He had to tell him the truth before it was too late. He was going to tell him everything and beg him not to abandon him. Wooyeon, who was very tender-hearted, might pretend not to care and let it slide.

'You're so confident.'

Suhyang dismissed Dohyun's courage with a single remark. Dohyun, who kept his mouth shut, was asked a question that didn't expect an answer.

'Do you think Wooyeon will still like you after knowing everything?'

It was something he had always been unsure of. As if she knew that, Suhyang clicked her tongue lightly.

'I won't stop you if it's a silly love affair, but whatever the outcome, it will be your responsibility.'

He doesn't know why he took that as permission. Maybe it was because her response was milder than he expected, but he was convinced that she wouldn't interfere.

But her next words were cold as ice.

'I'll do anything to protect my child.'

Dohyun calmly waited for the right time. When the circumstances, time, and place were right, he would tell the truth. He was tempted to bury it and pretend he didn't know, but he told himself not to.

'Me too...I want to go for a smoke.'

Without realizing his intentions, Wooyeon followed Dohyun like a chick that had just hatched. He even tried to light a cigarette with him, making Dohyun secretly vow to quit smoking. Of course, it also gave him a great opportunity.

'I'll show you a movie.'

A date using the award as an excuse, a stepping stone to confessing everything. It was a bet made with Wooyeon, who knew that he would move forward without any obstacles once he had a goal. If he could focus on studying while doing so, that would also be more than satisfying.

'I'll buy you popcorn and a soda.'

The innocent Wooyeon quickly fell for the word ''reward''. With something new and delicious on the line, he was going to do well no matter what.

Dohyun had planned to be vague in his criteria and say, “Good job,” regardless of the outcome.

Only two things didn't go as planned. Wooyeon was greatly disappointed by the results of his last test, and he drank so much that he got drunk at the after-party that followed.

'Please take off my pants.'

Even after admitting his feelings, Dohyun never saw Wooyeon in a sexual sense. He'd seen him in his school uniform, and if not for the pheromones, he still smelled like a baby. Even if Wooyeon was naked, Dohyun was sure he'd be able to resist.

'...you're lying in my bed right now.'

His head went white. The flushed cheeks were too lethal to be attributed to mere pheromones. Wooyeon's hazy eyes and pure white thighs cut off all ties to reason.

'Ha... Fuck, I don't know.'

He almost let it happen. He grabbed Wooyeon's cock, stroking it, soothing it, trying to get him to come. As his mind was clouded by the thick pheromones, he felt a strong urge as soon as their eyes met.

'....'

'....'

He wanted to kiss him, to mix their tongues, to inhale his pheromones, to taste his tiny mouth.

Dohyun's last patience was to endure that urge. Wooyeon rubbed his lips against the underside of his jaw, but Dohyun held his breath and only moved his hand. The breath he'd held to the limit burst out the moment Wooyeon ejaculated.

'Yeon-ah.'

Of course, Wooyeon didn't hear the words. Instead, he let out a thin moan as his body sagged.

'Ah...Seonsaeng-nim.....'

The next day, Wooyeon ran away without looking back. He didn't even have time to ask who Danny was for him to be coming to Korea to see Wooyeon, why he was going to stay at Wooyeon's house instead of a hotel, or why he was pretending not to remember what happened last night.

Well, it didn't matter. He called him Seonsaeng-nim once, so the second time would be easier. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use that memory to start the conversation.

Dohyun helped Wooyeon with his group project and used Yoonwoo's words to set up a movie date. Still naive and simple, Wooyeon followed Dohyun's lead like a good kid.

And the big day arrived. Wooyeon fearlessly invited Dohyun home.

'...Would you like some champagne?'

He did something like that while drunk and now he was asking to drink again. It was clear that he didn't realize they were at his house, or that they had spent the day like a date.

'You remember, Wooyeon.'

Honestly, he felt wronged. He had called him 'seonsaeng-nim', and yet he pretended to be oblivious. At the slightest hint of the past, he ran away with his tail between his legs.

'....Sunbae, why are you so perceptive?'

'Practice makes you good at anything.'

He was already so used to being aware of others' feelings. At nursery school, and in his adopted home. Dohyun spent every day in a state of tension that made his hair stand on end.

'Why did you get used to it?'

'Who knows...'

It was a simple inferiority complex that kept him from answering the question. He was embarrassed to tell Wooyeon, who grew up in a wealthy family, the truth.

He could see him frowning, but his poor pride wouldn't allow it.

Luckily, he didn't ask any more questions and moved on to the original topic. Although the answer that came back was not at all what he expected.

'It was an accident.'

The words made his blood run cold. It seemed to him that even if he wasn't the one there, the same thing would have happened that day.

'It would have been the same even if it had been someone else.'

Dohyun gently and quietly pushed Wooyeon further. Even he thought he was being persistent, but his twisted mind didn’t change even after seeing him flustered. Wooyeon opened his mouth silently and then suddenly grabbed the champagne bottle with a solemn expression.

'....!'

It was unexpected. The champagne he had poured quickly disappeared down Wooyeon's throat in an instant. There was no time to open his mouth, or to snatch the drink away.

After a very short pause, Wooyeon's forehead hit the table.

'....Huh.'

Dohyun chuckled and covered his eyes with one hand. He didn't mean for it to be like this, but he couldn't find a single thing to say. He was dumbfounded. A sense of emptiness, and absurdity, even laughter surged in like a tide.

'I can't win, really....'

Whenever he came to my senses, he was always being swayed. His thoughts were simple and his expression was honest, but he couldn't tell where he was going. Just today, all escape routes were blocked, and yet Wooyeon still ran away by drinking alcohol.

Dohyun swallowed his frustration several times then got up from his seat and approached Wooyeon. He had a straight hairline and a little black hair. He groaned and turned his head away.

'You're red.'

His face, always so white, was already red, and it was obvious. Luckily, there wasn't a bump, but the mark looked painful. Dohyun stroked his forehead with his thumb and squatted down in front of him.

'Seon Wooyeon.'

'.....'

'Wooyeon.’

'.....'

'Yeon-ah.'

His long lashes fluttered. His full lips were also twitching as if he was tasting something. Pheromones drifted out, tangling sweetly with each colorful breath.

'...Why do you trust me like this?'

Despite being a dominant Omega, he fell asleep with a defenseless face. He's clearly Suhyang's son, but how can he be so careless. What if Dohyun did something?

But despite those thoughts, Dohyun couldn't help but stare at him. He tilted his head, as if he was trying to memorize his features. His face, fluffy as dough, was exquisite without a single flaw.

Only after a long time did Dohyun reach out to Wooyeon. He leaned his limp body into his arms and scooped him up like a child. He had felt it since the last time he carried him, but if he did it right, he could just pick him up and go.

'Then it won't work.'

Dohyun let out a small laugh and walked. He found the bedroom by feeling, and as soon as he laid Wooyeon down on the bed, his eyelids lifted. He blinked rapidly, his eyes glazed over with drunkenness.

'Are you awake?’

'....'

Wooyeon didn't answer, but pushed himself up. He almost fell, but quickly regained his balance. He lowered his head and muttered softly through his slightly parted lips.

'I need to wash up....'

Then he started taking off his clothes one by one. Wooyeon took off the hoodie he was wearing, unbuckled his pants, and climbed off the bed and staggered toward the bathroom, his clothes falling off him wherever he went.

'What...'

Dohyun couldn't say anything, just watched his back. When he finally took off his underwear, Dohyun turned his head away without realizing it. Wooyeon was so quick (actually, his movements were like a snail's) while drunk that Dohyun didn't even think to stop him.

The reason Dohyun opened the bathroom door was because he heard a loud noise coming from inside. Either he'd fallen or dropped something, and either way, he knew he was going to get hurt.

Luckily, Wooyeon had only missed the shampoo bottle, and was sitting in the bathtub, getting water from the shower. As soon as he saw Dohyun enter the room, his eyes widened.

'...Seonsaeng-nim?'

'Do you recognize me?'

Dohyun let out a bewildered laugh and slowly walked over to Wooyeon. As he turned the cold water to warm, Wooyeon reached out of the tub. He grabbed Dohyun's shirt and asked flatly.

'Where have you been?'

'Nowhere. I was outside and came in.'

'No...'

Steam rose in the air thickly. Dohyun grabbed the showerhead, thinking he'd rather get him clean and before taking him out. Wooyeon obediently gave him his head and mumbled.

'Seonsaeng-nim wasn't here...'

‘Seonsaeng-nim is here.'

The experience of washing his younger siblings as a child came in handy. The kids who couldn't control their own bodies and Wooyeon who was drunk were not that different except for their size. Besides the stiffness in his lower stomach, he was more comfortable being with Wooyeon. 

'Okay, let's go out and sleep now.'

Dohyun, slightly annoyed, put Wooyeon in a bathrobe instead of clothes. Even after tying the belt nicely, it turned out that he was the one who was suffering. Wooyeon clutched at Dohyun's collar unaware of what he looked like.

'Are you leaving now?'

The corners of his eyes drooped. His round eyes were already filled with tears. There was no way anyone could say ''I'm leaving'' to such a Wooyeon.

'Can't you stay?'

Dohyun had no choice but to climb into bed as Wooyeon had asked. He took off his top because he didn't want to get damp, and he offered his right hand since Wooyeon was still disappointed. Only then did he seem satisfied as he held Dohyun's hand, smiling bashfully.

'You like it that much?'

'Yes.'

It was a straightforward answer. Maybe it was the alcohol, but the usual hesitation was gone. Dohyun chuckled and whispered in a low voice.

'What do you like about me?'

'I just like you because you're Seonsaeng-nim.'

Oh, he really had a good drinking habit. He pronounced words correctly and answered just fine.

If Dohyun hadn't seen him drunk before, he would have thought he had sobered up by now.

'Then what's your relationship with Danny?'

He knew it was childish, but he insisted on confirming it with his own mouth. Wooyeon stared blankly into space, his gaze hazy.

'Maybe...friends?'

'...Maybe?'

It was a vague answer. If he's a friend then he's a friend, and if he isn't, then he isn't. What does he mean? Did he have any special relationships in the US? While he was thinking like that, Wooyeon explained.

'We're friends, but it's a bit ambiguous.'

'How is it ambiguous?'

'It's just...'

It was a strange feeling. It was an oddly self-deprecating tone for someone simply talking about a friend.

Soon, a melancholic voice seeped out from his lips.

'We became friends because of my mom.'

Dohyun’s excitement cooled in an instant. The heavily settled pheromones also hardened as if frozen. Unaware of the change, Wooyeon spoke in a sleepy voice.

'I don't really trust him.'

It felt like he got hit in the back of his head. His mind went blank and his vision blurred. The words he'd meant to say to him scattered helplessly in the air.

Sometimes being quick-witted is really useless. It would be nice if he didn't understand what he meant, but Dohyun immediately realized what happened. Who Danny is, how the two became friends, and what Wooyeon's reaction would be if he told the truth.

'I want you to hug me, Seonsaeng-nim.'

Wooyeon said and tugged on Dohyun's arm. His eyes were still unfocused as they slowly closed and opened. Dohyun gently stroked Wooyeon's hair with the hand he wasn't holding.

'Hugging can mean a lot of things.'

Instead of answering, Wooyeon just stared blankly at Dohyun. The way his head tilted up and his eyes closed, he looked like he was about to be kissed. As Dohyun brought his face closer, their lips touched like feathers.

'....'

'....'

They parted and reengaged in the blink of an eye. It was because of a single request that came out of Wooyeon's mouth.

'Just one more time...'

Dohyun pursed his lips as if he was possessed by something. He bit his lower lip, parted his teeth, and pushed his tongue into the gap. Even his saliva tasted sweet in the hot, narrow mouth.

'Mmm...'

Wooyeon made a pleased sound, but Dohyun knew he wouldn't remember it tomorrow. He wouldn't remember the messy mix of pheromones, the ragged breathing, or anything.

'...Yeon-ah.'

Still he wondered if he might remember it like last time. Dohyun opened his lips with such hope. He gently grabbed his chin and pleaded with a desperate voice.

'Call me Seonsaeng-nim tomorrow too.'

'....'

'Don't pretend you don't know me.'

If there was even the slightest chance, he would close his eyes and talk to him. The future seemed set in stone, but he didn't want to give up yet. Knowing how cowardly it was, he hoped for just one more chance.

'...I can't.'

But things didn't work out that way. The resolute voice completely cut off all hope.

'I won't say it.'

With those words, Wooyeon fell into a deep sleep. Dohyun clutched his right hand and let out a ragged breath.

Of course, Wooyeon really didn't remember anything. Dohyun stayed awake all night as he watched Wooyeon while panicking and realized several things. Like the fact that Wooyeon would never bring up the past, and that he would never be able to tell him what happened with Suhyang.

He didn’t know why Wooyeon pretended not to know him. He must have his reasons for not revealing it, but if he doesn't say it, Dohyun won't know anything.

In the end, Dohyun lost the courage to tell him everything.