PO 16

Yoon Ijun, who had his hands stretched out toward the bonfire, lifted his glass and held it out. Woojeong put the last piece of roasted marshmallow that was stuck on the long skewer into his mouth. He clinked glasses with him, but he didn’t drink more.

“Do you want another glass?”

Woojeong, whose face had turned red, shook his head. His stomach churned, so it was hard to drink more.

Yoon Ijun was more easygoing than expected. After Lee Doyoung and Han Jaegang left their seats, it was he who first spoke to Woojeong, who had sat blankly by himself. Woojeong had thought of Lee Doyoung’s warning to be careful with his words, so at first even talking had felt awkward, but the proper level of intoxication and the mood brought the two together naturally.

“You dropped out of school? Did you prepare to study abroad?”

“No. My health was bad. I was hospitalized for a long time because of a car accident.”

When people heard that he dropped out in his third year of high school, they usually reacted that they couldn’t understand. If Kang Eonju had been beside him, she would have come up with a plausible excuse, but Woojeong explained only the facts simply.

“Oh….., are you still unwell now?”

“No. I’m fine now.”

“Then that’s enough. You can start schoolwork again slowly.”

Yoon Ijun, who Woojeong thought would react the same way as most others, answered as if it was no big deal and picked up firewood. Maybe he had no interest because it was someone else’s matter, but that reaction was much more comforting than clumsy consolation or encouragement.

“Our second oldest brother also caused a lot of trouble, so he almost got expelled.”

Yoon Ijun giggled as he talked about Yoon Hyunjun’s past as a well-known delinquent. The brothers bickered and pestered each other all the time, but that made them look closer.

Woojeong found that sight strange, and he felt a little envious too. With Lee Doyoung, he had few memories he could call recollections. Even though they had lived together under the name of family for more than ten years.

“What are you two talking about so happily?”

“Badmouthing hyung.”

“As expected, you’re my brother. Enough, stop chatting and go in to sleep. It’s cold.”

“Already?”

“Already what. Do you know what time it is now?”

Yoon Hyunjun thrust his wristwatch in front of his younger brother’s eyes. Yoon Ijun checked the time and jumped up in surprise. Woojeong was just as startled by how much time had passed by.

“Let’s sleep and see each other tomorrow.”

“Yeah, good night.”

“Ugh, it’s cold. Woojeong-ssi, you should go rest quick too.”

Yoon Hyunjun, repeating that it was cold, left with his younger brother. The footsteps of the two, who decided to stay in the main house, soon faded. In the noisy yard, only the dying flames of the bonfire, Woojeong, and Han Jaegang remained.

“……I’ll go in too now.”

Woojeong, who had stood blankly and hesitated for a moment, bowed politely to Han Jaegang. Han Jaegang, who was smoking, laughed.

“Where are you going? You don’t even know where the lodging is.”

“Uh…….”

Woojeong let out a small sigh. Since the workers carried the luggage after they arrived at the villa, Woojeong had never actually been to the annex where he was supposed to stay tonight. Woojeong glanced back at the path where Lee Doyoung and Han Jaegang had walked side by side, and he bit his lip. But wherever it was, in the end it would still be inside this villa.

“I’ll go find it if you tell me where.”

“You can’t treat a guest like that.”

Han Jaegang fiddled with his phone for a moment and stood up, and he handed Woojeong a blanket that was neatly folded at the side. When Woojeong only held it after taking it, Han Jaegang himself draped it over his shoulders.

“It gets cold at night since we’re under the mountain.”

“Thank you.”

“You drank better than I expected.”

When Han Jaegang spoke as he looked at the empty glasses piled up, Woojeong lowered his head awkwardly. It was the first time he had drunk this much. He felt a bit dizzy, but the mood wasn’t unpleasant.

“Let’s go.”

Woojeong, who was about to move, faltered. When he stood up and walked, the intoxication suddenly hit him. Woojeong rubbed his flushed cheeks and followed slowly behind Han Jaegang.

The night where people had vanished was silent. Lights that were installed at even intervals on the roadside faintly lit the dark path. To reach the annex, he had to walk a bit along a path with stepping stones.

Han Jaegang said nothing while they walked side by side. The silence was uncomfortable, but it was hard to start speaking first. Woojeong only held tightly the hem of the blanket he had draped over him.

“Ha….”

Walking along the pretty night road in his drunken state felt like walking in a dream. Woojeong, who slowly looked around at the night sky and the scenery around, took in a deep breath.

“…….”

He began to notice a scent right after a thin breeze blew. A heavy scent spread in the air. Woojeong, who unconsciously turned his head toward where the scent came from, met eyes with Han Jaegang.

So this is his pheromone scent. Woojeong recognized it clearly for the first time. He had had a few chances to come across Han Jaegang’s pheromone before, but it was the first time he sensed it this distinctly. Maybe because he instinctively reacted to the pheromone, shivers ran down his spine.

“Ah……!”

His foot caught on a stepping stone that jutted up from the ground. Woojeong, who flailed to regain his balance, fell with a loud noise in the end. The blanket that was on him floated up in the air and then dropped down.

“Ahh…….”

Woojeong, who hit his knee on the ground as he fell, groaned softly and sat down. With a soft lawn right beside him, he had to fall on the rough stepping stones, so his knee hurt badly.

“Are you okay?”

Woojeong, who clutched his knee, nodded. He felt ashamed that he showed such a sight because of being drunk. Han Jaegang approached without a word, put his hand under Woojeong’s armpit, and lifted him up.

“Th-thank you.”

They said that you don’t feel pain when you’re drunk, but it was all a lie. His bruised knee ached. He even felt an ache spreading to his ankle, but Woojeong pretended to be fine and steadied himself.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes. I’m really fine.”

“……Look, your knee is bleeding.”

At his words, Woojeong looked down at his own knee. He had fallen so hard that blood was seeping through the knee of his pants.

“Let me see.”

Han Jaegang bent down without hesitation and sat in front of Woojeong. Sitting with one knee on the ground, he grabbed Woojeong’s hand who tried to pull away in panic, and set it on his shoulder.

“The wound is worse than I thought.”

Han Jaegang, who rolled up the pant leg that was covered with dirt and debris and checked the wound, furrowed his brow. Blood from the split wound was running down his shin.

Why did I drink without fear? If I was drunk, I should have watched the road properly, so why did I think of something else? While Woojeong reproached himself inwardly, Han Jaegang fixed the rolled-up pant leg tightly and straightened his body.

“We need to stop the bleeding. There’s first aid medicine in my room, so let’s go there.”

“No. It’s fine if I just wipe the blood. It’s just a scraped knee.”

“You’re bleeding a lot. Did you bring medicine?”

“……”

“If you’re uncomfortable because it’s me, then I’ll call someone who can treat you. But it’s better to go to my room for a moment and get treated, instead of waking someone who’s sound asleep at this late night and having them come and go, right?”

His tone that somehow sounded angry left no room to keep being stubborn. Woojeong, limping faintly so it wouldn’t show, followed behind Han Jaegang who walked ahead.

The annex where Han Jaegang stayed was surrounded by short trees. The annex that faced the mountain looked small and cozy.

“Let’s go in.”

He went in first with the door left open. It seemed to mean for Woojeong to follow.

“……”

The interior space of the modest annex was much wider than Woojeong had expected. Because of the pillars and rafters that preserved the natural wood color, it looked like a hanok. Since it was a space only for sleeping, there was hardly any furniture except for a bed set against the wall and a small table.

“Sit there for a moment.”

After pointing at a chair, Han Jaegang opened the door of a built-in cabinet that matched the color of the wall. He took out a small box from inside and walked over to Woojeong.

“Wouldn’t it be better to sit if I’m going to apply medicine?”

It seemed better to finish treatment quickly and leave, rather than argue meaninglessly. Woojeong sat on the chair as he suggested. Han Jaegang put the box he carried on the table and sat at Woojeong’s feet just as before.

First, he opened the box and took out what he needed. After he placed a dressing band on the table last, he picked up a white plastic bottle.

“I need to wash out the wound first.”

He placed a white towel under Woojeong’s knee and sprayed sterilized water on the injured area. But only letting water run didn’t clear away the dirt that clung to the wound.

“It’ll hurt a little, but bear with it.”

He folded a sterilized gauze thickly in his hand and gently wiped off the blood-crusted wound. When Woojeong furrowed his eyes from the sting, Han Jaegang lifted his gaze and asked.

“Does it hurt?”

“No. I’m fine.”

“If it’s not cleaned properly, the wound can get worse.”

“……Yes.”

After Han Jaegang cleaned the wound, he blew on it with his mouth to dry the moisture. Woojeong tightly gripped the armchair and endured the awkward feeling. He felt restless, he was troubling him with a wound that wasn’t serious.

“I’ll disinfect it now.”

The sting of the medicine touching the wound made Woojeong’s leg flinch. Han Jaegang casually grabbed Woojeong’s calf and pulled it back in front of him. He pressed the wound area lightly with thick gauze and soaked it enough with the applied medicine. The white skin turned red.

Han Jaegang, who didn’t seem like someone who would ever take care of another this way, skillfully treated the wound. As he applied the medicine, he even blew on it with his mouth, which felt almost gentle.

“Thank you.”

Treatment finally ended with him putting on a large dressing band that covered the wound broadly. When Woojeong hurried to get up, Han Jaegang caught his wrist and pulled him back to sit again.

“Let’s finish applying the medicine.”

“What?”

“I thought you fell again.”

When Han Jaegang straightened his back, his eyes lined up with Woojeong who sat on the bench. Only then did Woojeong realize that he was looking at the wound left on his face. When he reflexively raised his hand to cover it, Han Jaegang nonchalantly caught that hand and pulled it down.

He brushed Woojeong’s bangs aside and tilted his head slightly to check the wound. The distance that suddenly grew close felt burdensome, but he couldn’t retreat. The hand that held his wrist burned hot.

“Why does a pretty face never stay free of wounds?”

He murmured in a low voice. Han Jaegang cupped Woojeong’s cheek with a blank face. Woojeong flinched and pulled back, but Han Jaegang stroked the wound left on his cheek with his thumb and blinked slowly. His calm demeanor made it look as if he was only examining the wound with no other intention.

“How did you hurt yourself here?”

“…….”

“Is it hard to say?”

“No. It’s just…nothing special.”

At Woojeong’s awkward excuse, Han Jaegang sat back and dipped ointment with a cotton swab. He carefully brushed aside the hair covering Woojeong’s cheek and spread the ointment on the wound. The wound had scabbed and felt numb, but Han Jaegang softly blew on it to soothe him.

“How was the villa? Were you uncomfortable?”

“No. ……It was nice.”

“That’s good. When I was little, I hated coming here. It was too quiet, and there was nothing but mountains around, so there was nothing to play with. So I complained to my parents right after we came, asking to go back quickly.”

“…..”

“Now I like it very much. Because it’s quiet, and because it’s mountains around.”

Han Jaegang smiled gently, saying that what once made him hate this place had become the reason he liked it now.

“When flowers bloom in the mountains, I’ll invite you again. When the wind blows, the scent of flowers comes.”

Woojeong couldn’t properly focus on his words. His only thought was that he wanted to escape this place quickly, so his heart felt rushed. The wound on his cheek wasn’t serious. He had never even bothered to apply medicine on such wounds until now. He couldn’t understand why Han Jaegang cared about such things.

“Close your eyes. Let me finish applying it.”

Han Jaegang lifted his arm after wetting the cotton swab with ointment again. It seemed he meant to apply it even on the wound near Woojeong’s eye.

“It’s fine.”

“Lift your face.”

Even though Woojeong refused, Han Jaegang placed his hand under his chin and tilted his head up. Woojeong closed his eyes, he braced himself, expecting the cotton swab to touch the wound soon, but even after waiting, he felt no sensation.

There was no word, no action. Only the man’s scent brushed the tip of his nose, and his eyelids trembled faintly. Thirty seconds. Or a minute? Woojeong barely endured that short time, however long it was, before he slowly opened his eyes.

“…….”

At that moment, Woojeong gasped in shock. Han Jaegang’s face was far too close. If he moved even slightly, their lips would touch. Han Jaegang, who looked down at Woojeong’s lips with a rigid face, slowly lifted his eyes to meet his gaze.

Woojeong froze, unable to move, as if his body had turned to stone. He only stared at him. Han Jaegang blinked slowly and brushed Woojeong’s cheek lightly with his thumb.

That moment felt like an instant, yet also like a very long time. The one who broke the taut tension between the two was Han Jaegang. He curved his eyes in a smile and carefully spread the ointment near Woojeong’s eye.

“Maybe because you’re drunk. Your pheromone feels different from usual.”

Woojeong let out the breath he had been holding in a thin stream. He worried that the sudden mention of pheromones might mean something unpleasant, but fortunately, Han Jaegang was smiling.

….But what exactly was different about his pheromone? Every time people told him it smelled foul and unpleasant, he had been too busy trying to hide it, and he had never really thought deeply about what his pheromone was like.

Han Jaegang’s words suddenly made Woojeong curious. But there was no one but him to ask such a thing. Maybe because of the alcohol, a question he normally couldn’t ask slipped out of his mouth.

“How is my pheromone different?”

Han Jaegang, who had been brushing off his knees, turned back to Woojeong. He crossed his arms and leaned against the chair back while he was putting away the first aid supplies. He didn’t think long before he gave his answer.

“Usually it’s calm and quiet. Like a spring in the middle of a forest, you could say. But right now, it’s fresh and lively. So right now, a refreshing and fragrant scent is filling the air from you……”

“…….”

“Because of that, I’ve become tormented.”

Han Jaegang rested his arm on the table and propped his chin. He looked at Woojeong for a moment with a blank face that revealed no thoughts, and then he smiled.

Words like fresh like a forest spring, refreshing, and fragrant sounded like stories that had nothing to do with him. They were so different from what he had heard until now that he thought they might just be words said to please him. And what did it mean to be tormented?

Maybe feeling Woojeong’s confused heart, Han Jaegang added one more line.

“Because I’m an alpha, I’m instinctively reacting to your pheromone. It has nothing to do with your will, so you don’t need to mind it. Now let’s go back to your lodging.”

He stood up first and held out his hand. Woojeong looked at his hand for a moment. It must have been a gesture of concern, thinking of his injured leg.

“It’s fine. Thank you.”

Woojeong refused the offered help and stood up, supporting himself on the table. But the moment he tried to walk, a dull pain in his ankle made him stagger slightly. This time too, Han Jaegang caught him and supported him.

“……If this keeps happening, I might misunderstand.”

Han Jaegang spoke as he looked down at Woojeong who had come into his arms. Woojeong pushed him away quickly, his face flushing. Heat rushed up to his ears out of embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. What’s wrong with me today….”

The other laughed it off as if it was nothing, but Woojeong couldn’t lift his head because of the shame. From the beginning, it had been a mistake to follow him here. He regretted everything, from drinking fearlessly until he became intoxicated, to tripping over himself drunk and falling.

“Don’t worry. Far from misunderstanding, I know well that when you see me you’re too busy being afraid.”

“…….”

“Being careful never hurts.”

He sounded amused, but it didn’t seem like he was joking. Woojeong couldn’t pin down the exact meaning of that remark that felt like a warning.