Correction Chapter 12

And that year, with Jungmin’s wholehearted support, Youngmin got accepted into Korea University’s Department of Food and Nutrition through the regular admissions process. Their parents were relieved, and Shinwoo hyung was happy, but Jungmin felt a little complicated. He had hoped Youngmin would go to a different university, but fate, ironically, brought the three of them together again.

It was the day before their high school graduation, which marked the end of the year. Although already adults, Jungmin, wearing his school uniform and preparing for the graduation ceremony as the student representative, was running around the school frantically.

“Hey, is Youngmin now Kim Joohwan’s?”

“No, aren’t those two close anyway?”

“Still, it’s a bit much today…?”

Strange whispers pricked his ears, but he deliberately ignored them and went to the classroom.

“Hey, Shin Youngmin! Did you bring the…?”

He had asked Youngmin to bring the supplies he had bought the day before, since he had left them at home on his way to school… Sure enough, only Youngmin’s bag was guarding his seat.

There was no need to look for him. The gazes of those who had been whispering strangely earlier were focused on one spot. That’s where Youngmin was. There was a bench on the right side of the playground where the flowerbeds were, and Youngmin and Joohwan were there.

It wasn’t a big deal that the two were together, but somehow the whispers he had heard earlier bothered him, so he watched them closely. Youngmin was clinging close to Joohwan’s side. Sometimes, he would caress Joohwan’s body, and sometimes they would whisper to each other, close enough that their lips almost touched. They had the air of lovers.

At that sight, Jungmin cheered inwardly. Thank goodness. The new target is Kim Joohwan! Yes, it’s better if he ends up with Joohwan. Then he won’t bother Shinwoo hyung in college, right?

They really look good together. They’re a match made in heaven! Jungmin earnestly cast a spell in his heart, wishing them happiness, and even gathered all the gods he knew and prayed.

“What are you doing?”

Huh? That’s impossible. He heard a voice that couldn’t be here. Is he hearing things now?

“Shin Jungmin? Jungmin?”

Jungmin’s eyes shot open. He slowly looked to his side, and Yoo Shinwoo was smiling at him.

“Shinwoo hyung?”

“Yes. It’s Shinwoo hyung.”

“Why are you here, hyung?”

“You left this behind, right?”

Shinwoo held out a paper bag. It was the one he had asked Youngmin to bring.

“Why do you have this…?”

“I went to your house to greet your parents with my father after a long time, and your mother asked the driver to deliver this because you had left it, so I said I would bring it. Since third-year students probably don’t have classes around this time, I thought it wouldn’t be a burden, so I came. Here.”

“Thank you. Really.”

Jungmin was truly happy. So much so that he felt like he could fly away. He had felt stupid and pathetic for leaving the supplies behind, but now that such a good thing had happened, he even wanted to praise himself for leaving them.

“Are the preparations going well?”

“Yeah, hyung, how did you manage to prepare all of this? I was newly impressed. I understand why you were so busy with this last year.”

“Right?”

Shinwoo was answering, but his gaze seemed to be directed elsewhere, so Jungmin raised his head and followed his line of sight. Youngmin and Joohwan were still there.

He saw Shinwoo clench his fist.

“Hyung, do you want to have lunch?”

“Hmm?”

“It’s lunchtime, and I haven’t eaten yet. How about you, hyung?”

“Okay, let’s do that. I’d like to try the school lunch again after a long time.”

“Right? The quality of the school lunches has improved a lot in the past year, so you’ll be satisfied, hyung.”

Jungmin placed the paper bag on his desk and walked side-by-side with Shinwoo. They chatted about this and that while eating lunch. He made sure to ask Shinwoo how he felt about being back at school after so long, and Jungmin asked him in detail about how to prepare for the ceremony and if there was anything he had missed in the process. Thanks to that, Shinwoo busily answered and shared his experiences with Jungmin.

After lunch, Shinwoo, having some time, went to the gymnasium and helped Jungmin with the preparations. Around 3 p.m., the preparations were mostly done, and it was time to go home.

Jungmin carefully climbed down the ladder he had been using to put up letters on the wall.

“Jungmin, be careful.”

“Yes, yes.”

He had climbed up and down this ladder countless times today alone. Still, Jungmin inwardly liked Shinwoo’s concern and smiled as he stepped down a rung. At that moment, he slipped.

“Whoa!”
“Jungmin!”

Thankfully, Shinwoo caught him, and since it wasn’t that high, he wasn’t hurt.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, oh, that startled me.”

“That’s why I told you to be careful.”

“I got careless. It’s a good thing it wasn’t that high, hyung. Right?”

Not wanting to worry Shinwoo, Jungmin deliberately laughed and tried to brush off the situation. But Shinwoo’s expression wasn’t very good. His thumb brushed Jungmin’s cheek, and it stung slightly.

“Ow, why does my cheek hurt?”

“You’re scratched.”

“Huh? Scratched?”

He took out his phone and looked at his face. His cheek really was scratched. It’s absurd. It seemed that while gripping the ladder tightly as he slipped, his face had brushed against it and gotten scratched without him realizing it. The surface of the ladder was rough wood, too….

“Let’s go to the nurse’s office.”

“No. It’ll heal quickly if I leave it alone.”

When Jungmin rubbed it with the back of his hand, Shinwoo sighed and grabbed his hand.

“Don’t rub it.”

Today is truly a happy day. Jungmin’s heart pounded so hard he wanted to cry. He wanted to confess to Shinwoo right then and there. But it wouldn’t do, would it? He’s scared… He doesn’t want to break this happiness. He wants to enjoy it a little longer.

“Shinwoo hyung, shall we go home together? Thanks to you, I finished early.”

“Okay. Let’s.”

“I’ll get Youngmin.”

“No, let’s go together.”

He wanted to leave Youngmin and go just with Shinwoo… But that wouldn’t do. Jungmin’s shoulders slumped, and he walked heavily.

As expected, Youngmin wasn’t in the classroom. Seeing his backpack and everything else still there, it seemed he hadn’t come back to the classroom since then. Is he still with Kim Joohwan? Isn’t he in class?

“I’ll go look for Youngmin. You stay here, hyung.”

“I told you, let’s go together. Let’s stop by the nurse’s office on the way and put some ointment on your cheek.”

“Even though I said it’s okay….”

This is driving me crazy. Is it this nice to have hyung constantly worrying about me? Let’s hurry to the nurse’s office. Finding Youngmin wasn’t urgent, so he walked slowly, wanting to spend more time alone with Shinwoo.

“Fuck. That impotent bastard.”

At that moment, the door to the nurse’s office, their destination, opened, and Youngmin came out fuming. At the sight, Shinwoo pulled Jungmin back and quickly went to Youngmin.

Youngmin was wearing his school uniform, but it was a mess. His tie was loose, none of the buttons on his shirt were properly fastened, and the buckle of his uniform pants was undone, looking as though his underwear would be exposed if someone pulled on them. Above all, Youngmin’s face was flushed red, as if he had a fever.

“Youngmin.”

“Ah, Shinwoo hyung? What are you doing here?”

Youngmin tried to straighten his posture, but he kept stumbling as if his strength was draining. Shinwoo supported him. Youngmin readily clung to Shinwoo.

“Did you… not take your suppressants?”

“Suppressants? Why would I take those? And my heat is still far off.”

“But your pheromones….”

“This is… because of that guy in there, my pheromones are being released.”

Shinwoo frowned. Jungmin, on the other hand, couldn’t understand the situation. He understood heat and pheromones, of course, but it felt like there was a more intimate world between them that he couldn’t grasp.

“Are your pheromones… strong?”

“Ha… You’re in no condition. I’ll take you home.”

“Mmm… Ah, but my legs feel weak… Carry me.”

Youngmin clung to Shinwoo and spoke. It was a clear act of coquetry, but Shinwoo melted and quickly carried Youngmin on his back. Shinwoo passed by Jungmin’s side with quick steps. Jungmin knew he should follow, but he was worried about the nurse’s office. He felt he should see the face of whoever had bothered Youngmin, so he carefully entered the nurse’s office. And he couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Kim Joohwan…?”

Because Kim Joohwan was sitting there with his shirt almost completely off. He frowned slightly as he looked at Jungmin.

Under the bed were a mess of torn condom wrappers and tissues. Did they do it in the nurse’s office…? Jungmin’s face paled.

Thinking that he needed to clean it up quickly before the school nurse arrived, Jungmin quickly closed the door and tried to pick up the things on the floor. Joohwan grabbed the back of Jungmin’s neck as he was squatting down to pick up a condom wrapper and forcibly pulled him up.

“Ugh!!”

At the force constricting his throat, Jungmin stood up abruptly and glared at Joohwan.