* * *
The scene shifted as Sejin gently brushed his fingers against Taehyun’s now motionless cheek, watching the slight flicker in his closed eyelids.
Taehyun had fallen into a deep sleep and showed no signs of waking.
Sejin leaned closer, studying his face.
Though Taehyun seemed a bit tired, his expression was peaceful.
After four years, seeing that handsome face up close again was still as irritating as ever.
For a moment, Sejin felt the urge to kiss him but managed to hold back.
Taehyun could wake up if he moved too suddenly, so Sejin had to be careful.
Still, just touching him like this should be okay, right?
He fondled Taehyun’s firm cheek, causing him to let out a small groan in his sleep.
Even the tiniest twitch of his face, with its slight frown, was endearing, making Sejin smile.
He wished Taehyun could look at him with the same feelings.
His unspoken wish echoed in his heart, but he knew Taehyun was cautious and suspicious, despite his seemingly bold exterior.
If Sejin wanted to keep him close, he had to be patient.
‘I like you.’
Sejin swallowed the confession he couldn’t yet say aloud and smiled.
Taehyun had no idea how long Sejin had waited for this moment.
And he couldn’t find out—because the second he did, he would run away.
Sejin could endure even longer if it meant they could continue walking the same path together.
So don’t run away, not yet.
Until Taehyun could no longer escape him, Sejin would keep up this act, pretending to be harmless, like a sulking child.
That way, Taehyun might take pity on him.
Sejin smiled again and lay down beside Taehyun, resting his head close to his.
The warmth of Taehyun’s bare skin was comforting.
I’ll clean up in a bit, he thought, while continuing to admire Taehyun’s peaceful face.
All the while, Taehyun remained deeply asleep.
“Mm…”
It was about five hours later when Taehyun woke up.
His throat was dry, and as he reached for water, he noticed he was lying on an unfamiliar bed, his clothes still in disarray.
How did I end up falling asleep here?
In a panic, he opened his eyes wide, only to find himself facing a broad chest with smooth, pale skin.
“…What?”
A chest?
Blinking in disbelief, Taehyun raised his head and saw Sejin, sleeping peacefully with his arms wrapped around him.
Oh, crap, why the hell is this guy here?
He shoved Sejin away and scrambled backward on his butt, the sudden push causing Sejin to blink awake.
Why am I in the same bed with this guy?
Taehyun struggled to process what was happening.
Then, the memories of what they had been doing before he passed out came flooding back, and his face turned white.
“…? What’s wrong?” Sejin asked groggily, rubbing his eyes.
Taehyun couldn’t answer.
Why are you in bed with me?
He didn’t need to ask—it was obvious.
They had been doing all sorts of things before he collapsed from exhaustion.
Taehyun could practically hear the answer in his head.
He stammered, trying to find something to say.
“Ah, no… I just… don’t remember cleaning up afterward…”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. Sejin, completely unbothered, answered with his usual calm expression.
“I did it. You looked tired.”
That deadpan response made Taehyun want to die of embarrassment.
Does that mean Sejin had seen everything—his skin, his most private areas?
It was ridiculous to feel embarrassed now, after everything Sejin had already done to him, but a delayed wave of shame washed over him, turning his face bright red.
“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t hard at all,” Sejin added, in that same indifferent tone.
How can you talk about cleaning up after sex as casually as if it were today’s recycling duty?
It was absurd, but Taehyun didn’t see the point in arguing.
Running a hand over his face, he stood up.
“Well, thanks…”
But was it something to be thankful for?
After all, the reason he passed out in the first place was that Sejin had pushed him too far.
And now, Sejin was looking down at him with that fresh, rested face, making Taehyun feel unfairly put-upon.
“…”
But what was the point of arguing about that? It had felt good, after all.
“…”
Is it always like this with an alpha?
Taehyun thought back, pulling up old memories.
He didn’t remember it being particularly enjoyable before.
There had even been times when his partner’s pheromones had suddenly become unbearable.
But last night…
To be honest, it felt so good that he questioned whether it was even normal.
Maybe pheromones work better when they’re a good match.
Taehyun wondered if Sejin had enjoyed his as much as he had enjoyed Sejin’s.
It wasn’t a romantic affair—they had only gotten together out of necessity—but it was better than not enjoying it at all.
They’d be stuck with each other for almost three months until the competition, so it was a relief that they were compatible.
However, the moment Taehyun lifted his head out of curiosity and met Sejin’s eyes, he couldn’t say a word.
Sejin’s face was calm and composed, with not a trace of the passion from the previous night.
The person who had been so intensely intertwined with him just last night now looked so serene, it made Taehyun question whether it had even happened.
“…?”
Only when Sejin noticed Taehyun staring at him with a puzzled expression, as if asking what was wrong, did Taehyun clear his throat and look away.
Still, it was undeniable that what they did last night wasn’t bad.
No, it wasn’t just not bad—it had been so good that it became a problem.
It had been so overwhelming that Taehyun feared he might actually break from feeling so much.
So blaming Sejin now would make no sense.
But… he couldn’t shake the lingering thoughts.
Somehow, the feeling that he was using Sejin for his own satisfaction wouldn’t leave him.
‘What nonsense. Last night, he was the one who clung to me, not letting go.’
Taehyun tried to rationalize, reminding himself of how much Sejin had held onto him last night.
But the heavy guilt still weighed on his chest.
This guilt toward Sejin had latched onto him ever since they first met, back when Sejin had seemed like such a fragile, vulnerable kid.
But Sejin wasn’t the same as before.
He wasn’t at an age where he could be easily manipulated by adults, nor was he in a position to be pushed around.
He was the reigning Olympic champion and had held the top spot in the world rankings for four years straight.
Everyone was certain he would win gold again this year unless something extraordinary happened.
How could someone like that be the same fragile kid from back then?
Even so, Taehyun couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
Sejin, as if sensing Taehyun’s unnecessary worries, silently stared down at him before suddenly pulling the blanket over Taehyun’s face.
“What the…? What are you doing?”
Taehyun, bewildered, tried to push the blanket away, but Sejin held it tightly and spoke.
“You must be tired. Get some more sleep.”
Without needing further explanation, it was clear that this was the better option.
It wasn’t even six in the morning yet, and by ten o’clock, they’d be back at the training facility, starting the grueling day with endless intervals and drills.
The fact that Taehyun didn’t feel as tired as expected was likely due to the brief sleep he had just had.
But once they started training, the fatigue would hit like a ton of bricks.
“…Okay.”
Taehyun mumbled as he obediently closed his eyes and tried to sleep again.
Was this because of pheromones too?
With a faint, pleasant scent of fresh grass filling his senses, he slowly drifted back into sleep.
In the two hours of sleep that followed, Taehyun recalled memories from a long time ago.
He saw himself as a young child, just starting taekwondo, hesitating at the entrance of the dojang.
Too shy to step inside, he stood outside, watching the other kids noisily chattering.
A middle-aged man spotted him and called out.
“Hey, don’t just stand there! Come on in, kid!”
It was a bright, booming voice that felt so nostalgic, almost lost in the haze of his memories.
* * *
Memorias