He had refused Jeonghan twice, but Jeonghan didn’t seem particularly offended. It was just that the resistance wasn’t meaningful.
Jeonghan, who cupped Wooyeon’s cheeks and the back of his neck with both hands, quickly approached and bit onto Wooyeon’s lips. With a smack, the lips parted immediately, and Wooyeon opened his eyes to look at Jeonghan. The lips touching again was an instant. As Jeonghan swallowed Wooyeon’s lips, the plump lips were crushed into pink beneath Jeonghan’s lips.
“Mm, ngh……”
Wooyeon staggered and grabbed both of Jeonghan’s arms. As Jeonghan’s large hand stroked the back of Wooyeon’s head and nape, Wooyeon trembled following that touch.
Jeonghan’s eyes narrowed toward Wooyeon, then closed again, leaving behind a hint of a smile. The feeling of the clumsy tongue wrapping moistly was good. As their lips precariously parted, Wooyeon pushed Jeonghan away with barely opened eyes and a trembling body.
“Move.”
“Sunbae.”
Naturally, there was no impact on Jeonghan at all. Jeonghan’s hand passed Wooyeon’s cheek again and caressed his nape. Wooyeon raised his hand and swatted away Jeonghan’s hand.
“Why do you keep doing this to me…… Don’t do this.”
Even while saying that, Wooyeon lowered his voice, worried it might be heard outside. Jeonghan paid no mind.
“What?”
“……”
“Ah.”
Jeonghan made a briefly contemplating expression. And soon a smile slowly bloomed across that face.
“Kissing?”
At the gentle tone, Wooyeon looked at Jeonghan sharply. As if Wooyeon’s glaring meant nothing, Jeonghan was smiling faintly. Wooyeon was angry at that calm attitude.
“Didn’t I tell you?”
Jeonghan raised his hand and pressed Wooyeon’s lower lip with his thumb, then cupped his chin. Under the gentle touch, Wooyeon’s plump lips were pressed down. Jeonghan seemed quite pleased with the lips wet with his saliva and smiled with satisfaction.
“When I touch sunbae’s lips, they’re soft and feel good.”
It was a reason so simple it was deflating. When Wooyeon staggered and tried to avoid Jeonghan, Jeonghan cupped Wooyeon’s cheeks and nape with both hands again. At the gaze they inevitably met again, Wooyeon’s eyes grew moist.
“Were you so upset by my saying I want to do it with sunbae?”
Still cupping Wooyeon’s cheeks and nape with both hands, Jeonghan asked. It was a distance where their lips could be swallowed again at any moment. Wooyeon gulped down his saliva, then pushed Jeonghan’s shoulders with both hands and passed by Jeonghan’s side. It seemed he finally learned that it was dangerous to have his back against the wall.
“No, I just don’t understand.”
“That’s what you don’t understand?”
It was Wooyeon who didn’t understand. Wooyeon asked back while wiping his lips wet with Jeonghan’s saliva with the back of his hand. What was the reason for kissing like this so often? Was it simple fun after all?
“Usually people get hurt when I say I don’t want to.”
At Jeonghan’s arrogant words, Wooyeon turned to look at Jeonghan and let out a breath as if dumbfounded.
“Sorry, but I’m not the kind of person who sleeps with just anyone when the mood strikes.”
Jeonghan sat perched on the table and looked at Wooyeon. Long legs stretched out beneath his imposing build. At those resolute words, Jeonghan smiled while caressing his mouth with one hand.
“Then why did you sleep with me that time?”
Wooyeon met Jeonghan’s gaze with even his breath stopped. He couldn’t say anything. It was because of your pheromones—he wanted to say that in his head, but the words wouldn’t come out. Jeonghan smiled brightly while looking at Wooyeon like that.
“Sunbae’s ears turned really red.”
Was Jeonghan happy then, or was he amused?
* * *
In the early morning hours, Wooyeon, who got on the apartment elevator, mechanically pressed 19 and looked at the mirror hanging on the wall. Perhaps because he hadn’t slept much, his face seemed haggard.
‘Then why did you sleep with me that time?’
Jeonghan’s voice and face from that time kept coming to mind.
Whew.
Wooyeon sighed and pressed his forehead against the mirror. The milk bag in his hand knocked thud thud against the elevator wall.
Ding, with the sound, the elevator stopped on the 19th floor. Wooyeon, who quickly got off the elevator, skillfully put milk into the milk bag hanging at the apartment entrance, then got on the elevator again. 1st, 4th, 7th, 14th floor. With movements as if measured with a ruler, Wooyeon pressed the elevator buttons for the floors to deliver milk. Wooyeon sighed at Jeonghan’s voice that kept coming to mind.
When Wooyeon pressed the close button, the door was slowly closing. At that moment, someone came out on the 19th floor and called Wooyeon.
“Excuse me. The milk……”
“Ah, yes!”
When flustered Wooyeon repeatedly pressed the open button, fortunately the elevator door opened again. Wooyeon, who got off the elevator, walked toward the resident who only stuck their face out. She had a face full of sleepiness as if she hadn’t woken up long ago. The elevator was going down alone to the 14th floor without taking Wooyeon.
“We canceled the milk here now. You kept putting it in.”
“Ah…… I’m sorry.”
Wooyeon received the milk the resident held out with both hands and bowed his head deeply. With a bang, the heavy front door closed.
Wooyeon sighed and turned around to look at the elevator again. The elevator was already on the 7th floor. Nothing’s going right.
Wooyeon felt frustrated at himself, as if his screws had come loose. Things like my emotions, things like my pride aren’t important to me at all right now…… Wooyeon pressed the elevator button and leaned his body against the fire hydrant next to the elevator. I need to go around the next building a bit faster.
Wooyeon tried hard to think about his part-time job. After finishing, go to the bakery, then school…….
A sigh burst from Wooyeon’s mouth again.
* * *
「I reserved library study room A8.」
「It starts at 3:30.」
Just because there were no overlapping classes that day didn’t mean he could avoid it. Wooyeon read the message Jeonghan sent, then raised his gaze to look at the study room’s nameplate.
A8.
It was 3:18, so it was almost time for the group meeting to start. Unable to delay any longer, Wooyeon reached out his hesitating hand, grabbed the study room handle, and turned it. Since it was an assignment with grades at stake, he couldn’t give up either.
“You’re not late.”
Inside the study room, Jeonghan was alone. Should I have come a bit later? Confusion showed on Wooyeon’s face, who had thought other group members would also be there. He didn’t know they would be alone together like this.
“The weather was really nice today.”
When Jeonghan suddenly stood up from his seat, Wooyeon tensed at the abruptly changed height of his gaze. Jeonghan, who slowly approached Wooyeon frozen by the door, reached out and closed the open door while keeping his gaze fixed on Wooyeon. Behind Wooyeon, a click of the door was heard.
“Where are the other group members?”
“Well. They’ll come soon, I guess.”
With one hand still holding the doorknob, Jeonghan approached close to Wooyeon. At the body scent that quickly drew near, Wooyeon reflexively stepped back. Jeonghan smiled as if he’d expected it and cornered Wooyeon.
“Have you thought about it?”
His large hand stroked his fine-textured hair with an affectionate touch. Wooyeon turned his anxious eyes to look around the study room. The wall on the hallway side next to the entrance was pierced with opaque glass. Where Wooyeon and Jeonghan were was a blind spot behind the door, so you couldn’t see exactly what they were doing, but that wasn’t a reassuring factor. Wooyeon turned his gaze back toward Jeonghan.
“Think about what?”
“You know. In my own way, I gave sunbae time and didn’t even contact you during that period.”
Wooyeon was dumbfounded, wondering if there was anyone in the world who would say to become sex partners so affectionately.
In the relationship between himself and Jeonghan, Jeonghan was already the person in power who held the upper hand. With Jeonghan’s power, Wooyeon’s most precious person could continue living, and with his money, she was obtaining peace.
“I thought about it.”
As if interested, Jeonghan tilted his head and continued the gaze planted on Wooyeon.
“The proposal you made. Yeah, it’s not bad. No, for me it’s a profitable deal. You’ll give me suppressants, give me pheromones if needed, and even have sex with me on top of that.”
“So?”
“You’ll be at a loss instead, will that be okay?”
Unlike the content, Wooyeon’s voice had an edge to it. Laughter burst from Jeonghan who was listening.
“Sunbae, if I watch you carefully, do you know you’re really an interesting person?”
Wooyeon couldn’t distinguish whether it was truly funny, or if he was happy, or neither. Wooyeon was quietly looking at Jeonghan’s face that burst into laughter.
“If I’m okay with it?”
“……”
“Then is it settled?”
Beautifully curved eyes turned toward Wooyeon, and Wooyeon calmly stared into those eyes.
“But there’s a condition.”
“What is it?”
“Until I pay back all your money, no.”
The smile slowly disappeared from Jeonghan’s face. It was a face that didn’t quite understand.
“Money?”
“My mom’s hospital bills.”
As if he’d never thought such an answer would come, Jeonghan furrowed his brow.
“That’s nothing to me. Were you worried about that?”
“It’s not like I’m offering you sex tributes.”
Jeonghan turned his head in disbelief at Wooyeon’s answer.
“Am I understanding this correctly right now?”
“You are.”
“Usually, wouldn’t people just ask to forget about that money?”
