Seon Wooyeon never knew how to hide his feelings. It was true when he first fell for him, and it remained the same now that he was aware of his fleeting emotions. Whenever his heart raced and his gaze followed the other, he felt helplessly carried away by the breeze.
Today, too, Wooyeon absentmindedly admired Dohyun’s side profile. Initially, he stole glances discreetly, but at some point, he was outright staring. Garam had fallen asleep on the makeshift bed, and Seongyu had left for other matters, leaving no one to stop him.
‘He’s really handsome.’
His straight nose seemed meticulously crafted, and even his slightly furrowed eyebrows, the faint double eyelids on his left eye, and his tightly closed lips all captivated Wooyeon’s heart.
Come to think of it, even during tutoring sessions, Dohyun always sat on Wooyeon’s right side. The distance was close enough for their shoulders to occasionally brush, and the angle was perfect to see his eyelids fold when he smiled. When Dohyun tilted his head now and then, Wooyeon could catch a whiff of Dohyun’s distinctive, pleasant scent.
“….”
Yes, just like now.
Dry pheromones, subtle and reminiscent of dry autumn leaves, enveloped his surroundings. Though it was a warm spring day with a gentle breeze, Dohyun’s pheromones were as refreshing as autumn. Wooyeon touched his lips to the hoodie near his neck and rubbed his ear.
Ever since Wooyeon said, ‘Senior, your pheromones are okay,’ Dohyun had increased the amount he emitted daily. It started at a minimal level, and as Wooyeon showed no signs of resistance, it gradually transformed into a more prominent, Alpha-like presence.
After a week, Wooyeon could now sense Dohyun’s proximity with his eyes closed. Of course, if Wooyeon was not an Omega, he might not have noticed.
“It seems you’re having trouble concentrating.”
Dohyun’s gentle voice interrupted Wooyeon’s thoughts. He was writing something in his notebook and asked with a soft tone.
“Did I get something on my face?”
Wooyeon snapped back to attention and turned his head. Unbeknownst to him, he had been gazing at Dohyun while he was deep in thought. It’s not like he’s advertising that he likes him.
“No… you didn’t get anything on your face.”
Wooyeon mumbled and lowered his head. Something did get on his face, but the problem was that it was attractiveness or charm. If he mentioned it, Dohyun would probably find it absurd.
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, let me know.”
“Okay.”
Wooyeon lightly grazed his cheek and focused on his major textbook. With midterms just around the corner, there was no time to daydream like an inexperienced child; he couldn’t afford to ruin the exam.
However, despite such determination, Wooyeon couldn’t go five minutes without looking at Dohyun. His gaze slid discreetly, exploring the firm lips and their surroundings. While admiring Dohyun’s lips, he sighed and put his pen down.
“…It’s not working.”
He stood up and grabbed the cigarette pack he had placed next to him. Startled, Wooyeon widened his eyes, and Dohyun casually swept his hair without much courtesy. In the midst of this, Wooyeon thought that even his tousled hair looked good.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“I’m going to study later. I’ll smoke one and come back.”
Dohyun said so and immediately walked away. While he checked if there was a lighter in the cigarette pack, Wooyeon followed suit.
“I…!”
The incident was too straightforward. Before he could think about it, Wooyeon impulsively blurted out without much consideration. Facing Dohyun, who looked at him with an unknown expression, Wooyeon hesitated and spoke.
“I… I want to smoke too.”
***
In the season when the spring breeze wafted and the rain stopped, the campus was filled with the sweet scent of flowers. The cherry blossoms had half-fallen, but the newly sprouted leaves filled the awkward tree branches. Suppressing the excitement bubbling inside him, Wooyeon followed Dohyun cheerfully.
Since leaving the club room, Dohyun had been walking quickly in silence. It was unusual for him, and Wooyeon found it challenging to catch up. As Wooyeon struggled to keep up due to Dohyun’s widened stride, he glanced back.
“…Are you doing well in your studies?”
Wooyeon lowered his head, putting his hand in the pocket of his hoodie. Rather than doing well, he could hardly recall concentrating properly since last week. Although he managed to get through the quiz on Friday, it wouldn’t have been possible without Dohyun’s help.
“No… The content is difficult, and there’s too much to cover. I can’t focus.”
Unnoticed, their steps had become similar. Despite knowing it was nothing special, Wooyeon’s heart swelled at the fact that he was walking side by side with him. Dohyun looked at Wooyeon, then stared straight ahead with a slight frown.
The smoking area was not far from the club room. Recently renovated with wooden panels for privacy, Dohyun entered and took out a cigarette.
“How about you?”
“Me?”
“Do you smoke?”
Wooyeon awkwardly rummaged through his pockets instead of sitting on the bench. After searching every pocket on his belly and pants, he awkwardly chuckled.
“I think I forgot to bring it with me.”
“Is that so?”
Without saying much, Dohyun lit a cigarette. Wooyeon, mesmerized by the sight of Dohyun covering the cigarette with one hand and igniting it, was in a daze. It never felt like this when Daniel smoked, but when Dohyun did, it seemed like a photoshoot.
“Since when have you been smoking?”
Wooyeon touched the bench and leaned forward. When he continued to stare at Dohyun, he let out a carefree laugh, but then awkwardly turned his head in the opposite direction.
“Just, you know… around the time others start smoking.”
“Did you learn it in the military?”
“No, I smoked even before going to the military.”
The light cigarette smoke dispersed in the air. Looking at the profile of his face turned slightly away, Wooyeon felt a strange sensation as if he had witnessed him smoking from a closer distance before.
“…Can I try it just once?”
Dohyun turned his gaze as if questioning what he just heard. He slowly exhaled smoke while looking at Wooyeon. The exhaled breath mixed with the cigarette smoke.
“I tried it last time. It’s too strong for Omegas.”
“Then… just a puff.”
Wooyeon persisted and pointed to the cigarette he had bitten.
Narrowing his eyes and calculating something, Dohyun approached him. The cigarette held by his long fingers slowly approached Wooyeon’s mouth.
“Just at the end, okay?”
For some reason, it felt oddly intriguing. Wooyeon hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth to bite the tip of the cigarette with his lips. Perhaps because Dohyun was the one smoking, the pleasant pheromones were strong.
“You have to inhale.”
Dohyun whispered in a soothing voice. His observing gaze felt as persistent as hands touching. Enchanted, Wooyeon deeply inhaled the cigarette smoke.
“…Cough!”
The rushed smoke filled his throat sharply. It stung from the back of his nose to his nostrils. In the scent of ash, pheromones, and the peculiar smell of cigarettes, Wooyeon, who had spat out the filter like crazy, coughed.
“Cough, cough—”
Without hesitation, Dohyun put away the cigarette. He discarded the cigarette butt after extinguishing it and went to a vending machine. Then, he returned with an ion drink for Wooyeon.
“It felt strange for some reason.”
“Uh…”
Tears welled up. The sound of Dohyun opening the can was heard beside him. Unable to say anything, Wooyeon squeezed his nose. The smoke seemed to have gone wrong, making his respiratory system tingle.
“Drink it; you’ll feel better.”
Dohyun handed the can to Wooyeon and patted his face. His moist eyes, now slightly swollen, had tears running down them. After closing his mouth briefly, Dohyun slowly stroked Wooyeon’s back.
“Why are you acting so brave when you don’t even smoke?”
Wooyeon barely managed to swallow the beverage in his hand. As he gulped down the contents, the taste of ash was slightly prickly. After Wooyeon swallowed a few more times, Dohyun quietly waited for him to calm down.
After a long bout of coughing, Wooyeon finally managed to clear his throat. With a face that looked like it was about to cry, Wooyeon asked, pressing against his jaw.
“…How did you know I don’t smoke?”
He didn’t smoke, but he had put the cigarette in his mouth a few times. There wasn’t any particular reason; it was just to blend in since everyone else was smoking. Currently, Dohyun’s smoking looked cool, which sparked a bit of curiosity in him.
“I haven’t seen you light it up.”
Dohyun replied gracefully, squinting his eyes. He was quick-witted and observant. Seongyu and Garam still thought Wooyeon was a smoker; when did he figure out the truth?
“I know this might sound funny, but if possible, don’t learn to smoke. It’s best not to smoke at all.”
Feeling a bit scolded, Wooyeon nodded. He had no interest in cigarettes, and he had no intention of smoking, but watching Dohyun made him want to try it. Now that he was exposed as a non-smoker, it was just a formality.
“Don’t start smoking because of me.”
“…!”
Wooyeon widened his eyes and turned to Dohyun. In other words, it meant he would never see Dohyun smoke again. It meant that during outings like today, he would only see Dohyun’s back as he studied.
“Can’t I just come to watch?”
Wooyeon tried to look as pitiful as possible. There was nothing to say if asked why, but he just wanted to push it. Dohyun glanced at Wooyeon and replied with a kind tone.
“If you dislike the smell of cigarettes?”
“I don’t dislike it.”
“How many times have I told you that you can’t lie?”
Wooyeon’s expression changed awkwardly. Seeing his raised eyebrows, Dohyun chuckled softly. Lowering his head, he looked at Wooyeon from a slight angle.
“How many subjects did you take on the midterm exam?”
“…I took five subjects.”
Oddly enough, the tension lifted as soon as their eyes met. Wooyeon felt his heart pounding happily and lowered his gaze. Every time he suddenly realized it, an uncontrollable excitement surged.
“It seems like you couldn’t focus on studying….”
Naturally, he couldn’t concentrate. Not only that, but it was also challenging to maintain composure with Dohyun in front of him. Dohyun saw Wooyeon sulking and, rather than poking fun, softened his voice as if indicating something.
“If you do well on the exams, I’ll give you a reward.”
I sometimes feel like the author teases us with the anticipation of more, but then there’s a time skip. 😩
Thank you for the update
+1
the author’s really good at playing push and pull with their readers😆💛
I can’t wait for the next chapters! My dearest translator, please don’t drop this novel! <33
Hear hear! I feel the same, its too draggy (dragging along too much). I will like to see more interaction and chasing. Of course acknowledgement that they know each other..
NEVER~ I really want others to read this😁💛
I love this story sm!!! thank u, translator!!
glad you’re enjoying this~😁💛
Wonder what the reward will be
Thanks for the chapter
ur welcomee~😁💛
The anticipation is killing me 😭
As always, thank you for this amazing update. We love you ❤️
aww thank you~~ love all of you too<333