Ha-jin drifted in and out of sleep all night. Exhaustion would pull him under, only for the heat to yank his consciousness back up by the collar, startling him awake again and again. Each time that happened, Cheon Tae-seong—like he’d been waiting for it—would pour pheromones over him, coaxing him back to sleep with quiet reassurance.
He cried while a large hand gently stroked the back of his head, then grew tired again and fell asleep—over and over, endlessly.
“……”
So when he finally opened his eyes with a clear mind again, he couldn’t help but feel flustered.
His vision came back slowly, probably because his eyes were swollen from crying so much. The first thing he saw was a bare chest far too close for comfort. Thick, broad pectoral muscles packed tight with muscle filled his entire field of view.
Thanks to the good lighting, the room was bright, and he could even clearly see the slight rise and fall with each breath.
“……”
Ha-jin reflexively opened his mouth, only to realize no sound came out. At the same time, the events of the previous night began replaying themselves in order, as if on cue.
His body burning hot as pheromones burst out of him. Begging and clinging to Cheon Tae-seong for his Alpha pheromones. Remembering all of it at once made him miserable.
On top of that, he realized he was completely naked.
Carefully, he lifted his body. On Cheon Tae-seong’s arm—where Ha-jin had rested his head—there were clear imprints left by his hair. Judging by how damp his cheek felt, he’d probably drooled too.
Ha-jin stared down at the still-sleeping Cheon Tae-seong, his face slowly flushing red.
“……”
His thoughts completely stalled. His mind went blank.
What do I do now?
When he thought about how they’d been tangled together all night like twisted rope, his forehead felt hot. The worst of the pheromone flare had passed, and both he and Tae-seong must’ve been so exhausted that they’d passed out where they were.
Quietly lifting the sheet, Ha-jin slid off the bed. Last night—when he’d been crawling across the bathroom floor—felt like a dream. But when he spotted his underwear tossed haphazardly on the floor, the blood drained from his face.
Even Ha-jin, who prided himself on being frugal and neat, felt the overwhelming urge to throw it away on the spot.
It wasn’t like he’d never experienced a wet dream before, but this was on a whole different level. You could’ve told him it had been dunked straight into semen and he would’ve believed it. Thick white stains had dried stiffly across it, and it was so soaked it still felt sticky.
Squatting down, Ha-jin glanced at himself as well. Because he’d slept like that all night, there were dried traces on his skin too. His abused cock was even a little red.
“Ha……”
To be honest—yeah. He’d expected sex.
Rather than expectation, it was more accurate to say he’d braced himself for it.
Whether it was because he’d gotten soaked in the rain, because he’d been run-down, or because of Cheon Tae-seong’s pheromones after not seeing him for days—whatever the reason, the heat cycle his doctor had warned him was a “one in a million” possibility had actually triggered.
When his body had grown hot enough to warm the marble floor, Ha-jin had prepared himself. He’d thought he might end up sleeping with Cheon Tae-seong. He was the only Alpha there—and somehow, that had felt like a relief.
He’d adapted so quickly it didn’t even make sense to himself. Maybe that, too, had been the pheromones at work.
“CEO, CEO… please… ahh…!”
“No. I won’t.”
Ha-jin buried his face in his hands.
The bedroom was filled with Cheon Tae-seong’s scent. Thanks to the pheromones he’d given off all night, Ha-jin had finally been able to stabilize. Instead of taking Ha-jin however he pleased, Tae-seong had endured it patiently, helping him ride out the heat.
“Why…?”
“Wow. Look at that ass.”
While he was muttering, Cheon Tae-seong suddenly spoke from behind him, exhaling in disbelief. Startled, Ha-jin twisted his head around while still squatting. At some point, Tae-seong had woken up and was sitting on the bed, legs spread wide, casually shaking out his sore arm without even trying to cover himself.
Every time he moved, his tightly packed muscles caught the sunlight, their definition standing out clearly. Maybe it was because of last night, but even his slightly messy hair looked effortlessly attractive. His teasing smile was still beautiful and—
Feeling awkward, Ha-jin lowered his gaze—and ended up staring straight at the solid mass standing proudly below Tae-seong’s navel.
After unintentionally making eye contact, Ha-jin snapped his head back into place. Heat rushed to both ears before he could stop it.
“Y-you’re awake?”
“What’re you looking for—your clothes?”
Ha-jin, who’d been awkwardly crawling around to find something to wear, turned back toward him. Cheon Tae-seong lifted a folded robe and said, “Here,” but his tone was thick with teasing.
“If you could just toss it over here…”
“You can come over and put it on.”
When Ha-jin looked at him like that was too much, Tae-seong frowned, looking almost wronged.
“What’s with that disrespectful look…? I served you all night long, and instead of gratitude, I get this? Ha-jin, turns out you’re a pretty rotten guy. You take a man’s purity and then look at him like that—”
Leaving Ha-jin gaping, Tae-seong clutched his chest and put on an exaggerated expression, claiming his wounded heart hurt terribly.
“Don’t lie. I remember everything clearly. We didn’t do anything.”
“We?”
Now half-reclining, Tae-seong rested one elbow on his knee and propped his chin on his hand, smiling.
“I’m not lying. Want me to show you proof?”
Giving up on the robe, Ha-jin crawled over and picked up Tae-seong’s torn shirt, pulling it on. The soft, fine fabric had been ripped straight down the front by an Alpha’s rough hands—it looked downright pitiful.
With no intact buttons left, he fastened it as best he could and turned back to Tae-seong.
“I have proof too. You can tell just by looking at my body.”
That confident expression bothered him. Without thinking, Ha-jin reached one hand toward his backside. Tae-seong’s eyebrow shot up.
“What? How exactly are you planning to find proof on your body?”
You gonna try sticking something in there? Tae-seong muttered as he swept the rumpled sheets aside and got off the bed. Ha-jin was barely managing to cover himself with the oversized shirt. The flushed eyes and pale thighs—completely unaware that the sight was even more stimulating.
Turning away, Tae-seong headed into the small dressing room attached to the bedroom. After throwing on his robe and placing Ha-jin’s neatly back on the shelf, he came back out. After pouring pheromones into him all night and taking care of him with utmost devotion, teasing him a little was only fair.
When Tae-seong returned, Ha-jin finally gathered his courage and approached. Even his feet looked just like him—his cautious steps made no sound at all.
“CEO… um…”
Whenever something happened, this guy always talked about quitting. Tae-seong was already bracing himself to get angry.
“I…”
“Say it.”
“I’m sorry you couldn’t eat dinner because of me… and also…”
The words were so absurd Tae-seong was momentarily stunned. Without realizing it, he licked his dry lips. The look in Ha-jin’s eyes was genuinely apologetic.
When Tae-seong stared at him, Ha-jin’s round eyes wobbled before he dropped his gaze to the floor. It was obviously hard for him to get the words out—his neck flushed red as he fumbled on.
“And I think I made you uncomfortable again. Yesterday… I wasn’t in my right mind when I begged you like that. Please forget it. I’ll make sure nothing like this happens again—”
“Ha-jin.”
Tae-seong cut him off mid-sentence and stepped right in front of him.
Even setting aside the fact that Ha-jin was wearing a soft summer shirt of his, the lean body beneath it looked like it had been drawn by hand.
The pheromones that had tormented him last night were now only a faint after-scent, but it was still hard to rein in the ache trying to rise below.
After everything he’d endured, how could Ha-jin even think of the word uncomfortable? Where, how, and in what direction did this guy’s thought process even run?
“We slept together.”
“…Don’t joke like that.”
Ha-jin snapped his gaze up at him—then immediately wilted again, staring at the floor. Seriously, the guy overthought everything.
“Hey, Lee Ha-jin.”
“Yes.”
Tae-seong lifted one foot and gently pressed it over Ha-jin’s fidgeting pale toes. When he slid in like he was about to lace their feet together, Ha-jin jolted, his whole body twitching.
“I only have sex with people who love me.”
“Uh… okay?”
Why are you telling me that? was written all over his face.
“You slept with me, so take responsibility.”
“……”
“Either love me, or something.”
This time, Ha-jin really did look up, shocked. What are you even saying? flashed clearly in his eyes. Tae-seong met his trembling gaze head-on, waiting for an answer.
“…That—that’s not something I can do.”
“Why not?”
Even being rejected, Tae-seong couldn’t stop smiling. Ha-jin’s eyes were shaking so wildly it was entertaining.
“I’ve never even thought about it. Not once.”
Without warning, Tae-seong slapped his large hand against Ha-jin’s chest. He tore open the buttonless rag of a shirt and pressed his warm palm directly to bare skin. Ha-jin’s lashes fluttered.
“Really? Seriously? Not even once? Hand on your conscience?”
As he fired off questions and stepped closer, Ha-jin’s eyes crumpled, filled with turmoil.
