ATGRA 69

Moon Yeonghwa had always been like this. Just when it seemed he would accept things a little, he would quickly come to his senses and distance himself, saying it was wrong.

Since Moon Yeonghwa was the one who wished for Jung Pureum’s success more than anyone, Jung Pureum understood his refusal. The problem was always that understanding and feeling hurt were two separate things.

While Jung Pureum tied up the used condom and unwrapped a new one, Moon Yeonghwa just stared at the messy sheets. He had a rather dumbfounded expression.

“I can’t do it anymore…”

“We only did it once?”

“The sheets are all wet.”

He was already complaining he was dying after just one time.

Jung Pureum pressed his body against Moon Yeonghwa’s again to gently soothe him. Their skin, slick with sweat and bodily fluids, clung together.

“That’s just, you got too worked up, that’s all.”

“…”

“You might not care for other things, hyung, but you do like my body…”

“It’s not just your body I like.”

“But you said we can’t imprint.”

“Of course we can’t. Does it make sense for you to imprint already at your age?”

“I’m an adult too, hyung.”

Moon Yeonghwa knew that better than anyone. If Jung Pureum weren’t an adult, the person in the most trouble right now would be Moon Yeonghwa. However, this wasn’t an issue that could be solved just because Jung Pureum was an adult. Imprinting wasn’t child’s play.

Imprinting is different from marriage. Unlike a legal union where you become strangers if you divorce, once an imprint is made, it’s not easy to remove. Although imprint removal procedures exist, they’re not exactly safe.

It’s true that many individuals with secondary genders imprint in their mid-to-late twenties, as it makes pheromone control easier. However, there were also quite a few cases of people imprinting without much thought and later regretting it.

A quick search on online communities would easily bring up posts about people feeling troubled because their feelings for their partner had cooled after imprinting. It was also common for people to imprint and marry early, only to be left high and dry when their spouse had a change of heart.

Unfortunately, the messy and dirty morning dramas were closer to reality than the unchanging love of romance dramas. Therefore, rushing to get things done when you’re young is not a good choice. There’s no guarantee that you won’t regret that decision later in life.

Moon Yeonghwa thought that if Jung Pureum imprinted with him now, he would definitely regret it. When Jung Pureum turns twenty-two, Moon Yeonghwa will be thirty. Right now, it’s fine since they’re both young, but being eight years older meant he would age several times faster.

Eternal love or affection does not exist. Moon Yeonghwa was always realistic about these things. Even Jung Pureum, who consistently shouted “I like you, hyung!”, would surely waver someday. Could it be that the rose-colored glasses would never come off?

“You’ll definitely regret it…”

“I won’t.”

“What do you know.”

“I know more about myself than you do, hyung.”

Moon Yeonghwa looked at Jung Pureum, who was caressing his arms and legs while his own body was limp.

His strongly defined face had distinct features that anyone would call handsome. As a swimmer, it went without saying that he had a good body, and although he occasionally hit people (a problem that would be solved if Moon Yeonghwa weren’t around), he also had a good personality.

For such a flawless person like Jung Pureum to like him. Moon Yeonghwa reached out and pulled Jung Pureum’s curly hair.

“You’re such a fool.”

“Ouch.”

“Idiot.”

“You know, these days, that’s another way of saying ‘I like you’.”

“Says who?”

Their lips met again. Jung Pureum now skillfully bit and sucked at the places Moon Yeonghwa would like.

Without either of them having to initiate, their bodies became entangled. He once again lined up the tip of his cock with the fully relaxed entrance and entered, fucking until they were sick of it.

It wasn’t even a heat cycle, but it was no less wild. Moon Yeonghwa inhaled Jung Pureum’s scent deeply. It was a refreshing soap scent, hard to believe it was a pheromone.

“Yeonghwa hyung, don’t close your eyes.”

“Ah, heuk… what now…”

“I’m worried you’ll pass out…”

No matter how you looked at it, the shameless conversation continued. For pillow talk, it lacked romance.

In reality, Moon Yeonghwa was beginning to feel his limits due to his lack of stamina. Since an overwhelming pleasure had already swept through him once, his energy was depleting faster than before.

“Hey, I’m… heuk, tired now…”

Jung Pureum gathered up the collapsing Moon Yeonghwa and held him. Moon Yeonghwa buried his head in Jung Pureum’s shoulder. His body was tired, but leaning on him like this felt mentally stabilizing.

Because he was deliberately moving slowly to match Moon Yeonghwa’s stamina, the penis filling him kept stimulating the shallower parts. His lower back tingled from the voluminous pressure, but Moon Yeonghwa liked the peace of this moment and didn’t rush him. To be precise, he didn’t have the energy to rush him.

“Hyung.”

“Uh-huh…”

“When I win a gold medal. I’ll be twenty-one then…”

“Yeah…”

“Can’t you think about it a little more seriously?”

While Moon Yeonghwa was listless, Jung Pureum threw another curveball. Jung Pureum had not only reached the stage of knowing Jung Pureum better than Moon Yeonghwa did, but also knowing Moon Yeonghwa better than Moon Yeonghwa did.

If the word “imprint” came up again, Moon Yeonghwa would surely backpedal, saying, “Ahem! Where does a kid whose ink isn’t even dry on his ID think he’s going!”

So, how about the statement, “think about it seriously”?

“…Okay.”

As expected, this one works well.

No matter how much the nuance of Korean changes with a single syllable, a few changed words brought forth a positive answer. It was unfortunate for Moon Yeonghwa, but Jung Pureum was not the type of person to let such an affirmation pass by carelessly.

With a satisfied expression, Jung Pureum kissed Moon Yeonghwa all over his face. At the pecking kisses, Moon Yeonghwa closed his eyes completely.

Hyung, you’re really a fool and an idiot… Jung Pureum muttered this only to himself. Indeed, these days, that was another way of saying “I like you.”

When I came to my senses, another three days had passed.

…Does this make any sense?

I was horrified, holding my phone which had dozens of missed calls. Not only had the weekend flown by, but Monday had disappeared as well.

I’m a failure as a self-employed person. Of course, since there was no telling when I might go into a heat cycle, our clinic ran just fine for a day even without me.

Fortunately, there were no evening consultations on Monday. If this fiasco had happened on a Wednesday or Friday, when there are evening consultations, Nam Jungyoon would have surely staged a vice director coup this time.

“Hyung, are you awake?”

Jung Pureum emerged from the inner bathroom, clad in a bathrobe. The way he was drying his wet hair made him look quite healthy.

Aside from my aching back, I too must have looked very healthy, having completely sucked Jung Pureum’s vitality dry. I could feel that my usually erratic pheromones had stabilized. It had been a long time since they felt this stable.

“Lie down a bit longer. I ordered room service.”

“You… you look strangely familiar with this?”

“Well, I’ve been here for three days.”

Jung Pureum brought out the clothes that had been sent for laundry. The clothes that had been terribly wrinkled on the first day were now fresh as new. Spending three days in a hotel makes everything seem new. …I didn’t particularly want to know that.

Jung Pureum glanced at me, then stealthily sidled up. Instead of pushing him away, I just ruffled the hair of Jung Pureum, who was burying his head in my chest like a whining child.

“Dry your hair properly. You’ll catch a cold.”

“I have a strong constitution, so I’m fine.”

The guy who had been nestled against me like a well-behaved puppy raised only his eyes to study my expression. He seemed worried that I might suddenly jump up and run off, shouting, “Let’s pretend none of this ever happened!”

It wasn’t that I didn’t feel like doing that, but I have some shame too. Jung Pureum wasn’t the only one who devoured me. I devoured Jung Pureum pretty thoroughly myself.

Now, my social standing and conscience are beyond recovery. I buried my dead conscience deep in my chest. Let’s just think of it as a perfect crime. It’s already been done, so what can I do.

“Pureum.”

However, I couldn’t completely ignore my social standing. Unfortunately, I am a member of society…

“I’ve been thinking…”

“It would be better if you didn’t think, hyung.”

“…Huh?”

“I know what you’re about to say right now.”

“What is it…”

“You’re about to tell me, ‘But it’s difficult for us to date seriously’.”

“…”

I was at a loss for words. He had hit the nail on the head.

“And then you’ll say this. ‘Pureum, you have a bright future ahead of you. It wouldn’t be right for me to hold you back, would it?'”

He hit the nail on the head twice. This kid, Jung Pureum, he could set up a fortune-telling mat in Miari Pass…

“It’s all nonsense.”

“Nonsense? It’s all true.”

“I know you better than you know yourself, hyung.”

Jung Pureum looked at me with a steadfast gaze. I couldn’t possibly say no, so I shut my mouth.

“Right now, I can’t give you a chance to speak, hyung.”

“…”

“And, until I win a gold medal, our relationship will develop into one where we are seeing each other with the premise of imprinting.”

“No, that’s…”

“It’s not wrong.”

The next-door dongsaeng who used to believe me even if I said I could make soybean paste with red beans, was now shutting me up.

To be contradicted so directly like this. And since it was Jung Pureum of all people saying it, everything I was saying really did feel like nonsense.

“So, from now on, hyung…”

“…”

“You can never go on a blind date again.”

Jung Pureum whispered to me as if pronouncing a death sentence.

I had no intention of going on one again even if he didn’t say it like that… But, like a person possessed, I couldn’t help but nod.

…What is this? Don’t tell me, the one being completely swept away right now isn’t Jung Pureum, but me?