* * *

Relief swept over him, and then Beomhyeon spoke.

“Breathe.”

Ah. Only then did Jungin realize he hadn’t been breathing.

“Haa… haa…”

Why…? Why couldn’t he breathe?

It felt as if he had forgotten how to, his mouth opening and closing helplessly like a fish out of water.

“Jungin, you’re okay now. Just follow my lead and breathe slowly.”

Beomhyeon inhaled and exhaled steadily, guiding him to mimic his actions.

But for Jungin, even that seemed impossible.

‘Am I still dreaming? If so, then… I…’

As his vision blurred again, Jungin raised a trembling hand to scratch at his throat, but a firm hand caught his wrist.

“Stop.”

At the same time, something soft touched his lips, and a breath of air filled his lungs.

A sweet, soothing scent entered him, and tears slid down his tightly shut eyes.

Supporting Jungin’s trembling body with one arm, Beomhyeon continued to gently breathe life into him.

Feeling Jungin clutch at his chest and shiver uncontrollably, a chilling realization gripped Beomhyeon’s mind.

If he hadn’t stopped by to check on Jungin—if he had overlooked this moment—he could have lost him.

The thought drained all the strength from his body.

Overwhelmed, he pulled Jungin into a tight embrace.

“Take your time. There’s no rush, Jungin.”

“Haa… haa…”

“That’s it. You’re doing well.”

As Jungin’s breathing slowly returned to normal, Beomhyeon stepped back and said firmly, “We’re going to the hospital.”

Looking down at his sweat-drenched clothes, Beomhyeon shrugged off his cardigan and draped it over Jungin.

He bent down to pick him up, but Jungin gently pushed him away.

“Jungin.”

“It’s okay. It was just a nightmare. I’m fine now.”

“You weren’t breathing. Do you understand?”

“I just panicked…”

Biting his lip, Jungin recalled the nightmare, his face pale as a sheet.

Beomhyeon was about to lift him again when Jungin whispered, “Beomhyeon…”

“I can’t let this slide.”

Beomhyeon wasn’t the only one shaken by Jungin’s condition.

He was terrified, too.

Understanding this, Jungin cupped Beomhyeon’s face with his hands and smiled faintly.

“I’m sorry for scaring you. But it was really just a nightmare. Thanks to you, I’m fine now. Let’s not alarm everyone else, okay?”

They weren’t the only two living in this house.

Causing a commotion this late at night would wake not just his father, but everyone else as well.

“You…”

Beomhyeon felt a surge of emotion as he looked at Jungin, who was still thinking of others even in such a state.

After the accident, Jungin had clearly changed.

Though his personality had always been unpredictable, something significant had shifted since then.

That’s when Beomhyeon started noticing him.

If only he had paid attention sooner, before Jungin suffered through abuse at home.

He couldn’t shake the memory of Jungin trembling in fear, begging for his life.

Clenching his jaw, Beomhyeon released the tension when Jungin tugged at his sleeve.

“I just want to stay here with you. I feel safe that way…”

“…”

“Is that okay? Can’t we do that?”

Jungin hugged Beomhyeon’s waist and looked up at him, their faces so close their lips might touch.

“…Ah.”

The memory of their earlier kiss suddenly surfaced.

Jungin’s face turned bright red.

Though it had been to help him breathe, their lips had undeniably touched.

As if remembering it now, Jungin instinctively brushed his fingers over his lips, then abruptly stood.

He swayed from the sudden movement, and Beomhyeon reached out to steady him, but Jungin quickly escaped to the bathroom.

“I-I’m all sweaty! I’ll wash up and be right back!”

Bang.

Closing the door, Jungin let out a shaky breath.

Looking at his flushed face in the mirror, he splashed it with cold water.

“What the hell… I’m going crazy.”

Feeling like a pervert, Jungin shook his head furiously and began to undress.

But as he caught sight of Beomhyeon’s cardigan, his fingers hesitated.

At first, he thought it just smelled faintly of him.

But the more he caught Beomhyeon’s scent, the hotter his body seemed to grow.

“Why am I acting like this? I didn’t take any drugs…”

Wait.

His breath caught as a forgotten fact surfaced in his mind.

Lee Jungin was an Omega.

Naturally, he’d be sensitive to an Alpha’s pheromones.

That sweet, refreshing scent… was Beomhyeon’s pheromones all along?

Jungin blinked rapidly, his mind reeling.

What was he supposed to do now?

What if he went into a heat cycle?

He had lived his entire life as a Beta.

Even after waking up in Lee Jungin’s body, he thought nothing much had changed and just brushed it off. But now, this was an emergency.

“I-I need to go to the hospital.”

If Lee Jungin was going to leave behind a note, he could’ve at least mentioned something like this.

Biting his tongue in frustration, Jungin thought about an omega-specialized hospital and the people he could possibly bring along.

First on the list: Ki Beomhyeon.

‘No. Absolutely not Ki Beomhyeon!’

Jungin shook his head adamantly, muttering to himself.

Even if a knife was held to his throat, he couldn’t go with Beomhyeon.

How could he ever tell him that his body had reacted strangely to Beomhyeon’s pheromones?

‘Haa, then what about…’

Jungin’s thoughts naturally wandered to Jungjin, Jungwoo, and Jungseo in succession.

But imagining the chaos that would ensue was enough to make him shake his head again.

“Forget it, I’ll just… go alone.”

Yes, going quietly by himself might be the best option.

Tomorrow was his part-time job day anyway, so he’d have the chance to be on his own.

After his shift, he could just make a quick trip.

Clenching and unclenching his fists, Jungin let the warm spray of water from above soothe his tense body.

---

“Do you really have to go?”

The moment he opened his eyes, Jungin flinched at the sight of a handsome face right in front of him.

Quickly recovering, he glanced at the wall clock and rushed to get ready to leave.

Splish-splash, Jungin hurriedly washed his face and brushed his teeth.

Dressed in neat clothes, he sat in front of the vanity, applying lotion to his face.

Reflected in the mirror was Ki Beomhyeon, leaning lazily on the bed and watching him.

Beomhyeon’s expression seemed to say he couldn’t comprehend how Jungin could plan to go to work after the ordeal earlier that morning.

His body felt fine now, and he wasn’t gasping for breath like before.

There was no reason not to go to his shift.

Besides, if he bailed on such short notice, his boss, who had hired him in a pinch, would be in a bind.

Straightening his determined expression, Jungin walked over to Beomhyeon, who was frowning, and gently rubbed his creased forehead with his fingertips.

“If you keep frowning like that, you’ll get wrinkles on your forehead.”

“…”

“I mean it. Someday you’ll have a deep furrow there, and it’ll make you look grumpy all the time.”

Clicking his tongue, Jungin pouted slightly, gauging Beomhyeon’s reaction.

“How’s your body?”

“I’m totally fine! Look, I feel so strong I could even do a triple jump! Want me to show you?”

“Don’t. You’ll fall and hurt yourself.”

‘Does he really think I’d try it…?’

Jungin had only meant to express that he felt brimming with energy, but Beomhyeon’s unexpectedly serious tone made him shut his mouth.

Still, it seemed like Beomhyeon was on the verge of reluctantly allowing him to go to work.

Suppressing a sigh, Beomhyeon pulled out car keys he had prepared in advance and added, “I’ll drop you off.”

* * *