* * *

Saewoo cowered under Jibeom’s intense gaze, his nervousness evident.

“W-what is it…?”

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, Saewoo instinctively stepped back as Jibeom’s imposing presence closed in. He waved his oversized sleeves in protest.

“If this is a shirt you care about, you could’ve just said so! You’re the one who told me I could wear anything…”

Thud!

“Eek!”

Before he knew it, Saewoo had backed into the dressing room door, bumping into it with a startled gasp.

Thankfully, Jibeom reached out swiftly, his arm catching Saewoo’s waist to stop him from falling.

The sudden closeness left them staring directly into each other’s eyes, their breaths mingling.

“What… are you…?”

Saewoo avoided Jibeom’s gaze, his body tense.

He wasn’t exactly afraid, but the unexpected turn of events left his heart pounding uncontrollably.

Jibeom noticed his reaction but couldn’t tear his eyes away, as if spellbound.

Suddenly, he swung the dressing room door open.

Click.

“Take those wet clothes and toss them in the dryer. Don’t wear that shirt. Just go back to being the little sparrow you were before.”

Jibeom’s cold words came as he removed his hand from Saewoo’s waist.

“…What?”

Saewoo was stunned.

He had no idea why Jibeom’s attitude had flipped so drastically.

Just moments ago, he had been excessively kind.

Now, it was like dealing with a completely different person.

“Just do it.”

Jibeom didn’t seem interested in offering any explanations.

Feeling utterly dumbfounded, Saewoo stood frozen, blinking in disbelief.

Then, his fists clenched in frustration.

“That’s so…”

For some reason, he felt an urge to talk back to Jibeom today, even if he knew he shouldn’t.

“That’s so unfair. You should’ve just said something from the start. What’s your reason? I want to know why you’re suddenly acting like this.”

Though he wasn’t particularly angry, Saewoo’s voice grew firmer as he spoke.

A tiny pang of guilt flickered in his chest, but he decided this much confrontation was warranted.

“…”

Jibeom simply stared at him in silence, letting out a long sigh as if to say an explanation wasn’t worth the effort.

The lack of response only fueled Saewo’s irritation.

“So that’s it, huh? You just didn’t like me wearing your clothes. Fine, I’ll take it off!”

Muttering under his breath, Saewoo grabbed the hem of the oversized T-shirt, ready to strip it off in protest.

But before he could even pull one arm out of the sleeve, Jibeom slammed the dressing room door shut with a loud bang.

Startled, Saewoo froze mid-movement, staring blankly at the closed door through the gap in his shirt.

“What the heck…”

The frustration and confusion bubbling inside him boiled over into indignation.

He didn’t understand what he had done wrong to deserve such treatment.

Feeling a sudden wave of sadness, Saewoo’s lips quivered, and tears began to form at the corners of his drooping eyes.

°❀•°❀°•❀°

Beep. Whirrrrrr…

In the laundry room, Jibeom roughly tossed Saewo’s wet clothes into the dryer and switched it on.

He stared at the spinning clothes with a scowl, rubbing his face in exasperation.

“Damn it…”

His voice came out as a near-groan, frustration thick in his tone.

Jibeom let out another sigh, his hands resting heavily against his face.

His flushed skin betrayed the turmoil he was feeling.

“I shouldn’t have brought him here…”

With a frustrated grunt, Jibeom clenched his fists and lightly knocked them against his forehead.

The growing pink mark on his skin was a testament to how hard he hit himself.

“Ugh…”

The pain didn’t bother him.

What bothered him was the image of Saewo, drowning in that oversized pink shirt, haunting his thoughts.

“Completely clueless…”

They say ignorance is bliss, but Saewoo’s naivety was beyond innocent—it was almost dangerous.

Not that Jibeom blamed him for it, but it was driving him to the brink.

“Damn it…”

Unable to take it any longer, Jibeom left the laundry room and strode into his bedroom.

He began rummaging through the drawers next to the bed as if searching for something.

“Where is it…”

Growing increasingly irritated, he stormed over to another set of drawers near the window and yanked them open.

After sifting through the clutter, he pulled out a long spray can.

The label read “Cat Heat Suppressant Spray.”

The bold text stared back at him mockingly.

“Seriously… This crap?”

Jibeom glared at the spray can, remembering how Junwoo, a raccoon beastman, had brought it over just last night.

[Look, I grabbed this because you said it was urgent, okay? Stop being so picky. This works just fine for felines. Plus, it’s eco-friendly, smells nice, and even relieves stress. Just use it.]

Junwoo had tried to reassure him, but Jibeom’s pride had taken a hit.

If it had been a suppressant for larger predators, he might have felt differently.

But given the urgency of the situation, he had no choice.

Acquiring a predator-grade suppressant would take weeks, involving detailed consultations and certifications.

In the meantime, he was stuck with this.

Most beastmen, about 70%, avoided using suppressants altogether for these reasons.

beastmen naturally accepted their instincts, including going into heat, forming partnerships, and living as mated pairs.

So did Jibeom, who had never relied on medication to control it.

Of course, he hadn’t formed a partnership or had a mate.

He didn’t need to.

Just wandering the streets at night, exuding pheromones, was enough to draw plenty of interested individuals to him.

From a human perspective, it might seem promiscuous, but in the world of beastmen, it was perfectly natural.

However, after meeting Saewoo, Jibeom found himself suppressing that natural instinct with medication.

“I’ll call you.”

Since that day, Saewoo had never left Jibeom’s mind.

As his thoughts lingered on Saewoo, his body began responding too.

Starting that night, it grew worse and worse.

Last night, his surging energy left him unable to sleep.

Though his heat cycle was still weeks away, the way things were going, Jibeom worried he might lose control and cause trouble.

Fearful that he might never see Saewoo again, he sought help from Junwoo.

Still… “A heat suppressant for cats?”

The mere suggestion bruised his pride as a predator.

It felt like a scratch across his dignity.

“I’ll find something that suits you better,” Junwoo had assured.

“But it’ll take time. I need to test for side effects.”

In the meantime, Junwoo had joked that Jibeom could use the sprays designed for cats.

Furious, Jibeom had kicked him out of his apartment.

Even so, after much internal struggle, Jibeom couldn’t bring himself to use the spray.

He tried to endure it, but after a sleepless night, he gave in and decided to visit Saewoo early in the morning.

He’d called ahead out of courtesy, but seeing Saewoo hesitate on the phone dampened Jibeom’s ardor.

“Tch, so that’s how it is…”

He’d felt a pang of anger at first but quickly decided to let it go.

Strangely, the more time he spent around Saewoo, the less he wanted to do things that would upset him.

For someone like Jibeom—who had always acted on his whims without much regard for others’ feelings—this was a significant change.

Yet, while Jibeom spent sleepless nights agonizing, Saewoo seemed to be living carefree.

Recently, he’d even put on a little weight.

Though it made him look even more appetizing to Jibeom, he begrudgingly admitted that no one else was allowed to think so.

“I can’t exactly wrap him up to keep others from looking…”

No, Jibeom shouldn’t have been looking either.

But the thought of Saewoo in loose-fitting clothes made him imagine the pale skin beneath.

He swallowed hard as he pictured the creamy skin that was so translucent it seemed like jelly, and the soft pink of his delicate nipples.

To Jibeom, Saewoo was no less tempting than a strawberry perched atop a cream cake.

“Ah… I’m losing it…”

Slumping onto his bed, Jibeom shook his head furiously as he bounced one leg nervously.

In doing so, he accidentally knocked the spray can to the floor.

“……”

He glared at the can like it had offended him, but eventually gave in.

Picking it up, he opened the lid and sprayed it directly onto his face.

Pssshhhh!

“Ugh…”

Though it was supposed to smell herbal, it was sharp and unpleasant.

Still, it wasn’t unbearable, so he held his breath, waiting for the scent to envelop him completely.

* * *