* * *

Was it because he felt at ease?

After a rare deep sleep, Jungin woke up and froze upon discovering Beomhyeon lying right in front of him.

“Gasp…”

At Jungin’s startled sound, Beomhyeon’s eyes, which had seemed closed in sleep, opened.

Smooth, jet-black pupils, like polished obsidian, sparkled in the sunlight.

Instinctively, Jungin glanced quickly at the door and pulled the blanket over his head.

Creating a small cocoon, he whispered in a small, panicked voice from within.

“How… how did you get in here?”

“Well, I woke up and found myself here too.”

Liar. The bloodshot eyes gave it away.

Today was a school day—what was he thinking?

“If I get caught, your brothers will kill me.”

Beomhyeon, who had buried his face into Jungin’s chest, lifted his head slightly and looked up at him.

“I’m so scared. Hide me, Jungin.”

That sly, playful whisper, paired with a mischievous smile curling at his lips, made Jungin’s ears burn as if they were on fire.

“You…”

Why does he keep using his looks to manipulate me?

Being this close, he’s bound to hear how fast my heart is beating.

Jungin held his breath and tried to push Beomhyeon away, but Beomhyeon feigned fatigue and closed his eyes.

“Is Jungin still asleep?”

“He should be awake by now. Should I go check?”

The voices of his brothers echoed from outside the door.

Jungin’s heart sank, and he gasped, stomping his feet in panic.

“Hurry up and get up! If they find you, they might actually kill you!”

Especially his brother Jungseo, who had recently bought a kendo wooden sword, declaring it was to prevent unwanted intruders.

If anyone were caught, Beomhyeon would undoubtedly be their first target.

“Jungin, your heart is racing. Thump, thump, thump.”

As if his thoughts were laid bare, Jungin’s face turned crimson.

Why was Beomhyeon, who should be more flustered, acting so nonchalant?

“Are you worried about getting caught?”

Thankfully, it seemed Beomhyeon hadn’t realized the real reason behind Jungin’s pounding heart.

Watching Jungin freeze, Beomhyeon smirked and slowly sat up.

His face, swollen all over from lack of sleep, looked even more striking as sunlight caught his features.

Beomhyeon glanced at the voices outside and tilted his head.

“See you later, Fish.”

“Fish…?”

Leaving that strange remark behind, Beomhyeon stepped out onto the terrace and, with one agile leap, disappeared to the next unit.

“Is he out of his mind?”

Jungin shot up, flustered.

Did he realize how high up they were?!

Rushing to the terrace, he caught sight of Beomhyeon waving playfully, his grin broad.

Knock, knock.

Startled by the knock at the door, Jungin quickly closed the curtains.

No one could find out Beomhyeon had been in his room.

“Oh, Jungin’s already up? Why’d you close the curtains?”

His brother Jungwoo walked in, holding a green smoothie, clearly his usual health drink.

“Uh, I was about to change!”

“Really?”

“Y-Yeah. Thanks for bringing this! I’ll drink it right away!”

Normally, Jungin would resist drinking it, but this time, he downed the bitter, earthy juice in one gulp to distract Jungwoo.

The awful taste made his face scrunch involuntarily.

“Good boy, my little brother. Now, hurry up, get dressed, and let’s have breakfast before heading to school.”

“Okay…”

Jungin sucked on the honey candy his brother handed him to erase the lingering taste, nodding absently.

What a chaotic start to the morning.

He shot a glare at the terrace before trudging to the bathroom.

The day had only just begun, and it already felt exhausting.

---

During the break before P.E., Jungin prepared for class, listening to his classmates groan about the strict new teacher.

Most non-exam subjects like art or music allowed third-year students to use the time for self-study, but this teacher insisted on rigorous physical activity once a week.

“Good thing I brought my gym clothes.”

Jungin hugged his fresh-smelling gym uniform and chuckled.

If Jungwoo hadn’t packed it, he’d have had to borrow one from another class.

As the clock ticked down, Jungin began unbuttoning his shirt.

Pulling it off, he glanced at his white undershirt, contemplating whether to wear it under his gym uniform.

The hot weather would make it unbearable, but not wearing it would make his silhouette visible.

Eventually, he decided to skip the undershirt and started to change.

Just as he was lifting his shirt, exposing his pale stomach, a low, familiar voice growled from above.

“Shit.”

Jungin froze and looked up.

“Jungin.”

Had he misheard?

The sharp curse didn’t match the soft, affectionate tone calling his name.

Without thinking, Jungin smiled back at Beomhyeon.

“How could you change here? Those damn bastards can all see your body.”

“…Huh?”

“What if I kill everyone who’s seen you? Hm?”

A collective gasp filled the classroom as Beomhyeon ground his teeth.

Jungin blinked in confusion, completely unaware of how defenseless he looked.

Beomhyeon clenched his jaw, recalling a similar incident when Jungin had walked around drenched in water, his body fully exposed.

Suppressing the surge of irritation, Beomhyeon emitted an aura so intense that others fled the room.

“Beomhyeon, what’s wrong?”

How could he protect his utterly oblivious Omega?

Beomhyeon let out a deep breath and rested his forehead against Jungin’s shoulder.

“I have a fever.”

“A fever? Are you sick?”

“Maybe I couldn’t sleep properly.”

Jungin touched Beomhyeon’s forehead, which did feel slightly warm.

“Let me see your face. I’ll check if you’re okay.”

“No… My head hurts. Just let me stay like this.”

Jungin’s heart ached seeing Beomhyeon look so weak.

Was it because of him that Beomhyeon hadn’t rested properly?

“Let’s go to the nurse’s office. I’ll explain to the P.E. teacher.”

“I don’t want to go alone.”

Clinging to Jungin’s waist, Beomhyeon spoke in a softer, more vulnerable voice.

Jungin hesitated, but seeing Beomhyeon like this, he couldn’t bring himself to push him away.

“…Alright. Let’s go together.”

Supporting the much larger Beomhyeon as they arrived in front of the infirmary, Jungin’s face fell upon noticing the sign on the door that read “Out on Call.”

“What should we do? Looks like no one’s here…”

“It’s fine.”

Lifting the keypad, Beomhyeon punched in a six-digit code, and with a beep, the door unlocked.

“How do you even know the password…?”

“I happened to find out a while ago.”

That was fortunate, but still… Beomhyeon’s condition took priority.

Suppressing his growing suspicion over these repeated “coincidences,” Jungin shook his head and led Beomhyeon inside.

“Let’s check your temperature first. Where’s the thermometer…”

“No need. I’ll just rest for a bit. With no staff here, it’s better not to touch anything recklessly.”

“Ah…”

He had a point, but still… Jungin sighed softly, gazing at Beomhyeon’s bloodshot eyes.

Why didn’t he just sleep instead of staying up all night in his room…

Seeing Beomhyeon sick made Jungin’s chest tighten.

He’d always been the one getting sick.

At those times, the overprotective fussing of his brothers and Beomhyeon’s concern had felt overwhelming.

Now that the roles were reversed, he finally understood.

“Do you want to lie down?”

When Beomhyeon, much too large for the small bed, curled up and patted the empty space beside him, Jungin couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

He was clearly mimicking what Jungin had done in the past.

“Sure. Let’s do that.”

Removing his indoor shoes, Jungin cautiously climbed into the bed and let himself be enveloped by Beomhyeon’s arms.

A faint scent of sweat lingered on him, likely from his fever, but it mixed with his naturally cool scent to create something strangely comforting.

Nestled in Beomhyeon’s embrace, Jungin inhaled deeply, hearing the steady thump of a heartbeat.

Tilting his head upward, he noticed that Beomhyeon, who had seemingly been resting his eyes, was now staring directly at him.

Meeting Beomhyeon’s gaze, Jungin smiled shyly, his eyes crinkling.

“Beomhyeon, your heart’s beating fast. Thump, thump, thump.”

He wondered what kind of excuse Beomhyeon would come up with.

As he looked at him with anticipation, Beomhyeon leaned down, gently cupping Jungin’s face, and pressed his thumb against Jungin’s lips.

“It’s because of you, Lee Jungin.”

“…Oh.”

Though it was only Beomhyeon’s thumb that touched his lips, it somehow felt as though their lips had met.

Jungin’s face flushed crimson as he squirmed, but Beomhyeon’s large hand held him firmly in place.

“Jungin, your heart’s beating fast too, just like mine—thump, thump, thump.”

At Beomhyeon’s whispered words, Jungin swallowed hard and murmured softly, his lips trembling.

“It’s because of you too… Lately, because of you… my heart won’t calm down.”

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, gently tickling the two of them.

Beomhyeon leaned down again, and as Jungin closed his eyes, something soft brushed against his lips.

His heartbeat, already fast, quickened even more.

* * *