Chapter 25
“Don’t you want to eat? I’ll treat you.”
“I just don’t feel like eating. You go ahead.”
“Han Taekyung.”
Usually, he would turn around in less than 0.1 seconds when called, but now seeing Taekyung ignoring him and just taking the elevator made Igeon feel conflicted. Of course, it was his fault for forgetting the promise and not listening! He had even apologized for it. Why is that guy acting so petty lately? I really don’t understand. Igeon scratched his cheek and took the next elevator to their room. Taekyung was already showering. Since Taekyung never ate anything after showering and went straight to bed, it really seemed like he had no intention of having dinner. As a result, Igeon also lost his appetite and decided to skip dinner, going straight to bed to check his phone. There had been no messages from the senior since earlier, but the message he received earlier was enough to make him happy for days.
While he was smiling foolishly like an idiot, Taekyung came out after finishing his shower. Completely naked with just a large towel around his waist, Taekyung was truly… as much as he hated to admit it, no one would dislike him. Since he was still in his growth phase, he’d probably become even more masculine in the future. Maybe it’s because he’s a dominant alpha.
Taekyung glanced at Igeon and went to his spot to change clothes. But instead of pajamas, he put on a tracksuit. Wasn’t he going to sleep right away?
“Get up.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Let’s go eat.”
“Huh?”
“You’re not going to eat at this rate. You need to eat your meals on time. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time tomorrow.”
Wait. You’re the one who came up here saying you weren’t going to eat.
“What about you?”
“If you eat, I have to eat too.”
“Or is it that you’re hungry?”
“…Fine, let’s say that. So get up.”
Taekyung put on his shoes first and left, with Igeon following behind. Fortunately, the dormitory cafeteria was open until midnight, so they could eat to their hearts’ content. Then they returned to their room, showered, and lay down in bed. Just as they turned off the lights and were about to sleep, a message came from the senior.
– I took the medicine you gave me and fell asleep for a bit, and my body feels much lighter now. Thank you so much^^ You’re probably sleeping now? I hope the message doesn’t wake you. Sweet dreams.
This is driving me crazy. My heart feels like it’s going to jump out of my mouth. Igeon hugged his phone and rolled around on the bed, this way and that.
“Are you that happy?”
Until just now, it was like a flower garden, but Taekyung’s voice snapped him back to reality, and he quickly cleared his throat, pretending to be calm.
“I don’t know how to express it… but if this is what happiness feels like, then yes, I think I’m happy.”
“…They say there used to be something called soulmates.”
“Soulmates?”
“It’s when people know at first sight that this person is meant for them. They say that even if there’s another romantic relationship, you can’t help but fall for your soulmate. And it was said that you could only imprint on your soulmate.”
“Hmm? Imprinting… although it’s becoming less common, isn’t it unrelated to soulmates?”
“That’s right. In other words, it’s just one of the tales that’s been passed down. Nothing to worry about.”
“Hmm… if that’s true, I think I fell for the senior at first sight. Does that mean the senior could be my soulmate?”
“Doesn’t the senior not think the same way? The key point of that story is that both people have to simultaneously consider each other soulmates?”
“Hey…”
Igeon got angry and threw a spare pillow at Taekyung, who laughed and put the pillow Igeon threw under his own pillow, closing his eyes.
“Han Taekyung.”
“What?”
“Then have you never felt that way? Like a first love or something.”
“…No comment.”
If he had said he hadn’t or he had, it might have been less intriguing. The ambiguous “no comment” aroused curiosity, but soon Igeon heard steady breathing and thought he’d have to ask again later as he closed his eyes. Soulmates, huh. It’s a bit romantic, but in some ways, it’s a sad story. What are the odds of meeting as an alpha and omega under the same sky, on the same land? There’s also a chance of never meeting in a lifetime. Thinking about it that way, it might be fortunate that it’s just an oral tradition.
â—†
“By the way, have you two never experienced rut?”
After finishing training and getting dressed, one of the classmates brought up the topic. Since “you two” seemed to be referring to Seo Igeon and Han Taekyung, Igeon looked at his classmate.
“Both of us?”
“Yeah.”
“I never have. I’ve been on suppressants since I presented as an alpha.”
“Me too.”
After Igeon answered, Taekyung also responded curtly as he closed his cabinet.
“Wow, really? That means you’re both virgins, right?”
Seeing the teasing tone, Igeon made a face like he was sick of it, thinking this was going to turn into another lewd conversation. Is it because it’s a time of overflowing energy? It seemed like he heard more obscene talk than in high school. It was to the point where he hated it because conversations always turned strange whenever they met.
“What does it matter to you whether we’re virgins or not?”
“It matters. We’re all virgins too.”
“What?”
He was dumbfounded. After all that enthusiastic talk about sexual things, they were all virgins in the end… Does that mean all the stories they’ve told so far were information obtained from porn or novels or other strange sources? Somehow, Igeon felt sorry for his classmates.
“I’m glad you guys are virgins too. If you weren’t, I would have nearly cried.”
“Hey, from all the stories you guys have been telling, I thought you weren’t virgins.”
“We were just talking. Honestly, for those of us who have dreamed of being national representatives since before presenting, suppressants are our best friends. We can’t do our favorite sports without them, so what can we do?”
“That’s true, but why did you suddenly bring up the topic of rut?”
“Ah, I have a senior I know in the Judo Department, and I heard a story while drinking with him yesterday.”
The classmate’s eyes sparkled as he was about to start the story. It seemed like an amazing story was about to pour out, so everyone leaned in to listen. Except for Han Taekyung.
“One of the Judo Department seniors, like us, had been on suppressants since presenting, so he had never experienced rut. But you know, right? Rut is just suppressed by the suppressants, but it’s still accumulating in the body. That’s why they say omegas who marry athletes usually die on their wedding night.”
It’s all baseless talk. He must have read some weird stuff somewhere. Igeon was ignoring it and changing his clothes, wondering what would be on the dinner menu tonight.
“But that senior was so curious about rut that he stopped taking suppressants. He wasn’t going to make the national judo team anyway, so he decided to just go wild. But when the rut first came, all that had accumulated exploded, and he had sex with the omega he was dating at the time for almost a week. The omega’s lower parts were torn and it was a mess.”
“Was it rape?”
“No, it was consensual, but they didn’t know it would be that intense. The omega was begging him to stop by the end, and even though it wasn’t during the omega’s heat cycle, the heat cycle came, and she got pregnant from that week.”
“Wow, insane… how much did he do it?”
I really can’t listen to this anymore.
“Taekyung, let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
Igeon and Taekyung ignored their classmates’ chatter and left the gym. Since they had an assignment, they headed to the library together and saw many couples. Even with the national team selection coming up, the school didn’t prohibit dating. Rather, they encouraged it, saying it helps a lot with mental stability. Probably with that intention, they paired psychology counseling students – an omega with an alpha athlete and an alpha with an omega athlete… In a way, is it like a blind date arranged by the school?
“I wonder how long those guys will keep talking about such things.”
“I know.”
“But Han Taekyung, aren’t you curious?”
“About what?”
“Rut. Actually, I’m a bit curious. I’m also curious about knotting. They say it swells, but how does it swell?”
That’s a part I can’t understand no matter how much I imagine it. How exactly does a penis swell?
“You’ll know someday. I’m not in a hurry. So don’t be too hasty either.”
“Who’s being hasty? Becoming a national team member is the priority for now. Everything else comes after that.”
“For someone who says that, aren’t you waiting too eagerly for Senior Kang Yuhan’s messages?”
Ah, Igeon seemed to have been caught checking his phone frequently, so he smiled slightly and put his phone in his pocket.
“Alright, alright. When I’m with you, this big brother will focus on you. Happy?”
“Big brother?”
Han Taekyung laughed as if in disbelief.
“Why? My birthday is earlier, so I’m the big brother.”
“Hmm… strictly speaking, I’m the older one.”
“Eh? Why? Was your birth registration wrong?”
“It’s something like that. Well… it’s a complicated story, so let’s drop it.”
“What? That makes me curious.”
“I’ll tell you sometime. What’s certain is- Huh?”
As they were chatting and joking around, Han Taekyung’s eyes suddenly sharpened, and he turned around abruptly. It was really sudden, as if he had seen or sensed something. Because of this, Seo Igeon was also startled and looked where Han Taekyung was looking. Toward the school garden, there were only trees and grass, and on the sidewalk in front of it, students were walking. Those students were laughing and chatting about their own things, showing no interest in this direction.
“What is it? What’s going on? Was there something?”
Seo Igeon asked, but Han Taekyung didn’t answer. He only furrowed his brow more.
“Han Taekyung.”
“I must have seen wrong. I’ll make a quick phone call and come back.”
“Okay.”
For someone who says he saw wrong, he looks serious. His tone of voice also dropped. What could have been there… Igeon was bewildered, seeing Taekyung so sensitive for the first time. Taekyung making a phone call from a slightly distant, secluded place – whatever it was, just from his back view, one could tell it was serious. But since he said he “saw wrong,” it seemed like he had no intention of telling Igeon. Well, it might really have been a mistake.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
