Dding—
Haon, standing in the elevator, kept fidgeting with his fingertips. He had chatted about this and that with Inho on the way home, but not a single thing stuck in his memory.
‘What were we even talking about?’ Whatever it was, it didn’t seem important enough to force himself to recall. He didn’t have the mental room to spare anyway.
“Haon-ssi.”
“Yes!”
Inho’s voice calling out to him startled Haon more than it should have. Inho paused for a second, then smiled softly as he jingled the front door key in his hand.
“You’re keeping it with you, right?”
“Ah, yes. I’ve got it right here.”
Flustered, Haon hurriedly pulled out the card key he kept in his wallet. Inho, seeing it, nodded in relief and opened the front door.
The only one feeling tense was Haon. Inho, who had once again sent Haon’s heart into a flutter with a vague comment, looked completely relaxed, just like always. If anything, he seemed to be in an even better mood than usual.
“Do you not want anything to eat?”
Haon shook his head, not really having any particular craving. They’d already had ice cream at the park and nibbled on some snacks they’d packed, so he wasn’t hungry.
“Are you going to eat, Inho-ssi?”
By now, it felt natural calling Inho by name as they took off their shoes and stepped past the inner door together. Haon could get by on very little food, but he didn’t want Inho to skip dinner.
“You should eat at least something.”
“Let’s eat together tomorrow.”
But Inho seemed to have no intention of eating tonight, steering the conversation elsewhere.
“I’ll cook something tasty. Since Haon-ssi made food for me today.”
Haon had been about to insist he eat something now, but Inho’s next words made him smile dreamily instead. If it was food Inho made, he’d gladly eat anything.
With languid steps, Inho guided Haon through the spacious living room and to his door. He treated Haon like a child who couldn’t do anything alone—because to him, Haon was that precious.
“What should we do tomorrow?”
Standing in front of the now-open door, Inho asked, his body turned slightly to the side so Haon could walk in. He waited patiently for a reply.
‘We can be together tomorrow, too?’ Haon’s face lit up as he fidgeted shyly with his hands.
“You’re not going out anywhere?”
“Nope. I plan on staying home.”
‘You really are unemployed.’
A rich, jobless man, at that. With that thought, Haon let go of his worries and allowed himself to feel completely happy. His bright smile lasted only a moment, though. As he looked back at Inho, something made him tilt his head slightly in confusion.
‘Then… where had he been going every day until now?’
The thought hit Haon all of a sudden, and curiosity bloomed.
“How’s your cheek?”
When Haon didn’t answer, just staring blankly and locking eyes with him, Inho lightly tapped the left cheek where the bruise remained.
“Does it still hurt?”
“No, not at all. Thanks to the ointment, the bruise has faded a lot.”
Haon thanked him again for giving him the ointment. Back when he’d been hurt before, he hadn’t even known something like that existed and had walked around with a nasty bruise for ages. If only he’d known sooner—things would’ve been a lot easier.
“I’ll keep using it.”
His sincere gratitude made Inho furrow one eyebrow slightly.
“You won’t need to.”
Inho’s hand, soft and gentle, brushed across Haon’s left cheek. Smiling faintly, he cupped Haon’s cheek in his palm.
“Once the bruise is completely gone, let’s go to the aquarium. We can eat out then, yeah?”
The thoughtfulness behind the question—caring about whether Haon would be okay to go—made his chest flutter all over again.
“I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
Haon had promised to buy him a meal in return for the workout clothes Inho had given him. He hadn’t forgotten that promise; it was etched firmly in his mind.
Inho rolled his eyes as if thinking it over, then gave a smiling nod in agreement. Just like that, another promise was added between them.
Looking into Inho’s face, Haon felt a renewed determination to keep applying the ointment diligently. He wanted to go to the aquarium with him as soon as possible.
“Go wash up and get some sleep.”
Inho stepped back and gave a little wave.
‘Looks like he’s heading upstairs tonight.’
Haon wanted to ask if he was going to drink alone again, but stopped himself—it felt too clingy.
“Goodnight.”
Don’t drink too much, he wanted to say, but swallowed the words. Instead, he bowed his head politely, packing the unspoken wish into the nighttime farewell.
Click.
Gripping the doorknob with both hands, Haon carefully pulled the door shut.
“Haa…”
Staring at the closed door, imagining Inho’s back as he climbed the stairs, Haon let out a long sigh. And just as deeply as he exhaled, he drew a breath in, standing motionless in front of the door.
He wanted to wash up and crawl into bed, but somehow, his feet wouldn’t budge.
Still dazed, he reached up and brushed his lips with his fingers. The scab had fallen off, and his lips were no longer rough—now they were soft. Thank god.
“Wh-What the…”
He blushed, embarrassed at himself for feeling relieved over something like that. And right at that moment, his drifting thoughts veered back to the kiss he and Inho had shared.
‘Stop. Just stop!’
Haon shook his head violently and scrambled into bed, burrowing beneath the blanket without even washing up. With his face buried in the pillow, he let out a hot, heavy sigh.
‘What is wrong with me? Why do I… why do I want to touch him so badly?’
Curled up in confusion over a desire he’d never felt before, Haon trembled. In his entire life, he had never once been conscious of someone else’s lips. These emotions felt completely foreign to him.
Until now, Haon had only ever thought of lips as something used for eating. Apart from times when he was in heat, he had never willingly pressed his lips against someone else’s or entangled tongues.
But with Inho, it was different.
Thinking back to the kiss they had shared, Haon felt the desire to hold him again. Just like Inho’s gentle hand had caressed his cheek, he wished those hands would touch his lips—and his body, too.
Thunk!
Trying to shake off the lewd thoughts, he buried his face hard into the pillow. Wanting him to touch me? That was the kind of thing he should only think during heat, not now.
“This isn’t right…”
‘Could it be… the symptoms are coming back?’
A knot of anxiety twisted in his stomach, and he clutched at his belly as if to pinch the tension away, focusing on the sensations in his body. If there was even the faintest sign of hunger, he’d have to act.
‘But… act how?’
The moment that question came to mind, the strength drained from his fingers, which had been gripping his abdomen tightly enough to hurt. He couldn’t take suppressants, so there was really nothing he could do on his own.
And yet… why didn’t he feel as anxious as he normally would?
“Even if you go into heat—I’ll be here with you.”
Inho’s calm voice, engraved in Haon’s memory, washed over him with relief. Haon squirmed slightly as he recalled the way Inho had touched him on the couch.
‘If I start feeling it again… will he touch me like that again?’
Even though he knew it would surely be a hassle and uncomfortable for Inho, he still wanted to lean on him. He couldn’t help it.
Letting out a hot breath, Haon imagined a night he couldn’t quite remember—one he might have spent with Inho—and slipped his hand into his underwear. He wasn’t hungry. There wasn’t even the faintest thirst.
“Ah…”
And yet, he touched himself, thinking of Inho.
Haon had never had any particular interest in sex. He had never masturbated before. It was only after becoming an omega that he’d even looked up how, watching videos and researching—just in case he ever needed to know.
“Ugh…”
But now… why was he doing this?
Glancing at his now-hardened cock, Haon awkwardly wrapped one hand around it. With the other, he clutched his pillow and muffled his moans, finding the sound of his own voice slipping through his lips strangely uncomfortable.
“Haah…”
Haon’s first attempt at masturbation was clumsy, to say the least. His hand kept losing its grip, unable to hold on properly, much less stroke with any rhythm.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he gasped for breath and slowly leaned into the sheets. When his erection pressed against the bed, it sent a jolt of stimulation through him.
He moved his hips, grinding his body against the mattress. Without even taking off his underwear, he continued, almost entranced. Every time his cock was crushed against the sheets, a guttural sound escaped his throat.
Biting down on his pillow to muffle the moans, Haon felt heat flush to the corners of his eyes. Breathing only through his nose, he quickly became short of breath.
“Haa… hhk…”
It didn’t take long before the hot pressure that had built up inside burst forth beneath his underwear. The trembling of his body, the damp stickiness of the fabric, and the lingering throbs below—all of it felt unpleasant.
Rationality returned only after the release, washing over Haon with a heavy wave of guilt. He bit his lower lip, trying to shake off the sensation of ejaculation that had spread through his whole body.
The fact that he had done this while thinking of Inho felt like a terrible sin.
‘How could I…? How could I masturbate while imagining him?’
“I’m insane…”
It wasn’t inherently wrong, and yet, Haon—so inexperienced and emotionally unripe—couldn’t understand himself. For him, acts like this still felt frightening, unwanted.
Knock knock.
Startled by the sudden knock, Haon froze under the covers, sniffling quietly.
“Haon-ssi, are you asleep?”
As soon as Inho’s voice came through the door, his heart, already exhausted, started pounding all over again. Shit. Shit!
“N-No, not yet…”
Afraid Inho might open the door if he didn’t respond, Haon called out in a panic.
“Can I come in?”
“No!”
His voice cracked, hoarse and strained. Flustered, he scrambled out of bed, desperate to flee to the bathroom. So fixated on the wet underwear clinging to his skin, he forgot to lock the door.
He made a quick move, trying to hide the soaked underwear first. But his foot caught on the blanket that had fallen to the floor—and he lost balance.
Thud! The sound of his body hitting the floor rang out at the same time Inho pushed the door open.
“Haon-ssi, are you okay?”
Inho stood there holding a plate of fruit. Since Haon had skipped dinner, he’d brought something up just in case he got hungry later.
“D-Don’t come in!”
Haon’s voice was barely audible, crawling out of his throat as he hastily threw the blanket over his legs. The wetness of his underwear clung against his skin, making his face flush bright red. He honestly wished he could just pass out right then and there from the sheer humiliation.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
Inho knelt beside him, placing a hand on Haon’s flushed face to check for a fever.
‘No fever… but he’s breathing heavily, and keeps trying to lie down. Something’s not right.’
“Look at me. Haon-ssi, are you too weak to stand?”
Just as he reached out to help him back onto the bed, Haon, startled even more, flailed and slapped his hand away, insisting he was fine.
“Ah…”
But it was too late.
Inho’s hand had come into contact with a sticky, milky substance.
He should’ve hidden his legs—and his hands.
