The peach pheromones seeped into my skin. From behind, Seo Hee-gyeom pulled me toward him and wrapped his arms around me. A soft sensation brushed against the back of my neck. The bastard rubbed his nose against my nape.
I tried to pry off the arm wrapped around my stomach, but with Yeon Yuri’s paper-doll body, it didn’t budge at all. How many times has this happened now? I swear I’m going to work out and bulk up.
“You crazy bastard! Aren’t you going to let go of my arm?”
My Do Jihoon cosplay failed gloriously. Thick curses spilled out of my mouth like weeds sprouting everywhere.
“I’m seeing you for the first time in half a year, hyung. Actually, it’s been even longer than that. Let me do at least this much.”
“Half a year, a year—whatever it is, just let go of this—”
“…Yuri.”
I’d been seriously considering whether I should learn hapkido.
My body suddenly froze upright. Damn it. I swallowed hard. Warm air crept along the edges of my skin as if there were a heater beside me.
When I lifted my head, Do Jihoon was standing in front of me. The guy was smiling beautifully.
Which meant he was seriously pissed.
Why! Now of all times! I’d only just started dating Do Jihoon sweetly and peacefully—why did this have to happen now?! This wasn’t my karma. It was Yeon Yuri’s karma!
Like someone who’d just spotted a cockroach, I jumped and blurted out a rapid-fire stream of excuses.
“Doji, whatever you’re thinking, it’s not that, and there’s a really complicated part of my past that’s hard as hell to explain here—”
“Right, Yuri. You look like you’ve got a lot to say. But for now, let’s keep quiet.”
His gaze was fixed exactly on the arm wrapped around me. If someone could burn things with their eyes, that arm would’ve already turned into charcoal.
“Hyung. Who is this person?”
A voice slipped into my ear. Shit. My face drained pale.
I answered stubbornly.
“He’s the alpha I love most in the world after my dad, you punk. So take your hand off me. Stop being annoying.”
I was definitely looking down at the floor, but Do Jihoon’s pheromones started bubbling up everywhere. Judging by that, he must’ve been smiling in complete satisfaction. Seriously, just advertise it with pheromones while you’re at it.
“…That’s too much.”
“Fuck, what now? Just let go of my arm first.”
“You said we’d live like family forever.”
Instead of letting go, Seo Hee-gyeom rubbed his forehead against my shoulder. My nape grew damp—looks like he was crying again.
I did feel a little sorry for Seo Hee-gyeom. Ah, a lamb has wandered right into Yeon Yuri’s clutches. That was about the extent of my thoughts.
But that was that, and this was this.
I had Do Jihoon now, and there was no one left to clean up the mess Yeon Yuri had left behind. Maybe it sounded selfish, but what could I do? It’s not like I could break off my engagement with Do Jihoon now, nor could I do anything for Seo Hee-gyeom.
Just then—
“Let go.”
Do Jihoon yanked me sharply toward him.
Unlike omega me, Do Jihoon was strong. The arm that had been restraining me loosened in an instant.
By the time I came to my senses, I was already completely wrapped in Do Jihoon’s arms.
He gripped my wrist tightly. I looked at his long, beautiful fingers, then raised my gaze to his face. His expression was stiff.
I felt the corner of my mouth curl up slightly.
I liked Do Jihoon’s sharp reaction toward me. And I kind of liked this slightly suffocating sense of restraint too.
Damn. I guess I really was a pervert.
Since I’d already admitted that much, I rubbed my head against Do Jihoon’s shoulder. His hand gently stroked my back.
Then I turned around to look at Seo Hee-gyeom.
The guy clenched his fist tightly and bit his lip. He stared at me with an unbearably desperate gaze. Looking at him like that, he really was a minor.
Seo Hee-gyeom mumbled as he spoke.
“You said I was cute. You said I was pretty.”
“I did?”
“Why are you pretending you don’t know, hyung?”
Something felt extremely ominous. As his lips slowly parted, I had the illusion that the gates of hell were opening in front of my eyes.
“You clearly said that while hugging me. On my bed. In my room.”
“You crazy—!”
Just as I thought. My instincts had a one-hundred-percent accuracy rate. Nuclear waste that couldn’t possibly be taken back poured straight out of his mouth.
“Who hugged who? Don’t say shit that sounds that damn misleading.”
I glanced at Do Jihoon, trying to read his expression.
He was terrifyingly calm.
Honestly, I would’ve preferred if he got angry. Damn it—silence was way scarier.
“…Hyung. Are you seriously watching that alpha’s reaction right now?”
And in the middle of it all, Seo Hee-gyeom added something completely unnecessary, like an oblivious idiot. For a high school kid, his gaze was as fierce as a general’s.
Do Jihoon still said nothing.
I thought he’d at least say something. Instead, he simply watched the standoff between me and Seo Hee-gyeom.
I answered Seo Hee-gyeom firmly.
“He’s someone I like, so of course I care about what he thinks. I don’t even know why I have to explain that to you.”
“…You said I was family….”
Ka-tok—
Just then, the KakaoTalk notification sound rang out, breaking the tense atmosphere.
[Kim Bo-jin: I’m here. Where r u?]
The sender was Kim Bo-jin.
You bastard. Thanks.
I quickly typed back.
[By the wall opposite the hall entrance]
[Kim Bo-jin: ok dropping my stuff at the table and coming]
[No, let’s meet in front of the entrance]
[Kim Bo-jin: ? ok]
“Doji. Kim Bo-jin’s here. Let’s go over there.”
“Okay.”
Ignoring Seo Hee-gyeom’s gaze, I grabbed Do Jihoon’s arm and pulled him along.
“Hyung…!”
I heard him call me from behind.
I ignored it and walked toward the entrance.
I glanced sideways at Do Jihoon. His expression was still stiff. I needed to say something, but I had no idea what to say.
Until Kim Bo-jin arrived and the party started, we didn’t say a single word.
Do Jihoon’s seat and mine were fairly far apart. Because of that, we couldn’t even talk.
Kim Bo-jin sat next to me. I nudged him and muttered,
“I’m screwed.”
“Judging by the vibe earlier, things blew up big time. Felt like Siberia showed up in the middle of summer.”
“……”
“Well, hang in there. Do Jihoon’s got a brain—he’s not going to suddenly say let’s break off the engagement.”
“You bastard. You think that’s a joke right now?”
Under the table, I lightly stomped on Kim Bo-jin’s foot. Watching his face turn pale was extremely satisfying.
“Bo-jin. Will you listen to something?”
“No.”
“…I’m seriously in a hurry. Please? Just listen.”
Kim Bo-jin wasn’t heartless enough to ignore a desperate request. He quietly told me to go ahead.
“First, let me ask you something. Do you remember Seo Hee-gyeom?”
“Why him?”
“Do you remember him or not?”
“Of course I do. How could I not? I was wondering why I hadn’t heard his name lately. Why—did you run into him today?”
“…Yeah.”
“Really? That’s a problem. Didn’t you completely stop contacting Seo Hee-gyeom after the CSAT? You never reached out once. He must’ve been really upset.”
“…Upset?”
The nuance was strange.
Kim Bo-jin sounded extremely calm. If Seo Hee-gyeom had been some alpha who’d gotten tangled up with Yeon Yuri in a bad way, Kim Bo-jin wouldn’t be this quiet.
“…And now, everyone please give a round of applause!”
The crowd grew noisy. Kim Bo-jin clapped mechanically at the host’s words and continued.
“Yeah. After the CSAT, you disappeared like you were cutting off all your relationships.”
That’s because I possessed this body…
“A bunch of people kept contacting me saying you wouldn’t answer their calls and that they were upset. Even now. I stayed quiet because if I passed those messages along to you, I knew they wouldn’t hear anything good anyway.”
That bastard Kim Bo-jin.
I thought he was just some brainless single-celled organism, but apparently he actually had some loyalty. It was a little touching.
“But seriously, you’re unbelievable. You threw away someone you cared about like a younger brother overnight. You’re really heartless.”
…The moment I started feeling touched, the guy started scolding me. But he wasn’t wrong, so I didn’t have much to say.
After possessing Yeon Yuri, I’d been busy adapting to the traits and the situation. I didn’t have the mental space to care about Yeon Yuri’s relationships too.
Still, it was fortunate in an unfortunate way.
From what Kim Bo-jin said, Seo Hee-gyeom really had been like a close younger brother to Yeon Yuri. Do Jihoon’s stiff expression still lingered in my mind, but… maybe things would somehow work out.
Hopefully.
Acting casual, I continued talking to Kim Bo-jin.
“After the CSAT, we never ran into each other at school either.”
“You’re in different grades. Different buildings too. And after the CSAT, our classes were shortened.”
“…Right.”
I could feel the color draining from my face.
“…Do you think I’ll run into Seo Hee-gyeom again?”
“Who knows. Didn’t you go half a year without contacting him?”
“…Yeah.”
“Then you should be fine.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
“But since you met him today, he might start contacting you again with all kinds of excuses. He might even follow you today and find out where you live.”
“…Crazy.”
I remembered the look in Seo Hee-gyeom’s eyes.
It was somewhat blind and pure. And that made it just as terrifying.
But at the same time, a heavy sense of guilt welled up.
So I tried thinking about it from Seo Hee-gyeom’s perspective.
A hyung who was like family suddenly cut off contact. Ignored his messages. Never met him again.
Then they coincidentally ran into each other at a hotel lounge party.
And that hyung acted like he didn’t even know him.
…Wow. I’m seriously trash.
