Humanity Chapter 10.1 - Plan

“Hey, why didn’t Yimyeong come with you?”

It was when Seolyoung was working out alone at the gym. Hyuksoo, the gym owner, tapped him on the shoulder and started a conversation.

He could count on one hand the number of times he had brought Yimyeong to the gym, so he had no idea when they had gotten acquainted. Seolyoung answered briefly.

“He is sick.”

“Sick? Wow, it’s lasting for a really long time. Hasn’t it been about two weeks since he couldn’t come? Where does he hurt so much? Try contacting Inchan. By the way, do you get your health checkups regularly?”

Hyuksoo, a retired national team athlete, was Seolyoung’s very senior sunbae and was usually the nagging type. Annoyed by his questions, Seolyoung slightly turned his head and moved to another piece of equipment. But Hyuksoo quickly followed behind him again.

“By the way, I heard from Inchan that you got your maturity test done?”

“Yes.”

“Did the results come out?”

“Didn’t Inchan hyung tell you?”

“He wouldn’t tell me, said it’s a patient’s private information. What did it say?”

“That is my private information.”

As if interpreting that reaction in his own way, Hyuksoo suddenly let out a sigh, ‘Heooh,’ and glanced around. Then he lowered his voice and asked cautiously.

“Are you, by any chance, a recessive?”

Seolyoung stared at him in disbelief before shaking his head.

“I am not.”

However, Hyuksoo completely ignored him and patted his shoulder as if to comfort him.

“What does it matter if you’re recessive or dominant. You’re a lucky alpha.”

“Ugh, I told you I’m not.”

Seolyoung sighed and replied.

According to the maturity test results, he was indeed a dominant alpha.

‘It’s just that your maturity is a bit delayed. They say cases like this are not entirely unheard of. Just like large fruits ripen late, if this hormone is too strong, it sometimes bursts out explosively at a later time. I think you might be that kind of case.’

Inchan, who had informed him of the results, had added that explanation.

“Anyway, that kid Yimyeong, for a kid as sturdy as him to be sick, there must be something wrong. Tell him to get a health checkup for sure. By the way, that national health checkup they do every two years is completely useless. I’m telling you, it won’t catch anything unless you’re so sick you could be on your deathbed today or tomorrow. Tell him to get a detailed one for sure.”

“Yes, yes.”

Seolyoung pretended to understand. Then, Hyuksoo finally left him alone. Seolyoung once again gripped the equipment and put strength into his forearms.

It was true that Hyuksoo’s words bothered him a little. Yimyeong, hating that he was an omega, was said to rarely do things that would reveal his status. There was no way a guy like that would be getting his national health checkups regularly. He had even heard that Yimyeong disliked showing his ID to others so much that he had not even made a passport.

Wait a minute, a passport is essential if we’re going on a honeymoon….

Seolyoung felt an inner sense of anxiety as he pictured the distant future. He hoped that since Yimyeong was living with him now, his thinking might have changed a little, but thinking back on their past conversations, he still was not sure.

‘How can we get married?’

Why can’t we? We can if we want to.

It was not that he was completely unaware of what Yimyeong meant by the realistic situation. But they were all problems that could be overcome. Above all, to Seolyoung, who had never considered any other option besides Yimyeong, his words had been rather shocking.

“Ugh, let’s stop thinking about it.”

Seolyoung got on the treadmill to shake off his distracting thoughts. And then he started running as if he would break it, at a frightening speed.

A while later, when he came out after finishing his workout, he had a message from Yimyeong.

[Where are you?]

Seolyoung quickly called him. After a short ringing tone, Yimyeong answered the phone.

“Myeong-ah, I was working out. I’m done now. I’ll be home soon.”

—Finish everything you need to do and come slowly.

“Should I buy something on my way? Is there anything you want to eat?”

—I don’t know… Buy whatever you want to eat.

A faint laugh was mixed in at the end of Yimyeong’s usually calm voice. Feeling his mood instantly lift at that laugh, Seolyoung hung up the phone.

On his way home from the gym, he stopped by a department store and bought something for brunch. The basement of the department store near his house was a paradise of desserts. Looking around here and there, Seolyoung bought a tart piled high with strawberries and a tiramisu from a charming little cake shop, and also bought donuts filled with macarons and choux cream.

They were things he himself never touched on a regular day because he was managing his body, but Yimyeong surprisingly liked sweets. Just imagining him eating a cake topped with plenty of cream brought a smile to Seolyoung’s lips.

“I’m home.”

“You’re here?”

As soon as he arrived home, Yimyeong greeted him. In his comfortable clothes, his hair was messy. The sleepiness was evident on his face with its distinct features.

“Did you oversleep?”

Finding his messy face cute, Seolyoung gave a peck on his cheek, and Yimyeong yawned.

“Yeah… Why did you buy so much?”

“Just this and that. You’ve been eating nothing but delivery food all this time. We couldn’t even go out to eat once.”

After finding out that his omega pheromones could be detected, Yimyeong tried not to go to crowded places at all. The fact that they could not go on dates outside was a shame, but if he had to choose, he much preferred it this way. Now, with Yimyeong safely cooped up at home.

“It’s fine. I got to eat a variety of delivery food instead.”

Yimyeong laughed coolly and took the things Seolyoung handed him. Seolyoung kissed Yimyeong’s cheek briefly. At the light sound of the peck, Yimyeong smiled again, his eyes crinkling.

“Seolyoung-ah. But my body is so stiff, I want to work out….”

“Hmm?”

“Can I go to the gym?”

“…Hmm…?”

Seolyoung answered slowly and looked at Yimyeong. He was busy laying out the things Seolyoung had bought on the dining table.

“I’m just getting so antsy. I am worried, but I feel like it would be okay if I go with you….”

What kind of face would he make if I told him I’d set up a home gym so he shouldn’t go out.

Of course, he knew he could not keep Yimyeong inside the house forever. He too thought that would be ridiculous. But if, just if, for some reason he could set up such a situation, he would not refuse. Because his honest feeling was that he did not want to let Yimyeong out into the world.

Just last night, he had fucked him until his lower parts were swollen and puffy. It felt incredibly dangerous for him to calmly show himself to others with a body that dripped water at the mere touch of a hand.

“Hmm?”

Finding Seolyoung’s lack of response strange, Yimyeong demanded an answer again and glanced this way. Seolyoung pulled up the corners of his lips and replied.

“Okay… let’s go together. I know the gym’s passcode. I can talk to Hyuksoo hyung and we can go really early before it opens, or after it closes.”

“Is that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay.”

Saying that, Seolyoung approached Yimyeong and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. As he habitually placed a light kiss on his lips, Yimyeong smiled.

“But you have to go with me, for sure.”

“Okay.”

“If I’m not there, you can’t go either.”

“Got it.”

He spits out his murky possessiveness as if it were a joke. When he said it with a bit of aegyo, Yimyeong, as always, did not take it seriously and accepted it generously. Seolyoung unnecessarily squeezed Yimyeong’s waist tightly with both arms once, as Yimyeong answered lightly.

“Seolyoung-ah, then should we go starting tomorrow?”

“We can do that.”

“Okay. Tomorrow… then together… that tickles.”

As he peppered kisses on his cheek and neck, Yimyeong twisted his body to get away.

“Let’s eat.”

Yimyeong handed him a fork. Seolyoung took it and sat down across from him. While Seolyoung picked at the tiramisu, Yimyeong finished a whole strawberry tart. It seemed to suit his taste.

“Eat the macarons too. And drink some milk.”

“Yeah, this is delicious.”

Yimyeong, who was munching on what was in his mouth, continued.

“By the way, I couldn’t find my dress shoes.”

“Dress shoes?”

“Yeah. I looked in the shoe cabinet and they weren’t there.”

Why did he look for his shoes?

A question arose, but Seolyoung hid his inner thoughts and lied nonchalantly.

“The leather was very worn out. I sent them for repairs.”

“Ah, you did.”

“Why the sudden need for dress shoes? Our foot sizes are similar, so just wear mine. You used to, right.”

“That would work.”

It was when Seolyoung was lost in thought, tapping the table. Yimyeong asked once more.

“And my suit….”

“…Suit…?”

Seolyoung stopped his fingers and looked at Yimyeong. This time, it was truly difficult to control his expression.

“Yeah, but I don’t need it right away.”

So he does need it.

“…It should be somewhere. I’ll look for it.”

Seolyoung lowered his eyes and was lost in thought again. The suit he had come in had already been thrown away long ago. It would have arrived at the incinerator and been burned.

The thought of him searching the closet and the shoe cabinet for his celestial maiden’s clothes while I was not home brought an indescribable wave of anxiety. Why was he looking for a suit and dress shoes that he did not even need to wear right away?

“Let’s get one tailored while we’re at it. A new one.”

“Ah, there’s no need to spend money unnecessarily.”

“No. It’s because I want to give it to you as a gift. You looked really cool in a suit.”

At the gentle words hiding his true feelings, Yimyeong gulped down the cake he had in his mouth. His ears, without fail, turned red.

‧₊˚

[And for our next story. The new human race called Alphas and Omegas are finally heralding the next generation, beyond the first. News from Spain is that the world’s first male omega has successfully given birth. Correspondent Kim Hyunji, please report the news.]

The news from the other side of the globe crossed over to Korea in an instant. Following a few pieces of stock footage, an interview with a man holding a newborn baby and smiling followed. He was the husband, an alpha, and was being interviewed in place of the omega who was recuperating after childbirth. The man holding the baby could not wipe the smile from his face the entire time.

Seolyoung stared at the screen, a little dazed.

‘Pregnancy?’

The interview screen changed, and now the anchor was explaining how low the probability of a male omega’s pregnancy was. However, upon learning that a probability existed, no matter how extremely low, Seolyoung’s heart began to beat faster and faster.

‘If Myeong-ie were to get pregnant, the two of us would….’

Just by getting a glimpse of a future he had not yet been to, Seolyoung was steeped in a joy he could not put into words. A desire to form a perfect union with the person he loved naturally bloomed.

Next, the screen switched to a guest expert segment.

Seolyoung pricked up his ears and listened intently to the expert’s words. The elderly female professor explained in great detail how a fertilized egg implants in a male omega’s uterus, and what kind of efforts from the medical staff went into the delivery.

Until now, he had already come inside Yimyeong so many times it was difficult to count. When showering, Yimyeong would casually swish around inside himself to get the semen out, but he had repeatedly come deep inside him so many times that it would be hard to get clean with just that, so maybe implantation had already occurred.

Seolyoung focused on the screen as if he were watching a thrilling, sweat-inducing match. However, he was deeply disappointed by the words that followed.

[And the probability of pregnancy is high during an alpha’s rut and an omega’s heat cycle. Since these cycles are triggered by each other, anyone in a stable partner relationship can experience them, which means, we can say that there is always a possibility of pregnancy.]

At that point, Seolyoung’s excitement deflated.

He was a half-baked alpha who had never experienced a rut even once. He had sown countless seeds inside Yimyeong until now, but finding out it was all useless felt incredibly empty.

[Dr. Park, are you saying then that we still need to confirm whether the generation will continue?]

[That’s right. The easiest way to confirm the birth of a new species is to see if they are capable of reproduction. To put it simply, lions and tigers can reproduce, but from the second generation onwards, they cannot produce offspring. A few ligers can exist in the world, but that is the reason why a species called liger cannot actually exist.]

[It’s because mating between a liger and a liger failed. So are you saying that for the species of alpha and omega to be officially recognized as a new human race, we need time to confirm the existence of the next generation of humans born between them?]

[That is correct. To see this next generation requires that much time, and also a mature civic consciousness without discrimination. As there is still time, we must strive to create a society where we can live in harmony in the meantime….]

“What are you watching?”

Seolyoung came to his senses and raised his head. Yimyeong, drying his wet hair, was looking down at him.

Seolyoung, who had been watching the screen with his jaw agape without realizing it, fumbled at the corners of his mouth, worried he might have drooled.

“Myeong-ah, Myeong-ah. A male omega gave birth to a baby.”

“What?”

“Isn’t that amazing? Wait a minute. Let’s watch the news.”

Seolyoung, who was flipping through the channels, picked up his phone to find the news he had just seen. Then he found the news clip and showed it to Yimyeong.

“Look. The baby was really pretty. So cute.”

“……”

Yimyeong, who had been in the middle of wiping his face with a towel, stared at the video seriously. He had a pensive expression, his fist brought to his mouth.

Looking at that face, Seolyoung realized that his reaction was quite different from what he had expected.

“Wow… we’re in big trouble.”

Yimyeong, who had watched the news to the end, muttered and handed the phone back to Seolyoung.

“What is?”

“We… did it inside… a lot… until now, didn’t we?”

“We did…?”

Yimyeong put his palm on his slender abdomen with a troubled face. As if there were already a baby inside.

“What do we do?”

Anxiety flickered across Yimyeong’s face as he looked down at Seolyoung. Seolyoung asked back, thinking, no way.

“What do you mean, what do we do?”

“It’d be a huge problem if I suddenly get pregnant….”

Yimyeong licked his lips and sighed. It was rare for the usually calm Yimyeong to make such a face. The moment he saw the clear anxiety in those stoic eyes, Seolyoung turned his gaze to the television.

“…Ah ah….”

It felt like his breath was caught in his throat. So many thoughts rushed in at once that his mind could not get organized.

Yimyeong does not want to get pregnant.

Why?

No matter how much he thought about it, he could not understand, but Seolyoung barely managed to answer in a way that would suit Yimyeong’s mood.

“Don’t worry too much. Well, they say the possibility is low….”

Before he could even finish the words he had barely uttered, Yimyeong cut in.

“No matter how low it is, it’s not one hundred percent safe. It’s something that could happen to us too.”

“……”

Seolyoung lowered his head for a moment, his chin in his hand. Then he struggled to escape the sense of frustration that enveloped his whole body.

“Myeong-ah. Come sit here.”

Seolyoung, who had managed a smile, reached out and pulled Yimyeong’s wrist. He sat him down beside him like that and gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

When he looked up again, Seolyoung was wearing a manufactured smile.

“Then we’ll raise it.”

“No, that’s….”

“Why? I’m capable enough for that.”

“That’s not something to say so lightly.”

“I’m not saying it lightly.”

“Anyway. Let’s be careful from now on.”

“…Isn’t it too late to be careful? I’ve come inside you so many times.”

As he whispered, forehead to forehead, Yimyeong sighed as if he could not win.

“That’s why….”

Seolyoung caressed his cheek and then kissed him deeply again. In a gentle way that Yimyeong liked, as if to soothe even the small anxiety that had sprouted in his heart.

“Nothing will happen. Don’t worry too much.”

“Yeah….”

Yimyeong looked up at Seolyoung with eyes that had already softened. Seolyoung, who had spoken words he did not mean, let out a silent sigh.

‧₊˚

Yimyeong does not want to get pregnant.

It was a fact he had never even considered. That his lover, who had a stoic personality with no particular preferences, and who was so incredibly tolerant especially in sex, would show reluctance only to that.

Seolyoung’s mind was a mess for several days. Every time he remembered Yimyeong’s anxious expression, who had immediately expressed a negative opinion, unlike himself who had been filled with joy as soon as he learned about the possibility of male omega pregnancy, he felt an indescribable tightness in his chest.

A few days after that, Seolyoung went to see Inchan with a cap pulled down low over his face.

For a little while now, he had started going to the gym with Yimyeong again. Yimyeong, who had not been able to go out much recently, wanted to go to the gym almost every day, and thanks to that, Seolyoung’s anxiety had grown even more.

No matter how they visited during off-peak hours, it did not resolve his anxiety. Because he hated it even if someone were to smell Yimyeong’s scent left on a piece of equipment.

After much deliberation, the option Seolyoung chose was to get a prescription for suppressants.

These days, a mere glance from someone on the street towards Yimyeong would spark the suspicion that they were coveting him. But it was not as if he could lock Yimyeong up. To be honest, he wanted to… but Yimyeong, who had been cooped up inside the house for several weeks, would show a noticeable joy whenever he went outside. The problem was that seeing Yimyeong’s happy face made Seolyoung want to grant him whatever he desired.

“You waited long, didn’t you? Mondays are always so busy.”

Inchan came in, opening the door.

Seolyoung sat up straight.

“Yeah…. Anyway, it’s not your checkup day, so what brings you here?”

“Well, I was wondering if I could get a prescription for suppressants.”

“You’ve never had any particular problems without suppressants until now. Ah, did you by any chance have a rut?”

Inchan muttered, his gaze fixed on the chart on the monitor. Seolyoung shook his head.

“It’s not that, I need suppressants for omegas.”

“For omegas?”

The doctor’s eyes widened. Seolyoung let out a short, dry cough and spoke again.

“There’s someone I’m seeing…. He doesn’t want to reveal that he’s an omega. Me neither, and him too.”

“Wait a minute! This is quite a surprise. Kwon Seolyoung is dating?”

He knew this would be the reaction. Seolyoung said firmly.

“Don’t spread rumors.”

“Man, you know how tight-lipped I am. Wow, but to think I’d see the day you’re dating.”

Inchan stroked his chin with a bewildered expression. He already looked like he was itching to talk about it.

He had wanted to keep it a secret if possible because he knew the doctor would make such a fuss, but for Yimyeong’s sake, there was no other choice.

“How long has it been?”

“Not long.”

“See, see. This is why saying you can’t date because you’re busy is all just an excuse. Anyway, Kwon Seolyoung dating… wow…. I thought you were a total novice. I thought you were an asexual alpha. You’re all grown up, all grown up.”

“It’s been a while since I was all grown up….”

He was already in his mid-twenties, but perhaps because the coaches and doctors had known him since he was young, they still tended to see him as a child. Seolyoung sighed in resignation and adjusted his cap.

“Anyway. There have been a few dangerous situations. But I heard it would be fine if he takes suppressants.”

“Right. It’s much better. But if he’s an omega, he would have been getting his own prescriptions. Doesn’t he have what he usually takes?”

“…I don’t think he takes them.”

“By any chance… he’s not incredibly young, is he?”

It was a question asking if he was dating an immature omega. Seolyoung’s eyes widened as if he found the question absurd. Inchan quickly waved his hands, saying it was just a joke.

“But it would be better if he came in person.”

“Does he have to come in person?”

“That’s right. Why. You don’t want to show him?”

Seolyoung rested his chin on his hand, as if to cover his mouth, and fell into thought for a moment. Truthfully, he had nothing to hide. The problem was that Yimyeong was extremely reluctant to reveal that he was an omega. He could guess what Yimyeong’s reaction would be if he were told to come to the center of his own volition and reveal it.

“I don’t think he’ll come.”

“What’s with this guy. Maybe he doesn’t even exist in this world?”

“Don’t make jokes that aren’t even funny….”

“Alright. Just tell me his height and weight.”

“Why is that?”

“Do you think you give an elephant and a puppy the same dosage of medicine?”

“…186 and 82.”

“One eighty-six and… eighty-two… eighty-two? One hundred and eighty-six? The omega you’re seeing is a man?”

Seolyoung stared blankly at Inchan with a ‘what about it’ expression. At a loss for words at that face, Inchan just clicked his tongue in amazement.

“He’s as big as you are. I didn’t know you were into muscular types.”

He was spouting all sorts of nonsense just to write one prescription. Seolyoung, while wearing an annoyed expression, waited for him to finish his work.

“In the early days, suppressants had quite a few side effects, but the ones coming out these days aren’t like that. Still, taking them can sometimes cause temporary gastrointestinal issues or nausea, so if he says he’s uncomfortable, let me know….”

“Okay.”

“Oh, and this also works as a contraceptive. Two birds with one stone, right?”

“A contraceptive?”

At the unexpected words, Seolyoung’s eyes widened slightly.

A short while later, Seolyoung left the hospital with the prescription in hand. On the first floor of the building, Seolyoung stood in front of the large pharmacy but did not go in, lingering by the door for a moment.

A contraceptive….

He had gotten the suppressants for Yimyeong, but his heart was in turmoil from hearing the unexpected news. At the same time, the expression on Yimyeong’s face when he had worried about the possibility of pregnancy came to mind.

Even now, thinking about that time made him feel strange. He still did not know if Yimyeong was being realistic, or if he himself, who was simply happy about the fruition the future might bring, was being immature.

After deep thought, Seolyoung concluded that it was not that.

He was confident that he could overcome whatever the future with Yimyeong held, together. He was not saying he would take responsibility for everything out of some foolish bravado. Seolyoung was, surprisingly, a realistic person, and he had perseverance. He also possessed enough wealth to provide the best environment for someone carrying his child.

But if Yimyeong himself did not envision a future with him….

‘No way.’

Seolyoung shook off the absurd thought and finally entered the pharmacy. As he opened the door, a cheerful greeting was heard from inside.

“Welcome!”

Seolyoung silently handed over the prescription. The quick-handed pharmacist immediately took the prescription and headed to the dispensing room.

“Mr. Kwon Seolyoung, Mr. Kwon Seolyoung?”

A moment later, his name was called, and Seolyoung approached the pharmacist. The customers in the large pharmacy, who had been stealing glances at the tall man, realized at that moment that he was Kwon Seolyoung.

“It’s an omega suppressant. You should take this just once a day. It doesn’t matter if it’s before or after a meal… but it’s better to take it at a consistent time every day.”

The pharmacist, while giving instructions on the dosage, glanced at Seolyoung. Seolyoung, with his cap pulled down, once again looked down with a ‘what about it’ expression.

“Please insert your card here for payment.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Goodbye!”

As he opened the glass door and came out, he felt a strange tingling sensation on his back. Pulling his cap down further for no reason, Seolyoung headed home quickly.

‧₊˚

Yimyeong, who was in the shower, heard the front door open and close again over the sound of the shower water. It seemed Seolyoung had returned.

When he woke up in the morning, Seolyoung was already gone from the spot next to him. He had been wondering where he went since there was no schedule he had been told about, but he had returned sooner than expected.

Hurriedly finishing his shower, Yimyeong dried himself off, got dressed, and left the bathroom.

“Seolyoung, where were you?”

He looked up while ruffling his wet hair, but Seolyoung was not in sight. As Yimyeong looked around for a moment searching for any sign of him, something came into his view. On the neatly cleared glass dining table, a lone medicine packet was placed.

“……”

Yimyeong walked over to the table. On the ordinary medicine packet, along with the pharmacy’s name, there was handwriting.

‘1 tablet, once a day’

When he slightly opened it, a blister pack of individually wrapped pills came out.

“Oh, Myeong. That’s yours.”

“Where were you?”

“I was just changing my clothes for a bit.”

Seolyoung, who appeared opening the door from the bedroom, was already in comfortable attire. The approaching Seolyoung, without hesitation, hugged Yimyeong from behind and planted a loud kiss on his exposed nape. Yimyeong lowered his gaze back to the medicine packet.

“Your skin is moist.”

“Is it? I should have dried myself more thoroughly.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then?”

“Just… that I like it?”

Seolyoung, who showed no sign of letting go from behind, kissed his neck over and over again. While goosebumps rose from the ticklish sensation, Yimyeong examined the medicine packet from all sides and asked.

“What is this?”

“Suppressants for omegas.”

“Suppressants?”

“Yeah.”

Seolyoung answered briefly and finally let go of Yimyeong. As he poured a glass of water and pulled out a dining chair to sit, Yimyeong also sat down opposite him.

“They say if you take that, other alphas won’t perceive you. And… it also has a contraceptive effect.”

Yimyeong listened carefully to Seolyoung’s explanation. Nodding his head, he stated his thoughts with a calm face.

“So something like this existed….”

The world has gotten better.

Muttering so, Yimyeong felt a faint sense of liberation. A device that could help him set aside even a little of the anxiety and restlessness he had felt living as an omega, it was simply wonderful. Yimyeong did not hide his bright expression and lifted his head.

“You went out this morning to get this?”

“Yeah.”

Yimyeong spoke with sincerity.

“Seolyoung, thank you.”

“…For what.”

Seolyoung turned his gaze away, as if embarrassed.

“I didn’t even know something like this existed. I was always so preoccupied with hiding and concealing myself my whole life… Thank you so much. Because of you, I’ve been able to live so much more like a person….”

As if he hadn’t expected him to be this grateful, Seolyoung looked rather bewildered. Yimyeong got up from his seat, went over to Seolyoung’s side, and hugged the seated man from behind. Seolyoung naturally tilted his head back, and their eyes met.

Yimyeong then lowered his face and gently rubbed his lips against Seolyoung’s forehead and eyelids. It was a passive but gentle expression of affection.

Letting out a soft laugh, Seolyoung raised a hand to toy with Yimyeong’s hair and said.

“…On my lips, too.”

“……”

Yimyeong silently brought his lips to Seolyoung’s. The upside-down lips brought a different sensation than usual. While Yimyeong gave Seolyoung a gentle kiss in his own way, Seolyoung fidgeted with Yimyeong’s hair and earlobe.

“It was a bit expensive, though. Because it’s not covered by insurance.”

“How much was it?”

“30,000 won per pill?”

Hearing that, Yimyeong was momentarily startled. That would be almost a million won for a month’s supply.

Perhaps finding his wide eyes amusing, Seolyoung’s eyes curved.

“And yet, the domestic supply is so unstable that they sell out immediately.”

“Really?”

“That’s how many people are desperate for it. But don’t you worry. We’re the national team’s dedicated medical team, you know. I can get as much of any medicine we need as I want.”

“…Thank you.”

Yimyeong found Seolyoung’s somewhat boastful attitude cute. Besides, so what if he was boasting a little? This was worth it. Yimyeong muttered “thank you” several times and caressed Seolyoung’s cheek.

“I should take one now. Just one pill a day, right?”

“Yeah. But he said to take it at a consistent time. At 24-hour intervals.”

As soon as he heard the explanation, Yimyeong tore open one medicine packet.

If he took this medicine, he could act like a normal person again without worrying about his pheromones being discovered. Since the risk of being mistaken for an omega would be greatly reduced, he could also avoid the traps of alphas that could go off like landmines anytime, anywhere.

Yimyeong took out the white pill from inside the thin paper-and-plastic packet and swallowed it with the water Seolyoung had been drinking moments before. He could feel the cool water flowing down the path of his esophagus and stomach. The pill went down smoothly, leaving a slight foreign sensation in his throat, and vanished. Yimyeong needlessly rubbed his solar plexus area.

Seolyoung, who had been watching the process with his chin cupped in his hand, asked casually.

“Do you feel anything?”

“No way….”

Yimyeong, with a faint smile, shook his head and once again placed a small kiss on Seolyoung’s cheek.

“You’re being unusually affectionate today.”

“…It’s because I’m grateful.”

“Then sit here.”

Seolyoung pointed to his own lap. Yimyeong hesitated for a moment and looked down at his legs. He was not mentally prepared to do something as cute as climbing onto someone else’s lap, but if it was what Seolyoung wanted, he wanted to do it for him.

“I’m heavy.”

“I know. But I’m stronger.”

Indeed, Seolyoung’s thighs, for someone who looked slender on the outside, were quite thick and firm. It was telling enough that he preferred to wear sweatpants because most trousers did not fit his thighs.

Yimyeong carefully sat on Seolyoung’s lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. Seolyoung immediately smiled and grabbed Yimyeong’s bottom tightly, pulling him closer. At that mischievous touch, Yimyeong’s face easily flushed red all the way to his neck again.

“Thank you so much.”

“I don’t know how many times I’ve heard ‘thank you’ today… It feels good, Myeong.”

“It’s true. You have no idea what a different life I’m living because of you. It all just feels like a dream.”

Seolyoung was a person who gave him the abundance and stability that had never been permitted in his life. He even saw his dirty past with his own eyes and, without being disappointed, simply embraced him.

“You said you weren’t in love with a fantasy. But I think it’s the opposite for me.”

“Huh?”

Seolyoung met his eyes, kissing each of Yimyeong’s fingers. Yimyeong carefully let out a trembling confession.

“Sometimes, it feels like what I love is a fantasy. Because you’re so unbelievable….”

His consideration and affection felt as unreal as the comfortable life he had provided. He was so precious, this unbelievably gentle man, that Yimyeong often felt fear amidst such extreme happiness. It’s said that extremes meet, and it felt as if happiness and despair were back to back.

Yimyeong also wondered. Was feeling groundless anxiety even in moments like this just his nature, or was it something any person would feel….

“Those are nice words to hear.”

“That’s how unrealistic you are.”

“Haha!”

Yimyeong silently watched Seolyoung’s clear face as he burst into laughter. Yimyeong fidgeted with his cheek and then once again hugged him deeply.

‧₊˚

The things Seolyoung does that Yimyeong finds cute are things like these. Marking trivial anniversaries on the calendar with a heart in advance, or the fact that he writes in a diary every day, even if the content is short and simple. Also, when they go to buy daily necessities together, the way he would casually pick up things with cute characters on them was like that too.

One day, while they were grocery shopping together, Seolyoung suddenly brought over a bottle of alcohol. When Yimyeong asked why the sudden alcohol, he said there was a cat character drawn on the bottle. As soon as he saw it, Yimyeong let out a “pfft” and burst into laughter.

“Isn’t it cute? Let’s buy this.”

“You don’t even drink.”

“It’s cute. Let’s buy it.”

So that was the reason he was loitering in front of the liquor aisle, which he usually had little interest in. In the end, Seolyoung put that bottle in the cart.

The problem was that the alcohol, which they had paired with dinner like a beverage just to have a taste, turned out to be incredibly strong.

He did not know he would get this wasted… Yimyeong, staggering as he stood up from the dining table, turned the bottle over to check the alcohol content. 32 percent. He thought ‘oops’, but the two of them had already amicably shared half of the 750-milliliter bottle each.

“Myeong….”

Seolyoung, clinging to the swaying Yimyeong, was also very drunk. He breathed out a breath tinged with the scent of the sweet alcohol and kissed him relentlessly.

“Ugh….”

Yimyeong, without even the will to resist, collapsed onto the bed with Seolyoung. The ceiling he looked up at was spinning wildly.

The sex that began in that drunken, hazy state was even slower and more languid than usual. As he tangled his fingers in Seolyoung’s fine, pitch-black hair, who was preoccupied with burying his lips in his chest and sucking on his breast, Yimyeong gazed at the ceiling that was tilting on its own.

His hard, erect penis, crushed beneath his firm lower abdomen, gave him an unbearable stimulation.

“Hah, haah….”

“Myeong, you’re red all over, but it’s even redder here.”

Kissing his skin, Seolyoung giggled mischievously. When he put his fingers into the pink, parted slit and skillfully spread it open, the delicate folds, slick with love juice, quivered on their own. The sensation of a usually hidden area being exposed to the air made his waist tremble. Seolyoung, with bloodshot eyes, looked at the inside that was writhing as if pleading to be filled, and unhesitatingly brought his open mouth to it.

“Ha, eung… eu… heut….”

His firm buttocks clenched tightly, and his slender waist shot up into the air. Watching Yimyeong unconsciously writhe his hips, Seolyoung made smacking sounds as he freely sucked and drank from the wet hole. He was so engrossed that not only his lips but also his prominent nose and cheeks were smeared with love juice, and soon Yimyeong felt a shallow orgasm.

“Eu… heuk….”

His insides, aching for something to bite down on, clenched tightly on their own as if trying to feel pressure. If only he would thrust deep inside, he would want for nothing more. Yimyeong unconsciously brought his hand to his own nipple, which Seolyoung had been sucking on for a long time. At that moment, Seolyoung thrust his fingers into the thoroughly soaked inside and stirred them around in a circle.

“……”

Yimyeong trembled without a sound. Seolyoung, who settled between his legs that had parted softly without any resistance, brought the thick head of his penis to the entrance. As he slid in just a little, Yimyeong wrapped his arms around Seolyoung’s neck and pulled him in strongly. At the same time as the heavy weight crashed down on Yimyeong, the thick, veiny penis parted his insides at once and burrowed in.

“Haah, ha… heuk.”

Seolyoung sought out Yimyeong’s cheek and kissed his nose. In his hazy vision, the way he kissed everywhere his lips touched was like a large dog. Seolyoung let out a hot sigh and muttered.

“Myeong, huff… your inside is so soft.”