NUTMEG 22

Forced to look back at him, Wonoh prompted for an answer, saying, “Hmm?” Minje squeezed his eyes shut once, then shook his head slightly from side to side. Understanding completely, Choi Wonoh nudged his hand again.

“…I’m not offended. Stop asking.”

Wonoh gave a short laugh and completely removed his hand from Minje’s.

After watching cat videos on YouTube for a while, Director Im, who had been passionately discussing the YouTube business and its profits, suddenly smacked his lips and asked.

“Doesn’t the rain make you crave savory pancakes? Ma’am! Do you happen to make savory pancakes here too?”

“Oh, she said yes, yes!” he announced, and the choice of alcohol quickly switched to rice wine. As Minje, feeling the effects of the alcohol, accepted and drank the rice wine with slow hands, he thought that he’d rather the rain pounding on the tent fall on his head instead and cool down this ridiculous heat.

“Because… Wonoh got hurt because of me, I have to take responsibility…”

Hey, hey, we get it, Minje! Do you know that’s the fifth time you’ve said that? Who gave Minje mixed drinks! It was you, Director. Minje must be really upset that Wonoh got hurt. This is the first time we’ve seen him this drunk, too.

A buzzing, noisy sound hovered around his ears before bouncing off. Minje fumblingly placed his hands on the table and stood up, getting into a piggyback position. His knees nearly buckled a few times, but he straightened his posture again and pulled the man who had been sitting across from him with one hand.

“So… I’ll carry our Wonoh back. Everyone, don’t worry…”

“Ah, wait, hold on. Hyung! The part I hurt was my hand, not my leg. You know that, right?”

“Yes. I know. Well then, get home safely. See you tomorrow.”

He bowed his head a full 90 degrees, and the sound of laughter came from above his head. He thought he might have heard words like, “I think Minje hyung is the one who needs to be carried back,” and “Goodness, then I guess I’ll have to carry him,” and “No, I mean, how can one staggering person carry another staggering person?” What are you talking about? I’m totally fine.

His memory fumbled back into place. He buried his head freely into something moderately flat and firm, and feeling good for some reason, he hugged it tightly with both arms. He thought he heard a sound like, “Ah! Hyung, stop it, I can’t breathe.” The swaying pillow felt like a cradle. Minje’s consciousness collapsed right then and there.

🍊

A bone-thin Cheon Minje was sitting alone on a dark staircase.

He had wavy bangs dyed a light beige color, and he was wearing a lavender shirt that made it hard to tell if he was naked or dressed, along with white pants.

It was the outfit from his days promoting as Sparkle.

It’s a dream.

Minje watched his own form as if he were a third party. It was a familiar place. The emergency stairwell of a broadcast station. The motion sensor light had turned off, as if he had been sitting in one spot without moving for a long time, and darkness had settled all around him.

Just then, the emergency exit door opened, and with a click, the sensor light came on. The startled Cheon Minje seemed relieved to see the face that emerged from the doorway. The tall, handsome man with his black hair half-styled up was, unlike Minje, dressed in a proper, neat white suit.

‘…Soohyuk hyung.’

‘Minje, I’ve been looking for you. What, did you fight with Junseop again?’

The expression ‘fought’ didn’t fit what happened between Junjun and Cheon Minje. Bullying or ostracism, perhaps. Even though everyone, including Cheon Minje, knew that full well, they all tacitly referred to it that way. Cheon Minje slowly nodded his head.

‘You’ll get your pants dirty. What are you doing sitting there?’

‘…I’m sitting on my clothes.’

‘Still, get up.’

Minje, who stood up hesitantly, looked much smaller than the current Minje due to his gaunt frame. Standing before the leader, the corners of Minje’s eyes were red. But, as always, he had kept his head down while crying, so his glittering eye makeup wasn’t smudged at all.

‘Someone like me shouldn’t have become an idol. Junjun is right about everything.’

‘Your fans will be sad if they hear you say that.’

‘What fans do I have? They’re all Sparkle fans.’

‘…….’

‘I’m scared to go on stage. I think I’m going to make a mistake. What if I make a mistake?’

‘Cheon Minje.’

‘What do I do, hyung?’

‘Cheon Minje. Look at me.’

The leader’s hand grabbed his gaunt forearm. The thin silk shirt, which left his collarbones clearly visible, was pulled down, revealing his shoulder.

‘Kiss me. Then I’ll release my pheromones.’

Only then did Minje raise his eyes to look at the leader, before reluctantly hesitating and lowering his gaze.

‘…My lipstick will smudge. I don’t want to…’

‘It’s okay. I’ll ask them to fix it for you. It can’t be helped since your nerves are so unstable for every broadcast, Minje.’

I’m tired too, so hurry up. At those words, Minje squeezed his eyes shut, lifted his head, and kissed the leader.

To ease the tension of Minje, who would tremble before every important broadcast, Soohyuk would release a small amount of his Alpha pheromones. He said it was a common method, like recommending aromatherapy to a patient with a nervous breakdown. Just as he said, his nerves, which were difficult to calm no matter what he did, would quickly and languidly relax in the presence of the Alpha pheromones.

Then, at some point, Soohyuk said he didn’t want to release his pheromones every time, and told Minje to make him feel like it. That’s how the kissing started. Minje thought he had to do it willingly. How embarrassing and humiliating must it have been for Soohyuk, a cool and excellent Alpha unlike himself, to have to release his pheromones for him in what was basically a public place?

As their tongues sloppily intertwined, the surging Alpha pheromones enveloped Minje. He could feel his anxiously stirring heart gradually calm down.

It feels comfortable and good.

Blink. His two eyes suddenly flew open.

What kind of dream did I just have?

His vision was overwhelmingly filled with flesh tones. What is this? Startled, he jerked his body back, and a long body fell to the floor with a loud noise, pulled by gravity.

“Ow, ow, ow…”

He had fallen from a narrow single bed. There wasn’t a single spot on his body that didn’t ache. It seemed he had landed on his tailbone first. As he subconsciously reached to rub the sore spot, he realized the pieces of cloth that should have been on his fingers were missing.

Huh? He hastily looked down and saw his body was very much close to its natural state.

Why… am I not wearing any clothes?

“…Hyung?”

“Huh?!”

Just then, a low voice came from above his head. Surprised, he tried to get up, but embarrassed by his dangling privates, he roughly picked up a t-shirt that was lying haphazardly on the floor and put it on.

Mmm, making a sound like a purring lion, Wonoh continued speaking in a voice thick with sleep.

“I don’t think you should drink, hyung.”

“……Sorry.”

Glancing around cautiously, he picked up something that looked like underwear and put it on, then darted his eyes toward the bed.

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

“……Huh?”

His throat was dry, and his voice cracked. Remember…? Does that mean there’s something I’m supposed to remember…?

Do I really have to remember that…? I have a bad feeling about this for some reason…

Wonoh shifted, wrapping his long, white legs around the thin summer blanket as if to hug it. From his firm, broad thighs, the muscles of his small, toned butt moved languidly. Minje swallowed dryly without realizing it.

But Wonoh. Why aren’t you wearing anything…?

Minje forced the question he felt he should never ask back down his throat. Goosebumps began to prickle up from the back of his neck. Wonoh, who had been yawning, picked up his phone to check the time, then buried his face in the pillow again. Then, opening just one eye, he spoke again in a low voice.

“Oh, hyung. You’re wearing my underwear.”

“What?!”

“The t-shirt too.”

“……”

Then, he gave a languid smile. For some reason, his face looked just a little, a really tiny bit, suggestive.

“It’s sexy.”

“……”

The sense of unease had grown too large to ignore any longer.

He had to admit it now. The t-shirt and underwear shed like skin on the floor of the bed, the wads of tissue, the fact that his butt couldn’t possibly hurt since he had fallen on his shoulder, and even the dull, foreign feeling of soreness deep inside somewhere.

Minje felt like screaming.

“Let’s talk after we sleep and wake up. It’s only 4 o’clock.”

But Choi Wonoh beckoned to Minje from his lying position. Finding it somehow difficult to refuse, Minje approached him hesitantly, and his hand was taken and he was laid down on the bed. Wonoh closed his eyes and mumbled.

“Let’s sleep… I’m sleepy.”

The man before him, his long eyelashes lowered, soon began to breathe softly and evenly. Cheon Minje, frozen as if struck by lightning, could only stare at that face with wide-open eyes.