PAO 43

“To the extent that I wonder if I was born to love Seowon.”

“That’s true.”

Yoo Junghoo really liked him. It wasn’t that he liked him because of some specific event; it seemed he just liked him.

From a very young age, Junghoo followed him around like a chick, looking at him as if he were a mother bird. Although he did disappear at the moment he thought that affection would never waver. After all the ups and downs, now that they had returned to the starting point, Seowon wanted to get confirmation from Junghoo.

At Seowon’s question, Junghoo looked away as if bewildered, and he ran a hand through his hair, catching his breath. Even though he knew Seowon was watching everything, Junghoo couldn’t quite calm down and showed small, fidgety movements.

What kind of amazing thing is he going to say this time that he’s stalling for so long?

Junghoo, who had always been so shameless, was showing such a pure reaction when it came to revealing his feelings. Watching his face, ears, and neck all turn red, it was to the point where he wanted to take a picture and look at it over and over again.

“I like your handsome face and your straight frame. I like your neat fingernails and the veins on the back of your hands are pretty. I like everything about your body.”

As he talked about his body so well while being embarrassed, Seowon muttered with a dumbfounded face.

“You love me in a very anatomical way.”

“Because I love your body, my body reacts.”

“That’s a really pretty way of saying you get an erection when you see me.”

Seowon shook his head, then looked up at Junghoo with a serious gaze.

“Anyway, it means you love me a lot.”

Seowon placed a hand on Junghoo’s cheek and drew out his response with a gentle voice. It was an action meant to cool his heat, but instead, it felt as if the embers were sticking to his own hand.

“I love you with my life.”

He said it felt like he was born to love him, and now he was finally betting his life on it. Seowon pushed away the body he was embracing and leaned against the dining table. The chill that rose through the palms of his hands touching the marble pushed away the heat.

Seowon lifted his bowed head and looked at Junghoo.

“Thank you.”

Junghoo’s eyebrows narrowed into an expression of incomprehension. This wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but Seowon had already gone into his room without saying anything else.

“I just… dug my own grave, didn’t I.”

Junghoo touched his forehead and let out a bewildered breath. His warm forehead was due to a fever from not feeling well, but it was likely that confessing to Seowon also had an effect.

“This wasn’t how I planned to confess.”

He did it because he wanted to see how Seowon would react if he confessed since he was supposedly imitating him, but instead, he himself fell for it.

Because his heart was stirred, his pheromones flowed out as if pouring. What if Seowon comes out and gets affected…

Junghoo curled his large body and went into a corner of the kitchen. Let’s just stay like this for a moment until I can calm the pheromones down a bit.

And until his heart, just as unsettled as his pheromones, returned to a normal rhythm.

Junghoo lay in bed, only his eyes moving. He looked at the date displayed on the LED desk clock.

Two weeks had passed since Seowon had moved back into this house. During that time, except for the hours he was at school, Seowon clung to Junghoo to an irritating degree.

‘Do you like beer? Between me and beer, which do you like more?’

‘Want to watch a movie? We can sit side-by-side, and if you get tired, you can lean on my shoulder and sleep.’

These were things they had definitely done together before, but with Seowon taking an active role, they had become unfamiliar events.

He was relentless, as if to show what happens when someone who wasn’t like that before loses his mind.

“Even so, he could have been a little gentler.”

As Seowon clung to him and acted like a lunatic, he couldn’t keep his wits about him. Forgetting everything he had done to Seowon, Junghoo let out a groan and clutched his head.

His already poor condition was getting progressively worse. His body, which was bubbling up, was at a point where it wouldn’t be strange if he fainted at any moment. He had planned to say he would sort everything out when he went to find his father. He was going to comply with Seong Hangyeol’s wishes and undergo the final test to end things, but things went awry. He met Seowon in front of the elevator, went grocery shopping, and pushed him away with a cake in front of them.

If he were to lose consciousness like this and his pheromones came out uncontrollably and attacked Seowon…

Feeling anxious, Junghoo shot up in bed and let out a groan.

His heavy head spun, and he felt dizzy. After catching his breath for a moment, Junghoo got up and looked at the clock again.

Around this time, Seowon should still be at school, so I won’t run into him.

“You just woke up?”

…Until he discovered Seowon sitting on the sofa.

“When did you get in?”

“I came in early.”

Seowon answered nonchalantly and got up. He put the phone he was looking at into his pocket and placed his bag on the table; it was a Boston bag he hadn’t seen before.

“If you’re up, let’s go.”

At Seowon’s words as he slung the Boston bag over his shoulder, Junghoo tried his best to get his sluggish mind to work.

“Where?”

“On a trip.”

At Seowon’s words, spoken with a broad grin, Junghoo’s reaction was one of bewilderment, not knowing how to take it.

‘Because I have to drag you out.’

What should I do to make Junghoo let his guard down?

When that question arose, the first thought that came to mind was that they had to get out of the house. If they stayed in the house, there would be no interference from other people, but since Junghoo himself was being wary and kept going into his room, it was necessary to take him out.

However, a place where other people could come and go was not suitable. When he thought of a place where he could use the advantages of a house as they were, one place naturally came to mind. In case of any unforeseen danger, he called Yoo Taeha and came up with a suitable excuse.

“Junghoo still not up?”

The front door opened and Yoo Taeha came in. Then, upon spotting the standing Junghoo, he waved.

“You’re up. I’ll go get the car, so come down slowly.”

“Okay. hyung.”

Seowon answered loudly in Junghoo’s place and approached the window. He checked if the window was locked, even drew the curtains, and then pressed the “away” button on the smart panel.

Since this was a series of actions done before leaving, Junghoo stared blankly before opening his mouth.

“Did I… say I would go?”

Could it be that I had such a conversation with Seowon without realizing it?

“Ah, this is a surprise event.”

Seowon came and stood in front of Junghoo and took the phone from his hand. He turned it off as it was, put it in his own pocket, and then held out his hand to Junghoo.

“My exams are over so I’m going to hang out, and I’m asking you to come with me.”

He understood why Seowon had come home early. However, just as that alone was not enough of an explanation, Seowon took Junghoo’s unmoving hand.

“I suddenly wanted to go after a long time.”

As he walked toward the front door while holding onto Junghoo, Seowon let out an ambiguous statement.

“A place I never once went to after my mom passed away, and after you stopped contacting me.”

Seowon, who put on his shoes first, let go of Junghoo’s hand as if to say he should follow on his own now. As if he had made all the preparations, but there was nothing he could do if Junghoo himself didn’t come.

“I’m going to the vacation villa.”

As he mentioned the vacation villa where they used to hang out and play together when they were young, Junghoo’s heart pounded heavily.

“The vacation villa?”

At the sudden mention of the location, the inner ends of Junghoo’s eyebrows drew together. He understood immediately where he was talking about, but he didn’t seem too keen on going there.

“Let’s go and rest for a few days.”

Seowon deliberately stretched his arms out wide. Then, as he was unconsciously brushing down his clothes, Junghoo took a step back.

“I don’t want to go.”

Seowon, who was straightening his wrinkled clothes, lifted his head. He didn’t think he would follow meekly in the first place, but it was a more firm refusal than expected.

“It’s a place we used to go to often when we were young. So why don’t you like it? I’m not telling you to go alone, I’m asking you to go with me.”

As he asked as if he couldn’t understand, Junghoo’s face contorted even more.

“That’s why I don’t want to.”

“Why? Because of your pheromones?”

At Seowon’s question, Junghoo turned his head diagonally. So it is because of the pheromones.

“At this rate, you’ll make a fuss about smelling pheromones or not even if I just breathe next to you.”

As Seowon muttered his complaint under his breath, Junghoo gave a gentle smile. Knowing that unbearable words would always follow that smile, Seowon felt a shallow sense of tension. With the intention of retorting to whatever he might say…

“Have a good trip.”

At the unexpectedly normal response and consideration, Seowon’s tension dissipated without a sound. Seowon stared intently at Junghoo’s face, then revealed his suspicion toward him.

“You’re really telling me to go alone?”

“Go and think of me a lot. And call me regularly. Take pictures of what you’re eating and send them to me.”