FRWD Ch 7

A rare opportunity to be evaluated by a professional composer. I’ll do my best.”

“Don’t work too hard because I’m jealous.”

“…Okay.”

“You really won’t work hard?”

“…No.”

“Right. You should work hard. But let me hear it first, not Jinho.”

That’s a bit much. While he was okay with receiving harsh criticism from Kim Jinho, if Yehan, after listening to his composition, twitched even an eyebrow in disapproval right in front of him, Haseong felt like he would suffer severe mental damage. Haseong avoided his gaze, not giving a definite answer.

Yehan seemed to be reading the chords displayed on the screen before abruptly standing up. Haseong’s eyes widened as he belatedly realized that Yehan was wearing clothes other than his usual loungewear.

“Oh, are you going out today?”

“If I get up from the sofa, does that mean I’m going out?”

“…….”

He was honestly speechless when the person who had been living like a tree rooted to the sofa for the past four days asked such a question.

“That’s right. Mr. Haseong, you’re surprisingly sharp.”

Ruffling Haseong’s hair more roughly than usual, Yehan said, waving his phone, “The director I worked with on that drama keeps pestering me to see him, so I’m going to just make a brief appearance. Is there anything you want for dinner?”

“That porridge we had before… if that’s alright with you.”

It was beef porridge from a franchise, but perhaps because he ate it when he was sick, he kept thinking about it. Since Yehan was going out anyway, Haseong hesitantly made the request. It came in neatly divided portions, so it seemed convenient to set aside Yehan’s share as well.

“Porridge? Alright.”

“Thank you. Be careful.”

Haseong went out to the entrance to see Yehan off. He felt it would be impolite not to see his housemate off when he was going out, especially since he was living under Yehan’s roof. As he offered a trivial farewell, Yehan stopped putting on his shoes and stared blankly ahead.

“…Not bad, actually.”

Muttering these cryptic words with his usual smile gone, Yehan quickly returned to his normal expression.

“I’ll be back.”

Realizing that Yehan’s lips had lightly brushed his forehead, Haseong gasped and caught his breath at the same time as Yehan opened the front door and disappeared. Haseong rubbed his feverish forehead, then washed his face with cold water before returning to the sofa.

Work. Focus on work. Forget all distracting thoughts. After slapping his damp cheeks, he concentrated on making the beat. I should have brought my master keyboard. Clicking the mouse one by one was such a pain that he quickly forgot his distracting thoughts.

How much time had passed? The sound of the front door’s electronic lock disengaging rang out. It didn’t seem like that much time had passed, but he must have really just made a quick visit. Since the only person who would come and go from this house was Yehan, Haseong naturally assumed it was him and greeted him.

“You’re back?”

“…Who?”

It was an unfamiliar voice. Equally startled, Haseong, who had been craning his neck as if he were being sucked into his laptop, flinched and quickly raised his head, turning toward the entrance. There stood a haggard-looking man holding a shopping bag from a franchise porridge restaurant.

💜

“I thought he was sick or something since he asked me to buy porridge…. Well, he does look sick…. Still, if you’re letting someone into the house, you should explain it properly, no! Why would I be angry…. It’s not annoying, uh, yeah, okay….”

The man’s voice gradually trailed off, and his expression soured accordingly. Muttering to himself, he finally threw his phone onto the sofa after shouting, “Fuck, he hung up? When did he hang up?”

Repeating “Our company’s cash cow, our company’s cash cow,” as if trying to brainwash himself, the man extended his right hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Park Sehyung, Go Yehan’s manager.”

“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Yoon Haseong.”

“Sigh….”

Sehyung, the man who introduced himself as the manager, sighed deeply, as if he were about to collapse the earth.

The situation was already awkward because it was their first meeting, and with Sehyung’s blatant attitude in front of him, Haseong felt self-conscious. He quickly withdrew his hand after the handshake and closed his laptop.

He didn’t know how long the man would stay, but he couldn’t kick out Yehan’s manager just because he felt uncomfortable. In his current situation, if he were told to leave because he needed to work, he would have to comply without complaint. In fact, the man in front of him looked like he was about to say those words at any moment.

Before that happened, Haseong got up to move to the study.

“Yehan hyung said he’d be back soon, so make yourself comfortable.”

“…So you’re Mr. Haseong.”

“Yes? Yes….”

Haseong, who had stood up with his mug and laptop, awkwardly confirmed his name after being suddenly called. It was a bit surprising and unexpected that Yehan had even told his manager about him.

He had seen Yehan talking on the phone with his manager several times over the past few days, but they usually just discussed schedules, so he hadn’t heard them having any personal conversations.

“Did I eat something wrong? Why did he bring him all the way home and cause this mess….”

Muttering to himself as he fiddled with his glasses with an annoyed air, Sehyung paused.

“…Excuse me, Mr. Haseong, how old are you?”

“Twenty-two.”

“…Oh dear.”

Sehyung pressed his temples with two fingers, then squeezed his eyes shut. Wondering if there was a problem with his age, Haseong stared at Sehyung, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Fortunately, Sehyung, who looked like he was about to collapse, slowly regained his composure, though his face was still pale.

“Let’s eat first. Come and sit here.”

Contrary to his expectations, instead of kicking him out, Sehyung invited him to eat. Haseong hesitantly approached and sat back down on the sofa. Meanwhile, Sehyung arranged the porridge containers on the coffee table.

Was it an unspoken rule of this house that everything was done at the coffee table in the living room instead of the dining table? He suppressed his urge to ask, as both the homeowner and his manager acted as if it were natural. Haseong sat diagonally across from Sehyung and just nodded.

“Ah, did you buy the porridge because of me…?”

“It just happened that way. I didn’t know.”

Sehyung replied coldly. Embarrassed, Haseong just split his wooden chopsticks as Sehyung gestured toward the porridge bowl.

“Here. He told me to see if you ate well, so eat in front of me, even if it’s a little burdensome.”

“…Yehan hyung did?”

“Yes, Go Yehan did. He said he’d be a little late, so eat heartily.”

He’s going to be late. So he asked his manager to buy porridge instead… Is that okay? It didn’t look like Sehyung had come early to wait for a scheduled appointment. He seemed to have come solely for the porridge errand.

Is that why he’s glaring at me like that? Haseong desperately averted his gaze, picking at the loose grains of rice. The icy glare still pierced through his glasses, poking at the top of Haseong’s head.

“Sigh…. The guy who seduced a kid eight years younger than him, and the kid who’s going after someone so much older….”

“Huh?”

What’s he talking about all of a sudden? Surprised by the unexpected mutterings, Haseong looked at Sehyung. Sehyung clicked his tongue disapprovingly and scanned Haseong’s face, which still had some bruising, with a nasty look.

“Why does your face look like that? Surely Go Yehan didn’t hit you…. Did you get into a fight at a gay club?”

“…Huh?”

“But he’s not the type to go to clubs…. How did you two meet? The age difference, sigh.”

He did get into a fight at a club, but not a gay club. He had never been to such a place. He wasn’t even gay, so why would he go?

And even if he were gay, it was incredibly rude for someone he had just met and only exchanged a few words with to assume he was gay. It wasn’t like he had “I’m gay” written on his face. Why would he suddenly ask if he had fought at a gay club…?

Unhappy, Haseong put down his spoon and hardened his expression.

“Look, I think you’re misunderstanding something….”

“Misunderstanding what? Aren’t you Go Yehan’s fuck buddy?”

Sehyung abruptly asked before Haseong could finish speaking. Haseong’s thoughts momentarily froze at the shocking word he heard.

Fuck buddy? Who, me? Hyung’s? Why?

The kiss happened unexpectedly, as naturally as flowing water…. He swore they hadn’t had sex. He didn’t intend to, either. But why did this person so naturally misunderstand him as a fuck buddy? Did he look like… like he did that kind of thing?

…He did.

Haseong recalled the countless misunderstandings he had faced and awkwardly smacked his lips. Whenever he started a conversation with someone he’d just met, he’d be told he was much quieter than he looked, so Haseong knew his impression wasn’t that great.

In reality, he had never had such inappropriate relationships or promiscuous relationships with women, but there were quite a few people who made strange jokes or smirked lewdly at him based on their first impression. This man in front of him, Sehyung, must be one of those types.

Naturally, Haseong didn’t like this kind of misunderstanding, nor the people who made them. Glaring hard at Sehyung through his clear glasses, Haseong jumped up and started to explain.

“Sex, absolutely not! I’m not gay either. My face is like this because I had a fight with a hyung I knew….”

“Then why are you at his house?”

“There are some circumstances.”

There was no need to tell a complete stranger that he was staying at Yehan’s place for a while because he was afraid the hyung he fought with would come to his house and cause a scene. Haseong vaguely answered that there were circumstances.

“…Really not a fuck buddy?”

Haseong nodded vigorously. Fuck buddy? What fuck buddy? He had his first girlfriend at 21, and after being dumped, he had been single ever since. It was frustrating to be misunderstood like this. Sehyung’s sharp gaze softened at Haseong’s sincere explanation.

Coughing awkwardly a few times, as if embarrassed, Sehyung rubbed the back of his neck and gave an exaggerated laugh.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I misunderstood. I just assumed that since you’re staying at his house, you must be… you know.”

“…….”

“Eat up. It’d be even better if you could keep it a secret that I misunderstood.”

Sehyung slid the kimchi radish toward him and rubbed his palms together. The person he was asking to keep the secret must be Yehan. He hadn’t planned to tell him anyway, even if he hadn’t asked. What would he say?

Hyung’s manager mistook me for hyung’s fuck buddy.

He wasn’t a third-grader who tattled to his teacher at every opportunity. It would only be awkward for both of them if he said anything. But the fact that Yehan’s manager mistook him for a fuck buddy just because he was staying at Yehan’s house….

Struck by a sudden thought, Haseong dropped his spoon and muttered dejectedly, “…I guess Yehan hyung often brings… those kinds of people home.”

“No, that’s not it. He’s going into rut soon. So I thought he was planning to take care of it at home this time.”

He didn’t need to ask what Yehan was going to “take care of” at home. Even if he was ignorant about secondary genders, he knew that during rut or heat, sexual desire surged to the point of being physically painful and uncontrollable.

So he doesn’t bring them home often, but he does during rut…. He wouldn’t have much choice since he couldn’t take suppressants due to his allergies. Someone to warm his bed was someone he could easily find if he wanted to.

So it wasn’t something he should be concerned about, but strangely, his appetite had completely vanished. As Haseong closed the lid of the porridge he had barely touched, Sehyung continued, “In other words, he doesn’t have any close younger friends he’d bring home other than for that purpose.”

He has ridiculously picky tastes, you know. Hyeongseok is a saint. I don’t know how he manages to cater to that temperament, even if they’re blood-related and he’s desperate for money. Sehyung chattered on, gossiping about Yehan.

Haseong had never felt that Yehan was ridiculously picky, and to his eyes, Yehan and Hyeongseok’s relationship seemed like that of ordinary bickering brothers, so he listened with a disapproving look.

He found himself interjecting with “I don’t think that’s true” every now and then. He felt a little offended because Sehyung was speaking too ill of Yehan. However, each time, Sehyung passionately continued his tirade, ignoring Haseong’s timid rebuttals.

After venting his feelings, Sehyung took off his glasses and cleaned them, then asked, “But you know he’s going into rut soon, right? And you’re still staying here?”

“I heard he was going into rut soon.”

“…You’re not an Omega, are you?”

“No, I’m a Beta.”

“…….”

The obsessive wiping of the cloth, as if to polish the lenses to a sparkling shine, stopped abruptly. Sehyung rolled his eyes around in shock, then covered his face with his hands.

“Oh, dear….”

Sighs escaped his lips. Haseong just watched Sehyung with a puzzled expression.

He hadn’t said he was an Omega, but a Beta who couldn’t sense pheromones at all. Why this reaction? If he were an Omega, he should be worried about being caught up in Yehan’s upcoming rut, but as a Beta, there was no chance of that ever happening.

Wondering if he had misheard Haseong’s answer, Haseong added, “I’m a Beta, so there’s nothing to worry about….”

“Do you know much about Alpha ruts?”

Sehyung, who had been burying his face in his hands, suddenly jerked it up and asked with a frightening intensity. Haseong was so overwhelmed by the forcefulness that he almost blurted out, “I know, it’s their mating season….” He barely stopped himself. The way Yehan had bluntly referred to his rut as “mating season” was a particularly strong memory.

He clamped his mouth shut, afraid he might unconsciously utter the obscene word, and Sehyung, interpreting his reaction in his own way, continued, “It’s true that an Omega is needed to get through a rut smoothly, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be with an Omega.”

“I, I see.”

Although he vaguely used the expression “do it,” what “it” was was clearly visualized, causing Haseong’s ears to flush. Why was he having this conversation with someone he had just met…?

“Why do you think they call it mating season? The point is, all they need to do during that period is relieve their sexual desire.”

“…Aha.”

That damn mating season. Both the actor and the manager were equally blunt in their choice of words. Haseong covered his heated face, only his ears perked up.

“On top of that, he has a shitty constitution, so he can’t even take suppressants….”

“I heard that too.”

Suddenly, Sehyung yelled, “Knowing that, you’re still here?”

“Yes? What does that have to do with me…?”

“I was really trying not to interfere, but, ugh, argh!”

He scratched his head furiously, writhing in agony like a mad scientist whose experiment had failed.

Rude one moment, then acting nonchalant, then gossiping, then suddenly giving a lecture on mating season using embarrassing words, and now yelling and having a fit. Anyone could see that there was something wrong with this person’s rapid mood swings.

Let’s run away. Frightened, Haseong got up and slowly backed away toward the study.

But before he could get far, his wrist was grabbed. Frozen stiff, Haseong looked down at Sehyung. He was ready to hit him over the head with his laptop if necessary. At the end of the suffocating silence, Sehyung’s lips, rolling his bulging eyes, slowly parted.

“…Don’t run,”

Just then, the front door swung open without warning, and a cheerful voice echoed through the entrance.

“I’m home. Is Sehyung here too?”

The moment Yehan’s unusually cheerful voice rang out, Sehyung’s entire body seemed to lose its strength. His previously tense expression was replaced by a pale, frightened one, like a character in a horror movie who had gone somewhere they were told not to go and encountered a murderer.

“Welcome back.”

Regardless, Haseong took advantage of Sehyung’s weakened grip, shook off his hand, and quickly ran to the entrance. Thirty percent of his motivation was from genuine welcome, and seventy percent was the desire to get away from that crazy person as fast as possible.

“Yes. Things took longer than expected, so I sent it with my manager. I couldn’t tell you beforehand. Did you enjoy the meal?”

As Haseong greeted him at the entrance, Yehan smiled brightly and stroked his hair. A sweet wine scent drifted gently from Yehan’s outstretched hand, tickling his nose.

He must have had a drink. That’s why he seemed to be in a good mood. They had eaten together many times, but he had only ever seen himself drink; he had never seen Yehan take a sip of alcohol, so it was strangely fascinating.

“Yes, well…”

Haseong obediently offered his head and nodded. The first “yes” was in response to the question of whether he had eaten, and the “well” was in response to whether the meal had been good.

He hadn’t been at all comfortable while he was with Sehyung, but he couldn’t very well say, “Your manager seems a little off,” so he just trailed off.

“Hmm? It wasn’t good?”

Yehan, perceptively picking up on Haseong’s subtle expression, playfully raised the end of his right eyebrow and glanced at Sehyung. At that, Sehyung’s expression, which had been imitating a horror movie poster, changed abruptly. He stretched his lips into a wide smile and spoke in a syrupy voice.

“Why, why are you asking that? Of course, it was good.”

“Haseong is a bit shy. You’re a bit of a blabbermouth.”

“…….”

With that one sentence, Sehyung returned to being the horror movie protagonist. As Yehan, having washed his hands, walked toward the living room sofa, Sehyung quickly rose from his seat. Yehan, taking the seat Sehyung had just been occupying, patted the spot next to him. It was a silent invitation to sit.

Haseong, watching Sehyung standing awkwardly, hesitantly sat down on the sofa. As soon as he sat down, Yehan leaned against him, almost shifting his entire weight. Taking out his phone, Yehan swiped through the accumulated notifications without reading them and muttered indifferently, “Glad nothing happened. You can go now.”

“Am I just a porridge delivery boy…?”

“What else do you need?”

Having cleared all his notifications, Yehan tossed his phone aside. Sehyung fiddled with his glasses and timidly expressed his dissatisfaction.

“No, Yehan…. You’re going into rut soon. You should at least tell me how you plan to spend it so I can adjust your schedule and prepare.”

“Since when did my manager care about such things? I’ll take care of it myself. Whether I take sleeping pills and sleep through it or find a rut partner.”

“So about that partner….”

Sehyung trailed off, glancing at Haseong, who was sitting right next to Yehan. He wasn’t sure if Sehyung was making another strange assumption or if it was just a topic they shouldn’t be discussing in front of a third party. Whatever the reason, he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

And what were sleeping pills, and a rut partner…?

“I’ll go to my room, so you two can talk freely.”

Feeling that he shouldn’t be there, and that staying any longer would only make things more awkward, Haseong started to get up.

“Haseong, I’m so tired.”

Yehan suddenly wrapped his arms around Haseong’s waist and started nuzzling his forehead against Haseong’s shoulder. His lips pressed and rubbed against Haseong’s shoulder, the muffled sounds tickling his neck. He happened to be wearing a loose-fitting, short-sleeved t-shirt, so the exposed skin flinched at Yehan’s breath.

Haseong, stiff as a board, looked up at Sehyung. To be seen like this in front of the very person who had bluntly suspected him of being a sex partner… This was going to make his vehement denial from earlier completely meaningless.

However, contrary to his expectation that Sehyung would be looking at him with an “I knew it” expression, Sehyung’s face didn’t look so good. With movements like a rusty tin robot, Sehyung fiddled with his glasses, his gaze colliding with Haseong’s in mid-air.

Suddenly, Sehyung’s lips moved. They rounded, then stretched horizontally, and finally opened wide to form a sentence. Haseong unintentionally read Sehyung’s lip movements as he watched the riddle unfold before him.

‘To, day?’

He could somehow make out the first two syllables, but he couldn’t understand what came after. As Haseong furrowed his brow, Sehyung moved his lips again, gesturing toward the entrance.

“Aren’t you going?”

Yehan, who had lifted his head at some point, resting his chin on Haseong’s shoulder and watching the mysterious pantomime along with him, suddenly spoke. Sehyung’s lips instantly turned pale.

“…I’m going.”

He replied like a servant, quickly gathering his things and scurrying toward the entrance. Yehan just waved languidly at Sehyung’s back without saying a word.

“Goodbye.”

Thinking he should at least say goodbye, no matter how strange the person was, Haseong called out loudly. He couldn’t get up to see him off because Yehan’s arms were wrapped around his waist like a vine.

Bang.

The only response was the dull thud of the door closing. From his entrance to his exit, there wasn’t a single thing about that man that wasn’t suspicious. As he stared at the entrance where only the light flickered, Yehan shifted slightly.

“Let me borrow your lap. I want to lie down for a bit before I wash up.”

He’s doing this now that no one’s watching? With his increasingly bold request, he casually laid down, resting his head on Haseong’s thigh. There was a perfectly good cushion right behind him, why…? His thighs were hard; Yehan’s neck would probably get stiff. Haseong reached out to place a low cushion under Yehan’s neck but stopped.

Yehan’s breathing was slightly rougher than usual. The area of his neck touching Haseong’s leg was hot. Come to think of it, when Yehan had briefly hugged him earlier, his body had felt warm. His forehead too, when he was nuzzling against him. He didn’t seem drunk enough for it to be just the alcohol.

“Just a moment.”

Haseong asked for permission and touched Yehan’s smooth forehead. Sure enough, a warm heat immediately transferred to his palm. Startled, he pulled his hand back and said, “Hyung, I think you have a fever.”

“I have a slight fever because I’m about to go into rut. It’s okay.”

Ah. He remembered that Woochan also experienced mild flu-like symptoms before his rut if he didn’t take suppressants in advance. He also remembered Woochan meticulously taking his suppressants, saying it was incredibly uncomfortable otherwise.

But Yehan couldn’t take suppressants because of his constitution. What should he do? While he was wondering if he should give him some cold medicine, their previous conversation flashed through his mind. Carefully brushing aside a few strands of hair from Yehan’s beautiful forehead, Haseong asked, “…Do you take sleeping pills instead of suppressants during your rut?”

“Yes. When my rut hits, I have to be in a daze for about a week to be able to bear it.”

“For a whole week? That doesn’t sound good for your health.”

For someone without sleep disorders to forcibly take sleeping pills and sleep for several days… even without being a doctor, one could tell that it would be incredibly unhealthy.

“What else can I do? That’s how I have to manage when I don’t have a partner.”

Yehan muttered calmly, as if it were a familiar routine. Was it because he felt uneasy about that, or because of the conditional phrase “when I don’t have a partner”? Haseong awkwardly shifted his upper body and looked around.

He didn’t want to see Yehan overdosing on sleeping pills and sleeping like a dead person throughout his rut, nor did he want to see him find a partner and have sex for days until the rut ended. Of course, Yehan wouldn’t openly show himself having sex, but Haseong didn’t want to even sense any hint of it.

It was obvious that finding a partner and having sex was much healthier than taking sleeping pills. So, if he truly cared about Yehan, the right thing to do would be to tell him to find a partner now. It was the right thing to do, but….

The thought that he should leave this house before Yehan’s rut started suddenly crossed his mind. He had imposed on Yehan for long enough, and it would be better for Yehan to spend his rut comfortably if he wasn’t around. Whether Yehan forced himself to sleep or brought someone over.

“It will be inconvenient for you if I’m still here during your rut, so I should just…”

“It won’t be inconvenient at all.”

Yehan cut him off firmly. But even if it wasn’t inconvenient for Yehan, it was inconvenient for him.

“It’ll be uncomfortable for you if I’m walking around the house while you’re trying to sleep, and if you find a partner, they’ll have to come over…. Wouldn’t that be awkward for both me and your partner?”

Haseong rambled throughout his explanation. He was masking the unpleasant images, which made him lose his appetite just thinking about them, with the simple expression “awkward.”

After his lengthy excuse, Yehan, who had been listening quietly, suddenly sat up. He grinned and gently pinched Haseong’s cheeks.

“Haseong, you don’t like me spending my rut with a partner.”

Haseong’s heart dropped. He literally jumped.

“What? No, it’s not my place to like or dislike such a thing…!”

“Then maybe I should get a partner this time instead of taking sleeping pills, like you said. It’s much more comfortable for me, and I feel refreshed after the rut is over.”

“…….”

He should have said that Yehan should choose the better option for his health, but his lips only twitched, showing no sign of opening. As if glued shut, even when he managed to part his lips, they closed again, disobeying his will.

Yehan watched the scene with amusement and chuckled.

“Alright, I won’t find one.”

“…I didn’t say anything.”

“You answered with your expression, just now.”

As soon as the incomprehensible words ended, their lips met. Yehan’s slightly feverish lips were hotter than before. Kissing Haseong’s lower lip repeatedly like a stamp, Yehan pulled back slightly and playfully narrowed his eyes.

“It’s a shame you can’t see yourself, Haseong. The expression you’re making right now.”

A mischievous smile bloomed like a crescent moon with sharp tips.

💜

A morning like any other dawned. Haseong ate a simple breakfast and went out for a run in the park. Perhaps it had rained in the early morning, as a fresh scent rose from the damp ground.

Many people were walking their dogs in the neatly landscaped park. He exchanged a nod with a white dog and its owner, whom he had encountered for three days in a row, and then started running again. He had been feeling strangely anxious since yesterday and wanted to distract himself with exercise.

Haseong ran two extra laps around the park and returned to Yehan’s house. He felt a sense of unease after showering and drinking some water.

The person who usually woke up around this time and shuffled out was unusually quiet today. It was time for him to emerge, mumbling strange words in a sleepy, languid voice, and head to the bathroom.

“Hyung?”

Although lazy, Yehan had a fairly regular lifestyle. Haseong paced in front of Yehan’s room, calling out to him.

“Are you sleeping?”

He lightly knocked on the door, but there was no response. Had he already taken sleeping pills and fallen asleep? If so, wouldn’t it be better to leave him be? Several thoughts raced through his mind.

But the slight fever he had felt yesterday kept lingering in his mind. What if his fever had worsened since yesterday, and he was suffering, unable to even take medicine properly?

“…Excuse me.”

After hesitating, Haseong slowly turned the doorknob. As soon as he opened the door, he was met with ragged breathing. Anyone could tell it was the labored breathing of someone in pain. Haseong rushed to the bedside.

“Hyung!”

“…Ah, Haseong.”

“Why is your fever so… should I call an ambulance?”

Haseong touched Yehan’s forehead, startled by the heat, and quickly reached for his back pocket. Even if it was a symptom of rut, a fever this high was a problem. He was even more worried because he had only ever seen Woochan experience mild discomfort.

Yehan stopped Haseong as he frantically dialed 119.

“It’s because of my rut. I’m okay…”

“But your fever is too…”

“I’m okay, so come here and hold me. I have terrible chills.”

Struggling to sit up, Yehan opened his arms. The sight of his strong arms and shoulders trembling was incredibly pitiful. Haseong took off his slippers, climbed onto the bed, and embraced Yehan’s sweat-soaked body tightly.

Yehan let out a relaxed sigh as Haseong’s relatively cool skin came into contact with his burning body.

“Ahh… this feels better…. Did you shower?”

He nuzzled his nose against Haseong’s neck and sniffed. Haseong felt a sense of satisfaction that he had showered with cold water and was about to nod when… he saw it.

As they embraced and nuzzled, one side of the pulled-down blanket was abnormally raised. He didn’t even need to wonder what it was. The location was too obvious and explicit. It was precisely between Yehan’s legs.

But how could it be so… prominent even with underwear, pants, and a blanket covering it…? Haseong glanced at it in shock and pulled back.

“Um, hyung…”

“Sorry. It must be unpleasant, but please bear with me for a little longer.”

Yehan seemed aware of his own physical state. He couldn’t not be, in that condition.

As Haseong’s body, which had been tightly pressed against him, moved away, Yehan’s body, which had seemed to be calming down from the chills, started trembling again. Haseong had no choice but to embrace him tightly again and gently pat Yehan’s back.

Even though the situation had become a bit awkward because of that, Yehan was sick. Seeing such a well-built man feverish and gasping for breath made him feel bad.

“Is there anything I can do for you…?”

He knew that all he could do was buy him cold medicine or warm up some porridge. He knew, but he couldn’t help but ask such meaningless questions out of concern and worry.

Just then, Yehan, who had been quietly nestled in his arms, slowly raised his head. His white eyes, tinged with pink from the fever, were hazy.

How long had they been looking at each other? Just as the world became eerily quiet and they could hear each other’s heartbeats, Yehan leaned in for a kiss. This time, Haseong was somewhat prepared, so he didn’t flinch and readily accepted the kiss.

While staying at Yehan’s house, they had shared many light, playful kisses. But today was different.

The tongue that had been licking his lips immediately invaded further. Tickling the roof of his mouth and teasing his soft palate, Yehan’s tongue entangled with his. Haseong clumsily followed Yehan’s lead, their tongues intertwining. Only the wet sounds of their saliva mixing filled the room.

Gasping with his mouth open as he responded to Yehan, Haseong suddenly came to his senses at the feeling of hot fingers on his bare skin. A hand had slipped inside his clothes and was caressing his abs and waist.

The hand moved down, and before Haseong could stop it, it slid inside his pants. As he felt fingers moving between his buttocks, Haseong abruptly broke the kiss.

“Hyung, uh! Wait, wait a minute. This is a bit…!”

“Hmm, Haseong…”

As soon as their lips parted, they were pressed together again. Kissing him desperately and sucking his saliva as if parched, Yehan muttered, still with their lips locked, “Haseong, help me…”

“……”

“Please… I can’t control myself with you next to me…”

He could feel Yehan’s lips moving with each word he struggled to utter. His hot breath washed over him. Haseong swallowed Yehan’s breath and racked his brain harder than he ever had in his 22 years of life.

Help him… it must mean that. Sehyung’s unexpected lesson that even without an Omega, relieving sexual desire could alleviate the pain of rut, was about to be put into practice.

Haseong looked down again at Yehan’s erection, which had grown even larger. He had a rudimentary understanding of how homosexual sex worked.

Whether secondary gendered or not, it was all the same, the only difference being whether certain physical responses that aided in sexual activity occurred more readily or not.

‘That, in my butt…’

…It seemed physically impossible. If only Yehan were an Omega, it wouldn’t be a problem, but he was an Alpha. A dominant Alpha, an extremely rare type at that.

Could Alphas also feel it like Omegas?

After a brief consideration, Haseong gave up. If they experienced pleasure the same way, there wouldn’t be a distinction between Alphas and Omegas. He had never heard of an Alpha receiving pleasure from anal sex.

Of course, Haseong wasn’t willing to do that either. But the important thing right now was to relieve Yehan’s sexual desire and alleviate his pain, so if that was the case, he could…

He could…

‘Should I just tell him to take sleeping pills?’

Haseong’s resolve wavered as he saw the bulge under the blanket twitch slightly.

How could he refuse such a desperate plea, especially when Yehan looked so much in pain? Yehan had said he wouldn’t even get a rut partner this time, for Haseong’s sake. In other words, Haseong was partly responsible for the pain Yehan was feeling now.

And the accumulated guilt he had felt all this time made him even more conflicted.

Wasn’t this the perfect opportunity to repay his debt? Yehan, who had always brushed off his promises to repay him with a simple “thank you,” was now pleading so desperately. Could he refuse now?

The memory of the days when he had resolved to do anything for Yehan pricked his conscience.

How much had he owed this person so far? How much had he received?

Compared to what Yehan had done for him, helping him through his rut was nothing. It would be painful, but if he just endured it, Yehan wouldn’t have to take unhealthy sleeping pills, suffer in agony, and most importantly…

Most importantly… he wouldn’t have to see Yehan with someone else. He should probably examine why he was so averse to that thought, but Haseong forcefully pushed it away.

He needed to simplify the situation. He would repay the debt he had always meant to repay, alleviate Yehan’s pain, and avoid seeing something he didn’t want to see. Having reached this conclusion, Haseong hesitantly opened his mouth.

“…How can I help you?”

As soon as the question left his lips, Haseong’s body fell back. The soft bed was the first thing to meet his back. The blanket rustled, and Yehan’s scent, deeply embedded in the fabric, tickled his nose like air freshener.

It was Yehan’s unique scent, distinct from pheromones. A complex mix of the cozy, comforting scent of fabric softener, the expensive perfume he often wore, and his natural body odor. Inhaling that scent, Haseong accepted the lips that descended upon him like a thirsty beast.