Gentle Giant 55

Gentle Giant Chapter 55

When he heard words he never expected, Juho’s head, which had been facing the wall, slowly turned toward Sujeong. Along with an expression that seemed to ask what he was talking about.

Seeing Juho’s expression, Sujeong asked the exact same question once more.

“Are you in a companion relationship with Dain sunbae?”

“……What are you going to do knowing that?”

Juho showed a sharp reaction without hiding his displeasure.

At the atmosphere that became pointed in an instant, Sujeong slightly frowned, but Juho didn’t soften his anger at all. Feeling the air becoming heavy enough to make breathing difficult, Sujeong opened his mouth again.

“As soon as I crossed the front door, Lee Juho, your scent was vibrating everywhere. If you’re not companions, isn’t this rude behavior toward Dain sunbae?”

At the words coming from Sujeong’s mouth, Juho made a surprised expression. Since no other people had come to this house yet, there was no one to bring up that topic, but to notice it at once upon arrival. Moreover……

“You’re not a male, are you.”

At Juho’s words that seemed to point out something obvious, this time Sujeong made a surprised expression.

There had been no beast-men who recognized that he was a carrier at a single glance when looking at him. Most would mistake him for a male, then look at him with disbelieving eyes when he said he was a carrier.

The two people who grasped each other at once looked at each other’s faces and crumpled their expressions as if displeased.

“Hah. I’m a canine beast-man, so I’m better at smelling scents than other beast-men…… Even so, you marked it pretty heavily. Doesn’t Jung Dain sunbae know?”

“……He doesn’t know.”

Juho answered sulkily. Fuck, it was a dog bastard. So that’s how he noticed. No wonder he was able to detect a scent that beast-men who hadn’t gone through secondary sexual characteristics yet or carriers usually couldn’t smell.

However, his expression openly crumpled because he didn’t want to let a guy who wasn’t a male know about his scent.

Sujeong, who made an incredulous expression at Juho’s answer, this time asked what he was curious about.

“By the way. How did you know I was a carrier……”

At Sujeong’s question, Juho lifted only one corner of his mouth and showed a sneer.

The two people who were at the store he went to with Dain last weekend clearly weren’t a meeting between males. Since the guy he met in the bathroom was a male, he naturally thought Kim Sujeong, who was on the opposite side, might be a carrier.

Most of all, if he were a male, there’s no way he could smell Juho’s own scent marked in the house and still glare with wide eyes and argue back. He might run away with his tail between his legs, but that’s about it.

“There’s nothing for you to know.”

However, Juho had no intention of kindly explaining to anyone other than Dain.

When Juho showed an indifferent reaction, Sujeong’s eyes changed as if looking at a teenager with chuunibyou. What’s with reacting irritably to everything he says, is this his storm and stress period?

Sujeong tiredly pressed his forehead with his finger.

“Anyway. If you’re not even companions with Dain sunbae, and moreover, if this was done without Dain sunbae knowing, it could be a big problem later……”

“Hey. You.”

“……?”

Juho, who cut off Sujeong’s words as he was explaining the common sense they should observe, crossed his arms and tilted his head crookedly.

“Don’t you think you’re being a bit too meddlesome? How about you tone it down a bit?”

“What kind of meddling is this……!”

“If this isn’t meddling, then what? Anyway, I’m the one living in this house, and you’re the guest. Right now, you’re the one making excessive interference about the scent in the place where I’m living.”

“Ha……”

At the mention that Dain might take issue with it, Juho growled and showed a sensitive reaction. Sujeong, who had no intention of provoking him, stepped back for now.

It was true that males unilaterally had higher possessiveness compared to carriers. They also tended to live more instinctively.

However, what was happening before his eyes right now was quite a big problem. It was the same as marking territory without the homeowner’s consent. Even if they were dating, it was behavior that crossed the line.

He had heard that some couples fight seriously over such things, and beast-men with strong independent tendencies sometimes even go to court battles.

“Anyway, even now, if you discuss it with Dain sunbae……”

“I’ll handle it myself.”

“Ha, fine. Well, no matter what I say, you won’t listen…… Do whatever you want. Wait, but why do you keep speaking informally?”

“You do it too then.”

Juho made a dismissive expression as if asking whether he was really getting worked up over something like that.

Feeling like he had instantly become a petty person, Sujeong put force into his jaw with an exasperated face. If he opened his mouth, it seemed like low-level words like that man would come out.

It wasn’t even accidentally marked, and not only did he deliberately mark his scent all over the house, but even after being caught, he was being shameless about it. Whether canine, feline, top-tier species, or lower species, it seemed like all males were the same.

When the two were creating a cold atmosphere again without saying a word, it happened.

Beep beep.

After a few electronic sounds, the door opened. Unlike the two of them, three people with blooming laughter were entering the house.

As soon as Dain stepped foot in the house, Juho, who changed his face that had been dripping with ice until just moments ago to as bright as spring flowers blooming, approached Dain in one step.

At that extreme change in expression, Sujeong briefly clicked his tongue. It was acting skills that could rival a world-class actor. With that level of attitude change, he thought that perhaps Dain might go through his entire life without knowing about the scent marked in this house.

Juho, who pushed what Sujeong had said to one corner of his mind, took the ice cream bag from Dain’s hand and looked inside.

When he opened the closed pink lid, various flavors were packed full in sections inside the large cylinder. And one of those sections was occupied by pure white ice cream without a single topping.

“Wow, hyung. You even bought vanilla that I like?”

“Yeah! Minjun hoobae bought us a large size. I bought all the flavors you like. Since you like vanilla, Juho.”

“I see. Thank you, I’ll eat it well.”

Juho smiled purely and bowed his head slightly toward Minjun. At his gentle attitude, different from his overwhelming first impression, Minjun also responded with an awkward smile.

Just like when they ate sushi earlier, the five people huddled around the small table finished the ice cream in an instant. Minjun laughed while looking at the empty ice cream container, saying that it was true that there were separate stomachs for rice and dessert.

Although the time spent building friendships was twice as long as the time spent discussing the group project, it was a satisfying group meeting for everyone.

The group members who helped with the final cleanup stood up to go home.

“Dain sunbae! I’ll come visit again next time!”

“I’ll send the contact about the data research again by message.”

“Sunbae, we ate well and had a good time! See you at Friday’s lecture!”

“Yes, yes! Take care!”

With Minjun’s farewell as the last, the three people left Dain’s house.

While Dain was wondering whether he should take his group members to the bus stop since it was already dark outside, Juho, as if he had been waiting for the group members to leave, hugged Dain from behind and rubbed his hair against his nape.

“Hyuuung.”

Drawing out the end of his words, it seemed like having other people come to the house today was quite tiring. Since it was true that having other people come to the house was as burdensome as it was nice for him too, Dain gently rubbed Juho’s hair with the meaning of ‘good job’.

It was touching how Juho, who was severely shy around strangers, still took care of everyone one by one because they were people doing projects with him. Especially the sushi set filled with salmon belly was like an unexpected gift.

Dain quickly turned around and patted Juho’s back, continuing his praise.

“Our Juho, thank you so much today! The sushi was so delicious and you treated the other group members well too.”

“Did I do well?”

“Yes yes! Really, thank you! If it weren’t for you, I would have been super nervous and fumbling around alone.”

“I’m glad. That I could be of help to hyung……”

Juho put strength into the arms holding Dain as if embarrassed by the excessive praise. Dain laughed “puhu” at Juho’s cute reaction. Following Dain’s laughter, Juho let out the same sound of laughter.

After having enough time cuddling with Juho, Dain looked at the notebook where he had written down the discussion about the group project.

It was more detailed than expected, which actually made it easier. These kinds of assignments that clearly told you what they wanted were easier to solve. Especially since this time’s group members all seemed like they would do their respective roles well.

Minjun and Jiyoon seemed to have very sociable personalities. Compared to them, Sujeong was…… Dain tilted his head sideways. He couldn’t properly judge Sujeong, who didn’t talk much and was rather blunt.

Kim Sujeong’s expression that he saw last weekend was not just lonely but pitiful. However, Kim Sujeong entering his house had such a scary expression that his pitiful appearance was completely forgotten.

Still, contrary to being scared when he first saw him, he went back after staying quite normally. Rather, since they ended up doing data research together, he had quite a lot of conversation with him. Although he didn’t add unnecessary elaboration, Dain just nodded at his unexpectedly considerate way of conversation.

Anyway, he doesn’t seem like a bad person……?

While Dain was giving generous evaluations of his group members and working his pen hard, Juho was turning his head with different thoughts.

How should he persuade Dain to bring him completely into his own territory?

Until this morning, this house had been a cozy space for Dain and himself. That place became dirty the moment others entered, even if it was only for a few hours.

That alone was enough to twist Juho’s mood, and on top of that, there was the male human who bought ice cream for Dain and the female human whose eyes sparkled while looking at Dain’s face.

Of course, what was most annoying was that dog who gave him serious advice without knowing his place…… No, whatever it was, he wanted to sweep them all away from his sight.

So, a place where no one could come. A place where no one could interfere. Let’s place Dain in his own territory, safer than anywhere else in the world.

As if satisfied with the conclusion he reached in an instant, Juho smiled with his mouth corners stretched long.

Notes:

Carrier (모체) = A male who has the biological ability to become pregnant and bear children. In this world’s biology system:

Males (수컷) = Cannot get pregnant, typically the “top” role
Carriers (모체) = Males who can become pregnant and give birth, typically the “bottom” role