And then he held out his hand. If he wanted to hold it, he could just take it — why was he suddenly asking.
“Please hold my hand yourself.”
He drew out the last word and smiled with his eyes creasing, and I immediately reached out and took Chae Jinyeong’s hand. Chae Jinyeong lifted our joined hands and laced his fingers through mine. The fingers sliding softly into place made me flinch for a moment.
Just like that, Chae Jinyeong carefully stroked the back of my hand with his thumb. It was nothing more than holding hands — and yet every nerve I had zeroed in on his touch.
Why is he touching me like this?
The blatantness of it caught me off guard.
Chae Jinyeong smiled prettily and moved his lips, still looking up at me.
“Yuhan, did you know?”
“Know what……”
“Pheromones are kind of like perfume — apparently when you put your pheromones on someone, there are places where they last longer.”
“……How would I know that.”
“Right. That’s why I’m telling you.”
I’m not an omega, and I’m not an alpha like Chae Jinyeong. So Chae Jinyeong, better than anyone, should know I can’t pick up on pheromones. Because I don’t know what scent Chae Jinyeong’s pheromones carry.
Maybe I should’ve asked Lee Seono. Or maybe I should ask him sometime when Chae Jinyeong’s not around.
“I’m still not really used to it myself, but there’s one thing I’ve figured out.”
“……Chae Jinyeong?”
“Apparently pheromones last longer on more delicate skin. Like between your fingers.”
Chae Jinyeong grinned playfully and tugged my wrist toward him in one swift motion. My body slid forward.
“Can I try putting some on you?”
“What?”
“I want to try. I haven’t presented that long ago, so I’m still not used to myself yet……”
Chae Jinyeong dropped the outer corners of his eyes and made the face he knew I couldn’t resist.
“Who else would I ask something like this. You’re the only person I could ever ask in the first place.”
“No, I mean, even if I’m a beta, the thing is, pheromones……”
Could pheromones just…… be put on anyone?
What I’d learned in secondary gender health class was that putting your pheromones on someone was something done only in special relationships with mutual consent. To let others know the person was yours.
My hand twitched at a request so unexpected it left me flustered. I wondered what Chae Jinyeong’s intention behind this was. It didn’t seem like there was any other motive though.
“I presented late, so I don’t really know how to put pheromones on someone or how to control it. The teacher said to get used to it as quickly as possible. So just until I get the hang of it…… help me. Okay?”
Chae Jinyeong lifted the hand he was still holding and pressed it against his own cheek. Then he tilted his head into it and looked up at me steadily with a soft, vulnerable expression.
We’ve been attached at the hip for so long — there’s no way I wouldn’t know. Chae Jinyeong knows exactly which parts of me are weak against him.
Like right now.
“Is that a no?”
“You’re really……”
“Mm-hmm.”
I can’t even smell pheromones — surely just having them on me is fine. It’s not like I’m seeing anyone right now either……. And on top of that, as Chae Jinyeong had said, he was on the late side when it came to presenting. So there was a lot he’d have to work at to get comfortable in his own body.
What is there that I wouldn’t do for Chae Jinyeong.
I looked at him and let out a breath. Then I loosened the tension in my hand and smiled like I was conceding defeat.
“Fine. Do whatever you want.”
The moment my words were out, Chae Jinyeong tightened his grip on our laced fingers. It seemed like something was happening, but I couldn’t feel anything. If he was releasing pheromones, was this whole space filling up with them — or were they only settling onto my body. If it was the latter, that might actually be something to feel pleased about.
In that moment, I found myself curious about the pheromones coming off Chae Jinyeong’s body. He was still looking down at our joined hands. Watching him, I reached up and ran my fingers lightly through the back of his hair. His shoulders flinched briefly. Then, slowly, he lifted his head and met my eyes.
“……Done?”
“If you’re not ready to let go, should I keep holding on?”
Chae Jinyeong shook our still-joined hands and smiled that pretty smile of his. I had no way of knowing what exactly he’d done or how. But seeing that satisfied expression on his face, I figured that was that — and felt satisfied right along with him.
Because Chae Jinyeong was happy.
“I’d be fine holding on longer.”
“If you’re done, that’s enough. Lee Seono’s probably waiting for us.”
“That’s so mean……. I guess I’m the only one who wants to stay just the two of us a little longer. How hurtful.”
Saying that, Chae Jinyeong pulled my hand toward him and rubbed his cheek against the back of it, laughing. The way his lips curved up softly made his face look almost painfully pretty.
I took the handout passed from the seat in front and held it out to the side. But Lee Seono wasn’t taking it — he was just staring at me with a sulky face.
“Take it. You don’t need it?”
“I need it!”
I started flapping it around like I was going to put it away, and only then did Lee Seono grab it. He looked at me steadily with the air of someone who had things to say. Watching a guy his size dither around like that made me laugh despite myself. If you’ve got something to say, just say it.
“Why do you keep looking at me like that.”
I gave Lee Seono a pointed look with a teasing expression. He swept his eyes around the room, then leaned in and said just one thing.
“You ought to be upset about this, you idiot.”
When lunch had come around and I’d sat down across from Lee Seono, who’d already started eating, he’d been almost done with his tray. Even then he’d been watching me and Chae Jinyeong with flustered eyes. Staring at us with something close to disbelief, he’d just been blankly looking on when Chae Jinyeong reached over and stole one of his sausages.
That’s mine!
You should’ve eaten it sooner.
At that playful exchange, I’d reached over and stolen one of Lee Seono’s sausages too. His expression had grown even more despairing.
“……I keep picking up on Chae Jinyeong’s pheromones from you, you know.”
“I know.”
“You know? How?”
What he’d finally worked up to saying after all that deliberating — pheromones. Lee Seono was an alpha. So naturally he’d be sensitive to them. I’d been noticing glances from Lee Seono and others since the cafeteria, and now it made sense — it was the pheromones.
Since I couldn’t feel them, I’d just been thinking there were more people looking over today than usual. Maybe it was actually a relief that serving on the student council had made that kind of attention feel normal, so it didn’t register as anything special. I lifted my arm and sniffed for a moment, but as expected, all I could pick up was the smell of skin.
“I gave permission, that’s how I know. Is it strong?”
“Why would you give permission for that! Are you actually stupid?”
“What do you mean stupid. Keep your voice down.”
The teacher glanced our way, so I ducked my head slightly and shot Lee Seono a look. At that moment my eyes landed on Chae Jinyeong, who was sitting at the far end of the first row away from us. I’d barely turned my head and our eyes had already met — who knows how long he’d been watching.
Chae Jinyeong, chin resting on his hand, moved his lips just slightly after our eyes met. I tilted up one corner of my mouth and gestured for him to look forward. Chae Jinyeong’s eyebrow twitched. That was Chae Jinyeong’s brand of barely-concealed dissatisfaction.
“It’s something Chae Jinyeong needs. And I don’t really mind either way.”
“It’s not a matter of not minding……”
“What can I do, it’s cute when he asks.”
“Cu — cute?”
Lee Seono’s face flooded with disbelief. I lifted his jaw closed with a finger, shutting his gaping mouth, and glanced over at Chae Jinyeong again.
