“Masochist or something…”
It was from when he was working a construction site part-time job during vacation to pay off the remaining balance from his parents’ funeral. During break time, someone had rambled on about such things. It was so-called lewd talk.
– My boyfriend said he likes getting hit. I thought he was a pervert, but when I actually tried it, I got interested too… What was it, masochist?
– There’s even a specific name for it? How strange.
– He says he likes being treated roughly. Says it’s thrilling?
– Ugh, crazy… I hate that. What even is that?
As he recalled up to that point, an idea flashed through Woojae’s mind for a moment.
If Gye Sajun was that kind of pervert, he would actually lose interest when Woojae acted kind. Thinking that all his actions up until now had been no different from feeding him made goosebumps rise all over.
He really hated being nice to that bastard, but it was a desperate measure. If he enjoyed Woojae’s sharp reactions and even masturbated to them, it would be truly horrific. Woojae picked up his phone, forgetting the fact that he had canceled the blind date to avoid him. Since Gye Sajun had called him before, his number would be left in the call history.
“…Found it.”
Even though it wasn’t a long call, it caught his eye immediately. Woojae felt a bit defeated as he saved his contact information, but felt slightly satisfied entering it as ‘Perverted Bastard.’ He kept the text message fairly short.
[This is Go Woojae, let’s watch a movie on Friday.]
Having said that, tomorrow was actually Friday. He got goosebumps the entire time he was typing. To act friendly, he should probably use emoticons too, but for now he decided to leave it at this. It was too much to go that far when he had no immunity yet. As soon as Woojae pressed the send button, a reply arrived. As if he had been waiting.
[Okay. Come to my room when you’re done with work.]
He had to start preparing for his revenge match. Of course, the energy drain was already severe.
***
As soon as he held the card to the sensor, the dorm room door opened with a small beep. Sajun, who entered the dark room, fumbled for the switch on the wall and turned on the fluorescent light. The room was so quiet that not even a trace of air movement could be felt. It was in the same tidy state as before he left, not changed by an inch.
The structure was no different from other rooms in the dorm, but bed #2 and the desk were completely empty. Because the card key in Sajun’s hand was 2710-1.
Not just Magnolia Hall, but all the dorms consisted of two-person rooms. Woojae didn’t know, but Sajun was the only one using that room alone.
“…What day is it.”
As soon as he entered the room, he counted the days on the wall calendar with his eyes. And had to press his forehead at the precisely matching cycle.
‘Of course.’
The scheduled date he had marked with a red pen started from tomorrow. He opened the desk drawer and took out his prescribed medication. The bright red capsule pills were something he had been taking steadily every month since he was fourteen when his traits manifested, so he was familiar enough to swallow them without water. After gulping down the pill first, Sajun took out a water bottle from the refrigerator and swallowed more than half down his throat at once.
Woojae’s face, distorted with shock from his panic, came to mind. Perhaps because the medication hadn’t taken effect yet, the area below his stomach throbbed. It would be unfamiliar to Woojae, who was a beta, but alphas and omegas had heat cycles.
The more excellent the traits, the stronger the sexual desire during heat, but in modern times, it could be controlled with medication. If one was a cultured intellectual, it was common to take suppressants according to one’s cycle. Suppressants were commercialized enough to be sold at convenience stores. Nevertheless, he only took what was prescribed by a doctor.
There was one reason for this. In the first place, ordinary new humans could tell by their physical reactions from the time their traits manifested, without having to specifically check their cycles. Because the scent of compatible traits that should feel moderately pleasant feels excessively seductive, or because sexual urges come on strongly. While new humans would naturally learn about heat cycles without having to be taught, Sajun was different.
– …It hurts so much.
It was the summer when he was fourteen, about 30cm shorter than now. Young Sajun suffered from an untimely illness. He had a severe fever and there wasn’t a single place in his body that didn’t hurt. He was short of breath and his vision spun. After suffering for a full two weeks and opening his eyes, he was in a hospital room and flower baskets filled his vision. There were embarrassing phrases congratulating him on manifesting as an alpha, and even a large cake. Even thinking about it again, it was ridiculous.
– Please give me some water.
– Are you awake?
When he asked for water in a completely hoarse voice, the answer that came back was his father’s. He could see a man who appeared to be a caregiver pour water into a cup and hand it to his father. Just give it to me directly. He probably thought that at the time.
– Where’s hyung?
It seemed strange that his older brother wasn’t there when he was sick.
– Even if you’re family, we have to prevent possible accidents.
His father gave an incomprehensible answer with a complicated expression. He had been quite irritable because he had been sick for days on end, receiving only IV fluids. His father handed the water cup to his youngest son who kept rubbing his face. When Sajun quickly emptied it, he said in a calm tone.
– You might not remember because you’re too young, but do you remember when hyung was very sick when he was your age? Your noona was sick like that around the time you were born.
– I remember… hyung.
His younger brother, who was exactly seven years older than Sajun, was twenty-two at the time and attending university. His brother being sick was before he even entered elementary school. Because he had suddenly collapsed while playing with him, and because he hadn’t come home for several days like that, even though he was young, he couldn’t forget that time.
– Father was sick like this when I was your age too. So was Mother. It was hard, wasn’t it? It’s the process of becoming an adult.
– I don’t really understand.
He answered that way, but as he spoke, he could tell. His voice wasn’t hoarse. Compared to before he collapsed, his voice had gotten deeper, and his body felt different somehow. An unfamiliar voice, an unfamiliar body. Only then did he see the mirror hanging on the wall. All those unfamiliar things were his. His father gazed for a long time at his son’s eyes, shaking in shallow confusion.
– It’s not like you’ll be sick once like this and it’ll be over, you’ll be sick several more times in the future. It’s because your bones and muscles are growing, so don’t be too surprised and just tell me whenever it hurts. I’ll have Dr. Yun take care of it, so you’ll have to show your condition periodically. You have to take your medicine diligently too.
His father looked troubled. Was it because he could clearly see proof that his youngest son, whom he had kept in his arms, had grown up?
– Like hyung? Does noona take it too? Mother and Father too?
Was it because he felt wronged that he had to do such a troublesome thing alone? Or did he want to find common ground? Sajun recalled the image of his older brother occasionally swallowing pills and asked if other family members took medicine like this.
– Your noona, Mother, and Father are all married. You won’t have to take it either once you get married.
It was some time later that he clearly understood the meaning of those words. A home tutor hired for this purpose taught him in detail from one to ten. Alphas and omegas, and suppressants. As well as pregnancy, marriage, and various contraceptive methods. He had received sex education before, but this was the first time he received education through such direct terminology.
To summarize, alphas and omegas had to be especially careful because pregnancy was easy, and if you had a long relationship with one partner through marriage, your pheromones would stabilize and you could control your heat cycle without taking medication.
– Gye Sajun really grew so tall. He’s cool…
– He smells really good.
When he returned to school, even more eyes followed him than before. What was more unfamiliar than that was about pheromones. The home tutor had also mentioned pheromone scents several times.
– You’ll smell a good scent from friends who are omegas. It might be like a flower scent or feel like a sweet smell. On the other hand, alphas won’t smell very good. But you can’t show it. That’s rude. Even if you think you want to touch a friend who smells good, hold back. You can’t touch them unless the other person permits it.
At that time, Sajun had nodded at the home tutor’s words. The problem was that he couldn’t smell any such remarkable scents. He couldn’t smell anything from his father or mother, from his older brother or sister, or from his brother-in-law.
Maybe it’s because they’re family? That hope was mercilessly crushed when he crossed the school threshold. The pheromones he had been warned about several times as being so dangerous couldn’t be smelled no matter how much he sniffed.
Do I smell something myself? He even tried burying his nose in his wrist, but couldn’t tell. Sometimes when children standing beside him made strange expressions, he too became curious about his own scent. As soon as class ended, he ran to his attending physician, Dr. Yun, and asked.
– Doctor, I can’t smell anything at all.
– …It might be because your sense of smell is dull. It might be because you’re still young.
Dr. Yun answered with a subtle expression. After saying that, he had to undergo several more tests along with trait examinations. Perhaps even Dr. Yun couldn’t be certain. Because there couldn’t be an alpha or omega who couldn’t smell pheromones.
