* * *

“…What?”

“I didn’t mean to upset you. But since I made you uncomfortable, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

His eyes, which had been sad and depressed, now seemed to hold a glimmer of hope as he spoke to me.

Feeling that maybe I had been too harsh, I hesitated and looked away.

“Sunwoo.”

His pitiful voice wavered my resolve. I pressed my hand against my lips, then slowly lowered it.

Taeshin, watching me with desperate eyes, finally asked properly this time.

“Can I do it?”

“Uh, um… wait, no, hey…!”

Just when I was swayed by his seemingly remorseful eyes, a strange thought crossed my mind.

Even though Taeshin made an excuse that he did it unconsciously because I was crying, he never actually said he was sorry.

As I was about to argue why things were suddenly going this way, Taeshin’s lips pressed against mine. Wait, I haven’t said yes yet!

“Mmph.”

Unlike the brief touch before, this time, the kiss deepened as soon as I gave my hesitant permission.

When his tongue brushed against mine, my body trembled and shivered. Taeshin supported my back and neck, holding me steady.

“…Hnn…”

Taeshin moved closer, kneeling on one knee on the floor as he kissed me deeply, holding my back and neck.

I sat on the chair while he knelt, slightly lower, sucking on my lips and embracing my back.

“Hah, mm, nn…”

Feeling his rough tongue and the pheromones he exuded, my thoughts began to blur.

I clung to his collar as my mind went blank.

The wet sound between our lips filled the air whenever we came up for breath. Shivering with the strange pleasure from the kiss and Taeshin’s pheromones, I felt my legs go weak.

If I weren’t sitting, I would have collapsed.

“Ha, ha…”

Taeshin pulled away with a wet sound.

Panting, I looked into his eyes from such a close distance that our noses almost touched.

His gentle and warm pheromones enveloped me.

“One more time?”

Taeshin asked softly, his hand slipping from the back of my neck to gently cradle my cheek.

His gentle voice almost made me nod instinctively.

“You kissed me then too…”

Barely regaining my senses, I scolded him. The lingering pheromones made me feel like all my earlier confusion didn’t matter anymore.

“Then?”

“In the lecture hall.”

“Oh. That time… you fell twice. From here, to here.”

When I mentioned the time he kissed me in the lecture hall, Taeshin gently poked my cheek with his fingertip, then moved to press my now flushed lower lip.

Once more, if I fell again… cheek, and if I fell again… lips. Taeshin’s words were right.

“So, Sunwoo, one more time?”

He rubbed my lower lip with his finger and asked again. The tickling sensation made me shiver.

“I haven’t answered yet…”

“I know. I’m waiting, so tell me when you’re ready. In the meantime, Sunwoo.”

As I hesitated, mumbling an excuse, Taeshin interrupted as if it wasn’t important.

“Consent. So I can do it one more time.”

Taeshin urged me with a sly smile, his soft pheromones teasing my heart.

Swayed by his smile and pheromones, I barely managed to push his finger out with my tongue.

Taeshin chuckled and scratched my lip with his nail before kissing me again.

My chest swelled and my body trembled.

Taeshin’s pheromones and kisses felt too good.

Lee Taeshin… you must be a devil.

* * *

Trying to gather my wits after being ensnared by Lee Taeshin, I left the lecture hall.

I must have stayed in there for a long time; the sun had already set, and it was getting dark.

“Don’t come any closer.”

“I’m going the same way.”

I growled, wary of Taeshin following me.

If he touched me again! Was he a human or a fox spirit? He had kissed me so many times that I lost count.

Once, just once… how many times was that?

As I walked ahead and turned sharply to glare at Taeshin, he looked at me and smiled with his eyes.

His beautiful smile made my heart flutter momentarily, but I quickly snapped back to my senses.

I almost got ensnared again.

“Don’t laugh! It’s really annoying when you laugh at people…”

“It makes me sweet.”

“…Who!”

Pheromones! Damn pheromones!

Taeshin immediately responded that my pheromones had become sweet, just like he said.

I argued back, denying it.

Could it be that my pheromones really sweetened when I got nervous or excited? This can’t be happening.

Now, whenever I saw Taeshin, my heart would race.

If my feelings were revealed each time, my emotions would be exposed completely.

I was doomed!

As I clutched my head in frustration, I stopped in my tracks due to the foul smell wafting from the lounge near the elevator.

The lounge smelled like pizza.

Normally, I loved pizza as much as chicken, but for some reason, it felt revolting. I raised my hand to cover my nose and mouth.

“Sunwoo?”

“Ugh.”

Even with my hand covering my nose and mouth, the smell lingered, making me feel nauseous.

As I started to retch, Taeshin supported me.

“Ugh… I’m going to… Ugh.”

The pizza smell was so overwhelming that my stomach churned and my vision blurred.

When I said I wanted to vomit, Taeshin took me to the bathroom.

I sat in front of the toilet and vomited, my stomach heaving.

The smell of pizza, possibly from a group order, subtly permeated the bathroom as well.

After expelling what was left in my stomach—only saliva and stomach acid since my lunch was already digested—Taeshin rubbed my back and released his pheromones.

As Taeshin’s pheromones enveloped me and masked the pizza smell, I finally started to feel a bit better.

“Ugh, why am I like this these days?”

“These days? Has it been happening a lot?”

“Yeah, it feels like it’s stuck and won’t go away. The cheese smell is too revolting.”

Even at Yoon Yijun’s house, the smell of cheese balls was so off-putting that I didn’t even touch them. Beyond eating, I couldn’t stand the smell and urged them to clear it quickly.

It seemed like cheese was the problem, but I didn’t know why food I used to enjoy suddenly made me feel sick. It wasn’t like I had a bad reaction from eating it before.

“Should we go to the hospital?”

“No, I want to go home.”

“If this keeps happening, it’s better to go to the hospital to find out what’s wrong, Sunwoo.”

Seeing Taeshin’s worried face, I took a deep breath.

“It’s fine. My stomach’s just a bit off. If you worry so much, you’ll go bald. You don’t have much going for you besides your looks, so losing your hair would be a big deduction.”

I stood up and patted Taeshin’s shoulder with a joke, finally making him loosen his serious expression.

“It seems my looks are useful, so I should keep using my charm.”

“No, I forgot. You’re also smart, so focusing on your studies would be more impressive and attractive.”

“Sunwoo doesn’t care about people who are good at studying.”

“I don’t care about your looks either.”

“Really?”

Having fallen for Taeshin’s charm just now, I made the mistake of digging my own grave. I quickly tried to redirect, saying studying was more impressive, but it didn’t work.

Taeshin leaned closer, staring at me intently to see if I was serious when I said I didn’t care about his looks.

“…home….”

Sweat beaded on my back as his handsome face scrutinized me from above.

Taeshin often forgot that when he stared at me, his pheromones intensified.

As his pheromones started to surround me, I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Let’s go home….”

“Together, if you want.”

“Yeah, together. Let’s go.”

Having distanced myself for a few days, Taeshin seized the opportunity.

Despite being terrible at other things, he never missed a chance like this.

As I opened my eyes after agreeing to go together, Taeshin kissed the back of my neck.

“Take in my pheromones. We have to pass by the lounge.”

“…okay.”

Taeshin released his pheromones.

Soft, gentle, and kind, his pheromones flowed into me.

Breathing became easier, and my heart calmed as I inhaled the scent and answered him comfortably.

Taeshin’s natural pheromones felt sweet, while the ones he consciously released were softer and more comforting.

I felt a bit embarrassed for noticing the difference.

On the way home, Taeshin suggested picking me up in the morning, subtly trying to push his way in, but I stayed alert and told him not to dream of it.

“Sunwoo.”

Taeshin got out of the taxi with me as I was about to enter my house. Before he could say anything, I preempted him.

“You’ve been thinking and waiting for years.”

Taeshin had liked me for years. I didn’t know exactly when it started, but it wasn’t just a year or two. He must have suffered, but it also gave him a lot of time to think.

I, on the other hand, was a late bloomer who only realized it after Taeshin pointed it out, so I needed more time.

“Give me some time too.”

* * *