#77
“Ugh! Ungh! Ack! Ahh!”
The sounds coming from his throat were unfamiliar and awkward. No matter how hard he tried to clench his teeth, he couldn’t stop the moans rising from within. Involuntary tears flowed. The flashing sensations whipping through him made him lose track of what sounds he was making. The pace quickened. His heart raced faster and faster, seemingly without limit. He heard a ringing in his ears.
Jaeha’s heavy breathing filled Eunhong’s ears. Jaeha nibbled on Eunhong’s neck, then unable to hold back any longer, thrust forcefully as if to fold Eunhong’s body. Eunhong cried out and clung to Jaeha.
The sound of flesh meeting flesh filled the bedroom. Pheromones mixed wildly, and pleasure coursed through their bodies to the point of losing consciousness. Their rough moans mingled and burst forth.
“Hah, haah! …Ah!”
“Eunhong, hng!”
Jaeha gripped and stroked Eunhong’s dick, cursing and moaning. Eunhong’s neck strained as his mouth opened in a silent scream. His head jerked back and his whole body tensed and trembled.
Fluid erupted from the tip of his dick. Simultaneously, Eunhong’s inner walls began to squeeze Jaeha. Crying out in a voice unlike his own, Eunhong embraced Jaeha. Nothing else mattered in that moment. He just wanted to hold Jaeha close.
Jaeha hugged Eunhong back, moaning. The muscles in his back rippled. His large upper body collapsed slightly as the tension continued. He held Eunhong tightly and released for a long time.
“Huff… huff…”
Jaeha trembled, swallowing the curses that threatened to escape.
***
He had known from a young age that his body was beyond the normal range.
“You’ll likely manifest soon.”
It was near the end of summer vacation. He had been feeling nauseous and had a dry cough for a month, so he showed Professor Choi, who gave that response. Jaeha skillfully concealed his surprise and lowered his eyelashes.
“What happens when I manifest?”
“You’ll become a proper alpha. Based on your trait indicators, there’s a high chance you’ll manifest as an extreme dominant.”
“…What about school?”
“I advise you not to meet any level 2 trait bearers until you’ve manifested and stabilized. You’ll likely stay at home until the stable period. To avoid your pheromone quality being affected by surrounding trait bearers.”
There’s no better breed than one raised in pure water.
Professor Choi looked at Jaeha’s chart, scribbled a prescription, and skillfully removed the needle with an alcohol swab. A red drop of blood stained the thick cotton in a circle on his thin, white forearm.
“It’s unfortunate that you won’t be able to properly finish your school life. But preventing any possible accidents is more important… Don’t worry about the learning part, a professional tutor will help you.”
“It’s fine.”
“…”
“I’m not disappointed.”
As he approached manifestation, his sense of smell became painfully sensitive. He was avoiding more and more foods. School, full of sweaty peers, was like a sewer to Jaeha.
Jaeha swallowed the medicine Professor Choi gave him and stood up. He had always known his body would manifest someday. It was just happening earlier than expected, nothing surprising or upsetting about it.
He knew since he was a baby how his father had made choices to have him, how his mother had lived and passed away. He had grown up giving up many things. Jaeha had no particular feelings about his life, his body, or his traits.
He felt no pride in being an extreme dominant alpha that others envied, nor did he have any plans for how to live in the future.
“How would you like your lunch?”
A servant who had been waiting by the doorpost asked carefully. Jaeha thought for a moment, then walked to the window and drew back the curtains. Sunlight poured onto the floor. He stepped forward hesitantly and approached the window. Shading his eyes with his hand, he peered outside with narrowed eyes.
His anxious gaze quickly scanned the green lawn before stopping at a certain point.
“Shall we ask Eunhong?”
The perceptive servant asked Jaeha’s back, but there was no response.
“Today’s main ingredient is abalone…”
“Alright.”
“Then I’ll have the meal prepared without changes.”
“Do that.”
Jaeha spoke without taking his eyes from the window. Professor Choi approached behind him.
“When will you tell Eunhong? Surely you’re not still hoping for his manifestation? It will hurt him if he notices.”
There wasn’t a single incorrect word. In trait tests done without Eunhong’s knowledge, there had never been a possibility that he wasn’t a beta. Jaeha had been told dozens of times that the scent he perceived from Eunhong was just his own illusion.
“I gave up on that a while ago. Don’t worry.”
Jaeha replied gruffly. Eunhong was sitting outside in the garden on the hot summer day for some reason. He sat at a white table under a wide awning, focused on drawing in his sketchbook. Jaeha gazed at him through the window. It was disappointing that the awning obscured his expression.
As the hour struck, sprinklers came on, spraying water droplets. Eunhong sat dazed until water splashed on his pants, then he jumped up with his sketchbook. He made a troubled face as he shook the wet sketchbook. Looking around, he seemed to sense someone watching and turned towards the window, spotting Jaeha.
Eunhong looked up at Jaeha, slowly brushing back his hair. His wet hair glistened as it fell back. As soon as their eyes met, he smiled brightly, as if embarrassed.
Jaeha smiled back. The corners of his mouth lifted without him realizing.
When he woke up after dozing off, everything was dark. Jaeha blinked slowly as he lay there. His eyes were accustomed to the darkness, and thanks to the yellow light, he easily recognized that he was lying in his familiar room.
He remembered having dinner with Eunhong and falling asleep while watching a movie. It must not have been long since he fell asleep, as the TV hanging on one wall was still flickering with light. He heard the sound of a pencil scratching behind his ear.
Jaeha stirred and rolled over.
“Oh sorry. Did I wake you?”
Eunhong was sitting propped up on the bed, drawing. On top of the thick sketchbook was a delicately drawn picture of an angel. Jaeha shook his head gently and sat up.
Eunhong took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. It wasn’t even 9 PM yet, but his eyes felt blurry.
“You should have turned on the light to draw. Your eyesight will keep getting worse that way.”
“It’s the same. Both my parents have bad eyesight anyway.”
“Lie down.”
Jaeha took out some artificial tears from the nightstand. Eunhong obediently lay down and offered his eyes. Carefully holding the delicate eyelid with his hand, Jaeha dropped a droplet. The startled eye fluttered, and the light-colored iris moved.
Hoo, Jaeha brushed his lips against Eunhong’s eyelid, using the eyelashes as an excuse.
“The medicine must be strong. You slept all day.”
“Yeah, but my nose is a bit better.”
“Really?”
“Not completely better though.”
Jaeha buried his nose in Eunhong’s shoulder as he half sat up. “It feels like all the smells in the world are attacking me.” Eunhong’s shoulders shook slightly at those words.
“What’s that? You’re so weak.”
Even as he teased, his hand gently stroked the back of Jaeha’s head.
“They say it’ll get better after you fully manifest? How can you live if it keeps being this painful? School’s starting.”
“They say I can’t go to school.”
“Really? I’m a bit jealous of that.”
Leaning on Eunhong’s giggling shoulder, Jaeha flipped through the sketchbook. The pages fluttered. Angels filled the spaces between the thick cream-colored pages. Angels were all Eunhong liked to draw these days. Angels resembling the statue of David. Perfect beings with six large wings each.
“You drew it well. What’s this angel’s name?”
“Just… I don’t know either. I just drew whatever came to mind.”
Though he answered shyly, the model for the drawings was often Jaeha. While not exactly like a statue, the features resembled him closely. To Eunhong, his beautiful friend who hadn’t yet fully manifested was like an angel before its wings had sprouted.
The movie was heading towards its ending. The supporting character who had helped the protagonist and met their death broke out of the grave and headed for the celestial realm. Wings that sprouted from their back led them to the sky. All the pain and hardships were overcome. Once you become an angel, nothing is difficult.
“They say that even though it’s hard, after you become an alpha you’ll grow taller and become more handsome. Your body will get bigger and your shoulders will…”
“Who says that?”
“Mom. She said you suffer as a price for gaining a lot.”
“What is there to gain?”
Jaeha picked up the remote and rewound the movie. Eunhong took some popcorn from the bowl and held it up to Jaeha’s mouth. It was one of the few things Jaeha could eat lately. As he ate the offered popcorn, his tongue touched Eunhong’s fingertip. For a moment, a sweet taste mingled with the salty popcorn. Unlike Jaeha who flinched, Eunhong seemed to think nothing of it. He just mechanically scooped up popcorn and pushed it into Jaeha’s mouth. Jaeha ate it, then pretending it was an accident, gently bit Eunhong’s index finger once.
