* * *

“How long has it been?”

I mumbled, waking up in a daze.

Looking back, I realized Taeshin had liked me for a very long time.

Taeshin is truly hard to understand. No, now I don’t understand at all. How did he hide it for so many years?

“Nobody doesn’t know.”

…Everyone in class knew about it, so it wasn’t exactly a secret…?

Anyway, I pulled myself together and got up. Lately, my laziness had reached its peak, and my body felt so heavy and sluggish that I didn’t want to move.

On top of that, I had been feeling bloated, and it seemed like I was about to get an upset stomach.

My lower abdomen and pelvis felt stiff, so I rubbed them as I walked into the dressing room.

After shaking off my laziness and entering the lecture hall, I saw Taeshin, who had arrived before me, as usual. This time, I sat a bit closer to him. Once again, Taeshin’s pheromones subtly flowed towards me.

Over the past few days, I had been slowly closing the gap between Taeshin and myself. Initially, I sat a few desks away, then one desk closer, and then another.

I was gradually coming to a decision about the answer Taeshin had spoken of.

Actually, I already knew the answer, but I hesitated because I didn’t know what to do about it.

Thinking about being with Taeshin made my face flush, so I pressed my cheeks with both hands.

Seriously, what am I supposed to do after being so close to Taeshin for ten years?

To me, Taeshin was first a subordinate for a short time, then a friend, and now he felt more like a brother—a relationship built on trust and simplicity.

Don’t turn red. Face, you have to hold on. If I turn red here, I lose.

While covering my cheeks and trying to control my mind, the professor walked in, and Taeshin’s pheromones didn’t stop.

I pretended to be calm and listened to the lecture. As I took notes in the textbook, I occasionally caught a stronger whiff of the pheromones and resolved one of the lingering doubts I had.

Although it was still just a hypothesis, it seemed like the correct answer.

At first, Taeshin’s pheromones were soft and gentle, a pure scent filled with warmth. But at some point, a sweetness began to mix in.

Taeshin’s scent had never been this sweet before.

Thinking carefully about the increasing sweetness, which would then return to normal, I concluded that this might be related to Taeshin’s emotions.

In other words, Taeshin’s pheromone sweetness increased when he liked me more.

Although I still didn’t understand why I hadn’t noticed this before, my instinct told me that this was indeed the answer.

“Do you like me that much?”

If the sweetness of pheromones was a measure of how much someone liked you, then Taeshin must really like me.

Does he like me that much?

I mumbled quietly in the professor’s voice, puzzled, since I hadn’t heard the reason. Taeshin responded softly.

“I never said I liked you.”

What? Both Yoon Yijun and I were convinced that Taeshin liked me, so for a moment, I wondered if I had made a huge mistake.

I quickly turned to look at Taeshin. Then I noticed a smile on his face as he took notes. The sweet scent mixed with Taeshin’s pheromones became more pronounced.

I was right; when Taeshin’s feelings for me grew, the scent became sweeter.

Fuming at having been tricked by Taeshin, I turned my head back. Covering my view of him with my hand, I quietly ground my teeth.

Just wait and see, Taeshin. Since I’m the one who decides the answer, I’ll make you sweat until you beg for it. I’ll drag it out, toy with you for a long time, and never reveal my answer.

With a doubled resolve fueled by my surprise at my mistaken assumption, I vowed twice, three times. After the lecture ended, I sat right next to Taeshin in the next class.

Since Taeshin liked me, I planned to keep him on his toes and desperate.

“What are you looking at?”

When I sat next to him, Taeshin looked at me.

Meeting his gaze with a defiant look, I said, “Have you never seen a person before?” Taeshin replied while staring at me.

“Moon Sunwoo.”

“…Don’t look.”

I hesitated, running out of things to say, and turned my head, warning him. If you want to look at my face, ask for permission.

Pouting, I opened my textbook.

For some reason, the sweetness in Taeshin’s pheromones increased.

Why? Because of what?

I couldn’t understand. What did I do?

Taeshin, resting his chin on his arm, stared at the podium.

Sitting this close, the sweet pheromones made me turn my head slightly and scratch my itchy cheek.

The more I smelled Taeshin’s sweet pheromones, the more my cheeks and lips itched, which was really annoying.

The more it happened, the warmer my face felt, and my heart pounded.

At this rate, my plan to make Taeshin anxious and restless might backfire.

Thinking I needed to move to another seat to focus on the lecture, I reached for my open textbook.

Thud.

As I grabbed the cover of the book, Taeshin’s hand pressed down on it.

Trying to close the book while Taeshin’s hand slid over the pages, he hooked my hand and pulled it under the desk.

Taeshin intertwined his fingers with mine under the desk.

When I tried to pull my hand away, he held on tighter, so I gave up.

Sweat formed on our joined hands, and the rising heat made my face flush, so I hid my face behind the book and my arm.

“…I lost, so let go.”

“No.”

“You jerk.”

You said you felt the same way. So you must know how much my heart is about to burst right now.

Even after I surrendered, Taeshin showed no intention of letting go, tightening his grip on my hand.

Since I couldn’t make a fuss in class, I lay on the desk, giving up on the lecture.

As a first-year, I risked getting marked by the professor for slacking off, but I had no choice.

The soft and sweet scent Taeshin emitted kept distracting and exciting me.

Taeshin held my hand until the professor finished the lecture and all the students had left the classroom.

“Let go now.”

Sitting side by side in the empty classroom, I still lay with my face buried in the book. My face, hidden by the book, was so red that tears welled up.

I looked at Taeshin, who still held my hand without responding. He smiled as he looked at me.

Tears threatened to fall as I was completely overwhelmed by Taeshin, while he smiled mischievously.

“Sunwoo, are you crying?”

“Who’s crying?”

Peck.

“I’m not….”

As I fought back tears, Taeshin suddenly kissed me lightly and pulled away.

Startled, the tears disappeared, and I quickly sat up, leaning back.

“Wh-what!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to.”

“Didn’t mean to! Suddenly, what! You can’t do things like this without consent…!”

“Yes, you’re right. Moon Sunwoo, you know well.”

Taeshin, who was startled by my shouting, rolled his eyes with a look of realization and gave the irresponsible excuse that he did it unconsciously.

I pointed out the immorality of his action, trembling with a pounding heart and covering my mouth with a free hand.

Taeshin interrupted me, giving a moral answer without a hint of guilt and even complimented me.

For a moment, I doubted if I had kissed Lee Taeshin’s lips.

After a brief thought, I realized that Taeshin was the one who kissed me and raised my voice again.

“Why did you do it if you knew…!”

“Because you were crying.”

“What does my crying have to do with this, your lips…!”

“It does. When Moon Sunwoo cries, I want to do it.”

Seeing Taeshin looking troubled as if he couldn’t help it, I stared at him dumbfounded.

He lowered his gaze sadly and tilted his head before speaking.

“Sunwoo.”

Taeshin called me quietly.

His gaze, now downcast, had turned so sorrowful and melancholic that it made me forget what he had just done.

“Were you upset?”

“Of course, I was up…!”

Anyone would be upset in this situation, so I spoke honestly, but seeing Taeshin lower his eyes and close his mouth made my heart ache for a moment.

Feeling guilty as if I had scolded him too harshly, I hesitated and toned down my anger.

Taeshin then lifted his eyes slightly and spoke.

“Then… should I do it again?”

* * *