Da Haram cautiously swung his legs over the side of the bed. His overworked muscles immediately screamed at him to lie back down. His body felt like he’d singlehandedly planted peanuts across a field the size of ten thousand pyeong.
“Ugh…”
Still seated, he stretched his arms high above his head with a groan. Blood rushed to his fingertips, making them tingle, and he clasped his hands together, gently massaging his palms. As he looked down at his hands, he recalled the way he and Tae-yi had caressed each other’s bodies before falling asleep. His palms still tingled with the memory.
Tae-yi… does this mean we’re dating now? He called me ‘sweetheart.’ Last time, he gave me the best piece of galbijjim, and even the jujube from the samgyetang.
There were so many other things he’d received from Tae-yi—things no one else had ever given him. Every gesture had been filled with care and affection.
Feeling warm and fuzzy, Haram wagged his tail like a happy puppy. His silvery-gray tail brushed over the stiff blanket, making a soft swish swish sound.
Should I ask him about it?
No, that might sound a little corny—asking “What are we now?” Especially when Tae-yi was already so much more mature and composed than Haram, despite being the same age. Haram didn’t want to seem childish in front of him.
Just act natural. Natural.
“You’re up?”
“Huh? Oh… hey.”
Haram, who’d been mentally chanting his mantra like a spell, jumped in surprise at Tae-yi’s sudden appearance and blurted out an awkward greeting—worse than their very first meeting. Embarrassed, he blushed, silently cursing himself. Tae-yi sat down beside him, smiling gently as Haram fidgeted, tugging at his burning-red ears.
“Hey.”
Tae-yi’s effortless reply made the awkwardness melt away in an instant. Haram nodded slightly and took the glass of water Tae-yi offered.
He drained it all and set the empty glass down on the bedside table. When he glanced sideways, he saw Tae-yi with his head slightly bowed. Following his gaze downward, Haram saw his own bare lower half—completely exposed.
Hastily, he pulled down his T-shirt to cover himself. Tae-yi chuckled quietly.
“You’re pretty thorough about covering up.”
“Stop teasing me…”
Tae-yi seemed to be enjoying how easy it was to get a rise out of him. He never let anything slide.
“Wanna eat dinner?”
Tae-yi asked as he gently poked Haram’s puffed-up cheeks. Thinking about food made Haram realize how hungry he was, so he nodded instead of answering. Then, glancing over at Tae-yi, he added,
“Go ahead first. I’ll go to my room, get dressed, and come down.”
Seeing Haram tug his T-shirt down so diligently to hide his privates made Tae-yi want to tease him even more—but he held back and stood up without protest. Haram pricked up his ears and focused on the sound of Tae-yi’s footsteps as he left. Only when he heard him going down the stairs did he hesitantly rise from the bed.
***
During dinner, Haram kept sneaking glances at Tae-yi. There was something unusually calm and unreadable about him, and the silence between them stretched on, filled only by the clink of silverware. Still, Tae-yi picked out all of Haram’s favorite foods and placed them on his plate, making it easier for him to finish his meal.
“Is something wrong?”
Sitting on the sofa, Haram sipped the citron tea Tae-yi had made and glanced at him nervously before asking. He was worried. He remembered something he’d overheard back in high school: that some people lose interest in their partners after having sex.
The anxiety gnawed at him, and his heart started pounding erratically.
“Work stuff. It’s been a headache.”
“…What kind of work do you do?”
Considering how much money he seemed to have at his age, it had to be something major. Now that Haram thought about it, he barely knew anything about Tae-yi. Every time he asked, the answers were vague at best. But from now on, he wanted to learn everything about him.
“Land grabbing.”
“…I told you to stop teasing.”
“I’m not teasing.”
There he went again—being vague, joking, deflecting. Normally, Haram would’ve let it slide, but not today.
“You work at a construction company, right? Last time… you said you knew all about the one that was harassing me.”
Tae-yi let out a quiet chuckle at how sharp the usually naive Haram was today.
“Yeah. I work at a construction company.”
“That’s impressive.”
Haram muttered under his breath and fell silent again, seemingly lost in thought. He looked like he was trying to figure out what to ask next. As he stared quietly, Tae-yi called his name. The moment their eyes met—Haram’s gentle, harmless gaze locked onto his—Tae-yi opened his mouth before he could second-guess himself.
“I lied to you.”
“A lie?”
The abrupt confession made Haram tilt his head in confusion. Tae-yi reached out and fiddled with Haram’s soft cheek as he replied.
“We’re not the same age.”
“Then…?”
“I’m a little older.”
“A little…?”
The more Tae-yi said, the more Haram blinked in shock, his wide eyes full of surprise.
“H-How old are you…?”
“Don’t use honorifics.”
What kind of nonsense was that…? Ever since he was a kid, his grandmother had drilled it into him: even if someone was just one year older, he had to use formal speech. Growing up in a rural village, most of the people around him were at least forty years older, so he’d never had a reason to go against that rule.
It was confusing—deeply so. Maybe it showed on his face, because Tae-yi pulled him onto his solid thigh and began trying to soothe him. He peppered his cheek with kisses before finally saying,
“Do you not like older guys? Would you rather I be your age?”
The way Tae-yi pouted like a sulking child was oddly irritating. Haram glared at him as best he could with his big, innocent eyes.
“…So how old are you?”
Despite the glare, his voice stayed soft—completely harmless. Tae-yi chuckled and answered calmly.
“Twenty-nine.”
At twenty-one, Haram was barely still in his twenties himself. He’d expected to be shocked, but instead, he just pressed his lips together and stared at Tae-yi. His reaction was far calmer than Tae-yi had anticipated. Somewhat nervous, Tae-yi’s eyes flicked to Haram’s lips.
“Why did you lie…?”
“I’ll tell you if you stop using honorifics.”
“…Liar.”
“I was afraid you’d kick me out if you knew I was older. I’m sorry.”
Kick him out? Ah… Haram remembered the first night they met. That rainy night when he’d taken the injured Tae-yi into his home.
He remembered Tae-yi waking up and asking to stay just one week, saying he needed time to think.
Honestly, if Tae-yi had been a complete stranger—a twenty-nine-year-old man instead of a supposed peer—Haram probably wouldn’t have let him stay. They wouldn’t have grown close, and he definitely wouldn’t have followed him all the way to Seoul.
He nodded unconsciously, trying to understand Tae-yi’s reasons. A long silence followed, and then Haram spoke first.
“Did things get resolved with your brother? Is everything okay now?”
Tae-yi was speechless for a moment. How could he be worried about me right now? He racked his brain for the right words, but nothing felt enough to describe Da Haram. Innocent, pure, harmless, gentle—none of those words had ever applied to anyone in Kang Tae-yi’s life.
Tae-yi lifted Haram’s tiny hand, the one that kept fidgeting while waiting for a response. The back of his hand was smooth, untouched by manual labor. Tae-yi pressed his lips to it.
Smooch, smooch. Each kiss sent tingles up Haram’s arm. The fact that Tae-yi avoided the question confirmed it—things with his brother weren’t resolved. It felt too personal to press further, so Haram let it go.
“Then why are you only telling me this now?”
“So I won’t get scolded as much later.”
Tae-yi’s plan was to reveal everything to Da Haram gradually, in digestible pieces—starting with the least shocking fact: his age.
Haram, now smothered in kisses along his cheek, couldn’t even muster the will to glare. Tae-yi really did slither his way around everything like a snake. Was he sure he wasn’t a Snake Beastfolk?
“…No more lies. I’m— I’m gonna keep speaking informally as punishment.”
Haram raised his pinky in demand of a promise. Tae-yi chuckled quietly. There was still so much left he had to hide, and yet—seeing that small hand extended, waiting—he couldn’t help but want to promise.
What else could he do? He’d just have to be a bastard for a little longer.
Tae-yi’s large, rough fingers wrapped around Haram’s pale, slender ones. Haram gripped his hand tightly, satisfied, and looked up at him. Tae-yi, shameless as ever, met his gaze with a smile.
Then, Tae-yi handed over a yellow document envelope to Haram, who was still sipping his now-lukewarm citron tea. Setting down his mug, Haram took the envelope and looked up at him.
“The hospital sent over your test results.”
“Ah…”
Tension instantly stiffened his face. He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the results. Whatever sliver of hope he’d been holding onto vanished the moment he saw the bold letters on the front page.
[Recessive Omega]
Haram stared at the word listed under the ‘Designation’ field. He let out a heavy sigh and set the papers down.
“Are you okay?”
Tae-yi asked gently. Haram nodded, saying he was fine—but he just sat there, blankly staring into space. He wasn’t processing it, not really. It seemed like he’d just decided not to think about it.
