point and there's another volume after that lol
It's been so long since Wooyeon heard that, that it has already faded into the back of his mind. A name he'd only heard a few times, and even when he did, he didn't feel compelled to memorize it.
Suhyang continued to talk about Hayeon for quite some time. The sequence was all over the place. She'd say one thing and then abruptly cut to another. Wooyeon didn't miss a single word of Suhyang's faded memories.
'She was too weak to travel very far.'
Hayeon was described as pale and skinny. It wasn’t that her family was poor, but her illness took its toll. She was almost bankrupt and ready to give up on life when she met Suhyang.
‘There was strong opposition at home, but I couldn't see it at the time.’
What began at the tender age of seventeen continued until they were both in their twenties. First as friends, then as lovers, and finally as spouses with a promised future.
'I only moved in with Hayeon after she got pregnant with you.'
Until then, Suhyang believed everything would be fine. They had already registered their marriage, and Hayeon's chronic illness could be cured with hundreds of millions of won. What Suhyang overlooked was the fundamental difference in the environments in which she and Hayeon had lived.
'I was stupid. At that time, I thought that the best thing to do was to inherit the company as soon as possible. I was so busy taking care of the future that I couldn't see the present right in front of me.'
Hayeon withered under Suhyang's indifference and excessive media attention. Unable to cope with being scrutinized for her every move, she gradually retreated into the house.
'I wasn't the one who locked Hayeon up.'
By the time Suhyang realized that her illness was not getting better, it was too late. No amount of treatment could help her because she was unwilling to get better on her own. As the month of her due date drew nearer, Hayeon continued to wither away.
'If she hadn't met me, she might have lived happily.'
The end of a relationship that she thought was fate was cruel enough to be irreversible. Hayeon died before she could give birth to Wooyeon, and skillful doctors saved his life. Suhyang gave Wooyeon the “Seon” surname, but she couldn't look him in the face since he looked exactly like Hayeon.
'There's nothing in the world that money can't buy, except bringing the dead back to life.'
After losing the person she loved, Suhyang didn't want to lose her child either. She was afraid that someone might be greedy and since she couldn't even hold him properly, she decided to keep him hidden. It wasn't hard for her to erase Hayeon's traces or to make it seem like Wooyeon didn't exist.
'I couldn't protect her, so I just wanted to protect you.'
Suhyang said that she truly loved Hayeon. It wasn't 'I loved you.' It was 'I love you.' Wooyeon had no idea how big that love was. He didn’t rashly define how the love that had lost its target was twisted and expressed.
'To you... I owe you an apology.'
A woman who has never bent to anyone in her life. Arrogant, high-pressure, and a typical chaebol, it must have been very difficult for her to say sorry. Perhaps that was why the apology she uttered was so awkward.
'I'm sorry.'
Of course, Wooyeon didn’t say it was okay. It was never okay, so there was nothing he could do. He had no intention of making her heart feel at ease, even with a lie.
'Why you're apologizing all of a sudden, I don't know.'
It was a natural question for Wooyeon. It was a rift of emotions that had built up for 20 years. Wasn’t it too sudden to end it in the time it took for the rainy season to pass?
“So, why did you come to my house?”
Dohyun gently stroked Wooyeon's hair as they lay side by side. He ran his fingers through his tangled hair and then covered the nape of his neck with his palm. Wooyeon shrugged and shook his head.
“We've made a deal. I'll move back out when second semester starts. I'll live close to the school and attend college properly."
"Won't it be dangerous?"
“I think there will be more bodyguards.”
After finishing their conversation, Wooyeon got in Secretary Yoon's car and returned to Dohyun. Secretary Yoon had witnessed everything that had happened that day, but she hadn't said anything about it. Well, that must be why she has stayed by Suhyang's side for so long.
"She says she's sorry, but people don't change easily. If that were true, I wouldn't have had to fight with you, Hyung."
The feeling was so strange that it couldn't be expressed in words. If something feels refreshing, it feels refreshing, if it feels uncomfortable, it feels uncomfortable. Since nothing changed right away, it didn't feel real. Dohyun stared blankly at Wooyeon and then pulled him into his arms.
"Well... They say the way to become close with a family that doesn't get along is to stay far away."
"Are you talking about your experience?"
“Half of it.”
A faint pheromone lingered at the tip of his nose. Maybe it was because he had smelled Suhyang's, but now he felt relieved. How could pheromones be this good? Wooyeon wrapped his arms around Dohyun's waist, thinking to himself.
“I didn't realize those two were so in love.”
Wooyeon had heard about Hayeon from their employees. The gossip they shared as they walked around the house was very noticeable to the young Wooyeon's ears.
The stories of how the vice president had brought in a poor Omega, and how she was so obsessed with her that she ended up killing her. Dohyun's words of how he would end up like that Omega, were still fresh in his mind.
“I can't imagine it. The President was in love with someone."
“Me neither.”
Ji Suhyang's lover. Even though she was his mother, Wooyeon couldn't imagine it at all. Even the expressions he had seen for a moment were erased as if his brain had rejected them.
“Seonsaeng-nim.”
“....”
“Sunbae.”
“....”
“Hyung.”
“Yeah, what?”
Wooyeon chuckled and buried his face in Dohyun's arms. In the past, whenever he needed to, he would call him "Seonsaeng-nim," but now he only responded to being called "Hyung."
“It's just... Thank you.”
“You have nothing to be grateful for.”
There were many things that wouldn't have changed if Dohyun hadn't been there. For example, Wooyeon's middle school days, the way he thought, and even his attitude toward Suhyang.
“This and that...”
“This and that?”
“...You said you called my mom.”
'...I got a call. From that kid.'
It was obvious who that kid was. There was only one person in the world who would dare to call Suhyang and ask about Wooyeon's story.
'I wasn't the only one who lost a family member, but I found out too late. And I didn't even know that I would hear it from someone other than my family.'
She looked so sorry. Suhyang, who didn't seem like she'd bleed even if you pricked her with a needle, smiled bitterly, which was unusual for her.
'Now it's just you and me... If I asked you to come back home, would you?'
It was a shameless question. Naturally, Wooyeon laughed and shook his head. It might not be Suhyang who locked Hayeon up, but she was the one who locked Wooyeon up.
“...I.”
Dohyun hesitated for a long moment. Then he tightened his arm around Wooyeon and spoke without confidence.
"I thought I was providing you with a refuge."
The word "refuge" didn't sound very positive. The gentle tone that followed was the same.
"I thought I was adding fuel to the fire by telling you to stay at my house."
Perhaps Dohyun thought he had caused this. He wondered if he'd made a big deal out of things that would otherwise pass quietly. He said it so affectionately.
“I hadn't thought of that...”
Wooyeon opened his mouth slowly, choosing his words in his head. Of course, he'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought of Dohyun's house the day he left the main house. It's also true that he took his steps quickly because he had a place to run away to.
“It was just an excuse.”
However, even if it wasn't for Dohyun, it would have happened someday. It was just that the timing was a little bit earlier, because Wooyeon always wanted to get away from there.
Dohyun watched Wooyeon and slowly rubbed his back.
“I'm sure the President would agree.”
“....”
“Even without me, she would have apologized someday.”
His breathing was even. The heartbeat he could hear in his ears was calm and gentle.
“So don't think it's all my fault.”
The words hit the nail on the head. He thought it was all Dohyun's fault, and he must have noticed. It was too subtle for anyone else but Kim Dohyun to notice.
“...Shall we go on a trip?”
“A trip?”
Wooyeon's first love that he had never forgotten. He was his comfort, his salvation, and now his refuge.
“The rainy season is ending today, so it would be nice to go somewhere and play.”
Four years ago, he and Dohyun had broken up before the seasons changed twice. The brief transition from spring to summer. A period when it didn't even rain ten times. In that moment, Wooyeon seeped into Dohyun like a spring rain.
“Domestic is good, or overseas is good...”
The relationship that ended before the rainy season began now continued after it ended. Perhaps, Dohyun would be by Wooyeon's side even when the seasons changed again.
“Anything is good if Hyung is there.”
His heart fluttered in his chest. Dohyun let out a ticklish laugh and nodded slowly. The answer that he'd like it anywhere was full of affection for Wooyeon.
"I like you too, Yeon-ah."
It was the same answer, but Wooyeon didn't point it out. Instead, he just closed his eyes as he kissed him.
Even after the rainy season ended, Wooyeon still permeated him. The dark clouds that had been bothering his heart had now disappeared without a trace. It was a night when it no longer rained and he wasn't alone.
Wooyeon felt like vomiting and pressed his temples. The large study room was thick alpha pheromones and woody scents. An Alpha, who fit in well with the heavy space, sat on the couch across from him.
“Tea?”
“...No, thanks.”
He hadn't spoken to Suhyang in four years. She was the mother he had shared his entire life with, but she was also a stranger to him. Dohyun, who hadn't known him gradually realized his true feelings after spending a few days together, but Suhyang seemed she would not know them even after several years.
“Just tell me what you want.”
Wooyeon, who had just received a call from Suhyang, pretended not to know and was very nervous. As Dohyun had said, he wondered if something had happened. For example, an accident, an illness, or other unavoidable risks. Of course, Suhyang, who has a string of bodyguards and no less than three doctors, would avoid even those.
“Yeah... I guess I should.”
Luckily, Suhyang's call wasn't about a grim accident; she simply asked for his schedule and asked him to stop by the main house if he didn't mind. Wooyeon could have ignored her and pretended he didn't know her, but Dohyun's words caught him off guard.
‘If you want to start over, you have to finish it completely. Just like you and me.'
Why did he have to use such an example? Wooyeon couldn't argue with him, so he said he'd go see Suhyang.
It was a shaky answer, but it was enough to make Dohyun look relieved.
“....”
“....”
Silence fell again. It was a silence that had never left the study since Wooyeon had entered the study. Even while they were talking, the awkward silence continued to hover around them.
“...If you have nothing to say, I'll leave.”
Wooyeon couldn't stand the air and rose from his seat. He thought he had been polite enough, but Ji Suhyang's stare sharpened.
“No, we haven't talked yet.”
She still had a high-pressure attitude. Wooyeon thought it might have changed if she'd called first, but he'd known her too long to expect such a miracle. As soon as he realized that, he laughed.
"I thought you called to apologize."
Knowing that it couldn't be true, why did he have vain hopes? The only absurd thing in his life was falling in love with Seonsaeng-nim, and that was enough.
"I was stupid. My mom wasn't the kind of person who would do that."
Wooyeon spat that out and grabbed the umbrella he had placed next to him. He didn't feel bad anymore, he just hoped it wouldn't rain on the way home. It was raining when he arrived at the main house, so the chances of it stopping in the evening during the rainy season were very low.
“Please have call Secretary Yoon from now on. If mom's number pops up on my phone...”
“Wooyeon.”
“....”
Suddenly, Wooyeon stopped walking, because the words that came out of her mouth were very unfamiliar. Not 'Seon Wooyeon', but 'Wooyeon'. It was even weirder than when Kang Junsung called his name.
“...Please say something.”
Without realizing it, Wooyeon had given Suhyang another chance. It was better to hear what she had to say than to go home like this. Luckily, she gave a reason he'd heard many times before.
“I only wanted to protect you.”
“That's not protection.”
Wooyeon’s answer was also something he had already said once. As if she had fully expected that, this time she brought up a completely unfamiliar name.
“Hayeon.”
Her voice was filled with longing. Her gaze, which seemed like it would never break, collapsed at just the mention of her name. Suhyang, who had been furrowing her brows, opened her mouth in a suppressed voice.
“Your mom... She named you Wooyeon.”
It was the first time Wooyeon had heard that. He had never asked her the origin of his name. Suhyang smiled bitterly as she watched him sit mesmerized.
There is nothing more fragile than a tower that has not been carefully constructed. A balance that is not known how to be maintained is bound to be ruined by a single insignificant foreign substance. The relationship between Wooyeon and Suhyang was a tightrope walk that could break at any moment.
A day where there was nothing left but a way out. Even after that day passed, the rainy season continued for a long time.
Wooyeon stayed at Dohyun's house, and Suhyang did not contact him at all. Was he the kind of person who would be upset over something like this? It was such a desolate situation that Wooyeon wondered about that.
“Which one of them do you think is me?”
“Uh... this one?”
“Wow, that’s right.”
Wooyeon woke up in the early afternoon and looked at the yearbook with Dohyun. Doyun had promised to show it to him someday, but somehow it had gotten delayed.
“You look really good in your uniform.”
Dohyun's head stood out among the uniformed students. He said that because he grew up so quickly, he always sat in the back row at school. Wooyeon looked at the photo, thinking that he would like to see him in uniform one day.
It wasn't until a few days later that Wooyeon got a call. He was having a late dinner with Dohyun, and the topic of conversation was the rainy season. Wooyeon checked his cell phone that had been lying face down on the table and his expression hardened.
“What's wrong?”
The call was from Suhyang. “Mom,” the caller's name was so unfamiliar that it made his head spin. She always sent her calls through Secretary Yoon, so this was the first time he'd gotten a direct call.
“Call...”
Wooyeon stared at the phone, unable to think about answering. While he was thinking about it, the phone went dead. But it wasn't long before the phone started ringing again.
"Aren't you going to answer?"
Dohyun asked lightly, but Wooyeon didn't respond easily. What could a phone call do? His throat went dry as he tried to figure that out.
It was the words that came out of Dohyun's mouth that made him answer the phone.
The high walls were always magnificent, but doubled in grandeur on rainy days. The steady stream of rain soaked the dark-colored bricks and left traces. The blackened water marks seemed like Wooyeon's inner thoughts.
“Be careful.”
Dohyun drove Wooyeon home as soon as he hung up the phone. He didn't forget to put Wooyeon's birthday present in a clean shopping bag and give it to him. Wooyeon stood at the gate, looking like a livestock being led to the slaughterhouse.
“I don't want to go...”
It wasn’t like they'd never see each other again, but the separation was too regrettable. The feeling that he would be alone again once he passed this gate also played a part. He could leave if he wanted to since he wasn’t being held hostage, but the thought of going in on his own two feet didn’t feel good.
“We can see each other again tomorrow.”
Dohyun softened his voice and gently cupped Wooyeon's cheek. It seemed like he was trying to make him feel better, but it only amplified his regret.
“I'll leave after you go in."
Wooyeon sighed and turned away. He had no choice but to enter the password, but before he could even touch it, he heard a mechanical sound. Beep, the security system disarmed, and the gate swung open with a heavy thud.
Squeak, through the open doorway, Wooyeon saw a person dressed entirely in black. Her hair was slicked back and she wore a black suit that made her look like a lion at night. If it weren't for the umbrella that Secretary Yoon was holding over her head, she could have been a ghost.
“Where have you been...”
Suhyang opened her mouth slowly with a tired face. She was always sharp, but today she seemed to be particularly on edge. The pheromones were so strong that it was hard to breathe even from a few steps away.
“...Welcome back.”
Wooyeon spoke for Suhyang. He had just returned, but strictly speaking, Suhyang had been away from home longer. She looked back and forth between Wooyeon and Dohyun, then squeezed the corners of her eyes tiredly.
“It's late.”
It wasn't that late. It was still bright outside, thanks to the longer days. Besides, it wasn't dinner time yet.
“You should be home on a day like today. Do you really need me to call to tell you I'm looking for you?”
Wooyeon bit his lip hard and stepped through the gate.
A day like today. It definitely wouldn't mean his birthday. What if it was the anniversary of the death of his omega mother, whom Suhyang knew and whose face Wooyeon couldn't even remember?
“I just went out for a while.”
“I heard you've been gone since yesterday.”
Suhyang took the umbrella from Secretary Yoon and nodded toward Wooyeon. Secretary Yoon walked over to him familiarly and unfolded an umbrella. Wooyeon glanced back at Dohyun and spoke in a voice that sounded almost like a whisper.
“Thank you for taking me home.”
If the front door closed like this, the fun day would end here. Inside the house where all the employees have left work, he would eat cold seaweed soup and open gifts from people he didn’t even know. Just like every year, without hearing a single sound from anyone.
“....”
Dohyun watched Suhyang and Wooyeon with an expressionless face. Wooyeon walked away, but he stood there and didn’t turn around. As if he had something to say.
“You should go too.”
Suhyang said that and turned around without hesitation. The coldness in her voice was as cold as frost. As she continued walking, Suhyang sighed and added.
“Do you think I came all the way here because I didn’t know what day it was?”
Wooyeon felt a lump in his throat at those words. The emotions that had been suppressed suddenly poured out. Wooyeon lowered his head and opened his mouth in a self-deprecating manner.
“What day...”
The voice that spoke those words was barely enough to be buried in the rain. If the rain hadn't let up, no one would have heard. But Suhyang heard it clearly and spoke coldly.
“Seon Wooyeon.”
Just three letters, and his whole body reacted. The words he'd meant to say died in his throat, as they always did.
"Don't act so childishly. Not today."
Just like it always was. That's what he thought.
She said she'd listen to him, but now she's talking like it's not possible today.
“....”
Wooyeon bit his lower lip and looked up. It was still raining, and Secretary Yoon was still holding his umbrella. Seeing Suhyang's face covered with fatigue and stress, Wooyeon clenched his fists.
“Ah...”
Everything seemed to have turned to mud. As fun as last night was, today was even more of a mess. The good mood was completely ruined, and his excited heart felt like it was being stabbed with something sharp.
“I really hate this, now.”
With those words, Wooyeon took a step. Not toward the house, but toward the gate where Dohyun stood.
“Seon Wooyeon!”
Wooyeon didn't stop walking at Suhyang's call, and he didn't see the robotic Secretary Yoon panic. He only saw Dohyun and walked over to him and tugged on his arm.
“Let's go, I'm not going home.”
“What do you think you're doing!”
Suhyang shouted angrily, rushing toward Wooyeon. The umbrella she was holding had already fallen to the ground. She was about to grab Wooyeon's arm, Dohyun blocked the gap between Suhyang and Wooyeon.
“President, wait a minute.”
“Move.”
“President.”
“Didn't you hear me?”
As much as Wooyeon had inherited her genes, Suhyang was also a rare dominant. The pheromones that flowed out were so strong that they could be felt even over his shoulder. Nevertheless, Dohyun calmly hid Wooyeon behind him.
“Please calm down.”
His voice was calmer than ever. Dohyun completely blocked out Suhyang's pheromones and tightly gripped Wooyeon's hand. The warmth of his palm was comforting, if only slightly.
"Don't interfere and get out of the way. This is between Wooyeon and I."
Suhyang squeezed the corners of her eyes and glared at Dohyun fiercely. Her eyes, like those of a beast, lacked the composure to be on the right side. From the moment she opened the front gate, she had only given off a sensitive and anxious impression.
“I'll move out of the way, in just a little bit...”
“Kim Dohyun.”
It was a single name filled with pheromones. Dohyun instinctively shut his mouth tightly. Soon, Suhyang spoke in a flat voice.
"I have nothing to say to you, who doesn't even know what a parent is."
“Mom!”
Those words were very cruel. Even Wooyeon, who was quietly listening, was hurt, but Dohyun answered without even blinking.
"Not sure why. I've had four when others only have two."
Suhyang remained silent with an unreadable expression. It was probably because of her mood, but she also looked a bit sorry. Dohyun turned his head and sighed, then spoke in a polite tone.
"Not today, let's talk tomorrow."
“....”
"In this situation, we can't even have a conversation."
This time, Suhyang couldn't refute right away. She just gritted her teeth and slowly opened her mouth.
“Not any other day, but today...”
"Today is Wooyeon's birthday."
Suhyang wasn't the only one who stopped moving. Wooyeon was also taken aback by the sudden mention of his name, and Dohyun's voice was as calm as ever.
“It's the President's son's birthday, today.”
Wooyeon doesn't know why, in that moment, the emotions he'd been holding in came out, or why he felt like he was about to burst into tears.
“While you were out, Wooyeon was home alone watching it rain all day in this big house.”
“....”
“President, it's a wonderful day when your son is born, but you don't congratulate him. I don't want him to think he shouldn't have been born.”
Suhyang pursed her lips wordlessly. Her eyes, shaking without focus, looked shocked. Wooyeon clutched Dohyun's collar in his hand and leaned his forehead against his back.
“That's enough.”
The rain, which had gotten heavier again, fell noisily between them. The sound of Dohyun's heartbeat was clear to Wooyeon as well. No tears flowed, but the pent-up frustration burst forth.
“Stop, Seonsaeng-nim.”
It was a plea mixed with tears. Dohyun turned his head as soon as he heard those words. He covered his eyes with one hand, and it was obvious that he was also very upset. Wooyeon stood there for a long moment before raising his head to look at Suhyang.
“Rather...”
“....”
“You should take me with you to visit mother's grave.”
She didn't answer. The three rain-soaked people remained silent, each in their own way. Wooyeon tugged on Dohyun's arm and led the way outside the gate.
The repercussions of the request were devastating. Wooyeon was tormented by Dohyun on the bed all night without even wiping off the water. At first, he held onto the pillow and groaned, then he held onto the sheets and cried. The act of going back and forth between fear and pleasure barely ended at dawn.
Wooyeon woke up just as the sun was reaching the middle of the sky. The sound of trickling rain shook him out of his slumber. He gently lifted his eyelids to reveal a sky filled with dark clouds.
“...Ah.”
Wooyeon opened his mouth, and a hoarse voice came out. He blinked lazily, watching the rain trickle against the window. How many condoms did they use last night? As he thought this, a gentle voice spoke down to him.
“Did you sleep well?”
The man who had been tormenting Wooyeon all night stroked his hair with a loving touch. He kissed his cheek, close to his ear, and pulled him into his arms. He rolled over and snuggled into Dohyun's arms.
“Your eyes are all puffy.”
Dohyun had a big smile on his face making him wonder what was so good about it. Unlike Wooyeon who was swollen, his face was smooth and clean. Wooyeon, who was feeling bad for no reason, lightly bit the hand that was on his cheek.
“Ouch.”
It didn't hurt, it was just a polite gesture. The funny thing was, Wooyeon was amused by the joke.
“What time is it?”
“It’s a little past 1. My throat is so sore, what should I do?”
“If you were like this...”
Wooyeon replied curtly and buried his face in his chest. Unlike Wooyeon who was wearing a large T-shirt, Dohyun was wearing only a pair of black briefs. It seemed like he had dressed Wooyeon while he was sleeping, but he hadn’t put on his own clothes.
'It's warm...'
Maybe because they were under the blanket, the part where their bare skins touched was hot. It felt like if he closed his eyes, he would slip back into a dream. However, Dohyun didn't let Wooyeon easily fall into the abyss of sleep.
“I have a birthday present for you...”
His ears perked up. He'd gotten gifts from Garam and Sungyu (bath salts and a cell phone case), but Dohyun's was different.
“...What's the gift?”
Wooyeon's eyelids lifted slightly. Dohyun chuckled at the honest reaction. He interlocked his fingers with Wooyeon's left hand and brought his hand up to his face.
“This.”
His interlocked left hand, or rather his left wrist. The neatly designed watch reflected the light. At first glance, it looked ordinary, but the unique hands and the mark engraved on the side were a brand Wooyeon knew well.
"I thought you knew right away, but you didn't feel it?"
Wooyeon looked at his watch with his mouth wide open. Wooyeon, who had almost zero sense of money, knew the price of this brand. He could say with certainty that it was definitely not a product that a college student could afford.
“This... isn't this expensive?”
“Um...”
Dohyun stuttered, a little embarrassed. Then he winked and smiled.
"Well, I guess you could call it the price of being a good son."
Their eyes met for a moment. Dohyun, who had brought his face closer almost as a conditioned reflex, kissed him on the cheek.
“Happy birthday.”
It felt good to hear it again. Four years ago, it was the last thing he expected to hear from his teacher. Back then, Dohyun had disappeared before his birthday, but now they would be together even after his birthday.
"Actually, I wanted to give you a ring, but I couldn't because I thought it would be burdensome."
Various answers rose to the tip of his tongue. Thank you, I liked it, or it wouldn't be burdensome at all even if it was a ring.
Wooyeon cursed himself for his lack of words, but Dohyun curled his eyes prettily.
“It's a couple's watch.”
Only then did Wooyeon burrow into Dohyun's arms and express his emotions. Just one confession was enough, rather than ten greetings.
"...I like you, hyung."
"...."
"I like you so much."
He could smell the pleasant pheromones. It was a dry and fresh pheromone that he didn't know who it belonged to. Dohyun let out a ticklish laugh and hugged him as if to crush Wooyeon.
They stayed in bed for about an hour after that. They didn't share any sloppy behavior like at dawn, but had a tangled, nutritious conversation. The topic was, 'How to make Seonsaeng-nim's birthday special.'
“Is it so strange to you that my birthday is on Christmas Eve?”
“It is, and I don't think I'll ever forget it.”
Wooyeon picked out Dohyun's birthday present half a year early. He's tall, so a coat would be nice, and a knitted scarf would look good on him. Since he got a couple watch, it seemed like it would be good to buy other things as a couple.
“Yeon-ah.”
Dohyun placed Wooyeon on top of his body and met his gaze. Wooyeon, who had been lying down like a puppy, lifted his eyes slightly.
“I'm just asking...”
Wooyeon didn't know what made him pause like this. It seemed like something similar happened last night. What was it? Dohyun asked him to go to his house together.
“Do you want to live with me?”
“...What?”
Wooyeon was wide-eyed and stunned. Unlike the suggestion to sleep over for the night, this was the kind of question he couldn't answer right away. Dohyun gently stroked Wooyeon's head as if telling him not to think too deeply.
“I've felt this since we started tutoring, but I think it would be too lonely for you to be alone in that house.”
His head went completely blank, the chaos of the past few days settling like a calm lake. Dohyun's eyes were as serious as ever as he spoke.
“I don't expect you to answer right away. You'll need the President's permission, and it'll be inconvenient. I also realize that this apartment is still dangerous because of the reporters.”
“....”
"Still, Yeon-ah. I want you to have a place to run to when things get tough."
It was such affectionate words that it almost made him cry. The voice was calm, but Wooyeon, who heard those words, wasn't like that. The scenery that would greet him if he went home right away, and the days that would repeat again. Because all of those things were so complicatedly tangled.
Honestly, he'd be lying if he said he didn't. If he had a place to escape from his prison-like home, his days would be easier than they are now. He wouldn't feel that suffocating lonlieness again.
“I...”
Wooyeon opened his mouth, frustratingly slow. Unlike when Dohyun told him to go to sleep yesterday, he couldn’t speak even after thinking for a long time. His throat felt stuffy as if someone had choked him.
“That's...”
Suddenly, something began to vibrate. It wasn't a message, but a phone call.
“...I think I have a call.”
Wooyeon sat up as if trying to change the subject. Instead of holding onto Wooyeon, Dohyun reached out and grabbed the phone on the nightstand. The call was Wooyeon’s phone.
“....”
As soon as he checked the screen, Wooyeon's face contorted. It wasn't a frown, but a pained expression. He stared at his phone for a moment, then sighed.
“...I think I should go.”
Secretary Yoon. Those two words clogged his throat. Reality came rushing back like a bucket of cold water.
To Wooyeon, a birthday was nothing more or less than the day he was born. Around this time of year, the rainy season was always at its peak, and whenever it rained, his mood would go downhill. That’s why when he was young, he would always wish that this day would never come.
But on his twentieth birthday, he realized for the first time that he was glad he was born.
The anniversary where people he liked congratulated him was a more valuable experience than he had imagined. Wooyeon was intoxicated with happiness the whole time, and as soon as he entered the house, Dohyun hugged him tightly.
“What's wrong, huh?”
Dohyun asked in a soft, soothing voice. When Wooyeon rubbed his cheek, he took off his shoes and picked him up like a child. Normally, Wooyeon would have struggled, but today he leaned against Dohyun.
“How old is Wooyeon?”
“...Put me down.”
“I’m just kidding.”
There was a hint of laughter in his voice. Dohyun walked to the living room, carrying him without showing any signs of struggle. After returning to his apartment after a long time, he felt the dry pheromones.
“It's late, you should get cleaned up and go to bed.”
He shook his head repeatedly. It wasn't that he didn't want to wash, it was that he didn't want to separate. Instead, Wooyeon, who was pressed against him, spoke as if urging him.
“Let's wash together.”
He doesn't know when he got undressed.
When he came to his senses, he was kissing Dohyun in a steamy bathroom. The shower was pouring down with water, and the thick pheromones were now saturating the air.
“Huu, nng...”
Wooyeon wrapped his arms around Dohyun's back and groaned. His hands kept slipping, but the tongue in his mouth was relentless.
Whether it was water or saliva, every time their lips overlapped, they made a sticky, squelching sound.
Hot, wet, and breathless, his head was spinning. Even the breath that came out of their lips that had briefly separated was filled with a heat that seemed to burn.
“Yeon-ah, look at me.”
Dohyun wrapped his hands around his face and kissed the underside of his cheek. Wooyeon's eyelids fluttered with every touch of his lips. Through his blurred vision, he could see Dohyun's gaze flickering with need.
“I'm hot...”
“Hot?”
He's in the bathroom, obviously to clean up, but he's not showering, just rubbing his lips. If he was going to do this, why did he hold back last night? Wooyeon gasped and rested his forehead on Dohyun's shoulder.
“I'm standing here...and you're just going to walk out?”
With that, Dohyun gently squeezed Wooyeon's penis. At the mere touch, Wooyeon's shoulders shook. He had already been erect for a long time, so it seemed that even the slightest stimulation would make him come.
“Mmm, hmm...”
A large hand slid down and stroked his shaft. His whole body was soaked in water, so it felt different from when he touched him before. It was more provocative, and even a little scary.
"Should I do it with my mouth?"
It was a temptation, like a devil's whisper. Dohyun smiled sweetly, but Wooyeon swallowed dryly and shook his head. It was a clear sign of refusal, but he knelt down in front of him nonetheless.
“Wait...ah!”
Sticking out his tongue, Dohyun lightly flicked the round head. Wooyeon quickly grabbed him by the hair and twisted his body. Before he could push him away, the hot penis was swallowed whole. The shaft pushed in, reaching deep into Dohyun's mouth.
“...!”
It was a sensitive area even when touched by hand, but when it was rubbed against the delicate mucous membrane, the sensation was indescribable. His thighs trembled, and his whole body threw itself into climax as if he was crying.
“...Huh...”
Before he could move even a few times, Wooyeon closed his eyes tightly and ejaculated into Dohyun's mouth. Dohyun didn't look up and drank everything. Wooyeon, who was twitching, shuddered and weakly collapsed.
“Huu...”
Dohyun gulped and swallowed the rest of his cum as he watched Wooyeon sag. He didn’t seem to care at all about Wooyeon’s resentful gaze. His eyes that were gently curled were quite sly.
“I said no...”
“If it was good, then it's fine."
Wooyeon grabbed Dohyun's arm and jerked him upright. He felt his strength slipping, but he held onto him tightly. Cradled against his broad chest, Wooyeon let out a breathy voice.
“...I want to do it too.”
He said it half in anger. Naturally, Dohyun smirked and stroked Wooyeon's back.
“Why would you do something like that on your birthday?”
That kind of thing. Who has ever tried 'that' before?
Wooyeon blinked in a daze. The remnants of pleasure hadn't worn off yet, so his pheromones were still pulsing out intermittently. His thoughts were scattered, but his hand moved of its own accord.
Slowly, it descended and grasped the stiffly erect penis. It was not Wooyeon's, it belonged to the man who had embraced him. Dohyun moaned softly as the hand stroked down the shaft.
“Ugh...”
Wooyeon rested his forehead between Dohyun's neck and shoulder and rubbed his thumb over his glans, not forgetting to run his fingers over it just as Dohyun had done for him. The way he responded to each touch was more exhilarating than he'd imagined.
“I’ll do it with my mouth.”
“....”
Conflict flashed in his dark eyes. Dohyun didn't say anything, but Wooyeon knew he was thinking about it, so he moved his hand further, and before he knew it, he flipped Wooyeon over.
“Later.”
His lips touched Wooyeon's ear. Then the lobe of his ear, then down to his jaw and the nape of his neck. After kissing each in turn, Dohyun wrapped his right arm around Wooyeon's waist.
“Not now.”
Dohyun didn't say anything further than that. He just rubbed Wooyeon's stomach and moved his hand up to his protruding nipple.
“Hmph...”
A thick penis rubbed between his buttocks. The long sweep of his penis, from his tailbone to below, touched the underside near his entrance. Dohyun pinched his nipple and gave him a gentle order.
“Put your hands on the wall.”
“...Ugh.”
“Put your legs together.”
Wooyeon placed both hands on the wall and closed his thighs as Dohyun said. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he couldn't remember a bad time when he'd listened to him during sex. When Wooyeon obediently took the position, Dohyun kissed his nape a couple of times as if praising him.
“Don't spread your legs.”
“Ugh, Nng…”
Dohyun slid his hand down from around his waist and stroked his once-ejaculating penis. The soft object raised its head in an instant, even though he hadn’t touched it much. After caressing the shaft and the testicles beneath it, he slid his penis between Wooyeon's thighs.
“...What are you going to do?”
Dohyun rubbed his nose against Wooyeon’s nape at his innocent question. The droplets of water that had formed in his hair dripped down his shoulder. With his free hand, Dohyun grabbed Woohyun's chin and kissed him at an angle.
“Quickly...”
“In a hurry...”
The penis stuck between his thighs slowly withdrew. It was just a leg, but his lower back felt tingly. Dohyun, who had raised his waist again, let out a tight voice.
“I have to do it this way.”
“Ah...!”
The penis that pushed in steadily rubbed under his testicles. Wooyeon, who instinctively jerked his waist, leaned his forehead against the hand that was resting on the wall. It felt strange, even though he hadn't inserted himself.
“Ugh...”
Slowly, very slowly, Dohyun increased his pace. He ran his hands all over his body, savoring the softness of his skin. When he couldn't stand it anymore and spread his legs, Dohyun whispered in his ear.
“Yeon-ah, legs.”
“Hng, hmm...”
The slick glans brushed against his penis. It scraped against his flesh on the way out, and slid past his wet entrance on the way back in. The touch in front felt wonderful, but the sensation of being touched in the back was unbearably tantalizing.
“Ugh, huh… Hyung…”
Wooyeon barely turned his head to look at Dohyun. The exquisite meeting of eyes felt like a tingling sensation. Wooyeon, who was trembling and leaning his lower body back, pleaded in a tearful voice.
“I want to put it in, huh…”
Dohyun stopped moving. The pheromones that had been oozing out of him also disappeared in an instant. Wooyeon grabbed Dohyun’s wrist with the hand that had been leaning against the wall and lowered the corners of his eyes.
“Please put it in...”
There was no need to add anything. As soon as he said those words, Dohyun’s pupils turned dark. Ha, he let out a breath and bit Wooyeon’s earlobe.
The night air was quite cool, even though it was almost July. Thankfully, it wasn't raining, but the damp air left a chill on his skin. Dohyun held a convenience store bag in one hand and shook his other hand gently, which was intertwined with Wooyeon's.
“Did you have fun today?”
His soft voice matched the dark surroundings. It was sweet, affectionate, and just the kind of kindness that Wooyeon liked. Wooyeon nodded without hesitation.
“I think they're both really funny.”
Wooyeon’s interpersonal relationships were limited, but he knew that Garam and Sungyu were kind. It would have been nice if they had met earlier, to the point where he thought that. Daniel was also a good friend, but since they started from different places, he was excluded.
“Good. I'm glad you had fun.”
Dohyun nodded and checked the watch on his wrist. It was the fifth time he'd checked it since the convenience store. Should he go home? As Wooyeon thought about it, Dohyun spoke slowly.
“Today...”
Perhaps because of his mood, his pace slowed down. Wooyeon didn't urge him and just stared blankly at Dohyun. The bridge of his nose looked smooth in the streetlight.
“I can't sleep at Mun Garam's house, so...”
“....”
“Do you want to come over to my place later?”
For a moment, he didn't understand the question, but as soon as their eyes met, Wooyeon nodded.
“Yes.”
It was late anyway, and he wasn't going to be called back home from wherever he was now. No, she probably doesn't even realize he's not home in the first place.
"I'll sleep at Hyung's house."
Dohyun's eyes curved and the corners of his mouth curled up at that answer. His expression was so cheerful that Wooyeon's mood began to rise. No, actually, it was already halfway there. He had been with Dohyun last night, and now he could be with him again. Just thinking about it made him happy.
“Ah, the night we drank champagne.”
Because Dohyun's pace had slowed down, it took quite a while to get to the villa. It seemed to take almost twice as long as it did to get to the convenience store. It wasn't until they were in front of the building that he asked the question he'd been dying to ask.
“So... Why did I have muscle pain back then?”
The day Wooyeon woke up in a robe. The day Dohyun said he told him about Daniel. His lower back was vaguely sore, even though nothing had happened with Dohyun. Of course, it was a minor pain that was too mild to be considered an aftereffect of their relationship.
“Ah... Muscle pain.”
Dohyun mumbled slowly, his eyes narrowing, before shrugging playfully.
"I see. It was just an appropriate comment I made."
“... Appropriate?”
“Yeah, because you made a lot of noise in the bathroom.”
Wooyeon gave him a look of absurdity, but Dohyun didn't care at all. He just playfully closed his eyes and dragged Wooyeon's hand in front of his face. The lips that touched the back of his hand fell away with an embarrassing sound.
“Just look at me once. I was upset.”
"...What is there to see now?"
To think that he would be relieved with just a kiss? Even Wooyeon thought it was really simple.
"Either you were hungover, or fell in the bathroom without knowing it. One of the two, right?"
With that, Dohyun pulled out his cell phone. 12:01 a.m. He checked the time and frowned, as if pondering something. He looked at the screen and began punching in the entrance password.
"Garam told you?"
“Yes, she told me to press it and come in.”
Isn't this a bit dangerous? Living alone. Wooyeon, who thought that far, suddenly tilted his head. He thought he heard something similar from Dohyun before. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't remember.
"Watch your step."
That's all Dohyun said as they walked up the stairs to the third floor to Garam's apartment. It was night time, so of course they should be quiet, but the silence felt awkward for some reason.
“...Did she give you the code to the front door?”
Wooyeon asked in a low voice, standing close behind Dohyun. Judging from the way he pressed the front door password without hesitation, it seemed like that was the case.
With a beep, Dohyun stepped aside. His softly curved eyes were full of mischief. Wooyeon blinked in surprise.
“Yeon-ah.”
“Yeah?”
For some reason, he felt weird. Nervous, maybe a little shaky. The moment seemed oddly long as Dohyun opened the door.
“Happy birthday.”
He didn't even have time to respond. The sound of firecrackers exploding could be heard through the gap in the suddenly opened door. Wooyeon's eyes widened and he turned his head slowly.
“Happy birthday, Seon Wooyeon!”
“Happy birthday, Wooyeon!”
Bang! Bang! The sound of firecrackers popping was heard twice more. Unlike the dark hallway, inside, where the lights were brightly lit, Sungyu was holding a lit cake. Garam quickly walked over to Wooyeon and placed a cone hat on his head.
"Hey, close the door first. They're saying something in the other house."
Wooyeon followed Garam inside as if he were possessed. Dohyun closed the door behind him, and Sungyu dangled the cake in front of him.
“Make a wish! Make a wish!”
"Make a wish quickly and blow it. The candles are about to run out."
"Wooyeon, blow out the candles!"
The candles flickered before his eyes: one pink, one yellow, on a cake covered in strawberries. Dohyun spoke softly to the still dazed Wooyeon.
“Blow out the candles.”
Suddenly, it all made sense. Garam's unnatural shooing away of him, Sungyu's awkwardly stiff face, and Dohyun repeatedly checking the time.
“This...”
“Ugh, Wooyeon, fire.”
Unable to resist Garam's ardor, Wooyeon blew out the candles in a dazed state. A faint smoke dispersed over the candles that had gone out. Sungyu shouted with a look of regret.
"Ah, the wish is important!"
"That's okay, man. What if we can’t eat the cake?”
Garam neatly pulled the candles out of the cake. Wooyeon looked around, still in disbelief. The delivery food was still lying there, and the firecrackers they'd set off were scattered everywhere.
“...Ha.”
A short breath escaped. It was part gasp, part sigh. After a few more similar sounds, Wooyeon covered his mouth and burst out laughing.
“What is this...”
Just like that, the whole situation was funny. The way Garam looked nervous without knowing it, the way Sungyu was regretful as he looked at the blown out candles, and the way Dohyun quietly observed his reaction.
“...How did you know it was my birthday?”
It was a birthday he'd never told anyone about. It was also a birthday he had never celebrated before in his life. It was his mother's death anniversary, and Suhyang had always left Wooyeon alone. He'd gotten plenty of gifts, but never a heartfelt congratulations from anyone.
“Why wouldn't I know your birthday.”
Dohyun said, and reached for the top of Wooyeon's head. He brushed away the paper shavings from the firecrackers and straightened his hat. Finally, he gently stroked his reddened eyes and smiled the most innocent smile possible.
“Thank you for being born.”
Oh, what could he say about this feeling? Wooyeon didn't know if he wanted to cry or laugh, but either way, his eyes stung.
“Hey, I've been trying so hard to keep him from crying, but you're the one who's cool about it.”
"That's right, if you cry on your birthday, you'll get lucky."
It was a crude consolation, but he swallowed hard. Luckily, the tears didn't flow, and Sungyu held out his phone to take a picture. Wooyeon had to pose with the cake, looking awkward, neither crying nor smiling.
Aside from Dohyun's, Wooyeon had never been to anyone's house before. Moreover, the space with the title of ‘single room’ was almost like an unknown world. To him, the idea of going to Garam's place was more exciting than the suggestion of going to an amusement park.
As soon as they finished eating, they hopped in a taxi and headed to Garam's. They could have gotten a hired car, but they didn't want to alert the house. Dohyun hailed a cab without a word and carefully dressed Wooyeon in a jacket.
“It's a little chilly out.”
After they got out of the cab, they walked side by side, sharing an umbrella. Dohyun had held the umbrella over them since they left the house, so Wooyeon had forgotten to grab an extra one. The umbrella was cramped for the two of them, and their shoulders stuck out if they weren't pressed closely together, but that wasn't bad.
“You aren't getting wet, right?”
“I'm fine, but... Hyung, aren't your shoulders getting wet?”
“I'm fine.”
One foot, then another. With each step, water droplets splashed. The light rain tapped the umbrella in time with each step. Wooyeon looked at Dohyun from the corner of his eye and grabbed his arm.
“I don't mind the rain.”
An umbrella held by someone other than Secretary Yoon. To share an umbrella with someone else. Even walking down the street on a rainy day like this.
Everything he did for the first time was okay because he was with Dohyun. Every time their shoulders brushed, his heart fluttered like it had when he had a crush on him. Dohyun smiled pleasantly and tilted the umbrella toward Wooyeon.
Garam's place was a newly built villa not far from the school. They had to enter a code at the entrance, and Garam came down as soon as Dohyun called. She was wearing a large boxy shirt and lime-colored shorts, making her presence felt even from beyond the door.
“Oh, Wooyeon, you dyed your hair?”
She hurried downstairs with her shoes were matching. One was a pair of flip-flops and the other was a pair of sky blue slippers. They were all colorful and crazy.
“I haven't unpacked yet, so it's a bit of a mess, but just bear with it. Sungyu got here a while ago.”
Garam said in a low voice, leading the way up the stairs.
The low staircase was too narrow for two of them to climb together. Wooyeon followed her, glancing around without Garam's knowledge.
“Kwon Sungyu, the kids are here!”
“They're here.”
Sungyu sat down in the living room and greeted Dohyun and Wooyeon as if he were in his own home. So much had changed in just a week since they saw each other, but he looked exactly the same as he had on the last day of school.
“Nice place. Clean.”
Dohyun closed the front door and took a cursory look around. Wooyeon followed Dohyun and took the opportunity to look around. As soon as he took off his shoes, he was in the kitchen, and after three steps, he saw the door. He didn't realize how amazing it was to see the whole house at once.
“Have you ever been in a house this small before?”
Garam tapped Wooyeon on the shoulder and smiled warmly. Wooyeon, who was looking up at the ceiling, suddenly turned to look at Garam.
“Oh... I'm sorry.”
“I see you're not saying no.”
Fortunately, she didn't look offended. Laughing, Garam nudged the pile of stuff with her foot.
"Just shove everything aside... But why are you two empty-handed when coming to a new house?"
"Wow, I didn't see either of you like that. I brought toilet paper."
Dohyun plopped down next to Sungyu, unperturbed by the outpouring of boos. Wooyeon also took notice and sat down cross-legged next to him. It was his first time going to someone else's house, so he hadn't thought of a housewarming gift.
“Order whatever you want to eat. I'll buy.”
“I was waiting for you to say that. Sungyu, open the app.”
The voices echoed from the lack of furniture. The house was disorganized, and you could hear the rain outside the window. Despite the unpleasant surroundings, Wooyeon felt excited.
“Shall we get some Chinese food?”
“We should eat something expensive for the guy who's paying for it.”
"When someone moves, they usually eat jajangmyeon."
“There's a bowl delivered here, do you want it?”
“No, I want something expensive.”
"Oh my."
If he hadn't come out, Wooyeon would have wasted another day. He would have stayed in the house with no one around and watched the rain fall, and as always, he would drift into depression until the rainy season ended.
"What do you want to eat? Chicken, okay?"
"Wooyeon can't eat chicken."
“Then pizza?”
“I ate pizza yesterday.”
“Kwon Sungyu can't leave it alone, really.”
"Hey, why are you only picking on me?"
Wooyeon swallowed a laugh as he listened to Garam and Sungyu chatter away. They never seemed to tire of each other, and whenever they were together, they never stopped talking, even if it was just small talk.
“What about sushi? Kim Dohyun loves sushi.”
Garam said and pointed at Dohyun. Wooyeon, who had just learned that 'Kim Dohyun likes sushi,' absentmindedly turned his gaze. Dohyun was staring at Wooyeon shyly, not paying attention to the conversation.
“...Do you like sushi?”
Dohyun's eyes were filled with a cute feeling, so he couldn't overcome his embarrassment and move his lips. Dohyun watched Wooyeon and closed his eyes gently.
“Yeah, I like sushi.”
His face felt flushed. It wasn’t the first or second time he had seen this smile, but how could it be so different every time? While Wooyeon was tugging his earlobe, Garam started choosing a menu at the sushi restaurant with the highest rating.
They chose sushi, pizza, and tteokbokki. They insisted on ordering the expensive stuff, but it wasn't much different from what they usually ate. Garam lamented the food she ordered, saying it was the food of someone who had eaten it before.
“Speaking of which, we'll be getting our grades soon.”
“Oh my, that’s right. This is a big deal, I messed up my final exam.”
Luckily, the food all arrived around the same time, and since there was no dining table, Garam laid out the boxes roughly and unwrapped them on the floor. It was the first time he'd eaten something on the floor since the night he got drunk at M.T.
“Our study goal was 4.0, right?”
“Bullshit. I couldn't even study at the end. 4.0 is your dog's name.”
"Wooyeon, do you think you'll get good grades?"
Sungyu asked, and Wooyeon shook his head, not sure about it. He thought he did well, but since it was his first time getting a final grade, it was hard to guarantee. But since Dohyun helped him, he'd probably be in the top tier.
"Did you two go on a lot of dates? I didn't contact you on purpose to surprise you."
"I went to my parents' house, so we couldn't meet."
“Oh, well, if I'd known that, I would've called you instead of staying away.”
Wooyeon gave a vague answer to Garam, who must have been bored. When asked what he's been doing, he talked about movies, working out, and swimming, just like he did with Dohyun. Garam was interested in movies, and Seongyu's eyes widened at the mention of a pool.
“You can come over when you're free.”
“Where, your place?”
“Yeah. We can watch movies, use the pool...”
"Awesome. Ji Suhyang's house... no, it's my first time going to such a big house."
Since Suhyang is not at home most of the time, she won't mind if someone comes over. The employee is actually happier when he hears that a guest is coming. Last time, he prepared a fancy dinner when he heard that a friend was coming.
No champagne this time. Wooyeon thought to himself.
They rolled around the house long after they had eaten. They kept eating the leftover food until nightfall, and Garam bought them coffee and cake after.
All they did was eat, lie down, and chat, but before they knew it, it was close to midnight.
“Hmmmm.”
Ten minutes to midnight. Just as Wooyeon was starting to think it was time to head home, Garam coughed awkwardly. She nudged Dohyun with her foot and gestured to the front door.
“Hey, go out and get some ice cream with Wooyeon.”
It was almost like an order, but Dohyun obediently got up from his seat. When he held out his hand, Wooyeon also got up awkwardly.
“Shouldn't we be going now?”
"Let's play some more. We live alone anyway."
"That's right, that's right. Hyung, I like corn."
Wooyeon tilted his head while holding Dohyun's hand. It was hard to explain, but the atmosphere was strange. Even though the others didn’t notice, Sungyu’s expression was awkwardly frozen.
“Let's go, Yeon-ah.”
Well, it must be because of the mood. Wooyeon, who tried hard to shake off the awkwardness, put his feet into his shoes. Up until then, Wooyeon hadn’t seen Dohyun secretly exchanging glances with them.
The next day, Wooyeon woke up to an empty bed and sat up. He must have fallen asleep while talking to Dohyun, but when he woke up, Dohyun was nowhere to be found. He looked this way and that, but there was no sign of him.
'No way... Has he already gone back?'
Wooyeon jumped out of bed like a spring. It hadn't been long since he'd seen him. It didn't make sense to leave him in his sleep. If he had to go, he should have woken Wooyeon up.
Wooyeon hurriedly walked toward the door even though he was still half asleep. Dragging his slippers across the floor, he was about to open the door when the study door opened. It was Dohyun who stepped out.
"Oh, you're up?”
"...Why are you coming out of there?"
Wooyeon let go of the doorknob and slowly approached Dohyun. Dohyun, smiling softly, opened his arms and hugged Wooyeon. A wave of warmth washed over him, along with his pheromones.
“I went to the restroom and saw the room we were tutoring in, so I took a look. I'm sorry I went in without permission.”
“I thought you'd gone home.”
“I'm not going anywhere without you.”
Long fingers ran through Wooyeon's hair. Even without looking in the mirror, he could tell that a magpie nest had been built. Dohyun stroked the crown and back of his head and pressed his lips to the crown of his head.
"You're pretty even with black hair."
He chuckled. Dohyun's voice was filled with affection. Dohyun kissed Wooyeon a couple more times as he squirmed.
The two descended to the first floor before the mood turned sultry. In the kitchen, the maid had set the table, and in the living room, there were unidentifiable boxes piled up. Dohyun ate in silence, before asking a question.
“Has it been like this every year?”
“What?”
Every year. He didn't understand what he was talking about. Food is always prepared every morning, and it's rare for employees to run into Wooyeon.
“Well, it's always...”
Wooyeon trailed off, and Dohyun's face grew serious. He furrowed his brow and looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he spoke up.
"Moon Garam moved."
“Moved?”
“Yeah. I think she moved from a one-room to a two-room.”
He hadn't heard from her since the vacation started, so it seems she was busy moving. Wooyeon nodded quietly, and Dohyun asked him in a quiet voice.
There are certain things you look forward to when you think of summer vacation. The lazy mornings, the sound of cicadas instead of an alarm, a vacation during the hottest part of the year, and the blue ocean in front of you.
Until the first day of break, Wooyeon had been drunk on happiness, thinking about those things. He had officially reconciled with Dohyun, had promised him a trip in passing, and was looking forward to all the fun things to come.
He wondered if he would go to the East Sea or Jeju Island, or maybe one of the villas in a foreign country. While he was full of dreams, the first day of vacation dawned, and Dohyun received a call from Jeonghwa.
- 'I think I should visit my parents' house for a few days.'
His dreams were instantly squashed. All the plans he had made to do this and that with Dohyun went down the drain. Wooyeon was devastated, but he tried to make it sound like he was okay.
'I'll be doing what I have to do, too.'
What the hell is there to do? Wooyeon had nothing to do, so he just rolled around in bed all day. And it’s only been three days since the vacation.
What did he usually do at times like this…? He spent time with Daniel in the US, and he's been out of his mind since he came back to Korea.
During the semester, he was studying, and after the exams, he was thinking about Dohyun. It’s been so long since he's felt this refreshed physically and mentally, so he couldn't get used to it.
‘Danny hasn’t contacted me either… Is Seonsaeng-nim really busy?’
Wooyeon tossed and turned while looking at the messages Dohyun sent. The news of his arrival at home was the last he'd heard from him. Wooyeon wasn't sure if he'd pick up if he called, but he didn't feel like bothering him.
Phew, Wooyeon sighed, and brought out the doll he had left in the corner of the bed. It wasn't a rabbit, but a desert fox. Holding the white, fluffy stuffed animal in his arms made him miss Dohyun even more.
Let’s get some sleep. He closed his eyes with that thought. He'd already slept enough, but sleep was best when there was nothing else to do. As he slowly closed his eyes, a number of thoughts popped into his head.
'...Next week is the rainy season.'
Now that he thought about it, the rainy season was coming soon. When that time came, the blue sky would be covered with dark clouds. The thought of heavy rain pouring down made his mind feel complicated and uneasy.
*****
A week has passed. Wooyeon dyed his hair black and went to his doctor for a pheromone panel. He wanted to know why the inhibitors didn't work last time, but this time all his levels were normal. His doctor said it was most likely due to stress and the alphas around him.
Suhyang hadn't shown up for a single day since Wooyeon started vacation. She was probably busy at work, but that wasn't the only reason. Wooyeon knew that this time of year, Suhyang would be working hard and sleeping as little as possible.
Anyway, because of that, he was having the most boring summer vacation of anyone, watching so many movies that his eyes were puffy and unfocused afterwards. He worked out in the PT room and swam in the pool, but the boredom didn't go away.
And so the rainy season began. One drop, two drops, the rain pounding against the window intensified just as Wooyeon tried to go to bed. Unfortunately, there was no one in the house, so Wooyeon sat on the window frame, holding the mobile phone in both hands.
“Call...”
Should I call?
A week and three days. Isn't that enough waiting? Wooyeon occasionally got messages asking if he ate, but he never heard Dohyun's voice. Honestly, isn't it a bit harsh to enter solitary confinement right after they started dating again?
[ Are you busy? ] 11:01pm
Wooyeon sent the message and began to diligently recite the spell. Call me, call me, call me, call me. He repeated it about five more times, knowing it was useless. Sure enough, the call never came, and his mood spiraled downward.
“I miss you...”
But surprisingly, as soon as he said the last words, his phone rang. The caller was 'Dohyun hyung', the teacher Wooyeon had been waiting for.
“Hello?”
Wooyeon hurriedly answered the phone in a panic. His heart began to pound and beat wildly. On the other end of the line, a very affectionate voice flowed out.
- Yes, Wooyeon. What were you doing?
“....”
There was no answer right away. It had only been a week, maybe a few more days, yet the voice he heard in the gap was overwhelmingly touching. It seemed as if he would burst into tears if he had said even one word.
“...Sunbae.”
That's why Wooyeon barely managed to squeeze out that call. Dohyun burst into laughter as soon as he heard the title 'Sunbae'.
- You're saying 'Sunbae' again after not seeing me for a few days?
What should he do with the title that he had already become accustomed to? It was fortunate that he didn't call him 'Seonsaeng-nim' but 'Sunbae'. Of course, he needed to correct the title.
“When are you coming back, Hyung?”
The voice came out gloomily. Even though he tried not to show it, he was already so lonely that he couldn’t help it. Dohyun must have noticed that, because he asked softly.
- Do you really want to see me?
“Yes.”
- ....
“I miss you.”
- ....
“I want to see you...”
If he say he wants to see him, won’t he come? Wooyeon leaned his forehead against the window with that thought. The pouring rain left traces on the transparent window. Beyond the rain, all he could see was a high wall and a garden.
- This is difficult.
Dohyun swallowed a sigh as he uttered the words. The silence that followed told Wooyeon he was choosing his words carefully. Did he act too childish? Just as he was thinking that, Dohyun whispered softly.
- I was going to go today because it was late.
As soon as he heard that, Wooyeon got up and ran out of the room. He crossed the unnecessarily large house, opened the front door, and went out with his shoes crumpled. Through the gap in the door that was suddenly open, someone was seen holding an umbrella.
“....”
“....”
A person standing upright with a black umbrella. His eyes widen in surprise at the sight of Wooyeon. The very person who had not left Wooyeon's mind for a single moment these past few days.
Wooyeon pursed his lips without even realizing that he was getting rained on.
"...If you keep doing this, you'll get reported."
The words were unimpressive to say the least. Naturally, Dohyun laughed and tilted his umbrella toward Wooyeon. Water droplets fell from his already soaking wet hair.
“Is that the first thing you want to say?”
Wooyeon didn't answer, and fell into Dohyun's arms. He hugged him so tightly that the umbrella Dohyun was holding fell to the ground. With a thud and a splash of rainwater, Wooyeon cried out.
“Hyung...”
A wave of emotions washed over him. He missed him, longed for him, and felt a little lonely.
To exaggerate a little, this past week was harder than the past four years without Seonsaeng-nim.
"Oh my, that's it."
Dohyun hugged Wooyeon tightly and rubbed his cheek against his hair. It was a very casual gesture, as if the wet hair didn't bother him at all. His arms tightened as if to crush Wooyeon, and he whispered sweetly in his ear.
“I missed you, too.”
They didn't enter the house until long afterward. It was precisely at that moment that Wooyeon sneezed. Dohyun offered to leave because it was getting late, but Wooyeon stopped him, saying that no one was home.
"Why did you go to your parents' house?"
The two came out after showering in different baths. For a brief moment, he thought they could wash together, but before he could say anything, Dohyun grabbed his spare clothes and was gone. Wooyeon regretted it, wishing he'd left the clothes for later.
“My parents and younger sibling call sometimes. Once I go, I have to play the good son, so I don't look at my phone much.”
“I see...”
After drying his hair roughly, they laid side by side on the bed and talked. Wooyeon was expecting something a little more intimate, but instead, Dohyun just gave Wooyeon an arm pillow and stroked his back.
As Wooyeon relaxed into his arms, Dohyun asked him casually.
“What did you do while I was gone?"
“...I watched a movie.”
“And?”
“I worked out, swam, and.... I tried to read a book, but I couldn't be bothered.”
“Sounds like you had a good time.”
“What's that?”
Their legs tangled under the duvet. It was supposed to be a peaceful conversation, but there were gaps between the answers. Wooyeon broke off and leaned closer to Dohyun, but Dohyun shook his head sternly.
“No, you don't live alone.”
“...There's no one here anyway.”
“You're not going to be able to handle it again, yet you're not afraid to rush in.”
The words were thick with warning. The dark eyes had a glint in them that made them all the more convincing. The problem was that even that gaze didn't work on Wooyeon at all.
“Just a kiss, then...”
Wooyeon wrapped his arms around Dohyun's waist and lifted his eyes eagerly. As much as he missed Dohyun, he also missed the pleasure he gave him in many ways. He wanted to feel him, just the way he was, through the way their lips met, their tongues mingling, and their bare skin touching.
“Yeon-ah.”
But instead of kissing him, Dohyun ran his fingers through Wooyeon's hair. Long fingers smoothed through the silky locks. First his forehead, then the corners of his eyes, then the bridge of his nose. Pressing his lips to each in turn, he asked in a soothing tone.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“....”
Wooyeon's gaze dropped. He pulled him into a hug, and Dohyun put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Wooyeon buried his face in his chest and whimpered.
“It's okay now.”
He wasn't okay before. Dohyun, who couldn't have been unaware of that fact, began to release his pheromones slowly. The gentle release of pheromones soothed Wooyeon's heart.
“I had a tutor when I was younger.”
Wooyeon started talking about various trivial things while in Dohyun’s arms. About how he had never been to elementary school and how he had been homeschooled and had seen various tutors. Among them, there was the story of an Alpha that was particularly memorable.
“I was taught English, but all I remember is getting scolded.”
He didn’t receive corporal punishment, but he was scolded so much that it would have been better if he had been beaten. He said that Wooyeon was stupid and did not do well, and he belittled Wooyeon as a child. That’s how he learned, and thanks to that, everything he wrote, listened to, and spoke was perfect to this day.
“Alphas are always like that.”
It may have been a coincidence, but when coincidences are repeated, they become inevitable. Stereotypes learned since childhood were not corrected with a few exceptions. Even now, in the arms of an Alpha, Wooyeon felt terrified at Alphas, but not at him.
“Where did the President go?”
Instead of sympathizing, Dohyun changed the subject. Wooyeon didn’t want to talk anymore either, so it couldn’t have been a more appropriate timing.
Fidgeting with his fingers, Wooyeon answered casually.
"Mother must have gone to the funeral."
“...When it's raining like this?"
“It's like this every time.”
It's the rainy season. It was raining outside the window, and Suhyang hadn't been home in over a week. She was always in a bad mood on days like this.
“It's my mother's memorial day the day after tomorrow.”
“....”
“She's never home this time of year.”
The rain intensified. Dohyun wordlessly lowered his head toward Wooyeon. Their lips gently pressed together, as if to offer comfort.
Garam rested her chin on the table and stared at the two empty seats. Her vision was blurry, as if she was drunk. She rubbed the backs of her eyes a couple times, but focus didn't come easily.
“Those two will make up, right?”
Sungyu asked Garam casually. He also drank a lot, but he was the most sober among the club members. Garam tilted her head slightly and slowly opened her mouth.
“Well... I guess.”
It had been two hours since the drinking party started under the pretext of summer vacation. The remaining people were busy playing drinking games at the bar after Dohyun and Wooyeon left. Normally, Garam would have joined them, but she wasn't feeling up to it today.
"If I had followed you while you were drunk, it would have been 100% true."
“Yeah...”
Sungyu nodded and sipped at the wheat beer in his hand. It was somehow relieving, and Garam grinned, showing her teeth in a mischievous way.
“You were worried, weren't you?”
“Of course I was worried. Weren't you worried, Noona?”
"Well I... I was worried. If something went wrong between those two, Wooyeon would leave the club."
The fact that the two of them fought was known to all the club members, including Garam. The freshman who carries around the Kim Dohyun by his side, the omega who made Dohyun, who had rejected everyone, declare 'We're dating'.
Wooyeon's attitude of chasing Dohyun around changed overnight, so it was impossible not to know.
"But I wasn't really worried. If Kim Dohyun does it, he'll do it, right?"
Garam had been confident that Dohyun would somehow resolve the situation ever since they'd entered the cold war, and while she hadn't known Dohyun long, after two years or so together, she was pretty sure he would.
She just didn't think he'd be so easily swayed.
"Wooyeon is amazing, too. Making Kim Dohyun feel awkward."
“Wow, Dohyun is amazing. When I saw that they were taking classes together as freshmen, I thought, "How great must it be for them to do that?"
Though she didn't say it, Garam agreed. She had realized a while ago how much Dohyun loved Wooyeon.
It was about a few months ago, on the day she first saw him.
'Everything he's wearing is designer.'
Garam, who is naturally very interested in clothes and fashion, couldn't help but look him up and down as soon as she saw him. That's because the clothes Wooyeon was wearing at the time were from luxury brands that Garam was familiar with. From the light gray puffer, to the thick sweater, to the sneakers, to even the jeans.
At least a studio apartment deposit, maybe more.
'Did you come in after laying down grass?'
Garam had prejudice against guys from wealthy families. She'd gotten better about it over the course of her time with Dohyun, but her first impression of Wooyeon hadn't been a pleasant. She even thought to herself that she shouldn’t get involved with him.
But that thought was short-lived. The moment Wooyeon turned his head toward Garam, her feelings of dislike quickly turned to fondness.
'...Oppa, what's his name?'
Every single feature was a strike zone. For Garam, a lover of small, pale people, Wooyeon was her ideal type.
Of course, that didn’t mean she wanted to do anything to him.
'I heard about it from the TA Oppa, and he has a pretty name.'
Garam just wanted to get him to join the club. She also thought that she could buy tteokbokki every day if she had a junior like that, so she brought it up to Dohyun. Of course, she didn’t think that Dohyun would react so dramatically when he heard his name.
'It's Wooyeon, Seon Woooyeon.'
'....'
Dohyun immediately ran to where Wooyeon had disappeared. Looking at the back of his figure that anyone could tell had a story, Garam secretly realized. 'Ah, this time it happened again.' It was a truly cunning sentiment, even though she said she had no selfish intentions.
"I guess the two of you knew each other before."
“Come to think of it, Wooyeon called him Seonsaeng-nim back then, didn't he?”
What kind of relationship do they have that makes him able to sway 'that' Kim Dohyun so much? With good intuition, there was only one possible guess. The fact that the private tutor Dohyun mentioned last time was none other than Wooyeon.
"...Then he isn't a total thief?"
Garam had seen people flirting with Dohyun quite often, picking up his number on the street or at festivals. She knew that while he was strict at school, he dated freely outside of it.
So Garam was a little surprised when he showed overconfidence for Wooyeon. She wondered if this guy was just playing around with a freshman who didn't know anything. It seemed like there was something between them, but she didn't want to lose the junior she liked because of some random romance.
'Why are you flirting with Wooyeon?'
To be honest, the fact that she'd lost several Omegas to Dohyun in the past also played a part. It was a strange twist of fate that most of the people Garam had crushes on had crushes on Dohyun.
Of course, even so, her feelings for Wooyeon were genuine.
'If you're not being sincere, then leave him alone. I want to see Wooyeon for a long time.'
Garam was very affectionate, and Wooyeon was the one who kept catching her eye. He didn't have the arrogance that's typical of rich people, and sometimes he was as innocent as a child. If she didn't worry about Wooyeon, it would be even stranger.
'...He thinks my smile is fake.'
Until she heard that, Garam thought it was some kind of bullshit, but the next time she opened her mouth, it felt like a slap in the back of the head.
'I want to know how long he'll think that.'
It wasn't the words that mattered, it was the look on his face, the way he said them, the way his eyes slid down his face in a gentle smile that made even the most selfless Garam's heart skip a beat.
'Hey, you...'
She interfered simply because she thought it was just a curiosity. As someone who loves the club, as a senior who cares about a junior, as a friend who is worried about him, those were the words she blurted out. But what if Dohyun really meant it?
'If I do this...he'll probably realize what I like.'
That was when Garam started to ignore Dohyun and Wooyeon's relationship. Instead of stepping in and helping like Sungyu, she just watched from afar.
If she thought about it, there were many hints that showed that he liked Wooyeon. He always sat next to Wooyeon at drinking parties, and whenever Wooyeon ate something, his expression softened into an infinitely cute face.
"Well...he's definitely met the one."
Perhaps Wooyeon still didn't know. That Dohyun furrowed his brow whenever he called Garam Noona, that he stared out the window at the café he'd visited to study, unable to sit down like a puppy that needed to poop.
The fact that a guy who hated being bothered helped him register for classes, stayed up all night to guard the living room during their M.T., and held back on smoking whenever he was with Wooyeon were all extensions of those feelings.
“Now that I think about it, this kid did the study group because of Wooyeon.”
Kim Dohyun is also very smart yet he volunteered first and they started studying together.
From the beginning, it seems that the study was just a forced excuse to meet Wooyeon.
“Ugh, I'm going to smoke a cigarette.”
Garam rummaged in her pockets and stood up. She asked Sungyu if he wanted to come with her, but he shook his head, saying he was getting drunk. How sweet is the cigarette when you are drunk, Kwon Sungyu didn't know the world.
But maybe she picked the wrong time, the smoking room was quite crowded. Garam hesitated for a moment, then turned to walk outside the bar. She didn't mind her own cigarettes, but she didn't want to inhale other people's smoke.
The night air was still cool, and a humid breeze blew outside, foreshadowing the coming rainy season. Garam took a deep drag from her freshly lit cigarette and looked up at the sky. After all, you should smoke in an open space. As she thought this, she heard a voice from somewhere.
"It's time for you to dye your hair."
"I'm already thinking about it. I'm thinking about just covering it up with black..."
Even though she'd had a few drinks, it wasn't hard to recognize the voices. One was Kim Dohyun, the other was Seon Wooyeon. They're peacefully discussing hair dye. Garam snorted and put the lighter in her hand back into the cigarette case.
"Should we go on a trip during the vacation?"
“Where?”
"Well, a light trip around the country would be fine. We can just take my car."
Did they make up? She thought to herself. Looking at the way they were planning their trip, it was clear that they had reconciled. After so much time had passed, it was time for Wooyeon to go easy on Dohyun. She felt relieved, but also a little bit empty.
"I have a driver's license, too."
“You can't use that in Korea.”
“...Why?”
Garam snickered as she heard a voice that sounded quite wronged. She wanted to walk over and talk to him, but he was in a good mood and she didn't want to disturb them. But if she pretended not to notice and smoked, the smell would waft over there. Her drunken brain was too slow to organize her thoughts.
"Yeah, your pheromones are all over my shirt."
“Really? I washed it.”
“Yeah, I know...I guess it just stayed on.”
That's why he felt strange, and that he wouldn't be able to wear it anymore because it was a waste. This was followed by a series of words full of false accusations.
She didn’t know about anything else, but Garam agreed that Wooyeon’s pheromones were really good. It is dominant, but his fresh and sweet scent is unrivaled compared to other omegas.
“The rainy season starts next week.”
“...Yeah, it's about time.”
Garam tied her hair high with a cigarette in her mouth. Her hair was long enough to reach under her shoulder blades. She should just cut all this hair off or something. It’s already grown this much because she was too lazy to grow it out.
“Wooyeon.”
“What?”
“Wooyeon.”
“....”
“Yeon-ah.”
“...Why do you keep calling me that?”
"Just because I like it."
‘Kim Dohyun is totally crazy.’
Garam, her hair neatly tied up, turned around without regret.
In the two years she'd been with Dohyun, she'd never seen him so happy. If she smoked in this place, she'd lose her appetite.
'I should go inside and smoke.'
Well, she didn't feel bad about it. Although she didn't do anything to help, she felt a strange sense of pride. She thought it would be perfect if she quickly told Sungyu about this news and smoked a cigarette in the smoking room.
“Ah...I want to be in a relationship.”
The words slipped out of her mouth. Garam let it out like a lament and stumbled into the bar. The sky was high, her heart was heavy, and her unlit cigarette filter was bitter today.
At that, Dohyun smiled beautifully. His eyes folded into a crescent moon and his lips drew an arc. His gentle face looked so innocent.
“Yeon-ah.”
“....”
Wooyeon couldn't answer, just stared blankly at Dohyun. He always thought he was pretty when he smiled, but now he looked like an angel. His legs went weak and he swooned.
“Come here, sit down.”
What he was pointing at was none other than his thigh. Wooyeon, who had almost sat down as if possessed, suddenly came to his senses. He hadn't had a drop of alcohol, so he couldn't fall for this drunkenness.
“Are you drunk?”
“Um...”
Dohyun tilted his head, his hair falling across his forehead. With a cigarette between his fingers, he flexed his thumb and forefinger and squinted.
“A little?”
“...I don't think it's a little.”
“It's a little bit.”
Wooyeon couldn't argue further and sat down on the stairs as he led him. It would definitely be messy, but it was already too late to feel uncomfortable. Dohyun sat Wooyeon down next to him and lazily rested his head on his shoulder.
“It's too low.”
It was a pretty brazen sentiment from someone that leaned in at will. He even went so far as to demand that it be raised a little higher. Funny enough, Wooyeon obediently straightened his back and helped him lean comfortably.
“What were you doing here?”
Instead of answering, Dohyun rubbed his cheek against his shoulder. It was like a cat or a dog rubbing up against his scent. Seonsaeng-nim is affectionate when he's drunk, Wooyeon realized, another thing he hadn't known.
“Not coming back for so long... people are worried.”
Actually, no one was worried, but Wooyeon said so. Without that excuse, Wooyeon couldn't explain why he'd come looking for him. But Dohyun casually dismissed Wooyeon's words as lies.
“You're a terrible liar.”
“....”
He wasn't talking to himself. He was teasing Wooyeon. Turning his head to the other side, he said a ticklish word.
“I thought of you.”
The back of his throat itched. It was a different feeling from hearing that he liked him. Dohyun continued to talk in a relaxed voice.
“I miss you, I think you're cute, I wonder when you'll accept me...I was thinking about things like that.”
“...Why are you thinking about that out here?”
"I'm already drunk... and it feels weird to have you next to me."
“You said you weren't drunk."
Wooyeon could smell the faint odor of alcohol and pheromones on Dohyun. The scent was stronger than usual, suggesting that he had forgotten to adjust his pheromones in his drunkenness. Wooyeon didn't bother to point it out and slowly opened his mouth.
“Sunbae.”
“Hyung.”
It was déjà vu. He had asked for it so many times that he still remembered it clearly.
“Not Seonsaeng-nim, not Sunbae... just Hyung.”
“....”
“I want you to call me Hyung”
Those words had multiple meanings. It meant that he wanted a different relationship than in the past, that he wanted to be someone more approachable, not just a Sunbae, and that he wanted to be closer to Wooyeon.
Wooyeon noticed all of that. Maybe it was because he was drunk, but today, Dohyun’s inner thoughts were too easy to read. No, strictly speaking, his heart had been clearly visible for a while.
“It's not a stuffed rabbit that Sunbae gave me.”
It was an abrupt change of subject, but Dohyun was happy to let it go. When asked what it was, Wooyeon sighed in relief.
“It's a desert fox.”
“A desert fox?”
Dohyun made a long, “Mmm...” sound, like he was thinking of the doll, and then buried his face in the nape of his neck, grinning broadly.
“It looks like you.”
“Where are you going?”
“Just here and there."
Wooyeon thought the breath on the nape of his neck was very odd. Dohyun thought it was strange. Dohyun didn't seem to think much of it, but Wooyeon's body was getting more and more sensitive. Whether he knew about this Wooyeon or not, Dohyun even laughed, making a purring sound.
“I thought it was a rabbit... I thought it was cute, so cute that I was mesmerized.”
Dohyun's hand tangled in his own. The feeling of them entwining each other was so familiar that it brought tears to his eyes. Still clasping his hand tightly, he whispered softly.
"I like you so much, what should I do?"
Sometimes, in the midst of everyday life, you suddenly realize something. For example, you realize that a wound has healed, or that you've forgotten a bad memory, or that so much time has passed.
“I like you, Wooyeon...”
Summer was almost here. The semester is over, and after today, it's vacation. After today it would be impossible to see Dohyun, to talk to him like this, unless they made an appointment.
“...I.”
Wooyeon stammered his hair graying. Dohyun's head was still leaning against him, their hands clasped tightly together. Warmth radiated from their closely pressed palms.
“I...”
His heart pounded in his chest and he turned. Pheromones rippled and the tips of his ears burned. It wasn't the first time he'd said it, but he felt a million times more nervous than before.
“...Me too.”
The words that managed to slip out felt small even to Wooyeon. It could easily be drowned out by the sound of grasshoppers if he said it wrong.
Unsurprisingly, Dohyun didn't answer, so Wooyeon mustered up a little more courage.
“I like you.”
It was different from the confession he'd made that day, that he liked Seonsaeng-nim. Unlike that time, when he had casually blurted it out without thinking, this time he took out the core and showed it to him. His head, and his heart, and his whole body screamed that it couldn't be anyone but Dohyun.
“I've been thinking...”
“....”
“I don't think I can do it without you, Sunbae.”
In the end, it was Dohyun. No matter how far he had to go, Wooyeon's heart was set on where he'd end up.
“I like you, Hyung.”
The moment he let it out, the true feelings that he had suppressed regained their size. Like a sponge soaking in water, they expanded quickly. The emotions that had been trickling out of him now overflowed to fill his heart.
“....”
Dohyun stopped moving, unable to breathe. Even the occasional sound of his breathing stopped, as if all time had stopped. The rustle of leaves, the sound of people talking in the distance, the indistinct noises he could hear if he concentrated deeply enough.
“...Now.”
A breathy voice said. It seemed surprised, or maybe embarrassed, but either way, it was not a response that expected Wooyeon to respond.
“Just now, what...”
“...I said I like you, Hyung.”
Wooyeon repeated what he had said a moment ago. They say the first time is the hardest, and the second time wasn't as nerve-wracking as the first. Dohyun was silent, unable to say anything, and then covered his eyes with his other hand.
“...Ha.”
A ragged breath burst out. The pheromones gradually became thicker, and he lowered his head while leaning on Wooyeon's shoulder. The tips of his hands that were tightly clasped together began to tremble slightly.
'No way...'
Wooyeon slowly turned to look at Dohyun, his face puzzled. He wanted to see his face, but the angle made it impossible to see his expression. However, his lips were bitten hard, so Wooyeon couldn't help but ask.
“...Are you crying?”
Pheromone surged loudly. Dohyun, his shoulders invisibly heaving, stammered an excuse.
“It's because I'm drunk.”
“Are you really crying?”
"...I told you it's because I've been drinking."
His voice was tinged with tears, his words trembling and his breathing shallow. Dohyun turned around and hugged Wooyeon, who was frozen in place, unable to do anything.
“Say it one more time...”
Wooyeon awkwardly hugged Dohyun, who was holding him. Dohyun had never been held in his arms, even though he had hugged him while crying. Although he was awkward and uncomfortable, he could tell how desperately Dohyun was clinging to him.
“I like you.”
“...Call me Hyung.”
“I like you, Hyung.”
“One more time...”
“Hyung, I like you.”
The more he confessed, the more convinced he became that he liked him, not because he was Seonsaeng-nim, not because he was kind and mature, but just because he was Kim Dohyun. No matter how it started before, this beginning was entirely by Wooyeon.
“Look.”
“....”
“I told you it wasn't useless.”
Dohyun weakly buried his face in Wooyeon's shoulder. The skin of his shoulder began to get wet. As he rubbed his back, a desperate voice confessed.
“I like you, too.”
“....”
“I really like you, Yeon-ah...”
That was the end of the long-lasting rain shower. The rain stopped and the sky opened up to reveal a clear day. Dohyun didn't leave Wooyeon's embrace for a long time.
Bang! Soju glasses clinked with a cheerful sound. It was the fifth toast in an already heated atmosphere. Garam stirred the soju with a flushed face, while Sungyu wandered around, chatting with his classmates. Wooyeon set his glass of soju down on the table and glanced over to his seat.
"Oppa, you're going to be the top student again this time, right?"
“I can't get a scholarship because of that Hyung.”
“Shit, you just can't get it.”
Friday of finals week. After an eventful semester, the club is celebrating summer vacation with drinks. There was a club meeting at the chicken restaurant next door, and even Sungyu, a member of the student council, chose the club. Wooyeon was going home secretly, but he ended up following Sungyu to the drinking party.
"I don't know about being the top student. I didn't study properly this time."
As soon as they arrived at the bar, Wooyeon picked a corner seat where he didn't have to drink. No one would force him to, but it was to prevent him from having a drink or two just for the atmosphere. Even if the momentum of reporters has been down lately (Junsung's case was a big one), it would be embarrassing to make a mistake.
And naturally, Dohyun sat next to him.
“Hyung, have another glass!”
“Go, go, go! Go!”
As soon as he sat down, Dohyun drank the drinks his juniors poured him without stopping. After drinking one glass, a new glass would come, and after drinking that glass, soju would appear from somewhere. Dohyun, who usually drank moderately, was downing every shot he was given today.
“Dohyun seems to be drinking a lot today!”
Wooyeon leaned his head against the wall and watched Dohyun absentmindedly. The sight of his large hand holding the soju glass, his bulging Adam’s apple moving up and down, and the sight of his gentle eyes winking every now and then.
“Why do you guys seem to be feeding only me today?”
His voice was languid, the way it trailed off, but it was definitely different from his usual tone. The slow, lazy blinking of his eyes also indicated that he was drunk.
“...Shouldn't you stop drinking?”
The words came out of his mouth unconsciously. It was too dangerous for him to continue drinking without food. Dohyun's eyes twitched, and he looked away at an angle.
“Yeah... I should stop drinking."
With that said, he took another drink. The problem was that when the glass was empty, another junior poured him more soju. Judging by the way he spilled it without controlling the amount, he was also drunk.
"Who's going to drink the soju I made?"
Wooyeon was surprised and puzzled to see him drinking like this. Dohyun, who was more self-controlled than anyone else, had never gotten drunk at any drinking party before. Or, more accurately, he hadn't because Wooyeon always got drunk first.
"Here, I'm giving you a club president special. This isn't something that just anyone can give out."
Garam held up the soju she had made herself and placed it in front of Dohyun. She called it 'somaek', but judging by the color, it was closer to barley tea. The proportion of soju was at least 50%. Wooyeon, who couldn't stand it any longer, frowned and looked at Garam.
“Noona, what kind of soju is this...”
“ Drink, drink, drink!”
“Wow! Drink it! Drink it!”
“There...”
Wooyeon learned anew that the sober person is the loser in a drinking party, and the already drunk members of the fraternity just clapped their hands and laughed at whatever Wooyeon said. To make matters worse, even Dohyun grabbed his beer without much resistance.
“Are you really going to drink it?”
Wooyeon asked anew. He asked in surprise, but Dohyun didn't pay any attention.
“Yeah, she gave it to me, so I'll drink it.”
Since when did he listen to others so well? It was nothing for Seonsaeng-nim to say no without ruining the mood.
“You look pretty drunk...”
Wooyeon gently tugged on Dohyun's collar without actively stopping him. He wasn't sure how far he could go in this ambiguous relationship, neither dating nor not dating.
But the small gesture was met with an unusually large response.
“...Ah.”
With a thud, the beer glass spilled. Dohyun accidentally loosened his hand. The full glass of alcohol spilled out, and half of it spilled onto Dohyun's pants. The club members who were excitedly chattered were startled and searched for tissues.
“Tissues, tissues, tissues!”
Wooyeon's eyes widened and he grabbed a tissue from the corner of the table and held it out to Dohyun who didn't do anything but stare blankly. Wooyeon had no choice but to pull out the tissue and place it between Dohyun's legs.
“What are you doing without wiping?”
His light beige slacks were stained dark brown. It was beer, not soju, and the amount was no joke.
As he hurriedly wiped them from the chair to his thighs, Dohyun grabbed his wrist.
“Why...”
Just then, their gazes met. Wooyeon stared wide-eyed at Dohyun. His mouth closed, and the words died in his throat. His wrist ached, but he couldn't find the words to ask him to let go.
“...”
His face is uncharacteristically rigid. His pupils fluttered wildly, but his gaze remained fixed on Wooyeon. One second, two seconds, three seconds. As the subtle air currents reached their peak, Dohyun's face turned bright red.
“...I'm going to get some air.”
With that, Dohyun stood up and left the table. Wooyeon was left alone, staring blankly at his back and his wrist.
Even after a long time, Dohyun did not return to the table. The club members seemed to have forgotten his existence and were excited among themselves, and Wooyeon, who couldn’t stand it any longer, went looking for him. There was no reason for him to not return after such a long time.
Dohyun was nowhere to be seen in the bathroom inside the bar, the smoking room in the corner, or the emergency exit next to the entrance. Wooyeon had no choice but to go down the stairs and go outside the building.
“Where did he go...”
Outside, the neon lights were bright and the breeze was cool. The night air was still cold, but soon tropical nights would begin. By then, the media’s interest will have died down somewhat.
Instead of just walking around, Wooyeon pulled out his cell phone and made a call. It would be better to find them more efficiently than to trust his own instincts. Luckily, just as the phone rang, he heard it vibrate nearby.
'Is it behind me?'
One step, then another. The place he followed the faint vibration was a side street behind the streetlight. There was a metal staircase leading to an outdoor bathroom, and someone was sitting there, leaning against the wall. The streetlight was dim, but it wasn’t hard to see that it was Dohyun.
Instead of calling out to him, Wooyeon gradually closed the distance. Dohyun was staring blankly at the screen of his phone with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. The letters that read ‘Wooyeon’ were clear even in the darkness.
“If you see it like that, will you answer the phone?”
Dohyun flinched, his straight shoulders shook. His wide, straight, and neat back seemed to stiffen awkwardly. After a moment, Dohyun slowly turned his head.
“Uh...”
He looked surprised. Well, of course he'd be surprised if someone talked to him from behind. Wooyeon hung up and shoved his phone into his pocket.
“I thought you quit smoking?”
Dohyun blinked a couple of times and quickly pulled out his cigarette. The cigarette twitched between his long fingers. He closed his mouth, opened it again, repeated it a few more times, and frowned awkwardly.
“...Why did you come out?”
Wooyeon was inwardly embarrassed as the question didn't seem to welcome him. It was an ambiguous relationship, neither dating nor not dating. In that kind of relationship, wouldn't it be okay to follow a drunk person out?
“No... I'm not saying anything.”
Dohyun shook his head slowly, as if he'd read Wooyeon's mind. The way he leaned his back against the wall and lowered his eyes showed that he still hadn't sobered up.
