Alpha Trauma

After a long while, Wooyeon finally muttered in a voice still thick with emotion.“…I can’t believe it.”Everything felt like a dream. The teacher he had adored for so long was saying he liked him. Even after hearing the long explanation, it still felt unbelievable.The kindness and affection Dohyeon had shown him—it was hard for Wooyeon to believe that it was love.“If you liked me, why didn’t you sleep with me back then?”“…”“If you like someone, you’d want to, wouldn’t you…?”“…You’re not wrong, Wooyeon-ah.”Dohyeon spoke slowly, running his fingers through Wooyeon’s hair. Each time his fingers brushed through, Wooyeon felt a gentle relaxation wash over him, a lazy pheromone lingering subtly around them.“But even that has to depend on the time, place, and occasion.”It wasn’t that Wooyeon didn’t understand what TPO (time, place, and occasion) meant. What he didn’t understand was why that moment hadn’t been suitable. Dohyeon, noticing Wooyeon’s confusion, added softly.“I knew you weren’t asking because you liked me.”Right, that had been the case. Dohyeon had even said, “If I’d slept with you, you would’ve kept running away.” Wooyeon was still amazed at how quickly Dohyeon had picked up on everything.“If you can’t believe it, I’ll keep telling you until you do.”Dohyeon carefully pulled Wooyeon out of his embrace. Wooyeon frowned in disappointment at the sudden distance. Dohyeon gently grasped his arm, inspecting the bruise on Wooyeon’s wrist.“Is it like this on the other side too?”“No.”Wooyeon answered quickly, but Dohyeon didn’t seem convinced. “There’s no way it’s just one side.” His tone implied that Wooyeon’s denial didn’t make sense. Before Wooyeon could protest, Dohyeon took his other arm and rolled up the sleeve.“….”“We need to put some ointment on this.”With that, Dohyeon pressed his lips to the bruise. The sensation was soft and tender, just like the kiss Wooyeon had felt earlier. Wooyeon’s face turned bright red as he quickly shook Dohyeon’s hand away.“Y-Your lips aren’t medicine, Sunbae.”Dohyeon shrugged, as if to say he meant no harm. Wooyeon groaned in pain as he accidentally hit his elbow against the wall. Dohyeon reached out again, but Wooyeon instinctively backed away.“….”“….”An awkward tension filled the air. It was strange how Dohyeon’s touch embarrassed Wooyeon now, even though they’d done far more intimate things before. He’d been held tightly just moments ago, after all.Dohyeon studied Wooyeon for a moment before stepping back.“Let me ask again… What on earth possessed you to do something like that?”Dohyeon’s gaze shifted to Wooyeon’s wrist. Remembering how he’d once said, “Let’s sleep together,” Wooyeon mumbled.“Well, I thought we already had…”There had been too many reasons clouding his mind, not least of which was his heat cycle being imminent. He had been so cornered that throwing himself at Dohyeon had seemed like nothing. But things were different now.“Then a kiss should be fine. We’ve already done that.”Dohyeon moved closer, his lips curling into a mischievous smile. His expression was playful, but Wooyeon’s face turned red up to his neck as he covered his mouth with his hand. Dohyeon tilted his head slightly, his eyes twinkling.“How can you cover your mouth, Yeon-ah?”His smile was so captivating that it made Wooyeon’s heart race. This was the kind, smiling teacher he had always adored. How had he ever thought he could stop liking him? Wooyeon cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to loosen his tightened voice.“But you were the one who kissed me first…”“Well… I guess I’ll have to take the blame for that.”Dohyeon averted his gaze with a somewhat ambiguous expression, as if hiding something. Wooyeon cautiously asked, suspecting what he feared the most.“Did I… do something else?”On the day he woke up in bed with Dohyeon, Wooyeon had been in a bathrobe. He had been drunk and things had escalated to petting, but he couldn’t be sure nothing else had happened. Dohyeon glanced at him and muttered to himself.“You’re not completely clueless.”Wooyeon’s face went pale for a moment. His eyes darted around before he asked again, incredulously, “Really?” Dohyeon narrowed his eyes slyly at the question.“That’s one of your catchphrases, you know?”“…I know.”“And it’s also a habit you have when you’re drunk.”For some reason, Dohyeon’s face was full of amusement. His smile was so dazzling that Wooyeon couldn’t bear to look directly at him. Covering his ears with his hands, Wooyeon mumbled in protest.“You said nothing happened that day.”“Did I?”Dohyeon tilted his head, hands in his pockets, as if trying to recall. He then shook his head, correcting Wooyeon’s words.“I only said, ‘We didn’t sleep together.’”“….”Wooyeon’s pale face showed hesitation. He wanted to ask what else had happened, but he didn’t have the courage. It felt as though opening Pandora’s box would unleash something he wasn’t ready to face.“W-Why haven’t Garam Noona and Seonkyu come back yet…?”In the end, Wooyeon brought up an entirely unrelated topic and stepped toward the door.It wasn’t completely random. Quite a bit of time had passed, yet Garam and Seonkyu still hadn’t returned. Considering it usually only took about 10 minutes, they were long overdue.“Moon Garam and Seonkyu?”Dohyeon, pretending not to notice Wooyeon’s awkwardness, playfully asked, glancing toward the door.“They’re not coming?”The broken door creaked open as if on cue. Through the gap, Wooyeon sensed the presence of two familiar figures. He widened his eyes and froze in place.“….”“….”Garam and Seonkyu stood there awkwardly, holding drinks in both hands.As soon as Wooyeon showed a shocked expression, Garam awkwardly lifted the drink carrier.“We brought drinks…”The drinks, with ice floating on top, had droplets of condensation forming on the surface of the cups. It was clear that the ice had started to melt. Seonkyu, standing behind Garam, nodded resolutely.“We just got here.”It was an obvious statement, but no one believed it.Wooyeon glanced back and forth between Garam and Seonkyu with a bewildered expression. He wanted to ask, “How long have you been here?” but, once again, asking that question wasn’t easy.The four of them kept quiet about what had just happened in the club room, as if they had planned it. Only Seonkyu’s eyes silently demanded an explanation, but Wooyeon pretended not to notice. It was too awkward to give a clear answer because things between him and Dohyeon had become rather strange.Are we dating? Or not? The question kept surfacing and then fading again. He had heard the confession, and Wooyeon liked him too, but he hadn’t actually responded to Dohyeon’s confession. Besides, there hadn’t been any real talk about officially dating, had there?As Wooyeon thought about this, he pursed his lips, feeling at a loss. It was clearly a moment when he should have been happy, but the undefined nature of their relationship weighed on him. Having never been in a romantic relationship before, Wooyeon found everything confusing and unfamiliar.“Are you listening?”Wooyeon, who had been zoning out, snapped back to reality and blinked. The tteokbokki he had been holding with chopsticks (once again, ordered by Garam) fell back into the paper cup with a plop. Realizing that all three of them were looking at him, Wooyeon shook his head lightly.“Oh… I’m sorry. I wasn’t listening.”“It’s okay. We were just talking about renting equipment for the festival.”Dohyeon didn’t scold him and smoothly continued the conversation. The problem was that Wooyeon had lost track of what they were talking about much earlier than Dohyeon had realized.“We’re having a festival?”Wooyeon asked in surprise, and Garam clicked her tongue. She shot an annoyed look at Dohyeon and muttered under her breath, just loud enough to be heard.“You’ve totally rattled him.”“…Our school has two festivals.”Dohyeon nonchalantly ignored Garam’s comment. Although everyone clearly heard it, they all remained silent, as if they had agreed to.“In the spring, there’s the Cherry Blossom Festival, and in the fall, there’s the Maple Festival. Normally, one of those would include a bar, but this year, the school is cracking down on alcohol, so we have to come up with something more wholesome.”“Ugh, it’s such a shame we can’t have a bar. Our club used to have the best one.”“You weren’t even in our club back then.”Wooyeon recalled the lively atmosphere at school earlier in the morning. He had noticed something felt different, and now he understood why. It was because of the festival. He also remembered the teaching assistant mentioning that bars were banned this year.“Anyway, I was thinking we could sell something simple, like shaved ice or rice cakes, but since other clubs are probably doing that too, we should try something different.”Are shaved ice and rice cakes simple? While Wooyeon pondered this, he silently nodded along. With no real knowledge of university festivals, Wooyeon had no choice but to follow Dohyeon’s lead.Watching him, Dohyeon smiled in a way that could melt anyone’s heart.“Do you like cotton candy?”* * *Cotton candy. Sitting at the back of the lecture hall, Wooyeon searched for it on his phone. Amidst various ads, he found a definition of cotton candy and some children’s songs about it. What Wooyeon clicked on was a picture of character-shaped cotton candy, the kind you’d find at an amusement park.“Turns out, renting the machine isn’t too expensive. All we need for ingredients are sugar and wooden sticks, so let’s rent a machine and sell cotton candy.”Although Garam expressed her disappointment that there wouldn’t be a bar, Seonkyu and Wooyeon’s eyes lit up. Seonkyu was excited because it was his first time experiencing a festival, while Wooyeon was intrigued by the thought of tasting cotton candy for the first time. The fluffy, cloud-like candy was something Wooyeon had never even touched, let alone eaten.“Doesn’t it sound fun?”It was as if Dohyeon had read Wooyeon’s mind when he asked the question. Although he had initially asked if Wooyeon liked cotton candy, he probably knew by now that Wooyeon hadn’t tried it. Most likely, he had phrased the question that way to be considerate of Seonkyu and Garam’s presence. Naturally, Wooyeon nodded with an eager smile.“I’ll start roll call now.”Putting his phone away, Wooyeon glanced around the lecture hall. The professor had already started calling names at the front of the room. The first name, “Kang Junseong,” was called, but no one answered.“Kang Junseong didn’t show up again this week.”“Dude, I wouldn’t come either if I were him. Too embarrassing.”“But that other guy came, didn’t he?”“Well, he actually got a good grade.”Wooyeon could clearly hear their whispers. He realized that Junseong hadn’t shown up last week either and that the “other guy” they were referring to was himself. As expected, the incident during the group project had spread around.“Seon Wooyeon.”“Yes.”It didn’t really matter. Whether Junseong gave up on this class or rumors about him spread—Wooyeon didn’t care, and he didn’t feel the need to. After seeing everything that happened, it was best for both of them to act like strangers.So, as soon as the lecture began, Wooyeon erased all thoughts of Junseong from his mind. He already had enough to think about: Dohyeon’s confession, the cotton candy they would make for the festival, and the week’s worth of missed lecture material. Even with just those things, his mind was already full.“Let’s end it here.”The professor once again finished the lecture 30 minutes early. Wooyeon sent Seonkyu a message to say the class was over, packed his things, and stood up. Before class, Dohyeon had suggested, “Let’s start studying again from today.” Even though exams were over and the festival was just around the corner, Dohyeon’s diligence, befitting the top student in the department, was admirable.“I better hurry and go see him.”There were still mountains of things left unsaid. Did Dohyeon really like him? And if so, how would their relationship change?If possible, Wooyeon wanted to hear that confession of “I like you” one more time. Dohyeon had promised to say it until Wooyeon believed him, so maybe it wouldn’t be too greedy to want to hear it twice more. After all, they had liked each other for a while, so it seemed reasonable to ask for that much.“Hey.”As Wooyeon checked Seonkyu’s message, he quickened his pace. Seonkyu had said they would wait at the clubroom, and that they would talk more about the festival before moving to a study café. When Seonkyu mentioned that other seniors would be there, Wooyeon responded quickly, saying he’d be there soon. Just as he was about to put his phone away, someone called out to him in a loud voice.“Hey, Seon Wooyeon!”A bad feeling crept up on him. There was only one person Wooyeon knew who addressed him as “Seon Wooyeon” with that kind of irritated tone.He thought about ignoring it, but the person wasn’t about to let him off that easily.“Ah, damn it. When someone calls you, at least….”A hand suddenly grabbed his arm. Without hesitation, Wooyeon caught the hand and twisted it back. The person, surprised at how easily they were overpowered, let go of him, stepping back with a startled expression.“Hey, did you take some self-defense classes or something? How are you this strong…?”As expected, it was Kang Junseong. The very Kang Junseong who had skipped classes and was supposed to become a stranger to Wooyeon. Judging by his appearance, with his hat pulled low and a bag slung over his shoulder, it seemed like he had attended other classes just fine.“Ah, whatever. Seon Wooyeon, I need to talk to you.”“I have nothing to say.”Wooyeon responded and started to walk away, leaving Junseong behind. The good mood he’d been in was quickly being replaced by irritation. Without knowing this, Junseong hurriedly followed after him.“Hey, I really need to talk to you! You’re just going to ignore me?”“…”“Hey, hey, hey!”Junseong’s voice grew louder as he hurriedly ran in front of Wooyeon, blocking his path. Just as Wooyeon was about to clench his fist in frustration, Junseong blurted out something unexpected.“I’m sorry!”Wooyeon froze in his tracks. The sharp pheromones he had unconsciously emitted also seemed to lose their edge for a moment. Junseong took off his hat and sighed as if he was at his wit’s end.“Shit… I’m saying sorry.”It started with a curse, but ended in an apology. As he awkwardly scratched the back of his head and stole glances at Wooyeon, who was staring blankly into space, Junseong continued.“I’m not here to pick a fight. I came to apologize.”“…”“That day… after what happened, I thought about it a lot. I think I made a mistake because I was immature back then. I’m sorry.”His words were as straightforward as they could be. The hesitation, the way he kept looking down, and even the occasional sigh—all of it made him seem like he was genuinely apologizing.Wooyeon, however, couldn’t help but let out a cold, sarcastic laugh.“What a crazy bastard.”That was all Wooyeon could say. He wasn’t bewildered or taken aback—he was just angry. To think that Junseong would come to him with an apology now of all times. It was laughable.“Are you doing this because of the group project grade?”He voiced his most plausible suspicion, but Junseong frowned in response. Clenching his teeth in frustration, Junseong retorted angrily.“Are you mocking me? That was over by last week.”Wooyeon didn’t say another word and simply turned to leave. He had no intention of engaging in any more conversation, and with Junseong behaving like this, continuing the interaction felt like a waste of time. The good mood he’d been in just moments ago had crashed to the ground the second he saw Junseong.“Hey, I’m not done talking!”Junseong moved to block his way again. Perhaps having been rebuffed several times, he didn’t try to grab Wooyeon’s arm or bag this time. Had he tried, Wooyeon wasn’t sure if he could have held back. In a way, it was disappointing that Junseong hadn’t made a move.“I have nothing to say. Move.”Wooyeon furrowed his brow in irritation, eager to get to the clubroom as soon as possible. Junseong, scratching the back of his head, looked away, seemingly flustered.“I… look, I’m sorry for the way I treated you. For bullying you.”“…”“I was immature back then, and honestly, I was jealous of your family’s wealth. But I also felt like you were looking down on me….”“And what do you expect me to do about that?”There was nothing more to hear. Wooyeon didn’t care to understand Junseong’s sudden change of heart or listen to his excuses. He cut him off and pointed out the most baffling part.“Would you have apologized if I hadn’t removed your name from the group project?”“…”Junseong fell silent immediately. Wooyeon figured that if he had let Junseong walk all over him, none of this would be happening now. There wouldn’t be an apology; instead, he’d likely be demanding something, just as he had before, and continuing to torment Wooyeon.“And if we hadn’t run into each other again, would you have even remembered me?”Wooyeon didn’t believe Junseong was truly remorseful. If they hadn’t met again, Wooyeon would have been nothing more than a pitiful memory buried in Junseong’s past—if even that. At best, he might have been a distant, unpleasant recollection from their younger days.“You’re apologizing now because things aren’t going well for you and you want to feel better.”“Hey, what’s with your attitude? I’m apologizing….”“Who asked you to?”The more Wooyeon spoke, the more knotted his emotions became. Rather than feeling relieved, he was growing more frustrated, angrier. Even seeing Junseong’s face flush with shame didn’t bring him any satisfaction.“I don’t care what you do with your life, but I’m not obligated to accept your apology.”Wooyeon had learned this from Garam’s apology and from Dohyeon. It was common sense, but it was something people like Junseong always seemed to forget.“I was just immature at the time. I’m genuinely reflecting.”“Immature?”Wooyeon repeated the word with a scornful laugh. Immature, he said. It was the excuse that alphas who tried to touch Wooyeon always used.“Who makes the same mistake for three years straight?”A mistake was something unintentional, like dropping your phone or getting a test question wrong—not like what Junseong had done to Wooyeon over the course of three years.Besides, someone who was truly capable of reflecting didn’t act that way to begin with. It wasn’t impossible to change, but Wooyeon didn’t believe that applied to Junseong.“I think I’ve already said this… you don’t have to apologize. Just act like we don’t know each other. You make me sick.”Wooyeon’s face had turned ashen, as if he was on the verge of vomiting. His pheromones radiated a strong sense of disgust. Instinctively, Junseong flinched, but when Wooyeon resumed walking, Junseong quickly followed again.“Hey, what would it take for you to forgive me? Should I get on my knees? Or should I give you money?”Both suggestions disgusted Wooyeon equally. He didn’t want to see Junseong on his knees (though it seemed Junseong wasn’t serious about it either), and he already had more than enough money. What Wooyeon wanted was simple: for Junseong to leave him alone.“I’m not asking for much. I’m just saying let’s get along like normal people….”“Hey.”Wooyeon’s voice was low as he called out to Junseong. Even though Wooyeon was shorter, the weight of his words pressed down on Junseong. Suppressing his pheromones, Wooyeon continued, fully aware of the eyes on him.“I’m telling you right now—that’s not going to happen.”One person who didn’t understand him was enough in Wooyeon’s life, and that person was his mother. No matter how much she didn’t understand, dealing with her was still better than talking to Junseong. With him, their basic ideologies were completely different.“We only have that one class together, and there won’t be any more group projects, so let’s just act like we don’t know each other.”“……”“Just like you said, ‘like everyone else.’ Is that so hard?”Junseong clenched his fists with a face full of wounded pride. Clearly, it was not an expression of remorse. From the look of him, he didn’t even seem sorry, so Wooyeon had no idea what was going on with him.Junseong bowed his head, then adjusted his cap with a sigh.“Let’s just say hi. Just that.”He sounded like he was making a huge concession. It was as if he was stepping back, satisfied with that much. Wooyeon, looking at Junseong with an expressionless face, replied.“No.”* * *For some reason, the club room was packed with members who usually didn’t show up. The sight of the crowd surprised Wooyeon as soon as he stepped inside, but when his eyes met Dohyeon’s, his lips twitched into a faint smile. His mood had been sour, but seeing Dohyeon instantly lifted his spirits.“Wooyeon, it’s been a while!”“Hey, you look even more handsome.”“Jinsang doesn’t bother you anymore these days, right?”Wooyeon casually answered the barrage of questions as he walked further into the room. While he didn’t mind the lively atmosphere, being the center of attention all at once was a bit overwhelming. It amazed him how Garam could hog the entire daybed in this situation.“Anything interesting happen today?”Dohyeon asked with his usual warm smile. One of the senior members chuckled, “He’s not your dad, you know.”Faced with the two empty seats next to Dohyeon and Seonkyu, Wooyeon instinctively sat beside Seonkyu.“I just went to my classes.”Two pairs of eyes landed on Wooyeon’s face—one from Seonkyu and the other from Dohyeon. Dohyeon, who had been silently watching Wooyeon, nodded after a brief pause.“You did well.”Wooyeon noticed a subtle hesitation in Dohyeon’s response but couldn’t figure out why. On top of that, he had no idea why Seonkyu was squirming uncomfortably next to him.“Are you feeling unwell?”“…No.”Seonkyu shook his head and nervously darted his eyes toward the table cluttered with papers.Wooyeon quickly lost interest in Seonkyu and turned his attention back to quietly observing Dohyeon.“Since everyone’s here, I’ll explain the budget and details.”As expected of the club president, Dohyeon led the meeting smoothly. He discussed the school’s funding, the general budget, how they would set up the booth, and the pricing, all in a calm and pleasant voice.“I should’ve sat next to him.”If he had sat next to Dohyeon, he could’ve heard him even more clearly. Not just his voice, but even enjoyed that gentle, soothing presence. He was starting to feel jealous of the club member sitting next to Dohyeon.“We’ll all try making it first, and the best person can handle it. Anyone left over can help with promotion and attracting customers.”“Will the cotton candy sell? I don’t think people would buy it,” one of the new members voiced his concern. He thought that while people might buy snacks when hungry, cotton candy seemed too much of a hassle.Just then, Garam, who had been lying down, suddenly sat up.“Hey, if Kim Dohyeon makes it, it’ll definitely sell. You know how popular he is.”Garam pointed at Dohyeon with a sour face, clearly displeased about having to compliment him.“Nothing beats good looks. That’s how four years ago, we sold everything even though our pub’s location was terrible, all thanks to one senior.”Naturally, Wooyeon thought of the nickname “God of Business.” It came up often enough that he couldn’t help but admire how fitting the name was. Despite that, he was still more amused by the nickname than curious about the senior’s appearance.“Right, I heard it was huge back then.”“Looks like we’re all set if we have Dohyeon.”The club members, now convinced, chimed in with excitement. For some reason, Seonkyu kept glancing at Wooyeon, but Wooyeon was secretly looking forward to tasting “the cotton candy made by the teacher.” He sneakily continued watching Dohyeon until someone snapped their fingers with a sharp sound.“Wooyeon can handle the promotion.”“……”Wooyeon’s face immediately crumpled at the mention of his name. He didn’t mind helping out as a club member, but being in charge of “promotion” was unexpected. He had seen someone making signs earlier, which probably meant he’d have to carry one around.“Oh yeah, we’ve got two stars in our club now.”“Maybe he could carry a giant cotton candy around.”“That’d be cute!”“Me?”Wooyeon asked cautiously, his face showing clear reluctance. Carrying something around was one thing, but the odds of it being that simple seemed slim. It was obvious from the conversation that they expected him to do more—essentially, to lure in customers.“If Wooyeon promotes, and Dohyeon sells, it’ll be a hit.”“I can already see the money rolling in.”“All this over a cotton candy stand?”Though Wooyeon wasn’t confident, the plan progressed smoothly. The others were already imagining T-shirts and headbands to wear. As they tossed around ideas—cat ears, bunny ears, or funny slogans—Dohyeon spoke in a low voice.“No.”The room fell silent at once. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to capture everyone’s attention. Twirling a pen in his hand, Dohyeon spoke gently.“I’m not letting Wooyeon handle promotion.”His words effectively reset the meeting, which had been moving along so well. The club members who had been giving their opinions, Garam, who had been half-heartedly agreeing, and even Wooyeon, who had almost resigned himself to the role, blinked in confusion.Wooyeon was the first to speak.“Why?”Wooyeon looked at Dohyeon with curiosity, unable to figure out why someone who rarely rejected things was so adamantly against it. Dohyeon tilted his head slightly with a faint smile.“Do you want to do it?”“No.”“See?”The simple exchange ended there. Wooyeon figured he must have shown how much he disliked the idea, and silently accepted it. The only one who clicked their tongue was Garam, but standing far away, no one noticed.“We can’t force someone to do something they don’t want to.”The other club members quickly accepted Dohyeon’s words. They all agreed that, since it was a festival to enjoy together, no one should be forced to participate. However, they still didn’t give up on the idea of wearing headbands. Since Dohyeon didn’t oppose this, the discussion naturally returned to whether it would be “cat ears or bunny ears.”The meeting lasted longer than expected, most of it spent on pointless chit-chat, with a serious debate about the after-party location toward the end. Garam, who had been disinterested the whole time, became the most serious when it came to this part.Once the club members left, they resumed their study session, which hadn’t been held in a while. The location was the club room, and they only had half the usual time left. Even so, Garam couldn’t focus for more than 30 minutes before pulling out her phone to browse the news.“Whoa, big news. Looks like Ji Suhyang has a kid.”“Ji Suhyang?”Seonkyu, who had been bored to death, lifted his head slightly, curiosity lighting up his eyes. Garam nodded nonchalantly, resting her chin on her hand.“Yeah, Ji Suhyang, the chairman of SUNJUNG Group. There was all this talk about how there were no heirs, but now there’s a rumor about an illegitimate child.”The “SUNJUNG Group” Garam was talking about was a name every person in the country knew. It was the biggest conglomerate in South Korea, the undisputed giant that dominated the economy. People even joked that if SUNJUNG collapsed, the country would too. They had established their foundation in the semiconductor business and cultivated public opinion by continuously supporting orphanages through their foundation. Recently, they had even expanded into the housing market. The phone Garam was holding prominently displayed the “SUNJUNG” logo.“Apparently, the kid went to some private middle school. There are rumors that some students saw Ji Suhyang there, and people are speculating that the child was raised in the U.S., but there’s no official statement yet.”“Ugh, sounds like just gossip. Isn’t it all just a rumor?”“Yeah, just something for reporters to chew on. Stock prices might drop a bit though.”“You got stock there, Noona?”“Do I look like I do?”Wooyeon blinked slowly, his eyes fixed on his notebook. The squiggly handwriting seemed to blur as he stared. Garam’s lazy mumblings about the article sounded distant and muffled.“Even chaebols have it rough, getting articles written about them just for having a kid.”“Right? I mean, even if it’s true, so what if there’s an illegitimate child?”“Exactly. Our country still has a long way to go.”The conversation drifted by, treated with as much interest as someone else’s distant affair. It was someone else’s business, so their detached attitude was understandable. Garam put down her phone and clicked the mechanical pencil she was holding a couple of times.“But if I were that illegitimate child, and Ji Suhyang offered me money to live as if I didn’t exist, I think I could totally manage that life.”“Same here. That’s like being a wealthy layabout.”Their conversation shifted to “what to ask from Ji Suhyang.” Garam talked about houses and cars, while Seonkyu said he wanted a clean five billion won with no strings attached. That’s when Dohyeon’s quiet voice cut in.“Enough chatting. Let’s study.”Like they had rehearsed it, the two fell silent. For some time now, Dohyeon had become the unofficial leader of the study group. If he said to quiet down, at the very least, everyone had to pretend to study.“Let’s just focus for 30 more minutes.”His soft but firm voice carried authority. Wooyeon appreciated the sudden peace and focused back on his studies. Garam quickly went back to her phone, but this time, Dohyeon didn’t stop her.Exactly 30 minutes later, Dohyeon was the first to close his book. Garam, who had been glancing around, ran a hand through her hair and stretched. It wasn’t surprising that she couldn’t sit still to study after exams had just ended.Seonkyu, packing up his pen into his pencil case, seemed to be counting the days.“But we won’t be able to study next week, right?”The festival was scheduled for three days starting Wednesday, meaning next week’s study session would likely be canceled. Garam must have thought the same, as she grinned and wiggled her fingers.“Guess not. How about we take next week off and start working hard again the week after?”Despite being the one who originally suggested the study sessions, Garam seemed a little too pleased with the idea. She always hated studying, so sitting still for long periods had probably been torture for her. Dohyeon shrugged, packing up his books and pencil case.“Don’t get too excited. Once the festival’s over, we’ll have to start cramming for finals.”“Ugh, I wish the school would just burn down.”By that time, Wooyeon had been packing up silently. Though his face remained expressionless, his eyes were slightly unfocused.While Wooyeon was rubbing his tired eyes, a soft voice, almost too sweet, called out to him.“Yeon-ah.”It was a voice so sweet that it made his mouth tingle. Garam and Seonkyu turned in surprise, their jaws dropping open. Dohyeon smiled gently, his eyes curving prettily, as he extended one hand toward Wooyeon.“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”* * *Once again, Wooyeon’s bag had become a hostage. While this time he handed it over voluntarily, it still felt like bait. Dohyeon used the bag to lure Wooyeon into the passenger seat in the end.“I’m really fine.”Wooyeon tried to speak as calmly as possible once Dohyeon climbed into the driver’s seat. Dohyeon leaned in slightly, asking softly.“What’s fine?”With one hand resting on the back of the seat, he skillfully buckled Wooyeon’s seatbelt. Their eyes met, and Dohyeon’s gaze was deep.“Meeting Kang Junseong?”“…How did you know?”Wooyeon, startled, forgot what he was going to say. Though his class overlapped with Junseong’s, Dohyeon wasn’t referring to that. Judging by the nuance, it seemed Dohyeon was sure something had happened between them.“Your pheromones gave it away.”Dohyeon answered slowly, leaning back. In that short moment, Wooyeon’s pheromones had already filled the air.“I have a really sharp nose when it comes to pheromones.”Perhaps thinking his explanation was lacking, Dohyeon calmly provided more examples—like how he disliked perfume scents and how he originally avoided pheromone cigarettes.Once Wooyeon understood enough, Dohyeon asked lightly.“Nothing happened, right?”“He said he was sorry.”This time, Wooyeon willingly told him about what happened with Junseong. However, since he didn’t say what Junseong was apologizing for, Dohyeon reacted just like Wooyeon had earlier.“Was it because of the group project score?”It seemed that was the logical assumption. Wooyeon furrowed his brow and shook his head.“That ended last week.”“Then why?”“He just said it was a mistake and that he was reflecting on it.”Dohyeon scoffed as he started the car. His voice, low and cynical, sounded like he was talking to himself.“What a load of nonsense.”Even though Dohyeon didn’t know that Junseong had been the instigator of Wooyeon’s bullying, he reacted like that. So how would Wooyeon, the actual victim, feel? As his previous frustrations resurfaced, Wooyeon grumbled in frustration.“He was already annoying when I first met him, and now he’s just making it worse…”