After washing up, I was mindlessly pulling on the pajama shorts I’d brought when it suddenly occurred to me that they might be too worn out. I picked up the T-shirt and turned it this way and that—the originally black fabric seemed to have faded from being washed too many times.
At least the collar isn’t stretched out. And there are no holes.
I examined it meticulously, flapping it around, then thought, What am I even doing? and just put it on. It’s not like Won Dogyeong hasn’t seen these clothes before—what difference would worrying about it now make?
I glanced toward Won Dogyeong’s door, then went back to my room and sat on the bed. I needed time to mentally prepare myself.
I scrolled through shorts meaninglessly again, then clenched my fist and stood up.
No, let’s just go.
Dragging this out wasn’t going to solve anything.
But just as I grabbed the doorknob, the T-shirt bothered me again, so I opened the drawer and pulled out a less-worn set of pajamas. I folded the one I’d been wearing and put it away, then fumbled my way into a white short-sleeved tee.
I felt a bit pathetic making such a fuss over myself, but I couldn’t help it. It seemed better to just change rather than keep worrying about the faded clothes.
And finally, I left my room and stood in front of Won Dogyeong’s door.
I wiped my hands on my pants and knocked.
Knock knock—
“Come in.”
I slowly turned the doorknob and stepped into the room. I’d been in this room several times before, but today it felt strangely unfamiliar.
Won Dogyeong was standing in the middle of the room, in the midst of pulling a shirt over his wet hair. Water droplets dripped onto the floor one by one. Following the movement of him tugging down the T-shirt, his well-defined muscles rippled appealingly. His pants had slipped down a bit, probably because the elastic was loose, and his iliac crest peeked out slightly above his waistline.
I was unconsciously taking in every detail when the sight of his hands pulling down the hem of his T-shirt snapped me back to attention. I quickly turned my head away to stare at the corner of the ceiling, hoping he hadn’t caught me looking.
He got so mad at me for undressing in front of him without a care, but why is he the one not even fully dressed?
“You sleep on the inside.”
“…Uh-huh.”
“I’ll be back after drying my hair. Get in bed.”
“…Okay.”
He disappeared into the bathroom tucked in one corner of the room. I shuffled over to the bed and pressed myself against the wall. I gathered the blanket around me meticulously, as if it were my last line of defense.
Won Dogyeong’s pheromones permeated everything. My throat tickled with every breath.
The bedding wrapped around me protectively was even steeped in his distinctive body scent. The familiar fragrance rushed into my nose along with the pheromones rippling across my skin.
I felt immobilized, as if completely wrapped up and covered in his scent.
Just like before in this room, on this bed, when I’d been pinned beneath that solid body, moaning.
The pleasant weight pressing down on my entire body kept coming to mind, and I wiggled my toes a little under the blanket. Heat rose to the back of my neck in an instant. My head felt so hot it even seemed heavier.
I lifted the blanket slightly to check below. A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
I absolutely cannot kick off this blanket…
I fumbled around, reaching out to grab the air conditioner remote from the nightstand and lowered the temperature a bit. I set it a little cooler than what I usually used in my own room.
This should be fine for sleeping under the blanket.
The noisy whir of the hairdryer stopped, and Won Dogyeong shuffled out. Pretending to change positions, I gradually pressed my body toward the wall.
As if he found my behavior amusing, Won Dogyeong smirked and got into bed.
“I won’t eat you up.”
“…Who said anything?”
“Just relax.”
“I am relaxed…”
It was 200% a lie. I was uncomfortable to the point of going crazy, on the verge of jumping up and down. The fragrant shampoo smell kept wafting over from beside me, making me feel even weirder.
Why does he always smell so good?
…Should I plug my nostrils?
“Should I turn off the light?”
While I was clutching and defending the blanket, he picked up his phone to set an alarm, then asked casually.
“Mm-hmm.”
I answered softly and slid down to lie flat. The room light went off immediately, and I blinked vacantly while staring at the ceiling. I was pressed so firmly into the corner that my arm touched the wall and felt a bit cold.
I sneaked a glance at the spot next to me in the darkness. Won Dogyeong seemed to be lying neatly in place, a bit of distance away. Seeing him lying completely still, staring at the ceiling, it really didn’t look like he had any intention of touching me, despite how adamantly he’d insisted we sleep together.
Really, not even a little.
At the very least, I’d thought he’d try something like using pheromones as an excuse to hold me while sleeping, and I’d been furiously running simulations on how to refuse—but he seemed to have absolutely no such intentions.
The space beside me was so quiet I couldn’t tell if he was already asleep or still awake.
I’d definitely wanted it this way…
…So what is this lukewarm feeling?
Is it just me? Really?
I squinted in the darkness, but it wasn’t like I could see anything, nor could I grope around with my hands to confirm. Whether I was clutching at my unsettled feelings and tearing at the blanket or not, to make matters worse, he soon seemed to fall asleep, and the sound of even breathing began to fill the space.
I couldn’t believe this situation at all, so I held my hand under his nose to check if he was really sleeping, and he really was.
I returned to my spot and rubbed my nose in bewilderment. I was beyond flustered—I was almost embarrassed.
He said he likes me, didn’t he?
I’m lying right next to him, but he doesn’t want to… touch me?
…Is he a saint or something?
I… can’t even kick off this blanket right now? But Won Dogyeong isn’t?
…He’s falling asleep?
And so I spent the night with my eyes wide open until the early morning hours deepened. Listening to that carefree breathing, I was too worried about the days ahead when I’d have to fall asleep like this—I couldn’t sleep at all.
I barely managed to pry my dry eyes open at the loud blaring of the alarm. Won Dogyeong hurriedly reached out to turn off the alarm, then carefully extracted himself from the bed as quietly as possible. In the process, our eyes met as I lay there staring blankly at him, and he smiled awkwardly.
“Sleep more.”
“What time is it?”
“Seven.”
“I’ll just get up.”
I heavily lifted my upper body. Won Dogyeong must have slept very deeply—his complexion was smooth and glowing.
Perhaps feeling good from the morning, he grinned when our eyes met. I stared blankly at his face sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the window, then asked.
“…Did you sleep well?”
“Yep.”
He answered clearly, then tilted his head at me.
I don’t even need to see my face to know. It must look haggard. Since I didn’t sleep.
“Was sleeping together uncomfortable? Are you tired?”
“No, I slept well too.”
I answered through gritted teeth.
“Yeah? The bed wasn’t too small?”
“Uh… it was fine.”
Because you were stuck to the edge sleeping like you were dead, so it was spacious.
Won Dogyeong said that was a relief and left the room, saying he’d make breakfast. I flopped back down on the bed and tore at my hair.
This is ridiculous.
I knew he was sleeping, but he really slept well? That soundly?
But I couldn’t sleep…?
I rubbed my face roughly. This was a matter of pride. I felt like a corner of my heart had been deeply wounded somehow.
I buried my face in the blanket and let out a silent scream, then suddenly widened my eyes at a thought that flashed through my mind.
…No, no.
It’s a hormonal issue, this is.
They said that when omegas enter a stable period, they instinctively crave their partner’s pheromones, so their sex drive increases.
So this isn’t my sex drive—it’s instinct. Instinct.
I tried hard to soothe myself, but it didn’t make me feel much better. In the end, the fact remained that I didn’t sleep properly while Won Dogyeong got such a good night’s sleep his face was all smooth and glowing.
Why don’t alphas have that?
Why am I always the one crying, not sleeping—what is this?
It’s unfair.
Grumbling, I sluggishly got myself up again and went to the bathroom to wash my face. I brushed my teeth too and dampened my sticking-up hair to smooth it down.
In the mirror sat a haggard face, damp with water. I usually look a bit tired anyway, but today the area under my eyes was particularly sunken.
I gripped the sink and glared at the mirror.
…Am I that unattractive?
I thought that even if I’m nothing special, I’m at least… not bad.
No, even if I’m that unattractive, if you like me, shouldn’t you not be able to sleep like that?
I stood there for a while with water droplets dripping from the ends of my hair, then sighed and turned around. I roughly patted my face dry with a towel and headed to the kitchen.
I plopped down in a chair at the table and slumped listlessly. Won Dogyeong, who’d just set down the rolled omelet, gently brushed back my still-damp hair.
“You’ll catch a cold.”
He brought over a fresh towel and lightly rubbed my head to shake off the moisture. My scalp tickled at the gentle touch. I lifted my head and watched his face appearing and disappearing through the gaps in the moving towel, then complained.
“Must be nice being handsome?”
“All of a sudden?”
Won Dogyeong asked back with a strange expression, then seemed to think he should return the compliment and began studying my face intently. After doing that for a while, he scrutinized my complexion thoroughly and quirked an eyebrow.
“I was thinking this earlier too, but why do you look so tired today?”
This is really infuriating…
I silently picked up my spoon and gestured for him to stop and sit down too. I was just deflated now.
Ah, the rolled omelet is delicious. Must be nice being handsome, sleeping well, and cooking well too.
