Alpha Trauma

“Hello?”

Seonkyu’s familiar lighthearted voice echoed through the phone. It was a welcome relief for Wooyeon, who had been surrounded by frustrating silence for a while. Seonkyu gave a few words of comfort about the group project being tough and mentioned that they were almost at the café.

Just then, the sound of a bell chimed. Wooyeon instinctively turned to see where the sound came from. To his surprise, the words he was hearing on the phone were coming from nearby.

After a slight pause, the same words echoed from the phone. Wooyeon blinked, looking at the people who had just entered the café. They too seemed surprised, eyes widening when they spotted him.

“Oh? Oh, Wooyeon!”

The first to react was Garam. With her hair tied high and dressed in a denim jacket and jeans, Garam waved her long arm energetically at Wooyeon. Without realizing it, Wooyeon half-stood from his seat.

“You guys…”

It was Seonkyu, Garam, and Dohyeon. Apparently, the café they had reserved for the study room was this one. Wooyeon, who had only heard “near the main gate,” couldn’t help but be surprised.

“Wow, what a coincidence. Were you working on your group project here?”

“I was shocked when I heard you on the phone.”

Each of them added a comment as they approached Wooyeon. Dohyeon only gave a brief nod before heading to the counter, but Wooyeon couldn’t take his eyes off him. Just seeing his composed face made Wooyeon’s mood instantly lighter, as if the earlier annoyance had never been there.

“Do you still have a lot to do?”

Just seeing his face had this effect. His straight neck, broad shoulders, neat gait, and even the clean nape of his neck—everything was captivating.

“No, I’m all done.”

“Perfect timing. You can just go into the room and start the study session right away.”

The unpleasant feelings from earlier washed away completely. Wooyeon nodded and gathered the notebook and pen he had left on the table. The group project meeting was nearly over anyway, and no one seemed eager enough to argue about continuing. But just as he slung his bag over his shoulder, a sharp voice stopped him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Wooyeon looked up, still holding his bag. Junseong was staring at him with an expressionless face. The other group members, who had also been preparing to leave, hesitated and glanced at each other nervously.

“The meeting isn’t even over yet, and you’re leaving?”

His tone was filled with irritation. Garam and Seonkyu, sensing the tension, awkwardly excused themselves to the study room. Wooyeon looked away from Junseong and adjusted his bag on his shoulder.

“What’s the point of continuing the meeting when no one has ideas? We already agreed to bring three ideas by tomorrow.”

“Are you the leader now?”

Wooyeon instinctively frowned at that remark. Junseong’s face twisted into an ugly scowl as he spat out his words.

“Who made you the one to decide that? Hey, everyone, speak up. Can any of you come up with three ideas by tomorrow?”

Unsurprisingly, there was no response. Wooyeon suspected that, even if tomorrow came, no one would bring any ideas. Feeling a rising sense of frustration, he put his bag down on the table again.

“Fine, let’s continue. I won’t leave.”

With a thud, Wooyeon sat back down. The other group members awkwardly followed suit, unsure of what to do. Wooyeon crossed his arms and leaned back against his chair.

“Go on, let’s continue the meeting.”

Junseong shot a fierce glare at Wooyeon, who met his gaze head-on without flinching.

“Uh… since none of us have ideas anyway…”

“Sit down!”

One of the group members tentatively tried to speak, but Junseong cut them off sharply. With no choice, they reluctantly sat back down around the table.

“……”

“……”

As expected, nothing was said. Now that even Wooyeon, who had been leading the meeting, was silent, a heavy stillness filled the space. One minute passed, then two. The slow passage of time felt like an eternity. If it weren’t for the soft background music from the café, the silence would’ve been almost unbearable.

Wooyeon blinked slowly, disinterestedly shifting his gaze around. He didn’t know what Junseong’s problem was, but he was familiar with his bad attitude. Even in middle school, Junseong would pester Wooyeon over ridiculous things. The best way to get under his skin wasn’t to argue or get angry—it was simply to ignore him.

“Ah, screw this. Forget it.”

Just as expected, Junseong finally exploded, roughly running his hands through his hair. His bleached yellow hair stood messily as a result. Wooyeon watched him impassively, his voice flat as he responded.

“What do you mean, ‘forget it’? You said we were having a meeting.”

“……”

Wooyeon thought he could hear the sound of teeth grinding. Junseong clenched his fists tightly, unable to contain his anger. After a few moments of closing and opening his eyes, he barked out an order to the other group members.

“Hey, you guys, leave.”

The group members exchanged baffled looks but quickly gathered their things and left in a hurry. As Wooyeon stood to grab his bag, Junseong snarled.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

Junseong roughly grabbed Wooyeon’s arm. The angry tension transferred through his grip. Wooyeon twisted his arm free and swatted Junseong’s hand away, his frustration barely contained.

“Don’t touch me.”

“…….”

A shiver ran down his spine as if something creepy crawled over his skin. Junseong looked momentarily confused, but soon his face turned angry, and he raised his voice.

“Why do you hate me so much?”

For a moment, Wooyeon was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected to hear that from Junseong. Staring at him in disbelief, Wooyeon asked in a voice tinged with exasperation.

“Is this why you grabbed me?”

If he had to explain why he hated Junseong, even staying up for three days and nights wouldn’t be enough. The fact that Junseong had ruined three years of Wooyeon’s middle school life was infuriating, and knowing he was now living a normal life after getting into a good university only made it worse. Wooyeon didn’t have the energy to explain why he hated him, nor did he want to engage in this meaningless argument.

“Hey, I’m upset, that’s why!”

But it seemed Junseong didn’t feel the same way. He looked genuinely wronged, eyes wide open, as he slammed his hand on the table.

“Did I ever curse at you? Did I ever hit you? If not, did I do something to upset you? If none of that happened, then why are you treating me like this?”

Wooyeon held back a bitter laugh. It wasn’t just because everything Junseong said was something he’d done in the past. It was because his last words echoed the exact ones Wooyeon had said five years ago.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Wooyeon had asked that question only after enduring for a year. After bottling it up, after trying to hold back, when he could no longer understand why, he had asked. And yet here was Junseong, complaining after only three encounters, even though Wooyeon hadn’t done anything to him.

“We’re in the same group for the project, so why can’t we just get along? Why are you so eager to make things difficult?”

From beginning to end, those were the exact words Wooyeon had wanted to say when he was in middle school. They were in the same class anyway, so why couldn’t they just get along? Why was Junseong so bent on making his life miserable?

“I came for the meeting because it was about brainstorming ideas.”

Wooyeon opened his mouth, trying to calm the nausea rising inside him. He could still feel Junseong’s pheromones lingering on his wrist.

“Like you said, I didn’t curse at you, I didn’t hit you, so what’s your problem?”

“Fuck, it’s just that you keep…!”

Junseong, who had raised his voice, quickly shut his mouth when he noticed the eyes around them. The gazes that had been drawn to them from the moment Wooyeon stood up were now more blatant. Junseong, fuming, took a deep breath before speaking in a restrained voice.

“You keep… ignoring me. It pisses me off.”

That was the most absurd reason yet. After all the verbal abuse he’d thrown at Wooyeon, he was upset because of Wooyeon’s behavior? It wasn’t as if he had any right to complain when he’d acted superior just because he was the group leader.

“Then you ignore me too.”

Wooyeon’s tone was cold. The more Junseong spoke, the more the memories of the past clung to Wooyeon like a dirty stain. The things Junseong had done to him came flooding back, emotions swirling chaotically.

“I told you, I hate people like you.”

Whether Junseong was flustered or not didn’t matter to Wooyeon. He didn’t want to explain why he hated him, nor did he want to pretend to be friendly. Their relationship would end after this group project anyway, and even meeting him face to face like this was unpleasant.

“Don’t corner someone who hates you. Just ignore me too, and we can both pretend we don’t know each other.”

“Then why do you hate me? I met you for the first time in that elective class. What the hell did I do for you to act like this? Did I ever bully you?”

Wooyeon felt something snap inside him. The effort he’d made to control his feelings suddenly seemed pointless. Without realizing it, his pheromones began to leak, and only one thought dominated his mind.

“You pig. Just looking at you makes me want to vomit.”

So, what had he done to deserve being hated like that? Why had Junseong insulted his appearance, broken his spirit, and pushed him into despair?

“There’s no reason for this kind of shit.”

“There’s no reason.”

The wounds Wooyeon thought had healed weren’t really healed after all. The scab that had formed now stung, ready to peel off. Even though the roles and circumstances had changed, Wooyeon was still the one getting hurt.

“I just hate you. I hate the cursing, the gossiping behind my back, and even the fact that you’re trying to hold me back like this.”

“…….”

“Stop trying to find a reason and just leave me alone. I have nothing more to say, so I’m leaving.”

With that, Wooyeon made to leave the café. Though he had a study session planned, getting out of there took priority. If Junseong hadn’t stood up to follow him, Wooyeon would have left without looking back.

“Hey, I’m not done talking….”

Thud. There was a sound, like something colliding. It was the sound of hands coming into contact. A familiar pheromone softly filled the air, and a gentle voice interrupted the moment between them.

“I was just going to wait….”

The dry, autumn-like pheromone subtly lingered around. The unpleasant sensation crawling under Wooyeon’s skin disappeared in the blink of an eye. With wide eyes, Wooyeon slowly turned toward the source of the sound.

“Is this how people do group projects these days?”

Dohyeon, who had spoken evenly, released Junseong’s hand. The hand that had been reaching toward Wooyeon, maybe for his shoulder or his bag, now fell away. Glancing at Wooyeon, Dohyeon asked in a soft voice.

“Isn’t the meeting over yet?”

Wooyeon widened his eyes in surprise. Just like when Dohyeon had walked into the café moments earlier, as soon as their eyes met, all the uneasy feelings disappeared. Even the lingering trace of Junseong’s pheromone on his wrist had vanished completely.

“Who the hell are you…?”

Junseong took a step back, stunned. Dohyeon’s sudden appearance had clearly thrown him off. Anyone could see Dohyeon was Wooyeon’s senior, and the fact that he was taller than Junseong didn’t help his confidence. Ignoring Junseong, Wooyeon tugged gently on Dohyeon’s sleeve.

“Meeting’s over.”

Wooyeon didn’t spare Junseong a glance. He didn’t add any parting words, nor did he show any visible displeasure. He simply looked up at Dohyeon with a grateful gaze, his eyes soft.

“Let’s go, Sunbae.”

This time, Junseong didn’t try to stop Wooyeon. Dohyeon followed Wooyeon in silence, discreetly watching Junseong’s expression as they left.

Once they were inside the study room, Garam and Seonkyu wasted no time in bombarding Wooyeon with questions. They were furious, asking what that “yellow-headed guy” had done and were appalled to learn Junseong was the group leader for the project. After a long pause, they finally spoke seriously, suggesting, “Let’s just coast on this group project,” and Wooyeon couldn’t help but chuckle at their lighthearted faces.

“But how did you know to come out?” Wooyeon asked, hugging his bag close, eyes scanning the window. He wondered if they could see outside, but the lower part of the wide window was covered with frosted film, allowing only faint silhouettes to show.

“I just had good timing,” Dohyeon replied, gesturing to the cigarette he’d pulled out earlier. He’d gotten up for a smoke break and happened to glance through the clear upper part of the window. Garam stood up, rummaging through his denim jacket with a grin.

“I thought Kim Dohyeon left so suddenly because he needed to take a dump,” Garam laughed.

“Noona, give me a cigarette too,” Seonkyu chimed in.

The two of them stood at the window, peering out. After confirming that “the guy” was no longer around, they grumbled that they wouldn’t have let him off if he had stayed. While they bantered like a comedic duo, Dohyeon spoke nonchalantly.

“Make sure the smell is gone when you come back.”

He waved them off, though he himself had no intention of going. Garam gave him a curious look.

“You’re not going?”

“Too lazy.”

“What about Wooyeon?”

“He quit smoking.”

“Wow, didn’t expect that.”

After Garam commented on how the “small ones” are always the toughest, he and Seonkyu left the study room. The door clicked shut behind them, cutting off the outside noise completely.

“…”

“…”

A silence hung in the air. It was hard to tell if it was awkward or comfortable. Wooyeon rested his chin on his bag, his eyelids fluttering lazily.

“…Thanks, Sunbae.”

Dohyeon didn’t respond, but the gentle pheromones he released seemed to soothe Wooyeon. Trying to suppress the pheromones welling up inside him, Wooyeon pressed his nails into his palm.

Then he focused on his studies to forget about Junseong. By the time Garam and Seonkyu returned from their smoke break, they were impressed with how deeply immersed Wooyeon was in his work. Except for brief moments when Dohyeon encouraged him to take breaks, Wooyeon didn’t take his eyes off the books for three solid hours.

“I got so much studying done today thanks to Wooyeon.”

“Same here. I felt motivated just watching you.”

As their study session neared its end, Wooyeon took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He had been so focused that English words seemed to crawl through his mind like worms. Dohyeon, in the middle of packing up, glanced over at Wooyeon and chuckled.

“You’ve got glasses marks.”

It was a simple remark, but Wooyeon’s face flushed bright red. He tried to cover his ears, but the heat in his neck was impossible to hide. It had been a peaceful day, nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

Wooyeon poured all his energy into studying, fueled by the anticipation of his upcoming date with Dohyeon. He spent every waking moment at his desk, and whenever his focus wavered, he thought of Dohyeon. It reminded him of how, long ago, he had worked so hard to impress a teacher, focusing with a dedication that could rival any test-prepping student.

Thanks to this, Wooyeon scored a perfect grade on his first exam, a critical essay written in English. Though the credit mostly went to the notes Dohyeon had shared, Seonkyu, who had received the same notes, didn’t do as well. Despite wanting to brag, Wooyeon kept his pride in check and prepared for the next exam.

The second test went smoothly too. When given a blank page and told to write everything he had memorized, Wooyeon filled it with ease. His straightforward, no-frills study method paid off when the questions simply required regurgitating information.

The third and fourth exams were just as manageable. Sometimes, the questions mirrored material he had crammed right before the test, or they came directly from the topics Dohyeon had highlighted. On top of that, the class he shared with Junseong became a free period due to preparations for their midterm presentations. With no word from his group members, Wooyeon chose to focus solely on his exams.

Then came Friday, the final exam. Wooyeon sat with his notes, reviewing everything he’d memorized. The exam he shared with Dohyeon, English Phonology, was notoriously difficult, and the concepts were hard to grasp. While Dohyeon’s help made it somewhat easier, Wooyeon still didn’t feel confident.

“How do you think you’ll do?” Dohyeon asked.

Wooyeon shook his head weakly, feeling disheartened. Dohyeon narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue before, after a brief pause, reaching out to gently tousle the back of Wooyeon’s head.

“Don’t stress, just relax,” Dohyeon said softly.

His long fingers threaded through Wooyeon’s hair, the gentle touch sending a shiver down his spine. Wooyeon sat up straight, wide-eyed, as he stared at Dohyeon.

“Just read the questions carefully, alright?”

The soft smile on Dohyeon’s face sent Wooyeon’s heart into overdrive. Even though Dohyeon quickly pulled his hand back, the sensation of his touch lingered. Wooyeon could hear his heartbeat in his ears as his lips moved wordlessly.

“You too, Sunbae…”

His face burned hot. He couldn’t even recall what he had just been studying. Instead of calming him down, Dohyeon’s touch had filled him with a whole new kind of tension.

“Good luck on your exam,” Wooyeon finally managed to say, lowering his head. Before turning away, Wooyeon caught a glimpse of Dohyeon’s slightly regretful expression, but it was too late to care. His heart was pounding too fast, and he feared his pheromones might spill out if he wasn’t careful.

If Dohyeon’s goal had been to help Wooyeon relax, he had failed. But if his aim was to distract him from his exam stress, then he had succeeded. All Wooyeon could think about, right up until the professor handed out the test papers, was Dohyeon.

* * *

“Finally, the exams are over…!”

Garam burst into the club room with a celebratory shout but quickly fell silent. The mood inside the room felt strangely tense, pricking his skin with unease. Garam kept his mouth shut as he looked at the scene before him—Dohyeon and Wooyeon sitting across from each other at a table.

“…”

“…”

Dohyeon, with a somewhat apologetic expression, looked back at Garam. Since he didn’t ask if Garam had just arrived, it was clear something had happened. Garam swallowed nervously and glanced at Wooyeon, who looked like he was about to cry.

“What’s going on… You’re not trying to intimidate him, are you?”

Dohyeon’s face scrunched up. With a bewildered look, he responded in a halfhearted tone. His short reply of “Am I crazy?” made Garam awkwardly scratch his cheek.

“If not, then why is the atmosphere like this? Did someone die or something?”

Garam slowly walked into the clubroom. He almost sat next to Dohyeon but then changed course and sat beside Wooyeon instead. As soon as Garam sat down next to him, Dohyeon’s eyes twitched, and he shut his mouth.

“Ugh, the kid looks completely deflated.”

Wooyeon looked weakly at Garam. His usual round eyes were glistening with tears. Garam felt a sharp pang in his heart and softened his expression. It was, without a doubt, the gentlest face Moon Garam had ever made in his life.

“Okay, tell Noona. Is it Kim Dohyeon? Or that blonde-headed guy from before?”

“Noona…”

Wooyeon’s lips moved as if he wanted to speak but hesitated. Even though Wooyeon was filled with uncertainty, Garam waited patiently for him to continue. Finally, Wooyeon covered his face with both hands and muttered in a voice full of tears.

“I bombed the last exam…”

Wooyeon had been in this state ever since he received his exam paper. Up until that moment, he had been overwhelmed with excitement about Dohyeon, but as soon as he read the questions, his mind went blank. Not because of Dohyeon, but simply because the exam was difficult.

It couldn’t even be compared to the quizzes they’d had during class. Even though he had memorized all the concepts and understood the questions perfectly, he didn’t know what to apply in the end. Once he got stuck, he became confused with other concepts as well, and everything he had memorized flew right out of his head.

“They asked me to change a feature to create a different phoneme, but I didn’t understand any of it. And on top of that, I got confused between Wooyeon-specific blanks and something else…”

Garam listened absentmindedly to Wooyeon’s words. “Wooyeon-specific blanks” or whatever—that meant nothing to Garam. The only Wooyeon he knew was the one sitting in front of him. He had studied English phonology too, but all he could remember was the D+ grade he got.

“I see…”

Garam hesitated to pat Wooyeon on the shoulder, then awkwardly withdrew his hand. As if to say, “What are we supposed to do with him?” Garam glanced at Dohyeon, who turned away uncomfortably. Dohyeon clearly didn’t know how to console Wooyeon either and had been sitting there silently.

“Still, Wooyeon, if it was hard for you, it must’ve been hard for everyone else too…”

“Sunbae said he did well.”

“…”

Garam shot a sharp glare at Dohyeon. It was a look that said, “Why did you say that, you idiot?” Dohyeon avoided his gaze sheepishly. The truth was, Dohyeon had been taking that class since his first year, so it was no surprise he did better than Wooyeon.

Who knows how much time had passed? Despite Garam’s best efforts to comfort him, eventually, even she gave up. Wooyeon was trying his best to act fine, but that only made him seem sadder. Just as Garam sat up straight, someone knocked on the clubroom door.

“Oh, you’re all here? I just finished my exam…”

Seonkyu had the same reaction Garam did earlier. He came in all excited, but seeing the awkward Sunbaes and Wooyeon looking like he was about to cry, he stopped mid-sentence and hesitated. Then, determined, Seonkyu took a step back.

“If this is some sort of military discipline session, I’m out.”

Wooyeon knew how much the three of them were worried about him. He also knew it wasn’t as big of a disaster as it seemed and that his midterm grades would likely be good.

But that didn’t change the outcome of his final exam. Dohyeon had promised to take him to a movie if he did well, so now he had no reason to ask for that movie date. What upset him more than messing up the exam was the thought of losing that time with Dohyeon.

“Come on, Wooyeon. You’ll bounce back in the finals.”

Garam tried to cheer Wooyeon up and rallied the club members for an afterparty. She reserved a spot at a bar, encouraging Wooyeon to drink it off. Wooyeon weakly said, “I’m fine now,” but Seonkyu put him in a playful headlock, telling him to stop lying.

“Come on, Noona’s got you. If you don’t want to drink, you don’t have to.”

Wooyeon nodded, fiddling with a small soju glass. Garam filled it to the brim with soju. As they raised their glasses, more and more club members joined in.

“What’s this, you were going to toast without me?”

“Oh, me too!”

“Me, me!”

The wave of toasts spread, eventually reaching Dohyeon’s side of the table. Wooyeon could feel him watching from a distance while he chatted with the other members.

“Kim Dohyeon! As club president, say a few words!”

“Oooh, a toast speech!”

“Sunbae, you’re the best! Say something cool!”

“You guys must’ve had a drink before you came here.”

The atmosphere was already tipsy, even though no one had actually started drinking yet. Dohyeon, familiar with the rowdy club members, lifted his soju glass. They all turned the attention to Dohyeon, but the toast ended up coming from Garam instead.

“For the glory of the English-Korean War! Got it? For the glory!”

“For the glory!”

Wooyeon clinked glasses with Garam and then put his soju down. He was reluctant to drink, remembering the mistake he made last time. Garam noticed but didn’t say anything, pointing fingers at the others instead.

“Hey, look at these slackers tipping their glasses.”

“Oh, Unnie, you sound like Jinsang oppa.”

“Whoa… how could you say that…?”

Garam feigned a wounded look and started imitating the senior student. Seonkyu shivered, telling her to stop, but Garam didn’t. She acted out being an older student pressuring everyone to drink, waving the soju bottle like a real upperclassman.

Wooyeon chuckled weakly, leaning against the wall. At the start-of-term meeting, he had felt awkward, and at the club retreat, he had been annoyed. But now, everything just felt chaotic. Even so, he couldn’t take his eyes off Dohyeon, who stood out clearly in his view.

“…so then…”

Dohyeon, after joining the drinking session, naturally became the center of attention. As the crowd formed around him, Wooyeon and Seonkyu were left sitting in the corner. If Garam hadn’t come over, Wooyeon would’ve ended up like a useless sack of rice just like at the first meeting.

“…”

Dohyeon, smiling as he listened to a junior, lifted the bottle of soju. He poured some for the junior and filled his own glass before making a casual toast. The moment Wooyeon saw Dohyeon’s kind smile, his stomach twisted, and he turned away.

“Who wants to play a drinking game?”

An inexplicable feeling of unease swelled and churned inside Wooyeon, something more intense than the usual excitement he felt. Despite how close he was to Dohyeon, it suddenly struck him how, in the end, he was just one of the many juniors.

“Wooyeon, do you want to play a drinking game?”

Garam cheerfully asked as she twisted the end of the soju bottle. Wooyeon, who had been nibbling the inside of his cheek, blinked vacantly.

“A drinking game?”

“Yeah, if you want to play, Noona will make sure you get an easy role.”

“What? Why is Wooyeon getting special treatment!”

“Hey, you don’t get it. If he drinks a punishment shot, this place will have to close up for the night.”

Truth be told, Wooyeon did want to drink, but he couldn’t shake the memory of swearing in English last time. If only he could control his drinking better, but unfortunately, he didn’t have that ability yet.

“Are you sure I don’t have to drink?”

“Of course, of course. Just drink water.”

Garam nodded enthusiastically and brought a large water bottle. The rumor about the incident with the upperclassman had already spread, so none of the club members objected.

“Let’s start by spinning the bottle cap!”

At Garam’s signal, the bottle cap was passed from one person to the next. Wooyeon, watching how Garam flicked the cap with her fingers, mimicked her action. Eventually, the cap stopped at Seonkyu, who broke the cap cleanly off.

“Oh, Seonkyu got caught? Time for a shot.”

“Huh? Don’t I get to pick someone to drink?”

“Who cares, you’re the youngest here.”

Although surprised, Seonkyu obediently drank the soju. He must have realized that no matter how much he protested, his fate was sealed. Wooyeon, meanwhile, absorbed this as a strange new rule of drinking games.

The games went on endlessly. Wooyeon, though the most sober, drank the most water. At first, the club members doubted his ability, but eventually, they couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Not being able to do this is a talent in itself…”

“No, it’s fine to not be good at drinking games.”

“Yeah, Wooyeon, you’re handsome, so it’s okay.”

Wooyeon, unsure whether to be happy or sad, sipped his water. Despite this being his second drinking game, he still couldn’t get used to it. The endless rules, different theme songs for each game, and the accompanying motions made his head spin.

“Moon Garam.”

Around the time they finished their third bottle of soju, Dohyeon approached Garam from behind. Garam, who was pointing at one of the juniors with her chopsticks, tilted her head back to look at him.

“What?”

Though Dohyeon addressed Garam, it was Wooyeon who tensed up. He clenched his chopsticks, his face stiffening. The pheromones that had been distant were now alarmingly close.

“Go downstairs for a bit. The upperclassmen have arrived.”

Though the drinking party had reached a lively point, Dohyeon’s voice remained calm and soft. The gentle tone made Wooyeon’s jaw tingle.

“Why don’t they come up on their own?”

“Noona Minjung is here too.”

As soon as the words left Dohyeon’s mouth, Garam shot up from her seat. Muttering curses for not mentioning that sooner, she hurriedly straightened her clothes. She even let down the loosely tied hair and neatly tucked it behind her ears.

“How do I look?”

Even under the dim lighting, the flush of nervousness on her face was visible. Dohyeon glanced at her nonchalantly and replied flatly, “Do you want the truth?”

“No, just shut up.”

Garam, not expecting much from him, quickly left, her hair fluttering as she rushed out of the bar. Wooyeon blinked as he watched her retreating figure, then quickly looked away when Dohyeon’s gaze landed on him.

“……”

The unpleasant feeling in Wooyeon’s chest flared up again. Dohyeon would leave soon and wouldn’t return until this drinking party ended. A mix of curiosity about who this “Noona Minjung” was and a sense of frustration swirled within him. Memories of Dohyeon chatting with other juniors resurfaced in his mind when suddenly, a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Did you drink a lot?”

Dohyeon was observing him intently. Without hesitation, he crossed over to sit in the seat Garam had just vacated.

“…Drinking?”

“You played a drinking game, right?”

Dohyeon took Wooyeon’s soju glass and sniffed it lightly, as if confirming whether it was alcohol or water. Wooyeon, dazed, answered awkwardly.

“It’s water. Garam Noona made me the designated non-drinker.”

“Designated non-drinker?”

A faint chuckle escaped Dohyeon as he handed the glass back. He muttered, “That’s a relief,” and looked genuinely reassured, which prompted Wooyeon to ask before he could stop himself.

“Were you worried I’d swear in English again?”

Dohyeon didn’t respond directly, but his gaze became more complicated. With a slight smile, he gave a vague reply, as if to say it didn’t matter either way.

“I’m worried you might get drunk.”

The word “worried” tickled inside his stomach. Thinking that Dohyeon sitting next to him and checking his drink were all out of concern made him feel giddy. Though Dohyeon probably said it without any deeper meaning, it felt like he’d drunk a bowl full of kimchi soup—getting ahead of himself.

“Hyung, but who is Minjung Noona?”

While Wooyeon was fidgeting, Seonkyu, who sat across from him, asked. Judging by how the other sunbaes weren’t asking, it seemed she was already a well-known figure among them. Dohyeon nodded briefly as he answered.

“She’s a graduated sunbae from our club.”

“Wow, how much older is she?”

“She’s about four years ahead of you, I think…”

Wooyeon discreetly observed Dohyeon’s side profile. It was hard to believe he’d been drinking, as he didn’t look any different or show any signs of being drunk. As if to reassure Seonkyu, Dohyeon added in his usual sweet tone.

“They’re good sunbaes.”

He looked genuinely pleased. It wasn’t that fake smile Wooyeon sometimes found disingenuous; this time, the soft curve of his lips seemed completely sincere, making Wooyeon’s throat feel prickly and tense.

“Why did you say ‘sunbaes,’ plural?”

Wooyeon tried his best to suppress his feelings and kept his face neutral. Dohyeon turned his eyes toward him with a quick glance.

“Another one is coming too. The former president of the club.”

Hearing the term “former president,” Wooyeon remembered something Garam had mentioned before—something about how the club had been revived by a “management god” when it was on the verge of dying.

“The ‘management god’ isn’t coming?”

“Oh, that hyung…”

Wooyeon had asked casually, but Dohyeon’s expression suddenly changed. His brows furrowed slightly, though he quickly returned to his usual kind expression. However, it felt unusually forced.

“Why? Are you curious about what he looks like?”

Without thinking too deeply, Wooyeon shook his head. Garam had mentioned how godly handsome this person was, saying he practically radiated light, but Wooyeon wasn’t particularly interested. Besides, wasn’t this the teaching assistant’s partner, the one with that overwhelming pheromone?

“He’d just be another alpha anyway…”

As Wooyeon muttered, Dohyeon’s lips parted slightly as if he were about to say something. Just then, a commotion arose at the entrance of the bar. Sighing, Dohyeon turned his head toward the noise, murmuring, “He’s here.”

“Hey! Juniors!”

The timing was almost too perfect. At the booming voice that shook the entire bar, Wooyeon instinctively grabbed onto the hem of Dohyeon’s shirt. Peeking to the side, he saw a large man standing there like a bear.

“It’s been a while, everyone!”

“Sunbae, it’s been a while!”

“Hyung, we’ve never forgotten the drinking games we used to play with you.”

“Hah, I figured! That’s why I came.”

The man’s height was similar to Dohyeon’s, but he seemed twice as big. It wasn’t fat—just a sheer sense of bulk that made him look imposing. Despite his size, he had gentle, kind eyes that softened his overall image.

“Park Sungjae, you’re too loud.”

Behind him was a petite woman. Her hair barely touched her shoulders, and her expressionless face gave off a cool, indifferent vibe. Wooyeon instantly recognized her as “Minjung Noona” when he saw Garam standing next to her.

“They’re both betas.”

The tension in his shoulders melted away. If they’d been alphas, he would have felt discomfort, and if they’d been omegas, it might’ve been unnecessarily distracting, but fortunately, they were both betas. As the two bantered back and forth (with the woman doing most of the scolding), they eventually spotted Dohyeon and cheerfully made their way over.

“Hey, Kim Dohyeon! As the youngest, how dare you not come out to greet your sunbaes?”

The man laughed heartily but then widened his eyes in surprise. His large, double-lidded eyes slowly moved toward Wooyeon. Wooyeon, sensing the attention, froze in place, and when the woman also looked at him, he snapped out of it.

“…”

At some point, he realized he was still holding onto Dohyeon’s shirt. Embarrassed, he quickly let go, but the stiff material of the shirt was now crumpled with creases. He wasn’t sure whether to try smoothing it out or just let it be, so he awkwardly apologized instead.

“Sorry, I left a mark…”

“It’s fine.”

Dohyeon casually brushed it off and stood up. He approached the man with a friendly grip on his arm.

“Hyung, how do you look like you’ve gained weight again? Didn’t you say you lost some while studying?”

“Hey! I’ve lost more than 5kg!”

The man quickly snapped back in protest. Dohyeon laughed it off as a joke and ushered him to sit among the others. Meanwhile, the woman, who had been standing there without much expression, let out a quiet scoff.

“Thief.”

Her voice was low, but Wooyeon clearly heard it. Dohyeon must have heard it too, but he pretended not to as he helped them find seats. She lightly nudged Dohyeon’s arm with a smirk.

“Nice try. I’ll find my own seat, so you sit too.”