Alpha Trauma

Wooyeon had been held in Dohyeon’s embrace for a long time. The dry scent of pheromones and the faint fragrance of fabric softener gently melted away the knot that had formed in his heart. Dohyeon quietly stroked his back and hesitated slightly, as if wanting to touch his head but stopping himself.By the time they returned to the clubroom, more time had passed than they had expected. Wooyeon was surprised at how long he had been held, and when he realized that his own pheromones had been overwritten by Dohyeon’s, his face flushed. His ears turned bright red, and he instinctively pressed his earlobes to calm himself down.“Anyway, that’s how the festival will be. Don’t think about running a pub, plan something else.”The assistant delivered various instructions related to the upcoming festival in May. It had been quite a while since alcohol sales were banned on campus, but this year, the enforcement would be stricter. Garam expressed the greatest disappointment at the news that they couldn’t run a pub.“By the way, Wooyeon.”“Huh?”Wooyeon, who had been sitting absentmindedly on the sofa, suddenly lifted his head. His cheeks were still tinted pink from the earlier hug. The assistant spoke casually as he looked at Wooyeon.“You did well on the exam.”“What? Oppa…”Garam glanced awkwardly at Wooyeon, probably recalling how upset Wooyeon had been after failing the English phonology exam. Wooyeon also remembered his promise with Dohyeon, but he nodded stiffly, trying not to show his disappointment.“I did my best.”“Yeah, if you do the same for the finals, you might even be able to aim for a scholarship.”The assistant said this with a slight smile and got up to leave. Wooyeon calmed his lingering disappointment as he watched the assistant’s face. Even though he had messed up one subject, it seemed his overall score wasn’t bad if the assistant could say that much.As soon as the door clicked shut, Garam sat down opposite Wooyeon as if she had been waiting for the moment. The atmosphere between the four people sitting on the sofa felt strangely heavy. No one spoke, but it was clear who needed to break the silence.“… First of all.”Wooyeon softly began to speak, looking back and forth between the three. Unlike Dohyeon, who remained silent, Garam and Seonkyu looked visibly tense. Their expressions made him smile a little.“I did well on the presentation. The professor even praised me.”It amazed him how people could be so involved in something that wasn’t even their own. Since entering university and meeting them, Wooyeon had learned that there were many different kinds of kindness.“Kang Joon-sung probably won’t get any points. The professor told us to work it out amongst ourselves and come together, but I won’t be going back.”“Did he say anything?”“He got mad… but that’s all. There’s nothing he can do anyway.”“Ah… that’s a relief.”Both Garam and Seonkyu let out deep sighs of genuine relief. Watching them place their hands on their chests, Wooyeon lowered his gaze to the table. He could feel Dohyeon watching him with his usual calm eyes.“It’s all thanks to your help. Thank you.”In just two days, they had completed an assignment that the professor praised. It would have been impossible without Dohyeon, Garam, and Seonkyu. Wooyeon wondered if he would have actively helped them if their positions were reversed. The more he thought about how much trouble it must have been, the more he couldn’t help but feel grateful.“Oh, come on, no need to thank us.”“Yeah, it’s what we were supposed to do.”Garam waved her hand cheerfully, clearly pleased, while Seonkyu rubbed the tip of his nose awkwardly. Only Dohyeon nodded and spoke quietly.“You did a good job.”“…”Wooyeon lowered his head and bit the inside of his cheek. Just like when he had received the group members’ messages, his throat felt hot with emotion. He had already let go of some of his tension in Dohyeon’s arms, but once again, his feelings were starting to knot up inside him.“Yeah, you did well. Group projects are really the worst.”“Totally. I’ve got a group project too…”He couldn’t even hear what they were saying anymore. The emotion that had been building suddenly overwhelmed him, rising from his chest to his throat, from his throat to his nose, and finally from his nose to his eyes. Something dropped onto the back of his clenched hand.“…”“…”Feeling the sudden quiet around him, Wooyeon clenched his teeth. He squeezed his eyes shut and even held his breath, but once the tears started flowing, there was no stopping them. Silent tears fell, soaking his hands and thighs.“Excuse me for a moment…”Wooyeon slowly stood up from his seat. He thought it would be better to escape to a place without people while he still felt somewhat okay. But before he could fully get up, a gentle voice called out to him.“Come here.”Wooyeon, his eyes red and swollen, looked in Dohyeon’s direction. Just like in the hallway earlier, Dohyeon was holding out his hand, gazing steadily at him. After waiting for a moment, Dohyeon lightly beckoned with his hand as if sensing that Wooyeon might not move on his own.“Hurry.”Like a dam breaking, Wooyeon collapsed into Dohyeon’s arms. He kneeled on the sofa and buried his face into Dohyeon’s shoulder, hearing the soft sound of a sigh. Dohyeon held Wooyeon tightly and slowly patted his back.“Where do you think you’re going, crying like this?”His low voice wrapped around Wooyeon’s ears. Like a spark setting off a fuse, Wooyeon’s pent-up sorrow erupted. Tears he had tried so hard to suppress suddenly burst forth, and he found himself clutching Dohyeon’s shirt without realizing it.“Sniff…”Even though he didn’t want to sob, his shoulders shook uncontrollably. His vision blurred, and his breath caught in his throat. As Wooyeon continued to cry uncontrollably, Garam jumped up from her seat, finally snapping out of her daze.“Why, why are you crying, Wooyeon?”Garam panicked, not knowing what to do, pacing around nearby. She kept asking if that jerk had hurt him and promised to scold him, looking like she needed calming down more than Wooyeon.Meanwhile, Seonkyu awkwardly handed Dohyeon a tissue. Dohyeon nodded toward the table and adjusted his hold on Wooyeon’s small body. Wooyeon, who had been crying like a child, squirmed and burrowed deeper into Dohyeon’s embrace.“Are you okay?”Seonkyu asked in a worried voice, but Wooyeon couldn’t respond. He didn’t know why he was crying. Was it the struggle with Junsung that had been so hard, or had the stress built up without him realizing? Or maybe the concern and care from the three had softened his hardened heart?One thing was clear: this time, the heated lump inside him had melted a little more. Surrounded by their worried gazes, Wooyeon let himself cry freely in Dohyeon’s arms, just like when he was sixteen.***It was only after a long time had passed that Wooyeon finally managed to stop crying. When he lifted his head, his once pale face was covered in red blotches from crying. Dohyeon wiped his tears with his thumb, fixed his messy bangs, and asked softly, “All done crying?”The study session, which everyone had forgotten about, was naturally postponed. Only Dohyeon remembered, but he suggested they take the day off since midterms were over. He gathered his things and, as he often did, held Wooyeon’s bag hostage.“I’ll take you home.”“You must have a headache.”“My head’s fine, but my eyes hurt.”Wooyeon sat in the passenger seat of Dohyeon’s car, resting his head against the window. His eyes were sore and stinging from the unexpected outburst of tears. Thankfully, it was afternoon; if it had been nighttime, he was sure he’d wake up the next morning looking like a puffy goldfish.“At least only one part hurts.”Dohyeon joked as he turned the car toward Wooyeon’s apartment. He had been there once before for a study session, so he didn’t need to ask for directions. Wooyeon lightly rubbed his warm eyes and started to speak.“…Garam Noona told me something the other day.”Since he got into the car, Wooyeon had been reminded of something Garam had said during the MT (membership training). She had teased him for sitting in the passenger seat, saying someone else usually got in trouble for it. Wooyeon glanced at Dohyeon’s profile and asked as if it had just crossed his mind.“I heard you don’t like having anyone in the passenger seat.”Dohyeon smiled faintly but squinted slightly, making it unclear if he was really smiling. With a subtle tone, he slowly responded.“I don’t let just anyone sit there.”Did that mean Wooyeon wasn’t just “anyone”? Wooyeon felt a bit disappointed that he couldn’t face Dohyeon directly while he was driving. If he could see his expression, maybe he could figure out what that statement meant. Not that it would change much, since Wooyeon didn’t expect his hopes to come true.“So…”Dohyeon softly began to speak again, briefly glancing at Wooyeon. The moment their eyes met, Wooyeon’s face flushed bright red. How long would this continue? His heart raced every time their eyes met.“Is there a movie you want to see?”Dohyeon shifted the conversation smoothly to a new topic, causing Wooyeon to blink in confusion. A movie? They had been talking about the passenger seat just a moment ago, so where had that come from? Dohyeon, as if unaware of Wooyeon’s confusion, let his eyes soften as he smiled.“Yunwoo hyung said so, remember?”Wooyeon widened his eyes in surprise, still teary from earlier. Dohyeon stopped the car at a red light, rested his wrist on the steering wheel, and tilted his head slightly toward Wooyeon.“He said you did well on your exam.”His voice was as sweet as honey, making Wooyeon feel warm and tingly inside.As Wooyeon’s anticipation grew, Dohyeon smiled pleasantly.“I’ll take you to a movie.”The frustration and sadness Wooyeon had felt earlier seemed to wash away in an instant. Failing the English phonology exam, struggling with the group project—it all melted away, as if it had never happened. When Dohyeon kindly asked when he’d like to go, Wooyeon didn’t need to think long before responding.Anytime, even right now.Tomorrow, the day after, Wooyeon didn’t care. He was ready whenever.***Wooyeon had missed out on about 80% of the experiences that most ordinary people have. Things like eating out with friends, going to the movies, traveling, or shopping together. He had done some of these things with Daniel in the U.S., but “going to the movies” remained a mystery.“What movie are we going to watch?”Ever since Dohyeon had said, “I’ll take you to a movie,” Wooyeon had been looking at him with eager eyes. The excitement was almost as if it had been Wooyeon who begged to go. Whenever Dohyeon saw Wooyeon like that, he smiled as if he were watching a small puppy.“Well, is there something you want to see?”Dohyeon asked softly, spinning a pen in his hand with elegant ease. Wooyeon, his face flushed, pulled out his phone. The moment he tapped the search bar, the site for a popular movie theater appeared in his history.“I looked it up, and this one’s the most popular right now.”It was Friday morning, and they naturally sat next to each other in the lecture hall, discussing which movie to watch. The one Wooyeon showed him was a horror film with a creepy atmosphere, even from the poster.“A horror movie?”It seemed a bit early in the season for horror. The movie even had an “R” rating. Dohyeon narrowed his eyes, glancing between Wooyeon and the poster.“Can you handle this?”He pointed to the character in the poster, a foreign actor holding a blood-stained chainsaw. It looked like a rather gruesome film. Wooyeon, after checking the director’s name and rating, nodded calmly.“I’ve seen the whole series.”Daniel in the U.S. had been shocked several times by this as well. Despite Wooyeon’s gentle appearance, he was remarkably good at watching violent or ghostly scenes. In fact, he wasn’t scared by anything obviously artificial.“…Really?”Dohyeon responded slowly, tapping on his phone screen. He swiped through a few options before landing on the number five movie, which was a cute animated film for children.“I was thinking of watching this.”“…”Wooyeon frowned slightly, staring at Dohyeon. Was he teasing him? Dohyeon’s playful smile confirmed it.“You’re only four years older…”Grumbling, Wooyeon scanned through the list of top movies. Horror, romance, action/thriller, animation, and even documentaries. There were plenty of options, but none that stood out.“Moon Garam always calls you a baby when she’s drunk.”Dohyeon took Wooyeon’s phone and looked at the horror film he had shown. After checking the synopsis and reviews, he returned to the list and examined a romance film ranked number two. As he checked them one by one, Wooyeon was left blushing furiously from the word “baby” he had casually thrown in.“Let’s choose between these two.”In the end, the first and second options became the final candidates. Dohyeon naturally tried to include up to the fifth choice, but Wooyeon reluctantly put it back to the second. He let out a soft chuckle and explained in a calm voice.“The first one is pretty brutal, and the second one is fun but more mellow. Do you prefer horror or romance?”“I don’t particularly mind any genre… What about you, Sunbae?”“If I had to choose, I’d go for something scary. Romance isn’t really my thing.”Wooyeon didn’t argue and suggested watching the horror movie. Dohyeon, seemingly ready to make a reservation, pulled out his phone.“Today might be too sudden…”“I’m fine with today.”Wooyeon quickly responded, not missing the opportunity. When he lifted his gaze with a pleading expression, Dohyeon covered his mouth and squinted his eyes. His lips seemed to twitch slightly.“Then, how about we watch it after class?”Wooyeon immediately nodded. Dohyeon, with a gentle smile, asked softly.“Where would you like to sit?”“I looked it up, and the I seats are good.”It was a similar answer to when he was asked about the movie. Eventually, Dohyeon burst into laughter, amused that Wooyeon had looked up even that. Wooyeon, feeling like a child eagerly waiting for a field trip, just nodded quietly.“And what else did you look up?”“Theater etiquette… No, you’re not teasing me, are you?”“Why would I tease you?”“It feels like you are…”While fiddling with his phone, Wooyeon winked with his left eye. Dohyeon’s double-lidded eyes twitched in response. As he watched Dohyeon reserve the seats, Wooyeon mumbled softly.“I also looked up the theater’s location and how to buy tickets.”“And?”“…”Dohyeon’s tone made it clear he expected more. Wooyeon hesitated for a moment before speaking as nonchalantly as he could.“I checked the types of popcorn too.”Feeling embarrassed, Wooyeon gave his answer, and Dohyeon put down his phone, covering his face. It was hard to tell if his face was small or if his hands were large, but his expression was hidden. He soon lowered his hands, leaving only a faint smile, and asked in a slightly teasing tone.“So, what flavor did you want to try?”“…I heard caramel is good.”Wooyeon thought Dohyeon seemed particularly easygoing today. Dohyeon was always kind, but not usually this gentle. Seeing him in such a lively mood made Wooyeon excited too. If a teacher acted like this, the movie theater must be really fun.“You can also mix flavors, so try another one too.”After completing the reservation, Dohyeon shared the booking details via messenger. Wooyeon, fascinated, carefully checked the movie ticket number. Just then, the professor walked in, and Dohyeon quickly covered Wooyeon’s phone with his hand.“After class.”As if he were tutoring again, Wooyeon obediently put away his phone. From four years ago to now, Wooyeon instinctively followed Dohyeon’s words.***The Friday before their movie outing passed slower than ever. Even after attending morning classes, going to the club room with Dohyeon, and having lunch with club members, it was only 2 p.m. With no afternoon lectures, Wooyeon kept glancing at the clock, anxiously waiting for Dohyeon to finish.“Hey, Wooyeon, your eyes are about to fall out.”Garam, who was lounging on the club’s makeshift bed, teased Wooyeon. Despite having no classes today, Garam was lying around as usual. Sitting up suddenly, she asked in a casual tone.“Got plans? Why do you look like a puppy who needs to pee?”“Oh, today…”Wooyeon hesitated briefly before shaking his head. It wasn’t even a real date, just Sunbae showing him a movie as a reward for doing well on the test, so there was no need to keep it secret.“Sunbae promised to show me a movie if I did well on my exam.”“Kim Dohyeon?”“Yes.”Wooyeon answered and resumed his stare-down with the clock. He had switched from checking his phone to the wall clock because the lack of a second hand on his phone was too frustrating. Time ticked away, agonizingly slow, like a sluggish worm.“What movie are you going to watch?”Garam, uninterested, lay back down as Wooyeon told her the movie title. Garam cringed and said, “Ugh, that’s creepy,” before rolling over to her side.“You and Dohyeon seem pretty close, going to see movies together.”Wooyeon didn’t respond and simply nodded slightly. Garam, grinning with her usual bold smile, looked like she was up to something mischievous.“Hey, Wooyeon.”It wasn’t so much calling his name as signaling the start of a question. Wooyeon looked away from the clock and at Garam, expecting another silly comment. But surprisingly, Garam brought up something Wooyeon had indeed been curious about.“Aren’t you curious how I became close to Kim Dohyeon?”Wooyeon had wondered about that. Their personalities didn’t seem to match, nor did they share common hobbies, yet they were unusually close in the club.“Didn’t you just naturally become friends?”“Like you and Seonkyu?”Garam shook her finger, indicating Wooyeon was wrong. Her finger pointed to the floor of the club room.“You joined the club, but I deliberately approached Dohyeon.”“…”Wooyeon discreetly retraced his memories. When they smoked together or chatted, the two didn’t seem more than just friends. They were comfortable with each other, but Wooyeon didn’t think that came from any special feelings. Still, with a tinge of anxiety, Wooyeon cautiously asked.“…Did you like Sunbae?”“No way, absolutely not!”Garam immediately cut him off with a genuinely disgusted expression, covering her mouth as if she might gag. Wooyeon, who secretly had feelings for Dohyeon, felt a bit indignant.“He’s not my type. I like cuter and smaller people.”Indeed, Dohyeon was far from cute or small. Wooyeon recalled someone named Minjung from the post-midterm party, likely Garam’s type.“Then why did you approach him?”“The person I liked was into Kim Dohyeon.”Wooyeon’s face stiffened at Garam’s casual remark. His reaction slipped out before he could control it. Thankfully, Garam was too busy fiddling with her phone to notice.“Maybe three times? A few people liked Dohyeon, so I was curious what kind of guy he was, and I started hanging out with him.”“…You picked a fight with him?”“Of course. He was annoying.”Now that he thought about it, Garam did tend to act particularly prickly towards Dohyeon. Apparently, it wasn’t just because they were friends but a habit from when she used to pick fights. Wooyeon, looking at Garam’s hands, tried to ask as naturally as possible.“…The people who liked Dohyeon Sunbae, did they… date him?”Wooyeon had never heard about Dohyeon having a significant other. Neither during their tutoring sessions nor as club members. The closest thing to a relationship he ever mentioned was a peculiar comment about not wanting a childhood friend.“Did he date Kim Dohyeon?”Garam scoffed as if hearing something ridiculous, a brief smirk crossing her face. Her sharp, monolid eyes briefly glinted.“He would never date someone from the same department.”***Wooyeon stared blankly out the car window, watching the scenery pass by. The weather was clear, the breeze wasn’t cold, and except for the fact that it was nearing sunset, it was the perfect day for a date. Of course, it wasn’t actually a date, but it looked like one, so in a way, it might as well have been.“……”But Wooyeon couldn’t enjoy the time with Dohyeon on this beautiful day. He kept thinking about what Garam had said earlier while he was waiting for Dohyeon.“Kim Dohyeon has a firm stance on relationships.”A stance on relationships? Wooyeon didn’t really have one. From the moment he developed feelings, it had always been for his teacher. Naturally, all his standards had aligned with Dohyeon. He was Wooyeon’s ideal type—more than that, Dohyeon was everything to him when it came to love.“He never dates people he meets at university, work, or places like that.”Wooyeon had been a tutoring student in the past and was now Dohyeon’s junior in the same department. While he hadn’t expected to date Dohyeon, realizing that he didn’t even qualify as a potential candidate made him feel sad. It was as if a possibility that he never dared to hope for had been snatched away.“What are you thinking about?”Dohyeon, who had been driving for a while, asked casually. They were approaching the movie theater building, which wasn’t far off. Wooyeon shifted his gaze from the window and replied calmly.“The weather’s nice.”How they ended up talking about that, Wooyeon didn’t know, but Garam’s words were definitely toxic. Right now, he could brush them off, but with time, they would surely eat away at him. Or maybe it was better that he heard it now before his hopes grew too big. Perhaps it was the right time to be set straight.“The weather’s nice, but…”Dohyeon began speaking slowly as he pulled into the parking lot. Since it was a Friday afternoon, finding a spot wasn’t easy. After parking near the exit, he placed his hand on the passenger seat and tilted his head.“Why does it feel like your mood has soured?”“……”Even though Wooyeon was feeling upset, he couldn’t help but admire Dohyeon’s side profile. The way his neck line stood out, and the angle that accentuated his sharp nose, made his already well-defined features look three times more attractive. Wooyeon had thought it before, but Dohyeon was simply unfair when he looked like this.“Do you want to skip the movie?”“No!”Wooyeon reflexively answered, shaking his head vigorously. Dohyeon narrowed his eyes and examined Wooyeon’s face carefully before smiling and unbuckling his seatbelt.“I didn’t really mean it.”It sounded playful, but it didn’t feel like a joke. As Wooyeon followed him out of the car, he tried to push Garam’s words out of his mind.It’s funny how people are. Even if they don’t initially desire something, as soon as it becomes out of reach, they start to crave it. Wooyeon knew that even if he wasn’t a university junior, there was no chance he and Dohyeon would work out.“……”No, thinking that way was just too miserable.The inside of the building was packed with people, as expected. Before they could even board the elevator, they encountered difficulties, having to let two full elevators pass before they decided to change course. Dohyeon guided Wooyeon, who looked dazed, toward the escalator in the center of the building.“Is it always this crowded?”Wooyeon asked, stepping onto the escalator. Dohyeon, standing one step below him, held onto the handrail and looked outside.“It’s usually busy, but today’s especially packed.”“Wow…”Though Wooyeon wasn’t a fan of crowds, everything felt new since it was his first time in this space. The idea of so many people cramming into one elevator, the way they shrank like ants from the bottom of the escalator, and how everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves—it all felt strangely fresh.“What floor is the movie theater on?”“The 8th. We have a ways to go.”Once again, Dohyeon let Wooyeon go ahead as they stepped onto the next escalator. Wooyeon, who had been looking around distractedly, quickly composed himself and cleared his throat. Dohyeon tilted his head in curiosity.“Are you amazed by the crowd?”Wooyeon sheepishly touched his earlobe at Dohyeon’s question, which implied that department stores were also busy. He wasn’t used to crowds since whenever he went with his mother, the department stores were practically empty. Though his university was bustling, this kind of environment felt different.Not long after, Wooyeon was once again darting his gaze around. When they passed an arcade on the 6th floor, his eyes grew wide in surprise. The place was filled with colorful machines under blue and red lights, and the most attention-grabbing among them were the claw machines stuffed with quirky-looking plush toys.“Is that a claw machine?”At this point, Dohyeon openly observed Wooyeon. Wooyeon looked around while Dohyeon, in turn, watched him. Seeing Wooyeon’s clear eyes fixated on the claw machine, Dohyeon nonchalantly asked,“Do you want me to win one for you?”“Really?”Wooyeon’s eyes lit up in excitement. Although he had come across claw machines before, he never carried cash, so he couldn’t try them out. Also, there was something a bit embarrassing about standing alone at a machine, operating it.“Do you like plushies?”Maybe Dohyeon hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response, as he frowned slightly. Wooyeon shook his head without hesitation.“No, it’s just fascinating.”If he truly liked plushies, his house would have been overflowing with them by now. It wasn’t about the toys—it was just Wooyeon’s curiosity.“How big is the theater?”“It varies, but it’s smaller than your house.”“I see. I thought it would be huge.”“For most people, that’s still considered pretty big.”Wooyeon nodded and turned to face Dohyeon. Since they were on different steps, Wooyeon was slightly taller from his vantage point. Smiling softly, Wooyeon teased,“I can see the top of your head, Sunbae.”Dohyeon gazed blankly at Wooyeon’s face, looking as if he was either spaced out or deep in thought. After what felt like a long pause, Dohyeon ruffled Wooyeon’s hair once they were back on the same level.“I can see the top of your head, too.”“……”The sensation of his long fingers brushing against his scalp lingered vividly. Wooyeon was a beat late in following Dohyeon’s steps. “I still have a bump, you know,” he complained, but Dohyeon just gave a faint smile in response.Once they arrived at the theater, the first thing they did was print out their tickets. They could’ve entered with digital tickets on their phones, but Wooyeon was curious about physical tickets. Though the printed tickets turned out to be no different from receipts, the automated ticketing machine was far more interesting than expected.“I heard somewhere that this movie is so scary, popcorn gets thrown all over the place.”“You heard that?”Since morning, Dohyeon had been chuckling softly at almost everything Wooyeon said. His eyes crinkled, and the smile that lifted the corners of his lips was enough to make Wooyeon’s heart race, scratching at his emotions. That was why Wooyeon kept saying random things, just to see Dohyeon smile again.“What do you want to drink?”The snack bar, too, was teeming with people. Hot dogs, squid, nachos… Wooyeon stared at the menu in a daze before finally answering.“I’ll have the blueberry… no, orange?”As soon as Wooyeon replied, it was their turn to order. Dohyeon got a large-sized popcorn, ordering both a blueberry and orange ade. He paid with the same card he had once given Wooyeon to run an errand.Wooyeon watched with wide eyes as the staff worked. They placed a divider into the large popcorn bucket and filled it with both caramel and cheese popcorn, handing it over to Wooyeon. The popcorn bucket was bigger than Wooyeon’s head.“Who could eat all of this?”h for Wooyeon to eat alone. Dohyeon suddenly laughed out loud, watching Wooyeon cradle the popcorn bucket.“If we spill it during the movie, the people around us can eat it.”The soft laughter felt like Dohyeon was teasing Wooyeon affectionately. Instead of helping with the popcorn, Dohyeon carried two drinks and started walking. After a moment, he looked back at Wooyeon with a smile that seemed like it would melt.“Why are you holding it so dearly?”“…”Wooyeon could feel both cheeks heating up. He hadn’t realized he was hugging the popcorn, and awkwardly lowered one hand. Dohyeon placed one of the drinks in Wooyeon’s now empty right hand.“Here, hold this.”“But now I don’t have any hands left.”“I’ve got hands for you.”Dohyeon’s constant laughter showed how amused he was. Although he was usually a cheerful person, Wooyeon had never seen him smiling so brightly as today. Dohyeon unwrapped the straws and stuck them into both drinks, then held one up to Wooyeon’s lips.“Try it. Tell me which one’s better.”Wooyeon instinctively took a sip, but when his eyes met Dohyeon’s, he quickly looked away. He knew being fed a drink like this wasn’t a big deal, but because it was Dohyeon, it made him feel shy. Dohyeon was only feeding him because Wooyeon had no free hands, but still.“Which one’s better?”“I think the blueberry one tastes better.”“Really?”Dohyeon, without hesitation, took a sip from the straw Wooyeon had just used. Watching him casually drink the orange soda made Wooyeon nervously bite the tip of his tongue. His mouth felt overwhelmingly sweet, and he couldn’t tell whether it was from the soda or from Dohyeon.“What about the popcorn? Which flavor is better?”“…Sunbae, you’re teasing me, aren’t you?”Wooyeon hadn’t even tasted the popcorn, since his hands were full, but Dohyeon was asking which one was better. When Wooyeon gave him an indignant glare, Dohyeon chuckled and lifted the drink as an apology. Secretly, Wooyeon had hoped Dohyeon would feed him the popcorn too, so he couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed.“The caramel one tastes better.”“You don’t like the cheese?”“It’s okay… Do you want to try it?”Wooyeon held up a piece of popcorn he had picked for himself, offering it to Dohyeon. He had hoped it might fluster him a little, but Dohyeon just bent his head and ate it without hesitation. His soft lips brushed Wooyeon’s fingers.“…”“It’s not bad.”The fingertips that had touched his lips felt like they were burning. His lips, always wearing a gentle smile, were as soft as they looked. Wooyeon felt like he was about to faint and quickly turned his back to Dohyeon.“…”He couldn’t bear to look at Dohyeon. Though he barely managed to keep his pheromones under control, he couldn’t stop the little hiccups from escaping. His face felt hotter than ever before.“U-um, I think we should go in…”Without knowing where he was headed, Wooyeon just started walking straight ahead. If he didn’t keep moving, his excitement might cause his pheromones to spill out uncontrollably. He wasn’t acting tough for no reason, but now he regretted offering Dohyeon the popcorn.“Wooyeon.”Dohyeon called out to Wooyeon after he had taken just three steps. Wooyeon was still trying to suppress the hiccups while controlling his pheromones. When he finally turned around slowly, Dohyeon, with a faint smile, nodded toward the opposite direction.“You need to go that way.”With that, Dohyeon started walking ahead. Wooyeon quickly followed, trying to calm his pounding heart. His throat was unbearably dry.***As Dohyeon had mentioned earlier, the theater was smaller than Wooyeon’s usual cinema. Since it was a popular movie, the seats were packed, and the two of them were seated near the middle in the back. Thanks to Dohyeon’s early booking and the awkward screening time, they had managed to get good seats.As soon as Wooyeon sat down, he checked the right armrest. In movies and dramas, people often lifted the armrest to lean on each other at the theater. Dohyeon, who was sitting on Wooyeon’s right, lowered his voice and whispered.“Do you want me to lift this?”Wooyeon widened his eyes and nodded. He whispered back in a similar low tone.“Does this actually go up?”“Yeah, it does.”Dohyeon moved their drinks and lifted the armrest. As it rose to the level of the chair’s backrest, Wooyeon, amazed, imitated what Dohyeon had done. He lowered it, raised it again, then finally left it down and asked Dohyeon cautiously.“Is it okay if I leave it up?”“Do whatever feels comfortable. Just put your drink on the other side.”Wooyeon accepted the drink from Dohyeon and set it aside, pushing the armrest away. Without it, the space felt different, but leaning on the person next to him, like in the movies, still seemed uncomfortable. Doing so for two hours would probably hurt his back.“It’s not like I’m going to lean on it, though…”Wooyeon had removed the armrest with a bit of ulterior motive, but Dohyeon didn’t seem to notice. He probably thought Wooyeon was just excited to try new things on his first theater visit. With anticipation in his heart, Wooyeon clutched the popcorn bucket tightly to his chest.Before the movie started, various ads played on the screen—from current movie trailers to upcoming releases, and even simple commercials for products like refrigerators and snacks. As an advertisement for a major company began, a couple sitting nearby started chatting.“Wow, they’re building apartments now too.”“Yeah, I heard they also run orphanages. Soon, they’ll probably build a whole country.”Their giggling laughter rang in Wooyeon’s ears. Even though they weren’t speaking loudly, Wooyeon clearly heard them say, “That place is such a mess.” He dug his nails into the popcorn bucket, trying to tune them out.“Wooyeon.”At that moment, Dohyeon leaned in close. Wooyeon could feel his drowsy alpha pheromones. In response, Wooyeon leaned toward him, slightly exposing his ear.“You said you’re good with horror movies, right?”The hushed tone was strangely intimate. Even though the words were ordinary, it made Wooyeon’s stomach flutter. As Wooyeon straightened his back, Dohyeon’s voice softened even more.“If it gets too scary, let me know. We can leave.”Wooyeon nodded rapidly instead of speaking. The couple’s conversation had already ended, and the advertisement had moved on to something else. Soon after, the movie began, but Wooyeon’s mind was filled with nothing but Dohyeon’s voice.In the end, the movie wasn’t too bad. While it didn’t quite match up to the previous installments, it was still worthy of a fairly high rating when viewed on its own. Wooyeon barely remembered the earlier parts, but he could guess that the reveal of the villain’s identity at the end was a twist tying back to the previous films.“You’re really good at watching horror movies,” Dohyeon said, seemingly surprised by Wooyeon’s calmness. Indeed, out of everyone in the theater, Wooyeon had been the most composed. While Dohyeon also handled it well, there were moments when he furrowed his brows at some of the more gruesome scenes.“Fake things don’t scare me,” Wooyeon replied.The only time Wooyeon showed any reaction was during an unexpected sex scene. It wasn’t necessary, nor was it the type of movie for such a scene, yet an alpha and omega’s relationship was depicted almost like a pornographic sequence. Every time the sound of moans echoed through the speakers, Wooyeon flinched, sneaking glances at Dohyeon.At one point, their eyes met in the darkness. There was no time to avert his gaze as their eyes locked until the sensual noises finally ceased. Dohyeon, whose expression had been filled with boredom, shifted to something more unreadable when his eyes met Wooyeon’s.“What should we have for dinner?”“…Ah.”Wooyeon, lost in thought, snapped back to reality. The image of Dohyeon that had been floating in his mind vanished, replaced by the real Dohyeon right before him. Wooyeon shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them again.“I’m fine with anything for dinner.”Dohyeon smiled lazily, seeming amused. “Anything, huh…” he murmured, winking at Wooyeon with his left eye.“As long as it’s not chicken or something cheap, right?”“…Let’s go for the cheap stuff.”Wooyeon fiddled with his ear, knowing full well that Dohyeon wouldn’t believe that lie. Even though Dohyeon had already figured out his tastes, it still felt awkward to admit it himself. Dohyeon narrowed his eyes in thought, clearly unbothered.“What should we eat…”Wooyeon began to think of various options, but most of them required reservations, and most of the restaurants would likely inform his mother if he visited. He did have one place in mind, but he wasn’t sure how to suggest it.“…If you’re okay with it,” Wooyeon started, shifting his gaze around. He couldn’t come up with a good excuse, and besides, Dohyeon probably wouldn’t misunderstand. And even if he did, it didn’t matter all that much.“Do you want to come over to my place?”***They say life is a comedy when seen from afar, but a tragedy up close. The same applied to the city lights at night. The farther away you were, the less visible the struggles within. Wooyeon thought of Garam’s words about night views reflecting the hardships of working life as he gazed out the window.“It looks pretty at night,” Dohyeon remarked simply, looking at the view from the terrace below. The city from atop Wooyeon’s penthouse had a different charm compared to what they had seen during their study session. Wooyeon, who saw it every day, felt indifferent, but Garam and Seonkyu would probably have been impressed.“You treated me to a movie, so I’ll treat you to dinner,” Wooyeon offered.Dohyeon didn’t seem particularly surprised by the invitation. He simply glanced down for a moment, contemplating something, before asking softly, “Are you sure it’s okay?”Instead of asking what he meant by that, Wooyeon just nodded. If it were a place Dohyeon had never been before, he might have hesitated, but since Dohyeon had already visited once, there was no reason to feel uneasy. Dohyeon looked like he had more to say but nodded in agreement when Wooyeon made a slightly dejected face.Thus, dinner was set on the largest terrace in Wooyeon’s home. Thanks to Wooyeon contacting the staff ahead of time, the meal was ready by the time they arrived. The spread was as impressive as a high-end restaurant’s, and Dohyeon couldn’t help but chuckle.“A full meal like this just for showing you a movie seems a bit much.”“…I think my family got a bit excited because I said I was bringing a friend over.”In truth, Wooyeon was a little taken aback by the sight of the elaborate meal. The dishes had been prepared with such care that it was almost over the top. In the center of the table, a bottle of champagne had been placed to set the mood. Normally, Wooyeon often skipped meals, so the staff must have gone all out after hearing he was bringing a friend over.“Well, I’ll enjoy it then. Be sure to thank the chef for me.”