* * *

The golden gaze that met Jeongseo’s felt piercing, making him feel as though he’d been caught doing something wrong.

He hesitated, stealing a glance at Yoontae.

But as he thought about it, he wondered—was he really in the wrong?

Ha Sumin was just a classmate, and there was nothing wrong with exchanging messages with him.

With that thought, Jeongseo firmly placed his phone back on the table and tilted his head in confusion.

“W-Why are you looking at me like that?”

Yoontae gaped in disbelief before leaning forward, resting his arms on the table.

“You’ve been dodging me like crazy, only to go off and find a new bestie? Did you really ditch me for him, Jeongseo?”

“No, it’s not like that…”

“So, I’m just some toy for you to play with and throw away when you’re bored?”

“That’s not true!”

“Then why have you been avoiding me?”

“Well… it’s because of what happened in your room last time… I was worried it might happen again…”

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was terrified of being overwhelmed by another sudden heat if they spent too much time together.

While he didn’t want to upset Yoontae, he also didn’t want to hide the truth.

Yoontae quietly observed Jeongseo, his sulky expression fading into something unreadable.

Finally, Yoontae murmured, “I see. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Huh?”

How could Yoontae control that?

Was that even possible?

Jeongseo tilted his head, puzzled.

“I mean… I won’t touch you again if you don’t want me to. Sorry.”

“…What?”

Caught off guard, Jeongseo stared at Yoontae in disbelief.

This kind of apology didn’t match his usual behavior—especially considering how he’d teased him before, playing with his ears or making lewd jokes.

Recalling their last intense encounter, Jeongseo felt his face heat up.

Seeing Jeongseo’s skeptical look, Yoontae ruffled his hair in frustration.

“It was hard for me to hold back then, too. But I won’t let it happen again. So please, stop pulling away from me, Jeongseo.”

Yoontae’s gaze reminded Jeongseo of the loyal dog he’d once seen looking up at its master with unwavering devotion.

The weight of that gaze pressed heavily on Jeongseo’s chest.

“It’s not because of that! That’s not the reason…”

“…Then, what is it?”

The narrow eyes of Pyo Yoontae sharpened, clearly unable to consider any other reason.

Jeongseo hesitated, his lips parting slightly.

Talking about pheromones—especially anything related to sex—was still a source of embarrassment for him, even with a friend.

It felt as if he was exposing his most vulnerable self, making it hard to bring up the topic.

Still, Pyo Yoontae waited silently, giving him space to continue.

“I went to the hospital during summer break,” Jeongseo began, voice hesitant.

“They said my pheromone levels have increased. Apparently, being near a dominant like you triggers the pheromones of recessives like me… for reproductive purposes. That’s why my heats have been irregular.” His voice dropped, laden with discomfort.

“And… I think that’s why I keep going into heat when I’m around you.”

This is probably uncomfortable for you too, isn’t it?

Jeongseo felt a mix of awkwardness and relief after finally admitting the truth.

His eyes flickered toward Pyo Yoontae, who remained quiet, one hand covering his mouth as if absorbing the information.

“…So, that’s the reason?”

Pyo Yoontae’s voice wavered slightly, making Jeongseo’s heart plummet.

What if he told him to stay away?

What if this ruined everything?

As Jeongseo’s thoughts spiraled, Pyo Yoontae reached out slowly, his hand coming to rest partially over Jeongseo’s.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Jeongseo.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not something that started happening out of nowhere,” Pyo Yoontae said, his tone calm.

Jeongseo blinked, startled. What did he mean by that?

His round eyes demanded an explanation, but Pyo Yoontae offered none, instead playfully dragging his fingers across the back of Jeongseo’s hand.

The soft scrape of his nails sent a subtle shiver up Jeongseo’s neck.

Pyo Yoontae’s gaze lingered on him, his smile relaxed, as if amused by Jeongseo’s confusion.

‘I thought you were avoiding me because you were scared I might pounce on you out of nowhere.*’

No matter how much he liked Jeongseo, he had worried that being too forward might make things uncomfortable—or worse, unwelcome.

That’s why Pyo Yoontae had restrained himself whenever Jeongseo kept his distance, rationalizing that Jeongseo simply needed more time.

But now… to think Jeongseo had been pulling away because of his fear of going into heat near him.

Beneath his hand, Pyo Yoontae’s lips curved upward into an uncontrollable grin.

Ah, he couldn’t help but look forward to what came next.

Pyo Yoontae’s affectionate gaze never left Jeongseo, who fidgeted under the attention.

Flustered, Jeongseo tried to pull his hand back, but Pyo Yoontae finally let go, only to reach out again, this time brushing stray strands of hair from Jeongseo’s arm.

“You’re shedding a lot of hair lately, Jeongseo,” he teased, holding up a strand that gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the café window.

Jeongseo’s brown eyes wavered, fixed on the strand.

Pyo Yoontae’s crescent-shaped eyes crinkled with amusement.

“Are you molting?”

“W-Winter’s coming! Lots of beastfolk shed during this time!”

“That’s true,” Pyo Yoontae replied with a gentle laugh.

“Guess that means you’ll get fluffier.”

His playful remark landed squarely on Jeongseo, who felt a flush creeping up his neck.

Pyo Yoontae’s gaze then shifted to a patch of silvery strands glimmering amidst Jeongseo’s brown hair, catching the light.

---

Saturday Morning

Jeongseo sat on a bus heading toward town.

Today was market day, and he’d decided to pick up groceries and snacks.

Since his heart-to-heart with Pyo Yoontae a few days ago, Jeongseo had resolved to stop creating distance between them.

Just thinking about Pyo Yoontae’s face as he’d asked him not to pull away was enough to make Jeongseo feel guilty.

He’d wanted to invite him to the market, but Pyo Yoontae had to accompany his mother to the hospital. Disappointed but understanding, Jeongseo went alone.

With time to kill, Jeongseo put on his Bluetooth earphones—a birthday gift from his brother—and played some music.

His foot tapped along to the beat as he scrolled through his messenger app.

Pyo Yoontae hadn’t replied to the text Jeongseo had sent right before boarding the bus.

Maybe he was busy?

As he debated whether to look out the window instead, his phone buzzed. Jeongseo checked it quickly but sighed in disappointment.

[Ha Sumin: What are you doing on the weekend? Are you up yet? 9:30 AM]

Ha Sumin messaged far too often.

Jeongseo couldn’t understand how someone could send so many texts in a single day.

Still, he figured there was no harm in replying since he wasn’t doing much.

[Jeongseo: I’m heading to the market! It’s market day today! 9:32 AM]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Ha Sumin: Oh, it’s market day? Are you on your way? 9:32 AM]

[Jeongseo: Yep! 9:32 AM]

[Ha Sumin: By yourself? 9:32 AM]

[Jeongseo: Yeah! 9:33 AM]

[Ha Sumin: Isn’t it tough going alone? 9:33 AM]

[Jeongseo: Nah, it’s fine! 9:33 AM]

After that, Sumin stopped replying—a rare occurrence.

Jeongseo pocketed his phone and leaned back to enjoy the music.

By the time he arrived at the bustling market, Jeongseo felt a surge of excitement.

It was winter, so the streets were lined with vendors selling fish-shaped pastries, hotteok, and roasted sweet potatoes.

Despite having eaten breakfast, his mouth watered at the sight.

Jeongseo wandered the market, buying snacks and groceries, when a familiar figure caught his eye in the distance.

Squinting to get a better look, he recognized Ha Sumin.

Not entirely thrilled at the unexpected encounter, Jeongseo considered slipping away unnoticed, but their eyes met.

“Oh.”

Jeongseo let out a small groan, while Sumin’s face lit up with delight.

* * *