31
The next day, Gu Wanjae had recovered his condition. When Taein woke up, Gu Wanjae was exercising in the living room. Taein found the entire morning scene bewildering. The reason he had been sick in the middle of the night, why he had been sleeping in bed together with Gu Wanjae, and how that guy who had been so sick was now exercising so normally… It was all strange. And the fact that his own body had recovered completely also felt unreal. He had definitely thought he was fucked because he seemed to have caught Gu Wanjae’s body aches and cold.
“Hey, what’s this. Are you okay…?”
Gu Wanjae, who had been doing push-ups, sprang up from his position as if bouncing his body into the air. He always finished like this.
“I’m fine, obviously.”
As if nothing had happened, Gu Wanjae only said that and passed by Taein.
“What time did I start sleeping yesterday? Almost from the afternoon…”
Excluding when he woke up around evening, he had slept for over 17 hours. The clock he looked up at belatedly was pointing to 8 o’clock.
“You weren’t feeling well, so that’s why. Didn’t I tell you? To take care of your body.”
Gu Wanjae got water from the kitchen and drank it. He put down the cup as if he had gulped down cold water and made a “keu” sound.
“I’m fine now though. I actually thought I caught your body aches last night.”
“Bullshit. I was outside, so how could you catch that from me?”
“You came to my room.”
“What?”
“At night, you were lying behind me.”
“Who was?”
“…You were.”
It was a strange question. If there was someone who would be lying behind him, it could only be Gu Wanjae. Yet Gu Wanjae asked “Who?” with an expressionless face.
“Hey… who else is in this house besides you and me?”
“I slept in the bed?”
“Yeah. Don’t you remember?”
“Not really, except for you coming in yesterday.”
Gu Wanjae tilted his head slightly. He really seemed like he couldn’t remember. Maybe it was because he was sick. Taein looked at Gu Wanjae quietly and then made a face like he didn’t know either.
“Maybe you crawled over because you were sick… I don’t know either. We were sleeping together in the bed.”
“Did I go into the room and pass out?”
“…If you don’t remember, well. That could be it.”
Silence settled after Taein’s words. Gu Wanjae looked ahead expressionlessly and touched his forehead. It seemed like he was trying to forcibly recall his broken memories. Taein stood in the middle of the living room for a while, then turned around and went into his room. It felt gross to put on his school uniform right away, so he came back out and went into the bathroom. Gu Wanjae was still in the kitchen. Their eyes met briefly but quickly scattered. Taein turned on lukewarm water and washed his body.
Could he really not remember? He came all the way into the room.
I’m not sure. His condition was so bad, so maybe that’s possible.
Though he answered calmly in front of Gu Wanjae, the fact that a person couldn’t remember was starting to feel a bit scary. It wasn’t like he had been drinking, and Gu Wanjae wasn’t the type to get drunk either. If such a guy couldn’t remember, just how bad must his condition have been? It was strange. It was strange that he himself felt refreshed as if he had washed up, and it was also strange that Gu Wanjae, despite being so sick, looked completely energetic today.
Taein came out of the bathroom with a puzzled mind. When he went into the room right next to it, put on his school uniform and came out, Gu Wanjae was already sitting by the entrance as if he had finished preparing. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and dress pants.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yeah.”
Taein’s eyes were swollen as if he had just woken up from sleep. It was natural for his face to be puffy after sleeping for a full 17 hours. Normally, this guy would have more than enough to tease him about such a face. For some reason, Gu Wanjae said nothing. He just glanced at his face and passed by without any particular reaction.
Taein didn’t have much to say in the morning either. There were days when he was particularly quiet, so there was nothing special about it. It was just that he wouldn’t tease his swollen face, but Gu Wanjae was still the same Gu Wanjae.
A guy who comes out to give his friend a motorcycle ride the very day after being sick.
He was the same as always.
Gu Wanjae, who had been walking looking straight ahead, stopped near the motorcycle. He turned around and finally looked at Taein.
“…Check.”
“……”
Taein’s eyes silently met Gu Wanjae’s eyes. There was nothing to check anymore. He had sewn on two new buttons at the top so the neckline became narrower, and grumbling at Gu Wanjae’s opinion that it emphasized his butt, he had also adjusted his pants size. Though the loose pants felt awkward, it was also true that they were comfortable, so he didn’t complain afterward. And his hair.
Recently, Taein had cut his hair short.
Originally it was a length that slightly covered above his ears, but Gu Wanjae had seen his hair blowing in the wind and said “This won’t do, this won’t do,” while dragging him to a hair salon. Taein firmly believed the hairstylist’s words that it was the latest trend, but sitting in the mirror was some guy with a chestnut-shaped haircut. It was just slightly longer than the original chestnut cut, but it was a style that made a person look dumb.
“…Hey.”
“What.”
“How do you still look like this shit even when you cut your hair like a dog?”
“What?”
“This isn’t about the hair and school uniform.”
A subtle irritation gathered on Gu Wanjae’s face as he quietly looked at him. Gu Wanjae turned around and started the motorcycle. It was a motorcycle that couldn’t start immediately unless you turned it on beforehand. A loud “vroom” sound echoed, and Gu Wanjae got on the torn seat first.
“Huh? That’s not the problem.”
Toward Taein who was standing blankly beside him, Gu Wanjae turned his head and said.
“Well, what am I supposed to do about it.”
“Fuck, let me think about what to do too.”
“I think it’d be better not to think about it.”
“What the hell does that mean? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of dating the same male bastard?”
“You’re talking bullshit. Crazy bastard.”
“Hey, fuck. Whatever. Just get on.”
“This is a car?”
“If it rolls, it’s a car.”
Gu Wanjae grinned and leaned back, gesturing with his chin toward the seat that was now exposed in front. Originally it was about a 1.5-person seat, but it was very cramped for two guys to ride. Though they always rode in the same position, it wasn’t easy to get used to. Taein spread his legs wide and pretended not to see Gu Wanjae, who had yielded the front seat area. When he came out of the house, he was expressionless, while checking he was full of irritation. Now he had a smiling face. It didn’t seem like he was happy. It was just an expression of smiling to tease.
Taein lightly kicked Gu Wanjae’s sneakers backward and got on the seat.
“What are you grinning about?”
“When did I grin?”
Gu Wanjae made excuses from behind.
“I can tell you’re fucking smiling even without looking.”
The motorcycle made a loud “vroom, vroom” sound before starting off. For a moment, his body was completely pressed against Gu Wanjae’s, but Taein straightened his back as if he was used to it. If he positioned himself like that, their bodies wouldn’t stick together too severely.
“Ah, Kang Taein is fucking handsome, that’s the problem.”
“You’re talking bullshit.”
“If people find out with this face, fuck. Humans won’t leave you alone.”
“…Find out what?”
“Ah, Kang Taein.”
When asked, he’d say something else, and even when staying quiet, he’d call his name pointlessly saying “Ah, Kang Taein.” Taein had changed from head to toe according to Gu Wanjae’s taste. He no longer looked like the ordinary Kang Taein from before.
They arrived at school quickly.
Taein went to the classroom and silently kept to his seat. Regardless of classes, loud noises could be heard from the hallway, but he didn’t pay attention. After sitting like that for a while, the bell rang. When the first period, which had been replaced with self-study, ended, an incredibly loud noise was heard. It was much more boisterous than usual. Taein got up and left the classroom, thinking he’d spend the break time outside since it was break time anyway.
“This fucking bitch!”
“What, you fucking bastard.”
His eyes turned not toward the direction he was originally going, but toward where the sound was coming from. So that’s why he heard something like shouting. A fight had broken out from the morning. It wasn’t a surprising sight since it was common. Taein immediately looked away and walked in the opposite direction. An outdoor terrace connected to the end of the hallway appeared. It was nothing special, just a narrow outdoor space.
Taein leaned his body against the wall railing.
“……”
Though he didn’t show it in front of Gu Wanjae, he was feeling his own body changing too. This was also the reason he grudgingly accepted Gu Wanjae’s “friend management.” Even though he cursed inwardly at the peculiar and ridiculous behavior, as time passed he came to give up and think, “Maybe this is how it should be.” The recent haircut was the same. Right after it was cut, he thought he was fucked, but it had the effect of making his impression look slightly tougher. Of course, he had to frown a bit himself.
Since the process was troublesome and annoying, he didn’t correct his gender registration at school. After all, he just had to graduate. As long as there were no troublesome incidents during that time, it was enough. This was when it was good to attend school the way Gu Wanjae wanted. Nobody would see him as looking like an Omega. Rather, wouldn’t he look like an Alpha with a nasty impression?
He had heard it several times at the hospital, but he had difficulty detecting scents, and others also couldn’t easily detect his scent. What kind of blessing was that? The doctor had made a puzzled face seeing Taein’s brightening expression.
When Taein became even happier at the words that the possibility of pregnancy was low, the doctor hardened his expression and even said it was “a kind of disability.” Taein didn’t care at all. He just pretended to be serious and went along with it while reading the atmosphere.
“Fucking hilarious.”
Taein, who had pointlessly recalled that memory, let out a hollow laugh. Would he do it? Even though no one was around, he said such things before going into the classroom.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
