Alpha Trauma Vol. 5 Chapter 2 - Special Extra (2)

Something seemed to be hesitating as his long eyelashes gently fluttered downward. Raising his left hand, he began fiddling with his earlobe, a habit of Wooyeon’s that hadn’t changed in years. As he thought about biting the soft earlobe, Wooyeon suddenly said something even cuter than before.

“We decided to finish it when we get home, didn’t we?”

“…….”

A small chuckle escaped Dohyeon. He tried not to make too foolish a face, letting out a soft puff of air. He unintentionally closed his eyes tightly and then opened them, trying to hold back the surge of emotion rising from within.

“Alright, then. Let’s go home.”

This guy is cute like this everywhere.

No, I already knew he only acted like this with me. But the problem was that many people liked Wooyeon without even knowing.

Well, if we’re talking about popularity, Dohyeon wasn’t lacking either. However, Dohyeon was extremely sharp when it came to reading the atmosphere and handling situations. He knew how to decline without offending anyone and how to avoid ruining the mood. He could easily consider Wooyeon’s feelings during that process.

But Wooyeon was the complete opposite. Clumsy with relationships, he was hopeless at both rejecting and accepting someone’s affection.

In fact, even after they started dating, Wooyeon didn’t know how to treat Dohyeon properly for a while, always just watching his reactions. It wasn’t just a lack of experience in dating; it was that he didn’t know what appropriate distance with others was. He only knew how to either break down all boundaries or put up walls.

So, even if he noticed someone’s affection, Wooyeon wouldn’t know how to reject it. He could set boundaries if someone aggressively approached, but he’d be uncomfortable with subtle advances that came with consideration.

It wasn’t that Dohyeon didn’t trust Wooyeon’s decisiveness. He was just aware that Wooyeon still had some immature parts.

Wooyeon, who acted cold and indifferent toward others, would become uneasy whenever he got a little closer to someone, afraid they might pull away.

There was a time when Garam had made a mistake, and Wooyeon coldly told him not to apologize, but once he opened up, he became infinitely more generous. Now, even when Garam got drunk and threw an arm around him, Wooyeon showed no discomfort.

“He’s so soft-hearted.”

Wooyeon, like a clean sheet of paper in relationships, would easily absorb any affection others showed him. His heart was tender, making him even more susceptible.

Once, during a farewell party for Seongyu, when his enlistment papers came in, everyone was joking around with him.

“Seongyu, be careful. Don’t get too close to the post.”

“I’m not that kind of person.”

While the club members joked and gave their good wishes, Wooyeon stayed silent, with a face like the sky was falling. He drank more than he usually did and, by the end of the evening, was holding Seongyu’s arm, silently shedding tears.

“…Wooyeon’s crying? Is he crying for you?”

Seongyu, surprised yet touched, glanced over at Dohyeon, his reaction clearly different from Garam’s, who was getting ready to tease. Dohyeon silently thought, He’ll handle this well in the army too.

Wooyeon then said:

“…Can’t you not go to the army?”

“…I don’t think that’s possible…”

Seongyu answered with a melancholic tone, and the club members burst into laughter. Garam had jokingly said, “Wooyeon wants you to skip the army,” and Wooyeon seemed to genuinely consider it, her slightly unfocused eyes showing she was probably half-drunk but 80% sincere.

In that moment, Dohyeon couldn’t help but feel a bit childish. Wooyeon, who usually didn’t show any signs of wanting something, was now reacting like this, upset that Seongyu was leaving.

Would he cry if Seongyu enlisted again?

Dohyeon quietly patted Wooyeon’s thigh, his heart softening, especially since Wooyeon held his hand tightly, treating it like something precious.

Dohyeon thought to himself, I might be developing a bad habit. I shouldn’t make him cry… But, secretly, he wanted Wooyeon to cry for him instead.

Moving on from that topic.

Wooyeon treasured the club. This meant he would put in a lot of effort to protect the club’s atmosphere. If someone expressed interest in him, he might hesitate, worried it could ruin the vibe because of Dohyeon.

He doesn’t need to worry about that.

It was good that more things were becoming important to Wooyeon, but Dohyeon didn’t like the idea of Wooyeon having to endure situations like that. He especially didn’t like it when unwanted “flies” started to cling to him when the atmosphere was calm.

“By the way, Yeon-ah…”

As they entered the office building, Dohyeon gently tapped the steering wheel and began the conversation. Up until then, Wooyeon had been glancing at Dohyeon’s profile, saying a word here and there.

“What was that thing you mentioned earlier?”

“That?”

Dohyeon had waited a while before asking, but it seemed the meaning hadn’t gotten across. He lowered his voice, trying to sound nonchalant.

“You know, when you told that friend you couldn’t go next time.”

“I won’t be able to go with him next time.”

“I don’t think I would have gone even if I wasn’t busy.”

Although he didn’t know all the details, Dohyeon had a rough idea. A new club member had suggested something, and Wooyeon, who had been letting things slide until now, had finally set boundaries.

“Where were you planning to go?”

Dohyeon asked in a casual, calm tone, pretending not to care, even though he was curious. He didn’t want to sound accusatory, since Wooyeon hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Oh, that…”

Wooyeon dragged out his answer, not because it was awkward, but as if he had completely forgotten. Dohyeon couldn’t help but laugh softly at his reaction.

“No, that new guy who joined the club… he kept acting friendly with me.”

The story continued as Dohyeon had guessed. The new member kept pretending to be close, though Wooyeon didn’t think he was a bad person, just a little uncomfortable.

In fact, Dohyeon already had an idea. He had heard the gist of it from a club junior. He had casually asked about the “new member” that Garam had mentioned.

When he got the message saying, “Tell him to speak up,” Dohyeon had replied, “How can you say that to a kid?” but before getting out of the car, he couldn’t resist glancing at the mirror again. When they waited by the front gate, Dohyeon had made sure to tell the junior, “Wooyeon came to pick me up.”

“Awhile ago, that guy said his parents work at SUNJUNG, and he wanted to go to an amusement park with me.”

“Really? That’s an interesting thing to say.”

Men’s flirtations are all the same. Dohyeon immediately understood the intent behind the new student’s words. He was clearly trying to brag about his parents working for a large corporation. The issue was that Wooyeon’s mother was the CEO of that corporation.

“When I asked if he was teasing me, he said no, but I’m not sure.”

“Hmm, still, it could make you uncomfortable.”

He probably didn’t realize it.

From the way he dressed and carried himself, it seemed like he was the type who had only focused on studying until high school and was just now starting to show an interest in romance. He wasn’t a bad person, but still had that youthful, immature feel of someone in their twenties.

“He kept staring at me during the meeting…”

Maybe it was because there had been a lot on his mind, but once Wooyeon started talking, he couldn’t stop. Dohyeon, having parked the car in the lot, turned off the engine and looked at Wooyeon. The only accessory on Wooyeon’s hand, gently placed on his thigh, was the matching watch they had picked out together.

‘I should’ve gotten him a ring.’

He always made sure to mark anniversaries, but they still hadn’t gotten matching couple rings. He wasn’t opposed to getting one, but Wooyeon had said he wanted to pick it out himself, so Dohyeon had patiently held back. By this point, he regretted not leaving some kind of mark already.

“…So, it’s a little uncomfortable.”

“Really?”

Once Wooyeon finished speaking, Dohyeon unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned toward him. He cupped Wooyeon’s soft cheek and gently pressed a kiss to his lips. Wooyeon, who had been frowning, instantly relaxed his expression.

Dohyeon caressed his cheek lightly, then asked softly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

This time, Dohyeon asked because he was genuinely curious. He had always tried to coax Wooyeon into sharing anything that upset him, so it was odd that he hadn’t said anything this time. From the way he had vented, it was clear that this had been building up for a while.

“Uh…”

Dohyeon expected Wooyeon to say he forgot or thought it wasn’t a big deal, but Wooyeon hesitated for an unusually long time. His gaze wandered, awkwardly lowering.

“I thought the teacher would dislike it…”

“…”

What emotions flooded in at that moment? Was it disappointment? Or was it shock?

So he had known that the feelings he was expressing were romantic in nature. And it seemed he was also aware that Dohyeon would get concerned if he found out.

The implication was that Wooyeon had “deliberately” not mentioned it…

“Yeon-ah.”

Dohyeon’s feelings were a little hurt, but he called Wooyeon’s name calmly. Wooyeon, who had been cheerful just moments ago, now lifted his gaze as if he had done something wrong. Dohyeon, despite his feelings, chose the softest words among all the emotional ones that came to mind.

“Still, next time, tell the teacher.”

He wasn’t immature enough to fight over something like this. Wooyeon hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was only hiding it because he thought Dohyeon would dislike it. Dohyeon couldn’t blame him for that. It was just a matter of letting him know that his feelings were different.

“Wooyeon, you didn’t do anything wrong. If something like that happens, of course, your boyfriend should pick you up.”

At the mention of “boyfriend,” Wooyeon’s eyes softened, and his usual serious expression turned into something sweet and vulnerable. It was cute how he softened when looking at Dohyeon.

“I don’t like it when I find out later. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

Wooyeon’s short response made Dohyeon smile softly, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in for a kiss, which Wooyeon reciprocated. After their kiss deepened, Dohyeon thought it was just a small incident—one of those little happenings that could easily be forgotten. He believed that things would return to normal, and that for a while, nothing like that would happen again.

However, not long after, he started regretting what he had said.

* * *

After that, everything was fine again. There wasn’t a single argument between Dohyeon and Wooyeon, and the atmosphere remained as warm as ever. They exchanged sweet little messages, shared dinners, and filled in each other’s gaps.

At night, Dohyeon reveled in Wooyeon’s presence, and in the morning, he woke Wooyeon with a kiss. If Dohyeon had to leave for work first, he’d kiss Wooyeon on the cheek while he was asleep and leave quietly.

The new student from that day, Dohyeon heard later, had dropped out of the club. Dohyeon had already heard about it from a junior, but when Wooyeon mentioned it, he pretended not to know. Seeing Wooyeon smile so happily made Dohyeon feel pleased as well.

But then, things started to go wrong, in the smallest of ways. Wooyeon began following Dohyeon’s request to tell him everything, making sure to keep him informed about even the smallest details.

And he did so with great care and precision.

‘…Did you get his number?’

At first, Dohyeon thought it was fine. After all, he himself had been asked for his number many times. When they were in school together, Wooyeon had been upset with him for getting hit on while selling cotton candy at the festival.

‘…He got your number again today?’

But the situation began to repeat. Wooyeon kept telling him about people asking for his number, and eventually, he mentioned that he had accepted one. Dohyeon was not surprised when Wooyeon said he had thrown away the drink the person had given him right after accepting it.

‘…Did he confess on the first meeting?’

The ridiculous things kept happening. Dohyeon understood that some people may express interest, but confessing so suddenly—especially when they weren’t even teenagers—was beyond him. Dohyeon tried to excuse it, but the next piece of information broke his resolve.

‘…Even though you knew he had a boyfriend?’

The comparison to a goalkeeper was old and tired, but the guy who suggested cheating was the worst. As soon as Dohyeon heard that, he made up his mind to find out who this person was and contacted his juniors for help.

In the end, Dohyeon found out that the last guy already had a boyfriend. His juniors, fired up with righteous anger, made sure the guy left the school for good. He was too embarrassed or regretful to show up for a while afterward.

Of course, Wooyeon had no idea about any of this.

‘Are there students who follow the lectures?’

While the club was full of distractions and flirtations, Wooyeon didn’t react to any of it. But Dohyeon, who was listening, couldn’t help but feel his insides burn with frustration.

Yeah, I even regretted asking for everything to be told.

“So, I told that sergeant…”

Bang!

Dohyeon slammed his beer glass down on the table. The loud noise startled Seongyu, who had been chatting excitedly, and he quickly looked around to assess the situation. At that moment, Garam, who had been sipping on soju, wiped the spilled drink and frowned.

“Ah, damn… Hey, do you think that’s gonna break? Either the beer glass or the table, one of them’s gonna get smashed.”

“…”

It was a sharp criticism, but Dohyeon didn’t respond at all, just letting out a thin sigh. Seongyu, noticing the rare tension from Dohyeon after a long time, quickly became more cautious and rolled his eyes.

“Hyung, what’s wrong? Is something going on?”

It was a celebratory drinking session for Seongyu’s leave. All the members of the Yeonggojeon club had gathered, and naturally, Dohyeon and Garam were there too. They were at a familiar bar near campus, the atmosphere ripe for a good time. There was nothing wrong with the situation, yet Seongyu asked carefully again.

“Should I stop talking about the army…?”

“…No, it’s not that.”

Barely managing his anger, Dohyeon quickly shook his head. While talking about the army was boring, he didn’t think it was necessary to change the subject for Seongyu, who had just come back from leave. Besides, the reason he was upset wasn’t Seongyu at all.

The reason he was upset was simple—it was because of his beloved partner, the one who had been resting against his shoulder and was now sound asleep, Seon Wooyeon.

“Wooyeon… he’s popular, isn’t he?”

“Popular? Yeah, of course. The kids like him, Wooyeon.”

Seongyu quickly nodded in agreement to Dohyeon’s subtle question.

The popular Seon Wooyeon was already passed out drunk. After having a blast playing drinking games with Seongyu, he had started to get drowsy, his eyes hazy, and soon leaned heavily against Dohyeon’s shoulder, falling asleep. Wooyeon had always been able to control his drinking well since he turned twenty, but it seemed he had felt at ease with Dohyeon by his side.

“…Was I that popular when I was in school?”

Dohyeon gently adjusted Wooyeon’s position and asked the question again. It felt a bit odd to talk about it with Wooyeon right there, but his frustration made him want to open up. And besides, Wooyeon was fast asleep now.

“Of course. He was popular since his freshman year. There were several people in our class who were desperate to be friends with him. Remember, when we were first years, Wooyeon didn’t join the class chat, and some people were upset about that… Ah!”

As Seongyu rambled on, Garam suddenly hit the back of his head with a loud thud. Just as Dohyeon’s face was growing colder, Seongyu screamed and tried to protest with teary eyes.

“Noona! My brain cells are already dead from all the nonsense!”

“Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”

Garam, with a face that wasn’t particularly sorry, rubbed Seongyu’s head affectionately. When Seongyu pouted, Garam clicked her tongue and continued speaking.

“But you, Seongyu, are so oblivious. Do you really think he asked about Wooyeon’s popularity just because he wanted to hear that answer?”

“You’re such a virgin,” Garam added while snatching Seongyu’s hat off. Although Seongyu had experience in relationships, this time he didn’t deny it and glanced at Dohyeon to gauge his reaction.

Garam then placed the hat on her own head and turned to Dohyeon with a question.

“Hey, did Wooyeon get confessed to or something?”

Seongyu looked shocked. That was an unusually perceptive comment for Garam, who wasn’t known for being so subtle. But since Garam was always quick-witted, it was more direct interference than anything else.

Dohyeon didn’t respond, so Garam quickly began to tease him.

“You, with your older-brother attitude, can’t handle something like that…?”

“Five times.”

“What?”

“Five times. He was confessed to five times.”

Dohyeon’s voice lowered heavily. Both Garam and Seongyu widened their eyes and looked over at Wooyeon. Dohyeon gently caressed the sleeping Wooyeon’s cheek and let out a sigh.

“That’s just the five times I know about.”

“Wow, five times with that face?”

“It’s not five times in a lifetime.”

Dohyeon stopped mid-sentence, feeling the urge to choke up. After a pause, he added in a constrained voice.

“Five times in one week.”

“…That’s a bit much.”

Garam quickly backed off, rolling her eyes. Nodding and scrunching her nose, she slammed her hand down on the table in mock frustration.

“Wait, was he really that popular all along?”

Dohyeon had said something similar earlier. Useless kid. Whether or not Garam knew what Dohyeon was thinking, she simply adjusted her hat with an embarrassed expression and shook her head. She then pointed directly at Dohyeon with her finger.

“It’s because of you. It’s all because of you.”

“What did I do?”

Dohyeon wondered if Garam was going to say something as trivial as “you couldn’t take care of your partner.” But surprisingly, Garam spoke in a rather serious tone.

“It’s because of you, Wooyeon’s been looking happier. Maybe it’s because he’s a bit older now, but he’s been in a better mood since he started dating you.”

A better mood? Dohyeon didn’t need to ask further. Garam, still looking at Wooyeon’s sleeping face, continued.

“Just like Seongyu said, Wooyeon was popular even when he was a freshman. It was just hard for people to approach him because of his cold aura.”

Dohyeon wasn’t unaware of that. He remembered how much attention Wooyeon had gotten back then. So as soon as they started dating, he had, almost obsessively, spread the news to everyone, claiming Wooyeon was his. The only relief was that Wooyeon, wary as ever, never let anyone get too close.

“But now, since he’s softened up, the people who just used to stare at him are starting to think, ‘Hmm, maybe I can talk to him?'”

It was a vague statement, but Dohyeon understood the meaning. The part about Wooyeon “softening up” was true. He had become a lot more approachable. At sixteen, then at twenty, and now at twenty-two, Wooyeon’s expression had become much gentler.

But for people to suddenly gather the courage to approach him based on that alone… Was that really enough to call it love? Could someone truly say, “I like you,” just because they felt a little more comfortable talking to him?