“Ugh…”
“Yuri. What’s wrong? Are you sick somewhere?”
His voice was unnecessarily gentle. It made the embarrassment feel twice as bad.
“No. It’s nothing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. For real. I was just thinking about something.”
“…I’m very curious what our Yuri could possibly be thinking about while talking to me on the phone.”
“Nothing.”
“Really? If you say so, I guess I have to believe you. What choice do I have?”
At some point, he had already returned to his usual baby Jihoon mode. Thankfully, I was able to cool my heated cheeks and naturally continue the conversation with him.
We kept chatting for a while like that. When I checked the clock, it was already nearing 1 a.m. Moonlight streamed in through the window. When I glanced up at the sky, a huge moon was hanging there.
It was seriously massive.
“Doji, look at the sky. The moon is freaking huge. It’s a giant moon.”
“…A giant moon, huh.”
It sounded like he was trying to hold back laughter on the other side of the phone. That bastard. Go ahead and laugh all you want.
“Don’t just laugh. Can you see it too?”
“Yeah. I see it.”
“Really?”
It felt strangely fascinating. Of course we’d see the same moon since we both lived in Korea.
But even though we were apart, talking on the phone while looking at the same moon somehow made it feel like we were together.
If you sprinkled glitter over a black cloth and hung up pretty light bulbs, maybe it would look like this. A clear, clean sky, countless stars, and one moon sitting among them.
It was just a scene that repeated itself every day.
But for some reason, my chest fluttered.
“Doji. Keep looking at the sky.”
“I’m looking.”
“Doesn’t it feel like we’re actually together when we do this?”
“…It does.”
I heard the sound of air escaping from him, like a quiet sigh. Even that sounded exactly like the Do Jihoon I knew. It almost felt like his pheromones were flowing beside me.
“Doji, Doji. You know I like you a lot, right?”
“…Yeah. Me too, Yuri.”
It was one of those nights that made you sentimental.
***
Despite calling it a pajama party, none of us even bothered taking out pajamas.
My classmates stayed at my house for a few more days before disappearing. Kwon Jisoo went back the next morning because she had to go to her part-time job. Shin Gi-hyeok and Lee Daeju stayed until the day after next, when the air conditioner repair technician was scheduled to come.
In the end, it took two whole days before I could finally go down to see Do Jihoon at the studio apartment.
I left a KakaoTalk message for my older sister saying I was heading back and went to the apartment. I asked the driver to hurry. The driver managed to cover a trip that normally took 50 minutes in just 35.
I quickly took the elevator up and opened the studio apartment’s door lock before stepping inside.
The moment I opened the door, Do Jihoon’s pheromone scent filled the house. It felt incredibly stable.
Carefully, I opened the bedroom door.
But Do Jihoon wasn’t there.
Then he must be in the study. Holding the doorknob, I carefully opened the door so the hinges wouldn’t creak.
The moment the door opened, I felt it.
Do Jihoon was here.
His pheromones drifted strongly through the air. Looking through the gap, I saw Do Jihoon sitting at the table with his back turned. He was probably reading a book.
I quietly walked over to him.
Then I raised both hands and gently covered his eyes.
Do Jihoon blinked. His eyelashes brushed against my fingers several times.
“…Yuri?”
Do Jihoon lifted his hand and tried to pull my hands down. I hurriedly shouted.
“H-Hey…! Don’t lower your hands.”
Do Jihoon immediately stopped.
He neatly placed his hands back on his lap.
Then he tilted his head upward. With only his eyes covered, the rest of his face was fully visible.
Wow.
He’s ridiculously handsome.
How does someone look this good even with their eyes covered?
I couldn’t help admiring him. His high nose bridge, the curve of his brow bone, and those full red lips. With his eyes covered, his face somehow felt oddly obscene.
Just sitting there quietly, entrusting his face to me like that…
…I found it pretty satisfying.
“Doji, Doji. You missed me, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Yuri is back! I missed you too.”
I lowered my head.
Then I leaned closer and pressed my lips against Do Jihoon’s pretty forehead. The skin under my lips felt soft and warm. I deliberately made little kissing sounds as I kissed his forehead several times. A laugh slipped out.
Then I slowly slid my lips downward.
Past his tall nose bridge and pretty nose tip—until I finally reached Do Jihoon’s lips.
Again, I made little kissing sounds and kissed him repeatedly.
Do Jihoon’s lips were soft and plump. Like cherries. I wondered if they tasted sweet, so I licked them out of curiosity.
Of course they didn’t actually taste like anything.
But strangely, they felt sweet.
It was like something had gone wrong with my sensory nerves.
Do Jihoon’s neck was fully exposed. His Adam’s apple moved up and down once.
Then he opened his lips and spoke.
“Yuri. Can you let go of your hands?”
“Hmm. Let me think about it. I kind of like this position.”
“My neck hurts.”
Ah!
Do Jihoon had been tilting his head back the whole time. Of course it would hurt.
Feeling guilty, I quickly lowered my hands. His pretty eyes came into view.
“Whoa. Really? Sorry, I didn’t think about—”
The moment my hands dropped, Do Jihoon suddenly stood up and cupped my cheeks with both hands.
He was smiling beautifully.
Just as he leaned in to press his lips against mine—
KakaoTalk.
A messenger notification sound rang out.
KakaoTalkKakaoTalkKakaoTalkKakaoTalk—
Several times in a row.
“……”
The mood shattered instantly.
The hazy filter that seemed to cover my vision disappeared at once. I blinked several times.
Do Jihoon’s hands were still holding my cheeks.
He looked reluctant.
The sight was so cute that I laughed. I rose onto my toes and left a small kiss on Do Jihoon’s lips. I gently sucked his lower lip once before planting my feet back firmly on the ground. Do Jihoon touched his lips with his hand.
“Looks like you got a KakaoTalk message. Check it. For lunch-slash-dinner today, let’s order tteokbokki delivery! What do you think?”
“……”
He was still blankly rubbing his lips.
So I waved my hand in front of his eyes.
“Hello? Please come back to your senses.”
Do Jihoon suddenly lifted his head and looked at me.
Then he stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.
No exaggeration, there was literally a thud sound.
“Ghk—”
His arm strength was ridiculously strong. I wanted to hug him back, but I couldn’t move my arms.
Do Jihoon rubbed his nose bridge against my forehead.
It felt like being nuzzled by a giant dog. It was incredibly cute.
But still…
“Doji, I’m going to burst… I can’t breathe.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Do Jihoon loosen his arms slightly. I was still wrapped in his embrace, but at least I could move my arms now.
I hugged him back.
Pressing my nose against his neck, I took a deep breath. It felt like my entire body was filling up with Do Jihoon.
“Doji. Let go now. Let’s eat.”
“Let’s stay like this a little longer, Yuri.”
“…Alright, alright.”
Last time we talked on the phone he said he liked being without me.
But in the end, Do Jihoon really was a baby.
What a bluffing idiot.
The lingering disappointment I’d felt earlier melted away like snow. The feeling that my alpha was craving me was pretty satisfying.
A quiet laugh escaped through my nose.
We stood there hugging each other for a long time—until our legs started to go numb.
“Ah! Doji.”
“What is it, Yuri?”
“Give me your phone.”
Without a word, Do Jihoon handed his phone to me.
He seemed surprisingly unconcerned about it.
Wait… was it really okay for him to hand over a phone that probably contained all his private information so casually?
I looked at him blankly and spoke.
“Doji. You shouldn’t give your things to other people so easily.”
“What, do you think I’m an idiot? I wouldn’t give it to just anyone.”
“Listen carefully. If someone tries to take your things, you say this: ‘No. I don’t want to. Please stop.’ Got it?”
“…I’m not a kindergarten kid. And you’re the one who asked for the phone, Yuri.”
“……”
That was… kind of touching.
I held the phone out to him and told him to unlock it. Do Jihoon readily unlocked it again.
First, I opened his gallery.
“……”
And suddenly I didn’t know what to say.
“You… don’t take pictures?”
There were almost no photos on Do Jihoon’s phone.
His gallery was practically filled only with photos taken with me.
Unlike me—who preferred domestic three-star phones—Do Jihoon preferred overseas apple phones. Since apple phones took better pictures, I’d often snatch his phone and take photos.
Those photos.
Pictures of food, selfies together, and photos we asked other people to take when we went out.
Those were literally the only pictures in his gallery.
“When I’m with other people, I don’t really take photos. Taking out my phone is kind of bothersome.”
“What about with me? You take a lot with me.”
“That’s because you snatch my phone.”
“So? Did you hate it?”
“That’s not what I said. If I hated it, I wouldn’t have unlocked my phone for you in the first place.”
“That’s true.”
Damn.
Seeing this introverted side of Do Jihoon made me ridiculously happy. The corners of my mouth kept twitching upward.
I forced myself to stop the grin from spreading.
Lololol i once used kakaotalk and i know damn well how that notification sounds like 🤣