After the storm of the rut cycle passed and clarity returned, Tae-seong stayed at Ha-jin’s side, wide awake.
When he finally came to, he was still holding Ha-jin in his arms. He was still inside him, and Ha-jin was half-unconscious.
Those hazy eyes were trying to focus on him, so he brushed Ha-jin’s hair back and kissed his forehead. As he gently stroked his eyebrows, Ha-jin—his face pale and breathing ragged—drifted back to sleep.
The sensations in his lower half felt unfamiliar. Tae-seong had never knotted before, not even once, but he could tell immediately. He slowly pulled back, his face pale, and his cock slipped out without resistance—a clear sign he’d knotted inside Ha-jin and that it was already over.
Cradling Ha-jin in his arms, Tae-seong carried him to the bathroom and carefully washed him, going over everything that had happened the night before.
…Was it even just one night?
His memories hadn’t completely vanished. If they had, as if the film had cut out, it might’ve been easier. At least then he wouldn’t have to remember just how roughly he’d handled Ha-jin.
If he had to explain it, it felt like he’d only just now escaped the madness of a rut. His brain had been melted by pheromones; his impulse control had been completely destroyed. But aside from that, he’d felt fine—even more energetic and powerful than usual.
The empty water bottles scattered around the bed and floor were proof of that. He’d even had the sense to stay hydrated while fucking like a lunatic… truly shameless. Like a beast.
Losing control mid-sex and knotting—just the thought of it brought a rush of guilt that completely smothered the euphoria from the night before.
After thoroughly washing Ha-jin and dressing him in a clean bathrobe from the cabin’s wardrobe, Tae-seong hadn’t slept a wink. From dawn to midday, he sat like a statue on the small chair beside the bed, unmoving.
Ha-jin slept like the dead, not stirring once. He’d been so quiet even during the bath, just keeping his eyes closed, that Tae-seong had thought something might be wrong. Sure, the heat cycle had taken a toll on his body, and the antipyretic-painkiller shot Professor Joo Yoon-seo had administered probably helped too—but still, it left him uneasy.
Is knotting supposed to be this hard on an Omega’s body?
He pulled out his phone to search, only to be met with 19+ warnings and demands for adult verification. The few articles he managed to open were filled with nothing but crude sex talk.
He didn’t want to call Joo Yoon-seo or Song Jae-hyun.
Feeling like a complete idiot, Tae-seong sat there silently, just watching Ha-jin sleep.
Sunlight streamed across his soft, pale face, but his eyelids didn’t so much as flutter. Tae-seong reached out and gently brushed Ha-jin’s eyelashes with a fingertip. So long and thick—it was like brushing the teeth of a comb.
With him sleeping like the dead, memories of losing Ha-jin came rushing back. And now… after going through a heat cycle, a rut cycle, and even knotting together—replaying it all made the world feel strangely distant.
Is this really happening? Is this real?
The heart he’d imprinted with was pounding loudly for the person right in front of him, so this had to be reality.
Then, suddenly—Ha-jin’s eyes flicked open, and he winced against the light. Tae-seong quickly raised his hand to shield his face in shadow, and Ha-jin’s black eyes blinked slowly.
“CEO? When did you wake up…? Did you sleep well?”
The casual morning greeting threw Tae-seong off. As he hesitated, fumbling for a reply, Ha-jin rubbed his eyes and sat up. He fidgeted with the bathrobe Tae-seong had dressed him in, then gave an awkward little smile.
“I think I overslept… What time is it?”
“Ahem… It’s eleven.”
When Tae-seong answered in a hoarse voice, Ha-jin’s eyes went wide.
“Oh, you must be starving. You waited all this time? You should’ve woken me up…”
As he awkwardly moved to get up, Ha-jin beat him to it. He sprang up from the bed—only to stop dead and clutch his waist.
“Ow…”
“You okay?”
Tae-seong rushed to his side, arms out to steady him. Despite the urgency of his movements, his hands were so gentle on Ha-jin’s shoulders that it almost felt ridiculous. Ha-jin looked up at him, blinking slowly.
“……”
“……”
“I’m okay. Really, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”
It was Tae-seong who was left speechless by how calm he sounded.
Did he forget?
If he did… then how was he supposed to bring it up? Tae-seong—so unlike himself—completely froze.
Ha-jin straightened up and looked around the cabin. The place, with its high wooden ceiling and loft structure, had a wide open layout on the first floor, making it easy to see everything at a glance.
After a moment of deep breathing, Ha-jin took a determined step toward the kitchen.
“I’ll—”
But Tae-seong moved first, darting ahead to the fridge. In a blink, he pulled out a bottle of water, cracked it open, and held it right in front of Ha-jin.
“I’ll do it.”
“…Thank you.”
Accepting it without complaint, Ha-jin stood still and drank. He finished the whole 500mL slowly, and when he was done, Tae-seong handed him another bottle without a word. Only after finishing the second one did Ha-jin feel somewhat human again.
Tae-seong silently watched him the whole time. When Ha-jin was done, Tae-seong reached out and wiped a droplet of water that had slipped down his chin—then brought it to his lips without thinking.
Ha-jin pretended not to notice. His ears flushed hot.
He’d taken a lot of water from that same mouth last night, yet he still felt parched now.
As he went to crumple the empty bottle, his fingers gave up halfway.
“CEO.”
“Yeah?”
“I want some ramyeon.”
***
This cabin was something Tae-seong had designed and built himself when he was still a teenager. After receiving a piece of land from his grandfather for his birthday, he’d spent a long time thinking about what to do with it—and eventually decided to build a ranch. The main barn and buildings were designed with help from professionals, but the cabin was all his.
A place filled with the tastes and aesthetics of his younger self.
The ranch staff rotated maintenance duties, mostly limited to cleaning. But this time, Tae-seong had asked them to stock it fully—with food, bedding, clothing, and essentials. Thanks to their thoughtful preparation, when he opened the pantry, it was packed with instant noodles just like Ha-jin had hoped.
Seeing him light up and cheer like he’d found treasure, Tae-seong mentally noted to give those employees a big bonus.
Wearing an apron embroidered with the ranch’s mascot, Tae-seong stood at the counter pulling out two packs of spicy red ramyeon.
“Are you really not eating, CEO?” Ha-jin asked from the dining table.
“Yeah… well…”
But when Tae-seong grabbed three packs instead, Ha-jin raised four fingers.
“I’m really hungry.”
A short while later, a man who didn’t even like ramyeon managed to cook the perfect bowl.
He added brisket, green onions, and chili flakes—the broth was rich and spicy. As soon as Tae-seong set his chopsticks down after finishing his share, Ha-jin scooped up what was left straight from the pot and scraped the bottom clean.
“Ahh… I feel alive again.”
He patted his now round belly, smiling with satisfaction. The way he’d devoured it—anyone watching could tell how good it was. Even the way his lips were flushed pink from the soup looked adorable, and Tae-seong didn’t know what to do with himself.
Right. I should probably tell him about the knotting.
Last night, I lost control and turned into an animal. I fucked you, came inside you, and even knotted you.
And you know, with a dominant Alpha… knotting usually means there’s a high chance of…
Tae-seong clenched his fist tightly.
He was learning what people meant when they said “I just can’t bring myself to say it.”
He’d never struggled this much to tell someone the truth. Even when he broke one of his grandfather’s priceless antiques as a kid, he’d confessed without hesitation.
“Ha-jin.”
“CEO.”
They both spoke at the same time, then fell silent.
“You first.”
“No, you go first.”
One of them had to give. Tae-seong, not one to waste a chance, stayed quiet and gestured with his hand for Ha-jin to go ahead.
With a shy smile, Ha-jin asked,
“So… what now? What kind of ranch is this, anyway?”
Tae-seong glanced down at the apron around his neck, right where Ha-jin’s finger was pointing.
“Oh, we raise sheep here.”
Even the ranch’s name—Cloud Ranch—was Tae-seong’s own idea.
When he first visited, the hills had been covered in thick fog that looked like low-hanging clouds. It only made sense to raise animals as fluffy as clouds.
“Wow, really? So is this like… a guesthouse?”
Clearly, he was a little self-conscious about how loud he’d been the night before. Tae-seong, however, didn’t quite catch the nuance.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes. It’s super cozy. Smells nice. Really clean…”
Ha-jin looked around, eyes wide with curiosity now that he was more awake.
“If you like it that much, then…”
“Huh?”
“Want me to give it to you?”
He had no excuses, no defense, no face to save. Tae-seong just blurted it out.
After all—when in trouble, bribery always comes first. A universal truth.
Poor Tae-seong. 🤣 Don’t worry your boyfriend is well aware of what you did.