Chapter 43

From the moment Kwon Rian entered the lecture hall until the class ended, Kim Taeju’s eyes remained fixed upon him. Taeju had ample reason for his relentless staring—the Omega pheromone fragrance that always drifted from Rian was entirely absent. A guy who perpetually leaked his scent so damply had suddenly produced no fragrance at all today. Driven by peak curiosity, Kim Taeju scrutinized Rian without letting up.

Just what happened to him? Did he swallow a whole handful of suppressant pills before coming? Because his brother Yugyeom ordered him to?

The moment class let out and the stream of students headed for the cafeteria, Kim Taeju rushed straight over to stick to Rian’s side. Shaking off their other classmates, Taeju guided him down an empty, secluded walkway.

Rian looked around the empty room, asking curiously, “Uh… where did the others go?”

“They went ahead,” Taeju replied smoothly.

Kim Taeju threw an arm around Rian’s shoulders, leaning close with easy intimacy. He settled into the adjacent chair. “Did you get home all right yesterday? Your hyung didn’t scold you, did he?”

At Taeju’s seemingly concerned tone, Rian let down his guard and nodded. Recalling the shameless, erotic acts he had performed under the guise of ‘discipline’ when his brother returned at dawn, Rian felt his cheeks flush scarlet.

Noticing Kwon Rian’s face burning bright red, Kim Taeju felt a sudden flash of displeasure, but he kept it hidden behind an easy smile.

“Hmm, I thought you’d get scolded terribly, but I guess not. What a relief,” Taeju said.

Rian offered a bashful, grateful smile. “Yeah. Thanks for worrying about me.”

Innocent as ever, Rian simply assumed Taeju was genuinely concerned and smiled shyly. That harmless smile sent a dizzying rush through Taeju’s head. The more Taeju looked at him, the more maddeningly adorable Rian seemed. Ever since yesterday’s drinking session, a wild craving had clawed at Taeju—an urge to bury his nose in the boy’s tender flesh and inhale his intoxicating pheromones until he lost his mind.

Even so, Kim Taeju decided to probe into what had been puzzling him all morning.

“By the way…” Taeju began.

Taeju brought his face right next to Rian’s ear, shielding his mouth as he lowered his voice. He perked up his ears as Taeju leaned in like someone about to share a great secret. Perhaps because summer was approaching, the heat radiating from Kim Taeju made the air feel muggy and thick. Even so, Rian didn’t push him away.

“Yeah?” Rian asked, blinking inquisitively.

With wide, round eyes, Rian waited submissively like a rabbit for his friend’s next words.

Taeju leaned across the desk, his nostrils flaring slightly. “Why don’t I smell your pheromones today?”

“Ah…” Rian murmured, taken aback.

Frowning in puzzlement, Taeju asked, “You’re always leaking them everywhere, but today there’s nothing at all… What gives? Did you take suppressants?”

“Well, that’s…” Rian stammered.

Rian’s face flushed in a split second. Covering his mouth with a small hand, Kwon Rian curved his eyes into a bashful grin. Was this really something to be bashful about, let alone smile over?

Taeju tilted his head, watching him with puzzled eyes.

Rian fidgeted with his sleeves, murmuring hesitantly, “Actually…”

“Yeah, what is it?” Taeju urged.

Frustrated by Kwon Rian’s endless stalling, Taeju grew increasingly impatient. He pulled Rian’s shoulder in tighter, pressing for an answer. Unsettled by Taeju’s heavy physical contact, Rian gently slipped the arm off his shoulder.

“I sprayed… just a little bit of suppressant perfume,” Rian answered sheepishly.

“Suppressant perfume? Why all of a sudden?” Taeju asked, dumbfounded.

What a waste. Kwon Rian’s scent was the only Omega pheromone Kim Taeju could actually smell, so he couldn’t comprehend why Rian had done that. Even if Kwon Rian did trail his pheromones far more sloppily than other Omegas.

Rian pressed his lips together, rolling his eyes as he considered the matter. Truth be told, Rian also felt his brother was being a bit over the top. Only Alphas could pick up his scent anyway, and Alphas weren’t exactly common… Besides, nothing bad had ever happened until now.

His brother had definitely seemed conscious of Kim Taeju. While drinking with friends without permission was certainly part of the issue, what Yugyeom truly hated was that Kim Taeju had been there with him.

No matter how oblivious Rian might be, he wasn’t completely blind to that. Yet the reason Rian couldn’t bring himself to cut Taeju off coldly, despite how closely Taeju clung to his side, was because Taeju treated him with such friendly warmth.

Not only had Rian lacked friends since childhood, but Taeju had even apologized yesterday for crossing the line. Seeing Taeju worry over him now actually made Rian feel rather happy.

Rian genuinely wished his brother wouldn’t misunderstand. Taeju was a much better friend than Yugyeom made him out to be.

Taeju leaned back with a rueful grin. “I always loved your scent, Rian. What a pity.”

“Ah… really?” Rian asked, his eyes widening.

Kim Taeju smacked his lips and muttered with open regret. At that, Kwon Rian’s face flushed as red as a ripe tomato once more. Hearing that his Omega pheromones smelled wonderful couldn’t fail to please him. Rian felt his guard softening helplessly.

Watching Rian, Taeju sneered inwardly. He doesn’t even realize saying he smells good means I want to fuck him. Clueless idiot.

Blushing shyly, Rian mumbled, “Well, it’s just that Hyung applied the inner perfume on me, so…”

“What?” Taeju blurted out.

Rian ducked his head. “Inner perfume…”

Kim Taeju furrowed his brow at the unheard-of term. He knew what perfume was, and he knew what ‘inner’ meant, but where on earth would anyone spray that kind of suppressant perfume…? Then, as an illicit fantasy flashed through his mind, the front of Kim Taeju’s trousers swelled on its own.

Hah, fuck. Is he saying he sprayed it on his underwear?

This guy is unbelievable. With a heated flush rising on his face, Kim Taeju stared down at Kwon Rian’s pure, innocent expression.

“Where exactly do you spray that stuff?” Taeju asked slyly, playing dumb.

Taeju pressed with an innocent facade. At that, Rian’s face burned a scorching crimson, looking ready to burst at any second. He flushed scarlet, whispering faintly in reply, “U-Underwear.”

“Ah, down there…” Taeju drawled slowly.

Underwear. Kwon Rian’s underwear. Taeju couldn’t stop picturing it, and his imagination refused to halt there. After all, hadn’t Kim Taeju always been dying to know what was hidden inside Kwon Rian’s underwear?

Taeju drew a sharp breath and frantically fanned his heated face with his hand.

“What’s wrong? Are you sick? Are you hot?” Rian asked, looking at him with concern.

Taeju yanked at his collar, snapping irritably, “How could I not be hot?”

“Huh?” Rian asked, taken aback.

Rian’s worried inquiry had provoked an irritable snap from Taeju before he quickly caught himself and regained his cool.

Letting out an awkward laugh, Taeju said, “Uh, yeah, it’s pretty hot, isn’t it?”

“What should we do? The weather really has gotten a lot warmer,” Rian agreed innocently.

“Sss, but hey, Rian,” Taeju began, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yeah?” Rian asked.

Taeju lowered his voice, his gaze darkening. “If you spray that stuff on your underwear… does your flesh inside remain unchanged?”

“Huh?” Rian muttered, utterly bewildered.

Kwon Rian opened his eyes wide in total confusion. Kim Taeju ran his tongue over his dry lips.

“I mean, do your fluids stop coming out?” Taeju probed.

“…Wh-What do you mean?” Rian stammered, flustered.

Sensing that Taeju’s intent was somehow indecent, Rian felt his pupils tremble. Taeju stared fixedly at Rian’s throat as the smaller man swallowed dryly, then leaned down close to Rian’s ear, his gaze sweeping over that slender jawline.

Leaning right into his personal space, Taeju whispered crudely, “I’m asking if cunt juice still leaks from your pussy.”

“Aargh!” Rian shrieked in shock.

Stumbling back, Taeju yelled, “Ugh! Hey!”

Utterly appalled by Kim Taeju’s out-of-nowhere question, Rian jerked his head up in terror. His forehead smashed square into Taeju’s face at point-blank range, the jarring impact throwing Kwon Rian stumbling backward.

“Ouch…” Rian whimpered, clutching his head.

Taeju could see that Rian’s forehead was far redder than his own. Just how hard did he hit me, seriously? Kim Taeju rubbed his forehead while staring at Kwon Rian.

Checking on him in concern, Taeju asked, “Are you okay, Rian?”

Rian winced as the rough fabric scraped his tender flesh. “Huh? Ugh…”

“What was that all of a sudden?” Taeju grumbled.

“Y-You scared me! Asking something like that out of nowhere!” Rian cried in distress.

Kwon Rian answered with a tearful, miserable face. How could anyone not be frightened by such a sinister question? Caught completely off guard, Kim Taeju’s vulgar words had been more than enough to plunge Kwon Rian into deep humiliation and panic.

P-Pussy cunt juice…? But how did he know I have a pussy? Did he really know when he said that? No way…

Rian didn’t want to believe such filthy words had actually come from the mouth of a friend.

Kim Taeju let out a heavy sigh, letting a sliver of annoyance show on his face. Taeju ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Seriously, why are you getting so mad over something like that? I already asked you before—just help me out until my pheromones stabilize.”

“I-I said I’d be your friend, but talking so vulgarly out of the blue is… And what on earth are you even asking me to do?” Rian protested, his voice shaking.

“No, look—we are friends. That’s true, but we’re an Alpha and an Omega… All I’m saying is, there’s no need to freak out over talk like this,” Taeju reasoned, trying to play it down.

Trying to patch things up felt awkward and dubious. Kim Taeju wiped away his annoyed expression in an instant and put on a bright smile.

“So don’t misunderstand me, Rian. If my choice of words was a bit excessive, I apologize,” Taeju said coaxingly.

Rian adjusted his rumpled shirt, his voice firm. “Yeah. Still, I’d appreciate it if you’d be a bit more careful about that sort of thing from now on.”

“Got it,” Taeju replied.

Rian watched him walk off, murmuring under his breath, “Still, you sure know how to apologize quickly…”

“Does that make you dislike me?” Taeju asked.

It just makes him seem a bit frivolous… I thought he was so cold at first, but maybe I was mistaken.

“No, it’s not that,” Rian answered.

Rian hurried forward with brisk, quick steps. The walls he had lowered around Kim Taeju felt as though they were being rebuilt all over again. In many ways, Kim Taeju had strange tendencies. Unable to let his guard down completely, Rian felt an uneasy flutter in his chest. His brother really seemed to have an eye for people—Kim Taeju was definitely a bit of a pervert.

“That little pipsqueak,” Taeju muttered under his breath.

Kim Taeju watched Rian’s retreating back, muttering softly before lengthening his stride to follow after him.

Jogging after him, he called out, “Rian, wait up! Let’s walk together!”

“Yeah,” Rian replied softly.

Patter, patter. Even while answering, Rian hastened his footsteps as if fleeing, his small back rapidly pulling away into the distance.

Kim Taeju let out an amused snort.

So that fucking hyung of his sprayed all sorts of perfume directly onto this tiny bastard’s underwear, huh?

Taeju spat under his breath, “Fucking irritating.”