#43
Secretary Kim seemed to have anticipated difficulties in starting a bonfire, as he had prepared everything necessary in the box. Jaeha took out all the materials he thought were needed, including solid alcohol, charcoal, and briquettes. He skillfully lit them with a torch, and soon red flames were flickering and rising. As the fire successfully spread to the thick logs, sparks flew up.
The warmth spread, gently pushing away the cold air. Even with just the fire lit, Eunhong’s heart was already melting. He could understand why Jaeha wanted to do this with him, and it made him feel oddly emotional. It had always been like this. It was always Jaeha who suggested trips, took him to see his mother, and now lit this fire for him.
“Bunhong. Look at me.”
Jaeha, who had crouched down next to Eunhong, suddenly reached out his hand after taking off his gloves. As his long hand covered Eunhong’s view, Eunhong closed his eyes, and soft fingertips gently brushed over his eyelids. Eunhong slowly opened his eyes, wishing the scent that brushed past his nose would linger.
The hand cupping his face was warm. The gentle touch brushed off the ash that had settled on his hair. From the gap in the sleeve right in front of his nose, Jaeha’s pheromone-laden body heat wafted out.
His mouth went dry. He raised his eyes, following the invisible pheromones.
Dark eyes that had swallowed the reddish fire color were carefully examining him. Jaeha seemed unaware of Eunhong’s gaze, focusing only on brushing off the ash. Eunhong’s attention was completely captured by the white teeth visible between Jaeha’s slightly parted lips.
“You had ash on you.”
With those whispered words, Jaeha’s breath tickled Eunhong’s eyebrows as it passed by. Whether due to the increasing heat of the bonfire or not, his face suddenly felt hot. A heated breath ran through him, spreading an indescribable warmth throughout his body.
He unconsciously clenched his tingling fingertips. His heart seemed to drop suddenly and then jump to his ears. He could clearly hear his blood vessels pulsing. For the first time since becoming an omega, he distinctly felt pheromones flowing out of his body. A shiver ran up his spine, followed by his pheromones pouring out uncontrollably.
“…Ah…”
It felt like every hair on his body was standing on end. The sight of Jaeha’s dark eyes moving, the reddish flames flickering within them, burned vividly into Eunhong’s heart.
Jaeha’s gaze, which had been on Eunhong’s head for a long time, finally noticed the heat. Unaware that their eyes had met, Eunhong was still staring at Jaeha as if drinking him in. Next to the sharp bridge of his nose was a smooth, flawless pale cheek. Following that line that seemed drawn in one stroke, there were stubborn lips, a sharp jawline, and below that…
“Eunhong?”
At the sound of his name, Eunhong’s eyes slowly returned to focus. In a daze, unable to even think about containing the gushing pheromones, he stared at Jaeha. Even Jaeha’s worried gaze felt sweet. The occasional brush of Jaeha’s pheromones made him feel elated and his whole body relaxed. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by the thought of just forgetting everything and doing something that felt good.
“Ban Eunhong?”
“……”
“Eunhong, do you have a fever?”
Along with the words, a hand that touched his forehead proceeded to caress his cheeks and neck.
“…Huh?”
“Did you take your pheromone medication?”
“Oh, no.”
At the mention of medication, his scattered mind suddenly returned. The existence of pheromones, something he had never experienced before, that gland that had been hiding inside him, had manifested belatedly and was now completely shaking him. Eunhong blinked, feeling strange and confused by the unfamiliar desire that had momentarily dominated his mind.
Lee Jaeha’s scent seemed to be changing him in a strange way. Eunhong felt a slight sense of self-loathing.
Jaeha stood up, saying it would be difficult to take medication since Eunhong hadn’t eaten anything. He turned his back without hesitation and moved away from Eunhong. The surrounding pheromones and warmth disappeared in an instant. As Eunhong hesitantly got up in the now chilly air, his gaze still followed Jaeha. He absently rubbed his heated cheeks.
Am I going crazy…?
Ah, really, why am I like this?
As he pressed down on his throbbing chest, even his fingertips were pounding.
While busy trying to calm his excited feelings, Jaeha started bringing out ingredients from the management office and arranging them neatly. Eunhong’s eyes widened. When he asked who was going to eat all this, Jaeha nonchalantly replied, “You.”
As he placed thick pieces of meat on the grill, sparks flew from the charcoal as the fat dripped. Meat grilled over charcoal was delicious with just salt. The feast of grilled sausages, mushrooms, and vegetables looked enormous, but as it’s always the case when eating outdoors, they ended up finishing everything. The meal, which started out of a sense of obligation, brought a feeling of fullness that made them forget the earlier awkwardness.
The sea greeting the night had become painfully cold, but with the awning spread to block the wind and the heater turned on next to the bonfire, it was reasonably warm. The boundary between sky and sea was tinged red, and everything around was filled with a reddish glow.
“It’s atmospheric. Nice.”
Eunhong, who had been sitting silently sipping champagne for a while, muttered. It was a perfect evening.
“Try this too.”
Jaeha handed over a marshmallow roasted on a skewer. After burning about twenty or thirty of them pitch black, this one was quite well roasted. As Eunhong bit into the large, puffy brown surface, the melted white inside flowed warmly into his mouth. It was so sweet it almost hurt his tongue. Eunhong narrowed his eyes and said,
“Lee Jaeha, do you know you have a persistent side?”
“Suddenly… what do you mean?”
While accepting and eating the marshmallows Jaeha kept handing over, Eunhong glanced and nodded towards the pile of horribly burnt black marshmallows in the trash bag.
“I think Secretary Kim bought four bags knowing you’d burn them like this. He must have known you’d keep roasting until you succeeded.”
“Haha…”
“You should be good to Secretary Kim.”
“Don’t like Secretary Kim too much, it makes me want to fire him.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Eunhong chattered, sipping champagne, saying it’s not easy to find someone who knows you so well and supports you like that. The sweet marshmallows paired well with it, making it palatable even to Eunhong who didn’t know much about alcohol. His muttering about how sensible the person was in many ways suggested he was quite drunk. Jaeha, who had been staring blankly, chuckled.
“You know me best.”
“You just realized that now?”
“That’s why I’m only good to you.”
Eunhong grimaced and pushed a marshmallow towards Jaeha’s mouth, intending to make him shut up by feeding him something.
“Ah, here. Eat this.”
Jaeha, who had bitten into the marshmallow Eunhong offered without defense, furrowed his brow intensely. He was frowning so much he couldn’t even think to wipe away what was flowing down his mouth, when Eunhong suddenly reached out and wiped Jaeha’s mouth, then proceeded to suck it off his own finger.
“……”
“……”
All expression disappeared from Jaeha’s face for a moment. Eunhong, unable to understand his own impulsive action, froze awkwardly, not even able to lower his hand. What had been on his fingertip was definitely sweet, but somehow he couldn’t tell what it tasted like.
Jaeha slowly moved his Adam’s apple. Through his slightly parted lips, his tongue came out to lick away the remaining traces. Silence fell between the two who seemed to have forgotten to move, as if by agreement.
After continuing to stare at each other for a long time, Eunhong eventually won the staring contest. Jaeha dropped his head. The silence between them was filled with the sound of waves, wind, and the crackling bonfire.
Unable to bear the awkwardness, Eunhong fidgeted with his hands. That small movement tormented Jaeha. He knew the taste of Eunhong’s tempting pheromones right in front of him. His throat went dry and his heightened senses screamed. To touch. To be touched.
“Eunhong.”
“…Yeah?”
It seemed that asking if he could touch would make it impossible for him to control himself depending on the answer. Jaeha slightly furrowed his brow.
“Are you not cold?”
“Huh? Oh… a little.”
Jaeha finally grabbed Eunhong’s fidgeting hand. He grasped it tightly and suddenly brought it to his lips, holding it firmly without giving any chance to avoid or pull away.
“What, what are you doing? My hand is dirty.”
Eunhong was startled by the hot breath touching his fingertips.
“It’s not dirty. Your hand… is a bit cold.”
The expression as he blew a warm breath was innocent, but somehow his eyes were shining as if he might swallow Eunhong’s fingers at any moment.
“Jae, Jaeha.”
“Hm?”
“I’m, I’m not cold. Not cold at all.”
“Really? Then why are your fingertips so red…?”
“……”
Eunhong nervously clenched just his fingertips, worried that his body might emit pheromones like before. Faced with Jaeha’s somewhat desperate expression, Eunhong couldn’t pull his captured hand away, nor could he respond, and just kept biting his lips.
Jaeha took a deep breath. Like someone lacking air, he inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. He stared into space as if glaring at something, continuing to just breathe quietly. Unable to bear looking at what expression he was making or what he was thinking, Eunhong also looked elsewhere. For a very long time, or perhaps a short time, silence fell between them once again.
“…Eunhong.”
“…Yeah?”
The low, husky voice calling his name sounded unfamiliar.
