Had it been about two hours? Haon’s eyes snapped open, sharp and alert. He had slept just enough that sleep no longer came to him.
The room was dim, the small light turned off, but with the blackout curtains pulled aside, he could make out the shapes around him. It looked like Inho had drawn the curtains back before leaving.
Haon, still buried under the blanket, squirmed and wiggled his toes. He didn’t know the exact time, but the heavy stillness told him it was the dead of night—well before dawn.
He reached up to touch his throbbing cheek, then rubbed his stiff back and sore hips before slowly lifting his upper body. It felt pointless trying to go back to sleep.
Letting out a long sigh as he sat up, he stared out the window. His mind was cluttered with too many thoughts, and his head felt heavy.
“…I think I really like him.”
He hugged the pillow to his chest, whispering almost inaudibly to himself. Having never been in a relationship before, these feelings felt incredibly foreign.
Whenever his heart pounded like this, he had always assumed he was physically ill. It never once crossed his mind that his heart was reacting because he liked Inho.
He scratched lightly at his chest, where a faint trembling lingered, his expression clouded by shadow. The moment he realized how he felt about Inho, a deep gloom settled over him. There was no room to enjoy this new fluttering—he had already given up before anything could even begin.
“I only date people with the same secondary gender as me.”
Those words had burned themselves into his memory like holes scorched into paper. Inho’s voice, saying he never dated Omegas, replayed vividly in his ears.
It felt like he’d been rejected before even confessing. Not that he had the courage to confess anyway.
Out of habit, he bit his lower lip, only to wince from the pain and ease up. When he touched it, a rough scab greeted his fingers—he’d forgotten it was torn.
After going through a heat, he tended to forget things more than usual.
Haon rested his chin on the plush pillow, pulling his knees up to his chest. Thinking about Inho—probably sleeping upstairs—his heart started to stir again.
How much must he like him for it to be this intense? And when had it even started?
They were his own feelings, yet he couldn’t find a clear answer. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had liked Inho from the very beginning. From that small, seemingly insignificant moment—when he woke up in a strange bed and Inho gently rubbed ointment into his body. His heart had opened wide from that moment on.
In hindsight, it was inevitable. Who wouldn’t fall for him? Spending just half a day with Inho would be enough to make anyone fall in love.
At the word love, Haon bit his split lip again, shifting uncomfortably as he buried his face in the pillow. He used to say that word freely to his grandmother and to Seong-gu hyung, but now it made his body squirm with unfamiliarity.
The itch in his chest grew unbearable, so he stood and walked over to the window. He thought about turning on the TV, but there wasn’t anything he wanted to watch. The only thing on his mind was Inho’s face.
Thud.
He leaned his forehead against the cold windowpane, letting the chill cool his flushed cheeks. Now that he had admitted how he felt, his heart only seemed to swell even more.
‘Is this how it’s supposed to be?’ He felt strange—longing to see him so openly like this.
“It shouldn’t be like this…”
He was terrified that he might start showing signs of affection in front of Inho. If Inho ever found out that an Omega like him had feelings for him, he might feel uncomfortable living together. No—honestly, even if he were just a regular Beta instead of an Omega, Inho would probably still be put off.
‘Someone like me… if I said I liked him, of course he’d feel grossed out.’
As he kept chewing on those negative thoughts, Haon suddenly turned around. He’d caught a faint sound from beyond the door.
Looking more closely, he noticed the door was slightly ajar. Through the narrow gap, he could hear footsteps descending the stairs—Inho’s.
Thump, shuffle, skff. The soft scuff of slippers brushing against the floor reached Haon’s ears, and he crept slowly toward the door, drawn by the familiar sound.
Peeking through the small opening, he caught sight of a figure he knew all too well. Unfortunately, the lights weren’t on, so he couldn’t see Inho clearly. Wanting a better look at what he was doing, Haon gently pushed the door open a little wider.
He leaned in, eyes wide, trying to get a clearer view through the gap—only to lock eyes with Inho just as he was stepping out of the kitchen.
“Uh—”
Startled, Inho reflexively tightened his grip on the whiskey glass he was holding. He nearly dropped it.
“Haon-ssi… right?”
Seeing Inho staring at him like he’d seen a ghost, Haon panicked and quickly pushed the door open all the way.
“Yes, it’s me…!”
He even raised his hand in an awkward wave, and Inho, lips previously tense, let out a soft laugh.
As if he’d been invited, Haon quickly trotted over to stand in front of him.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“I woke up.”
Inho was holding a glass full of liquor, despite it being the middle of the night. Watching him, Haon’s expression filled with curiosity. ‘Does he like drinking? What kind of alcohol is that?’
“How’s your body feeling?”
Inho set the glass down on the dining table and perched on the edge as he asked.
“I’m okay.”
“Not hungry?”
He shook his head right away at the worried question, answering that he was fine. Haon was doing his best to keep his voice steady and calm.
“You’re still not able to eat solid food, right?”
‘Oh—he remembered I can’t eat yet.’
Haon nodded, heart fluttering once again. That Inho remembered something so minor made his feelings grow even deeper. Afraid he might give himself away, he lowered his gaze and quickly changed the subject.
“You’re drinking?”
Noticing the glass partially hidden behind Inho’s back, Haon asked, piqued with interest. Inho gave a sheepish smile.
“Couldn’t sleep.”
“Does drinking help you sleep?”
It was a genuine question, but Inho tilted his eyes in amusement, as if Haon had just cracked a joke.
“If I drink a lot, yeah.”
That languid voice tickled his ears. Haon reached up to touch the tip of his ear, then cautiously stepped toward the dining table.
“I… can’t sleep either.”
‘So what?’ The moment the words left his mouth, Haon immediately scolded himself internally, squirming with regret. Thankfully, Inho picked up the slack and saved him from his own awkwardness.
“You like sweet things, right?”
Inho pulled out a chair for Haon to sit in, then went to fetch the drink. Haon quickly slid into the seat, smoothing down his twitching lips and clearing his throat. ‘Get a grip. Please, just calm down.’
“This one’s probably the sweetest out of everything I’ve got here.”
Inho brought a bottle from the bottom shelf of the wine cooler.
“It’s usually better chilled.”
“That’s okay. I like it anyway.”
Haon didn’t know the first thing about alcohol, but the pretty bottle made it seem tasty. Watching the bubbles fizz up like soda as Inho poured it only added to his anticipation.
“How is it?”
Holding the glass awkwardly in both hands, Haon took a sip. Seated across from him, Inho asked the question with a smile. Even when he wasn’t trying, his soft, gentle eyes curved into a dangerously charming expression.
Haon tried not to focus on his face as he lifted a thumb.
“It’s sweet and really good.”
It tasted more like juice than the beer he’d had last time—definitely more to his liking. The alcohol content must’ve been low too, because he could barely taste any alcohol at all.
“Just one glass, okay? You’re probably still not fully recovered.”
While gently watching Haon sip at his drink, Inho raised his heavier glass of whiskey. Though he’d just told Haon to go easy, he himself was drinking a noticeably larger amount.
‘So he likes drinking… and can handle his liquor, too.’
The realization sparked even more curiosity. Haon wanted to learn everything he could about him.
“Do you… like working out?”
He suddenly recalled seeing Inho frequently on the treadmill early in the morning. Haon, who struggled even with long walks, had always found Inho running for hours a fascinating sight.
“I don’t hate it.”
Haon had expected a simple yes, but the vague response caught him off guard.
“Hmm. I guess I kind of do like it.”
Inho took another sip and rested his chin on his hand. As Haon admired that picture-perfect face, he took a sip of his own wine and blurted without thinking:
“I like working out too.”
‘As if.’ He’d never even really tried. The regret hit him instantly.
“Really?”
As expected, Inho looked genuinely surprised. Haon had never shown the slightest interest in the workout equipment upstairs since they started living together. And with his thin frame, he looked about as far from “fitness enthusiast” as one could get.
“What kind of workout do you like?”
“Uh…”
Haon’s mind scrambled. Nothing came to him right away.
“Squats. I like the one where you sit down and stand up again.”
He brought up squats because he remembered doing them with Seong-gu hyung, carrying sacks of rice on his shoulders. He’d given up quickly because it was too hard, but since Seong-gu hyung did them every day, he ended up copying him quite a bit.
“Oh, squats?”
‘Is that what it’s called?’
“Yeah, that one.”
Feigning familiarity, he took another sip of wine. ‘Why am I pretending to know this? I should’ve just admitted I didn’t. What’s wrong with me?’
“Let’s do it together sometime—after you’re fully recovered.”
Internally screaming with joy, Haon managed only a quiet yes in reply. It was practically nonsense, but he felt glad he’d said it anyway.
“My turn to ask something now.”
Inho clinked glasses with Haon, flashing a light smile. Haon, ready for anything, nodded with an expression that said ask me anything. Maybe it was the alcohol, but it felt like he could answer anything honestly.
“Why don’t you live with your mom?”
