PAO 44

“…”

He seemed to have made up his mind not to go, but I had no intention of backing down so obediently.

“So you’re really not going?”

“Yeah.”

“Really? If you don’t go…”

Pretending to think for a moment, Seowon trailed off. Junghoo was still looking at him with a smile on his lips.

“I’ll just go with Taeha hyung, the two of us?”

At Seowon’s meaningful words, Junghoo’s face crumpled into a scowl, and a low curse escaped his lips.

“Yoo Taeha, why that bastard…”

Seeing Junghoo curse out his own cousin so well, it seemed the random jab had landed perfectly.

“I’ll probably eat with Taeha hyung and talk face to face. We’ll probably take pictures in scenic places, should I send them to you?”

“Why are you going with that guy.”

“Then should I drive all by myself and have a lonely trip? What am I supposed to do at the villa all alone.”

With every question Seowon asked, another wrinkle appeared between Junghoo’s brows.

“It’s in the mountains, so no one will know if something happens. If you don’t hear from me for over a week, you can report it to the police then.”

“…Go with Yoo Taeha.”

He hated the idea of him going with Yoo Taeha, but it seemed he hated the idea of something happening to him while he was alone even more. At Junghoo’s reluctant reply, Seowon nodded his head agreeably.

“Okay. I’ll go with hyung. Oh, was Taeha hyung an alpha? I’ve never thought about it until now, but on this occasion…”

“Damn it…”

Simultaneously with Yoo Junghoo’s irritation, Seowon let out a rather refreshing smile. Being able to shake Junghoo like this was definitely effective.

“Junghoo.”

He met the eyes of Junghoo, who responded keenly even to his small call.

“Anything is fine, so say whatever comes to mind.”

“The you from when we were young was cute, and the you after that is sexy. And…”

I knew he would talk about me. Seeing him chatter on so well with a face that looked like it could collapse at any moment, Seowon snorted and acted firmly.

“That thought is about to change now. You’ll be thinking about what kind of time Taeha hyung and I will have, and if the two of us don’t sleep until late at night…”

Junghoo’s face crumpled to a degree that would startle anyone watching.

In the car on the way to the vacation villa, Seowon opened the window halfway and enjoyed the breeze coming in from outside. It was still summer, so the heat seeped in, but he didn’t mind the wind that pleasantly enveloped him.

Yoo Taeha was driving, and the passenger seat was filled with luggage. Seowon sat in the back seat with Junghoo, and Yoo Taeha just made one comment about feeling like a chauffeur and that was the end of it. It was because he knew that Junghoo liked being close to Seowon.

Seowon looked back at Junghoo. The wind must be reaching him too, but he was silent. Rather, the way he was sitting still with his eyes closed suggested he had a lot on his mind.

He felt sorry for Yoo Taeha, who had been dragged out suddenly and had to drive, but Seowon was quite pleased with this moment. He wondered anew when the last time he had such a quiet and peaceful moment was.

After his mother passed away, he had struggled to get used to his new life, and just when he thought things had settled down, Junghoo appeared and shook him up. Then, upon learning Junghoo’s secret, he had entered his territory of his own accord. He couldn’t let go of the tension, but as he spent his busy days racking his brain, the current peace felt so sweet.

To think that a moment with Junghoo could be comfortable and not tense…

“…!”

Seowon, feeling something, turned to Junghoo in surprise. The strangely red lips against his pale face had stood out, and it seemed he had bitten down on them hard with his upper teeth. There was no way Junghoo hadn’t felt what Seowon felt. No, he would have felt it before Seowon. Because a large amount of his pheromones had just poured out.

“…Sorry.”

Seeing Junghoo apologize with a grimace, it seemed it wasn’t his intention. It looked like it came out while he was trying to hold it in…

“I’ll open the window more.”

Watching Junghoo’s hand move toward the button, Seowon grabbed his arm.

“I’m fine.”

Junghoo didn’t understand right away and looked back at Seowon.

“It doesn’t matter if I smell your pheromones.”

As if telling him to look directly at him, Seowon turned Junghoo’s half-turned face completely toward him. With their eyes meeting squarely, Seowon spoke clearly.

“I’m an omega. An omega who doesn’t feel repulsion to an alpha’s pheromones. On top of that, I’m a dominant one, so this level of pheromones is just… about the level of a faintly scented perfume to me.”

He even smiled to show that he wasn’t just saying it to reassure Junghoo. He watched the apology staining his pupils slowly fade before taking his hand off his face.

Before long, the pheromones had spread evenly inside the car and were flowing out through the slightly open window. As the car was being ventilated, Junghoo’s expression also softened. Seowon leaned his back against the seat again and looked ahead.

The pheromones just now really hadn’t affected him much.

However…

‘It must mean he can’t control it.’

The fact that Junghoo was flustered bothered him. He had thought his condition was bad since he wasn’t even trying to calm him down with his own pheromones like before, but it seemed likely to get worse.

‘It was a good thing we decided to go to the villa.’

It was partly to put Junghoo’s mind at ease, but it would also be good for quelling the anxiety that someone might be harmed by the pheromones that were beyond his control.

“You guys… are you not thinking about me at all.”

Yoo Taeha, who as a fellow alpha felt a clear repulsion, muttered lowly while breathing very shallowly.

“We have to walk from here.”

It took a whole three hours to get to the villa. The region itself was two hours from Seoul, but it took a rather long time to get inside it. Even so, they hadn’t arrived yet, so Seowon got out of the car, stretching his stiff body this way and that. To climb the mountain from here, they would have to walk for at least twenty minutes…

“This place feels far every time I come.”

The excitement he felt about the villa was pushed aside by the sore feeling in his butt. As he got out of the car kneading his behind, he bumped into Junghoo, who was getting out after him.

“…You could have gotten out on the other side.”

Seowon, who had taken a step to the side, blurted out whatever came to mind, then bit his lip. I shouldn’t be like this.

It was hard at times to act differently from the personality he had adopted since he started clinging to Junghoo.

“Junghoo.”

Seowon, after comforting himself that it was an unavoidable situation, held out the hand he had been massaging his butt with.

“Want me to hold your hand?”

As Junghoo stared down at his hand, he wiggled his fingers, telling him to hurry and take it.

“If you grab this, it’s indirect contact, you know? This is the hand that touched my butt.”

“…”

“You don’t want to?”

If he didn’t want to, Seowon could just grab Junghoo’s hand, so he asked for confirmation. Junghoo shook his head.

“Seowon, you know I’m sick, right.”

“Even a passerby would know.”

Your face is completely white right now.

“Do you also know that I like you?”

“I knew from long ago that your life revolves around me.”

“If I take this hand, I can’t let go. Will you still take it?”

“Why are you giving so much meaning to holding one hand.”

Seowon chided Junghoo with a sigh-laced voice.

“Anyone watching would think you’re dying to not hold my hand.”

“It’s the opposite.”

“Then take it.”

Despite Yoo Taeha’s meddling, telling them to just grab hands or whatever and get going, Junghoo couldn’t bring himself to take his hand. And yet, the look in his eyes, wanting to hold his hand, was quite a sight. Seowon, deciding he had waited long enough, snatched Junghoo’s hand.

“You’ve touched my butt now.”

With this hand.

Ignoring the queasy feeling in his stomach from his own slightly cheesy words, Seowon looked at Junghoo and sealed the deal. As if he was fluttered by Seowon’s words, a faint red tinge spread across Junghoo’s white face.

“What are you two doing in front of an adult. You brats.”

Yoo Taeha, who had been watching from the start, glared at the two with an irritated look.