* * *
When Gong Yoochan arrived at the lodging, the first thing he did was pull out the medication from his bag.
Since the place was equipped with cameras, it took some effort to avoid being caught on camera, but administering the suppressant was his top priority.
The prescribed suppressant came in the form of a syringe, making the process a bit tedious.
With cameras installed everywhere in the room, administering the injection there was impossible.
After looking around, Yoochan chose the bathroom.
He placed the medicine packet in the bathroom cabinet, rolled up his sleeve, and clumsily positioned the needle at the inside of his elbow.
“Is this the right spot…?”
It had been seven years since he last took a suppressant.
Trying to recall something from so long ago made his head hurt.
He roughly identified a visible vein and carefully inserted the needle.
With a sharp sting, he pressed down on the plunger.
The sensation of the medicine rushing into his bloodstream was as unpleasant as ever.
Even after seven years, the discomfort was vivid.
Yoochan rubbed the inside of his arm with an alcohol swab, calming his thoughts.
Cha Joobin’s kiss scene, which he had temporarily forgotten, floated back into his mind.
The way Joobin gently cupped the other actor’s jaw, tilting his head to kiss them, was beautiful.
At the same time, it left Yoochan feeling a bit hurt.
He had always been the one in front of Joobin.
He understood better than anyone that it was just work, that as an actor, he had to respect his co-star’s role, but he couldn’t shake off the complicated feelings.
Is this what they mean by post-performance blues?
Yoochan wondered, closing his eyes.
He took a deep breath and let it out with a huff, then tossed the used alcohol swab into the trash.
For some reason, his lips felt like his heart was pounding in them.
It reminded him of his first kiss. He hadn’t even kissed anyone, yet the sensation felt surreal.
Yoochan tried to shake off the feeling.
After leaving the bathroom, he headed straight for the bed.
Just as Joobin had mentioned, he wasn’t feeling great, and with time left before Joobin’s schedule ended, he figured it was best to get some sleep.
Glancing at the cameras, he discreetly undressed under the covers.
A small chuckle escaped him.
“You took it off too.”
At the time, the comment had been bewildering, but now it felt like a playful complaint.
Yoochan softened his smile, sinking into the comfort of the bed.
As he tossed and turned, a cozy warmth enveloped him.
With his face buried in the soft pillow, he quickly drifted off to sleep.
“Where did I put my phone…?”
Just before falling asleep, Yoochan thought it would be best to inform Joobin about his condition.
Even though Joobin seemed to have already noticed, there was no harm in giving him an update.
‘I think my heat is coming, so I’m going to sleep for a bit. I took the suppressant, so don’t worry, it won’t affect anything.’
Not that he knew whether Joobin would worry or not.
After sending the simple message, he placed the phone by his head.
Yoochan felt warmth slowly creeping through his body and let out a trembling breath.
His chest felt itchy, like he was coming down with a fever.
The aching sensation in his skin was a clear sign that his heat was approaching.
This damn heat.
Every time it came around, his mood would plummet, and his condition would noticeably worsen.
He was anxious about whether it would interfere with the shoot.
If it got too bad, he figured he’d have to push filming to the following week.
With that thought, he closed his eyes, hoping the heat would subside before Joobin arrived.
Fortunately, the first shoot didn’t take too long.
Joobin arrived at the lodging, shaking his head at the director’s mischievous decision to schedule all the kiss scenes together.
Yoochan’s message was waiting on his phone.
Checking it out of the camera’s view, Joobin clicked his tongue.
‘I knew it. His pheromones have been off.
I deliberately spread my pheromones over him earlier, but they tangled together like they were craving each other.
I had a hunch it might be his heat, and now it turns out it really is.’
The cycle seems to be coming faster than usual. Joobin sighed deeply.
Is he stressed?
‘Am I the cause of that stress?’
‘If so, should I be grateful that he’s still taking care of me like this, or should I feel guilty for causing him stress?’
Joobin couldn’t decide.
He entered the lodging with slightly exaggerated steps.
Worried that the room might be filled with pheromones, he was relieved to find that, thanks to the suppressant, the air was clear.
‘Should I be thankful for this?’
Joobin tilted his head as he looked at the peacefully sleeping Yoochan.
He didn’t know exactly why, but something about the scene bothered him.
“Hyung, are you asleep?”
He forced himself to smooth out his expression as he placed a hand on Yoochan’s forehead.
The heat radiating from Yoochan’s forehead was intense, almost like touching a hot stone.
“Hyung, hyung, wake up. Are you okay?”
Startled, Joobin gently shook him, causing his delicate brow to furrow in a familiar way.
Pressing and rubbing that spot was almost a habit by now. It reminded him of when they first started dating, and he had made him angry with his mistake.
Back then, too, he furrowed his pretty brow like this, and Joobin, thinking no apology would work, pressed down on his forehead.
“Don’t frown at me, hyung. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again.”
He finally smiled after Joobin mumbled that, like he couldn’t resist me, like he was so in love it was driving him crazy.
So, whenever he furrowed his brow like that, Joobin often reached out to soothe him.
“……”
But now, he wouldn’t smile like that anymore.
It hurt, twisting in his chest.
“You’re here…?”
After a long time of me fiddling with his brow, he finally spoke in a raspy voice.
He opened his eyes slightly, blinking a few times as if it was hard to keep them open.
But then, he smiled brightly, as if he was happy to see me.
“Are you feeling really bad?”
“No, I’m fine after some sleep.”
“…Wait here a moment.”
Gong Yoochan looked up at Joobin, still groggy.
The hand that was rubbing his brow moved to stroke his eyebrow, then gently caressed his cheek.
His touch was so tender and affectionate that his heart trembled.
It felt strange, like his stomach was churning and he was oddly ticklish.
As he just stood there, his lips strangely dry, Cha Joobin soon removed his hand and disappeared into the bathroom.
Not long after, Yoochan heard the refreshing sound of water cascading down.
Gong Yoochan, feeling a little better, turned over and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling.
The faint light from the fluorescent lamp blurred in his hazy vision.
Absentmindedly, he rubbed the spot between his brows.
The place where his touch lingered felt oddly warm, causing his heart to thump heavily.
How long had it been?
“Are you feeling better?”
Cha Joobin emerged, his hair dried after the shower.
He had remembered my request to always keep his clothes on in front of the camera, so he appeared fully dressed, looking neat and handsome.
When he nodded, he circled the bed and climbed in beside him.
Sitting under the blanket, he suddenly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him close, hugging him tightly.
“What’s wrong?”
Yoochan’s body, already sensitive to his touch, flinched, but Cha Joobin just shook his head.
“Just stay like this for a while.”
“…”
As if he knew exactly what would calm me down, Cha Joobin willingly offered his embrace, pulling his head to rest on his chest.
“You feel better like this, don’t you?”
“Yeah.”
Yoochan had no choice but to agree. He knew he was being affectionate because of the camera, but with his body feeling weak, his tenderness was overwhelming, making him just want to lean into him.
Conscious of Cha Joobin’s hand gently caressing me, I cleared my throat.
“Did the filming go well?”
Yoochan felt like he needed to change the mood, so he awkwardly brought up a topic.
It was quite satisfying to see him smile gently as he rested his cheek on his head.
“Yeah, it went well.”
“What’s the shoot for tomorrow?”
“I thought there was filming tomorrow, but since we finished early today, we don’t have to do it. There’s a brunch cafe nearby that’s supposed to be good. Want to go there if you’re feeling up to it tomorrow?”
“But you need to take care of your health.”
“I’ll have a salad, and you can eat something delicious.”
Cha Joobin chuckled softly and rubbed his forehead. Yoochan liked his touch, so he let out a low laugh.
Yoochan burrowed deeper into Cha Joobin’s embrace.
But then, out of nowhere, he laughed a bit awkwardly.
“…Wait a minute.”
He hesitated before speaking, then slightly moved his hips back.
Curious, Yoochan looked up at him.
“…”
Without realizing it, his hand had brushed against his thigh.
Cha Joobin’s eyebrow twitched as he awkwardly smiled.
* * *
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