TSG 127

It was exactly one month after returning from the business trip.

“Still not feeling better?”

As if he had been on a month-long trip, Se-hyun felt weak all over. As a result, he spent the rare weekend alone sprawled on the low table.

“I’m tired.”

He had set the table to eat, but the silvery sheen of the table looked cool, so he just collapsed on it. Se-hyun closed his eyes, enjoying the cold sensation on his cheek.

“Just like this…”

He wanted to sleep.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t just the business trip that had drained Se-hyun’s energy. After the event ended, everyone returned to their original positions, and Se-hyun’s schedule as a personal secretary became busy again. For him, it wasn’t that work increased, but rather that he returned to his usual workload.

Organizing Shin Tae-oh’s schedule, preparing various materials accordingly, leading or attending meetings, and so on.

“It was better when there was no work.”

He should have rested comfortably then. Instead, he had studied hard, worried about not meeting Shin Tae-oh’s expectations. Though it wasn’t a meaningless time as he concluded that being a secretary suited him well…

“Yawn.”

Se-hyun couldn’t suppress the occasional yawn. He closed his eyes, intending to just lie down for a moment before getting up. As long as he rested well, it didn’t matter if his posture was strange.

After the second hand of the clock made one and a half rotations, Se-hyun’s body gradually relaxed, and soft snoring could be heard.

***

“Mmm… for me…”

“…Looks so delicious…”

“…should I eat this well-prepared meal…”

The faint voices that had been drifting into his dreams grew louder and closer until Se-hyun woke up to the voice. The table, which had been cold, was now warmed by his body heat and no longer served its initial purpose.

As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw a familiar chest—one he saw, hugged, and leaned on every day. Just seeing it was enough to tell him who it belonged to. The chest vibrated with a low hum as a voice came from above his head.

“I was just debating whether to use a spoon or just eat with my hands.”

Shin Tae-oh lightly tapped Se-hyun’s lower lip with his index finger.

“I want to eat this.”

Se-hyun blinked his dazed eyes a few times and slowly raised his head. He wasn’t sure how long he had slept, but his shoulders felt a bit stiff. His back felt sore when he tried to straighten it too.

“How would you eat it with a spoon?”

“I’d catch and drink everything that spills…”

“That’s enough.”

He shouldn’t have asked.

Se-hyun glanced at Shin Tae-oh while wiping around his mouth with the back of his hand, just in case something was there.

“You might as well cut off my lips and take them.”

“Don’t say things like that. I might really want to do it.”

Shin Tae-oh looked at Se-hyun’s lips as if they were ripe fruit, then leaned in. Se-hyun, caught in his intense gaze, couldn’t move as Shin Tae-oh came closer. Just when it seemed he would kiss Se-hyun on the lips, he unpredictably moved to the side.

While Se-hyun looked on in confusion, Shin Tae-oh kissed his cheek and pulled away.

“Why kiss my cheek when you were talking about my lips?”

“Your cheek looked tastier.”

Se-hyun touched his own cheek. The spot that had been pressed against the table felt unusually smooth and cool. Se-hyun turned his head to look at his cheek in a small mirror. The reddened imprint left behind…

“Looks like an apple.”

Shin Tae-oh’s comparison was accurate.

Even though he looked disheveled from just waking up from a nap, Shin Tae-oh seemed to find something pretty about it. Se-hyun quickly rubbed his cheek twice and turned to Shin Tae-oh.

“When did you get here?”

“Since Se-hyun wasn’t answering his phone.”

Suspicious of his vague answer, Se-hyun picked up his phone. He looked up at Shin Tae-oh after seeing fifty missed calls.

“I was worried something might have happened.”

“Does that justify making so many calls?”

It was impressive that he had slept through the constant ringing of his phone.

“It’s fine since nothing happened.”

Shin Tae-oh casually moved closer to Se-hyun again, as if thinking “what’s good is good.”

“It’s not bad to be able to see Bulnyang’s face one more time.”

How shameless.

Se-hyun glared at Shin Tae-oh before giving up and leaning against him.

“Since you’re here, be my cushion.”

Even though he had just woken up from a nap, he was still tired. Se-hyun wasn’t sure if it was because he had used up all his energy working late, or if relaxing had made him lose tension.

Though not as cool as a floor table, Shin Tae-oh’s chest was firm and comfortable to lean on, so it wasn’t bad. As Se-hyun leaned on him, Shin Tae-oh adjusted his posture to make him comfortable and began massaging his body with his other hand.

Se-hyun exhaled contentedly at the touch that gently worked out his muscles from the neck down.

“You’re having a hard time because of me, aren’t you?”

Shin Tae-oh even gently released his pheromones. He was truly acting like a pheromone pillow tailored for Ahn Se-hyun.

“Should I reduce your workload?”

Shin Tae-oh seemed willing to do so if Se-hyun agreed. Se-hyun smiled quietly with his eyes closed at Shin Tae-oh’s words, which suggested he would do anything for him.

Se-hyun was one of the people who knew best what Shin Tae-oh did. Knowing how important his work was, how could he ask him to stop?

“I’d rather share the workload with other secretaries instead.”

“That won’t do. I mean, it’s fine, but I don’t like it.”

Se-hyun opened his eyes and looked at Shin Tae-oh. Did he just say something very childish?

“Sharing tasks with another secretary is fine. I know things are already being divided up efficiently. But I don’t like the idea of being too busy to see you.”

Shin Tae-oh didn’t hide his dissatisfaction at the thought of being so caught up in work that he couldn’t see Se-hyun. How childish.

“Then Taenyang should take some time off, too.”

Se-hyun made a joke he didn’t mean and closed his eyes.

“I want to play with Bulnyang every day.”

Despite everything, both Shin Tae-oh and Se-hyun knew they couldn’t reduce their work.

As they exchanged idle jokes, Se-hyun’s body gradually melted into Shin Tae-oh’s touch.

“Se-hyun.”

“Hm?”

Se-hyun, who was about to fall asleep again, barely opened one eye to respond.

“How have you been lately?”

When Shin Tae-oh, who had been living with him every day, suddenly asked about his well-being, Se-hyun closed his eyes again and thought.

Lately…

It had been nearly two months since the company event ended, and afterwards his parents had stayed at the hotel for a few days.

And a month ago he went on a business trip, but other than that, nothing special. It was a continuation of daily life managing Shin Tae-oh’s schedule. It was ordinary, as if they had returned to the time before they started dating.

Except for making love with Shin Tae-oh in between and staying at his house.

As Se-hyun pondered what else there might have been, he mentioned a very small change.

“I’m tired.”

The muscles of Shin Tae-oh that were touching him tensed up. Feeling him react immediately to his words, Se-hyun wondered if he should continue speaking.

“Next time, don’t hold back and tell me right away. I’ll make sure you can rest anytime.”

“Even on the street?”

“I’ll order a bed right away and set it up, so don’t worry about anything.”

Se-hyun chuckled, thinking Shin Tae-oh might actually do it.

“I’m not joking. I’m really worried because you look very tired.”

Shin Tae-oh said, gently brushing Se-hyun’s hair from his forehead behind his ear. This must be why he asked how he’s been lately.

“Make sure to prepare that bed, since you never know when I might want to sleep.”

Shin Tae-oh covered Se-hyun’s body with a blanket. He even patted his chest. He must be planning to put him to sleep right now. Se-hyun finally couldn’t help but laugh at the rhythmic tapping on his chest.

“You’ll be good at taking care of a baby later.”

Just leave the putting to sleep to Shin Tae-oh…

“What’s wrong?”

When Se-hyun suddenly sat up, Shin Tae-oh immediately moved closer, worried.

“Why didn’t I think of this before?”

Se-hyun muttered to himself, not even paying attention to Shin Tae-oh’s concern.

When he was intimate with Shin Tae-oh, he wondered if he was imprinting on him. But he could still smell other Alphas’ pheromones.

If it was really imprinting, he should be free from pheromones like Yoo Jin-ha, but Se-hyun was the opposite. Other alphas’ pheromones had become so irritating that dealing with them had made him even more tired.

He’d known all of this but hadn’t thought much of it.

Who would suspect something was wrong just because their sense of smell had become more sensitive lately, making others’ pheromone seem unbearably strong?

That’s probably why he hadn’t considered it seriously until now.

“There could be another cause.”

If it matched his thoughts, there was no need to look for similar symptoms separately.

“What cause?”

“I just remembered something I need to buy, I’ll be right back.”

As Se-hyun hurriedly got up, Shin Tae-oh grabbed his arm and blocked his way.

“What do you need to buy? I’ll get it for you.”

“You?”

Se-hyun gave a look that wondered if he could really ask him to do this.

“One pregnancy test, please. No, make it ten. Give me one from each brand. Oh, is there one for testing Alphas? I could be an Alpha father…”