“Wh-What?! D-Dating?!”
“You’re the only one who doesn’t see it. Just you.”
“N-No! We’re not actually dating yet…!”
“Do you really think it only counts if you make it official with some cheesy ‘Today’s Day One!’ line? Some relationships just become something more on their own, you know.”
Lee Tae-rim fell silent. These people… when it came to brutal honesty, they were scarily good at it. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, a memory surfaced—his past self, rolling his eyes at people saying cringy things like ‘Today’s our Day One!’ and vowing, ‘Ugh, I’d never be that kind of person.’ Of all times, why remember that now?
It made Tae-rim even more miserable. Not even his past self was on his side.
He had been thinking he needed to take responsibility, sure. But taking responsibility and dating someone weren’t the same thing. Tae-rim reflected on his laughable dating history. Dammit, he really didn’t know. He genuinely couldn’t tell if he and Seon Juho were dating or not.
“I’m not one to meddle in other people’s love lives, but Tae-rim, you’re incredibly dense. I feel bad for Esper Seon Juho.”
“You think I’m dense?”
“Uh, yeah. You seriously didn’t realize?”
“…….”
“Start by looking at yourself and admitting things, one by one. You are dating Esper Seon Juho. It’s just early days, and the only reason it’s not more obvious is because you’re so slow on the uptake.”
“If you’d kept up with his pace, you’d already be totally—”
“Aaaahhh!”
Tae-rim clapped his hands over his ears, and the trio of truth-tellers broke out into laughter. When he protested with a desperate, “There’s no way Juho would do that!”, they only chuckled harder and told him he was still in denial.
“But honestly, I get it. You basically rescued Esper Seon Juho and raised him. That’s gonna mess with your perspective.”
“Exactly. He probably still feels like your sweet little baby. But you need to realize something, Tae-rim. Puppies grow up fast. Three months is all it takes, and they’re suddenly huge.”
“Esper Seon Juho’s way past three months now, isn’t he?”
“Long past.”
“He’s at full-grown stage now.”
“Yup. He’s officially an adult.”
The three of them took turns pelting Tae-rim with hard truths like some kind of rotating fact cannon. No more stalling, they said—it was time for him to get it together.
Tae-rim sat in a daze, eating cake as his mind spiraled. Stay calm… stay rational…
Okay, fine. If he was being honest, he knew. He knew it was seriously messed up to keep saying “We’re not anything” when they’d been kissing like that every night. He knew it was selfish and cowardly to pretend otherwise.
He’d babied Juho for so long that now, when it seemed like they might actually be something real, he had no idea how to handle it. He couldn’t suddenly start treating him like an adult—trying to would only make things more awkward.
And the worst part? Even now, even after everything that happened last night, Seon Juho still looked like an adorable little mutt in Tae-rim’s eyes. He sighed heavily. Sure, there were moments when Juho seemed manly—but… ugh, it was all too confusing.
“Tae-rim’s completely zoned out.”
“His brain’s probably a mess. That’s totally normal.”
“This cake is amazing.”
“Right? I got it from a famous place—it’s a special day, after all.”
“It is a special day. Definitely something to celebrate.”
Their voices grew distant, like he was drifting farther and farther away. Tae-rim felt like he’d been cast adrift in the vast emptiness of space.
After what felt like hours of mental anguish, he finally made a decision. That evening, after dinner, he called Seon Juho over and had him sit down. Juho’s face was still glowing, still radiant. He probably hadn’t even released all his built-up energy yet. What happens when he finally does? Tae-rim wondered. And what happens to me? A chill crept up his spine.
“Juho, hyung’s been doing a lot of thinking.”
“Yeah?”
“About us…”
Tae-rim trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. His mouth clamped shut. Juho, bright-eyed, waited patiently. Tae-rim swallowed hard.
“Are we… d-dating?”
It came out like a question. Somehow, he couldn’t make it sound definitive. Juho tilted his head in thought, then broke into a wide smile.
“I don’t know, hyung.”
Tae-rim’s brain collapsed like a sandcastle under a wave. Meanwhile, Juho, utterly unaware of the emotional landmine he’d just stepped on, kept smiling without a care in the world.
“I only care about you, hyung. So whatever we are, it doesn’t matter to me.”
Tae-rim had expected him to be overjoyed at the idea of officially dating. And maybe he was happy. But it still felt like the emotional buildup just fizzled out with a sad little hiss.
“Hyung, you’re going to marry me, right?”
“Wh-What?”
“You’ve gotta take responsibility.”
“R-Right…?”
“So that’s why we should get married.”
“Uh…”
“Since we’re going to be married anyway, I don’t think we need to worry about putting a label on it.”
“…….”
So that’s what taking responsibility means—thinking all the way to marriage.
Tae-rim blinked slowly, staring blankly at Seon Juho, who was already miles ahead of him. He nodded absently. I see…
“But, if you want us to be officially dating, hyung, I’m fine with that too.”
“Huh?”
“I’d like that, actually.”
Then—chu—Juho pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
Tae-rim, who’d been staring in a daze, finally broke into a small smile. So that’s it. He really does want to date.
Faced with Seon Juho’s sly but sweet reply, Tae-rim had no choice but to let himself get swept along.
“Alright, then. Let’s date, Juho.”
He barely got the words out before Juho flung himself at him and wrapped him in a tight hug. The force of it knocked Tae-rim back onto the couch.
“Hyung! Let’s order the rings right now! I want everyone to know you’re mine!”
Good thing I said it when I did, Tae-rim thought, holding the ecstatic puppy in his arms and trying to calm him down with slow, soothing pats.
“Okay. Let’s do that.”
“Hyuuuung. I’m so happy. So happy. I love you. I really, really love you.”
Juho kissed him again as he hovered over him. Tae-rim closed his eyes, giving in to the warmth seeping into him from Juho’s body. His mouth and nose filled with the sweet scent of Juho’s pheromones, invading his senses completely.
God, Juho’s pheromones were almost too much—they were that good.
Tae-rim, drunk on the rising heat, wrapped his arms around Juho’s neck.
Encouraged, Juho shifted his weight and pressed in deeper, bodies aligned more intimately. Just the sound of Tae-rim’s breath—hot and uneven—made Juho burn up inside.
He let out a low groan and kissed him even deeper, greedily. Tae-rim’s mouth was soft, sweet—utterly addictive.
Honestly, Juho hadn’t expected Tae-rim to ever say they were dating. That’s why he’d been trying to ease them into it without saying it outright. But whatever those three had said earlier today…
Juho was grateful.
So grateful he swore he’d repay them somehow.
“Hyung… Hyuuung…”
Kissing Tae-rim like this, pressing their bodies together—it was too good to be true. Last night had been amazing, too. The way Tae-rim squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment had nearly pushed Juho over the edge.
He wanted to bite that flushed, burning face.
Tae-rim had chewed on his lip, eyes tightly shut—obvious signs that he was aware of Juho as a man.
And when Juho’s pheromones thickened, Tae-rim’s responded with an even sweeter scent. Juho had genuinely wanted to devour him.
He settled for sinking his teeth into Tae-rim’s neck instead. The back of his neck had probably been left a complete mess—but Tae-rim hadn’t noticed yet.
Even then, Juho had been careful not to leave any marks in visible spots.
He still remembered the tantrum Tae-rim threw the last time he came back from a mission with hickeys all over his neck. Yeah… even Juho had to admit those were a bit much to show in public.
So for now, he had to worry about getting caught and scolded—but not for long.
Once Tae-rim gave him full permission, Juho planned to make sure those marks never faded.
Every day, he’d indulge. Again and again, he’d leave his scent on him, until there was no place it hadn’t touched.
“Mmm…”
One of the things that drove Juho wild was the way Tae-rim, when aroused, instinctively wrapped his legs around Juho’s waist and pulled him closer.
How could someone so shy be so naturally bold in moments like that?
Just pulling him in—right where their body heat burned the most.
Because of that, Juho had honestly assumed Tae-rim was experienced.
He even tried to tell himself it made sense, since Tae-rim remembered his past life. But still, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.
Then Tae-rim admitted the most he’d ever done was hug.
And his pheromones didn’t waver—proof that he’d been telling the truth.
Now, Juho couldn’t stand the idea of just rubbing his scent onto Tae-rim’s clothes anymore.
He wanted Tae-rim’s whole body to reek of him. The thought alone made his stomach twist with hunger.
He kissed him deeper, pouring in every ounce of his desire—hoping Tae-rim would feel just how badly he wanted him.
***
Tae-rim didn’t even have time to be traumatized.
Before dawn, Juho was already scouring websites. By morning, he was eagerly showing Tae-rim a lineup of rings. Overwhelmed by Juho’s excited pleading, Tae-rim eventually pointed to one.
That same afternoon, the ring arrived at their on-site dorm.
From that night on, Tae-rim had to wear it.
Juho had made it very clear—if Tae-rim took it off, he’d sulk. Hard.
There was no way Tae-rim could bring himself to take it off.
What made it even harder was that Juho, being surprisingly thoughtful, had chosen a ring with a simple design instead of something flashy.
For someone who’d probably never worn a ring in his life, he must’ve done a ton of research to find the perfect one.
Which made it even more impossible for Tae-rim to say he wanted to take it off.
Truthfully, Tae-rim had never liked accessories. Even in his past life, he’d never pierced his ears.
So a ring—no matter how plain—was going to take some getting used to.
