Seol Yu-jin carefully opened Winston’s bedroom door. The faint scent of pheromones that had lingered in the air suddenly grew stronger, as if asserting the presence of its absent owner. Unconsciously swallowing dryly, he hesitantly stepped inside. For some reason, an inexplicable sense of transgression washed over him, making his body tense on its own.
Haah…
He took a deep breath on purpose and slowly moved forward. His gaze swept around the room before inevitably settling on the bed. Gulp. The sound of his dry swallow rang in his ears, accompanied by the pounding of his pulse. This is where Winston sleeps… Just the thought of it made his heart feel like it was going to explode.
Cautiously climbing onto the bed, Yu-jin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady his breathing. If he didn’t, he felt like he might faint before Winston even arrived. Hoo, hoo… Every breath he took in and out filled his lungs with lingering traces of Winston’s pheromones, making his head spin even more—though he didn’t fully realize it.
Maybe I’m just too lewd…
Accepting his own rising arousal as proof of that, Yu-jin quickly glanced around. What should I do when Winston arrives? Like this? Or maybe… like this?
After shifting into various poses, contemplating the best way to greet Winston, he finally settled into a half-reclining position on the bed, staring at the door. He couldn’t bring himself to lie down completely—at any moment now, Winston might walk in. Heart pounding, he posed as seductively as possible, eagerly anticipating the moment that door would swing open.
***
What the hell is he doing?!
When the minute hand on the wall clock ticked past the twentieth mark, Yu-jin could no longer contain his frustration and shot up from the bed. No matter how long he waited, Winston still hadn’t shown up—not even the sound of his footsteps could be heard. What the hell is he doing? He had to find out. Without further hesitation, he flung the door open.
The answer came almost immediately. As soon as he stepped into the hallway, the sound of noise from downstairs reached his ears. He wouldn’t… After saying he’d send them off?
With a sinking feeling, Yu-jin moved toward the staircase and froze. From where he stood on the landing, he had a clear view of the first-floor living room. The place was in chaos—at least a dozen people were drinking and chatting loudly, completely at ease.
What the hell…?
Standing there in shock, Yu-jin’s eyes soon found Winston. He was sitting alone on the couch—the very same couch they had once shared—his head buried in his hands. He looked exactly like a host who had tried to kick out unwelcome guests but failed miserably.
“Winnie…”
Yu-jin instinctively stepped forward, wanting to comfort him even a little. The mood had been completely ruined, but at least they had already confirmed how much they wanted each other. Once they’re gone, we can just pick up where we left off…
With that in mind, Yu-jin started down the stairs—only to stop again, his body freezing mid-step.
A familiar beauty with long hair had approached Winston and struck up a conversation. And that wasn’t all. Evelyn had settled beside him on the couch, talking to him intimately while gently stroking his shoulder.
Yu-jin felt his stomach drop.
“Sorry, Winnie. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen…”
Evelyn’s voice was filled with genuine apology, and Winston let out a weary sigh.
“It’s fine. It’s not like they would’ve listened to you anyway.”
As if to prove his point, more cheers and rowdy shouts erupted from behind him. Winston shot an irritated glance toward the group, who were drinking and laughing without a care in the world, before turning back. Rubbing his face with both hands, he remained silent until Evelyn cleared her throat hesitantly.
“Um, where’s that guy? Did he get upset because of us…?”
“No, it’s not that.”
Winston started to say more but stopped himself. The thought of explaining everything to her felt exhausting. If it weren’t for these damn uninvited guests, he knew exactly what he and Yu-jin would be doing right now—and that realization made his anger flare.
These goddamn bastards… Maybe I should just shoot every last one of them.
The moment he recalled that there was a gun somewhere in the living room, someone suddenly shouted.
“Oh, hey! That’s Winston’s lover!”
His head snapped up instinctively, and for a split second, he froze. Yu-jin was standing at the landing, looking down at him. His wide eyes showed clear surprise, mirroring Winston’s own. Immediately, Winston shot to his feet.
I told him to stay in the room.
Panic surged through him, followed by a barrage of self-reproach. He must’ve gotten tired of waiting. I should be up there with him, reassuring him, not sitting down here like an idiot.
“Yu-jin…”
Winston took a step forward, intending to go to him—but someone else was faster.
In one swift motion, a man leaped up the stairs, skipping two or three steps at a time, and suddenly threw Yu-jin over his shoulder.
“Ahh—!”
“Yu-jin!”
Yu-jin screamed, struggling against the man’s grip, and Winston’s face drained of all color. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to rush forward and beat the bastard to a pulp, but he didn’t dare move. If that guy dropped Yu-jin—
He watched, helplessly frozen, as the man carried Yu-jin back down the stairs.
“Yu-jin, are you okay?! You little shit, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
It had only been a few seconds, but Winston felt like his blood had been completely drained from his body. The moment they reached the living room, Winston yanked Yu-jin away from the man’s grasp and wrapped his arms around him protectively, shouting furiously. But the drunk idiot, already completely wasted, just grinned like an oblivious fool.
“If he’s your lover, he should at least say hi to us. Hey there, I’m Barry! We’re all Winston’s friends.”
Though his speech was slurred and barely intelligible, he still had the audacity to place a hand over his chest and bow politely.
Winston barely restrained the urge to knock him out and instead turned his full attention to Yu-jin. He had expected Yu-jin to be shaking with fear—but to his surprise, Yu-jin only looked bewildered rather than truly frightened.
“…Yu-jin, are you okay?”
“Huh? Uh, y-yeah.”
Yu-jin, still dazed, nodded at Winston’s repeated question.
“I was just a little caught off guard. I’m fine…”
Just as he said, there was no sign of fear on his face. Feeling relieved, Winston quickly continued.
“I’m sorry. These bastards barged in without permission. You must’ve waited a long time, right? I was just about to decide whether to shoot them all.”
“A-ah, no, you don’t have to go that far.”
Yu-jin shook his head in a panic, but before Winston could respond, another man cut in with a loud laugh.
“Jeez, it’s not that serious. What’s the big deal?”
“Yeah, we’re just trying to have some fun together.”
“What’s your name? Come on, have a drink with us.”
“I like pretty ones.”
“Same. Where the hell did you find a beauty like this, Winston? Were you hiding him from us this whole time?”
Their loud, boisterous chatter made Yu-jin feel dizzy, but he didn’t sense any actual hostility from them.
Maybe just a quick introduction wouldn’t hurt…?
If they were Winston’s friends, he’d have to meet them sooner or later anyway. In that case, exchanging a few words now might not be a bad idea. More than anything, Yu-jin had never been around so many people at once. It made him a little nervous, but at the same time, he felt a spark of curiosity.
Winnie’s here, so it’s not like anything bad will happen…
As he hesitated in Winston’s arms, his gaze suddenly landed on Evelyn. For a brief moment, he blinked in surprise, and Evelyn gave him a small, awkward smile.
But that only made things worse.
Yu-jin’s stomach twisted as he compared himself—nestled in Winston’s arms like a child being protected—to Evelyn, who stood confidently among the crowd, mingling with ease like a proper adult. And just moments ago, he had seen them sitting together on that couch, talking so intimately. The same couch where I was about to…
I can do it too.
Taking a deep breath, Yu-jin pressed his hands against Winston’s chest, pushing lightly. Of course, Winston didn’t budge an inch, but the action was enough to catch his attention.
“Yu-jin?”
Winston looked down at him, frowning slightly, as if asking what was wrong. Yu-jin, his face flushed, hesitated for only a second before speaking.
“I-I should introduce myself to your friends, right? Since we’re all here together.”
Winston’s frown deepened. His expression still showed clear confusion, so Yu-jin made his intentions even clearer.
“I want to have fun too. With everyone.”
