RHFTY chapter 22

Leonard, who had been silently watching the scene, let out a soft sigh. He hadn’t even finished two drinks, but Chaeyi had already downed more than four.

“Is something bothering you?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Drink with me.”

“I am drinking.”

Chaeyi glared at Leonard’s still full glass with discontent before downing another drink, pushing the alcohol into his mouth. His head felt heavy, as if it was constantly being pulled downward.

Feeling someone’s gaze, Chaeyi lifted his head from where it was buried on the table.

In his blurry, unfocused vision, two teal-colored gems appeared before him.

He squinted, wondering what was sparkling so beautifully, only to realize they were Leonard’s eyes.

“So pretty…”

How could a person’s eyes be that beautiful?

Chaeyi stared at him for a while, feeling his mood lift as a grin spread across his face. It was all thanks to Leonard, who didn’t shy away from his gaze.

‘Come to think of it, I wonder what kind of person Leonard’s future omega mate will be.’

The story from his friend had only briefly mentioned Leonard’s omega mate, so he had no idea what they looked like or what kind of personality they had.

The only thing he knew was that the two would meet for the first time at a banquet hosted by the Lancaster family.

Chaeyi , who had been lost in the depths of Leonard’s gaze, suddenly cupped both of his cheeks.

The soft, smooth texture felt good under his hands.

Leonard’s skin was still as soft as a baby’s. Perhaps that was why… today, Leonard seemed especially cute.

Like a father coming home drunk and doting on his child, Chaeyi began to rub his cheeks against Leonard’s.

“So cute, my sweet Leonard.”

“Chaeyi … stop with the drunk antics.”

“No, I just think you’re cute.”

I’m not drunk, I swear…

It was unfair!

But Leonard didn’t seem to believe him at all.

Suddenly, Chaeyi felt a pang of sadness.

As he pouted, Leonard, looking uncomfortable, averted his gaze and gently pushed Chaeyi away.

“Enough. You’re very drunk.”

“You’ve never seen me drunk before.”

“Well, you are today.”

But I’m really not drunk. I swear, I’m not.

As Chaeyi muttered to himself, Leonard frowned and swallowed another sigh.

He crouched down beside Chaeyi , who shifted to face him, looking down at Leonard, who was now sitting between his knees.

Leonard’s eyes, which had sparkled like gems earlier, now looked like a deep, still lake.

“Chaeyi . Let’s wash up and get to bed.”

Chaeyi found it fascinating and, without thinking, reached out his hand. When he gently stroked Leonard’s eyelids with his thumb, Leonard blinked slowly.

Chaeyi ’s face lit up with a smile when Leonard met his gaze again.

Though he didn’t realize it himself, Chaeyi tended to smile a lot more when he was drunk.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Just… because I’m happy.”

For a moment, an emotion in Leonard’s eyes flickered like a ripple on water.

The room filled with a sweet, enticing pheromone that seemed ready to overflow.

Chaeyi , feeling oddly breathless, inhaled slowly.

“Chaeyi .”

Leonard carefully grasped Chaeyi ’s hand, which was still resting on his cheek, and lowered it.

When Chaeyi tried to meet his eyes, Leonard looked away first.

His thick lips trembled slightly as if he was hesitating over something, a strangely sensual sight.

It was still Leonard, the one Chaeyi knew, but it felt like he was looking at a stranger.

‘…Am I really drunk?’

To feel this way while looking at Leonard of all people. It was because of the alpha’s pheromones, though Chaeyi , being a beta, didn’t realize this.

Betas, though not as sensitive as alphas or omegas, could still be affected by pheromones, something Chaeyi was unaware of. A

nd with his thoughts clouded by alcohol, he could only feel vague and hazy.

“Think of it as a dream.”

Leonard whispered softly, his voice soothing. Chaeyi suddenly realized how close Leonard’s face was. Instinctively, he tried to pull back.

But before he could, he felt a warm breath and then the soft sensation of Leonard’s lips pressing against his.

His shoulders tensed in surprise.

Chaeyi raised his hand to push Leonard away, but his strength failed him, and it ended up resting limply on Leonard’s shoulder.

“Mmph…”

As Leonard straightened up, Chaeyi ’s head, which had been leaning forward, tilted back with his movement.

Leonard’s slightly parted lips gently nibbled on Chaeyi ’s lower lip.

When something soft and warm slipped into his mouth, Chaeyi ’s mind buzzed.

With every touch that traced from his shoulders down to his chest, breathy sighs tangled in the air.

Chaeyi half-opened his eyes, now heavy with heat and a strange dizziness.

The sensation was overwhelming, and despite the pleasure, it didn’t feel real at all.

He couldn’t even be sure that the long, dark eyelashes before him truly belonged to Leonard.

Why is Leonard doing this?

This situation was strange and surreal to Chaeyi .

“Hah…”

Their lips parted briefly, and the breath they shared was sweet. Chaeyi , wanting more of that breath, unconsciously chased Leonard’s lips, and he eagerly returned, wetting Chaeyi ’s mouth again.

The pounding of his heart made Chaeyi dizzy, and the heat from Leonard’s hand, now sliding down to his thigh, was so intense it felt like his body might catch fire.

‘Is this… a dream?’

As Leonard trailed kisses along Chaeyi ’s cheek and earlobe, he murmured, “Chaeyi …”

Hearing Leonard’s low, languid voice, Chaeyi recalled the whispered words to think of it as a dream. An irrational, impossible act in reality.

That dissonance only strengthened Chaeyi ’s belief that it must be a dream.

‘It must be. There’s no way Leonard would look at me with such desire. And for me to feel something like this for someone who’s like a son to me… it’s absurd.’

Chaeyi ’s eyelashes fluttered heavily, and he no longer resisted the urge to close them.

As he rested his forehead against Leonard’s shoulder, he felt a trembling hand fidget with the tie on Leonard’s clothing.

And with that, Chaeyi ’s consciousness slipped away.

Chaeyi woke up to the clear sound of birds chirping near his ear. He stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling refreshed and without a hangover.

For a few moments, he enjoyed the peace, but then—

“Oh no.”

The memories flooded back, and his eyes widened in shock.

“Damn.”

Chaeyi , who rarely cursed, grabbed his hair as if trying to pull the memories out of his head. The more he recalled, the paler his face became.

‘I… I…’

How could he have such an obscene, vivid dream like that? And with Leonard, of all people… What an absurd nightmare.

He wanted to bury his face in a bucket of water and drown.

Chaeyi writhed in embarrassment. At least Leonard wasn’t there to witness his turmoil.

‘Was it because we drank together last night?’

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

Guilt welled up inside him, making him feel even worse.

But as he calmed down and thought it over, something didn’t add up.

‘It didn’t feel like a wet dream…’

While his body was showing the usual morning reaction, there were no other signs.

Plus, he couldn’t remember when he had fallen asleep after drinking with Leonard, or where the dream had started and where reality ended.

The line between the two was too blurred.

‘Could it be…’

No, it couldn’t be. It absolutely couldn’t be.

But a tiny part of him whispered that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t a dream after all.

‘No way! That’s even more ridiculous.’

Just then, the bathroom door clicked open. Chaeyi froze and quickly looked up.

Standing there was Leonard, just as expected.

“Ah… Leonard.”

Chaeyi i forced an awkward smile. he was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.

He averted his gaze, but Leonard suddenly spoke up.

“Did you sleep well?”

His voice was as calm and unaffected as usual.

“……”

Chaeyi i was momentarily speechless, his mouth hanging open.

Could it be that everything from yesterday was just a dream?

It seemed that he found some courage in this. he finally voiced the question he had been dying to ask.

“Did we, by any chance, drink yesterday…?”

“……”

“Other than that, nothing else… happened, right?”

“……”

Leonard, with his arms crossed, leaned casually against the wall.

He seemed lost in thought.

But his neutral expression made it impossible for Chaeyi i to guess what he was thinking.

As the silence stretched on, Chaeyi i’s heart raced, and he added a nervous laugh.

Whether he heard it or not, Leonard curved his lips slightly and gave a small smile.

“Yeah. Nothing happened.”

Only then did Chaeyi i set aside his worries and fears.

‘What a relief.’

Of course, he was still shaken by the fact that he had such a dream, but he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders for now.

‘There’s no helping it if it was just a dream.’

Hmm, it’s better to just forget about it quickly.

“Chaeyi i, would you like to have lunch together?”

“Oh, sure. I’ll just go wash up first.”

That day, Leonard, who seemed in a good mood all day, finished lunch with Chaeyi i and stayed with his until early afternoon before returning to his office.

A week passed since then.