“This won’t do. Let’s stop by the library on the way home and do it briefly on the rooftop. There are too many people here.”
“I have tutoring today, so I’m not going to the library. Manager-nim will be coming to pick me up.”
“Then wh-what should we do? Will you take your medicine? Do you have it? You don’t, right? Should I go buy some? But what about the side effects? Your body? Are you okay?”
Watching Gong Pyeonghwa fidget anxiously, Saebyeok became calmer instead.
“I was a bit startled earlier, but I’m fine. I have medicine, so don’t worry, and I think I might not even need to take it. I’m fine, so calm down.”
Saebyeok spoke softly and released his pheromones to soothe the excited Gong Pyeonghwa.
“Hey. Don’t release your pheromones. What if people find out you’re an omega?”
Everyone at the amusement park was too busy having fun to pay attention to them, yet Gong Pyeonghwa was still nervously whispering.
“What if you get sick again…”
But that concern wasn’t unpleasant. Saebyeok felt a pleasant warmth in the corner of his heart.
“That won’t happen. Pyeonghwa, thanks to you, my physical condition has been really stable and good lately.”
“Really?”
“I’m telling you.”
Gong Pyeonghwa scanned Saebyeok’s entire body with his eyes several times. Not satisfied with just that, he circled around Saebyeok, thoroughly scanning even his back and checking his pheromone state before finally relaxing the wrinkles between his eyebrows.
“Then let’s stay together until Manager-nim comes to pick you up. There are too many ill-mannered alphas in this crowd.”
“Okay.”
“Wait a moment.”
Gong Pyeonghwa returned to Saebyeok wearing a raccoon costume head, as if he had borrowed it from a mascot worker.
“Doesn’t that… stand out too much?”
“But no one will know my identity.”
“…Alright then.”
If that makes you feel more at ease, then let’s do it. Saebyeok, with the broad tolerance befitting the partner of an otherworldly romantic, held hands with his boyfriend who had transformed into a raccoon.
“Gasp… How can you hold hands in a public place when we’re both men? It’s unusual.”
Gong Pyeonghwa had a fit.
“Okay. I’ll let go.”
“I didn’t say to let go.”
Gong Pyeonghwa tightly held Saebyeok’s hand as they walked through the amusement park.
“You looked like you were having fun today. Are you good with scary rides?”
“Yeah. My semicircular canals are super sturdy.”
“Haaa… Mine are really sturdy too, but in reality, we only rode the carousel.”
Saebyeok, who had been curious why Pyeonghwa, who had excitedly claimed to love fast spinning rides and those that drop or shake rapidly, had only been riding safe teacups and carousels all day, asked the reason.
Watching him explain how he had to become Seonwoo Jeong’s dog as punishment for being late due to his unfounded confidence was so funny, despite being sorry for him. Saebyeok had to try hard to suppress his laughter.
“We still have about 15 minutes left, want to go on one more ride?”
“No way. I’d have to take off the raccoon head.”
Gong Pyeonghwa, who seemed to have grown attached to the raccoon costume, strongly objected.
“But we came all this way, I want to ride at least one attraction together.”
“…”
Since Gong Pyeonghwa had been dreaming of an amusement park date with Shin Saebyeok all day, he understood the feeling.
They compromised and decided to ride the Ferris wheel.
Throughout their time standing in line, Gong Pyeonghwa had to endure children pointing at him saying, “There’s a raccoon in line,” “It’s a raccoon.”
‘Seriously, why would you wear that?’
When their turn came, they entered the Ferris wheel cabin with the attendant’s kind guidance.
As soon as they entered, they felt it shake and sway.
The two sat facing each other and looked out through the glass window.
The Ferris wheel moved slowly.
By then, the sun had completely set, and an impressive night view was in preparation.
They could see lights turning on one by one at each attraction.
Only then did Gong Pyeonghwa remove the raccoon head and smile.
Saebyeok smiled too. There wasn’t anything special happening, but he felt like smiling.
The outside scenery was beautiful, the person with him was wonderful, and the time alone together was exciting.
“…”
“…”
Without either taking the lead, they gazed into each other’s eyes and smiled. Gong Pyeonghwa was the one who broke the beautiful silence.
“You look really cute today.”
“What are you saying…”
Suddenly, what are you saying… Saebyeok awkwardly avoided eye contact. The mascot costume must have been hot inside because his bangs were wet and clumped together, making him look refreshingly cool yet somehow sexy at the same time.
Being conscious of his appearance suddenly made lustful emotions rise up.
Gong Pyeonghwa, much more emotional and susceptible to visual stimulation than Saebyeok, gulped.
“…Hey.”
“…Huh? What…”
Gong Pyeonghwa stiffened his already rigid face. And from that face came words that were unbelievable.
“Don’t you want to kiss?”
Thanks to the extremely tense Gong Pyeonghwa, Saebyeok, whose tension had rather dissipated, laughed incredulously.
With the sound of deflating air, dimples formed on his cheeks and his eyelashes gently fell downward.
Gong Pyeonghwa’s heart pounded.
“Why? Don’t you want to? I think this is the perfect timing. It’s the perfect moment for a kiss. Ah- I want to kiss. Right now, I’m completely passively requesting. Ah. I want to kiss Shin Saebyeok in the Ferris wheel.”
At that point, doesn’t the word “passive” seem out of place?
Thinking this, Saebyeok carefully got up from his seat and moved to sit beside Gong Pyeonghwa.
“Ah, pheromones.”
“Sorry. I’m really fucking nervous right now.”
Instead of this, couldn’t we just exchange pheromones for a moment here? Gong Pyeonghwa suggested a rational method.
They needed to exchange pheromones, and they had just arrived at a suitable location. Therefore, they would exchange pheromones. It was valid and rational. Saebyeok nodded in agreement.
Gong Pyeonghwa put his arm around Saebyeok’s shoulder. Saebyeok slowly released his pheromones and accepted Gong Pyeonghwa’s.
Especially today, Gong Pyeonghwa’s pheromones felt ticklish. Saebyeok fanned himself with his hand, feeling the same ticklish sensation and heat rising in his body as when he first received a pheromone shower.
“Are you hot?”
“Yeah, a little…”
“Me too, I’m hot.”
Since when had he been looking at him with those eyes? Saebyeok’s heart pounded.
Gong Pyeonghwa’s body temperature was hot.
Though they often held hands or hugged, they had never gone beyond light kisses.
Skinship in hiding had always been like that. Just when the mood would build, someone would always appear or lurk around.
But now, at this moment, only the two of them existed in the world.
With a stride, Gong Pyeonghwa narrowed the distance. Gong Pyeonghwa’s eyelashes were longer than expected. Up close, his eyebrows were even darker.
And his lips were hot.
While his heart was pounding, time seemed to have stopped.
▶▶▶
Gong Pyeonghwa sat with Saebyeok tucked under his arm.
“If my memory serves me right, you seduced me here as if asking for a kiss first.”
“Your memory is distorted.”
“I’m sure that’s what happened? I really thought that public displays of affection were immoral and was trying to hold back, but Shin Saebyeok, who had completely melted, first—”
“That’s not true!”
Even as he corrected his husband’s ineffectual words, Saebyeok closed his eyes with a smile.
Shortly after, with the sound of a deep inhale, he felt a warm touch on his lips.
Warm, soft flesh rubbed and mixed, filling his chest with warmth.
The same warmth as 10 years ago.
“…How does it feel to kiss your first kiss partner at the location of your first kiss again?”
The interviewer asked in an even lower voice.
“It still makes my heart flutter just like back then.”
***
“The traffic is a bit congested.”
Did all humans come out to play today? Gong Pyeonghwa grumbled as he gripped the steering wheel.
Seeing the heavily congested road conditions, Gong Pyeonghwa called Butler Hwang, as it seemed they would return home later than expected.
When he said they would be much later than the estimated time, Butler Hwang replied that he had anticipated this and told them not to worry and to drive carefully.
Relieved that Iseul was sleeping well, the couple endured the traffic jam with more relaxed hearts.
“How do you feel about fulfilling a bucket list item from 10 years ago?”
This time, Saebyeok became the interviewer and asked.
Gong Pyeonghwa placed one hand on his chest with a tearful expression.
“I really don’t know what to say. An overwhelming emotion that can’t be expressed in words is washing over me… I’m so happy that tears are about to fall, thinking that I might have been born for this day…”
Did he prepare a statement in advance? Saebyeok was rather taken aback by the fluent and natural response that flowed without hesitation.
“Did you prepare that?”
“It’s a sentiment I always carry in my heart.”
Gong Pyeonghwa removed the hand from his chest and took Saebyeok’s hand.
“I’m completely sincere. Today was really, really good. The resentment I harbored then has been resolved, and now I can reach enlightenment.”
“What are you saying.”
“Ah, right. If I die, you must be buried with me. Don’t think about living alone.”
“What about our Iseul.”
“Oops.”
They made a casual vow not to die.
Saebyeok pressed his body against the car seat and watched the vehicles lined up one after another.
Perhaps because they had been talking about 10 years ago frequently, or maybe because of the sight of tour buses lined up one after another, memories from 10 years ago came flooding back.
“I remember that.”
That is, specifically during the second-year school trip.
That time when each class rode tour buses and traveled on the highway.
◀◀◀
“Hey. How should we date during the school trip?”
“I’m not going on the school trip…”
As soon as the topic of the school trip came up, his parents’ expressions soured, and they circuitously suggested that he should focus more on studying.
Being someone who could understand the underlying meaning, Saebyeok nodded without protest.
Being an omega mingling with a multitude of alphas for three days and two nights could lead to his status being discovered… Anyway, the probability of bad things happening was higher than good things.
At the time, he nodded without much objection, but talking with Gong Pyeonghwa made him realize he did want to go on the school trip.
He wanted to spend three days and two nights with Gong Pyeonghwa somewhere other than school.
They wouldn’t be able to sit next to each other, but he wanted to ride the bus together, stop at rest areas, eat together, sightsee cultural heritage sites together, and have such ordinary experiences.
He wanted to create memories that could only be shared during this time.
“Ah. You’re not going?”
Gong Pyeonghwa also seemed disappointed.
‘I’ll somehow persuade them to let me go on the school trip. I’ll convince them somehow. Let’s go together!’
Saebyeok made up his mind to persuade his parents and go on the school trip.
‘He’s not going on the school trip? Then that means we can legally attend supplementary classes together, eat meals alone, and cuddle without anyone knowing? I must make sure he doesn’t go.’
Dreaming of a paradise for just the two of them, Gong Pyeonghwa, who usually didn’t use his brain much, racked it to find a plausible reason for him, who loved to have fun, not to go on the school trip.
Though they loved each other, it’s not always possible for their thoughts to align. While they were together, they were dreaming different dreams.
And so, the day before the school trip, Gong Pyeonghwa appeared with his left arm in a cast.
“What happened to your arm? You didn’t tell me you were injured! Do you know how shocked I was this morning?”
“Listen, something happened. Ah, in this state, I guess I’ll have no choice but to attend supplementary classes instead of going on the school trip? For three days and two nights, we’ll be happy…”
“I’m going on the school trip.”
Gong Pyeonghwa was so shocked he turned to stone, and Saebyeok was too worried to notice Gong Pyeonghwa’s petrification. What could have happened to this boy, who was practically a corpse except for his strength and health, to end up in a cast? Why doesn’t he ever tell me anything? Doesn’t he trust me?
Saebyeok, who had come to school as usual, had laughed to himself seeing Gong Pyeonghwa surrounded by classmates and horsing around. But the laughter was short-lived; his heart dropped when he saw Pyeonghwa with a white plaster cast.
“Does it hurt? It must hurt. To have a cast like this…”
“Uh… it does hurt… something in my heart.”
What kind of self-harm extortion was this for? A strong sense of reality hit him, but this wasn’t the time to fully experience it.
Gong Pyeonghwa ran to the faculty office as if his feet were on fire and resubmitted his school trip consent form.
“Didn’t you say earlier that you couldn’t go because you were in too much pain?”
“Teacher. You don’t die from an arm injury.”
The teacher, astonished by his attitude flip-flopping like a pancake in just seven minutes, asked with an incredulous expression:
“Can you really go in that condition?”
“Of course. If I don’t go, who will? Don’t have fun without me.”
“Should I call your parents?”
“You can video call them if you want.”
It was a bit chaotic, but in the end, Gong Pyeonghwa and Shin Saebyeok were able to go on the school trip together.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
